Akoril nimbly moves from boat to boat.
Students hop from boat to boat, using poles and clotheslines to make it across…
Only Wisps needs to make it…
Wisps stumbles!
Wisps gets tangled up in a spiderweb of clotheslines!
Abeyo laughs as he slips into the crowded market! If you don't catch up soon he'll lose you!
Chimwemwe lands on the other side of the channel and then forces one more anemic burst of air out of the runes to push him forward as he darts after the fence.
You duck into a maze of alleyways. The market where you began is ahead.
These tight, dense side streets are filled with objects that threaten to trip and confuse people rushing through.
Everyone but Chim is up!
Alrinkiri anticipates Soomdevi's suggestion, darting ahead!
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"I know this neighborhood like it was my own web! This way!"
You're so close! One more success after Wisps finds a shortcut!
Akoril is up
Akoril takes adcantage of the time he's spent learning the layout of the city.
Akoril thinks about the city's ley-lines, and the way they subconsciously affect the citizens of Nantambu — including where they dump objects in alleyways. There's usually a clear through-line one can find… if they know where to look…
The gnoll easily strides through the clutter and grabs Abeo by the shirtsleeve — just a moment before he dives into the marketplace where surely he'd be lost forever.
Ahhh! What do you want with me? I'm just an innocent textile merchant! I swear!
Luckily these alleyways are cluttered with objects and not people, so you can talk to him without much fuss.
Panting, Chimwemwe comes to a stop. Small wisps of smoke still trail from his sandals. "Why would a textile merchant run from Magaambyan attendants?" he asks largely rhetorically to buy himself more time to catch his breath.
"Just textiles? Not alchemicals?"
Akoril more or less repeats Chimwemwe's question. "If you're an innocent textile merchant, why would you run when we asked about reagents."
Maybe I don;t like being chased by students!
He can tell Wisps sees through his "innocent" facade. I'm sorry! Really! Please, just let me go. I haven't broken any laws. It is not a crime to run, nor is it a crime to sell powders even if you are a textile-maker.
Abeo begins to tremble so much his hat almost falls off.
Akoril scratches his head "Who said anything about a crime, we're just trying to trace the powders back to their origin because an upstanding merchant was concerned about his supply chain."
"If you don't like being chased, why act like a rabbit, fleeing a coyote? Why not open the door to talk?" Alrinkiri crouches down, as if in position to pounce, before continuing. "No matter, here we are. Start talking."
He squirms. But I've broken no laws! Why should I talk to you about my business models?
"Because there have been accidents. Serious accidents," Chimwemwe says as he picks up a discarded board. "Any citizen of Nantambu knows that we all rest upon the shoulders of everyone else and would want to help prevent accidents. You may not be at fault. We just need to know the origin of the powders you sold to Bamidele. You're just a textile merchant, so you must either have a supplier or stumbled upon an abandoned stash. Either way, I'm sure you want to prevent any more accidents." He tries to snap the board as he finishes in order to punctuate his sentence.
Just let me go. You won't hear about me again!
"And you certainly wouldn't want to become known as the textile merchant who got people killed through their products. That would be very bad for business."
Despite your efforts, you can't get the textile merchant to talk. He seems too afraid of someone else.
You're right. I will leave the city. You won't hear from me again — no more powder okay?
"We should take him with us to search is place," Chimwemwe suggests, removing a pair of manacles from his belt.
With the excitement of the chase fading the textile merchant seems to be regaining hos wits. I have done nothing illegal. You have no authority to arrest a fellow citizen or search their property. I will shout for the chime ringers unless you desist immediately.
You have my word no more powder. Now let me be.
Chimwemwe considers different scenarios, his finger unconsciously tracing out his mind's imagining and then says, "That sounds like an even better idea. Can you watch him while I go find a pair of chime ringers?"
Of course. Please do do.
Akoril nods "He's right, arresting him is outside of our purview, hopefully the problem has solved itself."
Wisps speaks with a soft voice.
"You're right, we have no authority to detain you. And perhaps you leaving town will solve the problem. But, please, you know better than us. Will this solve everything, or will someone else be selling the powders? How long until someone dies because of this?"
He looks at Wisps and sighs. “I don't know. I think it'll end if you made Bambeles top. She’ll kill me if I say anything… I am getting out of Nantambu. You will never hear from me again.”
With that, he trots out into the marketplace and is gone.
☀☀☀
Over the next few days, the aftermath of Bamidele's powder craze finally manifests. Reports of strange accidents, burns, or poisonings start to roll in. At least no one got seriously injured. People know to avoid Bamidele's all-around-alchemical — and other all-around alchemicals for that matter.
An inspector from the Chime Ringers eventually comes looking for you. It's none other than the lead investigator who found Chim and Esi at the boathouse so long ago.
Well well. I didn't think to see truants so elevated in the Magaambya. I'm glad to see you've got your act together! He produces a notebook. You're probably wondering why I'm here. Bamidele threw himself on the mercy of us Chime-Ringers, and I wanted to ask you what you think his punishment should be. After all, you're the most knowledgeable about the merchant's activities. He seems chastened enough, I can tell you that.
"While he was reckless in selling material he did not know the true provenance of, I do not believe he intended anyone any harm. It speaks well of him that he immediately ceased selling it when he learned there was an issue. I do not think he should be harshly punished."
The inspector nods. We could use people like you on the Chime Ringers, if you ever change career paths or need a side job.
Xhokan is grateful and gives you 200gp worth of credit at the powderpile which can be used on alchemical items up to 7th level. All the powder’s off the streets. We destroyed all our supply as well. Great work.
☀☀☀
A few days later the inspector comes BACK to the university. He shows up at your dorm, unannounced while you’re on the way to morning class, in fact.
We found the body of a textile merchant in a canal this morning. Someone spotted his bright hat bobbing up and down in the water. A witness said they saw students who match your description chasing Abeyo through the streets several days ago. I’m sure its a misunderstanding but I need to follow all my leads, you understand.
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Chimwemwe frowns. "Did none of you tell Chief Yaaseen the story last time? Yes. We were trying to track down the origin of the powders that Bamidele sold to Xhokan. This led to Abeo. He ran as soon as he saw us at his door, before we had even explained our visit. We did not immediately suspect him of malice, but when he ran, it was suspicious. We caught him in the market but the most we could not get anything solid out of him. Only a vague acknowledgement that the powders came from him and an incidental slip that hinted at a female was a mastermind, and Abeo was afraid of this female."
Thank you. We will use this information for our investigation.
☀☀☀
All is quiet for the next month or so. You don't hear anything from the Chime-Ringers regarding the investigation. It seems to have gone cold.
You settle into your familiar class routine.
One morning Janatimo invites you to the Speaker's stage.
“Welcome again, conversants!” Janatimo says, his arms outstretched on 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.”
He pauses to see if you have any questions.
"So you wish no know the who and the why? That is a different challenge than just putting a stop to it."
Put a stop to it if you can and if its not too dangerous, of course!
"Do you have a map or list of locations of where the different street performers were robbed?" Chimwemwe asks.
Yes. Some of them are personal friends. He gives you several courtyards and public squares where they set up daily.
When you're ready, you can start to find clues. Each check takes a half day.
DC 20 Diplomacy, Performance, or Society check, or a DC 18 check using a relevant lore (such as Art Lore)
DC 18 Diplomacy or Society check, or a DC 16 check using a relevant lore (such as Legal Lore).
DC 22 Deception, Intimidation, or Thievery check, or a DC 20 check using a relevant lore (such as Underworld Lore).
☀☀☀
Let's go ahead and make 2 checks each, a full day.
Soomdevi visits the shady tavern, the Salty Snapdragon. He swears he saw Ignaci selling bombs to someone there, but then he looked again and the Chelaxian was gone.
Anyway, he spends the day there. Blinks eats peanut shells off the floor while Soot laps up spilt sour beer. He talks to a down-on-his-luck old carpenter and hears about some robbers holed up in a run-down area of the city. Their leader is an iruxi named Reth.
Wisps chats with the street performers around town.
Alrinkiri quietly pads after Soomdevi, picking the lock to the back entrance of the Salty Snapdragon and sneaking into position to overhear the conversations going on around Soomdevi's, hoping to glean more information from any observers, or any conversation after Soomdevi has left.
Alrinkiri definitely saw Ignaci there. They overhear that the gang consists of two lizardfolk, a human, and an elf. They also hear the robbers are drawing unwelcome attention from higher-ups in the underworld who don’t like attention
Wisps is up (1 check), Akoril (2 checks), Chim (2 checks).
You definitely feel like you've gotta almost all the info you can from the tavern.
Akoril will spend his morning talking to various performers, looking for a good batch that look interested in talking.
After stopping for a nice lunch Akoril will follow up with the Crime-Ringers, seeing if there's anything to be found there.
Chimwemwe maps out the squares and intersections struck and then sets out to speak to the performers and Chime-ringers of those locations.
Nantambu has many street musicians and performers who set up in a courtyard or public square each day. Most play an instrument, but some are singers, dancers, or thespians who recite excerpts from popular plays. Nearly all of them know about the attacks and can point to a fellow artist who’s been robbed.
Of course Noxolo is there, dancing. Hey. So is Root, recording an album for some percussionists who make their own instruments from old barrels and scrap material.
Akoril talks to a busker who was robber by a group of four. Chim hears the leader of this gang is a lizardfolk marred with black slashes and that the robbers steal musical instruments as well as money.
☀☀☀
You talk to the Inspector again. No leads on Abeyo. We're really overworked. Crime is up in the city lately and we're stretched thin!
The chime-ringers new grateful if you can help with the busker robberies.
He tells Akoril the robbers likely target the buskers because it’s easy and the risk is low. He tells Chim the robbers have been very active and are thus likely getting wealthy just from the sheer volume of their strikes