GM Mauve's Quest 2: Unforgiving Fire (Inactive)

Game Master MauveAvengr

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Venture-Captain Rashmivati Melipdra invites the Pathfinders to meet her in the artifact vault adjoining her office in the Pathfinder Society lodge in Niswan, the capital of the island of the island nation of Jalmeray. From the lightening that crackles in the eyes of some passerby, to a street mural of a marid crushing battleships under massive waves, to the looming, multitiered pagodas that seem custom-built for oversized creatures, the Pathfinders can easily observe the influence of the genies summoned by the Vudrani rajahs to protect the isle on the city's Commerce District

Once at the lodge, inside the artifact vault of the lodge, the heavy brass door that protected the entrance lies charred and smoking in a folded heap, as if blown from its hinges by an explosion. The floor of the large, vaulted chamber is covered with debris not unlike the aftermath of an earthquake; broken and overturned shelves, daises, and display cases, as well as scattered sculptures, paintings, and talismans litter the floor. A handful of Society scribes carefully clean up the mess, sorting through relics and recording observations on scrolls of parchment. Amid them, Venture-Captain Rashmivati Melipdra, a husky, middle-aged Vudrani woman with broad shoulders, kneels down to pick up the shards of a shattered glass obelisk.

Feel free to introduce your character here. When everyone has, I will introduce you to Melipdra and start the scenario!

"This vault is amazing," says Sumner, a human man with striking red hair. His eyes are full of wonder as he looks around at his surroundings.

Talm, a burly young half-orc with poorly cut short hair and a patchy beard, nods in agreement.

"Aye, there's enough pretty things in here to make the Dawnflower go green with envy.

"Pity it's all busted up, though," he adds, nudging a shattered vase with one boot.

The elven wizardress enters, her hand upon a quarterstaff. On her shoulder is an owl of snowy white, which matches the robes that the elf wears. Her skin is the color of ivory which only serves to highlight her midnight black hair and purple eyes.

She speaks in a nuanced elven accent Greetings to my fellow Pathfinders. I am Avonathalanthalasa Caldon, from Kyonin and a student of the art of the Magaambya.Elven is often difficult for non native speakers to pronounce so you may call me Avonatha, if that is easier for you to pronounce. Are there any other followers of the Vigilant Seal present for this mission? . Her tone is friendly but matter of fact.

Talm glances around at her question, then something clicks, and he abruptly--and awkwardly--raises his hand.

"Right, that's me! Vigilant, er, Seal. Yes."

He glances up at his own raised hand, and quickly lowers it, grimacing.

"Sorry," he mutters, his eyes on the floor. "Still new to all this."

"I'm with the Grand Archive," says the red-haired man. "My name is Sumner. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Oh my... what happened here?

A gruff elf with sharp features barks, as if anyone should answer to him.

Before you stands a lean elf, almost dainty with sharp features. There is no hair on his head. He speaks intentionally, almost "at you" making two-way communication the exception. His eye contact seems to be almost looking "through" you, as if conducting some deep assessment of your intentions instead of letting you explain them.

Greetings, Voron at your service.

Voron nods at each agent but lights up particularly as Avonathalanthalasa introduces herself.

Ah, very good! A fellow student of the arcane. There is hope for this mission... and this mess, yet! I am, however, with the Grand Archive.

He will make a point to use her full name, to set the both of them apart from the non-wizards in the group, as if they have a specific kinship as wizards (if not as elves).

I've heard much about the Magaambya, I would be fascinated to hear of your experiences studying there.

Avonatha smiles a kindly smile at the half-orc You will grow in knowledge and experience.

Avonatha gives Koron a welcoming smile and nod and returns his greeting, in elven Greetings, Voron Keyphyra, may the the glory of the elven people and their might in magic, be with you

A black scaled kobold quickly enters the room, moving his arms wildly while yelling "Sorry I'm late! Sorry I'm la..." Vixnax stops himself as he sees the vault. "Oh my, this mess is hotter than a summers day in the Qadiran desert!"

He quickly catches his breath and centers himself, fixing his white and gold scarf around his neck, leaving his entire torso bare. "Hello everyone, I am Vixnax. And I will not let the society's name become besmirched like this! Whoever did this will have the full weight of my... Umm my Fist! Yes, fist on their persons!"

She gives the kobold a friendly smile.

The young half-orc raises a hand in greeting to the latecomers.

"Talm. Nice to make yer acquaintances."

Sumner stares at the kobold for a moment, then chuckles. "It takes all kinds, I suppose."

Jevar chuckles lightly at the kobold's gusto.

Well, let's not be too hasty. It might "we" did this to ourselves with an experiment or some such other messy affair. I am interested in the tale of how this all happened.

Melipdra eventually takes notice of the Pathfinders. She looks distraught. "As you can see, somebody did a number on our artifact vault. We've been storing several historical relics here owned by the Monastery of Unblinking Flame as part of a standing agreement that I negotiated. In exchange for curating these treasures, the monastery gave the Society access to its archives, trainers, and other resources. Unfortunately, someone burglarized our facility.". She motions around. "Though we didn't have any idea it happened until two days ago, we suspect the break-in occurred a few weeks ago while I was away. Several important artifacts are missing, including an ancient statue known as One-Who-Waits, which I happen to know is treasured deeply by several masters at the monastery. You'll know the statue when you see it - a heavy basalt sculpture of a monk meditating while sitting atop a bed of flaming coals. I need you to track it down. If you don't, I fear our arrangement may go up in smoke."[b]

She briefly pauses. [b]"We also recently recieved word form the captain of a ship called the Obsidian Owl claiming a Vudrani woman exchanged a few historical relics in exchange for passage to Vedeesha, an island just to the northwest of Niswan. I've secured passage for you on this ship. It's ready to depart when you are."

Then she turns to the Pathfinders again. "Any questions?"

Is there a list and description of what items were taken? she inquires.

"You lot need to fire your guards if they didn't notice a great big explosion like this for two weeks," Talm mutters to himself. He mulls that thought over for another moment, then looks up, frowning.

"Any chance it was an inside job?"

Voron frowns, putting his hand on his chin as he squints to concentrate.

Hmm, the items might have gone many directions though. Is this the only such lead? I would hate to travel that direction only to find out that the particularly coveted statue went elsewhere. What other items are of similar import?

The wizard nods at Talm's question.

Yes, also a good outcome to assess and (hopefully) eliminate. Have your staff been interviewed?

The Kobold looks up to Talm and Voron.

"Let the Society investigate here. What we need to do is track that woman!"

Meldipra first answers Avonathalanthalasa's question, "We do have a list of items that were taken. Don't worry about those items though. We have other agents taking care of it. As for an inside job, I do not think so. We are careful here, as many Pathfinder Lodges are. But we will do a full investigation."

The Venture-Captain nods at all your concerns. "Yes, Vixnax. Your task is to track down this woman. We are fairly confident you will find her in Vedeesha. Find the One-Who-Waits and bring it back."

She pauses for a moment, "the One-Who-Waits value isn't in its material worth, but in what it means to the arrangement with the monastery. As long as our partnership remains, the monastery intends to let us examine some of their more precious magical artifacts soon, I'm sure of it!"

Any more questions or are you guys ready to go?

Talm thinks for a moment, then shrugs.

"Find the thief, get the whatsit, bring it back. Sounds simple enough."

Talm has no further questions. He's ready to go whenever everyone else is.

Sumner looks worried. "If she took those items, she is probably prepared to defend them. I hope we're not walking into a lion's den..."

Ready to go.

The elf smiles.

The tall elf grunts in agreement, forever dubious that a VC really has all of the angles covered.

Hmph. Ready!

The kobold slyly looks at Sumner. "A lion is nothing when you've trained with a dragon!" Vixnax flexes for a quick second, but suddenly stops and recenters himself, as if he had remembered a lesson deeply wedged in his noggin.

"Ready."

Avontha nods that she is ready.

The Pathfinders find the Obsidian Owl, a vessel primarily used for artifact-hunting expeditions, docked up in Niswan's port district. The captain, a lizardfolk named Zazzander Scarscale, calls out, "Welcome aboard! It's so nice to see Pathfinders traveling near Jalmeray again given how many of you guys were slain in the war against Tar-Baphon." A white-furred ferret scampers up his shoulders. "Oh, and this is 'Parrot'"

Aboard the ship, traveling to Vedeesha takes about 5 hours. Feel free to ask questions of the crew or each other here if you want.
Plenty of time to get to know each other!. Scarscale does mention the woman. "She loaded a large object wrapped in fur into my cargo hold here. She took it with her when we docked in Vedeesha. And she did insist we call her by 'Master Sanvara' at all times." He rolls his eyes at that.

Will continue on, but again, feel free to roleplay the adventure on the ship.

The Pathfinders enter the near-ghost town of Vedeesha. They are directed towards a single-story structure with stone walls composed of basalt and limestones, topped with a pagoda made of thatched bamboo. As they move through the ground floor, they find an abandonded stone courtyard, two crumbling shrines to Irori, a massive training yard littered with rusty athletics equipment, and several chambers filled with musty bedrolls. The largest bed chamber has an obvious opening in the floor connected to a set of winding stone stairs winding down.

Please place your token in this room as you guys descend the stairs to the basement level.

The grumpy wizard raps his staff on the deck of the ship and responds with a further question.

Did the woman produce a manifest of her cargo? Do you require one? I sure hope so. Any self-respecting shipping company...

He trails off into mumbles before awaiting a response.

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Placed on the map.

Voron hangs back where the entry tunnel pours into the first larger room down the stairs.

Placed on the map.

Talm takes point, though preferably not on his own.

Being fascinated with the ferret, she looks to see if it a familiar.

Avonathalanthalasa asks about the ferret. One of the sailors laughs and pats Zazzander on the back. "Oh this old fella can't hear worth anything. We joked about him getting a pet parrot. You know, stereotype and all. He misheard us. Thought we said 'ferret'.". They all laugh, including Scarscale. The white ferret is just a pet!

Talm questions one of the sailors later about the woman, when things have quieted down. "Yar, I recognized her. She was a combatant in the most recent Challenge of Sky and Heaven who fought on behalf of the Monastery of Unblinking Flame.". He mimics (very poorly) some martial art punches. "She was quickly defeated in the first round though. By... who was it again? A disciple from the Monastery of Unbreaking Waves. Maybe she was embarrassed. I hear that school was recently rediscovered."

Voron manages to corner the captain and asks about the woman. "Yeah, we don't ask for that kind of stuff here. We believe that a person has the freedom to do what they want - as long as it's not harming anyone. We weren't suspicious until we talked with Melipdra about it. When we heard that this statue was missing, we told that old Pathfinder right away." He winks, inferring that he and Melipdra have a friendly history together.

Vixnax looks at Avonathalanthalasa gleefuly as the ship rocks back and forth. "You must be so accomplished! Only kobold heroes of old share such long names with you!" He lets out a short, stout laughter, "Heck, you're only short a few syllables and you'd match my master's name!"

A few days later he is fixing some ropes, when Talm appears and strikes conversation. "You're asking about me? Huh, no one usually tries to get to know me." He pauses for a second, ropes in hand, but otherwise inmobile. "Well, the short story is that I was born as a chosen one from my village and sent to serve the local dragon. I don't know why they say it's local though, since it took me a week of walking through the desert to reach him. We live in a swamp, mind you!"

He gets flustered and green vapor comes through his nostrils. "And, ehm." he cleans his nose with his forearm. "Anyway, my master saw me and took me in, trained me in the both the martial arts and the art of meditation. No other kobolds though, which was strange, since the village had sent at least 5 before me. Maybe he had sent them into the world before I arrived..."

Vixnax suddenly realises he's been talking for a while and pauses. "How about you, Talm? What a short name, is this your first adventure?"

Sticking close with his fellow kin, Voron overhears the bit about the woman being with the Unblinking Flame. After Avonathalanthalasa finishes with her conversation, Voron whispers to his teammates in hushed tones.

Very fascinating. So she is associated with the monastery for whom the item was being kept. I wonder how she seeks to restore her honor with such an underhanded ploy...

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Voron frowns at the captains answer, huffs and turns away from him unsatisfied and muttering under his breath. Sure, "freedom," but what about the security of your operation!

Before very long Voron has had enough of the crew on this ship and finds a place to keep to himself (but not away from his fellow agents), perhaps perusing his spellbook.

The Pathfinders eventually make it to the abandoned looking building and head downstairs. The stone entryway has open doors that lead to the north, south, and southwest. There is a brass double door to the east.

The elf will respond to the kobold in perfect draconic, hitting all of the proper syllables and accents This is not a typical for elves of my house. It is how we refer to ourselves and our proper name. However, as I said earlier, many the syllables are difficult to roll off non elven tounges so for their benefit we tend to shorten our names. Your Master you say?

Listening to her fellow elf's insights, she adds softly in elven Perhaps her heart was torn in terms of loyalty? Until we are able to question her all we have to go on is what we know, though it may be conjecture at this time. We need to give her the benefit of the doubt until it is shown to be a folly

"Sounds to me like she didn't agree with the decision. Which I might add is not very virtuous. How about we go find her?" the kobold looks at the different paths.

"My master suggested me whenever I got lost to follow north. So, we should go that way." Vixnax says as he points towards the northern path.

Vixnax suggests heading north, apparently inspired by his master. Immediately entering the room, Vixnax feels the humidity. Mounds of debris and pools of water permeate this room. The smell isn't too pleasant, but bearable. 10-foot high pillars that once supported the now demolished floor dot the room as well.

North it is. Voron replies, happy with a quick decision.

Voron carefully looks about the pillars for any sort of traps or magic signature. He taps his staff on the ground while he concentrates.

Search (for traps; Perception): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Detect magic

Voron finds nothing in this room beyond water and rubbish.

Talm moves into the hall, hanging back, eyes peeled for danger.

Avonatha will follow the rest of the party, trying to detect any magical auras that might help give them a clue where their goal is.

The Pathfinders slowly inspect the room. Nothing but water and rubbish... and more water. Nothing magical pops out nor do any creatures of any sort.

To the east stands a door on a ledge but on closer inspection, it looks like it has been rusted shut from centuries of exposure to the leaking groundwater. It's impossible to open.

To the west, in an area that looks like an old kitchen and dining area, are several wooden doors. The doors look usable, despite years of wear and tear.