, a well-appointed establishment just 10 miles outside of Kerse, the capital of Druma, in the "Shining Kingdoms" - a Pub which inadvertently doubles as an "Open Secret" Pathfinder Lodge - summoned with discretion at the behest of one Kristoff Valicho.
Publy Character Introductions:
When introducing yourselves in your opening post, choose one or more Intro Questions below to answer (first spoiler). Next, if you would peruse the Open Missive that accompanies your summons (second spoiler). Finally, at your option, please post your Proficiency and Modifier in the following skills that represent your Background Knowledge (third spoiler):
Q) How did you arrive just outside of Kerse? Where are you coming from? Describe your long journey here!
Q) In the Downtime that occurred before this adventure, what did you do? How does it tie into joining this mission?
Q) Have you ever been "out of your depth"? How did you recognize it? How did it make you feel? How did you handle it?
Q) When it comes to Attention to Detail, where do you stand? Are you more "loose" or do you dot and cross every "i" and "t"?
Q) How would you know if someone was lying to you? How would this change if instead of to your face, it was over written communications?
Greetings Pathfinders,
Though our dealings in the past have not always been as successful as one might hope, I view the recent establishment of your lodge near Kerse as a new opportunity. To begin this renewed collaboration, I propose an exchange of services. I shall use my standing in Druma to help your Society make new contacts and stem the tide of Aspis interference in your ventures. In exchange, I would like you to investigate a recent stroke of misfortune that befell my business.
A cargo ship bearing a shipment of steel ingots bound for my customers was recently shipwrecked on journey from Detmer in the north. I suspect my partner in the venture, Annette Tuddlym, may have planned the wreck to collect on the insurance payment. While my own investment was likewise insured, I fear the loss of the shipment may have damaged my reputation with the arranged buyers. Her connections to the local bureaucracy are deep, however, and I cannot bring forward my suspicions without some proof.
I would like you to journey to the site of the wreck to confirm its destruction and bring back any documents pertaining to the voyage you find intact so that I might examine them for evidence. In addition, if any of the cargo has survived the wreck, please retrieve it as well.
Yours in profit and health,
Temel Passad
Recall Knowledge
-Accounting Lore
-Bureaucracy Lore
-Druma Lore
-Mercantile Lore
-Pathfinder Society Lore
-Legal Lore
-Scribing Lore
-Society
Next, if you could each proceed to Discussion to complete the Check In.
Finally, without further ado, let us begin to inspect such
A halfling dressed in many layers, carrying a smile and a flute walks into the Silver Spoon Tavern. Sweeping aside the blonde fringe that has fallen across his left eye, he looks around the room. Spotting the Open Road glyph on a tabard he raises an eyebrow but buys a drink and joins the group. "I guess that 'secret' is a bit more open than I was expecting. Anyway, I'm Lem - I heard the society needed a hand with a delicate mission. Either of you know much about it?"
----
Lem leans on a bar in a tavern in the Foreign Quarter, having played a fairly poorly received early set. He watches as a pair of sorcerers he was recently adventuring with set up for their own performances. The camera checks in on the halfling a few times over the course of the night, each time Lem's face is grimmer and the crowd is more raucous and throwing more money at the sorcerers. Eventually, finding he has already run his meager takings down, the bard shakes his head, gives up and walks unsteadily back to his lodgings.
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An elderly halfling woman approaches, pulling small cakes out of the many pockets in apron and offering them around. "Hello, hello, I'm Ida. You can call me Granny Ida, nobody does. Now I have plenty of cakes, but some of them are a bit special so always make sure to ask! I am a cook, but I've left my equipment for that in storage--it's too heavy for me to carry around. If one of you tallfolk is willing to carry it, I can cook for you while we're traveling!"
Nodding at the cakes, she indicates her bulging pockets. "Don't you worry, I'm very organized! None of those should explode. And here, take these biscuits! But don't eat them. They're for healing. And does anybody want any poison? If you want some poison, you just let me know."
She pats one of her pockets. It's not the same one she just took the healing biscuits out of... probably?
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A dour-looking man wearing a tabard that depicts the Pathfinder's Glyph of the Open Road quartered with the arms of Iomedae leans on a tall poleaxe which bears the sigil of a minor noble house. His gaze is steady and humorless.
"I am Dinardin, Dinardin of Longshadow. Why are we looking for Temel Passad here? He sent us on his behalf, did he not?"
Getting Started
The interior of the Silver Spoon Inn and Tavern is as elegant as the name would imply, featuring a black marble bar top and gilt chairs, freshly upholstered in rich leather. On opposite ends of the room are two polished ebony tables, one laden with decadent trays of charcuterie and cheese, while the other holds simple crusts of bread served on fine porcelain platters beside silver ewers of clear water. Finely dressed patrons mill about, drinking and gossiping, while a few individuals clad all in white stand aloof from the crowd. Venture-Captain Kristoff Valicho gestures for an employee to take over behind the bar before joining you at a corner booth. “Welcome to the Silver Spoon, friends! Since the Society helped pay off the loan, we’ve really been able to fix the place up right. Anyway, on to business. Establishing the Society’s position in Kerse has been slow going, especially with interference from the Aspis Consortium. You may be able to help change that, however, as an important potential ally has requested our assistance.”
He hands you a parcel...
“The wreck is a few hours’ walk from here up the coast. I have a horse and a small wagon ready for you, just in case you’re able to recover any of the cargo. Be careful, though. My contacts in the Mercenary League say their investigation of the wreck was cut short by a swarm of carnivorous undead that surged up from the water during a storm. I’m sure capable agents like yourselves can handle a few monsters, but with the number of creatures they reported, you should head inland before any such storm arrives.”
Pausing for questions...
Looking over the package, Lem will muse "Well now, this ally wants us to investigate the wreck and see if it was deliberate. Hmm"
"Venture-Captain, you mentioned the Aspis Consortium - do you think they are involved in this?"