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"I can surely do that. It's the least I can do, really. For a moment I was actually scared you would ask me to testify against the Captain..."
You quickly and silently make your way through the deserted halls until you reach Captain Othis office. The heavy oaken door bars your way and you (unsurprisingly) discover it to be well locked...
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Dembar lands on Gardol's arm before he starts disabling, and uses his little bat talons to point in directions that he thinks the lockpick should turn while he's doing his work.
Once the lock is undone, he'll look the door over for any additional traps, then wait for someone to open it a crack, and enter.
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Gardol spends some time studying the lock. Then he smiles and starts fiddling with it. In a few short seconds the Pathfinders are rewarded with a satisfying "click" and an open door to Captain Othis office. Before entering they try to make sure no one has witnessed their attempted burglary. Fortunately no one seems to be around at this time!
The office is cramped and contains a walnut desk, a hard-backed chair, and a bookshelf.
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Toivo glances over at the occasionally grunting nagaji. Ah, at least someone in this party isn't an absolute chatterbox. As the group leaves the room, he gives the bigger lizard man a solid pat on the back and a nod.
In the hallway, he moves as if to head to their bunks before looking back and realizing that the rest of the gourds headed to the captain's office. With a put upon sigh and a sullen face, he plods after the group.
Once they are in the office he takes an uninterested look around the place not expecting to find anything of note. He does open a drawer or two with a mediocrum of interest at their contents but is by far very unthrough.
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Toivo searches the drawer but can't find anything, he notices a gray fur cloak worth 50 gp hanging from a hook on the wall though.
Veres finds several calligraphy pens, a pot of invisible ink, and two scrolls of lesser restoration scattered among the papers on the captain’s desk. There she also discovers aletter adressed to Captain Othis bearing an etching of three stony hands grasping a roughly spherical faceted gemstone.
Deter studies the chair but concludes there's nothing out of the ordinary with it. He turns and after a brief search uncovers a hidden compartment in the stone wall of the office containing a vial of dusk agate extract.
Gardol follows his friend's example as well and discover a hollowed-out copy of Tactical Engagement that contains a bronze Aspis Consortium badge and a missive from someone named Krayler Cauchemar.
Dell stays out of the room while you search the place out looking extremely nervous while doing so but fortunately no one disturbs you.
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Once you are finished with the office you return to your rooms and get to enjoy some well earned sleep.
During breakfast a well known face, Dell Darkblade, interrupts you to bring you to the captain’s office for an assignment.
Captain Othis explains that while the Ungrounded’s primary source of income is a perennial contract with the Peerless Empire, the company often provides hired security for the various business and guilds of the Opaline Vault. The Glitterfang Halls, an upscale establishment owned and operated by the adult crystal dragon Cestranell, hired the Ungrounded to provide extra security for tonight’s grand opening. Othis warns you to be on the lookout for a notorious cheater known as Inysha, a master of disguise who’s been kicked out of other casinos in the past.
Othis gives you a crude sketch and written physical description of the con artist, which resembles a shaitan who enjoys feigning a martial character.
Captain Othis instructs you to report to the casino a few hours before its 7 o’clock opening.
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An impressive structure even among the many wondrous sights in the Opaline Vault, the Glitterfang Halls is built into an excavated series of stalactites suspended 400 feet above the city’s sprawling Inner District. Deposits of multi-colored crystals peek out from the stalactite’s black-and-cream marble exterior. Most of the city’s native inhabitants can easily access the casino using earth glide, but a towering stone shaft houses a glass elevator to assist extraplanar visitors. The elevator ascends lazily to a marble platform connected to the group of stalactites, its glacial pace allowing for a breathtaking view of the city below.
All the rooms in the casino are circular and showcase the natural marble and crystal that composes the stalactites. Tunnels carved into the rock allow nonelementals passage between these rooms. Magically suspended, iridescent crystals provide dim, ambient light throughout the casino.
As the elevator reaches the stalactites' top you are welcomed into the Casino's opulent interior. On the western wall, a 20-foot-high archway flanked by platinum and gold pillars leads from the elevator room into the casino’s foyer. This room serves as the entrance for visitors who can glide through dirt and stone. A desk constructed from the same mixture of precious metals stands in front of the southern wall. Behind it sits an oread attendant bedecked in fleshgems who greets you and then escorts you through the casino to meet the manager, who turns out to be a hassled-looking oread man, referred to simply as "Boss" by his employees. When you enter the Oread is discussing final preparations for the grand opening with a group of mephits. He quickly sends them their way and approaches you:"So you are the extra Security Lord Cestranell hired for the event eh? Very well, we can always use more legbreakers. I trust you know what is required of you, right?"
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After discovering the items in the book, Gardol shakes his head. "No wonder she hates us...she's an Aspis agent...look at these..." After showing the items to Dell, Gardol agrees with the Oread and puts what he found carefully back where it was. "We had best be most careful...the Aspis are ruthless...she won't hesitate to have us killed if she has the means..."
When the party arrives at the casino, the ranger answers the boss. "Sir, we were told you'd need us to provide security...and especially keep an eye out for a cheater known as Inysha...who we were told looks like this..."
He shows the sketch and physical description to the boss...
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Deter fights the inclination of "tidying up" the office and hears the wisdom of keeping things they way they were. After he becomes aware of the details of the new job he talks amongst his friends to try to come up with a strategy. " Perhaps if we can inform the dealers to let the other staff know of any suspicious people at their tables so that they can then inform us. I would say we are playing gambling ourselves. This place is huge and the way its laid out does not help us any. Maybe if we knew what he preferred playing in the past."
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Veres silently agrees with leaving everything where it was, simply offering an affirming nod, and then she helps to make sure nothing seems out of place.
As Gardol replies, she again remains quiet, merely taking in what she can.
The team is doing so well. I'm impressed.
She moves next to Sathos and smiles up at the mighty Nagaji before turning her attentions to looking for a suspicious shaitan.
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As Gardol mentions Inysha's appearance the "Boss" bursts into a great bout of laughter:“You call yourselves Undergrounded and you don’t even recognize your own general? You must be new on the job. That’s the spitting image of General Faiza bint Hanif you just described to me!”
When he's finished laughing "Boss" then provides you with an accurate description of Inysha, but warns you:"Be careful. She won't show her true face in here. She's not stupid and she's known for crafting convincing disguises... stay alert. Last thing we need is to make Lord Cestranell angry..."
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Finally speaking up, Veres laughs along with the "Boss" and comments, "Yes, we are new. Captain Othis certainly has a sense of humor! It seems we didn't catch your name. Everyone just calls you 'Boss', but for our reporting, it would be best if we had your name. Thank you so much for understanding!"
She then asks the "Boss", "When you say she is adept at disguising herself, tell us, is this with magic or not? If it is magic, does she actually alter her self physically or does she use illusions? It would help us to know."
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Earth mephits flit back and forth behind the bar from shelves of colorful bottles to waiting customers, preparing and serving drinks. More mephit employees tend stacks of gemstone and metal chips used for betting, and several xorns lumber around the round carrying trays laden with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Customers “tip” the xorn waitstaff by dropping gems directly into their mouths.
This lavishly furnished anteroom leads to the casino proper. The gemstone pool is a miniature replica of the lake at the Opaline Vault’s center, and the dragon is an idealized, larger-than-life depiction of the casino’s owner Cestranell.
Shaitans, oreads, and other humanoids of all types lounge in the chairs in small groups, talking and laughing in hushed voices. A few mephits and elemental patrons frolic in the molten pool.
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"Thank you for the information. One more question for now if you don't mind. If we identify her, how would you like us to proceed? You mentioned leg breakers, but I would like more specifics. I will assume whatever the action is, it would be preferred kept quiet if at all possible so as not to disturb the other guests."
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After being dismissed, Veres plans with the group, suggesting, "We could work in three groups of two, with each group taking a room to patrol. If we spot any trouble, one of the team can go to get the others before we engage while the other can stay to keep track of whatever the trouble is. Sound good?"
After the rest of the group comments she continues her thoughts, "I suggest one group goes to the Gaming Room, another goes to the Lounge, and the last one goes to the Member's Lounge. I think the Gaming Room may be a bit obvious, but still shouldn't be counted out for that reason alone. Anyone else have a suggestion?"
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Toivo for the most part stays silent in the casino. His usual apathy and disinerest in place, but this time instead of being lined with suspicion, there is a sense of underlying anger. I had to grew up in the slums when these people were just fragrantly wasting money! I'm either going to really enjoy this assignment or hate it...
He nods slightly at Veres' plan. "Plan and teams Sound okay. Won't work in gaming room, though, too loud and too... irritating."
After a second's thought he adds "I'll play bodyguard."
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"Alright then, Sathos take Dembar and you check the Gaming room. Toivo and I will go to the Member's Lounge, and that leaves the Lounge to Gardol and Deter. Remember, one comes to get the rest if you spot anything. Don't engage alone. After we patrol those places and figure they are secure, we can move to three other rooms and do the same, but lets meet up after each patrol just to be safe."
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You spend the first hour of your "shift" trying to check out guests and be discreet about it with at least passable results although more than one guest doesn't seem to thrilled by your scrutiny. All things considered nothing out of the ordinary seems to happen.
An hour after you start your job a shaitan woman matching the description Captain Othis provided enters the casino, passing through the foyer and then into the lounge where Gardol and Deter intercept her...
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"At ease soldier. As you could have guessed by the civilian's garb I'm not here in any official capacity right now and I would very much like to fit. So I would be glad if you would refrain from making everyone look my way. I gather you are Undergrounded recruits... It's all well and good you recognize your own general but you should practice a bit of discretion, especially in a place like this. Different battlefields require different aproaches..."
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"Don't worry. Keep up with your assignment. Just... don't bother me unlesss it's a matter of life and death... and possibly not even then. Understood, soldiers?" general Faiza bint Hanif says with a somewhat playful tone that does nothing to hide the meaning of her words, but while the general speaks Gardol notices a suspicious figure walk past them and enter the Gaming Room. Gardol feels sure the woman was wearing a disguise!
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The suspect woman wears an ornate courtier’s outfit with long sleeves and
several voluminous skirts. She strides confidently through the Gaming Room and then into the member's lodge where she starts discretely looking around herself as if she were searching for something or someone...
At this point all of you are aware of her presence.
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As Veres comes down and sees the suspect, she looks her over thoroughly as she approaches the large female, being obvious in her actions and flashing a brilliant smile as she does.
"My what a beautiful outfit you have on! My employer absolutely must see it! He just stepped outside before you arrived. If we hurry, I bet we could catch him! He is ever on the look out for beauty such as yours, and I just know that he will make it worth your time. It will only take a few moments. Please say you will come with me! Please?" and her eyes beam as if enraptured by the shaitan.
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You are all certain the woman is wearing a disguise.
Veres and Toivo convince her of their autenticity and she seems interessed:"Well met, friends! Ladahlia is my name and I'm really glad meeting you in such an auspicious occasion! And employer you say? How fasinating! We must catch him before he departs, although... care to tell me his name and occupation? After all, I would hate to waste his time" says the woman seemingly willing to follow you outside...