Water laps steadily at the pier as sailors, laborers, and merchants rush busily around Absalom's port. Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin's summons called for a meeting aboard the Sixwing Drake, a sleek sailing ship. The Drake's captain, a Varisian woman and fellow Pathfinder named Zarah Zendrani, stands at the helm of her vessel. "It's not like Valsin to be late," she mutters, furrowing her brow.
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G’Boar Hulighan is a rugged sort from the northern clans, betrayed by his ancestral tribal tattoos, ethnic kilted tartan, and abundant scars which tell the tale of his tempestuous upbringing. He is tall for his people, at 6’3”, but his air of confidence and self-worth make him appear somehow taller; his demeanor not being one of arrogance, but instead one of supreme confidence. His build is athletic and supremely defined, like that that of a wild animal who challenges his very essence with every physical endeavor. Such strength and endurance comes from repeated exerting ordeals, as if his very existence relied on his body’s ability to perform.
As comfortable as snow is on the mountains, so is G’Boar’s comfort in the wilderness, thus his uncomfortableness is noted in the hustle and bustle of the city. Having been banished from his village at the age of 9 for the accused misgivings of his father, G’Boar existed quietly on his own at the fringes of society while he honed his woodland aptitude.
G’Boar wears masterwork studded leather armor and bracers and is as equally lethal fighting in his traditional clan structure wielding his masterwork cold iron longsword and masterwork buckler as he is with his bastardized version of a woodsman’s axe. And his years of needing to hunt to stay alive have perfected his acumen with the composite longbow and hunting knife.
"G'Day Capn', so it appears as if I am the first to arrive. This is a pleasant break from the pressing crowds of the city, me thinks."
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Like G'Boar, Cesare (pronounced CHEZ-ar-ay) is a big, well-built man with rugged good looks, but there the similarities end. Equally at ease in the heart of the city or in the lightless depths of a forgotten crypt, Cesare is always ready with a joke or a wide smile for almost everyone he meets.
He wears a well-maintained sit of studded leather armor and carries a beautiful composite shortbow.
"It's certainly nice to have a bit of ocean breeze," agrees Cesare amiably as he arrives up the gangway and jumps down onto the deck. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?"
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Weaving in and out about the workers, like a child taking in the sights of a new place, an odd looking girl looks excited to be in this new place.
Though she looks human she has animal like ears and a white bushy fox tail swishes behind her. He attire is definitely Tien in origin. fine red silks with Tien designs and tassels.
She has long black hair, common among Tien women, the same color as her animal ears. her hair hides weather she actually has human ears at all.
compared to the other gathered, this girl looks the child standing barely above 5'
She stops when she sees the others gathered at the place she was supposed to be. starring at the men her eyes go wide with excitement, I can be with men and not have to charge them.
She swishes her way up to the men gathered. Hello there, I must say, with such big strong men, A girl will definitely feel safe in this group.
seeing the ocean she rushes to the ship's railing. Look, isn't this exciting! She looks out pointing to a ship anchored out in the inlet, That is my ship, well not really "my" ship but the Captain did take me in and has been finding work for me. we have a cannon.
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A young-faced half-elf, head shaved but for a top-knot, meanders into the docks. Then he meanders up to the ship and up the gangplank. He looks at the captain, then picks out which of the people on board appear to be the Pathfinders. "Uh, hi, I'm Finwë. I'm uhm, a new Pathfinder. First mission, you know? I'll uh, just wait here." He leans against a railing and sets his backpack down, which he seems to find a little heavy. "Next time I'm leaving that stupid pot at home."
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"Uh, yeah, you heard that? Well, it's uh, right here." Finwë pulls an iron pot out of his backpack. "Someone thought I might need it and, I don't know, I've never done this Pathfinder thing before, so..." he trails off. Then looks at the backpack again. "I've got a bunch of torches too. Like, uhm, a lot of torches. I think there's ten in here." He tries to hand off the iron pot. As he is awkwardly holding it out he suddenly adds, "oh yeah, I'm Finwë. Did I mention that? I'm uh, I'm big into relics and stuff like that. Like these boots, they uh, they belonged to a Desnan saint, you know?" He looks down, still holding out the pot, and admires the boots, which look far more worn than the rest of his rather mundane and unremarkable attire.
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"Cesare, M'Lady , and Finwë is it? Well met to you all, and may Tinker the Boar and Lord of the Wilds bless your path and swordarm!" the ranger confidently says. Yet it appears that social interaction is not his strong suit and crowds of people, even this small, make him a tad on edge.
He closes with, "An Finwë, if ye know how to use tha' pot, I'll promise to provide ye wid any num'er of fresh vittles to cook in it; as long as our path leads to the wilds." This exchange seems forced, but less so as the initial exchange.
Captain Zendrani nods to each of the Pathfinders as they board the vessel, and stands by as they introduce themselves. Her gaze remains on the crowded piers, and she looks impatient. "I thought there would be more of you. Well, Valsin is late himself, so I suppose we have a bit more time..."
As if on cue, a tall and meticulously groomed man pushes his way through the crowd and up the gangplank, cursing audibly.
“Whoever supervises this mess of a port needs to be dumped in the sea!” he grumbles.
Before he speaks to the assembled team, the man pulls Captain Zendrani aside and thanks her for prioritizing this assignment. "Trust me... it'll be worth your time, old friend."
Once the remaining Pathfinders arrive, the tall man looks around at those gathered before him. “Just the group I requested. Perfect. I’m Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, and I took great care in selecting just the right Pathfinders for this assignment.”
Valsin reaches into his belt pouch and withdraws a small, folded paper before continuing. “A few days ago, I received a curious note from a rather unexpected source. It’s not every day that I get a request from an agent of the Aspis Consortium.”
Captain Zendrani’s eyes widen, and Valsin smiles knowingly. “But Magali Delroya does not appear to be your typical Aspis agent. As you surely know, the Aspis Consortium pursues a variety of activities across the Inner Sea that the Pathfinder Society finds abhorrent. It seems that Delroya has been working with them for some time, but can no longer stomach the snakes herself. She wants to stop a shipment of an experimental drug from leaving Diobel later this week. It’s bound for a number of locations across the Inner Sea region. According to Delroya, she can’t ask the local authorities for help, because the Aspis Consortium has already struck a deal with a faction of the Kortos Consortium, a powerful merchant collective. Her hands are tied, so she’s come to us for help.
In this note, she outlines three different tasks that would help to disrupt the Aspis long enough for her to move the shipment to a secure location, out of the clutches of the consortium. Once you accomplish two of these tasks, she’s willing to meet with you, but not before."
Valsin gives a knowing glance to Captain Zendrani's skeptical look. “Normally, I wouldn’t trust an Aspis agent at any hour of the day. But our sources in Diobel have confirmed the Aspis and Kortos consortia’s activities. Everything checks out, so we are presented with a unique opportunity. If we help Delroya, we might not only strike a financial blow against the Aspis Consortium, but we could also reveal their dealings with the Kortos Consortium—and possibly prevent their arrangement from turning into a more formal alliance."
He clears his throat, "Furthermore, we hope to stop this drug from spreading across the Inner Sea region, and if we—if all of you—do a good enough job, we might even convince Delroya to join the Society. A turncoat agent would be a valuable asset in our ongoing run-ins with the Aspis Consortium."
“Take some time to look over Delroya’s note and the tasks she has set for you. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask. Remember, the Aspis Consortium is a long-time enemy of the society, but the Kortos Consortium, while certainly suspicious, is not our enemy. It is a complex organization with many factions, and we should avoid antagonizing any of them, except when necessary to oppose the Aspis Consortium.”
With that, the Venture-Captain hands you a pair of letters to read.
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Finwë grits his teeth at the news of whip. "Those snakes. Desna hates oppression; so do I. I'm in." His earlier insecurity seems to have been replaced by a sudden burst of confidence.
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Guy is a short swarthy man. He wanders about the ship with a smile on his face, glad to be on another mission to further his quest for glory. To anyone that asks, he declares himself a cleric of Sarenrae. An order which, he proclaims with delight, prohibits the use of armor and in exchange receives extra spells from Sarenrae! This was a recent change he made and he seems quite pleased with himself walking with a new spring in his steps free from all that burdensome metal.
Valsin waits until everyone has finished reading the letters, then says, "are there any questions? If not, you can be on your way. Captain Zendrani will get you to Diobel, and the rest is up to you."
"We don't know much about the ship other than what's in the letters. You'll have to find out once you get to Diobel in a few days."
"Unfortunately, since the drug is in its early stages, we've heard varying reports on its effects. The most trusted reports say that it makes its addicts extremely docile, lethargic, and forgetful."
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"So it's either one: disrupt a meeting at the Overflowing Oyster, two: steal documents from a ship Captain's quarters (without harming the dockworkers or being detected), or three: find this Laszo the Leper's lab in the sewers and take a sample of this drug along with his notes (doing what we must do to accomplish this). I vote for and ... least chance of being detected with the greatest chance of success as I see it."
When you are finished discussing the mission, Valsin cautions you that you will only have a day or two, at most, to complete your tasks once you arrive in Diobel. He suggests that you procure any last-minute supplies before heading out.
After taking a few hours to shop in Absalom, you set out for Diobel. The journey goes smoothly. As you sail, you have time to reflect and discuss what you know about the Kortos Consortium.
Captain Zendrani and the crew of the sleek Sixwing Drake steer the ship up to the massive barrier of broken war-barges, crumbling walls, and jetties of iron and wood that protect the port of Diobel. "Well, here we are," says the captain. "I'll make sure everything is in order with Diobel's inspectors and charter you a barge to the port. You aren't carrying anything particularly valuable, so you shouldn't draw much attention from the inspectors or pilots, so long as you don't run your mouth. My crew and I will wait here with the ship. You can return here to rest, if you need to, but remember, there isn't much time!"
It is just after dawn on Oathday. Knowing that the meeting at the tavern is supposed to take place around noon today, you head for the Overflowing Oyster. The inn is a dirty, broken-looking building that barely fits between the fishing tackle shop to its west and the junk shop to its east. Hanging over the door is a creaky sign that shows a painted oyster with pearls spilling from its gaping shell.
The interior of the Overflowing Oyster displays a mix of rickety furniture and gaudy decorations, from stands of obviously fake pearls hanging over the kitchen's entrance to wooden carvings of sultry mermaids and cheap paintings of ships at sea.
Several local laborers hunch over cheap food and casual games of chance, cursing and muttering to the same old friends about the same old troubles. The proprietor, a weathered middle-aged man, chats idly with some of the locals at the bar. Savory smells waft from the kitchens.
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G'Boar recommends that we do not enter as a troupe, but rather in smaller groups of three or less and at staggered arrival times. We would draw less attention that way.
Step 1:G'Boar will enter solo and sit at the bar and order an ale then listen in to see if he can hear any specific talk from the patrons that may aid in the distraction/ disruption operations (i.e. business deals gone wrong, oppressive taxes by the government, a fly in some one's soup, etc). He wants to capitalize on the knowledge that the owner sells fake pearls on the black market if possible.
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"Uhm, so, Ako-Chan, what are your, uh, ideas?"
Ako places her hands on her hips, Do I have to explain everything? she says with a seductive swing of her hips and a swish of her tail.
you then notice that her tail has split into two tails.
of course I can look rather different if it is needed she adds as she shifts to a more human form.
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The way I see it the first step is to either identify the agents or figure out where they are going to meet. My guess is that the latter would be the easiest. The tavern owner would know and even if he does not the presence of a meeting room might be common knowledge. If someone wants to team up with me I think we might make some progress by requesting a private meeting in a 'very private business room' and see what happens from there.
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[color=red]Step 1[/color] Ako enters a few moments after G'Boar, she wanders among the patrons, looking to garner as much attention as she can.
she eventually reaches the barkeep, excuse me, sir, but could help a poor girl out? I am new in town and don't have much money. Perhaps we can work something out? she says with a seductive grin.
her accent is clearly Tien as she struggles with the common tongue as though she has only recently learned it.
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The way I see it the first step is to either identify the agents or figure out where they are going to meet. My guess is that the latter would be the easiest. The tavern owner would know and even if he does not the presence of a meeting room might be common knowledge. If someone wants to team up with me I think we might make some progress by requesting a private meeting in a 'very private business room' and see what happens from there.
"Guy, according to the letter, the meeting location is the 'Oyster.' This place is where we must disrupt the meeting in order to prevent both sides from discovering our potential 'double agent.' I wouldn't think the tavern owner would be involved in the business between the Aspis and the Kortos."
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You could be right. Perhaps there is no private room and no involvement from the owner. But maybe I'm right. Either way, Guy will open a discussion with the owner that might provide info.
Guy's step 1 will be to ask the owner about whether they have a private room. In general he will try to get information out of him about the agents using diplomacy inquiring about potential 'business associates' or 'private rooms or meeting places'. We can role-play specifics.
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Finwë wanders into the tavern and looks around, then wanders over to the bar and sits down. "I'll have an ale please."
He listens in on the conversations around him and surreptitiously watches for anything he could try to take advantage of.
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G'Boar eavesdrops for a while and, while he doesn't hear anything about a secret meeting or either of the two Consortia, he does overhear several patrons joking about the tavern's bad food and the barkeep's "Real Business" that keeps him and his brother fed.
Unfortunately, Cesare doesn't have much luck making friends with the locals. Their conversation turns cold and boring when he settles at the table.
Ako sidles up to the bar, but the barkeep, a man who introduces himself as Paltus, just stammers awkwardly until Guy walks up. "Sorry, we ah... what? Private room? What for?" He looks suspicious, but the locals calm him down. "Come on Pal, he don't mean no harm!"
"Pal" shrugs and serves up some more drinks. "Well, we do have some guest rooms. I suppose one could use them for private meetings. Usually when someone wants to chat, they just clear out that corner over there." Pal gestures to the southernmost table, looking over the water.
Meanwhile, Finwe happens to be listening to a conversation at that table. The two men seem to be talking about fish. At first he tries to figure out whether it's some sort of code, but then the two men pay for their meals and get up to leave. Another man moves to sit at the table, but someone nearby says, "don't bother, you'll just have to move anyway." The man finds a different seat.
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Finwë gets up and sits at the special table with his ale. When he's told not to bother, he just shrugs and puts his ale to his mouth for a swig, then leans back in the chair and puts his feet on the table.
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Finwë looks slightly less confident as Ako joins him, but he shrugs and hides his face in his mug again.
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While Cesare and G'Boar continue to mingle, Finwë and Ako sit at the "reserved" table. Some of the locals look at them oddly, but go back to their meals. Guy is able to find a seat nearby as several locals leave for the docks.
About fifteen minutes before noon, a man enters the Oyster and walks over to Finwë and Ako's table. He looks annoyed. "Excuse me. This is my usual table. Do you mind?"
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Guy will get ready to cast Murderous Command to cause some havoc or do something to support the others when the fighting begins, as he suspects it must. For now he is sparkly (or however it manifests) with a Blessing of the Faithful (taking the bonus to skill rolls). That takes a standard action to do and lasts only one round so that's about it for him until the trouble begins.
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G'Boar will excuse himself to use the facilities, and as he does will swipe a strand of fake pearls used at decorations in the place before returning to the bar.
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