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The sun shines upon Katapesh, the biggest trading land in the world. All around its markets, you can find anything on sale - from exotic spices, to stolen holy relics, to hallucinatory pesh pipes, to people.
Much like Cheliax, slavery fuels the Katapesh economy and flows through it like its blood. While some rotten merchants take this as an opportunity, much more solidary folk see it as something to fight against. As such, the Pathfinder Society mantains secret lodges all throughout the country, each cell fighting to dismantle slave rings and free slaves.
Sent by their respective faction leaders, five Pathfinders have been tasked to meet an undercover agent in a Katapeshi coffee shop - Pidgeon's Roasts. The coffee shop is cheap, but spacious - it offers espressos sprinkled with ground cardamon, and as a result smells amazing! The adventurer's travels now concluded, our story begins as the group of five meet, some faces new, some faces old!
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Betty watches the crowd as she sips her drink. She also has a small plate of honeyed pastries with nuts that she ordered. She had already scouted the area the day before for likely observation and ambush sites, now it was just a matter of keeping a watchful eye.
Another assignment involving slavery. I do hope they don’t expect us to pretend to be the merchandise again! That was unpleasant.
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A strong Mwangi human joins you.
His umber skin is covered with red and white stripes which are arrayed in tribal patterns and his hair is adorned with feathers.
Although he is clearly accustomed to a jungle setting, this man is wearing stone full plate armor with bestial drawings on it that resemble saurian predators.
He has a dagger, a greatsword, a bardiche and a morningstar with him.
Resting on top of his chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Lythertida is visible and it looks like an eye with a single tear.
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"We early? But here now. Good we have come aid! Lythertida watching over and also consoling frightened souls of men and woman and children who life ended too soon. No one die too soon with me here I hope! I with you celebrating Idealism, our potential, and we prevent young death!!” he says and looks around for support.
"I Ejtehah. Member of Pathfinder Society."
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Tenibri enters the coffee shop. Seeing Betty, he moves to her table where he waves down someone to get his own cup of coffee. "Hi Betty! Check out this cool new spellbook I got! It's so small and lightweight, but you can scribe sooooo many spells in it! Here, look!" He flips to the last pages with writing inscribed. "Here are the new spells I learned since I last saw you! You can copy them if you want!"
He reaches out and offers a hand to the newcomer. "I'm Tenibri! Betty and I have had missions together before."
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Ejtehah smiles at Betty and Tenibri.
“Yes, you know each other is good! Trust deep and knowledge then preventing dying!! And that symbol my goddess Lythertida! She agathion empyreal lord who watches over and consoles the frightened souls of those whose lives ended too soon!“ he says and the last phrase was clearly memorized.
“So you do what Betty and Tenibri? You what experience? I track and fight well. I protect you!! You not die!!“
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"Well, I have a lot more experience with Taldane, so when it comes time to negotiate, I'll do the talking." He points out quickly, and while the words sound like they could be a put-down, Ejtehah doesn't read that sense from them at all; they only carry the weight of the facts they point out, with no undercurrent.
As he speaks, with his face pointed at Ejtehah's so fixedly, the Shoanti can see the pattern of both white and gold dots tattooed over Tenibri's indigo-blue skin. The white dots swirl intricately all over his face, and continue under his cloak coming back out at his wrists--so presumably cover the whole of the wayang's body. The gold dots outline his mouth, nose, and eyes along with the perimeter of his face like a mask.
"Other than that, I do a lot of magic, specifically focused on summoning other creatures for aid, and countering the magic of other spellcasters. Can't wait to test our worth together!"
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A brightly coloured gnome riding tiger enters the room loudly. The type of loudly that is accentuated by making no noise whatsoever. They stroll over to the table. "We must be the dream team and I see we got a new player. This is Cat. I'm basically her assistant. I mostly yell encouraging things at people and blind others with light shows. Sometimes I ask people nicely to put down their weapons and with a little magical aid they do."
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A vixen kitsune with a lucious silver blue coat of fur, black ears, tailtip, and "socks" showing exactly the length she wishes them to show despite the blowing winds glides over to the table. Or maybe the earth really does move around her till it provides her with a seat with as little effort as she seems to put into moving. Slim with a luscious coat of fur, the only curves she has are the ones she designs to affect by sitting just so, making those around her unconcious of their ungainly bulk.
"Sorry darlings I just had a few purchases to make. I was just beginning to think he was haggling the second hour just for my company. By the third i was sure of it her eyes go wide and her ears perk up the specialty coffee "Oh my that IS delightful. So much nicer to begin a mission with the mind enhanced rather than inebriated... but I can work with either. For those that haven't had the pleasure I'm Lotus de'Bonaire, of the Opparan de'Bonaires. Mother bought the title fair and square. I'll be negotiating our way around town as much as possible, it's more cost effective than being stabbed in the long run."
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With the last member having arrived, the general mood in the cafe changes - quickly, the servant that had been handing you coffee starts going around tables, making them go quickly by what Lotus would recognize as simple charms, suddenly turning the place silent.
The doors are shut quickly, and the servant, previously hunched over, apologetic and timid, reveals his true persona - straightening up and raising his voice ever so slightly-"Greetings, Pathfinders. Welcome to one of the fronts of my organization. If any of you are familiar with the Liberty's Edge faction, I'm the commander of the special operations cell in Katapesh - The Twilight Talons. You may call me Whispershade."-extending a handshake to each of you.
With that, he sits with you-"Before we get into the details of the mission, a word of warning - the mission at hand will give you powerful enemies if you don't take precautions. Never use real names, and if possible change how you look. Even a quick glance from a merchant prince might have Red Mantis assassins knocking at the next inn you rest at."-pulling out a sack of traditional Katapeshi robes in all manners of colors, designs and costs. He pauses for a bit, trying not to overwhelm you and expecting your response.
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With a tip of her hat, Betty says “Nice ta’ meetcha, Lotus. Ahm Betty.”
In response to Whispershade’s introduction Betty gives out a short exclamation. “Blast it! Twice in a row?!?”
Then she starts looking through the robes. “Least this time ah get proper clothin’.” Looking towards Whispershade, she explains “Last mission had ta’ pretend at being a slave. Neck still chaffs from the collar!”
She tries to pick out some reasonably comfortable clothing that will work with her equipment. With a sigh, she says “Guess mah hat will hafta go. Style never went much further than Mana Wastes.”
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The vixen sighs " Such natural beauty and they always send me somewhere I need to cover it up. I suppose since we came back from the last mission where we needed to do that they assume we can do it again" She goes through the robes for a moment, picking up a garment and shifting her form to match a human, male or female, body to it "Hmm ...No, No, no, no...." whether at the outfit or the form its not sure. She picks betty's hat out of the pile and turns into betty for a moment " Nice to be.. meet you Betty. Hmm.. No. there is no way I'm going furless in this sun and sand. she'll tip the ribbon on her ears and turn into a young gnoll matriarch in training, looking in a mirror and trying to get the eyes right. "Lets see, I need to keep this close to my height and build. So old enough to be off leading strings, young enough that I'm not a threat to anyone in a position of any real power. Perhaps out to prove I can make my own deals... " her own silks get neatly folded into a pile while she takes out a mismatch of bright gaudy colors. "There, that screams "look at me" so loudly no one will. "
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Betty’s hand starts moving towards her bandolier, but she stops herself with a grimace. This isn’t Alkenstar. I can’t just shoot someone for messing with my hat. Especially not another agent of the society.
When Lotus puts her hat back down, Betty picks it up and puts it on a different table behind her where it can’t get mixed up with the pile of clothing Whispershade brought out. She gives a weak grin, saying “Don’t want ta misplace it.”
Then she looks at Lotus and says in gnoll “If your going to wear that fur, I hope you know the language.”
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Ejtehah scratches his head but then nods at the liberty’s edge agent.
“Yes, we can save lost people. But I not good hiding and acting. And you Lotus tell team when new form. No mistake we can make!!“
"If I need to let you know its me on the fly the codeword is fabulous. Also don't finish anyone off unless you know where I am... "
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Tenibri shuffles through the various clothing on display, looking for lighter shades to replace his current black cloak. He settles on a pure white robe which he accents with tan and beige belts and wraps. He keeps his deep indigo skin well covered and deep within the scarf that he wraps around his head.
He pulls out his spellbook and quickly commits one to memory. "This'll do for now, but if we're subject to scrutiny, I'll cast this disguise self spell to strengthen the disguise."
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Betty smiles and nods to Lotus, satisfied with her answer.
Sifting through the clothing, she eventually finds a green cotton kaftan and golden sash. Holding it in front of her, she looks to Lotus and asks “Whatcha think? Worth tryin’ on?”
"Being thought of as a local is ideal... if you can pull it off. Otherwise I'd just go with a foreigner that isn't you, possibly from a country or two over. Someone that's not local? Not suspicious here. Someone that's not local trying to LOOK local...more than a little suspicious. "
Kind of how its easier for an american to pass as a canadian than egyptian.
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“So look fer somethin’ wit’ a Osiriani look, since I know the lingo?”
She soon finds a green flowered garment with a slightly different cut but keeps the sash. “Close, think ah can make this work.”
She releases her hair and takes off her poncho. Quickly slipping the garment over her shirt and trousers, she then wiggles out of the shirt and trousers. She efficiently folds and packs her clothes. She also grabs a bindi and puts it in place.
It is a very different look for her.
“Gunna need a name ta’ match the new look.”
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Whispershade smiles warmly seeing everyone try on disguises. He gives a worried look to Ra'geh, saying-"In any case, going without a disguise or alias will put a price on your head, but I can see how some agents might want that attention"-before moving on.
His visage grows even more grim, as he starts debriefing-"Much like your previous mission, agents, the Twilight Talons have hundreds of operations aimed to dismantle slave rings. Each member of our cell has freed more slaves than they can count, and all of them are sent far from Katapesh where they can be truly free."
"I called you here because one of those talons - field agent Othine Dalanse, has gone missing. She's had a flawless track record for years, only communicating with us through messages because of the danger her assignments posed to her person. Sadly, I haven't received a message from her in two months."-he says massaging his forehead and resting his elbow on the table.
"Give me a second, I have some more info, but I need to get our Anchorite. The Dawnflower's blessings have shined some light on this situation, so you might wanna hear it."-he says standing up and going to the back room of the cafe, leaving you alone for a few minutes.
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Tenibri puts the finishing touches on his disguise, adjusting the cowl of his now-white hood.
"This is really kinda cool, guys. I've been reading about the Twilight Talons' exploits in the Pathfinder Chronicles, and they're seriously amazing at what they do. I'm pretty psyched to get to work with them."
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"Color of the mission is pink. Anyone in a pink ribbon might be me or someone I've...recruited. "
"Speaking of which, are any of you very fond of stabbing people when their attention is diverted? I've fairly good at diversions. Also if you wouldn't mind, I can intervene on your behalf on any attempt to attack your mind. Definitely the kitty, not sure who else would benefit the most... "
Lotus can implant gift of will allowing the subject to use her whopping +12 will save instead of their own for their next save.
"I assure you I've gotten much better at controlling the duration of boking like a chicken. "
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Whispershade comes back, with a Sarenite priest following behind him, both clad in inconspicuous robes-"This is Akkuya, friend of our cause. This priest found a body along the banks of River Scorpius which looked remarkably like Othine's."-giving pause for Akkuya to continue.
"Yes! I found the body just outside of the Garden of Chains, charred horribly and wearing Othine's armor. Thanks to Sarenrae's blessings, I was able to question it, and found out this was nothing more than a vagrant with a passing resemblance to Othine. Even her tattoos were obvious forgeries!"-he says exasperated and mad at the implication of sacrifice.
Whispershade chimes in one final time, closing out debriefing-"This situation doesn't bode well for Othine. I believe the slavers have captured her and may be tortuing her for information, or worse. If she's been caught, the slavers certainly suspect we're investingating them, and will be on the lookout for Twilight Talons. This is why I requested your aid - your work at the gnoll fort was remarkable, and you are not directly affiliated with my cell just yet. Please, I need you to get into the slaver's base, discover what happened to her, and finish what she started dismantling the operation."
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Whispershade smiles at the inquisitive nature of the agents, saying-"We don't have much to work with, but here it is: we know Othine was investigating a major slave ring in this district, perhaps the strongest one around: The Three Eyed Jackals. Their reach extends to most of Katapesh, and are very hard to pinpoint. Most slave dens we've hit have been but weeds, never the roots. And all questioned slavers never knew enough about the real base. Othine was last seen entering the Garden of Chains, this district's largest slave market."-providing a map of the district to Betty.
"Their base of operations must be either interdimensional or underground, given the large open spaces around the Garden. We have no clue as to how many leaders they have or what they look like, but we are talking more than 20, less than 50 slavers of the highest calibre - in which we can include hired muscle, operatives, merchants, and leaders."-he says looking to Awkin.
At the question directed at Akkuya, the sarenite priest responds-"I cannot confirm her current state, but during my time in the Garden of Chains, I felt much grief and pain. Look at the decoy! The poor man was whipped, burnt and scarred, only to pose a Othine. Whatever this slave ring needs to do to shake us off, they will do. It is most certain that the operative is either severely injured or in Elysium. I pray for her, so that you may reach her in time."-looking towards the sky.
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Whispershade pipes up, a bit surprised at himself for forgetting that-"Yes! Sorry about that, Othine is human - she has jet black shoulder-length hair, tanned skin, slanted brown eyes, and has two straight lines tattoeed coming out of her lower eyelashes, about 1 inch long."-taking out parchment and charcoal and making a rough sketch.
He hands the sketch to Betty, saying-"You pick this type of thing up the longer you work with criminals that go off aliases. If we have the time later, I can pass those skills along"-smiling, impressed at Betty's resourcefulness.
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Betty sighs. “What is it with gnolls and Lamashtu?”
“Guess it could help knowin’ that. Tell us we’re on right track If’n we run inta lots of weird creatures.”
Betty smiles at Ra’geh. “No worries there. If it like last time, plenty of fightin’ ta be done. Jes wanna make sure ya got a way ta take some alive since they might use innocents as shields.”
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Betty would know, from her time spent in Katapesh, that laws are few and far between, allowing for a nearly anarchic state of free trade - most laws are aimed at protecting various trading guilds.
In that sense, in Katapesh, worship of Lamashtu is very common (because of their large gnoll population), and even murder is not seen as illegal unless it stops trade from happening. In that sense, a crazed kidnapper that sells slaves would have more legality than kind Pathfinders wanting to rescue their captive.
Truly a place that has strayed far from morality, all for the sake of money.
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"I'll pick up a holy symbol to complete the outfit then, something in bone and Ivory? Actually anything you know of Lamashtu might help I don't suppose they have pamphlets?
“What is it with gnolls and Lamashtu?”
"It probably has something to do with their unusual.. or should I say OUR unusual anatomy. Beyond that its the eternal question. Are gnolls and other dispossessed drawn to lamashtu or does lamashtu draw them in because no one else will take them? If YOU want to raise a litter of gnolls to find out I'm sure thats doable here for the price of a nice outfit...
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“Are ya sayin’ gnolls go fer Lamashtu cause no one else will have ‘em?” It is clear this isn’t something Betty has thought about, and the idea makes her uncomfortable.
"Well I could TRY walking into a temple of sarenrae like this but perhaps that should wait till after the mission in case I'm right...Things are very rarely ALL of one or ALL of another. Usually it's such a delightful mishmash of complication that you can get any answer you want. "
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Akkuya gives a hopeful smile to Betty, saying-"Our temple welcomes all ancestries and backgrounds. We have amongst our ranks gnoll priests of the Dawnflower, as well as Anchorites. After all, it is said that in Sarenrae's fiery heavens rest good-hearted Efreeti capable of touching flowers without burning them."-he says pulling out a prayer book.
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"I agree; the Garden of Chains is probably our best bet."
Tenibri casts disguise self to enhance his physical disguise when they head out.
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The group heads towards the Garden of Chains - the biggest slave market in the Twilight district. A huge, oval-shaped structure made out of marble and wood, it features various sections each with a stage parading around slaves for sale.
Some sections hold slaves dancing and singing, whilst others hold slaves lifting weights and heavy loads, all aimed to cater to specific needs of individuals. Most sections hold spokespersons atop the stage, answering questions and attracting potential customers, coupled with merchants sealing the deals atop tables, and hired muscle protecting the whole venue.
The passages of the Garden of Chains are always heavily populated, and it is hard to make your way through without bumping a few shoulders of gnolls and other humanoids, which get you a few stares, but nothing out of the ordinary.