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Despite carrying a deer carcass into the lodge, as you approach the smell of rotting fish is overpowering. It's as if the dwarven monk slept on a pile of it. If you were used to working on the docks every day, you might get accustomed to it, but to many, it is downright nauseating.
The name is Tortuga. At least that is what everyone calls me. Started out as a bit of a joke, but it stuck. Well, I'd suggest checking out Hestram himself, the entry points of the assassins and Hestram's quarters in the lodge, in that order.
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Adril's room is locked, with a well made looking lock. However that can't stand up to an interested pathfinder, and the door quickly falls to your abilities.
A map of Golarion’s Inner Sea region lies upon his bed, several red slashes are marked on it.
Next to the map rests a primitive greenstone idol carved in the likeness of an ape.
The other things of immediate interest is a serpentine necklace upon the sitting table.
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Interesting necklace. Anyone not so hardy that might want to wear it? By the way, speaking of magic, I got this ring that can hold spells for me to use later. I can get the spells out of the ring, but getting them in is a different story. I do have some scrolls if someone can read them.
Tortuga will look around the room.
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"From the looks of things, I think we should ask our hostess about this map, and what the markings mean. There is something wrong about this, especially about this note. I've been in other planes before, which may mean we will have to travel quite a distance."
Morrin's face twists slightly while in thought before he mutters out loud to himself. "Why would Adril have these?"
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Hearing the talk of bringing the dead back for questioning makes Kalendir cringe and go through several moral conflicts within his own mind.
"While I despise this sort of method I am afraid it is for the greater good. I will not attempt this again. Is that understood?" He glares each in the eyes for a better understanding.
Kalendir rushes off as he gathers a few coins and purchases a scroll to speak with the dead. Returning he looks to the others. "What questions do we ask first off?"
As the group prepares he takes his time reading the scroll.
Though it takes his quite a while he believes he understands how the spell works.
"This is going to take a bit of time. Come up with your questions while I prepare the spell."
Kalendir sets the spell up and begins to cast from the scroll as the writing begins to disappear.
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Morrin smiles as he pulls out a wand marked with candy cane stripes and hands it to Kalendir. "Mind using this on me? We can use it up if need be, as I do have another that is still in its packaging. Also, those note on the map, and the items in his room, bother me. I'm thinking there is something bigger in the works, but not sure. Why would someone kill a venture captain, not caring about the repercussions of having the society as a potential enemy?"
- old wand is used up
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Kalendir completes the chant as the dark words uttered escape his mouth like guttural growls. To finish the spell he asks but one simple question to break the silence in the room.
"Adril. What do the marks on this map lead to?" Kalendir holds the map in the air for all to see as he points to the marks.
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"Wait a moment. I thought no one knew the identities of the ten. If Adril has been investigating, and finding locations of them..... I have a bad feeling about this."
Morrin shakes his head from side to side and begins rubbing his chin.
"We must prepare and follow this Red Raven and Cale. They may have more answers."
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Turning towered the masked servant, Morrin smiles and nods before turning back towards the others. "I agree with Tortuga on this matter of the Ten, but we don't have absolute proof, so don't worry about that Kalendir. It is just speculation, as Adril had enough trust to become a Venture Captain himself. I'll meet you all in the garden, as I want to hear what Eliza has to say about this find."
Double checking his equipment, the man heads towards the garden where his hostess awaits.
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The two senior pathfinders glance to each other with looks of concern. Eliza turns to you with a wistful sigh as Osprey speaks with a low, scratchy voice.
“This Red Raven struck at Adril Hestram for a reason. The truth is that we have suspected Hestram of treachery against the Pathfinder Society for months. The Decemvirate asked me to investigate personally. The Talespinning was not a prelude to Adril’s promotion, but rather a test of his loyalty.”
“A test,” Eliza says, “Adril Hestram appears to have failed.”
Osprey smiles, his thin lips showing comfort and humor belied by his penetrating, avian gaze. “It remains to be seen whether you, his most trusted field agents, may yet pass. Guilt by association is not fair, but in the Decemvirate’s eyes it is prudent, especially in these dangerous times. Your investigations thus far have proven you loyal Pathfinder agents. Venturing into the Maze of the Open Road and solving the mystery of Adril’s assassination will assure your loyalty to the Society, and will surely gain the approval of the Ten.”
Eliza steps forward, her hand curling into a triumphant fist. “I believe in you. I have since the first day we met. Go into the maze. Learn what you can of the Red Raven’s operation and how it ties in with Hestram. Come back and report to us, and we will coordinate our next move.”
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"Maze of the what? Why would the symbol of the Grand Lodge have a maze with the name of it's symbol?" The man tilts his head slightly at Osprey. "Also, is there anything special about this maze we should know about? I've been in weird places with no information and didn't really like what happened."
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"As I mentioned earlier.." says Eliza.
"This is no ordinary hedge maze. The Lodge’s books call it the Maze of the Open Road, and my own investigations reveal that it contains portals that connect to sites all over Golarion. It’s been here for centuries, and it’s extremely dangerous. I’ve been spending most of my time worrying about the rare curious citizen who sneaks onto the grounds and wanders in, but I wonder if I shouldn’t have been more concerned with what might come out."
The Forest King Narven, a powerful archdruid of the Arthfell Forest, cultivated the imposing hedge maze on the rear lawn of the Woodsedge Lodge as a gift to the Pathf inder Society more than 200 years ago.
In those days, centuries before the Red Revolution, Galt was a major seat of Pathf inder activity, bringing the Society many allies among the region’s wealthy aristocracy
Eventually, other portals—planted by Narven for inscrutable purposes—brought strange beasts to the maze, and passage through its leafy corridors became extremely dangerous. But the new portals often led to sites of magical power or similar sources of fascinating interest, and the Society began to view the hedge maze as a portal to adventure and discovery. The lodge thrived, and the site became known as the Maze of the Open Road.
At a glance it looks like any common hedge maze, if a living structure 300 feet to the side can be considered common. Its 20-foot-tall walls always appear perfectly manicured, even decades after their Pathfinder caretakers left for safer grounds. Eliza adds "I have spent a great deal of wealth refurbishing the rear lawns to a semblance of their former glory, but I havn’t had to drop a copper on the Maze of the Open Road."
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Nodding, he begins to pull out his wands and starts to place them on his belt, as well as picking random pebbles off the ground and stuffing them into his normal belt pouch and pockets. "Don't mind if I pick a few things up to ready myself. There have been few times I went through a portal, and something unsavory was on the other side. Whiffle." mentioning the word, the somewhat ornate of his two belt pouches opened up, and he began putting in more loose stones and and debris he could find. "I know it may seem strange I do this, but don't worry, as it is cheaper than arrows for me! Also, Alie, keep a hold of this wand in case it is needed. Only one charge on it, but could be useful in the right situation, and I don't think I'll need it."
Grinning, he hands her a wand labeled as Haste while pulling down the dark lensed goggles. Turning towards the others, he begins to float once more nodding towards his group. "I'll be close, so don't worry, I just don't want to be seen too early if we catch any unfavorables." As he finishes speaking, the man vanishes from sight.
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This maze was cultivated by a powerful Archdruid named Narven over 200 years ago as a gift to the pathfinder society. Wynn recalls, he thinks for a moment looking at the edge of the maze. Portals were planted in the portal for reasons, and through the portals came magical creatures. That is when this maze became more dangerous to explore, however, for those who were successful and found the portals, they were led to magical sites and fascinating places of interest. Thus it became The Maze of the Open Road, a portal to adventure and discovery.
He sighs, I have known of this place for a century and am glad that I finally get to see it.
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Kalendir's mouth drops behind the mask. "I didn't realize the Maze of the Open Road was real. I..I just assumed that it was more of a symbolic gesture concerning the Society for the many paths we travel."
Kalendir picks up a couple more bundles of cold iron arrows before nodding that he is ready to go.