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While waiting for there next summons from the Venture Captain, Paicho makes himself busy around Cassomir. First and foremost, he performs several well attended shows at the local theater. He spends time studying and learning both Undercommon and Polyglot, leaning heavily on Kiboko for Polyglot's finer points. He stays at the nicest inn in town and samples several fine vintages of chelish wines. He does some shopping picking up a lovely headband and an ioun stone.
He also spends hours pouring over his books, including a new Blue Book for the City of Cassomir, and tries out a few of the establishments found in the book. He also spends time trying to improve his reactions hoping to be quicker in combat.
But soon Paicho grows board and longs for some type of adventure only the Pathfinder Society can provide.
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And not before long, the Pathfinders find themselves once again within the small confines of the office of Venture-Captain Hestia Themis of the Pathfinder lodge in Cassomir. The Petit, raven-haired, blacked eyed Taldan beauty, paces her office somewhat frantic.
“I am perplexed. A new kidnapping spree plagues my beloved city. It seems our citizens make easy prey to those who profit from such exploits. While this disturbs me, I am more troubled by reports that some of those kidnapped return to the city as undead monsters who accompany this Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm plague, a plague that I can’t seem to excise from my beloved city."
“This ends now! For a third time we battle Groetus-worshiping dogs and there will not be a fourth!” Taking several deep breaths, Hestia regains her composure. “I am sending you to Swift Prison to interrogate a cultist we captured who was trying to kidnap a local engineer. Meet my man Garver out front—he’ll take you in to see the Nature’s Cataclysm fool. Find out where the other cultists hide, where they’ve taken their recent victims, and how they’re turning them into skeletons. Free as many Cassomir citizens as you can—the good publicity never hurts. Any questions?”
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"Kiboko does not understand why you love the city. It is a pit of deceit and corruption. The evidence for this is abundant. The people are weak. They are vulnerable because they are soft and they are not aware of their surroundings. It is easy to take them unawares. They should spend more time in the jungle, grow strong, learn how to survive.
This Groetus cult is also weak. Kiboko and Mvumbu will free your people.
What weapons do we have against undead?"
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Kiboko, you are always too hard on city dwellers. There is lots of good here too! I went to one of Paicho's concerts after our last meeting... such beauty can be created here! There is evil everywhere - city, jungle. Even outer space is full of wickedness. Us, who are full of good... it is our duty to fight it wherever we find it! Come friends, lets us go to this prison and root out the evil!
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"I'm afraid I'm not much of help when it comes to fights against the undead.." She says before turning to her notes and counting something as she flicks through them. "Umm, It says here, at least 15 Cassomirites that we know of are missing. All of them have some sort of profession related to engineers, city planners, masons, and the likes."
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Paicho chimes in Quite right Flyn! Swift Prison’s prisoners must pay fees for lodging and favorable treatment. These payments even include a “chains tax,” requiring a prisoner to pay 5 sp each month to avoid being shackled. Don't ask me how I know all this, but Swift Prison has an unusual policy in which non-violent criminals who pay for the privilege are allowed to roam the streets surrounding the prison, so long as do not cross the invisible boundary known as the “Rules of the Swift”. Which is what the prison calls the invisible boundary that surrounds the prison. However, prisoners who cross this boundary are put to death when recaptured—very few have broken those rules in the prison’s history. Obviously!
Squawk Paicho continues his discourse. The wardens of the Swift are notorious for allowing unusual privileges in exchange for exorbitantly high sums. Prisoners who pay these extortions earn the right to reside in one of the Swift’s private apartments. Rich prisoners may also purchase the “Liberties of the Swift,” the right to walk the prison grounds and surrounding city streets freely. Wardens of the Swift are often replaced after being caught abusing their posts for personal gain. Okay, I may have taken a personal appearance fee to conduct a private performance their once, but I didn't like it and haven't been back since.
Now the worst of it, those unfortunate souls too destitute to pay often find themselves locked in the Swift’s cellar begging cells. If they are unable earn enough money to pay for their release by begging, they typically succumb to disease. The inmates call these dank cellars Stavian’s Fair. When I learn of it I was appalled.
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She becomes defensive of Kiboko's comments, "This city may be a dirty busy trading district, but you have not tried the bagels. If you only understood fine dining can you truly appreciate what this city has to offer." A moment after the temporary distraction, she returns back to the subject at hand.
"Well, if there is nothing else, I suggest you meet my man out in the front of the Prison."
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And soon the adventurer's travel through the busy streets of Cassomir, meeting a few of the usual suspects, and dodgy beggars. The Swift Prison is found in the far corner within the walls of Cassomir town.
Causing the walk to feel longer than it should be.
Swift Prison’s formidable gates loom over those who pass beneath them. Out front, a gilded statue stares uncaringly at those who serve time beyond her sentry-like gaze. The wrinkled, dirty faces of Cassomir’s prisoners are briefly illuminated behind the bars of the ground floor begging cells. Their pathetic drone as they beg for coppers fills the courtyard in front of the prison.
Hestia’s man, Garver—a tall Taldan man with a slim physique and plain peasant’s clothing—approaches. “You made it. Good. Follow me.” Garver turns and enters the prison, marching through myriad hallways that twist and turn and finally end at a plain but thick wooden door. Garver produces a key and says, “Our captured cultist enjoys visitors, and if you like his work, it’s all for sale.”
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As they approach Paicho tosses a few loose coins, silver and coppers into the begging cell courtyard. Once they reach Garver, Paicho inquires:
Does the cultist seem in his right mind at all? What do you mean by if you like his work, it’s all for sale? Also how was the cultist captured again? Paicho waits for the responses, as he unassumingly grips Gamin's hilt for a moment as if adjusting his belt.
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Garver chuckles as Paicho asks his questions. "If you must know friends, we nickname him the 'crazed painter' for a reason, and it'll be no surprise to you why in a few minutes. From what I've heard, after a bunch of Pathfinder's took down Dalirio, his cult went scrambling with disorganization. Guess he fell right into authority's hands shortly after that."
As far as Paicho knows, Garver is honest about what he does and says, and hides nothing from the group.
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"Anyone who gives worship to a god of annihilation cannot be of sound mind."
So why are druids involved? Kiboko learned divine nature magic from shamen in the Expanse; those druids revered Shimye-Magalle, the natural world. How can those who... A grim realisation dawns on Kiboko.
...Nature's Cataclysm! Perhaps they do not seek the destruction of all, but only of the unnatural. Like this vile city!
Kiboko glances sideways at his companions, as if they might have overheard his thoughts.
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Flyn nods. "I too would be interested in seeing his paintings...
If he's lost his mind, I don't think intimidation or threats are likely to get him to reveal anything of use, despite our past success with such methods. Paicho is very good with words and persuasion...perhaps we should let him lead this particular 'interrogation'..."
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Garver apologises more as he is unsure of the right answers to provide you. The paintings are all within his cell, so he rest assures you that you'll be able to set your eyes on them soon enough.
He opens the thick wooden door, and leads you through and down several stone steps into a dingy into a dingy, shadowed room with three cells. Garver gives the two guards there some coins and they head back up the stairs, closing the door behind them.
In the center cell, covered in paint, a man dressed in torn beggar’s rags, his feet shackled to the floor by a 3-foot length of chain, throws colour onto a dirty canvas.
When you make yourself present, near the bars of his cell, he stops painting and looks through the bars, in no particular direction or to anyone, and exclaims with a toothless grin “For you, my master, always for you!” He then lays the painting atop a small pile of recent works and sets up another blank canvas, madly attacking it with his brush.
From where you stand you cannot really see the paintings, but it looks somewhat like incoherent blotches.
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Paicho takes it all in for a moment, before speaking in his calm voice,
Hello, this is beautiful work. I'm glad to see you honoring you Master in this manner. Show me some more of your works and tell me about them? Paicho tries to find common ground with the madman and get him talking, it may not work but it seems like the place to start for Paicho and with a little help from Gamin.
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Is this man evil, or is he a victim? Perhaps he truly believes his cult will make the world better by purging it of civilisation... perhaps he is right. But then why get involved in slavery? Why kidnap builders? Ah, the cult must hold builders to be the greatest of sinners. It is the builders who create the cities, these wicked scars upon the body of the Goddess. No doubt the cult plans some kind of ritual sacrifice.
Kiboko looks aggrieved at the chain that secures the mad painter, it being much too similar to the chains that once held him captive. A part of Kiboko sees a kindred spirit who has been wronged; but the role of the cult in perpetuating slavery cannot be forgiven.
Kiboko studies the painter and his cell, keeping his thoughts to himself for now.
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Everyone believes him to be lucid, disillusioned, out of his mind. He seems not to notice your presence at the beginning of it all.
He looks at Paicho as the tengu seeks him out, and for a moment seems to be knocked into some awareness of your presence. He drops whatever he was doing and walks towards to bar.
“Friends! Did the Master send you? Yes, he must have. Praised be he who ends the days! Do you seek my secret? Soon enough—but in return I ask something from you. You must give it to me as I need it to complete my collection.” He points to two paintings hung in a shadowy corner of his cell. A third canvas hangs next to them but is blank. “If you go outside this very prison you’ll find a statue covered in gold. You may have already seen her! Describe this statue to me in exquisite detail and I will tell you all I know. He then walks back towards his painting and starts doing what he was before.
There's no hidden motives behind his words you thoroughly believe, because he is plain crazy, and everyone sees that. Garver looks a little surprise that the crazed painter became receptive so easily. "Normally it takes some bar knocking before we can get his attention."
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Yes, of course, let us have a look at it and we will describe it you. Paicho crams his neck and tries to discern what the first to paintings might represent.
Leaning to Garver he says nonchalantly, I have a way with words.
Paicho continues to study the painting and surroundings waiting for Flyn to return with the details.
He begins singing in a low quiet voice, seeing if the madman takes notice.
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night
While the moon her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night
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Garver only sees the statue, but doesn't really pay much attention to it in his time here, he thinks it could be one of the nobles but just isn't sure.
The statue sits outside the prison gates, it's golden form shining brightly in the sun. It stands over 7 feet tall and rest atop a 3 feet stone base. The statue depicts a curvy Taldan female with short hair wearing flowing robes open at the neck. She has a blank uncaring expression. Additonally Flyn notices a signature, a small letter "I" in her left foot.
There's nothing unusual about the prison, nor his current paintings, it looks like jibberish scribbles. The lucid painter continues his "work" without paying any attention to you, nor the beautiful singing from Paicho.
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Flyn returns...to get the mad artist's attention, he says, "I have the description of the statue outside the prison that your master wishes you to paint."
Once Flyn has the cultist's attention, he describes the statue of the golden Taldan woman in detail, all the way down to the "I" in her left foot. He then bows and steps back to observe...
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He ignores Flyn's attempts to reach out to him. After several attempts to get his attention, Flyn gives up and just shouts out the description. The crazed painter appears to ignore you lot for a short while and furiously painting the blank canvas on his wall, splashing paint wildly about his cell.
Upon completing the painting, he brings all three of them out into the light and shows them directly to you, In the light it appears to be more than just blotches meaningless paint. The most recent mural shows a twisted perspective of what Flyn describes. The once-beautiful statue stares back transformed, her visage twisted into a demonic snarl. Short humanoids with large, black eyes torment cowering prisoners in the painting’s background. Brandishing a radiant holy symbol, a lone figure fails to fight them off in the night under the moon.
The second painting depicts a stately, white stone building. Three-foot-tall bas-reliefs circle the building’s outside walls at ground level, though they are warped and twisted in the crazed painter’s art. The same short humanoids stand atop the hall’s steps and seem to punish criminals—all of whom are wearing the robes of Taldan government officials. At the southwest corner of the building, the bas-relief glows a bright white. The same lone figure from the other paintings attempts to sooth a group of frightened children by playing a flute— the notes are actually painted above him on the canvas.
The third painting depicts the northeast retaining wall that shores up parts of the ruined Abbey.. It shows dozens of angry derros smashing brightly-painted urns against the retaining wall, while the same lone figure from the other paintings frantically attempts to push down an obviously barred door in the middle of the wall, presumably to escape another group of menacing derros that seems to pursue him.
The other two paintings have similar moon iconography's depicted on them as the first painting, and soon the paintings on the floor, blotches of paint somehow look like abstract smears of the moon iconography.
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As Paicho studies the painting they actually begin to make sense.
Oh, oh I see... Yes my good man I see it. He says affirming the cultist.
You see this newest one, those creatures are clearly derros, do you see it. And that lone figure, it's Aroden. That is often how he is portrayed in Taldan Lore, I've seen it before. And yes, the moon iconography represents that of Groetus.
He studies a little more, See in this second painting, it's the derros and Aroden again. And that building I know it, it's Cassomir’s Imperial Hall of Records. And this one is Quickfall Abbey, again derros, again Aroden. Again Groetus's moon iconography. He looks to the others, with a little smile.
Turning to the prisoner, You've done well, Master will be most pleased, now is there anything else you need to tell me?