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You arrive as requested to meet with the Venture Captain of the Cassomiri Pathfinder Lodge in Taldor. The heavy wooden front door of the well-appointed lodge is already ajar. Inside, you find five other pathfinders in the outer lounge, waiting for the Venture Captain to meet you. Her assistant sits behind a stately desk, and is engrossed in a tattered book.
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The gnome woman before you is in varying stages of growth and decay. Parts of her form look wasted or diseased, while others look like freshly grown baby's skin. She wears a breastplate and carries a shortspear. Accompanying her is a mangy wolf with a nasty disposition that growls at anyone who gets near. Beside the wolf is a haphazard pile of riding gear that looks like it has been hastily removed and tossed to the side. Unnoticed by the gnome one of the stirrups is in the wolf's mouth as it chews on it.
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Just behind the gnome and her lupine mount, a tall, middle-aged man wearing outdated, but well maintained armor enters the lodge. He wears a sword at his side and a shield across his back, the latter bearing a a design of a leaping fish.
"Greetings," the knight says to the assistant. "Sir Durant Aumarideth, reporting for duty." He bows first to the assistant, then to the gnome. "I take it you have been called upon for the present mission as well?"
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Eye to eye with the bewildered gnome woman stands a gnome that appears to be very old. You'd think he was working as some elder advisor or something, but he was carrying a bow and a backpack. He seemed strangely ready to leave.
Looking up at the taller humanoids he shook his head.
“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is Enlightenment, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel Enlightenment around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.”
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The assistant looks up momentarily from her book. With a pleasant grimace, she arches her eyebrows and shakes her head no, before returning to her read.
The front door opens again and a young boy (of no more than sixteen years) takes a few halting steps inside. He looks around quickly at the assembled adventurers then drops his head and scans the floor nervously.
"It's alright." the assistant says, still mostly focused on her book "You can go on in, boy. She is expecting you."
The boy nods and briskly steps to the door behind the desk to disappear into the room beyond. Returning her eyes to your group, the assistant smiles. "Just a few more minutes and the Venture-Captain will speak to you."
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Cyclic turns around mouth open to respond to the swordsman only to notice that her newly acquired and expensive riding kit is being vindictively mauled by her new 'friend'. Whatever she WAS going to say is interrupted and she snaps at the wolf.
"Awe, Mange, REALLY!"
She grabs her saddle from the beast and moves it to the other side of her, then eyes the druid.
"You. You sound like a druid. Can't you do something with him?! Enlighten him or something will you?"
It does seem like the gnome is trying to pawn off her mount on Qiroyw.
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Belmir is a smart looking Dwarf dressed in a light colored tail coat. He walks in the Venture Captain's waiting room and un-shoulders a composite bow placing it neatly in a nearby umbrella rack. He has a neatly trimmed beard and bushy eyebrows. He is more slender than your average Dwarf and seemingly more good natured.
Belmir looks around at those seated in the room Two gnomes and a human...hmmm all seem the spiritual lead individuals...Wonder if this mission will involve the local temples....interesting it's been a while since I've visited Cassomir, The Abbey Green district has it's own marvelous history...this should be fun!
Belmir offers his hand to the closes individual a female gnome with several dried fern branches woven through her braids. Good to meet you lass! The name is Belmir, private investigator extraordinaire...! From the evident holy symbols and markings, I can tell these other fine folk accompany us, worship Irori and Iomedae... Belmir points to Qiroyo and Sir Durant. You however, I'm not completely sure of a worshiper of Gozreh perhaps? Belmir shows a lot of teeth as he smiles...though it is evident he is truly interested in his question being answered. Belmir raises his eyebrow in anticipation of a reply.
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"Me, a worshiper?"
She looks a bit confused and considers the question.
"I suppose I must have been. Not sure though. Probably some god or goddess of nature, or life and death. For the past few months I suppose you could call me a, um, admirer? of Pharasma."
"Oh my, I'm probably confusing you. Let me start again."
"I don't remember my name from my previous life, but you may call me Cyclic. I don't know how it happened, perhaps reincarnation, perhaps the hand of some god. All I know is that a few months ago I gained consciousness with no memories and an irresistible calling to protect the cycle of birth, decay, death, and rebirth. Weird, huh? TMI? Anyway, I guess Pharasma works or Gozreh."
As she talks you see her appearance visibly shift - hair that was bleached starts gaining color, hair that was vibrant becoms bleached, patches of skin shifts from diseased looking to healthy and healthy skin becomes leprous or ridden with pustules or falling off. It is a disturbing sight.
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Just then a tall, imposing nagaji enters the room, smoothly ducking her bardiche to fit it through the doorway. Dressed in hide armor, with a morningstar hooked to her sturdy belt, she exudes a cool, detached confidence. After a deliberate glance at the occupants of the room, she crosses the length of the room in three broad steps, coming to a crisp halt before the assistant's desk.
In her reptilian voice, she speaks: "The Venture-Captain hass assked to sspeak to Eka about a misssion."
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"Well. While we're waiting... I guess not everyone is from around here or from anywhere for that matter." He looked at the other gnome. "I am not from here either, but I've read a little about this town a few years back. Always wanted to visit, actually.
Now let me give you a quick summary of what you should know about this town. Cassomir was once a simple merchant harbor surrounding the ancient Quickfall Abbey. Cassomir soon became important for the naval of the empire and the small harbor grew. A fortified series of ramparts were built west of the original town and today is known as the Old Cassomir district. Taldor's need for ships increased and the Cassomir's harbor was expanded and improved and dozens of dry docks were added for the construction of warships. The naval traffic grew and a petition to Grand Prince to further expand the city by draining a portion of the swamp south of the shipyards was granted. This area is now called the Admiral's Fen. The impressive fortress of Cassomir, the Grayguard Castle, was constructed just 200 years ago.
Cassomir is situated at the mouth of the Sellen River, a position that grants it considerable power as a trade city between the Inner Sea and the inland nations along the river's banks. The Sellen empties into the nearby Star Bay, which acts as a natural weigh station where the Taldan imperial navy secures payment from anyone wishing to access the river itself. The Bay also acts as the western border of the Jagged Saw, a dangerous span of coastline that continues to the mouth of the River Porthmos to the southeast. Cassomir is surrounded by the Blackwood Swamp on all landward sides.
Cassomir (population~32,000) is divided into seven very distinct districts, the Abbey Green district that surrounds the ruins of Quickfall Abbey, the Admiral's Fen district plagued by the Blackwood Swamp, the unofficial district of Dog's Teeth consisting of a number of small rocky islands, the Old Cassomir district surrounded by enormous ramparts, the Grayguard's Shadow district which supports the impressive Grayguard Castle, the wealthy Threegates district, and the Imperial Naval Shipyards. Cassomir is one of the main halfling settlements in the Inner Sea Region. The local halfling population has taken on some of the Taldan snobbery prevalent in the human population. Halflings are best known in the city for their ability as shipbuilders; they can squeeze into and work in confined spaces within a ship under construction."
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How did the Venture Captain select this group? Taldar's bon vivants won't come within a dragon's breath before snapping their heads up in disdain.
Propped up against the wall at an angle is a lean man with chiseled features. Not the most imposing of figures, but his flesh ripples with every movement as tendons and sinew dance like piano wire being played. Eyeing the newcomer, "You'll have to wait here with the rest of us. Some kid just went in. But you should go talk to that guy over there. I think he just called you an unenlightened rock," pointing towards Qiroyo, waiting to see if she'll take the bait.
This should be amusing...
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"I suppose I can relate in some respects, Cyclic. I've recently undergone a rebirth of sorts as well. I was a knight of Nirmathas for many years, but retired from service nearly a decade ago. I found that retirement didn't suit me, though, so I joined up with the Pathfinder Society. One of my first missions after joining up was helping to restore the honor of a Taldan noble house. For my service to the nobles and to Taldor, I was named a knight of the realm by Princess Eutropia herself." Sir Durant seems to swell with pride for a moment, then goes on. "Anyway, I've spent the last few months since I was knighted traveling throughout Taldor and coming to know her people. I look forward to serving here as part of the Society."
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A bell rings from behind the wall and the assistant stands up, places a bookmark into her read and moves to open the door.
"The Venture-Captain will see you now."
The meeting hall is cramped but nicely decorated, although the paint is clearly overdue. A large table dominates the room.
Venture-Captain Hestia Themis, a small, unassuming woman of Taldan heritage with dark hair and eyes, stands at the head of the table. The boy who entered a short time ago sits to her right. She holds a large sheaf of papers in her small hands and clears her throat as you file in and the door closed behind you. Her booming voice, the antithesis of her stature, fills the room.
“One of our own has been kidnapped." Venture-Captain Themis pauses dramatically to let that sink in, then continues. "Pathfinder Cestis was taken just days ago from a relics auction in the Imperial Naval Shipyards, and we believe his disappearance to be related to the six dozen or so kidnappings of the last several months. Now that one of our own is missing, this has become a Society matter—something we’ll get to the bottom of.”
Themis gestures for the teenage boy to stand beside her, who nervously regards his surroundings and sweats profusely, his thick brown hair matted and wet against his head. “This is Nefti, the assistant to the biggest thorn in my side in Cassomir—an agent of the Aspis Consortium named Kafar. Kafar is also missing, taken from the same relics auction along with Pathfinder Cestis and a dozen other citizens of Cassomir. Nefti was at the auction, saw where a small group of the kidnapped victims were taken, and his handlers in Cassomir have give us access to him so that he might guide us to our missing Pathfinder. If you happen to find Kafar...” Themis grinds her teeth. “...Let him go, per the agreement I’ve just made with his superiors. Your priority is Cestis, and I think Nefti can lead you to him. Any questions of us, then?”
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Qiroyo listened and then mumbled something barely hearable for the others. "This is bad... Shouldn't happen... Bad news... Not good."
He stepped forward and addressed Hestia in a confused sounding voice barely making eye contact as if he was thinking about other things at the same time. "Was the auction compromised? I mean, uhm, was something stolen?"
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At the mention of the Aspis Consortium, Sir Durant's back stiffens, and the knight unconsciously puts his hand to his sword. He takes a breath, however, and, regarding the boy with some suspicion, asks the Venture Captain, "How do we know this isn't some sort of Aspis trap? Designed to draw us in and take even just a few more agents from the Society's ranks?"
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Her cold, unblinking, reptilian stare pins Nefti, searing into the boy as she attempts to determine whether or not the boy can be trusted.
Flexing her muscles, she hisses as she continues to stare at him: "It would be foolissh to double crosss uss."
As an afterthought, she adds: "But we will not punissh fair dealingss."
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"How do we know this isn't some sort of Aspis trap? Designed to draw us in and take even just a few more agents from the Society's ranks?"
Belmiir nod's approvingly at the pertinent if not overly intelligent question poised by the holy warrior of Iomedae. This group isn't gullible that's good..of coarse the Venture Captain will have already sussed that information and verified that this Kafar's abduction was indeed legitimate. But, how does the boy play a part in this all?
Belmir clears his throat, Nefti is it? It was brave of you to follow the kidnappers. I mean I presumed the kidnappers were armed were they not? Did you get a good look at them? Could you describe their dress their manor of speaking? Did they have any holy symbols such as my friends here are wearing? Belmir points to Sir Durant Qiroyo.
Lastly, what were your duties? Why were you at the auction? And what compelled you to put yourself at risk and follow the kidnappers? Belmir waits with a patient and understanding smile for the boy's reply...studying his answers for any inconsistencies.
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Though it is evident she’d rather you get the investigation and recovery underway, Themis patiently answers your questions.
"I don't believe anything was taken, Mr. Darudo. That's the thing. This recent kidnapping, where they took Cestis, was so brash and bold. They grabbed more than a dozen people in one attack, neglecting to grab Nefti. Their mistake is our fortune. But it seems to be the people they want, not things. The kidnappings started a few months ago. I mean, Cassomir has always had some trouble with its citizens going missing, but this was different. Only those associated with the Imperial Naval Shipyards were taken—shipwrights, carpenters, navy guards, and so on. Now there are... rumors of twisted men from the Darklands who climb up through Cassomir’s Locker, the sewers, catacombs, and older ruins below the city. Alas, they are only rumors. The truth is, we don’t know who’s behind it. We hope you will find out.”
"Sir Durant, is it? Yes, well. Difficult situations sometimes call for difficult choices. To our knowledge, the Aspis have the information we need about where to start in this mystery, and if it takes dirtying our hands with them to get Cestis back, I think it’s worth it. Your caution, though, is well taken. So do be cautious for the kind of "trap" you speak of.”
When the conversation turns to Nefti, he looks horrified by the nagaji's initial confrontation. He finally spits out "I'm only here cause I want to see Kafar again. He's my friend, teaching me the way of the dungeoneer, he is. And I'm sure you want to see your friend again, too."
Looking hesitantly for approval, he continues. "The men that took us were strange -- wild-haired with dirty robes and bare feet. One of them had a big rat that followed him like a dog. After they took us all from the auction, we got paraded up the docks a bit to some kind of an inn or something, only it looked boarded up like they were fixin' it up. I remember the sign clear as day though, it was a... screaming sailor with an anchor dropped on his foot. When they weren't looking, I slipped my ropes and slid into the harbor and swam for safety, but I'm sure I was the only one that got away."
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Sir Durant doesn't seem completely satisfied by the Venture Captain's answer, but he nods his submission to the orders of his superior nonetheless. "Very well then. One final question, Venture Captain: from the boy's description, these captors sound like cultists of some sort. Is there a particular history of those types of organizations operating around Cassomir? Perhaps that might connect to these rumors of invaders from the Darklands."
Sir Durant listens eagerly to Themis's answer, then thanks her for the intel, and directs Nefti to lead the way to the inn he mentioned in his tale.
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"I do not know of any particular cultists in our midst, my Sir. But that is certainly a good first impression." Themis nods and bids you fare well. "I await your report and the return of our friend Cestis."
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Nefti's directions lead you to the inn, which is perched and precariously overhanging the dirty harbor water. A fresh coat of white paint glistens on half the inn’s outside walls, and most of the windows are boarded up. It appears the street entrance is boarded up as well. The roof leans slightly toward the harbor, as if at any moment the entire thing could come off and slide into the ocean. The dock leading up to the inn is made of rotting wood connected to thick, rank-smelling pilings. Several small rowboats are currently tied up along its length. Under the pictorial sign Nefti described, the doorway reads "The Inn of the Unlucky Sailor".
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As Cyclic and the others approach, it is clear that the only truly accessible entrance will require extra care to remain quiet and the wood is so covered with algae that moving at any speed other than slow will risk falling.
On the other hand, the street entrance , although boarded up, could be breached fairly easily.
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Taking a look at the boards, Cyclic decides entering through the front doors is going to requires someone with more muscles than she, so she remounts and waits by the front door.
"I don't see why we don't just enter here. If anyone asks why, they we ask them a bunch of questions right back and maybe get wizer."
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Qiroyo assess the two entrances and joins the group at the door with less difficulty to reach.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
He will be no help in helping to push it open. though.
Whispering he adds: "Let's first check whether there's a party to crash." He moves carefully and puts his ear on the door and listens.
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Eka places a heavy hand on Belmiir's shoulder. "Exsscusse me." Removing her hand, she allows him to stand aside. Calmly stepping up to the door, Eka gives it an experimental shove with her shoulder, testing the door's strength.
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The group gathers around the bottom door, Qiroyo jears the sound of heavy breathing inside and a muffled whimper. Luckily, Eka's heavy frame is more than weighty enough to snap the flimsy tack boards on the door and permit entry.
The inn’s interior is in much better condition than the outside. The floors look new and quiet, the walls are covered in fresh paint, and the entire place smells of recently cut wood. Most of the furniture has been removed, though a few tables and chairs remain and are covered in sawdust and wood shavings. Several buckets of white paint sit atop the bar.
A man lies atop the bar, unmoving, his abdomen bare, bloody, and bruised. Next to him, a wild haired man turns to you and screams. "Intruders! City folk come to poison my well, as they always do!" He and the rats next to him spring into action.
Purple Rat
Sir Durant
Red Man
Orange Rat
Belmiir
Qiroyo
Eka
Altorin
Yellow Rat
Cyclic
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Sir Durant charges through the door, tightening the straps on his shield as he runs. He stays clear of the large purplish rat that had scurried toward the party as he holds up an empty hand toward the wild haired man. He keeps his shield between himself and the rat. "Hold, friend! We do not need to resort to violence! We look for our companions, who were brought into this building after being abducted. Will you reason with us?"
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As Sir Durant moves forward into the darkened room, from the corner of his eye, he can see the outlines of some helpless shapes in the far southwestern corner of the large room that struggle against their binds.
"On the contrary, friend, violence is the only solution! Until humanity is defeated, the world spins unbalanced!" The frenzied man screams, beying to the ceiling, as he rushes forward and brandishes a gnarled club.
Purple Rat
Sir Durant
Red Man
Orange Rat
Belmiir
Qiroyo
Eka
Altorin
Cyclic
Yellow Rat
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"Very well then," the knight replies in a somber but determined tone. "If you cannot learn to share the world with others because of their race, then you have no place in it. Forward!" Durant raises a hand above his head with his command to his fellow Pathfinders, then directs it at the raving man advancing toward them.
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"On the contrary, friend, violence is the only solution! Until humanity is defeated, the world spins unbalanced!" The frenzied man screams, beying to the ceiling, as he rushes forward and brandishes a gnarled club.
"Really? Why do I get all the missions with the nut cases? I just got back from dealing with a dragon with delusions of grandeur!"
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The orangish rat succumbs to the quick arrows of Belmiir and Qiroyo, before Eka delivers the decisive blow and it thuds over into into the sawdust.
Altorin's wintery blast goes barely wide as does Mange's bite. The remaining rats lash out with furious teeth, but deflect harmlessly off their targets.
Purple Rat
Sir Durant
Red Man
Orange Rat - 18 damage <unconscious>
Belmiir
Qiroyo
Eka
Altorin
Cyclic/Mange
Yellow Rat