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Borrobol attacks the remaining centipede, but he's not able to hit the target. While Borrobol swings his hammer at the centipede Viraj Arpani tries to get away. He runs away and disappears between the fleeing people.
Celentrai does better and defeats the last centipede with a ray of frost.
The statue lies on the floor like nothing happened.
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Iso scoops up the box.
"Let us hurry onwards. "
After a quick check of the box in an ally not too far away he sighs.
"What do all these odd letters next to things mean? Anyone know what these would all be used for?"
He looks around with a grin. "One down, three to go. And favour for Torch I suppose. Who next?"
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Iso is able to find out where Nasir runs his warehouse. In the Overmarket, the streets are broader, the buildings farther apart, and the alleyways less dark. The spice levels in the air are much more breathable as well. This is the middleclass portion of the Qalli — not as crowded as the Central Market where the poorest of the poor rub elbows with highpowered merchants. The Overmarket almost has the feel of a residential neighborhood, albeit one with many more Shops and stalls than houses and apartments.
The warehouse itself has a front door, which is closed, and several windows.
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The door opens. Directly inside the front door of Tandir’s low warehouse are two men in the middle of a heated discussion. One, behind the low counter, is a fat, jowly man, looking wary but defiant. The man standing across from him is grizzled but menacing — his body lean but for a sizable paunch and his cheeks scraggly with halfgrown gray beard.
The fat man blusters, "I’ve already paid you what you’re owed, Belal. You told me protection would be ten a month, plus another five for the mucks. By those rates I’m paid up through the end of the year!" Belal reaches across the counter and grabs the man by his collar. "Rates have changed, Tandir. I’ve told you that twice now. If you want my protection" — he jerks on the collar — "you’d better pay me the rest."
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"Excuse me" says Iso, not looking at all like he minds whether he has caused a problem or not. The large sweaty barbarian is just glad to be out of the sun.
Stomping into the room he growls at the man holding up Tandir.
"Hey, no damaging Nadir, fatboy. Iso needs to speak with him. Maybe you should come back later."
The sweaty, tired look must not be too convincing though. Iso glares at the man, tapping the haft of his greataxe on the ground.
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"Bo, you don't know us, but we have pressing business with you, so you," he emphasizes pointing at the thug, "run along home and go play with yourself. Come back later and shake him down then. He'll probably still be alive when we'e done. Unless, of course, you'd like to attack us, which means you're protecting him, which means you will have just de factoed agreed to honour your original protection fee."
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"I hope you know what you are doing, strangers. Have you seen the guys following you since Zephyr Street? And the two guys over there are not customers of Mr. Nasir. Are you sure you want a fight with us? A half guy like you cannot intimidate me, not even if he is a blatherskite like you." Belal answers.
You see the two guys between the crates draw their weapons.
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Iso grins. A genuine Grin. Albeit one of surprise.
"Iso no see Fatboys playpals. But Iso big and happy to play with many."
He checks out the thugs weapons and pops his shoulder joints. Then taunting words of Belal kick in.
"Iso not Halfman. Iso Very Popular with Wenches."
The insult to to manhood, on top of the hot and generally unsavoury conditions is too much and Iso strikes out.
He then steps aside, to make more room around the head-thug and harder to be surrounded.
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Iso hits Fatboy surprisingly and the man goes down immediately. He has deep wounds, but he's still breathing. Seeing Iso almost killing their leader with only one hit they try to flee.
"Please, don't kill us. We are only trying to earn money to feed our families." one of the thugs cries while running away.
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"Wha-?" Tippy starts as he realizes he doesn't need to follow through, and pulls his dagger up short just in time.
"Have you not heard of the concept of honest work, or does none of that exist in this wretched city?"
Seeing that this guy is all bark and no bite, Tippy drops his dagger and tries to stop the bleeding.
"You," he says, pointing to the merchant, "Spread the word that these guys are pathetic and nobody should bother paying them protection, okay?"
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Nasir curls up into a fetal position. "Ok, ok! Please take whatever you want. I will pay you everything, but please don't destroy my warehouse!"
Tippy stabilizes Belal.
You discovers a secret compartment in the desk with a strongbox containing 100 pp. Also in the strongbox is one of the linen-wrapped Osirian statues.
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"The man did'nt want to tell his name. I swear, I would tell you his name if I know it. He said something about magic and worth a lot, but he did not say anything about a curse. Please take a bottle of water, big man. You find a crate with a blue drop on it over there, there should be some bottles inside. Take as much as you want." Nasir answers.
You spot Buri Buri-Ban, as promised, at the Fetching Fan café on Sengali Square. Though he doesn’t see you, the moment you see him he stands and retrieves a potion out of his waist-sash. As he drains the potion he begins running, package in hand. By the time he’s taken three steps across the square, he’s already invisible.
You notice puffs of dust kicked up by his haste which point toward the refinery. Shortly afterward a passerby in front of the refinery is knocked off of his feet by an invisible force further pointing the you in that direction.
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"He was young with blonde hair and green eyes, but there was another man watching us. This one was ugly with scars all over his face and hands. But this man did not talk he was just watching silently." Nasir answers.
The refinery is a two-story building with no windows. It looks well and frugally made, and the only decoration consists of the name painted above the door and a stark sign by the entrance that says, in Kelish, “No Open Flame.” For those who don’t read Kelish there is a helpful icon of a stylized flame with an X through it.
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The refinery is a large square space, 100 feet on a side, and is used for refining Sianti chaff into the extremely potent and fairly valuable spice of the same name. The room is full of spice vats, wooden stairways and catwalks; chains and rope hang from elaborate pulley systems and the lamps are continual flames completely enclosed in glass globes. The refining process creates a tremendous amount of dust which is constantly settling on everything and swirling around as the refiners go about their work. As you enter through the main door, you see a ripple in the dust moving across the refinery floor 20 feet from the main entrance. All of the factory workers and guards are wearing face masks. The refinery is lit only by natural light that spills in throw large windows on the ceiling and upper walls. There is one exit on the opposite side of the refinery from the entrance.
The six workers in the refinery tell you to leave. "It's dangerous in here! Leave now!"
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"An invisible murderous thief and a cursed ancient statue? Are you crazy? Go and see a doctor or stop drinking!" one of the refiners says and tries to push you out of the door.
Celentrai
Refiner green
Borrobol
Refiner pink
Refiner red
Buri-Ban
Tippy
Iso
Refiner blue
Refiner orange
Refiner yellow