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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Olgar Shiverstone" data-source="post: 3855910" data-attributes="member: 5868">Arjan and Thalas paired up, and headed to the Sasserine Sleigh Ride, a well known brothel in the Azure District.  A few questions to the disappointingly human hookers revealed a small tidbit of information: Vanthus had indeed frequented the place, in the company of a woman named Brissa Santos, who apparently considered herself a dancer of some skill.  But as the perfumed whore had said, "She didn't have the skills for the Sleigh Ride.  Too amateur, too plump.  The madam sent her packing."A few more hours and a few more taverns and brothels later, and the group rejoined, having learned little more.  Vanthus had indeed been in many of the taverns in the district in the company of Brissa Santos, but no one seemed to know where  he lived or where he could currently be found."So now what?" Athal asked."Well, perhaps we follow the woman," Thalas suggested.  "She was trying to be a dancer.  Maybe she went to get training, or tried to break into another type of entertainment, or perhaps she settled for working at a less savory place ..."Morderas perked up.  "Sounds like a trip to Shadowshore.  I know the area."Thalas nodded.  eventually, the group decided that Athal, Thalas, and Kyrsith would check the Merchant and Nobles districts for evidence of Brissa Santos, while the others looked for Vanthus and Brissa in Shadowshore.Thalas and his companions spent a day wandering in and out of businesses in the Merchant District and plying the art houses and opera houses of the Nobles District to no avail.  Vanthus had bought a dress here, some perfume there, but had otherwise been little seen, and nothing was known of Brissa Santos.  The three finally gave up and headed for Shadowshore to meet the others.They stopped into a tavern called the Skinned Man as they arrived in Shadowshore, and were immediately approached by a disreputable looking man.  "Name's Cheftan," he said by way introduction.  "You 'n yer friends been looking fer Vanthus Vanderboren, ain't ye?"  Thalas could only nod.  Guess we've been pretty obvious, after all.  Ah, well, stealth isn't my strong suit.  Best stick to swords and spells in the future."I be needin' t' find Vanthus meself," Cheftan went on.  "I knows where he is.  If'n ye meet me tonight, I'll be showin' ye.""Why should we trust you?" Athal asked."Ye needs him; I needs him.  Not fer nothing good, I'll wager.  Strength in numbers," Cheftan responded.  "An' ye'll not likely find him otherwise.  Ye've made enough noise he prob'ly knows yer lookin' for him."They couldn't argue with that.  They made arrangements to meet Cheftan at midnight outside the Skinned Man, then departed to find the others.  They eventually found them walking down a Shadowshore street, and compared notes.Morderas, Arjan, and Quinn had discovered that Vanthus and an associate Penkus had recently purchased a run-down ship and a massive cargo of lamp oil.  Where the ship was or what the purpose of the lamp oil was was unknown, and they hadn't had much luck pumping the harbormaster for information.  Vanthus could be involved in some criminal enterprise, or he could be doing some sort of legitimate import/export -- Thalas suspected the former.But as their only lead was an untrustworthy rogue they had met by chance, they decided to do what any rational adventuring party would do -- assume their erstwhile "guide" would lead them into a trap, so they'd jump in and try to spring it from the inside.Little did Thalas realize how prescient that decision would prove to be.</blockquote>

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