CORE PFS S9-02 A Case of Missing Persons (Inactive)

Game Master Gary Pepper

"Oooh, I'm always up for alcohol, especially the natural stuff, yo! We'll be back." Loni heads out with Drootina in tow.

"Where next?"

Larisa looks to Loni kinda shocked with his response to her request she made of Lasaraleen. "Sounds fun but you're not quite my type." she nods towards Lasaraleen.

A single memory comes to mind of a certain venture captain counting with her fingers stating
Flash Back
”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.”

You have a few choices left.

Lasaraleen smiles at Larisa.

Thank you for all your help. We will be back in an hour.
And while I appreciate the offer, we are on official business,
so unfortunately, I will not have time for a drink until we finish our work.

With that she turns to leave with the others.

Once outside.

Interesting woman. I was not expecting to find the information so easily. She seemed overly cooperative for some reason.
Anyway, so do we want to talk to the Guards or the Gardners?
Ryan, are you still in charge here? What do you think?
Or do we go directly to find this Lofton character?

Lasaraleen meditates as the others discuss options.

Sarenrae, thank you for your guidance benevolent Dawnflower.
I am not sure why this woman wanted to have a drink with me. And did you even see her shoes? Totally wrong for that outfit.

"Hmmm...let's talk to the guards. Maybe they have some light to shed on all this."

Ryan starts perspiring again when asked if he is still in charge. He cannot think of what to say... when Grog speaks up: "Yes. That. Let us talk to guards, for they might shed light on this. Guards are good at shedding light".
Ryan starts walking away towards the guards, before stopping, and looking around, not sure where those guards are.

Liminy taps Ryan on the shoulder and points in the most likely direction.

kn local: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 28

guards are always or too far when big things happens or too close when in a bar fight!

Before Galant could propose to go to a bar to drink and engage in a lovely bar fight Liminy intervened and shows a direction.

too bad...

"Guards are always such a drag but let's get it over with."

Finding the guard post where Ottavia Respani is stationed is easy enough taking you only 30 minutes marking the hour a little after 10:30 am.

You arrive upon a simple building made of stone with a 35 foot tower able to look over much of the city of Woodsedge. The building, much like the impromptu theater, has burn marks and scarring across its surface clearly being in a constant state of repair with each rowdy Revolt by some of those within the Red Revolution.

It is even easier to spot Respani with the description the Eliza gave to you. Respani is a short, muscular woman in her mid thirties with close-cut, curly brown hair and an oval face. She is wearing the checkered gren and gray uniform all members of the city guard wear. Might be a forced requirement ;) Ryan

Ottavia speaks as you approch "Hail citizens. What is your reason for this visit?

SM: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Ryan knows all about guards and their duties! He shares the information.
All can check the above spoiler

"Hail, guard! We are here to pay our respects to the fine upstanding citizens who keep all safe. Any idea where we can find a bite to eat around here? Maybe buy a meal... I was wondering, are you given your uniforms, or do you have to buy them? Do you have some kind of organization to petition for overtime and such?"

Diplo' Aid Another: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (16) - 2 = 14

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Hi lovely, we were right about ready to go get a drink! Do you want to join us?
As such we will be able to talk more loosely about anything you want...
If your shift is finished of course !

Diplomacy (aid) - max 27: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

"Oh a drink would be lovely but I have at least another hour or so on my shift." She sighs looking at the sun hanging in the sky.

"But you can bet your arse that I'm headed straight The Drunken Morlock after this for some chips and an ale." Looking quizzically at Ryan she flatly says "Our uniforms are issued to us and what do you mean by an organization? Like those Meddling Pathfinders?" she cocks an eyebrow in your general direction.

Sense Motive on Ryan: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
"Pathfinders? No, I meant organizing yourselves. To see about things like how you deal with torn uniforms, do you get another one or have to repair it yourselves. Was just curious. But chips and ale sounds great!"

Lasaraleen follows the men to the guard house.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Seeing the female guard, and the men trying to schmooze the poor lady, she decides to step in.

I am sorry, but yes, we have official business with Guard Sergeant Ottavia Respani. Would that happen to be you? It should only take a moment.
We have a few questions about recent...how shall we say it? Visitors or potential detainees...who may be residents in the city.
Specifically, we are in search for a couple missing persons having arrived by ship recently and may have fallen in with the wrong crowd.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21 +4 assists?

"Yes any help you could give would be appreciated"

Diplomacy aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

Feeling not so hard pressed into drinks at the moment Respani responds to Lasaraleen. "Why yes I am Ottavia Raspani. What is it you need?" listening to Lasarleen's queries her face shifts from mild boredom to slight confusion and then a realization. Ottavia waves the group over to a corner of her post outside of earshot of some of the other guards, she speaks in a hushed tone. "Now that I think of it I might be able to point you in the right direction. You see, two days ago, I was on my way back to work from lunch at The Drunken Morlock when I saw a gray hearse carriage loaded with prisoners and Gray Gardeners pull up in front of Lofton’s office.

"Two Gray Gardeners emerged and quickly went up the stairs. One of them was a blond man with a rose gold earring, but I couldn’t see his face because of his Gray Gardener mask, and the other had his hair underneath his cap and no jewelry that could be seen." taking a breath and looking about to at least appear as if she is working she looks back and continues.

"The group returned a few minutes later along with Lofton, who led them down the street to an abandoned warehouse where they stashed the prison wagon. What seemed strange to me was that the prisoners in the wagon were not booked into the jail overnight, as per the standard regulations."

Ottavia begins walking slowly back to her post so as not to be missed during shift change. "The whole thing seemed a little fishy to me, but I know better than to go sticking my nose into Gray Gardener business, and I didn’t feel the need to inquire any further." Once she gets back to her station she sees her commanding officer is standing there.

Ottavia not being one to let her superiors catch her with her pants down she says rather loudly. "Thank you for that information but I'm not sure that may lead to the man we are looking for. Here," she hands you a sheaf of paper. "This is the man, His name is Estienne Jacquert. He’s wanted for treason, but he fled to Andoran several years ago!”

Her superior hearing her tell of the treasonous man seems satisfied he barks "Shift change in 30." the commanding officer continues the rounds and leaves. "Whew. Just a little bit longer and I won't have to deal with this anymore." Ottavia says under her breath.

"So any more questions before I am off?"

Ryan nods, thinking that knowing better than to go sticking one's nose into any business is good guard-ing.

"How come you won't have to deal with this anymore? You're mustering out?"

Thank you officer! The Drunken Morlock seems like a good place, I will definitively get there!

Curious Galant takes a look at the Poster.

"Seems everyone in this town likes drinking... not a bad thing at all."

Loni is more on-the-lookout for blond men that wear rose gold earrings. He also scribbles down the name "Estienne Jacquert" in his notebook.

"Drinking is fine but to a point. We've a job to do"

Drinking is the CORE of my religion. says Galant who get out his tankar
Cheers!

"I'm avoiding heavy drinking these days. People say I tell lies when I'm drunk. Sure traveling through time and witnessing Earthfall is not something that occurs every day but I'm a Wizard, These things happen."

Liminy looks at the poster. "Any chance this man is the Gray Gardeners you saw last night? Blond hair and an earring can't be that common."

Ryan looks at Liminy with awe, thinking: How did he make that jump from diamond earring to rose gold earring? Smart! No wonder I'm only a guard and never made it to the investigative unit...

He could always own multiple earrings. And she didn't see his face so wouldn't see a scar. Could be a red herring of course.

Ryan is still impressed.

Ottavia thinks for a moment at Liminy's correlation. "Hmm I didn't think about that. It could be him, quite the interesting connection but the citizens of Woodsedge, myself included, are not allowed to accuse our otherwise acost the Grey Gardeners even if we suspect something is off. Especially now they have Lofton on their side it seems."

A scowl appears on the woman's face and she rants "He was once a great man, speaking up for those without a voice and fighting for justice in our admittedly biased judicial system. He would take the no-hope cases nobody else in the defense bar would take, simply because he believed the defendants were innocent. He saved a lot of people from the final blades back in the day, but in the last few years, he!" she says with such venom in her words, "has become just another sycophantic bootlicker. He rarely bothers to give his clients a decent defense, something that makes the conviction-hungry judges very happy. I don’t know what happened to him. Maybe he just lost the spirit to fight; it wouldn’t be the first time that happened in our unjust world.”

"I have to get back to my station now. If you need to find me I will likely be here or at The Drunken Morlock."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Seems like you have discovered another location, the warehouse down the street from the bar for information.

You also need to meet meet with Larisa to see if she has any information and you have yet to make contact with Almont Enderios and Venture-Captain Lofton.

Thank you very much for the information. Very much appreciated.

Lasaraleen bows to Ottavia.

***

Well, that is also some interesting developments. I say we need to get back and see my new friend, Larisa and then I wonder if we need to find this Lofton afterall.

"Yeah let's go drinking with our friend! In moderation of course." Loni makes gestures with his eyebrows to indicate sarcasm.

"In moderation, or in the bar, who care, let's just have a drink. But after our duties. So, let us continue to... to... I decide we must go to where you want to go, now", says Ryan.

Grog scratches his head. "OK just one ale. Cayden is ok. It's just we HAVE work guys!"

Galant nod elegantly to the woman and thanks her for her help.

***

Juste one! Cayden NO! To praise my god I need to drink several of them!

Turning to Lasraleen he says May be something happened to Lofton. May be he was replaced by an impostor? His behavior seems rather suspect as he change to a dogooder to a sycophantic bootlicker and don't seems to remember anything from his past. An inquiry about seems right to me.

Your party makes there way back to the docks just after 11AM. You open the door to the squat little building and enter.

The inside of the room appears to be different this time around. The building is empty save for Larisa sitting at her desk working away, no others appear to be in the building anymore.

Looking up from her papers she see Lasaraleen and beams "Welcome back," shee looks at the clock "and punctual to boot. I like that in a woman." she gets up from the table and cirlces to the front of her desk leaning against it. "So it seem I may have gotten a little more information than I had planned. Alois Lofton bribed various people in the harbor to conceal the ship’s arrival 'to facilitate the apprehension and security of dangerous criminals and traitors to the Revolution.' some said, almost as if they were given a script to follow. It all seems a bit fishy to me but I like my job, sorry I'm not going to push this any further. I hope it helps you out though." she finishes with a wink towards Lasaraleen.

Going back to sitting at her desk "Maybe I might see you around?" she asks of Lasaraleen then proceeds to continue to work at her desk.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The plot thickens ooooooo.

So your leads are falling off one by one. You have Almont Enderios and Venture-Captain Lofton left. You also have the warehouse location given to you by Ottavia Raspani.

So where too next Ryan? ;)

Ryan looks around, and, seeing the first person to look in some direction, says: "Yes, that way is fine". He shrugs: "Let's check out the... warehouse".

But that was so brief! No beating around the bush eh?

"I... I suppose, man. To the warehouse it is. Come on Drootina!" Loni gives Drootina words of encouragement.

*Happy snorts*

"If we are to pry into Grey Gardener business and possibly release unsanctioned prisoners we should prepare for a possible fight."

Before reaching the warehouse Liminy will use his wand of Mage Armor on himself. He'll also activate any other wands if requested or use his wand on unarmored allies if they don't have a wand of their own.

"And let's be on the look out for the man on the poster."

Lasaraleen thanks Larisa for her help

"Thanks but please do not risk your safety. You have provided plenty ."

With a nod and a smile she departs with the others

****

"Do you really expect a fight, Liminy? Let's hope it does not come to that...not in the city. Too many innocents at risk."

"I don't expect a fight but it doesn't mean we can't be ready"

Just a few doors down from the Drunken Morlock you come to the abandon warehouse. The exterior of the building is in a bad state of repair seeming as if the building may collapse in on its self soon. Each of you begin looking around the building in your own ways.

Searching about the building you find the doors to the warehouse are unlocked. Looking inside you are able to determine it is indeed abandon accept for a few rats bounding down the rafters above your heads.

Ryan's head is awash in daydream with the possibility of this warehouse becoming the headquarters for the soon to be Adventures Union, 'There to help the little man get his fair share!'

Galant, busy outside, look at some recent tracks that were undeniably created by a gray hearse carriage.

The rest of you see something in the corner of the ramshackle building, barely visible is a small leaflet covered in numbers dropped in an out-of-the way corner.

Drootina sniffs at the sheet as Grog picks it up from the ground. The paper is a page from a ledger labeled Lumber Consortium.

kn Local auto.
Linguistics auto.

Oh. Need to roll anyway.

kn local: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

"The Lumber Consortium is a company that controls nearly all logging in Andor. And the signiture next to the Chief Supervisor Approval is Sabrine Tularis. A political advocate for the company. The plot thickens."

"Loni, If she signed this it may have her scent. Could Drootina catch her scent now in case we have to pick her out among grey cloaked figures later?"

"They could be part of the cover up. If they control all logging, maybe they tampered with the prisoner logs? Keeping people off them for example", says Ryan.

"Drootina, smell this and remember it. Go on, smell it."

Handle Animal (Push vs. DC 20): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Drootina seems to exactly understand what Loni is saying and sniffs the ledger, memorizing any scent she may find.

Good thinking Limini ! You're clearly a mastermind and a true scholar!
I think that we can drink to that!

Galant pours his tankar and drinks. Cheers!

Indeed! Well done everyone. Three cheers for us. So we know about the Lumber Consortium.
We have a couple more leads. Gardners,Almont Enderios? Private Ryan...where to next?

Lasaraleen grins at the man as she mentally considers the remaining leads.

And we have still not found Lofton.

She also glances at the paper being examined by the others.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Grog looks at the paper.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

"Those lumber folks can be bad apples"

"Gardners...?", mumbles Ryan, hot under the collar, and totally lost as to what he is saying, and why he has to be deciding these things.

"Yeah, let's go to the Gardeners! Do they garden grey? How does that work?" Loni says it in the annoying way that only a gnome can do.

Following the directs that Venture-Captain Petulengro gave you leads to an abandoned dressmaker’s shop. I'm noticing a pattern here.

The door into the building is missing, upon entering you see that the whole inside seems to have been gutted out. Inside you see makeshift sleeping areas made from straw burlap and random broken furniture pieces. A few, apparently, homeless men and woman lay sleeping in these spots others staring off or reading books that have been severely warn down.

In the back of the room sitting next to a fireplace making some coffee, is a tall man in his late twenties with olive complexion and black hair. He wears a long red woolen coat wrapped tightly around him against the evening’s chill and carries a bastard sword strapped to his back. This is the contact that Eliza had mentioned and described, Almant Enderios. He is the one who has been giving the venture captain insider knowledge about the Grey Gardeners operations.

"What brings a group of well to-do persons such as yourselves to a rundown little place like this?" Almant flatly states in a tired and weary voice as you approach the back room. He seems a little apprehensive as you approach.

Ryan looks around, but sees no gardens.
He tries to see if the people look hungry?
To the man in red he smiles: "Nothing much, and nothing bad, for sure".