Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

23st of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)

"What about the banknotes?" you ask, sounding it out in duergar, literally 'false-vault-parchment' with the implication of 'kindling for the forges'.

Mina swallows a startled laugh as she gives you a dirty look, but she agrees with the substance of your idea at least, taking out the banknotes you had recovered seasons ago from among the moldfolk's grisly bone shrine. "Could you look at these please?"

Though the mistress of the hall does so it's clear she is humoring you at first. Then she frowns, takes out one of the notes and holds it against the light to read. Moving urgently now, Silea Naran takes out a silver eye-piece ringed with diminutive runes and places it on her right eye to study the paper again.

"Aroden's ghost!" she curses suddenly, making Mina flinch.

Is it still blasphemy if the god being insulted is already dead? you wonder as your host quickly leads you up a narrow flight of stairs and through a door that closes with the heavy thump of metal merely disguised in wood. She motions distractedly at a trio of padded chairs, though only Cob takes her up on the offer and that so he can peer out the window from a high perch.

For her part Silea resumes her study of the banknotes, looking each one over with the silver eye-piece and setting them aside. Finally, when she is done, she turns to a point about halfway between Mina and Gorok, unsure of who the leader is and says: "All of these are legitimate. They are worth eight hundred and fifty sails in total, though they really shouldn't exist for reasons that... well never mind that, I'm sure they'd bore you to tears. What can you tell me about where you found these?"

At that the four of you exchange looks and shrugs. No reason not to tell her after all. The only thing you had killed in that fight were moldfolk, their pets, and one of the Hungry Dead. Gorok does run his fingers across the haft of his axe, a reminder that it too had been found in the same haul.

So Mina tells the story, from being hired by a pair of half orcs to clear out a mine their mysterious employer had an interest in, to finding a cargo manifest pinned to a corpse, referencing a certain Egriso of Augustana, and finally to the final resting place of the mercenaries among whose remains you had actually found the banknotes.

"The manifest, do you still have it?" Silea asks sharply.

Thankfully Cob does, having grabbed it at some point along the journey since no one was using it. In spite of the... spiked gate trap designs drawn on the back in charcoal, it still seems to be intact. That does little to set Silea's mind at ease though, if anything she looks even grimmer. She steps out from behind the desk. "You have brought a matter of grave import to my attention and for that I thank you. From here we have two options..." She raises her left hand, cupped as though it holds water. "I pay you the full face value of these notes, despite the fact that you are not the intended beaer your deeds so far have more than compensate for that, or..." she raises her right hand in like gesture: "I retain your services to help deal with the problem you have just revealed."

"Isn't that a little... hasty?" Mina asks dubiously. "You've only just met us."

At that Silea glances at Cob, who was sitting backwards on his chair now, eyes barely peaking over the backrest. "Some things are obvious at a glance, like how you four have no connection to the high society of Augustana or Almas. And from your account, which has been materially substantiated, you are quite competent, particularly at, let us say, surreptitious acquisitions."

"What acquisitions would those be?" you ask, starting to understand the shape of this.

"Acquiring more proof of a dangerous conspiracy," she answers, picking her words the way a scout picks his way through a roper's den. "It would be unwise to tell you more than that if you do not agree to the contract. It would simply multiply the chances of information getting to the wrong ears too soon."

Mina seems half-convinced, Cob is always as enthusiastic about sneaking around, while Gorok is more reserved. He could certainly see the use of eleven hundred and fifty more Golden Sails, but he is not one to dive into unknown waters lightly and these you would wager are murkier than most. On the other, hand if you fulfill Silea's deal it would get you something perhaps more precious then gold in the long run, contacts among the wealthy and the powerful of Augustana.

Do you take the deal to acquire more proof of conspiracy for Silea Naran?

[] No, the risks are too great
Exchange the Banknotes for 850 gp

[] Yes, take the deal, you could always use the money and the connections
Receive the above 850 gp in addition to another 1,150 gp

[] Try to negotiate for a more pay
-[] Write in sum

OOC: Social rolls not shown this time around since they would constitute out of character information.