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A small halfling appears, glances about and raises his large gleaming trumpet... Bwap bah duuuuuuuuh!
"Presenting, Pathfinder, perspiring hero.."
"Aspiring! Or inspiring if you want to get it wrong!" Comes a purring velvet voice from outside the room.
"Aspiring hero, celebrated actor, and, er, lover?"
"I can produce references, don't er!"
"And owner of Absalom's finest theatre, The Lion's Den! Vesparo Dikanadra!"
The tiefling swaggers into the room giving Malena the once over and an approving wink, "Not just references, I swear a critic reviewed the wrong thing, because, in her words, "it felt so right."
A bait and tackle shop. It was a swift trip through Taldor's capital Oppara, and now the smell of strong fish permeate the shop that - almost as a miniature version of the Taldan empire - has seen better days.
It was a summons in the dead of night. Come to the Absalom grand lodge at once. Arriving there, the place was abuzz with rumours of something monumental happening in Taldor. A swift briefing - the adventurers, just back from Riddle port are to travel to the Taldan capital and await instructions from Venture-Capatain Muesello - and a boat ride, the adventurers now find themselves on the Taldan shore.
Rods and Reels the sign says. Muesello, the owner of the shop, greets the pathfinders and quickly ushers the customers in the shop. Putting up a sign gone fishing, he leads the adventurers to a back room.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Pathfinders. Let me bring you all up to speed. It seems that I may have gotten myself, and by extension the Society, into a bit of hot water. You see, lately the Taldan government has been growing particularly protective of what it considers its national treasures. Grand Prince Stavian seems to have taken a personal interest in anything older than last week’s fish stew, imposing heavy tariffs on any antiquities being sent out of the country.”
The grey-haired man lets out a deep sigh and his shoulders slump. “This is where my own idiocy comes in. I thought that I could save the Society a few pieces of gold by smuggling items out of the city, using my contacts in a secret cult of local Sarenites known as the Dawnflower Blossoms. They receive significant support from people in Qadira, and oversee regular shipments to and from Katheer.
“Everything went very smoothly until last night. A group of local guards known as the Porthmos Militia conducted a violent raid on one of the cult’s safe houses here in the neighborhood of Westport. A man named Chalfon Dalsine, a minor noble who was himself nearly a Pathfinder in his youth, led the attack. This gang slaughtered half the members of the cult, even those who didn’t fight back—it was horrible. A few members were able to escape, but the rest were either slain or captured and dragged away for interrogation.
"These deaths are tragic enough by themselves. What is even more worrying is that I had given the Sarenites several parcels for transport just last week. The parcels included a number of notes written in a personal cypher, but anything involving codes eventually makes its way to the Lion Blades, the secret spies of the Taldan government. It’s only a matter of time before they crack the code or use some divination magic to track us down."
"The Society is in a very delicate place at the moment, especially here in Taldor. The upheavals caused by the Shadow Lodge have only made things worse. If the government tracks those packages back to me, they might formally expel all Pathfinders from the country! Now what I need you to do is ...”
A loud knock on the shop’s front door interrupts the venture- captain mid-sentence. A strong voice calls out from the other side, “Open this door! This is the Porthmos Militia. Open this door in the name of the Grand Prince!”
Muesello suddenly looks like an old man, playing up his age, and starts shuffling around the shop as to make it sound as if he's searching for something.
“Ten of the escaped Dawnflower Blossoms members are hidden here in the lodge. I was able to rescue them after the raid. They’re all upstairs—five in my bedroom and another five in my supply room.” He knocks over three hay bales along the room’s east wall, revealing a trap door beneath. He flings it open to reveal a ladder descending into darkness.
“You’ve got to get those people out of here,” he pleads, gesturing frantically at the hatch.
“In my basement there is a staircase leading down to the ancient catacombs under the city. At the bottom of that staircase, there is a large lever on the right, just a few feet down the connecting corridor. Once everyone is clear of the staircase, pull it down and it will collapse behind you. That should keep anyone from following you. Once you’re in the catacombs, just ask the cult members for directions; they should know their way around. Ask them to take you to the Vault of Sarenrae—it’s their last hiding place."
"Oh, and track down this Chalfon Dalsine, and see if you can find my parcels: two beautiful sets of armor crafted by the fey of the Verduran Forest. Last I heard, the Porthmos Militia had taken them back to Dalsine’s home."
"We're closed!" Muesello shouts in a somewhat frail voice.
The pounding on the door increases in volume and an annoyed voice calls out again. “We don’t want to break the door down, old man. Hurry up!”
“Yes, yes, I heard you. Hold on, I’ve got to find a candle.” Muesello turns back and whispers once more, “I’ll hold them off as best I can. Please get the cult members out of here, or they’re all as good as dead, and please don’t try to kill the guards! This is a large group of serious guards who obviously mean business. Any lethal attacks or, gods forefend, a death could spell doom for the Society! These are city guards acting on the authority of the Grand Prince himself!”
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Vesparo swaggers up to the door grinning at his friends and adopting a nasal officious voice, he says loudly,
"Pardon me Commander, but pursuant to the laws and codes of the great nation of Taldor to which we are all lucky enough to be beholden I believe we have the right to see proof that you are who you say you are and a warrant. I may not practice law here in Taldor, alas I am stuck in dreary Absalon, but I am familiar with the codes and strictures which apply in such situations and it is my understanding that you cannot force entry to a premises without permission, unless you have obtained such a document pursuant to clause 72 subjection J. Provide the appropriate documentation and we will of course be willing to extend our fullest cooperation. Elsewise please provide your full name, those of your men and your immediate superior that I might pursue legal proceedings on behalf of my client."
It is nice to be home - so long as I can avoid Mother.
Vesparo's knowledge of Taldan law is thorough enough to know that when a group of guards come around shouting 'in the name of the Grand Prince' that's pretty much where all discussion ends. If the prince says 'jump', the guards say 'how high', with the difference being that that is actually canonised in law. Still, there is a lingering misconception among some folk, that the people have certain rights. Pff. Rights. That's something for Andorans.
On the authority of the Grand Prince. Let. Us. In. the guards staunchly reply. It may not feel like it, but Vesparo is buying time with his act.
Semi-combat rounds:
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Vesparo (Delaying guards)
Malena
Marra
Rhanloi
Cressyk
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Muesello (Delaying guards)
Guards
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Marra curses angrily but in a low voice "By the Dawnflower, I've heard of the Grand Prince ban on worship of Sarenrae, but killing followers who aren't fighting. I would like to put those guards in there place, but we must help the people first."
The halfling move up the stairs to find her fellow Dawnflower followers and start them heading downstairs. opening the first room (storeroom?), keeping her voice down so the guards can't hear "Quickly the guards are here, we must all go downstairs to the basement to escape!" to the first group.
Then if she can continue to the next room and repeating what she said again to the next group.
Marra quickly runs up the stairs and manages to find the hiding followers, and manage to convince both groups of the urgency of the situation.
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Vesparo (Delaying guards)
Malena
Marra (Gathers up followers)
Rhanloi
Cressyk
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Muesello (Delaying guards)
Guards
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Cressyk moves down the hatch into a basement area. In the opposite corner, a set of stairs is leading down into what must be the catacombs
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Vesparo (Delaying guards)
Malena
Marra (Gathers up followers)
Rhanloi
Cressyk (Clearing the way)
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Muesello (Delaying guards)
Guards
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Rhanloi completes the chain set up - Marra sets the chain in motion, Rhanloi guides the followers down while Cressyk ensure the way into the cellar is clear. Vesparo is distracting the guards, who seem to be taken aback by the initial retort of the tiefling.
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Vesparo (Delaying guards)
Malena
Marra (Gathers up followers)
Rhanloi (Guiding followers)
Cressyk (Clearing the way)
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Muesello (Delaying guards)
Guards
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"Very well, but at least let me get my clothes back on! I was having my good friend here take a look at a rather alarming skin complaint which has spread across my less, or possibly more, sociable regions. I am not sure if it is contagious or not, but trust me when I say that you do not wish to join me in my plight! Some things ought not to burn I tell you and I have yet to find a salve that is more boon than bane," Vesparo calls in a pained tone.
The guard captain's face contorts into revulsion. Hurry up then, get out of the way.
The guards still insist on coming in, but Vesparo manages to stall them for another round. One by one, the followers start trickling down the stairs, hidden from view by Malena and the efforts of Vesparo and Muesello. The refugees are halfway down as the guard captain starts losing patience Enough! I tell you. Let us in right this instant, or we will run the door down.
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Vesparo (Delaying guards)
Malena
Marra
Rhanloi
Cressyk
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Muesello (Delaying guards)
Guards
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Enough of your stalling practices! Men, break this door down!
Muesello turns a little pale, and quickly hisses to Vesparo and Rhanloi, who stand the closest Move, move, get out of here. I will delay them, get the followers out and get away from here.
Rhanloi has a glance at the door: there's metal hinges with ample slabs of metal on both sides, and the door handle and lock form a metal connection between inside and outside as well.
Urged on by the party the followers make good progress, and the last of them starts heading down to the basement.
A rumbling curse can be heard as the shocking grasp hits a guard on the other side, delaying the militia a bit longer. Finally backing up down the basement and into the catacombs, the party escapes. Muesello stays behind, casts a spell on the trapdoor once everybody is down, and then - clearly audible - surrenders with much showmanship.
The group of sarenrites consists of five human women (Charito, Ionnia, Nellina, Pasara, and Xene), two female halflings (Piria and Sophone), and three human men (Marcian, Narces, and Theodric).
Below, the catacombs are dark and damp. Cressyk and Vesparo can see a long tunnel stretch before them.
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Vesparo pulls the lever to collapse the tunnel, and turns bowing to the Sarenites,
"Excuse my mask, but I find I prefer it for covert missions, I am Vesparo Dikanadar at your service. Now Muesello told us to have you give us directions to the Vault of Sarenrae. I would prefer to lead the way since my eyes can pierce the darkness, and I may better protect you from any threats - I would not want anything unexpected harming one of you should you lead the way."
Nellina takes up the part of speaker on behalf of the Sarenites, and explains
These catacombs are old tunnels and connected rooms buried centuries or even millennia ago. I think we can find our way to the Vault, although I’m not familiar with this particular part of the catacombs, and it's too dark to see here.
Sarenites like us have used the catacombs for centuries to meet in secret and to move around the city undetected. It’s not the safest place, as we’ve encountered criminals and dangerous creatures down here from time to time, but I don’t think we have a better choice at the moment.
By now, the Porthmos Militia has likely alerted the other city guards to us. I doubt the streets are any safer at the moment.
The worship of Sarenrae has been illegal in Taldor since the Great Purge of 4528 ar. The degree to which her followers are persecuted has waxed and waned over the last 200 years. Sarenrae worship is much more common outside of Taldor’s major urban centers (Cassomir and Oppara), and away from the xenophobic southern border region (which includes the city of Zimar).
The catacombs of Oppara are a mix of ancient sewer lines, natural caves, and old city streets and buildings buried centuries or even millennia ago. The ground beneath the city is literally honeycombed by countless tunnels and chambers. The catacombs have been used throughout Oppara’s history as a meeting place for secret organisations. Oppara was supposedly founded over 6,000 years ago by the last descendants of ancient Azlant, and its catacombs are said to contain a few deep ruins dating back to this time.
The catacombs twist and turn, the passages ranging in width from narrow five-foot crawlspaces to massive twenty- foot avenues. The walls and floors vary in material from rough-hewn stone to cobblestone to moldering wooden boardwalks. The current stone passage spans a width of twenty- feet and features dozens of smaller, five- and ten-foot-wide, round tunnels branching off every few yards. The air is dry and still.
The human woman Xene and the halfling woman named Sophone seem to be the only cultists privy to the Vault’s location. They navigate the catacombs from memory, often counseling one another privately when unsure which way to go. More than once they double back after reaching a dead end, evidence that their knowledge of the tunnel systems is not perfect.
After taking the wrong turn, Cressyk is the only one who seems to have noticed an increase in cobwebs along the corridor, and sure enough, he is the sole adventurer to notice the big, far black spider hanging from the ceiling of the dungeon, ready to spring the attack on a nice snack.
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Surprise round (all surprised except Cressyk
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Malena
Marra
Vesparo
Cressyk
Rhanloi
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Spider
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The spider clicks in anger upon being stabbed, and throws a web at Cressyk, entangling him in a mass of sticky strands
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Malena
Marra
Vesparo
Cressyk - Webbed (DC 12 Str or Esc (each at -4) to break free)
Rhanloi
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Spider (11)
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As swiftly as the threat emerged, so swiftly Vesparo finishes it off with a fine stroke of the rapier. A dead arachnid, pierced through the brain, falls to floor, its legs curled up.
After another hour of walking through the subterranean maze, the adventures, and the refugees, finally reach their goal. In the center of a large, natural cavern, easily more than forty feet in height, stands the ruin of a truly ancient temple constructed of chipped grey and white marble. Its domed roof collapsed long ago, but the structure is otherwise in remarkably good shape. Where doors must once have hung, a small campfire now burns, surrounded by piles of ragged but neatly folded bedding.
Seven people sit huddled around the small campfire to ward off the damp and cold of the cavern. As soon as they spot the approaching party, they pick up wooden clubs and leap to their feet suspiciously. One of the refugees calls out, “Well met by moonlight, sisters and brothers, but soon the dawn will come!” Upon hearing the coded greeting, the cultists by the fire set down their weapons and welcome the party and their fellow Sarenites to the camp.
Welcome to the temple of Sarenrae, my name is Akkuret a slim, redheaded human man with pinched features speaks. Please enter and you must be hungry, he continues, offering food and drink.
Akkuret states I'd like to discuss some new developments. His face turns serious Chalfon Dalsine.
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"It pains me to see a fellow Taldan behaving so poorly, a certain breed seem to think that intolerance is a sign of refinement. But it has ever been the opposite, art flourishes when allowed to be exposed to all influences, and is about blending those to create something new that can transcend the old. Men like this Dalsine are the reason our great Empire stagnates. Anyway, I am Vesparo Dikanadra at your service," Vesparo says sweeping off his mask and bowing with a flourish.
A murderous madman. His grudge is not with us, even though he led this ruthless attack on our cult, but with the Society.
He was one of you once Akkuret start his lengthy story, telling about the dandy boy Dalsine, his aspirations to become a Pathfinder, his failure to abide by Society rules leading to his eventual expulsion.
Chalfon left Absalom angry and bitter, and spent the next few years roaming the Inner Sea region in search of distractions. He sampled the more exotic wares found in the markets of Sothis and Katapesh, lost and gained fortunes in the darkest gambling dens of Ilizmagorti and Riddleport, and drank strong mead in the cold longhouses of Kalsgard.
On one of these trips, Dalsine met a young Pathfinder named Kormiggon Sussworth in a seedy tavern. Kormiggon was slowly becoming disenchanted with the Society and spoke of a group called the Shadow Lodge, which aimed to supplant the inefficient and feckless Decemvirate. Since Chalfon blamed the Pathfinder hierarchy for many of his own problems, he and Kormiggon quickly became friends.
Through his continued correspondence with the Shadow Lodge member Kormiggon Sussworth, he made contact with an influential and radical member of the Lodge’s hierarchy—a secretive agent known only as the Spider. The Spider offered Chalfon an incredible opportunity: if the Taldan noble helped bring down the Pathfinder Society in Taldor, he would receive his pick of the artifacts found in the Society’s vault in Absalom once the Shadow Lodge brought the Decemvirate to its knees.
An informant placed in the Lion Blades informed Chalfon that they had been spying on a secret and illegal cult of Sarenrae worshipers hiding in Oppara who called themselves the Dawnflower Blossoms. A Keleshite member of the cult named Khismia happened to be the youngest sister of a Qadiran noblewoman named Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri, the faction leader for the Qadiran loyalists within the Pathfinder Society.
Chalfon has now devised a plan to pit Pasha Muhlia against his own cousin, the Baron Jacquo Dalsine - who you might know as the leader of the Pathfinder's Taldor faction.
Khismia died during the raid. Khismia died as part of the plan to set up the Pasha against the Baron.
Listening to the story of Akkurat, Marra and Malena get the feeling that despite all the information he is providing, Akkurat is leaving something out, on purpose.
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Rhanloi's raven croaks something in a strange language - the first time you have actually heard it speak!
"সে বলছে আপনি না হয় কিছু একটা সমস্যা হয়েছে ..."
Rhanloi nods, then looks at Marra and Malena who also seem to sense something is not quite right with the story. He turns to the man and says, "My familiar belieives there is something you are not telling us. He has a very reliable sense for the truth. So, Akkuret, tell us everything if you want our assistance..."