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Skerdo moves up to help out, drawing a second blade as he does while also swinging his axe, but catches only the wall with his swing. Thoril likewise rushes in, slashing killing the other weasel, further pissing Cetenna off. Caith hurls another bomb, focusing on the Badger, but aiming it just so as to avoid also hitting either Garret or Skerdo close by. It hits, and hard. She then suddenly has a massive burst of inhuman speed, slamming a clawed foot into Caith's stomach, while spinning around on her heel into a crouching position to bring that leg around and send him tumbling to the ground to deliver the people's elbow to his helmeted face, while also trying to do something similar to Dumm, grasping one arm and trying, twice, to flip him over her shoulder. Afterwards, she takes a step to the side, fully intent on working her way through you all.
ROUND 1
Cetenna (-28) & Badger (-11)
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Dumm () & Garret (-10), Caith (-25), Skerdo (),
Thoril (), & Roderick ()
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Dumm moves in to deliver a devastating blow on the wolf-woman while Garret adjusts around the battlefield and blesses his allies while hindering his foes. Caith, Thoril, and the Starknife all fail to connect as she weaves in and around all their lunges and swipes, though at least Skerdo is able to bury his machete in the badger she seems to control on some instinctual level.
The badger follows after Roderick trying to slash at him with it's claws and bite at Skerdo. Like it's master, the badger seems to have caught it's second wind as it digs into to it's targets, sending blood and scraps of flesh everywhere in the room. Cetenna is looking fairly worse for wear, but her badger pet is just getting warmed up.
ROUND 3
<Prayer>
Cetenna (-45) & Badger (-17)
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Dumm (-6, prone), Garret (-10), Caith (-29, prone), Skerdo (-8),
Thoril (-19, prone), & Roderick (-13)
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With a lucky final blow, Cetenna takes the large greataxe to the chest, cutting her abdomen in two. A look of total surprise crosses her face as the Shifter falls dead. Her link to her pet broken, the badger suddenly attempts to flee, but no longer threatened with the woman's wrath, everyone else destroys it before it can get out of the door.
With the Aspis's secret base now cleared off all threats, you set about exploring what is left, alerting both Captain Oraiah Tolal and Guaril Karela of your success. Within the other chambers, you find some sort of planning room, as well as following the longer hallway to the north that Cetenna had been guarding, a larger storage area and two personal quarters.
Spending a few minutes investigating the piles of paperwork on the desk find enough evidence to implicate Zurnzal—and possibly also Madreki Gael—in the theft of Guaril Karela’s goods, as well as in the rumor campaign against the Pathfinder Society in Tamran. The PCs also find a thick bundle of bloodstained faction mission notes written by Guaril Karela and taken (often by force) from members of the now-defunct Sczarni faction. These notes provided the handwriting sample used to produce the forged note from Guaril in earlier.
After our conversation last week, I’ve come up with a plan that will allow both of us to get what we want. I will get rid of the Pathfinders who are making themselves inconvenient to both the Aspis Consortium and to the church of Razmir and make you a political and religious hero. First, you send me a list of secrets that would be damaging if they made it into Molthune’s hands, while I make the substantial gold piece donation to the church of Razmir that we discussed. After that, I will have a several people walk around town spreading rumors that Pathfinders are working with Molthune. With that in place, I’ll contact the people I have set up in Molthune, and have them come down off of the blockade in the middle of the night. I’ll send some of my friends disguised as Pathfinders and carrying the military secrets to meet them. Each of them will be wearing a wayfinder and a glyph of the open road. I’ll dress up one of my halfling friends as their local leader, Venture Captain Oraiah Tolal. At that point, you swoop in with a large group of soldiers, kill the Molthuni, and capture the “Pathfinders”. I’ll tell them all to surrender right away, and you can arrest them. At some point when you are not on duty, I’ll break them out so there is more to blame on the Pathfinder Society.
Regards,
Zurnzal
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Zurnzal,
Your plan shows promise, but it relies too heavily on theatrics over substance. An entire group openly carrying wayfinders and wearing the Pathfinder’s symbol is suspicious in and of itself—real Pathfinders rarely try so hard to proclaim their allegiance, to say nothing of the considerable risk of discovery that you incur when disguising someone as a known figure in the community. The Molthuni are unlikely to agree to come off of the ships, even at night, without significant persuasion. Are you intending to have me assist their journey? What are you planning to do with the real Oraiah Tolal? As a general point of discourse—when referring to activities that some may consider illegal, do not use plain language (particularly when you are signing your name to the document). You impressed me greatly on your last mission involving the Society, and I am certain you are capable of ironing out the details in this mission.
Send me your next draft for revision.
Your Friend,
MG
Dear Z,
I have recieved your donation. Blessed are those who open their coffers and their hearts to the Living God. Those who are sufficiently generous succeed in all of their endeavors. The information you requested will arrive tomorrow morning in a separate letter. I’ll alter the patrols to meet your group at the designated time. I can’t guarantee that none of my guards will be overzealous at the sight of Molthuni, so be sure that your group is quick to surrender and drop arms.
You also find a collection of letters to and from a militia captain named Jana Vaylorne. These letters detail Zurnzal and Madreki’s plans to frame the Pathfinder Society by posing as Pathfinders and selling secrets leaked to them by Captain Vaylorne to Molthune. Captain Vaylorne and her soldiers would then “coincidentally” stumble across the sale taking place and become war heroes by foiling the exchange and slaying the Molthuni spies. Vaylorne plans to use her newfound popularity to support the church of Razmir’s reintroduction into Tamran, and the Aspis Consortium plans to use the event to convince Nirmathas to evict the Pathfinder Society.
Both Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal and Guaril Karela are interested in gaining thee documents without the other having full access, but in the end you turn them over to VC Tolal, , who uses the information to clear
Guaril Karela is thrilled with their work in not allowing Cetenna to escape, and thanks them for their assistance. With the Aspis out of commission in Tamran, Karela’s shipments once again flow into the city freely, providing the lodge and the people of Tamran with much needed supplies.
Venture-Captain Tolal uses the evidence to exonerate the Pathfinder Society and expose Captain Vaylorne’s treachery. She places the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Aspis Consortium and the church of Razmir. The Pathfinder Society’s name is cleared, and the people of Tamran grudgingly admit that Molthune is not to blame for the plot.
HERE are the Chronicle Sheets, including the special Holiday Boon for everyone. Unfortunately you can only get one or the other of the first two Boons (Karela’s Gratitude or Trusted in Tamran), not both. Like I said, I had to make that choice for reporting a bit early, and I tried to use my best judgment based on the circumstances (essentially withhold info from he Society or hand it over fully), but not based on the actual rewards, (which I really didn't even look at).
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"Damn fine work," Skerdo says with a small smile as Cetenna and her badger fall. "Looks like these documents are what we need to clear the Society's name...best to return 'em to Venture-Captain Tolal, I reckon." He's still limping slightly when the group exits the abandoned fort, but he can't help but smile as the group emerges into the sunshine. Damn fine work this time around...I reckon we'll be able to take in the Ritual of Stardust here in Tamran before we even need to head back out for Absalom. Think I might take a little break after this...let the leg heal...maybe head home and see Ulthun for a bit.