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Beyond the Dwarven bridge, know as the Path of Commencement, the mountain pass winds down into the southwestern border of Druma. A golden-framed signpost illustrating the region is the only notable landmark denoting the border. The map depicts the entire nation of Druma, with important landmarks and cities denoted by sparkling gems. It looks like there’s something special about this map.
By the time you enter eyesight of the landmark, a half-dozen soldiers approach to investigate. “Hello, I am Colonel Hachren of Druma’s Mercenary League. What is the purpose of your travel to Druma?”
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Tiny snaps a salute to the colonel, his mask buffed to a fresh shine and his free hand resting on the shoulder of 'his' prisoner.
"Greetings, Colonel! We are here for the reason all come to Druma, yes-- trade? To protect business interest and to profit?"
He produces the documents that the trade prince had given them to facilitate things with the government officials. "Please to be inspecting, sir!"
Hand back on the archer's shoulder, Tiny adds, "Two of our number are actually bandits! They attacked us in the mountains. Some are now dead. These two, we thought, should be presented for Druman justice. They have given no trouble on the journey."
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Raven would simply nod her head at the women and step away. She knew when her words were worthless in a situation. The two bandits were alive and that was all that mattered to her in the end. Still, she wished she could have at least found out where all that hate from the elf came.
She would be a bit quiet along the journey until they finally meet up with the soldiers.
"Good afternoon. My friend here speaks the truth. It was a rather peaceful trip until we were attacked. Nothing that was not taken care of in the end how ever."
Raven would produce her identification papers as well before speaking again.
"Do you by chance have the authority to place these men under arrest? While they did attack us I do expect them to be treated with the dignity befitting a unarmed man."
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The Colonel nods and informs you, ”Ah, excellent. I have been expecting you. Temel Passad gave advanced warning to us that he would be receiving guests from the Pathfinder Society. How was your journey? I hope these two did not give you much trouble.”
After inspecting the documents, he shares, "Well done! These Isgeri bandits have plagued travelers on the Path of Commencement for weeks now. It has bothered us that I could not order my forces to cross the border to deal with it." he complains.
"I can indeed place these two under arrest, they will be sent to the mines to work out whatever ideas they had about breaking the law for a few years."
He points toward the map, full of glowing gems "I assume you'll be on your way to Kerse then?"
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Solstice stands demurely, head down, behind the leaders without adding any comment. You may have noticed after the battle, that she has a very different personality when in a battle or direct confrontation. Almost like she comes alive and trades her humble personae for a vibrant forceful one.
She glances towards Syndra, expecting an outburst now that the prisoners are being handed over.
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Dru nods to the guard, "Thank you for your professionalism. Some among the party-" she resists glancing at Syndra- "were worried you would immediately hang them. I tried to explain that the good people of Druma are law-abiding.
We are new to your land. What can you tell us about Druma, Kerse, or Alabastrine itself? And do you know anything of the bidding process?"
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The captain looks at the Wayang, "Sure, of course. Temel did warn me that you Pathfinders were likely to be a bit odd. You'll find something special about the map as well!"
As Kivuli touches a gem while placing his paper over the map, the brilliant ruby produces a magic mouth effect that relays the name of the location in Common, as well as the appropriate distance.
"Yes, we are fortunate that within our lands there is rarely any law-breaking. Markets perform best in times of stability and peace, after all. Druma is a nation of merchants, and Kerse is the center of most of our trade networks. The bidding is an elaborate process, which I believe Temel Passad will be much better suited to explain."
After Kivuli is done with his rubbing, he asks "Well Pathfinders, thank you again for your help, is there anything else I can do for you?"
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"So you admit colonel that you and your guards are a bunch of cowards? Afraid to convince a group of misfit bandits to change their ways. Perhaps it is that you stand here in all of your wealth and scoff at those that are less fortunate than yourself. And of course you will put them to work in your mines, break their backs, and commit them to a world a slavery so that you may profit."
Turning to the rest of the group "Where is this trial that you promised would serve in the face of justice. Again it appears that the rest of you hunger only to pass off the burden to someone else."
"Enjoy the condemnation of these men's families and children who will now no doubt grow up to be thieves and bandits themselves absent the presence of a father who has seen their wrongs, and righted their ways"
Syndra turns with disgust to the group, especially those that continued to hold the men prisoners. She casts detect magic, and studies the maps.
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Tiny stage-whispers to the guards: "Please excuse the woman. In the fight with the bandits she became confused. The Pathfinder Society is having nothing but respect for the fine guards of the Mercenary League and the hard work they do."
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Raven's eyes will go wide as she looks back, her mouth slightly agape as Syndra insults the guard right to his face. Her eyes quickly flicker from her party to the guards before she blinks and takes a step behind Tiny, a bit afraid to what will happen next.
"I can assure you that she does not speak for the rest of the group. I'm afraid the heat may be getting to her head so she may be grumpy."
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"If you don't believe that I was the one that believed that these men should be set free to return to their lives changed men, ask the prisoners. I may insult you colonel for what I disagree with in actions, but at least I'm honest and bold enough to say it to your face. These two stand here just plain lying to you. Now I ask you which one shows more respect? One who would boldly insult you to your face, or one who would insult you by lying to your face?"
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The Colonel Seems unfazed by Syndra's outburst. "Druma has always been a target by those who aren't skilled enough to earn wealth through moral means. I don't expect you, elf, to understand it either. The Prophets of Kalistrade follow a strict set of rules, and strive to earn the material wealth which will translate to their worth and well-being in the cosmic order."
He pauses, and looks over at the bandits, "We are one of the most-funded armed forces in all of Avistan, and we have whatever resources we need to discern whether any laws were broken."
One of the bandits slowly steps forward and considers his response. Is there some way I'll be able to get out of this?! "She speaks true, she was going to let us free, but only after her companions stopped her from executing us on the spot! We have seen death in the abyss, and as my uncomfortable, soiled pants will attest, I realize I am not willing to continue down the path I was on."
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The commander shakes his head, "And I'm sure you'll be very excited to walk the path to the mines as well."
The bandits are taken into custody by the rest of the guards. "Again, thank you for your help Pathfinders. If you continue up this road, it will take you to the town of Petitioner's Port, where you can find a ferry to take you up the Profit's Flow River."
The full journey to Kerse from the border of Druma is a long affair, taking its course over 250 miles of river travel. This trek takes roughly a week:
- You all reach the town of Petitioner’s Port, and board a riverboat called the Sapphire Star and begin to travel along the Profit’s Flow River.
- After departing Petitioner’s Port, as night falls, you pass by the island city of Alabastrine. The city is visible by the magical lighting of the Luminous Wharf.
- You take a brief stop in the city of Macridi, a calm wooded town. Macridi is far less ostentatious than other settlements in Druma, relying primarily on its sparse logging industry, which specializes in the harvesting of darkwood.
Once you arrive in the Drumish capital city of Kerse, you ask for directions to Temel Passad's merchant stall, which is easy to find. An aide of Temel Passad greets you at the bazaar, and escorts you to the Kalistocrat’s manor estate. It takes several hours for Passad to meet with you—he is immersed in overseeing the final preparations for the upcoming auction.
During this downtime, Passad’s servants spare no expense to shower you with whatever luxuries you desire, including lavish baths and full feasts from the cooking staff at Passad’s manor. The staff also lends each of you a courtier’s outfit and 100 gold pieces worth of jewelry, explaining, “Not wearing… fine clothes, well, um.. your current attire is unseemly for respectable individuals in Druman society.” Once you have had some time to enjoy the services of Passad, you are summoned to a private meeting chamber to meet with the Kalistocrat.
Temel Passad only has an hour or so to spare with you, as the auction is set to begin the day after your arrival in Kerse. He reviews the rules of the bidding process and then hands you a map of Alabastrine.
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There are a total of five districts up for purchase in the scheduled bidding for Alabastrine, as well as a conveniently matched number of bidders. Each of the five bidders is required to host a social function as part of the bidding. During these soirees, a member of the Resplendent Bureaucracy—Druma’s governing body—takes bids on each district of Alabastrine. At the conclusion of the social function, the Resplendent Bureaucracy representative relays the current lead bidder for each district. At the end of the final function, the winners are announced, and the allocation of Alabastrine is declared complete.
The five different parties take place throughout Kerse, and while they are meant as formalities to allow the bidding to take place in stages, they also make for an opportune time to influence the bidders. Temel Passad believes that you can influence the other bidders during these social functions. There are two events each day, taking place in the morning and evening respectively. The final hosted event takes place on the morning of the third day of bidding.
The city of Alabastrine was meant to be one of the greater settlements in Druma. Its size alone positioned it to possibly become Druma’s second largest city—rivaling the shipyards of Detmer. Located on an island at the mouth of the Profit’s Flow, the city would have allowed the proper segregation of a refugee influx, giving adequate time to convert these newcomers to the ways of the Prophecies. Alabastrine earned the moniker City of Heathens from its intended role as a home for the uninitiated. Instead, the world surprised even the fiscally conservative minds of Druma’s elite, rebounding from the catastrophe of Aroden’s death quicker than anticipated. Alabastrine now stands as an empty city. It contains five distinct districts, each of which is open for bidding during the course of the scenario.
1. Courts of Abstinence: Numerous massive apartments fill this tightly crammed district. Where the other districts of Alabastrine are sparse and given to architectural fits of opulence, the Courts of Abstinence are as utilitarian as their name would suggest. The expected refugee population was meant to dwell within the labyrinthine apartment complexes, but none ever filled to their massive capacity. In recent years, the government of Cheliax and several Hellknight orders have requested temporary use of the Courts to improve their urban fighting skills.
2. Luminous Wharf: A constellation of magical lights gave this district its name. The wharf’s builders installed the lights atop hundreds of marble towers to assure those seeking refuge from the tumult of the rest of the world that Alabastrine was always open. Now, the lighting serves a new purpose: reminding passing ships of the existence of the city, which they might otherwise condemn to fade into obscurity.
In his discussion of this district, Temel indicates that none of the bidders have a keen interest in the wharf, and that you would need to specifically champion it among the bidders to see it taken from Myrosype’s ambition.
3. Prophet’s Burg: The center of Alabastrine was never completed, leaving an abandoned patch of land in the city’s core. That changed when High Prophet Kelldor invested in the city, self-funding an entire city district, which received the unofficial title of Prophet’s Burg. The most ostentatious structures in the whole of Alabastrine reside in this district, which is considered to be prime real estate for those seeking to live within the city. The city’s ruling council meets in the central structure of the district—an awe-inspiring edifice of glass and gold known as Kelldor’s Spire.
4. Scriptum: This district houses dozens of titanic libraries, containing innumerable treatises on the history of the Prophecies of Kalistrade. Other libraries detail different religious, but always from a clinical examination devoid of religious fervor. It was here that the architects of Alabastrine intended to indoctrinate the new arrivals, by providing free access to the texts within Scriptum’s libraries. Many ideas from this district were later employed in the successful Drumish settlement of Twingate.
5. Working End: Much of this section of the city was meant for industrial purposes. Vast empty warehouses and smaller uninhabited structures fill the majority of Working End. This district is commonly thought to be one of the least appealing bid sites, and has most commonly been used in the past as hosting sites for illegal trade or the long-term storage of goods by outside nations. One of this district’s attractions is that any goods not specifically removed from the warehouses by the completion of the bidding are forfeit to the new district councilor.
Cyran Androtus: Cyran is an elven man with considerable magical abilities, whose trade network is rumored to extend into other planes.
Irith Nomzamo: Irith is the current lord-councilor of Alabastrine. The latest auction for Alabastrine comes just as she had begun to receive a significant return on her investment in the city five years ago.
Myrosype: Myrosype is a silver agent in the Aspis Consortium and the nancier of the Aspis faction known as the Korholm Agenda. She stands to win a majority of Alabastrine’s districts.
Temel Passad: This Druman merchant secured the Pathfinder Society’s invitation to the auction.
Vayde Petronax: Vayde is the leader of the influential Petronax family, whose laborers and soldiers have maintained Alabastrine for a century.
Temel also provides you a map and notes about the districts and bidders. He encourages you to update with your own notes as well!
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"Can you tell us which would be the best way to approach each of Myrosype's competitors? Anyone who might be particularly susceptible to bribery or threats for instance? Do you know of any bidder who is particularly interested in a specific district besides Prophet's Burg being the most valuable?"
Drusillia is trying to digest the bizarre rules of this bidding process. Religious people are always the strangest! she thinks.
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Tiny greets Passad with an a bow and settles in gingerly on a very-expensive looking chair. He listens, with his mask freshly polished to a shine that still seems cheap and brassy compared to the luxury around them. The tiefling's tail twitches back and forth, thoughtfully.
"This Irith Nomzamo-- if she is, as you say, only just seeing rewarding of coin from years of work-- she cannot want to see Myrosope take over and make a 'harvest' from ground Irith made tilled! She may be, what is word... easy to urge to bid? Because of this. Do you know more of her, Master Passad?"
Tiny gets up to pace a little, thinking. "We should learn what sort of goods are in the Working End now, yes? That may be valuable to make someone bid, if it is something they want. Master Passad sir, do you know what goods are being in the Working End?
"Also, this issue of the Light Wharf! The lights are very pretty but will not get bids just for this. We must think of argument to make the docks a very good place so that many will want to make bids on it. Maybe say that if someone has the docks and all the rest of the city, they can charge any dock taxes they wish? The others would not like that, for one person to have all that money and for that person to not be them."
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Raven would arrive looking pampered. Anyone asking would incite a slight blush from her. "Even a cleric can take a break to enjoy herself on a mission every now and again. Besides, it would be best to look good for the mission."
Sitting down she would get to work helping to brainstorm ideas.
It sounds like it would be a good idea to go and check out the warehouse district. From the sound of things it is only valuable if their is something valuable left in it. If we could get that information we could leak it to one of the other buyers. Tiny is right as well, we should push the idea of controlling the taxes at the port. Temel might be our best bet since he is the closest to us already for that. I think Cyran may also be interested in the countries library as well, so speaking to him during that bid may be good as well."
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Cyran Androtus: Knowledge (planes) DC 20
Temel: "No one really knows much about Cyran. He’s an elf; perhaps one of the longest lived devotees of the Prophecies. He is said to traffic outside of Golarion, supplying extraplanar factions with raw materials and facilitating negotiations among them. He possesses considerable magical abilities. If you can learn something from him,
you’ll do better than most."
Irith Nomazamo: Knowledge (nobility) DC 14
Temel: "Can barely get close to that woman; what, with all the eccentric clothing she wears. If she speaks more than ten words a day, I’d be surprised. Can’t help but feel sorry for her though; Irith made a good run of ruling Alabastrine since the last bid, and now that trade looks to be on the upswing, her time as lord-councilor is running out. I’d be surprised if she managesto acquire more than a single district."
Myrosype: Knowledge (history or nobility) DC 10
Temel: "She’s no prophet, nor does she even hail from the Inner Sea. I have heard that she hails from the distant land of Iblydos. I hold no grudge against Myrosype, though I know your Society does. She’s always been pleasant in our interactions, and she has a reputation for always keeping up her end of a bargain. She has enough clout to have made her way into the bidding, and is poised to take the lion’s share of the districts if left unchecked."
Temel Passad:
Temel: "What can I say about myself? I’m a devout follower of the Prophecies of Kalistrade. I only hope to carve out a single district, though I remain unsure
if I possess the wealth to contend with the likes of Myrosype and the other attendees."
Vayde Petronax: Knowledge (nobility) DC 15
Temel: "He’s a damn skeleton of a man. Some say he adheres to the strictest tenures of the Prophecies when it comes to the consumption of food and drink. I can barely stand listening to his hoarse voice for more than a few minutes, but it’s clear the wizened elder of the Petronax family knows much about the city. After
all, his family’s servants and soldiers have been working the streets since before High Prophet
Kelldor enacted the bidding process."
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In response to Drusilia: "In order to determine the best way to approach each person, or which districts they are most interested in, you'll be able to mingle with a bidder at each party to Discover more information about them."
"Regarding each party, Kivuli, consider it an opportunity to particularly impress each host, but also spread out and gain more information or influence the other bidders as well. To be quite honest, it is highly unlikely that there will be any foul play at these events. Kerse is one of the most lawful and protected cities on Golarion. Similarly, I strongly dissuade you from attempting any foul play. There are many scryers and wards throughout the city, and you will be quickly discovered and imprisioned.
Turning toward Tiny, after nodding his head along with the questions, Temel replies, "Yes indeed, masked one. Irith is likely to be very interested in maintaining her foothold, but may not be willing to risk her entire life's savings unless she can be convinced of the surety of victory. This is where you all come into play."
"With regard to the goods in the Working End, it will likely take months to sift through all the warehouses and crates which are still present there."
"Unfortunately there isn't time to visit the City of Alabastrine before the bidding starts tomorrow, but to be honest I have faith that you all will be more than effective in guiding the process in a way that I and your Pathfinder Society will appreciate it."
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You recognize Cyran as a major player in planar politics, with strong ties to the lawful realm of Axis. He is one of the wealthiest people in the wealthiest nation of the Inner Sea region. His presence at the bidding for Alabastrine’s distracts is likely a social formality, as few of his significant contacts reside in the Inner Sea. Cyran’s trade partnerships extend to numerous planar enterprises, particularly sites on the plane of Axis. He is allied with a contingent of inevitables known as the Axion Forge.
Irith is the current lord-councilor of Alabastrine. She secured the majority of the city during the previous bidding cycle at the expense of her other mercantile endeavors. Time was not kind to Irith, and the fortune of Alabastrine is only now beginning to change, given increased trade with Isger and the ongoing civil problems in nearby Cheliax.
Myrosype is a member of the Aspis Consortium and financier of the recent attack on the Grand Lodge. She is a member of the unsanctioned Aspis Consortium group known as the Korholm Agenda. As financier for the splinter faction, she possesses incredible wealth within the Consortium, having made numerous successful ventures during her time in Druma. Unlike many of the other attendees, Myrosype is not a member of the Prophets of Kalistrade, though she is willing to work with them for mutual gain.
Temel Passad is a merchant and Kalistocrat who has great ambitions. He sees the bidding for Alabastrine’s districts as a way to further his clout in Druma, particularly if he can successfully purchase a district for himself.
Vayde is the patriarch of the Petronax family, who have provided most of the soldiers and laborers who defend and upkeep Alabastrine since its founding. Vayde is the patriarch of the Petronax family, who have maintained a constant supply of laborers and soldiers to the councilors of Alabastrine. Up until now, the Petronax family had no interest in actually bidding on Alabastrine, and the motion by Vayde to participate in the bidding has shocked all other attendees. In particular, Irith Nomzamo is incensed at what she perceives as a betrayal by the man whose workers she’s used to maintain the city.
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In a language Temel can understand, "Which District, or Districts, are you most interested in Master Passad? I would hate to encourage bidding the price up against you in our attempt to sabotage Myrosype."
The little rogue continues in a variety of languages among his peers, "It sounds as if Vayde has the manpower to quickly assess what lies in the warehouses. Given his family's history, he may also be interested in Prophet’s Burg. There may be something in the Scriptum for Cyran. We may also to be able to play on his devotion to Law so he feels the need to act as a bulwark against the Chaos of the Aspis. I would think that Irith Nomazamo would be a perfect match for The Courts of Abstinence."
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I've done this sort of thing before and many times there are hints in the character description. for example if they are all about the Prophet then Knowledge history will probably net you some influence even without a discovery check. On the other hand a discovery success often nets you a bonus to the actual influence roll so going after them is always a good thing. What you DON'T want to do is waste actions on discovery or influence if you already successfully swayed that person. Oh, and Sense Motive is often a go to for discovery, while diplomacy is a general go to for influence.
Solstice has NO knowledge skills so she plans to hit up the old man and get him talking about his favorite subjects.
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Dru doesn't have the kind of training required to know about the bidders. But she figures maybe she can do well on the part where they try to influence them.
"We should definitely consider whom we would like to approach about bidding for each district. I actually think Cyran might be a better candidate for the warehouses since he is involved in so much shipping.
Basically we want to get a single bidder against Myrosype in each district whom we trust to bid the highest for that district. Everyone agree?
Temel, do you think we have any chance at convincing Myrosype not to bid?"
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Also each player may, and should to some extent, pick a different target. This is not one of those things where we stick together and all do the same thing. It may be difficult to successfully sway all 5 though, so having a couple of people work on the same target is often a good idea too. Just not all 6 of us mobbing the same guy.
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"Well Kivuli, I'm still not entirely certain, but I hope to make up my mind on which district I'll focus on by the first event."
Analyze Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive
Strengths Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility) or Sense Motive
Weaknesses Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive
Analyze Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or
Sense Motive
Strengths Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Weaknesses Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Analyze Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Strengths Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Weaknesses Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Analyze Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Strengths Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Weaknesses Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Analyze Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Strengths Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
Weaknesses Knowledge [local], Knowledge [nobility], or Sense Motive
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"Drusillia, I believe you'll need to speak with Myrosype to see if there's any common ground your Society can find with her. In order to prevent her from winning a district, you'll need to convince someone, likely with significant capital," Temel blushes, seeming to be oddly embarrassed, "to step up and be convinced Alabastrine is worth the investment to go for two or more districts."
"Now time is running short for me, I must prepare for the bidding. Are there any last questions?"