Insane Season 5-6 Run (Inactive)

Game Master ScorchedOne

You have been stationed at the Grand Lodge in Absalom, awaiting assignment for a mission of utmost importance. Things finally seemed in motion when Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng sent out a summons for available agents. Specialized in the history of Absalom, Dreng is known for putting off-duty agents to work on sundry tasks when he finds them resting within the city’s limits.

Coming to the meeting place—an odd choice of venue, as it is a street corner far from the Grand Lodge—a lone beggar garbed in baggy robes approaches. The only figure visible in the constant drizzle, the beggar sticks out his hands for currency. “Have you any coin to spare, fine folk?”

The question hangs in the air for only a scant moment before the figure pulls back his hood to reveal the wizened face of Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng. He gives a crooked smile, soaked head to toe from his unprotected time in the rain. His clothes smell faintly of cabbage. “Sorry about that,” he says with a wink. “I always like to play a little joke on agents when I stumble across them during my jaunts into town. Now, why did I summon you fine folk here again…?”

Dreng shakes his head from side to side, as though trying to knock water out of his ears, despite the constant downpour. “Ah yes, the Wounded Wisp! I’m undercover now and can’t stray far from the site I’m watching, but I need someone to retrieve a package for me from that fine establishment. It’s among Absalom’s most storied taverns, you see, and one that holds a special place of privilege in the Society’s lore as the place where the organization began. Well, I could drone on and on about it, but standing out in the rain is doing none of us any favors.” As if anticipating agreement, the bedraggled venture-captain produces a small slip of folded paper from one of his many stitched pockets. Dreng quickly shows a glimpse of the page’s contents: a map detailing the location of the Wounded Wisp bar.

“The bartender is a woman by the name of Heryn Gale, a fine lady who came to own the Wisp after the passing of her father from—oh, bah, it’s really getting too cold for me to give a proper history lesson! If you could just go to the Wisp, and tell Heryn you’re there to pick up my parcel, it would be most appreciated. I’ll be around here for several more hours at least.”

You may ask questions if you have them, though he has little time for your questions, and those of you inclined toward knowledge of things historical might glean some useful information about the Wounded Wisp tavern.

Dotting for now.

dot

The red-haired gnome is clearly new to the city as he looks around at everything in excited awe. When they arrive at the meeting place, he is slightly confused by Dreng's ruse. Is this sort of thing common among these people?

He asks, "Please sir, could you tell us more about who Heryn is and what type of package you need us to retrieve?"

Dreng chuckles before responding, “Before you judge, despite my current attire, I’m still a man of taste. The parcel is actually a special vintage of wine from the cellar of the Wounded Wisp. I’ve been sampling their finer wines in descending order of bottling. I dare not disappear from my current role in this district, but I also would appreciate some comfort items. After all, I doubt anyone would judge a supposed beggar sipping from a bottle of wine.” He seems to have forgotten that you asked about Heryn.

Or maybe the scenario doesn't give me that answer.

"Oh, Sommelier, I never expected that! The Society is such a hoot. Hopefully we'll have time for a glass in The Wounded Wisp ourselves."

The young woman - in rakish, well-made but worn clothes, a fresh feather inserted in a wide-brimmed hat - smiles at the group, "It would be simply super to get to know you all."

Dev is about to give the beggar a coin when Dreng reveals himself. After a quiet laugh at the Venture-Captians theatrics Dev listens to the man's request.

With a wink Dev replied to the Capatian, "We will be happy to retrieve this parcel for you."

Oh, Sommelier, I never expected that! The Society is such a hoot. Hopefully we'll have time for a glass in The Wounded Wisp ourselves."

The young woman - in rakish, well-made but worn clothes, a fresh feather inserted in a wide-brimmed hat - smiles at the group, "It would be simply super to get to know you all."

With a slight bow, the lean but well-muscled, Dev acknowledged the rakish woman, It would be my pleasure to share a drink with you my lady."

His green eyes, sparkle with mischief, as he added, "My name is Dev, Dev Morgan."

Mivvy smiles and gives a small curtsy, "Well, Mr Morgan, we shall have to make the most of our opportunities. I am Myvanwie Hetherington," she pauses, waiting for the recognition she is used to back home but which rarely comes in Absalom characters from Taldor may recognise a minor noble name, before continuing, "But anyone who's anyone calls me Mivvy: Myvanwie is such a stuffy old name, don't you think?"

"Mivvy,"Dev said slowly as if savoring the feel of the word. With a quick nod he continues "No wine could be sweeter on the tongue than your name. It suits you well my lady."

A tall woman emerges from the rain, her cloak shiny from the drenching downpour, she strides up confidently to join the group.

Hearing Mivvy's family name, she inclines her head, "A distinguished name." she says simply, then looks to the other , giving nods of greeting as well, "I am named Saya Teynr."

Turning finally to Dreng, "Wine from the Wounded Wisp...for the Venture Captain...consider it done."

A female tengu in business clothing tries to get water off her feathered arms, to little avail. "Courier duty, huh? Well, I had a feeling that my first assignment would be like that. Good meeting you, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Shaya Memaru, reporter and philosopher. Shall we be on our way to the establishment?"
Knowledge(local)(inspiration): 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 7 + (2) = 10
We have both Saya and Shaya, nice.

Virog shuffles in out of the rain, the stones hanging from his thick weave of braids glinting slightly as water trailed off of them. "Seems a rather simple task to require six trained people for, but then again, I'm not in charge of anything today."

He glances about the group, grins toothily and extends a lanky hand, taking time to shake hands with each person if the hand is accepted, and repeating everyone's names in turn. "Virog Casisto. Your job is my job, and I'm sure we'll do splendid at it."

Mivvy shakes Virog's hand delicately and makes a little bob as she does so, "Charmed, I'm sure."
She then nods at Shaya, "Yes, let's." and begins striding off toward the Wisp.

And they're off!

I'm a map!

Built from dark, discolored wood, the exterior of the Wounded Wisp is the image of an iconic dive bar. Stained and barred windows obscure direct vision into the establishment, though ruddy yellow light bleeds from a window in the front hall. In the hours just before dawn, the building closes long enough for menials to clean and to give staff a rest. The only distinguishing feature on the Wisp’s exterior is a thick wooden sign hanging from above the bar’s entrance. A brass ring fitted onto the sign anchors a lantern—referred to by the staff as “the wisp”— that hangs there during the evening hours.

And assuming we enter:
The smell of smoke and spilled ale assails the senses in this wide-open area. Walls of dark-stained wood make up the sides of the Wounded Wisp, while well-used wooden tables are spread throughout the space. A raised area in the back of the establishment houses several additional tables and eating areas for groups seeking more than just a good drink. An austere bar supported by kegs instead of wooden panels commands the northern end of the room. A stained-glass cabinet stands behind the bar, its dark panes cracked in several spots, yet not so opaque as to conceal the several dozen types of hard liquor within.

Heryn Gale works the bar of the Wounded Wisp, catering directly to those sitting on stools while simultaneously preparing drinks for those at tables and coordinating the wait staff. She offers to escort you to the cellar to retrieve Drandle Dreng’s parcel, but asks that you wait for her replacement to arrive so that she can step away from the bar. During this time, she offers you free drinks and suggests they mingle with the other patrons.

The current talk of the bar is that Sir Reinhart of Kenabres, a Mendevian crusader who recently arrived from the north, plans on attempting the Test of the Starstone, the legendary trial by which one might ascend to godhood. There are a number of patrons with whom a conversation can be had, including:

A small halfling woman, telling stories of Society founder Durvin Gest and the fabled Lens of Galundari.

A human man bedecked in garb which identifies him as a follower of Sarenrae, the dawnflower.

A pair of half-orc twins (fraternal), who seem to be having a splendid time.

An older human male sipping from a large flagon and reading from a large and ominous-looking tome.

Please don't split the party too much. You have time to speak to potentially two at this time. (The twins count as one group.)

Skaf greets all the longshanks with a wide grin. He listens carefully to each name, even though they all pretty much look the same to him. He laughs, "I suppose you are used to gnomes with names longer than their arms. My father is a big fan of brevity."

At the bar, his attention is drawn to the twins and their merriment. "Hello boys! What's the good word?"

The half-orc twins seem like they are prepared to give you a moment to correct your gaffe, as that one is clearly a female. Fraternal twins meaning non-identical. "Small man maybe need to have eyes checked," says the female half-orc.

The male one says "The good word is party! You come to drink with Garl and Shade?" In close proximity such as this, you do notice there are wayfinders somewhere on them. Also in such close proximity, their smell hit you before their arms could.

"A drink, finally." Mivvy joins Skaf at the bar and smiles at the twins, "Hang on... have you ever been to Opara? You remind me of Kargon and Droog, have we met?"

Dev eyed the patrons of the tavern trying to get a measure of the mood of the crowd. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary he is drawn to the twins with Skaf and Mivvy. He raises his glass to the half orcs, "I'd be happy to raise a glass with you. Are you celebrating anything special?"

Looking at the small crowd gathering near the half-orcs, Shaya strides towards the halfling woman, listening intently to her narration. She fishes her journal and an inkpen from an inner pocket of her coat, leaning towards the woman. "Pardon me, milady, I am Shaya, a chronicler by trade. Would you mind sharing the story with me too?"

Half-Orcs
"Oh we celebrating that we are here and like to celebrate! You should too! You are here! Do you like to celebrate??" Shade asks (Shade being the female). They don't particularly seem much for talking, but they are boisterous drinkers, and they seem to attract a small group of loyal folk.

"What brings you to the Wisp?" The male asks, clearly the one who got the brains of the pair.

Halfling
"Oh, hello!" The small woman chirps. "I was just telling these people a history of Durvin Gest. Have you heard of Durvin Gest? He's really quite the amazing Pathfinder. You know, I'm a Pathfinder. My name is Janira Gavix, and I hope one day to have stories told about me. A few months ago I went on my confirmation, now that was a tale to tell. There was a minotaur, and we found a lot of history of times before the disappearance of Aroden. Do you know about Aroden? He's the lost god of Humanity. It's quite a sad tale and I'd be happy to tell you." She seems to talk without breathing much. It isn't quite as annoying as I make it seem, but she has vastly more energy than a grown person ought. She is extremely friendly however and glad to regale you with all manner of story and oratical performance.

Saya enters and smiles at anyone greeting her. Grabbing a seat at the 'bar' within earshot of the talkative Halfling, she listens to the story of Durvin Gest.

As she does so she looks over the room, noting the personalities and the interactions.

Inspired, she takes a parchment out of her kit and a piece of charcoal and begins to sketch the scene before her...

Craft(drawing): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

... her attempt is middling, but it does manage to capture some of the energy of the Halfing's storytelling, and some of the boistrous activity gathered around the half-orc twins.

Frowning down at her effort, Saya sighs, remembering Master Tuok's admonition , "The beauty of the moment is ephemeral...all the better when it is caught!"

Half-Orcs

"Oh we celebrating that we are here and like to celebrate! You should too! You are here! Do you like to celebrate??" Shade asks (Shade being the female). They don't particularly seem much for talking, but they are boisterous drinkers, and they seem to attract a small group of loyal folk.

"What brings you to the Wisp?" The male asks, clearly the one who got the brains of the pair.

Not sure how much of their mission he can share and embarrassed by the lowly errand Dev replied circumspectly, "The same thing that bring most to the wisp, good drink."

Instinctively, Shaya mirrors the halfling's energetic behaviour. "Nice to meet you Janira, I'm a Pathfinder too! Please, keep telling the story of Gest, I don't mean to interrupt, and then I'm yearning to hear all about your confirmation!"

Virog peers about for a moment, watching people settle into their seats, before sitting on a stool near Saya, Shaya, and Janira. Seemingly incapable of getting comfortable, he settles into a position as visibly awkward as it is physically.

"Durvin that man with the great large statue on the Grand Lodge lawn?" Virog asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"I was always curious what a Pathfinder would have to do to get that sort of recognition. Do tell."

"Begging your pardon, my lady!" says Skaf, emphasizing 'lady.' He doesn't seemed fazed by the gaffe, or perhaps is just used to making them.

"We are actually here on assignment right now, for Drandle Dreng. Are you celebrating a mission you have completed?"

I never knew that was Janira in the bar! heh

Half-Orcs
Hearing that you are there to drink, the half-orcs order more! They assure the barkeep that you are more than happy to pay for them, and the barkeep who knows you are here on a mission takes that into consideration. "Oh, we have done many missions!" It strikes your mind that 'many' in some cultures is the number beyond two.

Janira
Janira regales the Pathfinders with tales of Durvin Gest and Selmius Foster, the former owner of the Wounded Wisp. She basically recalls the first Pathfinder Chronicle, including embellished stories of the treasures found by Gest and the challenges faced by Foster in his encounter with the marid and efreeti. So many stories does she recount! Then she tells of her adventure in 5-08 The Confirmation.

Shaya scribbles a full page of notes. Even if these are widely known stories, it's a good chance to practice my writing skills and learn something new. And perhaps these tales are less known in Korvosa, I may pen a report or two to send to Alec.
"Well, Jahira, from what I hear you're well on your way to having stories told about you! Sounds like your confirmation was quite the nasty business, and here you are, having lived to tell the tale! If that's not a good career start for a Pathfinder, well, I don't know what is!"

Dev listens to the twins but nurses his drink asking, "How long have you two been pthfinders?"

Virog tilts his head to one side, sending the charms and trinkets in his hair rattling.

"I didn't realize that he was the one who destroyed the Lens of Galundari. That's definitely noteworthy enough to be remembered publicly. A statue still seems a bit much, but at least it makes sense."

Virog scratched noisily at his chin under his beard, before pausing and cocking his head in that same inquisitive fashion.

"You wouldn't happen to be doing anything particularly interesting here besides telling stories, would you? Not that stories aren't interesting, but pathfinders always seem to have something else going on as well. We're on a little fetch mission. Uninteresting as well, but it is what it is."

Skaf is itching to get moving on their quest. He wanders away over to the bar, looking for Heryn Gale.

Half-Orcs
They look at eachother, then the female starts counting on her fingers while the male sighs. "A few years, four maybe." By this point, Shade the female half-orc has also taken off her boots to begin counting on her toes.

Janira
Janira listens to your comments before responding, "Oh well that's very nice of you to say, I hope to one day be mentioned in an issue of the Chronicles, it would be a great honor to be alongside such greats." Virog's question seems to take her off guard. "No, I'm just here to spend time with my fellows and learn a few more stories. If you are on a mission, why are you hanging around here?"

If you'd like to move along, these are mostly RP opportunities, though some little feeling in your basal ganglia tell you that these individuals might serve some purpose later, should you have need of it.

Her portrait of the bar scene complete, Saya signs her name , the stylized signature taking the form of a dove in flight.

She stands , leaving the picture on the bar forgotten, for as Master Filio said, Like tbe arrow leaving the bow, your art is beyond you once the pen or brush is lifted for the last time. Forget it, for another inspration will avail itself....

At Janira's question, We await Miss Gale's replacement... she says bluntly

As Shade began to remove her footwear Dev cringes slightly and brings his mug up to his nose. Hoping the strong smell of ale conceals the noxious odor that is surely making its way toward him. Hastily he announced, Well met Shade and Garl I hope are paths cross again." He quickly disengages from the conversation and make his way over to the bar with Skaf.

I'm fine with moving on.

It is at this time that Heryn Gale's replacement arrives and she ushers you down into the cellar. She cautions you about the treacherous footing and indicates that they intend to replace the board downstairs but there just isn't the time or money right now.

I'm still a map!

At this point, everyone should be heading downstairs. I've placed tokens on the map. If you need a different marching order, let me know.

Dev followed Heryn and his companions down to the basement. He peers around and asks, "Where is this parcel Heryn?"

Saya nods at Heryn's explanation and steps confidently to the fore, confident that her training will provide for her in the seemingly innoccuous basement.

However, her basal ganglia tells her to nonetheless keep vigilant as she step up to the edge of the board...

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Virog sighs, "Isn't it always the way that everything seems to start underground somehow. At least this isn't in a cave somewhere..."

He digs around in his bags for a moment before pulling out a length of silk rope.

"If someone else would like to head across with this rope before me, I would greatly appreciate it. My balance isn't terrific, and I do like to avoid falling, even short distances."

Virog sighs, "Isn't it always the way that everything seems to start underground somehow. At least this isn't in a cave somewhere..."

He digs around in his bags for a moment before pulling out a length of silk rope.

"If someone else would like to head across with this rope before me, I would greatly appreciate it. My balance isn't terrific, and I do like to avoid falling, even short distances."

"Certainly, it will just be a second," Dev responded to Virog. He grabbed the end of the rope and quickly crossed the chasm. "I can hold it for the rest of you if you like," the Swashbuckler offered.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

"Thank you, very kind" says Shaya, crossing over with the help of the rope. "I just can't wait to see what kind of wine needs six Pathfinders for an escort. Hopefully, Dreng will let us taste some."

Mivvy also takes advantage of the rope, "Why, you are quite the gentleman."

She shrugs at Shaya's comments, "I presume it's just a way of weeding out complete incompetents."

Saya follows the others across, calling back to Heryn "What vintage should we fetch for Dreng, Mistress?"

Mivvy also takes advantage of the rope, "Why, you are quite the gentleman."

Dev inclined his head, "Tis a pleasure M'Lady."

Dev has no trouble with that acrobatics crossing the plank, however if anyone is wearing armor heavier than light, I will need to know... Virog?

Otherwise, you were given a description of the vintage by VC Dreng, and should have no trouble finding it. It's somewhere in the wine cellar, I'd imagine. If you need to name a vintage, call it a 4207 Red, it should be easy to find.

Virog will carefully cross, taking his time and full advantage of the rope. About halfway across, he pause and peers down the gap to gauge the expected pain should he fall.

Taking 10 on Acrobatics 10-2+2=10.

He is wearing only light armor

Assuming that 10 successfully crosses the board, Virog will begin searching the wine racks for the requested vintage.

"Well, now that we're done with that, let's get this wine and scoot along. Shall we?"

Taking 10 on Perception 10+5=15.

Dev looked around the wine cellar and decided, "I'll start looking along the south wall." As he looked for the correct vintage among the racks he thought, 4207 red where could you be."

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Saya crosses with no problem No armor :) and joins Dev in his search of the wine racks...

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Skaf stares wide-eyed at the array of wine bottles. They all look so wonderful! He eagerly crosses. light armor

He mostly just knows to look at the red ones, but does his best to spot it.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

As medium creatures in less than medium armor, you have little trouble getting across the board. Virog has a little trouble, but you all get in fine. Between the lot of you, you even discover the correct wine bottle. Dev finds it first, but upon pulling it something odd happens. The wine rack it is nestled in slides out and then along the wall to the side, revealing a cavernous area behind.

New Map, Looks Familiar

Saya looks from bottle to secret passage, and comments "Now that cannot be a coincidence..."

She step forward into the revealed passage...looking about with great interest.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Shaya beams with excitement. "Oh, isn't that something! Kukuku, looks like this errand is not going to be as dreary as believed... Look out, there may be traps around."
Perception(trapfinding): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18