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Eveline yelps as the little weasels begin to crawl on her and nip her all around. Even though the creatures are unable to penetrate her armor or cause rips to her clothes—something she's very glad about—she retains her posture and keeps firing more arrows at the foul-mouthed woman. The halfling paladin doesn't even care to answer her anymore.
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Markus punches the raging badger in the head. It looks up at him and snarls almost as if Markus just made him angrier. Eveline’s arrow hits Cetanna in the other shoulder, and the big woman drops to the floor. As she does, Markus’ furry dance partner howls in anguish though it shows no sign of running away. The other two weasels, however, aren’t nearly as attached to Cetanna, and they attempt to flee. Pink skitters across the grease easily and runs off down the hallway. The one in the yellow collar takes a glob of acid to his butt even as he slips in the grease and goes sliding on his fuzzy little tummy.
Everyone May Act
The Training Room map link
Eddy
Aldran
Ahmandé
Malakar
Cetanna
Gyrlak
Weasels
Markus
Eveline
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Aldran yells in pain as the weasel latches on. Blood gushes from the wound as the critter tears into his arm.
"Let me go or I will turn ye into a hat!" Aldran snarls at the beast as it's master drops.
Just then the weasel lets go and makes a run for it. Aldran lets the critter go since it know what will happen if it didn't.
Looking at the woman as he life force fades from her. "Oh no ye don't. he got some questions to be answered." And Aldran starts to say a small prayer to Torag.
As the power of Torag flows through and stitches up her wounds. Aldran says "Now ye be a good lady and just lay there or ah gone a give yer more wounds that won't heal." As he holds his warax over her.
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Eddy swings at the little varmint, but it twists and turns across the greased area and disappears from view unscathed. Aldran lets his go, so he won’t be getting a visit from the ASPCA, the Absalom Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, of course. The weasel manages to escape from the grease, and follows its friend out of sight.
Somewhat healed, Cetanna looks up at Aldran looming over her. And smiles. ”Shoulda’ listened to yer friend, dwarf,” she says spitting blood into the dirt. She lashes out with a kick at Eddy, then tries to bring Aldran down to her level.
Aldran lands on his butt, as Gyrlak rages at the monk that clocked him in the head, fur and fangs and feet flying everywhere. Only the last claw attack connects, leaving another nasty scratch in the monk’s tough skin.
Everyone May Act
The Training Room map link
Eddy
Aldran
Ahmandé
Malakar
Cetanna
Gyrlak
Markus
Eveline
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Markus keeps fighting for his life against the furball of death and gets one good punch in. But the mangy little critter is still up!
Eddy’s flail connects with Cetanna’s head - again - and she drops - again!
BOLD May Act
The Training Room map link
Eddy
Aldran
Ahmandé
Malakar
Cetanna
Gyrlak
Markus
Eveline
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Eveline shoots a few arrows at the enraged badger. Regarding the woman, well, she had mercy, and expended the opportunity. She's a lost cause, and most likely wouldn't tell the pathfinders anything worthwhile.
She shakes the rest of the annoying weasels off of her, seriously fidgety about the small tears and holes the creatures did to her wardrobe. Perhaps Malakar can help afterwards.
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Eveline buries two arrows into Gyrlak leaving him unconscious and bleeding into the dirt of the floor.
There is nothing of value in this training room, unless you count ratty wicker animal cages and badger poop. In the small room to the north, two desks face each other and occupy the center of this room. Each is covered with stacks of reports, maps, and other pieces of paperwork. A large map of Nirmathas hangs from the northern wall.
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Investigating the piles of paperwork on the desks, you find enough evidence to implicate Zurnzal, a rising star in the Aspis Consortium, in the theft of Guaril Karela’s goods, as well as in the rumor campaign against the Pathfinder Society in Tamran. You also find a thick bundle of bloodstained mission notes written by Guaril Karela and taken (often by force) from members of the now-defunct Sczarni faction. These notes provided the handwriting sample used to produce various forged documents also used in the disinformation and smear campaign.
Further digging through both desks yields a collection of letters to and from a Nirmathi militia captain named Jana Vaylorne. One is Zurnzal’s original plan, with extensive notes from someone signing only as “MG” on the back, and one buried in another stack is Captain Vaylorne’s reply.
These letters detail Zurnzal and “MG’s” plans to frame the Pathfinder Society by posing as Pathfinders and selling secrets leaked to them by Captain Vaylorne to Molthune. Captain Vaylorne and her soldiers would then “coincidentally” stumble across the sale taking place and become war heroes by foiling the exchange and slaying the Molthuni spies. Vaylorne plans to use her newfound popularity to support the church of Razmir’s reintroduction into Tamran, and the Aspis Consortium plans to use the event to convince Nirmathas to evict the Pathfinder Society.
On one small scrap of paper, Ahmandé finds a reference to someone named “Madreki,” …..
Searching the rest of the underground compound yields nothing except a hidden back exit at the end of a long tunnel. With nothing further to do here, you return to Tamran on the borrowed boat. You’re met at the docks by Guaril Karela. ”Welcome back. How did it go? Find anything interesting?”
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Eddy pulls out some rope and binds it to Gyrlak and looks back to Eveline. Bloody michivious one this is huh? Now that he’s bound, you can heal him and keep him alive. Let’s take him back with us.
Upon finding the required information, and returning to the main land, he holds his head high and reports. Sir, everything needed to prove the Pathfinder’s innocence is here in these papers. Not only that, but one of those grimy pigs, He catches himself, forgetting for a moment that he is a soldier. Beg your pardon, Sir, but one of the men responsible is bound here with us to stand trial. he pulls the rope hard, nearly yanking Gyrlak into the water, then stands straight and tall, awaiting further orders. The party may be a bit confused as to his newer resolve and etiquette from the rest of this adventure, but then they all realize what he has been lacking for several hours, if not days. He’s sober as a horse.
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"We found a savage woman in some old, abandoned fortress," Eveline explains further, "and as Eddy and Malakar pointed out, a stack of papers. It appears someone named Zurnzal is behind all of this, using your written letters as handwriting examples when creating forgeries. There's someone called MG involved in this too, as well as a Nirmathi captain Jane Vaylorne."
"And their grand plan was to frame Pathfinder Society. The Aspis scum would have portrayed Pathfinders, and Vaylorne would suddenly have encountered them and foiled the 'pathfinders's' plan. Maybe it would have been enough for the Nirmathi government to evict the Society. At least so the Aspis hoped."
"Oh, and Ahmandé found some mention of a Madreki, but that says nothing to me. Maybe it does to you? Seems like you're dealing with old friends here," Eveline says to Guaril, looking him straight in the eyes. The paladin always had a hard time believe the intentions of the Exchange faction leader.
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"Madreki Gael, perhaps?"
Seeing nothing but blank expressions returned, Ahmande clarifies. "Come on, we know Gauril was behind to this mission, did nobody do any research?" He shakes his head. "The Gael's are another Scarnzi family. Madreki tried to kill Gauril about a year ago. Seems Madreki didn't get over the failure; you sure know how to make an enemy, Gauril."
”Madreki Gael…. Well, that is an interesting development….” Karela twirls one end of his greasy moustache as he thinks.
”The Gael’s are an old and powerful Varisian family, and I’ve had run-ins with them recently. With my knowledge of them and my connections in the Families, I’m in the best position to track him and this Zurnzal character down.”
He pauses and eyes the packet of documents greedily.
”Listen, do me a favor will you? Give me all these papers you found. Don’t give ‘em to Tolal, and don’t mention our arrangement on this, okay? I promise to share all the info she needs to clear the Society’s name here. But for me to be able to track these snakes down, I gotta keep some of this close to the chest. You understand, right?” he says with a slick smile while pointedly avoiding eye contact with Eveline.
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Eveline's eyes squint. "What purpose would secrecy hold here?" she asks bluntly, her expression stern to say the least, "are you not trusting Tolal? Or is this yet another shady scheme which ends up only making enemies, eventually."
She folds her arms across her chest and sighs, frustrated, "you cannot make me hold back information from the venture-captain. You are free to pursue your own goals in hunting down Zurnzal and Madreki, but our collective goal is to maintain the lodge here in Nirmathas. And to secure and prove that, we need evidence to present the local militia." Eveline's eyes shoot daggers at the faction leader.
But you knew my stance beforehand, you slick scoundrel. You don't even have the nerve to look a paladin in the eye. You're just hoping to sway the opinion in your favor, just like you always do. Her internal monologue fumes out of her ears, almost audible to the keen-sensed.
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Eddy looks at the Paladin then back at Guaril. His emotions crossed at the point, I think it may be prudent, he begins, If we just deliver everything to the Venture-Captain. If you would like to be there, you can speak directly with him about what information should be passed on. It’s the best of both worlds, and keeps the lowest man on the totem pole, me, from having a secret.
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The dwarf shakes his bald head, beard wagging slightly, Sorry, I'm with Eddy and Eveline on this. You have to understand, orders is orders - and we're following ours. Your personal vendetta I can appreciate, whatever it may be; but our charge is helping to clear the Society here - and embroiling it in personal business isn't something I'm terribly interested in doing. You've done good work here in Tamran, but keeping the Society's nose clean needs to be part of that. The former lawman leans against the table, putting his meaty hand on the paper stack.
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Karela takes a step back from Eveline and makes a placating gesture. ”Hey, no need to get angry. I get it, we all work for the Society, for the good of the whole, and all that. I’ll be able to get what I need from Captain Tolal later, on the up and up, I promise. It just would have made my investigations a little easier, that’s all.” He walks with you back to the lodge, but takes his leave without going up into the treetop.
Venture-Captain Tolal is relieved when she receives your report. She and Reginar comb through it all, organize and summarize it, and send out couriers to the local town leadership asking for meetings to discuss your findings. She uses the evidence to exonerate the Pathfinder Society and expose militia Captain Vaylorne’s treachery. Documents in hand, she places the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Aspis Consortium and the church of Razmir.
You all wait for Malakar to complete his spellbook copying, and the next day board a boat back to Kerse. Surprisingly, Karela joins you also. He’s clearly thrilled with your work and thanks you profusely for your assistance. With the Aspis out of commission in Tamran, his shipments have already begun to flow into the city freely, providing the lodge and the people of Tamran with much needed supplies. Left unsaid is his disappointment about how you chose to handle the evidence, though he doesn’t seem to be holding anything against you.
Listening in on the conversations of the other passengers, you find that the people of Tamran are now mostly blaming the Razmiris for the recent supply problems. As they all grudgingly admit that Molthune clearly wasn’t at fault, you’ve clearly managed to create a better impression on the locals of the Pathfinder Society and have succeeded in your tasks.