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Crazy! Every last one of them. And to trust the tengu? He's a few arrow short of a quiver. The barbarian watches his allies drift off into the sky. He looks across the port, trying to determine just how long it would take to catch up to them on foot. He puts his hands on the railing in a rare moment of indecision. They'll die by the time I find them. Of course, that WOULD serve them right for abandoning their assigned 'muscle'. He looks again at their dwindling shapes. Damn it! He shuts his eyes and tries to feel the way up. I cannot believe I am trusting that old bird
His boots loose contact with the pier and suddenly, Osten if falling like a hairy stone toward the other side of the bay.
You all fall through the air as if you were born to it. You arrive at the inn, and realize that in defiance of the Port Eclipse’s natural accommodation of flying creatures, the Aching Anchor has a door on the ground floor and no aerial access.
The interior of the Anchor is purposefully mundane, with a few notable exceptions. Each chair and bar stool has an attached leather seat belt for the planar neophytes who lose concentration,in order to prevent them from drifting away. All liquids are served in flagons with a thumb switch lid, ensuring no liquid escapes. The food is simple and manageable, served as kebabs instead of on plates or in bowls. Hunks of bread, cheese, and meat, all on thin crystal skewers, are easier to manage in this setting. A small water elemental patrols the common room, perpetually cleaning up spills and snatching floating crumbs out of the air.
Surprisingly a bald dwarf in his later years, operates the Aching Anchor. As he watches you enter his beard raises slightly and brings him back to the present. "Welcome to the Aching Anchor." he says in Auran. "Will ye be looking for rooms? 3 GP a night."
"Three rooms. That I can do. I see you aren't all elemental beings. That's unusual. Welcome to Port Eclipse. If you don't mind me asking what brings you here?" He responds again in Auren.
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After Lekki translates, Laafdahni wonders: "Hmm... Do we dare trust him? We have to start asking around sometime, I suppose."
Speaking through Lekki, making sure to move her lips very clearly directly in front of him, she replies: "We are looking for someone, whose safety we are to ensure if at all possible. Perhaps you've seen her? She is a janni named Jamila al-Shafah, and has pale skin, long red hair, gold-colored eyes, and angular brown tattoos. She typically travels with a bird with green and orange feathers whose talons crackle with electricity. Have you seen or heard anything that could help us find her?"
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Listening very carefully, Lekki will translate. "Ooooh, he said this place was called the Aching Banker. Strange name for a joint don't you think? I think he wants our investment in form of gold. He said something about 3 gold a room?"
Lekki smiles as Laafdahni finishes and begins to translate, with a wink. He finishes, and adds in Auran, We are indeed looking for out friend. Another non-elemental type, as you call us. I understand you don't like our kind around here, so we would like to help fix this, oooooh problem." the sounds he makes are rather odd and sound like an strange dialect of Auran. Indeed, it is just his usually kaw.
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"The 'Aching Banker'?" says Leyten. "We must be in the town's financial district. Didn't look 'financial' on the way in...."
As Lekki translates Laafdahni's description of Jamila, he whispers to Osten, "Pharasma only knows whether Lekki is describing Jamila or a pink owlbear." He waits anxiously for the response from the dwarf.
The dwarf looks confused at Osten. [spoiller=Dwarven]"I have forgotten how to speak dwarven almost.[/spoiler]
Turning back to Lekki he answers Laafdhani's question,
“Someone else is looking for her I think Hshurha’s agents arrived five days ago, looking for a janni. The whole port saw them blow into town. They came riding in like a little storm—air and lightning elementals, whirling around and making as much noise as possible. Must have been at least a dozen of them. They were flying all over the place, shouting about some janni woman who the Duchess wanted. That's all I know. You might want to ask around.”
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A flash of consternation is visible across Laafdahni's face before she is able to smooth it back to pleasantly neutral. "A whole week ahead of us? This does not bode well. We have to try, though, and hope to luck for our success." "Thank you for the information. Do you happen to know where they have already looked for her? We'd also be interested to know who is helping them." She leaves unspoken her implied questions: Where haven't they looked and who isn't helping them?
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Helping to translate to his friends, and his friends to the dwarf, Lekki also adds his own question. "What do these Hshurha agents look like? Surely such loud folks won't be viewed as pleasant by the town. Mmmm, a question for another time now."
Lekki will go around the tavern asking that exact question. "Mmmmm, hello there sir, have you seen a group of loud air and lightning elementals causing lots of noise and unrest? Any chance you can point us in their direction?"
Lekki walks up to a nervous looking human. He's firmly strapped in his seat, an the elemental seems to be hovering close to him in order to pick up little bits of food that float away. "I'm afraid I don't know sir. I've just arrived. Most of the people here haven't been around for a week. Maybe you should ask at the other shops to see if they have information."
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Osten strides up to the man, wearing a none to pleased look on his face. The huge barbarian stands next to the anxious patron. With deliberate, purposeful effort, the giant man slowly bends at the waist. It evokes the image of a tree falling in half. He leans in close to the man as he nods to his lap, "Do you know where I can buy more straps? I may want to sit somewhere else."
"I believe you can find some at the shop next door. It's a potion shop, but she has odd things that aren't often needed on this plane. I think her name is Maren. She's been here for a while, and might no something about the person you were asking for."
You approach the potion shop next door. The proprietor Maren hails from
the Plane of Water. Though her coloration is a similar tint to the many sylphs around the settlement, but her webbed feet and green hair give away her aquatic heritage.
In Auren she greets you, "Hello. Hello. Welcome to my shop. Are you here to buy exotic potions that only Maren can provide you?. I have the most rare potions, and exotic ingredients available for purchase." she looks the group over. "I'm also in the market for interesting potions or formulae from other lands. How can I help you?"
"A potion of fly. How mundane. Of course I can sell that to you." She pulls out the potion for Lekki.
Straps? Yes I have straps. Here you go 10 GP for the set." she says to Osten via way of Lekki. "I also have this lovely potion of keeping your feet on the ground. Only 1,000 gold. It's a special concoction that I made myself. It will keep you grounded here for days." She hands over an elaborate set of leather straps that can be wrapped around chairs and stools to keep the person in their seat.
"Jamila? Hmm I'm not sure. You haven any extra potions from the material plane? I'd love to work on replicating one." she gives you a sly smile.
She listens to both offers. "The oil. That's from the material plane, and sounds very interesting. I'll take that."
After she receives the oil she tucks it away, and answers, “After that grand entrance they pulled, the Duchess’s minions started roughing people up looking for information. They probably hit-up every bar in town before they started shaking down businesses. Whoever they were looking for must be real important to risk causing this much trouble. They headed down the street and toward the docks. Someone there might have more information.”
As you head toward the docks you pass a gambling house called the Sweet Tooth. A lithe sylph man waves to passersby on the Sweet Tooth’s considerably large rooftop deck. He sees you and brightens, "Oh ground creatures. Come up her and play at my table. I'd love to hear what you are doing in Port Eclipse. We don't see many of your type here." he laughs "The walking on the ground type. I'm Cookie. Come play at my table and tell me some stories, and I might have one or two for you."
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Osten stops and looks up at the sylph. He then looks at Leyten, Damn! The kid just dropped a sizable chunk of coin just to send us back to where we started. Damn! Well, making nice is the least I can do. With a sign of resignation, the barbarian heads into the casino.
"You want stories? I've got a couple." Osten recounts the time he stood on the soil of Azlanti land, courtesy of the Pathfinder Society.
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"Ooooho, who are you calling 'ground creatures'. I am a bird of the sky! With Razmir's might I will one day return to the winds, and take flight. Here, let me tell you a story about how my god clipped my wings and now I am eternally indebted to him..." as Lekki goes on a long tangent about Razmir and how great he is. No one is really sure why the old bird is his follower after such a grim story, but Lekki seems to be very sure of himself.
He finishes, and adds - "But, have you seen any crazy elementals around? We've heard rumors of the Dutchesses minions storming through here a few days ago..."
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Gambling holds no temptation for Laafdahni, so she fades to the back of the group to let Osten and Lekki take center stage during this encounter. It occurs to her that, since they were recognized as newcomers so easily, some folks might consider this situation to be a prime opportunity for pick pocketing, or worse. While her party members are engaged with the sylph, she keeps a look out for any potential troublemakers.
Cookie listens to the stories, and grins widely when Leyton agrees to place a wager. "Come my friend let us play a friendly game." he moves over to a table to play a card game where you try to get the highest number without going over, and the closest one wins.
Cookie laughs. "Double or nothing my friends? You can win, I'm sure." He offers to lay out the cards again.
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"Well, you could sweeten the pot. You said sumthin' about a story or two. If yer talking, I can stay for another hand. Otherwise, I got work to do."
Osten ante's up as he listens to the man's tale.
The barbarian rises and gathers his equipment. "Well, you have a nice place here Cookie. I wish you luck. It's too bad I have to leave, cuz I really suck at cards. You woulda made a small fortune. Maybe next time I'm in town." He turns and heads out the door, intent on picking up the trail.
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The old bird is old, but he is wise, and has seen his fair share of gabling bets before. He watches the situation carefully.
After Osten finishes, he interjects by inserting himselt at the table. "Ooooooh, surely my large friend is only kidding. How about tripple-or-nothing? What, are you afraid to lose to some old Tengu?"
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Noting her friends' lack of success so far, Laafdahni is grateful that she didn't try her luck. She gives a pat on the back to Osten and Leyton as they rise from the table. When Lekki steps up, her eyebrows rise. Does he even know what the stakes are? Oh, my. This is either going to be pathetically bad, or surprisingly good. Pleeease let it be the latter.