|
A gnomish man with scraggly blond hair and thick eyebrows follows along the party. His unwashed face and dirty appearance seems to be intentional as you don't smell much foul odor coming from the gnome. He has various scrolls and carrying a spell component pouch.
"Yo, dudes. This is Loni right here" Loni points to himself with a smile on his face, and then gestures to a creature next to him "and this is my far-out companion Drootina."
|
Ryan sighs.
An average guy, in his 30's, who rapidly makes you dislike him, while at the same time pitying him for being rather slow-witted, Ryan wears a worn uniform of the Guards from the Grand Lodge in Absalom: breastplate, wooden shield slung over his back, and stupid flat-helmet.
He sports a polearm, and dagger & morningstar in his belt.
A whistle around the neck, and a pack - with a coil of rope - strapped to his back.
He waits, leaning on his polearm, seemingly on duty, but taking a little nap.
|
A homely middle aged man wearing robes nods at the party.
The pale skin and spell pouch suggests Wizard. The rat peeking from his pocket nearly confirms it. Or maybe the toad sitting on his shoulder? One of them is probably a familiar.
Seeing the looks of his party members Liminy keeps it simple.
"I'm Liminy. I read books so you don't have to."
He then smiles. It is not pleasant to look at.
"I kid! mostly. If you need Arcane assistance or a History lesson just ask. Fascinating thing History. So... Malleable."
|
Galant wakes up after numerous people seems to have enter the room where he was sleeping.
With a drunkish voice he saysOh!? Hello everyone... I'm Galant! Galant the Gray.
He tries to get up many times before realy doing it and adds Cheers! A drink for Cayden! May adventures reach us anywhere!
For Liberty!
The stout dwarf takes your group to the Ivy District handing you each a letter saying ”The requestin’ agent ‘ill be expectin ya. Head to the address o’ the letter.” the dwarf ends the conversation with a wink and leaves your group at the main gates. The address is easy to find taking you along many of the beautiful manors, homes and terraces that leads you to believe how the District got its name.
Stepping up to the manor you see a lone figure waiting at the top of the steps beckoning for you to come. As you approach the Ulfen Pathfinder agent speaks ”Many apologizes for the need for secrecy.” pulling out 6 strips of dense cloth, she gives you each one, ”Please put these on.” satisfied that you have secure the blindfolds she leads you into what you believe to be a maze behind the manor. At the center of the maze, she intones a phrase in another Language ”Пасаж”
You feel the walls around you are moving with a rustle of leaves and a chill wind blowing your direction. The ulfen woman speaks up, ”Please pass through the archway.” as you pass over the threshold you feel the temperature plummet. The cold breeze tickles your skin leaving goosebumps.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The woman leads you further into another maze with more twists and turns than before. The air about you is damp and musty like what you may find well below the surface of Golarion. You finish winding your way through this maze you come into a room that is notably warmer. ”I bid you adieu.” the woman leaves the room with a shutting of a door.
An unfamiliar woman’s voice intones, “You may now remove your blindfolds.” The blinding light of day reveals lush garden. A tall woman wearing a white porcelain mask face and a crimson ribbon around her neck stands nearby.
“I apologize, but my employer, Venture-Captain Petulengro, requests you immediately join her in the sculpture hall of the Palace of the Glorious Revolution, a local museum. It is only a short walk from here, and she will be able to answer all of your questions when you arrive. Please hide your wayfinders and any other signs of your affiliation with the Society. Once you enter the building, the sculpture hall will be down the hallway to the left. You can’t miss it. Oh, and she’s in disguise today. She has long black hair and is wearing a green dress.” Without waiting for a reply, the masked woman points toward a ruined palace a short distance away.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Walking the direction the ivory masked woman pointed you being to near the Palace. It’s large windows are covered in plywood, and scorch marks from fires blacken the entire outside
of the building. Loud laughter, claps, and jeers drift out from the building’s main hall.
Entering into the Sculpture Hall, you are immediately surrounded by multiple statues in every material you can think of. A raven-haired woman in a simple green dress emerges from behind a large sculpture of marching peasants. Her mouth moves, and the whispers float across the room, landing precisely at her targets. “Greetings, citizens, won’t you join me?” She presses on a latch, revealing a hidden door behind the statue and gestures into the secret room.
|
|
Loni hears the word uttered and keeps it to himself, remembering what it is. He stays mostly quiet observing as they are brought through a series of masquerade costumes.
Upon hearing Eliza, he pipes up to respond. "Certainly Ven-... uhh... Nice Lady!"
He double checks the disguise just to be sure before following.
The woman’s feature’s shift rapidly. Her hair turns a vibrant red, and she draws a wayfinder out of a concealed pouch. “Welcome, Pathfinders. I am Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro. First of all, let me apologize for the clandestine way you were brought here today, but I promise you, it was necessary. Two days ago, I received word from the Almas Pathfinder Lodge. They informed me that two Senators from Andoran’s People’s Council, Victoria Garvensi and Augustyn Naryan, were abducted from their homes in Andoran nine days ago. Their investigations turned up a group of suspicious masked mercenaries, but by the time they tracked down the group’s location, they learned that it had already departed for Galt aboard the riverboat Drifting Current along with three other prisoners. The Almas Lodge requested that I pick up the investigation from there.”
The Venture Captain sits at a table covered in papers, ledgers, maps and hand written notes gesturing for you to sit as well.
“I was able to prove through divinations that the Senators were indeed two of the prisoners aboard the Drifting Current, but both of them were warded against most of my magical abilities, including scrying. I asked a contact at the docks to inform me as soon as the Drifting Current landed in Woodsedge. Strangely, she sent me a message yesterday to tell me that the ship had been in port for a day or so already.”
“I followed up with another one of my local contacts, who discovered that the Galt’s feared executioners, the Gray Gardeners, were escorting the senators. Once I heard that the Gardeners were involved, I was forced to back off my investigation and call on the Grand Lodge in Absalom for assistance. Any move that known Pathfinder agents make against the Gray Gardeners could lead to severely negative consequences for us here in Galt. On top of that, if the Gray Gardeners are indeed involved in abducting Andoran’s senators, this could be the start of an international incident.”
“My investigation also led me to another oddity. A barrister here in Woodsedge by the name of Alois Lofton once served as an undercover venture-captain. I reached out to him via secret channels when I began the work of establishing the Woodsedge Lodge, and he made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me or with the Pathfinder Society as a whole. When I learned about this case, however, I went to him in person to request his aid. His responses were extremely odd. I got the sense that he knew more about the case but was unwilling to share it. Troublingly, he seemed to be ignorant of rudimentary information about the Pathfinder Society, or even his past status as a venture-captain. When I tried to figure out more, he threatened to take me to court for harassing an officer of the law.”
“This situation calls for caution and discretion, and I can’t be seen investigating this matter further. I ask that you pick up the investigation in my stead, keeping your status as Pathfinder agents a closely guarded secret. I’ll summarize the leads I have. Please commit them to memory.”
The venture-captain raises a finger with each name.
“My contact at the docks, Larisa Stronwell, did not report to me in a timely manner about the arrival of the Drifting Current.”
”My contact with connections to the Gray Gardeners, Almont Enderios, informed me that the Gardner’s were involved in this case, and said that he’d look into the matter further.”
”Former Venture-Captain Lofton knows more about this case and not nearly enough about his own past, but you’ll probably need to dig up proof of his involvement if you want him to talk to you.”
”Finally, I’d also recommend talking to Guard Sergeant Ottavia Respani.”
“Any information you can find will be of use. In particular, I’d like to you look for clues about who is involved, what Lofton knows, and where the Gray Gardeners have taken the prisoners. If you happen to find information about any of the three unidentified prisoners along the way, please report that as well. When you are finished with your investigation, please tie a simple message to this raven and send it to the Lodge. I will return to the sculpture garden to meet you.” The venture-captain hands over a small silver statuette of a raven and looks at you waiting for any questions you may have.
The Gray Gardeners are the executioners of the Galtan government. They operate The Final Blades, magical guillotines that capture a person’s soul at the moment of death. The Galtan Revolution, known as the “Red Revolution” has been ongoing for the last 50 years.
Galtan justice is rarely just, as its judges and courts are heavily influenced by public opinion and the whims of whichever government currently holds power. Gray Gardeners constantly hide their faces behind gray masks or veils to remain anonymous and to not themselves become victims of mob justice.
The Gray Gardeners are headquartered in the city of Litran, located approximately 230 miles to the northeast of Woodsedge. Due to their influence, the city is relatively calm by Galtan standards.
The only democratically elected government of Galt, the first Revolutionary Council, commissioned The Final Blades nearly 50 years ago. Its members wanted a humane, painless form of execution that would deny Hell its harvest of evil souls.
Senator Augustyn Naran is an older Andoran politician who helped throw his nation’s support behind Lady Gloriana Morilla’s Army of Exploration during the Society’s fight against the demons of the Worldwound.
Victoria Garvensi is a member of the Andoran People’s Council representing part of the city of Augustana. The Garvensi family was a formerly noble family that gave up much of its wealth and property during the People’s Revolt in 4669 AR when Andoran gained its independence from Cheliax and become a democratic.
Senators Garvensi and Naran recently sponsored the Banking Reform and Regulation Act, a proposed Andoren law that, should it be enacted, would give banks and other lenders significant new authority to collect on money owed to them, including sending those in default to debtor’s prison.
|
|
Ryan is ready to go and look around town, helping whoever will be asking questions and fishing for information.
Ryan himself will chip in a bit, but will mainly try to find out how the local militia and guards are paid and treated.
Before leaving, Ryan asks the Venture-Captain: "Ms. Petulengro, may I ask something, please? Where are we to be lodged? And how do we go about feeding ourselves?"
"Ah Private Ryan of course you would ask this of me." Eliza eyes you and sighs "While you are here in Woodsedge should you need to rest or need nourishment, the Lodge will take care of your needs via this secret chamber. It would be ill advised to walking through the front doors of the lodge before you have discovered the true as it may stop you investigations before you start. Oh, and another thing." She goes over to a trunk pulling out a simple set of traveling clothes, "Here." she states, handing Ryan the traveling clothes "While you are in Woodsedge please wear these as your current uniform, rather dashing I may say, might bring unwanted attention."
The room upon your further inspection sows a small room off the main meeting area with six beds with warm blankets, some dry sundries for eating. Mainly field and trail rations and some fresh fruits and vegetables.
|
|
Liminy rubs his hands and prepares to cast "Exposition dump"
"I do know a bit about these people."
"The Gray Gardeners are the executioners of the Galtan government. They operate The Final Blades, magical guillotines that capture a person’s soul at the moment of death. The Galtan Revolution, known as the “Red Revolution” has been ongoing for the last 50 years.
Galtan justice is rarely just, as its judges and courts are heavily influenced by public opinion and the whims of whichever government currently holds power. Gray Gardeners constantly hide their faces behind gray masks or veils to remain anonymous and to not themselves become victims of mob justice.
The Gray Gardeners are headquartered in the city of Litran, located approximately 230 miles to the northeast of Woodsedge. Due to their influence, the city is relatively calm by Galtan standards.
The only democratically elected government of Galt, the first Revolutionary Council, commissioned The Final Blades nearly 50 years ago. Its members wanted a humane, painless form of execution that would deny Hell its harvest of evil souls.
Senator Augustyn Naran is an older Andoran politician who helped throw his nation’s support behind Lady Gloriana Morilla’s Army of Exploration during the Society’s fight against the demons of the Worldwound.
Victoria Garvensi is a member of the Andoran People’s Council representing part of the city of Augustana. The Garvensi family was a formerly noble family that gave up much of its wealth and property during the People’s Revolt in 4669 AR when Andoran gained its independence from Cheliax and become a democratic."
Liminy drinks some water from his canteen.
"There may be more of course. I agree this is an odd situation. The odd behavior of your contact and Lofton suggests Enchantment magic. Or Psychic interference."
|
|
Loni tries to job down as much information quickly as he can. He has surprisingly good handwriting. He writes it in Gnome so that others who pass by may be less likely to understand their orders.
"Oh man, talking to people? I do loads better with animals than people, but I'll try."
"Do we, like, have anything of Lofton's old venture-stuff to help job his memory? Or maybe you could tell us more of what the dude did in the Society, like memorable stuff he has done?"
|
|
Ryan wonders about Venture Captain Petulengro seeming to know what he would say: Is she a strike-buster, or anti-union? Does she have access to some list?, but he shrugs: "Well, thank you captain, for thinking of all this!", and he salutes.
He goes over to the small room beds, and tosses his gear on the first bed he comes to. Nice blankets!, he thinks, as he checks the food, and fruit.
Ryan then changes into the traveling clothes, while folding up his uniform.
Putting his dinky flat helmet back on he returns, in his "disguise", and dances around for all to notice how incognito he is.
"Hey, those Final Blades, what's happened with all those souls they've captured? They all inside the blades or what?"
" Are you are versed in many things Liminy, very impressive. I knew you were good one to have on this mission." turning to the follower of the Dawnflower. "Oh my apologies fair maiden. I would not ask of you to hide your faith. One such as you follower of a compassionate and patient good. Private Ryan here was wearing the garb typical to a Grand Lodge soldier this shows he is a member of the society. The changing on mainly for the same of the mission. Please keep your affiliation with the society secret during your investigation."
Speaking towards the druid she continues "I don't know much about Lofton but maybe this bit of history may help. after a mob burned and looted the Woodsedge Lodge in 4704 ar, the Decemvirate sent three venture-captains into Galt undercover to retrieve lost items; Lofton was one of those three. He reported back to the Grand Lodge for a number of years but then went silent in 4708 ar. her body simmers back into the raven hair green clothed woman you saw prior. "understanding is the souls are trapped within the blade never to be heard of again. Now timer is of the essence, you haven't a moment to waste." with that said the venture Capitan takes her leave.
|
"But...wait... aw shoot ."
Lasaraleen watches as the green clad woman leaves
"It looks like we have our instruction and no time to spare. Shall we chase down this Lofton or the dock contact first? Since we are aware of the dock contact as more recent let's start there. Lofton may take more time to locate."
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lasaraleen calls out to Ryan
Why, Ryan, you are the new team leader. At least until you mess up. Then the first person to complain takes your place."
She says with a straight face but then breaks into a grin as she heads off into the direction of the docks with the others.
While checking your things to conduct your queries your group comes across a satchel on the table. Attached is a note threat reads
"A few things to help with your investigation. Should the information prove fruitful, I will ensure you are given access to these items in the future and make sure you receive full payment for your services as Pathfinders." signed Eliza Petulengro.
Inside the satchel you find a few magical items all labeled.
2 potions of invisibility
An Elixir of truth
3 doses of oil of taggit poison
A lesser silent metamagic rod
Passing out the items as your group sees fit you head down to the docks. It's late morning about 10 am when you arrive outside a small squat little building on the docks. A sign outside written in Taldan says
.
Opening the door you hear a little jingle of an entry bell.
A small slender woman with brown hair and freckles is sitting at a small desk in the front room, working diligently on a stack of papers. Without looking up from her work she very bluntly states "What do you need? I am very busy today and do not have time for any silly business."
|
|
Prior to entering, Lasaraleen will tap herself with a touch of glory.
Greetings. We have official dock business. You seem capable of answering a few questions, or should you fetch your manager?
Lasaraleen will wait a moment for any reaction.
No? We will start with you then. We were informed the Drifting Current landed in Woodsedge and had recently docked. However, there was a discrepancy in the date of the arrival and we were hoping you could help clear up the matter for our records. As the ranking person in this office, can you settle this for us?
Lasaraleen smiles politely and taps her fingers as she waits.
The brown haired woman, still looking at her work, opens her mouth to say "Capable! Fetch the Manager! Now see here!". Three other workers in the building stop working and look between their supposed supervisor and Lasaraleen, they seem to be expecting a fight to start.
Standing up "The Drifting Current is in the harbor. What else is there to say?” she then looks up straight into the face of the lady of Sarenrae and blushes a deep red. "Why.. Why forgive me. Let me introduce myself, I am Larisa Stronwell. The Drifting Current has been in the docks for a few days longer that what was reported." looking to the other workers. "Get out!" they start rushing from the room clambering over themselves to leave.
"As I was saying, that ship is in the docks. It appears to have been deliberately left off the books." she leans in an whispers "Prying further into the matter may prove dangerous but seeing as your group maybe quite capable of taking care of themselves I can do that for you." she straightens back up "Come back in an hour and see what I can dig up." she sidles up to Lasaraleen turning a rather brighter shade of red "Might you be willing to take a girl out for a drink later? When you have time of course." she coughs.
"Unless you have any other questions I'm going to go take a look at what I can find for you."