In the heart of the Pathfinder Society's headquarters at Skyreach, Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng, a wiry old man with a wild gray beard and glinting eyes, sits on a large plush bench next to a finely dressed, full-figured woman who looks as though this entire meeting isn't worth her time. Dreng warmly greets you and introduces the woman as Lady Gloriana Morilla; the Taldan woman tilts her head slightly in acknowledgement of the introduction, but otherwise makes no move to greet anyone. Oblivious to any social slight on the lady's part, Dreng goes on to explain the mission.
"Recently, a contact from the Low Azlanti embassy in Escadar approached us with an offer. It seems they have discovered a unique relic of Azlanti origin on the Inner Sea's floor that we have a unique opportunity to add to our collection for study. In return, however, we must deliver one of our catalogued items to Escadar in exchange. The Low Azlanti drive a hard bargain, so we need you to escort a relics broker to Escadar so he can authenticate the Azlanti item and mediate a fair deal on the Ten's behalf."
Dreng warns you that the Pathfinders are not the only group that looks to acquire this relic. It seems the Aspis Consortium has also tendered an offer, and the gillmen have decided to accept the Consortium's deal if the Society cannot finalize its agreement within 30 days. An Aspis-funded warship patrols the waters just beyond Absalom's harbor, preventing Pathfinder agents from sailing to Escadar unmolested. Luckily, he and Lady Gloriana have come up with a solution.
Lady Morilla stirs from her silence and speaks in a strong, demanding voice. “I have used some of the Empire of Taldor's most skilled operatives to plant a false crew manifest and course plans with the harbormaster, ensuring that the Aspis Consortium spies who certainly keep an eye on such matters believe we are moving our relic to Escadar on a ship tomorrow morning. This decoy should occupy the Consortium sufficiently for you to travel overland to Escadar with plenty of time to make the final agreement with the gillmen before the Society's window of opportunity runs out.”
Dreng laughs to himself absently, then instructs you to go to the Siphons in the Puddles and meet with the Pathfinder Society's ally, information broker Grandmaster Torch. "He'll give you a map for a smugglers' trail through the isle's center that should allow for relatively easy and secret travel overland to Escadar. The Society has hired an appraiser and relics broker named Nester Rees to verify the authenticity of the gillmen's relic; Rees will meet up with you after your meeting with Grandmaster Torch."
"I have arranged for lodging at an Escadar tavern called the Grindylow's Goblet, where the gillmen have agreed to meet with you. Once you arrive, you need only need to send word to the Low Azlanti embassy, then have Master Rees conduct the negotiations at the tavern on the Society's behalf." Dreng emphasizes that you are responsible for Rees' safety and for the success of his negotiations.
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Moll sits in a chair with her feet up on another chair as she listens to the Venture Captain. She wears a black doublet and hose in the Taldan style, with a pair of short swords at her belt. Moll is a short human woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She is not terribly pretty, bearing a scar on her cheek and a plain face, but she carries herself with great self-assurance and sense of style. She smiles, and with a salute to the officers, she says "Happy to be of service to the Society. But what do we know of these 'Low Azlanti'? Can we trust them?"
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Tall, proud, and with her head tossed back in that prideful manner worn by adventurers (or in this case, would-be adventurers), Veniera was the picture of nobility. Her arms and armor, fresh and new, glimmered faintly in the light. Her face were split into a wide grin as she nodded to the others in a polite greeting.
As she listened intently to the summary of what they were to do, Veniera's smile slipped and faded, finally becoming mildly perplexed. This... she was not quite sure of what to make of this assignment. There was... far more deceit to it than she had been expecting.
"Are there any certain risks we would have the potential to face?" Veniera asked as she brushed a loose strand of dark hair from her face. "What if these Low Azlanti have thrown their lot in with the Aspis Consortium? Would there be any alternate avenues possible?" Hopefully the kind of route that involved less skullduggery and secrecy...
Dreng considers Veniera's questions carefully and for a moment appears to be lost in thought. "Grandmaster Torch will have more information on the specific hazards and risks you may face along the way."
"As to your second question...do what you need to do to accomplish the mission and stay safe. If they want to talk, then talk, but if they interfere with our deal in any way, I authorize—and encourage—the use of deadly force. But most likely if the Aspis get to them first, then we fail. Which is why you should travel with as much haste as possible."
Lady Morilla loses her balance as she attempts to stand, but recovers gracefully after nearly knocking down Moll. She adjusts her clothing and hair before replying to Moll's question. "The Low Azlanti can be trusted insofar as so long as it is more advantageous for them to deal with us, then they will do so. Now if you'll excuse me..." Lady Morilla exits the room, leaving you alone with Dreng.
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By now Tyra has finished sneaking quick glances at all the humans in the room, looking mostly for any hidden weapons and weak points in their armor... a bad habit. She keeps her back to the wall and stays closer to the non-humans in the party. She has given up any attempt a being sneaky in the well lit room a task made near impossible by her vestigial Cerulean Wings. At the mention of Grandmaster Torch she snaps out of her potential human target analysis and visibly calms down. “If time is so critical will horses be provided for the mission? What can you tell me... us about this Nestor? If I am to be responsible for his safety I would know more about him.
"Master Rees is an appraiser and relic broker and friend of the Pathfinder Society; he is a middle-aged man of Garundi descent who has worked with us for some time now. While he tried going on field missions as a Pathfinder in his youth, his weak constitution limits his ability to travel. He has a very sharp mind, however, and the ability to identify genuine Azlanti relics.”
"As for mounts...they may prove to be more a nuisance than a boon. You should have ample time to arrive on foot if you don't dally. Speaking of not dallying...Grandmaster Torch is waiting. I trust you know your way to The Siphons?"
Finding the Siphons takes you though the Puddles' rough-and-tumble, flooded streets and into the sewers below. A gruff half-orc guard grants you entry into Torch's audience chamber in the Siphons, a large stone room that has been magically rid of all standing water or even airborne moisture. Torch, a dark-haired, burn-covered man in his late-middle years sits in a large bathtub, and two attendants continually pour cool water over his cursed, festering wounds. His half-orc bodyguards eye you warily as the Grandmaster rises to greet them and speaks.
“Well met, Pathfinders. I see you have survived as the Decemvirate's pawns thus far, and for that I commend you. This next task they have for you is more dangerous than the venture-captain may have told you, so let me give you a word of warning. I have made it my life's work to ensure Pathfinder agents are given all the tools they need to return home from their myriad adventures, and this map is the tool I give you. Follow the directions on my map as strictly as you can. Deviate from this path and you may encounter challenges far beyond your abilities. Many would paint me and those who believe like I do as betrayers of the Society, but it is the corps of the organization that I am completely loyal to. Each and every one of you.
“If you believe you have been mistreated by the Ten or their representatives, don't hesitate to let me know upon your return from Escadar. My network of agents and spies if vast, and I am a powerful ally to have on your side.
”Now be off. You have a long journey ahead of you. And remember, don't deviate from this map—it's designed to get you there and back safely!”
As quickly as you were escorted in the half-orc guards escort you back out again.
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After receiving Torch's map, for which Moll thanks him, she pauses on the street and asks the others to stop. "I think it's time we introduce ourselves properly if we are going to be travelling together." she says, and after an elaborate Taldan bow, she says, "Moll Frith is my name, but you may hear some call me Moll Cutpurse. Ignore them - I haven't cut a purse since I was a child. Let's just say I lived a life in the poorest parts of Oppara and have earned an ill name. I've bettered myself since then and picked up a thing or two and I'm good in a fight. I'll watch your back so long as you do the same."
"Now, in the interest of openness, I must tell you that Lady Morilla slipped me a note. She wishes a letter to be delivered to the Gillman embassy in Escadar. No doubt she offers tit-for-tat if we do this favour for her and I'm inclined to indulge her this favour. It's usually good to be owed something by the likes of her."
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Tyra is clearly flustered. Agitated that she was oblivious to the transfer of a secret messages between humans... I'll watch your back, Moll, don't you worry. "Lady Frith, my name is Tyra Flecha. I'm a scout." Turning to The Soiled Dwarf, "I am thinking we shouldn't leave town without first picking up the appraiser."
At this point Tyra realizes she is gripping her dagger a bit too tightly and forces herself to relax and ease her hand away from her weapon. Muttering to herself,
"Secret messages are the way of things for the Society I'm afraid." A man of Garundi descent approaches you. He manages a small yet graceful bow even though he requires the use of a cane. "I am Nester Rees, and I just received a secret message to meet you in this very spot."
"We should be on our way soon; although I have a few more supplies to gather and I'm sure you do as well. We shouldn't encounter any sort of extreme weather this time of year, but it can still get a bit cold in the mountain passes."
"Shall we meet back here in an hour or so?
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Instinctual never trust a Human Scan Perception on Nester:
"Greeting Mr. Rees, are you allowed to reveal whom the note was from? Or confirm we're to travel to the same final destination." Tyra checks the map to make sure we are all going the same direction. She'd hate to leave this town with the wrong person.
"Why Venture Captain Dreng himself, of course." Nester reaches into his pocket and offers the note to Tyra. "We have a long journey overland to Escadar. Hopefully we'll arrive early enough to get some rest before our negotiations with the Low Azlanti."
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My name is Stromar and I'm not afraid of getting my hands a little dirty. He says in an ironic tone. I am eager to begin some actual missions for the Society and Amara Li. To gain more wisdom and understanding while we travel.
To Tyra, You seem to be a bit ruffled. Anything you would like to talk about?
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"Cold weather, you say? No sense being uncomfortable on our first journey outside Absalom for the Society. I'll be visiting a mountaineering outfitter during the next hour, methinks." Moll says. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rees. And you Tyra, and you Stromar. And also you Veniera. I shall see you back here shortly."
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In Tyra's youth she would pass some of the time solving riddles and secret messages that the mephits would come up with. She speaks in a casually tone to Stromar “Just some riddle that's been bothering me.” Bluff Secret Message to Stromar “A Gem long bound by tower of gold was slave to its root desire. The Mountain enraged sought to take back it's long lost child and destroyed the tower. When the dust cleared the all that remained were two stones, a gem and three shards of metal forced to start anew... I feel it has to deal with the dangers of greed. Where a powerful golden Tower and mighty Mountain are reduced to worthless rubble by seeking to possess wealth or power represented by the gem. The Gem left without a mountain or tower has no real purpose. Also it smells bad down here and the humidity is frizzing my hair.”
With supplies purchased the party departs Absalom and begins their long overland journey. Nester rents a pair of ponies to help carry some of the gear...and perhaps to assist some of the slower members of the party to keep up with the rest. Despite his limp, which he discloses is the result of a heart malady that has left the left side of his body weaker than the right, Nester is able to keep up without too much effort.
After traveling for about 3 hours you arrive at The Cairnlands, a broken landscape of blood-salted earth and the ruins of countless failed assaults on Absalom's walls, soon yields to open fields and fertile ground. Ahead, a vast forest covers the foothills of large range of snow-capped mountains. The well-trodden road soon ends at a tall wall of trees, signaling the end of civilization.
Three centaurs gallop toward you. "Hail travelers!" the lead centaur calls to you. "I am called Urdel Thunderhoof. A mysterious predator prowls these woods. We believe it to be a large cat, most likely a panther. It has thus far evaded even my most skilled hunters. Be safe...especially while you camp."
The little green haired gnome tagging along seems to come to life once you are out of the city. It almost seems like he was in a stupor until his foot stepped outside into the wilderness.
"Introductions? oh yes! Introductions! I do not like that place, Absalom... no siree. I like being out here with the plants, trees, bushes, animals... you name it! You all can call me Twigg, The Twigg, I suppose even Twiggy I think I could respond to that. I'm so excited to be out of Absalom and I'm excited to meet some gill men. Never have I done that before."
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Among their number is a human woman who appears to be somewhere in her mid twenties. Her dark hair is cut short, framing an oval face which seems to be in a perpetual smirk.
"Iolande Hafford," the woman answers, at the request for introductions. Her accent, though light from years away from said homeland, is Galt-ish. "I know a little swordplay and a little magic, still working to combine the two."
At the Centaur's warning, the young Magus nods. "Thank you for the warning. We will be on our guard for this cat, and we will take care not to do anything to harm these woods."
Twigg marvels as the centaurs as they approach.
"Ohhh! Panther you say? magnificent beast! I would love to see it in action... well not against say me... or you... but in general. I do not think being eaten would be fun, maybe once, by a big whale. THAT would be an adventure! Panther... oh yes a powerful hunting cat I do say."
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"A Panther, you say? Thank you well for the warning! Our gratitude go with you." Moll says to the Centaurs with a bow. After they depart she turns to the others. "Looks like we will have to be extra vigilant, friends. Especially at night as the Centaurs say. A black pelt and a cat's stealth in the night can spell doom for many a creature. I suggest double watches as long as we are in its territory."
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Puts her weapon away at the Centaur's greeting. To the Centaurs, "Greetings I am Tyra Flecha. Thank you for the warning. Could you tell me of any signs I might look for to track such a beast? Our team has no intention of killing for sport if we might avoid such an encounter it would be preferred."
To Moll, "That sounds like a brilliant plan, would you consider taking watch with me?"
"We can't be completely certain, but this appears to be no ordinary panther." Urdel Thunderhoof replies. "Just two days ago we could feel the cat's presence; almost as if it were herding us into an ambush. Should you come across it, please kill it. I fear for the safety of everyone and everything in the forest while that beast remains at large."
River Crossing
With only a few hours before the sun sets the sound of running water echoes ahead, and several muted beams of late-afternoon light pierce the thick forest canopy. Soon the dense forest opens, revealing a river that blocks the way forward. A large felled tree trunk offers a way over the swift moving river. With the exception of the rushing sound of the water, an eerie silence pervades the area, as does the fresh smell of death...the half-eaten carcass of a large deer stains the forest's foliage near the fast moving river.
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"Well. Looks like our panther has been here, no?"
Although she was no expert on the matter, and although a number of other local carnivorous animals could have brought the deer down, there was just something about the silence that made the comment seem appropriate. Rubbing at the back of her neck, Veniera peered curiously around through the foliage.
"why don't I give mr.panther a meal, ya know alternative to us? Something else for it to hunt... Wait wait don't leave without me!"
Twigg follows Stromar on the log.
Immediately after crossing Twigg will duck for cover and find a place to hide.
Despite your initial nonchalance regarding the centaur's warning, you can't help but shake the feeling that you're being watched. As Veniera and Moll peer into the foliage and Tyra inspects the fallen deer, Twigg, Stromar and Iolande carefully cross the river via the log; Twigg all but disappearing in some nearby brush after doing so. The clearing remains eeriely quiet for several moments longer until you hear something moving through the trees in the north. Suddenly all is quiet again.
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After most of the party has made their way across, Moll takes her turn.
On the other side, she adjusts the straps on her pack and looks up at the sky. "We don't have much daylight left, and I don't fancy spending the night in the beast's territory. I don't see that we have much choice, however." she says. "So we take our chances with our watches, or we set a trap for the hunter. Anyone carrying a huge ball of string?"
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Tyra loves to take watch. Hands 50' of string to Moll. "So will we be taking watch as Moll suggested?" Wether or not we do two people per shift I volunteer for second watch. That way at watch change I will be able to tell everyone who takes watch, "Nestor's cane is a sword.", At shift change. If we do two people per shift I ask a human to join my shift...
Perception check during watch
On my watch I recommend "You stay in the safety of the light and protect the party while I patrol the darkness." I try patrolling in the darkness 60 feet from the light source signal whistle in mouth breathing through my nose. Bow ready arrow nocked... If the human feels I am using her as bait, she may submit her complaints to the nearest pathfinder office for being treated, quite literally, as a piece of meat to lure a cat.
Stealth while on watch
If an enemy attacks or is spotted I shoot readied arrow then blow whistle. +1 (not added) to hit and damage if within 30 feet.
If stealth and/or perception fail and I get mauled and dragged away bleeding to my impending doom... Well that sucks. Initiative... if I have a chance
The group makes camp on the opposite side of the river, well out of nose shot of the deer carcass. The first watch is uneventful, and as Tyra wakes up for her second watch with Veniera she informs Stromar and Iolande that Nester carries a sword cane.
[/dice]
Veniera stops in her tracks as Tyra raises a hand in warning. Peering deep into the woods she thinks she thinks she sees something stalking near the clearing to the north. She looses her arrow and blows her signal whistle as a great black cat comes into view.
Round 1
Krenshar
The Twigg - prone
Tyra
Veniera
Iolande - prone
Moll - prone
Stromar - prone
With an arrow buried in its flank the Krenshar charges Tyra who deftly dodges the blow.
After Tyra lands a second solid shot on the beast it locks its gaze on her. The skin peels back from its face, revealing the musculature and bony structure of its skull. It suddenly emits a loud and ear piercing screech...anyone who was still asleep is sure to be awake now.
After the frightening display a glazed look crosses the cat's eyes and it collapses to the ground. bleeding but still alive, taking low and shallow breaths.
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The terrifying howl sets Moll back on her heels but she retains her wits, whipping her sword from her scabbard and advancing on the now prone beast.
"Ugly monster, and no normal hunting cat, though it behaved as one. Does anyone have knowledge of such things?" she asks, standing with sword at the ready should the creature merely be playing possum.