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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The hulking female Oni-spawn tiefling known as Rika ponders Venture-captain Hestram's words and slowly turns her pupiless yellow eyes to her fellow pathfinder agents. Clad in tian armor brutally decorated with hellish fur and the skinned muzzles of canid with a distinct hellish taint, she does not seem inclined to ask any questions she does have. Shivering at her feet, a feathered giant lizard-thing looks up at her apprehensively.
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A tall richly dressed Taldan noble enters. He looks around the room haughtily and says. I of course, offer my services in the name of the Taldan aristocracy as all should for noblesse oblige.
However, I do have a few questions.
1) Is he still in Taldan service and with whom has he most recently had dealings?
2) Where is his home?
3) Is he alone in his home?
4) How imminently dire is his situation?
Hmm... Do I remember anything in particular about this Skelg?
Malaika has heard something about Skelg, mostly that he's Adril prefered sparring and thet he lives in Greydog Manor, on Parkview Street in the Ivy district.
His still in Taldan service, as a Longaxe, and he`ll tell you about his dealings if he thinks it matter.
How the hell I'm going to know if he's or not alone in his home, I'm not his mother.
The situation is as imminently dire as to call you and no other pathfinders. He calls for help, and wouldn't had done it if it wasn't necessary, and I want you to solve this before his curse kills him Adril talks as rude as he can before being considered aggresive to make clear he wants you to start now.
After leaving Adril, the group visits a few shops before heading toward the Ivy district.
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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Rika cannot help but smirk at the rebuke and delays no further. Motioning towards the exit, she sets on out, confident that the other agents will either follow or meet her at the manor house. Stopping only briefly to make a magical purchase, she inspects the tall iron gate with a frown.
"Is trap small elf-man? What is name? I Rika. That Pratts. No trust him, he eat you. I make him no eat. Let know if cannot dis...habel trap. Pratts been bad and need punish" she asks gruffly, ill at ease with Taldane .
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The young Taldan walks briskly through Absalom admiring the varied architecture of this eclectic city although he seems put out and rather impatient with his fellow Pathfinders that insist on making unscheduled stops along the way. All the same, he doesn't show his displeasure but keeps a permenant grin upon his face.
As they walk past a market, Garrison... this young man's given name although everyone in the Society know him by his nickname, Ghaenk... skewers a red apple from a vendor's cart with his rapier. A quick, deft flip of a copper coin resolves the matter with the young female attendant who blushes as he tips his cap.
Crunch! "Delicious. Thank you kindly, miss." He considers Rika as they make their way to Skelg's mansion. "So... do tieflings eat? Like, normal food? Or what? I mean, well... I've never worked with your kind." He smiles up at Rika and gives a hopeful smile.
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Rika gives the self-assured young man a look of mild disdain, curling her lips in an almost feral manner and exposing a set of rather normal looking teeth before shifting her gaze back onto the gate and attempting to compose herself. "Ancestors eat flesh of man. I eat flesh of prey. And sometimes food of prey" she finally grumbles out irritably.
As Malaika ask to see Skelg 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.
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"GENTLEMAN!" the swashbuckler shouts then stops to looks at Rika. "and lady... right? He shrugs at Malaika and Rallas before conntinuing. "This is about to go sideways! I suggest we all take a deep breath and reconsider this aggresive behavior. We... all four of us... including the quite terrifying Lady Rika... " Ghaenk smiles and nods to the tiefling, "We... don't want to fight you. We have been sent her by Venture Captain Adril Hestram to see to his personal friend, Skelg, and find how we may assist him. I'm sure if Skelg knew who has come to call upon him, he would surely want to see us. Now, please go inform him that Garrison Frostmane and the Pathfinders are here to help him."
Just in case, Ghaenk rests his hand upon the hilt of his rapier.
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What? Clothing wrong? Malaika takes a step back from what suddenly seems a much more threatening situation.
Are you men really trying to impersonate Skelg's guards? Do you know what the penalties for that are? That's assuming of course that Skelg the Ripper doesn't take care of you himself.
Let's make a deal. Let us in and go away, then there won't be any need for us to tell Skelg that someone is trying to isolate him.
The two northlanders look surprised to be accused of trying to fool you and, at the same time, someone wanting to befriend them in letting them in.
So whats then? Threats or talk to SkelgThen the other man intervenes: No need to discuss, Asgeir. Let them pass and Skelg will shout at them until they go away running
They're blatantly lying you, and trying to make you an easy prey.
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"That's a smart, lad," Ghaenk begins to move to go inside. However, clearly sensing they mean to harm the group, he rests his hand on his rapier and tries to warm his friends. "See... nothing to get upset about here" Ghaenk looks quickly between the Pathfinders and the northmen. Shifting his eyes back and forth, trying to direct everyone's attention to the lumbering hulks.
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Rika steps on in, but notices their footwork and posture. Out in the jungles where she earned her trade, no language was ever more truthful. Applying it to humans has sometimes been a challenge. But not this time.
Once inside, one of the men tries to sneak up behind Rika. A mistake for which he will pay dearly.
Rika draws her sword and prepares a big hit gainst one of the ulfens. Meanwhile Malaika casts a spell against the other ulfen, who remains unnafected.
Combat tab
Surprise round
Rika Fumeyo-no-Oni and velociraptor, rika draw her sword
Ghaenk
Bad guys are surprised
Rallas is surprised to see how his companions are attacking
Nightfiend is surprised
Malaika casts a spell
Vortex is surprised
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As I suspected... "Wrong choice, friend!"
Ghaenk, anticipating the attack, draws upon his orcish powers to form a ball of snow and ice in his right hand and hurls the ball at the guard with the blue cape.
Immediately following his arctic attack, Ghaenk shuffles forward angling himself slightly to his left, hoping that his distraction may give Rallas the angle to flank their assailant. Drawing his rapier as he moves, the swashbuckler takes an offensive posture and thrusts his blade into the warrior's gut.
"You have tasted my blade once! Care for another?!?"
The large beast known as Vortex stands momentarily still and begins to observe the chaos that just erupted. Although the beast has yet to make a hostile move, it is plainly obvious that he seems a little eager to latch onto one of the charlatans.
"GRRRrrrrr....." A low guttural growl begins to emanate from deep within the beast.
ghaenk hits one of the Ulfens with a snowball seconds before of thrusting and killing him. On the opposite side, Rika slash the chest of the northlander, almost killing him in one blow. The man tries to answers with his own great axe, but can`t hit the tiefling.
Combat tab
Round one
Rika Fumeyo-no-Oni and Pratts
Ghaenk
Bad guy (-19 HP)
Rallas
Nightfiend
Malaika
Vortex
He fails his attack on Rika.
Almost as an acknowledgment of the summoners approval the demonic looking creature carefully moves into a flanking position with the raptor and unleashes a powerful bite.
Pratts unleashes lots of attacks, most of them are stopped by the man's armor, but one talon manages to tear some flesh from the ulfen's leg.
Nightfiend loads his crossbow and send Vortex to bite the ulfen, but the man proves too quick and Vortex can`t hit him.
Meanwhile Malaika waits and sees how his companions attack the man.
Combat tab
Round two
Bold can act
Rika Fumeyo-no-Oni and Pratts
Ghaenk
Bad guy (-23 HP)
Rallas
Nightfiend
Malaika
Vortex
[sopiler=Ulfen attack]
[/spoiler]
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Ghaenk rushes across the courtyard, and using Rika's right thigh as a springboard leaps high over the guard. The young swashbuckler does a half-twist as he somersaults through the air landing on the far side of the guard, flanking him with the tiefling. Facing the guard in a low crouch, he springs forward and thrusts his blade up under the guards chin.
Inspired by the violence, Vortex lets out deep roar then unleashes a series of powerful clawed attacks followed by a nasty bite.
The last Ulfen can`t resist the combined attack of the pathfinders and their two pets and die from multiple wounds. With the two warriors dead and inside the manor, the group continues searching Skelg.
You open the door to the master bedroom and are greeted by a blast of heat. A roaring fire blazes in the fireplace even though the day is swelteringly hot. A huge bearded man shivers under his blankets, his bed pushed dangerously close to the fire. A thin servant sits in the far corner by a window, fanning himself with a handkerchief. The bearded man looks at you and blinks a few times, then speaks through chattering teeth. Are y-you P-path-f-finders?
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After looking at all the carnage outside Nightfiend shakes his head. (I hope these buffoons aren't part of the king's guard.)
"What should we do with this mess? Surly we can't just leave a couple dead bodies just laying out here for anyone to stumble across."
As the group moves into the building, Nightfiend decides to step into the manner and observe. From the back of the group, the summoner keeps a close eye on the manor's entrance as well as the street.
"We are going to have to make this quick. It won't be long before we have a lot of unwanted attention, and if those Ulfens where part of the Longaxes, then this isn't going to set well with the local law."
Of course; I am Tyros, honored guests, lord Skelg's manservan starts talking the man. [/b] Allow me to explain the situation. A week ago, lord Skelg found some men in the basement vault, resumably to be thieves at that moment. At the time, one of them had lit a light and..[/b]
Skelg interrupts him, with much effort and chattering teeth. No....not a light.....a lantern. I had....no idea it..... had magical properties.
Pardon me my lord, and allow me to continue. Says Tyros. Then, the light from the lantern struk lord Skelg and he described the feeling as “having his inside freezing” When the lantern shone upon a tapestry hanging on the wall, a strange shimmering doorway appeared. Sort of a door with the colors of the northern light. They take vantage of my lord weakened state and fled the vault with the lantern and valuables."[/b]
Skelg speaks up again. Tell them… about Tirfyr…
Tyros: Yes milord. After the raid, one of lord Skelg's confidents, Tirfyr, stepped through the portal. Moments after, he stepped back in saying there was a ship encased in ice on the other side. He tried to explore more, but after half an hour the portal vanished, trapping Tirfyr on the other side.
Skelg interrupts again; I'm sure the....cure is in the ship.
Tyros: My lord, please don't overdo it. Anyway, two days later, those thieves returned with Bengeirr, one of my lord enemies. They slew lord Skelg's guards and posed themselves as such.
Skelg continues despite his servant opinion, clearly angered of what happened: He spat on me, ....saying “now you die in bed like an old woman”. You must understand how… dishonourable is this death… So I sent a letter to Aldir… for help. And you´re here.
The tapestry in the hall now depicts an Ulfen longship on a rolling sea, mostly encased in an iceberg and there´s a large lantern ring hanging from the mouth of the dragon figurehead, but there´s no lantern there
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Before entering the manor, Malaika asks his companions that appear to be strong Would you please drag the bodies and gear out of sight from the street. Then search them for anything useful or informative?
Then Malaika uses repeated create water to wash away any signs of the blood.
After entering the manor, Pathfinders indeed! Please tell us everything you know so we can begin. While listening, Malaika uses both detect magic and detect poison on everything in the room.