As Jaxin begins to stir Cetenna and the weasel take note and attempt to strike him down. The weasel's teeth take advantage of the prone brawler being exposed, sinking it's teeth into his side. Cetenna notes that he is still conscious and quickly ends that with a tremendous spinning kick that sends his head snapping back and slamming into the wall behind him. Jaxin flops to the floor motionless as Cetenna growls in victory .
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Bregan takes a 5' step east then addressing Cetenna"Hey Fuzzy, how do you stop a werewolf attacking you? ... Throw a stick and shout fetch!"
Casting Hideous laughter (DC15 Will to negate)
The kukri misses the neck of the weasel by less than a half inch and slices through open air.
Cetenna and the badger both attack the inspector, but both misses him once again. The weasel turns its attention to Trevyn and sinks it's teeth into his leg. It doesn't let go afterwards and uses it's teeth to hold him tight .
Goran swings at the feral woman, but misses. The woman apparently finds Bregan's joke hilarious and falls to the ground in uncontrollable laughter, rolling back and forth on her back.
Goran's morningtar manages to catch the side of fallen woman's head, just glancing off it.
Esh is able to finalize dispatch the pesky weasel and turn his attention towards the prone Cetenna, striking her on ground as well. She retaliates by trying to kick up at him from her position on the ground but Esh moves out of the way just in time.
The badger bites and claws at Goran, it's teeth sinking deep into his left calf muscle .
Goran's attack finally puts the damage count too high on Cetenna and she falls to the floor, bleeding from numerous wounds. Inspector Pendergast blasts the badger with his magic missiles and he falls to the ground as well. A moment of silence echoes in the room as the party half expect reinforcements to come and continue this difficult battle, but none do.
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Feeling the warmth of the healing spell Goran has channeled across the companions, Bregan stands once more to his full height, stretching his arms to ease the aches in the shoulders that was beginning to set in. Then returning his rapier to it scabbard, reaches down and assist Jaxim once more to his feet.
"There there, nap time is over, albeit I had a short nap of my own before the good inspector got me back on my feet once more and into the fray. Let's see what this fine lady was protecting so dearly." Indicating the door just a few feet away, and then the hallway a little further in. "While she seems most at home tearing hearts out by hand; did she carry anything of substance upon her person?" He mumbles as he crouches down and searches Cetenna.
He'll take his time searching first her and the room they are in before moving to the door marked in red.
Searching Cetenna reveals she was carrying a potion of cure light wounds, potion of magic fang, +1 studded leather, a sling with 20 bullets and a peculiar pair of slippers. While Goran doesn't detect magic from the doorway, he does pick up a faint necromancy and transmutation aura coming from those slippers.
The doors aren't locked, and they open easily. Two desks facing each other occupy the center of this room; each covered with stacks of reports, maps, and other pieces of paperwork. A large map of Nirmathas hangs from the north wall.
Searching the desks reveals a number of interesting documents. Amidst a stack of letters, two seem particularly interesting.
Dear Captain Vaylorne,
After our conversation last week, I’ve come up with a plan that will allow both of us to get what we want. I will get rid of the Pathfinders who are making themselves inconvenient to both the Aspis Consortium and to the church of Razmir and make you a political and religious hero.
First, you send me a list of secrets that would be damaging if they made it into Molthune’s hands, while I make the substantial gold piece donation to the church of Razmir that we discussed. After that, I will have a several people walk around town spreading rumors that Pathfinders are working with Molthune.
With that in place, I’ll contact the people I have set up in Molthune, and have them come down off of the blockade in the middle of the night. I’ll send some of my friends disguised as Pathfinders and carrying the military secrets to meet them. Each of them will be wearing a wayfinder and a glyph of the open road. I’ll dress up one of my halfling friends as their local leader, Venture Captain Oraiah Tolal. At that point, you swoop in with a large group of soldiers, kill the Molthuni, and capture the “Pathfinders”. I’ll tell them all to surrender right away, and you can arrest them. At some point when you are not on duty, I’ll break them out so there is more to blame on the Pathfinder Society.
Regards, Zurnzal
The second half of the paper is written in a different hand.
Zurnzal,
Your plan shows promise, but it relies too heavily on theatrics over substance. An entire group openly carrying wayfinders and wearing the Pathfinder’s symbol is suspicious in and of itself—real Pathfinders rarely try so hard to proclaim their allegiance—to say nothing of the considerable risk of discovery that you incur when disguising someone as a known figure in the community. The Molthuni are unlikely to agree to come off of the ships, even at night, without significant persuasion. Are you intending to have me assist their journey? What are you planning to do with the real Oraiah Tolal?
As a general point of discourse—when referring to activities that some may consider illegal, do not use plain language (particularly when you are signing your name to the document). You impressed me greatly on your last mission involving the Society, and I am certain you are capable of ironing out the details in this mission. Send me your next draft for revision.
Your Friend,
MG
Dear Z,
I have recieved your donation. Blessed are those who open their coffers and their hearts to the Living God. Those who are sufficiently generous succeed in all of their endeavors. The information you requested will arrive tomorrow morning in a separate letter. I’ll alter the patrols to meet your group at the designated time. I can’t guarantee that none of my guards will be overzealous at the sight of Molthuni, so be sure that your group is quick to surrender and drop arms.
-V
There is also a stack of bloodstained notes, all tied together in a neat bundle.
Upstanding Cousin,
I hear you’ve been dispatched to the Fenwall Mountains—perfect timing. There’s a new upstart band of brigands and highwaymen in that area calling themselves the Gorgon’s Privateers. They’ve refused to acknowledge our claim to this region and are robbing travelers without discretion or our blessing. If you see any of them, take them down a peg or two, but make sure at least one remains alive to take our message back to their leaders: “If you cross the Sczarni again, your lives end.” Feel free to add something poetic so they really get the message.
All our blood together,
Guaril Karela
My Friend,
The road winds home and it is good to breathe the sweet air of Varisia. While my business keeps me here in Riddleport, I can find use for you in Magnimar. My niece has run away, and her father would owe me a great deal if she returned to him. My investigations reveal she has joined the Aspis Consortium based out of Magnimar. If your mission crosses paths with the Consortium, find out where she is and if possible persuade her to return to Riddleport. I do not care how you do this; just do not to scar her pretty face. Her name is Ophetta and her eyes sparkle like flawless emeralds. One final thing—make sure she tells her father that I, Guaril Karela, am responsible for her homecoming.
May the road never leave you weary,
Guaril Karela
The rest are all similar. The remaining rooms are a storage room, full of mundane supplies, and a pair of bedrooms, one used very recently (and smelling strongly of badger), the other seemingly disused for some time. The storage room has an additional passage, that seems to correspond to the path Guaril is guarding topside.
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"Oh! Did you know that Madreki Gael is a member of a disgraced Sczarni family? He attempted to kill Guaril Karela about a year ago. But don't ask me who Guaril Karela is, though. Haha I may have forgot it!" says Esh, laughing hard.
"Ah! It's that guy in the other letters! Sounds like it stinks Aspis..." he concludes, shaking his head.
Heading north the party uncovers a storage room and private quarters which do not hold anything further of significance. Studying the corridor to the north however you find a hidden door in the western wall which leads to the escape tunnel Guaril Karela located outside.
Having taken the incriminating documents you need though, you exit and return to Gauril Karela on the surface and make your way back to Tamran. After you fill him in he exclaims, "Of course! I should have suspected the Gaels! They will never stop hunting for my throat! Thank you for your assistance, Pathfinders. We have stopped a great injustice and now these documents can be brought to the authorities and the two culprits brought to justice before the Nirmathi law. All will be well again in Tamran soon!"
During your trip back he reads through the documents you found and says, "Listen, with my vast knowledge of the Gael family, I'm the person best suited to track down Madreki and this Zurnzal. I'll have to keep some of that information, and you must not disclose any of these documents to the Ashfall Lodge. I will need this for my investigation, but I promise I will share enough information with the Venture Captain to allow her to exonerate the Society."
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Jax is still trying to shake off the concussion and snap his broken nose back into place as the team works to piece the evidence together. He gives appreciative back-slaps and nods to Goran for bringing him back to consciousness, and oddly enough doesn’t seem to hold any ill-will towards the woman who’s taken his place on the floor.
Still holding his nose up to stop the bleeding, Jax gives an awkward nod. ”Agreed,” he responds in a nasally version of his voice, ”The Society should make the call. This is bigger than Guaril’s vendetta.”
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Bregan appears to be flushed and somewhat preoccupied, constantly rubbing his hands through his hair as if trying to find something.....
"The lodge should be allowed to protect itself, give the documents to the captain." For while preoccupied on one side, he had read the notes and was following the conversation.