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Those at the table see a human male with short blonde - nearly white - hair and pale gray eyes. A deep scar runs across his right cheek and into his upper lip, but the fine quality of his deep purple cloak and black tunic and trousers suggests that he's something other than a ruffian. A tattoo of a beautiful woman with snakelike skin adorns the right side of his neck.
"Well met to you all," he says politely. "I'm Leyten Krovt." He sits down, reaches into his cloak, and places a flask at the center of the table. "Ustalavic brandy," he says. The scar makes his smile look a little lopsided. "Join me, please. I hate to drink alone. Granted, it's never stopped me. I just don't like it."
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After a while, a white haired tengu waddles in, using his walking cane as support to walk into the room and find a chair. It takes him a couple of tries, but he finally manages to push the chair aside to sit in it comfortable. He sit's down releasing a huge sigh - one he has obviously been holding in for a while.
"Ohhhhh. Hellllloooo theeeerrreee young ones! I am Lekkkkkki, I have come to prove to those damned heretics in Razmiran that an old accountant can be made useful and make coin for himself! That is why I am here! To make muuuch coiiiiin as I can, so I may buy my way into the Razmir faith! He has great plans for me, you see!" - Lekki adjusts his headpiece, revealing to the room that it is just a giant ivory razmir mask which he wears on his head. On the inside, you see for the briefest moment some holy text inscribed around the edges.
He seems extremely week and frail, and tends to look at people's lips when they talk. "I'm sorry there young man - what did you say your name was? Satan? Sey-ten? Say ten what?" - he obviously misread your lips when you mentioned your name, Leyten.
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A beautiful female Undine with deep indigo skin, medium length blue-black hair, and limpid turquoise eyes that almost seem to glow glides fluidly into the room. Her hair is in thin, smooth braids pulled into a high ponytail. White tattoos of dots and flowing lines run along her lithe form. She wears little in the way of clothing; what she does wear resembles a bathing suit. Sinking gracefully into a seat beside Lekki and looking around at the group, she utters in a rich, lower pitched voice: "Greetings. I am Laafdahni Riverrun, Elemental Sorcerer."
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He seems extremely week and frail, and tends to look at people's lips when they talk. "I'm sorry there young man - what did you say your name was? Satan? Sey-ten? Say ten what?"
"Leyten. Lllllaaaaay-ten." Leyten seems puzzled by the old tengu's presence. "Are you sure you're in the right--"
His attention is suddenly and wholly directed at the beautiful blue woman who joins them at the table. He's never seen anyone quite like her -- and he becomes newly aware of his own scarred face. "Welcome, Laafdahni," he says simply. "I'm Leyten, and this is ... RumbleRock and Osten, I believe. And, um," he stares at the tengu, "Layk-ki, was it?"
He looks at the woman. "Where do you hail from, Laafdahni?"
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Laafdahni's gaze drifts slightly to the side, a faraway look to them as she stares into space. After a slight pause, she murmurs:
"Where I am from is unimportant. It is where I am going that matters." As she speaks, an expression of peace spreads across her features. With a small smile and a gentle laugh, she withdraws from her reverie, making eye contact with Leyton with a warm smile. "And what is your area of expertise?"
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"Exploring. Finding artifacts." Leyten says, "Treasure is fine, but I'm more interested in finding knowledge that's been lost: in dungeons, caves, wherever. It hasn't always turned out well, and the experience has left ... a mark." He looks at his hand, and a unpleasant-looking grayish-pink nimbus surrounds it for several seconds before he wills it away.
"You say you're a sorcerer, my lady? I suppose I'm something similar these days, but I seem to channel something other than arcane energy."
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Lekki seems to visibly sit back in his chair! His eyes open wide in amazement to Leyten's comment.
"Exploding artefacts? Ohhhhh mmmmyyyyy. I hope are okay. That sounds terrifying! You should be careful when you touch things! They might be cursed! Especially in … pungents? Are we talking about food now? Ohhhhh myyyyy..."
Lekki seems to try his best to follow everyone's lips as well as he can, but it's obviously hard for him to keep up!
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Laafdahni inclines her head to Osten. Without whites to her eyes, it is somewhat difficult to tell where she is looking, but slight concentrations of color and lightness reveal it to the discerning viewer.
"You look like a man of action and experience. Would you care to tell us of some of your more challenging encounters?"
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Oren grinned at the undine. ”Encounters am not challenge. Response to encounters am where challenge lies. Facing Minotaur was tricky, it stronger than each member of group. Enough drops of water can cut hole through strongest rock, though. There am always a way through encounters,” he nods knowingly.
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"Not sure if it was challenging or not, but I've been back in time to Azlant. Just before Earthfall. Those Azlanti are an angry people. Were an angry? Doesn't matter. Had to hold off a bunch of them so they would not hurt a differnt bunch of Pathfinder philosopher types. Comet was kinda bright too. Pretty in its own way I guess. Speaking of which, can you even see?" He takes another sip, "Bah, don't matter. I'll keep you safe anyway. That's my job after all."
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"Researchers LOVE to put together puzzles," says Leyten. "And if you give the puzzle a fancy name like 'The Key to Something,' it's irresistible." He leans back. "For me, the satisfaction comes in finding the pieces. Assembling them often causes more problems than it's worth. But time travel...? Yeah, I'd assemble some crazy key for the chance to do that."
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You've been summoned to the Sandswept Hall of Sothis, at the behest of Venture Captain Norden Balentiir. The journey was easy enough, and you were informed of the desert conditions by your charter, giving you all ample time to make your purchases and prepare. Upon arrival, several well-armed guards patrol the perimeter of the Sandswept Hall of Sothis, watching passerby with suspicion. As they scan the crowd, the lodge’s front gates swing open, and Venture Captain Norden Balentiir steps out into the street, waving calmly to the guards. It’s all right. They are Pathfinders. Balentiir steps back inside the gates. Please, follow me. We have much to discuss. Instead of leading the way into the lodge itself, he walks around the back of the building to a lush garden. Sycamore, tamarisk, and fig trees provide shade to cushioned benches, and trellises covered in grapes and flowering plants provide privacy. Last night, a thief broke into our vault and fled with a pair of valuable items. While we were unable to stop her from escaping, a guard caught a glimpse of her as she fled. Our thief is a janni named Jamila al-Shafah. She has served as an ally to the Society in the past, but now we have to assume she might have been planning this theft for some time. She’s made her way southeast toward the Underdunes. We’re still figuring out if she had help, but in the meantime, I need you to find where she escaped to. Norden pauses and glances toward the sky before continuing. In a way, this could be a blessing in disguise. The Underdunes have many hidden bits of lore. If you find something interesting along the way, be sure to take note of it for later. But don’t tarry too long—Jamila already has a lead of almost half a day. He looks at you expectantly, and nods toward the city. Before you depart, I assume you have questions?[/b]
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Laafdahni's eyelids droop in thought for a moment, then pop open at Lekki's misunderstanding. With amusement playing at the corners of her eyes and lips, she chimes in: "Lekki has an excellent question, if not excellent hearing. Please, tell us what you can of the Underdunes, and also about Jamila al-Shafah. What are her strengths and weaknesses, etc?"
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Who is the thief?
We first met Jamila as a silk merchant from Qadira. She was a companion of the late Venture-Captain Targos Min-Katheer, and she helped lay him to rest. We considered her to be an ally of the Society. Now we have to wonder whether her aid was just part of a larger ruse.
What does she look like?
Jamila has pale skin, long red hair, gold-colored eyes, and angular brown tattoos. She typically travels with a bird with green and orange feathers whose talons crackle with electricity.
How did she manage to rob the Sandswept Hall?
We’re still trying to piece together the details. She struck our vault on the second floor. She was able to retrieve items without fighting any of the guards, which means she knew where to go and how to bypass our defenses.
What items did she take?
We’ve identified two missing relics. The Sandstorm Codex is an ancient tome written in Osiriani, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran. It’s an elaborate text, and we haven’t yet fully deciphered it. The other is an abacus that supposedly belonged to the Pharaoh of Numbers.
Where did she go?
As far as we can tell according to what little we’ve managed to gather, she made her way into the Underdunes. We can guess at her likely direction, but the task of tracking her down falls to you. We know that she used to work as a desert merchant, and the local merchants create trails through the desert that connect water sources and remote outposts and thread their way between the most dangerous threats. Her appearance and that of her pet bird are quite distinctive, so you might try taking the most prominent of these paths and asking anyone you meet along the way.
How should we prepare?
Prepare yourselves for sandslides, scorching heat, and other dangerous terrain. Bear in mind that several elemental tribes call the Underdunes home, and none of them have a fondness for humanoids. Bring rope and survival gear, but also an eye for history. Rumor has it that the binding rituals of Ancient Osirion caused the elemental planes to bleed over into the desert at spots. If you can find proof of that theory, or learn something new about the elemental tribes, that discovery would give this proverbial cloud its silver lining.
He also hands you a map of the paths that desert merchants travel most frequently. The most prominent path into the Underdunes ends at the coastal city of El-Shelad. About 10 miles outside of Sothis, the single path begins branching into several options, which arc out into the desert before periodically rejoining into a single route.
He sighs as his gaze turns toward the bustling city.
As for her skills and abilities, we have no idea. As far as I knew, she was simple merchant. This theft... Perhaps she is more. Be prepared for anything. I would counsel finding a merchant in Sothis who is preparing to travel toward the underdunes, and leave with them. There is saftey in numbers, out there.
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"Oooohhhh nooooo. This is allll really confusing. Couuuuuld you write that down, or maybe speak a little slower? Did you say that she took a psychedelic? Two of them? Ooooohhhh that's not good at all."
The elderly bird looks confused and disoriented by all of this information. He slumps in his chair and begins to drift off to sleep, his heavy coat drooping to either side. He managed a peep, "You young ones prepare all you want. I'm going to take a little nap..."
The venture captain gives the tengu a long look. "Are you sure he's supposed to be here? he looks at his records and nods. "Yes he's been assigned to you."
"Safe return of Jamila? We'd like her returned if you can, but more importantly are the two items. Those need returned." he looks at his records. "Oh this is your first mission. You will be compensated with gold when you return successfully. Any items you find during your mission you may use, but you'll need to turn them into the Quartermaster when you return. You can of course purchase those back with you stipend."[b]
Venture Captain Norden Balentiir gives you the name of a a desert-traveling merchant in Sothis. [b]"Look for Kihur, a spice merchant who often makes the journey between Sothis and El-Shelad."
Kihur is warm and welcoming. He offers the you free samples of his spiced tea and answers questions about the desert to the best of his ability.
"It's hot very hot. There are sandstorms, and elemental tribes." He lets you know which of the paths to El-Shelad merchants are using at this time of year.
“There is nothing better to cool you down in a trip across the desert than a soothing cup of hot tea. I’ll give you a discount for being such polite customers.” He gives you a bright merchant's smile.
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"Thanks for the information, Venture Captain," says Leyten, "and the tea." A sip. "Um, not bad."
He looks at his newfound companions and says, "All set? I'm ready to go." He leans over Lekki and continues, "WE ARE LEAVING ON OUR MISSION. GOOD?" He flashes a mismatched smirk at Rumble, Osten, and Laafdahni, then he picks up his backpack.
The Underdunes comprise long, canyonlike trenches with walls that rise to 100 feet high in spots. As you explore the area in pursuit of Jamila, you may attempt several skill checks to learn more information about the area.
As you travel through the desert, you are exposed to its scorching heat.
Most travelers and merchants prefer to travel between Sothis and El-Shelad by sea, but a small minority of them take the land route instead.
As you travel you run into dozens of travelers and merchants. As you ask after Jamila almost no one has seen her.
You are starting to get worried when you find one of the merchants, Shirana, spotted Jamila six hours ago. Shirana looks you up and down.
"Are you prepared for this? I have wares that you can buy if you need assistance surviving in our beautiful desert. I also have these beautiful durable glass ornaments and jewelry. It would look lovely on you my dear." she says to Laafdahni as she holds out a necklace.
She is willing to point you in the right direction.
Seeing she might get a sale she pulls out a length of light blue material. "My dear I have a lovely hot weather outfit that will keep you cool in the hot days, and match your coloring. Only 8 gold my lady. I also have a potion or two to help you endure the elements."
She points to a couple of water skins hanging on the edge of her cart. "I also have water if you need it. You would be surprised at how unprepared some people can be." she says with a shrug.
She looks at the others in the group. "I also have hot weather clothing for most of you."
She digs through her wares and pulls out a wide bangle in a milky white moonstone. "Here I knew I had one. Lovely is isn't it. Only 3 gold."
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At first, Laafdahni barely gives the cloth a glance. As scantily clad as is, she doesn't realize at first that the cloth could shade her skin from the hot sun and offer some minor protection from windblown sand. These thoughts occur to her as she examines the workmanship and style of the bangle.
"The bracelet is lovely, but not quite my style. I would like a potion to endure the elements and the hot weather outfit, though. It is a lovely color." It doesn't even occur to her to haggle.
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Philosophers! Smarter than a book with just as much sense. Always willing to hand a charlatan their gold. Well, time to honor my role as a protector. Osten places a cautionary arm between Laafdahni and eyes the merchant. "Thank you, but we are fine. Hawk your fake trinkets and snake oil on easier prey." He turns back to the undine, "Who knows what she is selling out here. Besides, I have taken care of the desert heat."
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“Ooooh. You really should respect your elders young...very...strong...man. But you’re right, all these crumpets that merchant is selling won’t help our travels. It’s water we need. You see, water is the most important element. Don’t you think, Silver? - obviously jeaturing to the undine.
//Lekki looks like he is about to pass out from the heat, and would love a tap of the wand, thank you.
The merchant huffs at Osten, and continues to hold out the requested items to see what Laafdahni will do.
"They are genuine items."