You have been awoken quite suddenly while in the city of Absalom by a summons from Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, requesting your immediate presence in his private office at the Grand Lodge.
Ambrus Valsin seems deep in thought, a common appearance for the stoic Steward of Absalom’s Grand Lodge. “Most of you know Zarta Dralneen, I assume?” Valsin begins, nodding to the woman. “She’s recently accepted an appointment as head archivist of the Grand Lodge, so you’ll understand her interest in this assignment shortly.”
The venture-captain gestures to a map of Absalom and then the Isle of Kortos hanging on the wall behind his desk. “You’re heading to Otari, along the southern coast between here and Diobel. One of our transport vessels, a barque called Durvin’s Query, foundered just outside the harbor there a few days ago. It was laden with the artifacts collected from a site in the Mwangi Expanse. The Pathfinders returning on the ship collected the most valuable cargo but were forced to leave the rest. They made their way to Otari and sent word of their misfortunes to the Grand Lodge. Based on their report, I need you to go, pick up the material immediately, and bring it back safely to the Grand Lodge.”
Zarta Dralneen smoothly takes up the narrative. “Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that,” she smiles. “The team aboard Durvin’s Query encountered a sequence of extremely… unusual events as they returned home. Bad luck plagued them the entire trip, and they ran into more than the usual number of oceanic hazards. I suspect that something they picked up in the Expanse was the source of their extreme bad luck, and I’m eager to find out just what it is.”
Valsin slides a weather-stained list across his desk. “As you may know, salvage belongs to the finder, and so we couldn’t just leave the items in the shipwreck for anyone to find. I’ve already contacted an old friend in Otari, a former Pathfinder by the name of Khoumrock Blackthane, to be your advance agent. Khoumrock’s team has gone to the wreck site to collect everything that was left behind—here’s the list. By the time you arrive in Otari, he’ll have it fully packed for you. You’ll be sailing there for speed, but given the experience the previous team had at sea, we feel the safest method of transport back is overland, through the Immenwood and along the High Coast Road.”
1. Ivory carving of lightning bolt (40 lbs.)
2. Reed mat with colored portrait (Gozreh?) (rolled) (10 lbs.)
3. Wooden chest containing pottery shards and shell fragments (75 lbs.)
4. Carved ebony box with wax seal (10 lbs.)
5. Inlaid silver and turquoise necklace with scales and teeth ornamentation (5 lbs.)
6. Carved stone statues (6 × 150 lbs. each)
7. Chest containing four carved wooden masks (40 lbs.)
8. 4’ × 6’ bamboo mat inlaid with shells – possible map? (rolled) (20 lbs.)
9. Silver figurine of a sea dragon, packed in crate with coconut fibres (50 lbs.)
10. 6 bags of assorted fragments - pottery, glass, beads, semiprecious stone, ivory
11. 4 tapestries from temple sanctuary (rolled) (30 lbs. each)
12. Bronze medallion of the sun, on beaded necklace (5 lbs.)
13. 27 scroll cases, sealed, and 18 scroll cases, damaged (in box) (10 lbs.)
14. Pathfinder drawings, notes, rubbings of carvings, and charts (in 12 tubes) (25 lbs.)
15. Ceremonial dagger with turquoise hilt
16. Bamboo armor and shield inlaid with semiprecious stones and fish scales
17. Helm made from a large shell, inlaid with semiprecious stones
18. Two dozen tjerbute of bone and obsidian in various states of preservation (in barrels)
19. Assorted spears, arrows, clubs, and staves (in barrels)
20. Wooden buckler covered in reptile scale (dragonhide?)
Certified a true and correct inventory
B. Alysandro
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Teja looks at the list of items.
"Are any of these magical? Or perhaps associated with a known deity?" she asks.
Running her finger down the list she stops at the sea dragon "What more can you tell me about that one?"
Her eyes continue down the list, as she thinks about the importance that each might have.
Teja is trained in all skills, and will attempt the three checks.
I'm not sure if these are secret rolls or not. Assuming they are, my bonuses are:
Nature +4
Religion: +4
Society: +7
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With considerably less enthusiasm than Teja, Bubba has found his way to Valsin's office. Fortunately, the Starbucks in the Grand Lodge is open 24 hours, and he has a very large and black coffee, several liters of water, and a bunch of bananas.
Potassium
He mumbles, then more clearly.
So all of this is up and out of the wreck? Are going to have to do any diving into it for other items?
And what Teja said about magical.
He returns to eating bananas, skin and all in one bite each.
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Kazikli listens intently. Not an inch of his skin is visible, instead covered by heavy red armor and robes. A form-fitting mask, tusks included, is the only thing betraying his half-orc heritage. That and his response, which highlights a voice like gravel.
"How far will we travel down this road? I assume sailing would be quicker, but unwise considering the the circumstances." Kazikli join in looking over the list. He shows surprising interest in the items, especially the depiction of Gozreh. "Do not worry. We will protect these relics from any misfortune that may occur."
"I haven't the faintest idea yet," Zarta shakes her head. "The Society still hasn't realized the importance of sending a knowledgeable scholar with every archaeological team to identify magical relics. They were meant for identification and classification when they arrived at my department."
"Ahem," Valsin interjects, looking a bit ruffled at the implications of Zarta's words. "In any case, everything is already recovered, so no diving will be necessary. Kortos is a small enough island, it'll only take you a day to get back to Absalom."
Gozreh is the Wind and the Waves, a dualistic entity that embodies the peaceful breeze as well as nature’s fury. Gozren priests often use the natural environment as weapon or shield, and they summon aquatic monsters to do their bidding.
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"How will we transport the items? This list looks like it will be more than we can carry."
Emdi shivers a little. He's reminded of his first adventure, in which he got attacked by a necromancer while carrying a large statue.
"Well, let's hope that the barque is no worse than any bites we get on the way back."
"I've arranged for a horse drawn wagon that the items will be loaded into," Valsin says. "Blackthane is handling it as we speak."
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"Bandits can be made to see their folly. Sea monsters cannot," Kazikli says simply, clanking armored fists together. "I suppose Blackthane can tell us if other parties are aware of this haul."
The half-orc turns to Emdi at his question. "They are slow to anger in most respects, but sometimes their many-fold fury is provoked. It would take quite a specific, egregious act."
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Heyou! gets all excited about the singing, and starts sing along... at times he even matches the notes and words!
"Was the ship named after the first Pathfinder, Durvin Gest? I hope that it was, that would be fun! I've been studying everything that there is about the Pathfinder Society.... and I know that there is a lot to be learned about its early days!"
He scrunches his head up for a bit, thinking hard. "Say... where was the team when they found all of these artifacts? This wasn't a mission co-funded by the Blakros Museum, was it?"
"They recovered them from a number of sites throughout the Mwangi," Ambrus replies. [b]"“The first site, for instance, was an ancient temple to Gozreh, the Wind and Waves. The team stumbled across it while exploring south of the Sodden Lands and the Eye of Abendego. It may be related to a splinter sect of Gozren faith known as the Storm Kindlers. They’ve caused trouble recently in Pridon’s Folly south of Sargava, so we’d like to know more about them.”
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"Do we know anything about hte Storm Kindlers?" asks Heyou! "What were some of the other temples they raided?"
"Oh, and did I tell you how I got my name? Everyone was always saying Heyou! Get out of there! Heyou! Don't eat that! Heyou! Put that down! I just kind of assumed that was my name, and it sticked!"
"I'm afraid we know very little. They were thought to have been wiped out decades ago, and have only just begun resurfacing. All we know is they're a heretical cult that believes in the destruction of civilization on Golarion."
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Bubba has finished his coffee and bananas and is now a healthy-looking pale green.
There are times to sing of past adventures and there are times to adventure so new songs can be written. I think we are now to the later time. Let us be off to Otari with this fine wagon the Society has provided for us.
The journey to Otari takes the better part of the day, in part due to the rough seas and strong winds blowing in towards the shore. Waiting for you at the dock is a male dwarf dressed in what looks like diving gear, a squid clinging to his leg. When you step onto the dock, he jerks his head towards a nearby tavern and heads inside. The sign says "the Thirsty Alpaca" and bears what looks like a llama drinking water.
The dwarf casts a glance at Kazikli as he follows him inside, raises a single finger, and points at himself as he sits down at a table that's already got two empty mugs and a third one half-full at it.
Khoumrock swirls the dregs of a mug of beer as he tells his tale. “When Ambrus called me, I got a few friends an’ went right out to the wreck. We gathered everythin’ we could find. The storm already dashed the hulk again’ the rocks and broken her open, but most o’ the crates were washed ashore. I dove in to make sure she weren’t leaking any cargo, but the waves were rough and things were movin’ down that weren’t just the water and fishies!” He frowns as he recalls the night’s efforts.
“The sky opened up as soon as we started packin’. The horses were half-mad wit’ the lightnin’ and the wind. It took all o’ night and part o’ the morning to collect everythin’, and we nearly lost the wagon to a big wave what came a-crashin’ onto the shore from out of no’ere. The storm followed us all t’way back to town. So did summat else – as we got t’the town gate, we saw summat long and snakish breakin’ the waves out in the harbor. I didn’t get a good look, ‘cause the watchtower was struck by lightnin’ just then and it blinded me for a tick. When I looked back, it were gone.” Khoumrock looks to the ceiling in thought. “Apparently, we lost a fisherman out towards the docks right thenabouts. Coulda been an accident, but I knows better.” Khoumrock shakes his head again. “Might be time for me to do a little divin’ out thar, clean things out, ya know?”
“Well, the wagon’s all packed and ready to go by t’stable. S’easy enough to drive, or you can hire a teamster, iff’n you’d prefer. Good luck. I’ll be glad to see that wagon roll out o’ town, truth be told.”
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Bubba makes a quick stop at the bar to order and down a double shot of Wild Quasit Bourbon to settle his stomach. He then joins Khoumrock, Kazikli and others of the party at Khoumrock's table.
He nods in agreement at Emdi's question, but he is primarily focused on the rest of the tavern, seeing if anyone is taking interest in Khoumrock or the party's arrival.
"Hm? Weren't ya payin' attention to yer briefin'? Bloody newbies..." Khoumrock takes another deep swig of his beer. "Yer headed back fer the Grand Lodge, and yer to bring all of the treasures back with ye. We've not gone to this much trouble just ta give up some, so dinnae go dumpin anythin'."
People noticed your arrival, but seemed to pay it very little mind once they realized you were with Khoumrock.