A mix of odors fills the tavern, chief among them stale arak with a faint hint of cleaning products and vomit.
|
A tall, slender elven woman opens the door and breezes in. The platinum-blond elf is achingly beautiful, with delicate frame and features, a small, straight nose and smooth porcelain skin. Her silken hair cascades over her shoulders like a cloak to end just above her buttocks. Attired in a green underbust corset and blouse, and a matching long-slit skirt, her long, elegant fingers are left exposed in a pair of elbow-length black fingerless opera gloves. An intricate choker rests at her throat, silver chains holding in place a gold frame inset with a large emerald; additional silver chains drape across her bare neck; dangling among the chains is a small gold disc etched with the elven rune for the first two letters of her given name, and a slender silver chain dangles from that disc into her cleavage.
A sword rests on her hip and she carries a staff in hand, but her attire, the way her deep emerald eyes twinkle with amusement, and the way her full, slightly pouting lips are quick to part into a disarming smile full of unspoken promises make it obvious that neither are her real weapons.
She frowns, realizing that she's early, and turns on her heel to leave. Oh, bother! I hate when I'm not fashionably late. Can't have anyone thinking I'm so droll and unimportant as to show up early! she thinks as she turns to go.
|
As Ansha turns to leave, she notices a couple of large figures slumped on the floor beside the fire place. Even though it isn't cold in here they are comfortably dozing, soaking up the heat from the stones.
A well muscled Nagaji and a large lizard with armored plates running down its back. The equipment of both is well cared for, but neither has much in the way of ornamentation. Apparently function, not form is the priority.
Hss...
|
Before Ansha has a chance to vacate, so as to arrive properly fashionably late, a loud sneeze, followed by the gasping wheezes of someone not quite able to breath through a phlegmy nose, herald the arrive of another in the doorway, now suddenly blocking her exit.
You're pretty sure it's a dwarf, but this one does not look well. His hair is greasy and matted, and the remnants of a barely healed rash still flake the skin along the left side of his face. He is the palest dwarf you've ever seen, his skin clammy, and beads of sweat on his forehead. The later is not unusual in the heat of Katapesh, but you suspect its not the heat that's bothering him. If anything, he looks deathly ill.
As he sees the elven woman in front of him, red-rimmed eyes go wide, and he suddenly freezes in place, like a prey animal in front of a predator. His left eye starts to twitch almost uncontrollably.
He is dressed in armor, and sports all manner of weaponry bristling from his belt and pack, though the most obvious one is a large hammer of a dull grayish metal, on the end of an overly long haft, slung over one shoulder.
After a moment of uncomfortable stillness, and another unprompted sneeze, he mutters what sounds like an apology, as he quickly ducks past her into the room. His voice is almost a whisper, such that Ansha is not entirely sure he said anything at all.
He quickly moves to a corner, inserting himself there as if trying to hide, as far from the wizard as he can.
Of course, any attempt to avoid attention is quickly erased when he starts sneezing again, this time over and over... and you see his now teary eyes turn to focus on the nagaji and dinosaur not far off... that had apparently gone unnoticed during his uncomfortable standoff at the door.
With a muffled panicked wail, he suddenly backs out of the corner as if the two were the devil incarnate, moving to a new corner, this time, as far from the two by the fire as he can get, his concerns about Ansha apparently momentarily forgotten. He immediately starts digging around in a well-used case at his waste.
"Awergic." He mutters, as he does so, pulling out a number of vials and slaves.
He then starts snorting strange powders, and drinking a few odd vials of liquid.
|
|
Ansha stops short as the dwarf-like thing blocks the doorway. "Oh...hello," she half-mutters to herself. The dwarf's sickly appearance gives her pause, as does his deer-in-the-headlights panic and eye-twitch. But before she can say anything, he has darted past her into the room. The elf's gaze follows him, and she then notices the meeting place isn't as deserted as she first thought. Was that some sort of snake by the fireplace?
Heaving a sigh, she consoles herself, Well, maybe I'm not the first one here after all. Deciding to give the fireplace and the dwarf both a wide berth, she takes a seat at the bar. "Elven wine, if you have it. Mead, if you don't." She had a bad feeling about this....
Watching the group of gathered adventures sits Karisa Starsight, a bright-eyed stewardess of the Library's Edge operation. She catches Sickly's eye and motions him to bring the rest over to her.
Once there, you can see that her hood is casting a shadow over her face, but her bright eyes shine out as two points of light in the otherwise dimly lit tavern.
She pulls back a fold of her cloak to reveal a pin depicting a golden longsword on blue wings, the Liberty’s Edge insignia. “Welcome to Sedeq. I hope you made it here without too much harassment from the residents. This city is as despicable and crime ridden as any I’ve seen. Everyone seems to be under the thumb of someone even more vile, so it’s difficult to find anyone to trust. This establishment has just the right amount of ill repute.” She stops speaking as a server approaches the table.
The server smiles at the group, "What can I get for you?" she asks in a bored tone, waiting just a moment before Karisa replres.
“A pitcher, please.” The server eyes Karisa with disdain, then walks towards the bar while scratching their rear.
Karisa Starsight takes a moment to compose herself. “Venture-Captain Yuul tells me that you are fine agents and will be able to help me track down the ex-Pathfinder, Phlegos Dulm. I've got a lead on some missing Pathfinder agents we believe he poisoned and sold into slavery to cover his substantial debts. I can't track both at once, so I’ll be relying on you to find Phlegos and bring him in. Meanwhile I'll be locating our missing agents. The Decemvirate would like to question Phlegos, so bring him back alive, if possible. Karisa pauses as the server returns with the pitcher of ale.
The server places it in the middle of the table. "Anything else? she asked.
Karisa raised an eyebrow, "I think we could go with a few glasses for everyone." The server turned and walked away without saying anything.
“I would start by talking to Corvius Vayn, a slave merchant and genie binder. He is about as untrustworthy and despicable as they come, but he was also Phlegos’s primary contact here in Sedeq. If anyone knows where he is, it will be Vayn. I've managed to obtain a letter of introduction for you. He'll know you're Pathfinders and will likely suspect you want information on Phlegos; his spy network is extensive."
The server stops by and drops off mugs for each of you and pours the ale into each of your glasses while Karisa eyed her. Only continuing the conversation after she left.
“You might also be able to obtain information on Phlegos from Khanuur, Vayn’s efreeti slave who rarely leaves his side. Normally I’d recommend freeing Khanuur in exchange for information, but Khanuur is an evil genie, an efreeti. Freeing him would mean letting a powerful evil force free into the world but keeping him enslaved seems unfair to any creature. I trust your judgment to do what you feel is right."
The pitcher quickly drained with the assult of six people. "Server!" Karisa yelled out, "Another Pitcher, and make it quick."
"Before I depart, do you have any questions for me?"
|
WAIT! you hear a small voice from outside the room rush in...followed by a young gnome. He is casually dressed, in clothes that do not seem to fit, and maybe have been slept in more than once too often. His hair is badly in need of a comb, but he seems oblivious to his appearance while his eyes dart back and forth from his strange green cat, to the sky and back. His mind is definitely not focused on the here and now, as he smiles caught in his own thoughts.
I am so sorry, I seem to have overslept...again, sadly. Did you say genie? Like a real one? I missed the first part...well, and much of the last part. But I heard genie...Oh,hi Ansha! He stops to wave and catch his breath.
So anyway, about this genie...like does it have wishes? Wait, evil though...maybe not good. I mean, I know evil is not good, but it might not be good to get a wish from an evil genie. But information...that may be ok. Is there evil information? Maybe all information is neutral. Well, except holy words and unholy words...but maybe those are not really information. Right? When do we start and did I miss any snacks? I heard drinks...and genie. Those two things. He stops again looking to see if people are staring at him.
|
|
Ansha joins the others reluctantly, and only after having been given a mug of mead. "The people here can be entertaining, at least," she says in reply to Marisa's remark about harassment. She spends the remainder of the briefing idly sizing up the waitstaff. Hm, not much to say about her sense of fashion. Nice butt, though... Bartender could lose the moustache. Wonder if his abs are in the same condition as his biceps...
Her pointed elven ears twitch. Did she just hear a familiar voice? Small, probably gnomish. She didn't know a whole lot of gnomes, but there was that one who helped her rescue those dwarves in the Long Road...and that thing with Fossilblight...and that thing with the Twinhorn Kellid and their dagger. What was his name again? And didn't he ride an adorable cat?
Ah, yes. There he was--him and his adorable cat. The enchantress smiles. "Long time no see, Wembly. You only missed snacks if you count ale without beernuts as a 'snack'."
|
|
Knight Captain Dailung is a tiny young woman of great beauty, about 4`7`` with maybe 95 pounds. In her human form she has long blond hairs with emerald green eyes of Taldorian origin. In her true form she has rustred hair. Usually she wears revealing clothes that do not hinder her movements of light colours with the insignie of a Captain of the eagle knights and a beautiful embroided rune cloak of saphire and gold. On a mission she wears a light chainshirt of finest mithral for protection and for weapons a longsword and a scimitar of mithral.
Looking at Karisa Starsight Dailung shakes her head in sorrow at her words.
"Seems we had a real scorpion in our midst. Well do you know what kind of abilities Phlegos Dulm has? Is he a master of magic, a man of the blade? What kind of allies does he have? And you want him alive, but not necessarily in pristine condition, right?"
Karisa shakes her head at Dailung's line of questions and ignores the rambling gnome. "We only learned through different ledgers. They were encoded, so we were only able to identify Corvius Vayn as a contact in Sedeq.
Karisa searches her pockets and pulls out a notebook. "We don't have much on what he is doing now, but our records show that he is a half-orc investigator. Not sure about his specialties. Sorry.
Karisa takes a moment to parcel out Selter's words before replying. “Corvius Vayn is extremely rich, powerful, vile, and a target I’ve had my eye on for a long time now. He’s a genie binder and a slaver with a staggeringly large network of contacts and ludicrously deep pockets. Those connections insulate him from reprisal and make it very difficult to prove any criminal acts that might give us an excuse to take action against him. He also has a love of rare possessions and will collect anything he finds unique: alcohol, jewelry, slaves. It might be efficient to bring a rare alcohol or other unique gift for him if you have access to such."
assistance.
Thinking further "As for his slave, Khanuur, well... I honestly feel a bit of sympathy for the creature. Corvius keeps it bound with a magical collar. I have the tools that can help you break it free, if you get the chance. But that decision is up to you. Perhaps after his captivity he’ll have learned some temperance, as well as some value of personal liberty. Perhaps he’ll turn on his former slave-masters and help us defeat him. Either way it’s a blow against slavery in the region, which is something.”
|
|
Wembly finishes his mug of ale and looks up, realizing he missed more of the conversation.
A blow against slavery sounds good. Hopefully the genie turns good after all we did for it...or will do for it...if we find it and remove the collar thing. Then I am sure it will be on our side!
He jumps up from his stool and nearly knocks over a tray of glassware.
As my master Ignizi Dinnelletter used to say, 'We must find a way to succeed!'
|
|
"I'm not worried about persuading him," Ansha says, tamping down on the Cheshire grin creeping up her lips. "I don't care about the efreeti, but he may have something useful to say, too. What sort of assistance can you provide to free him, if the opportunity presents itself?"
Hm, what was it Eusef told me about this earlier?
Is this something she will have time to use before the mission starts? If so, she's mainly curious what the attitudes between Corvius' network and the ruling authorities in the area are.
You learn the following information through your well timed knowledge roll.
Vayn is an influential slave trader in Sedeq, making most of his money on obtaining and selling rare slaves. With his ample fortune, he has dabbled in a variety of other trades more out of curiosity than necessity.
Vayn periodically uses his vast wealth to purchase a sun orchid elixir from Thuvia, which restores his body to a healthy, young adult state. He’s done this at least twice and is at least a few centuries old.
He keeps Khanuur, an efreeti, at his side most of the time. Vayn sends Khanuur to personally deliver messages or attend to guests as a symbol of both his power and his interest in a particular business deal.
Corvius’s desire to own rare goods has given him a reputation as a ruthless collector, always getting what he wants.
Through your network, you learn more about the town.
Nowhere in Qadira is the axiom “Anything can be bought and sold” more grimly true than Sedeq. More than half the population are slaves, and the markets provide any product you can think of, no matter how dangerous.
Even in Sedeq, Qadirans are courteous, especially to their enemies. They see providing for guests as an almost religious obligation, and it is traditional for a guest to bring a gift when visiting.
Though Qadiran law prevents nobles, citizens, and registered foreigners from being involuntarily enslaved, this protection is often overlooked in Sedeq.
|
|
Elliot takes a glass and nods while he listens to Karisa and the others. "Can genies be sent back to where they came from?" he asks, but more to himself than to the others. "Somehow it's possible, I guess."
He takes a sip from the glass and puts it back on the table. You hear a silent burp from behind his beard.
|
|
Let's make this happen. Whiskers will be sure to be impressed with a real-life genie...even if it is a bad one. Or so we have been told. But maybe not all bad genies are all bad. Maybe some can be only mostly bad or partly good at least. Even in the middle between bad and good could be good. How are we getting there again? I hope teleporting...I love that!
A sturdy blonde human man with long, free-flowing hair stridesconfidently into the room, his fine black and white silk robes fluttering behind him. An efreeti in midnight black robes with gold trim and a black metal collar follows immediately behind.
The human addresses the room at large, “Ah, Pathfinders. Iwas wondering how long it would take you seek me out. My money was on a month earlier, but no matter. It only cost me a few thousand platinum.” He slowly starts to sit as several unseen servants assemble a throne of throw pillows below him.
“I am Corvius Vayn of course and need no further introduction. You however, do. Please introduce yourselves so I can start to think of you as more than a group of homicidal archeologists.”
He looks at your group and does a quick scan of those accompanying you.
[dice=Sense Motive 25]You can tell that he is interested in strange races.[/spoiler]
He peers at Dailung "A Kitsune. Your kind are quite common around here now a days." he continues to scan until he sees Sago. "My my, what are you? I haven't seen your kind around here.
|
|
Ansha pauses and glances at Karisa, one eyebrow arched. This is unexpected, our quarry coming to us. Her gaze flits to Dailung. And she's a kitsune? Huh.
"My name is Ansha, and I don't think anyone has ever referred to me as a 'homicidal archaeologist' before." An amused smile lights up her face as she pauses. "They've used other adjectives, maybe, but certainly not that one."
|
|
Sickly looks worried as the efreeti enters in behind Corvius. His prior encounters with them were anything but pleasant.
He hugs a far wall, trying to avoid notice as Corvius makes himself comfortable, preferring to let the others do any negotiating.
Unfortunately, Corvius then insists on introductions, and the dwarf grows increasingly aggitated. He hopes of being overlooked seeming less and less likely as each of the others introduces themselves.
Eventually, eyes fall his way... and he fidgits for a moment, one hand scratching desperately at some recent rash that waited until now to flare up.
"Umm... Sickly. I'm Sickly." He finally manages to utter, his voice barely loud enough to carry to their guest.
He seems to shrink even further into the wall, after he says it.
He nods to those who greet him and completely ignores Sickly completely, not even paying attention to the bland dwarf.
He turns his full attention to Sago,“Selter Sagoy ou will become my indentured servant for one month— oh, you don’t have to do anything unseemly. I’m not a Calistrian. I just want to take you to a few lavish parties, dress you in fine clothes, show off your various talents; standard arrangement.
You don’t have to start now—I understand you’re in the middle of something. Come back when you’re done and get pampered for a while. Deal?”
After talking to Karisa, she gives the you a greater chime of opening (functions as a chime of opening with a caster level of 20) and an adamantine metal file. “I’m sure you’ll find these useful one way or another. If you don’t use them to free Khanuur, then they’ll likely be useful in gaining access to Phlegos.”
######
tsk tsk tsk, Such is a pity. The contract would only last a month and wouldn't go past a year. You could leave at anytime you like after 30 days.
Sadden that the Naga won't accept his offer, he shrugs and moves on.
“Each of you will owe me a favor to be determined later. I could use a few ‘adventurers’ in my pocket—” a clear chime sounds through the room. “Apologies, I have an engagement I must get to. Let me leave you here to relax and deliberate. I’ll return in one hour to hear your decision—though you really don’t have a choice, do you?” Corvius chuckles to himself as he leaves the room, leaving the efreeti to stand at attention beside the door.
|
|
Wembly was so amazed at the mans attitude he just stares and does not respond until he leaves the room.
” Um...I am Wembly. It ... was nice to meet y...“ he pauses
”Did anyone else find that strange? I mean why would he want us in his pocket? I don’t get it. Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest or something? So is the genie just standing there?“
He walks towards the door to listen or look if the efreet is doing anything
|
|
The enchantress starts to open her mouth to say something, but stops herself and glances at the nagaji.
She waits till Corvius has left before speaking. "He seems like a busy man, don't you think?" she says, a note of snark in her voice. "Kind of rubs me the wrong way, really. Well, what do you say we free his genie and see how he likes that?"
Hearing these people talk about freeing him, he starts paying attention to them. I will aid you, if I can. However, you must remove this collar; it binds me to Corvius’s will. As long as it is intact, I cannot assist you and must perform everything Corvius asks. Set me free and I offer you the information you seek in exchange. Nothing more and nothing less.”
|
|
Sithiss and Selter move over to the door and watch for the slavers return.
Ssself and Sithiss watch egresss. Ssslavesss ssshould not ssstay ssslavesss. Free genie. Get knowledge. Owe ssslaver nothing excccept crussshing embraccce.
Assuming that there will be a fight with the slaver, Selter casts Greater Magic Fang on Sithiss' tail and splits Longstrider and Shield Other between them.
|
|
Briefly surprised, somehow, by the fact that there were no objections to freeing the efreeti, the elf quickly recovers her composure. Taking the greater chime of opening that Karisa proffered, Ansha approaches the efreeti. She incants a cantrip to see magic auras (detect magic). Once she is satisfied there are no surprises to the genie's aura, the enchantress points the mithril chime at the efreeti's collar and sounds the chime.
Khanuur stands in silence as the Pathfinders remove his collar. "I will give you the information you seek." He raises his neck to be released from his collar. As his collar falls to the ground, your surroundings flicker and you are in a new location. Khanuur is standing infront of you and informs you about Phlegos. "Phlegos has been buying various excavation and construction equipment and then shipping them to an island just southwest of Qadira. Phlegos has been partnering with Jirandiel Waverider, a disgraced ex-Chelish naval officer who turned pirate. The man has been vicious with his hunting of ships on the well used shipping route. he pauses there for the Pathfinder to take in what he has said. "Phlegos has slaves on the island, even a team of Pathfinders."
|
|
The enchantress nods in response to the genie's information. "Happy to be of service."
Ansha looks around at their new surroundings. "Where are we?"
"As happy to help as we were, it's my understanding that you could make our wishes come true. Aiding us seems like a good way to strike back at your former owner- perhaps you could grant each of us a wish, just to spite the man who held your chains for so long?"
|
|
Ssself isss grateful for information. Isss there more? Do you know or sssussspect what he ssseeksss on isssland?
Ssself asssksss efreet to remember dissslike of time asss ssslave. Never inflict sssuch on another.
Would efreet be interesssted in working with the Sssociety in the future? Not asss a ssslave, asss a partner for profit and recompenssse.
Khanuur smiles at Ansha assumption that he has unlimited wishes. "While that would be a fitting reward, I only have one more wish i will grant. I will give you what you need in this adventure, but not what your heart truly desires. I will send you to the island, once you are ready."
He smiles at the flattery and answers your questions about Phlegos, "Phlegos has been buying various excavation and construction supplies, then shipping them to an island just southwest of Qadira."
Stopping for a moment, he tries to remember more. There is a person.... Jirandiel Waverider, who has been helping Phlegos... As a partner. From what i remmeber, he is a disgraced ex-Chelish naval officer who turned to what you call piracy. I heard that he has been quite effective on destroying the shipping routes." Thinking about these mundane things are bringing Khanuur to wonder and start to loose focus as he is dreaming about returning home. "One last thing, There are Pathfinder slaves on the island.. I don't remember where though.
Khanuur smiles, "I'm sure the slaves will help you get back. Not to mention that he is a pirate and just might have a ship ready for... whats that word you use when you steal something but have a justifiable reason?