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Hanzi takes a look around back to find that yes, indeed, there is a back door that opens into the back alley. However, it is without an easily accessible knob or handle of any kind, and is locked to boot.
Tata hears rather low, harsh speech inside, which is promptly punctuated by an object slamming against wood or breaking of glass.
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Before the abrupt halt in the conversation due to the knock on the door, Naruhito can hear something regarding missing a monthly payment, and that it would be a shame to see to the entire place trashed like the display room. After the knock, you hear nothing but the shuffling of feet and hushed discussion too low to make out.
Shortly thereafter, the door opens, and a brute fills the threshold. "Best you keep your noses out of this s%~*," he snarls. "Turn around, and walk away. This doesn't concern you."
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Tata you have funny name. Tata in Croatian means dad. :)
Looking at the half orc sternly, his eyes lock onto the brute's. "Don't think violence is necessary here, bub. We just need to talk to the other gentlemen for a moment. Besides, I don't think you want to piss off those men in the nasty looking armor do you?"
Kiaru waits with his spear the reaction of half orc
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Hanzi keeps attempting to pry the locked door open, but it proves to be sturdier than thought.
Tata glares at the half-orc, and plies his hypnotic gaze.
- fail, target is facinated for 6 seconds.
The half-orc blinks uncontrollably for a moment, before looking at Tata with an odd smirk.
"Don't think violence is necessary here, bub. We just need to talk to the other gentlemen for a moment. Besides, I don't think you want to piss off those men in the nasty looking armor do you?"
The scarred, loutish orc scratches at the back of his neck, slightly dazed and confused. "... no, of course not... who are you, exactly? I didn't catch your name... and what's that elf doing with that toothpick o' his?"
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The scarred, loutish orc scratches at the back of his neck, slightly dazed and confused. "... no, of course not... who are you, exactly? I didn't catch your name... and what's that elf doing with that toothpick o' his?"
Seeing the success of his guileful ways, Tata grins devilishly. "Oh, my manners. My name is Tata. These are friends of mine. We all just need a moment with the proprietors. Should be done in a flash! It is concerning an urgent matter that cannot wait. And my friend over there with the spear is just admiring its fine...craftsmanship. He means no harm."
With that Tata will move into the room past the half orc and prepare to speak with whoever else is in here.
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As Tata walks past the half-orc and into the room, he sees two shady human men who look half as menacing as the greenskin. One has a pinned to the wall by the collar of his fine-spun surcoat.
The dwarf looks to Tata with fear in his eyes, then lets out a boisterous exclamation to the thug holding him. "Ah yes! There they are now - I told you I was good for the money, I was merely waiting for my... creditor to show up in order to exchange some gold!"
The brigand relaxes his grip, and the dwarf is slowly lowered back to the floor. The swarthy dwarf gestures kindly to Tata, then not-so-kindly to the half-orc. "My friend, might I ask you to pay our large toothy... associate here the amount I mentioned previously - , I believe it was! Then this misunderstanding can all be over with!"
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The half-orc inspects the gold, then tucks it into a pouch on his belt. "Well, looks like you've lucked out, . I'd have hated to see any more of your belongings smashed, all because of a little debt."
He motions for the two human brigands to follow him, then gives Eredur and Tata a mock salute. "He best hope you're around next week, 'cause we'll be back." he chuckles as he heads out the door and past the rest of the party.
The moment the dwarf hears the door slam behind them, the boisterous Keleshite blusters with friendly exhuberance. "You! You all! Come! Have a drink!" He takes a moment to straighten his outfit and has a nervous habit of running his hands over his pulled-back hair as he speaks.
As he grabs the carafe of crimson wine, Hanzi comes through a hidden door and is untangling himself from a silk tapestry that hangs behind the dwarf's desk.
"This one, he is with you? If so, I count him as friend as well!" he grabs what glassware is still intact from the toppled refreshment cart, and fills what he can. When he realizes there isn't enough glasses to go around, he gives the half-filled carafe to Eredur. "Stonekin, I owe a debt to you, and so such shall it be paid!" he drinks from one of the glasses. "... in time, that is. I expect a shipment of product tomorrow that I expect to move quickly, and so you can be assured I will pay any debt I have to you then."
He scans around the room, and shows a look of exasperation. "My god, I haven't even dispensed with the formalities! I am , at your service. What brought you here to my humble place of business?"
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Hanzi gives a humble grin Friend Mahjub it is then He tries not to look flutered, but all is well that ends well I suppose.
We are actually here regarding your business. A rather unusual slave came to our attention - unusual in the way she was magically warded as use for a spy. Tell us truthful - was this your doing? If so, who asked you to do it?
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Tata waits for Mahjub to answer Hanzi's question, then rubs his hands over the smooth, scaled skin atop his head. Licking his lips, he stares coldly at the nervous dwarf. "You will pay that 50 gold piece loan back once you've gotten some coin from your dishonorable business. My friend here just saved your hide from a beating and he will received recompense. BEFORE you pay your usual protection money to those thugs. Do you understand?"
"If not, than we will be back and I promise you, it will be worse than what those petty thieves will do. I abhor your trade and wish to be out of this place of "business" as quickly as possible. Make your answers swiftly and with truth." His nostrils flare a bit as he finishes and the hooded skin around his neck expands momentarily, creating a dangerous, reptilian look.
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"Please," says Mahdi in a shaky tone. "... I deal with shady people like those muscled rats from the in this business of mine, and I suspect you are far more honourable than you let on. I too, am honourbale, aside from what assumptions you have made about me. Rest assured, I will repay you above any other debts I may or may not have."
He traces his fingers down one of the braids in his beard. "This slave you speak of... she would have came to me through a rather infrequent supplier, captain by the name of Wardak; Her ship, the is rigged with bright yellow sails, the colours of "
He lets out a wide smile, an expression that can't help but feel a touch sinister given his profession. "How fortuitous that the shipment I'm expecting tomorrow happens to be coming on the At Sea - hell, the ol' girl should be docking later tonight if she made good time across the strait."
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Mahdi strokes his beard. "Yes, this accusation of... warding of the slave to use for eavesdropping. I assure you, I know nothing of such arcanery. All I merely did was purchase the slave from a supplier, and sell her to a noble house, as is my modus operandi. Abaslom's finest, haven't you heard?"
As for any mention of business with Lady Darchana, he waves his hand. "I shall nullify the sales order and refund the purchase price - I consider myself a wise businessman, and I know that angering one of your most influential of clients is most decidedly... unwise."
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After your visit to the Coins, you travel with ease to Lady Darchana’s estate in the Petals District.
A tall wall of polished stone surrounds the property and its gardens, and notice that many of the plants in said gardens have either arcane or alchemical uses in addition to their aesthetic value. A doorman greets you at the gate, confirms your identities, and escorts you into the three-story residence. "Lady Darchana has been expecting you, you know." he stops at a door and knocks on it, and a woman answers.
"Thank you, that will be all." she says to the doorman, and he turns on his heels and walks away. "I am Jemina, the manager of the estate. Lady Darchana is awaiting you in the upstairs study. Follow me, if you will."
She leads you up a spiral staircase to another grand hallway, and leads you to a door halfway down the corridor. The walls of the study are inset with bookshelves that are brimming with texts of all varieties. A large drawing table in the middle of the room bears an unrolled map of the Inner Sea region. At the far end of the study stands an impressive darkwood desk, and seated behind it is a woman dressed in midnight-blue robes. Her piercing gray eyes look expectantly at Jemina. The estate manager softly clears her throat and announces, "Senior Lesser Councilwoman, Archdean of the Arcanamirium, Second Spell Lord of Absalom, Lady Darchana of House Madinani... please receive these agents of the Master of Spells Aram Zey of the Pathfinder Society."
Lady Darchana beckons with a short hand movement, "Pathfinders, join me. That is all, Jemina." She folds her hands together and waits for Jemina to close the door behind her, then continues. "After my conversation with Master Zey, he agreed by necessity to keep the details that were passed on to you to a minimum. I am keenly interested to hear what you were able to learn based on what you were provided."
As she utters that last sentence, her eyes dart to and from among you all.
- Hanzi
"You there, my stout scaled samurai. Tell me what you know."
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Hanzi respectfully removed his helmet unveiling his dark blue scaled face and forked tongue.
"Mistress, we followed the lead to find the source of your servant. He claims at any rate to have no knowledge of the wardi ng and has offered you a full refund.
She was purchased by and Okeno pirate by the name if Waheeda Wardak. The Society would like to offer its services on the....follow up. You have been such a valued patron after all"
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Lady Darchana surveys the party, then turns to her desk. "... ah, Captain Wardak. An Okeno pirate captain, if I recall correctly. Of the At Sea."
She nods her head, a brief smile. "Yes, that would stand to reason." She flips open a ledger sitting on her desk that bears the seal of the harbormaster and begins scanning the pages. "When I became aware of the eavesdropping handmaiden, using my own magic, I was able to follow the arcane trail back to it’s origin. I only got a brief glimpse of the heavily veiled perpetrator, but based on the distance and direction, I knew the culprit was on Stonespire Island — somewhere underground on the island at any rate, with a powerfully enchanted mirror. The Okeno pirates’ base of operations is a city on that island, and the Fleshfairs may be the largest slave markets on all of Golarion. It seems to me a cunning place through which to move these sensored slaves."
Her hand finally comes to rest in the ledger. "At Sea... At Sea... Ah, here we are. It has been to Absalom two other times in the last three months. According to this, however, it has been marked with a bounty; ‘Failure to fully declare cargo value for taxation.', it states here." She clicks her tongue loudly. "Excellent. You said Mahjub Mahdi was expecting another shipment from the At Sea tomorrow? Well, if it hasn’t already docked, it’ll be anchored outside the , awaiting a pilot to bring it through. We cannot allow those slaves to make it to the Docks unaccompanied!"
She closes the ledger, then looks up to you all. "... I trust I count on you to help in the matter?"
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... exactly what I want to hear."
Lady Darchana smiles, then excuses herself briefly to follow up on this information, returning 15 minutes later with a document. "I have spoken with a contact at the There is an outstanding docking request for a ship called , which is likely our ship with a flimsy disguise." She signs the parchment she brought in, seals it in wax with her seal, and hands it to you. "Carry this note to the Harbormaster’s Grange - it authorizes the inspector to provide you with a rowboat and a pilot. So long as you can confirm the ship’s identity, you are legally free to claim the bounty yourselves."
The Inspection and Pilots’ Office of the Harbormaster’s Grange is cramped and perfumed by a particularly smelly bowl of salted fish stew that’s cooling on one of its several desks. Ledgers and loose papers occupy most of the horizontal surfaces in the office, and a bookshelf on the southern wall sags under the weight of heavy files.
At present only one inspector is on duty. The sleepy-looking halfling woman sits up, covers a yawn, and says, "Welcome to the Harbormaster’s Grange. Inspector Second Class Lilia Ginsi, how may I be of service?"
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Inspector Ginsi grabs the note and spots the seal of House Darchana. Her eyes perk up, and she sits slightly straighter in her seat. It takes her only a few minutes after reading the request to confirm the pending docking request for the Kat Season in her ledger, locate and sign out a rowboat, and finally locate the pilot roster.
"Okay, we're almost set - I'll have to locate a pilot for you, so wait here one moment."
She excuses herself to notify a pilot to prepare for departure, leaving you alone in the office.
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The door opens, and the yawning stretches of the last light of day streak from outside.
Inspector Ginsi returns, grabbing a spoonful of pungeant chowder before sitting back at her desk. "Pathfinders, I'm pleased to inform you that your pilot for this crossing will be a female dwarf by the name of Zigil. She'll be ready to depart whenever you arrive at Docking Slip 49."
When you arrive at Slip 49, the last vestiges of sunlight are all but gone. Red skies reflect in the waters around you, and as you approach the small rowboat, Zigil the dwarf simply grunts in your general direction. "Oh-righty then, let's get one wee thing outta the way; I'm a pilot, not an oar-rower. That's yer lot's job. I navigate the Graveyard." She spits off the dock and into the harbour's choppy waters. "Secondarily-like? I board the slaverunner once you've secured it, and no moment sooner." she snorts from her bulbous nose, and sends a second spatter over the deckboards. "I ain't taking a blade in the back because you've missed someone. That's not in my job description."
She looks the lot of you over, then gestures to the boat. "Well, what're you waitin' fer? Hop in, and let's git!"
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Eredur hesitate. He isn't sure he wants to try to get on that small boat.
I don't want to drown....This boat is SO small, and I Don't want to fall in the water... But I can't stay on the shore either. I have to do this.
He does, after a few seconds, manage to regain his composure, and climbs into the boat, maintening an iron grip on the wood, until his kuckles whithen
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As you set off towards the ship in the distance, Absalom’s harbor becomes an inky, shifting landscape of shadows at night, illuminated only by the city’s lights, the waxing moon, and the distant blaze of the Absalom Lighthouse on Pilot’s Island.
"There's some canvas under the benchseats;" says Zigil, "... some of you in the heavy armour, you can cover up under it, as they're only expectin' a pilot and perhaps two or three sailors to assist in the transfer. A full boat load might be a tad bit suspicious."
Eventually, a three-masted ship with white sails comes into view. It’s just over one hundred feet in length, and its bowsprit is a weatherworn representation of a canine-headed mermaid. The crew is busy as they await an escort through the Ship’s Graveyard. A hooded lantern shines your way, signalling where one deck a rope ladder hangs from the rail of its starboard side to a foot above the waterline. The light goes out after Zigil signals back.
Perception Check!
As you come aside the side of the boat, a cursory glance at the name on the prow above (Kat Season) shows that the brushwork is a recent and sloppy modification of the original name. Kiaru also points out in the dim light several folded yellow sails hanging on the upper deck, the trademark of Okeno pirates.
The rope ladder is about 10 feet long and of average quality.
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Hanzi bundles up in the blankets and waits as still as he can.
Hanzi waits for some kind of sign from Eredur that he got up okay before heading on. He takes off his helmet and puts big chalk lines on his face like a pirate might.
He waits to meet anyone You got the goods? I got a hot date at home so we should hurry this up.