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The fall rains have come early this year, and a chill wind blows off the waters of Absalom’s harbor, bringing with it the smell of a storm somewhere far off at sea. Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng hurries down the street in a most unusual outfit for the aging Venture-Captain: some sort of blue military uniform complete with a green sash displaying a pair of ornate medals and a black umbrella.
“Ah, there you all are,” he half-mutters to himself. “Is everyone here?”
Enora, a small female halfling in fine robes looks at all of you with interest.
She walks through the room and says "Oh yes, I am here!! Hello, my name is Enora. I assume we are all professionals here!! Might be a good chance to get to know each other. I am from Rahadoum originally and am quite interested in magical phenomena - I hope to have your support in uncovering the secrets of this wonderful world. And I am quite optimistic that we will be successful!" she says cheerfully.
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Umberto is a tall man of about 6'4". When he lowers his tankard from his mouth you see a slightly sun-weathered face with a few days of stubble. The tankard is as weathered as his face, nicked and scratched from abuse and time. Inside it you note a patina of ale and wine. You'd think he's had it for many, many years.
Umberto is adorned in simple chainmail with a light mace on his hip and a wayfinder slung on a leather strap on his neck. He wipes his mouth with a kerchief before he speaks.
Well met, I am Umberto Ricci of the Shoanti Spire Clan, Warpriest of Cayden Cailean, and generally a fun guy. he says with a wink. I look forward to working with you.
Umberto waves his hand over his tankard and it fills with a pumpkin weis ale. A playful selection to fit his mood.
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Ivan is a tall, slender, and slight elf wearing a fur parka with the hood down showing his blonde hair. It was short, but cut in a haphazard way that looked suspiciously like it had been singed frequently.
He answered the Venture Captain in his thick, Northern Irisini accent," Ahh you must vee zee famous Drendle Dreng, I am pleased to meet you sir." he says with a sloppy salute before looking to Enora,"Hehe I have yet to have an unsuccessful mission Miss, even after zat nasty buisness with zee Major; As for being professional, I make no promises hahaha" he laughs, much deeper than you might expect an elf to laugh, while slapping Umberto on the back enthusiastically and saying"Zat's a very nice trick you have zer my voy, mind showing me how you do it?" he says with a smile while producing his tankard from his Parka.
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A blue-skinned undine strides over to the group, dripping wet. He wears little more than a loincloth. "I must beg forgiveness for the tardiness of my arrival. The wind and rain, reminding me so much of home, proved irresistible temptation for a sojourn in yonder harbor. I am Arrius Vext, Emissary of Outsea. Thrice before have I undertaken missions for the Society, and pleased am I to heed the call again."
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Oh, this little blessing is bestowed only on the holy followers of the Lucky Drunk. I tell you what though... Umberto fills Ivan's tankard with ale and glances at the hanging potions and extracts, I'll keep that mug full if you throw me a magical potion every now and then.
”Vell, in Cayden’s name vee drink my frend! You are in good company I am thinking, yes?” he says as pulls a necklace out of the parka and shows off his holy symbol of Cayden Cailean. ”I have veen known to produce ales myself, although mine take several months to make not several seconds hahaha!” he says as he tosses the mug back.
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“Ah, there you all are,” he half-mutters to himself. “Is everyone here?”
Without waiting for an answer, he turns on his heels and heads off at a brisk pace, occasionally turning around to make sure everyone is keeping up.
You recognize that it is a dress uniform of a junior officer in the Taldan Navy.
You also recognize that he is wearing two service medals: a Combat Action Ribbon and a Counter- Espionage Ribbon, the latter of which is rumored to only be awarded to members of the Lion Blades, Taldor’s secretive espionage organization.
“You’re probably wondering where I’m dragging you, eh? Seven years ago I sent young agents much like yourselves on a preliminary exploration of the necropolis below the Drownyard in the Precipice Quarter. The Drownyard is the name that was given to the old Tri-Towers School, once home to some of Absalom’s wealthiest progeny. It was destroyed in the great earthquake of 4698 ar, and we thought that all of the children, teachers, and staff had perished.”
“But let be back up a bit. Eight years ago, the Society discovered an ancient necropolis under the Drownyard. It dates back to the third century ar, and if you know anything about Absalom’s history, you’ll know that we know almost nothing about those early years. It took me almost an entire year of negotiating with the parents of the children who died in the Tri-Towers Yard to convince them to grant us access to the site, and when we did, what did we find? A lot of spooky stuff: undead, haunts, and some nasty bugs. But we also found something completely unexpected: a survivor. A little slip of a girl named Junia Dacilane somehow survived in a death-like state for 10 years. The only thing that kept her alive was a ring of sustenance that she had found among the crypts. Junia’s mother, Lady Miranda Dacilane, was of course beside herself when we pulled her living daughter from the ruins and she vowed to not only give the Society full access to the property, but personally underwrite our archaeological efforts there. Soon thereafter I set up an archaeological dig at the Drownyard, and we’ve been pulling out fascinating fragments from Absalom’s early history ever since. Every year I visit Lady Dacilane to renew our contract to maintain the dig, but this year it seems that she wants us to jump through an additional hoop. She wants us, or rather you, to escort her daughter back to the Drownyard. It seems that Junia’s become a bit obsessed with her alma mater, and since the Precipice Quarter is no place for pampered young noblewomen, she needs an escort. Think you can manage that?”
Without giving you a chance to interrupt him, he quickly adds, “Oh, and don’t forget to call the Drownyard the Tri-Towers Yard while we’re at Dacilane Manor. No one who lost children in the earthquake likes to be reminded of that tragedy… even the ones who got their child back.”
The Precipice Quarter was once a wealthy neighborhood called Beldrin’s Bluff, until an earthquake in 4698 ar broke several blocks of the district into the sea and killed hundreds.
After the earthquake, the people of Beldrin’s Bluff moved away. Many people in Absalom believe the district is cursed, and restless undead and vermin roam the streets at night. The most prominent locations in Beldrin’s Bluff were the Tri-Tower’s Yard, an academy for the children of Absalom’s wealthy and powerful, and the Arboretum Arcanis, which displayed rare plants from all over the Inner Sea.
The Tri-Towers Yard is haunted. The spirits of the children who perished in the earthquake are unable to reach their final rest. For nearly a decade, a man named Deris Marlinchen, the father of one of the young victims, wandered the yard, speaking to spirits no one else could see. Since his departure seven years ago, the haunts at the old school have grown increasingly malevolent.
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Lord Willem Dargerion rides up quickly, seemingly in a hurry. His usual well cared for clothing and armor looking somewhat disheveled. "Sorry Mr. Dreng, it seems my squire had fallen ill and I arrived as soon as I could. "
Looking at the others he says, "I shall aspire to get to know each of you as we work together."
Turning back to Dreng, he says, "I was not aware you served in our navy. My respect to you, sir. We will of course be more than happy to escort the Lady Dacilane to her home, perhaps she will find comfort there."
As he dismounts, a man runs out of somewhere and takes his horse away. Willem nods to the man and hands him some coin before turning back to the group.
”Oh I know a lot about the TRI-Towers Yard’s history. Listen ... “ Enora says and shares all she knows.
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Dacilane Manor is an imposing four-story townhouse of heavy masonry with a parapet roof that is festooned with numerous leering, demonic gargoyles. After knocking on the door, a middle-aged halfling woman in a large apron answers it. “Please come in. My lady will join you momentarily in the drawing room.”
The interior of Dacilane Manor is just as imposing as the outside. A wide foyer with a grand staircase leads to the second floor, while open double-doors lead into the drawing room. Heavy black draperies cover all the windows, shrouding the manor in shadows. All of the furniture in the common areas is oversized, expensive, and gothic, made of dark-stained mahogany wood.
Lady Dacilane enters a few moments after you and Dreng have gathered in the sitting room. She is a tall, stern-looking, yet attractive Chelaxian woman with sharp features, a fair complexion, and black hair accented with gray and white. She is dressed in a well-made, floor-length black gown streaked through with crimson. A plain looking silver pentagram necklace is her only jewelry. Dreng immediately jumps up to greet her, bowing and kissing her hand in a formal fashion. He then quickly introduces the you before launching into a prepared speech about the importance of Lady Dacilane’s ongoing support of the Society’s activities and the many important artifacts they have been able to recover from the Tri-Towers Yard necropolis. Lady Dacilane listens politely, making a few pro-forma inquiries into several details about the management of the site before getting to the heart of the negotiation and addressing the party directly.
“As I am sure Master Dreng has already informed you, I have a particular request of the Pathfinder Society this year. My daughter Junia has recently celebrated her eighteenth birthday, but she maintains a certain obsession with the traumatic events that befell her at the Tri-Towers Yard so many years ago. I have stopped her from sneaking out of the manor and visiting that place several times, and I feel that her past is keeping her from fully embracing her future. I would ask that you accompany her to the gods-forsaken Precipice Quarter and let her see her fill of the decay and misery. Perhaps those sights will cure her of her unnatural obsessions.”
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Willem bows to the lady after watching Dreng essentially prostrate himself before her. Keeping his opinion to himself, he bows slightly before her. "My Lady, it would be our honor to escort the Lady Junia to that dreadful place and be sure that we will return her to you intact. Hopefully it will allow her to heal those wounds and live a good life as a Lady of House Dacilane."
Enora looks at her and it is clear that she feels the pain of the woman ... the mother.
”We can never understand the pain that you and your daughter had to go through. But I assure you that we will do our best to ensure her safety during this trip to make a painful experience hopefully a little bit more endurable!“
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Arrius, who has been pacing around the drawing room inspecting various knickknacks, suddenly speaks: "As do the tides, the past both pulls us back and propels us forward. But bridging the past and the future is the present. More do you have to tell us, Lady Dacilane? My companions offer blithe assurances, but my mind's eye foresees we must swim cautiously in fate's waves, lest a sudden riptide tear us asunder."
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Lady Dacilane nods to Arrius. “Take her wherever she wishes within reason in the Precipice Quarter. It is a dangerous place even during daylight hours, so use your best judgment. Let her stay as long as she wishes, but bring her back before nightfall tomorrow.”
“Junia’s experiences during and after the earthquake were terrible, and they have left lasting mental scars. Despite my efforts and those of some of Absalom’s best healers, I have been unable to truly help her. Nevertheless, it is time for her to put her childhood experiences behind her and face her adult responsibilities.”
She calls down her daughter.
Lady Dacilane’s daughter comes bounding down the stairs and into the sitting room a few moments after he mother calls her. She has her mother’s height, black hair, and fine facial features, but that’s where the similarities end. Unlike her mother’s carefully coiffed hair, Junia’s is short and practical, and she carries herself with a confident and unladylike swagger. She is dressed in grey breeches, knee-high leather boots, a white cotton shirt, and an azure blue riding coat with tails with a golden eagle pin on the lapel. Beneath her coat, it is clear that she is wearing a mithral chain shirt.
You immediately recognizes that Junia is attempting to look like a member of the Andoran Eagle Knights.
Upon arriving in the drawing room, Junia clicks her heels in a military manner and greets her mother with a mischievous grin. Lady Dacilane immediately turns bright red with embarrassment, reprimanding her daughter for appearing in such a “ridiculous outfit in front of our guests”, and then throws up her hands and storms out of the room without another word. Junia introduces herself to each of you as not Junia but “J., like the letter”, and shakes everyone’s hand.
”J. I know exactly what it feels like when you follow a path that is not approved by your parents. You have to know that I come from a region where religion is seen as unbelievably stupid to be blunt. And I have taken up the faith of the god of magic and you can probably imagine how hard it is for me to go back home and face my parents. Therefore, I can completely understand the difficulties you face on the path that you have chosen for yourself and I will support you to find the way of living that you envision for yourself!“ Enora says smiling and being very excited.
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The grumpy dwarf starts grumbling, his voice carrying much more than he realizes, as soon as he realizes where they're headed. "Bloody water. Manage nah t' drown once and they wan' a try it again. If a' firs' ye don't drown 'em, send 'em in t' th' wat' agin. Tha's their motto, aye." He goes on like this until they reach the lady's house. He offers her a formal dwarven bow. "A pleasure t' meet ye again, m'lady. Ah'm so happy ah could help restore yer daughter to ye all those years ago."
As J introduces herself he startles. "Well lass! Ye've grown yerself up int' a right woman, aye ye have!"
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“As I am sure Master Dreng has already informed you, I have a particular request of the Pathfinder Society this year. My daughter Junia has recently celebrated her eighteenth birthday, but she maintains a certain obsession with the traumatic events that befell her at the Tri-Towers Yard so many years ago. I have stopped her from sneaking out of the manor and visiting that place several times, and I feel that her past is keeping her from fully embracing her future. I would ask that you accompany her to the gods-forsaken Precipice Quarter and let her see her fill of the decay and misery. Perhaps those sights will cure her of her unnatural obsessions.”
Ivan nods along knowingly as he listens to the Lady before replying,"Vut ov course Lady Dacilan; your daughter seems and intervesting case study" he says with a geniune smile.
To J,
Ivan doesn't seem to notice anything odd about the girls attire and shakes her hand vigorously while saying "Greetings Jay, I am looking forvard to following you throughout your past. You vill ve an excellent subject for my studies"
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Arrius looks on curiously, this jaunty girl not at all what he expected from Lady Dacilane's description of someone haunted by their past. He reaches out with his inner eye to see if appearance matches reality. Is she truly as brave and carefree as she seems, or does a troubled soul lurk just beneath the surface?
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J. sees Guntir and smiles brightly. "It is so good to see you again, Guntir. Mother was telling me that she wanted to get the Pathfinders to help, but I am happy that is one that I know already."
You take a moment to study J. Her care free attitude is genuine. However there is something "else" there just below the surface. You have a brief moment of something, or someone, looking back at you. But the feeling passes as quickly as it happens.
What ever it was, it was "odd" but not malevolent.
Dreng excuses himself at this point, claiming that he is needed back at the Grand Lodge. Before he leaves, he hands over a large, iron key to the party, telling you that it opens the wrought iron gates to the Tri-Towers Yard. He warns them that although the necropolis below has been cleared of undead, the partially restored surface structure still holds a dangerous haunt. “Try to stay away from there,” he mutters, “we’ve tried to eliminate it several times, but it keep coming back. If you do need to go in there, take a look in the supply closet, you may find it useful.”
Once the Venture Captain leaves, J. picks up a backpack from a stool in the corner and pulls out a kukri, which she sheathes at her hip. She then straps on the backpack and looks expectantly at you. “Well, shall we go? I’m ready when you are.”
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Lord Willem simply watches as the young girl comes down, ready for adventure in her practical gear. Some days he missed that excitement and eagerness, but now he had a job to do and he was well respected for it. Time to earn that respect. He smiled at J and bowed. "Lead on, young Lady J. We are ready to leave right this very moment." With a slight bow to J's mother, he turns and opens the door for the younger Dacilane.
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As the group walks, Arrius catches up to Guntir and says softly "Present you were, during the first expedition into the Drownyard? Pray tell what you saw. In the great recurrence of existence, events may cycle as easily as souls. And the young Dacilane is not as untouched as her facade may indicate."
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As you make your way down the streets, a small group of five Chelish marines notice J and her outfit.
“Oh dear. The traitorous peasant over surrounds herself with ghastly ruffians...What too afraid to liberate our slave.” The speaker holds up one his companions who mocks being shackled. The demure playing cries in a mocking high pitch voice. “Help me, oh valiant Eagle Knight! These brutes will have their way with me.” The marines slowly close in around J.
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Willem smirks as he stands to the front of them. I'd be careful with those sharp sticks you have hanging from your belts, boys , I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself with them. Shouldn't you be off getting ready for the Hellknight Test instead of harassing a young woman and her friends? Oh that's right. Only the best get to take that test. I wonder which of you that is."
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As the group walks, Arrius catches up to Guntir and says softly "Present you were, during the first expedition into the Drownyard? Pray tell what you saw. In the great recurrence of existence, events may cycle as easily as souls. And the young Dacilane is not as untouched as her facade may indicate."
"Aye, I was there. There was wat'r an' ghosts, some undead nasties, and th' girlie here. Oh, and a teacher wha' was ou' o' his min'."
”This is really unbelievable Arrius! You are a symbol of hope that our missions are worth more than the knowledge we gather!“ Enora says smiling.
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While this is going on Enora notices that small rocks and debris start to rise, float, and even swirl around J.
The lead Marine is rebuked by Ser Willems statement, but then attempts to regains his composure. "The Grand Navy of Cheliax is a power of its own in all of Golarion" You can easily tell the rest of his companions are somewhat uncertain of his deflating bravado. He takes a step forward and the others hesitantly follow. "And we took that from those weak Andoran Freedom Birdies"
J. is becoming very agiated and scarded. Although it is somewhat an even fight, this is too close for her comfort. However, on the last insult, a small incorporeal boy, of green ectoplasam, steps out of J. and takes a somewhat soild form. It grows in size a bit, but still looks like a large boy than a full grown man.
In a voice deeper and colder than any child, but still with a slight touch of innocence it shouts, "Don't Touch Her!"
Seeing this manifestation, and with the already weaken resolved though Ser Willems chiding add with the additional threat of Ivan, three of the marines bolt. The leader shouts "Mutiny!" at his fleeing companions.
He turns back to J. and the party, and in an attempt to save some face with the remaining marines. "Nah, Not worth my time little birdie."
And with that the remaining three turn. Although they walk quickly away trying to act still in control. One of them wishing the Chelish uniform had brown pants.
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Ivan stands slackjawed at what just happened, having never seen such things before. he finally gains his composure after the thugs run away and says,"My Goodness my dear! Zats quite the spectacle!!" he exclaims while pulling some parchment and pen out,"Please, tell me how you are feeling?" he says excitedly.
he then looks back at Umberto and says,"if you says so, and do a few drunken Chellish pigs really frighten you Ser? We can let the young girl rest a moment",he says before pulling 2 vials one after the other and drinking them both.
Enora uses her wand of mage armor on herself.
Then she also casts false life on herself.
She then takes out her spell book and reads.
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As the marines flee and J. clams down she speaks, though somewhat relieved to tell you her secret. “I guess I should tell you, considering who you are and where we are going. I’ve been keeping him a secret for far too long in any case.”
“Grishan, can you come out, please. These people would like to meet you.”
Grishan steps out of J.’s body, revealing himself to be a green-tinted apparition that resembles an emaciated 14-year-old boy with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. He is still wearing his school uniform consisting of a blouse covered by a vest. His legs end just below the knees, trailing off into nothingness and he floats above the ground at the same height he stood in life. “Hello, I am Grishan.”
Grishan and J. tell the story of how they were trapped in the necropolis. Grishan goes on to say that even when dead he refused to leave J.’s side all those years. An allip drifted into the necropolis to feed on Junia’s suffering, but found that she was not alone. Grishan’s spirit, unable to find rest in the afterlife, had returned as a phantom to protect his friend. Knowing he was no match against the allip, Grishan instead hid Junia’s still living soul deep in the Ethereal Plane. Without the spark of life within her, Junia fell into a catatonic state between life and death, while the ruby salamander ring kept her body alive. Grishan guarded his friend’s soul in this manner for the next 10 years.
Until a group of pathfinders found the comatose Junia and took her back to her family. Sensing that she had been rescued, Grishan reunited Junia’s soul with her body and caused her to finally wake. Fearing that he would be exorcised should his presence be discovered, Grishan remained hidden and silent within Junia’s consciousness for years, only emerging when he felt she was mature enough to deal with him. To the phantom’s delight, Junia quickly accepted Grishan’s presence, and the two resumed their former friendship.
“[b]I admit I had another reason to get out to the Precipice Quarter with J. You see my brother, Colson, asked me to collect and record information regarding my classmate’s and their families. I had hid the information at a place called The Arboretum Arcanis but never was able to get the information the the actual dead drop. It is has been so long I am not sure what was contained, but I feel I must at least retrieve and see it safely delivered to my brother.[/i]”
You finally realize that this is Grishan is Colson Maldris’s, leader of the Liberty’s Edge faction, younger brother
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Earlier...
Willem smiles, "Afraid? No, my foreign friend. Practical. Chelish Marines may be drunken louts, but all of them are brothers and when called upon, every brother will fight. They number in the thousands. Practical, like your potions." He pats his sword hilt and listens to the story of Junia.
After...
"It seems your friendship with the girl had an ulterior motive, but a fair one at that. She seems to be in agreement with it however, so we will continue to provide protection as you complete your shared mission."
”That is an unbelievable story ... this is getting better and better! But... wait a minute ... I finally realize that you are Colson Maldris’s, leader of the Liberty’s Edge faction, younger brother, right?!?“