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sorry I am taking so long. I was trying to decide if I wanted to try out a different class with this character before I get to level 2. I can seem to make a decision though. I'll just go with this one, unless I'm able to make up my mind before our 1st encounter.
What all do we have in the way of roles? Smarmy, melee rogue I'm guessing? I though someone was an alchemist, anyone know if he was bomber, melee, ect?
Gm mentioned a non casting paladin, is he gonna be melee also then?
What else we got. My current is a blasty sorcerer, I was toying with wizard or arcanist focusing on buffs/debuffs.
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here, making sure to dot so it shows up.
My gunslinger, is partial melee. Round 1, move and shoot already loaded gun. since he don't have rapid reload to reduce loading gun as a move action, then...
Round 2, drop gun as free action and withdraw melee weapon as part of a move action, go into melee. at later levels he will be all about using his gun with rapid reload for pepperbox hopefully, but for now, melee every combat rounds 2 and up.
as far as skills, though a dwarf, but he has longjumper(-4 to jumps from speed, +5 to long jumps from trait) and has a rank in acrobatics, so if you need someone to go somewhere, he is there. also a skill in bluff if needed. And good perception at level 1 for traps, treasure and enemies that decide to try an ambush.
Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng’s appearance in the middle of the night is surprising only due to his unfamiliar accomplice, a burly man dressed in full Isgeri military trappings. “Pardon the intrusion,” Drandle says as he juggles the numerous scrolls and writing materials precariously balanced in his arms, “but I have a request that is of utmost importance to ask of all you. I’m afraid we have something of a situation on our hands.”
“It is perhaps well known among the Pathfinder Society that trade is vital to our organization. Not for any monetary gain, of course, but because we rely heavily on overland caravan routes and trading lanes at sea to get important documents, treasures, and personnel from central Avistan to the Inner Sea. When such materials are of particular import, we have even been known to use more illicit modes of transportation, such as caravans operated by the Sczarni organized crime syndicate.”
“It appears that a number of such Sczarni caravans, carrying important cargo for delivery to the Pathfinder Society, have recently begun to go missing along their more discreet trade routes from Cheliax to Druma, a little-known path that runs through the Chitterwood in Isger. Of course, the route along the Conerica River would be viable for more legitimate operations, but oftentimes we can’t afford to be forestalled with matters such as customs, tariffs, and inspectors, especially when such hindrances could also potentially result in the arrest of our business partners. Alas, I digress...”
“I have agreed to work with the local Sczarni leader, Guaril Karela, in order to reclaim the caravan route through Isger’s Chitterwood. That’s where you come in. I have made all the arrangements necessary to ship you to Isger in the morning, where you’ll meet the caravan you are tasked with escorting through the goblinoid-infested woods. In the meantime, I have summoned the honored Isgeri war hero Gaspar Desime to help answer any questions you might have about your upcoming visit to the Chitterwood. Guaril Karela is also available and can answer any questions you have about the caravan you’ll be guarding, though I believe he is currently stationed at his shop in the Docks district.”
An imposing man with chiseled Chelish features and an elaborately bedecked uniform, Desime steps forward as Dreng finishes, ”So, almost 2 decades ago a horde of goblinoids poured out the Chitterwood in Isgar, raping and pillaging the countryside. No one was safe, no one was spared. That is, until some fellow Hellknights and I took the mantle of leadership to form an alliance with Andoran Eagle Knights and the Mercenary League of Druma to slaughter those monsters and prevent the nation of Isgar from becoming a goblin wasteland.”
With a self-important look, he glances down at the medals on his chest ”Ultimately, we were victorious after burning down most of the Chitterwood to prevent them from hiding inside. Subsequently, whatever remained of those retches retreated underground.”
”Dreng said you might have questions.” He adds, looking impatient.
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A man, bald in his early to mid 30s stands straight as a board in front of the Captain and his accompaniment. His eyes and wrinkles show a wisdom, that he has acquired through years of training and teachings. He hopes to pass some of his knowledge learned off to the next generation, lest it be lost in the ripples of time. He has a eastern weapon slung across his back, but otherwise is loosely armed for combat. He wears a bandolier across his body, with a handful of potions, oils and vials to meet troubleshoot any task.
He listens intently to the men, then asks a few questions on his mind, You mentioned you burnt the woods down to accomplish the mission. What is the current state of the woods and what possible dangers lie in the woods? How long is the stretch of road we are needing to "reclaim" for the Society and it's partners?
Desime fields Valik's questions, "The majority of the Chitterwood was burned down, although there is still some forest left. You'll want to concern yourself more with the caverns in the area, that's where the remainder of the goblin forces fled at the end of the war."
“That being said, you will probably face nothing more than bandits, probably relying on the harrowing stories surrounding the Chitterwood to deceive and waylay travelers. Do not be surprised, though, if you encounter a hobgoblin or bugbear. I hear the city of Logas can still maintain a steady supply of fresh goblin heads for the pikes surrounding their walls, so there are apparently plenty of goblinoids to still be found.”
"I don't know the specfics of your mission, you'll have to speak to Karela about that."
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A dwarf, well dressed, and impeccably groomed, moves right up front during the meeting, so as to be readily noticeable.
He continually reacts during the briefing, agreeing when it seems like he should be, frowning and shaking his head when that seems the more appropriate reaction.
He ignores his companions entirely, clearly looking to pay attention and perhaps garner favor with Drandle Dreng and Gaspar.
Finally, when the initial briefing is completed, and Desime asks for questions, he interjects. "It is truly an honor that you have taken the time to speak with us in person on this matter!" He says unctuously, addressing Gaspar. "That some foul force threatens the good folks of Isger and these caravan travelers, trying to undo your valiant work to protect them is most heinous indeed!"
He smiles ingratiatingly. "Although we do not have nearly the might or presence of the Hellknights, we will do our best to discover the source of these attacks."
"Are there still any of your order, or perhaps those of the Eagle Knights, Mercenary League, or other allies in the area we can turn to for assistance, should we have need of it?" He asks.
His eyes gleam slightly as he adds, almost absently, "And do we know what the caravan will be transporting?
"None of those groups are currently active in the area, the nation of Isger polices there now. I imagine they have their hands full, so I doubt you can call on the assistance of any local forces. Dreng says you are well trained Pathfinders, I doubt you'll need anyone to help you." Desime replies to Smarmy with a smug snort.
Drandle Dreng nods vigorously in agreement and says, "You'll have to discuss all the specifics of the caravan with Guaril Karela."
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Its a honor to meet such famous pathfinder as your self Mr Dreng also you Mr Desime. Moadis says with a bow before continuinng.
But it troubles me that the Society would ask me to break the law and in a foreign nation It makes me reconsider if I was right in joining in the first place. The old paladin says saddened.
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Smarmy frowns slightly as Moadis speaks up, but it quickly disappears replaced by a friendly smile. "We are not here to break laws, but to locate bandits, friend."
He tone gets a little tense, although the smile continues. "Or are you not concerned about the caravans disappearing, and the fates of those who worked them?"
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Standing near the back of the room, a tall, if lanky, half-elf steps up . Garbed in what appears to be well-used but maintained Andoran dress armor that could easily predate the young man, he has an unstrung longbow, a full quiver, and a large hammer strapped to his back. The front of his harness, however is covered in little holders and pouches full of little vials and other sundry items. Having listened to the conversation, he also frowns at Moadis' comments, but he doesn't replace his smile.
"From the sounds of it, this is probably just basic mercenary work, and unless there are local laws we don't know about," with this he gives Desime a quick look, "It should be perfectly legal. Also bandits and gobliniods are likely not legally protected and, thus protecting ourselves may not be a consideration... The nature of the caravans themselves, we would probably best do with not asking. However , we are, hopefully, not transporting items illegal to hold or transport in Isgar... and, if nothing else, this helps the Society continue their beneficial missions.... Oh and I am Menarul, by the way."
With this he falls silent again.
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A small gnome cheerfully walks into the room. He pulls out a coffee bean and throws it into his mouth, and walk around pleasantly greeting everyone, and offering each their own coffee bean to eat.
"Good morning... Hello... Pleased to meet you... Glad to join the party... did I miss anyone? My name is Twitnit Flamefinger. I'm excited to begin our next mission with each of you. Does anyone know where we are going. Have you all journeyed together before. Did you eat a hearty breakfast. What's that symbol on your lapel. I seem to control aspects of the flame it manifests inside me and comes in handy during when our work leans on the more dangerous side. It also helps heat up a nice cup of coffee. My gifts are at your service."
With that, Twitnit finds a place around the rest of the pathfinders and waits impatiently for their instructions. He can't seem to stand still for more than a minute before he has to move to another location and repeat his behavior.
Gaspar Desime seems amused at Moadis' objection to the mission, while Dreng appears confused for a moment before adding, "Well, uh, be that as it may, don't do anything illegal if you don't feel like it." He gives Moadis a sage-like nod as if giving him excellent advice, then shepherds the group out towards Karela's shop.
The group then makes it way to the Docks district in Absalom to the Pickled Imp. Karela’s curio store seems dark and cramped, regardless of the time of day. The dirty windows block most outside light, leaving the inside of the store permanently encased in shadow. Rows upon rows of shelves filled with knickknacks, baubles,and trinkets—all of varying levels of quality and authenticity—run the length of the store, leaving little room for people to move about.
From somewhere behind the shelves, Karela, acting as shopkeep, shouts a greeting to potential customers as they enter. Once he sees your group he waves you over, "Greetings, greetings. I see some familiar faces among you. I can only guess it's part of that thing I talked to Dreng about."
Karela seems to be legitimately working there, as far as Tusk can tell. Maybe his business isn't exactly selling curios, but he definitely appears to own the place.
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Smarmy steps forward, a wide smile of greeting on his face. "Well met again." He begins, with a slight bow. "Yes, we are here to assist in any way we can. The fates of these missing caravans and their members is our greatest concern." He doesn't quite glance at Moadis here.
"Perhaps you can tell us more of the specifics, to aid in this endeavor!"
"There's not much to it." Karela replies with a grin plastered on his face, "I have sent instructions informing the caravan to meet you a few miles south of Logas. I shall have my associate Kazrin meet you in Logas and he should be able to direct you to the rendezvous point. From there, the caravan crew will lead you through the Chitterwood. You just have to serve as guards, and, if you get the opportunity, try to track down the source of the attacks.”
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"I may be asking something I shouldn't, but it would be good to know if we are helping to transport anything that requires special consideration. For example, if we are moving large quantities of alchemist's fire, I would love to know if the cargo will possibly explode before it does... Otherwise I don't want to know anything about what we are moving."
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Twitnit pops a coffee bean in his mouth and walks up the counter, so close the shopkeep can only see Twitnit's nose almost touching the countertop.
"Karela! How have you been? We were sent to help you. The place looks nice. How's business been? Got any new merchandise? Last time you gave me some really tasty orange candy! Have you got any more? These coffee beans don't seem to have any effect on me anymore. What's Chitterwood?"
"With respect for the privacy of our clients, I cannot tell you what we are transporting, but I can tell you it's probably not likely to explode." Karela replies to Menarul, then answers Twitnit, "If you want to talk privately after this, I can set you up with all kinds of treats. I'm doing well, business is booming so to speak."
"The Chitterwood is a burned out forest in Isgar, I thought Dreng had someone on tap to explain all that to you already."
"There's undead, bandits, and goblinoids running around in that country, take your pick. I want you to find out what the source of the attack is and keep the caravan safe. I hope it's just bandits, we can usually deal with them real easy." Guaril Karela explains as he pulls out a box full of colorful scarfs from the back of the counter, "Before you leave, each of you should take one of these Varisian scarfs. It'll help my contact identify you when you arrive in Logas."
"He'll find you. He's a Varisian young man named Kazrin, talks too much, can't miss him."
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Twitnit throws back another coffee bean, before making various shapes and covering different parts of his body with the scarf.
"Look! A hat! A broach! A pheridactyl! Or perhaps... a veil! Underwear! A beard! I could do this all day. Karela, in case it comes up, what's more important? The crew or the cargo? What's a good souvenir to bring back from Chitterwood?"
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"That's all I needed to know..." With this he digs through the box until he finds a deep green scarf and wraps it around his neck. After a moment he comments, "Can we keep these after we meet your contact? I rather like it..."
Unable to sit on his hands for such a long period of time Menarul buys a holy water, a holy weapon balm, and the ingredients for 3 vials of acid.
"The scarves are all yours, my friends! Do with them what you will. Between you and me, the craftsmanship in Isgar is poor, so I wouldn't waste your time bringing back anything. I'm sure you'll preserve both my people and the shipment."
As Menarul admires his new scarf, his mind turns to the letter he received from Major Maldris...
Champion of Freedom,
Andoran has long opposed the Chelish slave trade. The Sczarni, always willing to do anything to turn a profit, have been smuggling freed slaves through the Chitterwood and eventually to Andoran or Druma. I have heard that the Sczarni are intending to transport such an escaped slave as part of their next caravan. I need you to look after this now free individual and ensure his safety throughout the journey. I have enclosed a small card, which sports the depiction of a bellflower. Your charge, a halfling by the name of Camon, knows to trust you upon presentation of the card.
Regards,
Major Colson Maldris
After saying goodbye to the legitimate business man Guaril Karela and making a few purchases, the group boards a ship to Andoran.
The journey between Absalom and Isger takes several weeks, first by sea and then by land, until finally ending in front of the gates of the Isgeri city of Logas. The Goblinblood Wars may be over, but the goblinoid threat still lingers, as is made apparent by the rows of fresh goblinoid corpses that hang from pikes along the city’s walls. Every now and then, seemingly at random, a trebuchet from behind the city walls hurls a huge boulder into the forest.
With at least some of you wearing the scarfs provided, you only have to wait a brief period before a young man of obvious Varisian descent approaches the group, eyeing the scars, "Oh hey! You must be the guys I'm looking for! You look like you know your way around a fight, but I have to confess I'm a little disappointed there aren't any ladies joining us from Absalom. I hear the women in that city are super fine. Anyway, the caravan is just a couple of miles south the city, so if you're done admiring the sights of Logas, I'll take you where you need to go. I'm Kazrin by the way, nice to meet you all."
"No worries my dwarven ally, there should be there soon with plenty of room on wagon for you!" Kazrin reassures Tusk on the journey to the wagon.
He soon leads the group to a large, covered wagon pulled by a single horse. Taking a brief look inside, the wagon holds all manner of goods ranging from food, water, tents, bedrolls, as well as several devices that look intended to be traps. There's also several unlabeled boxes whose contents remain a mystery.
Waiting at the wagon are three other individuals that Kazrin happily introduces you to, "That fine lady is Alek, she's one of the guards. She's not much of a talker, but she's good to have at our side in a fight!" Alek gives the party a distrustful look, then turns away.
"Ah, and there is Camon, our halfling passenger! He's just along for the ride, don't mind him." The halfling nods to the group with a pleasant smile, "Hello guys."
Kazrin then finishes his introduction by pointing out an older woman sitting in front of the wagon, holding the horse's reins, "Last and certainly not least, we have Jandri. I'm afraid she's not much of a talker either, but a great guide." The woman narrows her eyes at the young man's description of her, but makes no comment on it.
Jandri does, however, seem eager to get going, "If that's all our guard, we should get started." Kazrin nods, picking a place to sit in the back, while Camon and Alek sit together inside the wagon.
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Menarul spends most of his time on the journey tinkering with the ingredients he bought from Karela and tries to fashion a few vials of acid.
The first week he fails to make anything stronger than lemon juice.
But after having found out whay he missed he soon fixes the ratios and has a viable acid by the mid-point of the second week.
If he cannot work on them, then:
Menarul mostly keeps to himself during the journey, slightly annoyed the boat is not more stable to work on his alchemy. How was he supposed to find ways of making alchemical creations entirely from plants if he cannot work on the basics?
Happily dressed in his scarf, Menarul is admiring the rather impressive trebuchet as the talkative Varisian approaches the group. "Logas certainly has a few sights, but how do you ensure the trebuchet doesn't hit any caravans? Could that and scavengers be the problem with your missing people?" Menarul responds when he gets a chance to put in a few words.
After arriving at the wagon and being introduced to everyone, Menarul gives his name and then sits down next to Camon, and pulls out some of the less volatile ingredients for his bombs and starts fiddling with them. After and hour or so he streches and suggests "It might be a good idea to get out and walk some, staying couped up in a wagon all day is not very good for you... We might even be able to find some edible berries or some loke on the way." With this he gives a hard, somewhat pleading glance to Camon.
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At the Pickled Imp Moadis just keeps out of the way looking miserable with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Luckly he does not suffer from sea sickness and the trip goes by without any incidents.
In his bitter mood he is not impressed by the young varisian and chooses to remain in silence. After walking from one battle to the next carring a polearm over his shoulder for most of his life he is more than happy to take a seat in one of the wagons.
He picks the one with the silent female warrior, he doesn't feel like talking much either.
"Oh, the trebuchets are no trouble, they're carefully calibrated to only hit uncivilized areas with no roads. Anyone who has any experience navigating the area knows the areas to avoid and Jandri has plenty of that!" Kazrin answers Menarul's inquiry with a laugh.
As the wagon begins moving, Kazrin seems pleased to have someone to talk to in Smarmy, although he tends to monopolize the conversation with various jokes and the occasional Varisian legend. The other caravan members speak very little, but at least Camon tries to be polite.
When the caravan stops mid-afternoon for a bathroom break, Menarul finds an opportunity to speak privately to Camon, although he notes that Alek stations herself close to the halfling and seems to be keeping him in line of sight.
Although he masks it through his gregarious nature, Kazrin is trying to hide that he's quite nervous and fearful. Camon is afraid as well, but also quite happy about something.
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Valik, nods at the three individuals. He smiles at everyone, and as the caravan heads out he wals along side it. He keeps his eyes and ears open to the land around him.
He will make idle chat with whoever wishes to, but doesn't go out of his way to initiate conversation. He is focused on the road to notice anyone's outward display of emotion.
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Smarmy does his best to listen attentively, though as he begins to realize that these people have no particular influence to peddle, the interest soon becomes feigned.... though he's quite good at concealing it.
He does notices Kazrin's and Camon's worry, and surreptitiously pays more attention to those two in particular as the trip continues in case either of them are complicit in some way in the caravan troubles.
Also, he puts the scarf away, out of sight.
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Menarul spends most of his time focused on what is going on around the wagon, that he doesn't pay much attention to the people around him. After being rebuked, he moves out of the wagon and starts walking for a way. While doing so he starts writing a note.
During the afternoon break...
-Menarul