The Spice Merchants Of Sel-kai: Part Three

General Summary

Exploring the Twelve Bridges district, the party soon discover the source of the wax that had damaged the cart used to move Deltar's crates out of the warehouse and the location of where the crates ended up. Assuming the guise of officials from an entirely fictitious branch of Sel-kai government, Ugnan and his friends question workers in the nearby Tinsmithies and and Woodright's Hall obsequious office manager. The latter is able to tell the party that Olvar One-thumb has been seen around the warehouse and that it is owned by a recently arrived merchant called loren Tasalmis.
Somewhat suspicious about the cause and nature of the spilled wax from the candle maker's shop across the street, the party investigate further. Whilst Sharna daringly leaps across to the roof of Wick & Wax to see what she can discover from above, Ugnan, Cran and Sylke venture into the store front. With only a little effort and tricking the husband and wife owners into believing that Sylke is an official "Veraciter" or "truth-finder", the party successfully encourage the squabbling pair to divulge what they know about their "accident" and the warehouse. The couple have also seen Olvar and he was with the cart when a barrel of wax being hauled up into the shop's upper floor fell to the cobblestones outside. Though the party have no proof, they suspect the the frayed rope was cut; the Halen's have been living happily in a state of perpetual war for 23 out of their 25 years of marriage and this is probably for the best. They believe neither of the pair want to kill the other and will live out their lives hurling curses and small blunt objects at each other. Fortunately, there are no children.
Later that night, after meeting Theren, the office manager of Woodright's Hall, the party break into the warehouse of Ioren Tasalmis. In a well coordinated attack, one guard is instantly enchanted and slips into sleep as Carn and Sharna enter from spaces in the roof that are yet to be repaired. Sharna nimbly moves to the floor level via some conveniently stacked crates and disables the remaining guard. Cran follows up and with a tremendous blow from his axe smashes the hapless man to the ground unconscious. While the sleeping guard is bound and gagged, Ugnan tends to the other soldier and then he too is trussed up.
Searching the warehouse in relative safety, the party discover three of the four crates that they were sent to recover and, as they suspected, all are packed with illegal narcotics, Gort. Indeed much of the rest of the warehouse is piled with contraband. Ugnan also finds a piece of paper which complicates matters immeasurably; the repairs are being paid for by House Alaxatan, one of the most powerful and wealthiest merchant families in the city.
With crates recovered to return to Deltar, the party ponder what to do about this warehouse and its highly dangerous contents ….

Report Date

04 May 2018

Primary Location

Sel-kai