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You arrive to the secret room, and the mouth in the wall start to talk.
"Hello Pathfinders! The Decemvirate has a new mission for you. In the town of Sandpoint a scholar, Brodert Quink, has obtained an ancient Thassilonian magic item, an Effigy of the favored servant, and he is unawares of the real powers, and threat, of that item, so we want for you to take it out of his hands. We expect no one know that the item has disappeared, and, as always, no one know our organization was involved. As always, if you are discovered the Society will deny any knowledge of the operation, and your membership in it."
The mouth disappears. Only darkness remains.
So... how do you proceed? You are in Magnimar, and need to start from there.
I would expect several Knowledge rolls about the mission details, (with a +2 as you have access to several "sources").Remember, the plan is not to be detected. You have to return your item to the same house where you got the message.
Let's see what Thatch knows about...
Well lets see here.
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Well, Cesar wasn't going to help too much at this point.
Added Knowledge (Arcana): 25
Added Knowledge (History): 25
You manage to get hold of an ancient book, mentioning the item:
An effigy of the favored servant is a magical statuette first constructed thousands of years ago in the Thassilonian realm of sloth, Haruka. About the size of an adult human thumb, the figurine resembles a marble, toga-wearing slave. When the correct command word is spoken, the statuette animates and grows to the size and strength of a hill giant. The manikin will obey all mental commands of the person who spoke the command word, but is wholly without personality. The effigy, however, has a second, much more sinister purpose. When placed next to a dying creature, it has a chance of harvesting the creature's soul and storing it within the statuette. If the process is successful, the effigy will take on the personality of the deceased creature, while still being under the complete control of the user. The effigy does not retain any of the deceased creature's abilities or skills and it will prevent any form of resurrection unless the effigy is destroyed. Only one soul can be trapped within an effigy at a time.
There is even a drawing accompaning the text.
Added Knowledge (Local) about Sandpoint: 26 (I'll bet Tatch helps)
There is many known facts about Sandpoint, and it is easy to find people that were born or lived there.
Resting in a natural cove along the cliff-lined Lost Coast region of Varisia, on the edge of the Varisian Gulf, Sandpoint is a medium-sized city that exemplifies the diverse people of the country. While only about thirty miles northeast of the city of Magnimar and technically under its rule, Sandpoint benefits from its isolated position in its ability to remain fairly independent. The most striking feature is the ruined beacon of the city that extends high above the cliffs of the coast, reflecting the ancient empire of Thassilon that existed here centuries before the present town was settled.
While technically a holding of Magnimar, Sandpoint's isolated nature provides it a sizable amount of independence. The town is governed by a mayor (currently Kendra Deverin) but the four founding families of Sandpoint still hold considerable influence, if not politically then economically.
Four powerful families from Magnimar had designs on settling the region where Sandpoint now stands, and rather than work against each other, they consolidated their efforts and formed the Sandpoint Mercantile League. These four families, the Kaijitsu (glassmakers and jewelers), the Valdemars (shipbuilders and carpenters), the Scarnettis (loggers and millers), and the Deverins (farmers and brewers), sailed north to claim their land after securing the rights from the Magnimar Charterhouse. Yet when they arrived, they found the place already settled by a particularly large tribe of Varisians, who held the region as a traditional place to spend the winter.
Though Sandpoint is a relatively new settlement, it has had its fair share of notable events in its short history. From the violent nature of its founding to the "late unpleasantness" of 4702 AR, to the goblin and giant attacks of 4707 AR, this quaint town is no stranger to the same (if not worse) terrors that plague larger, more dangerous cities.The inhabitants of Sandpoint are primarily human, but like any civilized population center, a smattering of other races can be found throughout the area. The human population is fairly evenly divided between those of both Varisian and Chelaxian descent, and the number of Shoanti making the town their home has increased steadily over the years. Notable personages of the town include Mayor Kendra Deverin, Sheriff Belor Hemlock,Deputy Galthanas Silverthorne and the heads of the other three noble families, Ameiko Kaijitsu, Titus Scarnetti and Ethram Valdemar.
Added Knowledge (Local) about Brodert Quink: 25
You talk to a scholar that has periodic contact with Brodert Quink, and has visit him several times.
Brodert Quink is the resident sage of the town of Sandpoint. Though his intelligence and education are undeniable, many of his theories are regarded as little more than fantasy by his peers and the academic community.
Quink is a aged man, likely losing his hair to stress as much as to the passage of years.
Constantly frustrated by the lack of respect he feels he is entitled to as a result of his knowledge and expertise, Quink is quick to anger and difficult to interact with.
Quink's belief that he is superior to those around him is not entirely unfounded; he is an exceptionally knowledgeable individual and a specialist in the fields of engineering and Varisian history. He finds the study of ancient Thassilon to be particularly intriguing, and it was his research into Sandpoint's Old Light that originally brought him to Sandpoint.
Brodert Quink considers himself an intellectual and can often be found at The Curious Goblin, where he has been known to engage the shop's owner, Chask Haladan, and its other patrons in discussion.
So... what is the plan?
"We're robbing.... a librarian?" mutters the cloaked Tiefling in the corner of the room. "Someone with no notable wealth, or guards, or allies? I feel a little overqualified for this."
"Quiet, Blackroot," the summoner snaps back. "Yes, it might be as simple as it sounds. I distract him (although maybe the ape will be better for that), you break in, the wizard sweeps the place for magic. Or maybe we're here because it's not going to be so easy. George, can you foresee any likely complications?"
I suspect this Brodert Quink will have things heavily magically guarded. Perhaps this shall not be very easy. I am concerned about the possibility of magical scrying and/or magical traps. Most likely I will be using a lot of detect magic.
Of course there is the possibility that if we get caught and get away, no one will believe him. The whole town thinks he is crazy.
"Ah. But we may need a simulacrum of sorts to switch it with."
Checking to see if George knows where to get some to use as a fake.
I may know where to find a fake.
On second thought, no that wont do. perhaps we have to make one.
Hmm... but we don't seem to have the right craft skills or item creation feats between us. Maybe a slight retroactive retraining to give someone skill in art forgery would be helpful in general.
I don't think we have the skill set for this. Maybe we need to think outside the box and burn his house down. Steal the item then burn the place to the ground, so no one know it was a robbery.
"Sadly, George, you don't have the underworld contacts I do. Although if we keep getting assigned missions like this, it might be faster for me to just pick up some skill at forgery."
"And this may be a wild thought, but if we could switch out the real effigy with a fake, then use trickery to convince the man that the substitute is cursed, we could simply get him to throw it out of his own accord."
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - The Korvosa Files recruitment thread is now open. I'll give preference to the people in this thread.