You are awoken early in the morning by an urgent summons from Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin (male human). As you arrive you are shown directly into his private office, where he and the Grand Lodge’s head archivist, Zarta Dralneen (female human), are examining a list of items.
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Ambrus Valsin seems deep in thought, a common appearance for the stoic Steward of Absalom’s Grand Lodge. “Most of you know Zarta Dralneen, I assume?” Valsin begins, nodding to the woman. “She’s recently accepted an appointment as head archivist of the Grand Lodge, so you’ll understand her interest in this assignment shortly.”
The venture-captain gestures to a map of Absalom and then the Isle of Kortos hanging on the wall behind his desk. “You’re heading to Otari, along the southern coast between here and Diobel. One of our transport vessels, a barque called Durvin’s Query, foundered just outside the harbor there a few days ago. It was laden with the artifacts collected from a site in the Mwangi Expanse. The Pathfinders returning on the ship collected the most valuable cargo but were forced to leave the rest. They made their way to Otari and sent word of their misfortunes to the Grand Lodge. Based on their report, I need you to go, pick up the material immediately, and bring it back safely to the Grand Lodge.”
Zarta Dralneen smoothly takes up the narrative. “Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that,” she smiles. “The team aboard Durvin’s Query encountered a sequence of extremely… unusual events as they returned home. Bad luck plagued them the entire trip, and they ran into more than the usual number of oceanic hazards. I suspect that something they picked up in the Expanse was the source of their extreme bad luck, and I’m eager to find out just what it is.”
Valsin slides a weather-stained list across his desk. “As you may know, salvage belongs to the finder, and so we couldn’t just leave the items in the shipwreck for anyone to find. I’ve already contacted an old friend in Otari, a former Pathfinder by the name of Khoumrock Blackthane, to be your advance agent. Khoumrock’s team has gone to the wreck site to collect everything that was left behind—here’s the list. By the time you arrive in Otari, he’ll have it fully packed for you. You’ll be sailing there for speed, but given the experience the previous team had at sea, we feel the safest method of transport back is overland, through the Immenwood and along the High Coast Road.” Valsin’s face turns grim. “Now, I know this might sound like a less-than-glamorous assignment, playing caravan guard for a couple of days, but it’s important. That material came from an important site, and the string of bad luck the original team had means there’s something in there that isn’t what it seems. Be on your guard, and make sure nothing goes missing on the way back. Any questions?”
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Cassimon was listening with attention to the Venture Captain, taking a few notes here and there.
Behind the young man with the shining smile, a glaive rested on the wall.
Do we have informations about where the items were found? I mean, you told us they came from a a site in the Mwngi Expanse, but were they all... collected, for lack of a better term, at the same spot or at different places?
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A haggard half orc of indeterminate middle-to-older age sits folded into a chair that seems too small for her, considering how her bony limbs jut about at odd angles all around her. A permanent frown has etched itself onto her face; even at peace she is glowering. Resting against the side of the chair is a thick, brutish looking cane.
Suddenly a squeaking erupts from one of her pockets and a little nose surrounded by black fur pokes out. She quickly shoves it back into her pocket with a venomous look, holding it down as she fumbles in her other pocket for a tiny piece of food. "Oh be quiet!" Once she passes it into the occupied pocket, the squeaking quiets down and the nose retreats. It takes several moments for her face to relax back to its normal level of grouchiness.
As Valsin slides the inventory sheet across his desk, she accepts it and, after skimming the items, speaks in a voice as melodious as a boulder grinding into gravel: "Hmp. We'll verify the magical properties of these items as best we can. That ought to narrow down the suspects. Hmp. I haven't traveled that road yet. What are the typical hazards we should expect?"
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Zabu is actually early for a briefing, for once. Anyone who knows him and wonders why will have their curiosity alleviated by the way he almost leers at Zarta Dralneen.
"Well, it's not fighting undead, tramping through the Mwangi expanse fighting a demigod or setting up a lodge in hostile territory, but I'll do anything Her Sensualness asks. Anything," Zabu says as the briefing ends and Valsin apologizes for what will undoubtedly be a very boring assignment.
"I assume we're going to have carts or wagons and drivers for all this? Or do I just have to haul it back on my back?"
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Mimi is a tall human female, made taller yet by the heels of her knee-high dark brown boots. At her waist you spy a sheathed rapier with an ornate silver hilt. A long royal-blue coat, open in the front, trails behind her like a cloak. In her left hand, she's holding her prized wide-brimmed cavalier hat trimmed with its flamboyant crimson feather. A long mop of bright red hair falls down past her shoulders, framing a pair of clear green eyes set in an attractive, light-skinned and freckled face.
The swashbuckler hailed from Gralton in the River Kingdoms and could usually be found there between missions teaching classes at her grandfather's fencing academy. Her last mission had been in Absalom and she had been preparing for the voyage back to her beloved hometown when she got yet another summons from Ambrus Valsin. She was beginning to believe that she might never escape the clutches of the big city, a place for which she had little affection.
Mimi was only half listening to the Venture-Captain as he spoke. She was far too fascinated by the stunning archivist Zarta Dralneen to be able to concentrate too closely on what was being said. Not being from Absalom, she knew little of the woman and her reputation. To Mimi, she looked both very dangerous and well out of her league, but that hadn't slowed the swashbuckler down in the past and she saw no reason why it should this time. "Perhaps after the mission, I will call on this ravishing creature for a more complete debriefing."
Mimi is snapped out of her reverie when Valsin ends his mission summary and asks for questions. She'd only got a general sense of what the mission entailed, and she hoped that her new companions had listened more closely.
In an airy tone, she says, "De meession seems simple enough and 'as de advantage of getteeng me out of de ceety for a couple of days. I could certainlee use de fresh air. Vhen do ve leave?"
No sooner does Mimi start talking that her place of origin becomes obvious by the strong Galtan lilt of her Taldane.
Ambrus replies to Cassimon first, “The relics all came from roughly the same place. It was an ancient temple to Gozreh, the Wind and Waves. The team stumbled across it while exploring south of the Sodden Lands and the Eye of Abendego. It may be related to a splinter sect of Gozren faith known as the Storm Kindlers. They’ve caused trouble recently in Pridon’s Folly south of Sargava, so we’d like to know more about them.”
He then replies to Itka, "Typical road hazards. Unfavorable weather, bandits, predators, that sort of thing. Boring, manageable, but always potentially dangerous, so exercise caution as per usual."
Finally, he replies to Zabu, "Khoumrock is organizing the transportation efforts in Otari. I'm confident he has utilized wagons or something similar."
It takes a moment for Ambrus to respond to Mimi as he thinks over the words for a moment, "Certainly! Time for some fresh air. You leave in just about in an hour aboard a local ship we commissioned to sail you down the coast."
The Immenwood’s lumber helped to make Absalom a major power in its early years. The central forest area around Otari is dense and overgrown, with even the paths covered by an intertwined canopy of branches. The forest often shelters bandits and others who choose to hide from civilization.
Gozreh is the Wind and the Waves, a dualistic entity that embodies the peaceful breeze as well as nature’s fury. Gozren priests often use the natural environment as weapon or shield, and they summon aquatic monsters to do their bidding.
Otari is a small port town situated where the road skirts the Immenwood. Situated about halfway between the bustling metropolis of Absalom and the outport of Diobel, it provides access to most modern luxuries without the hustle and bustle of life in Absalom
You don't have any solid information on the topics of this mission
The Immenwood’s lumber helped to make Absalom a major power in its early years. The central forest area around Otari is dense and overgrown, with even the paths covered by an intertwined canopy of branches. The forest often shelters bandits and others who choose to hide from civilization.
Gozreh is the Wind and the Waves, a dualistic entity that embodies the peaceful breeze as well as nature’s fury. Gozren priests often use the natural environment as weapon or shield, and they summon aquatic monsters to do their bidding.
Otari is a small port town situated where the road skirts the Immenwood. Situated about halfway between the bustling metropolis of Absalom and the outport of Diobel, it provides access to most modern luxuries without the hustle and bustle of life in Absalom
Otari is a small port town situated where the road skirts the Immenwood. Situated about halfway between the bustling metropolis of Absalom and the outport of Diobel, it provides access to most modern luxuries without the hustle and bustle of life in Absalom
Gozreh is the Wind and the Waves, a dualistic entity that embodies the peaceful breeze as well as nature’s fury. Gozren priests often use the natural environment as weapon or shield, and they summon aquatic monsters to do their bidding.
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"An hour to kill, huh? Well, I'd say you know where to find me, but you probably don't and if I'm not there, I found something else more entertaining to do so leave without me," Zabu says, giving a grin and a nod to the Paracountess.
Mimi would get one too, but when he looks at her, he sees the way she's looking at Zarta and gives a little scowl, instead. He's not a fan of competition.
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When the briefing is over, Mimi watches in awe as the Paracountess turns and leaves the room. "By the Accidental God! She is just as magnificent from behind. What an amazing woman."
Mimi then turns to her colleagues. "I do not beleeve dat I 'ave 'ad de plaisir of vorkeeng vith any of you. I am Mimi de Valence, but you may call me Mimi." She sweeps her hat across her front and makes an exaggerated bow in greeting. Rising, she catches Zabu's little scowl in her direction. "I wonder what his problem is. Probably he is intimidated by my height, or perhaps he does not like extremely attractive redheads. It would not be the first time."
After exchanging introductions, she then continues, "Eet appears dat ve 'ave un 'our or so to kill. Dat ees sufficient time for me to recover my equipment and saveur a nice mug of bière in in honneur of de Lucky Drunk. Until ve embark, you vill find me at de Loosened Chain, feel free to join me; dey 'ave a vaste if somewhat eclectic sélection of beverages to pleeze de most exigent palate."
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A tall man in homespun robes listens intently at Ambrus Valsin.
"Caravan guard," he says thoughtfully, "I have done many jobs, but I do not think I have done that one yet." As he notices Itka in the room, his eyes brighten as he recognizes his former companion. He crosses the room to Itka and bows to her.
"Lady Itka. It is good to see you again. I cannot thank you enough for saving my life in Katapesh last month."
Turning to the others gathered in the room, "I am Loong Laohu. But you may call me Tiger, as my brothers and sisters call me." His demeanor is quiet, almost timid, but there can be no doubt that he is a fierce warrior in battle.
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"It's not exactly shores unseen, but as far as first Pathfinder steps go, I suppose it's going to be interesting at least." says a smartly turned out, well-muscled human man at the side of the room. "Rafe Thoresby, explorer, pleased to make all of your acquaintances." You are unsure from his tone whether he actually means it. He carries a Dwarven Waraxe and shield on his back.
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"Lady Itka. It is good to see you again. I cannot thank you enough for saving my life in Katapesh last month."
A brief snort of harsh laughter bursts from Itka. "Hmp. First time anyone's ever called me a lady. From anyone else I'd assume you were joking. Good to see you Tiger." She grabs her cane and laboriously hauls herself to her feet.
"It's not exactly shores unseen, but as far as first Pathfinder steps go, I suppose it's going to be interesting at least."
Nodding sagely, she replies dryly: "Even the Society's boring missions never go quite as planned. If these relics are from a temple to the god of wind and waves, we should expect unusual and extreme weather. It may even be possible that beings from their associated planes could be pulled into our path. Now is a good time to go shopping if you must."
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Hello all. My name is Cassimon, Cassimon Dohl. I serve Shelyn. I do have a little gold spared from my first mission. What would you recommand, Lady Itka, if you don't mind me calling you by that name so you can get used to it??
The young man smile is warm, without any irony
All I know is that the Immenwood are dense forests, used by bandits to cover their vile and treacherous acts. If someone is unfamiliar with the cult of Gozreh I can give you some general tips, but you are all seasoned Pathfinders, unlike me, so I suppose it won't be necessary. I've seen Otary once, a few years ago, on a trip, a small port town which seemed so much bigger to my younger eyes.
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Itka returns Cassimon's warm smile with a grumpy glare. "Hmp. For most of my life I was forced to call one of the vilest people on Golarion 'Lady'. Spare me that title, please. Just 'Itka' will do." She glances at Tiger, realizing she went easy on him and harsh on the new guy. "Hmp. That goes for everyone. Now, Cassimon, you asked for shopping recommendations. Healing potions, always. Alchemical weapons are useful, but alchemist's fire in a forest is unwise, and electricity may be useless if we have to fight wind elementals and the like. VC Valsin said it'll be a couple of days' journey from Otari, so bring rations for at least three days. If the wagons don't have enough room in them, we'll have to camp. I have a pup tent I can share with someone if necessary. Hmp. And make sure you have a well oiled cloak. Sounds like we may get wet out there." As harsh as her voice naturally is, Itka tries to soften it as she addresses Cassimon, hoping to make up for her reaction to being called 'Lady'.
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"Otari is close to Immenwood. I, myself, have never been there, but I have friends who have. They say you can get the same kinds of luxuries in Otari as you can in Absalom, without the hustle and bustle of the big city. "
Turning back to Itka, Tiger gives her the barest of nods, then says "What ever pleases you, Lady Itka" before grinning an uncharacteristically mischievous grin and skipping away before Itka can raise her cane in a mock strike.
The journey to Otari takes the better part of the day, in part due to the rough seas and strong winds blowing in toward shore.
The boat rocks heavily, causing many to fall ill, including Loong.
Waiting for you at the dock is Khoumrock Blackthane, a male dwarf with a nose reddened by years at sea (and perhaps a drink too many) who looks like he’s had little sleep in the past few days. His armor appears to be a suit of full plate heavily modified and integrated with a mechanical diving suit. He leads you to the Thirsty Alpaca Tavern to talk.
Khoumrock speaks with an accent somewhere between a south-Absalom brogue and a sailor’s worldly clip. Khoumrock swirls the dregs of a mug of beer as he tells his tale. “When Ambrus called me, I got a few friends an’ went right out to the wreck. We gathered everythin’ we could find. The storm already dashed the hulk again’ the rocks and broken her open, but most o’ the crates were washed ashore. I dove in to make sure she weren’t leaking any cargo, but the waves were rough and things were movin’ down that weren’t just the water and fishies!” He frowns as he recalls the night’s efforts.
“The sky opened up as soon as we started packin’. The horses were half-mad wit’ the lightnin’ and the wind. It took all o’ night and part o’ the morning to collect everythin’, and we nearly lost the wagon to a big wave what came a-crashin’ onto the shore from out of no’ere. The storm followed us all t’way back to town. So did summat else – as we got t’the town gate, we saw summat long and snakish breakin’ the waves out in the harbor. I didn’t get a good look, ‘cause the watchtower was struck by lightnin’ just then and it blinded me for a tick. When I looked back, it were gone.” Khoumrock looks to the ceiling in thought. “Apparently, we lost a fisherman out towards the docks right thenabouts. Coulda been an accident, but I knows better.” Khoumrock shakes his head again. “Might be time for me to do a little divin’ out thar, clean things out, ya know?”
“Well, the wagon’s all packed and ready to go by t’stable. S’easy enough to drive, or you can hire a teamster, iff’n you’d prefer. Good luck. I’ll be glad to see that wagon roll out o’ town, truth be told.”
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Zabu is pleased when he suffers no ill effects from the boat ride. He had heard various remedies to either alleviate or prevent sea sickness, but in his experience you just never knew who was going to be affected.
Ironically enough, it may be the wildness of the ride that helps him. He stays on deck, thrilling to the wild motions and the exciting feeling that everything may go wrong at any moment.
He brings that same energy to the briefing.
"And you thought this was going to be boring!" he crows, though it's not clear who he's gloating over.
What is clear is the bright light of excitement that burns in his eyes at the idea that there is going to be trouble.
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Itka wants to know what to expect on this journey, so she sets out to gather the gossip about the recent unusual troubles in Otari. With her stooped posture, shabby faded black clothing, lank gray-streaked black hair, and grouchy expression, she's sure to please. (She uses her polite conversation skills, of course.)
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Mimi was thoroughly enjoying the passage to Otari and positioned herself on the bow where she could more fully experience the pitching motion of the boat with the wind and spray blasting in her face. She'd taken the precaution of stowing her hat beforehand; no way was she going to sacrifice her precious headgear to these elements. She was vaguely aware of Loong behind her making groaning noises and emptying his stomach into the sea, but she pushed such distractions out of her mind as the wind roared through her hair.
Once arrived in Otari, Mimi collects her cavalier hat, straightens the feather and puts it back on her head just so, before strolling down the gangplank as if she'd just taken a short walk through the park. She greets Khoumrock and agrees that a tavern would be the perfect place for a talk... and a drink. She orders one of whatever the old dwarf was having, but it turns out that Khoumrock's taste in beer inclined towards the flat and insipid; she was not impressed.
She nods her head at Zabu and Rafe's comments. "Yes, I agree. Ve should be on our garde. I expect dat de unusual veather followeeng de cargo vill likelee make un otherwise simple voyage into sometheeng more interesteeng altogether." She then engages some of the local folk in the tavern and asks them about the strange weather they've been having.
When the time comes to leave town, Mimi takes her place on the right side of the wagon and walks along beside it with her rapier drawn and ready for trouble. Having no experience with driving animals, she leaves that to Zabu, or whomever they hire for the job.
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Zabu looks around expectantly to the others to see whose going to climb up on the wagon to drive.
When none of them seem particularly attuned to animals or keen to give it a try, he gives a sigh.
"Not exactly the rumps I want to stare at for hours a day," he grumbled as he took up the reins.
He gives the reins a snap to get the wagon going, not particularly worried (or even aware) of whether or not everyone else is ready.
He curses and threatens to make the horses into jerky when they ignore him.
That gives him even worse results and he offers them carrots and sugar.
That seems to work nicely...
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Following Itka's wise words, Cassimon check on his rations, making sure he has enough for a few days, and buys a minor healing potion and a pup tent
Even sick, Cassimon doesn't forget to speak with the sailors, asking what happened on the previous trip.
He tries to help Zabu with the horse driving, using gentleness toward the animals
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"Itka, I think you should probably ride alongside Zabu. I'm feeling quite sprightly, so I will walk."
He looks at the horses. "Never had much luck with the beasts myself. Not sure why. Masterful work getting them moving, I'm not sure I'd have known where to start, other than hiring someone to drive it for me!"
He seems amused by his own comments.
Itka, Mimi, and Cassimon hear that the weather has been rainy since the ship crashed. Some minor flooding has occurred, and most buildings in town have suffered some minor storm damage. Citizens have also noted the unusual behavior of animals in the past several days, with nearly every townsperson having a story about scratching cats, biting dogs, or kicking mules.
As you prepare your wagon to leave, the weather worsens, and the wind increases. Itka, Mimi, Cassimon, and Rafe notice an unusual number of frogs on the road and grass. The frogs hop up to the wagon as you prepare to leave. Any attack against a frog kills it or drives it away, but they continue to appear. When you start to leave the stable, the croaking becomes louder, and the frogs become bolder, hopping into the road in front of you and jumping onto the wagon and those walking or riding beside it.
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Mimi spears a frog with the end of her rapier and tilts it up to raise the squirming creature to eye level for a closer look.
"Sautéed and vith de right sauce, de legs of deez frogs can be quaite délicieuses. Dey are a beet of a délicacy back in Gralton. If I vere a more mercantile minded individual, I could transform all deez amphibiens into a small fortune."
She waves her hand at the wagon and its contents. "Eet does appear as if ve are transporteeng sometheeng dat ees attracteeng both de rainy veather and deez aquatic creatures. I suspect dat de malignant objet causeeng de problems 'as un affinité vith vater. But eet does not matter; regardless, ve must carree eet vith us all de vay back to Absalom, so de faster ve arrive dere de better."
As she walks, she does her best to swat the frogs away from the wagon. Mimi doesn't think they can do them any harm, but it wouldn't do to deliver a wagonful of frogs in addition to the artifacts. She suspects that the lovely Paracountess would be most displeased.
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"Itka, I think you should probably ride alongside Zabu. I'm feeling quite sprightly, so I will walk."
"Hmp. Don't mind if I do. I'll read the auras of the boxes as we go. Perhaps I can narrow down which one contains the troublemaker." With much grunting and a bit of help from the younger folk, Itka is hoisted up onto the wagon. She adjusts her position so she can focus on the cargo. When a frog jumps into her leap, she glances down at it, then around at the amphibian throng. "Hmp." is all she has to say about that.
As the wagon pulls away, she begins casting Read Aura on the closest container. She fiddles with her focus until she can detect a single item. Then she pulls out her writing kit and begins taking notes, continuing until she's confident that she's found out all she can this way.
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Zabu pays no mind to the snap, crunch and pop of frogs being crushed under wheels and hooves.
He does try to keep them off his own personage, though he's not gentle about it, flicking or throwing the animals roughly away.
"Mimi's right. Anyone got an empty sack? We can eat good tonight if someone can catch some of the bigger ones," he comments.
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As long as the abondance of frogs doesn't scare the horse, Cassimon pays not much attention to the nuisance.
I'm not even sure these frogs would be scared of fire or a predator, they seem compelled to get on our way. Let's hope the influence of the cursed item will falter away from the seas, when we will be more inland...
After a suitably creepy build-up, the frogs attempt to jump onto the wagon en masse, forming a swarm!
(+8 for initiative)
(+10 for initiative - Stealth +8 (Avoid Notice) +2 Incredible Initiative)
Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Mimi
Zabu, on the wagon
Itka
Cassimon, on the wagon
Red Frog Swarm
Rafe
Loong
Yellow
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The frogs were merely a nuisance to Mimi as she swatted and kicked them out of the way, but when they gathered together to mount a full-scale assault of the wagon, things took an ugly turn. "Oh la la! I expected to be rather 'ungree by dînertime, but dees ees ridiculous."
Deciding to give herself some more room to work, as well hoping to take advantage of Rafe's distracting presence, Mimi dives into the swarm and fights her way to the other side.
Reaching the other side of the swarm ("Allez, hop!"), she turns to face it. She considers using her rapier, but she'd never had much luck with it against swarms like this. Instead, she decides to rely on her open hands and feet to smash as many of the little amphibians into goo as she can.
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Mimi backflips over the swarm of frogs and lands on a few with a good stomp. With a wide roundhouse kick, Mimi disperses an entire swarm by herself!
Itka's alchemists fire proves especially effective against a swarm of creatures and Cassimon comes into to aid in finishing the last swarm off!
Combat Over!
After leaving Otari, you travel north into the Immenwood to join up with the main road heading east to Absalom. The road is well maintained and broad, with a 15-foot lane of muddy cobblestones lined by 10 feet of cleared area between the road and the tree line. The trees are mostly coniferous, with a tangle of interlocking branches and thick undergrowth making passage through the forest very difficult.
The road is still slick with mud, but the rain seems to have finally abated. The view of the sky is limited to a narrow strip above the road, lined with the spreading boughs of the Immenwood. Thunder still rumbles above the trees, and the sky looks as if it may continue the deluge at any moment. The normal sound of forest animals has been replaced by a cacophony of hoarse cries, growls, and screams. It is clear that the residents of the Immenwood are not happy to see visitors.
Birds begin to try and peck and claw at the tent-like covering of your wagon. Shooing them away only results in them trying to attack you instead.
realize that the animals are not acting naturally but seem to be suffering from some sort of confusion
Itka determines that six items in the wagon are magical and is quite proficient at identifying their magical properties.
Item #3: A dull gray aeon stone is mixed in with the other fragments.
Item #4: This reptilian scale originates from a massive brine dragon. This scale radiates faint transmutation. The box it is in is lead-lined
Item #6: Each stone statue radiates a faint abjuration aura.
Item #12: The medallion radiates a faint evocation aura.
Item #13: A scroll of wall of wind rests in one of the open scroll cases.
Item #20: This shield is a dragonhide buckler
The lead-lined box for item #4 is in poor condition. Normally, you shouldn't be able to detect an aura at all through the lead, but much of it has shaken loose.
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Zabu can't decide whether to be irritated that he didn't get a chance to fight before the masses of frogs were dispersed or pleased that he didn't have to fight a bunch of frogs.
So, he just defaults to his natural reaction: surliness. "If you're finished playing with the wildlife..." he snaps at them before snapping the reins to keep the horses moving.
His attitude doesn't improve as they enter an area where there's more wildlife to "play" with.
When (if) Itka reveals the nature of the items and the boxes Zabu thinks for a moment.
"If the lead lined box is supposed to be keeping the magical energy in, how come you could read it without opening the box first?"
He leans over the back of the seat, keeping a hand on the reins but not watching where they're going as he looks at the box in question.
"Look. It's all messed up. A bunch of the lead has flaked off."
"Throw that thing in the woods and our problem's solved."
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Once the frogs disperse, Mimi carefully wipes to amphibian guts from her beloved boots and has a look at the smashed corpses of those that didn't get away. "In deir current condition, I do not beleeve dat deez animals can be salvaged. I teenk our dîner of frog's legs vill 'ave to vait for another day."
Once they enter the forest and it is clear that the forest does not appreciate it, Mimi murmurs "I 'ave a bad feeleeng about dees."
She overhears Itka and Zabu discussing the box with the failing lead lining. "I beleeve dat de délicieuse Paracountess vould be most deespleased if ve vere to jettison any of de artefacts. I do not teenk she ees de type of voman you vant to deesplease. I am no expert in such matters, but perhaps dere ees a vay to repair de box?"
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Itka shares what she discovers as she does so. Once finished, she summarizes over the din of the cawing birds. "Hmp. We have a brine dragon scale with a transmutation aura, a statue with an abjuration aura, and a medallion with an evocation aura, plus some other items that are likely harmless enough. Zabu's likely correct about the cause of all this ruckus. Hmp. I wish I knew the Mending spell so I could fix this box. But throwing it out won't solve the problem. Some living garbage of a person will find it and use it to cause even more trouble than this." She makes sure the medallion is placed far away from the dragon scale, and that the stone statue is placed nearer to it in the hopes that the statue might (maybe, perhaps, but with now real hope of it) dampen the dragon scale's power a bit. "Hmp. Maybe I can fix it manually. Does anyone have a repair kit I can borrow?" She idly waves a bird away from her face, musing for a moment about the oddness that none of the birds is trying to get at the rodent cowering in her pocket.
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"Sadly, I don't. I'm sure that we are more than capable as a group of handling whatever comes our way. A superb chance to prove our mettle. I agree with Mimi about tossing the scale into the woods. I also think that we'd get the blame for anything that happened as a result and I don't think we'd want our reputations sullied in such a way." Rafe says as they trundle on.
As Itka holds the box and opens it to investigate the potential cause of their troubles, the birds begin going absolutely berserk and swarm over the box, attempting to steal the scale. The small birds pose no threat and are dispersed easily. However, two giant (large) birds (Ospreys) crash down through the trees next to you and begin to charge Itka!
(+8 for initiative)
(+10 for initiative - Stealth +8 (Avoid Notice) +2 Incredible Initiative)
Crashing through the trees slows the birds down, but one lands close enough to Mimi to swipe a talon as it comes down.
But it catches a tree branch instead!
Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Red Osprey
Cassimon
Rafe
Mimi
Itka
Loong
Zabu
Yellow