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Ho, indeed, Baron! Besides which, it's harder to see in here than the point of some damn fool Andoran's speech!
Rosham draws his falcata (move), activates Arcane Strike (swift), chooses to use his spellguard bracers to (hopefully) ensure he gets his spell off, then casts an Intensified shocking grasp defensively!
He then attempts to deliver that via spellstrike!
electricity damage
And Rosham finishes off the last hag!
Out of combat!
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Rosham casts prestidigitation to clean the annis hag ichor of him and his blade, then summons his unseen servant to fetch a wand of infernal healing from his porter Reynard, spending five charges to heal himself.
Now then, Tribune Bourtze, pray tell us: what was the nature of your affiliation with those...things?
As the nobleman speaks, he will use a pearl of power 2 to recall his glitterdust spell.
Alie finds no magic except that on Bourtze's person. Makarius Bourtze answers, "Thank you, thank you all! You're the Pathfinders, right? You've got to find the fleeing jester! Sabas, I mean. You see, for centuries, my family guarded an accursed relic seized during Qadira’s wretched invasion. Tonight I found the item stolen! My guards and I almost caught the thief, but he unleashed those murderous creatures against us. The thief is a jester named Sabas. We thought him a simpleton, but clearly he was a spy sent by our enemies!"
"Only the scum of House Disaren would be so brazen! Our two houses have longed to destroy one another for centuries. The Disaren are justly infamous; this horror would be nothing new to them. Three items were taken: a magical urn, dreaded for its dark power to issue forth horrors; a mace that drives its possessor to murderous madness; and a necklace that throttles anyone who dons it."
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"Are you certain it is this House Disaren? It seems,. . . unwise, to possibly start a blood-feud if you do not know for certain. Can you describe this mortal to us? As well as these three items? Or how the simpleton had access to them, or would know to take those three. Nothing else was taken?"
"I'm hesitant to ask, but we where actually sent to bargain with you. Certainly there is no time now, but I take it that if we are able to help you, which we can and will, that you would look favorably on us in other business."
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"It is like I always say." Maximo says as he cleans his weapon. "Never underestimate a simpleton!"
Turning to Makarius Bourtze. "Fear not, we shall get to the bottom of this Foolish business, posthaste! However, I would like your word that upon completion of our investigation we trade as agreed for your collected documents regarding Qadira’s Grand Campaign in Taldor."
"Oh, he was a Disaren spy, I've no doubt about that! After my wife’s death, friends sent entertainers and other diversions to distract the household in its grief. That’s when Sabas arrived, begging a place. He seemed a simpleminded innocent, a natural fool with a gift for ridiculous nonsense. The items were kept in a hidden vault, protected by magical guardians. Somehow, the jester learned how to bypass the vault’s defenses. He’s sure to head west along the abandoned canal and then turn north toward House Disaren’s lands at the northernmost point of the Thistleridge Barrens. An old road that leads across the Alycean Valley meets the canal there."
"Centuries ago, during Qadira’s treacherous invasion, a band of heroic knights captured a trove of magical relics from the Satrap’s stupid soldiers. The alabaster urn was part of that hoard, a vessel in which are trapped hideous beasts of inhuman power and malice. My wife died trying to find a way to destroy that urn. The mace and necklace are equally powerful and dangerous. As to handling them? Well, we just kept them in storage so I don't really know; you probably have more experience in that than I."
"If you help me in this, I will of course gift the Society the texts you want, even giving some additional antiquities from my estate. Here, you can have this now for saving my life." he unclasps an emerald-studded brooch worth 1200 gp and hands it over to the party.
The Jester's trail is quite hard to find and the party spends asking around and searching before finally piecing together the correct direction.
Leaving the village, you head west toward the abandoned canal. Shattered ruins loom up through the mist, limestone walls covered in ornate carvings. One massive slab depicts a radiant figure blessing a pair of worshippers. The remains of a small campfire stain an adjacent wall with smoke. Above the coals, a roast snake dangles from a stick, badly burnt.
As you approach the ruins a voice calls out from some shadow where you can't quite make out the voice, "Where’s the jester, Pathfinders? And what have you done with my brother? We can’t have strangers poking around in our business, so you’d best explain yourselves!"
"I'm Wager! Don't pretend you don't know who I am! Where is Baran?"
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Now see here, nebulous voice that has too much cowardice to show itself, the Viscount states plainly, striding forward lest Wreck decide to continue shouting (and make Rosham's headache worse). The Baron and the Lady and I, along with our associates, are on official Taldan matters, and I strongly suspect it's no business of yours. So stand aside.
"Baran was sent out to track down one of our own who isn't reporting and now Baran is gone. I'm guessing you either took him or are after him. So quit playing dumb and tell us where he is."
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"Uh.. Who... Where..." Maximo is quite lost in this conversation.
Wait, wait, WAIT!"" He shouts, waving his hand for silence.
"I think perhaps we have started off on the wrong foot here, my friends. Let us begin the dance anew. Wager, good sir, I am Baron Maximo Interresante, noble lord and honest gentleman of Taldor. We have no knowledge of this man Baran, though we do know of the Jester, of whom we are currently in pursuit. Are you by chance from House Disaren?"
The man finally steps out from behind the rock he was hiding behind. You notice four archers perched around the ruins for the first time as they stand up with their bows still drawn. "You're after the Jester, too?" he asks. "That's who Baran was sent to check on. Well, if you're looking for him you better just leave Sabas to us. After all," Wager
explains, "he betrayed us, not you."
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"That's what we get for letting Taldan's open their mouths. Everyone knows, just put them in a corner, give them a meaningless title, one that they didn't earn, obviously, and cast a Silence spell on the rest of the room. I suppose it's now to late for you to believe the lie that no, we have no idea what your talking about and just travelling in", pointing in the direction we have been travelling "that direction."
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"Hah!" Maximo laughs at Ignatious' words and claps him on the back. "I was unaware of your keen sense of sarcasm, my friend! With such scathing wit I am sure there is a job for you writing for the theater! I can make introductions."
To Wager, "It is as he says, or meant to imply rather. We have no idea what you are talking about, good sir. We are traveling that way as a favor to another man betrayed and robbed by this Jester. In what way has he wronged you?"
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"With such scathing wit I am sure there is a job for you writing for the theater! I can make introductions."
"I'll wager that we find this alleged dimwit before Mr. Baran-brother here and his Lady. Might as well just go around telling the entire countryside what we are doing. And I'd bet we still have a head start. I mean, I would probably leave out the part about a village idiot outwitting your Lady of course. No need to sully here honor along with your family's, am I right? Or was the plan just to try to flirt and jest with everyone that happens to cross your path, brother-of-Baran?"
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Rosham helpfully adds his own thoughts to the matter. Why should I pretend that I don't know who you are when I actually don't know who you are? There is no 'Wager' in the annals of Taldan nobility, and that is all I need to know. To pretend that I don't know someone so insignificant would be plainly absurd.
Nor do I know this Baran you mention — since I presume you do not mean the good Baron Maximo here — and what you suppose to guess is ultimately irrelevant to us. I assure you, I personally couldn't play dumb if I tried (though I don't know why anyone would try); I should commend you on how you've mastered it so well. Better than our acquaintance Wreck here!
The Viscount gives nothing but a withering look to Ignatious for his Taldan crack, though he noticeably softens when Maximo surmises it to be sarcasm. Ah, yes, the stage is the place for this one. Also, far away from us.