The Golden Serpent (Abadius (I) 17th, 4708 AR)

Around midday, just after lunchtime, the Pathfinders were called into Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin's office in the Grand Lodge of Absalom for an important new mission.

Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin was seated behind his large and meticulously arranged desk, and he was not alone. At his side behind the desk stood the smirking, mustachioed likeness of Guaril Karela. Ambrus gestured to the chairs set forth before the desk, then began his briefing.

"Some of you may not be acquainted with Mr. Karela. He's an ally of the Society and he's provided the Decemvirate pertinent information concerning this situation. I've invited him to participate in your briefing. Please extend to him every courtesy." Ambrus nodded at Guaril to take the lead.

Guaril preened at the recognition and spoke with a dockside slang. "By way of my own resources, it's come to my attention there's an individual looking for a buyer for a collection of valuable lore. These are legends - researched, annotated, and correlated with allegedly verifiable sources and maps. This poor, unfortunate soul has gotten himself in over his head with the loan sharks, and he's seeking to liquidate his assets before he finds himself liquidated - if you follow me." Guaril grinned toothily before sobering. "Cap'n Vaslin and I have arranged a meeting with him. We've let him think he's getting paid on the spot, but that's just to ensure that he actually shows up. He needs that money. But the Pathfinder Society doesn't survive by trust alone. You're going to need to talk him into coming to a safe house while we authenticate his collection and verify it's worth the gold we've promised him. It's the best offer he's going to get without also eating his own entrails, because the Aspis Consortium has no reason to look out for a man with a price on his head. This is not a complex job. No deep politics, planar gallivantin', or diggin' fleas out of your trousers. Nevertheless, this collection could spur many more meaningful missions to come. Good coin and uh - lost secrets and such-"

"Exactly," Ambrus Valsin interjected. "I'm already aware Grandmaster Torch thinks this is beneath your station. What he needs to understand is that the Ten view any success as a victory, especially if it opens up more leads for the entire Society. This individual, by the name of Syrdathiel, is an elf with expensive tastes. He wants to meet somewhere he feels safe. The Golden Serpent is a high-class restaurant in the Ivy District. That quarter of the city is routinely patrolled by its own paid mercenary force and the volunteer efforts of an order of paladins. Security shouldn't be a problem, but by selecting you we're leaving nothing to chance. Just persuade him to come in for the night, and in the morning he can walk out with cash in hand to settle his problems. If all goes well, you can be in soft beds before the night is over. There's no travel expenses required here, but the Society is glad to reimburse you for dinner. I 've eaten there myself; the menu is impeccable."

The heroes had until dinnertime to make any purchases they wanted. Time was short and they were not going on a long journey or to an extreme climate; appropriate attire was more crucial than specific adventuring gear.

The Ivy District

The heroes had insight into the local community in advance of the meeting.

The Ivy District is among the safest quarters of the city. It's the home of many craftsmen, artisans, and minor nobles.

The Golden Serpent

The heroes had information about the restaurant.

The restaurant recently came under new management, but this has not diminished its sterling reputation. Famous artists, politicians, and city celebrities frequently dine there.

The new owner of the restaurant is a young woman with a noble air named Sendeli Foxglove. She is not a native of Absalom, but rather a wealthy immigrant who bought the Golden Serpent outright with the bulk of some personal inheritance. She is considered a local mystery.

Showdown at the Golden Serpent

The Golden Serpent was a sizeable, well-lit establishment with a raised stage occupying the center of its common room, a roaring fireplace on the west wall, and a long bar along the east. An elevated row of tables overlooked the main floor on the room's northern edge. The mood was subdued, but very few paused to take any notice of new arrivals. Over a dozen wide round tables filled the room, most packed with customers; one table was conspicuously empty.

The heroes arrived at the Golden Serpent without incident, but the situation there was not as it appeared. Villains took its owner, staff, and all its patrons hostage. Under the threat of wholesale slaughter, the crowd was forced to participate in a charade for the heroes' benefit. The heroes met with an elf masquerading as their contact. The imposter wanted to exchange a collection of maps and data in exchange for the gold that Syrdathiel expected, and, once the meeting concluded, to rob all the restaurant's patrons.

The sound of conversation and the appearance of wait staff serving guests belied that something was wrong. The villains had coached the patrons and staff of the Golden Serpent so the hostages did not tip the Pathfinders off to the reality of the situation. People noticed the Pathfinders arrive, but carefully and artificially did not pay much attention to them. Dinner guests did not move around the room. The wait staff did so carefully, bringing drinks and food to tables, but exchanged no more than a few sentences with their customers. There was conversation at every table, but it was intimate, which could legitimately be attributed to the ambiance of the restaurant. The heroes sensed there was definite tension present that was deliberately being held in check.

The villains had discouraged the crowd (under pain of death) from taking any initiative in this situation other than for Sendeli to take the heroes' dinner order when they arrived. The room responded to the heroes carefully since that's what it took to maintain appearances. This alone did not drive the villains to attack.

The elven villain posing as Syrdathiel, was seated at the otherwise empty table in the center of the room, northwest of the raised dais. He gave the heroes a meaningful stare when they first entered, and nodded and gestured to them to sit once they noticed him. Resting on top of the table was a leather folio, tied shut with leather straps. Amistis knew enough about Syrdathiel and the situation to lie convincingly.

The elf refused to follow the heroes to the safe house for payment later. Instead, he attempted to ascertain whether that decision was set in stone and he could talk the Pathfinders into changing their minds. He wasn't able to (Ambrus Valsin and Guaril Karela were explicit).

Sendeli Foxglove interrupted the negotiations, before they got too close to a conclusion. She was a stunning woman with prominent features, long blonde hair pulled back with a begemmed hairpin, and fine clothing. Under the pretense of taking the heroes' dinner or beverage orders, she attempted to pass a Pathfinder a secret message without drawing the elf's attention. Sendeli believed that if the Pathfinders didn't intervene against the villains, many innocent people were going to be hurt or killed. Toward that end, she did whatever was necessary to warn the heroes so they could get the drop on the villains.

Sendeli had a prewritten note she wanted to get to a hero without the elf noticing. She could only deliver the note to one hero. She sent a secret message through innuendo to the heroes to let them know she had a message to slip them.

"That is not the elf you're here to meet (someone else got here first and took the other elf and left, along with whatever else it is you hoped to obtain). These bastards have taken everyone hostage in order to fleece you Pathfinders; and once they get you out of here, they plan on robbing everyone in my restaurant.

There's one by the door and another one up above. They claim they'll burn the place down if we warn you.

For the love of everything descent - help us! Even if you leave, I know many of these people are going to die!

Sendeli Foxglove"

There were two thugs positioned on opposite ends of the restaurant. They moved quickly to the elf's aid when a fight broke out. The thug on the raised platform overlooking the room had a golden chain from which hang a number of golden spheres. The thug detached and hurled the spheres. When a sphere arrived at the end of its trajectory, it detonated.  The thug used this to panic the crowd. He lobbed spheres into the largely vacant center of the room, more to make a scene - and catch any heroes in the blast he could - than to injure the restaurant's patrons.

The heroes killed the elf.

The villain with the golden chain looked for likely clusters of targets, but refrained from injuring his own allies. Sneak attacks with feints were preferred to inflict additional bleed damage.

Sendeli got out of the way of the combatants, but bravely aided any hero defending the Golden Serpent.

There was a the sense of fear and panic from the patrons in the room. Dinner guests got in the way of the fight, dishes and objects were thrown at the hostage-takers, and parts of the Golden Serpent caught fire from a stray golden sphere.