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"...Squashed like an over ripe melon! Then she..." Kronas interrupts his story, quite amazed at how quickly the scuffle lasted. "Righto then..." He starts to make his way over Mahdi, tip toeing past bits of half-orc Geez! I've never seen anything like that... Note to self, stay close to Yelek and don't make him angry. "Don't think we've forgotten about you!" Kronas says, wagging a finger "You've got some questions to answer yourself, like 'Why does Atlag want us to kill you?' and 'Why are you spying on the rich folk?' he squints at the blood soaked merchant for a second "Oh... not that we actually are planning on killing you, of course." He cups his hand over his mouth and shouts across the room towards the thug "Not sure about you though!"
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Xan chuckles from the back. "I should think he'll be alright, though he might have a headache for a day'r two. Mighty swell work with them colors, Mr...Gribbl, ain't it?"
Xan plucks the feather from his cap and and checks to make sure it isn't bloody before addressing the man. "Shame 'bout yer friend. Ours's just bigger." He winks at Yelek. "So then, you was sayin'?"
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The thug puts his face on the ground.
"Please let me live! We just wanted the money he owes us... for the protection... I don't much more, I'm just a little henchman, I repent!"
You may question him further but it's unlikely that you'll have much more information.
Mahdi stands up, slipping a little in the splatter of blood and looks at Gribbl and Kronas.
"Well, errm, yes, I'm Mahjub Mahdi. Nice to meet you, errrm, my friends!" he says with an unsure look at the halves of body remaining from the half-orc.
"Well, you want information? I can think of a good price for my 'friends', let's say... Oh crap, you saved my life and you have some good arguments." he takes a little moment to catch his breath and eventually opens up.
"The slave Atlag came to me through an infrequent supplier, a ship captain named Waheeda Wardak. Her ship, the At Sea, sailed with the distinctive yellow sails used by the Okeno pirates the last several times it was in Absalom. I... I should say that I expect another shipment from Wardak tomorrow, and... the At Sea should be docking tonight, if it hasn’t already arrived. I... I was told to expect a interesting prize... an enslaved Pathfinder as part of tomorrow’s lot."
When you left the Manor Dimora, Milana pulled you apart to ask you a favor: to request a refund for the slave on behalf of Lady Silviana over the embarrassment of this incident.
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"You enslave Pathfinders? What an interesting notion. I wonder what former slave-sellers go for on the slave market. Tell you what," says Carax, pointing his blade at Mahdi. "Let's find out. Do you think you'd fetch more or less if you couldn't speak? I'm thinking more."
With his sword now inches from the slaver's throat, Carax continues in a level voice. "You're going to tell us everything about this ship, this captain and this Pathfinder. If you leave out one tiny detail, I am going to personally feed parts of you to Gribbli there, and then I'm going to sell what's left. And not necessarily to slavers."
"You will also personally refund every cent the Lady Silviana paid you for Atlaq in light of the embarrassment you have caused her. Do we understand each other?"
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Mahdi begins to grow paler and paler listening to the party's intimidating words. "Oh, oh, yes... yes!! Well okay, take the refund, sir." he says to Carax as he grabs a purse with some gold in it.
Dale doesn't know anything about these names and he doesn't find that the man is lying.
He adds "I don't enslave anyone! I just... make transactions! I'm a businessman, sir!"
The so-called "businessman" can tell you no more about the "At Sea" and its capitain. However, you think that Lady Darchana would be eager to hear these informations.
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With Dale's knowledge of the city, though, it's no trouble finding Lady Darchana’s estate in the Petals District. A tall wall of polished stone surrounds the property and its gardens, and many of the plants have arcane or alchemical uses in addition to their aesthetic value. Similarly to your previous visit in an estate in the Petals district, a doorman greets you, confirms your identities, and escorts you into the three-story residence before passing you over to the estate manager, a woman called Jemina, that eventually leads you to the upstairs study.
"Lady Darchana has been expecting your visit." the estate manager says.
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Before they leave the 'cattle yard', Dale stoops down and pulls a vial from his belt pouch as he asks what the orc's name was that's now coating the floor "What was this angry fellows name?" He asks with ink quill in hand, scratching out something on the vial's label. He then scoops the vial full of spilled blood and some hair and such from the grizzly scene and seals it up in the vial before stowing it away. "Many thanks!" As he heads off with the group.
"I must admit Yelek, that was quite the impressive slash with that sword! Your technique generates excessive downward force, when applied at the correct angle and juncture it sure does provide amazing penetration!" He spends most of the trip eyeing up the large man and his sword while calling out directions when the group asks for them. Quite the impressive beast! I wonder if that strength can be easily replicated? I'll need a sample at some point...
Dale leads the group to the gate and quickly gets distracted by yet another stone wall. "Interesting, the stones in this wall are mostly the same parent material, yet with a bit of grinding and polishing they look worlds different to the untrained eye!" He looks to the group for corroboration, and at that moment sees the garden "Oh my... I... feel a bit faint. We should stop here for a few moments to.. rest." As he quickly sits down at the edge of the garden.
As he sits and rests Dale's eyes and hands spend a lot of time in the garden admiring the plants and flowers. There are lots of soft cooing sounds and a few whimpers as he explores the treasures of Lady Darchana's garden...
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"Oh no Dale! Was it the sight of all that blood before? Oh, wait, I've got a wand around here somewhere..." He says while patting himself down "Where did I put that thing?" He grasps at his backpack, but is unable to reach the pocket he is after and starts spinning around on the spot in a futile attempt to grab it "Give me a second, I'll have it out in a jiffy!" He says, beginning to get out of breath.
"Thank you Miss Jemina. Is her Ladyness expected to be long? We've been working hard all day and my tummy is rumbling... Oh, oh, have you got any kind of snacks here? It would be awesome if I could have something!" he asks with a huge smile.
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Xan continues to pick loose the bits of tree bark clinging to his clothes from his unsuccessful attempt to climb the tree outside in the garden. He hopes the Lady won't mind a few dwarf footprints in the yard, or dirty footprints in the foyer. He makes a mental note to ask Kismet if he remembers how to prestidigitate or not. He kept saying no, but somehow Xan doesn't believe the wiley scorpion.
"Sure, ain't no bother for us't sit in this purdy bookroom."
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Jemina isn't surprised by Kronas' demand and bows "With great pleasure, sir. You may help yourself, as well as your companions, on this table. Lady Darchana is not going to be long." she says, as she shows indeed a great table with fish, dried meat, fruits and nuts on the side of the study, apparently displayed for you.
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. After a few moments, a woman dressed in midnight-blue robes comes in and seats behind the desk. 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 Lady Darchana utters the last sentence, she focuses all of her attention on Carax and only on him.
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After a brief bit of frolicing in the flowers, Yelek 'insists' Dale delays his botanizing for a better time "Geez why's everyone in such a rush to wait on some highborn to be ready to see them. There's some great specimens here!"
Dale moves along on the way to the study following the dark skinned woman Jemina, seeing the healthy looking spread before them he exclaims "I sure hope there's pancakes or french toast, I've got a strong urge for something sweet all of a sudden." The food keeps the hairy man quite occupied until the Lady of the house is introduced, at which point Dale restrains himself from going back for 3rds.
She sure sounds important, sure wants us to know it too! Dale waits on Carax, passing the time by looking around the room at all the books and that very fine desk.
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Carax has furled his banner when he entered Lady Darchana's mansion. He now bows low and speaks in respectful tones.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Your Grace. Permit me to introduce my companions. Each is a stalwart member of the Pathfinder Society working hard to accomplish the task you set for us. I am Carax, formerly of the Taldan Empire. This is Dale, a man wise in the alchemical arts. Gribbl, Kronas and Xanderfel are our magi. And this terrifying fellow is Yelek, a warrior out of the west."
"Madame, we have learned that the slaver Mahjub Mahdi purchased the slave Atlag from a ship captain named Waheeda Wardak. Her ship, the At Sea, a pirate out of Okeno. We have also learned that Wardak and the At Sea are scheduled to return tomorrow to this very port and that they carry a cargo of great interest to us in the Society: an enslaved Pathfinder."
"We propose to free the Pathfinder, of course, but we will also learn all we can about Atlaq and Waheeda Wardak, reporting all to you."
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Kronas immediately bounces over to the table of food when Jemina shows it to the party. He tries to match (or better) Dale bite for bite, picking up similar foods and stuffing them in his mouth before he even swallows the previous morsel. When Lady Darchana enters the room, he scurries over to stand beside Carax He seems to know what he's doing and emulates the knight's bow, albeit clumsily.
Kronas waves when introduced, a big cheesy grin on his face and nods emphatically along with everything that is said. "Doffph ergh e rephumd" He says with a mouthful of fruit, he blushes and quickly swallows "Sorry! I meant, don't forget the refund."
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While waiting for Lady Darchana to show up, Gribbl goes over to the bookcases and climbs up them to see some of the upper volumes.... When Carax introduces him, he hops down and gives the Lady a little bow, though probably not any better than Kronas'. "Hullo!" He nods in agreement with most of what Carax says, and vehemently nods at the statement about freeing the Pathfinder.
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Dale looks a bit indignant at his introduction "You mean... a man wise in EVERYTHING. Alchemy is just one of my hobbies. You've got a fine garden outside by the way!"
He takes his seat again and continues "Other than that one inaccuracy, the rest of the statements seem to be in order. Yelek's tactics not necessarily withstanding."
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Lady Darchana listens intently while maintaining enigmatic but not unfriendly demeanor. “An Okeno pirate captain? Captain Wardak of the At Sea.” she nods her head, a brief smile. “Yes, that would stand to reason, thank you for your account of the events, sir.”
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 is a cunning place through which to move these sensored slaves.”
Her hand finally comes to rest in the ledger. “At Sea, 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.’”
She clicks her tongue loudly. “Excellent. You said Mahjub Mahdi was expecting another shipment from the At Sea tomorrow? If it hasn’t already docked, it’ll be anchored outside the Ship’s Graveyard, waiting for a pilot. We cannot allow those slaves to make it to the Docks unaccompanied! I trust I count on you to help?”
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Dale continues to lend an ear to the discussion while and eye or two browse the Lady's office. "A pilot? I'm afraid I've never tried my hand at sailing a ship, I could tell you the overall workings of a ship and how one might sail it theoretically but overall I must admit I've never done it."
He looks around the group at the others "Maybe someone else has? Or maybe you have a pilot in mind that we could accompany to gain access to the ship in question?" After a moment in thought he begins blurting out questions.
Do you know the class of ship? Construction records are easy enough to locate once the ship's class has been identified. Knowing the layout ahead of time would certainly help.
Does everyone know how to swim? I must admit.. I'm far better at sinking than swimming... I'll need to bring a cork vest for the situation.
Would we be eligible to collect said bounty if we apprehended the ship? Its always nice to have some extra coin in the pockets. Research is expensive!"
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Lady Darchana nods at Carax and ignores completely the other pathfinders. "Very well. I expected as much of you, Sir. By law, a ship like the At Sea must have a Pilot’s Guild member bring it in through the hazardous Ship’s Graveyard. If you'll excuse me, I'll come back in an instant. I have to follow up on this information."
She disappears into a nearby office and returns 15 minutes later. "I have spoken with a contact at the Harbormaster’s Grange. There is an outstanding docking request for a ship called Kat Season, which is likely our ship with a flimsy disguise."
She sits at her desk, takes a piece of parchment and writes out a letter. She then seals it in wax with her seal and hands it to Carax. "Sir, 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. It is worth a modest sum. 725 gold pieces."
She then politely waves you out of her estate. "You have some work to do, I'd wager."
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Kronas' jaw almost hits the floor at the mention of a bounty "Do you know how many jam tarts we could buy with a reward like that?" he asks the others before blushing "I mean, obviously it's all about saving the slaves and stuff... But wow!" he starts wandering out of the room, quietly counting on his fingers.
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Dale busies himself browsing around the room as well as doing some tart calculations for Kronas.
"Well, depending on the tarts going rate and any particular 'bulk' discount you might receive... I'd say well over 15,000 at least. If you chose to purchase merely the ingredients and construct them yourself I'm sure you could nearly double that total, not counting for losses incurred while learning to cook them properly."
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As you head back towards the entrance and the estate's garden, Lady Darchana makes a sign to Carax. "Please, wait a little more before going towards the dock, sir. I have something to ask you."
Her request is seemingly simple, yet plays into much grander schemes that she is unwilling to elaborate upon. "I have spoken at length with one Lady Gloriana Morilla, who has demonstrated considerable ambition in Absalom and abroad. Among her strengths is her dedicated and talented corps of agents whose virtues she has praised at length. I have had few opportunities to see these agents in action, but consider me tentatively impressed."
She clears her throat. "I would request a favor while you are at the Harbormaster’s Grange, and I trust you might complete it for me with discretion as a sign of good faith between your patron and us. Find and remove the docking certificate for the At Sea, then destroy it when you have the chance. It is perhaps not the easiest of feats, but you have proven your resourcefulness."
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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. I’m Inspector Second Class Lilia Ginsi. How may I be of service?"
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Carax turns his most pleasant smile on the small inspector. "Good afternoon! We are here to requisition a launch and a pilot. You'll find our papers are all in order." He hands over the requisition the Lady gave him. "If you can tell us where to find the pilot?"
"Also, I'm curious. Where would I look for paperwork on a ship awaiting docking permission?"
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When Carax gets called back into the estate Dale does a mental fist pump and plants himself back down in the plants at the garden. "Ooo Foxglove! Lavender! Is that mistletoe? Interesting..." He begins pawing through the plants again and taking a few bits here and there and placing them strategically in his belt pouch. Some of these are quite hard to find! I'm sure she won't mind if I take a cutting or two..
On the way through the docks Dale stops and buys a cork vest. "Can never be too careful around here! Very difficult to swim in all this hair!" He stows it into his backpack as they hike along.
Once in the office Dale's nose gets to work "Is that... salted mackerel or herring? Usually I'd be able to tell but the smells are quite similar and the fact they are salted rules out seasonality from the equation. Herring being commonly caught more in the spring and early summer months during mating season, while the mackerel are more prevalent during the mid to late summer months in this area. Being salted they could be last years herring or this years mackerel!" He smiles and nods knowing they appreciated such useful information.
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The halfling quickly hops on her feet and looks at the papers handed by Carax. She raises an eyebrow after Dale's 'fishy' question but only answers "Herring, of course!"
She then answers Yelek, doing all she can to ignore Kronas' offensive statement. "Why, maybe I know. Let me look at your papers first."
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. She then excuses herself to notify a pilot to prepare for departure, leaving you alone in the office for some minutes.
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Once the woman leaves Dale heads over to the desk and tries a spoonful of the herring stew. He smacks his lips a few times before proclaiming "Yup Herring, you can tell by texture!" He then glances down and has a look at the log book for anything interesting as he fumbles for his waterskin to wash things down.
"I wonder if there's anything else helpful here in dealing with a slaving pirate ship?"
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"Remember, once we board the pirate ssship it'sss kill or be killed. I sssuggessst we do the killing"
"What if you were the one doing all the killing, and I guard the pilot... in the row boat... well away from any pirates? Oh, I could shout encouragement if that helps! I have a really strong voice."
"Now, now. I'm sure we'll be dealin' with reasonable folks. Hopefully 'twon't come to violence."
"Pfft! They're Pirates, of course there'll be violence. Why, I heard that they eat babies for breakfast and that they all have bombs hidden in there beards. When we turn up, I bet they all shout 'Shiver my timbers' - that's their war cry, by the way - and throw lobsters at us."