|
"One of our number has fallen." Venture-Captain Adril Hestram lets the grave words hang in the air before continuing. It’s difficult to imagine a large man like Adril defeated, but in light of this grim news his shoulders slump; he is a man who suffered a loss. "Targos Min-Katheer, esteemed venture-captain, is dead. His last wishes are simple: he wants his mortal remains to take one last trip along the Silken Way to his home city of Katheer, there to rest with his ancestors. He was one of our finest and we aim to honor his request. It is for this reason I’ve called you all together.”
Adril points one sausage-thick finger at the map on the table, tracing a line from Absalom to the mouth of the Pashman River, then snaking up the river to the oasis city of Lopul. “Here is where you can gather up his remains and join the silken caravan, one of the only caravans daring the harsh journey across the desert from Lopul to Katheer. This mission is simple, really, but we insist you give it the attention it deserves. A few weeks in the sun, seeing the sights of the desert. A dream assignment."
_____
Adril has a way of making every assignment sound like a sweet deal, but the last few weeks traveling by boat up the Pashman River and then hiking the short distance to the oasis city have been grueling to the extreme. A poisonous river snake claimed one of your guides; you remember his last gasps well, and how his face bloated to twice its usual size within seconds of the bite.
Before you now lies Lopul, the great caravan city, erected around the crystal life-giving waters of the Pool of Sihbon, the largest oasis for over one hundred miles. Mud brick houses baking in the sun and great canvas tents crowd the central copse of palm and date trees.
Lopul is a caravan-city ruled by the Sheikh Samraf Al-Hadari, humble servant to the padishah emperor of Kelesh. The settlement’s population fluctuates wildly with the comings and goings of trade caravans, but usually has at least a thousand locals and travelers in residence at any one time. Most of the city is comprised of tents and temporary dwellings erected by merchants and caravan masters, with only about a quarter of the city’s structures being permanently built around the Pool of Sihbon itself. Among these permanent structures are a halfdozen caravanserai, the fortress of the sheikh, and twoscore domed dwellings constructed of mud brick. One such dwelling is the former residence of Targos Min-Katheer. All that remains is to collect his body and join the silken caravan.
|
"We would be most honored Master Hestram to see these wishes through to the end." Says Kembe in his low, measured voice. He bows his head in respect and looks to the others. "Things will be hot and dry in the desert, we must prepare ourselves for this."
------
He tried to save the man, but this poison acted faster than he'd ever seen. Kembe returned to his feet and gathered up his healer's sachel with a strained look of disappointment on his face. This 'vacation' is not one I would dream of in 100 lifetimes. May these men's spirits rest in peace.
"We must press on. Help me secure his body, avoid the bite, the toxins are still quite potent." With some help he loads the guide's still warm body into a wagon to continue the journey.
-------
"It looks like we have arrived. Come. Let us make ourselves known to be friends." He lead the others towards
|
"I agree," Raul says in response to Kembe's assessment of their destination. "I have spent too long on Kortos. I will need to check my old, traveling clothes for moth holes."
The black and yellow striped monitor lizard clinging to his shoulder simply flicks its tongue.
------
Once the spirit of their guide has left the body, he looks to the lizard riding his shoulder as if in consultation and then shakes his head. The lizard gives the impression of disappointment.
------
The bronze-skinned Garundi follows Kembe toward the center of the caravan city and the permanent structures.
|
|
"Mmm...looks like a real fixer-upper," Aki remarks as they take in the sight of Lopul. "You know, I know they have to consider ease of movement and all but I'm surprised that some of these merchants and travelers haven't invested in more colorful tents or anything else to give their little camps a bit of personality."
The little red-headed woman chuckles and gives her head a good shake. "Ah well, enough of that. Time to get to work, eh Cake?"
|
|
It doesn't take much asking around before a local directs you to the location of Targos Min-Katheer's dwelling. A small mud-brick, domed dwelling lies at the end of a humble, sandy street here in the heart of the caravan city. The scent of the nearby oasis still reaches you, and a hive of bees hangs from a date palm next to the house. The wails of mourners and cries of women and children reach your ears, and you can see a small crowd gathered outside the house’s single door, its members crying and tearing their garments. Whether professionally hired mourners or sorrow-filled residents outpouring legitimate grief for the loss of a local hero is unclear, but the emotion seems genuine enough.
A knock at the door brings an answer from a man wearing a sackcloth and with ashes poured over his freshly shaved head. His face is sickly pale under the coating of ashes, and part of one ear is missing. His hands are wrapped in dirty bandages.
"All are welcome in paying respects to the esteemed Venture-Captain, Targos Min-Katheer. Please, come in," he says in a low voice. The man moves aside to let you into the dwelling. The front room of the house holds more mourners, and a curtained doorway blocks access to the house’s lone bedroom.
|
|
Following behind the others, Aki nearly bowls Gery over as he and Kembe both come to a sudden stop at the entrance to Targos' home. "Hey! Watch where you're-ooooooooooohhhhhhh," she begins but then gets a good look at the man and realizes the reason for the sudden stop.
"Thank you," she responds politely, instantly switching gears. "I'm very sorry for your loss. Was the Venture-Captain one of your own? Or perhaps a friend?"
|
|
Raul slows as they are greeted at the door, gracefully side-stepping his distracted companions. "Thank you," he says as the leper moves to create passage through the doorway. "Targos was a generous man, and I am certain that many in Lopul will feel his absence."
He fishes in his pouch for a coin--finding a Chelaxian Sail--and gently places it in the leper's bandaged hand. "An offering to you to honor the late Venture-Captain, although I know it is a paltry shadow to what he has done. We are here to escort his body home. Do you know to whom we should speak?"
|
|
The skin around leper's eyes cracks as he manages a smile with them, gladly accepting the offering. "Your generosity is appreciated. Targos was a great man, a friend and caregiver to all in Lopul, going above and beyond even his official Pathfinder Society business."
Kembe doesn't believe this variety of leprosy is contagious. You all shuffle inside, and as Raul asks about the body, a man wearing priestly robes and a black jackal death mask emerges from behind the curtain. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait, in that case," the man says, his voice muffled by the mask. "I am Ben-Garri, a close friend of Targos'. The honored venture-captain's body is receiving its funeral preparations, and you will need to return tomorrow to claim it."
|
|
Kembe smiles at Raul as he recognizes the situation and deals with it well. "Yes, let us head inside." He waves the others past the leper, confident of their safety from the disease.
Kembe stops as the masked man starts itching himself "You seem not well Ben-Garri. Perhaps you've caught the affliction from the man outside? Or is there more that you wish to not say about the body." Kembe steps up close to the man, not being a fan of those who try to deceive.
|
|
Although she can't pick up on any weird vibes herself, Aki has little reason to not trust the judgement of her fellow agents. "Maybe we could help with the preparations then? It would be a great chance to learn a little more about the way things are done in this part of the world and it would help us to know how to best respect your customs in the future," she suggests with a smile.
|
|
When Kembe steps up close, the masked man's hand drifts over to a kukri he carries in his belt. "Show the Venture-Captain some respect. As I said, you may take the body, but it is not ready for you. The preparations are both vital and delicate, and only those closest to Targos should perform any such activities." Looking over Kembe's shoulder, Ben-Garri shakes his head when Aki offers her help.
"Ben-Garri is a well-known priest here in Lopul," the leper replies to Raul. A quick glance around the room reveals two more mourners with signs of leprosy, but the other mourners all look free of disease.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we have to finish up with Targos." Ben-Garri turns back towards the curtained room.
Scratch scratch scratch Ben-Garri is lying through his teeth about basically everything he's said.
The leper at the door is also lying. Those inside the dwelling without leprosy look confused when he mentions Ben-Garri being a well-known priest.
___
|
|
The Garundi hunter looks visibly crestfallen as he realizes that his kindness has been misplaced on someone with fell motives. The confusion of the other mourners sealing the realization in his gut. He speaks softly as the striped monitor lizard on his shoulder spirals down his body to the ground, "این قلب من را تحمل می کند تا این چنین مناسبت مهمی را مختل کند."
He bends to touch his lizard upon the head: "'iitlaq sarah!"
|
|
The tiny monitor suddenly expands in size as it transforms into a seven-foot tall, black and yellow-striped scaled monstrosity with a crocodile-like head, grasping claws, and a sail down its spine. Maudi inhales and then bellows forth a roar at the leper at the door.
You will bow before me, the lord of the hunt!
|
|
Kembe and Gery turn and step past the lepers, heading back outside as Aki buffs Kembe with a magical wand - just in case. Then Raul does something much more dramatic, releasing his pet frilled lizard. The dinosaur makes no friends, with everyone but the lepers and Ben-Garri turning and running out of the house.
"Get away!" The leper pulls his sackcloth over his eyes as Maudi roars in his face.
"That's enough! I asked you leave nicely, and now you won't be leaving alive. Lamashtu wills it." Ben-Garri is outlined in an evil black glow as the other two lepers move in front of him.
"يبدو أنه سيكون لدينا أكثر من جنازة هنا اليوم."
It appears Targos will not be the only one laid to rest today.
The lepers appear unarmed. Ben-Garri holds a kukri.
-- Bold is up --
Raul & Gery
Blue leper, red leper
Aki, Maudi
Green leper (shaken), Ben-Garri
Kembe
|
|
The sudden outbreak of violence causes Gery to fumble with his rapier, striking the outer stone wall of the dwelling. Raul steps back and looses an arrow at the blue-bandaged leper, striking him in the neck. He limps around in pain, but remains up.
Blue and red move up to Gaudi, with one of them striking with his bare, sore-covered hands.
Maudi takes a soft punch to the back of the head, and then the overgrown lizard claws at the terrified green leper's face, leaving little recognizable by the time he's done. The magical beast turns and does the same to the red. Both lepers collapse.
-- Bold is up --
Raul & Gery
Blue leper (-5)
Aki, Maudi (-1)
Ben-Garri
Kembe
|
|
Despite his lepers' fate, Ben-Garri emits a growing laugh from behind his mask. "The body is rightfully ours to defile in service to Lamashtu, and now you've interrupted our preparations. Pathfinders always seem to meddle in affairs that do not concern them. I grow tired of it!"
Ben-Garri steps up to Maudi and stabs at his thick skin with his kukri.
The blade scrapes along the side of the beast's flesh, failing to penetrate.
-- Bold is up --
Raul & Gery
Blue leper (-5)
Aki, Maudi (-1)
Ben-Garri
Kembe
|
|
Raul's arrow finds its mark, wounding Ben-Garri across his thigh, while Gerry steps ahead and slices the priest's arm open with his rapier. Kembe sends the last leper flying across the room with a swift kick to the ribs. He slides down the wall unconscious.
-- Bold is up --
Raul & Gery
Aki, Maudi (-7)
Ben-Garri (-8)
Kembe
|
|
Maudi spins, hissing in rage as the priest slices his back. A moment is all Ben-Garri has before the full fury of the spinosaur falls upon him. Maudi's powerful jaws just miss engulfing the priest's head, clamping down on his shoulder painfully. Then the beast draws the cultist close and attempts to disembowl the man with his sickle-like foreclaws.
Full Round: Full Attack
|
|
Ben-Garri is torn up and mauled by Maudi, his insides ripped out and thrown across the room. The cultist falls flat on his back, his jackal mask cracking and opening to reveal a thoroughly cracked and sore-covered face.
Ben-Garri carried a masterwork kukri, heavy steel shield, iron holy symbol of Lamashtu, and his black jackal death mask, likely of some value.
With the cultists defeated, you enter the room behind the curtain, where Targos Min-Katheer's body lies wrapped up, awaiting transportation.
The mourners slowly trickle back in, and with them is the Pathfinder Society's Janira Garvix. "Oh, my. I'm so sorry about this," the halfling whispers as some of the mourners begin cleaning Targos' dwelling. "I'm Janira Garvix, new to the Pathfinder Society, just as you might be! Venture-Captain Adril Hestram told me you'd be coming, but I had no idea a cult of Lamashtu was ahead of us, nor what they wanted." She walks over to Targos' body. "I'm here to help. We'll have to find a caravan master to help us transport the body out of Lopul. I know where a caravanserai is here, and I can bring you there, if you're ready. Let's bring the body. Carefully."
|
|
Raul looks over the slain cultist. "May the Mother of Souls guide yours to your proper fate."
He nods to Maudi and approaches to inspect the saurian's wound. "This is deep, Maudi. You will need to be careful. However, for the meanwhile..."
The hunter rests a hand upon the spinosaur and says, "Rabt."
Maudi shrinks down into the form of a monitor lizard once more and climbs up to perch on the hunter's shoulder.
--- - ---
"Thank you, Janira," Raul says. "I am glad that we were able to stop the cultists from defiling the Venture-Captain's body, whatever their purpose was."
|
|
Gery eyes the dead cultist with a note of disgust before he turns his back upon the corpse. He gives Janira a smile, glad to see a fellow slip among the longlegs, "It is nice to meet you Janira! I agree we should get Targos out of here, but I am concerned the Lamashtu cult may strike again! Do you know of a hidden way to get to where the caravanserai is gathered?"
|
|
Kembe calmly walks to the others cultists and knocks them thoroughly unconscious "Are there authorities in this town to turn these over to? Or are they merely fed to the birds and jackals."
Kembe nods in greeting towards Janira, not being much for small talk. He heads to the room with the body and takes his time to make sure the body was not disturbed, noting if possible the cause of death.
"Should we pursue the reason these cultists had interest in this man? Or is it irrelevant for now?" He asks as he works.
|
|
"Yes, what he said," Aki agrees, sheathing her rapier once more. "I'd love to know why they were here messing about, unless this sort of thing is just common around here...for some reason."
She frowns, looking about the small dwelling. "Hopefully they didn't steal anything while they were in here either..."
|
|
It seems you've arrived just in time, given that Kembe doesn't find the body was disturbed in any way. The cause of death in particular isn't clear without unwrapping the body and thoroughly probing it.
Aki doesn't find anything disturbed, but she does find a long discarded bottle of oil underneath a cabinet.
"Of course I know a secret way, or my name isn't Janira Garvix!" The halfling smiles, throwing you a thumbs up.
With the mourners saying one final prayer, you carefully pick up the body and depart the dwelling, following Janira through a series of backroads and alleyways. "The Society has prepared a number of one-humped camels for your travel across the high desert towards Katheer. They've also provided sufficient water and food, and an extra camel for Targos' body."
The provided camels rest just outside the caravanserai at the edge of Lopul, where a dark-skinned beauty with streaked hair and green eyes awaits. She dresses in traditional desert rider garb, although the luxurious fabrics and cosmopolitan cuts must mean she's been quite successful as a trader of silks and stones. She sits seated at a table with a large Taldan man in battered but serviceable half-plate armor, a shorter Qadiri man in a city-dweller’s vest and fez, and an Osirian trader in white robes with an elaborate gemstudded pectoral.
She looks over as you approach. "What brings you to me, Jamila al-Shafah, caravan master of these deserts? And why do you carry a body with you?"
|
|
Jamila listens carefully as she eyes the wrapped up body of Targos Min-Katheer. "I would normally say yes, but I'm afraid my roster is full. Any more additions would just slow me down," she says, cracking a walnut on the table with her dagger.
"Perhaps a few coins may help your cause, travelers," the Qadiri man seated at the table idly says. "My name's Mahmoud. I've spent my life haggling in bazaars, and I know a thing or two about getting what I want for the best price! There's obviously something you want here. What do you know about haggling? If you're going there anyway, maybe you can help me get the best price for my wares when we arrive in Katheer."