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A letter from Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro instructs the Pathfinders to meet with another Pathfinder agent at an address in Absalom's Ivy District. When you arrive, you find an abandoned manor. An Ulfen Pathfinder agent apologizes for the need for secrecy, then blindfolds each of you and leads you through a hedge maze behind the manor. At the center of the maze, she intones a phrase in Druidic, causing a portion of the maze to open into an archway covered in fragrant rose blossoms. She directs you through the archway, where the air temperature drops drastically. If any of you take your blindfold off, the guide stops, refusing to direct you further until you put your blindfold back on. She leads you out of the maze, departing, and leaving you in care of a masked woman.
An unfamiliar woman's voice intones, "You may now remove your blindfolds.". The blinding light of day reveals lush garden. A tall woman wearing a white porcelain mask face and a crimson ribbon around her neck stands nearby.
"I apologize, but my employer, Venture-Captain Petulengro, requests you immediately join her in the sculpture hall of the Palace of the Glorious Revolution, a local museum. It is only a short walk from here, and she will be able to answer all of your quetions when you arrive. Please hide your wayfinders and any other signs of your affiliation with the Society. Once you enter the building, the sculpture hall will be down the hallway to the left. YOu can't miss it. Oh, and she's in disguise today. She has long black hair and is wearing a green dress.". Without waiting for a reply, the masked woman points toward a ruined palace a short distance away.
The Palace's large windows are covered in plywood, and scorch marks from fires blacken the entire outside of the building. Loud laughter, claps, and jeers drift out of the building's main hall.
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The undine was grumbling from the start. He wasn’t one for blindfolds and the strange secrecy. He grumbled but assented. He was pleased when the cool air of the entryway hit his pale blue skin for the short period of time.
Feeling relief as he pulled off the blindfold, he was ready to growl at his captors. However once he heard the mission would start in a museum, a smile broke over his face. ”Im Ashwell. And finally a mission in a nice cool museum. For once they are using me to my strengths,” he beamed.
”Tell us more about the museum…”
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As long as it isn't the Blakros Museum...don't have fond memories of that place... a young Taldan with long flowing hair says as he puts his mane back into a ponytail. He carries a wickedly curved blade that shows him to be a Rondelero swordsman from Taldor.
I'm Patros...so...you're a curator or something? A scholar...? he asks the undine after nodding to the hammer bearer. He makes sure his wayfinder is hidden, tucked in underneath his shirt.
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A dwarf is in your midst. He looks at you all curiously.
”Hello, I am the new one I think. Jangzafaar is my name. I read the report that was provided to me! Just for your information: I do not like to be blindfolded.“
He scratches his red hair with a desperate look on his face.
”But what has been decided ... has been decided ... “
He looks at Patros and smiles.
"Seeing you is ... good! Kaer Maga was a strange place, right?"
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Jangafzaar is a Dwarf from a Kelish merchant family. He works as a merchant and can be a stoic negotiator with an empathic approach. He is very perceptive and understands people's motives which is very important to him as a cleric and merchant. Unfortunately, he radiates a deep sadness which also saddens people around him.
He typically wears light armor and during a battle tries to use magic to support his companions or let his summoned creatures attack. Jangafzaar's family has deep roots in the Exchange faction of the Pathfinder Society.
Thus, the Kargar brothers Almaas, Jangafzaar, Toral and Sadaf are all members of the Pathfinder Society.
A giant mosquito is flying near Jang ... it makes a constant buzzing sound and its bizzare appearance is not comforting.
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Dexter arrives at the initial meeting point. He is about to introduce himself and his boar companion to everyone and hand out some leaflets, but the scene seems to be somber and secretive so he just puts his blindfold on and holds tightly to Salazar as they move through the maze.
He commits to memory the druidic phrase used halfway through.
The gnome takes in the information and glances down at the museum, eyebrows raising as he hears the sounds of carousing from inside, "No wayfinder here, I find it causes as many problems as it helps with. Should we be worried about all the noise and damage done to the museum?"
He turns to his allies and quickly notes, "Sorry, I'm Dexter and my piggy here is Salazar. Seems like we've been tossed into the middle of something without the usual meet and greet."
The woman is silent and does not answer any of your questions. She again points to the ruined palace a short distance away.
Assuming you follow her directions to the Sculpture Hall, the walk isn't far. After you enter, a raven-haired woman in a simple green dress emerges from behind a large sculpture of marching peasants. Her mouth moves, and the whispers float across the room, landing precisely at her targets. "Greetings, citizens, won't you join me?" She presses on a latch, revealing a hidden door behind the statue and gestures into a secret room.
She waits for all the Pathfinders to enter the secret room and then closes the door behind her.
The woman's feature's shift rapidly. Her hair turns a vibrant red, and she draws a wayfinder out of a concealed pouch. "Welcome, Pathfinders. I am Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro. First of all, let me apologize for the clandestine way you were brought her today, but I promise you, it was necessary. Two days ago, I received word from the Almas Pathfinder Lodge. They informed me that two Senators from Andoran's People Council, Victoria Garvensi and Augustyn Naryan, were abducted form their homes in Andoran nine days ago. Their investigations turned up a group of suspicious masked mercenaries, but by the time they tracked down the group's location, they learned that it had already departed for Galt aboard the riverboat Drifting Current along with three other prisoners. The Almas Lodge requested that I pick up the investigation from there."
"I was able to prove through divinations that the Senators were indeed two of the prisoners aboard the Drifting Current, but both of them were warded against most of my magical abilities, including scrying. I asked a contact at the docks to inform me as soon as the Drifting Current landed at Woodsedge. Strangely, she sent me a message yesterday to tell me that the ship has been in port for a day or so already."
"I followed up with another one of my local contacts, who discovered that Galt's feared executioners, the Gray Gardeners, were escorting the senators. Once I heard that the Gardeners were involved, I was forced to back off my investigation and call on the Grand Lodge in Absalom for assistance. Any move that known Pathfinder agents make against the Gray Gardeners could lead to severely negative consequences for us here in Galt. On top of that, if the Gray Gardeners are indeed involved in abducting Andoran's senators, this could be the start of an international incident."
"My investigation also lead me to another oddity. A barrister here in Woodsedge by the name of Alois Lofton once served as an undercover venture-captain. I reached out to him via secret channels when I began the work of establishing the Woodsedge Lodge, and he made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me or with the Pathfinder Society as a whole. When I learned about this case, however, I went to him in person to request his aid. His responses were extremely odd. I got the sense that he knew more about the case but was unwilling to share it. Troublingly, he seemed to be ignorant of rudimentary information about the Pathfinder Society, or even his past status as a venture-captain. When I tried to figure out more, he threatened to take me to court for harassing an officer of the law."
"This situation calls for caution and discretion, and I can't be seen investigating this matter further. I ask that you pick up the investigation in my stead, keeping your status as Pathfinder agents a closely guarded secret. I'll summarize the leads I have. Please commit them to memory."
The venture-captain raises a finger with each name. "My contact at the docks, Larisa Stronwell, did not report to me in a timely manner about the arrival of the Drifting Current. My contact with connections to the Gray Gardeners, Almont Enderios, informed me that the Gardener's were involved in this case, and said that he'd look into the matter further. Former Venture-Captain Lofton knows more about this case and not nearly enough about his own past, but you'll probably need to dig up proof of his involvement if you want him to talk to you. Finally, I'd also recommend talking to Guard Sergeant Ottavia Respani."
"Any information you can find will be of use. In particular, I'd like to you look for clues about who is involved, what Lofton knows, and where the Gray Gardeners have taken the prisoners. If you happen to find information about any of the three unidentified prisoners along the way, please report that as well. When you are finished with your investigation, please tie a simple message to this raven and send it to the Lodge. I will return to the sculpture garden to meet you.". The venture-captain hands over a small silver statuette of a raven.
"Any questions?"
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Dexter finishes taking notes and sighs, "Well... well. I'm uh, not super suited for political matters or honestly, investigations. I mean, I'm not terrible at talking to people or tracking things down, but this isn't in my wheelhouse at all. That said, I accept the mission and will do my best."
He pulls out a small chew-stick and hands it to Salazar who starts worrying it down, "I'll follow your lead when we talk to people Sir Dwarf."
He smiles at his allies, "But PLEASE, if we encounter beasts or animals that mean us harm, give me just a fraction of a moment to try to calm them down. I have many resources at my disposal, plus animals tend to like me innately."
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The visbaron, now in his full noble's regalia, bifurcated from his path on the opposite sidewalk and followed the group inside the dilapidated museum, his left hand patting his Pathfinder Pouch twice to hide all its contents (including his bejeweled Wayfinder) in a pocket dimension, save for a few silvers and coppers.
There... no need to make anyone's job easier yes? the beautiful kindred Ulfen lady in the maze did say to hide all that good stuff... of course at the time I looked like a dirty gardener, but hopefully these guys aren't too jumpy and won't hold all this cloak and dagger against me...
"Dear Mister Dexter - that is the name yes? and I *do* apologize for the sudden surprise intrusion into your collective assembly - please allow me to introduce myself: Visbaron Zzorn Eilif, expert in all things political and an afficionado of undercover operations, at your service. It is *extremely* interesting to note that both Senators had been working together on a bill to grant additional powers to the Andoran banks. It appears that Galt's Revolutionary Council has taken offense to these measures. Has the Council incurred significant debts in Andoran, debts which they would not like to see brought to light, debts which would ultimately bring the Andoran military to their doorsteps? For these measures, if enacted, will no doubt result in the Andoran military to become the enforcement dog of the newly emboldened banking industry..."
Zzorn looks around the room, and slightly reddens at the cheeks. "Oh my... my apologies, esteemed fellow Pathfinders. It appears I have ranted once more, and perhaps overly extrapolated various conspiracies with the limited information at hand. Nevertheless... captives of such importance have a very good chance of ending up in Litran methinks, as the Gray Gardeners would not trust lower level members to do the interrogation. My guess? they may seek to control these two from within, and send them back as their own instruments within the elites of Andoran..."
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The gnome smiles big, "Oh no, not Mister. Just Dexter. The gnome enclave I hail from is very direct and to the point, titles just get in the way. 'All have equal standing, though all are not equal' is what my pop always says. Anyway, you have very interesting theories, would you perhaps like to pick which investigative route we take first? My gut was to go to the docks first and try to pick up the trail, but I would be obtuse to not bow to the experience of one well versed in the ways of this nation."
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Good thing I have you along on this adventure, Jangafzaar...your counsel will definitely be needed..as will the others gathered here. I can talk a good tale, but my skills are more martially inclined. And I agree with Dexter here. He brings up a good point to start with the docks. Makes sense for a starting point...since we might enter the city there as well...
The venture-captain insists time is of the essence. "Lives could hang in the balance.". She gives a detailed physical description of each of the four contacts mentioned along with where the can most likely be found during the day.
-Stronwell in her office by the docks
-Enderios in his home in Fashion Alley
-Respani in a small guard post
-Lofton in his office.
"Respani typically goes to a bar called the Drunken Morlock for both lunch and dinner.". She also gives portraits of the two missing senators.
"And take these, they will help. If you perform a good investigation, I will consider these items to be part of your pay for a job well done. ".
In total, she gives 2 potions of invisibility, an elixir of truth, 3 doses of oil of taggit, a silent metamagic rod, and a hat of disguise.
"The Almas Lodge alerted me about those three strangers before handing over the investigation to us. We are unsure about any other details about them. If you come across anything about them, who they are, and where they come from, please let us know."
The Pathfinders decide to start their search at the docks, in search of Larisa Stronwell. Upon entering the shipping office on the Woodsedge docks, the organized but dusty office consists of a front room for visitors and a back room with several desks and dozens of shelves and filing cabinets where three people are working.
When the Pathfinders arrive, they notice a short, slender woman with brown hair and freckles - Stronwell. She is sitting behind a desk in the front room, working through a stack of papers. Without looking up from her work, she greets them brusquely. "Can I help you?"
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"Good day miss! we would like to see the harbormaster's log for the last few days. A colleague of ours wishes to finalize their accounting records and... well... these have been very busy days lately and I'm afraid we need to backtrack a few days behind to catch up with our volume of business... if there is a fee for this viewing we would understand."
She briefly looks up, then goes back to her work. "We're not an accounting firm. They're down the street.". She goes back to ignoring them.
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Jang looks at Zzorn and then at Larisa Stronwell.
He looks into her eyes.
“You know that people will be hurt. I think that you want to do the right thing!“
She can feel Jang’s sadness. To Larisa Jangs’s presence is disturbing … but the guilt … the fear of what might happen to these innocent abductees rises up in her.
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She looks up terrified at Jang. "If people are going to get hurt, I'm going to call up the police. They can best handle this situation.
Let's wait until they get here.". She leans in and whispers, obviously scared. "Do I need to call the Gray Gardeners?"
"It's in the harbor. Where else would it be?" She looks startled. But with the pressure of Jang over her shoulder, she admits something. "The ship did not report it's arrival.". Stronwell sighs. "There seems to have been a dilerate effort to keep the ship's arrival off the books."
The woman leans in and whispers, "Prying further into the situation could be dangerous, you know. But I can look into this matter further."
"Come back in an hour and I will report what I find.". She puts down her work, stands up, and ushers them out the door. Dexter believes she will indeed try to uncover the truth.
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Zzorn is thoroughly impressed - nay, astonished! - at Jangafzaar's diplomatic skills. Between two conversations, he approaches the dwarf, asking with a low voice, "Impressive Father Kargar. Do I detect a hint of Qadiran etiquette and philosophy supporting those civilized overtures?"
Zzorn awaits the answer with anticipation, eager to share experiences and memories with a fellow open-minded Pathfinder. The Ulfen Guard, despite his devotion to Taldor, had been smitten by several aspects of the Qadiran culture during his years there...
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Jang looks at Zzorn with a weak smile.
”Yes, you are right my ulfen companion! I am a merchant that grew up in Qadira!“ he says with a stern look on his face.
”You might have heard of my father Trade Prince Talandar Kargar. Our merchant family has deep roots in the Exchange faction of the Pathfinder Society. Thus, my brothers Almaas, Jangafzaar, and Toral are all members of the Pathfinder Society. You might have met them in the past!“ he says.
He then thinks.
”I think that people understand how well off they are emotionally when they talk to me. My sadness shows them something and they reflect on life. You also seem to understand others motives Zzorn! And you have a lot of knowledge about these nobles… I am glad that you are here!“
Jang and the group spend about three hours searching the docks for someone who knows something about the Drifting Current: a halfling fishmonger. "Greetings, sailors. What can I do ya for? I have fresh salmon. How about some clams?". The halfling tries to push her produce on you.
But then Jang asks about the Drifting Current, the halfling stops and leans in. "I saw one of the Grey Gardeners about the ship. I overheard the Gardner mention the name 'Korkovin.'".
Jang knows the name Morvius Korkovin is a famous and wealthy banker in Andoran known for throwing decadent parties and drinking heavily.