This is a GameDay 5 Core run of Scenario #3 Murder on the Silken Caravan [Tiers 1-5].
Please post a note in the recruitment thread if you are interested in joining this exposition.
Please note this is a CORE table. I will plan to run a standard table for the second half, but will not be recruiting for that yet.
Venture-Captain Adril Hestram has summoned each of you to a meeting room, to discuss your next mission.
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The half elf enters the inn with a flourish and a smile, his glaive and holy symbol marking him as a follower of Sheyln, goddess of beauty and the arts, dressed in the style of his people, (think Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet)in the colors of his patroness, with a little dance, and humming a tune to himself, he finds a place to sit and enjoys the view, looking for inspiration for something to carve.
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In a shadowy corner of an inn a figure sits quietly drinking his ale. Most people pass by not even noticing him for he seems to have the knack for sitting and not doing anything out of the ordinary. Those that do notice him pass him off as just another traveler as he is an average looking humanoid in travel stained clothing.
He watches the half elf with interest then flags a server and sends a ale his way.
Good morning traveler, pull up a chair.
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The small gnome with the bright blue hair scampers into the room. "Hi Everyone, I'm Doodlevain. Just call me Doodle. Are you all here for the briefing? I've usually been late for these things, unfortunately. I'm early for once! I've never met Venture Captain Helstram, have any of you? Anyway, I've got a bit of the dragon in my blood, so I've got that going for me, which is nice! How about the rest of you?". Doodle gave her speech in rapid fire words that gnomes Golarion wide were famous for.
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"Why, only the best of the dragons of course! I've been told there was a silver dragon that was very close, if you know what I mean, to my great, great, great, great, great grandmother. Next thing you know, I got these," she said, shaking her impressive claws as she concentrated on them. "And cold doesn't bother me too much. It's like the more adventures I go on, the more I learn about what sort of gifts I have from multiple greatgrandad Khyroclanagrather. I just refer to him as Khyro!"
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A blond half-elf walks into the room. She looks around the rooms, and notices the gnome and the other half-elf while she's walking up to the bar. She pulls out her own glass and orders. "Tea with lemon my good man. If you don't have that a mug of cold ale will do. Got to keep the pipes loose you know. I'm a singer."
“One of our number has fallen.” Venture-Captain Adril Hestram lets the grave words hang in the air before continuing. It’s difficult to imagine a large man like Adril defeated, but in light of this grim news his shoulders slump; he is a man who suffered a loss.
“Targos Min-Katheer, esteemed venture-captain, is dead. His last wishes are simple: he wants his mortal remains to take one last trip along the Silken Way to his home city of Katheer, there to rest with his ancestors. He was one of our finest and we aim to honor his request. It is for this reason I’ve called you all together.” Adril points one sausage-thick finger at the map on the table, tracing a line from Absalom to the mouth of the Pashman River, then snaking up the river to the oasis city of Lopul. “Here is where you can gather up his remains and join the silken caravan, one of the only caravans daring the harsh journey across the desert from Lopul to Katheer. This mission is simple, joyride really, but we insist you give it the attention it deserves. A few weeks in the sun, seeing the sights of the desert. A dream assignment.”
Adril has a way of making every assignment sound like a sweet deal, but the last few weeks traveling by boat up the Pashman River and then hiking the short distance to the oasis city have been grueling to the extreme. A poisonous river snake claimed one of your guides; you remember his last gasps well, and how his face bloated to twice its usual size within seconds of the bite.
Before you now lies Lopul, the great caravan city, erected around the crystal life-giving waters of the Pool of Sihbon, the largest oasis for over one hundred miles. Mud brick houses baking in the sun and great canvas tents crowd the central copse of palm and date trees.
Lopul is a caravan-city ruled by the Sheikh Samraf AlHadari, humble servant to the padishah emperor of Kelesh. The settlement’s population fluctuates wildly with the comings and goings of trade caravans, but usually has at least a thousand locals and travelers in residence at any one time. Most of the city is comprised of tents and temporary dwellings erected by merchants and caravan masters, with only about a quarter of the city’s structures being permanently built around the Pool of Sihbon itself. Among these permanent structures are a halfdozen caravanserai, the fortress of the sheikh, and twoscore domed dwellings constructed of mud brick. One such dwelling is the former residence of Targos Min-Katheer. All that remains is to collect his body and join the silken caravan.
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Doodle pulled out her warm weather gear, knowing this was going to be a hot one. She wasn't quite prepared for the brutal heat of Lopul, despite her preparations. As the group looked at the town, she wondered something. "Did they give us an address for picking up the remains? Let's go get started. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back to cooler temperatures. And honor the Venture Captain as well," she quickly added.
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A man, shaven head with a scar on his cheek walks in. He wears a light flowing robe, and carries a few exotic weapons around his waist. He scans the room, his green eyes dart about as it seems years of training is always being exercised. He takes a seat, and when addressed he speaks in a deep gravely voice. His muscles bulge as he shifts in his chair.
This the place to get my next mission? So, I wonder what crap place I get to go to next, and also what hoops I have to jump through?
It is painfully clear he has no social grace and is just another meathead, from some far off land
He begins to practice some martial arts training in a far corner, as it seems to be the only thing that matters to him.
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Narnel looks at the others that are traveling with him. Not exactly the teachers I was looking for, but maybe they do have something to teach me.
As the days drag on and they finally reach the city of Lopul he says:
Is it always like this? It seems we got sold a much better bill of sale then the trip that was delivered...
But I agree with Doodle, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish....
Then he trails off and watches in wonder and Meran does here magic on some random passer by.
After arriving in Lopul, Meran asks a few questions and easily locates the former residence of the well-known Pathfinder.
A small mud-brick, domed dwelling lies at the end of a humble, sandy street here in the heart of the caravan city. The scent of the nearby oasis still reaches you, and a hive of bees, attracted by the nearby water, hangs from a date palm next to the house. The wails of mourners and cries of women and children reach your ears, and you can see a small crowd gathered outside the house’s single door, its members crying and tearing their garments. Whether professionally hired mourners or sorrow-filled residents outpouring legitimate grief for the loss of a local hero is unclear, but the emotion seems genuine enough.
Knocking at the front door brings an answer in the form of a man in sackcloth with ashes poured over his freshly shaved head. His face is sickly pale under the coating of ashes, and part of one ear if missing. His hands are wrapped in dirty bandages.
This man is a leper. However, Targos was known for his generosity to the poor and afflicted, so his appearance here is not that surprising.
He nods quietly, and respectfully moves out of the way to avoid any accidental contact, letting you pass, if you choose to enter.
The front room of the house holds more leper mourners, and a curtained doorway blocks access to the house’s lone bedroom. Shortly after you enter, a man wearing priestly robes and a black jackal death mask emerges from behind the curtain.
His voice muffled by the mask, the man introduces himself. "Excuse me. I am Ben-Garri, and we are here to make sure that the honored venture-captain’s body is receiving its funeral preparations. You will need to return at nightfall to claim his remains."
"Well, well. You should have just gone..."
He makes a motion, and the lepers (some of them) attack.
They get the drop on you.
The man in the mask backs out of the room and casts a spell.
Blue moves in front of the door and reaches out to punch Taidus, catching him off-guard.
Pink attacks Narnel.
Red attacks Riceak, but misses him as he dodges away.
Taidus hits the (blue) leper in the chest, knocking the wind, and the fight, out of him. Grog tries to be nice, but smacks the pink one in the head so hard, he drops to the ground, losing an eat in the process.
Ricak also manages a hit .
The man in the mask casts another spell and touches blue.
Pink attacks Grog.
Red takes a wild swing at Meran.