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After a hurried summons to the Grand Lodge in Absalom, a quick conversation with Venture-Captain Alissa Moldreserva, and a wet, stormy trip across the Inner Sea to Andoran, the small, warm Pathfinder Lodge in Augustana is a welcome break from travel. “I can’t believe we are wasting our time on this matter,” says Caudron Wallace, the venture-captain of Augustana as he paces the main hall. “Frankly, I want as little to do with it as possible, so I’m passing it on to you.” Wallace nods toward a door at the back of the room. “The vagrant through there was found collapsed on our front steps gripping a wayfinder of all things. We still don’t know who he is. Talk to him, for the tale he tells is amazing if true, and then come back here.”
When the Orphans enter the room at the back of the main hall, they find a small sitting room with six comfortable chairs and a few bookshelves filled with the latest Pathfinder Chronicles. An old, withered man sits in one of the chairs, half-dozing when you enter. His skin is shockingly pale and his features are sharp with high cheekbones and a jutting chin. Despite his incredibly filthy visage, matted white hair, and infirmity, when he awakes and regards you he does so with a look of absolute, confident superiority.
“My loyal subjects, welcome! I know that some of you might not recognize me in my current state, but it is truly me, Gandros, the long-lost Prince of Augustana. I have been in hiding since the untimely death of my father, the Emperor, preparing for my return to glory. Unfortunately, I bear ill news. The army I have been gathering in the otherworld has been infiltrated by agents of our enemies. When last I called my forces together for inspection, dark assassins attacked me and I barely escaped with my life.”
He takes this opportunity to roll up his sleeve and reveals a series of recently inflicted claw and tooth marks on his right forearm. He then launches into a breathless retelling of how he came to be in the Lodge, without pause or acknowledgement of interruptions.
“I fled back through the magic portal to this realm. Grievously wounded, and with the assassins in close pursuit, I leapt into the dark river. I floated past the Almsman’s Sanctuary, but couldn’t climb out of the water. I did manage to grab one of the bridges, but a plank fell in with me. I held on for dear life and continued to drift downstream. I went over a waterfall and then emerged in the lake of ships and crawled to shore. Augustana has changed since I last walked my city’s bright streets, but I managed to find this house, bearing the symbol of my father’s empire.” He holds up the wayfinder hanging from a chain around his neck. “I knew I would find help here! If you remove the threat from my kingdom below and help restore me to my rightful place as Emperor of Andoran, I will grant you any boon within my power!”
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Wulfren follows along as the Venture-Captains hand out the team's assignment. Then he listens to the incredible tale the man Gandros tells them.
"Your...Highness? I don't wish to offend you, but perhaps you could tell us a bit more about this magic portal and the assassins that chased you. Augustana, indeed all of Andoran has changed a great deal, but it was all long ago, perhaps during your period of... exile?"
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Well, someone's got a bit balmy in the head. Liam attempts to see if the man is telling the truth, fully expecting to get no useful information from it since crazy people believe all manner of things. And since he's never been that good at reading people anyway.
Deciding to put his knowledge towards something more useful, he tries to remember what he's read.
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Liam and Ana shake their head in unison, well-aware that there has never been an "Emperor of Augustana", nor a prince. The People's Revolution dethroned nobles, but there was no such thing as an Emperor.
The Prince nods grandly at Wulfren. "I see you do know how to properly address your Prince. That is good. These assassins were no doubt of fiendish nature, bestowed with sharp claws and evil minds. I did not care to look at them carefully as my life - your liege's life - was obviously more important. My armies are almost ready, though, they may be of assistance when the time comes."
Sighing discreetly, Venture-Captain Wallace then speaks to you aside. “My diviners say that there is some truth to his story. There has never been a Prince of Augustana, nor an Emperor in Andoran, but the old fellow has a surprising amount of knowledge of the pre-revolution noble families of the city. He may be the lost scion of some noble line. If so, he’s fallen far. From the filth and stink on him when we found him, we’re fairly certain he’s been living in or near a sewer. The wayfinder is also a mystery, but for now, it makes him one of ours."
"However, I’m more interested in his supposed gate to the otherworld. If it exists, I want to know about it. Implausible as it may seem, I’m certain that his injuries were caused by otherworldly beings. We must take the possibility of a portal seriously. I don’t want to dirty my hands with this, but you don’t have that choice. Retrace the old man’s path through the sewers. The Almsman, whom he repeatedly mentions, is rumored to be an eccentric priest who runs some sort of hidden beggar’s sanctuary in the sewers. He may know where our prince’s portal is, if you can find him. But be warned; a local gang calling themselves the Steel Wyverns claims the sewers near the Almsman’s Sanctuary as their own territory.”
As for the Almsman, he has recently started providing sanctuary and assistance tothe city’s beggars. He is a mysterious figure who wears a mask, but most folk believe he is a priest. Most of the city’s poor do not know where his sanctuary is—those who do know won’t tell.
Finally, you know that the sewers extend to the harbor, where they could be infiltrated if you so wish.
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Liam attempts to move out of the "prince's" line of sight before twirling one finger near his head in the universally recognized "bloke's off his rocker" gesture.
Attempting to put on a friendly smile, Liam says, "Errr, right then. We'll get lookin' into that now shall we?" When they're pulled aside, he tries to update his friends with what he knows of the Steel Wyverns.
"So, word on the street is that these Steel Wyvern chaps used to be some hot stuff, but that was a whiles ago. Decades at least. Now they're naught more'n some rag-tag thugs an' petty crook-types. Still pretty full o' themselves though, they are. Carry these spiked chain do-hickeys around calling them their 'Wyvern stings.'" He adopts a sarcastic upper class accent as he says 'Wyvern stings,' and then continues.
"As for this Almsman bloke, well, I know a guy who knows a guy who's brother once played dice with a chap who said he met this fella. Apparently 'e runs 'round in a mask tryin' to be all mysterious loike. Seems decent enough though, what with this sanctuary for beggars an' all. Pretty hush-hush as to where this place is though. Iff'n we wanted ta check out the sewers, we'd likely be wantin' ta start by the harbor as that seems the best place ta infiltrate." He pauses as a slight breeze seems to waft the "prince's" ripe scent towards him. "Might want ta try picking up some clothespins first though."
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Anaristiel speaks privately with the others. "He's obviously mad, but there may still be some truth to his tale. For example, the portal could merely be a door in the sewers to a chamber where he has made his home. The assassins might be rats or something similar - I'm sure they're plentiful enough down there. We've already established who the Almsman may be, and the waterfall may easily have been a sewer outlet into the harbor." She shakes her head slowly. "No, I think that, aside from his possible fantasies about his past, the recent events he described are very likely true."
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"All right then. There could be a very mundane explanation for this, as both of you say. But it shouldn't hurt to check things out. It sounds like we'll have to be on our guard, but I'm sure the group of us can handle a few thugs."
"I'm pretty much ready to go. I should pick up some kind of sword or dagger, though, in case I need to fight up close. Also, do we know any better way into the sewers? Could be an awfully long walk from the harbor..."
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Gert listens carefully to everything that transpires, then she asks "My lord, if I may, I would like to examine your wounds more closely." Taking her time she carefully examines them trying to determine what the likely source could be.
Knowledge (nature): T10+6=16
Afterward she asks if she may carefully examines the wayfinder hoping to learn anything of value from the device. "This symbol of your father's empire, was it given to you from the Emperor or did it belong to one of his generals?"
Perception: T10+8 = 18
"Sire, with your army waiting shall we have them return with us by your command? Perhaps you would pen a note for your commander we could deliver so that they may join you?" Gert seems to be taking some pleasure in indulging the man's delusions.
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The Prince takes a haughty air before addressing Wulfren. "It seems your compost-smelling lackey here lacks the proper form of address. Please remind him that a Prince's due form is "My Prince", "My Liege" or "Your Royal Highness". You should discipline him for taking me for a mere Lord."
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Wulf looks nervously at Gert, realizing just how poorly any attempt on his part to 'discipline' her would go.
"Of course, my Liege. We have simply grown unaccustomed to the proper forms of address in the years since you father fell from power."
To the others, after leaving the room:
"Thought it best to play along. I'm not one to bow and scrape, but I feel bad for the old bugger."
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Gert looks at the "prince" then at Wulfren and arches an eyebrow. Before she bursts out laughing, Gert falls to the floor on her hands and knees keeping her face down to the floor to hide her snigger. "Your Royal Highness, please accept my deepest apology. A street urchin such as myself has had little cause to interact with such a commanding royal presence. Please, my prince, it would be my pleasure to be of service to you and the Kingdom of Andoran."
Bluff:
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The "Prince" appears to ignore Gert's chuckles completely, nodding solemnly instead. "I see you are not a lost cause. We may yet make a decent vassal of you. "
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The Orphans quickly make their way out of the Augustana Lodge to find themselves in the busy streets of the Andoran city.
Following Liam's instructions, you make your way towards the docks, where the sewers exits into the sea. You quickly notice a sewer outlet, but the pipe extends under a breaker, thus making it hard to reach.
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Ic takes a gleeful smiling bow at Liam, when the latter holds out the alchemist's fire, takes the vial and carefully holds it up to Liam, so that a broadly smiling, deformed, Ic-face is visible to Liam inside the bottle.
Ic tries his best spotting people, and otherwise looking harmless, while other gather their information:
He tugs at the clothes of Anaristiel and whispers A sewer rat walks on two legs., subtly pointing out a specific person in the crowd.
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After hours, Ana finds a "fisherman" selling rat-shaped fish who is able to tell her of a maintenance access, a few streets from there.
Once you reach the place, you find a ladder going down in the dark, followed by a flight of stairs. The smell of the sewers is very strong, foreshadowing your imminent arrival in this underworld.
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"Let me go first mates. I have excellent night vision, and I can carry a torch while climbing down."
Liam pulls out his flint and steel, lighting a torch with them. He then holds the torch with his tail as he descends into the darkness, keeping a wary eye out both for pesky vermin and slime-covered slippery spots.
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The smell of waste and rot is strong in this large chamber where filthy water flows in a series of cascades between tiered stone tanks. A raised platform along the east wall is connected to the passage’s walkways by several thick wooden planks creating a makeshift bridge. On that platform is what looks to be a makeshift alchemy lab on a rough-hewn table—beakers, glass vials, dirty bottles, and moldy buckets cover the entire surface of the table. Working at the table is an oldish-looking man with a weasel face, protected by two thugs armed with spiked chains.
"Intruders! Drop your weapons and your valuable, and you may be spared. Else..."
Initiative - round 1
Steel Wyverns (delay until further notice, will act after the first agressive act)
Firedrake (same)
Group 1 (Ic, Anaristiel, Liam, Gert, Wulfren)
Everyone can act!
Settling Pools map
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Liam calmly moves towards one side of the bridge. He stands there, looking at the thugs with an eyebrow raised. "Now, listen 'ere. We don't particularly want ta fight ya, but we have no intention of rolling over on ta our backs either."
Liam waits, trying to appear non-aggressive, but ready to act if the thugs prove uncooperative. He hopes that if they do do something foolish, the bridge will act as a choke point.
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The thugs grin as they might have been expecting an answer along those lines. "Alright boys, let's peel 'em! Steel Wyverns, sting away!"
The Steel Wyvern thugs draw their spiked chains as they move into position to protect the bridge, one of them poised to strike, the other one using his chain's reach as an advantage to strike Liam, but misses completely.
As they approached, Liam sprung a dagger from nowhere!
Meanwhile, the man with a weasel face grasps one of the small bags prepared on his desk and throws it at Ic, but misses! The bag explodes in a gooey mess on the wall behind the magus without any other nefarious consequences.
Initiative - round 1
>>>Group 2 (Liam)
Steel Wyverns
Firedrake
>>>Group 1 (Ic, Anaristiel, Gert, Wulfren)
Groups 1 and 2 can act!
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Anaristiel lunges forward, reaching out to the first Steel Wyvern and striking him dead in one blow.
The second thug is quickly dispatched by Wulfren, the Andoran's lightning reflexes getting rid of the goon before he realizes what befell him.
The oldish man is hit by an acidic sphere, and looks hurt but not quite dead.
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The combined attacks of the Orphans bring the alchemist down!
On the table, various alchemical components can be found, though their use isn't obvious for those who don't at least dabble in alchemy.
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"Well, nice to see they're compensating for me lack o' countin' ability." Liam chuckles as he absently tosses one of the alchemist fires up and down. He then inspects his scratches. "I suppose I better be takin' care o' these afore they get infected."
"Gert, did you want any..." He trails off as he waves the wand in the air in a silly imitation of magical powers.
He then takes a moment to replace his dagger up his sleeve and the wand up the other. He then grabs the alchemical materials from the table, carefully storing them with the rest of his things.