"Whatever we do, we better do it quick. They'll only be down there for a little bit longer. Tara replies, stepping further away from the pit.
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"Tara, get rid of big hole! We need to smash goblins!"
Tara dismisses the pit spell once everyone is ready. The three wounded goblins are quickly killed by the onslaught of the Pathfinders.
A few moments later the Duskwardens clear the rubble blocking them into the cave and help the group rejoin the rest of the others on the Halflight Path. One of the Duskwardens kicks at the goblin bodies, flips a few of them over, and then grunts. “Haven’t seen these here in a long time,” he says, then turns to the Pathfinders and apologizes. “Our duty is to keep our charges safe—we failed. We’ll have to shut down the Path for a while we plug these holes again and figure out where these goblins came from.”
Searching the goblins' bodies reveals two potions on the shaman. The potions have the same symbol etched into the glass, that of a human male on his knees holding his arms up to the sun.
"Good thing you Duskwardens had us here, or more of your charges might have died." Chidubem says, pointing to a merchant whose belly had been slashed to ribbons by goblin short swords.
"Indeed, thank you. Excuse me please, we need to clean this mess up and get back under way in a few moments," the Warden replies with a half-bow. He joins a few of his companions in moving all the bodies to the side of the path and covering them with a cloth. The rest of the Wardens move amongst the other travelers, using their calm voices to steady the frightened group.
Fion swoops down by the collapsed wall and picks up a scrap of the goblin's clothing, before landing on Iriel's shoulder. Iriel leans down to investigate the same area and remarks, "They'd been camping here. I know little of working stone, but they must have been here awhile to be creating weak points in the masonry."
She straightens. "This breach passed your oversight for several days at least, then, so you will have to check carefully to see where they might have gotten in--it's quite possible they had time to set up additional ambushes. In the meantime, let us help you." She moves to help move both bodies and rubble to clear the path as quickly as possible.
As she works, she asks, "Is there any other path to the city beside this one? It seems foolish to have the only road to a place be inescapable should anything go wrong."
"Well obviously if you're already in the city, or coming from the north, there are plenty of other roads leaving Kaer Maga, on top of the Storval Rise. But if you're coming from the south these tunnels are the only way up to the top of the plateau other than flying or climbing the cliff face for eight or nine hours. I'm sure there are even other ways up within these tunnel networks, but we only patrol and protect one. We don't have the manpower for anything else."
"I heard that these tunnels were the fastest way, not the only way." Shigeru shrugs. "Either way, those merchants knew the risks, otherwise they would have found a slower, longer route. And it cost them." Despite being impatient at wanting to continue on, Shigeru seems to be offering no help at clearing the rubble or the bodies. Instead, he folds his arms and scoffs at the delays these goblins has caused, watching the guards to their work until they are ready to move on.
The guards quickly have the debris out of the way, and the group continues on their way up the Halflight Path. Four hours of steady upward progress later they arrive a bunker-like complex just outside the entrance to Kaer Maga. The city is enormous. In all directions, the Pathfinders can see that every inch of it is covered in buildings: cliff side buildings, buildings built on the atop thin balconies around the interior of the walls themselves, and buildings crammed together on the floor of the ancient ruin. The entire city is shrouded in permanent twilight. The Duskwardens apologize again for the goblin incident and release everyone into the city. The sun is setting over the western horizon by the time the make it through the gate.
"The sun is setting, and we are unlikely to make a good impression dusty and exhausted. I suggest we find a place to sleep, and look for Collgardie in the morning. If we stay in an inn or public house, we might be able to ask around for information as well."
Inns abound, and lodgings are easily found for an affordable price at the nearby Shaded Swallow inn.
"That sounds good to me. I want to rest my feet and drink after walking all day and killing goblins."
”The accounts I’ve read don’t give this city justice,” Zarboluket says as they walk down the streets. As a gnome he is accustomed to looking up whenever in a city. Rarely is there so much detail. The crowded density of the buildings and people gives Zarboluket the desire for wide open spaces that he knows he won’t find in this city.
”If he’s friends with a Venture-Captain then he might be agreeable to seeing us at an odd hour. Besides he might be able to recommend an inn for my weary muscles. After climbing stairs all day the Duskwardens must have the best toned posteriors of all Golarion.”
The gnome looks at his dusty clothes and his companions. ”Though we could use freshening. Very well! This Shaded Shadow inn shall do well enough.”
The innkeeper is a beautiful fetchling woman with only one eye. She greets the Pathfinders with a sibilant whisper and gets them set up with rooms and whatever refreshments they prefer. It's clear the inn caters to patrons with darkvision, as the only lights are several pale blue orbs of some permanent dancing lights spells. The orbs float lazily back and forth in patterns near the ceiling beams, casting a wan light over the common room.
Their specialty dish is some kind of underground eel, smoked and served over Darklands fungus and cauliflower.
The morning comes, and with it the time to search for Collgardie.
Zarboluket orders the specialty dish and is surprised by the artistry of the flavors. ”Who knew underground eels properly smoked tasted so fine?” the gnome says. ”I’ve had eels broiled, fried, roasted, and once even raw. One of my cousins loves cooking. I wonder if the chef will divulge his recipe?” He swirls the wine in his glass. ”I wonder if there are any rooms here totally dark. Part of the enjoyment of food comes from the appearance, don’t you think?”
In the morning, Zarboluket arrives from his room freshly cleaned and in good spirits. For breakfast he orders a soft boiled egg, some bread, and a small chunk of cheese.
”Should we split up as we look for our man?” he says nibbling on the cheese. ”We can meet back here in a couple hours.”
Iriel pays extra so she can keep Fion with her in her room, rather than have to leave him in an aviary somewhere. If she is permitted to keep him in the dining hall, she asks for raw eel which she gives to the bird to devour, while she decides to try the house specialty for herself.
"Part of travel is to try new things," she says. "I've never been much of a fisher, I admit, so it's nice to have fish prepared by one who knows how to handle them."
She stays quiet in the inn, being a bit out of her element and knowing she is drawing attention with the giant bird, but she keeps her eyes and ears open to other conversations. Perhaps if the Pathfinders' reputation was being spoiled, there would happen to be some talk of it.
Most of the patrons of the inn try to keep to themselves, many speaking in their respective racial languages. Almost all of them whisper when not interacting with the wait staff. The little that Iriel's keen ears do catch has nothing to do with Pathfinders, but rather mundane matters of business or home life.
"Underground.. eel? No thanks! No thanks indeed. I'll just take something.. normal, like bread and cheese. Provided its not cheese from some freakish underground creature. Did I ever mention this place is wierd?"
Shigeru seems rather unnerved by the odd food and doesn't stay up long before heading to bed.
The next morning, he nods as he agrees with the gnome. "A couple of hours, no more - this place is odd, and its probably better if we don't wander off for too long without backup nearby."
Knowledge(Local) take 10: 10+13 = 23.
Shigeru is easily able to get directions to Collgardie's house. A walk across town brings the Pathfinders there.
Horis Collgardie’s house is small but in good repair; judging by the decrepit state of the other homes in the neighborhood, this merchant friend of Drandle Dreng must be relatively well off. His home is made of a hodgepodge of brick and stone matching the city’s walls. Several windows look out onto the thin balcony walkway some 60 feet above the city streets that serves as the access for this neighborhood, but all are heavily barred with the shades pulled. The house appears dark and quiet in the early morning twilight of Kaer Maga.
Ever the scout, Iriel tries to stay alert, also instructing her hawk to do so as well. She tries to take in the strange architecture and surroundings, memorizing their path as best she can--but even among other cities, Kaer Maga seems disorienting, to say the least.
When they arrive, she peers about. "This is a well maintained building, amid relative hovels. I wonder why he would have chosen to live in such a place."
She shrugs. "Still. There's no point in standing out here." If no one else does, Iriel reaches out and knocks on the door.
There is no answer.
"Why would anyone choose to live in this city in the first place? I suppose that is the main question. I'm.. just glad that I prepared Feather Fall today. These people are nuts for living so high up."
”I’ve read countless poems about the romance-inspiring twilight by humans. Perhaps this city is a home to countless romantics,” the gnome says looking around the place.
”Should we seek assistance from the local city guard to open the door? We can say we were sent here by a friend to check on his safety. Though if we do trespass, I don’t think Collgardie could complain too much.” He puts his hand on the doorknob and attempts to turn it.
Iriel crosses her arms. "Unless we see evidence that we should be concerned, there is no reason to bother the guard--and remember, someone is supposedly stirring up trouble in the Society's name. Asking the guards to help us break into a house--when the man may simply be out, or not awake yet--may do little to improve the situation.
"Remember, we were given next to no information on this man--simply that he is a merchant and that he reported that someone was acting poorly in the name of the Pathfinders. He may be away or working.
"Anyway, if he doesn't answer the door, let's not go wild. If we wish to seek him out, he is a merchant--so we might also try to look for him at a merchant's guild or in a marketplace. Or we can just look for other leads--Dreng said these so-called Pathfinders were trying to start a Lodge here, and stirring up trouble in the political scene. That means they'd be making their presence known in administrative places if not the general public--we could simply ask someone reasonably knowledgeable if there's a local Pathfinders' lodge and see how they respond--likely any answer will provide us valuable information."
The door is unlocked and swings open easily under Zarboluket's hand. Inside they see a well appointed sitting room. There are still oil lamps burning on the walls, and the embers of a fire in the hearth. The room looks quite comfortable, except for one detail. The room's ambiance is marred by the corpse of an older human man laying is a large puddle of congealing blood on the far side of the sofa. His head has been brutally smashed in, and fragments of his skull and grey matter litter the floor around him.
"Or perhaps there is something wrong..." Iriel trails off lamely. "Perhaps getting the constabulary is a good idea after all. Lest we be caught and presumed to be the culprits."
”I’m beginning to think that this group impersonating Pathfinders wants to attract real Pathfinders here as well,” the gnome says as the door swings open. ”For what specific purpose I don’t know.”
Seeing the corpse, Zarboluket doesn't step into the room.
”Who will get the constable and who will stay here?”
"I-I suppose could" Tara sputters, before stepping off the porch, heading back the way the group came. "Check if he's really been killed!" she calls over her shoulder.
"I don't think someone's face can look like that and be alive, miss. But do as you feel you need to." Iriel shrugs at Zarboluket. "Someone who's good with cities and good with talking to strangers should go. I would be a poor candidate."
"We should keep low profile, don't need guards. I go look," Chidubem says, entering the house and walking over to the body. "Him head definitely smashed. Come in, help me search for documents or something..."
Chidubem gets no further in his musings before the two interior doors in Collgardie's house open. There are two men standing there, one thin and rattish the other tall, fat, and bald. In the other doorway a hairy short man can be partially seen. All three of them heft weapons, ready to attack.
The fat man flings a decapitated human head at Chidubem, while the other two fling daggers. One at the barbarian, the other at Zarboluket. The human head explodes on contact with Chidubem's upraised hammer, showering him with a cloud of hornets, centipedes and a couple of small scorpions. The vermin swarm over the barbarian, biting and singing him. Despite the attack, Chidubem's reflexes are primal, and he manages to deflect the dagger with his klar. Zarboluket is not so lucky, the dagger strikes him square in the chest, opening a bloody wound.
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Initiative:
Party 26
Goons 24
Hit
Miss
Pass
Iriel disagrees strongly; clearly the Shoanti was even less versed in the ways of civilization than she was--it would be both idiotic and immoral to come upon a murder scene and say nothing--and all the moreso when they are being attacked. "Guards!" She shouts as loud as she can, their having no time to seek out any other help.
"Let's get out of here, we're either being set up or otherwise this is not our fight."
Iriel regardless draws her bow and nocks an arrow, backing away from the door slightly so the others have room to move, keeping the two men by the corpse within light of sight as best she can as she sidesteps. She is trying to cover Zarbukolet and Chibudem so they have time to maneuver.
Zarboluket says, ”You’re right,” as he exits the house and gets a good position on the porch. He draws his short sword. ”We’ll have more room to maneuver out here.”
He lifts his voice and calls out, ”Tara! Tara! We need you here.”