ToA: Session 19

### Politicking with Wakanga

After losing the shadow marked elves the party made their way to the Merchant Prince Wakanga to speak about last nights incident. The adventurer's did not want this to blow up anymore than it already had, and as such hoped to make a deal with the Goliath through the merchant prince.

When they came to the grand estate of Wakanga he graciously accepted them inside and met with them. Here he expressed some surprise that they had come as he had expected them to attempt to avoid any responsibility for yesterdays troubles. Or for them to have skipped town or similar.

So now he asked them to tell their side of the debacle and how it came to be. Bucket described their fight with the ghouls and the subsequent killing of a giant snake outside in the jungle. Wakanga then urges the party not to focus so much on the whole Ghoul thing, as it was not politically acceptable.

It quickly became apparent that he did not wish for conflict between foreign groups sponsored by dragonmark houses and any of the locals. As such he was seeking a way to have the matter solved without becoming a big spectacle. Whether this was possible after last night was another matter, and would depend on the goliaths temperament.

### Looking for Real-estate

Daedalus suggested that they get their own building in Port Nyanzaro. With more enemies watching them in town and them being known to the various powers that be, he decided that they had somewhere that they could more easily protect. Oh and given that it had to be able to house a Forge also somewhere that he could build his own things and things for the D-Squad without having to ask Alard for permission.

So they went to Ibnin to ask if he knew anyone that could help them, and offered to allow Ibnin to rent it out for profit while they were on expedition in the jungle. Naturally Ibnin knew just the man!

Uformu was a lizardman living in the city who was a legislator and part of the general bureaucracy. And he owned various buildings around town and was willing to sell to the D-squad.

So around town they went, being shown a variety of both houses and apartments. Some where too small for the party's needs. Others had issues with their foundation if a forge where to later be installed. But in the Merchant's Ward they found the perfect building owned by Uformu and one of his business partners.

It was solidly built, it stood on rock, and at it's back it faced the see with a cliff-side. As such the squad would fairly easily be able to construct a basement for Daedalus.

It was arranged with Uformu that they would meet with him again that evening while he gathered the necessary papers for the transferal of the property into their hands. But first they paid part of the price in advance.

Thus Bucket became a bit wary and asked Neb to follow the man to see if he was up to any sort of trouble or would try and backstab them.

But all that the lizardfolk did was stop to get a drink and then go home to put the money somewhere safe and prepare the whole paper work thing. Also it seemed that the money was supposed to help send his son to the Morgrave University in Khorvaire.

### Disturbing the Peace in The Merchant's Ward

They met back up with Neb hearing his report and then returned to the Merchant's Ward. Here as they were about to start the purchase they were attacked!

The Shadowmarked elves they had seen stalking them earlier tried to assassinate them with poisoned weapons. The fighting was brutal and Neb was felled by them and almost died!

Luckily both Bucket and Fargus were resistant to the poison and managed to stand their ground against these vile elves. As the tide started to turn against the elves they fled, trying to escape into the streets! Two got out among the masses but one was killed even there while the other got away.

But all of this brought much attention to the D-Squad. Especially as Fargus dragged one of the now dead elves into the house from the street. Quick thinking from Bucket made the party disguise themselves as the Fell's Five to try and push the blame on them.

And as such they rushed away from the scene! But the city guard had shown up in the mean time and starting pursuing them! A mad rush through the streets and on the roof tops followed with Daedalus having issues losing them. But with the assistance of Bucket and pure tenacity, he managed in the end.

### The Many Crimes of Alard

When the party found each other they agreed to lay a bit low and then try and find out what happened. The first order of business was to see if Uformu had sold them out, or if he had nothing to do with the attack. So they sought to speak with him at his house late in the same evening.

But he was not there. According to his wife he had never returned from the sale. But she did mention a bar he liked to frequent down at the docks. So there the party went. On the way they stumbled upon a meeting between the surviving assassin and Alard d'Cannith. With them were a mage warforged whom it seemed was working for Alard. From what they could tell of the talk Alard was very disappointed in the performance of the assassin and the fact that they had failed in killing the D-Squad.

Given that they were still very drained for resources and many of them wounded they choose not to confront Alard right then and there and snuck past them down to the bar. But here they came upon a crime scene! Uformu was lying dead inside having been poisoned!

Playing investigators they quickly pieced together what had happened. An invisible person had snuck inside while a server had gone out to smoke and had then poisoned Uformus drink before escaping again when the server came back in. At this point a guard captain in his mid-40's arrived at the scene and bucket graciously gave all of the various details that they had found out to him. Such as the fact that the poison was not local and that it had involved an invisible person.

Tired an worried they made their way back to the inn to get some rest. They were worried about another attack so some furniture was placed in front of the door and Bucked kept guard towards the windows as the other rested. And he saw that they were observed from a nearby building by someone with a spyglass.

### A Meeting with Kwayothe

Well rested despite the busy evening before they went to see another Merchant Prince. They hoped to convince some more of them that friendly relations toward the squad would be a good thing and that nothing good would come from this conflict with the locals and the foreigners.

They also hoped that this one would be able to help them complete the purchase of the building given that she was the one dealing with many a luxury trade-good and as such should have some influence in this part of the town.

So to another Manor they went!

This one was slightly smaller than that of Wakanga but was quite ostentatious inside. And this was also showed during their meeting. On a sofa next to them laid to people, naked and drugged out of their mind.

Bucket, not caring for the sensual display of meetings, once again shared the story of their battle in the jungle against the ghouls. He tried to see if an angle where the ghouls were possibly corrupting the spirit through their sacrifices but it once again appeared that the inhabitants of Port Nyanzaro for some strange reason did not care about the intelligent undeads that spread through infecting humans. Strange set of priorities for meatbags thought Bucket. But even with this he tried to convince her of the importance of the locals to have friendly relations with the many mercenaries and their sponsors.

She was a bit confused as why we would come with a housing dispute as that appear to not really be her thing but said that she would help if we helped her with a rival of hers. And by help, she ment burn down the rivals business, and kill their son if opportunity presented it self. She clearly had a sadistic streak, and held little regard for others. The party told her that they would think about it and made as to leave, both parties knowing full well the request would not be completed.

But as they were going, she shared that SHE was the one to make sure that the goliath got up to the party!