"She's addicted to it."Galyna mutters.
"Aye, I would want that feeling again. That's the curse - that's what got me brother, too. I've heard folks describe pesh like that - the wanting it again, even after they know better."
Natalya doesn't respond directly, but Miet feels her tense at Galyna's description of her condition, then relax a little at Ellantera's words. Finally, she goes on.
"As soon as I felt... the curse... I had to leave. I couldn't stand the thought of working for Ayala anymore. I paused only long enough to activate one of the other treasures I'd found in the Crow - this ancient clockwork thing, a servant that obeyed my commands since I'd been the one to wind it up - and snuck out. I found the old boarding house, and used my spells to start building a following. In the haze of the shard, that sewage pit felt like a palace, and the goblins were an honor guard.
"And the rest you pretty much know, since you were there." She hunches her shoulders up. "I imagine Ayala wants to kill me for leaving, although I don't know if she knows I took the shard or just wants her clockwork back."
"Well you should be safe here."
"She's probably knowin' what happened to her clockwork. We figure she sent more t' kill you after we left. We brought the two girls that she sent after you with us because they seem to think they are next to die for failing to kill you. What do you think we should do with them?"
At that, Natalya turns back over, no longer talking to the wall. "I don't even know what you're going to do with me," she points out sharply. "And as for safe... unless I never again leave this mansion, which I suppose might be what's in store for me anyway, I'm not going to be safe until Ayala Javeski's dead. She's not the forgiving type."
"Well were not gonna do anything to you so no need to worry about that."
Natalya gives the gnome a flat look. "Who's worried?" she asks. But then she looks at Ellantera. "Do what you want with them. None of us were with Ayala by force, but most of the Girls aren't bad people. We - that is, they are just thieves. That's it. And being a thief means that sometimes you get pinched."
She looks down at the carpet. "And sometimes it means people you used to work with try to kill you."
"You aren't going to come with us? I thought you could help us with our mission If you vouch for them, maybe they can, too. If the Lady and the team agree, of course."
"Now lets not force her into doing anything she dosent want to do."
"Well, no, of course not, sorry."
Ellantera studies her boots for a bit, waiting.
Natalya looks confused. "Come with you where?"
" I don't really think that's a good idea." Galyna mutters.
"Nevermind what can you tell us about the other tower girls and the crow?"
Ellantera frowns and doesn't reply, glancing at Galyna and Miet.
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Natalya blinks. "You're going in there?"
After a few moments' frowning consideration, she gives a small shrug. "Guess it doesn't matter much now. The Tower Girls number a bit over two dozen, all together, and they're mostly just Varisian girls with good climbing and sneaking skills. I was the only one with magic in the group, and for the most part the Girls prefer ambushes when they have to get into fights. That doesn't mean you don't need to be careful, though. Ayala... well, Ayala's a wererat. And she's turned some of the other Girls, her closest allies, into wererats too. I'm not sure how many, but I'd be careful there. And bring silver.
"As for the Crow," she continues, "the only way in is by boat, and you'll be seen as you come in unless you row out at night or in the fog or something. Once you get to the piling itself, though, we've already explored and dealt with a lot of the traps and beasts that were there, so you'll only be worried about the Girls themselves and whatever traps they might have set up since I left. There's a little landing, basically a dock, where you can moor your boat, and then you'll be heading through a small group of rooms into the Crow itself. At the back of the rooms is a stairwell. Goes up a good couple hundred feet, to a another complex just short of the piling's apex. You'll need to climb out on a platform we rigged over the bay for a short bit, and then look for a trapdoor in the ceiling - we had a hook we were using to pull down the door from the platform, and I assume it's still there. Climb up into the trapdoor and there's a low tunnel that takes you deeper in.
"There's another set of rooms when you get through the tunnel - when I was there, that's where we had our 'guard post,' if you want to call it that, set up. Get through it, and there's a set of stairs that take you down about fifty feet to the 'main floor,' I guess you could call it. Three wings on that floor. As you come off the stairs, the wing to the left is the dormitory, the wing straight ahead is mostly storage, and the wing to the right is our 'common room' and the stairs down to Ayala's chambers. That's another fifty feet down, but it's also where I found the shard and the clockwork, and it's also where the only door we hadn't gotten open yet is. The door we couldn't open is made of some kind of special metal that burns when you touch it; it's magically locked, too. The shard was in a small hidden chamber inside Ayala's personal rooms; I closed the door behind me, but it's on the east side of the room, on the wall just opposite Ayala's sleeping space."
"Okay thanks for letting us know."
"Yeah, whatever," Natalya says, shrugging and turning back toward the wall.
Ellantera looks between Natalya and each of the many allies that have slipped in during the conversation, then shrugs. "I guess she might not want to come with us. The other two would probably be against it, now that I think about it." She trails off, lost in thought.
Uraisa, who had finally walked into the conversation, nodded. "Sounds like it'll just be our usual crew again." She thought back to the wizard that almost killed everyone of them earlier. "We just need to watch our for powerful mages, though."
Natalya doesn't seem much interested in saying anything else, so her questioners turn to go. Just before you leave, though, she does speak up one last time. "Pathfinders..." she murmurs. "Thank you. For bringing me here, for getting the shard away from me." She is silent again, and refuses to be roused further. Mandali maintains his watchful vigil over her, nodding his head once in acknowledgement as you leave.
Back downstairs, Lady Sheila sees that you have returned, and quickly sends servants to fetch the rest of the group. In short order, you have all reassembled in the library. This time, Sir Canayven Heidmarch is also present, although he seems content to let his wife take the lead in the conversation. Sir Canayven is a tall, thin, hawkish man with dark eyes and hair - the hair over his ears and his goatee both show speckles of grey here and there, but he is nonetheless in the prime of life and very much not a pampered, soft noble.
Lady Sheila smiles as she surveys you. "Well then. What have you learned from our, ah, guests?" she asks.
"Quite a bit actually of the two tower girls one has shown intrest in trying to become a pathfinder, the other just wants to skip town I think, I dont think there boss really knows what the shard does it's more the act of Natalya taking it and running off that has her angry.
Speaking of who she's up and awake again buuuuut I think the shard has left her really shaken up. She was still able to provide us with a lot of info about the crow and tower girls though."
"Our next step would be to head to their stronghold in The Crow. We'd have to plan our approach carefully but it sounds like there's a lot more answers, and maybe more artifacts there."
"OK then". "Let's head out".
"Galya has the long and short of it. The vision of the Crow was clear. We need to find out what we can...and to see if there are other shards out there."
Lady Sheila raises an eyebrow at Miet's reply, but nods. "I'll see about getting the Tower Girls to Absalom. The Grand Lodge will take them as students if they want to, and if not... well, I suppose Absalom's as good a place as any to get lost in. And Natalya is one of us - she can rest here as long as she likes."
The Venture-Captain exchanges a look with her husband before continuing. "As for the Crow, I'll let you make your plans while I keep researching the shards. There are two things we'd like to pass on, though. One may or may not be relevant to you; I've told the other Pathfinders based here, though, so I think I should mention it to you as well. The Lord Mayor has grown concerned enough about these mysterious disappearances that he's offered a reward: 1000 gold to anyone who can recover one of the disappeared victims. I believe this reward to be cumulative for any such victim returned safely to his or her family. The second thing... well, I'll let Canayven tell you."
Sir Canayven steps forward to stand alongside his wife, offering each of you a nod. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you," he says in a smooth, cultured voice. "My lady wife has already spoken much of your accomplishments, but I am more interested in what you are about to accomplish next. As you likely know, we chose to found a Pathfinder Lodge here in Magnimar because Sheila and I share a passion for Thassilonian history and artifacts. In particular, I have long been fascinated by the ruins of the Irespan and the secrets such a monument might conceal. Alas, I have other projects in train that cannot be set aside, so I cannot join you on your expedition. All I ask is this: learn what you can about the history of Thassilon from the traces it left behind in the Crow, and provide documentation of any artifacts or icons that seem especially valuable for the purpose of broadening our understanding. Do this, and I will offer you one hundred platinum for each discovery I deem worthwhile."
Lady Sheila nods, picking up the thread of the conversation, "If you wish, you might also consider this your field test, a 'final exam' before you're allowed to join the Pathfinder Society as full agents. A quality map and description of your discoveries inside the Crow would likely earn you a spot in the next edition of the Pathfinder Chronicles."
"So. Go then. Make your preparations, and then go bring back history. The world is waiting."
Most of what the noble Pathfinders said is beyond El, but she recognizes the funds being discussed. Eyebrows raised, she looks at her brother. She is so in for this...
"I have some ink and parchment. Does everyone else have writing and drawing supplies?"
"Writin' 'n drawin' supplies? Wouldn't do me no good. I've got stabbin' and cuttin' covered, though." She winks at the mage. "So - how do we want to split up the reward for finding the girl? I got some stuff, but it'd be nice t' have some healin' at hand if we get 'nother fight like her."
"If the rest of you are ready to go, so am I."
"We may as well get geared up and get on with it."
Ellantera gets a simple small nod from Shiv. He has been somewhat withdrawn after his magically fuel coup attempt for the leadership of the party.
The following evening, you find yourselves standing on the docks of Magnimar harbor, next to a pair of large rowboats Lady Sheila has rented on an indefinite basis. To your right, the massive shape of the broken Irespan looms in the darkening twilight, while to the north, the freestanding pilings beyond the ruin's crumbling edge are faintly visible over the water. The third one out on the west side is the Crow.
Earlier that day, the two captured Tower Girls were bundled onto a ship not far from where you are now standing, a ship bound for Absalom. A sending bought by Lady Sheila allowed the basic arrangements for the two thieves to be made; they carry a letter from her explaining in more detail. Either way, their fates are out of your hands. Likewise, Natalya continues to rest and recuperate at Heidmarch Manor - your Venture-Captain remains committed to the idea that her psyche needs to heal as much as her body, and has chosen not to use magic to speed her recovery.
As twilight fades into full dark, you have only the moonlight and the shadows of the pilings against the stars to guide you across the half-mile or so of water between the docks and the Crow. It takes about thirty minutes of slow, repetitive rowing for the two boats to reach the Crow itself. As you make your way across the harbor, you are amazed by how well the sounds of the city carry over the waves, and you realize there is a lesson there for you in terms of reaching the Crow without alerting its defenders.
Stealth
Stealth
As the party is crossing open water, and Oscar has no desire to SCUBA, he will remove his armor, and wait till he's ashore before donning it.
So... Stealth in boat (-5) after the armor is donned.
Seeing Oscar's idea in action and getting a somewhat-hidden scowl from her brother, Ellantera decides to follow suit, removing her armor and packing it tightly under her legs so her hands were free.
Halfway across, though, she sneezes. Loudly. Even in the dark, she can feel the look she gets from Shiv. She's sure her blush makes her glow in the eyes of any sentries and she firms her grip as she grits her teeth.
Not the least bit concerned about being able to swim in his armor he keeps it on and watches for a glimpse of their destination in the dark.
Kassandra stays silent, wrapped up in her black robes while the others row. She winces and rolls her eyes each time someone else makes a noise.
Erwin grumbles as he removes his armor.
Stealth
The spasm that happens when Ellantera sneezes causes her elbow to catch Galyna square in the chest, resulting in a sharp yelp of surprise and pain.
"Well......" Miet quietly from her position in the boat ".....Since they all now probably know were coming shall we sing a sea chanty?"
After what feels like a very long time trying to cross the water quietly (with varying levels of success), the two rowboats finally reach the Crow. A tall lancet arch at water level leads into a chamber at sea level within the side of the ancient piling. Inside is what was once a small, stepped terrace, now filled with sea water to the level of its top step. Three rowboats are tied off to heavy stones placed on this step. Above, the ceiling rises almost all the way up to the top of the monument — an opening leads off this shaft to the west near the ceiling. At the west end of this room lies a small alcove whose floor shows the stains of countless campfires — the back wall of this alcove has broken through, revealing a passageway beyond.