Phinellippa Dioptrice |
Phinellippa listens to Iovo's descriptions, and mutters to herself. "Interesting. Perhaps I should include colloquialisms in the dictionary...'comes from Sauerton'..."
Will finish shopping tonight!
DM Oladon |
"Perhaps you know of her as Lady Liberty," replies Telfyr. "That's what most Andorans call her. She wrote fervently during her life of peace, justice, and freedom — popular topics in Andoran over the last half-century."
Garif Stonetoe |
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Sorry to be tardy to the party, somehow missed that there were new posts!
"So, we're to rescue the heiress of a shoddy wine manufacturer?" Garif says thoughtfully after the briefing. "I've no strong feelings about wine one way or the other, but I do dislike cheap work. If it'll help fund the fight in the Worldwound, though, it's worth it."
Noting that Kleines has rejoined the party - and that Rees is absent - Garif greets his friend, "Glad we'll be traveling together again, Kleines! I see you're taking notes again. Perhaps I can encourage you to jot down and item or two related to the soils where wine grows? Now, obviously, larger-scale mineral samples are a good deal more interesting, but soil is made up of minerals all the same. At a guess, I'd say that the soil around Sauerton is very loamy, rather than sandy or rich in clay. Loam is very fertile and fine for most crops, but I understand its fertility makes wine grapes grow too fast, so you get a less intense flavor in the final product. But if you worked in some soil with a higher silica content you could increase the rate of drainage..." Garif pauses a moment, to allow Kleines to catch up in his note-taking. Seeing that the large fellow's hand is not moving - and has perhaps not moved since Garif began speaking - the dwarf shrugs and says, "I'll just show you later."
Kleines Johann |
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Kleines listens to Garif's instruction, trying to make sense of what he said. He pauses for a few moments, ruminating, then jots down *LOAM + CROPS = GOOD*, then after another moment *LOAM + GRAPES = BAD?*.
"I left a little spot here, see?" Kleines says, pointing to the napkin. "So I can smudge some of the dirt on it later. Maybe some grape juice too." He looks quite pleased with himself.
DM Oladon |
Major Maldris coughs quietly, glancing over at Venture-Captain Brackett with a querying look. The Venture-Captain shrugs slightly, but does clear his throat after a moment. "Unless you have any other questions for us...?"
Iovo Apastron |
“What does Thalia look like? It would be nice to be able to recognize her by sight.”
DM Oladon |
Telfyr the seer speaks up again. "Tall, dark hair, fair skin. Sea-green eyes, and... how shall I put this..." he pauses for a moment as Venture-Captain Bracket rolls his eyes. "rather a... well-endowed... olfactory organ."
Phinellippa Dioptrice |
"Well, it sounds like we should start off right away, before anything happens to her!"
I picked up a wand of mage armor for 2PP, but I'm otherwise saving my money.
Kleines Johann |
Kleines is ready.
Kleines Johann |
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Totes! Garif is updated from his lil' shopping expedition. Though he did not buy a trowel to collect soil samples...
*Unpacks a large, unweildy shovel and holds it out to Garif.*
DM Oladon |
Feel free to back-ask any questions if you don't feel you got the chance; moving us along!
The group's voyage up the Andoshen River is swift, and good weather prevails until they're almost to their destination. Sometime during the final hour or so of their journey, the sky turns grey and a light rain begins to fall.
Most of Sauerton appears well-maintained, and although the grape-picking season has passed, several presses are still set up in the town square in hopes of fair weather's return.
Welcome to Sauerton! Where to first?
DM Oladon |
The Andares' manor is not difficult to find, being one of several dozen stately homes still standing in the town as functional reminders of a past age's nobility. As the group makes their way through a particularly narrow alley, a halfling wearing light armor and a rain-spattered helmet steps out from behind a corner. "Hail!" he offers, by way of greeting.
Kleines Johann |
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"Nah, it's just rain."
When he finally notices the halfling he adds "Hello. I am Kleines. Who are you?"
DM Oladon |
The halfling laughs heartily, placing one hand over his stomach as if to better contain his amusement. Finally regaining his composure, he beams back at Kleines. "Captain Merton Demrick, at your service. I welcome you to the illustrious town of Sauerton, and would be delighted to guide you during your visit if you should so desire. Might I inquire as to your purpose here? We don't get many tourists these days..."
Iovo Apastron |
"We were told a lady was kidnapped and needed a daring rescue!" Iovo gushes.
Bluff, doesn't really expect it to be that exciting: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
"Oh, and also to determine if Sauerton Red really does help plants grow." she adds as an afterthought.
DM Oladon |
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1d20 ⇒ 6
Merton opens his mouth to reply to the first comment, but pauses as Iovo blurts out the second bit. His face changes to one of confusion. "Er..." He stops, then reaches up and scratches his head thoughtfully. "That's a very intriguing theory," he replies. "I've never thought about it, but now that you mention it... I think you'll find that it works better for weeds than flowers, but there just might be something to it. Here, if you like I'll show you to the Andares' manor and point out what might be some interesting evidence for you to use in your other endeavour along the way."
Kleines Johann |
Kleines is puzzled when the halfling laughs. What's so funny about the weather?
Iovo Apastron |
“Thank you!” Iovo says. Looking around, she adds “Please, do show us the way. I have never been to Sauerton before, and am curious.
Now when you mentioned using it on weeds — was that to control them, or make them grow? I wouldn’t want to create any monstrous plant creatures!”
Garif Stonetoe |
Garif keeps quiet as the others engage the halfling in conversation, though he nods cordially. Were we supposed to keep our mission a secret, or ask everyone we see about the missing girl? Hmm, another briefing where I should have paid more attention. It’s a shame Nico pays those things no mind either.
DM Oladon |
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"I'll show you!" replies the cheerful halfling.
He leads the group through town, pointing out buildings of interest ("There's the best inn; they stock an out-of-town wine, you know") as they progress. In front of one shabby, run-down house on the edge of town he pauses and points. Its lawn is thickly covered in waist-deep weeds, and bits of rubbish litter the faint trail that remains leading up to the front door. "See, this is what your theory made me think of," he explains, gesturing expansively. "This is the Old Badger's place... he drinks a lot of Red."
Eventually the Pathfinders find their path leading them toward a tall, stately mansion fronted by pinkish marble pillars and surrounded by a beautiful (and well-trimmed) green lawn.
What's the plan?
Damiar Apastron |
Knowledge Engineering: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
“They’re expecting us, right? Is there any reason why we should not just go straight up and knock on the door?”
Damiar looks at the others. “Shall we?” She grins at the halfling. “Thank you for the tour. It was great!”
Iovo Apastron |
Iovo laughs when Captain Demrick points out Badger’s place and explains. I like him! He is so friendly and has a sense of humor!
—
Nodding, Iovo agrees. “Thank you so much! It was a pleasure meeting you. Oh, by the way my name is Iovo.”
She then bounces up the stairs to knock on the door.
Phinellippa Dioptrice |
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"Yes, we were told to introduce ourselves straight away!"
Phinellippa starts muttering to CoCo, "Look, we agreed that I will call you CoCo since you like it better, but I'm not introducing you as 'The Amazing CoCo.' It's simply preposterous."
DM Oladon |
The friendly guard captain glances around the group and decides he's been dismissed. Waving cheerily, he skips off down the path, "accidentally" stepping on the bright green lawn a few times and glancing back with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Shuffling footsteps are heard from within the large house at the knock, and a moment later the door opens to reveal an older woman with homely features and deep frown lines etched into her forehead. Her clothes are simple, but clean, and her hands bear the callouses of hard work. Glancing out at the group, she peers from one to the other until she's taken them all in, and finally she speaks. "Don't want any of whatever it is you're selling," she offers gruffly.
Iovo Apastron |
"Selling?" Iovo looks back at the rest of the group, then back at the woman. She shakes her head as she says "We aren't selling anything."
"We have a letter of introduction..." Looking over to Phinellippa she asks "Were you carrying it Phin?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continues "Anyways we would like to speak with Consul Tercio Andares. Is he available?"
DM Oladon |
The woman utilizes her frowning muscles a bit when Iovo claims they aren't selling anything, but she doesn't close the door. When Iovo finishes, she hrmphs and shakes her head. "He's quite busy," she replies in her slightly-gruff manner.
Iovo Apastron |
“Oh good! That means he is here! May we see him now?”
Iovo Apastron |
Was hoping someone else would step in and help....but here it goes!
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Guess she was a little too aggressive...
Kleines Johann |
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The friendly guard captain glances around the group and decides he's been dismissed. Waving cheerily, he skips off down the path, "accidentally" stepping on the bright green lawn a few times and glancing back with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"Goodbye. Remember, if it's liquid then it's rain, not hail."
----
"Ma'am, we're here to help. Please allow us to speak with the Consul. Thank you."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Garif Stonetoe |
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Nico, convinced his reach is greater than it is, takes a few semi-playful swats at Coco, but the bird's ability to fly seems decisive in the brief encounter. "It must be interesting traveling with an animal that can speak to you, Phinellipa," Garif remarks as they walk. "I am not sure whether I'd wish that of Nico, as it's hard to imagine what his conversation would be like. But I'd rather he have a voice than hands, oh the trouble he'd get himself into." The dwarf pauses thoughtfully, and a faint shudder runs through him as he contemplates the possibility.
When Kleines provides their halfling guide with a bit of scientific guidance, Garif can't help but point out a localized exception, "In this part of the world, my friend, it seems that if it's liquid, it's cheap red wine."
At the door of the mansion, Garif attempts to make nice with the woman. He gestures at the pillars fronting the house and says, "I admire your columns of recrystallized carbonate mineral. I'd say calcite or dolomite at a guess, with a touch of iron oxide to give it that rosy hue."
Diplomacy, Aid Kleines: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1 Or not.
Verrix the Pathfinder |
Verrix has been playing the roll of the strong, silent type throughout the briefing and the trip.
He looks pretty good, with his shining armor, and his masterwork warhammer. But, think of the future, when he will be all decked out in mithral armor, standing tall and strong, square jawed, with a shock of thick blond hair tousled by the wind, standing n the deck of a ship, one foot up on a low rail, looking forward to adventure.
(Right up until the moment he can no longer contain his seasickness.)
He will introduce himself to the halfling. As the halfling is leaving, his brow furrows as the halfling makes a point of making a few steps on the lawn. He says quietly to the others, "I thought the mayor was very popular in town? We should speak with that fellow again later, and find out what his quarrel with the man is."
Verrix will also attempt to aid Kleines. "We are here to help; we believe we may be able to aid in the issue of his daughter."
Diplomacy (Aid Another): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Damiar Apastron |
“I like how you say that, ‘He’s quite busy!” Damiar claps. “Can you do that again? It’s perfect! Just the right amount of gruffness to drive away salesmen and the wishy-washy. Those who are not utterly determined will go away.” Then she looks the old woman in the eyes. “But you know that won’t work on us, not with a life at stake. We want to save her. Help us, please.”
Diplomacy, Aid Another: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
DM Oladon |
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The woman's eyes widen slightly as the Pathfinders all begin speaking at once, and slightly more when they mention Thalia. They narrow again at Damiar, and it seems for a moment that she's about to give the young elf a scolding, but she relaxes and even cracks a reluctant smile. "Oh, it's her you're here about? Why didn't you say so? Come in, come in..."
The woman motions silently to a nearby servant, who strides down the hall and disappears around a corner. As she ushers the group into a tastefully appointed drawing room (the size of the house makes it seem likely that it has more than one), the older woman becomes almost as talkative as she was gruff and reticent before. "I'm Dorabeth, the Andares' housekeeper... I've been their housekeeper near forever, I suppose. Frilit there will let the master know you're here, and I'll just keep you company while you wait, shall I?" She doesn't wait for permission, but quickly continues. "Strange goings-on around here of late, and we're all so very sad about Thalia! Do you know..."
At this, Dorabeth pauses and leans forward conspiratorially. "I think... no offense to present company, you understand, but I think it was the elves that took her! They're always poking about around the Forest, and they've got those strange forest gods of theirs, probably demanding sacrifices... people go missing, you know, and me, well, I keep my eyes and ears open, yes sir."
Kleines Johann |
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16 Do I know anything about elven 'forest gods' in this area?
Iovo Apastron |
Iovo struggles to not laugh at the suggestion that elves might have kidnapped Thalia.
Settling down after a moment or so, she asks "Is there some reason that someone would want to harm Thalia? I wouldn't expect her to be the type to indiscriminately destroy the wilds, harm wild creatures, or anything like that."
"I would be very interested in hearing about any strange occurrences. Perhaps someone is trying to frame my people?"
Damiar Apastron |
“Of course this discrning lady knows what elves look like, otherwise she wouldn’t have said ‘No offense’ when sharing her theory.” She pauses. “I’d like to hear about the other missing people as well. Who were they?”
Garif Stonetoe |
"Dorabeth, perhaps you can tell us a little about Thalia, since you clearly care for the girl?" Garif asks kindly. "Anything about her might be helpful in finding her - where you last saw her, where she liked to go, people she spent time with, anything."
DM Oladon |
Kleines, you've heard the names 'Ketephys', 'Cernunnos', and 'Yuelral' as elven gods having some connection with forests, but you've never heard them referred to as 'forest gods'.
The woman raises both hands to ward off the swarm of questions. "Now, now, I've only got one mouth and two ears, so you'd all better just wait your turns!" Looking at Iovo first, she replies, "Dear me, no. Thalia was always a sweet one, she was, and even were it that she gained an enemy somehow, well, no one would... her family name would certainly protect her. No, it was the elves."
Turning to Verrix, she frowns severely. "Young man, you need to respect your elders! I ask you, how would I know it was elves if I didn't know what elves look like?"
Leaving Verrix to ponder that question, she turns next to Damiar, and her frown dissolves into a fond smile. "You're quite correct, young lady. Now then, other missing people? Well, you know, just... people. No one in particular. Certainly no one near as important as Miss Thalia."
Patting Damiar's hand, Dorabeth looks over at Garif with a different smile. "Of course I did, and of course I will!" she replies. "Such a sweet girl! I last saw her here at the manor. She didn't go out much, poor thing, but she was good to us and we all loved her. And now..." the woman begins to sniff softly and dab at her eyes. "And now she's all alone with elves and going to be sacrificed to their forest gods!"
Phinellippa Dioptrice |
"Did you notice anything unusual before she disappeared? New friends, acting strangely, anything at all?"
Kleines Johann |
Kleines scratches his head and looks puzzled. "I don't remember learning about any elven 'forest gods' in school. Can you tell us anything else about them?"
DM Oladon |
The woman holds one hand up to her mouth thoughtfully, but shakes her head. "No, no, nothing unusual at all. We don't see many strangers around here, you know, and those we do we don't just go and... befriend, you understand. It just isn't done."
Turning to Kleines, she shakes her head once again. "Certainly not, I'm no follower of theirs! You'd do better to ask one of the elves from the Forest."
Just as she finishes, the door across the hall opens and two men emerge. The second, a tall Taldan with curly, graying black hair smiles graciously at the other. "I thank you again for your concern, Cousin Sander, but the services of the Eagle Knights are not called for here. Surely you would not risk Thalia's safety in such a bold manner."
As the two men notice the group, both fall silent. The Taldan (who, incidentally, matches the description of Tercio Andares given to the party) speaks again, this time to the Pathfinders. "Hello," he offers after only a moment of silence. "I don't believe we've been introduced. You are...?"
Garif Stonetoe |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Oh, my, that was an interesting set of looks that just passed between those two. Sander checking with Andares to be sure he's okay with us he, and Andares giving a reassuring look back, to say there's nothing to worry about.
Garif is too caught up in understanding what he's just observed to think to introduce himself, leaving the others to speak first.
Kleines Johann |
Sense Motive: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3
Diplomacy (Gather information): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
My, talk about friends in high places. He must be important to rank a visit from someone so high up in the Eagle Knights.
"Hello, sir." Kleines says with a small bow. "My name is Kleines Johann, and these are my allies Garif, Phinellippa, Damiar, Iovo, and Verrix. We have come to assist you in your search. I believe we gave our letter of introduction to this woman."
Iovo Apastron |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Kn: Local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Iovo cheerfully waves when her name is said. As he finishes, she pipes up “We’re with the Pathfinder Society!” I’m glad we don’t have to hide that anymore!
Aid Another, Diplo: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Guess they have heard too much about Pathfinders...