This is a level 1-5 game for the Outpost online convention through the FLAXSEED LODGE
Feel free to ninja dot.
Venture-Captain Obo mumbles to himself while studying the siege board. “Now, if the invader moves parallel to the defender, resting in the seventh hall of the first tower, then the sovereign will be exposed to counterattack from— I will never remember all of Valsin’s cryptic strategies!” Obo slams his free hand down on the table, and then gestures at the open chairs before him. “Sit, sit, for our very own game is afoot. Troubling news arrived two weeks ago from one of the Society’s trusted confidants, an artifacts expert and appraiser in the souk of Azir. Goes by Torvad. Torvad Shalzadin.”
Obo produces a small roll of parchment, its wax seal clearly broken. “This letter indicates that Torvad had been recently asked by a client to verify the authenticity of a rare artifact. Much to his surprise, every detail about the relic indicated that the fragment is one of the shards of the Shattered Shield of Arnisant. That’s supposedly impossible; all of the remnants of the shield are kept safe in Vigil, right under the Watcher-Lord’s nose. Per reports from both the Decemvirate and the Dark Archive, no one in Lastwall suspects any of the shards are missing. Torvad reports that the shard’s current owner, a clandestine auction house for illicit divine artifacts in Azir, the Sacred Cobra, intends to sell it in just seven days!”
He levels a gaze at the team, ”If that shard is in fact a piece of the Shattered Shield of Arnisant, we must stop such an important relic from falling into the wrong hands.”
“Though it would be faster to go by sea, a rash of piracy just beyond the Arch of Aroden means reconsidering the route. I’ve arranged for you to go by caravan. Once you arrive, find Torvad and convince him to disclose the location of the Sacred Cobra auction house as well as the precisely time of the auction. The Cobra’s whereabouts are known only to a few major players in the artifacts trade, so you’ll need to act quickly before the shard can be sold and potentially lost forever.”
”To even be considered as a buyer, you’ll need him to lend you his bidder’s banner, a token the Sacred Cobra uses to identify clientele considered in ‘good standing’ with the organization. It’s probably safest if you can acquire the shard by winning it at auction, though I trust you to do what is necessary to obtain the shard for the Society. Take this.” Obo again slides his hand inside his tunic to retrieve a small bundle of parchments. “Each of these ten letters is a bank note from Manaket, good for one thousand gold pieces. Showing these to the clerk of the auction house should help establish you as a serious buyer. Use the Society’s money wisely to ensure you obtain the shard, but if you see any other artifacts on auction that might be better off in the Society’s possession, you can use these funds to obtain those as well.”
He pauses a moment, ”So, any questions?”
|
A slender woman with fiery red hair and eyes enters the venture-captain's office as he pores over his gaming table. She wears a pleated blue skirt and white silk blouse trimmed in blue, chosen to accentuate her hair. She carries a small waist pouch on her hip for gear, but is otherwise unencumbered and completely unarmed.
Her eyebrows arch at the notes. That's a lot of money. Seems a shame to waste it on purchasing items. "So either this shard is a clever fake, or one in Vigil is. Interesting... Has your friend Torvad indicated that he's willing to lend us his bidder's banner, or will we need to persuade him?"
Do you know who could be potentially buying the shard?
"Well, as to who, any number of interested parties may try and scoop it up. As to the where it will be sold, the Sacred Cobra auction house? Well, from what I’ve gathered, it’s a brokerage for illegal divine artifacts and relics that moves its location throughout Azir every so often to keep the Pure Legion from discovering it. That’s why we need Torvad. Only someone who travels in those circles would know where the Cobra has most recently set up shop.”
What could be the powers of the shard?
“The origins of the shield are shrouded in mystery. Some believe that the god Aroden carried it when he was a mortal, while others claim that it was fashioned by Aroden after he became a god. The Taldan general Arnisant carried the shield during the Shining Crusade, and it was instrumental in defeating the Whispering Tyrant—that’s when it shattered. It is possible that even a fragment of the shield could be dangerous if used for nefarious ends.”[/b]
Has your friend Torvad indicated that he's willing to lend us his bidder's banner, or will we need to persuade him?
“Well, the only reason we know about the shard in the first place is because Torvad gave us a head's up in the first place. My understanding is that these bidder’s banners are ornate, woven scarves with intricate patterns tailored to each specific owner. This is done for the exact purpose of preventing such acts of deception. While it’s not uncommon for ‘proxies’ to be given a bidder’s banner from an associate of the auction house to acquire an item on the owner’s behalf, the Cobra’s guards will most likely know how to spot a fake. The shard is too important to take such a risk. So, it was his banner to offer and The Society will return it to him, so I don't expect any trouble on that front.”
"Now, if there's nothing else, I have to get back to, er...work"
|
A tallish Tengu stalks quickly into the room. He is wearing armor and carrying a polearm with a curved blade which he treats a bit like a staff and sometimes gesticulates with alarmingly. His feathers are wild and unkempt as if he had just been in a wind storm.
He tracks the gnome rushing around with quick movements of his head.
"If this Torvad is a trusted confidant then I suppose we must avoid unnecessary arm-twisting and bruising of feelings." He stops and thinks for a moment. "I wonder who the wrong hands are? There's bound to be some of them about. Doesn't matter, we'll slap them away." At this he makes a vague gesture with his polearm without paying much attention to the disposition of the blade.
|
Esper is an exotic looking woman dressed in fine scholar's robes and elaborate scarves. Though her skin tone is quite pale, her features and attire clearly mark her as Kelishite. Her elaborate feathered earrings sway as she looks around, taking in her surroundings and companions with golden eyes.
"Azir? I'm to be going home, then? To Rahadoum?" She smiles slightly, pushing her lips in satisfaction. But after a moment her smile fades. "To think such... religious antiquities ended up there." She curls up her lip in distaste. "We'll secure it for you, sir."
|
|
Yi Sun blinks and then nods his head at the gnome. Then he cocks his head to the side and looks at Esper.
"I don't know anything of this place, Azir. They way you speak, human woman, makes it seem as though you don't hold religion in high regard. Should those of us who, um, practice religion endeavor to conceal this fact?"
"Sensible choice in earrings by the way."
|
|
Kolris, who'd introduced himself when you first gathered, but has remained silent since then, finally speaks. "Okay then, that seems... reasonable. At least as much as anything the Decemvirate requests. I would very much like to see what all we can acquire, so let's all agree to spend these notes wisely at the auction."
|
|
Yi Sun blinks and then nods his head at the gnome. Then he cocks his head to the side and looks at Esper.
"I don't know anything of this place, Azir. They way you speak, human woman, makes it seem as though you don't hold religion in high regard. Should those of us who, um, practice religion endeavor to conceal this fact?"
"Sensible choice in earrings by the way."
Esper smiles in amusement. "Religion has long been illegal in Rahadoum. Azir is no different. Concealment is necessary if you wish to avoid arrest by the Pure Legion. Abstinence is better."
At Esper's mention of the Pure Legion, Obo looks up from the board. "Members of the Pure Legion are Rahadoum’s primary peacekeeping force, primarily charged with enforcing the nation’s First Law, which prohibits religion in any form. You’d be wise not to carry any items of contraband such as holy symbols or religious artifacts into the city, as it’s certain the Pure Legion will search you all before entering the city.”
With that, he waves you all toward the door as he returns to his board. "I'll get you yet."
You find yourselves on the streets of Manaket, just over two hundred miles to the east of Azir.
Azir is the capital city of Rahadoum. The entire nation upholds a series of philosophical tenets known as the Laws of Man, the primary tenet of which is known as the First Law, which prohibits religion in any form. The country adopted these laws following decades of religious wars and maintains a peacekeeping force known as the Pure Legion to enforce them.
Where people outside of Rhadoum hold a place in society for religion, most Rahadoumi hold a deep respect for rhetoric and philosophy. As a result, most Rahadoumi are well-educated, promote civic-minded behavior, and place a high value on self-discipline and familial loyalty.
|
|
Laiashi nudges Yi Sun's feathers before they depart, speaking to him in a low voice. "I can get that holy symbol into the city for you, if you need. For a gold piece."
Spending a few hours in the city, she regroups with the others and reports what she's learned in the various alleys and winesinks. "Turns out, there's an extensive black market trade of religious items here. Not surprising, really-- we all know how folks are with their gods. Careful, though; the punishment for owning religious items can be anywhere from a fine to imprisonment. Divine magic can get you outright banished."
|
|
Kolris draws in his breath as if getting ready to speak... then exhales. Quite used to being a font of knowledge, it seem that in this case, he has nothing to add.
"Thankfully, I've no particular attachment to religion. If it's critical to anyone, I can try to hide your holy symbol or whatnot, but we'd best be careful with this."
|
|
"Well the very air I breath is the divine wind of Hei Feng, so no abstinence is possible, but I doubt anyone can tell just by looking."
Esper smiles in a proud sort of way. "You'd be surprised."
---
Before the group leaves, Esper announces, "I have some specialized abilities that will allow me to offer minor protections to one of you." She turns to Yi Sun. "You strike me as a man who prefers his fights up close and often. Yes? Might I offer you my magical protection for the coming mission?"
Esper turns to him, places her hands upon his shoulders and looks him in the eyes. She speaks in a soothing voice, which is oddly enthralling.
"Look deep into my eyes, Erhun... Lose yourself in their depths.... You're in a pool of golden light. Yes? This light will protect you. Let it in..." Esper's eyes are hypnotic, and Erhun feels a gentle, warm feeling of comfort settling over him. "In... in... In!" She suddenly snaps her fingers, and removes her hands from his shoulders. "You have my protection." She announces grandly.
"You're welcome," she adds with a wink.
From her time in Rahadoum, Esper has found that the Pure Legion seeks out paraphernalia such as items that include holy symbols, religious texts, divine artifacts, or even objects like coins or rings. Larger objects may include any hand-held items bearing religious iconography like one-handed or larger weapons and shields. She believes that wands or potions lacking overt ties to divine magic should be safe from confiscation.
With final purchases made, the team joins up with the caravan heading west. Most of the journey is straight forward. The caravan guides seem experienced and know their business, and the caravan offers protection from most of the dangers of the journey.
After four days though, just two days outside of Azir, a violent electrical dust storm catches up to the caravan despite all attempts to out maneuver it. The caravan circles to wait out the storm, leading to what the team expects to be a perilous night.
Just as the preparations are finished and the camp is secure, the storm arrives with all its fury. Clouds of windwhiped sand swirls throughout the area, blocking out the stars. The howling of the night is punctuated by peals of thunder and brilliant explosions of lightning.
You detect the sounds of a mule braying frantically from just beyond the camp and a noise best described as 'clanging'.
You recognizes that it sounds as if someone has run out of breath, is choking, and requires immediate intervention to avoid death.
Phase 1: The Search
You journey into the storm and are immediately assaulted by hurricane force winds. Visibility ahs dropped to merely a few feet. This makes it difficult to pinpoint the location of the donkey or the clanging.
|
|
Kolris plunges into the swirling winds, calling out advice to the others about where to find the donkey and the clanging sound. "It's easy!!!" he begins, before his voice is drowned out by the cacophony of such strong winds. "...patterns in the...see the ripples...crest the dune..." Snatches of his advice can be heard as the elf disappears into the sandstorm.
The storm is intense, and it is more difficult to navigate the area just outside the tent. Kolris believes he is making headway, but it is hard to determine.
Phase 1: The Search Round 2