The heroes stand outside the offices of Boneyard Pyke, they find themselves let in and once again they wait for him to arrive
Boneyard emerges from a side door, looks you all up and down and without speaking a word, settles into a comfortable looking chair behind a clean desk. For a moment, he looks like he is distracted by a distant sound and then refocuses on you. "So, looks like you all have survived the shadows a little longer, though perhaps with a few more scars than last I saw you. In fact some of them look rather fresh. What can I do for you today?"
The dog sits back on his haunches and barks 6 times, then does one of those barks deep back in his throat and his up on a couch.
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"We are preparing to encounter the shadowspawn that you spoke of earlier. How should we prepare ourselves for the upcoming battle? Some of us barely survived our last battle and I believe had we been better prepared we might have... faired better," says Brannock as his fingers stroke one of the many new scars he received courtesy of the tiefling bastards. He glances at the noble and nods his head in recognition.
"Mmm, yes, I can see that. I little too much time at the wrong end of pointy objects. Not the spawn. Something else." Boneyard pauses, then seems to listen to one of his inner voices again. "I can help you, but of course there will be a price. Westcrown has its challenges, but I am coming to like it here. Its a shame that Rego Cader has become such a nightmare don't you think?"
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Now he remembered what it was about the man that slightly annoyed him... the riddles.
"Yes a shame that, I dont suppose you know of particular say section or group that needs un nightmared that would be a help.
He said dryly. He met Brannocks nod and made a little eye roll motion. Why was it oracles, seers and other mystical advice givers had to be cryptic...
Hippa finds herself just as distracted as Mr.Boneyard Pyke. Mr.Pykes actions are disconcerting, the dog's alert barking sets her off (Wasn't there an old wive's tale of dogs seeing the unseen?) and then, unable to discretely refrain "Who is Rego Cader?"
Otherwise she appears like any other gnome, trying to take in everything at once; hesitant only because so many variables to choose right response.
“Dead Sector” refers to the northern ruins, though older
Wiscrani can tell you this used to be Rego Plea (formerly
home to house slaves, servants, and lesser trades) before
Aroden’s Fall. Inside this sector are the “low trades”
the nobles wished not to see, including many forges or
smithies still useful, if not in good repair. The bulk of the
abandoned or ruined buildings were once taverns, inns,
rooming houses, and stables. Now, most are either squats
and partial homes for barbaric humans, dens of thieves,
or even the lairs of monsters from leucrotta to goblins
and tieflings strong enough to survive. There may even be
gargoyles still bound to guard areas that have long since
fallen to ruin around their perches.
The Dusk Market: The ruins of Westcrown serve as
home of the infamous Dusk Market, a wandering bazzaar
that sets up within the shells of formerly opulent temples,
viras, theaters, and other grandiose ruins. Here the daring
and foolish might come to buy all manner of contraband,
often under the eyes of bribed rundottari. The Dusk Market
is a semi-secret marketplace, where drugs, exotic poisons,
strange creatures, kidnapped slaves, and nearly any other
vice one can imagine are traded freely. It takes its name
from the fact that it only operates in the two hours before
sundown. Nearly any ne’er-do-well or crooked rundottari
can tell would be visitors where the market is going to set
up on any given night—for a price.
The Ramble Gardens: Without continuous tending, the
parks and gardens of former viras either died off or grew
out of control. While many are now weed-choked brambles,
some other now-wild plants draw folk into the Dospera.
These ruins shelter a number of herbs and plants quite
rare west of the Arthfell Forest, as well as several deadly
plants like assassin vines and even a few giant flytraps.
Hippa does not see anything, and she thinks Dog was saying hello.
Read above
"Mmmm. Interesting. One of my friends suggested that you all had just run into some trouble in Rego Cader not long ago. Trouble of the 'sharp objects making holes in your skin' and 'negative energy washing through your very bones' types."
Hippa is sure one of those friends is in the room whispering into his ear. She tries to pierce the veil of the hidden world, squinting first to the left then to the right of Boneyard Pyke. "Your friend is well connected or observant. This is correct. Of course, if it wasn't without risk, then, perhaps more of Westcrown would have stopped the downward cycle that created Rego. Still, obstacles create their own opportunities."
She pats the money pouch on her person briefly, meaningfully. "So this service we provide you, let us hear of it so we may negotiate our prices. How many questions we seek answered regarding the shadowspawn and related matters...
Boneyard smiles crookedly and lets out a sharp laugh, almost a snort. "Yes, well-connected and observant indeed. Of course, the death of a god creates a sharper downward cycle than most 'obstacles.' Still, it has been more than a century and perhaps the time is right to begin a more positive trend in this once fair city. You have need of a place to work quietly...and advice of course. I'm not looking for something as gauche as coins, but you're on the right track. An investment in the future of the city perhaps. A friend suggests there is an old temple you may have plans for, but that you would like to ensure is free and clear. I could make such arrangements. Tessarda is quite insistent that the temple be rededicated to the Savored Sting, but I am rather fond of your brewery plans."
bark...bark...woof
"Didn't think you were motivated by simple greed. But perhaps this currency might interest you. Hippa pulls out one of the wooden Mammon coins residing in her pouch, holds it up to reflect once more upon its significance. "I was thinking of burning these, but they may be useful in recovery of the Rego, if only as symbol of how bad things were. I'd like to find the origin of the coin as it represents a council financing the tieflings we encountered.
She approaches to place wooden coin upon the armrest of Boneyard's chair, nonchalantly swinging her arm in the space beside him. She steps back a bit, in case he does not want possession of it.
Dog moves forward and sniffs the coin then sneezes on it.
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He chuckled at the dogs reaction to the wooden coin. Hippa was right about seeking more about that council... He was certainly glad she was there. He would have to be more keen on trying to think things through in that way.
Have there been more shadow beast attacks? Perhaps any concertration of them lately. I will not lie, I have not.. put a lot of thought into such things and perhaps I should have.
Boneyard picks up the wooden coin proffered by Hippa and has a look. "Mammon. That is interesting. Yet I'm not sure these coins represent financing in and of themselves. They might have sentimental value or even be worth something to a collector, but I suspect these have a more symbolic worth to their former owners. Probably a calling card they used to mark their victims. Common in the underworld." He drops the coin and it falls with a hollow, wobbling sound onto his desk at which point the dog comes up to sneeze on it. Boneyard laughes, "It seems your friend doesn't think much of the former owner...or perhaps those that gave it to them...or is he trying to say something else altogether?"
In response to Tram, he adds "More attacks? Or a concentration? Not that I am aware of, but the main reason Wiscrani's steer clear of them is that most are wise enough to stay indoors after dark. I am quite sure the beasts are still present and you probably would not have to look long to find one. At some point, we shall have to see about rooting out the source. But that isn't something even my contacts have anything to say about...yet."
Only within Westcrown or more broadly? And if only in Westcrown, specific to the Bastards or more broad?
"In exchange for making sure your soon to be brewery is free and clear, I receive a sixty percent share of the ownership and profits for perpetuity. Do we have a deal?"
ruff...ruff...woof...bark...bark...woof ruff
Boneyard shakes his head and laughes, "And a dog."
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He didnt have a head for business...or more specifically he had never dealt in such matters, his brothers had such training her was the well expendible child.
"Sixty percent share?
He said hesitantly further frowning when the strange man mentioned also taking the dog. He would miss Ser Barksalot some...maybe. Perhaps a dog wasnt in the cards for him. He glanced torwards Audi, in truth the brewery was more for him. Tramtris knew how to drink a beverage or two that was about it.
He eyed the others and gave a little shrug. He didnt really feel like he had too much at stake in this so it was up to them.
At boneyard mentioning keeping the dog, the dog growls and snorts at boneyard and runs over and sits at Tram's feet
Boneyard smiles, "All right. Sixty percent. No dog. But he will be welcome to continue to come and go as he pleases."
waffle waggle
*Snorts*"Howabout60%ofourexpenses and afreetankardwheneveryoushowup?" Hippa rolls her eyes in disbelief. She'd been working for herself and others longer than he was alive, plus her former husband already incurred enough debt that she was still dealing with.
"And you've managed to deflect Brannock's question, which remains unanswered while youtrytoshysteryourselfabrewery. No. That is a separate business transaction. You want to discuss a partnership with the brewery? Scheduleanappointmentwithuslater."
Turning to Audi, Tram and Brannock, "Boneyard's point is self-serving but well made. We can discuss that location and re-purposing it later."
Now Hippa surveys the receiving room again but more cynical appraisal.
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With a smile and nod toward Hippa, Brannock says,As always, my little friend, I appreciate your bluntness. Hippa is correct. I meant in regard to the shadowspawn. The brewery is another matter for another day. 60% of nothing is nothing which is what we will have until we sort more of this mess.
Brannock was glad Hippa seem to have a head for business. 60% seemed an awfully high sum, but he had never worked the business side of the tavern. He had only ever been the muscle.
Audi shakes his head, "I don't know Hippa. Maybe your business never ran into any trouble, but mine was shut down by crooked city officials. If Boneyard can keep us free and clear of city entanglements and let us focus on the shadow beasts and criminals, we can do a lot more good."
The negotiations go on for some time, eventually Boneyard settles for 51%, and sets to work securing the location. The crew works on it for about a week or so, keeping the outside in shambles but securing the inside.
Sir. Barksalot takes up residence there as the tavern dog, and all that awaits is a name and sign on the outside when ready.
While Audi is offering everyone some samples Janivan strolls in.
We may have found a way to take back our nights!
She takes the offered mug and scratches Sir. Barksalot.
It does mean we have to deal with the Pathfinder Society a bit. But I think it is worthwhile. What do you think?
Audi looks up from the tap, scowls and asks "The Pathfinder Society? Weren't they kicked out of Westcrown years ago?"
Yes they were, the lodge was sealed by the house Throne 30 years ago and soon after the beasts appeared. The Pathfinders believe there is a connection, and it is of course not very safe for her to be here.
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Hmmm... The Pathfinder Society is a large organization with resources. It might be a good idea to work with them for a bit. We can probably acquire the special gear to fight the shadowbeasts from them. At the very least, they may have information on the shadowbeasts that is less cryptic than Mr. Pyke's. It also might not be a bad idea to have the society owe us a favor.
"From what I've heard, their reputation is pretty mixed. But it does say a lot that she'd be willing to risk her life or freedom at least to be here. I'd be willing to hear her out."
It is agreed upon and before long a striking woman enters the tavern
She introduces herself as Aylin. She goes on Ailyn explains to
the PCs that she has come to Westcrown
secretly and under cover of a common
mercenary, and hopes to recover several
treasures lost when the city’s Pathfinder
lodge was forcibly closed decades ago by
agents of the House of Thrune. Called
Delvehaven, the lodge has
been locked down tight
for over 30 years, and even
before then no Pathfinder
has set foot inside since Aroden’s death. The fact that the shadow beasts came
to plague Westcrown’s streets so soon after the lodge
was sealed by the House of Thrune seems to indicate a
connection between the two events, and Ailyn believes
she has discovered proof while researching Delvehaven
in the libraries of Skyreach at the Great Lodge in
Absalom. She goes on to explain that, as much as she
would want to explore Delvehaven, she cannot—she’s not
officially here on Pathfinder business, and if the society
were to find out that she had taken the exploration of
Delvehaven into her own hands, she would be in a lot
of trouble. Yet if, perchance, another group not directly
affiliated with the Pathfinders were to enter the old
ruin—say, a group of heroes eager to combat the shadow
beast legacy—Ailyn would be able to make a formal
request to have Delvehaven investigated again.
Unfortunately, one cannot just simply walk into
Delvehaven. While the House of Thrune no longer actively
guards the site, they transferred that responsibility to
Westcrown’s mayoral office. Worse, the fact that the
House of Thrune has been engaged in an act of rewriting
history (either by destroying existing documents or
changing them to suit Thrune’s preferences) means
that reliable information about Delvehaven has become
incredibly scarce. Ailyn knows that there are several
powerful magical locks and wards on the lodge placed
there by the House of Thrune to prevent entry, and
her research has shown her that keys to the locks and
documentation relating to those wards exists in only one
place—Aberian’s Folly. Further, the House of Thrune’s
devotion to order and tradition all but ensures that these
keys and documents are kept in a complex, twelve-sided
puzzle-box container known as a Chelish Crux, and that
if it has been secured anywhere in Aberian’s Folly, it is
likely to lie within the manor’s vault—a place known
as the Asmodean Knot. Unfortunately, her research in
the significantly sized libraries at the Grand Lodge in
Absalom hit a dead end after that, and so she has come to
Westcrown to continue her investigations.
Audi's jaw drops open and he turns slightly pale, "The mayor's vault? How in the nine hells is someone supposed to get it from there?"
As each obstacle is laid out, Hippa first starts to grimace, then smile incredulously, finally outright chuckling at the supposed Pathfinder. "And to think, here I was all wrapped up in my own problems. Occasionally stepping out for some do-gooding, and now we have a "silent majority" partner in a business we haven't officially started, expectation of a increased aggressive effort for beneficial outreach and recruitment for an investigation by proxy with a high risk of death all wrapped up with plausible deniability. " She turns to the others, "Does that about sum up this week's activities?"
Snorting in derision, "Moversandshakers, TorchesofWestCrown, GlorifiedDesperadoswithEgo. Mygrandpappyalwayssaid" And she slips into a rapidfire gnomish rant that no one understands but everyone has experienced at the foot of elders dispensing hard-earned wisdom.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, slipping into slow common once again,"This problem has been brewing for 30 years and shoved into a basement closet hopefully forgotten. No one says we have to rush unearthing this."
"I assume you mean Delvehaven Brannock. Breaking into an abandoned Pathfinder Lodge is one thing. Breaking into the mayor's manor is flat out crazy. I have to agree with Hippa on that one."
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They may be other ways to speak with the mayor if that is the desired direction, though i would imagine perhaps it would be best to not...involve such things.
He paused trying hard not to stare openly at the striking woman Aylin, then again, it wasnt like he had a reason not to.
"I could perhaps put in inqueries properly worded perhaps to see about getting tacit permission from the mayorial office to delve into the shut down manor... though i doubt if it is something thrune wants hidden will be accepted.
Janivan, and Aylin tag team the plan that they have put together.
Aylin gently rests her arm on Tram's shoulder, Tram gets a withering look from Janaivan
Mayor Arvanxi is a lover of the theater, and in particular,
the Theater Mortrescci—plays where not only the
cast’s reputations, but their very lives, are on the line
during each performance. A cross between a play and
a bloodsport, the Theater Mortrescci—more vulgarly
referred to as the “murderplay”—has become one of
Cheliax’s fastest-growing forms of entertainment.
Mayor Arvanxi’s favorite play in this genre is a notorious
work known as The Six Trials of Larazod, and as luck
would have it, a prominent director is preparing to
cast and direct this play with aims to perform the full
and uncut version for the first time in years as part of
the celebration of the newly reconstructed Nightshade
Theater in Westcrown’s Parego Regicon—the central
island where the city’s nobility and the traditional seat
of government are located. If tradition holds true, and
if the performance of the play pleases the mayor, he’ll
invite the cast and crew to his home for a banquet and
party—a gala event that would give undercover agents
of the Children of Westcrown a singularly perfect
opportunity to explore the manor.
Janiven runs down the attractions of this plan, ticking
each one off on a finger as she goes:
• As guests invited to the mayor’s home, the heroes-asactors
don’t need to worry about hiding from his guards
or sneaking into the house.
• Mayor Arvanxi’s obsession with and respect for the
theatrical world would grant the heroes-as-actors a huge
advantage in squeezing information from him.
The mayor’s parties have a well-known reputation for
running long—sometimes over the course of days—so
the PCs should have an excuse to remain in his home for
more than enough time necessary to get the job done.
• The mayor will doubtless require the PCs to come in
full costume from their performance, and since they’ll
be playing adventurers and the like in the play, that
essentially means they’ll be able to walk right in to his
manor fully armed and armored, no questions asked.
• The mayor and his staff celebrate hard—it shouldn’t
be long before he and the majority of his guards are so
drunk and distracted that they’ll be in no condition to
ask questions if the PCs slip away for several hours to
look around
I believe all of that more than takes care of the pros, and the cons are minimal. so what if people die whenever this play is performed...
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He felt hot from the womans hand upon his arm. He coudlnt believe he felt this awkward. He didnt understand Janivan's glare at him either. its not like he was spoken for. In fact he was pretty sure Miss Tarvi was done with any sort of thought of him. He did try to deftly slip his arm out from under her touch though.
That plan indeed could very well work, It is certainly worth a shot. I am not as.... amused by the play work being chosen. Its no wonder the commoners dislike us such foolish and ... costly things arent worthy of our time.
He began clearly almost loudly the first part of his tirade, though the last part was certainly ...muttered more to himself. He glanced about the room.
Just the PC's no one has invited the plebeians yet.