Lost Lab of Kwalish

"My knowledge of other planes is extensive, but most of it comes through the Timekeepers and I am forbidden from disclosing it.  As namers, those of you who have joined the Timekeepers may access some of this more general knowledge, but many things I cannot divulge." Gearbox replies, and leads them to the Market Ward.

"Yah, general knowledge won't be much use, we're investigating something very specific..." Omiy looks down at the Timekeeper's medallion pinned in front of her chest at Gearbox's mention of them, scratching her head with frustration as she signs. 

"I actually know more about the machinations of this city than any organic resident, but few accept the idea of a rogue modron, so few will spill secrets in my presence, but most willingly flaunt the fact that they are fonts of information." Gearbox replies, 

"Did I mention you should under no circumstance find yourself indentured to Djhek'nlarr?  She is most duplicitous," Gearbox points out, as the group arrives at the Yawning Rat.

The bar is dirty.  There's no two ways about it.  The walls are grimy, the floor is sticky.  It's dank and dingy, but not as dark as the Fat Candle (an infamously dim tavern, ideal for secret meetings). An orc is passed out on the bar, more of his weight resting on it than the stool he was perched while imbibing whatever knocked him out.  two tables in the middle of the room sit empty.  In the back corner, a Gith sits with a galls of ale, large sheets of paper stretched before her, which she etches diligently with a fountain pen.  She does not look up when you enter.  The barkeeper is a human woman in a dirty frock of faded mustard hue.  "Welcome to the Yawning Rat.  What can I get ya?  I've got ale or ale. So, what'll it be?"

"Ale for me, not sure of the others, there are so many choices after all." Leann says as she moves to the bar.

The bartender (barback?) grabs a pin and sets it on the bar, placing a pewter tankard beside it. "'At'll be  two stingers."

"That's two pieces of silver.  Sigilians call such jink 'stingers' because of the unspleasant sensation fiends experience when handling them." Gearbox notes.

"Noted." Omiy replies Gearbox.

"Nice, I'd take dirty ale over throwing away 40 gold for a bed everyday." She places a few silver coins on the counter, and looking back at her companions, "and 7 rooms for tonight, if you've got them. And y'all still serving larva steak for breakfast I heard?"

*ooc: Actually, that was the Turby Inn (I know, its a big world!) but, what the hell, let's just say theyre attached (theyre both in the Market Ward after all).  I am trying to get you guys to talk to this Gith.

"Sure, taht'll be 2 stingers for the ale and 2 for each room." the bartender replies, hauling another pin of ale to the counter and supplying another glass.  She waits to see the coins before reaching for the room keys, which hang on a rack of hooks within a cabinet, itself secured with an in-built lock.   

As you sit at the bar, Gearbox tells you about the githyanki woman in the corner in a whisper: "Djhek'nlarr is a wanted criminal, her association with Estavan is a guarded secret.  He must think you Clueless pretty capable if he sent you to see her.  She works secretly for Zedara (as does Estavan, though their working relationship spans overt and covert lines) and, most notably at this moment - knows both where the Toad Pool is, and some dirt on Shemashka and even some secrets about the Lady of Pain and the few legitimate threats to her power that have ever been.  See, when the Lady is none too keen on the happenings in Sigil, she might be so inclined to teleport a blood to one of her mazes.  Djhek'nlarr there is in the business of mapping those mazes.  She tries selling them, but to what purpose, I can't say.  Whatever you do, don't let hower suck you into one of her schemes.  you wouldn't be among the first that found themself mazed on her account."

Gearbox is too cute to resist! Look at his one big eye, and he's even got little wings. Snarky little robot.

Omiy fetches herself a stein of ale, approaches the woman who was drawing a picture and holds out her hand. "Djee - Djhek'nlarr, is it? Hi. I’m Omiy. We’ve met Estavan tonight and he told us you are the one to talk to for um, special maps.“ She winks at her - Omiy is a bit tipsy now. She sits herself down, then continues, “have you heard of Kwalish, by any chance?”

Hondo sits down with Omiy and talks to the Gith. “I’m sorry if my friend seems a little...tipsy. We are looking for Kwalish and we are told you had special maps. If you could help us we would greatly appreciate it.”

The gith continues to look at rhe map spread across the table before her as she begins to speak. "I dont know whl that is.  My name is Pnorr, and yeah, I do have some very special maps."  She looks up.  Her expression says it all: 'Who wants to know?' But as she considera hwr options (fight? flight?  coerce?) she sees the emblem od the Timekeepers adorning a handful od the group and realizes they must have been sent by Estavan.  At rhis realization, she rekaxes a bit, but quickly rolls up the map she had on the table. (Hondo and Omiy can make a perception check, DC 10).

"Kwalish...  He was before my time here in the Cage. But that don't mean you've come to the wrong place.  See, some folk, they keep track of the portals - the ones that come and go.  We got books, but only the Fraternity has got the official one.  Thing is, anything in this place can be a portal one day, so sometimes one opens up and its gone before even the canniest portal hunter's ever heard of it.  Some of those never make it into the official book, so no portal log is truly complete.  Estavan had the best of 'em.  I seen it. I know what happened to Kwalish.  Estavan does too, but he wouldn't send you there.  He won't be held to account, not that one.  So, I can only assume you've come here to buy this information from me, is that it?"

Sitting at the bar Leann sips her ale, not overly concerned with the quality of the drink. Her blond hair is tied back in its normal tight braid, running down the back of her plate armor, and nearly to her waist. She glances over as two of her companions move to talk with the gith at the table, but leave them to it as she continues to take another sip of the below-average ale she has in front of her.

Perception (with disadvantage because Omiy's drunk): 5

Listening to the gith talk, Omiy's attention kind of drifts away until the final question that brings it back. She shakes her head, sticks her fingers into her hair and turns to Hondo, waiting for him to chime in, "em, yeah, that's why we're here, right? How would you be willing to trade?" She asks, before she gestures a map in the air with her finger, "on an unrelated note, do you know the way to the 'toad pool' as well?"

Omiy sees the map as the gith covers it (minus the banned by Harmonium stamp)

With a thin smile, the gith replies "A friend of a friend me, name o' Xideous is looking for something.  What he seeks I believe is on the other side of the portal what Kwalish got himself pulled into.  Its a book of truenames.  He wants to add its contents to his book of holding.  My patron wishes him to succeed in his endeavor, and to this end, I will tell you for no charge where you can find the portal that leads you where you want to go.  And by chance or fate, your other other question bears the same answer.  The place you seek is a tavern called The Styx Oarsman.  The Toad Pool is a booth in the place frequented by the Three Toads insufferable Massix, Schliphis, and Pollixen."

She is silent for a moment, then continues, "There is something though, that you'll need from Zedara; she has it in her possession.   Best wait till 'morrow to go see her about it.  The portal won't open without it, not for another couple of hundred years according to the books, anyway.  Meanwhile, I can give you each one of these." She withdraws several symbols crafted of brass-colored metal from her hoodless black cloak, rattling as she does so, the many red beads which adorn it.  The longsword she wears at her hip can be glimpsed as she does so.  "The Symbol of Aoskar, the Portal God. Wear it for luck. They're my gift to you.  You'll need it, if what I heard is true.  The thing that Kwalish was following, it aint to be trifled with."

you each receive a symbol of Aoskar

Huarache will cast Identify on that before he long rests. The holy symbol for a portal god is bound to have some kind of conjuration magic or something.

"Thank you, the information is really helpful. The Styx Oarsman, portal, toads. " Omiy says, she happily pins the symbol of Aoskar next to her Timekeeper's emblem. "Where can we find Zedara tomorrow?"

"Zadara sticks to her formidable, razorvine-covered fieldstone case in The Lady's Ward. I'd advise you get there early or Kubriel might just turn you away on sight." the gith suggests.

"Perfect! Oh, and another thing," Omiy squints her eyes in thought, hand propped up on her chin, finger touching the lower lip, as she quietly asks, "what kind of dirt do you have on Shemashka? And can I do to, say, get one of her lackeys fired? Gosh, they were so rude."

"Another please." Leann tells the barkeep as she keeps an eye on her companions.

Quote from WhiteByakko >>

"Perfect! Oh, and another thing," Omiy squints her eyes in thought, hand propped up on her chin, finger touching the lower lip, as she quietly asks, "what kind of dirt do you have on Shemashka? And can I do to, say, get one of her lackeys fired? Gosh, they were so rude."

The gith who calls herself Pnorr ponders on this for a minute, "A good percentage of the time her information is distributed in a self serving fashion to seed Sigil’s Cross-trade, and another good chunk of her information is self fulfilling prophecies. She’ll make claims of burgeoning events with no basis in fact, wanting some opportunistic Sod to see them through to her benefit. The Anarchists were often tripped up by this fact yet they, like all the others, routinely paid her far too much Jink for her gem-lined Screed. As to her servile groomer-guards, if it was me I'd just take 'em out.  They'd never see it comin' neither.  They ainto so tough, neither too is that yugoloth boss of theirs.  Now get lost and leave me to my business."