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Rubbing dust from her face and trying to catch her breath after the dash from the explosion, Badriyah simply glares at the halfling, letting the words of the others speak for her. With the job done, she makes her way to the port being sure to toss anything that could link her with the Aspis into the gutters along the way.
Entering the room, Badriyah sniffs the air wrinkling her nose for a moment. Suddenly her eyes go wide and she hisses through her teeth while pulling her scarf down over her mouth. "Nobody light a torch or strike a flame." She says in a muffled voice. "There's carbauxine in the room. Stuff is highly flammable and explosive, it's also poisonous, but usually that's less of an issue once you've been roasted." Her eyes focus elsewhere for a few seconds as she thinks, "Might be useful if on our way out of this place we want to add some fire and explosiveness to our departure."
After helping Alessio draw out the holy symbols, Badriyah slips the charcoal back into the pouch and follows the others past the imposing statue. Listening to the others push the acolyte, she adds her own look of menace to the mix. "Seems like we are the ones with something you want." She says casually to the acolyte. "It'd be pretty easy for us to just turn around and walk out of here with all the big magic items that I presume had some use or important meaning to your boss lady. " With a shrug she turns and starts to leave. "No loss to me. But I sure hope these things aren't needed for whatever big ritual you're talking about."
Wrinkling her nose at the smell of the alley and old parlor, Badriyah looks around for any sign of the people they are here to find. After a few minutes she spots the footprints in the dust and tracks them to the far corner of the room. "Seems like someone has been over here recently....and they didn't seem to leave in the same direction." She says to the others while giving the area a closer look but is unable to find anything else.
Finally feeling the panic recede, Badriyah turns back around and somewhat sheepishly returns to the temple. "Well...there aren't any creatures coming up from behind us." She says with a soft laugh as she steps over to the bodies on the floor. Looking down at one of the victims, she notices the bicorn hat and taps it lightly with her foot. "Say wasn't the person we were meeting with supposed to be wearing a hat like this?"
Hearing the cries of help from the young acolyte, Badriyah rushes to the top of the stairs, only to hear the blood curling roar of the attacking creatures. Seeing the ugly abominations, her heart skips several beats and her breath comes in great heaving gasps as fear and panic overtake her body. "Screw the consortium...this wasn't part of the deal." She says in a panic as she turns and runs back down the stairs.
Badriyah yawns after the woman's presentation of her offer, following that with a thin smile in response to most of her companions. Eventually she leans in toward the priestess and drops her voice. "What you don't seem to understand is that we aren't here to bargain with you. We are here to collect what you have already bargained away. Now we can do this easily or...." She pulls out what is clearly and alchemical explosive and tosses it the air casually. "Or we can collect what we need from the ashes and bloody remains of your pathetic little temple of carnal waste. So rather than wasting any more of our time, why don't you have your errand boy there run along, and get what you owe us. Then we can all move on...before I get tired and drop this little beauty in someplace that would be most inconvenient for you and your people." She leans back and continues to bounce the bomb back and forth from one hand to the other.
Rolling her eyes at the thought of having to sit through some tedious religious sermon, Badriyah lets out a heavy sigh. "Fine." She says . "But I still say it would be easier to just burn the place down and find the dagger in the ashes rather than do this silly dance to get something they've already bargained away to us." She slips her drawing materials back into her pack and follows the others back into the priestesses quarters.
Badriyah smiles at the High Publican and slips a small vial marked as an antidote, but filled with her own distillation of a simple, harmless lavender essential oil into his hand.
"Good work....this will remove anything. Just a couple of drops in each cask will be fine. And yes, I'd recommend you stay well clear of the Consortium from now on." She whispers and then leaves with the others. When they arrive at the next temple, she offers a nod to the acolytes and says, "Unfortunately we are not here for pleasure or relaxation, but for business. We need to see the High Priest or whoever is in charge."
Like Setare, Badriyah thin frame doesn't match itself to the competition, so instead she slips over behind the priest and whispers into his ear, trying not to draw any unwanted attention from the crowd.
"You realize of course, that those I represent don't like to play games or jump through hoops to get what they are rightfully owed." She says in a quiet whisper. "You think we are fool enough to come in here with no plan, no way of insuring your cooperation?" With a soft snort, she nods at the casks, "You borrowed a lot of money. Put your temple in debt. That debt is due and it'll be paid. If we aren't, I won't be able to tell you which of those casks have the poison or provide the antidote." "Make sure the dwarf wins the prize Jenk wanted." She says with a look toward Juno. "...or your congregation is going to grow quite small in the next few hours. And don't try to play the hero, the antidote isn't here, and I don't know where it is. I only know who to contact to get it to you in plenty of time. That's if we get what we came for..."
Before leaving for the meeting with Jenk, Badriyah changes from her red and black robes into a set of dark indigo robes with a slightly faded charcoal cape. Her hair and shoulders are wrapped in another pashmina, this one a simple black with maroon boarder and interwoven knotwork pattern. Just before they reach the Cartage, Badriyah pins her badge just above her right shoulder, but keeps it hidden under her wrap. When they settle into the office, she glances around the room to notice anything unusual or out of place. Not spotting anything she pulls out a piece of crinkled parchment and her charcoal and jots down the names of the temples and the descriptions of the items as Jenk shares them and answers questions. Using a corner of the paper to doodle a seemingly harmless maze design, she actually creates a simple layout of the Cartage based on what she saw walking in.
Badriyah closes her journal and tucks it safely away along with her charcoal once the briefing is concluded. "So go in, stir up trouble between the two and let them do all of the hard work of killing each other off." She says with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "It'll be a pleasure to put a solid dent in the Consortium's trade." Her hand comes up to rub her chin in thought. "Do we have time to pick up a few supplies before the ship sails?" She asks Heidmarch. "Or I suppose we could use a trip to the market as part of our cover in Riddleport...hmmm...that's an idea as well."
Badriyah slips into the venture captain's office. Her slim figure hidden under a patched robe that has seen it's fair share of travel. A much better cared for, maroon and black embroidered pashmina is wrapped over her head and around her shoulders covering her long dark hair and olive skinned face. The slight hint of sulfur and lavender drifts from the many vials that rattle as she settles in one of the chairs. She offers a warm friendly smile to everyone in the woman and bows her head in greeting, "Badriyah Hameedah. A pleasure to meet you all." She says. When the briefing begins she pulls out a small stick of charcoal and begins capturing notes in a worn journal. "Is there a code word or other recognition signal we need when meeting Jenk?" She asks following up on Juno's questions.
Badriyah settles into a chair at the Venture-Captains letting out a long sigh a she raises her glass and takes a long drink of the offered brandy. Having taken some time on the return trip to write up her notes and their various findings, she decides now is the time to pass them along. "I took the liberty of writing up my notes and what we were finally able to piece together about the Earl." She says to Muesello, handing him a rolled up parchment. "I hope you find it useful." Upon hearing the contents of Cincia's letter, Badriyah blushes deeply and joins in Lovissa's toast. "An honor indeed." She says. "And an honor to have worked with you all."
Sliding her sling back into her pocket, Badriyah places her hand over her heart and bows to both Cincia and Joleana. "It has been a pleasure to be of service to you both, and to Ridonport itself." She then turns to Adimare with a look of sadness, "I am truly sorry about the chandlery. It was such a lovely building and had such meaning to you and your family. I only hope that with the Earl on the run, you will be able to rebuild and create something even more lovely and dedicated to honor and the spirit of Ridonport and Taldor."
Badriyah dodges the initial panic of the crowd for a few seconds before gathering herself. Eyes focused on the animated gauntlets, she takes a deep breath and shouts to those surrounding her. "Stand aside or stand and fight! Now is not the time to hide or panic." She says throwing back her scarf and sliding her sickle from its sheath. "Your ancestors did not run from great evil in the past. Nay...they rallied to become the greatest heroes this world has known. The way to defeat the tyrant is to stand strong, unite together, and believe in Sarenrae!" She starts to work her way through the crowd, gesturing for Giovanni and Joleana to follow. "Those who can fight, follow the good magistrate and myself or help those who cannot to safety." "Together we will strike down the evil and the one who unleashed it upon Taldor!"
"Perhaps it is you sir, who should remember lessons previously learned. " Badriyah says turning back to the Earl. "Remember the lesson of the previous grand duke who tried to fabricate stories about himself, his past, and his leadership. If I recall correctly, the people of this region did not take kindly to such lies and abuse of their goodwill and trust. The people proudly stood up for the truth and brought low a nobleman who thought he could stand above and beyond the honor and justice of Taldor." She opens her arms wide. "We do not criticize or stand against the people of Ridonport. Nay, WE STAND WITH THEM!" "Stand with them against the high price of goods and lives disrupted created by smuggling."
"Hahaha!" Badriyah laughs at the Earl's comment. "Oh surely, you should be performing a comedy routine in a dockside tavern. Because what you say is certainly far from the truth." See slips through the crowd moving toward the front, speaking so her voice carries to the crowd as much as to the Earl. "Yes, we did stop some former sailors of the Taldoran navy. I stress former as they were dishonorably discharged several months ago by Count Zespire. I believe shiftlessness was what the men called it themselves. So you might ask, how did someone such as myself run into these supposedly fine men of the navy?" She spins around to face the crowd with friendly smile. "Well, good citizens of Taldor, I'll tell you.... We had been told about a smuggler's cache under the St. Lymirin Street Bridge and had gone to investigate. We had only been there long enough to find several emptied crates and other evidence of recent smuggling activity...when lo and behold, Sarenrae smiled upon us because, pulling up to this hidden tunnel in the dark of night was a smugglers barge. Filled with goods and cargo stolen from Count Zespire's merchant ships." She pauses for a second and then pulls back the sleeves of her robe to reveal her thin arms. "You can see the powerful, warrior like figure I impose, but confront these scoundrels we did. And it took some effort to bring them to their knees." She dips her head and puts her hand over her heart. "But knowing we were new in town and not wanting to pass the ultimate judgement on these obviously down and out men, we took pity on their souls and asked for the guidance of the Sarenrae herself. Redemption being a core of the faith we took their written confessions and their solemn oaths to end their smuggling ways and find honest work." She punctuates the last with a soft chuckle, but then her face goes quite serious. "But the capture and subsequent confession of these...ahem...former navy sailors, was not the most troubling thing we found. Indeed, we were most surprised to discover among the smuggler's gear a fine Helm of Aroden. An heirloom recently removed from the Arnisant museum." She spins back around to face the Earl. "Removed by the Earl himself for supposed research purposes! Ha! More likely as payoffs for smugglers to harass his competition and control the market to his benefit!" She exclaims. Her finger pointing accusingly at the earl. "Tell these good people sir. How did an artifact of such glory and lawful purpose end up passing from you, to a group of dishonored smugglers? How did so many other items recently removed from the museum end up in the hands of criminals or chandlery cronies of yours?" Turning back to the crowd she points to the museums entrance. "Fortunately the helm resides once again in its rightful place because we returned it to the good curator. If not for our intervention and blessings from the goddess, that fine helm once used to hold back the greatest of evil, would even now be used by the smugglers to steal, cheat, and kill other innocents working the canals that are the life blood of this great city."
Badriyah moves a bit deeper into the crowd as the Earl speaks. When she hears Lovissa's booming voice respond she nods along and speaks quietly to those around her. "I always wanted to be a fine warrior like her." She says to those standing nearby, as she looks to Lovissa. "She's so confident,full of glory, and brave to speak out against a nobleman. We all know how the nobility hate to be interrupted when they're on a soapbox." She adds with a bit of knowing humor. "She reminds me of everything I've learned about the great knights of Taldoran legend. Honorable and true. I'd trust her to defend my home over the Earl any day. Don't you think?"
She then cheers and claps for Lovissa before ducking back into the crowd.
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