Bedu stops messing about and motions for everyone to stop the man escaping a second time.
"Please I do not wish you offence but the river water makes me less than gracious. I could begin and talk for an hour or more on the subject of burnings and deaths in the District but that would bore us. Also my stomach can hear the call of lunch."
Bedu looks the man up and down again. "So I shall be brief."
"You move well for a man not long out of the Hospice of Sarenrae. You move well for a jungle agent sent to against the goddess Lamashtu and her many curses."
"Samir, what can you tell us of your jungle journey. We wish to know how far the stories have spread."
Bedu's face seems to light up with menace, like a cobra swaying in the breeze. Quickly though the smile returns and the menace fades.
"If we like your answers then I can send you on your way with a little gold as a thank you and a warning not to discuss this further. If you do not then word may find its way back to the Lady Medus and no one wishes for that, do they? Please tell me the story of what happened in the forest recently."
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Samir listens to Bedu, and a series of emotions flash across his face.
"I knew it! I knew they were trying to pin that on me! I've got nothing to do with those burnings. Look at me! Why would I be burnt if I was burning other people?"
"And I'm no agent of anyone. Never heard of 'Lady Medus'. I'm a tomb robber. Strictly freelance. Unless someone hires me to find something for them. But it wasn't like that this time."
"I was out in the jungle, following up on some leads, looking for a new score. And I found it! I stumbled on this hidden valley, with a tomb inside. Old tomb, really ancient. Two god-kings, brothers, Shishak and Haatim the Cinderborn. Legendary. But someone else was already there, excavating the tombs. Jungle tribes, using slave labor. I managed to get in, see the place, even found a few choice artifacts. Getting out was the problem. They saw me, and attacked, and I was damn near burned to a cinder. Jumped into the river, swam downstream, made my way back here." Samir smiles. "But I made a map."
"If you're looking for whoever is responsible for the burnings, you'll find him at the tombs."
Liet reaches out to heal the halfling.
If there are jungle tribes being forced to excavate an ancient tomb, I am very interested. Someone should tell them they need not perform as slaves. The jungle itself will protect them if they chose freedom.
Bedu tries hard to contain a grin. He fails miserably.
"Samir, I knew you would be good luck when I saw you run. A map you say and you a freelancer. "Blessings fall on those who wait" so the Swift Prophet said. You are a blessing."
Bedu rubs his hands together.
"Ha! let us see this glorious map, my friend."
"Yeah, let's see it."
"Oh, @*&^," Skittle blurts out. "Why should we just take your word for it? Any you still haven't said why you have a $*&?;# lookout! So what's the deal?"
Jaku looks sidelong at the gnome, and takes a step away from him. Beyond that, well, he caught the guy, the interrogation seemed to be going fine without him adding his own rather unskilled help.
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"You misunderstand me," Samir tells Indo. "The tribesmen weren't slaves. They were in charge, directing the slaves."
He turns to Skittle. "I have a lookout because people are looking for me. People like you, who think I had something to do with these burnings. Which I don't! They had guards posted around the hospice, waiting for me. But I wasn't gonna wait for passes for justice in Muiu Thral."
"As for the map, I don't have it with me." He holds out his hands, as if to show that they're empty. "But I do have other interested buyers. Would you like to make a counter-offer?"
You would take our money for a map you conveniently don't have? I submit a new proposal. Tell us where these ruins are. Give landmarks I might know. Tell us what hazards and guardians lie in wait on the way there. If I believe you, we will pay you for your time. If we stop these immolations, we will include you in a small piece of the reward. If we find you are partly to blame, we will find you and deal justice.
Bedu listens to the exchange between Indo and Samir, nodding a little while he thinks it all through.
"So, you are concerned about the authorities because they wish to talk with you. You have a map to the area where all the trouble lies and are offering it up for money. You are an honest man, who nearly died and is trying to make a living."
Bedu smiles, confidence oozing from every pore.
"I see."
"However the authorities are looking for someone to blame. They already have your name. And now they may find out that you are involved in a tribe of slavers and have avoided telling the law. Also to the authorities, Samir, the question of selling maps to this evil dig would be a dishonest one at best. The city officials are quick to point the finger and will try to get you before a judge at this rate."
The dwarf begins to fold his fingers as he talks further.
"One, we hold you now and maybe the District Judge would pay us for the time and trouble for bringing you in, a dangerous and dishonest man in their eyes because you see, Two we do not have money and cannot make a counter-offer! Then there is Three the evil that is slavery, tomb robbery and Lamashtu must be stopped and no one can do this without the map."
He leaves the hand waving before the freelancer.
"Here is my idea, for which you may be of great assistance since I am but a humble barber." He shows one shabby sleeve of his robe.
"Four You could do as Indo asked, give us the map, let us tell if this is all true and Five we shall return and pay you for your help, telling everyone what a fine fellow Samir is!"
Bedu finishes with a flourish.
I'll have something to add to this conversation as soon as I get an answer.
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"I'm not fool enough to carry the map around with me," Samir says, "it's the only copy. But it's in a safe place. And you'd never find it without the map, trust me."
He looks from person to person, hoping to see a friendly face, and finally settles his gaze once more on Bedu.
"I think the tomb is a little out of the city's jurisdiction. And slavery? Ha! I'll bet most of the nobles in the city have slaves of one sort or another. Look, I have to make a living. I find things of value, I sell them. If I gave it to you for free, how can I make a profit? That map is the only thing of value I could take from that place, and I almost lost my life there. What would you have me do?"
Jaku looks around at his companions, seeming to weigh his choices and coming to a decision.
"He's right," Jaku says, moving so he can see everyone, "The map is his."
He looks at Bedu, and hold up his right hand, saying, "One, We, meaning I, will not turn this man over to the corrupt government for gods-knows what kind of torture, because Two, he's my prisoner, not ours. The rest of you couldn't have caught him if he'd been on crutches. Then there is Three, the fact that the evil of slavery has nothing to do with our noble motives, which, until you started talking, just now, were pretty much entirely composed of Greed and Greed. As for Four, tomb robbing - well, that goes back to greed, for it is, I believe, what we'd end up doing if we got our hands on the map. I don't see a problem with that, but to imply that it is wrong just to bully someone into giving you what you can not pay for is, well, the simple word for it is theft. And of course, there's Lamashtu, whose name you invoked simply to get his attention, as I see no reason to assume that us robbing this tomb will stop her."
He looks at Samir and asks, "So, Five, How much, and where can we find you if we decide we want the map? Or, since you know we don't have the money, if we can find enough to buy it?"
He finishes talking, and drops his hand, casually, to the hilt of his scimitar.
Bedu listens carefully to the words of Jaku. He watches the young man finish by his sword.
A broad grin appears across his face.
"It is a just and honest course. You wish to earn the right to the map."
He nods, watching the others to see how they react.
I reject this talk of greed, my new friend. But we do not yet know each other. There are many reasons to explore a tomb -knowledge, wealth, to make a home away from what you call civilization. Perhpas to claim what might belong to my people or finance that school we spoke of earlier. Do not forget these motives were mentioned.
Turning to Samir, What bargain can we strike, Samir, that we can find this place, reward you for your honesty, and make the practice ofslavery uncomfortable for this tribe?
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"Perhaps an equal share of whatever you recover from the tomb would be acceptable?" Samir asks hopefully. "The riches you will find there should be more than enough, if the small treasure I was able to recover is any indication. I am willing to place my trust in you that you will repay me upon your return. And of course, you would have the additional satisfaction of dealing with the fiends truly responsible for the horrible burnings, including my own."
He finishes with a hopeful smile at the group, but his eyes dart back and forth nervously.
"If that is amenable to you, perhaps we could continue the negotiations in a place more safe from prying eyes and ears?"
The dwarf watches to see how Pindara, Skittle and Liet feel about the way the conversation went.
"Yeah, let's get out of here. I kind of get nervous talking about tomb robbing in the street."
Liet is beset by a moral conflict. Initially, of course, he was very eager to earn some money to put up his project. But now that he is faced with price of his ambition, feelings of guilt are weakening his resolve to continue. Then he thinks of the people he can help and Liet firmly replies, "Yes, I am amenable."
Skittle paces around while the others are talking, and then abruptly stops and looks up to the sky. "Yes, father, I agree," he yells loudly. Looking at Jaku, he says, "Well, paladin, pretending your motives are pure and that you didn't manage to get lucky stumbling over those boats while I was hanging on to our other lead doesn't change the situation."
Turning to the others, he adds, "Personally, I'd be inclined to making this real simple - he gives us the map, or we turn him over to the authorities for being the firebug everyone is looking for. However, his last proposal sounds reasonable to me. If he's willing to let us have the map in return for a piece of the action, than why shouldn't we take him up on that offer? Afterall, he's the one taking the risk."
"Pure motives..." Jaku says, "No, not really. I got caught up in the moment, and forgot my honor. Now that I've remembered it, I think I will look elsewhere for entertainment. I had not realized the type of people I was involved with."
He looks at Samir, "Were I you, I wouldn't trust us. Hells, were I me, I wouldn't trust us. I'm leaving. If you stay, you will be at their mercy."
He turns and heads up the pier toward town.
Bedu stares after Jaku until he is out of sight. Then he turns to Samir, "Samir, your share just became greater and I am a dwarf of my word. We will not turn you in and I would never have done that, but its important to test you and see what sort of a man you are."
Bedu steps back "the map, please."
As he finishes, the shabby tailored dwarf runs a finger down the side of his robe cleaning the last fish scales off.
It is agreed then. Let's go. There are people to save, libraries to build...and knowledge to obtain.
Indo stretched out his arm in a guiding gesture - Show us the way, Samir.
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Samir watches Jaku leave, then looks back at the group, apparently weighing who to trust more.
"You can trust me," he says abruptly. "And like I said, I don't have the map with me. It's in my sanctum. In the catacombs. Which is a safer place to talk anyways. But I'm putting my trust in you that you won't just steal the map from me, and will give me my fair share."
"Right. Follow me. If you have torches or candles, get ready to use 'em. Not a lot of light down there."
Samir heads off down the street, assuming you will follow him.
Pindara starts scratching her arm, feeling the itch to use magic but unable to trust her companions.
Bedu gives a small nod of satisfaction.
"May the gods bless our journey."
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Samir leads you through the city streets to a small grate at the bottom of a wall, hidden behind a rain barrel. After quick scan of the surroundings, Samir heaves the barrel out of the way and holds open the grate, gesturing inside.
"I can find my way through here in the dark," he says, "but you might want to light 'em if you got 'em."
It quickly becomes apparent that the catacombs are a veritable maze, and finding his sanctum on your own would have been difficult if not outright impossible. Still, it's easy to keep track of your movements and you don't anticipate any difficulty finding your way back out again.
You pass through brick-vaulted sewers first, lit from above by street grates, while the city's raw sewage flows in sluggish streams by your feet. But Samir soon takes you deeper, into Muiu Thral's ancient burial catacombs.
Here, the passages are smaller, only about 6 feet in diameter, crudely cut by hand into the solid rock. The damp air is thick and heavy, and the walls are filled with bones and scraps of rotting grave goods. In the flickering light of your torches, shadows dance and skulls leer out of the shadows. An almost palpable feeling of dread fills the cramped tunnels.
Failed Will save:
"The atmosphere tends to keep curious visitors away," Samir says over his shoulder, seemingly unaffected by the grim surroundings.
Soon, you come to a wooden door set into the web-shrouded walls. In the shadows near the door, something moves. Before you can can make out what they are, Samir reaches into a pouch, and throws scraps of meat on the floor, making reassuring noises. The shadows resolve into a pair of mongooses, who eagerly gobble up the treats.
"I keep them to deal with any poisonous snakes I find in the tombs," Samir tells you. "And they make good guards here, too."
He pulls a key from his pocket and moves to unlock the door.
Liet carries one of the lights.
"Samir, I sure hope you know your way around here. This place makes me nervous."
Bedu keeps to the rear so that he can move up and help people in the shadows. He doesn't carry a torch since he can see in the dark.
The catacombs remind him of home and the podgy dwarf doesn't feel any nervousness at all.
Not particularly fond of being underground, Skittle keeps his kukri drawn and palmed in an underhand grip so as to make it less obvious. The light from the torch being enough for his gnome eyes, he keeps his lantern in his pack.
"Lovely neighborhood you have here, Samir," he mutters to anyone listening.
Indo lights a second torch, hefting his big sword in his left hand.
He whispers to the city-dwellers Take heart, my friends. There's more of this to come, in the tombs outside the city.
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As Samir puts the key into the lock, the flimsy door pushes open on its own. Samir pauses. "That's strange."
You follow him into a small unlit room. Wooden crates are scattered about the room, their lids removed and straw strewn across the floor. A lone sarcophagus lays face-down on the floor to your left. A bullseye lantern, a shovel, a coil of rope, and other tools of Samir's trade lie scattered on the floor near a warped table. Another wooden door stand ajar in the western wall.
"Someone's been here," Samir says. He picks up a fallen candle and lights it with shaking fingers, then rushes into the next room. You hear the sounds of things being moved and thrown around, followed by Samir's cry of "Noooo!"
Samir comes back into the main room a moment later, his face ashen. "It's gone. They're both gone. They stole the map and the amulet!"
Pindara's scratching becomes more pronounced, "Why are we here?" she mutters to herself fearfully.
Bedu curses and begins to search the area himself for signs of the map, the amulet or anything else of importance.
Wait! Indo whispers. Before anything is disturbed, let us look and see what clues were left by those who invaded Samir's home.
The big human begins to look at scattered papers on the floor, and concentrates on the doorway. As he scans the area, he does not move.
Help me find where their boots carried them...we should know how many, and what armor they wore.
How far ahead are they? (1d20+5=11)
He frowns. Master Bedu, I urge you...be still.
Bedu stops where he is straight away.
Liet not being familiar with the goings-on outside the monastery watches with interest the events as they unfold.
"Indo, what is it that you see?"
Bedu stays where he is and kneels to ground level, scanning for tracks and scuffs. Anything out of place.
Pindara? Liet? What do your senses tell you?
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Samir sits on the floor, his head in his hands, moaning. "They must have followed me back after our last meeting. Why pay for something rightfully found when you can steal it? They seemed too interested, I should have seen it..."
Indo: You find no tracks on the bare floor other than the obvious signs of entry and searching.
Bedu: Your scan of the surroundings in the main room turns up the following: among the normal items scattered about on the floor are a bullseye lantern, shovel, crowbar, coil of rope, a small brush, light hammer and light pick. A crossbow lies among the fallen crates, connected to a long string to which several small bells have been tied. Also among the crates are several carvings, pots, and other grave goods, most of which appear damaged in some way or rather unremarkable.
Indo continues looking at the floor for any sign of the trespassers. He also surveys the damage to get a feel for how they circuited the room.
Samir, help us complete our arrangement. Tell us more about the men you talked to. Help us look for signs of their passing.
To the others, the big warrior asks Can each of you look where you stand? What was tossed aside? What is on top...What did they break or stand on?
Assist Survival roll (1d20=20)
Bedu moves a few of the lighter items near his feet to check the ground more thoroughly.
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Samir says, "When I found the tomb, I was able to escape with only one artifact, a strange amulet. I thought I might sell it, to get back on my feet, keeping the map for myself, if I ever want to go back there. So I contacted some prospective buyers, talked with a few of them to feel them out. One of my usual buyers put me in contact with a man who is doing some excavation here in the catacombs. He was very interested in the amulet. We were negotiating the price and possible future contracts. But he must have decided to take it or himself, sent some of his goons here to steal it!"
Samir takes a look around the main room. "They gave it a good once-over, but it doesn't look like they took anything in here. Only the map and the amulet are missing - that's what they came for!"
