Opening the door, you peer inside...
This luxuriously appointed lobby contains numerous high-backed chairs and rugs of woven copper. Scraps of thin metallic plates, rolled up like scrolls, surround a small hole in the south wall
A red-hot serpentine guard similar to the ones some of you saw with Basira, is harshly reprimanding azers in Ignan.
What is the meaning of this??! You thought I would not notice!?
Strewn across the floor are several scraps of metallic paper.
As they notice you, the azers shrink back from you and the prominently displayed sword of Taman.
The serpentess motions to your group and announces in Ignan Look! Even now the Cinderfurys have sent soldiers to see the azer rebellion punished!
Turning to your group, again in Ignan.
I order you to punish these worthless slaves for plotting to abandon their masters!
The azer look both confused and worried.
As you stand there babbling in some non-Ignan language, she looks frustrated and repeats in Common.
Cinderfury Guards! I order you to punish these worthless slaves for plotting to abandon their masters! NOW! the fire-snake woman points to the Azer who look to you with worried faces.
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Natty pokes his head from around the back...
Umm, sorry, it´s kind of new this firey talk, but if you give us a minute, I can translate you words. Please you don´t have to call on the guards, just give me a minute to let my friends understand the words you speak.
he bares his hands open in a submissive gesture and bows to the woman.
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Natty continues.. in a strong voice ...
"You lot... come over here, we shall take you outside for your punishment!!"
Natty smiles at the Azers, and beckons them over.
He turns to Taman and winks at the barbarian, then says over loudly "Flourish your weapon that you can put the fear of the gods into those slaves! They have upset the lady, she requires we punish them."
"I will tidy the mess they made. Great lady."
He goes over to pick up all the metal paper.
Natty starts a dialog with the parties in the room.
The snake-woman guard scowls at your group and points at the Azer. The Azer raise their hands but do not drop their weapons.
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Looking at Murphy and he looks just fine.
The serpent woman taps her toe. tail impatiently as she waits for the party to follow her orders.
Idruzi is able to de-escalate the tensions long enough for both sides to continue talking and delay any hostilities for the time.
Problem, there is no problem. If you are not here to discipline these slaves, then what help can you be? The Cinderfurys will not be tolerant of the slaves rebelling. I will lose my commission.
The Azer slaves listen intently, still not sure what to think.
So what do you intend now? Speak quickly with your offer!
The snake woman moves closer, gazing with her burning serpent eyes into your faces, calculating her odds.
In a lower voice, looking back before trying to keep the Azers from hearing her. You can feel the intense heat radiating from her body.
This place is all yours if you can pay off my contract. I will depart for no less than 1000 gold coins from your world.
If you cannot afford me, begone or I will command them to attack.
The salamander holds out her hand for Idruzi's generous donation.
My loyalty to the Cinderfurys only extends as far as their finances. They are definitely not ideal employers. Enjoy, offworlders.
She grabs a couple items and slithers out in a huff.
The Azers do not appear to know what to do, or even comprehend what just transpired.
They approach you curiously, uncertain of what to say. The largest, and presumably the leader speaks while the other two gather up parchments scattered on the floor.
He speaks in coarse common.
Greetings. What business do you have here? Whom do you serve?
Qalkami?!? She is no better than Basira or the Cinderfurys. All those efreet are the same. How do we know we can trust you?
The other two pick up papers at a faster rate.
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"Our organization is working with Qalkami for the moment because we need something from her. We are new to the city and do not otherwise have a stake in local politics. What are your interests? I don't feel that I have a firm grasp of what was going on between you and that salamander, other than that you seem to be getting the worst of it. If it helps, Qalkami's request of us made no mention of a group of azers."
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Looking at Taman still holding his sword in hand. "I don't think you'll be needing that for now."
Attempting to assist in the Diplomacy.
"Sorry for barging in here with swords at the ready but we were concerned when we heard the arguing and thought someone in distress. Perhaps you can assist us now that the lady is removed."
yup.
The azers lower their weapons and nod.
We have all served in Emberhearth, but we’re hesitant to stick out our own necks further to help you—especially if that involves attacking Emberhearth directly.
We can convey the basic layout of the Emberhearth buildings. And maybe help us since you helped us escape the salamander.
They pause to measure your reaction before considering their ability to aid your mission.
Since you helped us, we can notify other of our kin, azers at the estate, and convince them to either leave their posts, or collect as many treasures as they can for you, or gather important documents for you. Just let us know which, since they will only have time to accomplish one of these for you before exiting.
We then could meet elsewhere in the city after your foray to deliver what we find. Agreed?
The Azer leader considers his next words carefully.
If you intend to do all this, it is said among the Cinderfurys’ greatest treasures is Flamebinder’s Jaw, the jawbone of the first enslaved azer to ever defy the family.
Legend has it, our ancestor and folk hero had learned some damning secret about the efreet, so in order to both make an example and preserve this secret, the family killed this ancestor and made a trophy out of his jaw. So yeah, we hold a grudge against all of them.
All three seem to flare at the story.
I wonder if recovering the jaw might allow us to commune with our dead ancestor, learn the secret, and wield it against other efreet.
The azers nod in agreement, finish picking up their parchments.
The elder Azer (Ozzie) looks around and picks up a lens lying on a table and a gray bag sitting next to a bench, which he shrugs and hands to Natty with a wink.
You may need these more than the Cinderfurys'
Ozzie draws a crude map on a piece of blank parchment, providing the basic outline and location of some of the core rooms on both floors.
Emberhearth is the last remaining estate of the Cinderfury family: elegant, grand, and opulent. Made entirely of living brass, it rises to a height of 60 feet and is proportioned almost entirely for the massive genies.
***
From the distance you can see Emberhearth Estate's front entry.
Brass bricks make up the entirety of this almost ostentatious edifice. Fiery motifs, gem inlays, and vines made entirely of flame snake their way across the building’s facade. Ornate, brass railings corral visitors toward a pair of massive bronze doors.
Natty has good Disable I think, so should we just walk up to the back door and see what happens?
Besides the large front doors described above, there is a terrace on the back of the estate with a patio. Double doors can be seen as you look up the slope to the terrace from the backyard. (Figure the land just past the terrace and the patio itself are flat/level with the estate ground floor.
After that it slopes down at a 45 degree angle for 100' in each direction.