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Discussing the forthcoming mission over a light breakfast of pastries and fruit is a welcome change of routine from Venture Captain Drandle Dreng’s usual midnight requests.
"As you well know, the Society has a need for discreet ways of moving goods into and out of Absalom. Over the last year we’ve developed some reliable routes through the sewers and caverns underneath the city and this has worked well for us until recently. Over the last few months, a tribe of kobolds calling themselves the Sewer Dragons started disrupting our supply with traps and ambushes. We know of several tribes of kobolds beneath Absalom, and generally, they are only a nuisance, but these have proved particularly troubling. They have blocked a few vital deliveries of late and some Pathfinders have disappeared. The Decemvirate is starting to get concerned."
He takes a bite from a peach.
"I need you to track down these Sewer Dragons and resolve this problem. I would prefer you make an effort to negotiate a truce of some sort with these pests. While I have little respect for the reptilian creatures who plague our sewers, I suspect if we exterminate them, some other threat will fill in the void they leave behind."
Dreng pauses a moment to finish eating the peach, then continues.
"You could wander around the sewers for days and not find one of these Sewer Dragons. Fortunately, I have found a resource for you. A few years ago they hired a Taldan scholar by the name of Emral Xarcious to tutor the tribal leader’s children. I suspect Xarcious can lead you to the Dragons. The Decemvirate has a shipment of antiquities coming next week and I expect this situation to be resolved by then. It’s up to you to ensure the shipment goes off with no hitches. There is no time to fool around — you need to get moving." he says and grabs a piece of apple pie.
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After listening to the instructions, a halfling Pathfinder rises from the table.
The blonde-headed male looks like a prize fighter entering the ring.
"Yeah! WOOOOO!!!!! This sounds awesome!!! WoooooOOOOOO!!!" the halfling moves around the table giving high-fives to everyone, though if any fail to return his offering, he simply ignores the slight or fist-bump's the offender's shoulder.
"YEAH!!!" he says again as he takes his seat. "I'm Theadric Tatterhood, but everyone calls me Hood! I'll be charging into combat on the back of my war steed, and will be taking the lead on stunts, heroics, and of course spectacular explosions! But you already knew that, I'm sure!" he smiles.
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"Although I have some significant concerns with what I assume are smuggling routes, I would be willing to assist you in looking for the missing pathfinders and in opening up a line of peaceful communication with the kobolds." The armor clad Aasimar says with a thoughtful expression, "Has the Society had any trouble with them in the past?"
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Dylara calmly raises her hand when Theadric gets close for a high-five, figuring she'll just go along with it.
"I don't have any questions," she says as she pets the roc that sits next to her chair. "Ready to leave when everyone else is."
She takes one of the peaches from the table and offers it to the roc. "Here you go, Melon. You like these, don't you?"
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After high fiving the halfling running around the table and subsequently giving everyone else an apologetic smile, Vanya clears her throat and speaks:"Yes, right... so Venture Captain, we find this Xarcious he tells us where the critters hide, then we pay them a visit and convince them to let us pass through their territory without harm, right? Seems easy enough, but I've got one question... what if the critters want to kill us instead? You already told us they probably killed other pathfinders already, should we let that slide in the name of brokering an alliance?"
After the group leaves Dreng Vanya spends some time asking around for information about the Sewer Dragons and Xarcious.
-> Sewers Dragons
-> Xarcious
-> Greeves
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As if seeing the flying beast for the first time, Hood takes a step back, his mouth wide open.
"Whoa...amazing! I have ridden one of those for a stunt once...that was pretty spectacular! But I need to get one of those to take everywhere...you just jumped up about ten notches on my Sick Amazing Things chart...so cool!"
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Dylara smiles proudly as Theadric calls her best friend cool. "Melon still has some growing to do before I can ride her, but I've already trained her for combat. It's a shame we're heading into the sewers, else I could've let you ride her for a bit."
"Hmm... If you wish, you can fly on her till we reach the sewers? She only listens to me, but I'll give her the necessary commands."
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"That's most interesting" the half-elf says while stroking Melon "I would like to see Theadric flying through the sewers. I can add some companions"
The summoner turns then towards Drangle "So, if we are going there to make a truce... shall we consider ourselves ambassadors of the Society? I can guess they will ask for something in exchange to maintain their supply by other means than assaulting our patrols."
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The tifling looks at his shoulder, at Theadric, at his shoulder again than at Theadric one more time unsure what to make of the halfling or what have just happened. He turn his reptilian yellow eyes to Dreng, he always did like the old Venture Captain for his good sense, nobody gets that old in this job without knowing what he is doing. While waiting for his answers Sam adds a couple more questions.
Where do we find Emral Xarcious? Will he help us freely or are we suppose to burn the answers out of the man?
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"Not really troubles, more minor incidents: stealing a crate there, stealing a bottle there. Nothing serious. Some of our agents who’ve encountered the tribe recently claim they’ve seen an actual dragon fighting with the Sewer Dragons, while other agents have found scorch marks on the walls down there. Be careful." Drenge answers to Maximilian's question. "We can fence goods for them and get them supplies at reasonable prices. We can also get goods into the city for them. If the rumors I hear about alchemical substances and traps are true, perhaps we can purchase items they produce for our own use in the field. Under no circumstances do the Decemvirate approve any sort of tribute or ransom, however, so if that’s all the Kobolds want, you’ll need to use your most convincing tactics to get them to change their minds. I think they will accept the offer, but you may defend yourself if things get out of control." he continues to speak with Vanya and Vailis. "I would not call it 'ambassador', but 'broker' would be appropriate." after finishing an apple pie he continues.
"Xarcious had many vices, and I think he did a fair amount of gambling. I have heard he’s gotten into some problems down in the Puddles, but beyond that I’m not sure. If you have trouble finding him, you might look for a gentleman named Greeves. I understand Xarcious owes Greeves a substantial amount of money, and Greeves is likely to know where to find him as a result."
You are able to find out that the Sewer Dragons are one of the more powerful kobold tribes in the sewers of Absalom. Kibizax, the Sewer Dragons’ chief, is a powerful sorcerer with a dragon ally who blasts the tribe’s foes to dust with lightning. The Sewer Dragons have a skilled trapmaster who is sought after by merchants and the wealthy in Absalom proper. It’s rumored that some of his most clever traps guard House Morilla and other noble resources. The Sewer Dragons’ chief is old and said to be planning to turn the tribe over to one of his two children, the elder daughter Yiddlepode and younger son Yippitok.
About a month ago Xarcious disappeared. The apartment where he lived was abandoned in a hurry. The day before he disappeared, he was seen arguing loudly with Creeley Greeves, a moneylender and bookie from the Puddles. Greeves runs his business out of a former watch station in the Puddles. Three days ago, Greeves was overheard arguing with a slaver about the sale of a skilled slave. Greeves did not seem happy with the outcome of the negotiation.
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"This doesn't look so well after all... Xarcious owes money to Greeves... Greeves has a contact between the slavers and he tried to sell him a skilled slave... Xarcious used to be some sort of tutor so he fills the skilled category... I think we need to hurry to the puddles and to do it as quickly as possible!" Vanya starts muttering to herself until the realization of what might be happening strikes her.
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Though his face betrays his absolute excitement, Hood approaches the great beast with reverence. Before getting on, he removes a piece of jerky from his belt pouch and offers it to Melon.
It is clear, the halfling not only wants to ride the roc...he wants to befriend it.
He strokes the great feathered head of the creature, then confidently climbs into the exotic saddle.
Once astride, a grin splits his face in two.
So. Freakin'. Cool!
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Though perhaps Dylara is joking when she says her roc wants more jerky, Hood doesn't appear ready to take any chances with it.
He empties all of the jerky in his belt pouch onto the saddle in front of him and feeds each piece to the majestic creature.
"Oh, the stunts we will do together!" the halfling says.
"I mean...what stunt wouldn't be better while flying?!"
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Despite the generally dry weather in Absalom of late, the streets in the Puddles are filled ankle-deep with muck, and the local mosquito population seems to have doubled. The Puddles is miserable even on the best days. In spite of years of neglect, the old watch station Creeley Greeves adopted as his place of business has fared quite well. The grime-covered granite walls are still solid and the rusty bars on the windows are still thick enough to hold for years to come. An old, nearly illegible sign reads “Watch Station Four.” The only door to the station is closed.
A small, waterlogged deck overlooks the sodden street of the Puddles by which you approach the abandoned watch station. The watch Station has only one window in the back of the building, 15 feet above street level.
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Hood swats a mosquito off his neck as they approach the station, but even the pests do not lower his level of excitement.
It is clear the halfling is on Cloud Nine.
"Oooo, oooo, pick me!" he says as they approach the watch station, with the single window far above the street.
"I'll go check it out!!!"
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At Vanya's reproval Vailis just answers "You never asked what we thought about assaulting a private property neither"
He then keeps knocking at the door "Good morning Creeley Greeves, we would like to talk about some business. Please, can you open to talk or perhaps you prefer us to come at a later moment?" shouts the half-elf.
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"Well, suit yourself then, if you don't get the difference between opening a lock and opening a door that's not my problem... but I must admit I find your concern for the property of known slave dealers to be quite touching... heartwarming even! Vanya laughs as she continues "By the way... you are talking to a closed door, no one answered you and you don't even know if he's home... but good job! That CLOSED DOOR looks extremely charmed by your speech!" concludes Vanya with an hint of poison in her tone.
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Dylara points at the window and Melon flies up to it, afterward she briefly lets Melon descend to ask Theadric what he saw.
After Theadric's 'report' Dylara pulls out a rope and grappling hook from her backpack. She ties the rope to the hook and hands it to Theadric. "Could you open the window and attach this to the frame, Theadric?"
"And get your lance out, will you?" Dylara adds while giving Theadric a wink.
If Theadric manages to open the window and attach the grappling hook, Dylara will give Melon the following command: "Charge, attack!"
Following the command Melon will circle away from the window and move to a spot in the air from where she can dive-charge through the window and attack the dog.