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You are in storied Varisia, in Magnimar, The City of Monuments, in one of The Pathfinder Societies newest Lodges. This Lodge is, or was, the Manor House home of the married Varisian Venture Captains Sheila and Canayvan Heidmarch.
Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch glances out a window as the last wisps of twilight fade over the Fenwall Mountains. Turning from the sight, she runs her hand along the rustic cabin’s wall and stands beside an occupied wooden bed before addressing you.
"This," the venture captain says, gesturing to the man thrashing around violently, straining against the bonds that lash him securely to the bed, "is our colleague, Kalkamedes. Every night for several weeks now, he has fallen into a deep slumber and tried to sleepwalk right out of his cottage. If not restrained, he marches straight north, eventually falling off a cliff or into a bog as if trying to get himself killed in an attempt to reach an unknown goal." As though he were expressing disagreement, the man tied to the bed suddenly begins pumping his limbs even harder, the violent spasms threatening to smash the bed into splinters.
"There are those who have recently criticized the Pathfinders for our indifference to the plight of our fellow field agents. Its time to show that’s not true. I want you to help Kalkamedes, whether he wants it or not. Several of our best spellcasters have attempted an extensive list of magical cures, but whatever sleepwalking curse or effect he’s under tenaciously resists our efforts. All we can do is keep him safe." Heidmarch pats him with a degree of professional affection, and Kalkamedes rewards her by trying to swat her with his head.
"Kalkamedes’s friends are at their wits’ end, so we are going to attempt the only thing that we have not tried: we’re going to let him go tonight. That’s where you come in. I want you to follow him and keep him safe and in one piece. Let him get to wherever his addled brain thinks he needs to go so badly. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets there, you can find a way to help him. Maybe you can determine who or what did this to him and find a way to undo it." Heidmarch pulls out a serrated knife. "Now before I cut him free, does anyone have any questions or last minute preparations?"
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If anything Rogar seems even more uncertain:"Yes, well... you see captain, problem is I don't really want to hurt an old, deranged man... and it seems to me there will be a decent chance of me being forced to do exactly that... But go on. An assignment's an assignment after all. Let's just hope the old coot behaves himself"
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A young man with eager eyes and a shock of unkempt brown hair, sits forward from the edge of the room where he had been listening quietly. Other than a dull yet unmistakably glistening breastplate his clothes are appear simple, perhaps a bit travel-stained. He absentmindedly strokes the head of big head of a leopard seated beside him.
"Does he seem to be in a hurry to get there or does he just plod along?"
Riken edges in for a closer look.
"Does he ever remember anything the next day?"
Reaching out he lightly pokes Kalkamedes.
"Is he aware of his surroundings? Doesn't he notice the cliff or does he just not care? He sure seems to notice those ropes."
Riken scratches at his stubble has he carefully studies the man.
"Think he'd fight having a rope tied to his waist so we can keep him out of trouble. We're still letting him make progress to where he's wanting to go."
Taking his seat again he resumes scratching the big cat's head.
"So what's north of here anyway. Is it all forest and bogs? Any cities of villages we gonna run into?
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Sheila Heidmarch frowns as she looks at Kalkamedes, "He moves at a normal walking pace, and has no memory of his nocturnal exploits. He has nearly broken his neck falling down a bluff, almost drowned and woken with unexplained injuries - all before he saw fit to contact me for help. A rope around his waist would seem a sensible precaution."
Turning to stare out of the window she continues, "We have tried heading north in search of some cause for this madness, but found nothing. There are hundreds of miles of uncharted wilderness without Kalkamedes to serve as guide we found nought. But there are plenty of bogs and rough terrain in to the north, no settlements for many days."
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A small gnome listens to the conversation with intrest.. He wears the normal adventuring gear, except that his backpack is about ready to explode due to the sheer amount of its contents.. "Carry everything, including a kitchen sink my dad always used to say.."
"Will he communicate while he's in the trance? Does he ever say anything?"
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The golden-skinned pretty man smiles as the looks around the room. Looking at the gnome and the ranger, he nods as they ask some very intelligent questions, questions Sidney would have not thought to ask.
You see, Sidney was not of even average intelligence. He was used to getting along on his good looks and magnetic personality. His magic came naturally rather than from long study.
Rather than appear slow, Sidney nods and smiles at the questioning. He even makes the occasional "Hmmm" in what he thought were the correct places.
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"He does not communicate, though that sword of his may. Speaking of which you are welcome to borrow anything you can find here in the cabin. He was after all a fine Pathfinder in his day. " Venture Captain Heidmarch says sweeping out of the cabin mounting her fine warhorse and riding away.
Glancing about the apartment Riken and Wizzy both spy a crumpled charcoal partially burned charcoal sketch in the stove. The sketch shows a squat fortress under a full moon enshrouded by clouds. As you pick up the sketch you notice an out of place lever in the back of the stove.
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Riken strains at the chest with a poker and is only just able to pop it open as his strength is about to give out. Inside are a pair of bracers, a mud splattered cloak, a vial of blue sparkling liquid, a gourd, a strange silvery metallic flask with sharp jigsaw-like edges, and a longsword with a crack that runs from hilt to half way up the blade - all of these items detect as magical.
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Wizzy is able to identify every single item with ease! The bracers are bracers of armor +1, the cloak is a cloak of resistance +1, the blue liquid in the vial an elixir of swimming, the gourd contains a potion of cure light wounds, the metallic flask is a mithril flask containing a potion of hide from undead, and the sword is a +1 allying longsword but is broken.
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Riken gives Wizzy a quizzical look. Gnomes are an odd lot he thinks to himself.
Whipping a dagger out of its sheath he advances on Kalkamedes and cuts a small square out of the bed sheet.
"Just in case he gives us the slip I want to be able to track him down again."
"Speaking of, who's holding the rope when we tie this guy up"
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Sidney takes the bracers and cloak, Wizzy the sword, Rogar the gourd with its cure light potion and the elixir of swimming. Then as time is getting on they tie a rope around Kalkamedes and release him from his bonds.
The slumbering old Pathfinder stumbles his way to the cabin door and heads out into the night with the group in tow. The night sky is clear with a waning crescent moon that provides only very dim light hanging overhead.
Heading relentlessly northwards after fifteen minutes or so Kalkamedes stumbles as he twists his ankle upon a rock. He begins moving on but is clearly limping now...
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"I can stay slightly ahead of him to try and mitigate him hurting himself.." Wizzy will stay around 10' ahead of the man and try to help kep him from hurting himself.. He'll also look at the sword again.. "You know we're trying to help your master and anything you could do to help as well would be apprieciated.. can you perhaps share any insight as to what is happening to him? Perhaps something you've seen or heard that made all this start?"
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Giving the big cat a few solid pats on the chest, Riken points ahead a bit but in no particular direction. "Paka, you go ahead and watch over us. Let us know if you see anything you don't like."
"And stay out of sight!" Riken calls after the leopard as is hurries away.
"Lets see if we can get him wherever he's going in one piece." Riken grumbles as he pulls out his bow and nocks and arrow, scanning the edges of his eyesight expecting the worst.
"We're gonna have to light a torch soon. Someone else has to carry it though I need my hand free" he says gesturing with the bow.
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Seated on a rock beside a small pond is a tall Tian-Min woman with long, dark hair and clad in a kimono of purple silk. She is playing a ballad on a samisen. Or rather, she is trying to play something resembling a ballad, and is not very good at it. She flubs a note, then stops and lets out a sharp exhale of frustration.
She lets her shoulders drop and sets the instrument down, then takes a drink from a small round cup beside her.
"Pathfinders?" she asks, surprised to have company this evening. "It is a surprise to see a group in this area at this time of night," she comments, her Minkaian-accented voice as smooth as the silk she wears.
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Rogar expression drops for a moment as the lady mentions the old pathfinder leading them around. And of course he suddenly realizes that meeting someone who would suspect of pathfinders in this remote region can only mean one of two things, another pathfinder or someone who knows about their mission and is out to sabotage it:"Well lady... we might have heard such a name... but why would you search for that old man? And why here, in the middle of nowhere, of all places?"
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At first Wizzy was suspicious of the new arrival, but after he realized she was a pathfinder was relaxed.. "Well met Lady Noh! I am Floggentop Wizzbottle III! You may call me Wizzy for short though.. It's nice to have you on the team!" He points to the tied up man.. "Thats Kalkamedes there.. He's been having some sleep walking problems and we were brought it to help! We're supposed to follow him and see where he's going and try to figure out why he's sleepwalking.."
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"I am here because Sheila Heidmarch requested me to watch for Kalkamedes. It is my understanding that he is possessed by some sort of spirit," she explains, her smooth voice seeking to calm Rogar. "And that spirit is driving him to wander north."
"Since I am going to be joining you as his escort, I should introduce myself. I am Lady Noh of Amanadar."
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Sidney speaks up:
"Lady Noh was with me on my adventures in the north. She is an accomplished sorceress. Only with her abilities were we able to defeat a true dragon and survive the harsh conditions and people we encountered."
Sidney volunteers: "We had an altercation were we disagreed when lethal force was warranted, but I think we have resolved them. You can trust her to blind any enemies we encounter with a spell that puts sparkly dust motes in the air."
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Kalkamedes tries to take another step, but instead collapses unconscious. His ankle is swollen and red and his face pale and drawn.
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Wizzy's magic takes effect and Kalkamedes still slumbering clambers to his feet again and sets off.
"Hmmm, maybe you are not all bad thieves. What are you doing with my master?" Says the sword strapped across Wizzy's back - its far too long to hang on his waist - a similar height to the gnome in fact.
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Startled Wizzy pulls the sword back out.. "So you can talk.. I already explained that to you, but obviously you were not listening.. Your master is have some issues with sleep walking.. We were tasked by the Society to help figure out what's causeing this. So that's what we're doing.. Following him through the swamp until he leads us to something that can explain his madness.. Have you any insight as to what is causing this? Do you have a name btw?"
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"Oh yes, I suppose I should trust everyone that pries open my friends trunk and steals me, how could I ever have been so unpardonably rude - you pint sized imbecile. But I suppose it looks like you are trying to help him - even if you aren't very good at it..."
"I don't know what is causing this Kalkamedes went near this honking big black building, but he never entered. We returned home and this started happening. Only thing I can think it to get him back there and find out what has ensorcelled him. He's a good man, you need to protect him. He may not have made it as a paladin, but that's only because he was to smart. I'm Gamin by the way."
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"Do you remember where this black building is, Gamin?" Lady Noh asks.
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Taken back by the rude little sword.. "Well aren't you just a rude little thing.. Just to set the record straight Gamin, we didn't steal you, Miss Heidmarch gave us leave to us his gear to accomplish this task so if you have a problem with that you should take it up with her.. We came here of our own free will to help your master, not to be chewed out by a weapon, so I would appreciate it if you could be less rude and more helpful.. You think you can do that? For the better of your master?"