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"Heaven's fury knows no bounds against a man of ill repute. I will rain hellfire and damnation down on your soul and leave your wrecked body so that even the lemure's will shy away from your wrecked mass.Put the rapier down NOW or I will shove that rapier so far up your backside you will have trouble passing your meals for the next several months."
vs. 10 + the target's Hit Dice + the target's Wisdom modifier. If you are successful, the target is shaken for 1 round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC.
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R4
Jarlglur Dazes
R5
Aranan slashes vainly.
Amris thrusts disappointingly.
Jivokun (Pending)
Grogson fails to hammer home his point.
Pozuket (Pending)
ENEMY (Pending)
R6 (The tide turns?)
Aranan attack held for resolution
Amris intimidate held for resolution
Jivokun
Grogson attack held for resolution.
Pozuket
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Pozuket cracks loose with his crossbow once more...
The bolt fails to make its mark.
The fencer slashes at Aranan but likewise finds his luck has abandoned him.
R5
Jarl (pending)
R6
Aranan attack held for resolution
Amris intimidate held for resolution
Jivokun (pending)
Grogson attack held for resolution.
Pozuket (pending)
Jarls spear goes wide.
Aranan finally lands a blow - opening a deep gash and finally spilling some claret.
Amris capitalises on the recent strike, and the fellows lack of decent hits to intimidate him, which seems to cut through the bravado.
Grogson smells blood, and contributes to the damage landing a strike of his own.
Jivs & Poz up!
R6
Enemy
Jarl
R7
Aranan
Amris
Jivokun
Grogson
Pozuket
Enemy
Jarl
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The blade whirls through the fracas, sinking home.
A look of sheer disappointment crosses the mans face as he turns pale and white, his mind clearly spinning under the cumulative hits - you can practically hear the ringing that must be filling his ears, and the loss of focus in his eyes gives you the nod that he is starting to get tunnel vision.
"If if took all this, then the Lodge will do just fine" he utters, mostly disconnectedly as he forces a smile, staggering like a newborn foal - he starts falling to the ground, and Grogson simply steps through and helps him down.
He stays motionless, bleeding into the mouldy carpet.
A quick search of the cells areas reveals them to be dirty and smelly and hold nothing of value. The goblins seem to be collecting shiny objects, though, as they’ve dangled hundreds of them from the many bars throughout the area.
Searching the mans office reveals a few interesting notes.
Dear Caggrigar,The mission in Kaer Maga is proceeding as ordered, though
Absalom has seen fit to send Pathfinders here to look into our
presence. One of my lieutenants, that fool bard if you must
know, murdered Collgardie too late—the old man sent a letter to
Dreng and now we’re hip-deep in Pathfinder entanglements. As
you well know, this is a difficult city for murder and mayhem—
killing the wrong person at the wrong time with the wrong tool
can result in a blood feud or, worse, your expulsion from the city.
We are not popular here anymore.I humbly ask that we scrap this part of the plan and try to
establish our headquarters in Whitethrone instead. It’s farther
from Absalom than Kaer Maga and I know of no one there that
the Society counts as a loyal agent.Humbly Yours,
Kormiggon Sussworth
Kaer Maga Lodge
Dear Hondo Heru,
I never believed that your ancient Osirian technique for
acquiring a tribe of pet goblins would work—but I must now eat
my words, dearest Hondo, and tell you that it did. No matter
what you hear about my mission here, know that the goblin
trick worked.Sincerely,
Kormiggon Sussworth
Kaer Maga Lodge
Dear Dorianna Ouidda,
What news from Almas? It’s been many months since your
last letter and I admit that I’m growing worried that you were
found out. Is your disguise still intact? Do you need assistance?
Any word from you would be gratefully appreciated.Sincerely Yours,
Kormiggon Sussworth
Kaer Maga Lodge
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Aran will comb every inch of this compound with a fine tooth comb to try and find any information to take back with him to Absalom about this threat, he is furious about the entire concept of a dark Shadow organization trying to cause harm to the Pathfinder Society, so he will not rest until he is sure there is nothing left to find.
His opinion about what to do with the prisoners is to hand them over to Kaer Maga, but if they will allow them the swordsman to take with them to Absalom to pump for information, he would not be opposed to it, but the group needs to be clear that a non-Pathfinder was who was causing such problems and setting up a lodge here, not a real Pathfinder.
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Pozuket thoughtfully taps the note to "Dorianna Ouidda". "We should make sure the Society knows about this woman. I don't know of anything presently happening in Almas, but if she is a friend of this fake lodge, she will definitely be worth investigating."
Also, he agrees with Aranan's suggestion for disposing of the prisoners.
***Epilogue***
The Ardoc family and the Commerce League were both appreciative of the groups success and both took time to inform you all that the Pathfinders are still welcome with the walls of Kaer Maga.
The Duskwardens also thanked you for uncovering the source of the goblins that were causing a ruckus in the Halflight Path.
The difficult question of what to do with the captured Shadow Lodge agents was decided by party majority - that they were to endure the long and arduous journey back to Absalom for questioning, rather than being handed to the Duskwardens or Ardocs for immediate execution, the almost certain fate.
On return to Absalom, you were summoned to a meeting with Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng, who listened to your story intently and expressed
consternation that, day by day, the 'Shadow Lodge' cells are more than a rumor — but a reality, and one the Pathfinder Society is going to have to continue to deal with.
Dreng heaped praise upon you, proclaiming that a you have all done a great service for the Lodge, and that you should stay in Absalom for a while.
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“I have a mission for you,” says Istivil Bosk, the Venture Captain of Daggermark in the River Kingdoms.
After receiving the assignment from Venture-Captain Adril Hestram in Absalom, travelling for weeks across the Inner Sea and up the lengthy Sellen River, and with barely an hour to adjust to Daggermark’s sights and sounds, the Venture-Captain of Daggermark now paces back and forth across cramped quarters crammed full of maps, books, and adventuring gear.
“Your timing is perfect, friends,” explains Bosk, an elderly man with greying hair and a pinched, weathered face. He waves a parchment in his hand. “I received another letter just yesterday.” He holds up another stack of letters. “It’s from the Black Marquis—I believe his real name is Bazzak—the leader of a band of brigands surreptitiously known as the Pirate Pact. In all of these letters, he claims to need our help and offers us The Memoirs of the Silver Brotherhood, a rare text—maybe the rarest—in exchange. The Society tried for years to track it down and now Bazzaks claims to be ready to give it to us. I’m sending you north to Deadbridge near the Echo Wood to meet this Black Marquis and offer him your help with whatever it is he needs. I want this book, and you’ll get it for me.”
And so the mission travels north along the Sellen River, to the aptly named village of Deadbridge, a rundown hamlet partially built on wharves. It is there, in a rundown antique manor house where stands Urdul Bazzak, the Black Marquis. “I rule the Pirate Pact and with it the stretch of the Sellen River between here and Numeria,” proudly states the portly little man. “The waterways are the lifeblood of the River Kingdoms, so you must understand that any menace to the river is a menace to the balance of power.” The Black Marquis stops and quickly looks to his left and right before leaning in and continuing in hushed tones. “Unless someone deals with this threat soon, I could lose everything. Normally I would rely on my most trusted lieutenants, but …” Bazzak sits up, regains some composure, and resumes - “The book I’m willing to trade for your service—The Memoirs of the Silver Brotherhood—contains information about an Azlanti treasure vault deep within the Echo Wood. That’s where I sent my most trusted lieutenants. Only, on their way they were waylaid by spiders and abominations and only one returned alive. Lady Riverbane sent out another ship upon her return, the Hanspur’s Luck, to search for my men. The Luck hasn’t returned either.”
Bazzak points to the only other person in the room, a raven-haired beauty standing in a corner. “Lady Riverbane is my most trusted second, and she will take one of my best ships and guide you back to the Azlanti vault. Rid the river of these monstrous spiders and their abominations, find the Hanspur’s Luck, and uncover the whereabouts of my
men, and the book is yours. Do it quickly, do it quietly, and do it before the rest of the Pact realize I’ve sent my best men on fools’ errands that may have killed them all.”
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The halfling gives Riverbane a smile and a wink, then turns back to The Black Marquis, "You said one of the crew escaped...what made him special to escape? Or is he perhaps a plant sent by your enemies to throw you off of them attacking you?" The halfling has a hard time trusting people as so many of his companions are less than trustworthy.
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Pozuket's interest in this book has sent him this far, and the promise of an ancient vault hooks him even further. His eyes practically shine at the idea, undeterred by the promised spiders and abominations.
"How did you acquire this tome? Could someone know about it and be attempting to interfere, or is it just the monsters in the way?"
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The halfling gives Riverbane a smile and a wink, then turns back to The Black Marquis, "You said one of the crew escaped...what made him special to escape? Or is he perhaps a plant sent by your enemies to throw you off of them attacking you?" The halfling has a hard time trusting people as so many of his companions are less than trustworthy.
Lady Riverbane laughs, a grim tone behind the jocularity "I was the escapee, the spiders and abominations came from all around, launching out of the trees, it was only that I realised we were lost and went overboard that I survived. I sent a rescue ship to investigate what was going on, but now they... they haven't returned"
"How did you acquire this tome? Could someone know about it and be attempting to interfere, or is it just the monsters in the way?"
"Partly what I am worried about, that there might be agents behind it all, I don't know who I can trust...so a team of outsiders...no local allegiances..." he lets the statement trail off.
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Pozuket knows that the region is crawling with pirates and other likely fellows of ill repute, and that the area has had 'pirate kings' rise and fall over and over like the coming and goings of the tide. It can't be ruled out that a rival faction might be trying to tip the scales...
No abominations spring to mind.
The area the vault is in certainly does have a spider plague issue, so its not untypical to have 'problems' with large arachnids in the wild and wolly woods.
There could be an Azlanti vault in the area, no particular ties to the region that you are aware of, and no major known Azlanti ruins, but nothing makes it stand out as a doubtful tale (more than any other tale told by pirates in a pirate town on a pirate plagued river that is).
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A Tengu in dark blue traveling clothes leans against a chaise. A simple scabbard holds an long curved blade of Tian make on one hip. A book in a leather case hangs at the other. "And may we see this tome which you are offering in exchange for the Society's aid?" he says with a tilt of his avian head.
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The man purses his lips momentarily, weighing up your question, then nods as though it is a reasonable question - all things considered - and withdraws a small lockbox. After a moment fiddling with a set of keys, the box is opened and the book displayed; though only briefly and superficially enough for you to confirm the title and that it does indeed seem to be what he claims it to be.
"Lady Riverbane will guard it on my behalf". he hands it to her for the pending journey. Lady Riverbane nods in agreement, taking the book - "Get your supplies in whilst you can, the Scrag Fisher is still being provisioned herself. Meet us at the end of the wharf when you are done. I expect we will set sail at dawn."
***
Following the audience with the Black Marquis, you are free to roam the streets of Deadbridge before heading for the docks; however, there is little you learn from the suspicious townsfolk. They seem only interested in fluency with currency, and then only in trade situations.
You learn that Deadbridge is a run-down old hamlet built nearly 50 years ago that was but an abandoned hovel when Morgan the White settled here and established the protectorate. The pirate capital is made up of broken huts, shacks, and sheds in between which run foul, muddy streets filled with refuse and animal corpses — and sometimes two-legged ones as well. Most of today’s Deadbridge is built atop a wharf that extends far out into the Sellen River atop ancient piles that were once part of a stone bridge some forgotten kingdom built here and then abandoned. The homes, buildings, and warehouses on the wharf are of the finest construction, and this is where the marquis resides when he’s in town. His most loyal men and women are said to jealously guard the wharf, and anyone caught there who doesn’t belong is either cut down by swordplay or tied to barrels and drowned in the river.
After enjoying the 'cordial atmosphere' of Deadbridge you rendezvous with the Black Marquis’s ship: the Scrag Fisher, a 50-foot long, single-masted vessel rigged with a lugsail. When you all arrive, Lady Riverbane and several able-bodied sailors are already on board preparing for departure.
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Well... this is guaranteed to be something different. I don't normally 'boat', says a prosperous looking young man with an Absolom accent. Still, shouldn't be hard for someone who is at ease with the big ships of Absolom.
I am Turac Llaest, the same Llaest of the Llaest Venture and Trading Consortium. Pleased to meet your acquaintances, he says somewhat bombastically.
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"Well, lads, I feel like I am a bit under trained. I do not know the mystic arts...yet. I tend to help my companions find the right spot to strike and help defend them."
With that, he pulls out a short l-shaped rod that looks like it can be used to defend as well as attack.
"Name is Fitzpatrick...you can call me Fitz or Trick. Pleasure...," he says to them all with a nod.
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The six sailors manning the Scrag Fisher are all rough and insubordinate types by nature, Pirates through and through, but these buccaneers seem to follow Riverbane’s orders without question.
Lady Riverbane welcomes you aboard and gestures to where you will be quartered, "She's not a vessel made for pleasure cruises, she's a rough one to say the least, but you should at least stay mostly dry. The crew is a good lot, Andrezi, Esmerelda, Fox, Thorpe, Tormer, and Viorel. They won't say it, but we are happy to have a group of Pathfinders along with us, the Society's reputation holds weight around these parts, and your skills at dealing with problems is admired"
The boat sets out with the morning tide.
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"That is a pleasant change of pace. Usually our presence is seen with disdain, if not downright hostility. Thank you, Captain Riverbane." He bows to her before turning to his companions and beginning their conversations of travel. "When we come into combat...are there any specific tactics that you lads have that I should be aware of? I tend to want to stay close, but most things won't see me as much of a threat. Though some might see me as a snack."
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Tikrit laughs and nods. "Our reputation precedes us! Luckily we are better regarded here in Avistan than back home in Tian Xia." he says. "I'd be happy to show you a few moves, Turac. A fine looking weapon you have there."
To Fitzpatrick, he says, "You'd call my style a Skirmisher. I strike hard with the power of my magic melded with my blade, but don't expect me to stand toe to toe with the foe."
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Pozuket eyes the rare book with awe clearly written on his face, then follows his companions down to the docks.
On the way, the teal-haired gnome introduces himself: "I'm Pozuket, but you can call me Poz. My expertise is in words of all sorts. From ancient runes to inspiring speeches." He executes a little bow. To the tengu, he adds "We should compare notes. If you know a language I don't, I would love to learn it from you."
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Since it left Deadbridge, the Scrag Fisher has been cutting a straight furrow into the lazy waters of the Sellen River, making good speed thanks to its industrious crew actively manning the ship’ sail and ropes.
Deadbridge is already far behind when an exclamation rises. “Sail Ho!” One of the robust sailors points ahead while turning toward Lady Riverbane standing at the helm. “It’s a cog, Milady. And it flies no colors—should we tender these trespassers?” Looking at the incoming vessel, Lady Riverbane answers in a stern voice: “Nay! Not today, man. We have our mission. We’ll stick to it.” Without another word, the crew gets back to working the hawser and lanyards.
As the two ships draw closer, the other craft’s pitiful state becomes obvious. With planks and riggings missing in places, sailors frantically move about the deck and appear to have difficulty steering their ship. As the two ships avoid collision and pass alongside each other, a shout rises—”Now!”—followed by a volley of grappling hooks from the other vessel. The Scrag Fisher is under attack!
The other ship is the Waverender — the name barely readable on the vessel’s verdigris nameplate
Lady Riverbane immediately orders her crew tocretreat below deck, “leave the fighting to the heroic Pathfinders, they can handle these villains!" She immediately starts moving up to safety to keep an eye on the battle...
Fitz
Poz
Tikrit
Turac
Enemy
R1
Fitz
Poz
Enemy
Turac
Tikrit
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Moving quickly, the halfling slips between his companions, situating himself so that he can defend them both (between Poz and Tik). He pulls out his tonfa as he moves and then once there, he draws his shield.
If one of his companions is attacked, he uses an attack of opportunity to defend them. They will receive a +4 armor class as an assist.
"Stand with me, lads, and I will keep you safe."