Venture-Captain Hestia Themis, a small, unassuming woman of Taldan heritage with dark hair and eyes, holds a large sheaf of papers in her small hands and clears her throat. Her booming voice, the antithesis of her stature, fills the main hall of the small Pathfinder Lodge in the Taldan city of Cassomir.
“One of our own has been kidnapped. Pathfinder Cestis was taken just days ago from a relics auction in the Imperial Naval Shipyards, and we believe his dissapearance to be related to the six dozen or so kidnappings of the last several months. Now that one of our own is missing, this has become a Society matter—something we’ll get to the bottom of.” Themis gestures to a teenage boy standing beside her, who nervously regards his surroundings and sweats profusely, his thick brown hair matted and wet against his head.
“This is Nefti, the assistant to the biggest thorn in my side in Cassomir—an agent of the Aspis Consortium named Kafar. Kafar is also missing, taken from the same relics auction along with Pathfinder Cestis and a dozen other citizens of Cassomir. Nefti was at the auction, saw where a small group of the kidnapped victims were taken, and his handlers in Cassomir have give us access to him so that he might guide us to our missing Pathfinder. If you happen to find Kafar...” Themis grinds her teeth. “Let him go, per the agreement I’ve just made with his superiors. Your priority is Cestis, and I think Nefti can lead you to him. Any questions?”
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Wylka listens to the mission report as he just leans on his glaive while wearing a standard looking scale mail. "So a rescue mission."
Wylka looks at the nervous boy, "Nefti is it! Can you describe those that took the kidnapped victims? Their numbers, any distinguishing symbols, their weapons and armor?"
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A dwarf with earthen colored matted hair and a scruffy beard to match, looks up to meet the gaze of his superior.
Aye, the lad brings up a good point...what type of numbers are we going against here. The weapons and gear I can deal with, but if we are sorely outnumbered, his thought trails off. He continues sharpening his blade with his whetstone.
"Some Dwarf you are." comes a scratchy baritone voice behind Belgrim, giving the fellow stout man a pat on his shoulder. "Thinkin' ya already lost just because of potential big numbers." He gave a small smile at his own comment. A deep red ember seemed to smolder in his hazel eyes as he spoke. He was clad in scaled armor, carrying a heavy-looking flail and a rather wicked-looking scythe, his form looking as if it was bristling with muscle under his gear.
"Ah'm more curious as to what kind o' people were kidnapped. Children? Women and children? Young men? Priests? Hunters? Blacksmiths? If we can get those more specific details, we can start narrowin' thing down. Could possibly start askin' around the Guilds for some o' their missin' staff as well."
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A shy half-elf enters in the room, his robes of white are immaculate, the trimming of red in contrast to the white of the robes. A pin of the longsword, making him as a devotee of the Inheritor is placed near his heart. Nodding to the clerics of Sheyln and Torag, the half elf will listen as his party member asks pertinent questions to their mission.
Nefti blinks, seemingly startled by the questions. "Well, it was quite the madhouse in the attack. I had to move quickly to avoid being snatched up myself!" He wipes his brow with a rough handkerchief. "I saw a number of men, human as best I could tell. I thought I saw a shorter creature, twisted and white-haired-"
"Speculation at this point." Hestia cuts the youth off, irritation on her face. "There have been tales of creatures from the Darklands climbing up through Cassomir's Locker, the sewers and catacombs and whatever else is below the city. But as of this moment, only rumors. We don't know who is behind it." Her ire fades a bit as she considers Yuroak's inquiry. "Until now, the kidnappings were fairly focused. Each victim was connected to the Imperial Naval shipyards- shipwrights, carpenters, navy guards, the like." She paces slightly, impatience marking her every step. "This one was brash, bold, taking over a dozen people of every stripe, including Aspis yellow." She ignores Nefti's poorly concealed offense. "Their mistake was missing Nefti, which I hope to translate into our fortune."
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Wylka frowns, "Hmm... the early victims would seem to maybe be some type of plot to take over the shipyards, but with all the new victims... doesn't quite fit with that possible threat."
He then looks at the others, "I don't think there is anymore information we can gleam until we investigate and confront the kidnappers. So shall we head out and be onto the investigation?"
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A dashing young elf appears gliding toward the rest. Framed by the lute and bow slung over his shoulders, he says in a whinny nasal high pitch, haughty voice he says "Not to be rude or anything, but what was this member doing at the auction. I mean what kind of a weakling gets kidnapped in broad daylight."
He chuckled some at the returned Dwarven greeting, giving an ear to the woman and her booming voice giving out information. "Slavers don't kidnap at random." Yuroak muttered to himself. "Gotta find out why they want shipwrights and a crew..." He looked up from his thoughts when a Human, dressed in divine clothing to better show the sigil of his god.
"Aye. Think we're gonna learn all there is from here. I say we check out th' docks themselves. Ask around, see if anyone of note went missin' recently an' narrow our search tha' way."
Hestia sniffs loudly. "It is our good fortune that the Consortium has already tracked down a likely hiding spot." She looks to Nefti expectantly.
"Ah...yes. I was able to track down the party that took Kafar and the rest, at least to the docks. You are very astute, that seems to be where they have hidden until they can move across the city." His constant glances to the venture captain highlight his agitation. "There is a inn, known as the Inn of the Unlucky Sailor, that was recently closed for renovation. We have good information from reliable sources that someone has moved in recently, coinciding with the time of the attack."
"And there you have it, Pathfinders. Your task is to go to this inn, find out if our man is there, and if not, beat it out of anyone who doesn't comply with friendly inquiries." She glares pointedly at Zhang. "Weak in body Cestis may be, but his mind is strong, and holds some particularly sensitive knowledge. I would see that knowledge returned safely, and securely."
The bulky Dwarf cracked his knuckles, commenting with a grim smile, "If not, then ah still know how to break some knees and crack skulls together t' knock loose tha' needed info."
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Using the shaft of his polearm as a walking stick, "I guess we should head to this Inn of the Unlucky Sailor and investigate it. See what coach roaches we might disturb by spreading light in the area."
Wylka then walks out of the meeting place and heads for the docks, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious but realizing he probably will see a lot of suspicious people at the dock. It is the dock after all.
The venture captain looks to the two dwarves. "Take Nefti with you. He can direct you to the building." She then takes a seat at her desk, pinching the bridge of her nose.
The walk to the docks is uneventful, but the bustle of the city that surrounds the Pathfinders is more muted than normal. The gossip on the lips of passerby's is of the first missed ship launch in decades, and the fury incited in Grand Prince Stavian by it. Now, martial law has the city guard out in force, much to the consternation of the common folk. Many whisper openly of the exposed incompetence of the guard, to not be able to handle a ring of kidnappers.
Perched precariously overhanging the dirty harbor water stands the Inn of the Unlucky Sailor. A fresh coat of white paint glistens on half the inn’s outside walls, and most of the windows are boarded up. The roof leans slightly toward the harbor, as if at any moment the entire thing could come off and slide into the ocean. The dock leading up to the inn is made of rotting wood connected to thick, rank-smelling pilings. Several small rowboats are currently tied up along its length.
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In response to Daereon's query, "Shelyn teaches us that 'Beauty comes from within' it basically means that there is beauty in everything, even if it is hidden deep down. A physically unattractive person is still beautiful. They could have a great personality, a skill that surpasses most people, or many other good qualities. Of course, we are to encourage art and music in others as well as love. Not necessarily carnal love but family love or love of friends."
Upon arriving at the Inn, Wylka goes silent, scanning the area. "Won't be easy to enter the Inn without notice. Those rotten boards will creak like crazy. And if a fight breaks out, that roof could come crashing down."
Wylka scans for any type of path that could be taken more silently up to the Inn.
Yuroak gives a bark of a laugh at the Half-Elf's comment, giving him a smack on the back. "Ha! Didn't expect a dry wit from ya strangah!" With their goal set, the armed Dwarf walks with the group, taking up a position somewhere towards the front of their modest group in order to give them a means to more easily pass through crowds. Besides being visibly armed.
As they arrived at the Inn known as The Unlucky Sailor, listening to the man in holy garb voice this thoughts. "You're already assumin' tha' he's even in there. Place could be a front, or just friggin' empty. I can head in an' check things out if you're tha' worried about bein' noticed. That way, when ya hear th' screamin' and breakin' of furniture, ya know to come in ready t' fight." With that said, he himself is scanning the place for another possible entrance or exit, and trying to determine if he could hear snatches of conversation drifting out from within the rough-looking place.
The sounds of the dockworkers up and down the streets are the only noises you can hear at the moment. The closed inn is quiet and desolate, removed from the bustle of unloading and loading on the piers.
He was glad that he wasn't the only person there that was terrible at making a quiet approach. With his larger weapons and bulkier armor, Yuroak preferred a more explosive entrance over a stealthy one. And it seemed like his new divine ally was graced with a Dwarven step. Regardless, it allowed him to try and set up to cut off anyone that might be inside the abandoned building. He tried to move quickly around the back door and set himself up, heavy flail being held in both hands, one hand grasping the chain to hold it to the body to give him that extra bit of surprise should someone come out the back.
He spoke to the rest of the group as he moved, "I'll stand watch around back. Catch anyone tryin' t' make a quick escape after tha' racket. I'll holler if ah need help."
As Wylka approaches the door over the creaking pier, Belgrim hears the sound of someone speaking within, in a tongue the dwarf has never heard before. The doors are thrown open to reveal a much nicer interior than the exterior suggests.
The floor looks new and less likely to creak, fresh paint coats the walls, and the smell of freshly cut wood fills the room. There is less furniture than expected while what is there is covered in sawdust. Several buckets of white paint sit atop the bar, next to the form of an unconscious man, whose exposed midriff is bloody and bruised.
A man wielding a wooden club points at those of you in the doorway, snarling "Attack, my pets! Rid us of these interlopers, and none will stop our grand ambitions!" A number of unusually large rats turn to stare at the party with red eyes, chittering and beginning to advance!
20 Belgrim
19 Daereon
18 Zhang
13 Yuroak
8 Wilka
8 Cultist
7 Red Rat
7 Green Rat
5 Blue Rat
He heard the cry of challenge from whoever had been waiting for them from within, sighing aloud as he commented, "Damn. Missed out on th' openin' battle cry..." He trundled back up to the front door and laid eyes on the unfolding chaos within. Cursing his short stride to be unable to get right into the thick of things, but at least able to join the battle.
Yuroak finds the doors refuse to open, possibly blocked on the other side. He might be able to burst them open with a feat of strength.
Yuroak throws his bulk against the obstructing door, trying to shove loose whatever it was keeping him from opening the door.
Strength check:
Wilka manages to slash into the rat, which squeaks in pain and begins to advance on its attacker. Even Zhangs arrow does not finish it off the other rat. Yuroak finds the barricade holds underneath his straining muscles.
20 Belgrim
19 Daereon
18 Zhang
13 Yuroak
8 Wilka
8 Cultist
7 Red Rat
7 Green Rat (Damage: 3)
5 Blue Rat (Damage: 6)
Daereon's bright bolt of energy misses the human with only centimeters to spare. The look of surprise on his face at the attack twists into anger as he speaks words of power, gesturing back at the sorcerer."No underestimation, dwarf! You cannot stand before the end of humanity!" the man cries, raising his club and moving to engage Wilka.
The rats scamper forward with speed and ferocity, biting and nipping at the Pathfinders as they close. Two manage to get under Belgrims guisarme, snapping fangs into the dwarfs flesh. Wilka manages to dodge the other rats bite and avoid the worst.
20 Belgrim (Damage: 5) *
19 Daereon
18 Zhang
13 Yuroak
8 Wilka
8 Cultist
7 Red Rat
7 Green Rat (Damage: 3)
5 Blue Rat (Damage: 6)