But will there be pie? GM Hmm's Tengus and Tomes (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

Tome of the Righteous Repose:
Another All Tengu Adventure

The curious can find this group's previous adventures in Murder's Mark of Crows and Feast of Ravenmoor.

____

It was a bit of a surprise, really. After receiving medals and commendations as Heroes of Magnimar, you expected your next group mission to come from Sheila Heidmarch. Surely she had another delicate task in Varisia for all of you. Instead, you received an urgent missive to travel to the pious country of Lastwall, to meet with Venture Captain Shevar Besnik in the Uscalin Pathfinder Society Lodge in Vellumis, Lastwall.

Ebrylis, the head gate guard at Heidmarch Manor, frowns as he helps your team pack up. Hoisting Grandmother Andrietta's bags on his shoulder, he walks with you as you head towards the main gates. "I was hopin' you folks could stay a bit longer. Been lookin' forward to hearing more of your crazy stories 'bout your tax collector days in Ravenmoor, I was. I even made sure the kitchens stocked more pie for the mighty Vralk!" He looks at you hopefully. "Will you be back soon, do you think? You sure do liven up the place!"

"I will most assuredly return to Varisia and Magnimar, as my beloved Jherizana travels these lands and I cannot but return to her side every chance I get! You WILL see me again, good man. Unfortunately, the Society does call us hither and yon from time to time... and this time, it's yon. I look forward to seeing you again though."

Hikaru takes his leave not only of Heidmarch Manor, but of the party, finding his way to Absalom with the promise to meet them in Lastwall soon. He finds himself caught up in a few wild adventures of his own before heading to meet his friends in Lastwall. time is so mutable in Pathfinder, sorry for playing fast and loose with it

Upon arrival in Lastwall, he finds the party and greets them heartily. "Well, my friends," says the recently transformed tengu. "I'm so glad to be in here. It's a place in Golarion I've never been before and I've heard it is a last bastion against the evil of the world wound!"...

Recently transformed, aye, but he still sports his brightly colored cloak of feathers, and his rakish hat with the garish plume. However, he does bear some new gear... he carries TWO scimitars now, one on his back, well-made of adamantine, and another at his belt, of cold iron and also finely made...His armor is gone and now he apparently just wears a fine suit of clothing under his cloak. Even his pack has been replaced by a well-crafted one with many pockets. Most striking is that when he removes his hat, you can see a strange rune-carved and gem- and metal-inlaid black stone that looks like it is embedded in his forehead, and just above that, a beautiful silver headband. Oh, and like Stali, he bears a tiny spider-like construct sitting on his shoulder. yes, spent the pp on the clockwork spy

Stali smiles and tells Ebrylis "I seldom know ahead of time where they may send me. The reason I was so late in reporting here is they sent me off to the elemental plane of earth for some special training. They had me report for that right after I finished in Ravenmoor." As he says this, he gestures towards a small pin on his cloak that has a spear and a scimitar crossed over a field of yellow.

Looking to Hikaru, he says "The Shaitan tend to wear gems on their skin." Gesturing towards Hikaru's forehead, he asks "Is that something similar?"

The only other obvious change is Stali carries a second sword now, this one of Adamantine.

"I'm not entirely sure what a Shaitan is, so I don't know if it might be similar... it was part of a ritual to become Jherizana's sworn protector." He truly looks perplexed, not knowing the answer to Stali's question. "Nice medal... the symbol... what does it signify?" he asks, nodding toward Stali's crossed spear and scimitar pin.

"I like your choice of metals... I have one like that too, but mine's a scimitar.. same idea though. I just ran into too many constructs while I was on recent missions for the Society."

"Oh for Grandmother's love!"

It's probably the most upset that folks have seen Andrietta in a non-investigatory type situation.

"Lastwall? Really? REALLY?" She'll slump a bit and sigh. Odd. For being a pious place of sacred crusaders, she doesn't seem to be all that happy to be heading over to Vellumis.

"I wish we could stay a bit longer as well, Ebrylis. Heidmarch Manor is a great place, especially with the addition of the frozen treats. As far as being back? Well, you know how the Society can be with these things."

"Huh. You kids have been busy, getting all fancied up and better equipment. Might need t' lean on y' to keep an old bird alive for a few more months given the way requisitions work."

Unfortunately have to save the money for mithril heavy armor, which means spending on nothing until the money is there. Which means...

Stali ponders how exactly to answer Hikaru's question. Finally he states "They are sort of elemental nobles. They are more powerful than normal elementals and take leadership positions in the society." With an apologetic look, he says "I'm pretty sure there is more to it than that, but am not sure of the details myself."

"As for this," gesturing to the pin again "it isn't a medal. It is the insignia of the military company I trained with and honorably discharged from."

"There MUST be Pie. I DEMAND Pie!!!"

"Yes Vralk, I promise that wherever we go there will be pie!"

Vralk looks at Hikaru :
"Uh, what happened to you? You look very different than the last time we saw each other. There must be a good story there"

To the guards
"I certainly hope to be back this way soon. Both myself and Vralk greatly appreciate your hospitality. But one never knows where ones duties with the Society will take one."

Walking into the room, a little worse for wear after making the long trek up to Lastwall, her traveler garb a bit muddy, "Hi guys. . um. . hi I'm here, looks like they called all of us back together,"

"Oh, yeah, Gallako, stories indeed! I have many tales to tell of my travels! First, I went to the Osirian capital, Sothis, where the Society lodge had been burgled by a double agent. We chased her down, and arranged for alliance with the previously hostile Concordance of Elements. Then we ended up in the floating city Armun Kelisk, the capitol of the djinni empire! Our searches led to discovery that enemies were bringing to bear a powerful eldritch weapon. We thwarted their efforts and defied the wicked Duchess of the Winds in her efforts to prevent the return of her greatest adversary! It was a grand quest!" He pauses and lifts a foot, wiggling his three-toed foot. "I got this wonderful pair of sandals in Armun Kelisk! They let me walk on air!... and new armor as well, though it looks just like clothes!"

"Then we were whisked back to Absalom by a powerful wizard's teleportation spell where we were called upon to save Nigel Aldain and Pendleton Blakros at the Blakros Museum. What a fascinating place... I'm sure if I were, you know.. smarter? no, that's not right, because I'm far from stupid... but more educated, yes that's it!... anyway, if I were, I know I'd have learned much more from my time there, but it was gratifying to save both men and thwart those who meant harm to the Museum and it's owners."

He pauses a moment and scowls as he tries to recall the events in the right order... "Then Nigel called us back to investigate a mysterious voice coming from the depths of the museum, and the disappearance of several guards sent to find out what was going on down there. Creepy down in the bowels of the ancient museum, that's for sure. But we caught the perpetrator of the mayhem, though she had turned the guards into some kind of zombies and they didn't survive the cleansing of the place, sadly. Still, it was a successful mission."

"I'm not sure why we were picked for the next mission... perhaps it was our successful interactions with the Blakros family, but the powers-that-be decided we'd be the best representatives for the Society at the island get-away wedding of the daughter of a powerful Blakros matron and a retired Hellknight. While it turned out she was loved by another and was marrying out of duty, not love... that wasn't really our business. She did get kidnapped though and we had to chase down the fugitives and their captive to a beach house on the far side of the island. They had a boat to facilitate their escape, but we fought them and stopped them. It was an exciting fight because no one was armored and all our weapons were peacebonded... but we prevailed, and it turned out the bride's twin sister was part of the plot! We loaded the girl and our captives into the boat and sailed it back around to the wedding, where the groom and the mother of the bride were both pleased by our efforts. The girl did marry the hellknight, which I guess is a fitting end, if not a happy one. But I hope they are at least both comfortable with their choice in the fullness of time. The Blakros family were duly impressed by our efforts and I was even offered a chance to be adopted by family. I'm still thinking about it, but I'd have to change my name, as that is their family custom."

He breathes rapidly, catching his breath. "Exciting enough for you, Gallako? It was a wild few weeks... I'm glad to be back here with all of you. While I enjoy missions for the Society, I feel most at home with all of you. You are like family to me."

I tried not to give too many spoilers, try to overlook the ones that slipped in

Ironically, I've played all those and those are good spoiler-free-ish non-spoilers of those scenarios, imo. Also, have nothing to really 'latch' onto here.

--- Vellumis ---

Vellumis is a large and cosmopolitan city, rising on steep cobblestone streets and veiled in the mists coming of Lake Encarthan. Near the top of its hills, it has breathtaking views, of the white domed buildings with their collonades and their many flags. Here near the docks, it looks like any other city, though perhaps prettier than most. There are portside bars and fry shops, warehouses with goods coming in and out of Lastwall, and fisherman bringing in their catches to sell in the local markets. "Fresh clams! Fried potatoes! Apple crisps!" Street vendors push carts selling all sorts of hot and delicious-smelling food.

But there are also constant reminders that you are in Lastwall, a country that sees itself as the Shield of the World. Shining paladins and knights with plumed helms travel through the wide streets and avenues, and there are hundreds of shops devoted to their service selling arms, armor, gear for horses, and heraldic flags. With gulls sweeping and calling overhead, you pass Embassy row, with its large gated manors and flags of every nation flying high.

When you first arrived on your ships, you were greeted by armored knights who politely asked you your business in Lastwall and explained to you all the local laws, including regulations against such things as public spitting, littering, and 'immoral conduct.' Friendly recruiters stand outside offices recruiting for the Mendevian crusades, or looking for warriors to help hold the Walls near Belkzen and the front. They call out to any armed warrior, making inviting comments to Stali, Chak and Hikaru. Andrietta, her holy symbol clearly visible, gets bows. "Milady, have you considered lending your services to the Wall? Think of how much your experience and wisdom can offer!"

Everywhere, your flock gains attention, as people stop and turn to watch you as you pass by. They point and look, but the attention is mostly friendly.

___
Want to get started with some diplomacy or knowledge local rolls to find your way to the Uscalin Lodge?

Stali listens carefully to the instructions on local law from the armored knights, then apologetically inquires further about what qualifies as immoral conduct. "I do not want to be a bother, but some places I've been have unusual ideas of what is unacceptable behavior."

Stali trys to avoid the recruiters, but does visit some of the food merchants. As he pays for some of his food, he inquires about Uscalin Lodge. I'm sure plenty of Pathfinders coming through here would stop for food.

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 ...but maybe not food fit for a bird.

Prior to Entry to town

The grandmother has been fidgety the entire trip, for lack of a better term.

She's been taking keen care of her equipment, practicing forms with the katana, the staff, and the katana and shield with a nigh-unto religious fervor.

Despite that, her mood's been, to put it mildly, downright dour.

"Remember, kids, this place is going to be the extreme tip of lawful, where they practically have to have a permit to walk down the street in a silly fashion. Treat people with respect, and be mindful that we'll be a bit of an oddity even more-so than Magnimar."

Should have mentioned the zealots, but we'll hear about 'em soon enough, 'll let the kids make their own assessment on 'em.

On the wandering about town and the like

So, are the flags for Kwanlai or the Sigil of the Open Road (Pathfinder Society) evident among the many flags of nations, or only the flags of the Inner Sea region?

The paladin will trudge along, leaning on her quarterstaff a bit to further sell the 'experience and wisdom' bit that is so desired on the Wall, holding the quarterstaff parallel to the ground and bowing over it to those who bow to her respectfully.

"Unfortunately, Grandmother has charged me with watching my flock 'ere getting through things in one piece while we work for the Pathfinder Society. Do you know the way to the Uscalin Lodge, dear?"

Diplomacy(Gather Ze Infoz): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

"Or failing that, do you know where we could find a good guide?"

The flamboyant swashbuckler will wave in a friendly manner to all who solicit him to sign up to serve in lastwall, but he'll decline with grace. "I'm afraid I lack the conviction and seriousness to serve in such illustrious units as protect Lastwall against her enemies... Still, while here, I will do my best to aid such efforts if the need arises. Thank you though for the kind offer."

Hikaru bows respectfully to grandmother and nods at her advice. "I will be mindful of their ways and their laws, ma'am." he says with all honesty. "They are a bit strict in their adherence to law here, but I do honor their convictions."

When others seem to make little impression on the locals, Hikaru will pause and ask a young lad loitering on a streetcorner, "Hello! I am newly arrived here, and already a bit lost, this city is so large and a bit confusing to a stranger. Would you be able to direct me to the Uscalin Pathfinder Lodge? If you can, this will be yours." He holds up a silver coin and a gold one.... then offers the silver coin to the lad, retaining the gold. This is yours now if you'll agree to lead us there, the other will be yours when we arrive."

diplo untrained to gather info and hire a guide: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Remaining obscured amongst her more flamboyant and sightly companions Sarano keeps a low profile and tries not to be noticed by the warriors.

If any of them notice me they'll just remark how small and frail I am and that this is no place for me

She'll try asking around from some friendly looking folks, favoring the bread and fish shops, some more mellow merchants and maybe kids if they are any about.

"Um. .yes hello. .Its a pleasure to meet you, I'm Sarano. . Sarano Snowfeather from well. . from far away but you see I'm a Pathfinder and I was looking for our Lodge, I've lost my way you see. . so please could you help me find the Uscalin Lodge?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Chak's arrival in Lastwall was a little later than the others. He had spent a vast amount of time since leaving Ravenmoor helping Krissy and her family relocate to Ilsurian, where he purchased a farmstead for them to work on while he attended to all the business of his scrivener's shop that had been left unfinished while he was away. Once Krissy's mother could handle some of the more basic tasks of the shop, he was able to answer the call to go to Lastwall.

"See all the attention I am receiving, garnering, and obtaining? These are people of the sword who would know, recognize, and identify a sound tactical mind and strong arm such as mine."

But alas the crusades would have to do without this general as his services were spoken for.

Like the others he sought out the lodge.

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

STALI

Stali listens carefully to the instructions on local law from the armored knights, then apologetically inquires further about what qualifies as immoral conduct. "I do not want to be a bother, but some places I've been have unusual ideas of what is unacceptable behavior."

The two knights talk over each other in their eagerness to tell you all about what might consitute immoral conduct in Lastwall. "Oh it's really quite simple. Just common courtesy like obeying curfew unless you have a shield mark or are on patrol, no prostitution--"

"--except for the licensed ones in the temple of Arashea--" his friend interjects helpfully.

"--no lewd whistling--"

"--unless you're a Shelynite--"

"--but then it wouldn't be lewd, would it?"

"What IS the difference between lewd and unlewd whistling, anyway?"

His friend shrugs. "Let's just move on, shall we? Er, where were we... Ah, yes! No gambling--"

"--except in certain embassies or as charity fundraisers--"

"--no public drunkenness--"

"--except at the Caydenite temple--"

"--even so, you have to sober up first before you go, or stay the night!"

They smile brightly. "Does that make everything clear, sir?"

ANDRIETTA

Everyone is deferential to Andrietta, and many of the peasants and shopkeepers bow and step out of her way just like they do for the armed warriors and other paladins. Her holy symbol garners a lot of attention. Unfortunately, the military recruiters she talks to have no idea about where the Uscalin Lodge lies. "Er... Uscalin, Madam? Where's that? Is it a military club perhaps?"

As she travels along Embassy Row, she does see one fairly large Manor with a sign in Tien: 九王國之家.

Looking closer, it appears to be a shared embassy with representation from Amanador "western empire in the east, Dtang Ma "kingdom of sorcerers", Goka "gateway to the west", Hongol "tundra of the horselords", Hwanggot "the kingdom of flowers", Kwanlai "rising tengu nation", Minkai "empire of dawn", Po Li "spiritual stronghold of the eternal emperor" and Quain "land of a thousand heroes". All nine flags are flying.

SARANO and HIKARU

Stepping away from the military types to ask questions of the common folk, both make good headway.

"Uscalin Lodge?" The boy furrows his brow as he talks to Hikaru. "Oh, wait. I think I may have seen that name, but it was called something else. Ace something. Loud place, right? You'd think the Shield Guard would shut it down!"

Sarano's fish seller looks absolutely shocked. "Er, yes. I sell 'em fish each week, but... you look like a nice girl. Sheltered. You sure you want to get mixed up with that lot? Seem rather wild to me!"

GENERAL CHAK

Meanwhile, Chak just KNOWS. Uscalin Lodge! He's heard stories of this place. It's located in the Ace of Dreams Gambling House, perhaps the ONLY such establishment in Vellumis. He even remembers that it's in the run down area just beyond the docks, in the low part of town. With the real name, it should be simple enough to find.

Do you grab the rest of your flock and just go, Chak?

They smile brightly. "Does that make everything clear, sir?"

At first, Stali tries to memorize each rule. By about the fourth exception, he just looks back and forth between the two knights. As they wrap up, he nods his head rapidly and says "Yes, sir. Thank you both for your patience in explaining things!"

Bluff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Although the words are polite enough, he gives the impression that he fears that any other answer would result in a longer explanation.

Once the group has left the docks, Stali comes up beside Andrietta and says "I begin to understand your reaction now. It seems they have more exceptions than rules!", the frustration clear in his voice.

He turns to her, hoping for a more reasonable guide to this society. "So I believe you suggested being polite and avoiding notice is the best policy?"

"Well, lad, can you guide me and my friends there? Surely it is worth your while... it's not far I hope!"

Andrietta is good with the deferring -- to a point. When--or if--it starts to strain good sense she'll clear her throat.

"Y'don' have t' do that, kids. I live and breathe just like the rest 'f ya, an' I put on my clothes every mornin' just like the rest of ya. It's nice to be respectful, but y'don' have to overdo it. Honest. Live, breathe, y'know, relax. Grandmother knows if folks what tied themselves in knots over rules an regulations what'd happen, right?"

The corroboration moments later by Stali gets a sage nod from the elderly paladin.

"That's what happens when y' get all kinds of rules in place an' folks what want to make sure they're all workin'. For every rule out there, there's another five what spring from it. An' so on. It's good t' recognize folks an' things, but at the same time, you're seein' the tip of the danger. It's also why I take what might be considered a 'lax' perspective on things -- it's easier to see the good what people do if, y'know, y' let people do good things, rather than layer rules on what a good person can do?"

She'll move politely through the crowds with nods and bows to folks.

"When we get all re-grouped up an' stuff, but if we have time either before or after our mission, I'd like t' drop by The House of Nine Kingdoms over by Embassy Row. Maybe getting a taste of what it is like back in Kwanlai might help you kids get a better grounding on why I'm here helpin' the Society."

There's a brief pause.

"Yes, Stali, as much as we can manage, at any rate. I seem t' be gettin' the attention of a major performer an' it's kinda rattling my bones. Can see how it'd cause some folks t' stray, even."

"WAARK! THE LODGE! Yes, now I remember, recall and recollect! The gambling house by the docks! Follow, accompany and come along with me. When has the attentive, observant and alert General Chak ever led you astray, awry or off course?"

Feeling proud of himself, Chak walks in the direction of the lodge as he recalls it.

Chak leads the way through the twisting roads in the lowhill district of Vellumis, until the sounds of racous cheers and off-key singing reach the party. Ahead is a stone building with a discreet white flag bearing the sigil of the open road, and the words, Ace of Dreams.

A customer, hat askew and smelling strongly of booze, is trying to leave the place. "You can't keep me here, Shevar! I gots rights! If'n you're not goin' to sells me another drink, I'm leavin'!" Then he looks at all of you, bleary-eyed. He blinks, wavering in the doorway. "Whoa. Never seen so many birds in my whole life! Shevar, what the hell did you put in my booze? Think I'm seein' things!"

"It is wise and compassionate that a barkeep would be watchin' out f'r 'is flock, as it were." Andrietta opines as she gently blocks the fellow from departing.

"Why don't you head on back in and sit for a few an' see if your vision clears any, then? Y'know how the guardsfolk will be if you're out an' drunken, right?"

Grandmother let him see the wisdom of heading back inside so I don't have to be a bit more forceful in guidin' him.

Diplomacy(or aid, if someone else has a better idea): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Hikaru shrugs and says to the kid... "Well, it seems my friend knows the way... keep the silver for your time.. and thanks anyway." Then he follows along behind the others...

At the Ace of Dreams, "At least we're not pink, my good man... then you'd know you were truly drunk! or wait... ARE we pink to you?" He peers down at his own feathers, the ones that show anyway.

Without saying award, Stali steps to the side giving the drunkard room to move past him. So I wonder what exception this establishment is using? Hopefully it is one that will be advantageous to the society.

"No, you're not pink... Big though. REALLY really big!" The drunk gestures with his hands, spreading them wide to show how big he thinks you are. He nods to Andrietta. "Er, maybe you're right. Don't want the guard to know i'm seein' giant talkin' birds..."

He allows you to escort him back inside. As he does, a tall Varisian man runs up. "Now, Tam... Why don't you sit at this table and drink some tea? Or get some of Molly's excellent clam chowder in you, hmmm?"

Once the drunk is returned to a seat with a bowl of soup to eat, the Varisian man turns to you with a bow. "I'm Shevar Besnick." He grins. "I used to be out of the lodge in Heidmarch Manor before I struck out on my own and got this place. You must be that skilled flock of tengu that I've heard so much about. Come in to my office! You can introduce yourselves and we'll talk!"

Shevar is pictured on SLIDE ONE of the slide show!

"You've heard of us?" Stali asks, the surprise evident in his voice. Maybe he just means that he has read some reports. I know we stick out, but I wouldn't expect word of mouth to have reached this far!

Stali allows himself to be herded into the office by Shevar. As he is moving, he scans the area hoping to get a better sense of the situation.

Is there tea and soup in your office? I have not had time to eat, dine nor feed since I arrived in Lastwall.

"Apparently he has! And rightly so, as tales of our deeds have rightly proceeded us. We do tend to stick out like sore thumbs wherever we go." His red nose makes him look like he imbibes a few too many of his own wares... or perhaps it's just an unfortunate birthmark... Hikaru takes a seat and waits for the man to speak up.

Sarano steps forward, comforting the drunk man, her white feathered hands covered with with new gloves adorned with a red plus symbol.

”Here, let me help, I know a few pressure point techniques to help. . .”

She’ll apply some pressure to some of the mans pressure points, trying to relieve some of his drunkenness.

Heal: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (20) + 21 = 41

I got this beefed up skill, gotta find some way to use it lol

Edit* Holy canoli

Nodding at the “rogue” venture captain, ”I. . I’m not sure what you’ve heard of us but we are a highly accomplished group and can tackle whatever you need,”

The drunk looks up, amazed. "That feels wonderful, miss. I should have hallucinations with people like you in them more often!"

The room is full of intense people playing cards, spinning roulette wheels, and shooting dice. "C'mon, c'mon... Desna, don't let me down!" One woman exclaims as she throws her dice. She frowns at the result, then looks up to the ceiling. "Really?! You're not exactly inspiring confidence, you know!"

Excited cheers, low groans and a constant buzz of loud and excited conversation fills the room. Shevar weaves you through the tables, nodding to people as he goes. He shouts over the crowd to Molly. "Can you send some soup, bread and tea to my office, Mol? Thanks, love!"

As you all file in, the harried Molly comes with a tray full of bowls of hot clam chowder and hearty bread, still warm and fresh. She whispers, "If any of you spill any o' that on his precious book or on that nice Kelish carpet, you'll get an earful from me. Be careful, eh?" With an imperious swish of her skirts, she closes the door behind her. The loud and raucous conversation from the common room next door dies down a bit, but you can still hear the noise as a muted roar in the background.

“I know it’s here. I had it just a moment ago.” Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik lifts piles of papers and numerous boxes off of his desk, stacking them on various side tables and chairs in his clean but overly cluttered office. The tall, Varisian man’s face parts in a toothy grin as he lifts up a solid oak box. “Found it!” As if to punctuate his discovery, a crowd of players in the gambling hall erupts in cheers.

Distracted for a moment, Besnik stares at the closed office door that leads to the common room. “Desna laughs. Well, she laughs at me, but she smiles on them.” The venture-captain shrugs. “All they have is gold; what I have in here is far more valuable.”

Looking towards the cheering outside the office, Stali asks "So is there some sort of exception to the rules made for Desna? Although the mercenaries no doubt love it, a gambling hall doesn't seem the kind of establishment local authorities here would smile upon."

He then looks at the box curiously. "Would I be correct guessing that the book Mol mentioned is in the box?"

"Exception for Desna?" Shevar raises an eyebrow. "Heh, no. Though really... I should try that excuse sometime! I've been trying to get them to treat us as an embassy, and I make a point of tithing part of our profits for 'noble' causes, but still.." The venture-captain quotes the crusaders’ statements with a wrinkled nose and a haughty, superior tone. “They ‘allow its continued existence by their good graces,’ but only because they can’t legally force me to close it down. Plus, I think they like having all the dirty, underhanded scum in one place so they can keep an eye on them. Having all the disreputable types in one area does allow me to pick up a good amount of gossip, too. Like the story of ol’ Lady Withren—whew!”

“As for the book that Mol mentioned...” Besnik opens the box’s lid painstakingly slowly, careful to keep the contents out of sight. With reverence, he lifts a large tome from the box and gently sets it on the table. “Careful, the binding hasn’t held up well. This is one of the few Tomes of Righteous Repose left in the world. I’m pretty sure there’s one in the library of the Sancta Iomedaea in Vigil, but I’m—well, let’s just say I’m no longer welcome there. That’s a story for another time.”

He glances up at you, almost hopefully, to see if you'll ask him about Sancta Iomedaea.

[An image of the Tome can be found on Slide One.]

"If a library no longer trusts you, how did such a rare book come into your possession?"

Looking at the book without touching it, he then asks "...and just how old is this manuscript?"

"It's not that the library no longer trusts me! Oh, heavens no!" Shevar looks slightly hurt. “I was always great with my library books. Respectful, careful..." He sighs. "My troubles with Sancta Iomedea lie in another area. I was once the lover of one of the cathedral's librarians; a brilliant, insightful woman. Let's just say she got caught shirking her duties with me in a room of sacred texts. The head librarian was not pleased with us.”

He looks dreamily off into the distance, before recollecting himself to the present moment. "As to how I acquired such a rare book..." He leans forward, conspiratorially. "This gambling hall does attract some of the seedier elements of society. I leverage my access to the miscreants who linger here to learn the latest rumors and gossip. This information often leads me to interesting sites and unclaimed relics before noble crusaders can march in and secure those priceless artifacts for themselves."

He glances down again, reverently, at the volume. “Up until today, I've only skimmed the pages. I didn't want to damage it, but now that you're here, I can't wait any longer. Care to plumb the depths of this most ancient and wonderful storybook? Oh, the marvelous adventures we will soon read! This tome is a collection of tales describing how various crusaders died gloriously and honorably. I'm hoping to find some clues in the text that will lead us to an as-of-yet undiscovered site or relic. Maybe we can trade a bit of what we find with the Knights of Ozem and earn ourselves some goodwill. After what happened last time, we need it."

His eyes sparkle. “Care to peruse the pages with me?”

"What happened last time, eh? what WAS that exactly? And yes, let's read a story!"

is the chowder red or white? lol

I'm from New England. Red chowder is heresy.

Chak didn't so much look at the book as drool over it.

If this text is tattered, ragged and threadbare, then we should not be gambling future opportunity, occasion and time to peruse, examine, and read this fine tome. No, we should immediately set to copy, duplicate and reproduce the entire text page by page in order to preserve its wisdom, knowledge and lore for generations to come!

Chak begins rummaging through his pack, pulling out all manner of ink, pen, and paper as well as all the bits and pieces a proper scrivener would have.

Now, where shall we begin, initiate and commence our work? I know, how about page 1!

I'm from california but family is from nyc.. white chowder is icky... lol

After seeing Tam to a seat to get some tea and hopefully work off his drunk, Andrietta will join the rest of the team in the second room, stopping briefly by the Desnan invoking Her name so vigorously.

K: Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

"Dear, you're asking the Song of the Spheres, who can barely remember to be on Golarion half the time, if She'll intervene in a game of chance for you. You'd do better t' ask 'er for a grand adventure, instead."

Into the room and with the rest of the party Andrietta peers at the Venture Captain.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

"Perhaps it might be wiser to spend some coin and have the tome Mended properly, that it might not fall apart upon first reading and leave us with only snippets of clues and insight and lost forever to the ages?"

What joy is there in that? Think of what you are missing, lacking and wanting from such a banal, unimaginative and uninvolved solution! The feel of the paper gliding through your fingertips, the smell of the ink, the gentle pressure as the nib touches the writing surface. Do not overlook those dark stains of accomplishment on your fingers from a job well done! No, there is only one proper way to preserve a document for the future and it does not involve, necessitate or entail the use of magic!

"Oh just read it carefully! I want to hear the stories.. not waste time copying the text... I mean I'm all for preservation and reverence for the past, but there is taking it too far too... let's hear a story then! And see pictures too!"

Shevar grins at Hikaru. "So... you wanted to know what happened with the Knights of Ozem, do you? Have you heard of the Boartusk Twins? Garl and Shade saved the lives of one of my teams a few years back, so I offered them field commissions. Then they got us in trouble by using wayfinders like badges of authority. 'Excuse us, we need to requisition your horse. Pathfinders coming through!' 'What? We belong here! See this badge?'" Shevar shakes his head. "I shipped them down to Old Mutton Chops for some training, but gaining the knights' trust again is taking time.”

Stali gives a brief chuckle as his companions discuss how best to handle the venture captain's find. I'm not surprised that General Chak immediately wanted to copy it. The resistance to using magic to preserve it is a little surprising though. I guess he has never met Zarta.

"I'm sure that Shevar has been trained to handle delicate things. We need to follow his lead and take care, but that shouldn't prevent examining the text."

Shevar claps his hands. “I'm excited to see this much enthusiasm! Maybe we can do a teeny bit of reading before doing anything else with the book? Early crusaders had amazing adventures fighting the Whispering Tyrant, orcs, and a whole host of other threats, but they don't have very many records that aren't as dry as an Iomedaean's hip-flask. This tome gives us important insights into the crusaders' lives. Rellakarabee Fustbickle, the gnome author, interviewed dozens of crusaders and wrote about the most heroic and tragic deaths in this book. It wasn't very widely published, so it's been difficult to get my hands on it.”

"I've seen the Boartusk Twins at the Wisp in Absalom. They seemed to be drinking it up and having a righ' time 'f it. Given what they've been adventurin' with you, it makes a bit 'f sense, come t' think 'f it." the paladin recollects with a bit of a dredging of memory. "Was a bit 'f a while ago, so... not sure 'f they're still there or not, though?"

"It's all fine an' dandy to read stories in a book, but books will almost always fail to capture the entire story, given how they come about. Since we've decided t' toss caution t' the wind, let's see what we've got, then?"

Darn it. Every now and then Paizo refuses to tell me that this page has been updated. It happens sufficiently infrequently that I don't manually check as much as I should. Just saw all these posts now. Sorry for the delay in posting

"Book boring. I'm Hungry. Do you have Pie? Clam Chowder Pie is fine if that is all you have. But Stirge Chowder Pie would be better"

"VRALK!!. Be polite to the nice Venture Captain! I've told you about waiting for the right time and asking politely!"

He then turns to Shevar
"My apologies for that. I swear, he gets ruder and ruder as time goes on, especially to strangers. I never knew that familiars had the equivalent of "the terrible twos" before.

But, lets read the book. It looks like it might tell us many interesting things"