h the locket back in her possession. Sascha Antif-Arah thanks you again and bifs her farewell. Canayven invites you to sit down around the table, gesturing to help yourself to the remains of the food and drink. "As you know, Heidmarch Manor is still young. However, I'd like to think we've done quite well so far and have proven that our presence in Varisia has benefited the Society. The land here has a vast and varied history, with a myriad of opportunities for exploration. I'm glad to see a group of eager recruits ready to aid us in Magnimar. Before you're ready to join us, though, I'd like to give you the opportunity to see some more of Varisia, to see for yourself why me and my wife fell in love with it." He pauses for effect, finishes his glass of wine, and then continues.
"As luck would have it, I have the perfect errand for you to run and explore some of the country in doing so. One of our agents has reported finding some very nice artifacts, Thassilion I am led to believe. He's also acquired some rubbings of carvings that were too large to transport. He wasn't able to come to Magnimar on short notice and didn't trust the items to a trade caravan, so he left them with a pawnbroker in Ilsurian. That's a small fishing town on Lake Syrantula, for those of you who haven't studied the local geography yet - you should, though." He takes his wine glass again for another swig, but sadly finds it empty. "Anyway, I've booked transport for you on a ship out of here, down the river into Conquerer's Bay and then up the Falcon River. You should stop over at Harse, and find another boat heading for Ilsurian. Or you could go cross country for a while. I'll leave the details up to you. Shouldn't be a problem, should it? When you arrive at Ilsurian, look for an establishment named the Locked Box, owned by a man named Archivin Walder. The package will be in my name. From Ilsurian, you should be able to catch transport straight for Magnimar. We'll meet you back at the Lodge. Any last questions? If not, enjoy your time in Varisia!"
The following morning early, you are expected on the docks or Korvosa to board the Thin Admiral, a sleek coastal boat the will take you to Harse. The journey is largely uneventful, and you have plenty of time for sightseeing, seeing the flora and fauna of Varisia, chat up with your fellow passengers. You make the stop at Harse, as instructed. The village is tiny, but sees a lot of traffic from its crossings of both the Sarwin and Falcon rivers. After a good night’s rest at the Spotted Pony, you are ready to continue your journey.
However you decide to continue your journey, you eventually find yourself in Ilsurian, a small agricultural and fishing town, on the northern banks of the lake. From the looks of it, the town should hold several hundreds of inhabitants, scarcely a thousand.
As you enter the Ilsuria, around four in the afternoon, you immediately notice that there is an excited buzz going around town. At the same time, the streets seem quite empty for a town this size. It doesn’t take long to figure out what’s going on. The townsfolk are eager to tell of the circus that arrived the day before, setting up in the fields north of the town. Today is going to be the grand opening, and many of the townsfolk have set off to see the marvels of the circus. Asking around for the Locked Box gives accurate direction to the establishment, but comes with a warning that Archivin Walder probably closed up early today, a warning that turns out to be true. With nothing else to do, the group of Pathfinders settle into the popular Two Waters tavern, which also has rooms to rent. Unsurprisingly, the tavern is quite empty at the moment. With nothing else to do, the group of Pathfinders also make their way north, to see the circus.
The circus is unmistakable, the big top circus tent in light-blue and pink visible as soon as you exit the town. A large banner announces the Umbra Carnival, with barkers calling out to people promising thrills, chills and delights for people of all ages. Various clumps of clowns, stilt walkers and acrobats entertain the people in the Parade Grounds, enticing them to see this attraction or that, and to impress on them that they have to stay for the big show later that evening. Vendors wander the area selling food, streamers and flowers. There’s also a constant presence of carnival guards, both to discourage pickpockets and to repel outside peddlers.
With a throng of people, you find yourself walking east, along a path from the midway toward the traveling zoo. To the south are booths with pavilion tent tops that provide shade for the games of skill and chance played beneath. Behind them are circus wagons, some clearly only for transportation and equipment, while others are attractions and portable shops for merchants. To the north is a gigantic tent erected on tall poles with a stage curtain pulled shut across its front.
Various carnival workers cry out for people to engage in their games of skill and chance:
- ”Oy, who thinks they’re strong enough to tame the lion?!” asks a burly man with a mallet slung over his shoulder, standing next to a wooden tower construction.
- Further to the west, a man draws in people, standing next to three raised runways. ”All of you, of keen eye and recollection. Can you unravel the mystery or the Lovely Madame Masque?”
- An old Varisian man with a white beard, is strangely silent. He gives passersby a knowing smile, and points to the entrance of the tent he’s standing in front. A banner names this the home of “The All-Seeing Hajeck”.
- The north end of the Midway is dominated by an enormous tent, currently closed. You overhear a boy talking to his mother. ”Is this where the sphinx is? You said I could see her, you promised!”
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"Venture Captain, thank you for the opportunity to see more of the country. i haven't had a chance to travel much. I'll purchase a few things her in Korvosa before we leave." says Shera. She leaves the hut in search of the items she needs.
Shera arrives the next morning at the docks ready to board the Thin Admiral. She looks a little nervously at the boat as she walks up the gangplank. I’m not sure I like boats. Hopefully this is a smooth trip.
She waves at the others as they arrive. ”Are you ready for another adventure? Erastil’s will we’ll come back safely from this one. We worked well together in the sewers.”
She gives a quick prayer as the boat casts off. Her prayer is answered with the smooth and easy journey.
Shera asks if there’s a temple in the town. She’ll go and pay her respects to the local clergy before heading to the circus. "The town must not have much entertainment if it clears out because of a simple circus. It can't hurt to go and see it. We can't get the package until everything opens back up anyway."
Shera walks among the booths. She purchases some food, and checks out the merchant booths, as she snacks. After finishing she says, "I think I'll go and see what the all seeing Hajeck has to say. Anyone want to join me?"
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During the journey Azygg tells the others what he knows of Isuria and of the carnival.
"Azygg know nothing of Ilsuria save it weak to stop orc horde attack." and he laughs a bit at what he thought was a funny joke.
"carnival is crime area... but good food too... and ale... many games... some animals... but crime too... carnies are close to each other... like family... this carnival old ten years... have sphinx... large as village... not sphinx...circus large like village..." and then he clams up.
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After the boat voyage, Dindal is excited to see the carnival. "Perhaps there is a fine magician to see some inspiring illusions. Although they are mostly not so powerful wizards..."
"I'll join you, Shera, to the All-Seeing Hejack. Although the sphinx is also very interesting perhaps. We can see that one later, we'll be around for some time right?"
Azygg is accosted by the burly man with the mallet. The wooden construction he's standing next to is a 12-foot-high tower crowned with a stuffed lion's head. At the base is a lever attached to a pick the slides up and down a pole running the length of the tower up to the lion's head. "You Sir," he says as he puts a hand on the half-orc's shoulder. "Surely a strong man such as yourself would like to test his mettle against the lion?" He holds out the mallet for Azygg to pick up. "It's only a copper to try. For you, this should barely be a challenge, wouldn't it?" The man gently squeezes the muscles of Azygg's shoulder, as if you confirm his own words.
--
The Varisian man with the white beard hold open a flap of the tent, for you to enter. Behind you, you hear two of the local townsfolk whispering to each other. "I'd watch out for the likes of him, and keep a firm hand on your pouch if you'd like to keep it!" -Aye, they'll rob you blind if ya let 'em.
Inside the tent sits a Varisian woman in her middle year, behind a table full of assorted knick-knacks. Silken scarves hung inside the tents make for a crowded and myserious atmosphere. "Come, come in," she says in a husky voice. "Let the All-seeing Hajeck tell your fortunes." She keeps her head down as she shuffles a deck of cards, then lights some candles and readjusts various items on the table. "It is not common for people to see me together. Unless they are lovers, or course." She smiles. "But, I suppose your ties go beyond mere friendship. You have already been through quite a bit, and there is much more to come. Isn't there? Wait, don't tell me; there are more to you group, aren't there? At least one, maybe two... You travel... You try to belong..." She looks up, gauging your reactions.
--
Yagi makes his way to the runways, three of them meeting at a point like an arrow beneath a brightly colored pavilion tent. Where the runways meet sits a tall, rectangular box covered in mirrors. Off to one side is a raised speaker’s podium. Posters on makeshift signs depict an attractive woman in a provocative gown and silver mask, with the words “The Lovely Madame Masque” in bold print. The speaker has gathered about a dozen spectators and a couple of youngsters are taking bets from them in the form of a copper piece. "Very well!" booms the speaker. "Here is the moment you have all been waiting for. Players, be ready. Pay close attention, and do not let her glorious beauty distract you from the fine details... Here she is, she lovely !"
At his words, a flap of the tent opens and Madame Masque is a shapely woman in a provocative Varisian costume gown of red and black silk held together by ribbons. She is adorned with all manner of scarves, necklaces, earrings, and other decorative costume pieces, but her face is concealed by a finely crafted silver mask showing only her playful brown eyes. She remains mute, but nods and waves to the crowd while she struts down the center runway and poses, flirting silently with the crowd. She looks at the Tengu, puts a finger to the corner of her mouth as if in thought, then blows him a kiss. Finally, she returns to the tent she came from.
At this, the barker takes over. "All right, wasn't she Lovely? Did you all get a good look? Rrrrrrrready...?
With a flourish, the barker turns an hourglass. "Tell me which item belongs to the real Madame Masque, and the pot is yours. Your minute start now!" As his words, the cabinet is opened to reveal three different Madame Masques. Each figure walks down a different runway. Each Madame Masque wears an outfit a provocative as the previous one, but entirely different by design, again with all manner of different jewelry, feathers and flowers. Yet, not totally different. The other players around Yagi stare intently at the three women, wildly switching their gaze from figure to figure.
--
While waiting your turn, indeed several others try their hand at the game. A lanky youth, challenged by his friends, pays the copper and takes the mallet. The poor lad nearly buckles under the weight of it. He manages to let the mallet fall on the lever, but the puck doesn't reach two foot in height. In response, the stuffed lion's head merely meows and licks its lips.
Next comes a man with a seemingly better chance at success. With tanned skin and a well-toned body, the man looks to be a fisherman. He riles up the crowd as he takes the mallet and gives it a firm swing and sends the puck to the top of the tower. In response, the lion's head animates and makes it roar. This earns the man a round of applause, and the earnest congratulations from the Ulfen running the game.
Next up comes Azygg. With a mighty swing, the half-orcs sends the puck flying up the tower, striking the lion's head with great force. The head animates as before, but its thundering roar is deafening, surely loud enough to be heard across the entire carnival area. The Ulfen beams Azygg a proud smile, and claps him on the shoulder. "I told you, didn't I? Ladies and gentlemen, give a massive round of applause for this giant of a man, who truly tamed the lion!" Under applause from the onlookers, Azygg is presented with a paper crown, identifying him as "King of the Carnival".
The woman scowls at Dindal. "No, of course not. Pah! I didn't mean you three. The others who come together, happy couples who want to hear that they'll have a good future together." She gives him a critical look. "You are not the smartest among your group, are you? - Or wait, you probably are the smartest, but lack some common sense to apply that intellect." She checks Shera's and Laurallei's reaction with a thin smile on her lips, to see whether she was correct in her assessment of the wizard. "Very well, I will tell you your fortune, though you may not like it." She squints, seeming to peer into Dindal's soul. "I see fire, and brimstone. Power that you want to harness, but may overwhelm you in the end. You will do well to rely on your companions, or you will perish at the hands of your own power, alone."
Shera notices that the deck of cards the woman is shuffling is an actual Harrow deck, and a pricey one at that. She hasn't seen the front of the cards yet, but even the backs are beautifully painted. She puts the deck of cards aside. "I think the cards will not be needed for you. Your destinies are bright enough to show on your palms. Please, if you'll allow me."
She takes Shera's palm. "Ah, yes. As I thought. Running errands is below you. Or it should be... You have struggled already, to get to where you are now. I see water, and woodlands. A struggle to break with tradition, as well as a desire to cling to it. A simple errand, you say. But this one will prove to be anything but simple. It will test you to your limits, but you will prevail."
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The red scarf, arf! But wait...she is wearing the same red scarf, arf.
The feather earring, I remember it well, ell. What, Yiel-Dan? No, you're right, ight. That's not it, it.
The shoes, ooes! No, wait, ait.
The brooch, ooch...no.
Yagi bows to the showman.
Well done, sir, ir. Madame Masque is indeed bewitching, ing.
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"Fire, brimstone, water, woodlands, that's a lot of elements. Well, I guess you're right about my common sense. No offense taken, as I already had figured it out myself by deduction."
As Dindal speaks those last words, some hidden common sense raises to the foreground of his conscience. He notices how keen and observant the woman is before his mind is absorbed again with his usual quick thinking.
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"I hoped this would be a simple errand. Of course nothing is ever simple. Thank you for the warning." Shera says very politely extracting her hand. She chooses to ignore the part about breaking with tradition. She hands the woman a silver and tries to take her leave. "Erastil's blessing upon you Madam."
Various players call out their guess as the time elapses. Right near the end, a woman standing next to Yagi calls out "Her comb! The one with the pearls!" When the time is up, the three figures move back to the box, and two of them vanish. The real Madame Masque steps out of the box, and both she and her duplicate pull a comb from their hair, showing them to be identical. The last duplicate also disappears, and the real Madame Masque bows to the woman who guessed correctly. There is applause, and the woman is given her winnings by the barker. "That's it for now, folks. The lovely Madame Masque will take a break. Come back later for another chance..."
--
Hajeck gives a sigh, ever so slightly, and presents the three Pathfinders with a genuine smile as she takes Shera's silver. "Thank you, my dear. It seems you have little use for having your fortune foretold by me, you will surely make your own... May you have many grand adventures together, with the blessings of the Gods."
--
Azygg, wearing his paper crown, catches up with Yagi, and the others join not much later. They finds themselves close to a shooting range, with several bows lying on a table and five practice targets lined up a few hundred feet out. Next to the table stand a woman with an athletic build, dressed in woodsman's outfit. She gestures to you. "Fancy you chance at the bow? Only a copper for three arrows, and nice prizes to be won." Behind you, you can sense some commotion at the large tent rumoured to hold the sphinx. Apparently, her performance might be about to begin.
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Perhaps without the distraction of a pretty girl, I will do better at this, iss.
Yagi pays his coppers, picks up a shortbow and examines it. Finding it satisfactory, he takes a moment to concentrate and looses three arrows.
Yagi places the shortbow down with a sigh.
One good shot out of three, ee. I think Madame Masque may be haunting my dreams for weeks to come, ummm.
Yiel-Dan cocks an eye at him quizzically.
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Laurallei walks up without a word and drops a copper on the counter. She awkwardly picks up a bow. Struggling to knock an arrow, she turns to the Tengu, "Yagi, how do you fire..." Twing!
Thud!
"Oh! That's simple... I mean how do you not hit your target in combat, like... ever?!?"
Twing!
Twing!
"I think this one is broken," the sylph says as she hands it back to the she-hulk and walks away.
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Yagi is confounded by the haphazardly fired shot hitting home just outside his own best shot, but feels better when the next two go wide.
Consistency is the trick, ick. Something I struggle with frequently, lee.
Yiel-Dan, bored by the proceedings, takes wing to the countryside in search of fat, slow birds for dinner.
The woman manning the stall give your group a nod of satisfaction. Yagi barely misses the Bullseye, which earns him a cocked eyebrow and a good look from her. He manages to hit one arrow in the yellow ring. For his efforts, he gets a small wooden pin a stylized bow and one star. Shera gets two arrows in the yellow ring and receives a pin featuring two stars. Dindal gets two arrows in the white ring, which is enough for one star. Laurallei's lucky shot is likewise enough for one star on her pin.
--
A little while further is the traveling zoo. A portable fence of wooden posts and rope cordon off this section of the circus. Several wagons constructed to serve as animal cages line the perimeter, with an occasional haystack piled between them. In the center of the area is a large tent whose wall flaps have been lifted up and tied off to allow easy viewing.
--
The group splits up. Shera and Laurallei make their way to the traveling show. Off to the side is a person performing and drawing quite a crowd. He is bald, with grayish skin and could pass for human, were it not for the immense folds of skin that hang from his head, just like gigantic ears. He juggles and jumps up in the ears, where his big ears can perform like wings as he spins around his axis and gently flutters to the ground again.
Suddenly, there are screams from up ahead! They are coming from the tent that Shera had wanted to inspect. "It's loose! Run for your lives! The dragon has escaped!" people shout as they come running for the exit. Through the crowd of people, Shera and Laurallei indeed see a draconic creature slithering from its cage, which stands open. A plaque above the cage named the creature a "Baby dragon". The creature, easily 8 foot long, moves with a slow but relentless gait. Its feet end in large talons, and ropes of drool hang from its toothy maw. Dindal, Yagi and Azygg do not see the creature yet, but definitely hear the screams.
--
1st - Laurallei, Dindal
2nd - Dragon
3rd - Azygg,Shera, Yagi
Initiative
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The creature moves forward at a lumbering pace. It rears its head left and right, hissing at the fleeing carnival-goers with open mouth, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth.
--
1st - Laurallei, Dindal
2nd - Dragon (readying)
3rd - Azygg, Shera, Yagi
The group moves cautiously towards the lizard. Maybe Shera had gotten too close, or maybe the lizard recognizes the aggresive act of her drawing the bow. Regardless, it moves forward and tries to attack. IUt is momentarily distracted by Laurallei's hex, but stays focused on Shera. The hex did not seem to have any effect. When it has reached Shera, the lizard opens its beak and tries to grab on of the cleric's legs, but its sluggish attack is easily evaded.
The man with the grayish skin and the huge ears ear can be seen close to the nearest tent, also moving towards the lizard through the fleeing crowd. "Please, don't kill the baby dragon!" he pleads as he sees several of your group with drawn weapons.
--
1st - Laurallei, Dindal
2nd - Dragon
3rd - Azygg, Shera, Yagi