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Meanwhile, Mel slinks around the place, looking on drawers or sacks, under beds, and on high shelves. He avoids, though, any dangerous looking plants.
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Melufiuos moves to the next room to see that the rear entrance of The Dryad’s Trousseau allows pallets of fresh plants to be brought from the alleyway into the back of the shop, where they can be unpacked for display. Just inside the delivery doors are two wooden crates of robust Avistani roses. One crate has been smashed open, and rose petals and tangled, thorny clusters are strewn throughout the room.
A shipping manifest attached to one of the crates states that it was unloaded this morning from a ship called the Paloma.
Although the floor is strewn with the thorny stems of roses, Melufiuos discovers the damaged box of Avistani roses has a false bottom that opens into a shallow space approximately 4 inches deep. Examining the undamaged crate reveals another false bottom, although this one contains blocks of sticky white wax wrapped in cheesecloth.
This substance in the cheesecloth is raw pesh, a potent narcotic uncommon to Magnimar.
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So... the varisian mob is behind this one. Moadis scratches his head. Thank the goddess that group is no longer one of the powerful factions of the society. He then moves to the backroom worried about leaving Mel wander alone for too long, that kid have the devil in him today.
What is that, candlewax?
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"Sczarni." Ophelia practically spits the word. "Swindlers and liars, sullying the reputation of my people! We'd best get to the bottom of this quickly; they must have further plans."
She examines the wax curiously, giving it a cursory sniff and wishing she'd paid more attention to her grandmother's lessons in herbalism.
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Let me see the cloth again
Valik, take another look at the cloth, and turns it over a few times.
It looks like a pattern of some sort. Two burning candles in a "X".
What is what Moadis? as Valik goes over to look what whatever Moadis is looking at. I am unsure what it is, maybe someone else may know?
Valik also recalls and relates to the group that the Sczarni gang the Twincandles avoid violent crimes in favor of street-level confidence games and protection rackets. They are headquartered in a part of the city called Ordellia, in a shantytown known as Two-Lights.
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Mel has nothing to offer on the wax (unless it radiates magic) so he busies himself with the roses. He grabs a few, cuts the stems short and trims off the thorns. Then he offers then to the ladies in our party, "for your hair."
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"Then we should find these Twincandles," Ophelia decides, determined to get to the bottom of the crime. She blinks in surprise at Mel's gift, but smiles and lets down her bun, working the roses in as she restyles it. "Thank you," she murmurs, turning away as a faint flush rises in her cheeks.
"Perhaps we should take the wax with us?"
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A quick visit to the docks reveals that the Paloma has already set sail a few days ago.
With the only other lead pointing to the Twincandles gang located in the shantytown Two-Lights in the Ordellia district, the party makes its way to the western part of the city which is separated from the rest of the metropolis by the deep waters of the mighty Yondabakari River.
As you near the fringes of what you assume is probably Twincandles territory, you begin to notice that local businesses display placards bearing the symbol of the Sczarni gang, probably indicating they’re purchased the security of alliances.
Shortly after this realization dawns on you, you hear a deep rumbling sound followed by a sharp cry echoes from a nearby alleyway: "Watch! Watch!"
Around the corner, in the narrow alley, a 10-foot-diameter section of street has collapsed into the earth, creating a churning cauldron of mud, loose cobblestones, and sewage. Laying prone beside the sinkhole is a young woman, her muscular arms plunged into the quagmire, straining under an unknown weight. She pleads with anyone who can hear her for aid. "Quick, quick! My mate got pulled under!"
Quiella, Moadis, and Valik rush to the man's aid, although only Valik manages to get a good enough grip to start pushing the man out. It'll take more effort to push him free, but the woman appears to have a firm grip on her companion and you're starting to make headway.
As the more brawny members of the party work to help the strangers, the Pathfinders further back in the alley hear some scratching and shrieking coming from the manhole behind them, and suddenly a large swarm of rats pours out of the sewers!
Before anyone has time to react, the swarm flows over Melufious, Ophelia, Halkale and Frostfur, biting into their flesh and crawling into their clothing!
Initiative (Round 1)
Rat Swarm
Quiella <= Up
Halkale/Frostfur [H: 5 Dmg, F: 5 Dmg; Two Fort saves needed each] <= Up
Valik <= Up
Melufiuos [5 Dmg; Two Fort saves needed] <= Up
Moadis <= Up
Ophelia [5 Dmg; Two Fort saves needed] <= Up
Valik pulls the man out a little more, but he's still in danger of slipping into the sinkhole.
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Quiella ignores the commotion, putting too much faith in her companions's competence to worry about it. Instead, she continues to haul up on the man.
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From earlier encounters and training, Melufiuos recalls that vermin such as rats are immune to mind-affecting effects.
With the hefty assistance from Valik, Quiella manages to pull the man completely out of the sinkhole. "Thank you, thank you!" The man and woman say almost in unison.
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Despite letting a truly horrified squeal escape his lungs, Mel tries very hard to wait for his companions to get out of the way . When he can stand the creepy critters no longer, he steps back NW and casts burning hands at the swarm.
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Commanding Frostfur out of the swarm, Halkale leaves as well and fires a blunt arrow into it. The projectile hits the swarm in the dead center and manages to scatter many of the rats.
Ophelia also exits the swarm, pulls out an alchemist fire, and lobs it into the mass. It lands successfully in the swarm, but unfortunately only burns away a few rats.
Melufiuos is the last to exit the swarm and attempts to roast it with Burning Hands. Although a few are destroyed by the fire, the majority jump out of the way of the flames.
Drawing his Lucerne Hammer as he moves forward, Moadis squashes of the rest of the remaining vermin.
* * *
As the man stands up and moves a healthy distance away from the sinkhole, the woman smiles warmly at the group and says, "Thank you so much for helping me save my mate Eun. My name is Ylandria."
Now having the time to take a closer look at them, you notice that Eun is a handsome Tian man with a tattoo of exotic flowers blooming across the top of his shoulders. He also wears a satek identical to the one you found in the flower shop.
Ylandria appears to be a native Varisian in traditional garb, although her neck is bandaged.
"Oh my neck? Just a bit of business this morning that didn't go according to plan." Ylandria replies to Ophelia's question with a pensive look, then moves onto Quiella's queries, "I don't know what happened, we were just passing through the alley when it suddenly collapsed under Eun!"
The Tian man then speaks up, "The flooding in the area has been very bad of late, that may have contributed to it."
Ylandria nods in agreement, "We were just lucky your group was passing through when it did. What brings you to this part of town anyway?"
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"RATS!" shouts the (paler than usual) elf, as if in answer to the woman's question. "What kind of place is this? Between this morning and right now, you'd think the Green Mother had been turned on her head." Digging his wand out again and handing it to Ophelia, oblivious to the conversation going on already, "let's are of we can then it to dust this time"
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"Well, you're in luck, we're both member of the Twincandles." Ylandria reveals without hesitation, "What business do you have with us?"
The woman's eyes narrow and a half-smile forms on her lips, "Why are you looking into that? I might know something about it. Who are you guys anyway?"
"Yeah, you really did." Ylandria says with a sigh, "Ok, so if this is about the robbery, we were there, but we aren't responsible for any of it. I can tell you more and maybe help you, but first you have to return the favor and tell us who you are and why you are looking into it. We'll have to work this through the bosses and I can't take people to them if I don't know who they are."
"Ah, that explains it. If you follow me, I'll explain everything. We're going to our turf at Two-Lights. Since I'll be vouching for you, there's nothing to worry about." Ylandria offers, and begins to lead the party through a series of barricaded alleyways. Eun calmly follows along, remaining silent as Ylandria begins to tell the story.
"I'm not sure how much you know, so I'll just give you the full story. Recently a group of distant Sczarni cousins moved into our territory. So, when I needed to pick up a package from Elias Chert, one of our local contacts, a couple of them came along with me. When we get there, Chert and me start to haggle over the price, which is, you know, normal business. Well, my cousins decide to rob the guy instead, beating him up and cutting him with a poisoned dagger. They then ransacked his shop once they couldn't figure out where he kept the package."
"I'm not fine with this, but there were a lot more of them than there was of me. I still tried to revive poor Chert, but my cousins handed me the compass and told me to leave it by his body. Then, that weird plant came to life and attacked us." Ylandria gestures to the blood-soaked bandages across her neck, "We got out of there with some of what we were looking for, but I couldn’t leave Chert in there with that thing. I didn’t know if it would hurt him. So I dragged him outside and, remembering I was still holding that compass, just threw it out on the street. It was a mess. I don’t know why they did it. There was no reason."
Soon the group reaches the outskirts of Two-Lights, which is bordered by a tall fence, "The good news is, our kapteos have finally gotten tired our guests and are looking for a way to evict our cousins from our territory. I think we can help each other out on this one. You know, ‘my enemy’s enemy’ and all that?"
"Sorry, I don't know. I was just told what the purchase price was, but apparently Chert thought it was worth more." Ylandria replies to the older paladin's question.
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Valik, looks over the woman, and takes her at her word. He is unable to get any tells or falsehoods, but still is worried over the current predicament.
Is helping them, the right thing to do. I suppose that she did try to stop the cousins from framing our Society. If they try to double-cross then I will figure it out from then I suppose
Valik, tries to think of something to ask, that Moadis as yet to cover.
Miss, what are your cousins like? How many are there, just the two that came with you to the shop or did more come?
"I'm not sure of their exact numbers, but there's at least four of them that I've met, all with the typical skill sets you need for this business, but one of them I haven't met is good at brewing stuff, I'm told." Ylandria responds to Valik's question, then fields Quiella's, "All right then, just follow me to the kapteos."
The pair of Sczarni lead the party past a guarded gate into the settlement. The scent of incense suffuses this ramshackle camp, not quite overpowering the pervasive odor of mildew. Gnats swarm between lean-tos, shanties, and tents, the best of which are assembled on foundations of scrap wood, and the worst of which rest directly on the soggy ground. Soot-smeared children play near cook-fires tended by old women, while tannery workers eat from bowls held in their stained fingers. At the center of the cacophony of color and smells is the base of the two tall wooden masts upon which Two-Lights’s nightly beacons burn. The masts form the central support for a festively ornamented and irregularly shaped tent, clearly occupied by the camp’s most important residents.
A bare-chested Shoanti stands outside the tent, his eyes keenly scanning the shadows. As you approach, the formidable guard bares his teeth, evidently preparing to expel you from the area. Ylandria quickly takes charge of the situation, saying in Varisian, "They're with me, here to see the bosses to take care of situation with our cousins." The man eyes each of you, but nods his assent and steps out of the way.
Ylandria then leads you into the tent, which houses a sumptuously appointed den draped in heavy curtains and furnished with piles of pillows. Leaving briefly, Ylandria then quickly returns, introducing the two regal people who enter with her: "Pathfinders, meet kapteos Olivia and Jacek Giatano.
The two Varisians have such similar features that it’s obvious they’re siblings. Similarly attired in ornately edged trousers and voluminous silk blouses, the only obvious means of telling the two apart is the thin, tweedy mustache Jacek wears.
The woman Olivia speaks first, her speech quite formal and crisp, "Ylandria has informed us as to your business in Ordellia, and it’s fortunate for all of us that the goals of the Twincandles and the goals of the Pathfinders are as alike as two petals from the same bloom. We can tell you how to find the ones you seek—the scoundrels who attempt to debase your honor."
As she pauses, Jacek speaks up, his grating patois creating a jarring transition from his sister’s measured tones: "Oye, truth! They worn out any welcome they had here, and we want ‘em gone. We tell you what you want to know, you lot agrees to listen."
Olivia continues, "As we are one of the smaller 'families' in the area, we've recently gone on a recruiting drive to solidify our position in Magnimar's underworld, perhaps even more into more lucrative market's such as narcotics."
Jacek takes it from there, "We was contacted by a swain who claimed to be our cousin, a man named Titus Terliss. He told us that his gang was on the hunt for a perch in Magnimar to hide out for a season, and one of his fellows was a savvy alchemist, could help us cut in on the trade."
Olivia then pipes back in, "We've never actually made the acquaintance of this alchemist, but his underlings contend that he is a fearsome and feral individual."
Continuing with their bandying exposition, the Twins explain that the 'cousins' moved into a crypt beneath Two-Lights, where they set up an elaborate alchemical laboratory. Although they originally worked hard to produce product for the Twincandles’ new endeavor, they had other priorities. They began conscripting Twincandles members for jobs that were not authorized by the Giatanos, and carrying out bolder and more violent robberies.
Finally, Olivia cuts to the chase, "They are indiscreet and coarse. If you eject them, you can help yourself to whatever spoils they’ve accumulated. Our excursion into the soporific trade has not been profitable, and we wish it ended."
"We got a deal, or what?" Jacek asks expectantly.
With Quiella's begrudging consent and no objections from anyone else, Ylandria leads the party to a corner of Two-Lights where part of an ancient temple’s foundation juts from the muddy earth.
Buttresses jut crookedly from the ground, between piles of shrub-covered stone. A narrow gap in one of the standing stone columns—just wide enough for a person to pass through—leads to a small, cylindrical chamber within. A sturdy block and tackle is mounted above a five-foot-wide pit, leading into the darkness below.
Ylandria quickly lights a torch and begins to climb down the stone wall into the pit, using handholds carved into the walls.
At the bottom of the pit, you see this 15-foot-by-20-foot chamber’s low ceiling is supported by an array of recently installed wooden spars. The room’s only point of interest is at the easternmost end, where a 6‑foot stone stele, seemingly part of the chamber wall, stands. It’s etched with an eroded relief of a humanoid figure, positioned above a slightly less eroded inscription.
Ylandria gestures to the stele. "There’s a doorway here. When the Twincandles took over this camp, this door was open, and point a’ fact, we couldn’t figure how to move it at all. When the cousins came, that Terliss spent a little while trying to read this writing. After that, this door was closed whenever we came down here. We were locked out."
The stele is indeed a secret door.
The inscription reads the following in an ancient Varisian
dialect, 'As the storm’s fury bends the strongest tree, so can the wrath of man turn aside all obstacles.'
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Mel looks around and then pulls out a scroll of comprehend languages, sharing what he learns with the party.
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Quiella pops her wand of shield into one hand and her polearm in the other. "Any idea how big the other side might be? How long it will take us to find them?"
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