A mysterious cube falls on the table.
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Water laps steadily at the pier as sailors, laborers, and merchants rush busily around Absalom's port. The venture-captain's summons called for a meeting aboard the Sixwing Drake, a sleek sailing ship.
The Drake's captain, a Varisian woman and fellow Pathfinder named Zarah Zendrani, stands at the helm of her vessel. "It’s not like Valsin to be late," she mutters, furrowing her brow.
As if on cue, a tall and meticulously groomed man pushes his way through the crowd and up the gangplank, cursing audibly. "F~*#! Whoever supervises this mess of a port needs to be dumped in the f&%!in' sea, and now!" he grumbles before stopping in front of you.
The tall man looks around at those gathered before him, and his expression changes from an angry scowl to a more satisfied grin. "Just the group I requested. Perfect. I’m Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, and I took great care in selecting just the right Pathfinders for this assignment."
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D. stands waiting at the designated spot.
The crowd going about their business, he thinks of the auctions his parents took him to on occasion.
Save for this port having the scent of the sea.
He wonders if any of his previous compatriots would show up this day.
The event was still vivid in his memory, stuck in time in ruins, rapidly disposing of clones and creatures throughout this continent's history.
The captain was a fair woman to see, for a westerner.
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"You think I am correct for this?" The long-haired woman looks like a stiff breeze could snap her in half. When the wind does blow, her hair seems to dance with the breeze, clearly more expressive than her stone faced expression.
Sirettis grimaces ever so slightly. "Yes. It is an honor for you to select me, Sirettis, for this mission. I will do whatever I can to succeed."
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"Yes. Isa and I spent some time learning the habits of those in Absalom, and noting what customs survived from the Azlanti." She turns and nods. Then she remembers to smile and offer to shake D's hand.
"There is a small memorial dedicated to Lady Arodeth now. I hope her last moments were at peace."
"Ah. Isa is glad to see you. I hope your journey has gone well?"
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D. shakes her hand, and nods.
"I've discovered there is a lack of a proper tea house in this city.
Other than that, i've had some time to see what this city is like. When i yesterday saw Uesugi-san, he said he'd been occupied with some official matter, and will not be available for several days.
We will be without his sharp blade on this task."
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He abhorred being on the sailing vessel even though he had been rescued nearly three years ago from the Kelshite slave ship. The sounds of the creaking board and water slapping against the hull sent occasional shivers down his spine. Yes the memories were still too fresh and he doubted he would ever feel safe on a ship but that was a different person some one who he was not now.
In the back of his mind he remembered who he was now Bishop 'The Black Augur'. It was a cover he had worked on for near a year and a half. Making it through the Society's trial had been easy compared to his past experiences and if his first assignment was to take place on a boat then he would stomach it no matter how painful it was.
He looked around and noted that his contact had been correct that this mission had attracted some of the members of The Red Arm of Absalom. From what he had learned of this group they had survived some debacle experiment that had sent them to the time of the Azlanti empire only to be sabotaged by some fanatics and then sent to the falling of the Starstone. There seemed to be a couple of members missing which is how he had gotten selected. He watched them converse amongst themselves. Other than looking like a group of misfits with all the different races they didn't look like anything special.
Choosing the right time to approach people was always best when you were the new face in the crowd. So he let them talk and when Venture Captain Valsin finally arrived and introduced himself he knew it was the right time.
"Thank you Venture Captain Valuing for selecting me. I can understand why you would choose the honourable members of The Red Arm of Absalom word of their dedication has spread among many in Absalom. However, I am at a loss on the reason you chose me? I just passed my trials last week and I hadn't thought that I'd be matched with this experienced crew."
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Valsin looks Bishop up and down before responding, "You aren't a Red Arm member, but you know how the Society works - Cooperate and all that. Consider this inaugural mission a chance to prove your worth not only to the Society, but to your companions as well. You are lucky to be undertaking this mission with such formidable allies. Speaking of which..."
Valsin reaches into his belt pouch and withdraws a small, folded paper.
"A few days ago, I received a curious note from a rather unexpected source. It's not every day that I get a request from an agent of the Aspis Consortium!"
Captain Zendrani's eyes widen, and Valsin smiles knowingly. "But Magali Delroya does not appear to be your typical Aspis agent. As you surely know, the Aspis Consortium pursues a variety of activities across the Inner Sea that the Pathfinder Society finds abhorrent. It seems that Delroya has been working with them for some time, but can no longer stomach the snakes herself. I don't blame her." He rolls his eyes.
"She wants to stop a shipment of an experimental drug from leaving Diobel later this week. It's bound for a number of locations across the Inner Sea region. According to Delroya, she can't ask the local authorities for help, because the Aspis Consortium has already struck a deal with a faction of the Kortos Consortium, a powerful merchant collective. Her hands are tied, so she's come to us for help. That's where you come in."
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Just as Valsin finishes describing the situation, the Pathfinders assembled aboard the Sixwing Drake hear the thunderous sound of someone running up the gangplank, followed by a woman's voice. The voice sounds like a strange mix between a lover's call and a deadly enemy's roar, Suddenly, the door flies open, revealing a young dwarf maiden on the other side, breathing heavily, her face flush with exhaustion and fury. She looks around the room at those assembled, then growls through gritted teeth, "Where's my Gally-poo? My beautiful, beautiful Gally-poo. The missive I received said this mission was to be completed by the Red Arm of Absalom, and my Gally-poo is the leader of the Red Arm, so where is he?" After a few moments of confused silence, the girl takes a seat in the cabin as she begins to break down in tears as the realization sinks in that "Gorgeous" Gallix Granbonne is not aboard the ship and will not be on this mission. Once she composes herself, she apologizes to the Venture Captain and the other Pathfinders for her interruption, and gets caught up on the situation so far.
"Well *sniff*, if this Delroya woman *sniff* wants to stop such a nasty thing happening, she must be alright *sniiifff*. We should help her." She pulls a small cloth handkerchief from her bosom, below the shimmering scale mail she wears, and wipes at her nose for a moment, sniffing and snorting. Finally, she tucks the handkerchief back in its place and goes on, "What can we do, Venture Captain?"
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Bishop watches the dwarven maid (?) interrupt the meeting just after the Venture Captain had responded to his question.
Watching the dwarf come into this fold swooning over the man named Gallix seemed a little odd even for this group. He would make sure to record that in his notes on the Red Arm of Absalom.
"Once again. Thank you for choosing me Venture Captain." he smiles to the Venture Captain and sits down close to the dwarven maid all the while in the back of his mind he thinks,
And when in WorldWound are we getting off this ship!
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Mr Peppers sits upon a rail on the deck of the Sixwing Drake. A fresh journal in his lap and ink quill in hand, jotting down a few interesting tidbits, along with a poor drawing of the ship itself. He's been sitting here for a fair bit of time, occasionally apologizing to captain and crew alike for being in the way as he shifted around to different areas of the ship, trying not to be too much of a bother. He wears a fresh and clean cloak, stylized with prominent arcane symbols, wrapped around his shoulders, an occasional gust of wind whipping it across his journal. Once he hears some different voices he heads down to the other end of the ship to see some familiar faces.
"Look who we have here! Sir D my Tian friend, I hope time has treated you nicely in the city? Sirettis and Isa, a pleasure to see you both again. You must be enjoying this wild wind I bet?" He says laying a steady hand on her shoulder.
He then turns to the captain and gives her a nod and a smile. "The captain and I have already met, again my apologies if I was in the way today." After a slight pause he then composes himself in a more serious manner and turns to the Captain. "Captain Valsin, your reputation precedes you. Mr Peppers at your service!" He then quickly turns to introduce himself to the new additions with an embarrassed look on his face "How rude of me, I didn't catch your names, I'm Mr Peppers, I study the endless arcane arts here in the city. I'm looking forward to working with the two of you." He ends with a polite nod and smile to both the dark skinned man and the boisterous woman before looking back towards the Captain. "You were saying something about drug shipments?"
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D. turns his head, as he hears the voice of Mr. Peppers.
"Peppers-san, it has, so far...like i told Sirettis-San before, it lacks the tranquility of a pproper tea house though."
D. nods slightly towards Bishop. "By what name do go by?"
GAAAALLLLY-POOOO! OH GAAAALLLLY-POOOO!
"By the rising sun, did someone lose a dog, or is someone strangling something?", his expression towards a 'wth?'
What is she??
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Begrilda extends a hand toward Mr. Peppers as he introduces himself. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Peppers. Pardon my asking, but is there a Mrs. Peppers? I do hope there is. There is no joy like that brought about by the warmth and and devotion of a lasting and faithful marriage...not that I would know myself, but Bolka teaches us so." The young woman giggles slightly before continuing, "Anyhoo, I'm Begrilda Hammerhild, a votary of the goddess Bolka. I suppose I have been summoned for this mission because I have some skill in bestowing the grace of the gods on those who are pure of heart." She smiles broadly, and it is clear that, even though she is unattractive, even by dwarven standards, she possesses a subtle charm that keeps others from ignoring her.
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Mr Peppers will take Begrilda's hand and shake it gently between his two hands. "Very pleased to meet you as well Ms Hammerhild. I must admit there is no Mrs Peppers at this point, I'm much too busy to have the proper time for such a relationship right now. I'm sure you'll agree that someone should be completely devoted to their betrothed above all else. Perhaps when there is more time I can assist you in locating Gallix? I'm sure he was pulled away suddenly by the Society. Perhaps there is even a letter making its way to you as we speak explaining as such... "
Hearing another familiar voice and using the distraction to his advantage, Mr Peppers will bid the woman farewell and turn to the kitsune "Oh Corsac! Nice to see you're coming too! Always good to have a strong musket by my side."
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Mr Peppers will take Begrilda's hand and shake it gently between his two hands. "Very pleased to meet you as well Ms Hammerhild. I must admit there is no Mrs Peppers at this point, I'm much too busy to have the proper time for such a relationship right now. I'm sure you'll agree that someone should be completely devoted to their betrothed above all else. Perhaps when there is more time I can assist you in locating Gallix? I'm sure he was pulled away suddenly by the Society. Perhaps there is even a letter making its way to you as we speak explaining as such... "
"Really? You think he wrote me a letter? Oh I do hope so! I scoured his quarters in the Grand Lodge, but didn't find anything. Had to break in and everything! Where do you think he might have left it? And, yes, if you would help me find him, I would be most grateful. We're engaged you know! We just got engaged about a week ago. It was so magical. We met at a teahouse here in the city. There was another friend of yours there too - a man named Uesugi - but Gallix was so wonderful. He was so lively and charming. He was a bit drunk at the time, but I could tell that he truly loved me, so I said we should get married and he said yes! It's strange, though. I haven't seen him since that night. I do wonder where he is now..." Her face falls slightly, but she sits quietly, ready for Valsin to give them more instructions.
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"Ah, Corsac-san has come as well. You should know we from Tian-Xia never call fox-kin dogs."
Aware that he would have to introduce himself to the newcomers, it's better now than later.
"I am D. Arthraven, and i must disappoint miss Hammerhild, we have not seen Gallix-san since our break from the sky key incident."
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Bishop grabs his tail of cloak and bows with a flourish. It is a pleasure to meet a group as distinguished as yourselves. I am called Bishop. Some even know me as the Dark Augur. I am a child of the Great Redeemer and she has gifted me with the ability to read the events of what has not come through these gifts." Opening his hand he reveals a set of three white polished stones with its own unique shape painted with gold, silver and crimson glyphs.
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Valsin holds his hand up to his face as he struggles not to silence the incessant babbling and rude entrance of Begrilda. Noticing his disposition, Captain Zendrani moves over and speaks up, nodding at Mr. Peppers as he had been so polite earlier. "I understand your concern with finding your husband, ma'am, but please allow the Venture Captain to offer you the details of the task at hand. You wouldn't want to miss anything, especially considering the connection with the Aspis this time around..." She shakes her head.
Valsin continues, sighing heavily. "Thank you, Zarah. She is right about the Aspis... Normally, I wouldn't trust an Aspis agent at any hour of the day. But our sources in Diobel have confirmed the Aspis and Kortos consortia's activities. Everything checks out, so we are presented with a unique opportunity. If we help Delroya, we might not only strike a financial blow against the Aspis Consortium, but we could also reveal their dealings with the Kortos Consortium - and possibly prevent their arrangement from turning into a more formal alliance. Furthermore, we hope to stop this drug from spreading across the Inner Sea region, and if we - if all of you - do a good enough job, we might even convince Delroya to join you! Well, maybe not your prestigious group, but certainly the Society. A turncoat agent would be a valuable asset in our ongoing run-ins with the Aspis Consortium.
"Take some time to look over Delroya’s note and the tasks she has set for you. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask. Remember, the Aspis Consortium is a long-time enemy of the society, but the Kortos Consortium, while certainly suspicious, is not our enemy. It is a complex organization with many factions, and we should avoid antagonizing any of them, except when necessary to oppose the Aspis Consortium."
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Sirettis has been quiet, observing the newcomers with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Isa continues chirping away and eventually flies to Bishop and Begrilda to force Sirettis to trust them. Eventually she nods and changes her stance. Stand at attention, but not threatening. Give them your attention but do not scare. Shake their hand now.
"Hello, Bishop. Hello Begrilda. Thank you for joining us on this mission. I am called Sirettis. It is a pleasure to work with you. I like that nickname- The Red Arm of Absalom."
She is much less hesitant when she sees Corsac. "Corsac, good to see you. I was able to procure a wand that will repair wounds. Yours was quite helpful. Thank you." She smiles.
Turning to the Venture Captain, she reads the notes carefully. "Oathday. A time limit to complete her tasks. We'll have to be low key about it. Disupting the meeting between those two agents will be entertaining. I am a poor thief, so the other tasks have equal priority."
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Mr Peppers listens attentively, resisting the urge to jot down notes considering the secretive nature of the mission. "Is there a confidential place below deck where we could all meet and discuss these Zarah?" Mr Peppers then nods towards the dark skinned man "Good to meet you, looking forward to seeing your visions put to use. I've never placed much trust in 'visions' myself, they're often quite cryptic so I've read."
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Bishop looks over he documents taking his time to comb through each word.
An Aspis agent willing to turn? Unlikely no agent turns unless they have something to gain there would be too much at stake. This will require a delicate touch. Ambrus jumps at this opportunity because he sees that there is more to be gained even if Delroya is deceiving us. A game of shatranj if is then. She has made her first move and now waits for us to take the bait.
Feigning a look of confusion he passes the documents to the next person nods, "Discussing this in a more secure setting would work well."
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Zarah nods at Mr. Peppers and Bishop. "Yes, good thinking. Who knows what sort of curious personalities are nearby. Follow me."
She leads the group through a crowd of shipmates and down some wooden steps into the cabin. The cabin of the Sixwing Drake is decked out in scarlet carpeting and dark oak. An iron desk sits at one end with several comfortable-looking sofas and chairs surrounding it. On top of the desk sits an array of charts, maps, and writing implements, and it looks like it could use some tidying. Valsin shakes his head and sighs at the apparent mess, but then gets back to the matter at hand, "Here we are. Now, any questions?"
There is no formal alliance between the Kortos Consortium and Aspis Consortium, and the two groups are likely working together in a limited capacity—at least for the time being.
Although the Aspis Consortium seems to have an agreement with part of the Kortos Consortium, neither group is centralized enough for such an arrangement to be very stable. Causing a major disruption in their operation would very likely sever ties between the two groups.
House Locosta, the faction allied with the Aspis Consortium, claims that its major interest is in Qadiran spices, but the family derives most of its profit from buying and selling Qadiran slaves.
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Mr Peppers heads into the room with the group and survey's the furnishings with a smile. "Pretty comfortable place you have here Captain Zarah." He then moves around admiring the finery, finally stopping in front of the desk where he addresses the group. "Since our last mission I've decided I needed to become a bit more well rounded in my studies. While I still believe the arcane arts are the most deserving, and by far most interesting study, other areas are somewhat worthwhile. I've done some research into the Aspis Consortium and happen to have come across some interesting tidbits that may be useful to us here." He then clears his throat and begins, while at the same time absentmindedly decluttering and organizing the desktop.
"Firstly, there is no formal alliance between the Kortos Consortium and Aspis Consortium, and the two groups are likely working together in a limited capacity—at least for the time being. Further more, along these same lines, although the Aspis Consortium seems to have an agreement with part of the Kortos Consortium, neither group is centralized enough for such an arrangement to be very stable. Causing a major disruption in their operation would very likely sever ties between the two groups. Which makes our operation quite interesting and possibly this last nugget is an important piece in all of it. House Locosta, the faction allied with the Aspis Consortium, claims that its major interest is in Qadiran spices, but the family derives most of its profit from buying and selling Qadiran slaves. We could possibly disrupt not only these two organizations, setting back their alliance and deeply affecting their coffers, and as a side benefit saving some slaves."
As Mr Peppers finishes up and looks around the room at the other agents, the desk beneath him is organized in most impressive fashion.
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What a resourceful tool this Mr. Peppers is. Seems to know a lot about this Consortium. Far more than I had known it seems there is more to than this group than expected. I won't underestimate them again.
"This other Consortium is new to me I had know idea. Thank you for sharing that with us Mr. Peppers. Given Mr. Peppers account of the situation I think intercepting the spy before information can be exchanged would be best as well as shutting down the producer of this whip substance. Perhaps we shut down the production he might have additional information in this hideout that could tell us more."
Bishop sits down and as he does all he can think is, Aspis agent or not that production of whip needs to be stopped especially if the creator of this substance is working with a slave trader.
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A knock on the door, and a gnome youth runs in and whispers in Corsac's ear. "Ok, go get Ace and send him her in my stead, then."
"Sorry, folks, but it seems I am needed elsewhere. However, an old friend of mine will fill in. Good guy, little wet behind the ears, but likes hunting monsters of all ilk. Good luck to you all, and I hope to see you soon!"
With that, the kisune stands and bows, grabbing his gear and heads out the door.
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20 minutes later as the briefing is wrapping up, another knock is heard. A you undine man pokes his head in and looks around. "I was told to report here? I am Acelyn Chasseur."
As he enters the rest of the way, you see he is a scrawny looking man, wearing some rather odd light armor and carrying a huge crossbow . He carries little else.
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Captain Zendrani smiles brightly as Mr. Peppers tidies up her desk while elaborating on the Kortos Consirtium. "You really didn't have to do the job my shipmates should be doing, but you have my gratitude, Pathfinder."
"Anything that makes this port or its ships look just a little nicer is a boon in my books," says Valsin.
When Acelyn walks in late and Blaster slips out, Valsin shrugs, somewhat annoyed at the last-minute arrivals but content enough that a full group of Pathfinders was willing to take on the task at hand. He points at the two notes, and once Acelyn's done reading them, Valsin continues, "Your knowledge of the Kortos being involved in slavery is remarkable. The Kortos Consortium pretends to be a legitimate merchant guild dedicated to stamping out smugglers, but it participates in its fair share of illegal activities, some of which you are already aware."
"A fair number of prominent people in Diobel are in the Kortos Consortium's pockets, or are prominent members of the guild themselves. If possible, try not to get on the group's bad side."
"If you're all clear with what needs to be done, please be wary of your time. By the time we arrive in Diobel, you will only have a day, or two, at most, to complete your tasks. If you have any last minute supplies to gather, I suggest you do so quickly before we set sail."
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"Thank you! I feel like I know you all so well already, based on what Blaster has told me. Of course, sometimes his tales get pretty tall..."
Ace catches up and then says "Sounds like an interesting mission. I am not sure what I will need, but I am sure that a good hat will be necessary. It will be nice to be on the open seas again!"
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"Organized space, organized mind I always say. Clutter hurts the mind's ability to work efficiently." Mr Peppers will use the opportunity while he was sorting to take a quick glance at the paperwork to see if anything jumps out to him then make his way to a comfortable looking spot and have a seat while anything else is discussed.
When we all head our separate ways for last minute prep he'll speak up. "If you can afford it I suggest some defense against poisons. This drug and its alchemist concoctor may require a line of defense more than just armor. Antitoxins are quite useful... you do remember those snakes don't you Sirettis?"
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"Oh yes, we certainly must stop this awful drug-maker. As far as dealing with his poisons, my people tend to be strong against such vile trickery, so I will prepare myself some other way. Perhaps a scroll or two would be useful..." Begrilda sits in silent contemplation for a short time before standing and excusing herself from the others' company. "Yes, I think I know what I'll need. I'll meet you all again soon."
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Among the charts and maps of the Inner Sea Region on Captain Zendrani's desk, Mr. Peppers doesn't notice anything that may be helpful for the upcoming mission.
With an hour to spare before you set sail, several of you head off the ship and into Absalom, looking for the alchemist's shop. Arriving at it, the lizard-like apothecary fetches (or as he would say, fetchesssss) the antitoxins and other requested items.
Supplies in hand, Captain Zendrani rallies her crew and you set sail west along the coast of the Isle of Kortos.
As the Sixwing Drake is buffeted by the waters, Captain Zendrani stands at the helm, taking in the view of the horizon with a smile on her face. "The trip to Diobel won't take long, thankfully, given the Venture-Captain's orders. I do hope you can all manage travel by sea... If you know what I mean." She looks over at one of her crew, a stocky looking man who has his hands on his stomach as he tends to the sails, his face looking ghostly white. "I'm not sure why he didn't choose a different profession..."