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A petite, discreet girl chimes in, clothed in foreign garb - of Tien make, no doubt. Her shy voice yet rings true to your ears, and listening to her quickly becomes a trance like experience.
"Well met! I am Shisen of the Fallen Cherry Blossoms, one of the newest agents among the Society, freshly arrived from Goka." she concludes as she bows gracefully then beams a charming, almost disarming smile.
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As the Pathfinders gather in the briefing room, a shy voice comes from inside one of the ceremonial armor suits adorning the room, echoing as though the armor was hollow.
"Is anyone here yet? I'm not sure if I can see properly. Is that a bird? Please don't let it marr this armor, I wouldn't know how to clean it. This is annoying. Oh, I'm Jalthas by the way. I would shake your hand of course, if only I could. You see, I'm a bit trapped by this armor. Best leave the story of how I came to don it alone for now, but suffice to say that it appears to have a will of its own, and it somehow chose me. Since that day, I haven't been able to take it off." says the half-desperate voice from inside.
"This is most unfortunate, especially since I'm going to be sent on real missions now. Please O Lady of Graves, make it so that there won't be any water. Or molds. That would really be disastrous." complains the voice.
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The half elven knight looks every part the 'dashing cavalier' right down to the chiselled jaw and charming smile, and he moves into the room with confident swagger. His amber eyes almost glow in contrast to his swarthy milk coffee complexion as he regards the rooms occupants, a look of vague disappointment crosses his features.
He wears a fine breastplate of a slightly unusual design, vented for travelling in the heat, and embossed with roses - which on closer inspection appear to have very sharp thorns wrought of cold iron. A well made longsword hangs at his side. His shield bears the device of a rose and and heraldry of both Taldor and the River Kingdoms. Out of place and out of style is a slightly worn and torn sandy coloured keffiyeh around his neck that looks like it has seen a fair amount of use.
A holy symbol of Shelyn hangs from a silver chain, and he toys with it playfully as he strolls.
"Lance" he offers by way of introduction as he drops himself into a chair like a cat finding a warm spot, "Don't mind Jalthas, he was stuck in that armour from one side of Cheliax to the other, can't say its sanitary but there we have it. I don't know anything about the mission coming up but the more pressing mission is how we are going to refill that flagon you just emptied..." he gestures to Yukanzis empty vessel "and where we are going to find a couple more"
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The salty air of Aspenthar’s port yields to delicate perfumes and
incense as a servant leads the way into an elegant townhouse.
Another servant serves tea in Tian porcelain, offering the first
cup to Lady Gloriana Morilla and the second to a regal woman
wearing a colorful headscarf and a striking gold necklace.
“At last, our team has arrived!” Lady Gloriana announces,
gesturing to the other teacups. “Please help yourselves. Allow
me to introduce Lady Ziralia, eldest daughter of Aspenthar’s
liege, Prince Zinlo. She has requested the Society’s services for
a rather intriguing project.”
Lady Ziralia nods. “Thank you for the introduction, Lady Morilla. As it happens, I am here today on behalf of Pashow, not Aspenthar. Like Thuvia’s other cities, Pashow relies on the sale of sun
orchid elixir to fuel its economy. Unfortunately, the last two batches destined for Pashow’s auction house were lost to mishaps with
teleportation magic. Emir Guldis has borrowed money to keep the city afloat, but Pashow cannot afford to lose another shipment.
Magic failed the last two times, so I’ve petitioned Guldis to transport the vials in person, as my father does. I rallied enough
public support that the Emir was forced to see reason, and he began building some armored convoys and training guards to escort them.
“Guldis has entrusted me with looking into his transport’s
total security. Our interactions have been somewhat tense of late,
and his full motives for choosing me for such a sensitive task are not yet clear. Nonetheless, the task at hand takes precedence over idle speculation. If this shipment is lost, Pashow will suffer greatly, and I respect the weight of my responsibly in preventing that fate.
“The Emir plans to send the transport on a practice run from
the Citadel of the Alchemist to Pashow with a decoy elixir. Your
job is to perform reconnaissance, plan an ambush, and raid
the transport. To best assess the transport’s vulnerabilities, we
are treating this exercise as a genuine heist. The guards don’t
know they are being tested, so they will respond to you as they
would respond to a real thief trying to infiltrate their operation.
They do know that Guldis appointed me as his auditor, however,
so my direct involvement will be limited. I am here to offer
advice, monitor your strategies, note any security flaws you
manage to exploit, and report back to the Emir. I will counsel
you as best I can, but you should approach this heist however
you see fit. I understand that this is an unusual mission, but
Pathfinder agents are well known for their resourcefulness.”
revolves around the five allied city-states that control the
sale of sun orchid elixir.
15+: Pashow is the smallest of Thuvia’s city-states, and
its people rely on their magical aptitude to compensate
for the barren environment.
cluster around the desert’s scarce oases. Local warlords
called Water Lords control most bodies of fresh water.
Although most consider Water Lords little more than
bandits, those who secure an alliance with a Water Lord
can operate outside of the city-states’ influence.
city-states, each with its own interests. Every year, one
city receives exclusive right to auction off six vials of sun
orchid elixir, which fuels the local economy for the next
five years while the elixir cycles among the other four
city-states.
turmoil after its last two batches of sun orchid elixir were
lost. Though no one knows exactly what caused the
teleportation accidents that compromised the shipments,
locals hold Emir Guldis responsible, sullying his
reputation as a leader.
handedly salvaged the city’s economic infrastructure,
and a group of agitators seek to overthrow Guldis in favor
of Prince Zinlo’s daughter. Rumors hold that Guldis sees
Ziralia as a threat, but cannot openly act against her
without drawing her supporters’ ire and risking a coup.
Ziralia’s rise in popularity, hoping to bring Pashow
under his daughter’s control. The ambitious prince has
been building his military strength, and many fear that
putting Ziralia on Pashow’s throne is just his first step
toward conquering the rest of Thuvia. Ziralia, however,
is a vocal advocate of city-state independence, which
makes her true position concerning Zinlo’s political
maneuvering unclear.
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Barrakhan knows a lot about the local politics and will share it with the group when they are no longer in the princess's presence. Everyone should read all the Knowledge (local) spoilers.
"What can you tell us of the caravan route and the composition of the guard, Your Highness?" asks the investigator.
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Jalthas proves to be quite a source on Thuvia, and more precisely Pashow's past and present. The voice echoes from inside the armor. "I know that the nation of Thuvia consists of five independent city-states, each with its own interests. Every year, one city receives exclusive right to auction off six vials of sun orchid elixir, which fuels the local economy for the next five years while the elixir cycles among the other four city-states. What's less known is that Pashow has been suffering from intense financial turmoil after its last two batches of sun orchid elixir were lost. Though no one knows exactly what caused the teleportation accidents that compromised the shipments, locals hold Emir Guldis responsible, sullying his reputation as a leader. Many of Pashow’s citizens believe Ziralia single-handedly salvaged the city’s economic infrastructure, and a group of agitators seek to overthrow Guldis in favor of Prince Zinlo’s daughter. Rumors hold that Guldis sees Ziralia as a threat, but cannot openly act against her without drawing her supporters’ ire and risking a coup." explains the man trapped in the serrated armor suit. "All in all, we're stepping into a serpent's nest." Jalthas confides once they're far from Ziralia and Lady Morilla's ears.
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The cavaliers attitude changes somewhat with the arrival of Lady Morilla, and it isn't too difficult to determine Lance carries somewhat of a flame for the woman. He does, however, manage to turn his attentions to the Thuvian.
"Your Ladyship, Baron Percival of the River Kingdoms" he bows slightly in due deference to a lady "- further to my friends inquiry about use of force... the guards are unlikely to show great restraint if they believe themselves to be attacked by a real foe - should any of us be caught or captured my experience in Osirion is that the distance to a courthouse is long and the patience of the desert warriors rather short - how will they know not to simply leave us buried in the sand? Do we have a pass phrase or another agent there ready to speak on our behalf?"
His infatuation with Lady Morilla aside, he now looks between the two women with a friendly smile, one might suspect like a cat deciding between a bird or a mouse.
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Lady Ziralia answers you as follows:
"You insinuate that the guards will be using lethal force against us. Are we, um, allowed to reciprocate?"
Is violence an option? “I’ve recruited Abadaran
priests to stabilize any guards who are
critically wounded during your operations,
so using force is permitted. I would ask
that you refrain from excessively lethal
tactics, however, as it would be best for
this exercise to proceed without casualties.
That being said, I strongly advise against
trying to simply overpower the guards.
The Emir spared no expense preparing
his transports, and you are likely to find
yourselves outnumbered.”
Do we have a pass phrase or another agent there ready to speak on our behalf?"[/b]
What is the best way to gather information? “I know
the guards are short-staffed and the convoy workshop
needs skilled artificers, so posing as new recruits may
get you far if you have the skills to back up your claims.
You might also be able to pass as supervisors sent by
Guldis, as long as you can avoid suspicion from middle
management. Of course, there’s always the option of just
sneaking around and stealing information. Don’t get
caught engaging in suspicious behavior or this little test
will be over before it begins. You are likely to meet with
far more success if you to divide your forces between the
two sites to cover more ground. You only have three days
before the practice run, so every minute counts.”
"What can you tell us of the caravan route and the composition of the guard, Your Highness?" asks the investigator.
Where should we attack
the caravan? “You will need
to learn the convoy’s route
through the desert in order to
find the best place for an ambush.
I imagine Guldis’s navigators will
debrief the convoy’s escorts before
the practice run, so spying on the
guard barracks will help you plan
your attack.”
What complications might we face while infiltrating the
facilities? “Both sites are preoccupied with preparations,
so anything could happen. Your most likely obstacles are
traps protecting the officers’ notes and guards interfering
with your surveillance. My advice is to either blend into
the background or make a positive impression; overseers
are more likely to scrutinize a nuisance than someone
they enjoy. Also, watch out for anyone else spying on the
operation; with so much at stake, we can’t afford to miss
any foul play for the sake of our own heist.”
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The barracks is a sandstone complex with thick walls
and a scattered few windows with two buildings.. Recruits share bunks in the easternmost
building, adjacent to the officers’ quarters where the
Emir’s appointed overseers supervise preparations.
The western building contains an armory and a mess
hall, each guarded by more experienced sentries. The
buildings surround a large training field.
While the transport facility consists of
several workshops surrounding a central courtyard,
where the unfinished structure resides. Each workshop
contains crates of various machine parts or arcane grimoires,
and just one shop is active each day. A single main office
where overseers coordinate the transport’s construction
takes up much of the northern workshop.
There's a few guards/carvan workers outside each location.
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"Brawk! Dexter Rose, at your service!" He proudly displays the holy symbol of Abadar around his neck. "Favored of Abadar, defender of commerce. I recently completed a job protecting trade routes in Jalmeray, and I heard there was good work to be done here, ensuring the lifeblood of Thuvia's economy flows freely."
"I'm skilled with both sword and spell, and have a sharp eye for tracking, spotting ambushes, and reading people. I can demonstrate if you like. My colleagues can speak to their own skills, but I will vouch for their character."
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The first day each party heads over to their chosen area.
At the transport house, Barrakhan and Yakanzi see a woman with long black hair and robes. A large book rests on the table behind her. "Who are you two? I am Temeera." You see there's some laboratories and magical tomes in this area. In another area there's large metal things...
- - - -
The guard at the desk addresses Dexter, Lance and Jalthas. He glances at Dexter then looks in particular at Lance. "Welcome Dexter.... He turns to Lance. "Hmmmm..Animal trainer...well you can help out Ishyal today!" She's in the yard training the dogs. You can't miss that scar on her face. Be careful its going to be a scorcher out there today!
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