The Pathfinders receive a letter from Sheila Heidmarch explaining the details of their mission...
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The elven woman enters into the building, a quarterstaff in hand and a bow on her back. She is dressed almost druidic fashions but being around her is pleasant situation. Component pouches and wands are on her.
Walking in she has a seat. Looking around she sees the bear of a man. She nods in greeting.
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A well dressed man in gold and green enters the room with a mask on his face looking like an Oni. Worn around his neck a symbol of a sihedron rune.
After a short bow he says in a melodious voice Greetings Pathfinders, I'm Albert Gam, seeker of Knowledge, Past, Present and Future.
I'm specialized in Air Magic. I hope to be of assistance
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A thin slate-skinned tiefling opens the door to the room. His appearance is alien, even compared to common tiefling features, as if an offspring of a daemon or distant plane creature. His head is a thinnish oval tapering at the top and chin, pointed nose and ears, almost fey-like thin lips, serpent eyes with nictitating membrane completes the unsettling look.
Before stepping across the room's threshold, he tightens his grip on a strangely tailored oiled-cloak then pauses before the footfall like a cautious cat making sure the room is safe. Turning back to look at the entry door, he takes a backward step out of the room, looks around the door frame, scratches something onto it, then steps back in the room.
"Number 1,052", he quietly says wistfully to himself and sounding almost apologetic to the attendees.
"I am Sigias of the Freeleague-, he stutters, "-of the Dark Archive."
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Almost immediately after Sigias finally enters the room, a rather petite Varisian woman follows the tiefling in. She has rather unruly reddish-brown hair that pools on her shoulders, which she attempts to control with a patterned kerchief. She dresses in the bright colors that her people prefer, with a shawl covering her shoulders and several scarves wrapped around her waist. As she absent-mindedly enters, her attention is more on the cards she's shuffling then the people in front of her, until she almost bumps into Sigias.
"Ahh, My apologies," she begins, "I ended up in Korvosa after my last assignment, and felt one of my cousin's caravans were the wisest choice. I lost a little time to a broken axel, but we avoided a bandit raid on the way in. Spirits of the Harrow led me well. My name is Carina, of the Villasani clan, in service to the society. Let us tell each other stories to better know each other."
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The small gripli goes almost unnoticed as he sidles into the room. The other Pathfinders tower over him, though he seems to work his way through the crowd with quick agile movements, until he finds an open space.
His skin is a green with white under his throat, darkening at his hands. It also glistens slightly in the rooms light, as if damp. Large frog-like eyes seem to watch everyone at once, sometimes appearing to look in different directions at the same time. His throat pulses in and out as he observes the others.
"Agalych" He says finally, the words coming out almost like some sort of croaking sound... only for you to realize it was an introduction.
He wears leather armor, almost tribal in design, with a few small curved blades hanging off of it, ready to bring to hand at a moments notice.
"A great distance from the Expanse." He adds, his common accented slightly and the tone far deeper than you would have expected from his size. "But to learn, this one must travel beyond the safety of the jungle, yes?"
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Sigias doesn't leap away from Carina's touch, despite his uneasy presence, he appears used to crowds. He just creepily blinks silently back at her, then moves aside passed the others. He'd give Gaius a low-five but truly -what are they celebrating? Clueless as a Clueless. So he consigns himself to a comfortable spot, sets out an ink vial, dips his index nail into the black and scribbles an entry into a pocket journal.
The Pathfinders receive a letter from Sheila Heidmarch explaining the details of their mission...
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The missive:
Greetings Friends, For some time I have been making diplomatic inroads into Kaer Maga, the so-called City of Strangers. The Society would love to gain access to the many vaults carved beneath the city long ago. However, because of the danger of the vaults, the group in charge of protecting them—the Duskwardens—rarely allows anyone to stray from their carefully patrolled paths.The Duskwardens seemed willing to consider allowing Pathfinders to venture beyond their protection, but only if we were acting on behalf of one of the city’s major factions with their endorsement. They want us to prove that we are willing to work as partners to a faction and that we will not upset the city’s existing balance of power. After receiving the Duskwarden’s reply, I reached out to the leaders of several of the city’s largest factions with evidence of our agents’ skill and goodwill. Most of the responses I received were noncommittal. However, Halman Wright, the leader of the Freemen faction, took a greater interest.
A few years ago, Wright led a successful slave revolt, and his followers took control of the Bottoms district. Since then, the Freemen have maintained the Bottoms as a safe haven for former slaves. They also do everything they can to promote the cause of freedom without Kaer Maga without disrupting society enough to unite other factions against them. Halman has requested that I send a team immediately to investigate the disappearance of a group of his allies. He did not provide further details.
Before you go, you should know that very few in Kaer Maga are beacons of morality. Halman’s Freemen are perhaps the most upstanding organization in the city. I would rather secure an alliance with them than any of the alternatives. Do your best to prove yourselves to them.
Sincerely,
Sheila Heidmarch
There is a little bit of time for purchases and other preparations before a Seeker shall take the party to Kaer Maga. At the appointed hour the pathfinders are to meet at a jewelry shop called the Emerald Heirloom."[/i] The proprietor is a dwarf who runs his fingers through a finely braided beard, flashing the emerald and sapphire rings he wears.
"Come little soldier boy's. Gather round," he says. The rock wall behind him shifts revealing the very large arms of a very large elemental to encircle the group. The creature's head splits into flat projection much like that of a hammer-head shark. It also bears three lowing runes, crescent moons, which the Seeker also bears. "Shuler'D and I will take you as far as Kaer Maga, as soon as you are ready." he smiles.
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As Carina settles for the brief wait, she flips the top card of the Harrow deck in hand, then pales briefly. The Lost, signifying madness....that's a poor omen to begin this mission with, she thinks as she lays out a cloth on a low table.
"Before we begin, she states as she shuffles the deck again, "I would like to do a reading to see how this mission will go. I've learned that the glimpses of insight tend to help guide people to focus on the advantages we need to be effective." At which point, she begins to lay out a grid of 9 cards on the cloth she laid out.
Looking at the spread of cards, it's clear that Carina is slightly shaken by what the cards tell her. "This trip will be very dangerous," she finally says after gawking at the cards. "An assault from all sides, lead by someone in a position of power. The forces that we are to meet are beyond our strength, in an almost impossible situation. However," she pauses, tapping a card showing a holy warrior,"there is a path to follow. If we stay the course and don't give into our own selfishness, we can find a way to permanently change this destiny." After a moment's silence, she gathers the cards back up and slips them into her belt pouch. "This is the darkest reading I've had in quite some time. I'm worried about this mission."
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Sheila's letter came with a small map of Kaer Maga with the location of the Freemen’s headquarters, a tavern called the Common House, clearly marked.
"Well then as you are all ready," says the dwarf giving his beard one final pat (and his rings one final fourish). "I am Galdur Brassclaw the XXI, and I am to.... His eyes suddenly widen and he points to the elemental. "Shuler! Look out!"
The massive elemental reaches its arms around everyone as rocks begin falling from overhead. It leans over the party to shield them from the avalanche. The thudding of heavy boulders reverberate through the element and it tips over rolling into the stony floor and carries the party with them.
Everything is dark for a brief moment and Shuler is impossibly still the party still wrapped in his incredible arms. Then the thudding decreases and eventually stops.
"Shuler?" asks Galdur.
He is answered by a slight rumbling, like earth rolling off a plough or an ice-berg calving from a glacier. The elemental stands up and slowly spreads his arms to free the party.
The dwarf's eyes twinkle in the sunlight. Yes, sunlight for the party no longer stands in the Emerald Heirloom but a place just outside Kaer Maga’s walls, atop the plateau that allows the city to tower over the surrounding landscape.
He chuckles and flashes his masterpiece jewelry, "Such a handy thing teleport. To be honest I use it much more now then before I retired from the Pathfinders." he smiles. "As I was saying, I am Galdur XXI and I am to take you to Kaer Maga. he purses lips behind his beard. 'Which I have done." He fidgets with his braid again. "So I shall return back to work now.
He points toward an open-air meat market, "Pass through there, it is called Meatgate, where poor farmers sell their wares for affordable prices. Just past Meatgate, you'll find The Gap, a large hole in the city's walls and into the city proper."
Unless someone has questions for Galdur, he bids you good by and gestures again at his eidolon. The creature falls on top of him, pushing both into the earth and they are gone.
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Gaius tips his hat to the dwarf, My thanks for the experienc,e it was enlightening to experience more powerful teleportation magic than I am yet able to master.
Turning he stares in open mouthed wonder at the ring wall of Kaer Maga. Truly an impresive feat required powerful magic to complete. Perhaps we shall learn some of those secrets.
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Carina nods in acknowledgement to Ylania as she reads the spread. "Feel free, the reading is to help all of us." she adds absently.
"the City of Strangers," Carina whispers as she stares at the stone wall. "I've been here when I was growing up," she says more to the others, "as the caravan my clan is attached follows the Yondabakari River from headwaters to mouth."
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Suddenly hit with explosion of sight, sound and smell of Kaer Maga, Sigias cranes his head left to right to take it all in through his black orbs. "This burg is amazing!", he exclaims, virtually shouting it to the streets. "How could I have not been here before!"
"Well cutters, lets catch a skeg and find this berk." Sigias heads into the Warrens, at first getting a familiarity with the crowd, then later poke and prod the random denizen on where to find Halman Wright or the Freemen.
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Agalych looks up at the eighty foot walls of the city, both eyes blinking rapidly.
"This one has seen nothing so large." He finally says, followed by a low chirruping sound. "What manner of creature are such walls meant to keep out?"
Gaius looks over to his small coompanion. Perhaps they were meant to keep things in? he suggests.
Regardless, lets find these freemen quickly and see what they want of us
As the party approaches The Gap, the whole in the wall that serves as the primary gate into the city, numerous folks approach them. They are all offering something, including a handful that offer guide services.
On the other side of the Gap, the party enters the Warren district, which is the poorest part of the city. The name comes from the maze of makeshift shanties and haphazard constructions that its residents have cobbled together with limited resources. Anyone who is willing to put the work in to help the community survive is welcome, from humans and halflings to goblins, orcs, and wererats.
The transition between the Warren and the rest of the city is stark. Everywhere else, Kaer Maga’s thick walls are in good repair. All of the city’s districts except the Warren are situated in a multilevel complex of massive, vaulted chambers, cast in perpetual twilight lit by a kaleidoscope of shimmering lamps.
The Bottoms is a working-class district of craftspeople and laborers. Its people value hard work, but they also place a significant value on leisure. Many of its residents are former slaves, making freedom a central value of civic life. The streets are humming with activity. Glass windows in many of the buildings reveal small workshops, where experienced craftspeople teach their trade to a new generation. The Common House is a popular building. In addition to being the Freemen’s base of operations, it is a thriving temple of Cayden Cailean, where stories, song, and ale flow at all hours.
As the doors to the Common House swing open, the sound of music, drinking, and merriment flows into the streets. A team of servers rushes among clusters of tables, delivering pitchers of ale to grateful patrons. In the center of the hall, on top of a long table, a team of fiddlers dances and plays a cheerful tune. Near the performers, a small group of armed individuals sits at a table with a conspicuous row of empty seats. One of the armed people stands and beckons.
“Pathfinders! Thank you for coming. Over here, please. We’ve saved you seats.” Indicating his two companions, he says. “This is Anva and this is Joelle. They’re fellow councilors. I’m Halman Wright. We have the honor of representing the interests of all of the fine folks of the Bottoms.” He gestures for everyone to sit. “Your venture-captain speaks highly of you. I’m glad, as the job I have for you is very important. Yesterday one of the Duskwardens reported to me that a group of travelers had disappeared along the Halflight Path on their way here. While any such disappearances are terrible, what makes it my business is that they were headed here to join the Freemen. You see, they were—until recently— slaves in Nidal. I shudder to think of what horrors they endured there, but to be so close to their destination and just vanish,” he trails off and lowers his head.
Joelle speaks up, “We hope you are able to find these lost travelers and return them to us. All we know is that they vanished along the Halflight Path and that the Duskwardens never received a message from the Halflight charms the travelers carried. Please use whatever means you have at your disposal to find them and bring them safely here.”
“I suggest you start by talking to people around town,” adds Anva. “I’ve heard a few stories of other disappearances. Maybe there’s a connection. And try getting a meeting with one of the Augurs if you can.”
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Albert is quite happy to be able to visit such City, while going to the bottom he enjoyed eating some strange food or talking to other traverlers or merchant about the city life.
Hiring a guide could be good. As it's my first time here, I will enjoy hearing the last gossip of the city and hear about the place to see in hte city.
Greetings Anva, Joelle and Halman. I'm Albert, what a city you have! So full of wonders! I'm sorry to hear about your guests. We will try our best to find them.
You say that you've heard other rumors about disapperances? To who do you think we must talk? And as it's my first time here, who or what are the Augurs?
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Gaius seems less than comfortable as they head through the rather dingier districts of the city. He hand often strays towards a wand at his belt.
Lets get where we are going quickly he mutters.
In the Common House he listens to Wright's spiel. Nodding he says, My name is Gaius.., he seems about to add his surname and then changes his mind, of the Pathfinder Society.
Can you tell us more about these missing people and the Duskwardens. I have not heard of them before.
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Agalych stares at the strange new city with half wonder and half trepidation, his small grippli form easily overlooked by the cities many inhabitants.
Eventually, he falls in behind Abram, letting the warrior act as a prow in who's wake he follows.
The tavern throws him a little as well, far too crowded and active for his liking. He nods companionably at the three newcomers, though does not speak, instead continuing to watch the surrounding throng with fearful interest.
A twinkle comes into Halman's eyes suggesting you are in for a real treat if you haven't ever met the augier. “They’re a group of trolls with a deep knowledge of the city and a real talent for prophecy. Their services don’t always come cheap, but they are often worth the coin.”
Anva turns to Gaius, "The Duskwardens patrol the tunnels underneath the city, where they strive to keep nosy visitors out of the vaults and creatures in the vaults from getting out." She continues, "You see, until recently—the missing people were slaves in Nidal, and we only have a rough idea where they disappeared. The Duskwardens could likely give you a list to narrow down." she takes a sip from her mead "The Duskwardens give a magical charm to travelers on the Halflight Path. People carrying the token can activate it to send out a distress signal to the nearest Duskwardens. So it is called the Halflight charm."
Like most Pathfinders Gais and Sigius studied up on Kaer Maga once they new where the assignment would take them. The city of Kaer Maga was here before the Thassilonian empire even began. The very first Runelord of Greed used Kaer Maga as a prison for his enemies. [/ooc]20+:[/ooc] When he first took control of the city, the first Runelord of Greed made a deal with the caulborn, a mysterious race of prophets and record-keepers residing in the city. They agreed to become wardens and historians of the city. After millennia of service, the caulborn predicted the arrival of the Starstone and fled deep beneath the surface to escape destruction.
Joel, the third Freeman, fills the Pathfinders with a summary heard from their companions before. In a rather squeaky voice for a person so large, he adds, "The caulborn carved out a series of caverns, passages, and even a city far beneath Kaer Maga. The caulborn used some of these places as homes and others as storage vaults for their many treasures. These cavern and tunnels are known as the Halflight Path".
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