"So what the plan? Confront him and try to make him confess?"
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"Speak plain! Who is after the elixir? Who summoned you? Qali? Jbade?"
"I don't like this mention of a traitor that will strike when we discover the truth"
When you appear Naila falls to her knees and throws up. "That...was unpleasant" she says talking about the plane shift. "Oh my this city is amazing." she says looking around. Suddenly there is a crack of a whip and a conglomeration of Devils escorting some humans in chains walks down the path coming your way. Naila is unable to contain her surprise "Slaves?!? Here but I though this was a righteous place!"
"No I will go with you. I want to see it and I can handle myself if it comes to that." she says motioning to the rapier at her hip.
"You think you can pacify them for me? I would be grateful if you did." replies Naila.
Naila gives you a generous bonus of 4000 gold for your efforts then hold another meeting once the blaze is brought under control. "Right then...What our next move?"
"No this never happened before! I don't know!" shouts Naila "I will organise the staff to fight the flames see if you can stop these creatures!" pixies: Perhaps the best-known and most elusive of all fey creatures, pixies live in the deepest, most pristine forests which they will fiercely guard. Most pixies stand just over 2 feet tall—though they typically fly about the eye level of creatures they're conversing with in order to maintain eye contact—and weigh about 30 pounds. Pixies talk quickly and easily become overexcited. Invisibility (Su) A pixie remains invisible even when it attacks. This ability is constant, but the pixie can suppress or resume it as a free action. Special Arrows (Su) When a pixie fires an arrow from any bow, it can decide to change the arrow's properties by sprinkling it with magical pixie dust. Doing so is a free action as long as the pixie is the one who fires the arrow. A pixie can choose any one of the following three effects when dusting an arrow. Save DCs are Charisma-based. Charm: The target must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be affected as though by a charm monster spell for 10 minutes. Memory Loss: The target must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be affected by a modify memory spell (this effect can only eliminate the previous 5 minutes of memory—a pixie typically uses this ability to make the target forget it encountered the pixie so it won't chase the pixie when he flees). Sleep: The target must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or fall asleep for 5 minutes. Strange beings both of and beyond the natural world, pixies have magic that occasionally favors them in strange ways. For example, one out of every 10 pixies exhibits an additional spell-like ability that it can use once per day. Usually Baleful Polymorph, Beast Shape or Irresistible dance but it can me many other spells as well.
"Perhaps they made their plans only after it was decided? Still the auction was held in a private lobby in the queen's palace. The winner should only be known to those who participate in the auction and the staff who are all sworn to secrecy. Ah yes the harlot...I need to take care of things at the manor for a time so I will return home and you can visit her without me. I will give you a note that should get you in and my driver will bring you. I will of course expect a full report."
Once you are safely back in the carriage Naila says "So? What do you think? I think I actually believe his claim about him not being behind the murder. Still he knows more than he told us..."
"Do you want me to arrange a meeting? Or would you prefer an unannounced visit?"
"Well the harlot is said to be capable of charming people to do her bidding and I know she is a half-elf bard of some talent. Whether she uses magic to charm folk or is just a capable negotiator I cannot say for sure. The Jackal I do not know his talents exactly I don't think anyone does. I do know he employs several wizards however."
"The harlot is my father's nickname for Madam Jade. She runs a series of brothels and exotic dance clubs all around the country. Her girls would sometimes ride on my father's ships to visit clients in other countries." "The Jackal is a notorious crime lord. He deals mostly in smuggling but has been known for being a loan shark and running some gambling halls as well. I was not aware my father had any dealings with him." "Both of them bid against my father for the final vial of the elixir and lost."
"Apologies it seems I wasted your last question"
Looking out the window revealed no real clues there are many trees out there but nothing that stands out. "If you are finished looking around we can go to the temple." says Naila
The room was lit by sun pouring in through an enormous, arched window that stretched across one wall from the floor to the ceiling fifteen feet above. In front of it sat a wide wooden desk, facing not the amazing view of the oasis but rather the door to the study. Bookshelves lined the walls, holding both leather-bound tomes and an assortment of curious items, from expensive trinkets and carvings in the local style to bottled Taldan warships and racks of fine fencing swords. The floor carpet was a midnight blue as dark as the sea but heavily stained with blood. Smaller bloodstains can be seen almost everywhere in the room almost as if his head exploded. "No one heard a cry or any unusual noise and nobody saw anything out of the ordinary that night. It wasn't until it had gotten quite late that I came to check on him. The door was closed. I knocked, but...It was too late. He was slumped facedown on the desk. There was blood everywhere. I screamed, and servants came running. They summoned the guard, and I sent a runner to notify the church. We knew there was danger, but we hadn't...we hadn't really thought..." Checking the room Erik notices something strange. The floor in front of the desk is uneven. A large area is a little lower than the rest but you cant see it because of the carpet. Peeling away the carpet he finds the floor is damaged and cracked. Something very heavy was on this spot and the floor partially caved in under the tremendous weight. The damage is however limited to a 10 foot circle in the center of the room and nowhere else.
Naila smiles and turns to her butler. "Prepare the carriages and a small escort we will be travelling to the Temple of Pharasma shortly...And bring me my sword." she says Turning to you she says "While that is prepared I can show you the study were my father was killed." assuming you agree she takes you to the study and opens the doors but she remains outside and avoids looking into the room. "He was found sitting at his desk with his head crushed. Nothing has been moved since. A Sarenite paladin came trought and looked around as well as an investigator from the church but nobody else was allowed inside since it happened. " she says She does her best to seem calm and composed but it's not hard to tell she is just barely suppressing her emotions.
"If you agree to my terms I can begin by showing you the room were my father was found."
She pauses then finally replies. "Fine, under one condition I will accompany you while you investigate. In exchange you will have access to my resources and I can open doors that would otherwise be closed to you." The butler eyes almost pop out of his head.
"No. I do not believe them to be enemies and I am tired of staying here and doing nothing." she replies to the butler.
The butler is considering what you said when I young woman comes out of the mansion. "The local church as well as many mercenaries and agents are already working on the task. You believe you can succeed were they have so far failed?" She is young at about twenty years of age and very attractive yet her hands are covered in dirt and her clothing while fashionable is also easy to move in. The butler defers to her when she arrives leading you to think this must be Naila Anvanory the daughter of the dead merchant.
"The Eternal Oasis....The lost city...He must be in the lost city of Cynidicea! He was doing research on that before...I don't know anything about it other than it's thousands of years old and buried underground. If only we had his notes but he took them with him when he left."
Naila follows Elara "I could have avoided that attack you know. I just didn't because I knew what he was going to do."
"I was the one who stored my ability into the weapon. I have a few others that could be useful but I felt that one that guarantied a hit was a good choice." she replies taking the weapon back from Elera. Then looking to Bjorn she says "I'm willing to spar with you to show you what I can do...Just hold back a bit will you? My ability to see into the future gives me an edge in a fight but I'm still quite fragile."
"Ah..Yes...My father made it for me." She hands Elara the weapon.
"Well if that's how your going to be, I guess I have no choice." She runs into the Inn and comes back hold a Rapier. It's a magnificent blade crafted with care and with a red ruby in the hilt.
"Ah well...We can practice later if you wish. My rapier is in my pack that I left at the Inn"
"I don't have many power that I can use in a fight, some could be useful but nothing to directly harm a foe. I can see things that are far away, find hidden things and such. My father called me a seer. I can use a rapier thought. I only ever used it for fencing but I can defend myself well enough."
"Of course I'm going...Alone if not with you."
Naila dries her tears forcing them back "He's not dead...I'm sure of it...When I try to find him, I don't sense nothing...I just can't tell were he is because there's a...Well a wall. If I could just get trough it I just know I could find him...He promised me he would live forever."
Naila stands for a moment her mouth hanging open like you punched her. "He's not....He's not dead...That man lied...He lied" She has tears in her eyes and is starting to cry.
"Your back! I watched some of your fight, it was really impressive. Those other folk who came out of the lodge were really strong too weren't they?" |