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A young girl skips into the room with a huge smile on her face. She wears a shiny, new mithril shirt that was definitely not made for her small frame and some woolen breeches. Her hair is disheveled as if she just rolled out of bed, with even a twig or two caught in the knots. Despite the fact that she probably hasn't bathed in several days, she has a caring face with warm inviting eyes.
She excitedly greets her fellow Pathfinders, "Hi I'm Amelie! I wonder what this mission will be about! Last time I had to go trouncing through the smelly sewers, I hope It's more fun than that!" She takes a seat, and begins to swing her legs back and forth, just too short to touch the floor.
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A young elfen woman politely knocks on the door and enters. Her golden hair is long and over linnen and leather durable clothes she wears a dark emerald cloak with many tiny runes. A haversack is on her left hip and a trush with intelligent eyes on her shoulder. She is only armed with a simple looking dagger. But her eyes are keen and speak of intelligence.
"Well met. My name is Electra! I am a scholar and scribe."
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Magga immediately lifts Electra into a bear hug, "It's always nice to see a familiar face! Did you bring Khellek with you? That wily old man has been evading me ever since our last adventure." The obvious barbarian sports a weathered tan and overly large muscles, barely covered by a minimum of animal hides.
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The city of Padiskar near the northern tip of the Isle of Jalmeray is not so much a city as a ring of small villages surrounding a massive, howling ruin, from which terrifying screams of whatever the Vudrani Maharaja Khiben-Sald left there in ancient times can still be heard. The new Venture- Captain Vasuman Mihir maintains a small safe house for the Pathfinder Society here, taking over from Padiskar’s longtime Venture-Captain Aamina Shahrazad, who was recently murdered by men loyal to Zamir, a bandit lord and rumored Aspis Consortium agent who operates out of the nearby jungles.
Venture-Captain Mihir’s enters and nods to you he speaks quickly and his tone is serious.
This is a fake scepter of the arclords, he says, hefting a bejeweled staff in his hands bearing glowing runes across its surface. “You will lead a caravan toward Niswan carrying this false relic and several crates of minor magical items. My porter, a young boy named Waman, will give you a detailed travel itinerary, which you must follow with care. Except that it is almost certain that you will be ambushed before you reach your destination, since young Waman is a spy for the Aspis Consortium and has sold out and murdered a dozen or more of our brethren and associates, including our former venture captain—I’m sure of it. The scepter is bait in a trap, and you are the teeth. Do not let on to Waman that you know of his transgressions—we need him to lead us to his master, the bandit lord Zamir. We’ll either make Zamir our man or disrupt his business permanently. I’ll deal with Waman myself once this affair is resolved.
Venture-Captain Mihir holds up a second item, a plain-looking but easily recognizable wayfinder. This wayfinder is also a fake, although unlike the scepter, it does have real power. The dial always points to the scepter.” Mihir demonstrates, moving the wayfinder in a circle around the scepter, the needle pointing unerringly at it.
Waman gave Zamir information that enabled the bandit fool to steal artifacts from dozens of our caravans and even from safe houses such as this one. Zamir has a method of disassembling the artifacts so that he can smuggle them off the island with ease, bound for ports of call in Cheliax. What we do not know is where Zamir is, since he never attacks with his men.
I gave Waman the information about your journey, so at some point along the route, Zamir’s bandits will ambush you. Previous experience indicates that his bandits will not kill if they don’t have to. Let them steal the scepter. You must put up a small struggle, maybe even kill or injure several of his men, but most importantly you must let them escape and they must escape with the scepter.
Give them a few hours after the ambush to escape and then use the wayfinder to track Zamir to his hideout. Zamir is an arrogant man whose loyalties lie with whoever can make him famous to the people of Jalmeray. Right now he believes the Aspis Consortium is the answer. You will either convince him that the Society is the answer—as he could be a very powerful ally in the region—or you’ll end his operations for good. How you handle it, I leave to you. You have two days to prepare. Good luck on your journey and may the gods guide your hand.
While Venture-Captain Mihir finishes explaining the mission, he sits back a little as if expecting a few questions.
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"So we are to be the jaws of a trap for this Zamir. How many men does this bandit lord have?" Beorin begins.
"And what of Waman? Do you wish us to deal with him? Allow him escape or do you have other plans for him?" The dwarf asks patiently as he tries to think of other questions they might need to know.
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The Venture Captain smiles and nods at Magga, as he answers Beorin.
We don’t know exactly. The villagers are sure that he’s absorbed several smaller jungle-bandit groups and we’ve heard rumors that the long-deposed and villainous monks of the Tiger’s Eye are working for him. As for Waman, he won't be joining you. I'll keep my eye on him and once I know you are successful, well, yes, I have other plans for him.
You can see he takes no joy in his words and instead takes it all very serious.
Any other questions Pathfinders?
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No more questions, great, meet Waman here in two days and he'll give you the details of your trip. Remember do not let on to Waman what we talked about here.
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Zamir is rumored to be a weretiger or perhaps a rakshasa.
Zamir is wanted by the Thakur (the leader of Jalmeray) for his activities as an unlawful revolutionary.
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Two days have past and you find Waman, a tall and thin, native of Jalmeray, who slumps over slightly as he walks and stands, in the safe house. He gets the map and provides you with instructions on how to guide the caravan to Niswan. He concludes his briefing with There it is should be fairly easy I think.
The path Waman wants you to travel is the long way to Niswan.
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These humanoid tiger have striped fur and a muscular, lanky frame. Its feline face has sharp fangs and stilted eyes. They can take 3 forms, human, hybrid, or tiger. When in hybrid form you do need silver weapons to damage them effectively, and they can transmit the curse of lycanthropy.
Rakshasas are outsiders but born on the Material Plane. There are many different types, they have animal heads and and backward-facing hands.
After receiving the details from Waman. You set off on the course. At the end of the second long day of travel through rough hills, a campsite comes into view. Smoke curls upward from a small fire, there a man is tending a roast on a spit. Three more men are setting out bedrolls and four mules are picketed beside a pile of sacks and bundles nearby. They are camped exactly on the ambush site described in Waman’s itinerary.
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Totally oblivious to the fact that this could be the ambush itself, Amelie gives a friendly greeting to the campers, "Hi there! My name's Amelie, and we're from the Pathfinder Society. We have a very important job to protect this caravan from bandits. You should really be careful yourselves actually, these bandits could be nearby and aren't very friendly. Certainly not as friendly as us!"
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Greetings Amelie. I am Samarjit, we too are protecting our caravan. He motions to sacks and bundles.
Pathfinder Society you say, good, I've never had trouble with the Pathfinder Society. We are traveling to Padiskar with cloth and carpets to sell. We know well the dangers of this road, but much like you good profits are worth some risks.
He studies your group a bit more before adding. There is safety in numbers you are welcome to join us here at our camp.
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Initiative
Several hours later, just past midnight...Amelie has fallen asleep by the fire; everyone else remains alert. The merchants seem to hear it first, then Electra and Boerin, and finally Magga (but only to the north)...Bandits!
Coming from the north and through the bushes to the southeast. Amelie is quickly woken. The 4 Bandits to the north move down to the merchants horses. The most forward of which has a battle axe at the ready, while the one behind him has a short bow.
Surprise Round
map
Bandits North
Electra
Amelie
Bandits South
Beorin
Magga
Merchants
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The merchants move toward there horses drawing either short sword or bow. One draws his sword and step toward the nearest bandit.
Two of the bandits to the north begin to frantically search the merchant's horses. While two of the bandits concentrate attacks on the lead merchant, one swinging and missing with his axe; the other landing a solid arrow into the merchants side.
Round 1
map
Bandits North
Electra
Amelie
Bandits South
Beorin
Magga
Merchants
Merchant, Crimson 9 dmg
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Electra's ray misses the target. But Amelie puts 2 arrows in the man.
The nearer bandits move forward to attack, two on Amelie and one on the grey cloaked merchant; while the forth one begins searching your cart.
One of the strikes hit Amelie, but the other two miss.
Round 1
map
Bandits North
Electra
Amelie 9 dmg
Bandits South
Bandit, purple 14 dmg
Beorin
Magga
Merchants
Merchant, Crimson 9 dmg
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Beorin readies himself to heal the party; as Magga drops her cover and begins her assault on the bandits, driving her halberd into the man.
The merchant in grey attacks with his short sword, hitting with a glancing blow before retreating into the smoke. While the rest of the merchants begin attacking the bandits to the north, two manage to hit.
The bandits fight back, but only one lands a hit. As one of the bandits continues to pull things from the merchant's goods.
Round 2
map
Bandits North
Bandit, Blue 7 dmg
Bandit, Red 1 dmg
Electra
Amelie 9 dmg
Bandits South
Bandit, purple 15 dmg
Bandit, orange 12 dmg
Beorin
Magga
Merchants
Merchant, Crimson 9 dmg
Merchant, Lime 7 dmg
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As Electra ray misses the target, Amelie fires through the smoke.
However her arrows don't find the mark on the other end.
While one bandit stuffs magic items from the cart into a sack, two of the bandits step into a flank of Magga, on flailing in the wind, the other finding the mark. Maga barely seems to notice. While the other bandit attacks the merchant, the axe blade cuts deep through the smoke.
Ahhh! The merchant cries out in pain.
Round 2
map
Bandits North
Bandit, Blue 7 dmg
Bandit, Red 1 dmg
Electra
Amelie 7 dmg
Bandits South
Bandit, purple 15 dmg
Bandit, orange 12 dmg
Beorin
Magga 11 dmg
Merchant, Teal
Merchant, Crimson 9 dmg
Merchant, Lime 7 dmg
Merchant, Grey 10 dmg
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"You lousy weaklings don't deserve to dirty my blade with your blood," Magga shouts with a full mouth of teeth in that could be a grin or a grimace, "But I'm going to cut you open from balls to nose anyhow, just to hear you squeal!"
Magga thrusts the point of her halberd right at the orange-clad bandit's groin, bracing the polearm with her full bodyweight.
Standard Attack orange