SE04 : EP02 - Nothing Up my Sleeve Part I

The party ends up getting conscripted to help out the The Chamber of Commerce via Bandix Kor in so much as investigating a robbery. It will require use of a spelljammer from the Rock of Bral. They gather at the The Oculus with Kellasin Leafstrider arriving bothered from an argument with Aoh-Gynn over the current selection of Aspirants for the next trail of Zenith .
  This task was (oh so) generously given to the Meridians by the Chamber of Commerce, having heard of their recent “impressive” success at White Clifff . (In reality: the One West Stitch Trading Company, while honest and reliable, is not made up of the brightest of folk, and the merchants of Horizon don’t like dealing with them directly any more than they do the dumbfoundedly-credulous inhabitants of White Cliff.) OWS has recently been victim to a rash of robberies. Given the importance of trade un Byrud, and the simplicity of the people running OWS, the merchants of Horizon have always made sure they were provided with the very best in security systems, seeing it as a good investment. As such this doesn’t usually happen.   The proprietors of OWS are as shocked as we are, and suspect magical means may have been involved, and have reached out to their best customer for help. The merchants, citing the immense cost of the locks and gates, think it far more likely someone simply forgot to lock up.   Once they arrive and taken in the amazing sight of the greatest city in the phlogiston sea, they look into hiring a ship to the plane ofByrud . Yith is distracted by all the wonders around, but finds a pamphlet for the silver sea theater. A note is scrawled upon it "the REAL party is the basement." Its carefully explained that the party will not be going there. Daphix returns from asking around and has found a few promising options. They decide to take a moderately price private charter of a spell jammer called "The Tide of Iron."   Its a nice medium sized yacht with modest but pleasantly appointed. They spend half a day getting to know the crew, the ship, enjoying the food and other amenities. This includes the yam adjacent "Sweet Tater." Also the next morning they enjoy the new food of waffles.   After a few more hours they see their destination. A large asteroid hang in space with a gently sloping cone cut into it's center. Piers, buildings, walkways, stairs, and elevators are hung to spiraling layers of cliff edges. In the deep center industry fires and toils expanding and powering the city. Once they disembark they begin to seek out there contact at the scene of the robbery, the One West Stich.   After dealing with the locals they end with a map and are pointed in the direction of a public use elevator. Riding it down to level three they see the glitzy upper level's glow is fading as this level is relatively modest. They travel for the better part of an hour around the hollow to get to the store.   They enter a well appointed store with twin stone golems guarding the interior. A store keeper, Bray'dun, greets them as he pours though a number of ledgers and manuals. A number of clues are revealed; the shipment was listed as twenty unidentified gems, that had arrived some weeks ago. They have been awaiting the head office to send for investigation. They are then guided towards the store room where the shipment they are investigating was spirted away. Another collection of golems flank the store room. These automatons check for the manifests of shipment to and from head office, and otherwise guard the various rooms.   The keep allows them in as he runs off to gather the relevant documents for the party examine. The storeroom is full of standard sized crates brought in buy a compnay called Faraway Outfitters. A few have been hastily opened. Among them are signs of more carefully opened crates, with the air of professional thievery. Bray'dun returns with an armful of papers. Ryder starts to investigate all these papers, as Miari searches over the space. Kellisin cast dispels any illusion playing in the room. Dramatically the room changes, the haphazardly broken crates are in fact splinters and the carefully opened boxes are in reality sealed tight.   Bray'dun seems to take notice of this. Kellisin's eyes shine silver and the doorbell of the shop rings with Bray'dun hastily excuses himself. The party exchanges concerned looks. "He must be involved, enthralled or otherwise." Rosella states in relation to Bray'dun.   Ryder explains the crates marked silks are marked as high risk. Opening the sealed silk crates reveals only scrap rags. Kellisin's eyes change again as he keep the shop keep distracted. Rosella helps Ryder pour through the books and documents, check the various threat codes from the manifests. Mirai looks over the splintered remains of the gem crates. Yith investigates the remaining silks boxes confirming that they are dirty scraps, even though the illusion try to weave in to the changeling's mind.   They let Bray'dun back in. He ask what they have found. They find him completely uninterested by the room in it's now dispelled state. They probe him for information and try to figure out who back in Horizon is running this operation, and Faraway Outfitters for that matter. In fact they see that that where the investigation leads. They find the name Ogun Koudz as a point of contact for the Outfitter in Byrud.   A couple buildings away a almost hunting lodge of a building is festooned in various animal hides, heads, and equipment. A friendly shop keep begins to ply them with the wears of the Outfitters. They ask to see Ogun. He hesitates a moment, and then pulls a level summoning his boss. He chats them for a few minutes until Ogun appears. He beckons them back into the offices. The party hopes the integration will help the plot take shape.