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On the eastern continent of Tian Xia, the Pathfinder Society remains a small player in the greater political landscape, but Amara Li, head of the Lantern Lodge in the teeming city of Goka, has plans to change that. In order to secure the Pathfinder Society's place as an influential organization on the far side of the world from the Grand Lodge in Absalom, she must orchestrate an alliance with the mysterious Way of the Kirin. But the longtime rival of the Pathfinder Society, the Aspis Consortium, has plans to form an alliance of its own, and if the consortium succeeds, the Pathfinder Society's hopes of cementing their place in the Dragon Empires could be dashed forever.
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You have arrive in Dtang Ma.
Venture-Captain Amara Li is waiting for you in a well-maintained private garden behind a house on a quiet street in Ramparassad, the capital city of Dtang Ma, a nation in eastern Tian Xia. As you gather she fusses over her tea set making sure things are just right. She speaks once everyone has arrived and has had an opportunity to enjoy tea.
When first I arrived in Absalom several years ago, I had a simple but nuanced mission: to increase communication and sharing of resources between the Pathfinder Society and its counterpart in Tian Xia by establishing the Lantern Lodge’s position on the other side of the world.
She pauses briefly to sip her tea, before adding, More than a year ago we successfully purchased and restored the house known as Hinojai, which was once a base for the Way of the Kirin. When we acquired Hinojai, it was as much a gambit to attract the attention of the remaining agents of the Way of the Kirin as it was an opportune acquisition of real estate. And indeed, a man claiming to be an agent of the Way recently contacted me by leaving me a message here.
Although the Way of the Kirin fell into ruin with the fall of Lung Wa a century ago, its far-reaching resources remain valuable, and it still commands great respect. If the Pathfinder Society could ally itself with the Way, the relationship would be of immense benefit to both organizations.
Amara’s voice reveals her satisfaction as she says, Pathfinders, we are on the cusp of just such an alliance. In a day’s time, we shall meet with this representative from the Way of the Kirin, and you are to act as security for me and ensure that the meeting is a success. I do not expect any trouble from the Way, but after all of the betrayals and double-crosses that the Society has experienced over the past few years, I worry that this is an elaborate setup by the Aspis Consortium. I have arranged for us all to be transported to the site early tomorrow morning, so take care of any errands you have in Ramparassad this afternoon. There are no settlements near our destination, and we will be spending the night there. I expect you understand the need to be fully prepared.
Amara Li stares into the dregs of her tea as though she were attempting to discern some lost thoughts in the green leaves floating at the cups bottom, then looks up.
Ah yes—before the negotiations begin in earnest, I will host a formal tea ceremony to set the tone. I encourage you to participate, though doing so is not required. I would, however, expect you to dress appropriately for the event.
With that she stands and waits to accept any questions.
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Mido as a native of Tian Xia is familiar with customs and traditions, however did not bring a fine Kimono on this journey. He awaits the venture cpatains response to Oroz inquiry before speaking up himself.
My lady what makes you think that the Aspis might be planning to sabotage us? Do you have any concrete evidence or any leads you would like us to follow?
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Thank you Oroz, so glad you could join my elite team here. I consider you all the best pathfinders on Tian Xia.
She provides you all a demure look, before shifting slightly.
I would not expect extreme conditions, I think, if all goes well, we will be inside for the negotiation. At worst I would expect rain.
Before adding, Typically one wears a formal court dress or formal armor. I doubt that our contact will be particular about which you choose.
Then looking to Master Mido, Let's just say a recent conversation with a certain captured Aspis leader has opened our eyes about how active the Aspis really are here in Tian Xia. I don't have any concrete leads. Even so, I am certain that both the Golden League and the Aspis Consortium would leverage every resource to prevent this alliance. We have taken considerable measures to ensure this mission is secret. But you can never be too careful.
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A stout woman arrives with a quick pace and readies herself to quick the door open when she realizes there is no door because she's outdoor.
She seems pretty dirty to you but smells of wood and moss. Splinters of wood are tangled in her dark hair. She looks at the other persons in the garden and bares her teeth, letting out a snarl, as an animal would do. When she does so, you see that her canines are more developed than most human's and seem to have been through a lot of whetting. She carries a big Orc Double Axe in her back.
"Helo evrybody. Name's MARDUK! What be MISSION?"
After the other pathfinders explain it to her, she wrinkles her eyes, as if it was too hard to get it all.
"AAH! It's coming out of da HEAD!" she shouts.
After a few instants of pause, she gives the others a blank look.
"All I UNDERSTANDZ is we go somewhere to drink hot WATA! RIGHT? RIGHT? WHY you ASK us to do DAT? CANT ya drink HOT WATA without us? MARDUK no understand." she half-shouts, shaking her head.
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The female gnome dressed in a red dragonhide breastplate speaks up
"I will feel at ease with the task of guarding the eminent Venture Captain. However I would like to receive some advice from my fellow pathfinders on how to dress and behave in the tea ceremony. For starters, what item did you use to change your clothes just now Oroz? Or do you think this armor is suitable?"
The rhinoceros behind her snorts "I think it would not be appropriate for you to join in the tea ceremony Thunder." she pets the animal and tells the others "I am Yarricki"
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Miyako claps her hands as Oroz changes his clothes. "Oh! Oh! I want to do that too!"
Before the tea ceremony start Miyako will head into town and also buy sleeves of many garments, which she uses to change her clothes into a pretty, yellow, formal kimono.
"What do you think?" she asks her allies, showing them her new look. The kimono looks fine, but the brown socks hanging from her earrings may cause a problem during the tea ceremony.
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Looking to Giltman, Yes, it should be fine if you clean it up.
Nods approval to Oroz.
Amara's purses her lips very thinly and speaks slowly as she addresses the wild Marduk, Yes, drink hot water and make sure nothing interrupts the hot water drinking. That's why you'll be there. Maybe one of you other ladies can help Marduk get, um, presentable. She says it with no malice and the loving concern of a strict mother.
She nods at Yarricki's assessment of the situation and later gives Miyako's new look a wry smile.
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Marduk tries her best to understand Amara's words and then shakes her head. "Marduk be tryin' her BEST to be discreet. I not be interested to guard THUNDA!"
Looking at Miyako's outfit and having experienced a little with magic, she opens her eyes wide. "MARDUK be very interested get on like DIS!" and runs outside the garden to purchase one. She comes back with the look of a very frightening full plate displaying an orchish head shouting. "Dis be usefull ahahaha!"
When Miyako explains to her eventually that a full plate is not the best use of the sleeves, she switches to a kimono.
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The next morning as you arrive Amara and a couple servants are busy packing items into a strange looking chest. Once they are ready, Amara walks over to a pocket door, taps a strange pattern on the door, which opens and says Step this way. It looks as if a small closet only big enough for one person lays beyond.
As each of you steps through you are teleported.
You find yourself standing on a black stone pier which juts out from the beach, though years of pounding surf and use make it impossible to discern whether it was magic or skilled hands that constructed the pier. Igneous black sand peppered with chunks of dark gray rock makes up the beach. Further up the hill, the landscape is filled with strange shapes eroded from the charcoal-colored stone. Wild basalt beasts, bizarre pumice chimneys, igneous archways, and twisted stone snakes line the winding mile long path that crawls up the steep hillside. The black tiles of a lighthouses’s rooftop is just barely visible between two of the more serpentine stone menhirs. A light mist dampens the docks and darkens the stone to a glossy black.
Amara allows you to take it in for a moment before telling you, We are now on a small volcanic island at the northern end of the Minatan Archipelago. Interesting place isn't it.
The islands unique terrain features make it very defensible, the many rocky outcroppings provide ample material for constructing deadfalls, anchoring tripwires, and so on.
You travel up the winding trail and finally arrive at a lighthouse which towers above a two-story house. Both structures are made primarily of the local soot-colored basalt. The lighthouse appears to be intact, but the manor has fared less well—its windows lack screens and its roof sags, suggest it has suffered badly from decades of neglect. These structures perch at the edge of a cliff, with the north-facing side of the house supported by tall stilts anchored deep into the cliff.
As you enter the house, it's clear no one has been here in a very long time a thick layer of dust is everywhere. The servants immediately open the chest and pull out clothes and brooms that look far to big for the chest they just emerged from and begin dusting and sweeping the area.
Amara says, Pathfinders explore, secure this place as best you can.
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A strong wooden door guards the entry to the house.
The kitchen has several large, empty chests that once served as pantry space, an oven with openings in the top for pots of various sizes, a sink, and a single wooden stool.
This large room served as the great hall once, a place to meet and socialize, as well as a library for research. Two massive bay windows with window seats topped with ruined silk cushions face north and offer a spectacular view of the ocean and a cluster of smaller islands. An immense fireplace against the southern wall.
This circular room has a simple wooden door and contains a jumble of old supplies.
This room is devoid of furniture, making its original purpose difficult to discern, the room is positioned immediately above the main door.
A large, rotting bed dominates the master bedroom along side a relatively well-preserved desk and chair. The ceiling sags from water damage and the floor in the center of the room slants alarmingly.
The lighthouse rises 30 feet and is built of the same dark basalt as the nearby house. A slightly arched covered bridge connects the second floors of the two structures.
Inside, the lighthouse contains only a small storage area and a wooden spiral staircase that winds its way up to the tower’s top. A trapdoor at the top of the stairs exits to a narrow walkway with a railing that encircles the middle of the small room that houses the lantern.
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"Ok, let's stick together. Never split the team. We will first go through all rooms to see if there is someone or something in it. If there is we will try to reason with the inhabitant. We do not want to resort to violence unless we are attacked first."
Yarricki takes the lead, all business wise with Thunder at her side.
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"I suppose we need to make sure nobody enters the lighthouse without us knowing it. I will take care of it"
Yarricki moves to the basement of the lighthouse with Thunder. There she opens the boxes and crates to see what they contain.
Once she has investigated the boxes and crates she closes the door and starts piling up the boxes and crates against it.
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Yarricki's thoroughly searches the ground floor of the lighthouse. After searching for around 7 minutes she uncovers two rusty bear traps and a 20-gallon barrel of whale oil meant to fuel the lighthouse’s fire. As she looks through the rest of the junk, she realizes many of the old pieces of lumber and iron fittings are actually what remains of a disassembled catapult!
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Miyako checks the boxes with Yarricki and claps her hands excitedly when the whale oil's discovered. "Let's light the lighthouse!"
She casts ant haul on herself to relieve herself of the medium weight she's already carrying around in her backpack. Miyako then carries the 20-gallon barrel upstairs and searches for the place where the whale oil should go.
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Miyako gives Yarricki an incredibly pained look. "Because it's a liiiighthouse..."
She lets out a deep sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll carry the oil upstairs, just in case we get to light it, but I won't do it..."
Miyako: Yet...
Great-grandfather: Tsk! Some people and their darn logic... We just want a big fire!
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Marduk wanders here and there, not understanding why she had to dress magically with a kimono to explore a house. "So wat we be doin'? I forgot why we be here already... Sorry." she says with a pained expression.
When she sees the verbal controverse for to light or not the lighthouse, she seems to think really hard to answer if whether or not it is a good idea. She eventually states "Fire burns." and seems quite happy about it.
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Master Mido makes know his discovery know, Amara Li nods and smiles.
It is Iko Tsuneo who will join us tonight! She says somewhat proudly.
Mido's search of the great hall, finds only Amara, her servents, and Oroz busy at work. The great hall is now looking much better with most the dust and grim cleared away.
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"I will see outside how the situation is there. I wonder why they former inhabitants kept a dissembled catapult here. Does anybody want to join me outside?"
Yarricki takes Thunder outside to see how the approach to the lighthouse is, in particular if there are points where an enemy could approach without notice. She is riding Thunder.
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Mido moves upstairs with Marduk and examines the master bedroom, it shows considerable water damage.
With a little effort the already damaged floorboards could be made to easily give way, that would act like a 10' pit landing someone into the Great Hall below.
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Meanwhile, Yarricki, Giltman, and the others go outside and get the lay of the land. You notice there are multiple craggy spots that an approaching enemy may be able to hide themselves in, but perhaps the bigger issue is a thick fog which seems to be getting worse by the moment.