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The Pathfinders (leaving Tun outside), are led into the guildhall, and into a small office down a hall where they are presented to a half elf woman sitting on the desk covered with various maps and papers.
"Ah, Pathfinders," She offers a hand to each of you. "My name is Talbren." Her expression darkens looking around the group. "As Duskwardens, we do our best to protect travlers. In the case you are referencing, yes we know of your interest in it, we do not know what exactly happened. There was a Duskwarden with this particular group to bring them in due to their inexperience assigned to watch over them. He never returned either."
"I'm sorry I don't have a specific answer for that query, but are there other things that you want to know that I may be able to help with?"
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Talbren nods at Kaminari Raijan question. "If you're on a mission for one of the power brokers here in town, of course. We don't want to take sides in their squabbles and prefer to help everyone. I have a list here of some vaults where we've noticed disturbances or unusual levels of activity. Maybe that will help narrow it down."
Based on the information we’ve gathered so far, the following vaults seem most likely to be the source of the problems.
Blighted Well: Spiral stairway cut into rock leading to unknown depth.
Burrower’s Delve: Tunnels carved by unknown creature. Passages very smooth.
Frall’s Wake: Crypt-like. Perpetual low moaning throughout. Source unknown.
Scintillating Halls: Greenish-gray glow to the water. Large crystalline structures.
Scrivener’s Despair: Words written down disappear from pages and reappear on walls.
Shallow Dive: Partially submerged. Waters very clear.
Shining Deep: Numerous luminescent crystals throughout. Several cave-ins.
Sparklegrim Passage: Probable connection to the Darklands. Many disappearances nearby.
Torturer’s Pain: Prone to collapse in places. Unidentified metal devices on walls.
Vexing Grove: Fully-grown maple trees with unusual growths on leaves.
"My guess what they were looking for was freedom here in Kaer Maga. A new start to life instead of being slaves in Nidal." She replies towards Nemesis. "If they stayed on the path they wouldn't have needed any battle preparations, the possibility they ended up off the path is not unheard of."
Turning towards Kolok, "His name was Drellis. He was a human man in his early thirties with black hair that always stuck up in the back in a funny cowlick." She bows her head. "Finding him is our responsibility, not yours. That being said, if you do find him, we would be most grateful if you could return his body."
"Along the path there isn't much beyond the usual danger in the form of treacherous terrain, and if you take it slowly you'll be fine. Once in a while, though, a creature creeps out of a vault and onto the path. That's where we step in." Talbren responds to Raynard.
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The Augurs are easy to find as there are a few of them that walk up and down the streets of Kaer Maga. Your base diplomacy more than make it easy to find Nuregore, a female troll, in the colors of the Augurs.
"I can help find information that you need, but I'll need information in return to know what to look for. What can you tell me about what is going on?" She asks when approached by the party.
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We're looking for missing Freemen, lately of Nidal, who went missing while crossing the Halflight Path in the company of Drellis, one of the Duskwardens. We have a list of vaults that have shown unusual activity, and our investigations lean in the direction of white-haired crossbow-wielders, face grabbers, and hooded sculpture enthusiasts.
Any of that ring a bell?
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"The fee for the information is 5gp." She will hold out a hand for payment before continuing.
“I can tell you something of where you should go,” says the troll, who then kneels on the ground, draws a long knife from her belt and, with a powerful swipe, slices the blade across her belly. She carefully reaches inside her abdomen and draws forth her glistening internal organs, lifting them to her eye level. She does not respond to the powerful odor that wells forth, and instead studies her intestines intently.
Nuregore runs the intestines through her hands like a slimy rope, examining them carefully. She continues to do this and soon a pile of them lies before her on the ground. She then stops as she reaches her large intestine. “It goes on a long way and reaches far beneath the surface,” she says with a frown, “this place you seek. It would be easy to become lost there, and it likely draws dangers from the darkest depths.”
With careful skill, Nuregore shoves her innards back and presses the skin together. Her greenish hide knits together quickly and she stands. “Those are the visions I see.”
The closest place on the list that you have this could be is Sparklegrim Passage.
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Raijan tries to stay out of the splash zone of the sacred ritual
Wow. That is truly disgusting.
Thank you?
Thrilled that Kolok has some sort of information that doesn't sometimes contain dinner he asks, Sparklegrim it is. Then to the house of whoever named a presumably lethal vault Sparklegrim to ask some followup questions.
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Talbren nods for a moment. "I can take you in, at least to the entrance of the vault itself."
Talbren raises a hand and stops abruptly. Reaching in to her uniform pocket, she withdraws a handful of glowing crystals on leather cords. She whispers, “These crystals are called Halflight charms. Each of you should carry one with you. They provide a bit of light, but that is not their primary function. If you find yourself in dire straits, clutch the amulet and call for help. The nearest Duskwardens will learn your location and come to assist.”
The Duskwarden leans closer. “Do not call for us lightly. The disturbance in this vault provides me and my fellow Duskwardens with an opportunity to see the mettle of the Pathfinder Society for ourselves. However, if your life is truly in danger, don’t let pride get in the way of good sense. Activate the charm and flee.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “Normally, I would be able to guarantee that the signal would reach us, but given the circumstances, try to wait until you’ve fled the vault proper before activating the charm. Otherwise, we may have the same trouble finding you as we’ve had locating the other group.”
As you reach the entrance to the cavern in the underdark, Talbren lets you proceed into the vault while she is searching the area around it for any signs of what happened.
The first room that opens up in the vault stretches east and west for a bit. A scattering of sparkling gemstones illuminates a small pool of clear water in the northwest end of this room. There is something curious at the edges of your perception that is pulling slightly to the south and west.
you're reading this... really? Yes there are things affecting this atm.
You can find that there are six other Halflight charms that are scattered about the room.
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Zyneste moves a few feet into the room so as to get a clear view down the passage heading south, her bow drawn and at the ready. "It is worrying that these charms are here by themselves and not even any bodies? I can stand guard here if anyone wants to search the room for any more clues."
She also tucks her own charm into her pouch, not letting her thoughts linger too much on the fate of those who came before them, instead calming her breath and peering down into the tunnel.
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Magic in the Room -- just the halflight charms.
Have they been used -- Kolok cannot tell.
Knowledge (arcana) - the charms are there and have a faint divination magic which they are made with. If you both of you look enough you figure it's a combination of light and locate object they are made out of.
Knowledge (dungeoneering) There has been some changes in the area recently in the time of rocks recently - sometime in the last few years.
Knowledge (Arcana AND Dungeoneering) Yes that something pulling you to the South-West on the map is not natural. For more information get closer.
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The stone walls of this room are riddled with small cracks. The eastern wall is partially collapsed, its component stones scattered throughout the room and passage to the south.
The wall structure is structurally sound
There is another passageway to the south.
Roll a Reflex Check!
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The entire northwest half of this massive room is ten feet lower than the southeast portion, broken and split as if snapped in two. Countless bones from variety of creatures lie about the room in forbidding piles.
The current state of the room is due to an earthquake a few yeas ago
The pulling feeling that you all feel leads towards the break in the room.
They at least made it only one number... you can see six figures with dark skin and white hair in the room.
These are drow!
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As Zyneste moves into the next chamber she sees a number of figures in the huge two level room to the east. "There's six dark skinned people in there with white hair, anyone know who or what they are?"
Not wanting to the be first one to shoot in case there is a small chance that the figures aren't aggressive, she nocks an arrow but waits to shoot it at the first figure to show any signs of attacking her or the group.