Venture Captain Sheila Heidmarch was the one to summon you to Magnimar before you set out aboard the Winking Wyvern in the morning, but she is not the only one with interest in your expedition to Rivenrake Island. Letters from your various faction leaders arrive almost as soon as you set foot in the Lodge in Magnimar.
It is my understanding that the excavation on Rivenrake Isle has been a long and most grueling effort for the workers hired by the Society. The Aspis Consortium spreads rumors that we treat people in our employ with brutality. As we wish to maintain a reputation as a fair and humane employer, see to it that any of the workers who may have sustained injury in the course of their labors receives appropriate care. The archaeologists and agents can see after themselves (they’re loyal Pathfinders, after all), but effort must be exerted to prove that the Society has a proper concern for even our laborers.
Success!
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin
It has been brought to my attention that your mission calls you into the ruins of Bakrakhan—a place known for depravity and violence. Our prayers go with you in that dark place, where I hope you can bring some light. Cults in Bakrakhan were said to have appalling practices such as sacrificing unwilling victims, malforming their bones and bodies into inhuman forms, and displaying the preserved bodies in their temples like trophies. If you should come across such unfortunates, anoint their remains with the holy oil I provide with this note. We believe this simple act releases souls suffering unspeakable torment.
May Right Prevail,
Ollysta Zadrian
Your task on Rivenrake Island puts you in close proximity to an errant servant of mine who appears to have forgotten her commitments. Halla Beusophis is a Pathfinder archaeologist of some skill working at the Xin-Bakrakhan dig site. She has failed to follow through on a contract signed with me. I require that you firmly remind her of her legal obligations which seems to have slipped her mind—doubtlessly the fault lies in my sweet and indulgent nature. Persuade dear Halla that wisdom lies in abiding by the terms of our contract regarding “the Egorian business”—use those words, and also inform her that I will soon pay a visit to Egorian myself. Remind her that I upheld my end of the bargain, and she has yet to do the same.
My Most Tender Regards,
Paracountess Zarta Dralneen
A sea journey lies in your immediate future and I require that you bear a gift to the captain of your ship. Haerla Skolet is her name. Our sources report that she has family in Janderhoff’s mercantile community. Present her with the enclosed jeweled sextant and request that she serve as an agent of our interests—future rewards would be forthcoming. As a way of sealing this little deal, ask that she reveal the names of two Janderhoff trade officials who might be ripe for a bit of blackmail or bribery. Those names are worth far more than the six gems fixed to the sextant. As always, let discretion be your watchword.
Warmest Regards,
Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam
The Vanderales merchant family based in Magnimar sometimes hires out skilled labor to landowners and organizations around Varisia. They have a reputation for ruthlessness with such laborers and deal harshly with anyone stirring up unrest. We wish to establish a clandestine presence within this organization as a means of fomenting reform. However, as yet we don’t have the trust of Magnimar’s common people. Vanderales workers are employed at the dig on Rivenrake where your assignment leads you. Please use your powers of persuasion to convince one of them to carry the enclosed message to One-Leg Betram, a well-regarded Vanderales middle manager in the city sympathetic to our concerns. He is more likely to greet our overtures favorably if they come from a Vanderales worker.
For Freedom!
Major Colson Maldris
We are most interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the faiths of the ancient Thassilonians, since the curse that has befallen the Ruby Prince came from that ancient place. Your trip to the Rivenrake dig offers the perfect opportunity. Should you come upon any priestly vestments, shrine engravings, or other religious accoutrements, please examine them for inscriptions or interesting designs, making precise copies for our further investigation. Your efforts to expand our comprehension of antiquity are most appreciated, and it may be the key to healing the Ruby Prince—blessings be upon his exalted name.
With Duty to Our Ancestors,
Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage
It’s been said that in order to secure the future, one must first secure the past. A rather precious item was pilfered from an excavation sponsored by the crown a few years back—a rare jade figurine of a two-headed lion. This item is an insignia of a prominent house which has since relocated to Magnimar. If we can retrieve this item, perhaps we can reinvigorate the sense of aristocracy they once had in Taldor. The thief was reportedly an archaeologist and foreigner—Keleshite, I believe—named Kovo Murse. I understand your most recent endeavor takes you to his latest dig on Rivenrake Island. Our agents have surmised that Murse has kept the lion for himself. I require that you retrieve it, through use of reason or wrath, I care not which—deal how you see fit
with one who would steal our national heritage from us.
For the Everlasting Glory of the Empire,
Lady Gloriana Morilla
Roused from sleep and herded aboard the Winking Wyvern, the party sails urgently for Rivenrake Island and the ruins of Xin-Bakrakhan, ancient capital of the Thassilonian Runelord of Wrath. A note from Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch informs the group that a Society-funded dig team has uncovered a totally intact temple that appears to be associated with the goddess Lissala, buried for 10,000 years. Given the fresh revelations that this long-thought-dead cult is thriving and allied with the Aspis Consortium, it’s a truly wonderful find, providing an unprecedented opportunity to gain knowledge of this forgotten faith. Even if the site turns out to not be dedicated to Lissala, learning more about the faiths and practices of ancient Thassilon always provides an abundance of knowledge. Often the items they use in their rituals lead to clues about the cults.
By now the work crew has finished clearing the site—the time to explore its secrets is at hand. The Society has no exclusive contract to the site, and Aspis Consortium agents scour the countryside seeking such ripe targets, so time is of the essence. Archaeologists Halla Beusophis and Kovo Murse can answer questions when the group arrives, and a fellow Pathfinder ranger, Riemme Batelle, is already on the island, ready to join in this exciting endeavor. Sheila Heidmarch has given the party a charge: eliminate the ancient temple’s dangers so that Society scholars can study the ruins safely, and bring back whatever knowledge lies within.
As you board the Winking Wyvern, one of the crew quietly leads you down into the hold to your quarters. The voyage will only take a day or two, so there's no need to settle in too much, but before leaving you to get comfortable, the crewman turns and hands a leather satchel to one of you. "Here," he says gruffly, "Letters* left for you lot last night, not that I'm your ruddy post-man..." He turns and begins to leave, then stops and calls back over his shoulder, "Oh, and if ya need to talk to someone aboard the ship, go to Captain Skolet. The rest of us got work to do, but the Captain says she can spare ya a few moments of her time if ya needs it."
With that, you are left to your quarters to discuss the upcoming mission, read your letters, and introduce yourselves to one another.
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Dressed only in shades of black and grey, a dull magma skinned half-orc, whose hood obscures most of his facial features, approaches the group and gives a hearty, perhaps unwelcoming, grunt as he eyes and studies the features of the party. Four daggers made of silver and cold iron hang tightly on his belt, his handy haversack never leaves his possession at any time throughout the course of the journey, and a round mithral shield covers the back of the haversack.
"Kelumur." He responds bluntly revealing a gruff voice.
The greenish incorporeal phantom stands beside his master as a faithful bodyguard.
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A little wayang in shining armor strides up, just done reading his letter. A wide variety of weapons hang at his back and sides. He has massive muscles, but even stranger is his companion: A hulking wallaby taller than him!
"H'lo all," he smiles. "My name's Arnold. This is the Friz. We keep other Pathfinders safe together."
A few hours after you board and the ship sets sail, you hear a loud thumping as someone descends the stairs into the hold. There is a knocking at your door and Captain Haerla Skolet enters. The sturdy dwarven woman closes the door behind her, regards the group of you, and smirks. "Welcome aboard, Pathfinders," she says, "I wanted to come down to see you all before we ever come close to Rivenrake. Give you some time to think things over before we arrive. Any of you lot know anything about Rivenrake? It's supposed to be an old part of the Thassilonian empire, from what I hear. That should be enough to give anyone pause. What have you all heard?"
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The rogue keeps mostly to himself throughout the ship ride, taking the time to meditate and to mentally prepare himself for the journey to come. Although when other's talk to him, he responses but maintains a blunt demeanour keeping conversations short, to the point, and with little elaborations, or intent to keep it going.
At the sight of the captain, Kelumur approaches him respectfully but responses simply and bluntly once more. "I have heard not of it." Turning his eyes to the rest, he waits to see if the others have heard anything of Rivenrake.
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The half orc listens intently, and is pleasantly surprised by the information the elf divulged.
Kelumur finds himself deep in thought attempting to construct a preparation plan for journey, and hopes the captain would be able enlighten him with more information."Captain, perhaps you would know if cultist and demon dangers that peril the location?"
"And what would we know of the Vanderales merchants and their labourers? Any information at this point could be pertinent to the success of this mission."
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The halfling raises an eyebrow at the mention of demons. "I'm sorry, did I hear that right? We're supposed to go spelunking for demons and demon worshippers?"
Cade glances down at the pair of kukris in front of him; one laid out on a towel, the other in hand as he oils the weapon. Frowning, he looks back up, "I think we might need something bigger."
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Orophin, a little green at the gills from the motion of the ship smiles as well he can to the rest of the crew.
"Last time I felt like this was a trip to the Gloompsires" he moans.
"What else can you tell us about the Thassilonian empire captain?" asks the singer. "And the current situation in Rivenrake. Also what do you know of the Vanderales merchant family?"
The captain answers each of your questions in turn.
"Yeah, I've heard the place used to be full chock full of cultists. And where there's cultists there's bound to be...other things. I'd be careful if I were you."
"I think some of the workers the Pathfinders hired for the crew were contracted from the Vanderales family. I imagine there'll be someone there you can talk to about it if you were looking to make a connection. That's about all I know about it, though."
"The Thassilonian empire...let's see. Well it was a big empire from ages ago I think. Ruled by a bunch of crazy wizards or something like that if I remember right. From what I've heard, nothing good has ever come from digging too deep into old Thassilonian ruins, so be careful!"
With that, she wishes you well, lets you know that the ship should arrive at Rivenrake in the morning, and leaves you to go attend to her duties.
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Orophin takes a sip of wine to try and settle his stomach from the rocking ship. "I agree that we should rest up, but it may be helpful to know each others skills. Arnold is almost certainly correct in that if our mission is to remove dangers... well we can be almost assured there are some."
He turns to the captain. "Do you know anything abou the dangers that have prompted our mission...ones that have presumably already caused suffering and injury?"
To the rest of the group he remarks "I am first and foremost a singer. But also a lover of life. Life incarnate is what inspires me, and I sing with joy of it."
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Flyn nods to Orophin. "I have journeyed with several Pathfinders whom were singers...and most were very talented...'cept for a fellow by the name of Kramac. He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket...but he was as brave and ferocious a fighter as I've met...
"As for me, I'm a fair shot with my bow and can provide cover for you all from range. I can scout as needed; I have a knack for concealing myself and keeping an eye out for danger. I also have a bit of skill picking locks and disabling traps...but I suspect my new friend Kelumur is far more skillful than I in that regard.
"I look forward to serving with each of you on this mission."
He turns to the captain. "Do you know anything abou the dangers that have prompted our mission...ones that have presumably already caused suffering and injury?"
"Sorry, no. I don't know anything about what exactly you're likely to face. We star on board as much as possible when we have to make port at Rivenrake, y'know?"
After your chat with the captain, the rest of the voyage progresses smoothly, and you arrive early the next morning. The harbor closest to the Xin-Bakrakhan dig silted over hundreds of years ago, so the Winking Wyvern drops anchor and sends you ashore in a pair of launches. Greeting you are a half-dozen bedraggled souls living in rugged tents sufficient for four times their number. They're led by a grim-looking woman in work clothes, with signs of emotional strain and fatigue lining her face. She introduces herself as Halla Beusophis, lead archaeologist on the temple dig.
“Thank goodness you’ve arrived,” begins the careworn Pathfinder. “Two days ago workers at the dig site were attacked, by what or whom I don’t know. I was here at camp when it happened. Only a single worker escaped—Shadaq, who crawled back here, bleeding from a dozen terrible injuries. The wounds were mortal and none of us here possessed the skill to aid him. Before he died we got little information. He told us of the attack, said everyone had been, ‘gutted like game birds.’ His last words—as his eyes violently rolled back in his head—were ‘Lissala is angry, but so am I.’
“The six of us are all that’s left—myself and these five hired excavators. They’ve refused to go back to the site and I didn’t dare go alone. We’ve been huddled in these damned tents since Wealday, waiting for your arrival. I’ll take you to the dig myself, but I don’t know what we’ll find. If Shadaq’s words are true, it won’t be pretty. Only the gods know whether those same attackers lie in wait.”
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Orophin helps unload the pathfinder teams gear. As he does so he talks with both the woman and the workers.
"I'm Orophin, and before we depart, perhaps you could tell us more about the threats you faced previously. They must have been significant in order to request extra help. "
He looks around for signs of the body. "Did you bury the man, or might we inspect his wounds? "
Later, when he gets one of the labourers aside, he asks "[b]When you return to Magnimar, I have a message for a friend there. do you think you could carry it for me?
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Flyn listens with empathy to Halla. "Yes, m'lady, of course we will travel there with you and get to the bottom of this. How fare you and the surviving workers? Do you need any immediate aid or resources before we depart?"
The Elf then answers Arnold. "Lissala was the goddess of fate, runes, and reward of service in Thassilon...once upon a time she was widely worshipped here...before a more fiendish worship took hold..."
Flyn will check on Halla and the worker's well-being before they head to the excavation site....
Halla responds gravely, running her hands through her short hair and busying herself by tying it back. “You've put it well, Master Elf. Our understanding until recently was that Lissala's worship died with the collapse of Thassilon, though her worship was not appreciated by all of the Runelords. In the days of the empire she was a god who demanded discipline and obedience, harsh and exacting. Toward the end of the empire, worship became corrupted into a more brutal affair. Uncovered evidence shows that there was also a fair amount of demon worship taking place here in Bakrakhan. Some of the carvings on the temple suggest human sacrifice and otherworldly creatures, though I need more time to study those carvings for real certainty. That’s why you’re here—to make it safe for us to study. I don't know exactly what kind of creatures might luck in the temple, but they're no small threat from what we've seen so far.”
When Orophin asks to see Shadaq's body, she sighs sadly at the thought of digging up the poor man, but still shouts a command to a passing worker to go and retrieve Shadaq. The worker nods and collects a fellow to help him, and they set about the work of digging up a shallow grave nearby.
Halla thanks Flyn for the offer of aid and resources, but assures him that the camp is well-provisioned, especially now that the majority of the crew has been killed.
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Kelumur listens intently as his eyes gaze around the camp. "These are unusual circumstances, let us inspect the body for clues and then make haste towards the dig site. I fear for the worst." The half orc keeps a somber expression throughout the time, and then turns the conversation to the Liberty Edges' interest. "Clearly, these conditions are unacceptable, and there is a clear abuse of advantage of these men to a point that so many have perish, I am disappointed and infuriated. And I hope that you would be able to help us send a message to One-Leg Betram. The Pathfinders take this seriously." Sternly he expresses his interest.
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Orophin, having asked about the body, studiously avoids getting too close to it. Instead he entertains the workers with songs. These are not the bawdy songs that laborers might normally prefer but rather somber yet still cheerful. Songs that speak of family and reuniting with loved ones. Hope and troubles overcome.
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Kelumur listens intently as his eyes gaze around the camp. "These are unusual circumstances, let us inspect the body for clues and then make haste towards the dig site. I fear for the worst." The half orc keeps a somber expression throughout the time, and then turns the conversation to the Liberty Edges' interest. "Clearly, these conditions are unacceptable, and there is a clear abuse of advantage of these men to a point that so many have perish, I am disappointed and infuriated. And I hope that you would be able to help us send a message to One-Leg Betram. The Pathfinders take this seriously." Sternly he expresses his interest.
Cade studies the group of survivors as Kelumur mentions the message to One-Leg Betram so see if anyone shows subtle interest or reacts differently.
There seems to be some slight interest in Kelumur's message, but all the workers are too scared to do anything about it at the moment. Finally, one of the workers approaches the half-orc and reassures him, "Listen, Halla and the rest of your Pathfinder friends have treated us pretty good, but now's really not the time. Maybe we can talk about this more after we're done getting attacked by gods know what from inside that temple. Besides, it's not like we didn't know there was some risk. It kinda comes with the gig." The worker turns to Bartolomey and thanks him for the offer of medical attention, but it seems no one at the camp is injured. It was just those who were working by the temple who suffered harm. Orophin's song helps to ease some of their fears, and you are sure that they will be very accommodating when you return from your work in the temple.
The group's search, though thorough, doesn't produce anything too useful. At least, not until Shadaq's body is exhumed and brought before you. Almost instantly, Flyn recognizes the sure signs of wounds inflicted by bladed weapons, claws, and teeth, the latter definitely not human.
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Flyn grimaces after examining the body. "Gutted like game birds, indeed...claws and teeth...whatever attacked them, definitely wasn't humanoid...
"We should leave for the temple as soon as Halla is ready..."
When everyone is ready, if Halla will tell us the way to the temple, Flyn will draw his bow and scout ahead of the party a bit, conceal himself as he can and keep an eye out for trouble...he'll also be on the alert for any tracks he might find...
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"Mmmm..." Kelumur lets a low hum as he contemplates at the sight of the gruesome death. "Whatever it is, this monster, it is dangerous. We best keep our weapons at the ready." As the mention of weapons, he flicks a dagger into his right hand and retrieves his shield on his back with his other. "I am also ready.."
"I suggest we tread with caution, Flyn and I could perhaps scout the perimeter under the cover of darkness. Should we find ourselves in danger..." He pauses dramatically, "...you would know."
The extensive ruins of the ancient city begin a mere stone’s throw from the shore, but the dig site itself is a 2-mile trek. Halla accompanies the group to the temple site, and it’s an uneventful trip, even for those scouting ahead. Hulking mounds of the long-dead city are all around and the presence of Hollow Mountain and Alaznist‘s hateful visage glower high above.
Coming closer to the area surrounding the temple, you find it littered with rocks, loose soil, and bits of excavation debris, make reaching the site slow and tricky. You soon find yourselves in front of the entrance to a mighty temple, nonetheless. This breathtaking edifice is constructed of tightly fitted blocks of brown stone covered with intricate engravings depicting humans engaged in acts of terrible self-mutilation. A pillared portico girds the eastern front of the great temple, the carved columns resemble fat, coiled serpents. The structure stands about 20 feet tall, though a great dome rises out of the center another 20 feet. How this place could be more than 10,000 years old defies logic—some sorcery must have preserved the stone.
The stench of blood is the only greeting upon arrival at the excavated temple. Before an imposing stone structure lie a few stripped and eviscerated bodies bearing terrible wounds that go far beyond the marks of battle in their viciousness, and furrows in the fresh dirt indicating that others have been dragged inside. Halla covers her mouth to stifle a cry, then rushes to the side of one of the bodies, falling to her knees.
“Kovo! Oh, Kovo, look how they butchered you!”
Flyn and Bartolomey find that the wounds on these bodies are similar to those found on Shadaq’s corpse, with the addition of more vicious mutilation that your closer inspection identifies as postmortem. In fact, it appears that some of the bodies have been feasted upon.
After a few moments of mourning over her colleague’s battered and bloody body, Halla rallies and aids in examining the gruesome scene. She reports that others are missing: Pathfinder Riemme Batelle, two dig workers named Pel and Saala, and four laborers. A check of the surrounding area doesn’t turn them up, though you do find a masterwork longsword coated with dried blood, a half-full quiver of arrows, and a broken longbow—Halla identifies them as belonging to Riemme.