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The River Kingdoms is a tumultuous land of bloodthirsty bandits, treasure-laden ruins, and self-proclaimed kings, and for years it has been the subject of study for Ulisha, a curious and capable half-orc explorer. Shortly after performing a heist that enraged the local nobility, she came across a collapsing stone circle and discovered Silverhex, an enchanted sickle used by druids millennia before. She did not have long to admire her find, though, for the nobles had posted a bounty to end her meddling for good.
At least, that's the premise of what the letter waiting for you at The Laughing Lizard detailed, along with her request for help and her journal. She needs you all to raise enough money for her to be able to pay off that bounty, and if you do, she'll sell you the Silverhex, and at a drastic discount to boot! Her journal contains a multitude of profitable leads, all of which the society is willing to pay for your travel to. In fact, your carriage is on its way to you now, as you sit in The Laughing Lizard and ponder your first move. Kel speaks for the society when he tells you that Ulisha is a valued member, and getting that bounty paid off is the most important objective of this mission.The journal entries are thus:
Excerpts from Ulisha's Journal:
The Mausoleum (The River Kingdoms)
The only thing worse than working for a Galtan nobleman is working for two Galtan noblemen—in my case, Lords Tullivor and Sarvio, both of whom are happy only when the other is not. I made a tidy sum recovering their heirlooms, but when Laban Tullivor tasked me to steal a platinum chalice belonging to the Sarvios, I took my leave (and the cup), and they’ve been hounding me since. Now Laban’s deceased, and it’s rumored his mausoleum in Gralton’s cemetery harbors a treasure. I hope you’ll not balk at tomb-robbing. Remember, these are aristocrats. I say, a plague on both their houses.
Mists (Varno, Ustalav)
When seeking to conceal something, one’s first instinct is to choose a spot no one would think to look. Better yet, choose a locale no one would dare to go. Such was my logic after liberating a magic lantern from an anemic necromancer in Ustalav. Lest the wizard track me through its magic, I hid the lantern underneath some rocks in a stream near Cannibal’s Grove, whose own magic would disguise the lantern’s own. Now that time has passed, I’d gladly cut you in for a nice percentage of its value. All you need do is travel to the Forest of Veils in southern Varno. From there, any superstitious peasant should know the route to Cannibal’s Grove. How bad can it be?
Colony (Allenstead, Razmiran)
Different cultures’ treatment of the gods is a point of endless fascination for me. Consider the Rahadoumi and their Laws of Man, rejecting the gods despite the plagues and deserts that eat away at their lands. Others such as the Nidalese have sworn themselves entirely to one god who grants his followers power at a punishing price. The small nation of Razmiran is much like Nidal, in that the people pay homage to a most curious deity: a “Living God” who lives among his people. Don’t be fooled by his talk of prosperity for all. The Razmiri are an underhanded lot, and I recently heard that the village of Allenstead—once staunchly against the god Razmir—had all converted to Razmir’s worship. Apparently, a priest bearing a jeweled rod recently paid Allenstead a visit and won everyone over within a day. It’s obvious that some dastardly magic is at work here, and that the priest’s golden scepter is at the crux of it all. I wonder what it’s worth?
The Crash (Numeria)
I may have just made a monumental discovery. While searching for an Osirian urn in an Absalom museum, I came upon a collection of charcoal rubbings in an old scroll tube. According to the notes that accompanied them, they were taken by a Pathfinder from a cave wall somewhere between the border of Numeria and the River Kingdoms. The rubbings depict what Numerians now refer to as the Rain of Stars. While this cave alone is an incredible find, I believe there’s something even more remarkable. In the rubbings, one of the smaller objects has a line that connects it to the horizon. While the Pathfinder dismissed this line as a stone fracture, I have another thought. I believe whomever witnessed this Rain of Stars must have seen where one of the smaller objects impacted and etched the line as a point of reference! Now all I need to do is calculate where the ridge lies in relation to this cave and I’ll have my name in the history books.
Webs (River Kingdoms, Just Southeast of Daggermark)
That the Riverfolk of Daggermark haven’t wiped themselves off the map with their wanton assassinations and poisonings is a fact that will never cease to amaze me. Still, where such dealings occur, coin is always involved, and one knowledgeable in the ways of commerce can always earn a good wage. Daggermark’s economy runs on poisoned blades, but those blades would be dry were in not for a constant influx of alchemical goods. Such goods wax and wane, though, and if one watches diligently, these market shifts can be predicted. The next ingredient the markets will want is an adhesive produced by spiders and left in their webs. Of course more potent chemicals would be found in the glands of the dreadful beasts, but I am a scholar, not some vagabond sellsword slaying vermin for ale money. I have mapped a route to a newer nest that should be sparsely defended. My buyer, one Johannes Vox (an Iobarian of curious temperament) has not been as forthright in our latest dealing as I’d like. Perhaps it is time I sold elsewhere.
Quinn stands aside the table leaning gently on his cane, glasses on, lost in though as he peruses the various journal entries, his glass of wine sitting mostly full on the table.
Quinn looks up from the table, his trance suddenly broken.
"Shall we start with the Mausoleum? I do so love learning more about the history of Galt."
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This Ulisha is obviously a self-centered lunatic. It seems like he loves to go LOOKING for trouble. Pissing off noblemen, hiding things in cannibal lands, saying people must be under an enchantment to worship their god, and purposely digging around a spider nest. Well, asking US to dig around in a spider nest. Hmmm. I guess that makes us lunatics too.
"Lets optimize the route for the least travel, particularly SEA travel. Why not start with the location closest to us? I believe that would be the Mausoleum and the spiders near Dagger Mark."
"I'm all for a visit to the mausoleum. Count me in!"
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Yoon follows the journal entries a bit more slowly than the others, but only a bit - a pace which surprises some of them.
"Look at what she's saying about the treasures, Gom-Gom! I want to see the magic lantern!"
I think she's greedy, Replies Gom-Gom grumpily. A bad priest enslaved a whole village, and she just wants to know how much his magic scepter's worth. Somebody needs to free them.
"Gom-Gom, bad things happen all the time." Yoon reminds her doll kindly. "You can't let it get you down."
Well we need to start somewhere. Is there something we can compromise on?
"Wait," Yoon looks back at the journal. "What does this next part say about a cave, and coal, and a 'Rain of Stars...?'"
'Rain of Stars?'
Yoon and Gom-Gom look at each other with excited realization.
Kyra looks at Erasmus querulously. Waiting for confirmation of the kids outlandish and bizarre claim, her lips stretched tight and her eyes narrow.
A lithe elf wearing comfortable leathers, and literally festooned with daggers, casually swaggers into the room.
Skimming over the notes, she nods in satisfaction.
"Mystery? Hidden treasure? Sounds like fun!"
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"Wait... wait." Erasmus takes a closer look at Yoon. "You're Yoon... the one of whom the spirits call keeper of the flames... My apologies, I was busy in meditation on the journey and I made the mistaken assumption that I was escorting you to... well... never mind that. Well Yoon, I'm sure the rain of stars has left many a pained spirit behind. Perhaps once we are done in the River Kingdoms we can make that our next goal."
Krya still looks a bit dubious because of the child's age, but is willing to go along with it for now. A child would hardly be the most unusual Pathfinder she's run across.
She gives a heavy sigh before shrugging and nodding.
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As you all ponder Yoon and her strange antics, the sound of a carriage arriving outside catches your attention. A man comes in, and looks around before shrugging.
Yer tha only ones in 'ere, so I guess I'm supposed ta be pickin ya up. Where I be takin ye?
At the mention of the mausoleum, he shrugs again.
Glad I never became an adventurer. Too many bad things happen in places like that. Worst I got ta worry about is ol' Tom breakin a hoof. Much simpler life, I say.
Nevertheless, he takes you to a caravan that's ready to head out, to the city of Gralt, where the mausoleum is located.
When you finally arrive, it is midday, and the cemetery is quiet, with no one else around. The gates to the cemetery are ajar.
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"Erm... this is a sacred place. Generally there are guard at the gates. At the closed gates that is... To leave them open would be to allow tomb-robbers to waltz in. Such a danse macabre that would be. Keep your guard up."
Erasmus carefully draws his Starknife, then puts his index finger to his lips and cups a hand about one ear.
Kyra will crank up a detect magic and keep it going as long as she can maintain concentration.
Suspecting an ambush, Merisiel cautiously slinks forward, and inspects the gates...
Quinn nods in agreement with Erasmus as he unsheathes his sword from his cane and quits leaning on, clearly a more fit man than obvious from afar.
Quinn will close his eyes for a moment and just listen, trying to determine if anything sounds off.
This whole situation feels wrong...
Seoni's senses are on high alert. The magic running through her veins is crackling with power at her fingertips itching to be released. She stands back a ways and continues to look around unconvinced that this isn't a trap.
"Seems like someone has beaten us here. But for what purpose? And are they still here?"
"Let me try something."
Kyra moves a bit into the cemetery, just far enough to be within range of the slumped figure, presents her holy symbol of Sarenrae, and unleashes a positive channel to harm undead. Just in case.
+1 vs. undead, DC 12
Let the sun's blessing be upon this place and illume that which is un-life!"
Quinn moves up with Kyra to watch her back in case of danger.
With a shrug, Merisiel cautiously enters the graveyard, and inspects the body.
A slight tenseness leaves Kyra's body as the pulse has no affect.She holds back, keeping her position as Merisiel boldly, but cautiously, moves past her.
With a shrug, Merisiel cautiously enters the graveyard, and inspects the body.
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Investigating the body:
The body is that of a young human male dressed in a noble's outfit, with his hands tied with rope.
Moving the corpse reveals a bust of Laban Tullivor atop the pedestal. If anyone stands facing the bust, a permanent magic mouth activates, reciting the riddle:
“When the last sun falls upon this spot, receive my thanks”
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"Interesting... his face bears an eerie similarity to this bust. Perhaps a relative? Seems to have been killed recently, executed likely. The wound that killed him was from a shortsword, although his face was scratched up too. An interesting belt he's wearing, I wonder if the badger has any significance. Well, I suppose I could ask him..."
Erasmus touches the corpse lightly and cocks his head as he casts the spell Grave Words.
"What seems to be the problem friend?"
Erasmus can cause a touched corpse to begin babbling for one round. There is a 10% chance the corpse’s ramblings are useful in some way (determined by the GM). Once a corpse has been targeted by this spell, it is immune to it forever.
After listening to the unintelligible babble, Erasmus shrugs. "Calm... calm... be still my friend. We'll figure this out."
He then casts Detect Magic on the belt, then stands back and contemplates the meaning of the riddle. "When the last sun falls upon this spot. Is it perhaps actually saying last SON? With an 'o' instead of a 'u'? There seems to be a resemblance here, perhaps his was being forced to unlock a family secret before his murder. Or maybe the sun refers to the blessings of the Dawnflower?"
Erasmus takes a quick look around the body for tracks leading to and from the scene.
"But whoever killed him must not have stuck around. And didn't leave much of a trace to follow."
Quinn nods at Erasmus's deductions before expanding on them.
"Well done, I would suspect the badger is a family crest of sorts, of course he could just be in to badgers, just like my uncle had a dolphin crest on his belt. Take a look at the curve on those scratches. Talons from a sizable bird, some sort of hawk I would gather."
Quinn pauses for a moment to show the scratches before continuing.
"That said I think there are more tracks than meet the eye. Whoever it was, headed around to the back of the mausoleum, whether they are still there or not, I cannot tell."
Seoni considers the new information and Quinn's assessment.
"We should probably check the area just to be sure. I sense there is more to this than meets the eye."
[b]Well, then, let us follow the tracks, shall we?[/b
Quinn nods in thanks to Erasmus's compliment and smiles a little bit.
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You follow the tracks toward the back of the graveyard, and they lead around the backside of a mausoleum marked as belonging to the Sarvio family. As you approach, a woman on horseback comes around from the back and addresses you.
Hail, travelers. I'm sure you noticed the body by the bust... Have you seen anyone else in this cemetery? I arrived to pay respects to my family and discovered the grizzly scene, and started searching for the murderer...
She's lying.
There is a hawk on the roof of the mausoleum she was behind.
"Yoon! You do NOT go up and pet the horses of strangers! Come back here. Forgive the child. As most children he often forgets the proprietaries that most adults observe, not to mention that it may be DANGEROUS." As she says DANGEROUS she glares at Yoon in that way you expect of mothers.
Kyra glances at the roof of the mausoleum, then addresses the woman, "Is that your hawk up there? Was it able to see anything? We too are curious and wish to investigate."
Oh, for a detect evil spell right now!"
Quinn waits for a response to Kyra's question and then asks his own.
"Oh, to visit relatives, Erasmus here is quite interested in rituals that commune with the dead. Who are you here to visit?"
Seoni gets the distinct impression she's lying outright. About what exactly, she wasn't sure about. She decides her reaction to some mundane questioning might allow her further insight into her deception.
"Have you found any clues? Maybe we could join efforts and put that poor soul to rest with his ancestors."
Yoon looks at Kyra, then back at the horse, and moves a short distance away from both of them.
"I'm a girl, silly!" Yoon chides Kyra cheerfully. "And I can be dangerous, too!"
Kyra frowns, then says "All this time... Girl, you need a bath, some nice clothes, and definitely a new barber. Who cut your hair anyway, did you do it yourself? ... Never mind. We can talk later. Right now we need to pay attention to the lady on the horse."
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"Erm, if I were to take a guess, her hair hasn't been cut in quite some time. I think its kept short by constantly being singed off. But I digress. The information we have gathered seems clear. A murderer is on the loose and is likely still here. Ms... what did you say your name was? I do suggest drawing your blade, we had best be prepared."
As the discussion goes on, Erasmus keeps his eyes narrowed, studying her reactions and slowly opening his magical senses more and more.
He mutters in Varisian to Seoni "Only one set of tracks leading here. A clawed up face on the victim, quite possibly from that bird. Your thoughts?"
Quinn waits patiently for the answer to his question and the questions of his companions.