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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 276363" data-attributes="member: 2292">You do realise, of course, that the real challenge is seeing how long you can play Di'Tario before Khynal gets completely fed up and shoots him, don't you?Back to the Story -After spending a long an uneventful night guarding Kathkallan's goods, Madeline and Solomon head off the next morning in search of the merchants missing apprentice and lost contracts.  Their first step is a return to Windglamor Parade to question the two merchants Galliad was supposed to have met with.  Although they can't get in to see Arrasti, the merchant purchasing the royal jelly, they do get a chance to question his scribe.  The scribe, Omanner, tells them that Galliad had stopped in to schedual an appointment a few days ago, but can remember little else about their meeting.  HE does recall the young man talking to someone outside the building though, out of site but just in earshot.  Omannar says the young apprentice mentioned something about finding a security broker, and a rather feminine voice recommended "the platinum something or other."  He figures it was most likely a porter, who serve as useful business contacts and guides in addition to their more traditional duties in the city.THeir meeting with Mossan Zahad, the merchant selling Kathkallan his cargo of Vanilla beans, is less productive.  Zahad refuses to help, and seems secretly delighted that both apprentice and contract have gone missing.  He dismisses both the companions quickly, claiming he has a great deal of work to be done.  Following their only clue, the pair head to the financial district in search of a security broker with the word platinum in the title.  They find the Platinum Quill and figure it must be the place.  Inside, they question Catellian, the Quill's owner, who doesn't seem to remember seeing the young apprentice, explaining that the previous week has been a bit slow.  Not entire sure that the broker is being entirely honest, the pair press him for more information.  Eventually, Catellian becomes aggitated.  He calls out for somone in the second room, a young woman, and asks her if she remembers anything.  She put on a display of trying to rememeber for a few moments, then both she and Catellian sprint for the door.Caught off-guard, Solomon and Madeline take a few seconds to realise what's happened befor they follow.  It's obvious from the beginning they have no chance of catching the fleeing pair.  Solomon is hampered by his armor (scale) and Madeline's legs are simply too short to keep pace with a sprinting human.  Worse, a pair of black-tuniced thugs emerge from an alleyway, swords bared and threatening the PC's to back off and leave their boss alone.  Mightily sick of people emerging to threaten or attack them from alleyways, the PC's decide that backing off isn't an option.  Weapons are drawn, magic missiles are fired and two thugs are quickly left on the ground, their armor scorched and shredded.Their last clue having fled, the PC's decide they may as well start questioning others in the financial district.  After some fruitless questioning, they suddenly hit pay-dirt.  A merchant named Gheldig tells them he remembers a man matching Galliads description meeting with Catellion, and that the did indeed do a great deal of business and fill out a great deal of paperwork.  At the end of their dealing, the apprentice asked Catellion a question Gheldig couldn't hear, but was pointed toward the northern exit of the financial district.  Galliad headed in that direction, stopping in at a tavern called the silent siren along the way.  He also lets the PC's know that Catellion lives with a female porter named Anteashara.By now, it's close to midday, and the adventurers are hungry.  They head towards a coffee house and order two mugs of the strange, dark brew with a small selection of iced honey-cakes as a meal.  As they dine, they strike up a conversation with three people at the next table.  After a few moments they realise that the three men, Keryn, Ayllin and Tak, are all porters who are waiting for business.  Praises Olidammara's luck, they waste no time asking them a few questions about recent events.  They learn that Anteashara lives in the platinum quill with Catellion, but that she has a secretive client that lives in the path of silk flowers near the north wall in the Guildsman district.  Tak is also a relatively continious frequenter of the Silent Siren, and remembers someone matching Galliads description leaveing the tavern with a balck-haired woman wearing an orchid brooch.  Although this makes little sense to Madline, Solomon later points out that the Path of Silk Flowers is where the cities higher-class cortesans usually reside, and that the orchid broosh is usually worn by somone of that profession.  Goin on intuition and suspicion, they figure that whatever has happened to Galliad is going to involve Anteashara's mysterious patron, and their next port of call is the Path of Silk Flowers.  They hurridly finish their meal,thank the porters for their time and offer them a few gold peices to go watch the Siren for any further visitations by Galliad, Catellion, Anteashara or the cortesan.  Tak readily agrees, heading towards the tavern with a skip in his step.------I'll take yet another break here.  This was played in a few short sessions rather than one long one, and it was a few weeks previus to me moving, so the notes aren't as together as I originally thought.  More later.</blockquote>

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