Diplomacy 1d20+6
Overhearing them speak, Hootie turns to them.
"Let us handle this. Rather then you soil your hands, let us be the one and if this isn't the first case." She pauses as she leans slightly forward and winks."Tell me more."
Kazima responds to this, asserting with authority. Well we, the Pure Legion, must continue our investigation. This is clear another instance of what we've been seeing recently. It sounded like all of you had business in Azir, so I don't expect to drag you fully into our efforts. However, if you see more cases like this once you get into the city, I most certainly wouldn't mind a report of it.
Gratius and Kirrote quickly search over the deceased halfling's body.
On searching the body, you find a small strip of paper with a short note in Common on one side and a strange set of numbers and phrases on the other side.
You also find a black bag embroidered with gold thread, depicting a key on whose handle appears a cityscape under the sun.
Kazima steps up, and speaking with an authoritative tone says, Would you please hand me that black bag?
You get the sense that it's not really a request, and it's official Legion business.
Soon enough, soon enough. Though you will have to be searched before entering the city.
She re-focuses on Gratius.
But would you quickly hand me that bag!
As she peers into the bag a look of concern mixed with recognition crosses her face.
This is just like the gold gavel...
She looks up and glances at the members of your party.
Indeed, it looks like somebody wanted this planted on you as we conducted our search of you to enter the gate. I'm guessing this poor fellow just got caught up in it as a pawn. Troubling... She places a hand thoughtfully on her chin as she ponders the situation, but doesn't hide her look of concern.
I'm going to take this as it clearly contributes to my investigation. It goes without saying that this incident is no mere coincidence...
Looking back at all of you again: Well, now that this bit of excitement is over, lets get you properly "processed" and through the gate. For your assistance in the desert, you get to not wait in line all day, but you still have to undergo the search before entering the city.
One legion officer proceeds to deal with the body, while the others wave you up to the gate for your entry process.
The guards are respectful and orderly during the search, though their questioning is thorough and methodical. The guards interrogate all of you as a group, first asking you to state the purpose for your visit and then asking that you declare any divine paraphernalia or illegal articles of worship for immediate confiscation. The guards describe, in detail, that such items include holy symbols, religious texts, divine artifacts, or even religiously suggestive tattoos or birthmarks. Any such items you declare will be taken and placed in a nearby chest. For tattoos... ouch!
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"Huh. You want to search me?" Kirrote stands boldly in front of the guards, several inches taller and wider than any of them. He wears a chain shirt without a linen undershirt and brown leather pants. A black belt holds the pants up and provide a couple loops for his greataxe and throwing axes. A small leather pouch also hangs from the belt.
"This is all I've got." His look almost dares the guards to probe any further.
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"Weel ah hae this potion that heals me wounds affter combat. 'N' mah birthmark that some hae tellt me that looks lik' a symbol o' Torag, but to me et looks like a bird."
Showing his birthmark on his arm.
"A'm a miner by trade, bit fur richt noo swing mah ax pays mair. "
Standing there confident that he has nothing to hide (anymore).
Sleight of hand 1d20+5 for the statue if needed though i'm not sure about that.
Hootie sneaks her wand through the thin fabric along her spine, disguising such that the leather makes it seem as part of her attire.
"I'm a worshipper of money if that counts. I do not pledge fealty to any religion." Hootie declares.
Very well young lass, though in Azir we find that there are more things to choose from than money and religion. You should stop by our museum if you find the time!
The legion officers are seemingly happy with most in the party declaring they have no religious or divine periphery. They mostly disregard Kirrote's bravado.
Hootie can tell the guard inspecting her is more observant of her tight fitting outfit, and that likely nothing could be hidden in the main bodice, and he seems to not notice or think of her looser-fitting sleeves.
When Aldran comes forth, the officer frowns at what he presents, but seems to soften a bit in appreciation for his forthright honesty.
We will have to take that potion off of you. I don't know if that tattoo was inflicted on you, or received by you deliberately, but I don't want to know. However, I'm not here to take skin off your body; we the legion are reasonable folk. We demand that you take care to cover it up as you walk about our lands. It should remain completely hidden from sight. We thank you for your consideration.
They drop the potion into what seems like a disorganized pile of seized items: mostly holy symbols, some unholy symbols, an assortment of wands and a smattering of scrolls.
After the business of search and seizure is over, the legion offers re-iterate the other, unanswered question of the party's desired entry into Azir.
Now, what business do you all have here?
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Very well young lass, though in Azir we find that there are more things to choose from than money and religion. You should stop by our museum if you find the time!
"I'll be sure to drop by and take a look since you mentioned it." Hootie smiles as she walks through after being given the go ahead. She does add a little sway to her hips and a smile graces her lips as she walks past the guards.
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It sometimes stinks being Lawful Good, not much wiggle room when they go into detail what they are after.
Thinking quickly, Yangrit speaks before anyone in her group lets slip a lie that she and Aldran wouldn't in conscience be able to corroborate: "We have been sent with a proposal for a business associate and are here for negotiations." She further justifies her words in her head: That is technically true. We propose that Torvad lend us his bidder's token, and he is a business associate of sorts, so that should work. Hmm... And there are so many of us in this party because... the road is dangerous. Yes. That should do quite nicely.
Very well young lass, though in Azir we find that there are more things to choose from than money and religion. You should stop by our museum if you find the time!"I'll be sure to drop by and take a look since you mentioned it." Hootie smiles as she walks through after being given the go ahead. She does add a little sway to her hips and a smile graces her lips as she walks past the guards.
The guard listens to Yangrit, and turns to Gratius when he adds onto this. His eyes light up when Gratius implicates the halfing as a business rival.
Interesting. What business are you in? You think this halfling was sent by a business rival? If you think it's connected to the cases we're investigating it might be good to know more..
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"Nothing much of interest, really. Trade goods, food, whatever we can buy and sell. Boring, boring, boring. But with our low margins we're often successful when we enter a new market, and clearly someone is trying to prevent that here. And we're just exploring options, today! We haven't even had any contracts written up, not even in provisio."
"As for a connection to these cases, I think it's purely coincidence. Someone saw an opportunity with this weird gold dust and tried to use it on us. Had you been in the middle of a plague, it would have been a plague rat planted instead. Boring. Trivial. But, what do I know?"
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We also are dealing with magical object in nature sometime.
Knowing what's going on here, some of our rivals may have think that using this guy to stop us will get us out of the way and not able to make our rendezvous or be a threat to his own dealings.
Business is tough and some of our rivals could use.
Says Gratius
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Oh bother. The boys need to stop talking before they get us all arrested! How can I fix this?
"As clumsy as they are with words," Yangrit begins with a stern glare at Ahmandé and Gratius, "the elf and human are reliable men. As Kazima can attest, they do try to be helpful. Sometimes their efforts are more successful than others."
The officer grows increasingly irritated with the piling on of vague words with no answers until Hootie speaks.
He gives a knowing look and an approving nod at her explanation, and Yangrits addition.
Ah, this makes sense! I presume that doesn't involve divine magical good, and we're all good here!
Inside Azir
Having traveled for 6 days, you are all aware that you have only this night to find Torvad, acquire his bidder’s banner, and make your way to the Sacred Cobra for the auction taking place the next morning.
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Hootie breathes a sigh of relief once they made it through.
"My friends I know you mean well but that was a close one we had there. Now let us go gather what information we can. We're on a tight schedule. To Explore, cooperate and Report is what we're here to do so let's do it."
Given the nature of their mission and the likely crowd that that mark is assume to associate with, Hootie heads for the marketplace. A coy look here, brief fluttering of lashes, subtle change in body posture and using that devastating smile of hers, she begins inquiries. Her targets seldom looking beyond her small talk.
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Grumbling internally to herself about what it must look like for a dwarf to be tagging along with a half-orc, Yangrit stumps after Kirrote. "The museum, huh? Never thought you'd be the type. Think we'll find Torvald there at night?" Though trying for light, friendly banter, her grating voice causes her words to come across as being rather harsh. Realizing this, she clears her throat and asks a passerby: "Excuse me. Can you tell us about the Museum? It was mentioned in passing as we entered at the border. Would it be open at this time? What sorts of things would we find there?"
Well, that could have gone better.
Hootie breathes a sigh of relief once they made it through.
"My friends I know you mean well but that was a close one we had there. Now let us go gather what information we can. We're on a tight schedule. To Explore, cooperate and Report is what we're here to do so let's do it."
Given the nature of their mission and the likely crowd that that mark is assume to associate with, Hootie heads for the marketplace. A coy look here, brief fluttering of lashes, subtle change in body posture and using that devastating smile of hers, she begins inquiries. Her targets seldom looking beyond her small talk.
Kirrote moves through the crowd. He remembers someone mentioning the museum. After a few rough inquiries he finds himself standing outside the structure.
[dice=Diplomacy to Gather Information]1d20-1
Gratius will look for the hospitals and care facilities to know if there is people with the same golden disease as had the hafting and where they come from.
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"It seems that Torvad is at a manor estate of some fellow named Mendalari." Ahmandé updates Hootie with what he's learned. "He's apparently pretty paranoid about this golden disease that's going around, and when he's seen around town he's heavily armed. It's possible we could discover more, but that's good enough to go on. Do you want to keep trying to learn more about Torvald, or should we focus on something else now?"
The team zeroes in on Torvad pretty quickly, a good use of their first hour and a half inside the gates. He's checked into an inn, but spending a lot of time at a particular noble's estate. This is likely enough to physically locate him. Though, more context about major goings-on in Azir may provide additional context relevant to the shard.