Myhm leans to the side for a view of the front, waiting for his turn to unlock the door.
Stroud has a much easier time picking the lock and soon has the box open. Inside are a few stacks of platinum coins, two potions, and a ledger containing Aimen Noor's accounting of this year's transactions. A quick glance indicates the last entry was entered not long after Stroud's betrayal. It may contain information that could lead to Aimen's current activities, but will take some time to go through.
Spellcraft potion one
Spellcraft potion two
Teena determines that the potions are invisbiltiy and nondetection.
"We should get out of here now everyone."
"Yes, we should try to find a safe spot so we can go over this ledger." Troxell agrees.
Teena tells the others about the potions and hands them to Stroud as it looked like he might get the most use out of them.
She agrees finding a quiet spot to find out more about the journal would be the proper course of action for the time being.
Stroud moves out of the Basement as quickly as he can.
Leaving the basement, your party quickly departs Aimen's collapsed warehouse. And none too soon, as Troxell and Stroud's keen eyes spot a dozen men and women turning a corner from one of the main roads. They are clad in the blue and silver that marks them as part of Irovetti's city watch, and above them, suspended in mid-air just above the rooftops, fly two slender figures. Had you stayed much longer you would surely have encountered them.
Stroud leads you on a winding course through back streets and allies, heading away from them into the poorer district of Marascar.
"I suppose an inn wouldn't be a terrible place to do some planning, we might be able to get some privacy in this crowded place." Troxell reluctantly agrees with Shanee.
"An inn it is!"
Stroud leads the group to 'The Threeroads.'
He also makes sure to mask his identity along the way.
"We could probably get more information from the inn and its outskirts than anywhere else in town," Teena supposed.
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Stroud adjusts his disguise, somehow making it worse than it was before, and the party heads off by the way of side streets and alleys. Having spent the last couple months travelling the Feralwood, the city assaults you with mind-numbing noise and awful smells that grow stronger the closer you come to the docks. The Threeroads Inn stands on one corner where the main road meets three others leading southwest to the port harbormaster's warehouse, north to the city barracks, and northeast to merchant's row.
The Threeroads Inn is an old building, but a fine one, and well-maintained. It has three stories circling a peaceful inner courtyard that holds a bubbling fountain and climbing jasmine reaching to the upper floors. The Innkeeper, and aging woman who introduces herself as Sidura, makes an excellent pretense of not noticing the dust of the road, or the debris and ash from the warehouse that fell on your heads, and accepts your money with a bow.
Safe inside a rented room you dive into the words and numbers in Aimen Noor's Ledger. After a day and a half you learn two things.
First, Aimen Noor accepted payment for having the Crook of Cildhureen delivered to the Feralwood by Stroud from a person named Alesan.
Second, Aimen's last business transaction was with a slave trader named Zir.
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"Well ladys and gents I think it high time we got out and socialized and by we i mean Me. Feel free to join if you would like but do try and keep up i tend to flutter from one place to another from what i have been told."
Shanee heads down to the courtyard of the Inn humming softly to himself and takes a look around figuring no place better to start getting the gossip of the town than here. Once settled by the fountain he starts singing songs quietly just loud enough to catch peoples attention but not quite loud enough for them to know what hes singing unless they come closer.
Teena was glad to be back in civilization even though she didn't trust anything. She let Shanee take the lead and find out everything he could.
Stroud thinks it better to lay low for another day and go over the information gathered. He starts running through a list of potential friends he has in the city that would help him.
He also thinks on Alesan and Zir, trying to recall if he has heard the names before!
Unable to provide much help with the information gathering, Troxell attempts to relax in the inn as the others set out into the city.
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Shanee slips downstairs and entertains the other guests of the Threeroads for the evening. Though he is a bit rusty, he's skilled enough to sound good even when his voice is suffering from road and warehouse dust. Asking discreet questions when the opportunity arises, he learns the following:
Alesan is a Nexus Adept in the Company of the Star. It is said she is a specialist in alchemical weapons and is part of Irovetti's inner circle.
Zir is a slave trader who owns a stable of gladiators. He has operated in Marascar for decades and was once a gladiator himself, but bought his own freedom after performing well in the arenas. He is part of no house, and holds allegiance to no one.
Stroud goes through his list of friends in Marascar...
Aratak - in jail...
Hesea - untrustworthy...
Habob - out of town...
Faadin - dead...
Gefen - a ranking member of the House of Forturi, the closest thing Marascar has to a Thieve's Guild. He could be useful, though Stroud owes him 300 gold.
Rupi - a bar wench at the Devil's Tale with a good ear for rumors. For a really good tip she can sometimes find information.
Assuming Stroud shares the info with the others, Teena will suggest speaking with Rupi. "Seems like she might be our best option of our pals, Stroud. Of course, we could pay off the 300 gold debt, if you think that might be a better course."
"Great idea Teena. I will start with Rupi!"
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"I need to find some people as well." Xerexis says as the group prepares to head for the Devil's Tale. The elf has always been a being of few words, even before his death and strange resurrection in the First World, and preparing to talk takes a few moments as he considers his words.
"As I said before, there are two factions of Celestial Elves. One led by Irovetti, the other by a Cabal of Adepts. In my memory both were seeking the recovery of the Grimoire in order to recover the Ark, lost upon our arrival to this world. One side wished to use it to return to our people, but the other has no such intentions, and would use the Ark to extend their power here." Looking around at Marascar, he frowns. "I don't know if all that holds true now. Everything is different, my memories are twisted like reflections in a cracked mirror. I had a couple close friends here. I am hesitant to seek them out, but I think I should. Perhaps they could help me understand."
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Leaving the Threeroads Inn, you follow back streets that parallel Trader's Road, making your way through the infamous slave markets of Marascar. Stroud then leads you south across the road into the dockyards, giving wide birth to a fortified barracks near the center of the city. Staying in the shadows of warehouses you make your way to a back door to a an old two-storied old building of patched stucco. Inside is a dimly lit labyrinth of corridors and small chambers divided by tasseled curtains. Music from a kamancheh filters through a pungent haze in the air from the tobacco of qalyān water pipes smoked by patrons of the tavern.
Stroud soon picks out Rupi from among the curtains. Dark haired like most Ascari, she has green eyes that might indicate some other heritage in her blood. With a smile she waves you into a private chamber piled with cushions around a low table bearing two qalyān.
"Wine, shisha, or women, effendis?" She asks.
Myhm looks on as Xerexis takes leave, for a moment considering trailing the tattooed elf; although likely getting himself lost in the city like a lose mammoth makes him think twice, which was double his usual amount of thinking. Shaking off the the curiosity and mistrust, Myhm checks his bag for the hard lumpiness of the Grimoire, making sure it didn't leave with hunter.
Once through the main entrance of the Threeroads, Myhm stands hunched behind the others trying not to run into any chandeliers or lit candles. The young and spirited woman reminded Myhm of Mairel in Cairllen’s Crossing, suddenly feeling embarrassed, he looks away for any distracting things.
"We actually came to see you beautiful Rupi."
Stroud pulls his face cover off and smiles at his old friend.
Troxell nods solemnly as Xerexis explains his departure, "I hope you find what you are looking for and we meet again soon."
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Still not quite comfortable with the swarming mass of humanity that appears to be filling the city to the brim, Troxell quietly follows Stroud's lead to the bar, still quite wary of the strange place and people.
Myhm checks on the grimoire and finds it still safely stored on his person.
Troxell keeps his keen eyes peeled but notices nothing worrisome in the immediate area.
Rupi makes a good show of pretending that she didn't recognize Stroud in his disguise.
"Well, well. A man with your face should keep it covered. One might think they saw a ghost and call for an exorcist." She smirks and replaces Stroud's covering. "Though it is a shame to hide something so handsome. Now, I cannot help but notice the exotic friends you have here, and I cannot wonder that others might notice them as well."
"What can I say Rupi? My list of comrades continues to evolve in the right direction. It is good to see you again, beautiful. Are you available to speak with us for a few moments?"
"I'm always available for paying customers." Rupi says.
Myhm stomach growls at the scent of the food and drink, realizing he hasn't eaten since the airborne travel and the chase through town. He blurts an answer, "Food? -For everyone?", pointing to the others.
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"We are searching for a man named Dovan. He's supposed to be in the city."
Diplomacy
"What's this about my death? Was pretty shocking to hear about it, but I feel fine. Do you know anything about it Rupi?"
Rupi considers Teena's question for a moment, but when she talks she addresses Stroud.
"News of the collection on your bounty was intriguing, especially considering the man that did the collecting. A barbaric Wildlander named Maarku so it was told. An outsider without reputation. I can see by your face that the name means nothing to you, which makes me think he doesn't exist."
Troxell listens quietly to the conversation, but remains alert for any signs of treachery.
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Shanee,sitting back and watching and listening finally chimes in.
"Come now love there are other things you know and we are more than willing to compensate you for your knowledge and of course your discretion if any would happen to come asking about us."
Giving Rupi a wink from across the room he adds.
"Please name your price I assure we mean no harm to those we ask about.....well with the possible exception of the ones that put a price on my friends head here."
"I see you've brought a Silvertongue with you." Rupi smiles at stroud after listening to Shanee's short dialogue. "You are not the only ones who would pay well for discretion. Tell me why you seek Dovan and maybe an arrangement can be made."
"It's kind of personal, but I think he knows someone who can help me find something I have lost. Finding him and recovering my lost items are the most important thing I can possibly think of right now." Teena doesn't share exactly what she is looking for, not thinking it to be the girl's business.
"Hmmm..." Rupi tilts her head and looks at Teena with open curiosity. "The best I can do is arrange a meeting, assuming both parties are open to such a thing. However, such arrangements can be expensive. I would say 200 gold would get things started, and another 200 upon the time of meeting."
Myhm watches the back and forth. The woman appeared to be the peddling type that spoke the language of money, something he had never fully understood. Bartering was either done in one handful of coins or two handful of coins. By the sound of what she wanted, in trade for something so simple as an introduction that would lead to Brue, Myhm suddenly felt the urge rising to give her two handfuls of fist. His companions might recognize his agitation setting in.
Stroud sits quietly absorbing the conversation, and waits for his comrades to finish their queries to Rupi before he asks about Maarku.
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"Are these your normal prices? You know I DO love gossip but at this price I would have to go somewhere else for my regular business. I guess if you do not want repeat business we can pay tat price."
Shanee starts fishing out small belt pouches from inside his many pockets slowly.
"Come on people lets pay the girl"
Doing his best to avoid appearing as annoyed as he feels, Troxell makes no move to pay the woman anything.
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Pulling his friends aside Shanee speaks in a hushed voice.
"You do know that at this point we have no choice. Its either pay the girl and get the meeting or not pay her and she tells Dovan we are looking for him and he either runs even though we mean him no harm or he sends people looking for us and I don't want to be looked for. I do not like the price any more than you do but he is the next step in getting Teenas lost.....things or so I am told. So lets deliver the thing to him and go from there."
Stroud pulls out 200gp and places it in a sack on the table.
"This is for helping me my friends. Here you go beautiful!"
He smiles at the group, then at Rupi!
"I'm hoping this isn't a trick, young lady. I'm serious about this meeting. If you get sneaky, I can't promise I will keep my temper!"