Please Ghost dot here (dot and then delete the post).
(I won't punch you in the face if it is a regular dot, but it's good practice in case another GM would have!)
The adventure begins in Eleder, in the smoky office of Venture-Captain Finze Bellaugh .
Bellaugh welcomes the PCs, asks them to close the door, and motions you to join him around a table at the western end of the room. With a gruff voice he starts ”three of you come highly recommended for this mission by a companion of yours, a ‘Kayaleafwing’ I think was her name."
He strokes his beard, "she's a bit odd and talked very quickly, but I'm pretty sure she recommended you based on your accomplishments against the Aspis Consortium. The other two... well let's just hope you know which end of the spear goes in those snakes.”
He shuffles through some papers and then waves dismissively, "gimme a second to collect my notes and maps. You all know me, but you might as well introduce yourselves to each other and maybe figure out who is good at what."
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With a beaming smile, the short gnome stands up. Noticing she's barely waist level on some of her companions, she scurries onto a chair. "Hello there! I'm Tishka Beger and I make hair dye. You sir, ever consider turning your beard green for a day? Perhaps a golden for the Sun Festival, eh?"
"If you or your friends ever need such things, look me up and I'll cut ya a deal!"
Climbing down from her perch, she stops, half on and half off the chair. "Oh and I don't user spears. Got me trusty whack-a-thingy here that I use when necessary...or when mad...but mostly just when necessary."
Stepping over to the VC, she reaches out and touches his chin curls. "Yes...you would look great in green."
The energetic creature holds an odd stick with a pointy end and a round metal boulder on the opposing side. Her gleaming armor shows beneath a threadbare cloak. Offering a hand to each of you in turn, she adds "Be a pleasure worken witcha!"
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Seeing the bright and beaming smile on the gnome, the dark haired half-elf walks up with his own widening smile upon his face. He carries a finely crafted morning star upon his belt with a starknife upon the opposite hip and a light crossbow upon his back. His clothing offers a small hint of a breastplate beneath, and the man moves with a swift and easy gate as he crosses the room.
"Well met Tishka. I am Ýridhrendir, but most people just call me Ren. I am a humble servant of Desna, the goddess of dreams and protector of travelers."
Admiring the color of her hair, he adds, "I would be very interested in a change of color to my hair. I would leave the color choice to you as I believe the paths that trusted others choose can often reap wonderful rewards."
A Young dinosaur bursts into the room and makes a beeline for the gnome. An elven voice shouts out "No Craoki! come here!" But the gnome sized Trex seems more interested in the scents coming from the gnomes dyes.
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The dinosaur is followed by an elven man carrying a club and dressed in armour apparently made from dinosaur hide*. He pales at the sight of the venture captain. "Down Croaki!" The dinosaur rather reluctantly trots over to him. "Sorry about that Croaki is normally much better behaved than this. I aquired him after a follow up visit to a Grippli village That Kaya sent a very detailed report from. Is she here?"
The elf looks round the room and looks quizzically at Yridhredir."Are you Yridhrendir? So pleased to finally meet you. I heard so much about you from the grippli"
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As the adolescent dinosaur burst in the room, the half-orc leaps out of his chair and places himself between the Desnan cleric and the predator. "That monster from the valley musta had some babies Ren. Get behind me." The well worn flail seems to leap into the paladin's hands. Leveling the weapon at the intruding beast, "Yer mama ain't here runt, but I'm happy ta show ya what she had comin'!"
After Sarathori settles things down, "So wait a minute, this little beastie here is yer...pet? I though ranger 'n druid pets always had ta have fur, like a bear 'r a tiger 'r sumthin'. Ain't that a rule? Coulda sworn that was a thing." He turns back to look at Croaki. Making certain the elf is not looking, he points two fingers toward his own eyes, then at the T-Rex and mouths Ah'm keepin' my eyes on you.
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"Are you Yridhrendir? So pleased to finally meet you. I heard so much about you from the grippli"
"I hope only good things!" Ren says with a pleasant tone. "The grippli where wonderful to us. I am glad to meet you, but what pray tell is your name?"
Patting the burly paladin on the shoulder, he offers a whispered thanks.
"Thank you for the defense Kord, though I am glad it wasn't needed. It seems our path has yet to turn dangerous today, though the day is still young, isn't it Venture Captain..." he says the last at a normal volume direct toward Bellaugh.
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"Forgive me I am Sarathori Goldleap. I have been doing some follow up work to the chronicles Kaya submitted to the society with egard to your adventures in the Mwangi. I am a druid looking to better understand the nature of the elements and there place and I am particularly keen to meet the newcomers from the concordance of elements"
He tuns to Kord "Gruk? There are many druids of more northerly climates who will seek companions of a furry nature here in the warme climes some take the more reptilian creatures to be their companion. I should warn you no druid I know calls their fellow creature a pet and some take great offence when others call their friends pets."
Finally he addresses the gnome "I think Craoki like you Tishka. Do you also do green face paint for the dwarven paladin of Torag they call Kord?"
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With a non-committal nod, "Cute. Gruk ain't here..." pointing to Tiska without taking a breath, "... 'n while she's cute 'n all, she ain't paintin' my face." Kord holds up a symbol to his god, "Ahm Kord, though bein' called a dwarf ain't the worst thing that's happened today. Are you sure you're sure about the fur thing? Cuz I took a class." Kord starts counting off on his fingers as if he's trying to keep the facts in order. "Look, it goes like this: Rangers get bears, druids get big cats, wizards get black cats, human paladins get horses, short paladins get ponies or dogs, thieves can have a ferret, 'n I guess sorcerers get gerbils 'r sumthin'. I mean, they all have fur, right?"
Venture Captain Bellaugh ignores most of the group’s chatter, except when his beard is touched by Tishka. He glances up to stare into her little fey face then sighs muttering, ”gnomes...”
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Books, scrolls, and maps are now spread haphazardly over the table that Venture-Captain Finze Bellaugh currently leans upon. His brow furrows in thought as he surveys one of the maps that lie before him. “Over the last few months, the Aspis Consortium has devoted a surprisingly large number of resources to a mining operation somewhere in the Kaava Lands, beyond Bloodcove.” He circles a general area on the map with his finger before continuing, “Since the operation started, we’ve heard quite a few reports from locals in the Kaava Lands of strange and foreboding occurrences, with many pointing the blame towards to the Consortium’s mysterious operation.”
The venture-captain crosses one arm over his chest, stroking his beard with the other. “Several other Pathfinders are already out in the field investigating. Juliet Diaz has traveled towards Bloodcove on a fact-finding mission of sorts. Meanwhile, Fola Barun has gone out into the Kaava Lands to dig deeper into the locals’ troubling reports. Still, their investigations face a major obstacle. The Aspis Consortium wields considerable influence in Bloodcove, and this influence extends far beyond the city’s borders. If we want to be able to investigate in earnest, we’ll need allies. Fortunately, the Consortium has dropped an opportunity into our laps.”
Bellaugh smiles. He points to Bloodcove on the map and then traces his finger south along the coast. “The port of Senghor lies about two hundred miles to the south of Bloodcove. The Aspis Consortium doesn’t have a strong presence in Senghor—after all, the city has strong independent merchants and no tolerance for slavery. Now, just a little ways north of Senghor is a ruined city called Boali. The mere mention of Boali is taboo in Senghor, as it is widely seen to be an accursed and haunted place. We’ve heard credible reports that Aspis agents have begun excavating for relics in Boali, and this expedition would surely sour their reputation in Senghor. However, the city’s leaders would not take mere rumors as cause for action without solid evidence. They also are unlikely to send their own people to Boali unless they must. That’s where you come in.”
Bellaugh excitedly continues. “If you can find evidence of Aspis activities in Boali, the Society will have a case to gain support from Senghor’s leaders for our future operation against the Consortium. The more you can find about the Consortium’s activities and objectives, the stronger your case will be.” He moves towards a desk at the end of the chamber, opens a drawer, and produces a sealed envelope. He holds it forward and speaks, “This is a letter of introduction from myself to the Senghor Council of Elders, bearing the seal of the Society. It will get you a meeting with some of their representatives in a reasonable amount of time. A fellow Pathfinder and old friend of mine, Mirian Raas, will be dropping you off at the port in Senghor.”
He holds a hand forward as though motioning to stop and then adds, “Before you get too excited about exploring an accursed city filled with all manner of unknown riches and relics, keep in mind that local taboo makes it difficult to discern just how dangerous Boali really is. Be ready to leave the city immediately if you find yourselves in over your heads.”
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As the dino charges in, Tishka instinctively leaps down the from the chair, drawing her duo weapon. "Have atcha!" she cries out, bracing for the piercing wound. Slowly lowering her weapon, she smiles. "Well, aint he a cutie!"
The small woman begins to scratch the animal behind the ear as the others chat. "Oh, I dunno. Never tried it on the face, but...I suppose it could work."
Reaching into her pack, he produces a couple vials. "Kord was it? I dare say it's a good day to dye! You sure you don't want to give it a try?"
"...over our heads..." parrots the gnome, glancing towards Kord. "I think we'll be fine sir. Some of us have heads rather high above the ground."
"You do have such a nice beard...what about going with a red or a blue? That's would really help your eyes stand out...we'll have to chat more later. I bet I could sell some in this Sing-Whore place. Those singer types are always look for new ways to change their looks."
"Any of you ever heard of this place? This Boy-alley?"
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Sarathoi thinks long and hard over Kords words "Would this class you attended have been un by gey human with a knotted ash staff by chance. I am sure he told me all paladins of Toag are dwarves."
He listens to the ventue captain and mulls over the info before adding Trees tell many tales but few of them mention cities. I know nothing of this bough ly . I hope it does contain some boughs"
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Ren nods sagely as he replies to Kord's question but he looks the group as a whole when he speaks.
"As it turns out, I do know something of the City of Boali and the people that lived there. The last known records of the city, if I recall correctly, mention it having been destroyed some 2,000 years ago. There wasn't any mention of a specific cause, just vague notes of some terrible event. Every bit of their culture was lost in that moment."
He steeples his fingers under his chin a moment as he mulls over a thought. Before anyone else can speak up, his eyes brighten as if he remembers something...
"Oh! I just remembered something else! Boalisi explorers were known for venturing far into the Kaava Lands before the collapse of their culture. The few scraps of history that I am aware of speak of them claiming various ruins, but few other sites in the Kaava Lands have been definitively connected to this exploration."
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Ahmande has been a bit silent as the group gets to know each other, but finally perks up. "Tishka, you can definitely dye my hair if you like. Any color! I change it up all the time for fun. Useful for a street performer like myself... even more useful if the city guard wants to target panhandlers. They never recognize the face if the hair changes, ha!"
Shifting back to conversation about business, he continues. "I'm glad to see so many of you again. That last bit was quite an adventure, but I'm happy to stay down her in the Kaava. It's fascinating country for a city boy like myself."
"And I love the idea of exploring a mysterious city in the jungle. Let's do it!"
Bellaugh jumps in, "well I'll be damned, ya'll have yourselves a historian! Don't know what good it'll do, but I expect the Aspis are looking for something long lost so insights like those might help."
He claps his hands together, "all right, if there aren't any other questions then you better be on your way or you'll make your ride unhappy... and trust me, you don't want to cross her."
The group leaves the small office and makes their way to the port with merely the name of a captain and ship. Locating the vessel, Daughter of the Mist, they are greeted by a shiphand and taken to the Captain as she oversees loading of cargo.
An intense look greets you coming from a dark skinned woman who looks well equipped for a fight. A large bastard sword is slung across her back with a nasty curved dagger at her belt. Two bandoliers cross her chest and waist and you notice her callused feet are unclad. She greets you without fanfare, ”welcome aboard my ship, I am Captain Mirian Ross. Get your gear stowed quickly, we leave within the hour.”
The shiphand shows you to the general sleeping quarters, hammocks for all! He points out straps under the hammocks used to secure any loose gear and adds, ”Captain is a bit brisk, but she loosens up once out to sea. She will probably invite you to dinner tonight.”
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That evening, word comes of that specific invite. Her quarters are small, and even more cramped with seating for 6 now in place. A simple fare of food is presented, fresh fruits and vegetables, some sort of meat and rice casserole and bread with butter. For dessert a delicious cream pastry. She looks at you and motions to have a seat as she takes her place, ”so, you all look at least to be a little bit experienced. Sit, eat and enjoy. The meals after this won’t come close to comparing.”
She asks as you start eating, ”do you all have a plan or would you like my thoughts?”
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Sarathori makes sure Croaki is settled the young dinosaue is not enjoying his time cooped up in a ship. He does however join the others in the cabin. "So" He briefly pauses and looks around the cabin seeing no sign of a knotted ash staff he asks his question. "What do you know of this ruin Boughally? Is it filled with trees? Sarathori obviously has little interest in Senghor their destination
Mirian Ross takes a swig of wine and then responds, ”well I honestly don’t know much about Boali (she pronounces it ‘Bow-Ahh-Lee’), but it is a really strong taboo to even talk about it in Senghor. I’d guess a superstition that strong has a bit to do with both something in the city’s past as well as current dangers, or at least recent dangers. But as to specifics, I know not.”
She pulls a little chunk of meat off her plate and flips it to Croaki. Turning to Ahmande with an actual glimmer of a smile, ”oh no handsome, my I live here on the sea. Senghor is just one of my many ports of travel so I can keep my home afloat.”
“But Senghor I know a bit more about. It's a port city on the Bay of Senghor. It was founded 2,000 years ago and was built like no other city of its age. Its harbor is strong enough to protect it from storms coming from the Eye of Abendego, and it could hold off a naval assault by a fleet far stronger than any that has ever been in the area. As far as anyone knows, anyways. The people of Senghor rely heavily on ocean trade, and they will not for any reason deal with slavers, even suspected slavers. The ruling class is also heavily focused on expansion as of late, which may soon put them at odds with Bloodcove and the Aspis Consortium.”
She pauses briefly to move her plate to the side and pull the dessert in front of her, ”you’ll have to deal with the council when you make your case. But I’d suggest collecting your evidence first. The council won’t even give you the time of day unless you have something good to present. They are comprised of representatives from the nobility, the priesthood of Gozreh, the merchants’ compact, and the military. While it would be highly doubtful you would be able to speak to the leaders of each faction, you could certainly speak with representatives from each. So long as you have a unanimous decision from at least one representative from each ruling faction during your meeting, you will have the full support of the council on whatever matters you are discussing. Either during the day or in the early evening, head over to the council hall and show them the letter of introduction that I expect the venture-captain gave you. That should be enough to get you a meeting; however, then it’s up to you to present your case. I doubt you’ll get a second chance.”
She tucks into her dessert, enjoying it immensely
Mirian appears to be thinking on the question for a bit, "well that is a good question. Let me see, the last time I had to get a permit I remember... not that much about each group. It was pretty simple. But I do recall getting a few tidbits from the staff there before I went in to present my paperwork. If you have time right before the meeting, that might be a good avenue to try."
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The several day travel goes uneventfully. As promised, the food is not nearly as good for the remaining meals. Salted meats, dry breads and cheeses, citrus fruit and water to drink compose your options. The crew seem friendly enough and only get annoyed if you interfere with their duties. The ship is kept clean and orderly and you pull into the bay early in the morning.
The sunrise illuminates the deep waters of Senghor’s harbor with shades of orange and red, as the enormous, centuries-old defenses rise against the horizon. Massive towers built with immense stone blocks flank the harbor’s entrance, showcasing the city’s architectural marvels.
Soon enough you disembark with the Captain who guides the group to the grand market, located in the city center. ”Resupply as needed and meet me back at the Daughter of the Mist by midday. I need to go track down transport for you to use to get to... you know. If you get a chance, you can ask around and maybe get an advantage over those snakes.” She slips through the crowd and heads back the way you came.
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Ahmande spends a few hours getting to know the layout of Senghor; he finds a nice street corner in the market area to set up; he begins a mime performance, collecting a little coin, and a little more information. Indeed, the locals are very hesitant to speak of Boali; it's only a few people--all who were originally from other areas before settling in Senghor--who eventually share some of what they know with the elf. The few that he can get to speak, though, end up being quite vocal.
Returning to the group, Ahmande shares what he knows, focusing on a clan of boggards that call themselves Tralika, and follow a mobogo that they title the Great Queen.
Ahmande recalls seeing an image of a Mobogo in a childhood story book. It appears to be a massive winged 3-eyed toad that can swallow people whole... multiple people. From what he recalls, you can guess that it is a Huge Magical Beast.
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"So, with the taboo of discussing the 'haunted town' do we need to sneak out of town to go there? Also, I'd be interested in expanding my markets here. It seems like a place in dire need of some hair dyes. Any recommendations on who to contact?"
Unable to stop herself, the woman begins giggling. "Kord...you've got a bit...right there...no, not there. There. Yeah, it looks like you had a bit too much fun with a...HE HE HE, yeah, you got it."
"Hmmm, seems Boy...Ba..Bow-Ally, is outlawed entirely. Apparently the first rule of 'Don't talk about Bow-Alley' and the second rule of 'Don't talk about Bow-Alley' are just the beginning."
"I could join you with the shopping. I'd like to check with the shopkeeps and see if there are any permits necessary to commence trade here as well."
As Tishka is moving around the market, inquiring about starting up a business she notices something... peculiar. No hair. Maybe it's a long ingrained cultural thing, maybe there have been outbreaks of lice, maybe it's just a local style. But regardless, most of her discussions go okay until she mentions her wares and then... well the best result after that is a chuckle with the addition of, 'young lady, either purchase something or stop wasting my time."
As everyone attempts to gain some information and make inroads with the locals, some have success, some do not. Either way, the sun is soon directly overhead and the docks beckon. Waiting for you in front of a ratty little fishing boat is Mirian with the crewman who showed you around earlier.
Smiling, ”so I’ve managed to procure a decent little fishing vessel for your trip across to... you know. You shouldn’t have any major issues, these boats are made to handle even some of the storms that roll in. If you’d like, I can send Wallace here along with you to pilot or assist.”
She looks up at the sky, ”I’d suggest leaving now as the weather is good and the trip is about a full day’s sail, though you can shorten that a bit with some good seamanship.” She looks at each of you and mouths, ‘good luck’ as she walks back towards her ship.
White-Tooth Wallace replies with a confident smile, "oh yeah, I can getcha across. Jest rest yur pretty heads and we'll make it."
He looks at the little gnome and laughs, showing his pearly whites, "skilled enough for this little thing I 'spect." Speaking condescendingly he adds, "though I happily bow to your expertise if you wish to take the lead."
He climbs aboard the fishing boat and jabs mockingly, "shall I get you a box to stand on to see while you steer?"
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Subconsciously, her hand slides the weapon strapped to her back. "I'll...be....fine..." she sneers through clenched teeth. "I...suggest....you....watch what....you say."
Turning away from the man, she takes a few deep breaths, regaining her composure. "I'm sorry for offending your honor. I, I can understand how that would be insulting. I didn't mean anything malicious, I swear. If you'll allow me, I would be honored to aid your expertise in navigating this vessel."
Realizing that he may have gone a bit to far out of his own anger, Wallace relaxes and throws out a beaming smile, "ah... I am sorry as well for my comments, they were... hasty. Let's just leave all that in our wake then."
He offers a hand to each pathfinder as they board, "shall we get on our way?"
White-Tooth Wallace takes the helm and throws commands in rapid succession as they pull away from the dock and make their way out of the harbor. He manages to easily avoid bumping against anything in the tight areas and with the keen eyes of Ahmande at the prow you are able to slip ahead of several slower moving ships as the assisting crew works quickly to get the sails in place on the nimbler fishing vessel. Bolting into the open sea Wallace breathes a sigh of relief, ”the hard part’s done, now we just hope the weather stays clear.”
With that everyone settles into routine. Sarathor trades off periodically with Wallace at the helm to give him breaks, but no time is lost as he keeps them expertly on pace. Even Croaki manages to help a little bit, hunting down three rats that had stowed away. Tishka, being the only one able to both climb and actually sit on the top bar of the mainsail keeps a close eye out in the distance. As they approach the other coastline the sun sets. However, with her excellent vision she is able to keep them moving at full speed under the clear moonlit sky. Dawn breaks and they can see their destination. As they near the coastline they can see a few stone ruins poking up from the jungle to indicate they are in the right area. It is approximately 0900 with clear skies, you definitely shaved some time off the trip, but the small boat did not provide a restful night and no one was able to get a full night’s sleep.
While White-Tooth Wallace shows no sign of immediate fatigue but he nevertheless advises everyone, ”all right, that’s my job done. I’m gonna take a nap, I’ll leave it up to you for the rest. Wake me when you need to head back.” He retires into the small bunk room and shortly you hear deep snoring.
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Ahmande finds that he enjoys the boat trip, and takes to the maintenance of the sails with ease. Elves have always known how to take a wakeful night in stride, and Ahmande finds he is in good shape after the overnight trip.
He joins Sarathor and Kord in a scan of the beach for any sign of the Aspis' tracks, but is enjoying taking in the local flora and fauna too much to notice anything of significance.
The group slips the fishing vessel up close to the shore and ties it off against a few gnarled but sturdy roots. The snoring is still constant from the cabin, but now the sounds of the jungle start drowning it out.
Making their way into the old city, everyone keeps a close eye out for enemies and signs of the Aspis. Many foot and paw prints are found in the soft muddy ground, but none appear to be from booted humanoids. After about a half hour, Kord slips and falls. Catching himself right before face planting he notices something peculiar, boot treads in the mud.
Pointing it out the group quickly finds more matching prints. You all can easily follow the trail of the Aspis from here. It appears they have headed deeper into the city ruins. What do you do next?