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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.”
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A pretty, young Taldan woman with chestnut-brown hair bound in a ponytail and attired in explorer's garb nods and reaches for the note. "'Disrupt' a meeting so that the agents are unable to communicate but are not otherwise harmed? That will be an interesting feat to pull off," she muses, glancing up at her comrades. "Retrieving the alchemist's notes certainly seems the most straight-forward...."
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Kalak, a young Tian woman with her black hair pulled up in a ponytail, frowns at the mention of the Aspis Consortium agent and snorts when she hears of drugs.
"I'll trust your judgement, captain. If you say we can trust her, I'll help. It sounds like a good cause, anyways."
When Lara is done reading, Kalak picks up the letters from Delroya and reads. She sighs a few times, then looks up to the other Pathfinders with a cool face.
"Who does she think we are? Does she really not trust us? Oh well, I'll make sure to let her see the Society's worth. As for which measures we should take, finding the alchemist's lab does seem to be a good idea. I don't think I'd be very useful when it comes to subtly disturbing a meeting, however, but I'll follow the group and do everything I can."
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A disheveled elf--dressed well enough, but with little apparent care for his appearance--speaks up.
"I agree; gathering the alchemist's notes definitely looks simplest. We could also bring justice to the inventor of this new drug, which has a certain appeal." He ponders the other two options for a moment. "If we could successfully disguise ourselves as authorities, a raid on the tavern to 'arrest' the owner for black market crimes could prove fruitful, whether we end up successfully making the arrest or not.
Sadly, disguise is not something I have any skill at, but magic fills in where my mind fails: I can brew an extract that will do that wonderfully for me."
He looks to the Venture Captain. "I'm definitely on board, sir. I know enough of both of these groups to recognize that disrupting this alliance now almost certainly dissolves any long-term alliance for good. Both are disorganized, with too many internal factions. If we do this right, they'll never trust each other again."
"My first question for you, sir, is whether the Society has any resources beyond, well, us... if you have any other support for this operation."
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The half orc introduces herself as Seleena. She makes an imposing sight; her tall, thick, womanly frame decked out in a spiked breastplate, with a huge curved sword and a brace of javelins on her back. Tattoos sprawl over every visible surface of her skin, appearing to reach under her clothes and even into her hairline--though she keeps little hair--and she wears numerous piercings in her ears and nose. Her furrowed brow and sturdy stance give her a menacing air. When introduced she does somewhat offset her intimidating appearance by offering a firm (though perhaps too rough) handshake and a gruff smile that conveys genuine pleasure. Her voice, deeper than most women's, is surprisingly melodious, open, and friendly.
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She takes the notes next, scowls at what she reads, then passes it on. "I'm sure we can do it."
"I can think of plenty of ways to disrupt a meeting or even shut down a tavern. If nothing else, we could burn the whole place to the ground."
"Of course, the alchemist won't be any trouble." she adds, tapping the hilt of the falchion that juts over her shoulder.
"I won't let you down, Captain."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"Uhm...I bet it would make a pretty show but maybe we should only burn the tavern down as a last resort, New Friend Seleena," says a young woman with pale green eyes and short, messy blonde hair, who also carried a vague aura of dottiness about her. "The authorities and the owner and the patrons would probably be quite cross if we did that." Whether Seleena was joking or not with her statement, it was clear that the young woman was being quite serious.
"Anyway, I'm sure we can figure out a good way to ruin a meeting. Oh! Maybe we can use magic to make it seem like there are angry ghosties about! I met one on my last mission so I know how they behave," she continues. "And we should definitely stop that nasty alchemist!"
Suddenly realizing that she hadn't given her name yet, she smiles and offers her hand to anyone that wants to shake it. "I'm Corona, Corona Merrion. It's nice to meet you, New Friends!"
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An eerily quiet, albino Vishkanya is the last person to approach the gathering. She is dressed head to toe in the priestly vestments of Pharasma, and she keeps her face partially veiled. Hanging around her neck is a holy symbol made of bone.
About the only thing that gives away her Pathfinder status is a mithral Wayfinder secured to a chain belt at her hip.
"I can see why I was summoned for this. My last mission's success at disrupting an Aspis auction must have made an early printing of the Pathfinder Chronicles."
She squints, as though the bright outdoor light hurts her yellow eyes.
"My name is Sesska. I am a Spirit Guide of Pharasma, but that conversation can wait for another time. For now, I would suggest that we head off this meeting of the two groups."
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"More New Friends! One of the best things about being picked for an assignment," Corona beams happily as she shakes hands with those interested and learns everyone's name. Her eyes do widen with surprise but also delight and curiosity as Sesska makes herself known and joins their gathering.
"Oh wow, you sort of remind me of another agent that I got to work with, her name was Tiffany but a lot of us called her Princess Tiffany. Except she didn't have scales or anything...but she was a froggie! And she had another, smaller froggie for a friend," she explains. "It was all a bit confusing but she was really nice and great to work with and I ever made her blowfly casserole once."
She smiles fondly at the memory but then her expression turns serious as she remembers that they're there to work and not share stories of past adventures. "Um...well, so far we've got 'make them think there's ghosts' and 'burn the place down' for ideas," she muses. "But maybe we should just go there and uh...have a look around? Oh! And our spiffy elf friend talked about posing as the local law and making arrests - there was something in the notes about black market pearls and the barkeep so that could work too."
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"I can work with that bit about the pearls. I'll take the lead. We should go in separately, and hide our wayfinders. A few of you follow my lead, and the rest, wait out for a plan B in case I get thrown out without succeeding."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Sesska opens the flap of her belt pouch and deposits her Wayfinder inside.
She then opens her backpack and pulls out a leather bound holy text emblazoned with a colorful blue spiral.
"I have often found that religious sermons are... unwelcome... outside of their respective temples. If you should need attention drawn away from you, simply mention the word FATE and I can attempt a distraction."
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Ambrus nods to Kalak. "Fair question. However, 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. As it is, she may be a loner and a wanderer, but she is not evil. I imagine that it took this long to see the truth of the Aspis Consotium, and now that she knows the truth, she wants out. If you can recruit her as a Pathfinder, all the better.”
He then turns to Kolris and lets out a chuckle. "Resources? That's what you're all here for. You ARE a Pathfinder aren't you? So I expect you to be well prepared for whatever the mission may require. If you need time to shop, make it quick, the ship will be leaving within the hour."
After a day and night at sea, Captain Zendrani and the crew of the sleek Sixwing Drake steer the ship up to the massive barrier of broken war-barges, crumbling walls, and jetties of iron and wood that protect the port of Diobel just after the sun peeks above the horizon. “Well, here we are,” says the captain. “I’ll make sure everything is in order with Diobel’s inspectors and charter you a barge to the port. You aren’t carrying anything particularly valuable, so you shouldn’t draw much attention from the inspectors or pilots, so long as you don’t run your mouth. My crew and I will wait here with the ship. You can return here to rest, if you need to, but remember—there isn’t much time!”
As the Venture Captain finishes speaking, a barge comes alongside, and a port inspector and the barge captain board and has a conversation with the Captain. You see some gold exchange hands, before the Captain waves you over. "I've arranged for the barge to take you into the docks. We will remain here. Should you need to return, the barge will be waiting for you. I have made sure that the captain will await your return. We will be leaving tomorrow night."
The barge trip is a quiet one, the captain curtly refusing all conversation, and you are deposited on the docks safe and sound.
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"Let's take care of the tavern first." Selena says as they move down the wharf. "I could use an ale after that trip."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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On the day long voyage Sesska will entertain anyone who wishes to listen with...
"My first mission turned out to be the cleansing of an immense crypt near the Fangwood Forest. So dangerous were the Undead we encountered that I nearly met with the Lady of Graves personally no less than four times."
"I believe it was during one of those near death experiences that I first met Ahmuuth..."
Sesska summons and introduces the group to Ahmuuth.
"Ahmuuth is a servitor of Pharasma. They have no true identity of their own, preferring to dedicate their existence to the Lady of Graves, so referring to them as "he" or "she" isn't quite correct. An Ahmuuth is divinely tasked with helping mortals destroy undead. Given my experiences in the crypt, I suppose we were destined to meet."
"Although I dedicate my soul to the service of Pharasma, I also acknowledge that I never would have reached this point without first being a Pathfinder. I am not a zealot wishing to clash steel into every Undead skull I encounter. My Goddess has tasked me with a different responsibility."
"A Spirit Guide helps process the unending queue of souls awaiting Pharasma's judgment. Rarely do mortals consider just how many of the living perish every day. Even the lowliest beetle has some semblance of a soul."
"I give those souls that are on the cusp of purgatory a second chance to prove themselves of a worthy judgment. I, in essence, summon them as they were before the moment of their death for a few mere minutes. At this moment I am in charge of the souls of simple animals. After their time is up here, their ultimate fate rests in the hands of the Goddess."
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Kolris listens with interest to Sesska on the voyage, along with anyone else that cares to share, though he's at times gruff as he simultaneously works at investigating and creating extracts.
"You know, the Society hasn't really placed me in any real danger yet. We did have to fight off some assassins once, on a ship, but we weren't the target. We failed to save the target, unfortunately, but well, that was complicated." His face screws up as his mind wanders to that curious voyage.
"And then I visited a library. Never even drew my blade."
Kolris falls in with Seleena as she heads along the wharf. "The tavern works for me, though we may not get that ale depending on how we plan to do this thing."
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Delighted to have a little time to learn more about her New Friends, Corona is also happy to share tales of her experiences as a Pathfinder so far.
"I know they sometimes give some of the new recruit field commissions right off the bat if they need people and don't have time to have them do a proper confirmation - that's what happened with me. So far, I've uh...helped stop an assassination, participated in a fighting contest, explored an old fortress, and helped a young girl put some ghosties to rest," she explains. "It's all been so very exciting! The fighting contest was a bit strange though, there were tub-ninjas and exploding monks and...well, it was strange. But fun, though. That's how I met Princess Tiffany!"
"I've not met many undead...and the ones I have met were mostly nice," Corona muses. "New Friends Boo and Grishan...they were like ghosts but they were tied to someone living. Like, Boo was tied to her sister Cadence and Grishan was tied to his friend J. They seemed happy enough that way and were very helpful, especially New Friend Boo."
She looks at Sesska. "You said you give souls a second chance to prove themselves? How does that work, once you've summoned them I mean?"
"Well, I should hope that you wouldn't have to draw your blade in a library! Unless you were expecting trouble, I guess. But what sort of trouble would you even expect in a library? Vicious books?"
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Once they arrive in Diobel, Corona seems happy to head towards the Overflowing Oyster with the others. "Maybe New Friend Sesska's idea for a distraction would work," she muses. "Oh! Or another thing we could try is to start a brawl and then duck out before the authorities show up. I've been in the middle of one of those before and trust me, the last thing on anyone's mind would've been having a peaceful meeting!"
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"From what Ahmuuth has been willing to share, every soul could prove itself in different ways. It's not up to me to judge, but to provide them the opportunity. For the simplest of creatures, it could be as minor as natural physical prowess. I would imagine that for the more social or complex of creatures, other abilities may be shown."
"Truth be told, I'm rather new at this myself. Thus far I've only assisted an Eagle named Greevax, and an old hound named Alastair. Each proved useful to us as a group, to be sure, but whether that was the sort of qualifier my Goddess was seeking is anyone's guess."
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Kalak listens intently to everyone's stories. At one point, she feels like they might be expecting her to tell her own. She clears her throat.
"Uhm... Well, quite frankly, I'm new to all of this. So far I've spent most of my time in training or contemplation. I haven't really gone through anything impressive. Unless you count that one time an old roof collapsed on me and I had to get out of there on my own. That was a little scary. Never let anything fall into disrepair after that." She looks away, knowing very well that surviving an ordinary accident isn't nearly as impressive as the adventures of a Pathfinder.
When they arrive in Diobel, she looks to the others, clearly expecting someone else to decide, but still forces herself to at least say something.
"I don't think I'd be very good at pretending I'm a guard or anything specific. The brawl would probably be easier. Whatever we choose, though, I'll do what must be done."
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Lara remains relatively aloof, quietly listening to stories on the ship without contributing any of her own.
After they arrive at Diobel, she chimes in to the conversation about the tavern, "Let's try the police distraction. Maybe go up to the barkeep and try to get him to incriminate himself before we attempt the 'arrest'."
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"What does pretending to be the authorities gain us? Sounds to me like more reasons for the real authorities to charge us if they interfere. Nah, I'll keep it personal. That way I can fall back on other threats without losing cred."
"We don't need to know who they are; we just need the tavern to be an unsuitable meeting place at the time they're supposed to be meeting."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"Ohhh, a forbidden library! Sounds exciting," Corona says with a gasp of delight. "Maybe I'll get to go to one too, someday."
Corona looks thoughtful as Sesska explains a bit further about offering second chances to souls. "Huh...I guess that makes sense, especially since Lady Pharasma is supposed to be an impartial judge, right? It's like how sometimes criminals are given second chances, or, or people who have a brush with death! And it's up to them on whether to take advantage of it or not!"
She smiles. "That's a great gift to have, New Friend!"
As Kalak laments not having any real tales of her own yet, Corona gives her an encouraging slap on the back. "You survived a building falling on you, New Friend! There's not much more impressive than that!"
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"That's true, New Friend Seleena. And besides, maybe they don't know who the other is either! There might be a secret handshake or something they've got planned to do."
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Finding the tavern is easy enough, as almost every sailor and dock worker is familiar with the place. The Overflowing Oyster is a dirty, broken-looking building that barely fits between the fishing tackle shop to its north and the junk shop to its south. Hanging over the door is a creaky sign that shows a painted oyster with pearls spilling from its gaping shell. The interior of the Overflowing Oyster displays a mix of rickety furniture and gaudy decorations, from strands of obviously fake pearls hanging over the kitchen’s entrance to wooden carvings of sultry mermaids and cheap paintings of ships at sea.
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"I'll just try to stay out of the way, and if a fight breaks out or something, I'll help out. You guys pretend you don't know me."
Kalak takes a deep breath, goes out into the street and to the inn entrance. She's a little surprise by the gaudy look of the place, but tries her best not to let it show. She tries to find the most isolated place, ideally an empty table in a corner, gives a sign to the bartender to let him know she'd like a drink and goes to sit in her chosen spot, discreetly looking at the people in the dining room.
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Seleena approaches the bar and asks for a drink and a private word with the bartender.
In a quiet tone, so as to protect his privacy, she begins to speak: "Listen, pal. I want this place to myself for the next few hours. You're going to close shop and serve just me and my friends for a little while or the wrong people might find out about your illicit little side business."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Corona waits a few moments after Seleena enters before stepping into the Overflowing Oyster herself. She gives a vague wave and smile at the bartender as she glances around, looking for anyone that might seem suspicious or out of place.
Unable to narrow down possible suspects from the patrons that she can see, Corona simply wanders over to the nearest table that happens to be seating someone that isn't Kalak or another of her companions.
"Hello, New Friend! Is it okay if I join you?"
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Kolris walks around the corner of the building, and he drinks an extract of disquise self. He chooses the form of a large human dressed in the livery of the town guard. Coming out from behind the building, he casually walks across the street and finds a position from which he can see the front door, and hopefully hear if a commotion arises.
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-Posted with Wayfinder
Kolris puts on a magical disguise and waits outside while the others head into the tavern. Contrary to its name, the dirty tavern is hardly crowded, even during its “busy” hours: at meal times, several local laborers hunch over cheap food and casual games of chance, cursing and muttering to the same old friends about the same old troubles. While the others spread out and find emtpy spots, Seleen goes straight to the man tending to the bar.
He listens to the half-orc's threat and responds, visibly nervous. "And who the hell do you think you are making threats like that? You know, the people that help me have powerful friends. You sure this is what you want to do?"
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Kalak's eyes shift to Seleena and the bartender. She gets up and cracks her knuckles as she comes closer.
"I was going to just ask why I haven't got my beer yet, but what's this I hear about powerful friends? I wouldn't have guessed, with a place like this. Seems to me those friends of yours are using you more than they are willing to help."
She tries to make her voice sound calm and threatening, but can't quite steady it. She stops talking and crosses her arms, glaring at the man to try to hide her won embarrassent.
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Somehow having the sense to realize that Seleena's gambit isn't quite working, Corona pauses in the middle of telling a tale to her disinterested (and drunk) companion at the table. "Hold on New Friend, this will just take a moment."
Standing up from her chair, she bellows,
She then sits back down in her chair and adds as a cheery afterthought, "Oh and I'd like a mug of applejack, please!"