Hello all! :)
Players, feel free to ninja dot this thread. The actual recruitment is on the Outpost page)
Hao Jin Heirophant (10-11)
Seven years ago, the Pathfinder Society acquired the Hao Jin Tapestry, a powerful artifact and gateway to a wondrous yet slowly disintegrating museum-like demiplane. Despite the sacrifices made to preserve the Hao-Jin Tapestry by one of the Pathfinder Society's most influential members, the realm's collapse seems inevitable. The Society has dispatched teams to high-value sites to salvage what they can of the historical treasures and knowledge, and the PCs are one of these first groups. However, their study of an ancient Tian site becomes far more complex thanks to not one but two burgeoning religions. It's up to the PCs to navigate this landscape riddled with hazards both extraplanar and political.
THIS IS A CORE GAME. Sign ups Line 19ish.
This is no longer a CORE GAME!
This is no longer a Hao Jin Heirophant.
A tall man with richly dark skin opens the door. His head is shaved, like the ancient Osiriani but he has the thick speech of high Taldor.
Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury is stoic yet shows signs of exhaustion as he strides into the room and places a piece of paper on the table. “Pathfinders, some weeks ago we received this letter from an anonymous source, advising us of the discovery of a Sarkorian site in rural Mendev, near the village of Dawnton. We sent three Pathfinders to perform an initial investigation."
“Word came to us two days ago that the entire team has been arrested for murder and is scheduled to be hanged in seven days’ time. I would," he inhales deeply, "appreciate your traveling to Dawnton, investigating the crimes, and finding any evidence necessary to clear their names.”
He pauses for a moment, as if gathering his will or holding back strong emotion. “As much as it grieves me to think this possible, you may find evidence that implicates our comrades. If they are guilty of this crime, let them hang. It’s justice of a sort, and we must all remember that we are guests in Mendev and subject to all its laws. Your predecessors’ reputation has tarnished the Pathfinders’ name in Dawnton, so I recommend you not travel and investigate openly as Pathfinders agents.
“Be careful,” he recommends, “and remember that three comrades are relying on you.”
"I do not have much I can tell you beyond that, but ask if you have any questions.
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A kitsune with many tails swishing around behind him steps forward with a small salute.
"Akito here. Are there any factions known to be in the area who would love to dirty our reputation? I know there are more than a few who we tend to clash with on a regular basis. Also, what can you tell us about the PF agents who have been imprisoned? What sort of backgrounds do they have?"
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A young half-elf with braided black hair and striking blue eyes listens intently to the Venture-Captain. "I'm not sure I like the idea of hiding who we are. But then, last time I went to an unfriendly rural village, they threw rocks at me." Caena grimaces at the memory, and tucks her wayfinder way down at the bottom of her bag. "I'd be glad not to repeat that experience. We'll find out the truth of the situation, rest assured." She speaks confidently, and then inquires, "I have never been to Mendev. What are the people there like?"
Jorsel of Lautebury answers the questions as they are asked.
Like most small towns, the locals are cautious around strangers." He looks closely at the kitsune, "They are especially cautious around those they see as being demon-tainted." He shakes his head, knowing the difference between the furred-folk and the demon-spawn. "They are also wary of Pathfinders, many in Mendev blame the Pathfinders for the fall of one town or another or of awakening demons better left undisturbed. There is however a festival happening this week and you will hardly be the only strangers in town."
"I do not know who accuses them or who the victims were. By law seven days are given to build a cases so they shall be hanged at dawn on the seventh day."
Finally he speaks of the accused, and he speaks highly of them. "All three are good people, and experts on Sarkoria. Corwin Burke is a skilled huntsman and tracker. Few halflings take demons out as effectively as I have seen him.
The other two could be fraternal twins, though they are not related as far as I know. Both are thicker than they are tall. Torum Grunsch carries his hammer and holy symbol with equal pride. and Dakota Spire could be a paladin, though I do not think she has taken any vows officially. .
"Dawnton?" says an old man with a grizzled beard. His tone suggests why anyone would ask about the place. "Dawnton is a small village at the crossroads of the local trade highway and the Setian River, a tributary of the Egelsee. It has a small permanent population, but swells to many times its size on festival days and during the harvest." He eyes grow a little watery. "I had the best pie o'pumpkin there when I was little."
A woman with long dark hare curling like a pair of horns repeats Jorsal of Lautebury's warning. As with many small villages in the region, Dawnton has become distrustful of strangers since the fall of Kenabres. "This distrust is especially virulent toward tieflings and others with demonic roots, influence, or appearance." On a closer look, the stunning hair might be covering a pair of horns.
Two newlywed gnomes speak highly of the the town. "Tobias Luin is the sheriff," says her groom."And mayor," finishes his bride. "My aunties friend says local opinion holds that he is fair, says his bride. "To the point of being soft, finishes her groom. "It is unusual that he would hold an execution, but local law calls for a vote of the citizenry to decide the fate of those guilty of capital crimes. It is hard to tell which of the pair said which parts, of this last sentence as the two were speaking over each other in a rather impressive duet.
"Oh ach," says one woman putting down a specialized knife with a long, thin, and hooked blade and walks around a horse she is working on. "There are rumors of similar brutal crimes in other villages near Dawnton." she picks up a second knife whose hook turns the opposite direction. "When a guilty party was found in those cases, execution was sure'en the result." She lifts up the horse's hoof and begins cutting excess sole and frog from it.
It takes the Pathfinders three days to make preparations and travel to Dawnton, and the PCs arrive in the early evening of the third day. The prisoners are scheduled to be hanged at dawn on the seventh day, giving the party that evening plus three full days to work on the case and prove their colleagues’ innocence.
...Your predecessors’ reputation has tarnished the Pathfinders’ name in Dawnton, so I recommend you not travel and investigate openly as Pathfinders agents.
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Ling likes the idea of starting at the private house. The tent city sounds too crowded for his taste.
Again, since he has no really useful skills, he will aide.
(which will aid just about anything since he has no negative skills)
He tries to look useful, or like a status symbol (hey, this guy is rich enough to hire an armed guard or something).
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As they discuss how to investigate, Caena clutches her wooden holy symbol of Erastil. "I would prefer to speak with some of the simple folk of the region. They are closest to the land, and might know best what is happening in this town. Also easier to relate to than mayors in fancy houses."
She makes her way to the tent city to start, having stripped down to her simple traveler's outfit. She mingles with the people there, and tries to strike up conversation by asking questions such as, "How is the harvest going? Will you be participating in the festival? Have you heard about the execution due to take place this week? How did that come about?"
While talking with people, she tries to examine their living conditions, to see if they have enough food, clean water, and are in general good health.
As befitting his station Mayor and Sheriff Tobius Luin lives in the largest private residence in town. As the Pathfinders approach they notice three guards on duty, one each at the front and back doors and a third who moves through the grounds. The one at the door stops to ask the business of the party, while the roaming one moves within bow shot, but not close enough to hear any of the conversation. At Shagar Butal's introduction she nods in a slow meaningful way, "Wait here," she says.
She enters the house and returns shortly with a thick chested (for a halfling) man proudly wearing a long white braid. "I am Tobius Luin," and he escorts the pair inside to a waiting room. After listening to Shagar Butal's story he responds. "The accused were arrested for murder. They murdered a field hand of Farmer Otto. he states this calmly, though that is as much about being tired as anything else. "As to why they were arrested: the evidence says so."
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Thinking it best to avoid the notice of the Mayor / Sheriff so earlier in the investigation, Akito follows Caena to the fields to speak with the locals. He figures if they don’t get much info out of them, they can try again at the local inn. Perhaps once their tongues are greased they will speak more freely.
Dawnton is little more than the crossroads of a highway and a navigable river, and its population barely exceeds 100 during most of the year. Because of this crossroads, though, as many as 3,000 people converge on the settlement just after the harvest to transfer crops from wagons to barges.
It is not harvest season, but Dawnton is crowded with visitors who have come to witness the executions. Despite the morbid circumstances, the villagers see this as an unexpected opportunity to gossip, barter, and celebrate, giving much of the village a festive atmosphere complete with games and drunken revelry.
Dozens of tents of sundry sizes ring an open area where the visitors gather for games and talk. During the day, the place feels like a county fair, complete with food stalls, music, jugglers, and sports.
Akito & Caena Word on the Street 16 & 18 ,
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Ling clears his throat and asks,
"I don't suppose you might tell us what the evidence is? We would like an opportunity to investigate. If one of our own has committed atrocities, we will respectfully stand aside and peacefully observe the law at work. I've been to some lands where the accused has an opportunity to defend themselves. Is this such a land? Is an investigation allowed?"
Ling is giving the mayor/sheriff obvious respect in both tone and posture, though his accent makes his words difficult to follow at times.
The mayor is a little surprised to see a Pathfinder on his doorstep. "But I suppose it doesn't hurt for you to visit with them, so long as I am present." he invites the pair in and them to check their weapons. Then satisfied this is not a prison break, leads you down stone steps to the basement level which functions as the town prison.
The three condemned Pathfinders are Corwin Burke (M halfling), Torum Grunsch (M dwarf) and Dakota Spire (F dwarf). They are frightened but unharmed, and they look to any hope of rescue with abject optimism. Burke is a short, thin, quick redhead with a wry wit even in these dire straits. Grunch and Spire could be fraternal twins, though they’re not related. Both are taciturn, thicker than they are tall, and wear their black hair in long braids. Spire has a wide scar along the top of his right forearm.
The condemned know very little about the murders for which they were framed. "We arrived on a mission to investigate a Sarkorian ruin and were arrested in our beds on the second night in town." They didn’t fight and haven’t tried to escape, saying, "We don’t want to risk harming Luin or any other innocents." They are well-fed and haven’t been mistreated, though all three are worried about their impending executions. If asked about the evidence against them, each shakes their heads. Well, we were in our rooms at the time of the second murder. Corwin Burke mentions, [b]"I think we first became suspects after Tobias Luin received a letter identifying us as the culprits."
It doesn't take a perception check to discover that one of those staying at the inn is the woman named Ekira. Ekira is short for a human and keeps her blond hair cut short. From the conversations she has in the common room it is obvious that she is driven, focused, and intense, both in kindness and in vengeance. If the party spends too long glancing her way she starts to notice and shifts he seat to keep an eye on them.
Eavesdropping on her is not hard in the crowded room. Ekira wears her wounded rage at the loss in Kenabres plainly on her face, expresses it in her voice, and inflicts it on perceived miscreants through her judgments. Considering her repoirt with the others eating at the inn, this comes across as quite matronly. Well before darkness settles she is the first to offer locals an escort home and returns shortly to visit and disparage at Pathfinders, demons, alike.
The whole town closes down tight as night falls. This close to the WorldWound, no one likes to be out at night.
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When they get back together that evening to share what they found, Caena relates the rumors they picked up at the tent city. "Someone named Orug Foram runs the general store. He is apparently the one who found the second victim. He says he fought the murderer before he escaped, but the one I heard this from knows that Orug likes to grow his own tales, so that might be exaggeration. We should keep that in mind if we question him for more details."
She nods thoughtfully and reflects on the other person they met. "The woman Ekira says she started hearing directly from Iomedae when she came to this town. She wants to start a church here, and maybe even run for mayor. I admire her zeal, if that's true."
Caena would prefer to head back to the tent city and spend the night there. There is safety in numbers, and if anything unexpected should happen among the people there, she will be on the spot ready to assist.
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Ling returns to the group and tries his best to communicate what he learned.
"Pathfinder friends found in jail with mayor. Not happy to be in jail and not understand. All sleeping and then, BAM, all in jail. Know nothing. They say there was letter that say they were guilty. Letter with one Tobias. We should read this letter."
"Ekra may have zeal but sh very, very hate for Pathfinders. Shagar told mayor we Pathfinders. Best to talk to Ekra before she find out."
The night is quiet. But only because everyone is buttoned tightly inside.
The next morning begins and the Pathfinders can begin the next step of their investigation.
Akito & Caena Coldmoon begin by going to the central of all commerce in the small town Orug's General Store is one of two permanent businesses in town, this sprawling shop occupies three large storefronts on the main road. The center room is the general store, where PCs can purchase most mundane supplies. The east room holds stored goods, an office and a small apartment for Orug Foram (half-orc) and his wife Tessa Greenagh (half-elf ). The west building is Orug’s barbershop. It contains two chairs in the front and three rooms in back for hot baths, and it is Dawnton’s main hub for gossip.
Hearing anything of substance requires the PCs converse with either Orug or Tessa.
ALSO the link labeled, GOLD will be for your maps.
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Akito wanders over to the store and begins chatting & making friends with Orug. After the initial smalltalk, he begins his play....
"So... I hear you played a wonderfully prominent position in bringing those disgraceful Pathfinders to justice! I commend you! I don't suppose you could tell me your story - the real one mind you - I dont want to hear how you slew a dragon they summoned or anything else in that vein!!"
With the heavy traffic their shop has seen over the last week, the general store has accumulated and shared dozens of juicy secrets. The party engages in polite small talk, including the significance of dragons in stories and sharing a few of their own encounters with the scaly onees. Whatever is said draws a laugh from one of the purveyors, Orug Forum. And they are able to strike up a conversation. Eventually this leads to a confession.
"I witnessed the second murder myself!" His partner Tessa Greenagh, scoffs at this. The word 'witness' draws an eye-roll as she walks away from a conversation she has heard too many times already. She purposefully restacks the apples after a family of six has let each child pick out their own.
"It's true! A large guy, not dragon large, but... well large! And then he goes running off in the night. I might have stopped him myself if," he gestures a low swinging punch, "right in the," he looks at the ceiling while nodding his head, "And that," he shrugs his shoulders, puffs out his eyes and cheeks and makes a gasping fish-out-of-water face. "You know...."
Also heard , , ,
After a bit more convivial conversation, seeming to ignore some parts of the story, while feigning excitment at others Akito gets a slightly different story. His story is is true, if you define “witness” as hearing a scream and a thump from outside and seeing a tall person running away into the dark.
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Caena agrees with Akito's plan. "We should collect the stories from people who have seen things with their own eyes. Later I would like to visit this halfling, however. Why did he have blood on his hands? And keep an eye out for the man missing hair from the back of his head, while we're looking around town."
Having laid out her advice, she accompanies Akito to track down the farmer.
Finally he speaks of the accused, and he speaks highly of them. "All three are good people, and experts on Sarkoria. Corwin Burke is a skilled huntsman and tracker. Few halflings take demons out as effectively as I have seen him.
The other two could be fraternal twins, though they are not related as far as I know. Both are thicker than they are tall. Torum Grunsch carries his hammer and holy symbol with equal pride. and Dakota Spire could be a paladin, though I do not think she has taken any vows officially. .
The accused have been described to you, for all of Orug's false bravado, he is sure of the man's height.
Otto’s farm covers 10 acres of land that are presently unplanted and a farmhouse at the center of the fields. A line of trees along the west side of the house forms a windbreak. The property is five miles down the main road from Dawnton, and the Pathfinders can recognize it by its distinctive yellow hexagonal sign.
"Interlopers!" a powerfully built and clean-shaven man calls out. "This is not the forest, you should leave.
Akito's words smooth the man's concerns. "Better to get this business over and done with I say." He turns to the acrage behind him. "Come on then. Let you show you."
As he walks the party around his property, he relates, "I had come out before dawn to feed the chickens. Then I spotted the victim," he coughs, "the a young man, hanged and swinging from a tree. Naked hanging from a tree." Otto is very insistent about the man having been naked, though he clarifies a moment later. "Not simply without clothes. It had been skinned—skinned alive," according to Otto’s somewhat imaginative estimation.