Hello All,
Players please ninja dot this thread.
Scars of the Third Crusade (5-22)
The fiery inquisitions that raged through Mendev during the Third Mendevian Crusade may have been damped but never truly extinguished. Fanatics have reignited the witch-hunts in eastern Mendev, and in doing so they have captured and accused allies of the Pathfinder Society. Unless the PCs intercede and put a stop to this mob justice, their allies' deaths will spark a new wave of internecine executions throughout the crusader nation.
Sign ups here. Line 35ish.
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A tall, narrow-framed man of mixed Varisian and Tien descent strides in wearing the distinct, crisp uniform of a Lepidstadt inspector, and a well-tailored gray bowler hat. He gives a stiff nod to those present. "Kronis Umbrelor of Lepidstadt, at the Society's service," he announces in a thick Ustalavan accent.
It is difficult to tell what the man's occupation might be, precisely, though he carries several vials and a hand crossbow on his belt, with more poking out of a pocket on his satchel.
After a moment of silence, his cheeks redden, and he hastens to sit down in the nearest open chair.
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A mountain of a man marches up to the group clad in crimson scales which contrast with the dusky blond hair resting on his shoulders. While his sword is sheathed he carries his shield at the ready even in the city proudly displaying the crest of a crimson wing crossed by a broadsword.
"Hah! Gold is a fine thing to have if only to spend it on finding new ways to cut down demon filth but it looks like the Society has some different plans for this crusader. Elris Kayne, warpriest of Ragathiel! May his virtue show us our prey and his wrath guide our blades!" he roars in a typical Ulfen manner sticking out his hand to test the strength of any who return the gesture.
His armor while still shining bright is spattered with his previous demon hunts and gashes where he has taken his own fair share of assaults. That said he still smiles as if he truly enjoys what he does.
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Next to arrive is a slight, pretty young woman - well, she looks young in some ways, but it's almost like she's some kind of preserved fruit, simultaneously young and ancient - with a large scythe over her shoulder, and a bundle of leathery old skulls and a veritable sheaf of wands at her side. As she comes closer, a more striking thing about her becomes noticeable: She's virtually colorless. Other than a few faint lavender-tinted pockmarks dotting her skin, and a smattering spattering of color amongst her equipment, she's practically a charcoal drawing come to life, all shades of black, white, and grey - in fact, as she gets closer, it seems her very presence drains the color around her.
She stares at the three before her with a slight grimace, then looks down at a bit of Society paperwork, grimaces more strongly, then looks back to the three before her, before settling next to Galvanix.
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Kronis watches the woman approach with equal parts curiosity and apprehension. There is something about her that puts him off, though he can't quite place what. She bears some similarity to a dhampir, of which he is all too familiar in his line of work, but he has never seen a dhampir like her. Perhaps he's mistaken?
Regardless of what she is, he thinks to himself, she is clearly here at the Society's behest. If they trust her, so must you.
He turns away from her to look at the massive Ulfen warrior's outstretched hand. He grips the man's hand to shake it and almost immediately regrets it; the inspector's hand looks much like a baby's hand in the bigger man's. Size was never among Kronis's list of assets. After shaking as vigorously as possible, he says while surreptitiously rubbing his crushed fingers, "Well met, Elris. Any day that allows us to slay demons is a good day. But, we shall see what the Venture-Captain has for us."
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A dwarf stomps in behind Lydia, a hood pulled over his head, and immediately makes his way to a more shadowy corner of the room, as if trying to hide from the light itself.
He squints into the room, at those already gathered, holding one hand over his eyes. His clothes are basic explorer gear, though well used, and covered in dirt and dried mud that he has only made a half-hearted attempt to brush off.
He smells of deep earth and dry stone and is wearing sturdy hide armor, and carrying a stone warhammer and shield, that he drops onto the floor nearby, along with his pack.
Eventually he introduces himself, only to reveal his name appears to be Dumpy.
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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Dumpy frowns, not at all sure how useful he'll be on such a mission. Even less so, now that it appears the entire thing will happen on the surface.
"How far is this... Dawnton?" He asks. "Seven days isn't a lot, if it takes most of that to walk there."
"And how far is the town from the Worldwound?" He adds, a bit later. "Isn't that where this Sarkoria used to be?"
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Kronis frowns and steeples his fingers. "I am only modestly well-versed in clandestine dealings. As an inspector, I am accustomed to making my investigations more openly." He shrugs. "But, as you say. We will not be well-received as Pathfinders. Is there a particular cover story you prefer us to use, or are we free to design our own? I have been in talks to begin the lengthy recruitment process into the Sleepless Detectives. I am some ways off from beginning this. But perhaps it would work as a cover? That we wish to investigate the murder charges as part of our training for the Detectives' initiation?" He purses his lips. "It would only be a partial lie, which to me, is better than a complete fabrication. And not only for moral qualms; lies with some truth are easier to maintain, and to sell to those listening."
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"I am no stranger to Mendev myself and I don't think all of us could pass as detectives but you sound like ya could use some escorts. Sounds good enough to me...no one questions a blade soaked in demon blood around here." Elris laughs not caring to pretend to be something else and pointing out his attire is not very discreet.
He turns to his scaly friend...
"Kinshasa, right? You look tough enough to be one of the bodyguards!" he says with a smile and outstretched hand.
Dangerous enough around here without supposed allies committing murder. Hope it isn't true but if it is...justice has to be right met.
The warpriest grimaces for a moment about what comes in the following days.
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Galvanix scratches his head and takes a deep breath, "If these Pathfinders are friends to the Society, why not just break them out and pin it one someone else... like the Aspis Constortium... or some dregs from Cheliax? Doesn't seem like the Society should be putting up with whatever a bunch of religious zealots wants anyway... we`ll I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."
Seeing the Venture-Captain's disapproval for his less-than-soft tactics, Galvanix quickly changes his tune...
"Hey...it's whatever you want boss...you guys keep paying the bill and I will play it however you want me to."
Jorsel of Lautebury answers the questions as they are asked.
"Dawnton is a small village at the crossroads of the local trade highway and the Setian River, a tributary of the Egelsee. It is about three days ride from here and I shall provide you with horses if you need. Seven days is the time allowed by Mendev law for cases to be built. The Worldwound lies in the other direction from here, but as the whole area was once part of Sarkoria, yes they still feel its effects."
Like most small towns, the locals are cautious around strangers." He looks closely at the nagaji., "They are especially cautious around those they see as being demon-spawned. " He shakes his head, knowing the difference between the scaled folk and the demon-spawn. "They are also wary of Pathfinders, many in Mendev blame the Pathfinders for the fall of one town or 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 have a cover-story for you. I only meant that you need to be cautious and respectful of our hosts. However if you feel one is needed, a cover story is a good place to start."
"Your job is to find evidence, not to create it. This is not just some religious zealot, it is the law. We must observe the law. Without it we will become the [i]murder-hobos[i] so many think we are." He throws the word out casually, as if he has heard it around a tale many times before, but he still snaps at the implications the word conjures.
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. .
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Kronis makes a mental note of the names and descriptions. "I think, then, that if a cover story is not strictly necessary, perhaps we should avoid it altogether, and simply refrain from revealing our natures as Pathfinder agents if possible. I will ask around for further information on our destination, but then we would best make haste. Four days will be little enough time to gather evidence. Agreed?" If the others give assent, he speaks briefly with the townsfolk, but his stiff personality and inexperience with "softer" conversation makes gaining any useful information difficult.
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Knowing they had some days travel ahead Elris called upon his divine power for a gift of tongue and started asking fellow crusaders for information on the area.
After sharing with the group he goes to help setting their gear and spots the...very much not a horse.
"I will be anxious to see how they react to your steed. I believe we are ready." he says confidently with a tinge of worry.
[Dice=Diplomacy gather info] 1d20+11
Kinshasa wanders to the stables to collect his mount, Kokina. On his way he chats with the locals, trying to find out about Dawnton.
"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. The farrier looks at Kinshasa's mount before saying, "Subcaudal cleaning costs extra."
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.
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Kinshasa goes to the inn. He takes Kokina and ties her to the hitching post outside. She looks very out of place tied to the post beside the horses but he none-the-less ties her there, gives her a pat on the snout and tells her to stay put and behave. Before he leaves her he takes his wayfinder and puts it in her saddle bag.
He goes inside with a large grin on his face. He is a jovial, friendly sort and does not let the sideways glances and outright stares get to him. He buys a drink for himself and attempts to strike up conversation with the locals.
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"It's a town of distrusting common folk, wary of anything that even hints at demonic, and you're going to drive a giant snake into the middle of it?" Dumpy asks, glancing at Kinshasa.
He shakes his head slightly at the folly of it.
With no skills at talking to people, the dwarf instead decides to check out the town itself, taking a quiet stroll around the perimeter, noting where things are, and what folks are up to, being sure to keep an eye out for anything unusual or interesting.
(+2 if stone related)
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A small town of distrusting disgusting, xenophobic commoners, Lydia reflects to herself incredulously. I bet they hold torch-and-pitchfork-practice every Starday. Why were *we* sent here again? Poetic irony?
Hell with it, She bitterly concludes. We can burn the whole damn place down later if we have to; I never want to be that terrified, lonely little girl again. She heads to the general store to browse their inventory.
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Galvanix's time as a gladiator has bred a sense of 'force applied with the right grease will eventually fix anything' as a guiding principle for his style of inquiry.
Walking around town, probably just out of sight of his more 'upstanding' companions, Galvanix will use a myrid of skills to identify, question and/or influence the most fearful of the town's residents- utilizing intimidation and implied threats of violence if necessary.
Out of character- Galvanix has a +6 bonus to each of the following skills: Knowledge (local), Intimidate, Perception and Sense Motive. Please utilize most useful skill given the scenario's mechanics.
Galvanax & Dumpy Word on the Street 16 & 18 ,
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.
Lydia General Store 27
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 the party can purchase most mundane supplies. The east room holds a storage room and the west holds a barber shop.
Kronis Beer Garden 23,
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.
At the center of the tent city’s open area stands a broad beer garden with walls constructed of beer barrels and crates. This is the social hub for the country folk. During the day, it’s hard to find a place to stand and difficult to be heard over the noise.
Kinshasa Inn
The village’s inn is huge for a settlement of this size, but it’s full to bursting during the harvest season. It’s quite full at the time of the adventure, but it still has two rooms available for the PCs if they don’t mind sharing. The room costs 1 gp a day and that includes meals at the pub downstairs. Normally it is the only restaurant option available during the off months, and still very busy at mealtime despite the food stalls in the tent city.
Elris As befits his station as the village’s mayor and sheriff, Tobias’s house is the largest private residence in Dawnton. As you approach you see three guards posted around the building. You can reach them and present your case or make your request.
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"Three guards? Impressive. My name is Elris Kayne, a warpriest of Ragathiel. I heard of some trouble in this town and wanted to offer my services to the sheriff. Protecting this land from evil falls to all of us. May I speak with him on the current matters to ensure it doesn't have further cause of concern." Elris says to the guards presenting his crest as it glows a warm red.
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Lydia carefully browses the store's inventory; having been a librarian in the Dark Archive for decades, only the sheer mundanity of the shop's contents poses much of an obstacle to her deciphering the placement of the wares, the dearth or plenty of particular goods, their asking prices, their quality, the origins of plainly non-local goods, and what it could all mean for this community's current desires and fears.
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Kinshasa will leave the inn and wander about town searching for his companions. He does not ride Kokina, but leads her. She follows him through the street.
Both of them seem unaware of the stares that they are attracting. As he walks he speaks with locals greeting them cheerfully and asking about the town, and Erika in particular.
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"A stranger eh?"
Galvanix is very interesting in finding out who this nosey SOB is... and if necessary give him an attitude adjustment if for no other reason than he has some issues with his last haircut.
Depending on what is takes to locate this tall stranger with a missing patch of hair, Galvanix will try either Perception or Knowledge (local), each at a +6 bonus.
At night, most of the village becomes eerily quiet as people retire and fearfully watch the shadows for signs of more murderers or demons. A portion of the tent city remains active long into the night.
As he is leaving the tent city, Konris sees lots of games of chance, drinking competitions, and other festive happenings.
After a fairly long wait, the sheriff agrees to speak with the warpriest. He is thick-chested for a halfling and proud of his long, white braid of hair. However, he looks quite tired, not just for the day, but much older than his years. "The best we can do is be on the lookout for more trouble. If it happens, which most doubt, we will deal with it." He doesn't accept Kolris' offer of aid though he is patient and kind about declining.
As he is leaving Elris sees Konris headings his way.
As Kinshasa leads Kokina through the streets, he DOES actually notice the stares. They are not the shock and apprehension 'stares' of most small settlements outside of his hometown. Nor are they the stares of awe and exotic wonder of places like Absalom. These stares show a populace who have seen terrible things from strangers recently.
With the heavy traffic their shop has seen over the last week, the general store has accumulated and shared dozens of juicy secrets. Lydia makes a comment about the order used to maintain stock at the general store. Perhaps it is that breakfast supplies are nearest the door while dinner supplies are farthest even though flour, sugar, and salt are used equally in both. The archives are mostly sorted by topic, but it is not unheard of that a book called 'Herbivores in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords' could be in the Kellid, Zoology, or even Recipes-to-Feed-Hundreds sections of the Archives. Whatever is said draws a laugh from one of the purveyors, Orug Forum. And the two 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. 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."
There are many other people in the shop as well, too many in fact but Lydia is also able to learn that some aren’t sure the prisoners are guilty, but it’s hard to get anybody to speak his mind with that inquisitor throwing accusations and the whole crowd screaming to see some necks get stretched.
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That night, when everyone gathers and relays their information, Kronis sips at his mint tea with a dark expression. "I am all too familiar with mob mentality. It is, unfortunately, a common sight in Ustalav, particularly in the rural regions where constabularies like the Lepidstadt Inspectors cannot easily reach. And this woman, Ekira. I am admittedly not an expert on Iomedae, but I suspect such wanton disregard for justice in the name of clear personal bias is very much against the Inheritor's teachings. Equally disturbing is her claim that Iomedae speaks to her. We live in a strange world, and anything is possible, but unfortunately, a far more likely scenario is that she is being manipulated by an otherworldly creature--or perhaps she is simply mad. Either way, we should probably steer clear of her for now, at least until our investigations have concluded. Confronting her before we have all the facts could make our task here that much more difficult."
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"No luck with the mayor. Didn't want a stranger getting involved." Elris shares once he returns to the others.
Hearing about Ekira he nearly growls.
"Demons twisting the minds of the righteous would not be a new occurrence but neither would evil parading as righteous. Perhaps that is who I should be looking for? But if you do not think it best where should I head?" he asks the investigator for his advice usually handling conflict more directly himself.
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Kronis shakes his head. "Posession is a touchy subject, and we cannot be certain that is what is occurring. I simply think her actions suspicious. If we act upon suspicions and not facts, we are no better than Ekira herself." He sips his tea. "I think we should gather more information. We have only two more days to find the truth of what occurred with the suspects before the trial decides for us. We should focus on getting to the bottom of that, first. But we certainly have another avenue of questioning in our investigations, here."
He taps his cup thoughtfully before continuing. "In the morning, I will see if I cannot dig up some information on possession before I return to our original line of questioning. Just because it is not immediately pressing, does not mean it is not worth looking into. I will see where I can go for that. In the afternoon, I shall see if I cannot persuade the mayor to speak with me. I can be quite persuasive when I need to be. In the evening I will return to the beer gardens and see what other information I can draw from the patrons."
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Dumpy shrugs slightly. "Sounds like this Ekira person was acting on facts too." He interjects. "They are what you make of them, after all."
"But, more to the point, what's this about a second victim? I thought there was just one?" The dwarf looks a little confused. "So if the first one was out front of the store across the street.... where'd they find the first one? And are those three on the hook for both? Or just one?"
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Kronis eyes the dwarf irritably. "Facts are facts. There is only one correct way to interpret them: as what they are. Perception does not change reality.
"As to a second murder, we were only told they were accused of murder, not how many. In fact, I regret not asking the venture-captain for more information on the accusations themselves before we left. I should have known better, considering my profession. If I can convince the mayor to speak with me, I will be sure to ask for more details about the crimes."