The group heads back into the office to talk with Larisa Stronwell again after talking with the fishmonger. Larisa confers with the Pathfinders in a quiet side room. She ushers them in and leans in quietly. "I found out something important. Someone by the name of Alois Lofton bribed various people in the harbor to conceal the ship's arrival to 'facilitate the apprehension and security of dangerous criminals and traitors to the Revolution'.". She looks around again. "I'm risking a lot by telling you this, so please do not spread this information around."
Almost as soon as she tells you this information, she leaves the room and requests you leave as well. She insists if you stay, it will raise suspicion.
The Pathfinders decide to head over to Fashion Alley and find an abandond dressmaker's shop with several homeless men and woman living there. You are on the lookout for a tall man in his late twenties with olive complexion and black hair. He wears a long red woolen coat wrapped tightly around him against the evening's chill and carries a bastard sword strapped to his back.
Enderios is in the shop's back storerooms, sitting next to a small fire and preparing coffee.
"Howdy neighbors. What can I do ya for?"
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Jang tries to smile but this is a serious mission and his surroundings feel the weight.
"Mr. Enderios I assume." Jang asks.
If the man confirms then Jang continues.
"We are here because we have heard that you have connections to the Gray Gardeners. Mr. Enderios please do not be afraid. We were informed that the Gardener's were involved in a case or ... missing persons that involved a ship at the docks. We also heard that you are looking into the matter further. I think that you know who we are? Could you please tell us what you learned?" he asks with some hope in his voice.
Enderios invites you to sit down... on the ground. There are no chairs in here it seems. "Coffee? Tea? Nevermind, I don't have any tea. And the coffee here is not very good."
"So I was speaking with one of the Gray Gardeners I know over at the Sellen River docks two days ago. His name is Citizen Blight and he's their equivalent of an officer. They all have funny pseudonyms like 'Blight' or 'Malice' in order to hide who they really are. While talking to Blight, a big gray hearse pulls up next to a river sloop that had just docked. 'Gray hearse' is what we call the prisoner transport wagons the Gardeners use, mainly because of their charcoal gray color and because the people inside often end up with a 'permanent haircut.'"
Enderios starts pacing back and forth as he's telling his story. "There were two men with heavy crossbows riding on the roof and another one on theback and a burly woman driving the team. They pull up in front of the docked sloop and two Gardners led five hooded and chained prisoners down the gangplank and into the hearse, followed by a third Gardner bringing up the rear. And here's the strangest part: that last Gardner, I saw him donning a mask as he exited the sloop, which means that I, and everyone else nearby could see his face. Since you're probably not from around here, let me tell you: that NEVER EVER happens. The only thing the Gray Gardners protect more closely than their final blades is their identity. In my entire life, I cannot remember ever seeing a Gardener's unmasked face, and I've worked with them for years. He was a blond man with a rose-gold earring and a deep crescent-shaped scar on his chin."
"So where was I before that? Oh yeah, the prisoners! I could tell that half of them were probably men, and the other half women. All of them looked human. Once all the prisoners had been loaded into the hearse, they took off. I'm not sure where they were headed, but it wasn't toward the Woodsedge Jail, that's for sure."
"Oh, and the blond man said something loudly to one of the prisoners. He said, 'Walk faster, Korkovin, you drunken scum. Let's see your fortune save you now."
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Dexter frowns, "Or they are only impersonating gray gardeners. Or maybe a mix of both. Or something completely else. Either way, we do need to still pick up the trail."
He thanks their host, "That was some lovely almost coffee flavored liquid. You did very well with what you had available."
As they leave to head to the next point of investigation, "Alright, then, I say we visit Lofton next. We have evidence he bribed some people at the harbor and our patron mentioned we needed to dig up that kind of information to put the pressure on him to be truthful. It is indeed disappointing if a former venture captain is involved in this whole deal. I wonder who Korkovin might be though, maybe one of the other three men also kidnapped with the senators?"
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Patros listens as he downs a mug of coffee.
Bad coffee is still better than no coffee, right? he says as the man starts his tale and munches on a bit or trail bread he pulls from a pouch.
Does sound but weird...I wonder if we can find out who this blond man is...sounds like he might have a connection to the one prisoner...
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I wonder who Korkovin might be though, maybe one of the other three men also kidnapped with the senators?"[/b]
"Based on Jang's intelligence, Korkovin is a rich Andoran banker, possibly at the center of the reforms and trying to push his agenda via the two Senators. One must appreciate Galt's maneuvering here: they knew exactly who to abduct to hurt the Andoran banking system the most. If we don't find these men, Andoran's dreams of liberty and free markets may be put on hold for a few centuries while their nobility rise again to ascertain control... with all the chaos that this would entail..."
Turning to Patros, Zzorn adds, "He sounds very familiar to the victims indeed. We are potentially dealing with an Andoran turncoat or former noble who cannot accept the fall from peerage. Say, good man, you look handy with that falcata. I'm familiar with the fighting techniques of Taldor and have been known to complement a few armed expeditions in the past, with a focus on protecting high value targets. In combat, stay close to me, and I'll have your back while you can focus on what needs to be done..."
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Jang nods after Zzorn, Dexter and Patros gave their opinions.
"This is all so sad. So much pain caused because we do not stick together... " the dwarf says and he is almost crying.
When he regains his composure, he continues, "The scar that fake Gardener had and the other descriptions might also lead to the man. But I think Lofton is a good next step!"
The guards head over to the guard offices where they easily spot Guard Sergeant Ottavia Respani from the description the VC gave them. Ottavia is a short, muscular woman in her mid-thirties with close-cut, curly brown hair and an oval face. She is wearing the checkered green and gray uniform of a member of the city guard. She is humming to herself as you walk in before noticing you. She turns around, "Ahoy. Can I help you?".
She is in the middle of working and seems hesitant to talk about anything about the prisoners in a public setting.
Respani looks around, unsure if she can leave. But Zzorn convinces her that it's important enough. Respani opens up a small side room and ushers everyone inside. There is only two chairs and a small table. She sits in one. "So. This must be very important. Can I help you with something?"
She looks at you, hesitant to speak. But she opens up. "Two days ago, I was back to work from lunch at the Drunken Morlock when I saw a gray hearse carriage loaded with prisoners and Gray Gardeners pull up in front of Lofton's office.". She looks down but continues.
"Two Gray Gardeners emerged and quickly went up the stairs. One of them was a blond man with a rose gold earring. But I couldn't see his face due to his mask. The other had his hair underneath his cap and no jewelry. The group returned a few minutes later along with Lofton, who led them down the street to an abandoned warehouse where they stashed the prison wagon."
She quietly whispers, "What's strange is the prisoners in the wagon were not booked into the jail overnight, as per the standard regulations. The whole thing seems a little fishy. But I know better than to stick my nose into Gray Gardener business so I did not inquire any further."
Respani seems to be telling the truth. She seems to want to help the Pathfinders, as she does do work for the Venture-Captain occasionally.
"Could you show us this werehouse?" says Jacques.
"I cannot right now. As I'm working currently and really can't leave this post.". But she does tell them how to get there, in addition to drawing a very crude map.
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"Thanks for the directions, Constable. This'll do nicely. Your help here is greatly appreciated," says Zzorn, accepting the map and nodding to the officer as he exits.
Once outside, he leans towards his fellow Pathfinders, whispering, "Well I'm not sure if there's a point going to Lofton's office anymore. How about we pay them all a little surprise visit to that warehouse?"
The Pathfinders decide to head to the abandoned warehouses where Ottavia told them that the Gray Gardeners stashed the prison wagon. Searching the perimeter, they find only one way in: the front door.
Dexter finds a sheet of paper covered in numbers dropped in an out-of-the way corner. The page is from a ledge labeled "Lumber Consortium."
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Sabrine is one of the public faces of the Lumber Consortium.
She travels around Andoran engaging in political advocacy for the Lumber Consortium
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"Sabrine is one of the public faces of the Lumber Consortium... interesting... I'm wondering if she's also been abducted with the two Senators and the banker guy... if that's the case that would be 4 out of 5 identified... remind me to include this info in our raven message to the Venture-Captain..."
Searching the rest of the abandoned warehouse, there is no sign of the wagon nor Lofton.
Over a permanently closed butcher shop, a small, faded sign with an arrow points up an exterior flight of stairs to a second-story landing which reads: Venture-Captain Alois Lofton, Counselor-at-Law. The door at the top of the stairs is unlocked and opens to Lofton's shabby office.
Ashwell, Dexter, Jang, and Patros all notice that Lofton has recently removed many books and files from the office. When they arrive, Lofton looks up from a stack of paperwork on his desk. "I am too busy at the moment to take cases. Come back in a few days when I have more time."
Patros senses that Lofton is clearly nervous. And Dexter realizes that Lofton does not plan to still be in Woodsedge in a few days.
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"Visbaron Zzorn Eilif, of Taldor, good sir. Pleased to meet you. We are Pathfinders, as you no doubt suspected, and we'd like a few moments of your time. Since you're busy, and out of respect of your past service for the Society, I'll cut to the chase: why are the Gardeners abducting politicians, bankers and businessmen from Andoran? and why are you helping them? have you joined their ranks or do they have something on you? if the latter, we can help reduce the dangers associated with your next relocation and help you resettle to more hospitable climes. You *do* intend to relocate at this time, I hope, yes?"