Female Human Cleric (evangelist) of Chaldira Zuzaristan 5 | hp* 42 | AC 16 T 10 FF 16 | CMD 15 | F +6 R +1 W +10 (+2 v death) | Spd 30' | Init +0 | KnNat +4, KnPla +3, KnRel +3, Perc +4, SensM +4 | Luck 7/7 | Chan 5/5 | Perf 14/14 | wand clw 33/50 | *Fey Foundling |
"HEY! WAIT UP! ARE WE GOING TO THE DOCKS? I THINK THE DOCKS MIGHT BE NICER THAN SOME STUFFY EMBASSY! THERE'S MORE FISHIES!" Lauranna yells as she clangs after the rest of the party.
This creepy shop contains myriad odds and ends, most bereft of any discernible use. A number of malformed creatures and creature parts bob in jars on a long, prominent shelf, a tiny fetal devil centered in this macabre lineup. The shopkeeper, a greasy-haired Varisian with a thin mustache, shouts from behind the cluttered counter:
“Ah yes, I see the Pathfinders have arrived. I’m glad Ambrus was able to lend a few of his new recruits to help me. Please come in and let me tell you what I need.”Looking around as if to be absolutely certain no customers are browsing the aisles of knock-of Thuvian burial urns or supposed Azlanti porcelain, he begins again. “Well met. I am Guaril Karela. A friend of mine has a warehouse near here and he received a parcel on behalf of me and some of my associates, but there’s a problem. See, Master Gelbane had to leave town in a hurry and our shipment is still waiting at his warehouse. Rumor is he ended up in trouble with the law and the place was seized. I heard tell from someone down at the docks that some creep was snooping around his warehouse just the other night, so I want to make sure nothing of mine was taken. He keeps all kinds of things, from beer to nails, in that old pelican, but every now and then he stores something really special. This is one of those cases."
“There’s a big crate marked with three crows arranged in a triangle. Inside that crate is a smaller container with a few books and papers in it. That’s the only parcel I’m interested in, and as far as I’m concerned, you can help yourself to the rest of the crate. Honestly, anything else you want in the place too. I’m sure the once things get sorted out, the city will seize most everything else anyway. My associates and I often work with the Pathfinders when it comes to special relics and documents, getting them in and out of ports and across borders where the authorities ask too many questions. Most people don’t realize what they have and frankly many don’t deserve to have it, so sometimes we help take the goods of their hands. If things work out well and you get this done, I’d be glad to talk with you more and help you out with any future endeavors, as long as you help me out too. I’m good at returning favors, trust me.”
M Nagaji Samurai 2 – HP 22/22 – AC 18/T: 11/FF: 17 – Perception +7; Low-light vision – Fort: +5, Ref: +1, Will: +0 (+2 racial vs. mind-affecting effects and poisons; +1 trait vs. Enchantment) – CMB: +6, CMD: 17 – Speed 20 ft – Init. +1
"Mmmm." The samurai sighs, then looks to his companions, "I find this against my true nature, but if it will benefit the good of the group, I will assist."
Perched on the end of a long pier fifteen feet above the water, the warehouse appears to struggle against its own roof, threatening to sag into the bay below. No light shines from the building’s windows and only the movement of gulls and pelicans stirs the scene. The building looks abandoned and in disrepair. The windows are dark and dirty and provide no view into the structure’s interior. A small boat bobs in the water below, tethered to the pier by a stout, salt-crusted rope. The warehouse’s heavy wooden front door is locked.
4d20 ⇒ (16, 17, 9, 20) = 62
Amarok, Andoliesa, Echi:
You three spot a key sandwiched between two rickety slats on the building near the door frame.
Darkness fills the warehouse, the ambient light from outside blocked by a filthy, oily film on the structure’s few windows. Darting illumination comes from light reflecting of the water through a splintered hole in the floor. Throughout the warehouse, crates, boxes, and barrels lean against each other in vaguely sorted stacks. A lingering smell indicates some of the contents are certainly spoiled. You can give me a rounds worth of actions.
Female NG Tengu Warpriest/2 - HP 15/15 AC 18/T:14/FF:14 - Perception: +7, Low-Light Vision - Fort: +3, Ref: +4, Will: +6 - CMB: +1, CMD 15 - Speed 30 ft. - Init. +4
Andoliesa sniffs and shakes her head. "I just smell a stinky dockside warehouse, you know." But all the same, she whispers a blessing from Grandmother Crow on herself before following Tazenin into the warehouse.
protection blessing for +1 saves and +1 AC for the next minute, then move 30' into the warehouse
You can climb up on top of them. I would need an acrobatics check to balance but you can do that. Though hopefully someone can kill this rat this round.
Perched in the middle of the splintered hole, teetering on split planks, sits a large crate stamped with three crows arranged in a triangle—the very crate you have come to find. Handholds cut into the stout wooden crate ring the rim. Give me a knowledge(engineering) or an int check
Lauranna is able to come up with some possible solutions to the problem.
Solutions:
Someone strong enough to lift the crate could be suspended by the crane and positioned over the crate.
You can throw a rope with a hook at the handholds to secure the crate from afar.
You could also borrow the boat docked outside and simply collapse the floor, dropping the crate safely onto the deck of the boat.
You can use the timber and tools to brace the floor and slide the
crate to firm ground.
Female Human Cleric (evangelist) of Chaldira Zuzaristan 5 | hp* 42 | AC 16 T 10 FF 16 | CMD 15 | F +6 R +1 W +10 (+2 v death) | Spd 30' | Init +0 | KnNat +4, KnPla +3, KnRel +3, Perc +4, SensM +4 | Luck 7/7 | Chan 5/5 | Perf 14/14 | wand clw 33/50 | *Fey Foundling |
"Well I like the one involving giant fairie squirrels, buuuut failing that the boat idea seems good. It doesn't really seem safe to get near the box without the floor giving way so why not have something for it to fall into other than the bay?"
M Nagaji Samurai 2 – HP 22/22 – AC 18/T: 11/FF: 17 – Perception +7; Low-light vision – Fort: +5, Ref: +1, Will: +0 (+2 racial vs. mind-affecting effects and poisons; +1 trait vs. Enchantment) – CMB: +6, CMD: 17 – Speed 20 ft – Init. +1
"I suggest that I and another row the boat under the hole, while the rest push the chest down into the boat. Those in the boat can catch it if it looks to be slipping into the water."
M Nagaji Samurai 2 – HP 22/22 – AC 18/T: 11/FF: 17 – Perception +7; Low-light vision – Fort: +5, Ref: +1, Will: +0 (+2 racial vs. mind-affecting effects and poisons; +1 trait vs. Enchantment) – CMB: +6, CMD: 17 – Speed 20 ft – Init. +1
"Strongest other three, lower the chest into the boat. We'll catch it if you drop." The nagaji suggests before rowing the boat under the warehouse with Andoliesa in tow.
Female Human Cleric (evangelist) of Chaldira Zuzaristan 5 | hp* 42 | AC 16 T 10 FF 16 | CMD 15 | F +6 R +1 W +10 (+2 v death) | Spd 30' | Init +0 | KnNat +4, KnPla +3, KnRel +3, Perc +4, SensM +4 | Luck 7/7 | Chan 5/5 | Perf 14/14 | wand clw 33/50 | *Fey Foundling |
Bait wrote:
Bait will do his best to help, but with our strongest folks in the boat, this might be hard... lol
We might have to walk out along shaky flooring before trying to move it. Unless we're doing something complicated with ropes and pulleys.
Once the boat is underneath Lauranna kicks a bunch of packing material down to it's occupants and then.... WHACKS the support with her earth breaker until the thing falls off.
Lauranna smacks the support with all her might and the box falls to the boat below where Echi and Andoliesa catch it. The rescued crate holds a smaller mahogany box inside, which contains five books and a few loose sheets of paper in a leather folder. The titles and subjects seem completely unrelated to each other: Practical Thaumaturgy In Accordance with Creation, Geographic Anomalies of the Inner Sea, Under Kaer Maga: A Trial and Travel, Physiology of Dragons: An Illustrated Reference, Lost Sarusan. The leather folder contains cargo manifestos, warehouse inventories, and other financial logs from a dozen different merchant houses and trade guilds. The crate also contains 10 sets of masterwork thieves’ tools, three flasks of alchemist’s fire, a flask of acid, a dozen jars of various inks, a footprint book, adamantine weapon blanch, three bags of powder, a deck of marked cards, and two sets of average loaded dice.
Female Human Cleric (evangelist) of Chaldira Zuzaristan 5 | hp* 42 | AC 16 T 10 FF 16 | CMD 15 | F +6 R +1 W +10 (+2 v death) | Spd 30' | Init +0 | KnNat +4, KnPla +3, KnRel +3, Perc +4, SensM +4 | Luck 7/7 | Chan 5/5 | Perf 14/14 | wand clw 33/50 | *Fey Foundling |
Lauranna grabs up Physiology of Dragons: An Illustrated Reference. "It's a book with pictures! You always know you're getting value in a book with pictures because every picture is another thousand words that you don't even have to read!"
She takes any gaming material that others pass on as well. Because she likes games.
You take the books back to Guaril who thanks you with a not-suspicious smile. You make your way to the rich estate of Grand Council member Dremdhet Salhar, and are greeted by a guard who is expecting you as you reach the tall, wrought-iron gate. Once you are inside, a servant tells you that Salhar is not present, called away on important Council business, but his most trusted advisor is available to negotiate any business you may require. The servant explains this while leading the group down well decorated hallways, past expansive rooms. After a few minutes, the group arrives at a simple study near the end of a long hallway. Inside a tan-skinned old man sits behind a desk flipping through pages in a large tome. Scraps of paper jut from the book marking over two dozen different places. As the group approaches the open door, the wise sage silently gestures you into the study with one thin hand, while closing the tome with the other after finishing what he was reading. Once you are all inside the study, he addresses the group.
“Good day to you, Pathfinders. I am Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, advisor to Master Salhar. I understand you were sent here to discuss archaeological permissions. Knowing this was coming, I spoke with Master Salhar at length on the subject and have this to say. Since Osirion was reopened to exploration a decade ago, adventurers, historians, and treasure-seekers flock to my country by the hundreds, perhaps thousands. While most families with ancestral burial vaults maintain guards and keep their sites out of the hands of casual thieves, not all families have the wealth or power to restrict everyone, and as we all know, not every defense is perfectly secure. Unscrupulous tomb robbers and maligned merchant organizations cause Osirion to bleed relics into the Inner Sea—something the descendents of Ancient Osirion cannot afford. We Osiriani have thousands of years of rich history coursing through our veins, and while that power has been out of focus in recent years, we are content to wait, knowing our enemies will wear themselves down. As they fall into arrogance, folly, or greed, we wait for our return to power, knowing we bear the riches of our ancestors at our feet. Master Salhar remains impressed by the Pathfinder Society, orating in their favor a handful of times in front of Absalom’s Grand Council, in fact. Due to previous relationships between him and the Society, Master Salhar has agreed to grant permission to the Pathfinder Society to explore his family’s vaults below Sothis. The only thing he requires is that you retrieve the map of the vaults from his own vault here. The servant will lead you to the basement and show you the room.”
The Sapphire Sage’s eyes twinkle as he smirks knowingly, then he turns back to reading his book as though he had never been disturbed.
After leaving Amenopheus’ study, the servant brings the group back through the spacious estate, leading you down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple turns, the party ends up at a plain wooden door. The servant opens the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waits silently for the party
to enter. This plain stone room contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket. Once all of you enter the room, the servant shuts the door and locks it behind you. Written on the back of the door is the message: “Within these cases lies your quest and your way out.”
