Sat at home, drinking fresh tea, musing over the vengeance she could plan for her "family" Iradil was startled from her reverie by a messenger. The letter was from Sheila Heidmarch, asking Iradil to attend a meeting at her Pathfinder lodge.
Iradil journied the few streets to the lodge where she met Shikoba. This woman, shorter than Iradil and dressed in leathers with a strung bow and tribal face paint, introduced herself and invited Iradil in to wait for Sheila Heidmarch. Shikoba invited Tsadok in to the lodge explaining, "Come this way, you're expected." Tsadok was not impressed and shouted back at her, "Of course she's expecting us, she sent a letter!"
Waiting in the room was Hellov, a stocky dwarf cleric of Angradd, dressed in chain mail and sporting an axe that was as big as the dwarf! Hellov was initially silent, but on opening conversations on religion Hellov droned on about some tedious dwarven deity, becoming enthusiastic when speaking of justice and battle. Iradil swiftly tuned out as soon as the conversation strayed to such dull matters.
Whilst waiting with them the mighty half-orc Tsadok, almost as tall as Iradil herself, paced around the room like a caged animal. He wore rough leathers and carried a massive maul, an Earthbreaker of fearsome weight. Speaking simply, with short sentences and short words, this mighty warrior spoke fiercely of battle and war and some deity called Gorum. He and the cleric seemed to hit it off.
Gorum, Angradd, they have no sway over Iradil. She thought of Calistria, of her temple The Dome of the Savoured Sting which was a fair walk away, within the Keystone district, of the vengeance and schemes the faithful share within her temple.
Sheila Heidmarch was dressed in elegant robes, presenting herself with a self assured commanding presence. She invited the party in to her library where she challenged them to open a "paradox box" for her, leaving the party scrolls with some research notes about this. She noted this was a difficult task, requiring intelligence, stating this was a test of sorts since her mission required cunning as well as brawn. Tsadok was aggrieved, hearing it was difficult because it needed intelligence, snapping back at her, "Are you calling me un-intelligent?"
Iradil read the scrolls carefully, chiding Tsadok from shattering the box to open it, whilst Shikoba cautiously worked to dismantle some trap within it, a spell of summoning.
The party divined the Thassilonian runes, with one for "wrath" that is associated with evocation magics and also with kindness. Too, the runes on one face differed, spelling out the word "Cruel" with letters which could move. Iradil puzzled over this, with occasional useful help from Tsadok and Hellov, to rearrange the letters to "Lucre" at which point the box opened. Sheila was pleased, allowing the content (a few gems, a silver dagger, a ring of feather falling) to be shared amongst the party.
Sheila Heidmarch then spoke of the mission she charged the party with. A half-Varisian named Natalya Vancaskerkin was aiding the Pathfinders as a street informant, inflitrating one of the local Sczarni street gangs and reporting back. She had failed to report back and has gone missing. Sheila Heidmarch fears for her and sought knowledge on what has happened to her. Sheila Heidmarch stressed that the knowledge was most important, with 500 GP paid for this. Finding and returning Natalya Vancaskerkin would earn a further 500 GP. Sheila Heidmarch feared that she may have been arrseted by the city guard and taken to Arvensoar. Nidalese slavers could have abducted her, since they have been seen within Magnimar recently. Or, since the Sczarni use a middleman, it may be that this middleman "The Amazing Zograthy", a fortune teller in Washer's Row, might know something of her situation.
Journeying to the tower, Arvensoar, Tsadok spoke with thewatch officer Kasadei who explained that Natalya Vancaskerkin was known to them as a petty burglar who runs with the Tower Girls gang, one of the Sczarni street gangs. She shared that the Tower Girls had recently had battles with the rival Sczarni gang, the Wreckwash Blades, with the Tower Girls faring poorly and hiding in a warehouse within the seedy Underbridge district. They were said to be aided by Fenster the Blight, there.
Kasadei also spoke of the slavers and abductions, describing how bakers and merchants and craftsmen had gone missing to then turn up weeks or months later in Magnimar, confused. Kasadei was keen to know more, offering 1000 GP for further investigation of this. Because noble families were not affected, Iradil saw this as pointless, "Peasants going missing to be found later, living as peasants? Why would we investigate this?" Kasadei mentioned the reward, swiftly enticing Iradil to explore this.
Iradil shared with Kasadei how, "You were almost useful, some of the time, for a city official."
Moving to the Underbridge, the party left a gift on a plate for Fenster the Blight who emerged to talk further.
He knew something of Natalya Vancaskerkin but was reluctant to share this, without great reward. Tsadok was persuasive, intimidating him effortlessly to share her location, an old boarding house a few streets away. Cautious and curious, the party concealed themselves around the old boarding house (with varied degrees of success) and watched the property. After a short while it was clear that others were also watching the premises, Tsadok strode out to challenge them, "I'm going to knock you in to the ground and use you as a tent pole."
3 men in chainmail armour heaving wicked morningstars attacked, coordinated by a woman in elegant armour with a hand crossbow, fine whip and a shortsword.
Two of the thugs attacked Tsadok, one charged Hellov, striking him a vicious blow with the thunderingly heavy crunch as the morningstar battered in to him, almost felling him. Iradil warded herself with defensive magics, drew her tiny thin dagger and charged in to battle the thugs attacking Tsadok. Shikoba knocked arrows and let loose while Tsadok evaded the thugs. Unlucky against the woman, she darted in, striking a cruel blow with her shortsword, piercing his side. Hellov felled the thug with his mighty axe, Tsadok shattered the thugs and woman with his massive maul.
Iradil thought of dumping the unconscious thugs in to the deep waters, they had tried to murder them! But she couldn't steel herself to murder, agreeing with Tsadok that they were best left lost and bleeding, unconscious, in the alleys. Hellov spoke forcefully of justice, of law, of the city officials. Iradil, knowing the city well, laughed mirthlessly. She explained that here, the Underbridge, there were no city officials. Tsadok was also reluctant to finish them off, "Let the gods decide!", dragging them to pile the 3 of them in to the alley, bleeding messily and lightly covered up to conceal them.
Moving the unconscious woman to the shed by the old boarding house to rouse and question her, two more thugs emerged. Tsadok glowered and demanded, "If you want to keep your head on your shoulders, tell us where Natalya Vancaskerkin is." The thugs were shaken and one shouted out, very loudly and towards the house, "I'm not telling you that she lives next door!" then drew weapons and moved to prevent the party from entering the old boarding house . . .
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