"It was Brandur. It is irregular to target a member of the military, yes. Do you recognise the name Cladara?"
"Can't say that I do. Do you expect me to know everyone in Daggermark?"
"We should be getting to Timinick," the wizard mutters as he scans the street for possible threats or the overly curious. "No sense in forcing help on those who don't want it."
"You? Protect me!?" She snorts. "Please. You're tourists. You come here with your murder and your poisoning, but you're just here for your treasures. Pathfinders. I can smell you even over sulfur. What happens when you leave? Eh? And wasn't Bosk your boss?"
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"We are neither a novice nor a tourist. We trained here. We have surpassed the Vessels Between.
When we leave, it seems likely the killer will come for you. You should take action. Leave town for a while perhaps. Or join us. Can you fight?
More immediately, do you know someone named Ramyla?"
Janus gauges the half-orc's response.
"We are neither a novice nor a tourist. We trained here. We have surpassed the Vessels Between.
When we leave, it seems likely the killer will come for you. You should take action. Leave town for a while perhaps. Or join us. Can you fight?"
"There you go again. Givin' yer game away to every ear what ain't got wax in it. I'd tell you to be more careful, but I know you're Pathfinders. Anyhow, I wouldn't worry about me. I've got a lot of friends around town."
"More immediately, do you know someone named Ramyla?"
"I think that's the name of the woman who owns the Dripping Wall. Was she associating with me too?"
Janus gauges the half-orc's response.
Pemak makes a gesture that Janus recognizes as.... unhelpful. She goes back to her cottage and slams the door. Once inside she closes her curtains.
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"We surmise that she is a member of one of the Guilds. She thus believes herself safe. We would not be surprised if we found that Cladara has killed Guild members. We should review those papers.
But we have other places to visit. Let us leave this district first."
When out of the vicinity of Pemak's shop Janus suggests visiting the safe house or the Dripping Wall, whichever is closest.
When out of the vicinity of Pemak's shop Janus suggests visiting the safe house [~30 min.] or the Dripping Wall [~15 min.], whichever is closest.
There's a slateboard sign out front of the Dripping Wall Distillery that explains their craft. Apparently Daggermark’s countless alchemists, potion-makers and poison-crafters release colorful smoke from their experiments into the air, and the by-products condense on the old stone of the city’s curtain wall. Dripping Wall Distillery mixes runoff from the wall (which it abuts) into its whiskey preparations, creating unique flavors popular throughout the River Kingdoms. Or so the sign says.
Pipes line the inside rafters of this squat building, funneling runoff from Daggermark’s curtain wall into a large collection barrels. Simple wooden chairs and tables fill the pleasantly dim main room, separated from the barrels by a bar stocked with whiskey. A staircase leads down to a lower room with a floor of packed earth. A posh half-elven woman looks up at the party from her book as they enter. She has green-tinted wire-frame glasses and is sitting alone in a booth next to the entrance. A loud dwarf is going on about a particularly humorous mine accident at the bar to a human bar maid with nervous seeming smile. Further in, there is another woman with curly dark hair in the lower room seated alone.
Andolyn approaches the bartender and a small part of her Social Identity seems to break through. "Gooday ma'am! I'll take one of those, umm, dripping spirit thingies."
"HEY THERE! C'MON IN AND HAVE A SEAT OR TWO!" calls the beaming woman behind the counter. "ONE RAINBOW IN A MUG COMING RIGHT UP!"
She sets to work on Andolyn's order.
Janus also approaches the barmaid and addresses her. "We seek the proprietor, Ramyla. Where may we find her?"
"♪♫WELL, THAT'S ME!♪♫ DID I WIN SOMETHING?" she says still beaming.
Grumbling about another distraction from checking on Timinick at the safehouse, Ezren pauses to read the slate despite his sour mood.
"That...that's vile!" the wizard exclaims after a moment, staring in disgust at the nearest mug of ale. "They put runoff contaminated with unknown alchemical blends in the drinks! They're all lucky their children are born with the correct number of heads!"
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Janus also approaches the barmaid and addresses her. "We seek the proprietor, Ramyla. Where may we find her?"
"What can I get you?"
"We have a special on quicksilver today, if you want some added to your drink. It'll give you a spring in your step!" she says beaming even more.
Smiling, Ramyla bustles about getting drinks for everyone, including a small shot-glass of mercury for Jurmo.
"Mortal danger!? Does this have something to do with Timinic!?" her smile dims quite a bit. "We could go into the courtyard." She points to the taproom's northern exit.
Andolyn approaches the bartender and a small part of her Social Identity seems to break through. "Gooday ma'am! I'll take one of those, umm, dripping spirit thingies."
"Oh and don't nurse the contents of your tankard too long dear, otherwise it will start pitting the pewter." Ramyla's customer-service smile brightens again, as she leads the pale man and his handbag out back.
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Jurmo mumbble something quietly, and the Mercury rises slowly from the glass. She moves it around in the air infront of her enjoying the feel of her magic flowing around the liquid metal.
With the indication of the exit, she stands left hand held before her the ball floating there, she licks up and pockets the shot glass.
"So you people just gonna stand in the doorway or what? Some of us are thirsty you know." says a man coming up to the clot of pathfinders lodged in the doorway. "And you're letting in the flies."
Indeed a two-headed, nine-legged fly with three wings buzzes past.
"Well?"
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"Yes. It has something to do with Timinic, who is a friend of ours. Istivil Bosk and Brandur Clovesh are dead, slain by the same methods: a cunning poisoning. Their names appear on a list with yours, Pemak's, and Timinic's. That list was found in Clovesh's possession.
What connects you all? Why does the list say that Bosk is an oathbreaker? Help us to save Timinic and you might also save yourself."
All too happy to depart the bar, Ezren follows Ramyla and Janus outside and listens intently to the man's questions, watching the barkeep closely.
"Yes. It has something to do with Timinic, who is a friend of ours. Istivil Bosk and Brandur Clovesh are dead-"
"Who?" her smile mostly disappears and is replaced with confusion.
"slain by the same methods: a cunning poisoning. Their names appear on a list with yours, Pemak's-"
"The apothecary?"
"and Timinic's. That list was found in Clovesh's possession.
What connects you all? Why does the list say that Bosk is an oathbreaker? Help us to save Timinic and you might also save yourself."
"How should I know? I don't even know half the people you are talking about. Timinic said in a note he had to lay low for a while and was staying someplace safe. He said he was in danger and that-" Her eyes grow wide as she looks at the two strange men (and odd bit of living luggage) who have gotten her out back in the closed courtyard away from any witnesses. She takes a faltering step back. "Oh, Cayden."
"If either of you come any closer I'll scream." she warns in a trembling voice.
Something feels wrong about the situation to both Pathfinders.
The two men press through the gap in the crowd at the door. "Lubberworts."
They take a sea at a table and wait for service.
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"Pemak sent us here. The poison used to kill Bosk and Clovesh was stolen from her store. She thinks the theft has something to do with your establishment.
We are not the assassins chasing Timinic. We seek to stop those assassins and learn why he and the rest of you are being targeted. Why Bosk is called 'oathbreaker.'
If we were the assassins, we would already have struck you down."
Janus does not step any closer.
"What did Timinic say to you? Please."
"Pemak sent us here. The poison used to kill Bosk and Clovesh was stolen from her store. She thinks the theft has something to do with your establishment.
"Hey! That was freshly-distilled mercury I gave your friend!"
We are not the assassins chasing Timinic. We seek to stop those assassins and learn why he and the rest of you are being targeted. Why Bosk is called 'oathbreaker.'
If we were the assassins, we would already have struck you down."[/b]
Janus does not step any closer.
"What did Timinic say to you? Please."
She clams up--until Hosser arrives, raises his hand, and shows her his toad. Then she screams "EW! WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT FROG! It's got stuff all over it!"
It takes him a minute to calm her down.
"Hey! Where's the wench!"
Distracted by the floating metal above her hand Jurmo moves over to the man, "She is speaking with my companions over some private buisness, you will need to wait.
Sirius is looking over the casks and kegs....
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What's everyone else doing during that time?
Janus casts a Fallback Strategy spell.
"You should not fear us."
Janus looks over their shoulder at the inside of the pub, wary of being overheard and not wishing to be interrupted.
"Miss Ramyla, please don't be distracted by the frog, lives are at stake here." Ezren's tone and posture are amicable but strained, as the wizard strives to conceal his impatience. "Your assistance could be vital in assuring no further lives are lost!"
"All Timnic said in his note was that he was staying somewhere down by the river. I don't know anything beyond that. Timinic was just doing a survey of the sewers and the Dripping Wall just so happens to have an easy entrance. He said that he saw some suspicious characters moving through sewers nearby but that's all I know honest. Now listen I have to get back in there. I have a business to run."
"Hey! What're you doing with those barrels, aye?" shouts a woman on the ladder leading to the lower taproom to Sirius. "Ramyla's pretty touchy about her drink recipes, you know."
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" she shouts climbing up and shoving the sylph.
"I gotta go." Ramyla rushes back inside to stop the fight.