"Anywhere but here! As long as I am outside of the city gates and out of her reach," Abeo replies to Ubasu.
"I do not have proof that I can show you," he tells Baldrek. "But if you get me to safety, I will give you the grippli's name a few days later. That is the only bargaining chip I have!"
"Come to the school with us, at least. If anyone stops us, we can say you are procuring supplies for our research. I'm sure one of the professors can find you a safe place, and ensure that we can contact you until we take care of this grippli you are so scared of."
Pilzip looks the prisoner/informant up and down. "Do you have any samples of the goods you were given?"
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He shakes his head, "I do not understand why you do not trust in the safety of the school. Recent events notwithstanding, the school is among the safest locations in Garund. Surely if you just explain yourself to the headmasters, they will protect you while we figure out a solution." He sighs and shakes his head.
"Yes, okay! If you can guarantee my safety at the school, then I will go with you!" Abeo says.
Once back on campus, you direct Abeo to speak with Janatimo, who is able to arrange for the trader to remain on campus until his safety can be guaranteed. Abeo is grateful for the assistance. "I am in your debt. The grippli... I do not know her real name, but she calls herself 'Froglegs.'"
***
It pains Bamidele to hear about his potential new business being wiped out before it had even started, but as reports of strange accidents, burns, or poisonings start to roll in, he realizes that he was unknowingly complicit in the affair. He throws himself on the mercy of the Chime-Ringers, who defer the man’s punishments to what you decide; you're representatives of the Magaambya, after all, and the most knowledgeable about the chastened merchant’s activities.
Xhokan is happy enough to know that the new supplies were too good to be true, as he expected all along. He gives you a total of 200 gp in credit at the Powderpile, which you can redeem for alchemical items of 7th level or less.
With the moniker of "Froglegs", and the fact that she runs a gambling hall, Patizamo joins the others in going back to Janatimo and asks, "Should we go speak with this Froglegs about the alchemical powders, or, since we've stopped them from coming in, should we instead not worry about this right now, and see what Froglegs does?"
"I'd love to get to the bottom of this, but is it a job for us or for the Chime Ringers? Perhaps we could investigate Froglegs' motivations after the authorities take him into custody."
Pilzip looks to Janatimo, "What do you think we should do, Professor?"
Janatimo has asked you to meet him at the Speaker’s Stage on the west edge of campus. He listens to your report thoughtfully, and when Pilzip asks him for advice, he replies, "There is perhaps more to this than meets the eye. We will allow the Chime-Ringers to follow up for the time being, but it may be wise to look further into this matter ourselves in the at a later date. In the meantime, I have another task for you."
The half-elf stretches out his arms to indicate the sunny stage. “I thought this site of Magaambyan performances might focus us on a matter of... well, performances. Someone is robbing street entertainers all over Nantambu. What makes this most interesting is that the folks committing the crimes are quite efficient and show experience on the part of the robbers, but... the stakes are laughably low. I’m not sure anyone becomes a busker to become rich. So why take the risk when you could do something more with your talents?
“When a storyteller withholds parts of the tale, it intrigues the listener. I’m intrigued. I need you to fill out the rest of this story for me."
"What an odd crime! I wonder if the robbers are seeking anything in particular?" Pilzip is intrigued by the thefts, as by so much else.
"Is anyone a talented musician? We could pose as entertainers."
Janatimo leaving this to the Chime-Ringers, for now, causes Ubasu's brow to tremble. His Alijae hunter instincts are trying to take over, and it feels wrong, flat-out wrong, to not follow up on what seems to be a hot trail while it's still hot. Still, Janatimo is the master and they are the students, and there's wisdom to be found in that.
When it comes to the tale of the bereft buskers, the half-elf can't help but wonder if there's an obsessed gnome behind all of this. "The one descriptor that comes to mind is 'obsessive'. One must be obsessed with something to be this driven to haunt a particular group of people into desperation. Are they trying to chase the competition away? Are they weaving a tale for the ages? Or is it something personal, wrought by trauma? It gives me the feeling creatures from the First World might be involved."
Before you leave, Janatimo tells you that the robbers are predominantly humans, but there are a few iruxis among them. The Chime-Ringers have higher priorities, but they might have some reports that could shed more light on the attack, even if they haven't acted yet.
Pilzip isn't a skilled entertainer himself, but he finds the street performances more interesting that talking to busy Chime-Ringers.
While the others pursue two different approaches, Baldrek goes for a third one, posing himself as a performance for an afternoon.
Filzip is able to learn a bit about the robbers from the buskers. There are four of them in number, and their leader is a lizardfolk marred with black slashes.
Patizamo gets the Chime=Ringers to open up a bit. They have surmised that the robbers likely target the buskers because it's easy and the risk is low. The robbers have been very active and are thus likely getting wealthy just from the sheer volume of their strikes.
Baldrek is unable to get in the buskers' good graces.
You'll need to learn some more information to be able to track down the criminals.
Pilzip knows just about enough about the criminal element in Nantambu to get himself into trouble.
"I played cards with a few toughs! Maybe they know something about this gang."
Patizamo does his best to ascertain anything additional from the Chime-Ringers, particularly as it concerns a pattern to where these thieves strike.
Patizamo doesn't learn anything new, but Pilzip discovers that the lizardfolk that leads the gang is named Reth. The robbers are drawing unwelcome attention from higher-ups in the underworld who don’t like attention, and so they are happy to inform Pilzip of the location of the gang's hideout!
You travel to a run-down section of Nantambu. The gang’s hideout is the most intact building amid a cluster of abandoned wooden shacks. All the windows have been boarded up while the front door hangs open, barely on its hinges. Smoke drifts out of the back of the building, carrying with it the faint smell of charred food.
Ubasu's nose wrinkles when the smell hits him. With a twinkle of disgust in his eyes he surveys their surroundings: could the roofs of these shacks take the weight of a cat?
"If you'd like, I can turn into a cat and have a look at what's what."
"I'm not very sneaky, so that sounds like a pretty good idea unless someone has a better one."
Ubasu's nose wrinkles when the smell hits him. With a twinkle of disgust in his eyes he surveys their surroundings: could the roofs of these shacks take the weight of a cat?
"If you'd like, I can turn into a cat and have a look at what's what."
"That, I'd like to see!" Pilzip whispers.
The Alijae responds to Pilzip's request by doing just that. He leans into his arcane studies and casts a minor spell, which causes his shape to blur. The air is filled with the scent of spices as the half-elf turns into a common house cat!
"Meow."
Peering through the smoke coming out of the chimney, Ubasu can see a large room featuring a fire pit wit ha pot over it. Several chairs surround the fire and a wooden chest sits next to a sturdy door. A few doors and a hall lead away from the room, but nobody seems to be in this room at the moment.
Knowing the lay of the 'land', Ubasu hurries back to his companions and shifts back to his own shape. "There's a large common room of sorts with a fire pit. There are a couple of doors, and there is a hallway. Perhaps most importantly, there was no one present, but there is a fire burning, so I assume there is at least one person home."
Baldrek nods to the information. "Before we enter, I'd like to take a look around the place for any escape route."
All of the windows are boarded up, and the only entrance and exit seems to be the front door to the building.
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Mokhasi thinks quietly to himself, "well, this is a conundrum. We are not guards. Do we simply barge in? It is not a good habit to get into." He blinks slowly, "should we not inform the authorities of this? I know we have been tasked with uncovering this problem, but Janatimo may have extended to us more power than is reasonable."
Nevertheless, he will tie back his hair and prepare to assault the robber den should the others be inclined to enter.
Patizamo considered a moment, then said, "Perhaps we should, instead, give the occupant in there the opportunity to surrender?"
"There's no harm in poking around. If they aren't up to no good, they shouldn't mind some students from the Academy."
Pilzip pats his belt to make sure his lockpicks are handy. Just in case.
"I'm informed." Baldrek says, smirking. "Even if I'm on leave to attend the Magaambya, I'm still a member of the guard." He says, readying himself.
The shack's foyer is empty. There are doors to the left and right, and a hall leading back further into the building. The left door is open. Two hastily built straw beds line the wall opposite the door. Bits of trash cover the hard dirt floor and an open chest sits against the wall.
A burly human sits on one bed, opposite a lean Ekujae elf. They are eating from bowls, but as soon as they see you, they leap to their feet and draw their weapons!
Baldrek reacts quickly as he sends an electric arc at both attackers before lunging forward to strike the burly man. "Lower your weapons..."
Both of the thugs avoid the worst of Baldrek's electricity. The fighter lunges forward, slicing the human man.
"Argh! Gonna make you pay for that!" the man snarls. He steps forward to slash at Baldrek with his longsword.
The elf draws two daggers and hurls them at Baldrek, but they clang off of his aromr.
Baldrek retaliates as the man approaches and then again, just before shocking both of them again!
Ubasu starts humming a calming Alijae tune, one that helps to calm your nerves. He then weaves an enchantment that causes Baldrek's shape to shimmer and blur.
Pilzip darts into the room to get behind the man, then stabs him in the back!
for and
for and
Patizamo moved into the room next to the other one before casting a fire spell into his sword and striking out.
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Mokhasi peers into the room curiously and sees the foes. He clucks his tongue, and asks in elvish,
He raises his fingers slightly, and the rocks erupt from around the human, battering him.
Baldrek slices the human man as he rushes the fighter, further injuring him.
The elf replies to Mokhasi:
Mokhasi batters the human thug with scree!
Patizamo darts past Baldrek to get to the elf thief. His blade burns with fire as she slices into the elf, eliciting a scream of pain as the critical hit sets him ablaze!
Pilzip slips around behind the human thug and stabs him, scoring a critical hit followed by a normal strike that sends him to the floor, blood pouring from his wounds.
With his opponent already down, Baldrek moves up and impales the elf with a critical strike, finishing him off as well!
The fight is over, but there's little doubt anybody else in the shack will have heard the battle!
As soon as the enemies fall, Baldrek knees besides them, trying to stabilize their wounds.
Pilzip looks around the room for any papers, like letters or orders, that might give a clue about the motivations or organization of the thieves.
Baldrek stabilizes the two thieves. They each have basic weapons and armor, but the chest in the room contains various low-quality clothes, 61 sp, and a nice lute worth 10 gp, likely stolen from a street performer. There are no incriminating documents here.
Patizamo takes a moment to recharge his spell strike, then moves to listen at the right door.
Ubasu readies an incantation of calm emotions in case they encounter more thugs and thieves with zero intention to talk - other than by making their blades talk.
Patizamo doesn't hear any noises beyond the right door. This room is very orderly; clothes are neatly placed on a shelf in the corner, and a well-made bed sits toward the northern wall. These clothes are plainly tailored for a lizardfolk. A chest lies on the floor behind the bed.
The chest is locked with a simple lock. Pilzip is able to pick it, revealing 51 gp, 80 sp, and 80 cp.
The central hall leads into the cooking room that Ubasu spotted earlier. Doors exit this room to the left and the right. Patizamo can hear snarling and muttering beyond the door to the left.
Patizamo motions to the door, indicating he hears noise behind the door, and sets up with Baldrek to open it.
The smell of many different spices fills this room. Several books are scattered in the corner. On the far side of the wall is a chair next to a straw bed.
A lanky lizardfolk stands here, hefting a heavy greatclub. She snarls loudly upon seeing you and rushes forward to attack!
Before you can react, she is upon you, swinging her club and heavy tail at Patizamo! Her club connects against his head with a heavy thwack, a critical hit! Her tail batters his legs!
Pilzip gulps. They stumbled on a strong foe! In these close quarters, he's reluctant to get in there and mix it up with the lizardfolk. Instead, he fires a spell, aiming for what he hopes is a weak spot.
for
Patizamo quickly casts a spell, conjuring a shield before him, and then steps back from the enraged Iruxi and then withdraws further back, heavily wounded, and says, "Be careful! This foe is strong and aggressive."
Baldrek moves inside the room and lunges forward with his ranseur repeatedly.