The city of Padiskar near the northern tip of the Isle of Jalmeray is not so much a city as a ring of small villages surrounding a massive, howling ruin, from which terrifying screams of whatever the Vudrani Maharaja Khiben-Sald left there in ancient times can still be heard. The new Venture-Captain Vasuman Mihir maintains a small safe house for the Pathfinder Society here, taking over from Padiskar’s longtime Venture-Captain Aamina Shahrazad, who was recently murdered by men loyal to Zamir, a bandit lord and rumored Aspis Consortium agent who operates out of the nearby jungles.
Venture-Captain Mihir’s briefing was short and serious.
“This is a fake scepter of the arclords,” he said, hefting a bejeweled staff in his hands bearing glowing runes across its surface. “You will lead a caravan toward Niswan carrying this false relic and several crates of minor magical items. My porter, a young boy named Waman, will give you a detailed travel itinerary, which you must follow with care. Except that it is almost certain that you will be ambushed before you reach your destination, since young Waman is a spy for the Aspis Consortium and has sold out and murdered a dozen or more of our brethren and associates, including our former Venture-Captain. I’m sure of it. The scepter is bait in a trap, and you are the teeth. Do not let on to Waman that you know of his transgressions—we need him to lead us to his master, the bandit lord Zamir. We’ll either make Zamir our man or disrupt his business permanently. I’ll deal with Waman myself once this affair is resolved.”
Venture-Captain Mihir held up a second item, a plain-looking but easily recognizable wayfinder. “This wayfinder is also a fake, although unlike the scepter, it does have real power. The dial always points to the scepter.” Mihir demonstrated, moving the wayfinder in a circle around the scepter, the needle pointing unerringly at it.
“Waman gave Zamir information that enabled the bandit fool to steal artifacts from dozens of our caravans and even from safe houses such as this one. Zamir has a method of disassembling the artifacts so that he can smuggle them off the island with ease, bound for ports of call in Cheliax. What we do not know is where Zamir is, since he never attacks with his men.”
“I gave Waman the information about your journey, so at some point along the route, Zamir’s bandits will ambush you. Previous experience indicates that his bandits will not kill if they don’t have to. Let them steal the scepter. You must put up a small struggle, maybe even kill or injure several of his men, but most importantly you must let them escape and they must escape with the scepter."
“Give them a few hours after the ambush to escape and then use the wayfinder to track Zamir to his hideout. Zamir is an arrogant man whose loyalties lie with whoever can make him famous to the people of Jalmeray. Right now he believes the Aspis Consortium is the answer. You will either convince him that the Society is the answer—as he could be a very powerful ally in the region—or you’ll end his operations for good. How you handle it, I leave to you. Good luck on your journey and may the gods guide your hand.”
|
Kenji sighs, Great... another mission requiring diplomacy... NOT my forte, but I'll do my best, let others do the talking. He looks over any maps of the route and memorizes what he can.
"Get ambushed, put up a fight, let them escape with the staff... wait a bit, then trace and follow the staff to Zamir... convince him to serve the Society or put a stop to his operation. Got it. Anything else we should know about where we're going?"
|
A performance, great! You´ll be not dissapointmed of my job. Jhon looks excited for the incoming mission.
Oh! And we will convince Zamir to be loyal to Society, or make him unable to be loyal to anyone, of course. Having make clear he´s on the mission, Jhon waits until Venture-Captain Mihir answer Kenji question.
Zartrel and Ragnar, please report to the Discussion tab to get me some basic info before we start on the 15th!
Everyone has checked into the thread, however so we are on track for a clean start!
|
"Well" cuts in a fairly innocuous looking man "I can hold onto the sceptre when it comes to that. If they took it off our strong warriors here then it might seem either too easy, or too dangerous, and there's always a chance they might be worried about being chased or such strong fellows seeking revenge, but." he stands with some effort, one leg flesh the other wooden "no one worries about a cripple", he then breaks into a friendly and disarming smile.
He wears the clothes of a sailor, though well made and cut from good cloth - his brocade coat, equally well tailored, suggests he is probably doing quite well as a naval merchantman. The tattoos and earrings suggest a more 'vigorous' seafaring past.
At the end of the second long day of travel through rough hills, a campsite comes into view. Smoke curls upward from a small fire, where a man is tending a roast on a spit. Three more men are setting out bedrolls and four mules are picketed beside a pile of sacks and bundles nearby. They are camped exactly on the ambush site described in Waman’s itinerary.
|
|
Zartrel uses the wand on Zuriel as he shifts about uncomfortably. He whispers to his companions. So should we just walk into their camp unawares?
Well, we want to get taken, but we can't make it too obvious. We should attempt to hide the scepter but do a poor job of it on purpose, so the bandits know where it is. We should approach them cautiously, but in a friendly manner. We want to seem overconfident, but not so inept that they question why we were entrusted with such a task. I think we should approach them together, friendly but guarded. What do you think?
Zuriel asks the others as Ragnar slinks off to scout.
|
|
Mumblypeg spends half his journey mumbling to himself, though at times it seems pretty certain he is actually talking to someone or something else. Things around him seem to move by themselves from time to time.
"Yes" says the affable sailor "We could pull up without too many concerns as one lot of travellers looking to share a campsite with other fellow travellers, better hospitality and the safety of numbers eh?" he smiles broadly once more "Perhaps we can drop a hint or two accidentally and they will be kind enough to simply steal it in the night and clear off, save us having bloodshed"
|
|
"I have a wooden leg and a walking stick" Mumbly makes a show of tapping one with the other, "Surely we can find a way to drop a joke in there about a sceptre being used to either replace or compliment one of them eh? -I could take off my peg to give it a clean in front of them and you could make it a joke at my expense 'Hey Mumbly, i'll get that sceptre out of the cart if you want less splinters' - pretty sure the sceptre will be gone in the morning as a result"
|
|
We also need to consider that these people may be here coincidentally, and may not be the bandits that are waiting for us. If that's the case, we don't want to drag any innocent bystanders into this. Let's approach and see what they are about.
Zuriel's magic changes his clothes to a large hooded robe obscuring all of his armor and gear.
He holds his bardiche in hand, though, and keeps the hood down as he approaches the camp.
Greetings, friends! I am Zuriel. I don't suppose you'd care to share your fire with me and my companions?
"Greetings. New to Jalmeray, friends? I am Phalgun and this is Samarjit. We are travelling to Padiskar with cloth and carpets to sell. It is a valuable time for this. Nine new stars were seen in the night's sky and Irori's number is not found in nature often." greets Phalgun.
Samarjit begins to whisper in Phalgun's ear out of earshot of the Pathfinders, but Phalgun waves him off. "Please join us! Take a seat."
|
|
Zuriel smiles, sitting and putting the haft of his polearm across his lap.
I can't speak for the others, but this is my first journey to Jalmeray, yes. We are here on business, but I still like to take in any sights I can. I am no expert, but could I see your wares? A carpet may be just the thing I need for back home...
You think he's telling the truth as he has given no reason to lie as far as you've seen. "Can show them to you, but can't sell them. Already purchased by a merchant in Padiskar. I'm sure he'd love to sell them to you, however."
|
|
"That's always a good sign" Mumbly offers as he comes into the camp, hobbling slightly on the rough ground and catching his peg on a few rocks "Honest merchants plying an honest trade on the open road - seems this must be a safer place than we were thinking, why just this morning I was wondering how secure these paths might be, but if they are safe enough for carpet sellers to wander without a large retinue of guards then I suppose we can afford ourselves some relaxation"
Mumbly sits down with a bit of a groan, as though rapidly finding relief.
"First time in Jalmeray, yes, sort of - as a sailor you see a lot of ports but not a lot of the country, if that makes sense. Indeed I have seen countless ports, and seen all sorts of exotic cargo, but frankly the ports are all fairly similar regardless of what waters they are built on - tells me little of whats on the far side of them"
He keeps smiling affably, using his walking stick to help ease himself into a comfortable position.
|
|
Also first time of Jalmeray. I´ve made short trips acting some years ago, but never to an exotic land. So I´m enjoying this trip.
Will you mind to share some stories as we share the fire. I know some about kings, mighty warriors and dread beasts..
Jhon is trying to look relaxed and confident, more willing in enjoying the company than in checking the surroundings, even if it´s not completly true.
The men laugh and converse with you, showing you their wares. About an hour later, Phalgun and Samarjit seem to have a hushed exchange of words off to the side. Phalgun seems to win the argument as he comes back and summons all of you.
"I have a confession. We are not normally merchants, but rather we are the footsoldiers of the glorious Kharswan, the Thakur of Jalmeray." Phalgun admits. "We have been sent to stop a man named Zamir. We believe that they are going to be here at some point and we have been dispatched to handle this incursion."
"Now that we have shown you ours, perhaps you will show us yours?" Phalgun says hopefully. Samarjit scowls a bit, clearly unhappy by Phalgun's decision.
|
|
We are Pathfinders, here with an important task, as well. Zuriel produces his Engraved wayfinder, hanging by his belt, and holds it up for Phalgun to see.
So now that you have seen my credentials, as you said, perhaps you will show us yours? If you are acting under the jurisdiction of the Thakur, surely you have something identifying you as such?
Zuriel stands, gripping his weapon tensely.
|
|
Mumblypeg keeps a straight face "Must be the worst bandits in Jalmeray if everybody seems to know their movements, whereabouts, and intentions - and they'd need to be ridiculously brazen to come and assault an armed group of this size" Mumbly uses his walking stick to indicate the size of both groups "And to what end? You might stop the crew but you wont catch their Captain"
The men look at you strangely. "Why would you think that we would carry imagery of the Thakur when we would pose as merchants of fine carpets? Should one of us be captured or seen with this by Zamir's men, then we would surely die a very painful death." they reason.
Phalgun turns to Mumblypeg and laughs. "They are far from the worst, but, yes, they are the most brazen. Their leader is strong right now, but the Thakur is stronger. It is only a matter of time..."
"A foxman, a northerner, a demonspawn and three half elves are not usually in the employ of this so-called Bandit King. In fact, it is fairly obvious that you stand out as you still wear your armor in this heat." Phalgun phrases carefully.
|
|
"A foxman, a northerner, a demonspawn and three half elves are not usually in the employ of this so-called Bandit King. In fact, it is fairly obvious that you stand out as you still wear your armor in this heat." Phalgun phrases carefully.
It is becoming uncomfortably hot, not that you mention it, Zuriel says, and with a word his clothes change into lighter cloth.
The truth is that, we have a plan to defeat these bandits and their leader, and would welcome your help in this matter. But we need this location for now. If you move your camp a mile or two from here, we will provide you with invaluable information about Zamir's bandits in a matter of hours, and we will help you assault them. I give you my word. Do you accept?
|
|
"What my friend is trying to suggest is that we too are on a bit of a hunt ourselves, and whilst I see where he is going, I'd like to make an alternative proposal - stay here, with us. We know we are to be attacked, because we carry a bauble we know they want, and they know we have. So here it is then, friends, when they attack we give them a bit of a seeing to, to make a point - but when they run we let them leave so that we may follow them back to find the head of the snake eh? Now if they all die then that helps nobody, because they will just get more men later and the leader wont be stopped, if you kill or capture a few then you have served the Thakur well and can claim your due credit, and if the whole thing goes to plan you were instrumental in helping stopping Zamir" Mumbly smiles some more, ever gregarious "Everybody is a winner... what do you say?"
Diplomacy
"Interesting..." states Phalgun. "We would be glad to stay and give some of the bandits some pain."
As you are discussing this, two more men walk up to camp. The Pathfinders bristle at the entrance, but Phalgun steps up. "Calm down. These are our other two associates: Maadhav and Radhesh."
Maadhav and Radhesh drop a trio of rabbits and a small boar at the campsite. "They were off hunting to secure dinner." informs Phalgun as he sets to stripping the fur and guts from the carcasses. "They only speak the Jalmeraian Vudrani however."
Phalgun speaks to the men, in ostensibly Vudrani. They seem to calm a bit once they understand the situation.
|
|
"When they come, I'll pick up the sceptre and try make a break for it to the nearest trees - of course a one legged man with a walking stick lumbering through the night on rough ground whilst trying to juggle a sceptre in his off hand will be easy to notice... why if I stumbled it might fall from my grasp, but even if it didn't what sort of defence could I be expected to mount? It would be fortuitous but completely believable that they managed to seize it"
"Meanwhile, feel free to give the rest a good seeing to, to make the lucky break a very welcome one"
Mumbly is happy to be on whatever watch.
The waxing gibbous moon gives some light to the landscape as the attack happens at midnight.
Kenji and Samarjit clearly see the bandits approaching. It appears that there are eight of them.
Initiative:
The bandits loose a salvo of arrows at the watchmen from about 30' away, before dropping their bows and pulling out their battleaxes.
Kenji and Jhon are both peppered with two arrows.
Samarjit gives out a bellow in Vudrani as the other agents shake their heads and grab the nearest weapon.
The bandits yell as Jhon's scepter gleams in the fire light. A flurry of fingers pointing at Jhon go up.
Initiative:
1st: Bandits (#1-#8) (40' from fire)
2nd: Zuriel (@ fire); Zartrel (@ fire); Kenji (10' from fire); Ragnar (@ fire); Mumblypeg (@ fire); Jhon (10' from fire); Agents of the Thakur