GM Jakuri's "The Consortium Compact" (Inactive)

Game Master Jakuri

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1-2.

The Aspis Consortium pays well, but few can stand its underhanded tactics for long. One operative fed up with the Consortium's practices has contacted the Pathfinder Society with a tempting offer: assist her in leaving the organization, and she will supply the Society with years of insider intelligence about their longstanding rival. It's up to the PCs to navigate Diobel—a proud town run by cutthroat smugglers—earn the defector's trust, and deal a telling blow to their Aspis foes.

"The Consortium Compact" is an evergreen, replayable scenario designed to help introduce players to the Pathfinder Society, the Isle of Kortos, and one of the Society's longstanding rivals.

Written by Mike Kimmel.

"I'm ready. Lemme at 'em. Dirty rebels, freeing slaves."

Water laps steadily at the pier as sailors, laborers, and merchants rush busily around Absalom’s port. The venture-captain’s summons called for a meeting aboard the Sixwing Drake, a sleek sailing ship.

The Drake’s captain, a Varisian woman and fellow Pathfinder named Zarah Zendrani, stands at the helm of her vessel. “It’s not like Valsin to be late,” she mutters, furrowing her brow. As if on cue, a tall and meticulously groomed man pushes his way through the crowd and up the gangplank, cursing audibly. “Whoever supervises this mess of a port needs to be dumped in the sea!” he grumbles. The tall man looks around at
those gathered before him. “Just the group I requested. Perfect. I’m Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, and I took great care in selecting just the right Pathfinders for this assignment.”

Valsin reaches into his belt pouch and withdraws a small, folded paper before continuing. “A few days ago, I received a curious note from a rather unexpected source. It’s not every day that I get a request from an agent of the Aspis Consortium.” Captain Zendrani’s eyes widen, and Valsin smiles knowingly. “But Magali Delroya does not appear to be your typical Aspis agent. As you surely know, the Aspis Consortium pursues a variety of activities across the Inner Sea that the Pathfinder Society finds abhorrent. It seems that Delroya has been working with them for some time, but can no longer stomach the snakes herself. She wants to stop a shipment of an experimental drug from leaving Diobel later this week. It’s bound for a number of locations across the Inner Sea region. According to Delroya, she can’t ask the local authorities for help, because the Aspis Consortium has already struck a deal with a faction of the Kortos Consortium, a powerful
merchant collective. Her hands are tied, so she’s come to us for help. In this note, she outlines three different tasks that would help to disrupt the Aspis long enough for her to move the shipment to a secure location, out of the clutches of the consortium. Once you accomplish two of these tasks, she’s willing to meet with you, but not before.

“Normally, I wouldn’t trust an Aspis agent at any hour of the day. But our sources in Diobel have confirmed the Aspis and Kortos consortia’s activities. Everything checks out, so we are presented with a unique opportunity. If we help Delroya, we might not only strike a financial blow against the Aspis Consortium, but we could also reveal their dealings with the Kortos Consortium—and possibly prevent their arrangement from turning into a more formal alliance. Furthermore, we hope to stop this drug from spreading across the Inner Sea region, and if we—if all of you—do a good enough job, we might even convince Delroya to join the Society. A turncoat agent would be a valuable asset in our ongoing run-ins with the Aspis Consortium.

“Take some time to look over Delroya’s note and the tasks she has set for you. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask. Remember, the Aspis Consortium is a long-time enemy of the society, but the Kortos Consortium, while certainly suspicious, is not our enemy. It is a complex organization with many factions, and we should avoid antagonizing any of them, except when necessary to oppose the Aspis Consortium.”

Will be making a new google link for tactical, the handouts will be contained in there.

After the party has reviewed the notes, Valsin's voice booms: "Any questions?

Gaz picks up one of the letters and smells it, then squints at it for a moderate length of time. It would be completely reasonable to think he is reading it, if it wasn't for his eyes scanning the page in circles.

Survival(Follow your nose!): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 Maybe he smells something? ;)

He then grunts and hands the letter to whomever is next to him, then grunts and folds his arms with a smug confident look on his face.

The halfling shifts back and forth as he reads through the notes.

"Criminals, every one. I say we perform the tasks as asked, take down the Aspis, then bring the woman back as our prisoner."

Corrin grips his sword hilt and a smirk crosses his face.

"I've got enough manacles for the lot of them."

Gaz confirms that the note is indeed paper.

Valsin speaks up "“I met Magali several years ago, when she was barely a grown woman. It must have been just before she joined the Aspis Consortium. She’s a wanderer, never comfortable in one place for long. I saw great potential in her as a Pathfinder, but she always preferred to work alone and felt that the society was a poor fit. Had I known that she would wind up with the Aspis Consortium, I would have put more effort into recruiting her. Perhaps the lot of you can succeed where I failed...”

Since only one question has been asked, I'm going to give 24 hours from this post to ask any final questions. Please familiarize yourself with your mission and think of things that may be useful to know. This scenario is not your standard dungeon crawl style adventure--failing to understand this will not bode well.

Certain points of the scenario will be timed. When I give out timed tasks, I will set a window in which you can attempt to accomplish a goal (the usual window is 48 hours). If no strategy or checks are made to succeed on the task I will mark the entire group as having failed that task--it is not my responsibility to make you work together.

If you cannot post, let me know or I will place you on bot. If you are playing a class that has resources like spells, panache points, ki points, rage rounds, smite evils, or value consumable items be aware that they will be used if I have to bot you.

"Who are the authorities in Diobel I can give all of these criminals over to? Can they be trusted? Do they do hangings or whippings there? Are we allowed to take prisoners as workers to pay off their debts?"

Valsin sighs. "So you’ve never been down the coast, Chelaxian? Diobel is often called the ‘Doorway to Absalom.’ Shipments to and from Absalom often go through Diobel, which has lower taxes than Absalom. Trade with Diobel is an important part of Absalom’s economy—which is why we must tread lightly around the Kortos Consortium, given their influence in Diobel.”

Anticipating a question on the Kortos Consortium, he further opines:

“The Kortos Consortium pretends to be a legitimate merchant guild dedicated to stamping out smugglers, but it participates in its fair share of illegal activities. It is powerful enough to rival Diobel’s teriarch, or governor, Lord Avid. A fair number of prominent people in Diobel are in the Kortos Consortium’s pockets, or are prominent members of the guild themselves."

He directs his gaze at the two heavily armed halflings,

"If possible, try not to get on the group’s bad side."

Gaz shrugs off the troublesome assertion with a slight smile. He wacks the Justicebringer on the back of his shoulder as a friendly gesture, "We go 'flowing Oyster. Great drink 'n women like you kind of pleasure!" he says referring to the halfling's apparent love of chains and whips. Gaz has a great mischievous smile and then remembers Valsin's words. Looking to the Venture-Captain he clears his throat, "Humf, bar's good cover... "

The coincidence that Gaz is familiar with a location mentioned in the letter he couldn't read is still unknown to him. As he looks around the quiet room where a few adventurers seem to be drooling on themselves. Gaz looks to whomever is on his other side and points to the letters, "Read?"

Corrin sighs and snatches up the paper.

"Aspis agent went rogue, she's telling us they have a drug and she wants to get rid of it. The Kortos Consortium and Aspis are working together, so don't let them know. Perform three tasks and she'll help us out and protect the inner sea from the newest drug crazy."

Corrin looks as Gaz for a minute, waiting for a sign of comprehension before continuing.

"The three tasks: Subtly interrupt a meeting. Steal documents from a smuggling ship. Find the alchemist making the drug, put him out of business, and find evidence of it."

He looks up at Gaz.

"So, no crush, crush, and crush are the options."

Valsin shakes his head.

"Magali's note says that if two of those tasks are completed she can chalk it up to bad luck, but if all three happen it will look too suspicious. Play to your strengths, Pathfinders."

"I have many strengths. Such as following the law, being honorable, using my pure will to work against my difficult birthplace in order to pull myself up from the lowest levels of the muck and make something of myself - fair and square."

Corrin pauses for a moment, looking between his allies.

"I can also cast some spells."

Another pause.

"And apprehending lawbreakers! Escaped slaves, thieves, people who think they can flaunt the law for no reason whatsoever. There is order in the world - I intend to enforce it."

A sudden flash of insight crosses Corrin's face.

"Wait, this boat is leaving Absalom..." He quickly looks up and down the dock as he speaks, then at the ramp to the boat.

"Venture-Captain, I thank you," he says with a slight bow.

He points at Gaz, "You come with me!" he points at Sinep "You and the deaf-mute stay here and guard the ramp! I don't trust him alone."

He looks at the 'wizard' for a moment, considering. "Signal us in a big, magical way if you see anything!"

He looks at everyone and nods.

"We're heading to the hold to flush out any escaped slaves or criminals attempting to escape Absalom. If they get past us, take them down with EXTREME PREJUDICE!"

Corrin nods at Gaz, pulls his sword, then rushes onto the boat and into the hold.

Gaz pulls out his axe in a fury and immediately follows Corrin, though he moves with an odd contradictory grace for an energetic little man with a great axe held over his head.

Stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

I am assuming everyone gets on the boat--you have a short (and uneventful) trip ahead. Now would be a good time to look what which of the three missions you'd like to attempt, as well as go over any strategies you think might work.

But do I find any escaping slaves? :(

With everyone together Gaz rehashes the tasks. Counting on his fingers, "Crush, crush, no crush. Who here like 'no crush?'"

"I personally don't trust us much with no crush." Corrin still looks suspicious as he glances about the boat, under boxes, inside barrels.

"Go big or go home..." he trails off as he grabs the edge of a tarp, ripping it off suddenly, "OR BACK TO YOUR MASTERS!"

There is a moments pause before he shows disappointment on his face, still not finding the escaped slaves he is sure are on the boat.

Changed name from Sinep to Enzo, cant seem to change official character name

Enzo snaps out of his daze. Luckily his astute mind has been listening this whole time and the knowledge is fully retained from his companions encounter with Valsin.

"Sorry my good friends, perhaps I had a to much to drink after celebrating our last successful mission. I do believe that for our current task at hand that we should perhaps start with interrupting the meeting. With a couple halflings at our disposal I think it may be easy to go unnoticed within a drunken hall. I will do my best to blend in by drinking some ale as well." A large smile comes across Enzo's face. mmmmmm ale .

"So little Gaz, I do apologize, but I must vote for no crush"

Adoril walks out of the belly of the ship.
"Oh hello there fellows! Sorry I hadn't met with you before, I was busy doing very good paladin things and got so tired I took a nap down there. Care to fill me in on the mission?"

LET'S PREEEETEEEEEEND!!!

"Hmmm, this mission will be difficult. I definitely want that alchemist stopped though."

You step off the boat and onto the pier of Diobel. It is 8:00am on Oathday.

You must complete two goals by the end of Oathday. As per Handout #2, you know that the meeting at the Overflowing Oyster will happen at noon. The other tasks may be completed at any time throughout the day.

Yu nods his head in excitement for a few seconds as he mentions stopping the alchemist while both of his hands are sifting through a pile of cards as he holds up a card reading:

23

He covers up the 3 so the 2 is only showing and then points at the two little ones and starts acting like a thief walking on his tip toes and looking around ducking down then looking around a corner as if he were sneaking around. Yu then points at us taller folk and starts bending down like he would be picking up a large item from the ground and then asking for help from Adoril as if we were dockworkers.

Then after covering up the 2 and showing the 3. Yu swirls around a imaginary vial looking up with a wide eyed expression and acting as if he was just cut down and dropping the vial. Pointing to the entire group and doing a slashing, stabbing and archery motion.

Gaz grins as this speachless man waves his arms around.
"The bar and the sewers!" He exclaims with his axe raised high.

Corrin watches the mute and sighs, then shrugs his shoulders.

"I vote for the Crush options as well. That's... myself, Gaz, Adoril, and the mute for the Alchemist, then the mute, and myself for the ship as well. Gaz seems to want alcohol along with Enzo."

Option 1 (interrupt): 2 vote
Option 2 (shipping): 2 votes
Option 3: Alchemist: 4 votes

Gaz is not aware that he is in support of the non-crush option, lured in by seductive alcohol. In his naivety he starts to get pumped up for action.

Adoril scratches his head,

"We'll, I'm no fan of thievery. But I suppose if we steal documents from smugglers for actionable information that is a different thing altogether. We could start there. After that, the alchemist."

Yu looks at Corrin in a bit of disgust due to his sigh and calling him a mute. But has a bit of excitement when he understood the miming and note cards having run into other people who have gotten confused at such actions as he puts both hands up in the air and does a couple fist pumps.

Looking in anticipation for everyone to agree on what to do he starts swirling an imaginary vial and then does a motion to his pocket and pulling out an imaginary watch to check the time and shrugs his shoulders as to ask how long it may take.

This mute is gonna be hard to understand. Tis best to do what my mother always taught me to do with foreigners who speak a different tongue. Just smile and nod. That'll do it!

"Honestly, I find any of the tasks acceptable. As long as I am fighting or I am drinking, a good time is to be had." Enzo enthusiastically says. "It seems that our minds are made up then right? Crush and Crush? " Enzo winks at Gaz.

Yu's eyes light up and he pulls out a set of cards and begins writing.

Writing:

"We could attempt all 3, and if we have completed 2 just leave the 3rd alone. We have 3-4 hours before the meeting at the drinking hole. We could attempt to get these documents as we are probably close by already. Scout out the entrance to the sewers and if we have time go to the lab all before noon. And if we fail, 1 or the other, go disrupt that meeting. We'll be smelling of sewer so we'd be plenty distracting as is just from our smell"

Sinep Knowledge(local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

The party does not know the location of the Overflowing Oyster. Finding it will require use of diplomacy rolls to gather information. This will take hours and will eat up your morning time, so if you plan to try the bar it should be the first thing you do.

Gaz jumps onto a wooden crate that Corrin had been routinely checking under during their short trip.

"Let's go crush boat papers!!"

Do we know which boat is the smuggling ship?

Corrin starts looking up and down the docks for anything suspicious.

"The mute is writing again. Someone translate. Since we're here anyway, lets go find that ship first. Someone able to talk to the miscreants and loiterers around here?"

The name of the ship has been provided to you in the handouts listed under information and tactical.

A maze of broken ships forms an artificial reef blocking Diobel’s harbor. This treacherous and erratic terrain teems with laborers, barge masters, pilots, and port inspectors, who busily conduct their business ferrying goods to and from the Bristles. Beyond the Trawl, seagoing ships wait their turn to offload cargo or pick up new goods. One ship stands out among the others—the freshly touched-up paint on its hull, blue with streaks of white lightning along the hull, marks it as the Blue Dragon’s Bite. It sits moored to a dock jutting from the Trawl, with several crates already offloaded nearby, and many more waiting piled on its deck.

"Some of you could impersonate inspectors. I can stay here and halt any runners."

Adoril crosses his arms and shifts restlessly.

"Anybody else have ideas?"

"I can sneak aboard..."

Sinep (knowledge (local)): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Sinep is aware that the documents are probably within the captain's room aboard the ship, and that the door to this room is more than likely locked.

Common sense suggests that it would be easier for one person to make it to the cabin rather than several.

This is the first timed challenge. You have 48 hours to formulate a strategy, and at 9:00 US Central on 7/8/16 I will roll the dice for your strategy and we'll find out if it worked.

Those who do not post within this window will receive a "failed" chronicle sheet and be dropped from the group.

"Well, if I start proselytizing, and you all seem attentive, which I hope you genuinely are anyway, we could draw a large enough crowd to let one of our more roguish friends to slip aboard."

Adoril smiles for a second, then turns stern again.

"Not that I condone theft! But innocent lives are at stake with these heinous concoctions."

Yu thrusts his hand out at Adoril as he talks about stealing and innocent lives and points and nods up and down in an exaggerated fashion. Putting on a pondering face, he eyes up Adoril then Enzo, and points at himself and then Enzo. Yu stumbles and starts to throw fake drunken fists at him as to be in a small fight. Looking up to see if there is any confirmation if this is a good idea or not, Yu pretends to start a fire.

After a few moments he points towards at different crowds of people that aren't paying attention and gestures them to come in. Gaging the two halflings he looks at Gaz and flexes his muscles and then looking at Corrin he puts his hand to his chin in a very thoughtful pose.. Finally pointing to Corrin, and Yu starts to slide sneakily between the circle and act like he were climbing aboard a ship, finding the papers and ripping them up and sneaking back to the group.

"It amazes me that I understand exactly what this mute wants." Enzo sighs... "Fine I will be the distraction to allow our little friend Gaz the chance to sneak on and get to the papers unnoticed."

Enzo starts to smile and looks like he is thinking of a dastardly distraction. " Adoril, I do suppose I will need you accompany me in this dazzling show seeing as our other options are to small or to, well eh... mute? Shall we pretend I layed with your wife? No, maybe people might recognize your armor and never believe someone from your order would marry. Perhaps if I layed with your sister. Yes, that is more believable." He says clearly enjoying the idea of having actually been able to do such a thing to annoy Adoril. "Perhaps we shout and push and then throw punches. Has to look realistic my friend, I do think we can take a couple punches back and forth. Everyone loves to watch a good fight! "

Enzo starts to think and then voices concern, "Now, we cant fight forever, so do try to go fast Gaz. Im sure we can give you a good 5 minutes at the least."

Yu, you should stay back and try and go unnoticed. Keep an eye out and let us know when Gaz has returned back from the ship safely. Corrin are you skilled at stealthy encounters, maybe you join gaz and help in case of trouble. Also, who will unlock the door? I guess maybe you could just use your axe and chop the damn knob off if need be. What do you gentleman think?"

"I am not good at sneaking. I would happily knock one of you out for the sake of distraction and so I don't have to get my hands dirty doing something illegal though."

Yu grins as Enzo states he understands what he is saying. Then pointing at Corrin and then at Enzo and throwing fists between the two. He starts mocking a really hard laugh with a knee slap. Yu steps away and acts like he is reading the imaginary circle and acts like a director waving his hands in the air to get louder or softer.

Walking back in to the circle of our group Yu grabs a Ink pen and parchment writing,

I believe Enzo should fight one of you so he can try to pay attention to me who will be reading the crowd if they are interested or not on what kind of hooligans are happening. And with some form of signs communicate a message to tone it down/stay at that intensity or step up your game and start hitting each other.

Yu pulls out another parchment and rips it into quarters and drawing 2 smiley faces and 2 frowny faces. He puts the smile faces on his right foot and holding one with his right hand while doing the opposite for the frowny faces. Letting down one of the frowny faces he grabs the Ink Pen and starts writing again

Frowney is step up your game, Smiley is stay at that intensity. I will be the conductor of this phenom of an act. Someone may see them but will have no idea it is relating to the fight... I hope?

Dumbldalf awakens from his wizardly stupor.

"I, as a great and powerful wizard, will cast a message spell on Gaz so we may all keep in cataract. Persnaps I could also use my wizard shouting techknees to draw more attenuation to the fight?"

So I'd be giving Gaz message and using bluff or intimidate to try and draw attention to the fight. My bluff and intimidate are both +5.

I would be assisting in reading the crowd through perception and/or sense motive on their interest in the fight/may distract from their everyday work and relaying that information to the two fighting causing the biggest distraction

Yu writes down on the parchment he was explaining on

that would be perfect if you helped draw in more people. Maybe have Adoril here step in as a body guard to Corrin at some point and make it look that much more intense. Yes this is a good plan

Adoril starts to look a bit impatient.

"We have to make a move fast. I think preaching might make more heads turn than a fight. Fights are probably very common down here. Also a few less injuries to our own party."

Adoril will still aid in whichever plan we choose.

"But maybe we could meld the ideas! Creating a longer distraction for our friend. Start a tussle and I can turn it into a grand lesson?"

"Hmm, Ok. I should lose armor though first." Gaz starts taking his scale mail off and puts down his backpack by the group so he'll be sneaking unencumbered.

Sneak is just +3, I doubt 'rocky' terrain can be interpreted as a rocking boat! If someone has a better skill set they can totally go. Otherwise Gaz will go in with axe and traveling just in his adventuring clothes. If a large act of strength is needed or if something nasty develops, Gaz can still sneak while raging.

Small-sized creatures receive a +4 size bonus to their stealth rolls.

"Preaching has never turned more heads than a good fight Adoril. This is your chance to punch my smug face or grapple and throw me on table. You really gonna pass that up? Enzo says while laughing.

He starts to jump up and down while shaking this arms looking to prepare for a show. A melody of tongue twisters whisper from his mouth. "Lets do this!"

Would I be using a bluff to make the distraction believable? Or would I need to make a performance roll (which I dont have any ranks in, so maybe I cant) for this?

+7 then, nice. Thanks for the reminder Jakuri!

Gaz stretches a bit then speaks up, "You fight over how distract! Ready, let boogie."

So a bluff would apply here. Note that perform isn't a "trained only" skill, and that you could use it applying only your charisma mod to a d20 roll. Bluff and perform (acting) are freely interchangeable in that kind of thing (an actor's performance is very much like a lie, in some regards). This is usually resolved by having the perform (acting) skill have a lower DC than the bluff check's DC.

To confirm you guys strategy: Gaz will be sneaking onto the boat while the rest of you stage a debacle.

Here we go.

The party distances itself from each other to make their ploy seem more effective.

Congratulations! You have succeeded on the first task. It is 10:30 AM, two tasks remain.