For more than a decade, the infamous information broker, former Pathfinder, and thoroughly controversial mastermind Grandmaster Torch has pursued vengeance against the Decemvirate and the Society as a whole. Yet for all the Society's countermeasures, Torch has consistently procured seemingly unattainable intelligence that makes his schemes ever more dangerous. At last, the Society has identified his chief accomplice and informant who has evaded Society scouts by hiding out where Pathfinders are forbidden on pain of death: Mediogalti Island, home of the notorious Red Mantis Assassins. Yet Grandmaster Torch's imminent endgame threatens the whole Society, if not Absalom itself, and if the PCs are to uncover the plot and avert disaster, they must infiltrate one of the Inner Sea's most deadly cities and neutralize a powerful threat.
|
A tall elven male walks in after the half-orc. He has a bow slung around his back and a multitude of quivers hanging around his waist and back. A spell book hangs from his his hip as well. A couple of scrolls and wands are tucked into his spell component pouch on his thigh.
He says nothing, but nods to the half-orc and takes up position in the corner, keeping an eye on the door.
Greetings, Pathfinders, says a man wearing a triple-spired helmet as he strides purposefully into the room. The helmet marks him as a member of the Decemvirate, one of the enigmatic leaders of the Pathfinder Society. You are here because you are the finest that the Pathfinder Society has to offer. Time and again, you have been entrusted with tasks of utmost importance, and you have always carried them through to success. I have personally summoned you here with yet another perilous mission, one that requires great discretion. As I am sure you have heard, the nation of Lastwall is reeling beneath the onslaught of an undead invasion, triggered by the release of the Whispering Tyrant from his prison.
The majority of our Pathfinder forces have been dispatched to deal with this grave threat, which leaves the Society open to threats from other enemies. In particular, I have received word that Grandmaster Torch is once again on the move and working to capitalize on the current crisis. Although Torch’s past is complicated, his wanton disregard for bystanders and increasingly aggressive gambits against the Society have left us no choice: the time has come to kill Grandmaster Torch. We’ve long wondered where he acquired his most damning intelligence, and in the past year we identified his principal contact: a gnome named Eylysia who was once a member of the Pathfinder Society. She is not the same justice-minded visionary that she was in the Society’s early days. It appears that a combination of estrangement, Torch’s influence, and perhaps even the Bleaching have left blood on her hands—a great deal of blood. Together, the two of them are planning one last attack that could destroy the Society as we know it. At this point it’s clear that even in apparent isolation, Eylysia poses an ongoing threat to the Society she once championed.
Although Torch remains elusive, we have learned that Eylysia has hidden herself away on Mediogalti Island. I have arranged for you to be teleported to Azir, where a ship waits to carry to you to Ilizmagorti, a pirate haven located on Mediogalti Island. Once there, seek out the villa of Stanton Strake. He is a retired pirate captain who once served as a contact for the Pathfinder Society. Strake keeps abreast of Pathfinder news, and I believe he is in communication with Eylysia. Use Strake to discover her whereabouts, then confront her to learn Torch’s location. If she proves unwilling to return to face justice, eliminate her. The Pathfinder Society can no longer afford to have enemies fomenting discord in the shadows.
A final word of caution, Pathfinders. As you are likely aware, Mediogalti Island is the main stronghold of the Red Mantis assassins. Any Pathfinders discovered on the island are summarily executed. The assassins have considerable resources, both magical and mundane, that they use to ferret out spies. There are few places in Golarion more dangerous for a Pathfinder agent to travel. Be sure to take every precaution to conceal your presence there.
Do you have anny questions?
|
”Why are we teleporting and then going in by ship? Why not teleport us all the way there instead? Seems like it would be easier,” the little gnome pipes up from the back of the room. ”And can Captain Strake be trusted? Or is he just waiting to sell us out for some pirate gold?”
She winks at Wynn, not having seen him in quite a while.
The Decemvirate member turns his impassive mask onto Alie. Teleporting directly to Mediagoti would be extremely dangerous. Better to arrive in the normal way to avoid arousing suspicion. The Red Mantis assassins keep a tight control of Ilizmagorti. They have informants everywhere, so appearing out of nowhere is going to get you noticed. Using some sort of disguise would be wise. Certainly you should avoid displaying your wayfinders or any other signs of affiliation with the Pathfinder Society. Magical protections against divinations would also be of service, as the Red Mantis assassins have many powerful spellcasters within their ranks.
As for Strake, we know little about him. He is long since retired and has left his pirating ways behind him. He is more scholar than pirate now which is why we have had some dealings with him. He is also the only person we know of who has had any contact with Eylysia so we dont have much choice. Stay alert, we trust you to be able to deal with anything that might be thrown at you. That is why we are sending you.
|
|
A blue-skinned man, dressed in richly-appointed clothing bedecked with jewelry, and accompanied by a large, armor-clad tiger, raises an eyebrow.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but as we are, we are certainly going to attract attention..."
He then turns to the assembled Pathfinders.
"I don't suppose anyone here knows the Veil spell? Failing that, I *do* keep a couple of scrolls, for emergencies, but they won't be a long-term solution, if we need to be there multiple days..."
He then smiles.
"But where are my manners? I am Lord Tullian, Visbaronet, Baronet, Marquis, Landgrave, Hereditary Senator of Taldor, Gaius Plinius Secundus, the Fourteenth of His Name."
Gaius then bows.
"I specialise in warping probability, and when a problem *can't* be fixed by a pouncing tiger, either sending it to another plane, or turning it into a harmless animal; for example, I have a canary that used to be a Phoenix..."
The annonymous Decemvrate member turns to face Gaius, Yes, yes you are, which is why I suggested you employ some form of disguse, whether mundane or magical. I believe the Hat of Disguise is an extremely cheap item, well within the resources of Pathfinders such as yourselves.
|
|
Joining you is a rather unusual specimen for a dwarf. Unlike many you've probably seen he takes no special care in his facial hair. It is not braided or trimmed or decorated in any way, just left to its own to grow wild as it pleases. He doesn't wear a shell of heavy armor or carry a weapon. But appears dressed in plain clothes, though it appears many of the accessories he carries are fancy, probably magical. An amulet, bracers, belt, a band of bronze on his brow, and many others adorn him and cause him to stand out among the rabble. What really causes him to stand out is the fact that he stinks. All about him he exudes the smell of the sea at low tide, if it were plagued with schools of dead fish left to rot in the heat of the sun.
"They call me Tortuga, the captain of the Granite Helm the sturdiest ship on the Inner Sea. And before you say anything, yes I know it smells to you like I've rolled around in the bilge of my ship before coming ashore. It cannot be helped. It's something I was born with, not a curse or a disease that magic can take away. You can't cover it up any more than you can spraying a fish with perfume. That's one of the reasons I took to the seas. My clan couldn't stand to be around me, so that's why they exiled me. I spent some time wandering and eventually was taken in at a seaside monastery. The monks there were the first people ever to treat me so well, didn't seem to mind the smell too much at all. So after learning what I could from the monks I decided to head to Absalom. Colson Maldris, though he did seem to mind the smell, decided he could use me working on one of the ships that patrolled the Inner Sea looking for pirates and slavers. So even though I'm a dwarf I learned to love the open sea, the spray of the waves against my skin and the wind in my sails."
"As you might gather I have somewhat of a reputation with pirates and slavers. Walking into the belly of the beast could be a bit of challenge, so I'll have to take care to disguise myself as best I can, but I often find it is not enough."
|
|
A shaggy, unshaven man with brown hair in fine robes looks up. He had been shifting through a wide variety of humanoid forms during the speech out of boredom. He waves vaguely to Alie and Wynn, but seems more interested in Shump and his (currently absent) companion.
"I was just at the former nation of Lastwall," he drawls. "They've got some work to do rebuilding on the off chance they can, but we helped. And I was worried the VC position would have me chained to a desk! Now, as to today's subject. Killing Torch doesn't seem to me as tough as you make getting to him sound. We'll get it done, no fuss, plenty muss.
"Oh yes, titles. I'm Valrar, the second, the risen, what have you. I don't remember most of mine, pulled strings to get them. Despite having already earned them, coming from a noble family!" His voice raises in a low shout at no one at all. "But that's not important, I don't even have a reason to keep them now. In our little team, I have the delightful job of tearing any enemies we make to bits, should our cover be blown."
|
A swirling cloud of crystalline shards and gas hovers a ways above Valrar’s head. Some might recognize it: A paracletus. A smaller aeon tasked with observing particularly smart or charming people (and apparently this Venture-Captain). Into the minds of all others present, it beams an image of itself between Valrar and several stab-ridden people. While not exact, it is giving the message that it prevents the man from making bad or reckless decisions - sometimes.
When Valrar inevitably stops paying attention, the aeon conjures up a piece of parchment to pass around the group. Something that would take time to turn to images, or couldn’t be at all.
”It would be better if this information were kept secret from him. With your presence as well as this unit, he should not do anything so out of line as to imperil your mission. 96% certainty. In the interest of the task, this unit’s extensive store of knowledge is also available for important queries.”
|
|
Wynn nods at Alie and then Valrar in turn. "I've never carried a wayfinder, so that part is easy enough." he says more to himself. Then he turns to the masked figure. "So we are going to an isle of assassins to assassinate Torch. Does it matter how it is done or are we to make it look like the Society had nothing to do with it?"
He then adds, "Do we have any contact on the Isle?"
The faceless Decemvirate member turns to Wynnreyell, Dispose of him as you see fit but I recommend avoiding detection at all costs. Strake is our only contact on the island, you can find his villa in the Dandy district in the northeast corner of the city. You cannot miss it, it is four beached ships lashed together to create a compound.
The Decemvirate member shifts as Shump activates his detect evil ability. He inclines his head, clearly well aware of what Shump is up to. Shump detects nothing from him although he may recall that the Decemvirate Helsm are specifically designed to protect the identities of their wearers.
Torch is too dangerous to leave alive. Eylysia should be returned here to face justice for her crimes. If she will not return then you should also eliminate her. Both have plenty of blood on their hands. Eylysia was directly involved in the deaths of several members of the Ten. Torch's crimes are well known. In the current situation we cannot tolerate their continued interference.
Other agents have uncovered preliminary plots against several lodges. However, their exact plans have as yet evaded us, and we are bolstering security in the meantime.
Nope, there is no Paladin sidebar. There is quite a bit of advice on the application of wish and miracle, especially as regards spells with no save and/or long casting times. It pretty much rules out the limited wish/geas or wish/simulacrum cheese.
|
Torch is too dangerous to leave alive. Eylysia should be returned here to face justice for her crimes. If she will not return then you should also eliminate her. Both have plenty of blood on their hands.
Shump rubs his chin. "Dangerous or not I'm NOT going to hide and stab him in the back like he's done to countless other Pathfinders. I will not violate my oath to The Inheritor. I'm fine with returning Eylysia alive to face justice. Torch demands justice, bastard or not."
|
|
Wynn gives the half-orc a sideways glance, "You are an odd one for your breeding. Usually your kind would be frothing at the mouth to kill something, but yet you show restraint." He then moves away from the corner. "Do not worry, we will grant him the justice he deserves, if you can not stomach it."
"or do you have some other motive for keeping Torch alive?"
|
|
"I'll make up for any silly unwillingness to kill, considering what he has done to Pathfinders," Valrar adds. "We'll see what situation we box him in, and if you want to try that 'mercy' that works so well.
"Have any of you met him? I did, quite some time ago. He didn't look like much, but neither do I. Covered in burns."
|
|
”Boys, stop fussing! We will figure it out as the mission develops. First we have to get island safely. Don’t put the cart in front of the horse. If you don’t have a hat of disguise or illusion magic, you need to grab something before we leave. I know a couple of you personally, and you are pretty tough, but I don’t think you can fight off a full island of assassins!”
The Decemvirate member watches on impassively. If that is all you wanted to ask then I have work to do. He heads towards the door but pauses at the threshold, Oh, you might also want to do something to make your menagerie less conspicuous. I am sure one of you can activate a scroll of carry companion or something similar.
Your transportation will be waiting for you in the Lobby in two hours, he sighs a little, You really cannot possibly miss him. Don't be late.
|
|
”Okay...what do we know about the Red Mantis assassins? I assume they have a bunch of poisons. Can anyone cure poison damage? I’m not the toughest sort, so if I get hit with a poison, I might be in trouble. Any advice? Next, I bet the assassins try to strike from surprise. Maybe invisible, too? I had an awful run in with a xill once upon a time that surprised me, and badly injured me before I could react. Do we have a way to deal with invisible creatures or plane shifters? I’m afraid we might see all of these things....”
|
|
”Um, if I had it, I wouldn’t be asking, would I? I can cast Glitterdust, which reveals invisible things, but I have to know they are there first. But, I never was able to just cast See Invisible on my own, unfortunately. Maybe we should buy a scroll or two? Anyone else have any ideas on what we might be facing or ideas about clashing with possible assassins?”
|
|
"I'll make up for any silly unwillingness to kill, considering what he has done to Pathfinders," Valrar adds. "We'll see what situation we box him in, and if you want to try that 'mercy' that works so well.
Shump growls at Valrar. "I have no unwillingness to KILL in the right situation. Don't test my mettle in defense of myself or my allies..."
|
|
Wynn gives the half-orc a sideways glance, "You are an odd one for your breeding. Usually your kind would be frothing at the mouth to kill something, but yet you show restraint." He then moves away from the corner. "Do not worry, we will grant him the justice he deserves, if you can not stomach it."
Shump turns to Wynn and spits at the ground. "Justice?!? Stabbing a man like a thief in the knight. Is that what pointy ears are about NOW?"
MY kind indeed...FOOL
"or do you have some other motive for keeping Torch alive?"
"No...if he deserves death, I won't have him killed like a random thief at the hands of a rival guild. Let him meet a lawful tribunal but I'm NOT naive or unrealistic. If he tries to kill us then we can respond."
|
|
"I'm not concerned about assassins. They'll have quite a time getting one over on me, and eventually I will find out where they are."
Valrar nods somewhat approvingly at Shump. At least he isn't one of those chumps who never kill. But let's be honest, a lawful tribunal?
He goes out to buy some wands before the ship sails. He passes out some of his gear to those more proficient in its use. "These mitts're a literal lifesaver. Still have some blood on them from that Razmiri oaf, but at least he's still on his god's side of the Boneyard."
|
|
"Torch and his associates have been responsible for deaths all over the world. What nation would have claim to justice? What entity above all others has been wronged by him? Is it not the Pathfinder Society? If so, then is not the Decemvirate's claim the strongest? As far as I am concerned they are the authorities in this matter. I gave my oaths to the Society and to the Decemvirate. They have pronounced a sentence of death and I have no reason to question that decision."
|
Having made your purchases the group of you gather in the lobby where a most surprising sight greets you. Floating in the middle of the Lodge is an enormously fat man, swathed in clothes of multicoloured silk which clash hideously, green, purple and yellow. He holds a silver platter on which sits a small mound of sweet pastries which he is popping into his mouth two or three at a time. He is making most indelicate noises as he munches on them, flakes of pastry and jam spatter his shirt.
As you approach he hides the platter behind his back and splutters. Aaah, you must be the team I am to send to Azir yes? I am Caleban the Magnificent, most Marvellous Mage of all of Absalom. Is this all of you? No, there are more?
Heading outside you gather up your various companions and the enormous floating man looks askance at you all. Ambrus never mentioned it would be quite this many of you. He sighs a little and starts to dig around in a small bag, his arm disappearing up to the shoulder. Where are they, I know I put them in here somewhere, Farhana why did you make these things so damn small. Aha! He produces from the bag a set of small yellow stones.
Now now my little chickadees, gather together into a circle, yes. Come closer, yes, closer in, pretend you are all the best of friends. He gently eases you all together into a tight circle and pops a small stone into the pocket of each of you. Dont mind those, they just help provide a little juice to make sure I can transport you all at once. Now, I am guessing Pathfinders of your experience have all teleported before? No-one is going to be sick or lose control of their bowels just because I transport us several thousand miles across Golarion? No, excellent, let us go.
With that he mutters a spell, his mouth still filled with pastry and the Grand Lodge fades away. You find yourselves stood in a dimly lit, hot and stuffy warehouse. The sounds of the sea and a bustling market can be heard outside. Right, here we are, Azir. Awful place, capitol of Rahadoum, far too many lunatic "officials" for any sane person to deal with but still better than where you lot are going. You are booked onto the Eel Prince. Its a merchant ship docked just outside this here warehouse. Good luck Pathfinders, try not to get yourselves killed. With that he promptly teleports away. An empty silver platter sits on a crate behind where he was, a few crumbs of pastry all that remains.
Heading outisde you find yourselves indeed on the docks of Azir. Your ship sits at a nearby dock. Boarding quickly you are soon underway. The captian provides a pair of cabins for your use and tells you that you should reach Ilizmagorti in three days time.
Luke_Parry
Qstor
Saving Cap'n Crunch
Shump fighter
Uaine Altimari