You are waiting for the mission briefing with your fellow agents.
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Sitting near Zhatara is a young man with lupine features. His smile is genuine and warm. "Good to meet you!" He is of indistinct ethnicity. His features are a melange of much of the inner sea, Casmaroon, and Tien Xia. His speech is equally hard to place.
He is quick to smile, and questions about his origin seems to melt away when he does. Still, there's something off about his features. His clothes and leathers are the cutting edge of fashion in Cheliax. (If asked, he uses the same tailor as the famous yojimbo, Rodovan.) His rapier hangs comfortably, as do a pair of daggers placed strategically. He also wears a bandoleer that clashes with his otherwise court-like dress. Its vials and bottles crisscross over his chest, though they're carefully placed to ensure they do not clink.
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A petite, discreet girl chimes in, clothed in foreign garb - of Tien make, no doubt. Her shy voice yet rings true to your ears, and listening to her quickly becomes a trance like experience.
"Well met! I am Shisen of the Fallen Cherry Blossoms, one of the newest agents among the Society, freshly arrived from Goka." she concludes as she bows gracefully then beams a charming, almost disarming smile.
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"Kaye. Kaye Ginzel. Good to meet all of you." The human nods to his allies. "Haha, usually I do most of the talking on my journeys, but I am a mere novice against conversational experts like you!"
Kate shakes everyone's hands who is willing to. "Another chance at seeing what the world has to offer and what it can do to inspire me on my next invention."
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A red-headed woman enters the room looking down at the floor. She avoids eye contact with the others and finds a spot to lean against the wall opposite the door. Feeling the weight of many eyes upon her, she looks up briefly, "Faelynn... archer... nearly died my last mission along with all my fellow Pathfinders... unsure why I put myself through this, but really, I don't have any where else to go..." The scowl on her face deepens as she reflects on the helplessness she felt at the hands of Celeena in the infernal vault under Absalom.
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A man, a half-elf to be more precise, walks in and touches the shoulder of the one called Darvik. He speaks to him briefly and then, quite suddenly, Darvik moves out of the room with some haste.
I'm afraid Mr. Willowbrook was called away. I've been sent in his place. Selkin Rayne, at your service... though I do hope you won't need my services too often this trip. A peaceful mission would be a welcome change.
Venture-Captain Brackett enters and sits at a narrow table in the grand entryway at the Pathinder Society’s lodge in Almas. This resplendent marble chamber, once the vestibule of a cathedral of Aroden, is now a well-stocked library. Carvings on the walls depict Path nder agents exploring forgotten ruins and facing fearsome beasts. Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam follows him in and sits opposite the venture-captain, reviewing a stack of papers.
The trade prince speaks first. “Welcome, Pathfinders. Take a seat.” He turns toward several vacant chairs. “You will be departing for Druma tomorrow morning. I’ve arranged for all of your travel expenses. The journey will take you from Almas up through the foothills of southeastern Isger, and then from the settlement of Dustspawn into the borders of Druma.” He glances at the stack of papers in his hands. “These documents will handle any issues with your lodgings or questions from local government officials.”
Venture-Captain Brackett nods to the Trade Prince before interjecting. “Yes, the trade prince has seen to your travel, and for that the Society is appreciative. Your mission involves entering the nation of Druma, specifically its capital city of Kerse. There, you’ll meet up with an acquaintance of the Society who has offered to assist us in executing this unique mission. As you may be aware, terrorists from the Aspis Consortium attacked the Society’s annual Convocation. An anonymous but reliable informant within the Consortium that we’ve taken to calling Three Rings has pointed us in the direction of the financier for this dastardly attack—a Consortium silver agent named Myrosype.”
“The city of Alabastrine is the epitome of Drumish wealth. It was built to accommodate an influx of refugees that never came to Druma in the wake of Aroden’s death. The resident Kalistocrats maintain the city in perfect condition, even its empty properties. Even Alabastrine’s method of selecting leaders revolves around wealth. Every five years, Druma sets up an auction for control of each of the city’s five districts. The latest cycle of bidding is about to commence, and Myrosype has positioned herself to claim a majority of Alabastrine’s districts. She may very well have the resources to claim the entire city for herself.”
The trade prince adds, “We want you to attend the auction, which has been arranged by the best contact we could find for the job. Some of you may know him. His name is Temel Passad, and he can provide you with more information when you arrive in Kerse. Once there, do your best to convince the participants in the auction to overtake Myrosype’s bids. Your actions in this event may not be a direct recompense for her participation in the attack against the Society, but trust me when I say that striking her in the wallet will be a precise and worthwhile blow."
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Zhatara answers Selkin's question as if it was self explanatory:"Influencing people is something I might be competent at. But, before departing, please tell us about this Myrosype... any habits? Known contacts? Enemies? Making her crumble will be much easier knowing where to strike" says Zhatara suddenly sounding pleasant and accomodating in the presence of the two worthies...
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The girl's eyes flash with interest as the Venture-Captain explains the gist of their mission.
"Taking part in a bid war and influencing people to fight to keep their beloved city's integrity? What are we waiting for! Oh, just a question though. How does the auction really work? Are the bids in the open, or are they made secretly? Moreover, does the Society have any leverage on a bidder or another that we could use?"
Won't these participants in the auction already have the want to overtake any bids that are made? I don't understand, it seems its whoever has the most money. What can we do about that?
The Trade Prince answers, "Yes, everyone wants to overtake Myrosype, naturally. But so far it doesn't seem any one bidder stands a chance. That's why you'll need to speak with Temel Passad and he can give you advice about making allies and pooling your resources. With any luck, we can outbid Myrosype."
"But, before departing, please tell us about this Myrosype... any habits? Known contacts? Enemies? Making her crumble will be much easier knowing where to strike"
Venture-Captain Brackett responds, "Other than that she is an Aspis Consortium silver agent, we don't know much. Myrosype’s deployment in Druma puts her under the protection of the governing Kalistocracy. Druma has one of the strongest security forces in the Inner Sea, and Kerse itself is constantly monitored with scrying sensors to ensure civil obedience. It would be best not to take direct violent action unless it is absolutely necessary. Even if you were able to escape an attempt with your lives, your actions would be traced back to the Society, which would put us at odds with the Kalistocracy—a battle that we simply don’t have the resources to win.”
"How does the auction really work? Are the bids in the open, or are they made secretly? Moreover, does the Society have any leverage on a bidder or another that we could use?"
Venture-Captain Brackett says, "Those are questions you might need to wait for. I'm sure Temel Passad can tell you more about how business is usually done in there. The Society rarely ventures into Druma. The resident ruling caste—followers of a philosophy known as the Prophecies of Kalistrade—has shown little interest in engaging with the Society. Druma is perhaps the richest nation in Golarion and their military, the Mercenary League, is one of the besttrained forces in the world. We’ve had few interactions with Druma, and we’d prefer not to earn their ire, so be on your best behavior.”
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Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam asks Kaye and Torriki to join him upstairs in the cathedral’s former choir loft before the company departs.
“While I cannot attend the festivities myself, I trust that you can pursue our mutual interests in my place. While you are certainly welcome to express your displeasure to Passad, I have no interest in engaging the merchant in a war of petty vengeance. The auction provides you with a rare opportunity to speak to members of Druman society with higher social station than Passad himself. If you convince one of these people to work with the Exchange, you will set the groundwork for brushing aside Passad’s further attempts to stand in our way. Passad may not believe that you are capable of making such inroads, but I do. Since your own personal clout is not yet significant, I expect that you will need to prove yourself first by making a positive impression. Do not rush to create a trade deal before you know what your potential partner seeks. Finally, remember, a honeyed tongue is like gold: it can reliably earn you favor, but it is rarely the most valuable commodity. The surest route to success is to engage with a person’s interests and desires.”
Before you depart, he offers one last piece of advice. “Do not spend so much effort seeking a new ally that you neglect your mission to hamper Myrosype’s rise. If Myrosype becomes a rising star in Druman politics, her interference promises to outweigh any benefit we could gain from a new alliance.”
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Zhatara nods:"No associates we could sway, then? With all due respect, I wasn't suggesting we should attack her, but I think we can and we should whittle down her support..." answers Zhatara, sounding strangely respectful.
Then she adds:"If there's nothing else I think it better if we start our jurney. It's a long road from here to Druma after all..."
Venture-Captain Brackett responds to Zhatara, "I understood your meaning, but unfortunately I can not offer any advice on that front. Hopefully Passad can give you some better ideas."
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The journey from the Andoran capital of Almas to the nation of Isger is uneventful. You travel on a river ferry up the Andoshen River and take the western break up the River Foam. From there, you disembark and travel through the southern foothills of Isger, eventually reaching the settlement of Dustspawn, the final stop on the journey before entering Druma.
Climbing up the mountains, you come to a well-maintained path. A fteen-foot-wide path curves along the side of a towering mountain peak. Wind howls through the pass, knocking up occasional piles of gravel and tossing it off the cliff’s hazardous edge. A solid stone bridge connects the mountainous path with a similar pass to a peak further north.
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On the way to Dustspawn, Selkin says quiet and merely observes his surroundings. He is confused when he notices a teenage boy harassing a man with a loud, almost obnoxious voice. From what he can make out the teenager wanted to learn magic tricks of some sort. The gypsies must be in town...
Selkin tries to be more attentive as the party moves into the mountains. I do hope the path is safe. Is that bridge intact? I know its stone but who knows up here...
Evidently the cleric is still wondering what the two men were talking about earlier. You always have an audience... what does that mean?
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"I do hope this mission stays nonviolent. I remember my first days in training. I was so surprised they wanted me to learn how to use the longspear." He chuckles. "Knowing how Aspis works, though, don't be surprised if we're ambushed or someone tries to silence us before the auction."
"It's probably best for us to convince them to cooperate and pool their resources to outbid Myrosype."
"What are you all looking for? The troll under the bridge? Come, let's cross."
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"I'm not much of a fighter either. However, you can count on me to deal with the people we have to convince." explains the young girl. "I'm sure nothing ill will befall us." she optimistically add, a merry note in her voice. Yet she does not dare tread over the the bridge first.
She turns instead to Faellynn, her wide eyes catching the warrior's gaze.
Should you become wounded, you will come to realize that the wound is not so serious.
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Zhatara nods at Shisen, considering her as if for the first time:"I see you know the trade. Let me contribute something of my own. It won't hurt. Not much at least" says Zhatara before touching Torikki's shoulder briefly.
You move closer to the bridge to assess its stability and make your way across. It looks to be in very good condition, actually. The stern visage of a dwarven monarch looks north, matching the gaze of another stone carving on the opposite mountaintop. The human-sized eyes of the statue’s face are black pits, carved so deep that they admit no light into their hollow depths. From under the gigantic face, the bridge was made to look like the outstretched arm of the stone dwarf, reaching out with a stone hammer in direct imitation of the opposite stone figure.
The outstretched arms of two stone carved dwarves each hold similarly crafted hammers. The heads of these hammers touch, forming a bridge between two mountainous trails, one to the north and south. The center point of the bridge, where the hammers meet, is covered in wooden debris and numerous broken objects.
A woman wrapped in a thick cloak stands sobbing at the center of the bridge. "Please! Wait" she calls out as you approach. "Haven't I had enough ill luck already? Are you now the scavenger bandits, come to pick me clean of what little the others have left me?"
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Torriki looks back and forth at the woman and his teammates. It's clear that he's waiting to be told the course of action.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The woman looks worried as Selkin tries to move closer but she does not stop him. However, as Selkin moves out onto the bridge Zhatara notices that something is wrong. Although she was crying, her eyes are dry and the slightest hint of a smirk lights up her face as Selkin approaches...
The woman only laughs at Zhatara's attempt to stop her as her hand flashes out from under cloak, a dagger pointed at Selkin's side.