You have been called to the Grand Lodge of Absalom for a briefing. Seated in a small chamber around a darkwood table, various trophies gathered from across the face of Golarion hang from the walls. A monkey-shaped mask with a serpent’s tongue glares out from the center of one wall, a strange halberd with gold rings piercing its thick blade and dragons carved along its haft hangs opposite the monkey mask. You are alone save your fellow Pathfinders, who apparently have been called here for the same purpose.
Finally, a huge man wearing creaking leathers marches into the room. He looks at each of you, as if he were appraising a handful of gemstones freshly pulled from the earth, and nods curtly. Some of you know him as Adril Hestram, a longtime Pathfinder and rumored to be the unwitting architect of the famed Katapesh slave riot of 4702. Adril’s physique puts most half-orcs to shame.
Welcome, friends. We have a serious problem. Skelg the Ripper came to Absalom one month ago. Like many Ulfen warriors he joined the Longaxes, the Taldan Emperor’s personal guard whose duty it is to protect the embassy and Taldan visitors. Skelg also dropped a hefty sum of gold to purchase a manor in the Ivy district, something a Longaxe isn’t paid well enough to do. It is widely assumed that he brought most of his wealth with him from the north—a rumor I know to be true.
It seems that Skelg also brought a curse with him. In his letter to me, he speaks of lying abed in this miserable summer dying from the cold. Neither physician nor priest has been able to cure his ailment, and there are no signs of disease or poison. Of course, for such a man, there is no greater dishonor than to die in bed instead of in battle.
Normally, the Pathfinder Society would monitor these events and let the authorities deal with them. However, there are three factors that have drawn our interest. First, Skelg is himself a member of our Society and has asked for our help. Second, he is a personal friend of mine, and finding a sparring partner as worthy as Skelg to replace him would be a trying task. Last, he claims that artifacts of great power are involved, and that we may be able to recover them for the vaults of the Grand Lodge.
We view this situation as having enough importance to assign you to investigate it. Go to the home of Skelg the Ripper, learn what you can, and do your best to help him. If you find an item that is somehow connected to the curse, either retrieve it or glean as much information as you can about it.
I trust there are no questions?
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A similarly-sized, prematurely white-haired Ulfen casts grave stares about the room. A tattooed scrawl runs around his arms and across the bit of his chest you can see above his stiff leathers. He rises, scraping his chair's legs loudly on the tiles.
"Just like those cold b~&!*es in Irrisen ta curse a man ta the chill of the grave even this far south. Let's not dawdle lest my arm grow itchy." He hefts his great linnorm axe over his shoulder one handed and hawks a spit on the floor.
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A toned but considerably thinner half-elf listens to the briefing with interest. Levin wears the dueling sword and chain mail shirt he'd taken from the temple when he had fled to join the Society, but nothing else of value.
"We want to know how he got his name," a voice whispers in his mind.
"We want... er, I want to know how he got his name," Levin says aloud. "Please," he adds hastily.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Relly? Do you think knowing his enemies usually end with their guts out of the body will help you with Skelg curse?
Adril faces looks a little dissapointed, as if he was thinking about how "good" was his decission to call you for help.
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Relly? Do you think knowing his enemies usually end with their guts out of the body will help you with Skelg curse?
Adril faces looks a little dissapointed, as if he was thinking about how "good" was his decission to call you for help.
"Couldn't hurt." He quickly adds "For long."
Translation:
"It would be like something that those cold female dogs of loose moral character who live in Irrisen would do. Let us get going before my anger over the situation forces me to hit something."
By all this he means: That he thinks the ice witches of Irrisen are to blame for the man's curse and that he wants to get going.
He has an Int of 17 and has no illusions about how difficult it might be to find the parties responsible to hit with his greataxe. He's actually smarter than Abaal (the canny swordsman of Katapesh). After this level and maybe one more fighter level he will finish out his career as a pirate ship's war wizard... of the water school... with a greataxe.
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A very large Ulfen man speaks up. He wears a chain "muscle" shirt, but does not have any obvious weapons on him. His hands, however, are large even for someone his size; his knuckles are things of wonder.
"Sparring partner, you say? Nothin' against Skelg, but if'n you needed a new sparring partner, just you lemme know.
"But it sounds like that isn't the mission. We are to find out what ails him, and pound it into submission? What have the esteemed healers in the Grand Lodge been able to determine so far?"
I don´t need a sparring partner than will last less than a few seconds. Less if he has already failed in saving the last one.
Grand Lodge helaers had said nothing. Skelg hadn´t go out of his manor.
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Levin sniggers at Adril's dismissal of his new ally. "Well then I guess we'd better get your old partner back.
"That one thinks highly of himself," the voice says.
You don't say, Levin responds, mentally rolling his eyes.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Thorval try and keep up with local events if you want to get anywhere in the Society. He lives in Greydog Manor, on Parkview Street in the Ivy district.
As you don´t have more questions, I´ll go to take care of the other novice pathfinders. Says moments before to go, not given you an opportunity to answer in any way.
Parkview Street is true to its name, running the entire length of the Ivy District park. Standing like a tomb in a flower garden, Greydog Manor is easy to find. Six-foot-high walls surround the massive, stone building and an immense iron gate flanked by granite statues of hunting dogs stands open, offering access to the interior. Looking along the street, it is clear that locals give the estate a wide berth. The stone walls seem to give a slight chill to the air, which is not entirely unpleasant on such a hot day.
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Thorval turns to Valore... Who are the Longaxes? By the way, name's Thorval Thorvalson. My hands are my weapons. Where I come from, usin' weapons is seen as a weakness. Least wise in my clan. Most of the folk up in the Land of the Linorm Kings think big steel is the only way to go. Well, I got my fists of iron, and trainin' to get me through.
"Came down here to make some easy cash, since I heard we Ulfens are in high demand in the Taldan court. They say we make good bodyguards and stuff. I dunno about that, but I plan to carry back as much gold as I can carry.
"Since Mr. Tight Ass Venture-Captain Adril Hestram didn't see fit to introduce us, who are all of you?"
"What's the big deal about approachin'? We're sorta expected, ain't we? Let's just go up and knock on the door, all proper like."
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"I am Valore. I hail from Kyonin, and am of the royal blood... Somewhere down the line... I once was directed to train for druid, but alas was withdrawn due to unfortunate circumstances.
Regardless, I now am an envoy to the society. I have my staff and my magic to guide me.
As for the Longaxes.. Is that not the Ulfen guard in service to Taldor Captain Hestram referred to?"
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Dashing down the street, out of breath and drenched in sweat, a tiny halfling nonetheless beams a huge, bright smile as he gasps for breath. "Sorry, sorry, I seem to always be late for these things. There was some confusion back at the lodge, them not believing I was a true Pathfinder and all. No worries. I'm here now!"
"Chup Spooner's the name, but my friends and colleagues call me Spoony. Glad to meet you all, Pathfinders!"
Wiping his hands on his vest, he looks around. "I heard something about a curse and an Ulfen warrior. Which of those is true?"
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"I'm Levin," the slender half-elf chimes in as the others introduce themselves. "Levin Hessel. Grew up in a temple of Sarenrae, I was a cook's aide. Didn't choose it, though, it just kind of was given to me. I always wanted to be a dervish-- you know, the Sarenite warriors. If you've never seen one, man, they're a sight. Their fights are more like dances. Anyway, so I taught myself how to use one of these." He pulls his dueling sword just far enough out of its sheath to show the others a glint of steel. "One of their practice swords. Lighter than their real ones, not as curved. Sharp though. Took it when I ran away."
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"Bah. Axes. Never had a use for 'em. Say, Agirran, that's a mighty fine growl you're practicing there. You one of those berserker types, or somethin'? That, I can understand... get yourself all worked up to mighty powerful type of fightin'?
"Or, mebbe you're one of them druids, and are just tryin' to talk to animals." He gives the Viking a strong pat on the back... strong enough that it seems to have a little challenge in it.
He starts moving again. "So, we're just gonna go there, and knock, right? We're in the wretched swamp of a city known as Absalom, where ne'er a fair breeze will come to blow away her stench, so what can happen?"
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Chup offers Agirran a handkecheif. "That doesn't sound good, friend. I hope you don't have some kind of crazy ice magic curse that slowly freezes you to death. I hear that kind of thing happens to Ulfen warriors from time to time." He shivers and asks aloud, "So, what's the mission?"
Actively ignores.
[dice=Intimidation ("ice cold stare")]1d20+7[/dice]
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"Bah. Axes. Never had a use for 'em. Say, Agirran, that's a mighty fine growl you're practicing there. You one of those berserker types, or somethin'? That, I can understand... get yourself all worked up to mighty powerful type of fightin'?
"Or, mebbe you're one of them druids, and are just tryin' to talk to animals." He gives the Viking a strong pat on the back... strong enough that it seems to have a little challenge in it.
He starts moving again. "So, we're just gonna go there, and knock, right? We're in the wretched swamp of a city known as Absalom, where ne'er a fair breeze will come to blow away her stench, so what can happen?"
"I come from those lands too friend, though not to work for some soft, well-cushioned noble with a lace hanky. Though maybe you can buy a real weapon with your first month's pay."
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Agirran's attempt at intimidation goes way over Chup's head, literally and figuratively. "Yikes, I hear stage two of Ulfen warrior ice plague is unresponsive staring. I've got a few cure spells that might help you. Let's talk after the mission."
Chup absentmindedly keeps knocking on the door as he watches Clak draw his crossbow. "Whoa there, we're out on the open street. You're going to scare someone!"
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Agirran's attempt at intimidation goes way over Chup's head, literally and figuratively. "Yikes, I hear stage two of Ulfen warrior ice plague is unresponsive staring. I've got a few cure spells that might help you. Let's talk after the mission."
Chup absentmindedly keeps knocking on the door as he watches Clak draw his crossbow. "Whoa there, we're out on the open street. You're going to scare someone!"
"Then pray we tend to this matter quickly before before my company makes your eyes grow sightless and glassy." Then looking at the door as if blaming it for forcing him to endure both Thorval and Chup's company, he shouts. "What's taking so long?"
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the voice says in an appraising manner as Levin looks at Thorval. it says as he looks at Valore. toward Clak-Clik. toward Chup. toward Agirran.
Shut up, Levin thinks, annoyed. These people are all I've got if something goes south.
it replies.
"He's right," Levin says aloud, ignoring that last remark. "If all of us start waving swords and crossbows around, it might just make people nervous."
As Spoony knocks the door two northlander warriors comes to see who´s calling. The guards look at you sternly, and one of them speaks. Skelg is ill. He wants no visitors.
Despite of not being the best threat Agirran has ever made, the warriors look less brave than Spoony and change their mind. That or the mention of the Venture Captian had impressed them, who knows.
Ok, ok there´s no necessity to mention nobody. Come in. One of them opens the gate and waits until you enter to close it again as the other leads you to the manor entrance.
It´s really obvious they´re lying and trying to make you an easy prey.
[ooc]New map. You can move your token a little as long as it looks you´re going toward the entrance
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'Somethin' ain't right here. They think they are pullin' a fast one on us. Since this mook is standin' right next to me, I guess I should get an answer from him. Let's do this Ulfen-style.'
Thorval makes like he is going to just start walking up, when all of a sudden he grabs for the guard standing next to him.
Once he has his grip on blue, he yells into his face,