Yuka first seems somewhat annoyed, but then his expression shifts to worry as more of you corroborate the threat. "Oh dear, I have idea what I could have done to warrant this, but it does seem like this should be looked into. I will contact the guard immediately." Yuka locks up the store and leaves to report the incident, allowing the Pathfinders to continue in their investigation.
Tsomo's offices are one of the closer areas of interest, but traveling through the city the pathfinders are delayed by crowds of people shopping or traveling to or form work as they approach the commercial areas on the perhiphery of the grand bazaar. They arrive after about an hour of travel, and they easily find the correct entrance labeled with Tsomo Qorra's name. There they are greeted by a group of four murajau and a harried aquatic elf assistant. The murajau are large chitin plated humanoids with the lower body of hermit crabs, complete with brightly decorated shells on their backs.
One of the murajau raises a hand in greeting. "Welcome to the offices of Tsomo Qorra. How may we assist you today?"
The murajau responds. "He is not. Mr Qorra is very busy, but we may be able to assist you with your investigation as we were part of the expedition. What would you like to know?"
Dare will keep an eye around the shop. See if anything sticks out to him.He is not a talker.
"Of course. Right this way, we have the maps stored here."
The Murajau moves past one of his companions holding a small tank containing a tiger shark and past the harried assistant organizing piles of maps and charts to reach a small chest. He takes out a key and opens it, retrieving the maps.
"These were the maps we used for the expedition. We were mostly interested in the shell settlement due to ancient legends of our people. Long ago, this shell was a funeral site of the last followers of Lysianassa. I and my fellow Murajau have an interest in making a pilgrimage there. It is a shame that the expedition failed in such an unfortunate manner."
Perception
Dare will look at the map.
What do the notches on the shark mean? Hopefully not kills like some common killer... Theron asks genuinely curious
"Ah, these are marks of ownership for Mr. Qorra. All of his sharks have similar markings to prove his ownership if one is lost or stolen."
Turning to the Murajau he says, "So how did the expedition end up so far off course? And did any of the scouts hear the odd banging noise Zahra told us about?"
"We do not know. Zahra was primarily responsible for following the route. As far as we could tell nothing was obviously different, but our responsibilities were in mapping, planning and helping manage the caravan, not in the navigation itself."
"I did hear the clanging sound shortly before encountering the algae bloom. It is suspicious, but I do not know what it could have been. Perhaps some long distance communication we overheard?"
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"I did hear the clanging sound shortly before encountering the algae bloom. It is suspicious, but I do not know what it could have been. Perhaps some long distance communication we overheard?"
"Communication? Did any of the people or animals in the expedition respond to the clanging? Could it be used to summon the sharks?"
"Well, sound travels a long way over water. Its one of the better ways to carry messages over distance. I didn't see anyone react to the clanging, but its hard to say for sure that noone was listening for it. Maybe it could be used to summon sharks if they were trained to respond to it?"
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"Well, sound travels a long way over water. Its one of the better ways to carry messages over distance. I didn't see anyone react to the clanging, but its hard to say for sure that noone was listening for it. Maybe it could be used to summon sharks if they were trained to respond to it?"
"Are Tsomo's sharks trained to respond to sounds like that?"
"No, they are not. Mr. Qorra does not generally have need for that type of training in his animals. Is there anything else we may assist you with?"
Dragon
The Pathfinders travel through Vialesk, crowds of people moving to and from Arrekin's Bazaar for brunch or shopping making the travel slow going. The Pathfinders turn down a series of flooded boulevards before arrive at a massive marble pool surround by stained glass windows that shed a dazzling green light throughout the water.
The pathfinders arrive at 11 AM local time, and when they enter the atrium of the facility, they hear a booming voice echo around them. "So, you're here to ask about the expedition at Zahra's request, is it? Wait here, while I move to a more suitable audience chamber for our meeting."
15 should be fine.
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After 15 minutes, the cleric will call out to the voice. ”Are you the powerful dragon? I hate to be rude and all but we only have e a short time to conduct our investigation. I’m Perrine and it’s wonderful to make your acquaintance. I’m never got to speak with a powerful and mighty dragon beforen!”
Diplomacy
15 minutes pass, and the dragon is still making you wait. In repsonse to Perrine, a voice echos forth. "Indeed, I am. Soon, you will be allowed to view the majesty of my presence."
Gaius definitely gets the impression you're being delayed on purpose, that this is probably the Brine Dragon, and that its likely a move to establish dominance. Gaius knows that Brine Dragons, while not explicitly evil have a distinct social hierarchy. By adulthood, a Brine dragon often considers itself a failure if it does not rule over a colleciton of "lesser beings" such as humans or merfolk. This dragon definitely considers itself better and more important than you.
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"اعلیحضرت! وادار کردن ما برای این همه صبر، شما را بزرگتر نمی کند. ما قبلاً قدرت شما را تصدیق می کنیم و می خواهیم درباره سرنوشت این اکسپدیشن صحبت کنیم و ادعا می کنیم که شما ممکن است انگیزه ای برای خرابکاری در آن داشته باشید."
There is no further response for the next 15 minutes, when the doors swing open. Inside a sizeable brine dragon lies on a bed of coral, with her scars covered with patches of sea anenomes.
"Welcome, pathfinders. I am Razethka, Brine Dragon and the investor behind the mission to the Lambent Bloom. Be welcome in my abode, and ask what you wish to know."
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"Greetings Razethka, I am Gaius Marius, Inquisitor of Hathor. It's an honor to meet you."
He gives a polite bow to the brine dragon.
"We're here to investigate what went wrong with the mission. So far we have spoken only with Yuka Kannamen. Although we could find no evidence of sabotage on the submersibles we did find a sahaugin watching his shop and perhaps planning to raid or rob him. So Yuka obviously has someone upset at him for some reason. We went to see Tsomo Qorra but he either was unavailable or he did not wish to speak with us. I would've guessed someone who lost as much as he did in this venture would be motivated to assist. So now we come to you seeking any information you might have on what went wrong."
"I did not personally attend the mission, though I was involved in the planning and financing. As such, I do not have a personal perspective on what happened, but have heard some of the details second hand and have my own theories. A Sahuagin is very interesting. There are several tribes of Sahuagin that live in the lambent bloom, and I suspect that the caravan disaster was due to outside aggression rather than incompetence or ill fortune. I cannot say how the Sahuagin tribes could have caused this disaster, but I am most suspicious of their possible involvement. Finding one watching Yuka fits with that theory."
"Regarding Tsomo, what have you tried so far to contact him? He may not make it easy, but you should be able to find him if you are investigating properly."
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"Where else would Tsomo be besides at his place of business? All we found were the Murajau. Several tribes of sahuagin live in the Lambent Bloom? Any that may have a direct interest in sabotaging the mission? Multiple members of the expedition said they heard an odd 'clanging' sound; have you any insight into what might have caused the noise and to what end?"
"He lives somewhere, doesn't he? Only the most obsessed individuals spend their entire lives at work. You may have tried asking around. Fortunately for you, I can give you the address of his home. You can find him at the intersection of Coral way and Pearl street, on the other side of the grand bazaar."
"The clanging is intriguing. It could have been a signal of some sort; Vialesk has a sonophore for similar long distance communciation. It can detect sounds from miles around, but has been clogged with seaweed and disabled for the past month. If there was some sort of communication, the Sahuagin could have been involved in the sabotage, but it isn't clear to me how."
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Gaius recalls what he's learned about sahaugin for the others, "Sahuagin are a prosperous and warlike aquatic race, launching constant raids on costal races and underwater cities. They once had a mighty empire on the Plane of Water, but bitter infighting caused it to crumble. They have a strong affinity for sharks, allowing them to telepathically communicate with the creatures. Also they are prone to beneficial mutations, such as four-armed sahuagin or spined sahuagin. Vialesk is known to have a tribe of prehistoric sahuagin among the ranks of its army."
He addresses Razethka, "The sahaugin's affinity with sharks and the clanging could be how the whale sharks were led astray. Do you know how Viaslek's sonophore was disabled? And why it hasn't been repaired yet?"
He adds, "And thank you for the information on Tsomo's home address. We'll see if he's at home today."
"I do not know why the Sonaphor was disabled. It is suspicious, isn't it? It would seem odd that it would be built and maintained in such a way that seaweed of all things could seriously damage it. You might try asking around for rumors if you have time, to see if anyone knows more details that might give you a clue if it is linked in some way."
Razethka nods graciously. "Of course, I am glad I could share my knowledge with you. If this investigation ends up discovering anything of particular note you would wish to further discuss to benefit from my superior insight, you may return for another audience."
It is 11:30 AM, and the pathfinders make their way through Arrekin's Baazar, following the directions to Tsomo's home. Arrekin's Bazaar is the heart of trade in Vialesk, and one of the great markets of the elemental planes. Nearly anything can be bought and sold here, from magical items to fine luxury goods to food and drink to livestock. The pathfinders see many such goods trading and advertised as they wind through the crowds and stalls to make their way through the market.
At one intersection, a Locathah man moves to more directly address the group, stepping out into the street with a cart full of jars containing some type of jellyfish. His fins flap agitatedly as his mouth opens and shuts rapidly in his fish face as he pitches his wares.
"Welcome, welcome to Vialesk! I see you're all air breathers. I hope I'm not too forward, but if you haven't got a good water breathing solution to help see the sights around the city, do I have a deal for you! Bathysphere Jellys, and at a steep discount!" He gesticulates wildly at the jars in his cart. "Only 20 gold a piece! Put one of these on your head, blow hole or other air interacting apparatus, and POP! You get an air bubble, for breathing or any other air related needs. Lasts 8 hours at a go, rest 'em for a day and they're good for more! Whadda you say, do we have a deal?"
Air Bell (Ex)
As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a bathysphere jellyfish can attach to the head of a willing Small or Medium creature. When worn this way, the jellyfish creates a pocket of breathable air around the affected creature’s head, allowing the creature to breathe and speak normally while underwater. Attached jellyfish don’t hinder a creature’s vision or other senses. The air pocket a jellyfish creates lasts for 8 hours. After 24 hours, the bathysphere jellyfish can create a new air pocket.
Corpse Pilot (Ex)
As a full-round action, a bathysphere jellyfish can take control of a dead or unconscious creature to which it is already attached. While piloting a creature, the jellyfish can’t attack with its tentacles, but can move the creature using its own swim speed and make melee attacks using the creature’s base attack bonus, Strength modifier, and size modifier, dealing damage as if it were the creature. (Effects of feats, traits, or similar abilities can’t be applied to these attacks, nor can the jellyfish activate the any items, cast the creature’s spells, etc.; the effects of magical weapons, including enhancement bonuses and weapon special abilities, still apply.) The jellyfish is considered staggered while it pilots a creature.
When a piloted creature regains consciousness, it must succeed at a DC 11 Reflex saving throw to regain control of its body. If it fails, it can retry the saving throw once each round on its turn. The saving throw is Dexterity-based.
While a bathysphere jellyfish is piloting a creature, any attack or effect that deals damage to the host also deals 1 point of damage to the jellyfish. A creature can attempt to attack only the jellyfish, but takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll. Removing the jellyfish is a full-round action that requires a successful DC 15 Strength check. Killing or removing the jellyfish frees the host from its control.
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"I do not know why the Sonaphor was disabled. It is suspicious, isn't it? It would seem odd that it would be built and maintained in such a way that seaweed of all things could seriously damage it. You might try asking around for rumors if you have time, to see if anyone knows more details that might give you a clue if it is linked in some way."
Razethka nods graciously. "Of course, I am glad I could share my knowledge with you. If this investigation ends up discovering anything of particular note you would wish to further discuss to benefit from my superior insight, you may return for another audience."
"Suspicious is one word. I'd say this indicates a pattern of sabotage in Vialesk. Cutting off communications would be an ideal way to isolate Vialesk from assistance or warning others of an impending attack. Thank you for your time Razethka, it was an honor."