After getting a summons from Sheila Heidmarch, you find yourselves meeting with Venture-Captain Ollysta Zadrian in one of several libraries in the Magnimar Lodge.
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Lady Ollysta Zadrian, it's a pleasure and an honor to meet you in person ! I'm Tolgarov, distant cousin of Garil.
Said Tolgarov a lusting smile upon his round face.
The man itself is a fat human sweating constantly. He weight nearly two hundred pounds for barely more than 5'3 feet high. The bald man is tattooed everywhere with varisian style tattoos, his black pigseyes driven by a cruel glow. His complexion is pale, almost greenish and its teeth are particularly sharp and when he smiles, two of its canines unfolds. He is dressed in an ostentatious way, his large and greasy hands adorns expensive rings of the worst taste. His dresses are detailed and from high quality (but also of the worst taste). Around his neck, he wears a stylized key and some sort of a seven branched star as an amulet.
His has a pretty bad reputation in the society as a merchant. Nevertheless the man has a true presence, troubling and intimidating.
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"So, what sort of fun time are we in for now, eh Captain?"
The middle aged man smirks a little as he keeps his arms folded across his chest - standing with his weight shifted to his right foot. He turns his weather-beaten face to the large illustrated man, gives him a nod. "So many of us fellow relatives of Uncle Guaril. I'm 'fraid I haven't met you - name's Desmond. This here's Sahrek."
Desmond motions to the large wolf laying down at the ranger's feet. The wolf lazily raises it's head, barely giving Tolgarov a glance before returning to a slumber.
Desmond is outfitted in a once-gleaming breastplate of mithrel. Though it still has some shine to it, the armor has clearly taken abuse. Strapped to his back is a backpack that doesn't seem to hinder him at all. He's also carrying a bow, quiver of arrows and a falchion with the word "Dingo" etched on the blade in flowing script. His full head of coal-black hair is beginning to go grey at the temples.
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...liquid, liquidous, liquor goggles?" A voice drifts from down down one of the nearby aisles, slowly coming closer. "Surely that is here as a joke!"
"...lis, liscious, lisp.." A handsome and distinguished man with dark hair and beard gone mostly to gray steps into view, reading the spines of the books on a shelf nearby. He wears armor and a military uniform of Taldor style, but without emblem or rank, and perhaps a decade or two out of fashion.
He looks up and around, and his eyes set upon Ollysta. "And there you are, my lady!" He bends into a perfect bow in the style favored by the bards of the Kith, the kind one uses upon completion of a great performance.
"Baron Maximo Interresante, at your service."
Sheila Heidmarch’s brief is short and to the point. “Thousands of years ago, a group of insanely powerful wizard kings ruled Thassilon, a vast world-spanning empire. Many of the great monuments in Varisia, including the Irespan here in Magnimar and the Storval Stairs, are relics of this forgotten age. The wizard kings wielded powerful rune magic and declared themselves rune lords. The Thassilonian empire was destroyed by some immense cataclysmic event, but the runelords were prepared and entombed themselves in hidden, well-protected chambers and put themselves into deep, magical sleep.
“Until recently, we thought the secret of the location of these chambers and methods of waking the runelords of Thassilon was forgotten. However, recent findings revealed that a powerful group of Lissalan cultists knows where Runelord Krune is sleeping and are working to waken him from his long sleep. Awakening a powerful and ambitious wizard like Krune would have a massive impact on Golarion the Decemvirate would prefer to avoid.”
Sheila nods to the armored woman next to her. “Ollysta has been actively pursuing the activities of the cult. She just got a lead about a powerful branch of Lissalan cultists operating in Kaer Maga. We need you to track down the cultists and find out what they are planning and disrupt their operation in Kaer Maga.”
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"More cultists, eh? Lissalans are pretty nasty. I haven't been to Kaer Maga since I was a new pup of a Pathfinder."
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Zhal nods, looking up from one of his tomes as he thinks. "I have much experience in the realms of dealing with the Lissalans. I have had much in the way of contact with those cultists. It sounds to me that if you are suggesting they are trying to wake Krune, they might be attempting the Feast of Sigils. Though I am not so certain how agreeable it would be to see the city of strangers once again."
"Yes," Ollysta agrees, "Kaer Maga is not my choice destination either. We don’t know why they chose Kaer Maga. Perhaps they’re taking advantage of the lack of authority and chaos. Several weeks ago a friend of the Society-and friend of Tolgarov's I might add-in Kaer Maga sent me a letter asking for help with a criminal element in the City of Strangers. She realized that they were tampering with foul magic, and that we were her best chance to find help. You’ll meet her at or near the Blushing Rose brothel. Ask for Miss Feathers. We’re not sure how embroiled in this she is, so make sure she’s doing well. She can be a valuable contact in the city, as I'm sure Tolgarov can attest."
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Why Zhal ? She's quite ... entertaining this lady ! said a smiling Tolgarov after Zhal remark
Then he added, still smiling
I have my entries in her... brothel, if you know what I mean. So I don't think it will be difficult to meet with miss Feathers. Kaer-Maga is such a lovely place... to do business and all !
Traveling to Kaer Maga proves easy enough and is filled with little excitement on the road besides the occassional wild animal or stray bandit. In the City of Strangers, you can easily locate Miss Feathers drinking scotch in a tavern across from her workplace at the Blushing Rose. Though she stands a full head taller and muscles ripple beneath her white sequin dress, Miss Feathers looks right at home sitting with half a dozen more traditional working ladies. Miss Feathers’ deep, booming voice and hearty laugh fills the otherwise quiet tavern, and she’d be easy to find even if it weren’t for the signature boa of feathers draped around her neck. When you approach, Miss Feathers smiles warmly at you all and motions with her hand to the other working girls who clear out quickly.
“Oh, finally. Look, let’s get through with this quickly. This girl’s got drinking to do. I appreciate what you do, blah blah blah, but I don’t need to be seen with you. I only told Ollysta a little bit, but here’s the score. Some of the girls at the Blushing Rose went missing, and Madam Rose was none too happy. She figured I’m a girl who can take care of herself, so she sent me around to look into where they got off to or to see whether maybe another cathouse snagged ’em. This guy Gelwin—a customer—had seen some of them. I ask him and he says they’d been feeling down and he sent them to this lethe house he’d done some forged contracts for. I go looking around and they rope me into this weird ritual. I ain’t felt right since, and I knew it was some magic business that your sort should look into. Those girls still haven’t showed up. Gelwin’s gone, too, though I can’t say I want him to start coming back around. I seen some other Pathfinders—at least that’s what they said they was—that put this in my mind. Didn’t seem like the real helpful type, so I sent my letter instead.”
She hands you a slip of paper with an address in the Hospice district.
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Desmond has Sahrek stay outside. As he listens to Miss Feathers's story, he orders himself a flagon of beer.
"So, we were told that Lissalan cultists are behind this. You know anything about that, Miss Feathers?"
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During the trip to Kaer Maga, Tolgarov regal his friends with numerous anecdoctes about his home city. He seems more than happy to go back there.
So good to see you again miss Feather, it's always a pleasure to meet you !
Other Pathfinders did you say ? That seems strange to me since I know there is no lodge in this town and no other mission we are aware of...
We will investigate and if we find the other girls from the Blushing Rose we will send them here, under the protection of Madam Rose.
Again, thank you for everything miss Feathers.
Tolgarov took the paper, reading the address on it, trying to remember something about the location.
you forget your troubles for a while. Lot of sad, sad people around there.
"I don't know what cult they were apart of. The ritual was strange. I didn’t pay too much attention, but they had us bleed a bit and painted our blood on some crackers. I felt sort of... incomplete afterwards. Like something was missing."
"And yes, if you find my girls please send them back right away. If they aren't there I don't know where they might be."
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Looking at the location Tolgarov said
Hum, this adress remind of one of my cousin, Edrev. The poor guy was not bright and numerous time he tried to forget the few he knowned with drugs. Lethe was one of them...
I suggest to prevent some side-effect of this drug by drinking some antitoxin before going in.
after a short silence Tolgarov added
Blood is my field of study, as an hemotheurges I know it could be use in many ways. We will inquire this drug house and learn what we need.
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"Lethe - There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of a lethe binge. Terrible, rotten stuff."
Desmond finishes off his beer and mumbles to nobody in particular, "Better not let Omrax find out about this..." He offers a curt bow to Miss Feathers, "Thank you for your help ma'am. We'll do our best."
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Maximo spends the trip listening happily to all of Tolgarov's stories, and offering more than a few of his own, much of which seem perhaps a little embellished. Who would believe that a cult of thespians with a magical alligator once lived in the sewers beneath Magnimar? Or abominable snowmen living as monks in Tien? Or that hellknights host excellent tea parties?
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Upon meeting Miss Feathers, Maximo bows as if being introduced to a noble princess. "My lady!" He flashes a genuine smile up at the large woman, then takes her hand and kisses it if allowed. "Hmm.. such strong hands you have. You have our thanks for passing along this information. We will do our best to get to the bottom of this mystery. But first, this ritual of crackers. Have you seen a healer to examine you? Perhaps whatever they did might be undone with the grace of the gods?"
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Maximo seems taken aback, glancing at Tolgarov, then at Miss Feather's hand, then at Miss Feathers, then back at Tolgarov. "My apologies, is the etiquette different among women here than elsewhere?" To Miss Feathers, "M'lady, have I offended you?"
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Zhal sighs as he looks over at Ms Feathers. "I have been doing some in depth studies, as I have seeming to run into cults all over the place. The side effect you describe, it sounds to me as if it were part of a ritual used by the ancient Lissalan cult actually. Can you describe more in depth of the effects of the ritual? Can you describe how they performed it? How many people were involved? How long did it last? The more information you can give us, the better chance we have of determining its true purpose, and even possibly undoing this madness."
Miss Feathers blushes and seems pleased by Maximo's gallantry. She is not at all offended and agrees to be examined by Maximo, who finds no evil auras on her at all.
To Arnoth, Miss Feathers simply replies, "Oh now, honey, I never kiss and tell! How could I get anywhere? I assure you it's not related to the task at hand, anyhow."
Miss Feathers thinks for moment at Zhal's questioning. "Well, now my memory is a bit fuzzy with feeling a bit down and all since the ritual but as I recall there were only a couple other people with me that night doing the ritual and a handful moving about telling us what to do. It didn't take too long at all-maybe only a quarter hour at the most...."
As she continues describing the ritual, it seems very obvious to Zhal that it is indeed the ancient Lissalan Feast of Sigils in which part of one's soul is transferred to a wafer, allowing one to later eat the wafer and restore their soul at that later time.
In a block filled with several boarded-up houses and businesses, this graying wooden structure appears to have once been a tavern many years ago. The sign in the front has been pulled down and the front windows are boarded up, but unlike the other houses on the block, the door is open and a few patrons can be seen entering and leaving the place.
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...a short time later a veiled Qadiran steps back into the street and joins the group. He wears blue silks and carries a large sword bundled upon his back. At his side hangs a monkey-handled whip. Slipping aside the veil, Maximo winks at his companions.
Patrons enter and exit the lethe house occasionally and the Pathfinder surreptitiously join in the crowd....
During the afternoon and into the evening, a small crowd of patrons gathers here, usually 7–15 people circulating in small groups. Some of the patrons pass around small pipes and even offer some to you. The pipes create a slight haze of chemical laden smoke, making everyone a little light-headed
A lazy, foul-smelling dwarf sits in a large armchair in the corner, flirting crudely with female patrons and laughing raucously at jokes only he gets. A ceremonial stand behind him is topped with a jagged circular object covered by a heavy cloth. The dwarf occasionally targets a spittoon to the side of his chair with a large gob of tobacco spit.
When you enter, the dwarf is friendly and offers to let you sample a few doses of lethe. The foul dwarf even invites you to tour the lethe house.
Outside the lethe house...
Holding his cloak back with one hand, Maximo performs an exaggerated Qadiran bow to Tolgarov. "Life is full of tricks, effende." He winks slyly, affecting a slight accent. "I know two for the tying of knots! As for my appearance, I am a firm believer that clothes do not make the man, or woman. I am also willing to give others the freedom to believe otherwise."
Inside the lethe house...
"Such an interesting place you have here, master dwarf." Maximo twirls the end of a moustache like a villain on the stage. "Ah, thank you." He accepts a pipe from another patron, but passes it quickly on to another as he talks with the dwarf. "Are you the proprietor of this establishment? I have friends meaning to visit and would like to arrange private entertainment, if you know what I mean."
"Why yes I am!" the dwarf responds to Maximo, "Name's Drollis. I can help you with whatever you might have in mind."
Tolgarov sees nothing unusual at the moment.
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Zhal pulls on his sleeves of many garments, changing his clothing to something more akin to Maximo's new clothing's appearance.
He follows the others in, before crossing the threshold he mutters a soft spell, opening the auras of magic to his eyes, so that he can scan the room while the others talk.
The dwarf responds to Desmond, "O' course we got girls here! What're your specs? What do you like? I can get you anything."
"Now I needn't remind you that lethe is never lethal or even addictive, and has few side effects. There's plenty to meet your needs I think; some of the other patrons can perhaps give you some suggestions."