You have been called to the Grand Lodge of Absalom for a briefing. Seated in a small chamber around a darkwood table, various trophies gathered from across the face of Golarion hang from the walls. A monkey-shaped mask with a serpent’s tongue glares out from the center of one wall, a strange halberd with gold rings piercing its thick blade and dragons carved along its haft hangs opposite the monkey mask. You are alone save your fellow Pathfinders, who apparently have been called here for the same purpose.
Finally, a huge man wearing creaking leathers marches into the room. He looks at each of you, as if he were appraising a handful of gemstones freshly pulled from the earth, and nods curtly. Some of you know him as Adril Hestram, a longtime Pathfinder and rumored to be the unwitting architect of the famed Katapesh slave riot of 4702. Adril’s physique puts most half-orcs to shame.
Welcome, friends. We have a serious problem. Skelg the Ripper came to Absalom one month ago. Like many Ulfen warriors he joined the Longaxes, the Taldan Emperor’s personal guard whose duty it is to protect the embassy and Taldan visitors. Skelg also dropped a hefty sum of gold to purchase a manor in the Ivy district, something a Longaxe isn’t paid well enough to do. It is widely assumed that he brought most of his wealth with him from the north—a rumor I know to be true.
It seems that Skelg also brought a curse with him. In his letter to me, he speaks of lying abed in this miserable summer dying from the cold. Neither physician nor priest has been able to cure his ailment, and there are no signs of disease or poison. Of course, for such a man, there is no greater dishonor than to die in bed instead of in battle.
Normally, the Pathfinder Society would monitor these events and let the authorities deal with them. However, there are three factors that have drawn our interest. First, Skelg is himself a member of our Society and has asked for our help. Second, he is a personal friend of mine, and finding a sparring partner as worthy as Skelg to replace him would be a trying task. Last, he claims that artifacts of great power are involved, and that we may be able to recover them for the vaults of the Grand Lodge.
We view this situation as having enough importance to assign you to investigate it. Go to the home of Skelg the Ripper, learn what you can, and do your best to help him. If you find an item that is somehow connected to the curse, either retrieve it or glean as much information as you can about it.
I trust there are no questions?
A platinum-haired elf brimming with knives looks around the room, then to Adril. She shakes her head. "No questions," she says.
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A man in a long coat and a wide hat hanging on a thread tied to the coat collar makes notes throughout the briefing. He said nothing so far, just wrote into his book diligently. The desert tan of his skin shows he's an outsider in these parts. Next to his seat rests an ornate longbow and a backpack that seems like it could burst open any minute. After Adril is done, he quickly lifts his index finger: "Did Skelg indicate who or what might be interested in such a development, or should we go visit him directly? If we should, where specifically in the Ivy District is this new...", he goes quiet for but just a second. "... home - of his?"
No mention to any artifact, if you want to know you must ask him.
Anibal, Try and keep up with local events if you want to get, anywhere in the Society. He lives in Greydog Manor, on Parkview Street in the Ivy district. you leave Adril almost pleased due you're lack of questions and head to Greydog Manor.
Parkview Street is true to its name, running the entire length of the Ivy District park. Standing like a tomb in a flower garden, Greydog Manor is easy to find. Six-foot-high walls surround the massive, stone building and an immense iron gate flanked by granite statues of hunting dogs stands open, offering access to the interior. Looking along the street, it is clear that locals give the estate a wide berth. The stone walls seem to give a slight chill to the air, which is not entirely unpleasant on such a hot day.
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"My apologies. I only recently arrived from Garund and Absalom is new to me. I'm doing my best to get familiar with the place."
Anibal puts on his hat, takes his possessions and heads out with the group. Walking through the Parkview street, he looks at the gardens and flora in them.
"I must admit - I find this city of yours fascinating, Pathfinders. To me, Katapesh is - and will always be - the alluring home. However, Absalom proves that beauty has many forms."
He stops at the manor entrance, quietly adoring the stonework, then realises something and turns to his companions.
"The Burning Mother is high in the sky", he says, pointing upwards. "but there's an odd coolness in the air. Do you feel that as well?"
The elf, who introduced herself as Merisiel on the way to Greydog Manor, nods. "It does seem unusually chilly here. It's probably cursed," she remarks.
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The shadowy, masked, child-sized figure in the corner asks "What brought him to Absalom?"
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As they depart, the masked figure introduces himself as Silver Warden and says that his companion will meet them at the manor.
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The party meets Glomtin Weol a block or so away from the manor. "Silver Warden said I should meet you here."
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"The front door seems best to me."
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As you knock the entrance door two northlander warriors comes to see who´s calling. The guards look at you sternly, and one of them speaks. Skelg is ill. He wants no visitors.
Merisiel frowns and fingers a knife. "Your surcoat is on backward, you know," she says, drawing one of the long, thin blades she favors.
Back in the shadows from whence the white haired human emerged, a tall muscular demonic looking creature with large claws stands observantly. A quiet undertone growl can be heard emanating from the beast as it cautiously observes the two guards.
"GRRrrr..."
The following text are lies, told to you in an intent of making lover your guard.
What? Are you sure? Answers one of the guards to Merisiel, Thorvil, we must correct it before Skelg notices it. he sais to the other guard.
Then thorvil intervenes, we could let them pass this first door and ask Skelg if he wants someone to investigate his illness. And change our clothes. What are your names?
Did we notice any other apparent ( or not so much, rather )entry points into the house on the way here? Or are there any such entrances visible from the courtyard? I assume we are on one, at least.
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M'boka steps forward to face the men, "Our names are many, but our time is short. Let your master know that we represent the Pathfinder Society and were sent here by his friend, Adril Hestram. His friend wishes to aid in this investigation, which is why he sent us here. Surely if your master is ill, you would not waste your time running messages back and forth while help is at the door." The richly accented voice of the Mwangi man is courteous, but bears a tone of impatience and suspicion with the delay.
Merisiel barely restrains herself from attacking the imposters before her companions can get a word in edge-wise.
The man answers irritated at M'boka, We have our orders, do you understand that? And everyone can come and say they've been sending by someone who knows Skelg. So what? Shall we ignore our orders and let pass everybody who wants to do it?
Stop being impacient and come inside, we let Skelg now some Pathfinder Society representatives had come to help him.
When you're about to enter Anibal intervenes, to tell you he had forgotten a tea he has who can cure every cold and flu. For you it's clearly he's trying to avoid you to enter, but the guards doesn't seem to notice it.
For Gorum's axe, you had come here without you're tools and you're hurring to enter. Go for them as we ask if you're allowed to enter or not
Anibal slaps his scratches his forehead with an expression of guilt on his face.
"I am terribly sorry. Let the fine warriors announce our presence to Skelg while we head to the herbalist for the tea. Come with me! The place is lovely. Has a nice garundi feel to it."
He looks at the manor "guards" again, and tips his hat: "We'll be back soon enough. Make sure to announce us to Skelg in the meantime."
He starts walking away from the door afterwards.
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Glomtin turns and follows him. Once they are safely away, he asks "what was that all about?"
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Merisiel scowls and resheathes her knife, then stalks off after Anibal and the others.
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Anibal walks calmly while looking at the wall next to the mansion.
"There was something wrong about those two. Like we're being lured into a trap. Given that our patient has trouble getting rid of a common cold, I call foul-play."
He stops for a moment, observing a near section of the wall. He points at a few missing bricks in it.
"Perhaps we should consider a less obvious approach."
When the group gets away from prying eyes, Anibal tries to scale the wall.
Once he reaches the top side, he takes a rope and drops one end to the pathfinders. If they don't follow, he climbs down again.
Anibal clims the wall where he can't be seen by the guards. The rest of the pathfinders follow as quietly as they can and enter in the house through a window.
You open the door to the master bedroom and are greeted by a blast of heat. A roaring fire blazes in the fireplace even though the day is swelteringly hot. A huge bearded man shivers under his blankets, his bed pushed dangerously close to the fire. A thin servant sits in the far corner by a window, fanning himself with a handkerchief. The bearded man looks at you and blinks a few times, then speaks through chattering teeth. Are y-you P-path-f-finders?
Merisiel grunts and stares daggers at the servant. "About as trustworthy as the 'guards' downstairs at the gate, maybe."
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Glomtin follows Anibal over the wall and into the room and offers a bow. "I work closely with a Pathfinder; I have helped him on each of his missions, so I suppose I am one by association."
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It´s very clear he needs almost all his remaining strengh to talk. Tyros, of course he's my manservant. Then he hears about guards and becomes agitated: What guards? I have no remaining guards in my house. Tyros! My axe, I need to take care off...
Tyros run to Skelg side to prevent him to wake up and begs for your help to take care of the assailants. With his help to set an ambush they're easily subdued.
Thanks for your help, honored guests. Allow me to explain the situation. A week ago, lord Skelg found some men in the basement vault, resumably to be thieves at that moment. At the time, one of them had lit a light and..
Skelg interrupts him, with much effort and chattering teeth. No....not a light.....a lantern. I had....no idea it..... had magical properties.
Pardon me my lord, and allow me to continue. Says Tyros. Then, the light from the lantern struk lord Skelg and he described the feeling as “having his inside freezing” When the lantern shone upon a tapestry hanging on the wall, a strange shimmering doorway appeared. Sort of a door with the colors of the northern light. They take vantage of my lord weakened state and fled the vault with the lantern and valuables."
Skelg speaks up again. Tell them… about Tirfyr…
Tyros: Yes milord. After the raid, one of lord Skelg's confidents, Tirfyr, stepped through the portal. Moments after, he stepped back in saying there was a ship encased in ice on the other side. He tried to explore more, but after half an hour the portal vanished, trapping Tirfyr on the other side.
Skelg interrupts again I'm sure the....cure is in the ship.
Tyros: [b]My lord, please don't overdo it. Anyway, two days later, those thieves returned with Bengeirr, one of my lord enemies. They slew lord Skelg's guards and posed themselves as such.
Skelg continues despite his servant opinion, clearly angered of what happened: He spat on me, ....saying “now you die in bed like an old woman”. You must understand how… dishonourable is this death… So I sent a letter to Aldir… for help. And you´re here
The tapestry in the hall now depicts an Ulfen longship on a rolling sea, mostly encased in an iceberg and there´s a large lantern ring hanging from the mouth of the dragon figurehead, but there´s no lantern there
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While listening to Skelg and Tyros, Anibal checks the room. When the men talk about a ship in an iceberg, his eyes widen a bit and he points out the tapestry with the longboat to the Pathfinders.
"Seems about right. The men posing as your guards greeted us at the entrance and were probably trying to lure us into a trap of sorts. How many people are in the mansion? I take it we can dispose of these impostors, then?"
"So we're visiting the image on that tapestry somehow?"
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M'boka notices the tapestry as well, and takes a moment to study the image while the discussion carries on. He pauses from his investigation momentarily to ask, "I am curious, this man Bengeirr, is he staying in the city as well? Perhaps we can retrieve the lantern from him. It seems to be at the center of your illness. We may even be able to rescue your man Tirfyr."
Recover the lantern from the tapestry? asks Tiros sceptical, The lantern light what was openened the door in the tapestry, and it was stolen by Beingirr men
His suggestion looks better, he continues pointing at M'boka. Locate Bengeirr and rtrieve the lantern that cause my master this kind of illness.
Having finished your bussiness in Skelg's manor, you traipse through Absalom streets asking about Ulfen visitors.
You should ask around the docks.
Merisiel's way with words nearly gets her into a brawl with a random passerby, and after that, she decides to let others do the talking--after all, knives will solve any problem, but sometimes it's better that the solution be less...permanent.
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Glomtin gets the down low after spending some time asking around. "Some northlanders already docked an Ulfen ship at the harbor. They're renting a warehouse at the docks from Tullio Baltas. It is across the street from the Rosy Fingers tavern. Silver Warden will meet you there."
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M'boka hears a bit about checking out the docks, but that's about it. When Glomtin returns with his information M'boka is taken aback by the strange small creature and his apparently inexhaustible knowledge. "Tell me, Glomtin Weol, did you also find out how long these men's fingernails are or what their mothers' names are?" He laughs loudly and salutes the clever wayang. "Well done, my friend."
The warehouse across from The Rosy Fingers Tavern is built right on the docks, part of it extending over the water. The building is thirty feet tall with no visible windows. On the landward side is a pair of large cargo doors with a smaller door built into the right one. Piers run along either side of the building and on the seaward side is a massive set of doors able to accommodate a small ship.
The street is busy, with several taverns among the warehouses. Most of the warehouses have sentries in front of them, and the ships at the docks are similarly guarded. A northlander warrior with an axe resting in his lap sits on a small pile of crates across from the warehouse, obviously keeping watch on the main door.
The warrior still hadn´t realize you´re not coming to the tavern, but to the warehouse. So you have a few moments to discuss how are you going to bypass him.
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Anibal laughs with M'Boka. "Funny as it is, I must admit - that is impressive. Little guy has a way with words."
Arriving to Rosy Fingers and the warehouse, Anibal hears Thrugg's note: "We'll figure something out. No worries." He looks around, then continues: "Perhaps a nice sea breeze will do us good and help us think. Let's take a walk.", he says, as he points to the pier next to the warehouse. He proceeds to walk down the pier and gaze at the port from the its end. While doing so, he also checks the warehouse itself for any possible entrances from the south side.
Anibal walks down the pier to inspect the warehouse. He can see there's no windows in the south wall, only two enormous doors who open directly to the water. Being a wharehouse at the docks, those doors must be used so ships can enter inside to load, or unload, merchandise.