Zzzz.... Zzzz.... Zzzz....
The Pathfinders are summoned to a cabin on the edge of the mining town of Baslwief in Southern Varisia on a summer evening.
A cool wind greets them blowing through the valleys of the nearby Fenwall Mountains. The hovel is plain and probably with only one room. An expensive carriage sits outside manned by a footman you recognize as in service to Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch who is waiting for you inside.
Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch glances out a window as the last wisps of twilight fade over the Fenwall Mountains. Turning from the sight, she runs her hand along the rustic cabin’s wall, scowls down at the grime she finds on her expensive white gloves, and stands beside an occupied wooden bed before addressing you.
“This,” the venture captain says, gesturing to the man thrashing around violently, straining against the bonds that lash him securely to the bed, “is our colleague, Kalkamedes. Every night for several weeks now, he has fallen into a deep slumber and tried to sleepwalk right out of his cottage. If not restrained, he marches straight north, eventually falling off a cliff or into a bog as if trying to get himself killed in an attempt to reach an unknown goal.” As though he were expressing disagreement, the man tied to the bed suddenly begins pumping his limbs even harder, the violent spasms threatening to smash the bed into splinters.
“There are those who have recently criticized the Pathfinders for our indifference to the plight of our fellow field agents. It’s time to show that’s not true. I want you to help Kalkamedes, whether he wants it or not. Several of our best spellcasters have attempted an extensive list of magical cures, but whatever sleepwalking curse or effect he’s under tenaciously resists our efforts. All we can do is keep him safe. ”Heidmarch pats him with a degree of professional affection, and Kalkamedes rewards her by trying to swat her with his head.
“Kalkamedes’s friends are at their wits’ end, so we are going to attempt the only thing that we have not tried: we’re going to let him go tonight. That’s where you come in. I want you to follow him and keep him safe and in one piece. Let him get to wherever his addled brain thinks he needs to go so badly. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets there, you can find a way to help him. Maybe you can determine who or what did this to him and find a way to undo it." Heidmarch pulls out a serrated knife. “Now before I cut him free, does anyone have any questions or last minute preparations?”
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Almaas actively listens to the Venture-Captain.
"I see that a lot of martial and magical prowess has gathered here Lady Heidmarch to support a member of the Society. To help a brother in need! I want you all to know that I see us as a team ... and a team is a small community for which I will give my live blood to protect. It is an honor to explore at your side! May our joint cooperation lead us to discoveries that lead to a fast recovery of our companion Kalkamedes!" Almaas says in a calm voice.
”If you allow Lady Heidmarch, we would first try to help Kalkamedes to put on some clothes. Maybe it will be raining!“ Almaas says and starts to search for Kalkamedes’ boots, cloak etc.
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Kala's oversized form fills a corner near the door of the small cabin. Her eyes lose focus as she takes a mental inventory of her gear and skills.
"Cliffs and bogs... It'll be tricky helping a sleepwalker navigate those, but we'll figure something out. If nothing else, I have some rope to tie him up and carry him past or around. What can you tell us of the terrain and what all lies north of here?"
Kala surreptitiously casts Detect Magic and peers at Kalkamedes intently, then around the cabin at his possessions. Has an evil witch cast a spell on him? Where is the source of this devilry?
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Slumped over the table is another sleeper - an elderly man in heavy winter cloaks. Two scabbarded blades and a stuffed backpack are evident.
"Huh? Wuzzat? Now, why am I sitting here when there's a perfectly comfortable-looking bed over there?" The old man raises his head and looks through heavy-lidded eyes. "Oh! Of course, it's occupied, yes."
In the blink of an eye, the old man springs to his feet, though he staggers somewhat and leans upon one of his heavy scabbards. "Sleeping Sword! That's my style!" Sleeping Sword bows to the venture-captain.
"Uh, more rope would be very useful. We could re-use Kalkamedes' bindings. Uh, wait, is this Kalkamedes' house? It seems somewhat meagre. Does he have any possessions? Perhaps a journal that might lend some clue to his nocturnal habit?"
"Ah, young lady! Do you perhaps know how to employ a wand charged with a spell of Mage Armour?" Sleeping Sword smiles a snaggle-toothed grin towards Kala and gestures to a wand at his hip.
”If you allow Lady Heidmarch, we would first try to help Kalkamedes to put on some clothes. Maybe it will be raining!“ Almaas says and starts to search for Kalkamedes’ boots, cloak etc.
"Uh, more rope would be very useful. We could re-use Kalkamedes' bindings. Uh, wait, is this Kalkamedes' house? It seems somewhat meagre. Does he have any possessions? Perhaps a journal that might lend some clue to his nocturnal habit?"
"Cliffs and bogs... It'll be tricky helping a sleepwalker navigate those, but we'll figure something out. If nothing else, I have some rope to tie him up and carry him past or around. What can you tell us of the terrain and what all lies north of here?"
"Trackless wilderness for the most part."
[dice=Stealth, to cast without anyone noticing]....
Almaas hears the requests of his companions and starts searching the place for useful items.
left his holy order. Few truly understood his decision.
The wardrobe contains a warm and rugged-looking explorers outfit and a pair of heavy boots.
The chest contains lighter-weight clothing, and sheaf of papers. The larger sheets seem to be a series of unfinished charts mapping the Fenwall Mountains. The smaller bits seem to be a tablet of drawing paper bound by a metal clamp. It looks as though the top few sheets were torn out in a rush. There's some drawing charcoal in the chest too.
"He says he is retired from life in the Society but still seems to be at it in an unofficial and independent case-by-case basis."
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Kala steps back inside after ducking out for a few minutes . She first peers intently at the unconscious, thrashing man. Seeing nothing, she takes some time to peer around the humble abode, hoping to find something that could provide a clue or some measure of usefulness.
"Um, guys, I don't know if this would be of any use at all. And...I don't want to be too nosy or like a thief or anything, but he has some magical items stashed away here. Maybe they'd be useful? I can't tell what they are or anything..." Kala then addresses Venture Captain Heidmarch: "Would it be...inappropriate...to get them out of his hiding place so we can see if they'd be useful? We'd return them when we're done." She purposefully doesn't reveal their location yet, just in case the Venture Captain decides that's crossing the line.
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Kala mutters something about taking Stinky out to pee, then slips outside. When she returns, she leaves the wolverine outside. After a few whines and scratches on the door, he seems to accept the arrangement.
Kala stares intently at the thrashing sleeper, wondering if there's a spell cast on him. With a slight look of disappointment, she begins peering around the humble abode, squeezing past people to get a better look at this or that spot. After a bit, she clears her throat to get everyone's attention.
"Um, I don't know if this is appropriate or not. But he has a stash of magical items in here. I was wondering..." Here she turns to Venture Captain Heidmarch. "Would it be okay to pull them out to see if they'd be useful while we're helping him? We'd give it all back to him when we're done." She purposefully doesn't reveal the location of the stash, just in case it's deemed inappropriate to do so.
"Well of course." Heidmarch urges. "If you are worried we can take a quick audit."
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A small halfling in a smart red suit and pencil skirt rushes into the room, carrying a small stack of papers, she glances about the place and gives a nod. "Ah, good, you look like Pathfinders! Oh and there is Venture Captain Heidmarch. I think I finally have the right place!" She sets down her rather large bag and appropriately short longspear. She then strides up to the venture captain taking a deep bow "Apologies for my tardiness, somebody misplaced the address updates for Kalkamedes and I've had to track down his address the hard way. I swear if I find that Frederick has misplaced one more form when I get back, he's going to get an earful."
She then turns to the rest of the group smiling a professionally cold smile. "My name is Angela Isafira, and I am here to act as a secondary account for what happens on this mission. Not to say that anyone is under suscpicions of falsifying information, but it is good to occasionally have someone audit a mission. I will certianly endevor to help you as you as best I can, but do note I am a secretary by trade and not the best of fighters."
She then reaches into her pack and pulls out a rather slim file and plops it on the table. "This was all the information that wasn't classified I could get my hands on. There's little here that I assume you didn't know already."
Introductions and urgent business taken care of, Angela's eyes light up a little. "Now I believe I happened to overhear something about an audit as I was walking in. That sounds like it'd be intriguing, may I help?"
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At the officious entry of the halfling, Kala's eyes widen and her head, which had been stooped a bit due to the low ceiling, pulls back suddenly. It bumps a rafter with a dull thud. Wincing slightly at the minor pain, Kala marvels at the foolishness of wandering the trackless wilderness at night in a pencil skirt.
Redirecting her thoughts to the task at hand, Kala replies to the inquiry. "Uh, yeah. We were going to check his gear to see if there's anything we can use to help him. His stash is under that table. 'Scuse me." Weaving through the other Pathfinders, Kala kneels beside the table and begins dragging the kegs out from under it, revealing the space beneath them.
There is certainly a trap door here (in the wooden floor beneath the table), but the mechanism used to open it remains elusive.
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"Uh, if it is necessary, I have a blade of skymetal that will serve to break whatever lock is holding that door shut. But, I am sure our friend Kalkamedes has a key or other device somewhere hereabouts."
Sleeping Sword looks for the hiding place of whatever device might serve to open the trap door.
"Give me a hand, would you, young fellows? Look in the various furnishings. There is naught under the bed but dust. Perhaps the chest has a false bottom, or there might be something secreted in the back of the wardrobe, or the embers of the fire."
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Angela gives a wide smile as the talk turns to details, pulling out a pen and a notebook, immediately poised and ready to take a list about the contents of the stash as Kala starts to move the barrels. Her smile turns into a frown as she realizes that she was too early.
She first decides to take a good look at the trap door, trying a few different things, such as pushing on the door in case it opened that way, ir if it could slide one way to the other to open.
if she doesn'T find anything readily aparent, she looks at the dhampir, and nods at his suggestion to look for keys. "I shall take the chest. You there..." She takes a moment to reach down and pull out a piece of paper mumbling to herself. "Only dwarf on the list... Alaman... Almaas?". She glances back up, surreptitiously sliding the paper away, continuing, "Uhhh, Almaas, is it? Do you mind getting the wardrobe? We might also be looking for a catch or a level as well!"
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Angela, surounded by eat little stacks of things she'd pulled from te chest pops her head up and looks around, finding Rhinshin is the one talking. She looks off in one direction as if trying to remember something before looking at the man again. "You're Rinsin, right? Are you making a leash? Hmmm I'd say 20 feet might be best, unless we want to trip him up regularly!"
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Rhinshin looks over at the Halfling, who he did not notice enter the room, and nods. "Yes lady...", he then goes back to tying the rope to Kalkamedes' leg. He pulls a dagger from his belt and cuts approx 20 feet from the man's leg and ties another basic loop, for the one holding the leash to hold on to.
He shoves the rest of the rope back in his bag.
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Only a few moments after the halfling came another woman, dressed as many would see fitting for a sea-faring merchant. The dark tan of many years at sea accented with well-defined practice painted black make-up around the eyes, giving her eyes an almost eery look. Her hair tied back into a tight braid and out of her eyes was adorned with many charms, which jingled as if to announce her presence.
"Ah.. Miss Isafira, was it? I do believe you dropped this on your haste inside." The woman presented a slightly damp slip of paper to the halfling with a fetching smile. "I must say I am also terribly sorry for my lateness, a few of the locals got a bit... grabby and slowed my travels. But where are my manners, Lynn Kuro pathfinder and traveling bard of the Grand Lodge at your service." She gave a very, courtly and deep bow causing the rapier and pistol at either side of her hip to jostle slightly.
She peered over to the bed upon which the tied up ex-pathfinder was bound and practically bounced to the edge from her deep bow. "Ahh and this must be the ever so interesting Kalkamedes fellow, read a few interesting reports myself. Missions regarding the runelords were ever his fancy towards the end of his career."
Snapping back to reality she looked to the others, "Find anything aught of interest in his abode?"
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Stumped by the trap door, Kala's eyes rove the walls and ceiling, looking for a hidden key or anything that would give a clue as to how to open the trap door. If we don't find something soon, we'll have to give up on this. There might not even be anything useful in there anyway.
Suddenly, a thought occurs to her. "Oh! We should get him dressed. He at least needs some shoes or boots so his feet don't bleed. While you're looking, if you find some pull them out."
After about 10 minutes of crawling about and moving furniture, moving Kalkamede's cold and mostly unfinished dinner, asking the now slightly perturbed Venture-Captain to step to one side, and then back Almaas finds a suspicious switch, back behind the iron stove, which when triggered causes the trapdoor to pop open.
Within the cavity beneath the party finds an oblong metal chest with a built in lock on it.
Almaas also finds a balled up wad of paper inside the stove just behind the front grill and just far enough away from the flames to not be completely consumed. After retrieving and smoothing it out, the paper seems to have an amateurish charcoal drawing of some sort on it, but what it represents is anyone's guess.
It looks vaguely familiar to Almaas, as if he had just seen it moments before.
"Look at this drawing! It ... it looks familiar. Does anyone here recognize this?" Almaas says and he hands over the drawing.
"Wait. I do." The Venture-Captain steps to the table and picks up Kalkamedes' mostly untouched dinner. "Turn it around. See?"
Then he tries to open the metal chest.
With their rope secured to one of Kalkamedes' legs the Venture-Captain asks the party "Are you ready for me to cut him free?"
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Kala makes an executive decision. "Well, if we can't open the box, we'll have to leave without it." Striding over to Kalkamedes, she addresses the Venture Captain. "Let me put his boots on first. Then you can cut him free."
It takes some wrangling, but Kala eventually wrestles the heavy boots onto the writhing man's feet, double knotting them tightly. Straightening, she glances around the room and addresses the group. "Any last words before we do this thing?"