[Hourglass of Zihaja D&D 4e] Heroes on a Sea of Swords IC

[Dekkah]

Alvah Nasab, Voice of thunder
The bard stay back, leaving the discussion to Jalil who seem that have things well in her hands. As he sees that the dragon become suspicious at the mention of the mages, he doesnt try to lead the discussion that way and to the cipher.
"At least we know the 4th mage left this place and so the 4th part should be out there somewhere.", telepaticly tells Amirah so he share it with the others.

At the mention of the dragon help with the pirates, the bard smile and bow graciously.
"This is greatly appreciated Mighty Rimefang."

[Shadow_Elf]

Rimefang's Garden, Northeastern Ilud; Nahid, 19th of Riqat, AF 360
The dragon inclines her head as well. It is glad I am to offer a proper reward for sparing the lives of those I have sworn to protect. I will not delay you any longer with chatter; I can see you are eager to return to your ship. Safe travels, Hunters of Pirates.

After parting company with Rimefang, the group heaves a collective sigh of relief; despite her pleasant conduct, being in the presence of the mighty beast is ever-so-slightly nerve wracking for all involved. They make their way back along the tunnels, retracing their steps through the scenes of their previous encounters and arrive at last outside the cave network. Their horses are well trained enough not to have run off; they were tethered to the tree loosely enough that they had room to graze, and the presence of the dragons has thankfully pushed most of the other apex predators such as the bears, cougars and wolves out of this territory. The heroes mount up, and Rahman guides them back along the forest trails to civilization.

Aqur Docks, Zohal, 23rd of Riqat, AF 360
The Hunters make it back to Aqur without further incident, draconic, metallic or otherwise. Having no use for their fine steeds back in Muarzibet, they return the rented beasts to the breeder and collect their deposit. Pushing through the throngs of dock workers and merchants leaving for the day, the crew finally makes it back to the docks. They then charter a barge; having not known how long their "scholar's whim" would take, they were unable to book it in advance. The best they can find is a barge headed for Muarzibet the following evening. While the fare is somewhat steeper for the short notice, the wallet the Captain entrusted to Medinah has more than enough coin for the trip.

Or, rather, it did when you left the horse breeder's stables. Where has all the gold gone?

[Dacia Brabant]

Medinah

As Medinah searched for the missing wallet she soon began to wear her consternation on her illusory face. She was getting better at representing emotions with it, but right now all she could think of was the money. Motioning to Amirah for telepathic communication, she opened her frustrated mind up to her friend.

Well, either the devil's taken her due, or I've just been robbed--and I don't think petty theft's her style. Did you see anything with those thousands of eyes of yours? And, maybe more importantly, do we have money to pay for the return trip ourselves?

[Reverent-One]

Kihtsah Darimil, Dervish of Adimas

Rimefang's Garden

Bowing respectfully, Kihtsah silently admires the dangerous elegance Rimefang possesses. "We thank you for your hospitality, and any trouble you give our enemies is worth plenty to us. Safe flights to you."

Aqur Docks

What? Kihtsah sends back over the link once Amirah explains what happened. How embarrassing for the crew of the Midnight Mirage to robbed by petty thieves. Or rather, how embarrassing it would be if we let them get away with it. Shall we split up, in pairs or so, and see if we can find this one or perhaps a friend of his?

[Dekkah]

Alvah Nasab, Voice of Thunder
As the bard notice the discomfort of his allies, he ask Amirah what is going on. Once he is told of the theft, the bard nearly laugh out loud, but manage to hold it.
We face dragons and pirate lords, but it is a city thief that really slow us down. Quite ironic., thinks Alvah.

To his allies, he ask via Amirah's telepathic channel,
"Did you see the thief or shall we ask around who's thief group is in control of this area?"

[Chambers]

Jalil

"Petty theft. It suits this town just fine." Jalil says with a look of disgust. "The face of the thief is not important; finding who he works for will return the Captain's property sooner. Thankfully my family does some small business here...not enough of a reason to do more, really." She says and gestures to the squalor around them. "The city is run by those with greedy palms and short sight. I know where we can find some that think they run an honest business." Jalil says and motions back towards the center of town. "This late in the day they'll all be half in their cups at what they consider a fine establishment, trying to out-do each in other in tales of how much gold they won today."

She glances down at the dust and travel dirt at the bottom of her robes and shakes her head. "That bath will have to come later. Follow me, if you will." She says and sets off through the crowds, the air around her slightly humming with a static charge as her anger at yet another delay slips through.

Spoiler

Show

She's talking about the group of managers that handle hers and other foreign families accounts.

[Reverent-One]

Kihtsah Darimil, Dervish of Adimas

"Very well," Kihtsah replies, "If you think you have an idea on getting to the source, I bow to your expertise." The half-genie does in fact give a slight bow at that.

"Though if you can change your guise, Mediah, it might not be a bad idea to do so. Unless we want them to see a old mark coming after them."

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks
The group follows Jalil through the docks area, until they finally arrive at an unobtrusive harbourmaster's shack on the edge of one of the piers. Jalil leads them inside through a door on the southern side of the west wall of the building; beside the door there is a series of brass nameplates with the names of the merchant consortiums the building serves, included among them Jalil's Faruns. The Hunters are greeted by a rather cluttered room: crates and sacks of shipping goods each individually labeled lie stacked against the walls, especially along the northern edge of the room, which is closest to the lake. On the east side of the room, a service counter is unattended, barring passage to what presumably serves as additional storage below. In the centre of the room, five men sit around a table playing cards and drinking liquor. One of the men notices the strange group enter and hails them.

"Oi! We's closed. What you lot doin' 'ere?"

[Dacia Brabant]

Medinah

Not wanting to have her warforged's voice overheard by any passers-by, Medinah briskly nodded at Jalil's idea and smiled wickedly at Kihtsah's.

As soon as the party got to a secluded area where they could safely consider themselves to be unobserved, in the blink of an eye Medinah shifted her illusionary guise to have the coloration of an ordinary Iludai woman--well, as ordinary as one could be wearing black armor, two crossbows and a massive tulwar on her back and a longsword at her side.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Medinah shifted her illusionary guise to have the coloration of an ordinary Iludai woman--well, as ordinary as one could be wearing black armor, two crossbows and a massive tulwar on her back and a longsword at her side.

Amirah, Living Swarm

Following Medinah's lead, Amirah quickly pulls out a formal dress from her bag, slips it under her heavy desert robes, and then pulls those off. Her green silk dress is quite striking but the large veil and delicate gloves still hide what she really is. The swarm concentrates, filling out the dress in a more feminine fashion than the usual vage humanoid shape they normally adopt in the desert clothes, and then moves before Medinah, looking for all the world like a nobleman's daughter and her protector of virtue.

[Chambers]

Jalil

Jalil ignores his question and takes a long glance around the room. She shakes her head and pushes a stray hair back under her hood. "I was afraid that the dust from my travels would have been a slight upon your house...but I see that I needn't have worried." She says and brushes some dust off her shoulder before walking over to the men. She stops a few paces away from their table and holds her hands together in front of her, her eyebrows raised at them. She waits a few moments and then scowls. "Is this how you treat all your employers when they come in for a surprise inspection? Loitering about a card game imbibing instead of rising to your feet like respectable gentlemen?"

She turns towards the one who spoke and her eyes flash like far off lightning. "I am Lady Farun and I have come to inquire about the status of certain shipments. Clearly I am interrupting your game...that isn't a problem, is it?" She says and looks behind her as if remembering the Hunters were there. "Ah, yes. Some of my companions are the famed Hunters of the Midnight Mirage." She says and nods towards everyone, then places a hand lightly on Amirah's shoulder. "Also, the daughter of my friend." She says, withholding both Amirah's name and her supposed mothers as well. <<If they have any manners at all they would not think to ask questions directly to a young Lady without the presence of her Mother and Father.>> Jalil thinks and sends the thought to Amirah.

"The Hunters have an interest here as well that I feel you would be greatly interested in assisting them with. You all know of Captain Shaur al-Farid, I'm sure. Her reputation for both prowess and persistence spreads far indeed."

"The Captain gave her Hunters a wallet for their expenses upon land and just a short while ago it was discovered that the wallet has gone missing. Quite a misfortune to misplace such a wallet. I'm sure that some honest and noble soul has found the lost wallet and that they are eagerly looking for the proper owner." Jalil says with the tone of one who clearly means the opposite of what she's saying but is expected to say it. "As proper businessmen of the city I'm certain that there's no one in this town that you don't know and that it wouldn't take more than, say, an hour for you to put word out that the wallets owners have been found and return with it, having accepted it from the one who found it."

Spoiler

Show

She's trying to be Intimidating at first to immediately put them in their place and set the tone for the conversation, and then she's offering them an out for returning the wallet without losing face. That's kinda diplomatic, so here's two rolls. Feel free to use both or one or the other, at your discretion.

Intimidate (1d20+19)[37]
Diplomacy (1d20+21)[35]

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks
The man practically jumps out of his shoes. He stands up and sort of half bows, though it almost looks like he's getting ready to throw up instead of being deferential.

"I's sorry, Miss Farun! I dint mean no disrespect... please don't turn me in't'a newt..." he says, knowing her reputation as a powerful magic user but also not knowing what exactly that entails.

One of the other men stands and puts his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"This one's new, Lady Jalil. Forgive his... communication problems," says the older man. "I know some guys I could use to get the word out, ma'am, but I doubt the thief will come forward. The city's full of thieves, and anonymity is what protects em'. Like finding a needle in a haystack, ma'am."

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Amirah, Living Swarm

"This thief!spider will be likely boasting about the catch!fly in her web" sends Amirah mentally to Jalil and the rest of the team - but not to the warehouse men. "Medinah!Best Friend's purse was more full of dull coins than usual. Where would the thief!wasp celebrate?"

Outwardly, Amirah remains still, somewhat in Medinah's shadow and looking up at Jalil.

[Chambers]

Jalil

Mollified somewhat by their proper, if delayed deference Jalil relaxes a bit and nods to him. "The wallet was larger than what one might expect to find on the street, so the finder may be spreading the news himself to his, ah...friends." Jalil says and picks up one of the bottles and nods approvingly. "Large enough to keep one in exceedingly good spirits for a year, at the least. I have no concern over the identity of the finder."

She waves her hand about the room. "You each are businessmen and can appreciate an opportunity when one quite literally enters through the door. The man who finds and returns the wallet will have displayed an extraordinary level of resourcefulness and ingenuity. Such qualities are always appreciated within my House." She says and snaps her fingers and a errant spark flashes above them. "I suddenly recall that my brother, the head of our House, has been interested in expanding our presence in this region. I would very much like to be able to recommend to him a manager that displays the sort of qualities that we look for in those that handle our business." She says and raises one eyebrow.

Spoiler

Show

Translation: Do this for me and I'll put in a good word for you with my brother. It should be understood that she has great influence with him.

[Dekkah]

Alavah Nasab, Voice of thunder
The bard stay quiet whle Jalil discuss with the mens since they work for her family. While the bard have some good social skills himself, he is impressed upon the way she is dealing with the mens.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

"The wallet was larger than what one might expect to find on the street, so the finder may be spreading the news himself to his, ah...friends." Jalil says and picks up one of the bottles and nods approvingly. "Large enough to keep one in exceedingly good spirits for a year, at the least. I have no concern over the identity of the finder."

Amirah, Living Swarm

Following mental stage directions from Jalil, Amirah shifts self-effacingly towards her, while trying to stay in Medinah's shadow. She diffidently tugs Jalil's sleeve, and places her cowl near her ear. Amirah's mental voice fills the companions' heads, and misses the warehouse men once more. "Ask the men!drones where thieves!wasps would celebrate having taken so much gold!honey. Pirate!wasps liked to celebrate when they got more gold!honey than normal, and they were loud and noticeable. Maybe thieves!land pirates are similar. If there are rumours of a big party tonight, it might be our thief!wasp. Most wasps We have known can't keep good luck to themselves."

Her message delivered, Amirah stays at Jalil's elbow for a few extra seconds, then retreats next to Medinah.

[Chambers]

Jalil

Jalil holds up a jeweled finger as the merchant is about to speak and bends to hear her confidants thoughts. She smiles and nods, then whispers something in reply. "A wise idea." Straightening up she turns towards the merchant.

"It might be worthwhile to look for a small celebration, as the finder may be rejoicing at given the opportunity to return the wallet to its rightful owner. Such a celebration could be particularly...boisterous, I suppose, and it might be easier to locate him by looking for one who is suddenly overjoyed and sharing his blessedness with others." She says, pointedly ignoring his reference to thieves. "Perhaps you know of a favored locale where one might go to share such good news or have already heard of such a gathering?" Jalil turns back towards Amirah and bows her head slightly and smiles and Amirah can sense...not exactly words, but that Jalil is also smiling inside. Something about this current disguise seems to trigger a schema within her that makes it easier for her to relate to the swarm.

Spoiler

Show

Wikipedia entry for schema for non-psych majors.

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks - Foreign Interest Harbourmaster's Shack
The man frowns. "I can see you're fond of euphemism, Lady Farun, but the thieves here won't be encouraged to bring the purse forward by your talk of honesty. Even if I get the lads and lasses I know to spread the word about the purse, the thief isn't just going to come forward and return it simple-like. He scratches his chin. "I see the young lady's point about the celebration," he says, nodding towards Amirah "but the thief won't make too much of his windfall. That just makes him a target for other thieves; if a man in rags walks into a bar and starts spending money like he's not gunna live another day, odds are, in Aqur, he won't. That being said, inns and bars are likely your surest shot, if not an easy task. Pretty much any of em' would be a possibility, though; if you knew what crew the thief belonged to, might be I could be more specific. Truth is, with the bars in this city, they're all thief hangouts, save a few in the richer districts."

[Grey_Wolf_c]

"if you knew what crew the thief belonged to, might be I could be more specific."

"Forgive me for speaking our of turn, Lady Farun," sends Amirah, for the first time including everyone in the warehouse, "but do these crews have areas of operation? Or distinguishing marks?" Amirah's voice is sweet and soft, and to those used to her usual communication, somewhat flat without its usual overlay of images and complex concepts. "We can say with some certainty where the thief struck, and my Protector can provide a measure of description, if such would help narrow the likely bars."

Amirah's speech patterns closely resemble those of a noblewoman, and the cadence is particularly close to that of noblewomen from the City of God.

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks - Foreign Interest Harbourmaster's Shack
The manager seems a little surprised by Amirah speaking, but doesn't seem to realize she is using telepathy. "Well, milady, if you know where it was stolen, probably best to try the closest drinking holes to that place. If yer already assuming he's not bright enough not to flaunt the coins, then might as well go all the way and assume he's not smart enough to take his business far from the scene of the crime. Milady."

[Chambers]

Jalil

Jalil narrows her eyes at the manager. "Yes, of course, I could have - and did - think of those things myself. I came to you because it would not be proper for myself to wander through back alleys and bordellos, roughly questioning drunkards as to whether they have my companions stolen wallet. Nor would I likely receive an honest answer!"

"You, however, are established members of this community and it would not be out of the ordinary, no, it might even be expected for you to show an interest in the property of one of your employers. Certainly this isn't the first time that something was taken that shouldn't have been? There are procedures for dealing with this situation, correct?" She asks as she glares at him. "Perhaps I wasn't being clear. I want you to find the thief and I want you to return the wallet, or at least inform the Hunters of where it is. They are more than capable of retrieving it themselves. I would like very much to return to my brother and inform him of certain resourceful managers here that can take initiative in looking out for our interests. Whether I am able to do so is up to you, gentlemen."

Spoiler

Show

Yeah, now she's trying to cow them into action.

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks - Foreign Interest Harbourmaster's Shack
The man nods. "As you wish, Lady Jalil. We will do what we can; when do you need the wallet returned? This is not a simple task you have laid out for us."

[Chambers]

Jalil

"Before noon tomorrow. If you feel retrieving the wallet yourself would be unwise, feel free to simply inform the Hunters of the wallets whereabouts." She says with a less than joyful smile. "I think they will enjoy retrieving it themselves."

"We will be staying at...oh." She says and then laughs. "In all the excitement we've neglected to secure lodgings for the evening. Perhaps you could recommend a suitable one? Away from the docks, preferably."

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks - Foreign Interest Harbourmaster's Shack
The man shakes his head, frowning, but doesn't elaborate on that. "We'll give it a shot, milady. As for lodgings, something in the merchant district would likely be safer and more to your comfort. Try the Burgundy Charger."

[Chambers]

Jalil

"We'll see. Thank you for the assistance, gentlemen." Jalil says and gives them a curt nod as she turns away, holding out her arm for Amirah to place her hand on. "Hunters, please follow me. I've a great desire for a real meal."

Once outside and well away from the building she relaxes her posture a bit and glances at Amirah. <<A remarkable disguise.>> "I don't know about the rest of you but I plan on taking a long, hot bath...and then dinner. Let's hope they turn up something useful."

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur - Merchant District
The Hunters follow the advice of Jalil's contact and make way for the Burgundy Charger. When they enter, the inn is well-furnished; thick wooden tables command the centre, with a bar at the back where both wine bottles and room keys are hung. The wood is mostly mahogany and cherry, and the room is decorated in purple and burgundy cloth.

Jalil approaches the innkeep on the matter of lodging, food and water while Alvah plays the crowd and tries to get a feel for the city. The other Hunters take seats at a nearby table, and Jalil rejoins them. Alvah returns just after the food and drink arrives; pita and humus, very thinly sliced beef and pork, and a small platter of dessert salad made from the fruits of Ilud. Mead, red wine, water and pear juice are on offer for drinking, and Hunters eagerly dig in while Alvah shares what he has learned of the city.

Aqur is a burgeoning economy with an ideal geographical situation, and is a powerhouse in both the fruit and equestrian industries. The city is clean and the public services well-funded, but it is also rife with what essentially amounts to state-sanctioned petty crime. The crowd at this inn for the wealthy seem to be left with a bad taste in their mouth on the matter, but the commons are apparently content with the way things work. Everyone he spoke to agrees that finding one pickpocket in the city will be quite an undertaking.

Once their meal and chat is over, they decide to leave the rest of their follow-up for the previous morning, and hope that Jalil's contact at the docks has made some progress. Each bunking in their own individual rooms, and having the option of a bath or shower if they desire it, they settle down to rest and recuperate from their journey in relative comfort. The rooms are well-furnished like the lobby was, and the beds are certainly more comfortable than mossy earth and bedrolls.

The next morning, the Hunters awake one by one and descend for breakfast. They are greeted by orange juice, apples, pomegranates and dates. Once all their gear has been collected and they've had their fill of fruits, they prepare to continue their investigation and retrieve the group's funds.

Spoiler

Show

I am going to say that before this moment, each of the Hunters had exactly 180 gold pieces (for the sake of easy tracking) in their personal purses. The purse from the Captain contained a further 800 gold pieces, which are now stolen. Jalil has 250 gold pieces on her person, to reflect her wealthier background. The trip, due to the short notice and limited space, will cost 100 gp per passenger; it's a reasonably long voyage, and it's not a barge meant to take passengers. For reference, let's say the trip here, as it was booked well in advance, was 40 gp per passenger.

The dinner, the night at the inn /w hot water and breakfast comes to 10 gp each.

[Chambers]

Jalil

"Well...it's not quite as resting as home." Jalil says in the morning over breakfast. "But then again, nothing ever is." She smiles and slices open her grapefruit. An honest evening of rest in a real bed seems to have improved her mood considerably. "So, Alvah. I don't imagine you learned of any important cultural buildings or historical sights that one simply must see when one comes to Aqur?" She asks.

"I would hate to leave here without doing my due diligence to honor the city...yet I find that I have little to no desire to leave this inn until it is either time to leave for the barge or the wallet is found."

[Reverent-One]

Kihtsah Darimil, Dervish of Adimas

"I think you'll find yourself getting used to such accommodations, Jalil. The Mirage lacks the sort of luxury rooms you may be used to." Kihtsah say wryly. "Hope your friends can find we're looking for."

[Shadow_Elf]

Aqur Docks, Baluquari, 24th of Riqat, AF 360
The Hunters depart from their inn after the fruit-filled breakfast to meet with Jalil's local contacts. When they arrive, the dock hands are all on a different shift and most are already out working the dock, but the weathered harbourmaster from the previous night sits in the office, now behind the desk.

"Ah, Lady Jalil. Your friend here may just be the luckiest visitor Aqur has seen in months. One of my river rats who keeps an eye our for me also works for the high priest down at that terribly unllucky temple of Pashati that's been under construction for years. He spotted your thief taking that purse of yours to the high priest, a donation to the church. You want your money, speak to the high priest at the construction site, and I'll bet he'll give it back."

With promises of a good word with her brother, Jalil thanks the man and the Hunters head for the temple. The high priest is a middle-aged Lizardman, who is working alongside a carpenter and mason and some unspecialized labourers on the endless construction process. He greets the group with warmth and good cheer, and the Hunters explain the situation. He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Iss a shame. Desspite issuess with consstruction, many convertss here in Aqur," he says with a somewhat prominent Alhaggi accent. "They wish to help, but the only way they know how iss to ssteal and cheat. This iss not Pashati's way. A moment, and I will ssee your gold returned. I sshall be more careful about the provenance of future donationss."

Within minutes, the Hunters have their gold back and are able to make it back to the docks in time for lunch. After a quick meal of fish and yet more fruit, they board the barge and pay their fare just in time, and with that they bid goodbye to the central Admajai region and make way once more for the coast.

The City of God, Dhuqa the 1st of Atumeq, AF360
After a few weeks on the barge with minimal layovers in between, the Hunters are at least relieved to return to the closest thing the crew has to a base of operations. It is the first market day of a new month, so the city is bustling with activity as they get off the barge and Medinah pays the last portion of their fare.

[Dekkah]

ALvah Nasab, Voice of Thunder
To Jalil the bard reply,
"I did not find any rumors of interest sadly. This town isnt really a town you come for sightseeing. There is nothing of real interest here."

Aqur Docks, Baluquari, 24th of Riqat, AF 360

As he is given back his money, Alvah smile to the priest.
"Thank you sir."
Alvah pick up his two platinium piece from the pouch, then empty the rest of his gold, roughly 40 gold pieces, in the offering pot of the temple.
"I appreciate and respect honesty."

The City of God, Dhuqa the 1st of Atumeq, AF360
Happy to be back at the City of the Gods, the bard look at his allies and ask,
"Shall we report to the captain now, or shall we see what happened around here since we left first? I have a few contacts that might be usefull to learn more about ancient relics. He may have heard about what we are seeking. And before you ask, I would trust him with my life... I actually did more than once before."