Please introduce yourselves in-character before we get started. You're all gathered at the lodge in Absalom, waiting for Venture-Captains Ambrose Valsin and Guaril Karela.
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A surly-looking, battle-hardened dwarf with scars and tattoos stands silently. He seems to be protecting a skittish-looking gnome, perhaps as a bodyguard.
The gnome speaks up apprehensively.
"Say, is there something hiding under the desk, Ripley?" the gnome asks. A small, draconic creature perches on the gnome's shoulder. It looks weary, as if it hasn't slept in days. It almost seems to sigh, then looks under the desk.
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A young, varasian girl smirks at the group, "Hey. Bryndarynn, here. Caster of nasty spells and the keeper of the Everflame. I was told to report, here."
"Oh look, someone's wearing my dress...." Natula says wryly, her voice creaking like a bad hinge. She just fades into view or nearly so. She's tall and lank and devoid of much in the way of color. Her expression should come with a little museum card that reads 'sardonic'.
"Squee!" Hisses the bat hanging from the inside of her cloak.
Venture Captain Ambrus Valsin and Szcarni leader Guaril Karela enter the room.
"Okay, listen up," says Valsin, eyeing you critically.
“Pathfinders, I’m sure you know our associate, Guaril Karela, if not personally then by reputation,” says Ambrus Valsin while gesturing to the Varisian man seated across from him. “We’ve had reports from a confidential informant in the Aspis Consortium that trouble is brewing in Tamran. Probably not coincidentally, several of Karela’s shipments bound for Tamran have gone missing.”
Guaril adds, “You see, the Molthuni navy maintains a rather tyrannical blockade around the city — a blockade past which my associates and I have helped Ambrus move items numerous items. It’s not so difficult; the Molthuni are not the brightest stars in the sky. Or at least it wasn’t difficult until recently. An unknown party has intercepted my last dozen shipments, and I doubt Molthune is responsible. When I lose shipments—”
“—Our lodge in Tamran loses much needed supplies,” finishes Ambrus. "Not to mention the fact that Guaril provides many important goods to the people of Tamran, such as food and medicine. Your mission is to accompany Guaril to Tamran and investigate the disappearances and thefts. Hopefully Oraiah Tolal, our venture-captain in Tamran, will have more leads."
“You depart with Karela in two hours. If you have any questions, or any supplies to purchase, I advise you do so now.”
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A petite girl with long black hairs enters the room and bows deeply to the assembled group. "My apologies, I am honored to be in presence of such honored pathfinders. My name is Xiao Hua, and I will support you with my social graces and magic."
"Great. If we're attacked by pirates you can kill them with kindness. Can you make tea?"
Dammit! Being cooped up on a boat with Karela and the rest of this lot is going to be such a waste of time. I'll never beat Dr. Jonez to the Mwangi Expanse and the Hovito's golden head idol at this rate. Still, there might be opportunity. That and the dwarf at least looks competent.
"Let's just get this over with, shall we."
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"Oh look, someone's wearing my dress...." Natula says wryly, her voice creaking like a bad hinge.
Bryn looks down at her clothes momentarily then back at Natula, "Oh, but it looks better on you!"
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Ser Willem looks at the two women already having problems. This is going to be interesting. "After you ladies, " He says with a genuine smile. He simply follows after them as they shop, first giving orders to his squire and then preparing his gear for travel. He wasn't exactly sure where Tamran was, but it didn't sound like a place for horses.
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Ser Willem looks at the two women already having problems. This is going to be interesting. "After you ladies, " He says with a genuine smile. He simply follows after them as they shop, first giving orders to his squire and then preparing his gear for travel. He wasn't exactly sure where Tamran was, but it didn't sound like a place for horses.
"Don't I know you? Haven't I seen you hanging around the Lodge with those elves: that religious prostitute Rilia, and that quiet one, Shonne, right?"
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Touching Natula slightly on the arm, Xiao Hua sadly smiles."Oh, I understand just too well. You speak from experience. No worries, dear, just watch me and you might learn something!" With a sweet smile she approaches Ser William and asks:"Excuse me, I want to buy a few more knick-knacks, and would you mind helping me with the bags. It would be very, very kind of you!"
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Mr. Copperpot listens to the others discuss the mission as he stands behind his scowling dwarven bodyguard.
My fellow Pathfinders have yet to betray me on previous missions. Perhaps a couple of these are trustworthy, too.
Finally, he ventures to speak up.
"It sounds like there is some kind of conspiracy to keep these shipments from going through. We can get to the bottom of it, of course...though I do worry there might be a counter-conspiracy conspiring to...oh, never mind. There's a plot around every corner. But we can handle it. Oh, and don't bother talking to my bodyguard here...he's mute. Anything you want to talk to him about, just ask me."
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Bryn peaks up from her spellbook, looking at the two women verbally fence. Her lips part as though she may sat something but they close just as quickly. She tries to refocus but finally gives in, "Ughh..."
Standing up quickly, she stows her spellbook within her backpack and heads out to shop before their departure.
Ambrus Valsin stares at the bickering group assembled in his office and gives his companion an annoyed look.
"Great. If there's no questions, be sure to meet Guaril on the docks in two hours."
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A wry smile comes to Ser Willem's face as he listens to the two women. It reminded him of many a session of diplomatic negotiations that he had attended. Insults hidden among pleasantries. He would most enjoy this outing. Looking to the two of them, he puts forth "We have two hours until we meet Karela. Care to join me for cup or two?" His hand indicates a nearby tavern.
Okay gang, let me know what preparations you make or shopping you do, then let me know you're ready to sail. We sail tomorrow (Sunday) ready or not.
Leaving Absalom and the Isle of Kortos behind, the Pathfinders set sail on their long journey. First across the Inner Sea to Cassomir, then up the Sellen river through Taldor, Galt, Andoran and the River Kingdoms, finally turning up the Glass river and skirting the border of Kyonin until they reached Lake Encarthan. Then, steering between the Isle of Terror and the Molthuni shore, they came at last within sight of Nirmathas. Guaril Karela was good to his word and guided the ship in past the Molthuni blockade, arriving at long last in the port of Tamran.
At the docks, the ship is met by a local Pathfinder agent named Reginar Lacklan. "I can take you to the Ashfall Lodge," he says quietly.
"Good, good," agrees Guaril Karela, turning to you agents. "I have enquries of my own to attend to. I'll meet you at the Ashfall Lodge in three days. We can share what we've learned then."
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Leaving Absalom and the Isle of Kortos behind, the Pathfinders set sail on their long journey. First across the Inner Sea to Cassomir, then up the Sellen river through Taldor, Galt, Andoran and the River Kingdoms, finally turning up the Glass river and skirting the border of Kyonin until they reached Lake Encarthan. Then, steering between the Isle of Terror and the Molthuni shore, they came at last within sight of Nirmathas. Guaril Karela was good to his word and guided the ship in past the Molthuni blockade, arriving at long last in the port of Tamran.
"Booooring."
"I'll meet you at the Ashfall Lodge in three days. We can share what we've learned then."
"We will do our best. Explore, report, cooperate!"
Kiss up.
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On the voyage, Mr. Copperpot gets little sleep, and spends much of his time looking over the side of the boat for sea monsters, staring at the horizon for the black sails of pirate ships, or arguing with his familiar over whether or not some conspiracy is afoot.
His dwarven bodyguard, as the gnome had promised, has nothing to say and watches over Mr. Copperpot vigilantly.
"Meet back in three days? What are you doing during that time? That's an awful long time to be absent, don't you think? Suspiciously long, I should say. Well, I guess we will just start our investigations, but we will keep our eyes on you when you get back."
Karela smiles wanly at Mr. Copperpot. "Yes, my little friend. You do that. You do that," he says in a thin and oily voice. "And now, I bid you farewell for now." He leaves.
Like much of the city, Ashfall Lodge rises above the marshy ground; however, whereas most other buildings stand atop piers and pilings, the Pathfinder lodge straddles three broad cypress trees. Rope bridges and wooden slat ladders wind across its outer branches, leading to a handful of tiny cabins for storage and visiting agents. Two bell pulls hang from the southern tree—one weighted by a medallion depicting the Glyph of the Open Road and the other weighted by a bronze symbol of two faces in profile.
Reginar takes hold of the Open Road rope and gives it a sharp pull, sounding a high-pitched bell in the lodge above. From above, a gray-haired halfling woman examines the visitors, smiles, and drops a rope ladder. She nimbly clambers down and gestures grandly to the elevated structure. “Welcome, Pathfinders. May Ashfall Lodge be your home away from home and your welcome to a new land. If you’ll accompany me, I can answer any questions you might have.”
Once you have each ascended into the small structure at the top of the ladder, the halfling smiles up at you.
"I'm Oraiah Tolal. Priestess of Alseta and Venture-Captain of Tamran. Thank you for agreeing to come and lend us a hand."
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During the voyage, Ser Willem spent his time among the sailors, getting to know them and making friends where he could. He also attempted the same with the captain. Also during that time, he kept a close eye on Natula. While more than a little uncouth, she was intriguing. Almost as much as the foriegner, Xiao.
When they reached the lodge, Willem noticed right away its odd structure, but when he saw the priestess, he put the two together. Putting on his winning smile, he gave a slight bow to her.
"As my foreign friend said, we are grateful to be allowed to continue to serve the Lodge in any way that we can." Without skipping a beat, he moves to, "What can you tell us about the logistics here? How much are you losing?"
Oraiah frowns sadly. "It's not just the losses themselves. It's about the ability of the Society to function effectively in either Nirmathas or Molthune. My own attempts to investigate the thefts were stymied by a pernicious rumor spreading through Tamran slandering the Pathfinder Society in general—and more specifically myself and Reginar—as Molthuni sympathizers. I suspect that the rumor campaign may be linked to the disappearance of Guaril Karela’s shipments, but I have no proof.".
"I think you might be able to learn more, given that you are relative newcomers to the area. After all, whoever is spreading the rumors hasn’t had the chance to fully turn the city against you. I can recommend several
sites that might be worth investigating in the city."
The Docks: “Karela’s shipments across the lake haven’t been getting through, which means the bandits must have a ship. If they have a ship, they’ve probably visited Tamran’s docks.”
The Gar’s Last Meal: “Many consider it the only inn in town worth staying at—a harsh verdict but a great place to dig up rumors.”
The Forest Bounty: “That’s the town’s most popular feast hall. These days it’s seen a lot of traffic from members of the city’s various militias. You probably won’t get a very friendly reception, what with the rumors around town, but talking to the militia patrols is your best bet at learning what’s going on outside the city.”
The Market District: “We haven’t been getting our supplies, but several of the more… illicit… items Karela used to bring into the city are still appearing in the market. That suggests someone in town is fencing goods for the thieves.”
"In exchange for your help, I can offer you a place to stay at the lodge. Further, I can cast a number of useful spells free
of charge for the duration whenever you visit the lodge: cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, cure serious wounds, magic vestment, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, and remove disease."
[GM's Note: She can cast these spells in any combination, but she can cast no more than six spell levels per day.]
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Taking notes, Xiao Hua nods."Well we could start with the market disctrict and then move on. The feasthall and Gar´s Last meal sound a good place to check tonight." Looking to her fellow pathfinders, she shakes her head."I think we should NOT split up. This is unfriendly territory and who knows what dangers await us!"
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Mr. Copperpot nods vigorously as Xiao mentions not splitting up.
"Finally, someone sees the danger that lurks everywhere! We should not split up...and this is unfriendly territory. We should take every possible precaution before we set out...the feast hall...this Forest Bounty, sounds like a great place to start. Perhaps we should start by staking it out for a week to see if it looks safe to enter."
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oh... my... god...
Bryn looks sideways at the gnome for a moment, then purses her lips and inquires, "Do you think a week is long enough? Perhaps, two weeks would be safer. Oh, shoot! We've already been on a boat for sometime now and Valsin wanted this mission completed quickly as the lodge here is no longer getting any supplies. We'll just have to risk going now." She puts a firm hand on the gnome's shoulder, "I'll note your concern and cunning tactics of a proposed 7-day stake out in my report. Well done."
As the gnome turns his attention else where, the familiar rolling of Bryn's eyes reveals her true feelings on the matter.