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Jastrokan is a chipper little golden-eyed gnome with a wide, smiling face framed all around by fluffy red hair. He takes great pride in his appearance, and keeps his hair and beard will brushed. He wears a white button up shirt and two vests -- one blue (worn buttoned up) and one orange (worn open). His pants are black and around his neck is a little blue ascot. On his feet are good sturdy walking shoes. He wears a backpack that is bulging with gear, and carries a whole bunch of paint brushes sticking out of his pockets and belt. His fingers are stained by different colours of paint. On one of his arms is a wooden buckler that has been painted with a beautiful picture of a sunset and birds. He also wears a satchel, from which peeks a colourful little songbird.
While he waits for his first mission, Jastrokan paints a picture.
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Narissiel is a tall and slender elven woman with short brown hair cut into a thick, chin-length bob. Her bangs are cut unevenly in front, and there's a chunk of hair framing her face on one side which is a deep red in colour. A serene smile rests upon her lips, and her deep green eyes glitter with amusement. She strides toward the local Pathfinder Lodge, curious what strange and exciting places her next mission will take her.
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Rosie is a sneaky little gnome who looks like a little human girl. She has brown hair done up in pig pails, pale pink eyes, and a skinny little body. She is wearing a sleeveless, short, pink dress, with stretchy yellow shorts peeking out underneath, and comfy shoes on her feet, which are pink with little white rabbits on them. She has a white backpack on, and a purse strapped around her, which has a little brown rabbit peeking out from inside it.
Rosie hurries to the Pathfinder Lodge, curious what suckers she'd be teamed up with this time.
The trip from the Grand Lodge to the hinterlands of Varisia is long and arduous, but also exciting. Eventually your ship docks in the sprawling city of Magnimar on the coast. The City of Monuments has several ancient structures dotting its skyline, the Irespan, the first section of an enormous bridge, is the easiest to spot.
You have been assigned, for a brief time, to the Magnimar Lodge of the Society, one of the newer locations. Venture Captain Sheila Heidmarch is expecting you and greets you warmly when you arrive at the walled compound.
"Welcome to Varisia, welcome to the city of Magnimar, and welcome to the Pathfinder Lodge of Heidmarch Manor, but most importantly, welcome to my home." The VC greets you in her low, breathy voice, finishing with a warm smile.
"Varisia is a land of ancient wonders and exciting possibilities," she continues, "and I have found it most helpful to keep a team of Pathfinders on call at the lodge at all times, should anything of interest to the Society come up unexpectedly. This assignment is only temporary. We'll rotate in a new team to take your places in a few weeks, but rest assured, there's plenty of potential for you to make a name for yourselves as Pathfinders here."
"I have arranged for you to stay in the Bakrakhan House, one of our guest cottages, for hte duration of your stay here. It's currently unoccupied, so you'll have the place to yourselves. You're on duty starting tomorrow morning so take some time to settle in, wrap up any unfinished business you have in the city today, and should the Society have need of you, I'll contact you directly."
"Ebrylis, if you could show them the way, please." Sheila says as she turns an departs.
A half-elf guardsman steps forward. "This way please!" Ebrylis says. "Bakrakhan House is the last house on the end. I'm sure you'll want to unpack, set up your bunks, and so on. Dinner's at sunset in the manor's dining room. Look for me to at the gate if you need anything else. I'll leave you to it." With that, Ebrylis strolls back down the path, leaving you in front of your new lodgings. There are three stone cottages behind the main manor house.
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Narissiel smiles at the Venture-Captain in a serene sort of way and gives a graceful bow. During the speech, her attention seems to drift as she stares at nearby art objects, and plants with interest.
Suddenly she returns her gaze to the Venture-Captain. "Thank you for having us in your home, Shiela." she says serenely, dropping all titles from her name. "I am Narissiel. It is an honour to be here."
She follows Ebrylis through the Lodge grounds, occasionally drifting off to examine a nearby plant or bird before returning to the group just as suddenly. She places a hand on Eryblis' shoulder and smiles at him kindly. "Thank you."
Then she glides away into the cottage.
She looks around, wandering through the cottage gracefully with a smile. Eventually she selects a bunk and places her backpack down, then she returns to the central room and smiles at her fellows.
"Greetings, my friends. I am Narissiel. What shall I call you?"
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Jastrokan finishes his painting and the carries it carefully through the city. He's been to Magnimar plenty of times before. In fact, he and his twin sister Rosie were born in Sandpoint, just a short trip to the north. They didn't live there any more, but he had fond memories of the place.
He whistles happily when he sees the newly made Pathfinder Lodge. "Nice building!"
He waves hello to the Venture Captain. "Hi! I'm Jastrokan!" he exclaims with excitement. "Thanks for having me!"
He waves hello to the elf, and then to the others. AND REALIZES HE KNOWS THEM!
"Hi Rosie! Hi Toban! I've finally graduated! I'm a Pathfinder now too! This is my first mission, you know! Oh boy! I'm so happy you're going to be on my team too!"
Jastrokan explains to the group, "Rosie is my twin sister! And Toban is my big brother."
He claps his hands and gets a bit of paint on himself. "This is going to be great!"
When the greetings are done, Jastrokan follows the others to the cottage. But, on the way, he stops. The garden was so beautiful! He pulls out his gear and starts to paint a picture.
When he finishes he realizes he forgot about settling in! Hmmm... Which cabin was he supposed to go to again?
Jastrokan wanders around and eventually finds the right one. "Hi, guys! Sorry I'm late!"
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Right before heading inside the building, Rosie cracks her knuckles. "Time to get to work!"
She's a proud girl, and brave, but when she walks up to the manor she looks nervous, weak, and scared. She looks at her toes as she walks, and crosses her arms across her tummy.
She whimpers as she reaches the others, and looks around with big, scared eyes. She lets out a whimper of fright, and hurries over into the corner of the room. She sits in the corner with her back against the wall, and she pulls her rabbit up to her chest.
As the Venture Captain talks she watches her rabbit.
Eventually she squeaks out her name in a shy little voice. "My name is Rosie Tangletop..." She looks at her twitching little rabbit and adds, "And... this is Lily."
Then she whimpers again and buries her chin in her rabbits fur. She peeks around the rabbit and watches the others with her odd, wide eyes.
And notices her brother.
Suddenly Rosie grins widely. "Oh, hey, guys!" she exclaims in a loud voice -- very different than a moment ago. "Way to wreck my acting, Jastrokan!" she lets out a loud laugh. "Guess there's no point pretending now!"
She hops up to her feet and holds out her hand to the Venture Captain, the elf, and the half-elf. "I'm Rosie. I find its best if people underestimate me. But, don't be fooled! I'm not as weak as I seem to be! Oh! And if we're out on a mission and I got back to acting like a scared little girl, then treat me like one! Got it?"
She turns back to her brothers. "Congrats, Jastrokan! Welcome to the team!" She goes to give him a big hug and realizes he's covered in paint. Instead she pats him on the back. "Nice to see ya' pal!"
She runs over to Toban and gives him a big hug. "Look at how big Lily's gotten! Do you see? I've been taking good care of her since you have her to me! We're doing great! Oh! Did I tell you I got a job as a chef at the Wounded Wisp! Neat, huh? They think I'm a kid!" she says with a laugh.
When it is time to move, she follows Ebrylis, chattering to her big brother Toban all the way. She heads into the cottage, and tosses her stuff into her bed. Then she pats Lily for a while. She goes to check out the cottage's kitchen, curious if its any good!
Then she heads out into the living room and finds Narissiel. "Hi! You can call my Rosie! What's up? Who are you?"
Suddenly she stops. "Hey, where's Jastrokan gone?" she sighs and shakes her head. "Probably off painting something already. He gets distracted a lot!"
"Hey, look at the time, Toban! Let's head into the manor and cook dinner for everyone. I bet we're way better than the chefs they have on staff! Come on!"
Rosie drags Toban off to go help cook tonight's dinner.
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“Greetings. I’m Toban Tangletop. Thank you for this opportunity Venture Captain Heidmarch.”
“Jastrokan! Rosie! Hello! Hello!” Toabn is very excited to see his siblings and gives them a big hug.
“That’s great Jastrokan!”
“The Wounded Wisp? Nicely done Rosie!” Toban pats Lily on the head. “Oh yes! And her whiskers are getting longer too!”
Toban chooses a bunk and drops off his backpack.
“Hi Narissiel, I’m Toban. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Toban shakes Narissiel’s hand.
“Ha! That’s a great idea Rosie! They are very lucky we are here to help.”
The Bakarakhan House is a cozy stone cottacge with a slate-shingle roof and stained glass windows depicting colorful Varisian designs. The ground floor consists of a den centered around a wide stone hearth, a small kitchen with a side dining area, and an exterior sun porch. The second story contains sleeping quarters for up to eight people (more if they are all gnomes...)
You can spend the day exploring the grounds of Heidmarch Manor, combing the city streets, or buying items you might need for any further adventure.
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As the shy and meek Rosie turns out to be rather loud, Narissiel lets out a melodic laugh. She seems amused by the gnome family's antics.
"The pleasure is mine," she replies when the gnomes greet her.
Later, in the cottage, she waves farewell to Rosie and Toban as they head off to the kitchens. Then she heads off into the gardens to go explore the grounds. She returns to the cottage right before Jastrokan does.
When Jastrokan reappears she smiles at him. "Late for unpacking, perhaps. Early to eat. I'm afraid your siblings have left to cook dinner."
She glides to the window and peeks outside. "Sun sets. Stars revealed. It will be dinner soon. Shall we, my friend?"
Narissiel helps Jastrokan find a spot for his painting, then heads off to dinner, curious what's been cooked.
After leaving your gear upstairs and picking out your beds, the family of gnomes and their elven companion convene in the kitchen to prepare dinner. There is much silliness as the food is prepared, with ghost sounds and other minor magic filling the air along with the laughter of the relaxed group.
The dinner is fine and the company makes all the better. The family of gnomes catches up with each other, taking turns telling tales about their exploits in the Society so far, most of which are clearly greatly exaggerated.
Soon it is time to turn in. Yawning, each of you heads up the stairs.
As she slowly heads up to bed, Rosie is sure he hears something stirring upstairs. None of the rest of the group hear it, but the monk becomes more vigilant and ready for anything.
Upstairs in the dormitory, rifling through your belongings is a sole goblin. She is a young female, bluish-grey in skin tone and wearing bits of bone jewelry and a sharp looking dagger at her belt.
The gobliness has heard you approach and leaves the packs behind, her pockets bulging. She stands next to the second story window, and as you watch surprised, she leaps out, getting away with your stuff.
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After his last adventure, Sekell realized his archery skills were not quite up to snuff. He'd returned home to do some training with his parents for a few weeks. Nearing the end of his training, he got a message about his next mission asking him to head to Magnimar instead of returning to Absolam. Saying farewell to his parents again, Sekell heads to the nearest port.
After days of travel, Sekell arrives at the port in Magnimar late into the evening. He gets directions from some dockworkers on where to go, then walks down the darkened streets. Unknown to him, the rest of the pathfinders had arrived earlier that day. He enjoys a nice stroll in the moonlight, the lack of sunlight stinging his half drow eyes.
Grabbing some food from a vendor open late, Sekell turns the corner onto the street the lodge is on, eating his dinner. "Hmm wonder who i'll be working with this time around." He mentions, thinking aloud.
Acting before the others can respond, Rosie rushes to the window just missing nabbing the small goblin who dove out the window, landing on her feet. The gnome prepares to do the same.
Outside, Sekell is just arriving, heading across the grounds towards Bahrakhan House, when he sees a small figure plummet from the window and head for the wall at the back of the property. Knowing his new allies are housed there, he sense something amiss and will head to investigate.
Catch That Goblin Chase - Round 1
22 Jastrokan
21 Toban
17 Narissiel
8 Sekell
8 Ekkie the Goblin
6 Rosie
Catch That Goblin! - Chase - Round 1 - continued
Narissiel gets to the window and spies the gobliness running for the back wall of the compound. She cries out to the others, and gnome brothers race down the stairs and outside. Narissiel weights whether she should leap or climb down, or perhaps take the stairs...
Sekell hears the commotion and catches up with the gnome Pathfinders, recognizing Toban and assuming the red-headed fellow is on the team. He is too caught up to notice the family resemblance.
Ekkie the Goblin gets to the wall, and without pausing a moment, she squeezes through a very narrow crack in the wall, and out of the compound into the busy street that runs behind.
Catch That Goblin - Round 1 - concluded
Narissiel leaps out the window herself, and is able to land gracefully on her feet.
She is only slightly behind Rosie, who got the window first and also leapt out following the streaking goblin. Rosie is able to run to the wall, just as the goblin slips through.
End of Round 1
Catch That Goblin Chase - Round 2
22 Jastrokan
21 Toban
17 Narissiel
8 Sekell
8 Ekkie the Goblin
6 Rosie
Catch That Goblin - Round 2 - continued
After hitting the ground on her feet, Narissiel races to the wall, and without even pausing she plants one foot on it and leaps to the top, pulling herself over in one quick motion, where she lands on the crowded street outside the Pathfinder Lodge.
Catch That Goblin - Round 2 - continued
Both Jastrokan and Toban hustle after the fleeing goblin, and they both cram ito the narrow crack at once. Toban bursts through the other side, near the busy street, but Jastrokan's garb is tangled on a sharp rock, and he cannot squeeze through.
From behind, Sekell tries to leap the fence, but the old wall crumbles as he leans against it, and he slips to the ground once again.
Ekkie leaps into the crowded street, shoving her way roughly through the throng of people, darting to the other side of the street, where a passing horse is spooked by her feral presence.
Catch That Goblin - Round 2 -concluded
Using the trapped posterior of her brother as a springboard, Rosie sails over the top of the outer wall of Heidmarch Manor. She can see the goblin across the road as she sails through the air, but the crowd closes in on her quickly when she hits the ground again.
End of Round 2
Catch That Goblin Chase - Round 3
22 Jastrokan
21 Toban
17 Narissiel
8 Sekell
8 Ekkie the Goblin
6 Rosie
Catch That Goblin - Round 3 - continued
As Rosie jumps on his hindquarters, the boost is all Jastrokan needs to get through the narrow crack in the wall. He bursts through with a broad grin on his face, tromping off toward the edge of the crowded street.
After covering the distance from the wall to street, Toban seems lost in the crowd. Despite his small size, Toban calls out in a commanding voice, and as one, the crowd obeys, stepping out of the way, and clearing a path for him to cross the street.
Narissiel is right with Toban, but instead of shouting, she lithely moves through the crowd, avoiding any contact and getting past the press of people.
Catch That Goblin - Round 3 - continued
After failing to leap the wall last round, Sekell jogs back and takes another running start at it. His movement is so quick, he actually races ahead of the others, flying through the crowd, and tackling the runaway gobliness all in one motion.
Though she squeals loudly when pinned by Sekell, the goblin gives up any more thought of running.
End of Chase!