One Night in Suderham (so far)

After spending time rumor mongering in the common room, the adventurers retired for the night, but not without some concern. Worried that they are in the very headquarters city of their enemies, they elected to keep watch. Though they got some odd stares from other inn patrons at the White Knight, no crises arose during the night.
In the morning, after a quick breakfast, they set out into the streets to get some information. Tesrae wanted to obtain a membership in the fighter's guild so she could continue to walk around in her heavy armor. She was directed to the Fighting Man's Haven, a tavern with some rooms above it, to join.
At the Haven, a relatively rough and tumble place, Tesrae went up to the bar to speak ask about guild membership. Meanwhile, the heroes noticed an old acquaintance eating breakfast alone: Devdas, one of Mendel the merchant's bodyguards. Gil went up to speak to him while Kendrick and Bob, who knew Devdas best, stayed outside. Devdas wasnt' really receptive to Gil's attempts to draw him into conversation but it seemed, between the brief conversation and a chat with the bartender, that Devdas and his wife Ohtar were currently out of work.
Tesrae learned that obtaining membership in the guild was easy. She just needed the money to do it. After a brief trip to the moneychanger, she was able to pay the 50gp fee, put her X in the ledger next to her name, and she had the token she needed to prove her membership. The bartender was otherwise reasonably helpful, telling the heroes that Devdas's wife was out actively looking for a new job. He professed to not know the circumstances of their current unemployment. Gil left a message with the bartender for the couple, leaving himself cryptically identified but linked with Markessa.
The adventurers decided to get a look around the slave market in an attempt to figure out where Dame Gold and the others of her household might be held. The market, built rather like a small colesium, was not yet open but merchants were beginning to line up. A few questions placed around confirmed that Mendel was in town and staying in an upscale place near the wizard's guild, an inn called The Angel. The heroes then decided that they really needed to get the lay of the town and started to explore.
As they looked about town, they found a smelly flophouse, other taverns including the Magic Missile, Denhow's Pub and Grub, a gambling hall called the Bouncing Bugbear, and a couple of brothels called The Rose and the Wild Cat.
While exploring, they noticed that they had picked up a familiar tail. The half-orc they had seen the night before was following them, though at some distance. After a quick split up with Gil going one way the the rest of the party another, the half-orc continued to follow the bulk of the party. Meeting back up, they decided to try to lead him into a cul-de-sac and have it out if necessary. They wound their way into an alley in the mercantile quarter but the half-orc kept his distance. Deciding to press the issue, Gil and Kendrick hustled back to contront him.
The half-orc was reasonably non-chalont, not making any hostile moves and when confronted, confronted the heroes back. He told them that they did not belong in Suderham and asked to know why they were there. He said flatly that being slavers was not in their natures. Gil played it coy and both parties kept their cards held closely. Eventually, they agreed to discuss things over lunch.
At the White Knight, the adventurers got a private dining room and started laying cards on the table. The half-orc, now identified as Rogord, said that he was sent from the Kingdom of Keoland to keep an eye on the machinations of the Slavelords, particularly their guests, members of the Scarlet Brotherhood (who openly walk about town, acting like they own the place). Gil and the rest of the heroes admitted that they were pursuing Mendel and in search of a landed woman who had been captured by the Slavelords. Gil referred to Dame Gold as Uncle Larren's nanny, largely hiding her full identity.
Rogord was able to provide the adventurers with some information. Apparently, Mendel is making a bid for the leadership of the wizard's guild and is causing trouble for the current guildmaster. He is handing out scrolls right and left to just about anybody. He also told them that invoking the name of Markessa has probably brought the Slavelord's attention to them, she being a rumored favorite of Edralve, one of the Nine. During the conversation, the adventurers acknowledged that they sacked the stockade and that they were, in part, gunning for the Slavelords themselves.
Before he took his leave, Rogord told the heroes that he may be able to arrange some help for them if they were truly interested in taking down the Nine. He would also use his contacts to try to find the people they want to rescue.

Scuttlebutt of Suderham

It was the afternoon of the 21st of Goodmonth and the weather was fine as the small band of heroes made its way through the streets of hidden Suderham, reputed headquarters of the Slavelords. The streets were busy and it was impossible not to notice that many of the people out and about wore collars as a sign of their servitude. Gil noted that they generally avoided direct eye contact, but he also noted that many of the locals who were not obviously slaves avoided the gaze as well.
Kendrick made his way, with the directions of a street urchin, to the moneychanger to get some of the local currency. The man, seated behind his barred window charged a steep 15%. "Taxes and fees," he said. Kendrick kept his costs low by only changing 100 gold coins.
Meanwhile, Gil, Tesrae, and Bob Arby went to the White Knight Inn. Gil put on the bluff about representing Markessa again, but the bartender/innkeeper and the help weren't terribly impressed at first as they did not know who Markessa was supposed to be. A little bullying by Tesrae and a lot of further pressure from Gil and the maids finally bustled about to make one of the 3 rented rooms presentable for a powerful real lady like Markessa. Gil then watched out the window for Kendrick to catch up.
As the monk passed through the crowd to the inn, he noticed a half orc, powerfully built and in studded leather, staring a little harder at him than he should have. As he entered the inn, Kendrick also noticed that the half-orc seemed to be following him. But, his tail didn't come into the establishment right away and so Kendrick and the others sat down in the common room (after negotiating a deal with the bartender) for dinner.
A short while later, the half-orc also came in. Rumor has it, the half-orc does jobs like bodyguarding for visiting merchants. To Tesrae's trained eye, it did appear that he was a reasonably tough and seasoned character... but looks can be deceiving. As the night wore on, it appeared that the half-orc was trying to be subtle but his gaze did linger on the heroes more often than anywhere else. In fact, after a bit, the half-orc seemed to focus his attentions on Tesrae, only to have his furrowed brow turn to a look of mild surprise.
As Kendrick bought a round or two for the bar, the adventurers learned what information is on the local grapevine.
- There were tremors out near Drachen Keep a couple of weeks ago. It caught local Earth Dragon priests by surprise. They are expected to be preparing a major sacrifice sometime in the next couple of weeks.
- A body of stragglers came in from an outlying fort. Reportedly, there is humanoid unrest in the hinterlands and some tribes have even had the audacity to attack slavelord caravans and burn one of their forts.
- Eanwulf the corsair is in town with news and slaves. He says there's war north of the Nyr Dyv and the Horned Society has driven the Shield Land garrisons out of the border castles.
- Another plague is ravaging the slum, but the local priests (the Earth Dragon cult) won't do anything about it.
- The guard broke up a riot of wizard's guild members near a place called "The Missile". The wizards' guildmaster, Ajakstu, is reportly beside himself with anger.
- A Hextorite evangelist has been seen around Suderham. He speaks until he gets wind of guards coming and then he disappears into the crowd.
- An old building was pulled down in the Trades Quarter and when it went down it revealed an infestation of giant spiders. Most were killed but a few are still turning up.

While Kendrick was schmoozing out all this information from the locals, Tesrae was told by one of the inn's patrons that her armor would probably draw undesired attention from the guards, that is, unless she was a member of the warriors' guild. They get permission to wear armor heavier than studded leather and carry larger weapons.