The door opens and you see the renowned Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng enter the meeting room.
He looks as if he did not have much sleep as he has a sleepy-eyed look on his face.
He has a violin and a meerschaum pipe in his hand and sets it on the table. He withdraws a small pouch from the slipper and opening it, removes some shag tobacco. He begins to pack the pipe with the tobacco before removing a hot poker from a fireplace in the room, touching it to the pipe bowl, and drawing on the pipe until the contents kindle an ember.
He stands eyeing the assembled group and puffing on the pipe for a long few moments before speaking.
"Well, well, so you are the team they sent here for this mission?! You look tough but are you the right people for this mission? You already heard that we are sending you to Highdelve, right?" he says with a stern look.
"First missions are usually less dangerous but our informant's reasons to ask for a team as well as the nature of the assignment were a little vague ..."
He eyes you again.
"I called you in tonight to discuss a problem I need you to solve." he says as clouds of pipe smoke drift lazily around his head.
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Indalis strides into the lodge, having just taken up the mantel of Pathfinder himself. Being unfamiliar with proper etiquette in these situations, as well as this being the first time he's had to move indoors since taking on Faye, the hunter asks his gull friend to remain outside for him. He removes his father's hat and sits down in the meeting room.
"I've heard that you Pathfinders tend to wander the world to complete various assignments. While I'm not all that familiar with Highdelve, I did grow up in Port Ice, so it's basically my back yard. I'm just glad I get to cut my teeth here instead of way out. I forgot to mention, I'm Indalis. Indalis Regillus. Not really much more to say."
"So what's this problem you've got that you think I...well, I mean we, can help with."
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A young woman of with cream color skinned, dark eyes and dark hair with an overabundance of purple attire and accessories pushes off the wall she is leaning against.
"Venture Captain, surely being tough isn't the only criteria for your selection? Not that I'm not tough mind you, but my numerous other talents are likely more valuable to the team." She finishes her sentence with a grin that reaches ear to ear with her hands held wide. "Or perhaps we just needed some color in that drab room of toughies? Hmm?"
Looking towards Dreng, she continues "What's your problem, I'm certain we can resolve it without a problem." Turning back over her shoulder, she says confidently "Right boys?"
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A Tian man stands towards the rear of the room looking almost embarrassed to be there. He is wearing a black scholarly robe nearly the same color as his long hair. Despite his appearance, a short blade is strapped to his waist.
"This one is called Zhao Meng," he says with a bow. "I am honored to make all of your acquaintances. I am unfamiliar with Highdelve but," he turns to Saylah and bows once more, "I will perform to the best of my abilities."
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The dwarf is skinny for a dwarf, which means he's probably about average for any other race. He's shaved bald on top of his head, with a short cropped brown beard and piercing blue eyes. His skin is pale, so it's obvious he's not an outdoorsy type. He wears shiny black armor that hasn't seen an enemy's blade, with red and orange robes over top. He carries a greataxe, but it's so unused that it might as well still have a price tag.
He just looks untested and young, a bookworm gone into the world.
He clears his throat. "My name is Gromdal Forgehammer, of the church of Angradd. I... I have been sent into the overworld to serve Angradd and the Pathfinder Society. May His Axe and His Fire protect us."
A young woman of with cream color skinned, dark eyes and dark hair with an overabundance of purple attire and accessories pushes off the wall she is leaning against.
"Venture Captain, surely being tough isn't the only criteria for your selection? Not that I'm not tough mind you, but my numerous other talents are likely more valuable to the team." She finishes her sentence with a grin that reaches ear to ear with her hands held wide. "Or perhaps we just needed some color in that drab room of toughies? Hmm?"[/b]
Dreng laughs a little after Saylah's comment.
"Yes, we chose you because we know that many in this team have a connection. That helps!"
He then looks at Indalis, Gromdal and Zhao Meng and nods.
"Well, more than two centuries ago, the humans of House Garess flourished in the foothills of the Golushkin Mountains in western Brevoy, where they founded Highdelve as a settlement of human artisans to work the dwarven ore their allies supplied. However, as the years went on, House Garess’s numbers waned, and the noble family scaled its business back. By this time, thousands inhabited Highdelve."
He looks at you to see if you are still listening.
"Rather than languish under House Garess’s neglect, the Highdelvers began to focus on self-sufficiency. It built a robust economy and 50 years ago, the leaders of highdelve approached the patriarch of House Garess in Grayhaven roughly 20 miles south. It wasn’t full independence Highdelve wanted as much as a release from any major taxes and military duties the town might owe its feudal overlords. Not in the position to fight the Highdelvers, House Garess acquiesced. From that day, Highdelve has been independent in everything but the strictest formalities."
He pauses for a moment.
"But before I continue. I am curious. What exactly is your connection actually?" he asks.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Being so far north, winters are long and harsh. The short spring and summer seasons require the populace to farm and fish just enough to keep food on the table.
* * * Separate check * * *
You have heard the stories of Highdelve's history in more detail ... what the Highdelvers didn’t know, however, is that benevolent eyes had been watching the situation that the Venture-Captain described unfold.
The settlement piqued the interest of Aurelliax, a gold dragon who had lived for more than a century in a mountaintop lair near Highdelve.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The dragon admired the town’s tenacity, and its people’s generosity toward their neighbors warmed her kind heart. Shortly after Highdelve broke from House Garess, Aurelliax offer the humans her patronage and protection for free.
Elated and humbled, the townspeople accepted—provided that Aurelliax never involved herself in the settlement’s internal affairs. After all, the Highdelvers did not wish to simply trade one overlord for another. Her motivations genuine and pure, Aurelliax assented.
For the Highdelvers’ part, awe for Aurelliax quickly turned into true affection, as the dragon time and again has demonstrated her dedication to this settlement of about 4,500.
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Indalis speaks up, "I just met these folks myself. In fact, until today I've only met one Pathfinder. I was working the Ravenroost, ferrying people up and down it for some coin, on a skiff I was able to procure. I had this one fare, an older guy, called himself Sir Morgan Rostergelt. He was with me for a few days. Told me about some of his adventures. Seemed like a nice guy. Well, we ended up having to go ashore for a bit due to some pretty awful storm. We just holed up in a outcropping of rocks. Unfortunately, we were set upon as we slept by a band of gobs. It didn't take much to skatter the lot of them, but I must have done something right. Sir Morgan deputized me right on the spot. The next day, I was able to deliver him to where he was going. He told me that if I ever wanted more that I could make my way here."
"Shortly after, about a month or so, I gave away my skiff to someone that looked trustworthy and started out for here." Having told his story, he looks around at the other two, expectantly. "How about you guys?"
Dreng raises an eyebrow.
"Interesting Indalis! I don’t know Sir Morgan. Well, let me give you the mission briefing! You others can explain your story afterwards!“ he says calmly.
”Well, Aurelliax is a gold dragon who had lived for more than a century in a mountaintop lair near Highdelve and the dragon time and again has demonstrated her dedication to this settlement of about 4,500."
He pauses again.
"I do not want to go into the details of why a gold dragon would do that but I can assure you that we had a hand in that story. This was just background information because your mission actually concerns two kids. Well, they are young adults by now. RICHELLE AND TOLWIN are their names. They are not related but they are the kids of two deceased Pathfinders. We placed them under the protection of the mayor of Highdelve 17 summers ago - Winette Qarl is her name."
The Venture-Captain sighs and looks at his feet.
"We received a message that they are misbehaving. I have to admit that this mission is personal for me and I want you to check on them. They know nothing about their parents' history but if you can find out what is going on I would appreciate that."
He looks back into your eyes again and smokes his pipe, sending smoke into the air.
"Of course we send especially you to Highdelve because you understand connections and don’t see them as just two kids ... but the kids are just a coincidence as the real mission involves more sinister plots." he says.
"During one of our other missions we learned of a plot againt Aurelliax. We do not know the details but we know that an agent of a cult of Kostchtchie, Gilda Korgren, traveled to Highdelve more than a year ago to craft a ring with special significance to the cult of Kostchtchie ... additionally, we learned about a Port Ice–based shipping company that is trying to track cargo that went missing between the port and Silverhall in southern Brevoy. We do know that the cargo included several Thassilonian relics that could also be of value to the Kostchtchie worshipper."
Born a mortal man of Ulfen stock before being cursed, Kostchtchie is now the demon lord of giants and biting cold.
Kostchtchie's main worshipers are giants who have turned from the worship of their traditional deities, particularly Thremyr, and instead embraced the demonic as being a more aggressive philosophy.
Dreng stops pacing long enough to knock some of the ashes out of his pipe and reload it with more tobacco.
"Before you go to Highdelve and see what you can find out I’d like to hear the rest of your tales!"
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Gromdal nods. "I met Morgan just as I was leaving my home in the Five Kings Mountains. I was nervous and alone and he spun such tales of the world, that rang with truth! that I could not help but be in wonder. Then he spoke of this 'Society' that traveled the world and helped to right wrongs and seek lost history, and I thought, 'A people like that must be who I am meant to join' and so I did. Now I am here, and I am grateful for Morgan's aid in joining." Gromdal looks slightly embarrassed to have spoken so much.
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After listening to a couple of the others, Indalis can't help but respond, "Am I the only one that thinks it is a very strange coincidence that we all seem to have been shaped by Sir Morgan to some extent? Now I'm not usually one to say this, but it seems we may have been fated to meet. By the way, what do you all think of giant birds?"
The VC nods with a smile again.
"I think you can continue your discussion on the road! Just so you know ... we know very little about Gilda Korgren. She is a human follower of a demonic god ... and we know that she has a son from a letter we were able to dispatch. But nothing else."
He looks at the whole group and tries to assess your level of comfort with this mission and continues.
"This is one of your first mission so be careful. Please make haste and travel to Highdelve."
With those words he turns his attention away from you, picks his violin up, opens the door and begins playing and walking out of the room simultaneously.
HIGHDELVE
It’s late when your caravan arrives in Highdelve.
Most of the travelers are only stopping for dinner before proceeding on to the next town, but you have a mission here, and so you remain when the wagons pull out again.
When you get to the inn you find it unusually crowded. The innkeeper only has one room available, what with the festival tomorrow.
If you’re willing to share, however, she has some cots she can set up and there should be room enough for the four of you. As you walk down into the common room for dinner, you find it, too, is more crowded than you would expect.
A four-top comes open right as you walk in, though, and almost as soon as you sit the waiter comes by with bowls of stew and mugs of ale for the four of you. You eat and have a chance to get to know your new comrades on this mission.
What ist he Brightbloom Jubilee?
During the first evening and your first hour on the jubilee you learn that the Brightbloom Jubilee is a 2-day party with a distinct structure of events.
Before the jubilee, the town elects two young locals to serve as Bloomgivers — an enormous honor for those chosen. Early on the celebration’s first day, the Bloomgivers venture with an empty wagon up nearby Dendra’s Slope, where the largest field of brightblooms grows.
The jubilee then runs throughout the day, and it includes a full slate of amusements, games, and festive street food, all set up in the town’s main Protectress Square.
In the afternoon, the Bloomgivers return to town with the first harvest of brightblooms, and the townspeople fete the youths’ journey by escorting them from the gates back to Protectress Square.
There, the Bloomgivers hand out brightblooms to eager townspeople. The rest of the evening is spent as a public dance party known as the Brightbloom Ball. The jubilee’s second day is spent alternately removing winterizing measures from the town’s buildings and breaking into spontaneous rounds of song and dance.
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Gromdal is amenable to sharing a room. Space is tight underground, after all.
Gromdal spends the dinner watching the room. He's not wary, just very very new to the outside world and he finds it both fascinating and frightening in a way. He eats the stew without comment, but makes a face at the ale. "They call this ale? We bathe in such liquid! Ach, this world is full of strangeness, by Angradd's guarding hand!"
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Like Gromdall, Indalis is quite familiar with tight quarters and is willing to share a room, as needed. Although, he would prefer to sleep on the rocking deck of a gently moving ship.
Indalis immediately takes a large swig of the ale and thinks that this is much better than the grog he's had numerous times. He is about to state his opinion when Gromdall calls out the low quality of the brew. Instead, he pipes up with "So, how should we go about finding this Gilda person? It seems like the entire town will be out and about over the next few days. Might be hard to weed through them all, right?"
----
The mood is festive in the inn as the evening progresses. Eventually, weary from your travel, you head to bed.
The sun rises, and after a quiet breakfast, you emerge out into the town square. Beams of sunlight stream past the snow-capped mountains as a joyous scene spreads before you.
Overnight, the town's staid and utilitarian main square sprouted colorful tents, a pop-up theater, a spinning contraption made of barrel bottoms, some manner of race course, and more unexpected delights.
Laughter and boisterous shouts echo from all the square's corners as its quaint cobblestone streets teem with villagers sporting festive clothes and wide smiles.
Throughout it all, the smell of fried foods weaves through air laced with the warmth of a summer that's just begun.
Activities in view:
A1. Youths stand on and around tall wooden storage boxes, playing some sort of game.
A2. Lanes have been drawn and sack races are being run.
A3. A large, gilt statue of a dragon.
A4. A Barrel-Go-Round ride has been erected.
A5. A small puppet theater has gathered a crowd.
A6. A stand sells delicious-smelling fried food on sticks.
+++++++++++++++++++
Several well-dressed professionals stand in a circle bandying about the lingo of seasoned traders. “What a time to be visiting!” one shouts.
“It’s the best time to catch important people in one place. If you’ve any business to conduct in Highdelve, now’s the time for it, to be sure!”
A teenage boy pushes through the crowd with a star-struck look on his face.
“Have you seen her? Have you seen Aurelliax? You know, the gold dragon! The one who keeps the whole town safe! She’s here, but she never stays in one place for long. Everyone wants to talk to her, and she’s so nice—she wants to spend time with us all!”
* * *
For the past decade or so, the people of Highdelve have expressed some concern about sending their youthful Bloomgivers up Dendra’s Slope to collect brightblooms for several hours alone.
The brightbloom field is about an hour’s hike from the town proper, and the foothills are full of threats.
To quell their qualms, and to reinforce that Aurelliax would never suffer an outside threat to the town, the gold dragon has begun lending the Bloomgivers a special amulet called the Golden Pendant each year for their journey up the slope.
Not even the gold dragon has elaborated on exactly what the amulet can do, and she’s instructed the townspeople not to bother examining it much magically, but everyone knows that it’s a treasure that would make Abadar himself proud.
Two elderly women watch a group of adolescents giggle and shoot furtive glances toward the square’s western entrance.
“It warms this old granny’s heart to see those sweet kids,” one of the women says. “So young! So much energy! They just can’t wait for the Bloomgivers to come back from Dendra’s Slope so they can celebrate. But I wonder what’s keeping those Bloomgivers? They’ve usually returned by now!”
Saylah suddenly is the recipient of a sending spell which informs here about another Pathfinder that will join the team as well. He just arrived in the morning.
Zhao moves to the dragon statue.
A3. Our Gilded Lady
Fully 10 feet high and twice as long, the centerpiece of the square is a gilt statue of a gold dragon with outstretched wings. A plaque at the base reads: “Highdelve dedicates this statue and all of Protectress Square to Aurelliax, Our Gilded Lady. Long may her golden wings envelop us, and may we never fail her when she calls.”
Standing next to the statue watching a group of children play is a cheerful-looking woman with white hair and ruddy cheeks.
You see that a female dwarf approaches the woman and after greeting each other they start chatting and you are perceptive and overhear parts of the conversation.
”Well ... but Richelle and Tolwin cheated!" the white haired woman says silently. You cannot hear the dwarf's response but you see the the woman reacts harshly and says a little louder than she she should: "You know that they rigged the bloomgivers election and therefore are not allowed to attend the festival. This discussion is over!"
The female dwarf looks disappointed and retreats in the direction of the sack race.
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A serious-looking young Varisian woman approaches dressed in bright Varisian purple & red dancing scarves made of heavy silk and reinforced with leather strips - they flutter and flow as she moves. She seems quiet and reserved, and has a bit of an air of intellectualism about her. Her only visible weapons are a starknife and sling.
She visually sizes up each of the party before approaching them near the dragon statue. "Hello. You must be the Pathfinders, right? VC Dreng sent me - sorry I'm late, my ship was delayed. I'm Valentina." Her eyes roam the festival and notice the interaction between the two ladies, and her eyes narrow in thought. "Aren't Richelle and Tolwin the Pathfinder offspring we were sent to check up on? I see they are making trouble already. Also - shouldn't the Bloomgivers have returned by now? I wonder what is keeping them."
She nods at Indalis' suggestion of speaking with the women who mentioned the troubled teens.
"Oh hello, I am Winette Qarl. The mayor." she says but she seems to stiffens when you talk about problems.
“Oh, there’s not much to tell. Everything’s right as rain now; that’s all that matters,” she says.
"Well, I ... I think this is an internal matter! Please enjoy the festivities!" she says a little nervous.
Winette frowns, turning her face uncharacteristically dour.
“Yes, there were irregularities! And if you want to keep your eyes open then I would aprreciate it. It is about Richelle and Tolwin! Those two—it’s just such a shame,” she says and hands over a piece of paper to Indalis.
“I hate to say it, but they’re bullies. Always picking on other kids and even getting into fights. Their peers don’t like them, and so we thought it was strange when we first counted the votes for this year’s Bloomgivers and they had won. We dug a little deeper, and it turns out that Richelle and Tolwin had stolen the ballot box, pulled out all the real votes, and replaced them with votes for themselves. To punish them, we disinvited them from the jubilee today.”
"The dwarven lady is Yarla Bowhammer, the owner of the Peaktop Company, which trades in dry goods up and down western Brevoy. Tolwin is her apprentice so she tried to explain to me what is going on with him but ... but I really do not care at the moment! To be honest the Bloomgivers, Kameer and Kara, are late so we are also anxious about that." she says with some desperation.
Winette shrugs .
"If you really are interested in the kids then you should go over to the storage boxes where the youths are playing. Maybe they know more. Excuse me now ... I have business to attend to." she says politely.
A1. Youths on crates
Saylah arrives at the storage boxes.
Tall wooden storage boxes are haphazardly arranged everywhere here except for a grouping of four, which form a diamond.
Rowdy youths pump their fists and cheer on four kids who each stand atop one of these boxes. The standing youths kick a bean-filled sack back and forth.
Each time a youth kicks the sack, they all shout a word of the following phrase: "The! Devil! Man! Knocks! Don' t! Let! Him! In!"
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Valentina catches the dwarven lady before she moves away to ask her perspective on Tolwin "Excuse me - Yarla, is it? I heard that Tolwin is your apprentice. Can you give any perspective on why he and Richelle have been making trouble more so than an average young person?" Although Valentina can't be much older than the youths themselves, her serious studious manner gives her the gravitas of one older.
Yarla sighs.
"They are orphans and although the mayor was responsible for them, she did not raise them like her children ... I would compare her home more with an orphanage to be honest. I think they just feel like outsiders here ... "
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Valentina nods and thanks the dwarven woman for her insight, and asks where they like to hang out (since they are forbidden from the festival)?
After getting her answer she then moves off to join the rest of the group near the youths, shooting a mildly judgmental look at the mayor as she does so.
She looks vaguely uncomfortable around the youths and will silently observe for now.
A kid approaches Indalis after his comment.
"Hey you, of course you can play! It's fun!"
One of the kids hops down from their box and offers you a spot in the game.
Two youths are laughing, though there’s a bit of fear evident in their eyes.
“We all saw him; he had skin as pale as a sheet and these freaky little horns!” a girl says.
“He was skulking around until the watch came and scared him away. Now people pretend like he was never here—don’t want to scare away visitors, I guess. Oops!”