Toral looks at the men and shakes his head.
"We are sorry that we had to fight and ask you now come clean here with the authorities present! Otherwise it will be harder for you! Look inside of you and you will feel that admiting your crimes is the best path forward!" Toral says.
"I loaded what I was told into the wagons and then delivered the goods to Bronze House." Alexei volunteers. Chauncey only nods his assent.
The gnome, Melnat, sneers at the two men, but remains silent. She seems to be a tougher nut to crack.
Searching the wagons, Toral spots a journal. He is about to pick it up and examine it when he spots a suspicious-looking rune. The gnome trapped her journal!
Once you've disabled or triggered the trap, you can attempt to decipher the journal.
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"I see. It is as I thought, Alexei and Chauncey were just two misguided pawns who were unwittingly being used by a higher level mastermind, who for want of other names, appears to be none other than Melnat the gnome, upon whose shoulders - and possibly neck - the blame will ultimately fall. I would love it to be different, but Melnats silence confirms our thoughts and fears. If only Melnat could find it within herself to cross the bridge of redemption before our opportunity to speak good testimony on her behalf has passed and the hammer of justice falls."
Toral’s precautionary dispel magic succeeds in making the journal safe to handle.
In addition, Toral’s detect magic highlights some invisible runes on certain objects in the wagon. It looks like the most valuable artifacts have been marked with a Thassilonian rune of Pride.
Your liaison with the city guard, Kasadei, has the smugglers you captured taken into custody while she leads you back to Heidmarch manor where Lady Heidmarch is waiting.
"Apprehending a bronze agent is more than enough to link this smuggling operation to the Aspis Consortium's dealings at Bronze House. Your next step is to go there to look for evidence of illegal activity and recover looted Thassilonian treasures.
"While you could take your writ and walk right in, I believe a subtler approach is warranted."
Kasadei speaks up, "I would pose as merchants and slip in with the daily trading business. That should give you enough time to have a look around."
Lady Heidmarch raises her eyebrow, "A night raid is the fastest and most effective approach. Time is not on our side while Sloan has the Lord-Mayor's ear."
The guard liaison nods, "I estimate the guard response time to any alert at about 10 minutes, but fire or open combat would draw local patrols sooner than that. Here." she draws out a signal whistle and hands it to you, "Two short bursts, then one sustained whistle. That's the signal for a guard patrol in danger. Any nearby guards will respond will come running to aid their fellows."
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Diplomacy
Frost decides on getting further information about the place, finding people mostly helpful.
"Lots of people around in the day would make it easy to hide in a crowd, but that is also a lot of eyes around in case of anything we do appearing suspicious"
"The wagons being worked by the teamsters til midnight implies another avenue in as the gates open, or we return some carts..."
"I think we need to have a conversation with the Princess of the Market, she might have something useful to say"
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”I cannot help with the notes either. Sorry!“
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During the planning Toral thinks.
”I am poor at stealth and bluffing. But I am a merchant after all! So I’d prefer to use the infiltration during business hours by pretending to have business there but I cannot lead!!“
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He then suppports to gather information.
”Great work Frost and Sabriyya Kalmeralm is our next person to talk to as you said! I learned one more juicy details about this City! You guys might not like it but I found out that Members of Magnimar's largest thieves' guild, the Night Scales, need an example of a Councilor's signature. They might be willing to cause a distraction in return. So what do you think? We have the signature on our documents that we received and could provide this to them so that our mission is easier to accomplish!“ he asks carefully.
"I think we need to have a conversation with the Princess of the Market, she might have something useful to say"
Sabriyya Kalmeralm is very easy to find once you know where to ask for her. The Bazaar of Sails is the busiest in Magnimar, but even so this woman listens to your entreaties. Her eyes light up with anger when you suggest you might be able to humiliate Sloan.
"That man thinks too much of himself, cozy with the Lord-Mayor as he is. You may provide a welcome opportunity." she waves to an assistant, "Draw up some credentials for these people."
”Great work Frost and Sabriyya Kalmeralm is our next person to talk to as you said! I learned one more juicy details about this City! You guys might not like it but I found out that Members of Magnimar's largest thieves' guild, the Night Scales, need an example of a Councilor's signature."
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Frost pulls the team aside, "The legitimately issued documents from Sabriyya are one thing, but engaging in forgeries and being accessories to fraud is quite another. Whilst I would welcome any legitimate support they could offer us, this is not a 'trade' I can be party to - no disrespect at all to their organisation"
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Toral looks at Frost and nods.
"Sabriyya Kalmeralm's credentials are a good start. At the end I would only forge the signature but never provide the real signature of the Councilor. I would says we vote. I am in favor of trying to forge the signature to get the aid of the guild." he says and looks at the others.
Fox hops onto Toral's shoulders, and puts up a smile.
It then hops down onto the floor, sitting at attention, looking at te other team-members.
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"A good forgery is no different to providing the original, I hardly think they intend to simply frame it and hang it on the mantlepiece as a souvenir of their time helping the Pathfinder Society. Wanting a Councilors sign suggests that the likely target for its use will be some fraudulent activity - the cost of which will always end up being borne by levies and taxes from the citizenry, who can usually ill afford the costs to begin with"
"I cannot accept their aid at that cost, they can find another favour they'd like that does not leave us no better than the people we are here to see answer for their crimes. I retain an open mind to finding solutions, and I appreciate the road is not always clear, and that questionable things occur in the name of the greater good and apply my wisdom, patience, and understanding where I can - but this one is pretty obviously 'Aspis Consortium' seeming"
Kasedei and Lady Heidmarch are both impressed that you've secured credentials for yourselves. The guard speaks up, "Will you be posing as merchants then?" To which the Lady Heidmarch purses her lips.
It is late afternoon on the same day you apprehended the smugglers. Do you wish to go this evening, or rest the night and go to Bronze House in the morning?
*excited yelp*
The Bronze House is a busy center of trade. Posing as merchants, you would walk through the front door and speak to the clerks. If instead you disguise yourselves as teamsters, you must go around to the back where workers come and go late into the night.
What, if any, disguises are you donning? Do you have methods to hide your weapons and armor or going in fully armed? You do know that heavy armor and weapons would look out of place.
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"I can negotiate and I am really good at buinsess but I am a terrible, terrible liar!" Toral admits to Frost.
He also buys some Sleeves of many garments to hide his armor.
He will discard all weapons that he has.
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Orst will hide most all of his items that mark him as a paladin and put a white tunic over his armor with a "freelance" symbol painted on it. He will place his bow and arrows in his haver sack and just have his sword and dagger out. He will co er his shield with white cloth as well.
"Call me Jocko. I am a mercenary body guard for our merchant boss Toral Kargar". "I am ready to proceed."
Fox tries to stay as alert as possible trying to see if anyone is following or watching them more than a glance.
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Robun follows along unarmed behind the others, having left his weapons behind at Heidmarch manor. All he has left to him are his chain shirt (easily concealed beneath his robes), and his shield, which he covers with a cloth in a manner similar to Orst. He plays the part of Toral's scribe, a role he actually is well suited for, as he spends most of his time outside of missions copying religions texts or Pathfinder Chronicles for posterity.
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The Bronze House is a busy center of trade, with an array of merchants entering and exiting the main entrance and a variety of teamsters bringing wagons of cargo around to the back. Following the flow of merchants, you enter the building's rotunda. Massive bronze double doors decorated with serpent motifs serve as teh imposing front entrance to the Bronze House. Voices echo around this grand hall, diminishing the speaker beneath the chamber's scale. Two pairs of smaller doors lead east and west while two terrace doors lead north. As you enter, two clerks are finishing an auction for a few disinterested merchants. Two more clerks sit at tables ready to assist any visitors. Before you get far inside, one of the three guards stops your group.
"Excuse me. No weapons allowed inside." she nods toward Frost. "Your armored bodyguards can wait outside. Elysi Crispin will personally attest to your safety while you are a guest here."
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Toral looks at the man.
“I think you do not understand! I am a business man that has seen a lot and experienced a lot and these people belong to my entourage! So they stay the way they are. This can be profitable for all parties!!“ Toral says while showing off his business knowledge.
He also shows the secured credentials.
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"We go where he goes. Not all thieves use blades, some use liquor, flayleaf, or a quickwife to attempt a robbery - first of a merchants senses and inhibitions, then of his coin. I don't tell a ledger clerk how to do his job, perhaps he should reconsider telling me how to do mine"
Frost gives him a friendly smile but her tone is politely insistent.
Diplomacy -
The guard looks a bit unsure, but backs down under Frost's polite insistence. One of the clerks overhears and jumps up to greet Toral. "Please allow me to escort you to the next room, where we can discus terms of your new business. she looks at your party, noting Fox, "You can bring your guards and... familiar as well." she finishes.
As she leads you toward the doors to the east and the desks beyond, a sour-looking half-elf with blue-tinted lips enters the atrium from the doors to the west, flanked by angelic statues made of brass with burning crowns. She scans the meager crowd with sharp eyes.
The clerk opens the door and gestures to the desks, "Please have a seat while I gather the necessary paperwork."
The famed Angelic Guardians of Magnimar.
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"Looks can be deceiving, but let's hope you are right." says Orst posing as Jocko.
"I could throw out one or two more idioms, like 'You can't judge a book by its cover' or 'Even vipers come in pretty colors'. But that would just make me seem simple."
"They could just be decorations with no hidden meaning, too."
For the sake of being 'a familiar', fox heads to walk next to Toral's legs.
When the team is instructed to go have a seat, the fox takes a careful look for anything out of the ordinary.
The clerk nods at Frost's remark, "Ms. Crispin contracted the angelic guardians from the Golemworks for some extra security. They mostly stay here monitoring visitors to Bronze House, but also regularly patrol the building."
Toral notices that this half-elf, Ms. Crispin, surveys the crowd with a sense of self-assuredness that suggests she is the one in charge here. In addition, she has quite the discerning eye.
Past the doors the clerk has led you to are what appear to be offices. Desks and benches line the chamber, covered with parchment, ink, and quills. An iron gate blocks the northeast corner where you can see various cabinets and a sturdy chest. Four clerks and one guard occupy the room, barely looking up at your arrival.
"I will be right back!" the clerk waves cheerfully as she returns to her desk to gather writing supplies and reference materials.