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You have been called to the Grand Lodge of Absalom for a briefing. Seated in a small chamber around a darkwood table, various trophies gathered from across the face of Golarion hang from the walls. A monkey-shaped mask with a serpent’s tongue glares out from the center of one wall, a strange halberd with gold rings piercing its thick blade and dragons carved along its haft hangs opposite the monkey mask. You are alone save your fellow Pathfinders, who apparently have been called here for the same purpose.
As you gather, you think to yourselves, "it's a bit uncommon to wait. Something must be up". Around you, other Pathfinder gather, likely on the same mission as yourself.
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Rhuul Irontoe pulls up a chair near the fire. To one side he puts down his dwarven waraxe, and on the other he lays down a furled flag.
Those knowledgeable about the local entertainment scene may recall that he has a regular stand-up routine at a local comedy house. Around his neck he proudly wears a medallion showing his support for the Mendelvian crusade.
"Anyone know why we are here?" he asks.
"Aside from the glimmer in yer daddies eye so many years ago, I mean."
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An athletic and shapely tiefling slinks into the room. Walking past the dwarves, her tail brushes past Rhuul's face, almost like a caressing hand. Whether the tiefling intended to do this or not is unclear, as she is looking ahead.
Finding a seat, she stretches luxuriously before addressing the dwarves.
"I'm Saarai Shae," she says. "I'll be dealing with scouting, traps, and other stealthy operations. I'm well-equipped to handle a variety of problems," she adds.
Almost as an afterthought, she says:
"I used to be a Korvosan duchess with wealth beyond your wildest imagination...quite the change of events in my life!" she muses quietly as she plays with the tufting of her chair.
A tiny dinosaur jumps out of the tiefling's pack, lets out a strange combination between a hiss and a snarl at the dwarves, and then quickly jumps back into the pack.
Saarai ignores the creature.
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Finally, a huge man wearing creaking leathers marches into the room. He looks at each of you, as if he were appraising a handful of gemstones freshly pulled from the earth, and nods curtly. Some of you know him as Adril Hestram, a longtime Pathfinder and rumored to be the unwitting architect of the famed Katapesh slave riot of 4702. Adril’s physique puts most half-orcs to shame.
“Welcome, friends. We have a serious problem. Skelg the Ripper came to Absalom one month ago. Like many Ulfen warriors he joined the Longaxes, the Taldan Emperor’s personal guard whose duty it is to protect the embassy and Taldan visitors. Skelg also dropped a hefty sum of gold to purchase a manor in the Ivy district, something a Longaxe isn’t paid well enough to do. It is widely assumed that he brought most of his wealth with him from the north, . . . a rumor I know to be true."
“It seems that Skelg also brought a curse with him. In his letter to me, he speaks of lying abed in this miserable summer dying from the cold. Neither physician nor priest has been able to cure his ailment, and there are no signs of disease or poison. Of course, for such a man, there is no greater dishonor than to die in bed instead of in battle."
“Normally, the Pathfinder Society would monitor these events and let the authorities deal with them. However, there are three factors that have drawn our interest. First, Skelg is himself a member of our Society and has asked for our help. Second, he is a personal friend of mine, and finding a sparring partner as worthy as Skelg to replace him would be a trying task. Last, he claims that artifacts of great power are involved, and that we may be able to recover them for the vaults of the Grand Lodge."
“We view this situation as having enough importance to assign you to investigate it. Go to the home of Skelg the Ripper, learn what you can, and do your best to help him. If you find an item that is somehow connected to the curse, either retrieve it or glean as much information as you can about it. I trust there are no questions?”
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"On the artifacts, we don't know for sure. If he is even telling the truth. Not that I doubt his word. Skelg was never for lyin' and dishonesty. But, I'm pretty sure that he brought them with his wealth before he joined the Longaxes. It's a job more for prestige than wealth, well, if one survives. They say that after one's tour of duty, an Ulfen Warrior is taken into Taldor's Treasury, and allowed to carry away as much as you can hold as payment for service. But that service is not yet ended. So, I truly don't know."
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A Half-Orc barges in the room, his clothes stained with blood, with two freshly crafted weapons now on his belt. Sorry I'm late, had an issue with a blacksmith, he took to long to craft my weapons, and tried to charge me too much gold....let's just say we came to an aggreement.What did I miss? Vrothum get's caugt up on the information. I'm not too familiar with the area or the people....
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Spending a few hours on the streets looking for directions and asking around for other info, you learn that Skelg's villa lies in the Ivy District, and that the Longaxes are just a group of Taldor's Ulfen Guard, more commonly sent abroad to defend the Empire's and interests than the Grand Prince's palace or person.
Heading to the villa doesn't take much longer. Parkview Street is true to its name, running the entire length of the Ivy District park. Standing like a tomb in a flower garden, Greydog Manor is easy to find. Six-foot-high walls surround the massive, stone building and an immense iron gate flanked by granite statues of hunting dogs stands open,
offering access to the interior. Looking along the street, it is clear that locals give the estate a wide berth. The stone walls seem to give a slight chill to the air, which is not entirely unpleasant on such a hot day.
The building itself is 40 feet by 40 feet, and the courtyard at the front is the same size. The mansion has only one entrance (accessed from the courtyard), which is locked. Surrounding the estate is a single, solid, 10ft stone wall.
Deciding to hang back and take in the area before proceeding t the gate, from the far side of the street, you can see that the mansion is two stories tall, and that it has many windows, but all of them are closed and covered from inside.
Near the front gate, is a small guard shack, and inside you can see (at least) two northlanders waiting there, heavily armed.
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WWWWWWWWW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WMMMMMMMMW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCCCCCCW
WCCCCCC*CCCW
WWWWGGWWWW
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
..Party..
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"I agree," Saarai says as she looks at the guards. "Since our task was to come talk to Skelg about the problems here, I don't see any reason to try to sneak in. That said, I'm more than capable of getting in, should we want to try it. Or, I could just sneak around back and acquire us some fancy lunch."
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The courtyard is cool and shady compared to the street outside. Dead leaves are scattered across the flagstones and the granite steps where two Ulfen warriors stand. Each man wears a chain shirt and a surcoat bearing the Taldan crest and carries the traditional imperial guard long axe. The guards look at you sternly, and one of them speaks. “Skelg is ill. He wants no visitors.”
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Rhuul looks at the two large men for a moment.
"Longaxes!" says Rhuul in a sterm voice, stepping inside the rabge of their big axes.
"That Skelg is ill is why we are here. That is an interesting way you have of wearing your surcoat there. A little unusual for a longaxe, wouldn't you say?"
Rhuul is on guard, suspicious that these may not really be longaxe guards of Skelg at all. Still, he tries to keep things peaceful.
<= extra +1 if they are hostile.
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Oblivious to what's going on savage seams more concerned that his Storm tooth won't try and sniff out switch when no one is watching
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The guard inside the shack looks to the other as Saarai speaks, like he is not sure on something.
Other one, looking you over, more to size you up than appraise you threat to Skelg says "He's expecting you, huh?. Very well, come on is and I'll take you up to him myself." as he cracks the gate open enough for you to enter one by one.
"Are you friends of his?"
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Vroth looks the guards up and down. There is definitely a strange vibe coming from these guys better stay on my toes. "You new to the guard? Your uniform is definitely on wrong. I figured men like you would show a little more respect in their duty." Vroth straightens up and gets one hand on his hammer as they cross the gate one at a time never take his eyes off the concerned guard and looks for any indication or signal that something is wrong.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"Waitformeeeee!"
Speaking rapidly in a high-pitched voice, a creature the size of a halfling child, barely 1'9" tall, hops and jumps down the road, leaping from cobblestone to cobblestone with alacrity.
Pausing at the gateway, it throws back its hood, revealing a small, frog-like humanoid, with mottled green-brown skin, large, reddish-orange eyes, and wide, webbed feet and hands.
"SorryI'mlate.YoucancallmeJim."
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"This creature does not belong to me but i am sure he will fit will in my back pack with nibbler" after speaking, nibbler looks up from his rest next to storm tooth and stands on his back legs as if yo size him up.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Even knowing something is up, as you begin to proceed through the partially opened gate, everyone except Rhuul catches the one guard give the other a signal, calling for them to attack unexpectedly.
Before you are able to stop and ask what that was all about, they draw their greataxes, but get them caught in the improperly donned tabards and coats, allowing most of you to spring into action.
SURPRIZE ROUND
Saarai, Kryssa, Vrothum, Savage, & Kermit
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Ulfen Warrior 1 and Ulfen Warrior 2
ROUND 1
Saarai, Kryssa, Vrothum, Savage, Kermit, & Rhuul
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Ulfen Warrior 1 and Ulfen Warrior 2
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Vrothum having already been alerted by their suspicious behavior quickly drew his hammer and axe. "Death to you!"
-Posted with Wayfinder
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