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Your moring begins with the early morning kncok on the door of your quarters. You open the door to find a young page who bows crisply and hands you a sealed letter. The page leaves wihout a word to allow you to read the note in privacy.
After peparing yourself, you set off to meet the contact at the The Drunken Knoll.
Once you arrive in Sedeq, you becoem aware that several other agents had received the same summons. The group exchanges greeting before settingout to the tavern. Walking through the door of the Gnoll...
A mix of odors lls the tavern, chief among them stale arak with a faint hint of cleaning products and vomit. The bright-eyed steward of Liberty’s Edge operations, Karisa Starsight, sits in a dark corner of the room.
Her hood casts shadows on her face, but her bright eyes shine out as two points of light in the otherwise dimly lit tavern. She makes a gesture as if to call a server while subtly waving you over.
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 dif cult to nd anyone to trust. This establishment has just the right amount of ill repute.” She stops speaking as a server approaches the table.
“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."
“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."
“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."
“Before I depart, do you have any questions for me?”
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Seems to be an easy mission - worldy forces like slavers and roustabouts pale in comparison to the unknowable horrors I face on a daily basis. This all seems a bit inconsequential...
Colin leans in close to Karisa, and beings speaking in a hushed, hurried whisper, Are you even aware of the cosmic horrors that lurk in the stars, waiting to consume us all?
Colin sits back and begins speaking in a normal, albiet still hushed voice, But this sort of pedestrian mission seems the price I must pay to have the opportunities to delve into ancient ruins and plumb the past for lost knowledge that might ever so slightly impede the inevitable darkness from claiming the world, then so be it...
This Phlegos- what did he leave the society? Did he leave of his own accord, or was he expelled for unsavory behavior? Where can we find Corvius? Do you expect him to be helpful, or will he likely send us on some errand as well before extending his aid?
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Saphera sits quietly as Karisa explains the situation and then considers her words carefully.
“Where would we find Vayn and Khanuur. I would suspect someone who deals in slave trade, like Vayn, would likely be motivated by coin. I would also suspect that this bound Efreeti would help us if Vayn ordered it to.” After voicing her opinion on the subject, Saphera sits back and contemplates the challenge ahead.
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"Most important of all, are we to retrieve Phlegos by any means necessary? Are we allowed to threaten, or even harm Corvius to get what we need? And if we capture Phlegos, where are we supposed to take him, and how do we transport him? What about local authorities--how do they feel about the Pathfinder Society and its agents, and how much trouble will we face if there's violence?"
Karisa gives Titus a patient smile and answers his inquiry regarding the efreeti. "His name is Khanuur. I feel... a certain amount of sympathy for the creature. Corvius keeps the efreeti bound to him with a magical collar. I have tools that can help you break him free of it, if such appears to be necessary.”
“I leave the decision to you but I, personally, would free Khanuur. 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.”
She turns her attention to Colin. The woman gives the man the look one gives to not offend when being told something outlandish, but regains her composure when Colin once again addresses the mission.
“Corvius. He’s 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 di cult 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 nds 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.”
"As for Phlegos. He is a traitor and a fiend. He turned on the Society and poisoned members, all for his hown profit. He is a scoundral that deserves the justice coming to him."
Karisa shakes her head and manages to calm herself after alowing the name of Phlegos to upset her. She turns to Saphera. "Do not worry, Corvius is not hard to find. He operates in the open with comlete impunity. Wealth will always have its privleges I supppose. I will arrange a meeting once you have decided on how best to proceed."
Karisa brings her smile to Riptide, appearing almost refreshed. "A man of action I see! I appreciate your zeal, agent. Your means are your own, but I caution you to abide by the standards of the Society. As for Corvius, you will find that harming him would not only be difficult but likely fatal, to you as well as the mission at hand. No, I am afraid your choices lie with the bargain or with the efreeti."
"As for Phlegos, once you secure him, I will arrange his transport to the cell the Decmvirate has ready form him."
"I wish you well agents, justice must be served." Karisa removes a pouch from her belt and hand it to Titus. Inside the bag is a chime which radiates magic and a file made out of admantite. “I’m sure you’ll nd 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.”
Karisa then allows the group to make any other final preparations before arranging the meeting with Vayn.
The City of Sedeq
“I leave the decision to you but I, personally, would free Khanuur. 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.”
She turns her attention to Colin. The woman gives the man the look one gives to not offend when being told something outlandish, but regains her composure when Colin once again addresses the mission.
“Corvius. He’s 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 di cult 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 nds 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.”
"As for Phlegos. He is a traitor and a fiend. He turned on the Society and poisoned members, all for his hown profit. He is a scoundral that deserves the justice coming to him."
Karisa shakes her head and manages to calm herself after alowing the name of Phlegos to upset her. She turns to Saphera. "Do not worry, Corvius is not hard to find. He operates in the open with comlete impunity. Wealth will always have its privleges I supppose. I will arrange a meeting once you have decided on how best to proceed."
Karisa brings her smile to Riptide, appearing almost refreshed. "A man of action I see! I appreciate your zeal, agent. Your means are your own, but I caution you to abide by the standards of the Society. As for Corvius, you will find that harming him would not only be difficult but likely fatal, to you as well as the mission at hand. No, I am afraid your choices lie with the bargain or with the efreeti."
"As for Phlegos, once you secure him, I will arrange his transport to the cell the Decmvirate has ready form him."
"I wish you well agents, justice must be served." Karisa removes a pouch from her belt and hand it to Titus. Inside the bag is a chime which radiates magic and a file made out of admantite. “I’m sure you’ll nd 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.”
Karisa then allows the group to make any other final preparations before arranging the meeting with Vayn.
The City of Sedeq
[Spoiler=Diplomacy (Gather Information) or Know Local v DC 10]
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.
The Despicable Corvius Vayn
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"The concept of a rare beverage in exchange for information sounds reasonable. More reasonable than letting loose a new, somewhat powerful, evil into the world. Releasing the efreeti would make us responsible for any evil thing he might do."
After the briefing, Saphera attempts to locate a vendor who sells unique or rare beverages.
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"The concept of a rare beverage in exchange for information sounds reasonable. More reasonable than letting loose a new, somewhat powerful, evil into the world. Releasing the efreeti would make us responsible for any evil thing he might do."
"I take it you're a little unclear on this whole 'freedom' thing?" Interjects a resonant, haunting voice as its owner emerges from a very dusty, but very sturdy-looking, unmarked stagecoach: A tall, slender man in fine blue robes, whose blazing fuschia eyes and strange, brassy skin (such as can be seen of it), normally quite the attention-grabbing features, are overshadowed by his jewel-encrusted full-face mask, its mouth frozen in an eerie, enigmatic grin. Some may recognize him as "The Amazing" Julian Leroux Vanzetti (reputedly referred to by many fellow adventurers simply as 'V'), renowned Andoran actor and magician.
"I suppose that only stands to reason for a godsdog such as yourself," He continues curtly to Inquisitor Saphera as the stagecoach hastily departs. "A *free* soul is responsible for its own choices - none other. Besides," He adds, his voice softening and his gaze suddenly turning elsewhere, "Don't tell ME that the gift of liberation itself cannot bring a certain...elevated clarity of vision."
"I know better."
He spins about on his heel, robes whirling in a showy flourish, his gaze now looking upward and outward at the city.
"RIGHT! Where are we? Hell on Golarion, sans Thrunes? A hive of malefice and misery?"
"Ah, yes, yes indeed: Sedeq, where freedom is for coins, not for people. Over half the folks you're seeing out there come with their very own receipts. 'Anything can be bought and sold,' so they say around here...anything at all. Name any positive stereotype of the Qadiran people: 'Generous'? 'Noble'? 'Learned'? Well, we've come to the wrong place for any of that (unless you count 'shrewd'; weird word, that one). Of course, there is one exception, as that most indispensable of Qadiran virtues - hospitality - is as sure a bet here as anywhere. Sure...bet? I could go for a sherbet right now, speaking of Qadiran goods. What were we talking about? Ah, yes. Count on courtesy and hospitality here, even for one's enemies. ESPECIALLY for one's enemies...and of course, reciprocity is assumed, so it goes without saying that we should have a gift ready for every threshold we cross."
"Oh, and do beware of press-gangs; Qadira's laws against the slave-jacking of its nationals and registered foreigners is [b]not something we can depend on here in Sedeq..."[/b]
"...nor is most anything not to the liking of Sedeq's likely most prominent citizen, The Despicable Corvius Vayn: The quintessential slave tycoon, dealer chiefly in the rarest and most exquisite of such merchandise, with more money than some gods (as the idiom goes) as a consequence, dabbling his vile fingers in any higher pursuit he gets the idea might be worthy of pursuing. He's not to be underestimated, either," V continues, beginning to seem visibly excited as he inwardly schemes and dreams for the inevitable confrontation with this archvillain. "Though a mere Human, his repeated patronage of authentic Thuvian Sun Elixirs has bought him at least a few centuries of life to turn his dabbling into something more...and Khanuur is by his side at all times, save when he sends the long-suffering spirit out to, specifically, impress those whose attention he most wishes."
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"I take it you're a little unclear on this whole 'freedom' thing?" Interjects a resonant, haunting voice as its owner emerges from a very dusty, but very sturdy-looking, unmarked stagecoach: A tall, slender man in fine blue robes, whose blazing fuschia eyes and strange, brassy skin (such as can be seen of it), normally quite the attention-grabbing features, are overshadowed by his jewel-encrusted full-face mask, its mouth frozen in an eerie, enigmatic grin. Some may recognize him as "The Amazing" Julian Leroux Vanzetti (reputedly referred to by many fellow adventurers simply as 'V'), renowned Andoran actor and magician."I suppose that only stands to reason for a godsdog such as yourself," He continues curtly to Inquisitor Saphera as the stagecoach hastily departs. "A *free* soul is responsible for its own choices - none other. Besides," He adds, his voice softening and his gaze suddenly turning elsewhere, "Don't tell ME that the gift of liberation itself cannot bring a certain...elevated clarity of vision."
"I know better."
Sapera’s eyes narrow a bit when Vanzetti mentions his lack of empathy about the harm the Efreeti could bring about. She even seems somewhat disturbed with the notion that freeing such a creature, in itself, wouldn’t make the hand that freed it culpable for the beast’s actions.
“Surly your spin on the concept of freedom is off the mark. By your measure we could literally open the gates of hell and “FREE” all the ill intended wretches that reside there under the guise of liberty and,…….well,…….. assume no responsibility for what they do. After all, they are free souls at that point and bear the responsibility for their own evil acts, RIGHT? Presumably, you could spin the concept of freeing the Efreeti in a lot of different ways in order to justify the irresponsible act, but I assume most evil done in the world can be explained if spun the right way.”
Simply put, if we free the beast it will undoubtable do harm to someone, somewhere. That being said, I don’t think that leaving such a formidable evil in the hands of a slaver is a good idea either. Preferable, I would rather see it destroyed or banished.”
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"Well in my previous adventures, I have gained access to some rarer treats. There's Royal Jelly from a particularly insouciant fiendish queen bee I slaughtered, and then there's the Drow Poison I recovered while walking the Halflight Path. Given that this Corvius is friends with the poisoner Phlegos, the Royal Jelly might make a more rare gift."
The party vigorously debates the merits of their next action. While good points are made for both options, the party settles on bargaining with the admittedly despicable Corvius Vayn. Letter of introduction at the ready, the party makes its way to the estate.
Corvius Vayn’s estate is an opulent palace with gardens full of exotic plants, an entry hall with rare works of art, and a sitting room the size of a townhouse. Upon arrival, Saphera presents their letter of introduction. The group is brought to the sitting room by a suli in flowing silk robes. The grey skinned man then offer the agents a wide array of refreshment the might desire.
A sturdy blonde human man with long, free-flowing hair strides confidently 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. I was 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.”
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Looking around and then making direct eye contact, I am Titus my good man and it is a pleasure to receive you hospitality Taking a glass of what's looks like a fine blended glass of red wine that can only be Falarium I then take the first seat I can that allows me to talk plainly and directly with Corvius.
I'll get to the point my goodman and I have to say this Flarium when is quite extradordinary, in fact it also reminds me of a rare vintage of Azlantian wine I had once while in the city of Magnimar, nothing like tasting wine that is older that Absalom or the elves for that matter. We are looking for Phlegos, Pathfinder type and if he is reason why you think Pathfinders are homicidal archeologists, well I can't blame you, but that would be like saying all Aasimar are saints and all Daphmirs are sinners.
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Riptide offers a toothy grin. "The name's Riptide Snaggletooth, and I'm more from the Homicidal department, rather than Archeological. That being said, my explorations have led me to some rather interesting discoveries, including this." He holds up the jar of Royal Jelly.
"There was a particularly nasty fiendish giant queen bee that I slaughtered with my bare hands, which afforded me the opportunity to salvage this Royal Jelly. I think you'll find it has a rather spicy aftertaste. We offer this as a humble gift for your hospitality." He sets the jar before Corvious, then retreats into the background, allowing the more refined folk to handle further negotiations.
Corvius waits, very unpatiently, as the Pathfinders intorduce themselves.
Corvius accepts Riptide's offering with a curteous nod of his head. "Thank you master Snaggletooth. I am glad to see your murderous ways have not affected your courtesy. This looks...most interesting."
Vayn's eyes look over Saphera and Vanzetti. He rubs his chin as he looks at them with deep concentration for a moment. "Well well, are you two not the pair. I have not seen such radiant beings here for quite some time. Welcome to my home."
Corvious sets down the gift which is carried off by one of hsi many unseen servants. The jar floats on air then is quickly wisked away. Corvius smiles to Titus, appreciating his directness.
“Let us cut deep. You’re here because of former Venture-Captain Phlegos Dulm. He betrayed you. You want him... dead? Captured? Something unpleasant, I’m sure. He owes me a great deal as well and I can’t be letting him get away with it—no; bad business. Letting you handle him is cheaper than hiring the Red Mantis to do it for me. However, I can’t be giving away something for free, even information—etiquette you know. In exchange for information on Phlegos Dulm, including where to find him, I offer you this onetime deal:”
He turns to Saphera and Vanzetti “One of you 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?”
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“Surly your spin on the concept of freedom is off the mark. By your measure we could literally open the gates of hell and “FREE” all the ill intended wretches that reside there under the guise of liberty and,…….well,…….. assume no responsibility for what they do. After all, they are free souls at that point and bear the responsibility for their own evil acts, RIGHT? Presumably, you could spin the concept of freeing the Efreeti in a lot of different ways in order to justify the irresponsible act, but I assume most evil done in the world can be explained if spun the right way.”...
V's brazen eyelids descend like curtains over his flashing eyes, and he rests a gloved finger upon each one as his face tilts groundward. "And YOU say *I* am 'spinning'...?" He mutters in a frustrated but tired tone like softly glowing embers, as if he's much more used to this kind of exchange than he'd prefer to be. "But of course," He grumbles under his breath. "What can angels ever know of *free will* in the first place...?"
Before entering the Vayne estate, V holds everyone back a moment.
"For luck," He explains as he reaches down to the sheaf of wands that clink at his side like a motley wind-chime set, and draws one made from electrum, in the shape of a cabalistic yad, and inscribed all over with numeric runes deep-etched in gemstone powder. He points it the rest of you in turn, and you each experience a fleeting epiphany fixated on, of all things, a particular number:
That taken care of, he then focuses inward; the surface of his mask ripples like mercury for a few seconds, leaving his bearing and presence somehow even more formidable than they already were .
He finishes off with a simpler blessing, his mask rippling like quicksilver again before...well, it doesn't look like anything happened, but everyone now has a faint sense of impending glory...
Odds are good that the worldly slaver is already familiar with the storied Andoran stage-star, but V nonetheless prepares to introduce himself - but before he can, he is stopped COLD by Corvius's in-hindsight-predictable, but no less shocking and sickening, offer.
It is good (for the mission) that V's powers are not of the psychic variety, lest the current contents of his mind alone turn the indeed-despicable slaver's head inside-out, and set his entire palace aflame.
After a moment of silence so heavy that you could use it to humanely slaughter a musk ox, V lifts his jaw from the floor of his mask, returns Corvius's stare, and speaks in a labored monotone as though his mouth is made of stone:
"Mr. Vayn, it just so happens that I have lived that life before, and for a great deal longer than one month. I..."
V seems like he is about to continue, but then halts, and the cast in his eyes - in fact, in the literal halo that begins blazing around his head - burns in such a way that makes the fires of Heaven and Hell seem indistinguishable. A cold breeze, anomalous for midday in the desert, suddenly blows from outside.
"Mr. Corvius Vayn, before we go any further, one question MUST be asked: Would you -ever- deal in what you know to be, by your own vocational standards, stolen property???"
Vayn is taken aback by Vanzetti's unusual, but forceful, counter to his offer. The man, who is clearly no novice to heated negotiations, seems momentarily unnerved by the strange masked Emberkin. After a moment, he just smiles, though it is unclear to Vanzetti if it is to calm the stage magician or to settle his own nerves.
"Well, well. Quite the spirit. Stolen property you say? Well, without knowing the details, I am hardly prepared to address whose rights would superced. Something I am certain I can work out if you would accept my invitation...I am sorry but I must know your name. I am certian I will remember it." He awaits Vanzetti's response and casts a momentary gaze to Saphera to see if she is ready to accept his offer herself.
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Saphera’s stern gaze seems transfixed on Vayn as she contemplates his absurd offer. (Well I suppose he is known to be a man with unique taste. As absurd as the offer is, it surely isn’t out of character.)
“No” She states bluntly. She wanted no misunderstanding about her position on being Vayn’s monthly entertainment. “That being said, I would be willing to spend an evening on the town for the information. Dinner and maybe a magic show would make for an interesting night.” she suggests after glancing over at V. “It wouldn’t be as valuable as a full months service, but as you pointed out, the information isn't that intrinsic. Besides, I would enjoy to see if V’s skill comes anywhere close to being worthy of his over inflated ego.”
After countering Vayn’s offer with one that seems more palatable, Saphera smiles and waits for his reply.
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Saphera's offer is most generous. And more than you deserve. The main thing you get for giving us this information is us dealing with this problem for you. Feel free to come up with some colorful story about what you had done to him to impress your peers. If you'd like some inspiration, I can offer you a peek into the void of nothingness beyond the stars and show you horrors beyond imaging that will inevitably consume us all.
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At first I say nothing and do my best to not bite and chip a molar at the outrageous offer. I am about to say something, but I don't as I wait to see how he reacts to our counter offers, knowing that we should have him at an advantage and dealing from a position of strength since we are a cheaper option over Red Mantis Assassins.
Corviius offers Saphera a smirk and glances over to Vanzetti. He squints his right eye in thought as he seems to mull Saphera's counter. After a moment, he nods to himself and responds to the Angelkin. "A month of delights too rich for your tastes angelborn? A pity. I assure you would have had the time of your young life. However, your rejection and counter to my offer leads to me another, more acceptable proposal."
“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. The genie servant looks at you expressionless, arms crossed resting on his massive chest.
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Saphera looks for a comfortable place to sit down and contemplate Corvious’s last offer.
“I am very uncomfortable with an open ended arrangement of service to a slaver / gene-binder. If it comes to that being our only option, I’m afraid we will fail to acquire the information we need. I'm equally unhappy with any negotiation that ends with us FREEING the Efreeti.” She states openly while looking over at the enslaved genie. After considering her options, she walks over to the Efreeti and begins to concentrate on his aura.
After concentrating on the beast for more than a few moments, she continues. “It’s not the liberation aspect of freeing the creature that I have a problem with. It's more the fact of what might happen to the innocent community if such a powerful creature decides to wreak havoc. If only there where some way to guarantee the GENIE would return to its home plain and not come back. Then I would be more comfortable with the concept of FREEING him.” She thinks out loud knowing perfectly well that the Efreeti can hear the conversation.
Khanuur turns, ever so slightly to watch Saphera as she speaks her thougths aloud.
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Realizes she now clearly has the Efreeti's attention, Saphera pauses a moment for affect. "Besides how much could the location of Ex-Venture Captain Phlegos Dulm be worth? Surly someone besides Corvius has seen him and knows of his location. Perhaps we should ask around town before agreeing to this long term open ended arrangement with this man."
Saphera once again looks over at the Efreeti. "What do you think Khanuur? Is Corvious trustworthy enough to trust him with an open ended agreement of service?"
The stoic efretti slowly raises a brow as he is addressed. He stretches his neck, pointedly, revealing a rather uncomfortable looking collar. he then addresses Saphera "A bargain is a bargain. As I serve another, I shall refrain from saying more than this." He continues, in a clearly forced deapan "May I offer you another refreshment?"
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Saphera glances around the room at the other group members with a complex look on her face. "If this genie has access to what information we require and he is willing to trade it for his freedom, do we have the means to free him?" That is of course if he agrees to return to his home plain of existence, never to return to our world again. Of course how he chooses to deal with his captor before leaving; well that would be up to his discretion."
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Listening to the conversation I shrug and look to Saphera and then to the Eefretti.
Hmmm, well perhaps we could free our Eefretti here with a promise to aid us and to forever more support the ideals and goals of the Pathfinder society. Clearly as Pathfinders our intent is to ever spread evil upon the world. Would that be sufficient?
thinking.....
Otherwise may find ourselves owning a promise to Corvius...perhaps we could put such a clause in it?
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Colin will approach Khannur and lean in close, and speak softly to the genie.
What say you? Do you desire your freedom? Perhaps you'd make us a better deal than your, ahem, owner for the information we seek?
If I think it would be possible to cast detect magic without raising much alarm, Colin will do so and scan the collar. Regardless of if I think it is prudent to cast the spell or not, I will examine the collar and attempt to discern if it is magical, and how it might be removed.
Tell us genie, if we wanted to free you, how would we go about it?
Riptide acts as a look out as Colin approaches the geenie. Khanuur regards the man cooly before answering him.
“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.”
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Saphera sighs as the Genie limits his response to information only. "We have the means to set you free and are willing to do so if you agree to leave our world and return to your plain of existence. Anything less than that will end with your endless servitude to Corvius and me failing to acquire the information we need."
(As I would be sadden by the fact of failing this mission, I would accept that consequence over either horrific option present at this point.)
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V stands in a physical triangle with Saphera and the efreet - an "Alkenstarian standoff", one might say - facing them both with arms folded, posture stoic, and face, as ever, concealed by that eerie mask.
"Please forgive Inquisitor Moonglade," V entreats Khanuur. "She is a scion of high Angels, and unfortunately seems to have inherited that order's bewildered skepticism of the True Power of Free Will," He continues, somehow managing to audibly convey the distinguishing capitalization of those words. "It is my understanding, however, that Genies *do* understand what it means. I...have encountered a bound Genie before, and even promised to free him, but failed. I don't care to fail in such a thing twice - much less thereby fail in another pursuit as consequence. It is my incandescent conviction that despite any risks, Freedom is an inherent Good...."
He lets his thesis linger, knowing that extracting a promise of future benign behavior from the genie would be self-defeating, but also certain that this being is capable of choosing to do so, if so empowered by the good faith of another, and were he to do so, it would be the best of all possible outcomes.
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"The concept of a rare beverage in exchange for information sounds reasonable. More reasonable than letting loose a new, somewhat powerful, evil into the world. Releasing the efreeti would make us responsible for any evil thing he might do."
After the briefing, Saphera attempts to locate a vendor who sells unique or rare beverages.
Diplomacy (Gather information) 22
It is my incandescent conviction that despite any risks, Freedom is an inherent Good...."
As Vanzetti begins to slip into the role of freeing the Efreeti at any cost, Saphera begins to become agitated. “I won’t argue that freedom, in itself, can be viewed as an act of good. That doesn’t mean that it should be sought at any price. In our case, we are looking to gain information on a wayward pathfinder who has supposedly been unloyal to our organization. Although his return is undoubtedly something that our superiors would enjoy. His recovery should not take precedence over creating a greater problem. I do believe the Gen would keep his word as a form of verbal contract, but his free roaming presence in this world possess a greater risk than failing to secure the Venture Captain. For moral reasons, I'm not willing to free the Gen to roam our world for the smaller good of securing the Captain. Nor am I willing to be subservient to an undeclared debt of servitude to a known slave-lord. Both of these options pose ramifications that I'm simply not willing to accept. If the group wishes to embrace either of these, I am willing to step aside and head back to the lodge so that the group can continue. Freeing the Gen without some sort of guarantee that he will do no harm is not an option for me.”
Saphera thinks quietly for a moment and then continues. “Originally we talked about a unique beverage being an option in exchange for the information. We could still see if Corvius is willing to part with the information in exchange for the drink. We could also attempt to gather the information from the locals and see what comes up.”
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Time is running out.....we can dither and dather all day long on the philosophical. Sometimes in life there are no good choices, only ones that are less bad. I say we get a deal that we can accept with Corvius. He is "the Devil" we know, the Efreeti we know little on and the last thing we also need is to appear to have backdoored Corvius in his own household. Such a matter would be rather messy and we would be looking over our shoulders minimally while we are here, if not for a few decades anytime we come back around here my goodmen and ladies.
Khanuur looks on while Vanzetti and Saphera debate over his fate. The geenie is dispassionate, but you get the inlking he is strangely amused.
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V looks at Titus with a sardonic look in his eye.
"Precisely. Corvius is the 'devil we know' - so, when that which we know we know to be a devil, do logic and and indeed mathematics not dictate that we side with the unknown, which has a limited chance of being worse, but a far greater chance of being better? Why, oh WHY are so many people so frightened of the unknown, which by definition could potentially be ANYTHING, that they actually believe a KNOWN EVIL is preferable?!? Short-sighted logic, at best..." Though it appears for a moment that he is working his way up to some sort of fevered tirade, his delivery abruptly slopes into fatigue, and by the final remark, even a note of melancholy.
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Let us free the efreeti. Corvus has offended me by deigning to make me his errand boy. I do not run around performing favors for two-bit criminals. I also tend to agree with Vanzetti, the efreeti on its own is an evil creature, doing what it will. Now it is an evil creature, held captive by another evil creature. I would be willing to bet the things Corvus has this creature do are already at least as bad as what he will do on his own. And finally, he is just a lowly efreeti. His evil pales in comparison to the horrors from beyond the stars. In fact, he will be consumed with the rest of us when the inevitably descend upon this world, so to free him or not really seems somewhat moot to me. Let us do it, and be done with this mission already
Khanuur smirks as he surmises his freedom is imminent. He casts a wary eye at Saphera.