Feb 5, 2023 5:24 pm
As the adventure begins, the PCs have finished exploring their assigned tombs in Wati’s necropolis. While delving in the Sanctum of the Erudite Eye, the PCs encountered a group of rival adventurers called the Scorched Hand, and discovered that the temple’s innermost vault had already been plundered. But these things are perhaps of little concern at this point, burdened as the PCs are with magical trinkets, art objects, and valuable information on Wati’s past. The PCs are likely interested in exchanging their hard-won treasures for gold, but this has become a difficult prospect when so many local vendors have been flooded with priceless relics recovered from the necropolis. In fact, the price of historical artifacts and art objects has dropped so sharply from their sudden availability that merchants in Wati are currently paying only 25% of the value of most items (instead of the normal 50%), and 75% of the value for trade goods and other valuable items (rather than the usual full value).
Fortunately, the Grand Mausoleum of Pharasma has entered into an arrangement with the Canny Jackal, a prestigious auction house and art gallery located at the western edge of the Sunburst Market, to hold an auction where private collectors and other interested parties can bid on items recently brought out of the necropolis. The Grand Mausoleum is also suffering an embarrassment of riches, having spent the past several days accepting percentages of adventurers’ proceeds as payments for healing and magical services—and occasionally confiscating items from adventurers who didn’t show the proper respect to Wati’s honored dead. To serve the community, the Pharasmins have extended invitations to those explorers who participated in the necropolis exploration as well, in hopes of both keeping many of Wati’s treasures within the city by seeing them sold to local collectors and helping coin remain in the local economy.
Once the PCs have left the necropolis following the events in "The Half-Dead City," they receive an invitation from a priest named Ptemenib at the Grand Mausoleum inviting them to the auctions at the Canny Jackal in 3 days. If the PCs want to get full value for their loot, they’d be well advised to attend the auction—and they might even find some items to purchase as well as sell. Until the auction, no major events transpire that require the PCs’ attention, leaving them plenty of time to rest from their adventures and wrap up any loose ends from the previous adventure. If the PCs wish to investigate the guest list, they can do so easily (see the following page for a list of the auction’s notable attendees). Ptemenib himself is difficult to contact—he’s busy with investigations for the church and is unavailable until the night of the auction. If the PCs decide not to attend the auction, they simply lose the opportunity to sell their treasures and look for gear there, before... Well, we'll get to that.
An evening at the Canny Jackal
The Canny Jackal hosts many of Wati’s richest collectors and historians, from local nobles to representatives from An, Tephu, and even Sothis. Auctions traditionally begin an hour after sunset, with a complimentary reception beforehand for the attendees to mingle with one another and enjoy refreshments. This evening, the Jackal is offering cheese-stuffed figs, hard-boiled peacock eggs, onion bread, onion-stuffed squid, fresh and dried fruit, spiced wine, and a sampling of 2,000-year-old honey recovered from one of the tombs. By the time the PCs arrive, several noteworthy members of Wati society have already gathered, and more filter in as the night wears on.
Two dozen attendees other eventually arrive besides the PCs, though only a handful are there to make serious bids.
Notable attendees include (including their wants which will be obvious upon conversing with them):
Baketra (female human): One of Wati’s richest and most notorious gourmands. Keen on forgotten treats or liquors, or artwork.
Basif Iosep (male half-elf): A wealthy coffee merchant and avid document collector, hoping to uncover records related to his own family.
Djat Masakhet and Intef Karam (male and female human clerics of Nethys): Representatives of Wati’s temple of Nethys, the Sanctum of Silver and Gold, looking for unique magic and lost temple records.
The Four Lanterns: A cocksure band of Andoren explorers who participated in the necropolis exploration, seek to sell their loot and buy masterwork equipment and practical magic items.
Khammayid Okhenti (male human): A young scion of the noble Okhenti family, newly returned from his studies in Oppara, eager to find expensive weapons to impress his family.
Manaat Heshwah (female human): The humorless representative of a Sothis trading house, keen on acquiring furniture, housewares, and pottery.
Maru Meshhoten and Namaru Meshhoten (both human females): An aging dowager and her granddaughter, looking for jewelry, clothing, and scandalous books and scrolls.
Menya the Whip (male human): Rail-thin and with an iron handshake, this ambitious young armorsmith is attending the auction to network though he’s also looking for a curious centerpiece for his new armor shop.
Ptemenib (male human cleric of Pharasma): Polite but distracted, Ptemenib is attending the auction as the Grand Mausoleum’s representative.
In addition, you see a few more representatives from other adventuring parties that were at the party at the Tooth and Hookah some time ago. 'The Cryptfinders' and 'Daughters of the Desert', the 'Dog Soldiers', and the 'Sand Scorpions'.
You have a chance here to network and gather rumours. You can make DC 10 Diplomacy checks to find out rumours.
Fortunately, the Grand Mausoleum of Pharasma has entered into an arrangement with the Canny Jackal, a prestigious auction house and art gallery located at the western edge of the Sunburst Market, to hold an auction where private collectors and other interested parties can bid on items recently brought out of the necropolis. The Grand Mausoleum is also suffering an embarrassment of riches, having spent the past several days accepting percentages of adventurers’ proceeds as payments for healing and magical services—and occasionally confiscating items from adventurers who didn’t show the proper respect to Wati’s honored dead. To serve the community, the Pharasmins have extended invitations to those explorers who participated in the necropolis exploration as well, in hopes of both keeping many of Wati’s treasures within the city by seeing them sold to local collectors and helping coin remain in the local economy.
Once the PCs have left the necropolis following the events in "The Half-Dead City," they receive an invitation from a priest named Ptemenib at the Grand Mausoleum inviting them to the auctions at the Canny Jackal in 3 days. If the PCs want to get full value for their loot, they’d be well advised to attend the auction—and they might even find some items to purchase as well as sell. Until the auction, no major events transpire that require the PCs’ attention, leaving them plenty of time to rest from their adventures and wrap up any loose ends from the previous adventure. If the PCs wish to investigate the guest list, they can do so easily (see the following page for a list of the auction’s notable attendees). Ptemenib himself is difficult to contact—he’s busy with investigations for the church and is unavailable until the night of the auction. If the PCs decide not to attend the auction, they simply lose the opportunity to sell their treasures and look for gear there, before... Well, we'll get to that.
An evening at the Canny Jackal
The Canny Jackal hosts many of Wati’s richest collectors and historians, from local nobles to representatives from An, Tephu, and even Sothis. Auctions traditionally begin an hour after sunset, with a complimentary reception beforehand for the attendees to mingle with one another and enjoy refreshments. This evening, the Jackal is offering cheese-stuffed figs, hard-boiled peacock eggs, onion bread, onion-stuffed squid, fresh and dried fruit, spiced wine, and a sampling of 2,000-year-old honey recovered from one of the tombs. By the time the PCs arrive, several noteworthy members of Wati society have already gathered, and more filter in as the night wears on.
Two dozen attendees other eventually arrive besides the PCs, though only a handful are there to make serious bids.
Notable attendees include (including their wants which will be obvious upon conversing with them):
Baketra (female human): One of Wati’s richest and most notorious gourmands. Keen on forgotten treats or liquors, or artwork.
Basif Iosep (male half-elf): A wealthy coffee merchant and avid document collector, hoping to uncover records related to his own family.
Djat Masakhet and Intef Karam (male and female human clerics of Nethys): Representatives of Wati’s temple of Nethys, the Sanctum of Silver and Gold, looking for unique magic and lost temple records.
The Four Lanterns: A cocksure band of Andoren explorers who participated in the necropolis exploration, seek to sell their loot and buy masterwork equipment and practical magic items.
Khammayid Okhenti (male human): A young scion of the noble Okhenti family, newly returned from his studies in Oppara, eager to find expensive weapons to impress his family.
Manaat Heshwah (female human): The humorless representative of a Sothis trading house, keen on acquiring furniture, housewares, and pottery.
Maru Meshhoten and Namaru Meshhoten (both human females): An aging dowager and her granddaughter, looking for jewelry, clothing, and scandalous books and scrolls.
Menya the Whip (male human): Rail-thin and with an iron handshake, this ambitious young armorsmith is attending the auction to network though he’s also looking for a curious centerpiece for his new armor shop.
Ptemenib (male human cleric of Pharasma): Polite but distracted, Ptemenib is attending the auction as the Grand Mausoleum’s representative.
In addition, you see a few more representatives from other adventuring parties that were at the party at the Tooth and Hookah some time ago. 'The Cryptfinders' and 'Daughters of the Desert', the 'Dog Soldiers', and the 'Sand Scorpions'.
You have a chance here to network and gather rumours. You can make DC 10 Diplomacy checks to find out rumours.
