Heroes for Highdelve
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The door opens and you see the renowned Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng enter the meeting room.
He looks as if he did not have much sleep as he has a sleepy-eyed look on his face.
He has a violin and a meerschaum pipe in his hand and sets it on the table. He withdraws a small pouch from the slipper and opening it, removes some shag tobacco. He begins to pack the pipe with the tobacco before removing a hot poker from a fireplace in the room, touching it to the pipe bowl, and drawing on the pipe until the contents kindle an ember.
He stands eyeing the assembled group and puffing on the pipe for a long few moments before speaking.
"Well, well, so you are the team they sent here for this mission?! You look tough but are you the right people for this mission? You already heard that we are sending you to Highdelve, right?" he says with a stern look.
"First missions are usually less dangerous but our informant's reasons to ask for a team as well as the nature of the assignment were a little vague ..."
He eyes you again.
"I called you in tonight to discuss a problem I need you to solve." he says as clouds of pipe smoke drift lazily around his head.
"Well, more than two centuries ago, the humans of House Garess flourished in the foothills of the Golushkin Mountains in western Brevoy, where they founded Highdelve as a settlement of human artisans to work the dwarven ore their allies supplied. However, as the years went on, House Garess’s numbers waned, and the noble family scaled its business back. By this time, thousands inhabited Highdelve."
He looks at you to see if you are still listening.
"Rather than languish under House Garess’s neglect, the Highdelvers began to focus on self-sufficiency. It built a robust economy and 50 years ago, the leaders of highdelve approached the patriarch of House Garess in Grayhaven roughly 20 miles south. It wasn’t full independence Highdelve wanted as much as a release from any major taxes and military duties the town might owe its feudal overlords. Not in the position to fight the Highdelvers, House Garess acquiesced. From that day, Highdelve has been independent in everything but the strictest formalities."
He pauses for a moment.
"Have you ever heard of Aurelliax?" he asks.
Being so far north, winters are long and harsh. The short spring and summer seasons require the populace to farm and fish just enough to keep food on the table.
* * * Separate check * * *
You have heard the stories of Highdelve's history in more detail ... what the Highdelvers didn’t know, however, is that benevolent eyes had been watching the situation that the Venture-Captain described unfold.
The settlement piqued the interest of Aurelliax, a gold dragon who had lived for more than a century in a mountaintop lair near Highdelve.
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The dragon admired the town’s tenacity, and its people’s generosity toward their neighbors warmed her kind heart. Shortly after Highdelve broke from House Garess, Aurelliax offer the humans her patronage and protection for free.
Elated and humbled, the townspeople accepted—provided that Aurelliax never involved herself in the settlement’s internal affairs. After all, the Highdelvers did not wish to simply trade one overlord for another. Her motivations genuine and pure, Aurelliax assented.
For the Highdelvers’ part, awe for Aurelliax quickly turned into true affection, as the dragon time and again has demonstrated her dedication to this settlement of about 4,500.
Torgen stands, his arms crossed and leaning against the wall.
Never 'erd of 'em The dwarf growls out.
Say rather than 'layin' shy, why don't ya stoop wastin' our time and 'ours and tell us?
Dreng raises an eyebrow.
"Aurelliax is a gold dragon who had lived for more than a century in a mountaintop lair near Highdelve and the dragon time and again has demonstrated her dedication to this settlement of about 4,500."
He pauses again.
"I do not want to go into the details of why a gold dragon would do that but I can assure you that we had a hand in that story. This was just background information because your mission actually concerns two kids. Well, they are young adults by now. RICHELLE AND TOLWIN are their names. They are not related but they are the kids of two deceased Pathfinders. We placed them under the protection of the mayor of Highdelve 17 summers ago - Winette Qarl is her name."
The Venture-Captain sighs and looks at his feet.
"We received a message that they are misbehaving. I have to admit that this mission is personal for me and I want you to check on them. They know nothing about their parents' history but if you can find out what is going on I would appreciate that."
He looks back into your eyes again and smokes his pipe, sending smoke into the air.
"Of course we would never send you to Highdelve just because of two kids ... this is just a coincidence that I am using to my own benefit." he laughs.
"During one of our other missions we learned of a plot againt Aurelliax. We do not know the details but we know that an agent of a cult of Kostchtchie, Gilda Korgren, traveled to Highdelve more than a year ago to craft a ring with special significance to the cult of Kostchtchie ... additionally, we learned about a Port Ice–based shipping company that is trying to track cargo that went missing between the port and Silverhall in southern Brevoy. We do know that the cargo included several Thassilonian relics that could also be of value to the Kostchtchie worshipper."
Born a mortal man of Ulfen stock before being cursed, Kostchtchie is now the demon lord of giants and biting cold.
Kostchtchie's main worshipers are giants who have turned from the worship of their traditional deities, particularly Thremyr, and instead embraced the demonic as being a more aggressive philosophy.
Torgen snorts.
Ach, babysitting wee babs, can't say it's 'uch of a mission.
Upon the expansion, he nods.
Aye, I'm looking for that shipment m'self. My family spent a long time on thos' axes, and I aim to get 'em where their suppose to be.
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”Hmm yes, I did hear something about the decline of House Garess. Interesting that a dragon would offer Highdelvers her protection.”
Charlemagne listens politely as Dreng continues.
”What do the children believe their ancestry to be? And for that matter, how did their Pathfinder parents meet their demise?”
Dreng walks to a window and looks out.
"No, I do not have any further information on the shipment but maybe the mayor of the town knows more."
He thinks for a moment.
"To be honest I do not know what the mayor told the kids and I do not have authority to tell you what happened to their father."
"What about their mother?" Orzworth asks bluntly.
Dreng is silent for several seconds and he turns his back to you before he answers.
"She was also a Pathfinder but she died years earlier when she gave birth to the twins. I believe it is time for you to leave! Any further questions?"
Dreng sees that you have no further questions and stops pacing long enough to knock some of the ashes out of his pipe and reload it with more tobacco.
"This is one of your first mission so be careful. Please make haste and travel to Highdelve."
He looks at the whole group and tries to assess your level of comfort with this mission and continues.
"Go and see what you can find out!"
With those words he turns his attention away from you, picks his violin up, opens the door and begins playing and walking out of the room simultaneously.
HIGHDELVE
It’s late when your caravan arrives in Highdelve.
Most of the travelers are only stopping for dinner before proceeding on to the next town, but you have a mission here, and so you remain when the wagons pull out again.
When you get to the inn you find it unusually crowded. The innkeeper only has one room available, what with the festival tomorrow.
If you’re willing to share, however, she has some cots she can set up and there should be room enough for the four of you. As you walk down into the common room for dinner, you find it, too, is more crowded than you would expect.
A four-top comes open right as you walk in, though, and almost as soon as you sit the waiter comes by with bowls of stew and mugs of ale for the four of you. You eat and have a chance to get to know your new comrades on this mission.
Torgen slams down his ale before he speaks.
I'm torgen. My family family traces its veins to the Golushkin Mountains. My folks live in Port Ice though. Got 6 brothers and sisters... hence why they call me "7th Son". Unlike my folks, I always had a penchant for wielding the weapons, rather than making them. Thankfully, the folks looked out for me, and signed me up with the Skyforgers, their a dwarf trading company. Mostly I hunt down missing shipments... happens more than you'd think. I'm on the trail of some ceremonial axes that never made it. They left port Ice, and their next stop was Highdelve, but they never made it to the next checkpoint... I gotta confirm where they went, or didn't go, from here.
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”Charlemagne Caligula Desidarius; how do you all do. Torgen, what a coincidence; I too am a seventh son. House Desidarius was rather short on meaningful ways for a seventh son to spend their time, so Lalla here and I enlisted with the Pathfinder Society. Adventure, see the world and all that.” Charlemagne nods toward the small serpentine creature at his feet.
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"Hi guys, I'm Myrtella, and I'm tagging along for fun and adventures. I was raised on the road and we never stayed in one place too long, but you guys look alright, so I'll stay for a while. Hope you don't mind my strummin'..."
Myrtella unstraps her mandolin and starts playing a slow yet joyful, plucky tune.
Brightbloom Jubilee
During the first evening and your first hour on the jubilee you learn that the Brightbloom Jubilee is a 2-day party with a distinct structure of events.
Before the jubilee, the town elects two young locals to serve as Bloomgivers — an enormous honor for those chosen. Early on the celebration’s first day, the Bloomgivers venture with an empty wagon up nearby Dendra’s Slope, where the largest field of brightblooms grows.
The jubilee then runs throughout the day, and it includes a full slate of amusements, games, and festive street food, all set up in the town’s main Protectress Square.
In the afternoon, the Bloomgivers return to town with the first harvest of brightblooms, and the townspeople fete the youths’ journey by escorting them from the gates back to Protectress Square.
There, the Bloomgivers hand out brightblooms to eager townspeople. The rest of the evening is spent as a public dance party known as the Brightbloom Ball. The jubilee’s second day is spent alternately removing winterizing measures from the town’s buildings and breaking into spontaneous rounds of song and dance.
Several well-dressed professionals stand in a circle bandying about the lingo of seasoned traders. “What a time to be visiting!” one shouts.
“It’s the best time to catch important people in one place. If you’ve any business to conduct in Highdelve, now’s the time for it, to be sure!”
A teenage boy pushes through the crowd with a star-struck look on his face.
“Have you seen her? Have you seen Aurelliax? You know, the gold dragon! The one who keeps the whole town safe! She’s here, but she never stays in one place for long. Everyone wants to talk to her, and she’s so nice—she wants to spend time with us all!”
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For the past decade or so, the people of Highdelve have expressed some concern about sending their youthful Bloomgivers up Dendra’s Slope to collect brightblooms for several hours alone.
The brightbloom field is about an hour’s hike from the town proper, and the foothills are full of threats.
To quell their qualms, and to reinforce that Aurelliax would never suffer an outside threat to the town, the gold dragon has begun lending the Bloomgivers a special amulet called the Golden Pendant each year for their journey up the slope.
Not even the gold dragon has elaborated on exactly what the amulet can do, and she’s instructed the townspeople not to bother examining it much magically, but everyone knows that it’s a treasure that would make Abadar himself proud.
Two elderly women watch a group of adolescents giggle and shoot furtive glances toward the square’s western entrance.
“It warms this old granny’s heart to see those sweet kids,” one of the women says. “So young! So much energy! They just can’t wait for the Bloomgivers to come back from Dendra’s Slope so they can celebrate. But I wonder what’s keeping those Bloomgivers? They’ve usually returned by now!”
The sun rises, and after a quiet breakfast, you emerge out into the town square. Beams of sunlight stream past the snow-capped mountains as a joyous scene spreads before you.
Overnight, the town's staid and utilitarian main square sprouted colorful tents, a pop-up theater, a spinning contraption made of barrel bottoms, some manner of race course, and more unexpected delights.
Laughter and boisterous shouts echo from all the square's corners as its quaint cobblestone streets teem with villagers sporting festive clothes and wide smiles.
Throughout it all, the smell of fried foods weaves through air laced with the warmth of a summer that's just begun.
Activities in view:
A1. Youths stand on and around tall wooden storage boxes, playing some sort of game.
A2. Lanes have been drawn and sack races are being run.
A3. A large, gilt statue of a dragon.
A4. A Barrel-Go-Round ride has been erected.
A5. A small puppet theater has gathered a crowd.
A6. A stand sells delicious-smelling fried food on sticks.
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Orzworth admires the statue of the dragon for some time. What an example to live up to, he contemplates. Protector so that those in her care can live without fear of tyrants.
After a while, he follows his nose to the stand selling food. Perhaps one of my companions has found the youths we were sent to investigate, he thinks. And maybe Torgen has found his axes...
Torgen walks up to the businessmen.
[b]Hello! I was wondering if you might have heard about a shipment of axes perhaps?
Orzworth admires the statue of the dragon for some time. What an example to live up to, he contemplates. Protector so that those in her care can live without fear of tyrants.
After a while, he follows his nose to the stand selling food. Perhaps one of my companions has found the youths we were sent to investigate, he thinks. And maybe Torgen has found his axes...
When you arrive at the statue, you can take in it's majesty up close.
Fully 10 feet high and twice as long, the centerpiece of the square is a gilt statue of a gold dragon with outstretched wings. A plaque at the base reads: "Highdelve dedicates this statue and all of Protectress Square to Aurelliax, Our Gilded Lady. Long may her golden wings envelop us, and may we never fail her when she calls."
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Standing next to the statue watching a group of children play is a cheerful-looking woman with white hair and ruddy cheeks.
Zarek sees that a female dwarf approaches the woman and after greeting each other they start chatting and Zarek is very perceptive and overhears parts of the conversation.
”Well ... but Richelle and Tolwin cheated!" the white haired woman says silently. You cannot hear the dwarf's response but you see the the woman reacts harshly and says a little louder than she she should: "You know that they rigged the bloomgivers election and therefore are not allowed to attend the festival. This discussion is over!"
The female dwarf looks disappointed and retreats in the direction of the sack race.
[dice=Knowledge Local]1d20+1
Torgen walks up to the businessmen.
Hello! I was wondering if you might have heard about a shipment of axes perhaps? “
Torgen asks around about 'businessmen' and a woman he asks replies ”No, I'm afraid I am not in the trade business. Who probably would, though, is Yarla Bowhammer, who's running the sack races over there. But currently she is talking with the mayor as far as I know at protectress square. Oh no look. She is just returning.“
She points out a dwarven woman officiating sack races a short distance away.
” Yarla runs a trading company, and seems to know everyone in the region. If anyone in town knows them, she'd be my bet. Have a great day!“
Two youths are laughing, though there’s a bit of fear evident in their eyes.
“We all saw him; he had skin as pale as a sheet and these freaky little horns!” a girl says.
“He was skulking around until the watch came and scared him away. Now people pretend like he was never here—don’t want to scare away visitors, I guess. Oops!”
The two kids are a little frightened when you approach but one of them has the feeling that something needs to be done!
”I do not know if we can really talk about it because we actually have no idea but maybe Richelle and Tolwin are in trouble because of this horned guy! And Tolwin is really a bully so ...“
The other youngster jumps in.
”Stop it! Tolwin is not a bad guy! Of course he was really talking to the Tiefling a little longer than I liked! And somehow Tolwin managed to convince Richelle to follow the guy ... but I would not worry that much! Appearances are not important! Tieflings can be kind persons too!“
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"Are Richelle and Tolwin the recipient of the Bloomgiver honors? aren't they supposed to be back by now? if Tolwin is harassing the Tiefling - who I hope has a name beyond 'The Tiefling' - then perhaps following him tipped him over the edge. In any event these two are trouble and we should perhaps go look into them to see if nothing bad happened. Can you point us in the right direction?"
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Charlemagne, ever friendly, chats up the townsfolk of Highdelve, most often while dancing with them during the Brightbloom Ball.
Charlemagne slowly wanders the square, taking in each of the festivities before moving on to the next.
Addressing Myrtella, ”Hm yes, that is concerning that the children are late…”
The charming young noble is not the most perceptive.
The two kids look at you as if you said something very strange.
"No! You have not heard that Tolwin and Richelle tried to rig the election?! And we have never seen the Tiefling here before. He was really scary!"
The other kid hands you a leaflet.
"Look here! It is really sad."
Upon picking the leaflet Myrtella sees that it bears sketches of a scowling human boy and girl, each about 17, along with the following message.
“Be advised: Richelle and Tolwin, apprentices to Carth Garenth and Yarla Bowhammer, are not permitted at the jubilee. If seen, please turn them away from your events.”
The young, pushy girl looks at Orzworth and frowns, turning her face uncharacteristically dour.
“Those two — it’s just such a shame,” she says.
“I hate to say it, but they’re bullies. Always picking on other kids and even getting into fights. The young people in town don’t like them, and so we thought it was strange when the mayor first counted the votes for this year’s Bloomgivers and they had won. They dug a little deeper, and it turns out that Richelle and Tolwin had stolen the ballot box, pulled out all the real votes, and replaced them with votes for themselves. To punish them, we disinvited them from the jubilee today. The mayor took care of them after their father died so she but also their employers were quite disappointed” she says with a sigh.
THe Bloomgivers return
Murmurs of alarm from the western end of Protectress Square soon become shrieks of shock. Two people stumble into the square-a young dark-haired man and a light-haired woman, half walking and half relying on the shoulders of friends. Winces of pain cross their bloodied faces.
Somewhere, someone shouts, "The Bloomgivers have been attacked' Someone get Aurelliax!"
The crowd around the Bloomgivers hushes and parts, and the mayor strides purposefully toward the injured youths. A grim look on her face, she reaches a hand lovingly toward the Bloomgivers.
Mayor Qarl addresses the crowd in a commanding voice. "Silence! Aurelliax left minutes ago due to an urgent matter. She did not trust me with the details."
She turns toward the Bloomgivers. "Kameer. Kara. Young ones, what has happened here?"
The Bloomgivers pause to catch their breath before answering. " We' re so sorry, Mayor Qarl ," Kara says.
"We were picking the brightblooms when those bullies set upon us. They took us completely by surprise, and they stole the Golden Pendant right from Kameer's neck! We barely got out with our lives!” Kameer nods. "It was Richelle and Tolwin! They're up on Dendra's Slope, and they've still got Aurelliax's amulet!”
At this news, several individuals, including the proprietors of the jubilee's events- emerge from the crowd.
The town's mayor visibly bristles with anger. "I've had enough of those two! Clearly we should have punished them more harshly!" she says. "We have to retrieve these misbehaving kids? We have to get Aurelliax's amulet back, and those two will get the justice they deserve in our stocks."
A man in the crowed shouts "We have to get Aurelliax to help!"
The mayor looks at the man ruefully. "These bullies are two of our own!"
The people in the crowd give a regretful nod.
"You all know the rules! I'm terribly sorry," Mayor Qarl continues, "but I'm afraid that Aurelliax can't directly help. You see, Aurelliax promised our forebears that she would never interfere in the town's interpersonal matters. She cannot turn her wrath against any of our town-not even if they might deserve it."
She turns to the crowd. "Are there any among you who are willing to be heroes for Highdelve? Could you retrieve these bullies and Aurelliax's amulet? I assure you all that I will award those successful most generously!”
The audience is clearly impressed by the musical performance.
”Thank you, visitors! Please, travel up Dendra’s slope, directly west of town about 3 miles," the mayor says gently.
"It sounds like the bullies are still there. The brightbloom patch is just past an old abandoned shack-that's where you'll want to start looking."
”Find these wayward youths, and return them along with Aurelliax's amulet to the people. We'll bring back the brightblooms to the square, and Kameer and Kara here can hand them out as planned. We'll commence the Brightbloom Ball and put all of this unpleasantness behind us!"
Kara and Kameer are very relieved and also the town is again impressed by Orzworth's first aid.
"Oh thank you! I have to admit that everything was over so fast! They attacked us with longswords and I also saw them carrying a bow." Kara says and the wounds they have matches that description although Orzworth can see that at least some hits were definitely with the flat side of the sword.
"Anything we should know about the brightbloom patch? is it poisonous or does it attract nasty critters? are they... good to eat?"
The mayor steps forward.
"The brightblooms can very well be used to supplement various medicines. These are above all traditional flowers of this town!"
The mayor nods to Charlemagne and looks at o the assembled townsfolk and then at the senior members and asks "Do any of you have things you might loan to this group?"
Yarla steps forward with a smile. "I just so happen to have a crate of items in my inventory right now, bound for a bodyguard firm in Port Ice. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little quality control testing on one or two."
She adds "I might even have some blunt arrows, too."
You are starting your journey to Dendra's Slope
After a quick trip to Yarla's warehouse, you head toward Dendra's Slope, about three miles away. You can see a dilapidated hut, a nearby slope covered in flowers, and a cave entrance a little ways away.
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Orzworth heads towards the hut, keeping an eye out for anyone trying to take the group by surprise. "The children used the flats of their blades," he tells his companions as they ascend the slope. "That is not the way of those who wish to kill."
Were they driving the other children away from something? he wonders to himself.
”The hut!“
As you approach the field, you begin to get your bearings.
You quickly scan the surroundings for potential threats or things that seem out of place. As you move up between the campsite and the cabin, can see some footprints going in and out of the hut, though they are quickly lost in a stony patch of ground just outside. They look like they were made within the last 24 hours. You see no other movement around the valley.
The outside of this dilapidated shack is moldy and has walls full of holes. Its rotted doors hang open on broken hinges. You cannot hear any movement from within.
You enter to find it unoccupied, a dirty bedroll in one corner along with three daggers and 6 days' worth of trail rations.
Myrtella detects magic in the wall near the bedroll.
You start searching and spot a suspicious hole in the wall near the bedroll. Upon examination, you find a small bundle containing a journal, a scroll, and four potions.
These are four potions of cure light wounds.
This is a scroll of scorching ray.
The only entry, which bears today's date, says:
Oh my dear demonic god. These stupid kids are hated in town but the roots of mistrust were enough to convince them to join my mother's plan to attack the jubilee and circumvent the dragon's protection. They beat up the flower pickers, but they let them escape alive! But we retrieved the amulet and together with mother's sacrifice this will be enough to protect the beast in the cave from the dragon's wrath.