A messenger seeks out each of you, delivering a letter from the Society that requests your immediate assistance with a situation in Almas, the capital of Andoran. Passage has already been prepared for, and Venture Captain Brackett will be awaiting your arrival at the central chapel of Aroden.
. . .
When you arrive, morning light streams in through the stained glass windows of the Cathedral of Aroden in Almas, where Venture-Captain Brackett sits behind a large, antique desk replete with hairthin lines that mar its surface like nearly healed scars. He scans a handful of papers before speaking to you and the other assembled guests, among them the no-nonsense wizard Wystorn Telfyr and Major Colson Maldris.
“I recently received news of a kidnapping in Sauerton, up in the northern wine country. Thalia Andares, heir to the Sauerton Red wine fortune and daughter of Consul Tercio Andares, vanished during the Silverglazer Sunday celebration and has not been seen since.” With a meaningful look, Maldris catches Brackett’s attention, and the two nod in understanding as the major contributes. “Tercio Andares is powerful and widely respected; not only has he been the mayor of the large town for many years, but he is also a strong voice in the Andoren military—even for a consul. The Sauerton Red winery has made him extremely wealthy, and his financial support could be a considerable asset to the Pathfinders’ important work in and around the Worldwound. He seems uninterested in foreign affairs, though, perhaps because it’s politically safer to focus on domestic matters. Even so, he is known to help those who help him.”
“I appreciate the summary, major,” says Brackett. “I am convinced that the Andares’s gratitude would do much to refill our war chest for a struggle that is unlikely to end quickly. When you track down Thalia, as I trust you will do quickly, it is important not only to the Pathfinder Society but perhaps to the whole world that you request funding for the military campaign against the Worldwound. Of course, convincing Tercio to contribute troops and military aid would be even better, but aim for finances first.” With a sigh, Major Maldris picks up his tricorne hat and prepares to depart. “I would stay longer, but I must make final preparations to travel,” he states in a quiet voice. “While I hope that the Andares family agrees to help the society, I am also wary of this political practice of mutual backscratching. As all of you are in Sauerton—especially those who care for this fine country—remain vigilant for signs of short-sighted corruption and abandonment of Andoran’s founding principles: freedom and democracy. Follow what you believe to be the best course of action, as I will not be available to advise you. Nonetheless, I would appreciate any reports of corruption after the situation is resolved.” After sharing a quick handshake with Brackett and a nod of farewell to the rest of you, he departs, closing the door behind him. Telfyr breaks the moment of silence that follows by reporting, “My scrying indicates that the young Andares is being held in a building with high ceilings and once-elegant adornments in a style popular in this nation before the People’s Revolt. The structure seems to have sustained extensive fire damage which has not been repaired. Thalia is alive and unhurt, at least for now. She was reading a fresh copy of the essays of Alysande Benedict when I saw her.” Brackett begins to bring the briefing to a close by concluding, “We have transportation ready to take you to Sauerton as quickly as possible. When you arrive, present this letter to Consul Andares before you begin your investigation. It introduces you and offers the condolences and assistance of the Pathfinder Society. Not only is this proper etiquette to announce your intentions to the mayor, but Thalia vanished from the Andares manor. Someone there should be able to make sense of Telfyr’s visions."
Telfyr frowns at Brackett’s diction. “Scrying, Brackett, is diff–“
“Alright, yes, scrying,” the venture-captain concedes as he pushes a sealed letter across the table. “Introductions, rescue operation, then negotiation for funding and possible military support. Make any questions quick; you’ve got a boat to catch.”
Andares has generally remained popular in Sauerton despite the town suffering from a rash of attacks by wild beasts from the Verduran Forest in recent years, as his winery employs much of the town directly or indirectly, and it is rare for any public figure to suggest Andares might be responsible for any problems.
Andares has generally remained popular in Sauerton despite the town suffering from a rash of attacks by wild beasts from the Verduran Forest in recent years, as his winery employs much of the town directly or indirectly, and it is rare for any public figure to suggest Andares might be responsible for any problems.
A few unpopular individuals around Sauerton say that the Andares family is rotten, and that anyone who makes trouble for Tercio or his kin is quickly and quietly encouraged to leave town.
Venture Captain Brackett nods at Krystiana. "Unfortunately it's nothing so innocent. The kidnappers have already contacted Andares demanding he not aid any investigators in locating his daughter, but no demands have yet been given."
"That's entirely possible Agent Krystiana. We've yet to discern any motive, that's part of your job now."
Sauerton is a large town located in wine country in northeast Andoran, about equally distant from the Andoshen River, which is used to ship wine to Andoran’s southern ports for export, and the Verduran Forest, which occupies much of the tense border with Taldor and Galt.
Sauerton has been a site of productive vineyards for centuries, and the once-noble Andares family has been a major owner of those vineyards since long before the People’s Revolt. Although the Andares family chose to give up their noble privileges during the revolt, nearly every mayor of Sauerton in the 44 years since has been a member or close relative of the Andares family.
”Lutho has it right, there’s many who might have issue with a public figure, but he’s generally well-liked in his community.” Provided the group has no other questions for the venture captain, he sends the party off with a nod and returns to the pile of paperwork occupying his desk. The boat to Sauerton is ready to depart as soon as you all arrive, but there's still time for last minute purchases along the way. Before you all depart, a plainly clothed messenger delivers an envelope to Mallycorn.
Although our efforts in Absalom were pivotal in sending its forces north to Mendev, our aristocracy remains complacently sluggish. If The Sovereign Court and the nobility that it represents are to rise again, it is clear that we will not accomplish it with the direct aid of our homeland. It shall only be through audacity and ambition that we remind the world why we are the greatest empire, so I have set in motion a grand operation: a new Army of Exploration—this time bound for the Worldwound.
We must resign ourselves to leading only a few green and blue banners and instead find other allies who might join us. Seek out others who value what it means to be an aristocrat, those who command armies, or both. Countless ancestors of blue-blooded leaders owe us favors, and we will call in what debts we can discover in the archives. You must secure additional military favor for Lady Morilla! Do this, and when the histories chronicle the war’s greatest heroes, they shall write of The Sovereign Court! For Glory!
Your voyage up the Andoshen River is swift, and you all enjoy good weather until the last hour, when a light rain begins to fall. The Andares’s manor is not difficult to find, being one of several dozen stately homes still standing in the town as functional reminders of a past age’s nobility. Most of Sauerton appears well maintained, and although the seasonal workers who arrived a few months earlier to help pick the grapes have since departed, several presses are still set up in the town square—the residents await the return of fairer weather so they can resume their wine production.
As the party navigates Sauerton, a halfling wearing light armor and a rain-spattered helmet hails them and approaches. "Howdy folks, and welcome to Sauerton! I'm Captain Merton Demrick, might I ask what brings ya'll to our city on this fine day?"
|
Lotho nods to the halfling, replying in the creature's native tongue,
Merton scratches his head in confusion, responding...
You arrive at the inn under the direction of Captain Merton Demrick. The inn is fairly standard. Rooms are there for lodging and there is a stable for animals. The menu is simple but the food is good with good beer and ale to wash them down.
In the taproom that night you ask around and are given a lead to a place called the Andares Manor not far away.
|
Fentar and Luc become involved in a complex local drinking game. After a few hours, Fentar falls asleep under a table.
Unfortunately, Luc’s dogged nature means that he only stops drinking at 6 in the morning. Nobody can rouse him from his torpor and his jaws snap in his sleep when prodded.
”Ah, let him sleep it off, we’ll be alright.” Fentar chews slowly at his breakfast, waiting for his head to stop pounding, ”Where did that tall woman say again? Some kind of manor?”
|
|
Fentar holds his skull in place and sighs deeply, "Well, a bit of a walk int he fresh air will probably do me good."
G̑̊ͦ̊ͫ̎̎̆̎͛ͧ͑̄͒̊҉͔͔̣̝̖̜̻̖͚̬̩̬͙͙̙͘͢o̸ͣ̀ͭ̇͌ͥ̄̀̈́͋ͥͤ̔͋͗̽̋ͫ́͏̱͉̺ͅ ̰̣͓̳̤ͦͪͨ̿̀́͢͡͡a̡̩͙͙̩̭̝̙̞̟̰̼̥̅̃̄ͩ̍͌͌̉͛̓͑ͥ͆̿͞w̸̴̨̬̺͖͚̝̙͐ͫ̉̍̀͐̂͐͒́͛͊̽̃̐̌ả͗ͪ̍͋ ̶̣͓̼̣̬̖̖̝̺̺̏ͧ̑̿̑̀ͫy̴̸̘̗͇̬͉̜̮̮̺̹̞ͮ̽̀̓ͯ̆ͬͥ́̂͑̓ͨ̚͜͡,̫̻͓̖̣̲̥̪͈͒̄̊ͧ̅ͪͧ́̕͘͟ ̃̈́̈ͤ̇͒͌͆ͥͫ̀͘͏̠̖̫̺̗̗̼g͖̤̯͔̘̤̮̞̑̈́͋͐͛͆ͮͬ̈̓͋̈̆̃̀̚̚oͣ́͊͑̾ͫ̽̉̆̀ͩ̚͏̢̙͎͉͍̺͘ ̧̧͇͈̝̹̳̪͉͖̩͉͈̯̤̯̱͖̖̂̓̆̅͛ͬͥ̌̑͐ͩ͘̕͞aͭ̎ͤ̆́̽͑̈̌̿̈́̍͑̈̄͒ͧͮ͢҉͇̳͍͉̣w͐̈́̏̈́ͨͫ̄͛͌̄̆̎̋ͫ̚ ̴̗̖̣̟̖͓̗̦͍̘͉ͧ̍ͬ̾͝ḁ̛͔͇̱̠̭̟͉̖͈̖͎͎͙̹̾̂̃ͦ͛ͮ͐̆̇ͤ͜y̷̗̳̟͖̹̞͓̤̤̮͓͍̯̯͇̏ͨ̆ͬ͢͞,̂̐̊͊̔ͮ ̶̢̢̹̺̮̮̣̖͕͈̣͔͙͚̻̮͎͔̟ͫ̊͐ͭ͊̈̕ͅͅ ̌͌̐ͮͤ̆͊̅̓̏̊̈̍͋͐̔͐̚҉͏̺̪̳̗̮g̨͍̫̭͉̳͎͍̲͈͙̑̃͊̏ͤ̃ͪ͒͒̈̚o̴̷̦̞̳̺͙͉̞͈̦̫̝̝͓͕ͬ̿̓̎̑ͪͨ͌͜͜ ̻ ̴̴̨̬̝͕͖̱̖̦̱̺̈́ͬ͑ͦ̽ͤ̉̌̆ͭ̾̈̉ͭa̶̪͔͕͈̟̦͎̣͕̼̹͆͆ͦ́ͣ̑̀̑̃̀͠͠͞w͚̙͎͕̪͖̭͔̣̻͈̲̜ͮ̒͌̒ͮ͐ͥ͘͡ ͇̩a̵̟̲̙̙̥̠͈̼̰̲ͭ̓̌̽͛͊͛̍ͤͨ̾͑͂̎̍̆͢͠ͅy̯̳͍͍̦̭̯̭̝͍̰̦̣̹̺͓͙̘ͣͧ̿̽̾̐̀͛͋̔́͘͜͝!̓̏ͭ̂͑̓͏̡ ͔̲̗͎͇̬̱̲̦͈̮͉̼̮
.
|
Matrialda pats the nagaji on the back before placing a thick knit hat over his head. ”There there Fatal - we don’t want your head to get cold now do we?” Strangely, the somewhat-oversized accessory does an excellent job of blocking both light and sound from reaching Fentar’s skull. ”Now then, I’ve been up for hours waiting for everyone else to get up so we can get going. You young folks and your beauty sleep. Come now, don’t dawdle!”