It’s my wedding day!
Hehe
After an undefined time in Varisia, you sail back to Absalom.
Feel free to RP the trip for those characters continuing on, or RP what you have been/are doing for the new folks.
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As the ship's crew hurries about with last-minute preparations to set sail from Magnimar's harbor, the fanfare of a loud trumpet off-vessel breaks through the buzz. A few minutes of shouting and confused banter later, the gangplank is lowered to the dock again, and a wizened man with fancy but faded clothes scampers aboard, tarnished horn in one hand and a small pouch in the other, which he promptly drops into the annoyed first mate's hand.
He sounds the horn again, a shorter blast this time, and rigidly tucks it under his left arm as his right pulls out a roll of parchment. With a great flourish, he unrolls it and clears his throat. In a reedy voice, he calls out, Presenting...*ahem*...the honorable and illustrious...Rosham Bowe...the *ahem* Wellborne. He then rerolls the parchment and stands unflinchingly as a solidly-built Taldan male, about five-foot-eight with shoulder-length dark hair, strides aboard.
The Taldan wears a meticulously-maintained russet colored braidcoat and flowing black breeches with ankle-high black boots. You can spot a glistening chain shirt beneath his coat and an ornate blue sash about his waist, with a broad, curved blade, fashioned of some black metal and bearing a hilt in the shape of a roaring lion's head. He gives those around him barely a cursory glance.
That will be all, Pryor. At this the old man scurries before him, leading him to the rear of the ship. Behind the two you see a young man following, laden with packs, bags, and various other items.
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Erin ties up a few loose ends in Korvosa before boarding a ship back to Absalom. She guides Kulik around the Pantheon of Many, introduces the group to some fine dining, and acquires yet another robe of Chelish make. After taking care of these items, she bids the group farewell and heads back to Absalom.
"Another trip to a Chelish city without an encounter with Hellknights. Thank Cayden my luck is holding up."
She thinks to herself as she walks onto the Absalom bound boat.
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"The forest is nice, but I'd like to go back to a city. Routine task, my eye." Adamus thinks to himself while still picking some twigs out of his boots as he boards the ship back to Absalom. "Well, I did do some real good out there, destroyed some undead, and saved someone. I guess the Sanos forest wasn't all bad." While on the ship, he is seen doing push-ups and stretches daily to pass the time, as well as challenge sailors to wrestling matches.
As he gets off the ship, he greets all the day laborers working the docks. Anyone looking at him notices that his armor, while well-crafted doesn't quite cover all of him. His python-like biceps are still visible which reveals a tattoo of Kurgess, the Strong Man on the right one. He hefts a heavy halberd while he makes his way to the Grand Lodge.
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After a relatively uneventful voyage Erin arrives in Absalom. She makes her way to the Grand Lodge in a roundabout fashion, stopping at a few vendor stalls along the way. Eventually arriving at the lodge she hops up onto a low table and produces a fresh green apple. She cuts the fruit into small slices, and eats them one by one, awaiting the other arrivals for this new rumored mission.
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Amira, after leaving the boat, immediately goes to Absalom's temple of Abadar. After a vigorous hour-and-a-half of shopping around the market-church, she purchases two pieces of headgear and then heads to the eerily-vacant Grand Lodge. She seats herself in the all-purpose waiting room, knowing she wasn't summoned back for no reason. "The Heidmarch's have had a lot going on; I wasn't called back just to organize the new recruits' paperwork..."
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hmmm, Amira, I prefer the peace and beauty of the wilds, not teh congested dangers of high society. I'm going to assume that my shadow armor isn't wedding attire. Being a Lance Corporal in the Eagle Knights, I ought to make a better show... I guess wha tI'm asking is, can you help me find clothing stores that sell outfits that would befit the occasion? I wish my friend Ka'atib were also called in. Sadly, he and I *never* seem to get called for the same mission....weird."
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@ Erin "There's hardly anyone to ask. I saw Hustavan finishing cleaning the second story bunks. He's the only person whose name I can recall off the top of my head, current company aside, and I only know his name from filling out the additional security forms required for his 'Acceptance of Job Application' form."
Amira then glances down at her brown robes and looks to Bishop. "I'm no fashionista, but I do have contacts that can help you there. Why? What have you heard about our return summons? All I know is the Legal Department of the temple is swamped with a contract. Usually only happens when some Chelish noble becomes offended by something in our market."
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"I just received the normal.."
Erin starts, while sticking her knife solidly in the apple and placing it on the table next to her. She then proceeds to make quotes with two fingers on each hand.
"...We have some dangerous work for you that you may or may not be well suited for. Get to Absalom now!..."
Reaching over to pick the apple back up by the knife, she finishes.
"...So I have no idea what they need us for this time."
Turning her attention to Bishop, and cutting another slice she asks.
"Did your summons have more info?"
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The doors to the Grand Lodge swing open, and Pryor, the same old man who held up the ship's departure from Magnimar, steps inside, pulls out his herald horn, sounds it (somewhat more muted this time), and reads the parchment to announce Rosham Bowe the Wellborne again, this time holding the door for the Taldan fop. The old man then scurries back out.
The Taldan looks about the room with some surprise, his eyes narrowing as they fall on Amira.
A Qadiran. Of course. he sniffs. And an Ulfen, and...what are you two, exactly? he asks, indicating Bishop and Erin.
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Interrupted by the cacophony at the door, Erin turns to appraise the new arrival. Raising an eyebrow at his question, she remarks curtly.
"The word you were looking for is who, not what. Also, I believe you are in the wrong building. This is the Grand Lodge, I think the tavern holding the fool mock swordplay acts is about 3 blocks back that way."
She then raises the hand with half an apple in it, pointing out the door from which he entered.
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Pronoun trouble is not frequently an issue in my native tongue. But if it helps you feel better thinking I misspoke, then by all means do so.
Rosham brusquely moves to the refreshment table and pours a goblet of the rich red liquid within. He drinks, then makes a face as he glares at the urn, showing a fair amount of displeasure, before continuing.
Furthermore, since this is the Grand Lodge, then I am in fact very much in the correct place, and I presume you to be as well, for the Decemvirate does not usually allow common street rabble herein.
Rosham looks more closely at Erin. You are Varisian, are you not? he asks, in perfect, unaccented Varisian.
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"They allow all types to enter the building, although they generally weed the rabble out pretty quickly."
Erin responds calmly in Taldane.
Switching over to Varisian, she continues on.
She lets the statement hang for a moment, smirks, then says.
"I do have to admit though, I am interested in that blade, and am wondering how well you use it."
She then pulls her arm back and launches the half apple at Rosham's head.
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Bishop looks on in bemusement, offering a wry grin, "I am Bishop, a ranger of Andoran, an Eagle Knight, and a Pathfinder. The order of which depends on the company and the task at hand. I haven't received much in the way of a briefing yet, but the words Blakros and matrimony both find themselves in the middle of what scuttlebutt I've heard. I'm not much for intrigue, but my eyes and ears are very sharp."
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"A mage huh? I figured that sword was too gaudy for you to actually be capable of using it."
She nonchalantly produces a another apple from a pocket on her robe, and begins to carve out a small slice.
"You know what, you are right, I am being quite rude to a comrade right now."
Erin then turns her attention back to Bishop.
"I sincerely apologize Bishop, this pompous man totally sidetracked me from the matter at hand. I have heard a lot about the Blakros, and their museum, but I have never actually interacted with them."
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Well met, Bishop. Rosham nods to the Ranger. Though you hail from one of Mother Taldor's once-and-future colonies, your title of "Pathfinder" marks you as a comrade in arms, as does the impolite arm of the spirited Varisian, and, I presume, the presence of the Kelishite and the Ulfen.
Rosham drains his goblet and sets it down. If Michellia Blakros is in fact getting married, as the rumormongers suggest, and we are to attend, we must needs be garbed in our finest attire. And as an Andoran, you may find yourself at a disadvantage, Bishop, as I am certain Michellia has not forgotten, nor forgiven, Venture-Captain Madris' rejection of her.
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"That's assuming we're not 'invited' as protection, on the assumption that the Blakros' have summoned yet another problem from the Outer Planes." Amira adjusts her glasses and posture. "If that's the case, they'd most likely prefer us to show up in arms and armour, not lavish tuxedos and wedding gifts."
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Bishop continues to look around, apparently looking for his friend Ka'atib. "One can only hope that is our charge. I joined the society to explore Azlanti ruins and slay evil dragons. Yet, I find myself doing a lot of babysitting, cleaning up messes, and the like. Bodyguard work is often...exciting when in distant lands."
With a sigh he adds, "I have a purse full of coin. I'd like to save it for enhancing The Decision" with a loving look at his bow, coupled with jealousy from Timber. But if I have to spend it on cologne and livery, so be it.
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Letting out a short laugh, Erin adds.
"I am fairly sure we will be there as protectors, if invited at all. Regardless of the type of invite though I plan on being armed. Guard duty for the Society tends to turn into something you did not expect. I would rather be attacked wearing a chain shirt and blades than some useless gaudy attire."
Only a handful of other Pathfinders, most of them initiates, walk the halls near the office of Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin. The Grand Lodge’s chamberlain sits behind an organized desk, reading a recently printed chronicle, and tapping his finger on an elaborate open envelope, the only sound in the eerily silent Pathfinder Society headquarters.
Can you believe this place? Valsin calmly asks, keeping his eyes squared on his chronicle. Almost every agent worth her salt is off in Varisia right now. I bet you the Heidmarchs’ manor has more Pathfinders in it than this place. Valsin finishes his reading and places the document on the desk, while sliding the envelope forward.
Desna smiles upon us that I have you fine agents here, as I doubt anyone else in Absalom is better qualified for this mission. I won’t lie, this is probably one of the trickiest tasks I’ve ever had to send a group of Pathfinders on, and much rides on its success. I need you to attend a wedding. And not just any wedding, mind you, but a Blakros wedding.
As you know, the Blakros family is one of the wealthiest families in Absalom and we’ve cultivated a good working relationship with them over the years. In two days, Michellia Blakros is getting married to the former Hellknight Damian Kastner, and because of security concerns, we only got our invitation this morning. I won’t bore you with specifics, but sufficed to say, the Society has a lot of interest in this wedding, as some of our agents had a hand in helping it along.
The wedding is taking place on a secluded summer retreat on nearby Pariol Island, which the Blakroses own. There are two boats heading there before the first wedding festivities. One is a small supply runner set to leave in an hour that could get you there early tomorrow morning. The next is a larger ship that will transport the majority of the guests in the morning. Your travel is paid for of course, but you’ll need to get on one of those two vessels.
With a grave nod, Valsin passes over the envelope containing the invitation, and continues. Also, you’ll need to peace-bond any weapons when you arrive on the island, and I’d recommend only wearing your finest armor, if you wear any at all. We’re not too concerned about security at the wedding, but making a good impression on the Blakroses and their guests is key to your mission. You’ll need to mingle, and get on the good sides of as many people as you can. I can’t stress this point enough: This is a social gathering, and the Society could really use the extra clout with all our current efforts being so far abroad. I don’t care if you save the wedding from a dragon, find out the bride is a doppelganger, or discover some grand plot to take over the Inner Sea—I only care that you leave this wedding having made people happy and improving our standing among the attendees! Are we understood?
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The ranger's eyes grow wide, "Venture-Captain....I think my invitation is a mistake. I'm not even a little bit skilled in this. If the guests need to be shot, I'm your man... My partymates seem to be skilled at this, so I'll do my best by providing cover." the ranger rangers an arm with an attempt at inconspicuousness that borders on comical as you hear him inhales sharply through his nose. "I think I'm going to need a bath and some cologne." Then, under his breath, I hate missions with cologne.
Finally, resigning himself to the task, he sighs and takes on the air of business, [b]"If something were to..... go wrong, who would be the likely culprit? Aspis wedding crashers? Locals to the island protesting a plutocracy?"
Timber adds an inquisitorial bark, "Good question. Can Timber go, or will that reflect negatively on us?"
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"For the first time, I think I actually believe the mission briefing when they say I'm sufficent for the task at hand." Amira says under her breath. She then looks to Bishop. "If this is as big a wedding as I presume, we'll all be part of a single, represenative group." Amira glances at the mage swordsman and look back to Bishop. "So long as we don't make any enemies and let the more diplomatic of us 'lead the charge', we're gold." Amira looks at the invitation to confirm its legitimacy.
Upon confirmation, she then finally asks the VC a question. "Do we have any intel on who will be attending?"
Valsin considers the wolf. You can take him along, but don’t expect that he will be enjoying the festivities as well. The Blakros have their island locked down pretty tight. I doubt they will let any large animals wonder around, even one as well trained as yours. You also may want to restrict him to your quarters on the voyage there.
In response to Amira, Who won’t be there! Many of the important people from the region will be attending or represented. There will be a lot if influential guests at the wedding, that’s why I’m sending you! Three Venture Captains will also be in attendance, though they have their own things to attend to so don’t count on their help with your mission.
While I don’t expect any major problems, the Blakros family has made many enemies over the centuries. Currently, I suspect the Onyx Alliance poses the greatest threat. They’re a rather unseemly cabal from the Plane of Shadow, the very ones who attacked this year’s Grand Convocation. The Blakroses assure us that they have security under control, though, and that the Pathfinder Society attendees are invited as honored guests rather than protectors.
I also have some letters for each you.
Valsin hands you a small, sealed envelope.
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@ Adamus "I would object to taking the supply ship. From a safety standpoint, everyone is in a very enclosed space and thus is easier to all affect at once. Should an attack happen, we can win some points by defending them. Even pending the calmest boat ride in the history of Absalom, my point still stands. We need as much face time as possible if we're going to earn the Society some new allies."
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"You act like something will happen. I think getting there early would make for a good impression, wouldn't it? And if anyone was trying to sneak something onto the island, they would do so on the supply ship with no guests."
Amira looks to Ambrus and asks, "Mr. Valsin, may we have access to the records hall so I can show Sir Adamus the 'Blakros block' of the 'Agent Complaints' section?" Amira looks back to the Ulfen. "It's absolutely massive. I figure it's big enough that a Kurgess follower like yourself and his sporting companions would have a blast if you were to compete to see if any of you can lift all of them."
"Tactically speaking, we'll have more face time if we ride the boat intended to carry the passengers. If we're not on security detail, then whomever that accursed family has deemed worthy of guarding their reputation should be more than capable of watching their docks for stragglers. If there's one thing the Blakros won't skrimp on, it's anything that will keep the Blakros name out of the mud."
You can take a look at the Blakros records if you must, but not if you are leaving on the supply boat. It’s set to sail and you would need to hurry to the Docks to catch it, without stopping anywhere, even for new cologne.
Yes, if you go on the second ship with the other guests you will have plenty of time to prepare.
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"Personally I would prefer to take the cargo ship. But, seeing as our primary goal is to mingle with high society, we should probably take the guest ship."
She then turns her attention from the group back to Valsin.
"Do you have any idea what means they will be using to peace-bond weapons? I know it is supposed to be a purely social mission, but things have a way of going awry. If everything goes south I would like to have a blade on me."
I think you can handle yourselves from here. Remember, you only have that one invitation, but it will get you all in. You are dismissed.
Valsin turns to attend to other Venture-Captain type things.