Just a bit of snooping. Shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Then I’ll bring us both back and we’ll finish our transaction.
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***...try to befriend her...ask her why she needs to go into the Grand Lodge...establish a rapport with her...I will need a full minute to realign my thoughts and attempt an aura reading...in the meantime, I can wander away several dozen feet this way and create a telempathic projection which should assist your diplomacy, bluffing or intimidation attempts...***
Yanndu wander about 100 feet away in meditation, and reads a psychic scroll of telempathic projection, sending the friendly vibe energy towards 322.
***...I believe she is upset about something that is unrelated to our conversation here...please dig in further and try to show empathy to her plight...ask her what's wrong and how we can help...***
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Ograk continues, I understand you have something that we want, and you you want our help getting into the grand lodge. You say this is for some snooping, but there must be a reason you came here, and why you sought out this conversation with us. Surely there was an easier way to get into the Lodge...
I don't really see how my methods are any concern to you. Will you take me or not? It only need be one of you and it will be a very quick trip.
You think you hear 322 mutter something about someone named Aslynn and their wrath, but you are not entirely sure.
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"There must be another way we can come to an agreement. Sneaking you into the Grand Lodge is... an unacceptable term, to put it as politely as I can. Our task may or may not be possible without the information you stole from Yakamo. But the fact of the matter is you stole it in a land ruled by the strictest of adherence to law. Add that to the matter of us being unable to pay your price, and we are at an awkward impasse here."
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***...tell her we have a deal, but that we must discuss the specifics back in Axis proper, and not in this zone of tranquility...tell her we need to find a place shielded from intrusions and eavesdroppers and lip readers, after we book a nice inn with a meeting room...bluff her as much as you can...once we're out of this zone of calm and back in the streets, we can appropriate the engram...***
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Yanndu was afraid that something like this would happen in the City of Axis. Days before their trip to Axis he had made arrangements and made contact with someone who owed him a debt, and instructed her to travel to Axis at her earliest convenience and wait for their arrival. This was the moment to repay that debt.
***...Now is the time, Maffei...steal the engram for me and return to the designated location...make sure she does not notice you...I will meet you in five minutes...***
From behind a nearby fountain a barely noticeable shadow figure stretches a hand and carefully liberate the engram from 322's person... and disappears from view!
vs. 322's opposed Perception check.
If you try to take something from a creature, you must make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. The opponent makes a Perception check to detect the attempt, opposed by the Sleight of Hand check result you achieved when you tried to grab the item. An opponent who succeeds on this check notices the attempt, regardless of whether you got the item. You cannot use this skill to take an object from another creature during combat if the creature is aware of your presence.
Maffei slips out from behind the fountain and grabs the engram, snatching it and then fading back into the crowds pressing in on all sides.
322's face falls and with a look of shock you see a tear begin to make its way down her face. This will be the end of me. Aslynn will see to that
Without another wasted moment 322 stands and then she just disappears.
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Yanndu casts invisibility and heads towards the rendez-vous location.
***...she had her chance...she refused our help...perhaps next time...if there is a next time...she will not invest her future with agents of evil...I will retrieve the engram friends, and perhaps we can grab something to eat before our next leg of this adventure?...***
Yanndu meets Maffei, thanks her for her services, adding "That's one down. You still owe me two."
He takes the engram, and asks the party to meet him at a great pub on the corner of a busy intersection.
***...the view is splendid...meet me HERE...*** finishes Yanndu, transmitting an image of the intersection and the pub in question.
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Yanndu's vision is shared immediately to the entire party via his two active telepathic bonds. Reeling from the vision, Yanndu steadies his thoughts, and transmits the following:
***...what manner of artifact seeded such powers!...this fire burning inside her...could it be the source of the Tapestry's degradation...or could it be the power we need to restore it?...yes!!...she rose back from death...red...like a phoenix...***
The telepathic message fades with other minor ramblings. Yanndu was now convinced that this memory was crucial to Hao Jin's full restoration!
While waiting for the others, Yanndu sits still at a table and orders a fruity drink. After a few sips he closes his eyes and steadies his breath. He then begins to send his mind reeling across space and time on a thread made of bloodlines, life, death and destiny.
You all hear telepathically:
***...shepherds of the Age of Legend, masters of the elf gates and the orbs they unite, reveal thy knowledge of the magnificent lantern that ignited the powers of Grand Sorceress Hao Jin in her youth, after she was brought back to life by her parents...***
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You move off toward a travel portal close by and step through. You are deposited on a side-street a short distance from the Hearth-Grown House. The narrow alley is crowded with petitioners, all of whom seem to be heading for a single destination: a large, wooden gate in the twelve foot tall hedge wall that surrounds Chaldira’s divine home. Past the gate is a large, grassy common area surrounded by numerous large and inviting structures that look like the homey country taverns found in Golarion’s more peaceful hamlets and towns. A singing voice accompanied by string instruments and flutes can be heard from within.
Shel looks around for signs of a trap or ambush. She sees nothing that raises any alarm bells.
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"One engram stores a portion of my client’s creative innovation, and as an experiment, authorities in the Adamantine Forge granted it to now somewhat…" Eleven-Sun-Truth scowls with disappointment. "…eccentric inevitable in order to explore new inevitable-forging techniques. That inevitable frequents the domain of demigoddess Chaldira Zuzaristan in its downtime."
Instead they produce six small electrum badges each marked with three vertical lines surrounded by a border of unevenly spaced dots. "These are for you to wear. They will help others recognize that you are acting as Hao Jin’s advocates in recovering the engrams. Have a care though. These badges are for identification and not signs of absolute authority. These alone may not be sufficient to secure the engrams..."
"Alright Luna, there is bound to be little snacks in whatever is happening over there. Let's see if we can't get you some." Pooka says with a grin and scratches his dog behind the ears. He recognizes that he is likely wearing the wrong attire for what must certainly be a party, but puts that thought out of his mind immediately and strides forward through the archway to see if they can find this inevitable.
Countless chairs and tables are arranged in this large room around a central stage upon which sits a lillend azata singing a wistful song while accompanied by an unusual collection of natives of the Great Beyond playing an assortment of string and woodwind instruments. The air is thick with sweet tobacco smoke and the smell of good food and drink, while the audience of largely remade petitioners watches the singer with obvious enthusiasm.
Pretty good, eh? says a metallic voice just to your left. Emelliana the Muse, that’s the singer, she only comes here to the House when she visits Axis. It’s the only place she’ll perform! Everywhere else is too stuffy, she says.
The voice comes from an ivory-colored kolyarut inevitable with two additional attached arms. She is currently leaning against the back
wall of the room watching the performance. Covered in dozens of small cuts, scrapes, dents, and scorch marks, she is wearing a leather apron long enough to be a skirt and is tapping her foot to the music.
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Pooka eyes the inevitable and decides that this one seems to fit the description they had been given. "An inevitable in love with the performing arts? You must be the one we are looking for. Eleven-Sun-Truth described you as eccentric. To my delight it appears she... he... they? are correct. It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Pooka and this is Luna." Pooka bows and indicates his dog when he does.
The inevitable looks at Pooka giving a brief nod of acknowledgement. I am The Maker. She returns to watching the performance and her foot continues to tap throughout the brief interaction.
With a mild look of annoyance on her face The Maker looks at you, holds up a finger as if you ask you to wait a moment then returns to listening.
The song ends and The Maker takes a moment then turns to you. This way please. We can converse in a quieter locale.
She leads you to a secluded, well-lit courtyard behind the tavern.
How may I be of assistance?
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"We are on a rather urgent task in which many lives are hanging in the balance. In order to understand how to fix the unraveling of Hao Jin's demi-plane tapestry, we are trying to recover the engrams of her memories. You have one of them, we understand, to better help your research into new forging methods. What can we do to get that engram from you?" Pooka indicates the badge given them by Eleven-Sun-Truth as Ograk mentioned and waits patiently for a response.
At the mention of the engram all four of The Maker's hands go to the base of her neck, where the engram has been implanted. The engram was placed here to assist me in finding new techniques for my creations. It has been with me for some time. I am loath to part with it
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"Dear Maker, think of the creative potential of the Grand Sorceress Hao Jin when she is reunited with her memories! if you wish, you may accompany us to witness this grand reunion. I don't see the harm of it. If you let me touch the engram, I can also commit them to my memory and share them with you via a telepathic bond or a mindlink in the future, upon demand. We can also make a case for the engram to be returned to you when Hao Jin's task of fixing the Tapestry is complete. We are also opened to other forms of compensation, if you so require."