Called to Skyreach at the Grand Lodge in Absalom in the early hours of the morning, you sit before Venture-Captain Shevala Iorae, a tall, dark-haired Varisian sorceress known for helping to found the Pathfinder Lodge in Magnimar. She paces her small, scroll-packed office and recounts a story.
“More than a decade ago, a falchion known as Passion’s Edge cut down warrior after warrior, changing hands whenever its owner was bested. A Pathfinder Chronicle from several years ago recently came to my attention with details of the sword and I became more and more curious about it. Last told, a harpy named Tylaca wielded Passion’s Edge and swore an oath to a coven of green hags in the River Kingdoms, declaring herself their champion and swearing to protect them"
“One of the hags, it is said, enjoyed the company of the harpy but the other two hated her presence in their coven. In secret, they plotted to rid the coven of her. Their taunts and tricks did not drive her away, but instead, beguiled by jealousy and incited to rage, Tylaca struck down one of the hags and triggered the sword’s powerful curse. The harpy fell into a deep coma and was only rescued from death at the hands of the other hags by her loyal harpy minions. The remaining hags then shattered the sword into three pieces, tossing the hilt in the river and taking one piece with them as they separated, their coven forever broken"
“This account comes from a Pathfinder in Daggermark who found the first fragment in the protection of one of the hag sisters, whom he slew to acquire it. He then tracked Aelzeldra, the other hag holding the last fragment, to the Wilewood in the River Kingdoms, but was unable to confront her and take the final fragment before being called away for other duties in Varisia. Go to the hag in the Wilewood and get her fragment. Hags are tricky, though, so be careful—she will likely disguise herself as a young beautiful maiden or a swarthy, handsome man, anything to trick you. Pretend to be fooled by her disguise and try to get her to tell you where the other fragment is—she likely knows more about the history of the sword and I’d prefer if you didn’t kill her.” She pauses and hands one of you her fragment of the broken sword.
“Bring this fragment and the hag’s fragment together in Sevenarches. The hilt, retrieved from the Sellen River, rests in Sevenarches with another Pathfinder, a sword sage named Parke Rangston. I’ve asked him to study the fragments, and he will provide lodging for all of you. Give Rangston a day to examine the pieces and then return to Absalom with them. But beware: the fragments likely still hold an old curse, and whoever holds them may be weakened. You leave this afternoon—any questions?”
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Toral is a Dwarf from a Kelish merchant family. He always felt the pull of the heavens and stars.
Toral embraces the lessons of the past as the heavens have watched over this world since the beginning of time.
He is a stoic negotiator but has an empathic approach. He is very perceptive and understands people's motives which is very important as a merchant.
He typically walks around in his full plate and during battle tries not to attack but use spells and hexes instead.
Toral's family has deep roots in the Exchange faction of the Pathfinder Society.
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"We are to do this mission to get a sword??! Hmm ... first I thought this is again one of these missions! I thought that the Exchange again forgot that I have a business to run! A business! The only reason for dragging my body to these Pathfinder events is the good pay ... and obviously the contacts and relationships ... but a possibility to gain treasure in form of a great sword for the society is worth it I think!" he says with a sly smile on his face.
"This means we need to act! Trust is the basis of my business relationships and I don't want anybody to have doubt in each other! We will do this together!!" he says with determination in his voice that sounds admonishing at the same time.
"Well, I should talk less and work harder to get back to my enterprise ASAP! So VC, why shouldn’t we kill the hag? What can you tell us about the sword? Who is the man investigating the sword? How do we put the sword together? These are my thoughts!"
He looks at the other Pathfinders.
"Let us find out how we can aid the sword investigation!" he says with an unnerving and patronizing voice.
"You both seem biased towards simply killing the hag, for a moment there I felt like I was talking to Aspis assassins seeking to merely murder and rob the woman at the behest of a cold-blooded Patron. Am I sending the right team? Your questions aren't filling me with confidence"
"I remind you that whilst you may individually hold your own ethical and moral positions, the Society takes a more reserved position. If you want to wander around killing hags and setting wrongs to right then perhaps you missed your great calling to go on crusade in the Worldwound or join the Knights of Ozem in Lastwall"
"Yes, I'd prefer we didn't kill the hag - and we've no need to take her prisoner either, we are not the civil authority of the River Kingdoms, her freedom or lack thereof is a matter for the local independent ruler of the day - and I am not sure the group of them known as the Outlaw Council would be seeing things our way regardless. A group of Pathfinders taking the law into their own hands may not go over well in a region that prides itself on freedoms - 'Courts are for kings' I believe is one of the six River Freedoms."
"What we are dealing with is a cursed object, and that hag may have knowledge that holds the key to unlock the curse on what is an object of note - dead hags tell no tales, and it is hard to get her to reveal more in the future should we require additional information"
"As to matters of the Exchange, I am certain Guaril Kareela and Trade Prince Aaqir al'Hakam will appreciate your well-trained eye appraising the markets in Sevenarches, I am sure the trade there is just honest merchants selling handwoven carpets - the sort of completely legitimate business the Exchange prides themselves on"
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"Madame Captain, I think I posed my question poorly." "How are we to get this 'hag' to give us the sword piece, cursed or not, and to give us any help with its possible curse?" "What tact or approach do you suggest?" "I doubt we can knock on her door and just ask for the piece and any information about its curse AND she comply." "Is there some angle or leverage we can use to get her to cooperate?" "Otherwise I don't see this transaction happening without a fight."
Orst adds a little defensively, "As for crusading, I have two older brothers filling those positions currently." "I would like to find my own path to do good in this world, thank you."
"I don't know if just pretending to be fooled by her disguise will help her to give the piece to us.
The Varisian regards you with a thin smirk "Perhaps the hag would consider a trade? Perhaps your travelling carpet salesman could convince her with a silver tongue or golden handshake? Or who know what might take a fox's fancy and be stolen away in the night?"
"Hags are mostly concerned with power, she will probably want something in return, talk her into something reasonable"
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"So how are we getting to Wilewood in the River Kingdoms?" "Is there anything else you can tell us that is useful about Wilewood or about this hag, Aelzeldra?" "Do you have anything useful for us to take and use on this errand?" "Are you giving us the first fragment then?"
Orst shrugs his shoulders apologetically, "It never hurts to ask if you have maps, keys, gadgets or the like that can help." "Do you, or a picture, sketch of this second fragment?"
“I’ve arranged passage on a ship to Cassomir where you will then board a barge. The pilot is an ally of the Society. Give him these directions assembled by other Pathfinders and you’ll find your way to the hag in no time.” she furnishes a wax-sealed envelope.
"You will be taking one of the fragments, a piece of blade, with you. If the piece of blade the hag has matches and fits the piece you have then consider that a success" she pushes a small wooden box across the table with a piece of cane. Opening the box reveals it is lined with a thin layer of lead, and holds a piece of a very old falchion of Taldan design.
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A flustered looking halfling woman in full plate hurries into the room, a small thrush on her shoulder chitters into her ear.
"Yes, I know I should have been ready sooner, the first blush of dawn was just so beautiful I had to recite that poem. It's not my fault Sir Ocentelus wrote thirteen verses!"
She turns to the assembled party, blushing, "Sorry I'm late. My name is Lissa. Lissa Meadowlark. And this is Trill," she gestures to the songbird, which promptly hops to the ground and transforms into a black cat with violet eyes.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." the cat speaks with a surprisingly mellifluous contralto, "I do try to set a good example for my charge, but she is still learning her path."
Lissa looks from Toral to Orst to Walla, "I- I guess you'll have to fill us in on the details on the way."
The morning after you met with Shevala, your month-long trip began on a ship bound for Cassomir at the mouth of the Sellen River, transferring then to a flat-bottomed barge better suited for upriver travel. The barge slowly made its way through the Verduran Forest with stops in trade ports and fishing villages. After more than a week of travel by boat, the pilot of the barge, a jovial halfling named Jolson, brought you to a calm spot of the river in the Wilewood where you debarked this morning.
***
Amid a tightly clustered forest, thick with dense shrubs, tangled trees, and thorny vines, sits a clearing spanning little more than 40 feet at its widest point. Clustered between trees on the western edge of the clearing sits a tiny hut nearly consumed by vines and patches of feathery moss. A gnarled weeping willow droops over the ramshackle shelter obscuring the structure like a curtain. On the southern end of the clearing, a small shrine composed of river rocks and topped with a spherical stone carved to look like a bloodshot eye glares at anyone entering the area. The surrounding forest is an impassable wall of vegetation save the footpath leading north back to the river.
“Help me, brave adventurers!” - you notice a beautiful maiden, young and blonde, buxom and stunningly gorgeous, she is lying in the dirt beside the hut, her clothes torn and ragged, her left leg seemingly chained to a thick metal pole driven deep into the earth.
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Orst studies the rock formation, "Some kind of alter or shrine that is, I think."
Then noticing the woman, "That could be our hag in disguise. Wouldn't that be lucky." He whispers to the others.
Orst detects evil and consentrates on the woman, but he tries to do so without being obvious about it.
Orst identifies the shrine as being dedicated to the goddess Gyronna, also known as the Angry Hag, She is not a popular deity, as many fear her and her clergy, which is entirely female. These are usually the throwaways of society: disfigured prostitutes, wives caught in adultery, or pregnant teenagers disowned by their parents.
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Toral nods at Orst.
"We can be glad that Frost is not here Orst ... I don't know if she would have been as reasonable as you are!"
He steps forward and speaks.
"Lady, you can stop your incredible performance. We know that you are a hag and we are here to see you and talk to you. So can you please stop being this ... well ... pathetic looking human woman?" he ask very directly.
Toral has the get feel of a situation enough to know that things just took a turn for the worse by directly exposing her ruse; as the woman stands up the chain falls away and the illusion fades he can see in her eyes that the opportunity for discussion has now vanished. She was clearly up to something, but being directly called out has obviously changed her plans...
Fox
Lissa
Orst
Toral
Walla
ENEMY
R1
Lissa
Toral
Fox
Walla
ENEMY
I do try to set a good example for my charge, but she is still learning her path."
The fox had been sent by its mistress Akane once again.
The changing and talking bird/now cat, was a curiosity.
It cautiously approaches, then hops into the circle of the conversation, near the cat. It gives her a look over, then scratches [ HI ] in the ground.
As the maiden turns into an ugly hag, the fox lets out a dim cough of disgust, before darting into the fray.
Will
The Hag is dropped by the hex into a deep slumber...
The cat-like creature stops grooming herself and looks from the scratched greeting to the Fox itself. "Hello there," she says quietly, then stands and walks a circle around the Fox, observing.
Trill jumps from her perch on Lissa's shoulder and flies toward the shrine to get a closer look. "Perhaps there is some lesson to learn from this."
The hag radiates moderate evil.
Trill learns nothing more than Orst had determined, it is a shrine to Gyronna.
Fox takes a look around the shrine, for anything of value the hag might have placed there.
Fox heads off to the evil shrine, noting that the carved eyes really do give the distinct feeling of being watched...
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Trill hisses at the shrine, then returns to the group and searches the rest of the area for anything of interest.
***
Orst gets to tying the hag.
Fox is off sniffing around the shrine.
Lissa is searching the hag. Trill has a pretty large area to search, so far nothing located.
***
At the hag
Orst has got the ropes tied as best as he can, it looks realtively sturdy, but it is one of those times people wished there were some strong manacles handy. Lissa and Toral search her, the smell is offensive. The only items of note on her is what appears to be a potion and a nice looking ring.
At the shrine
Fox and Walla move off to search the shrine. Walla also notices the eye staring at her as she moves around, the glare of the eye reminds her of that troubled dream she had last night, the one where she stepped away from the dinner table for a moment and Orst ate her meal, when she came back he laughed at her and said his god 'had no time for snakes' - and everyone laughed along so she thought about poisoning him by throwing a box of asps into his bed whilst he slept - of course it was just another progressively worse dream, over thirty of them now, it was a dream wasn't it? If only these endless whispers at the edge of consciousness would go away and take the feeling of anxiousness with them and they both notice that there is a small patch of disturbed earth at the shrine, as though something has recently been dug up or buried.
Trill sticks close to Walla and Fox as Lissa hovers near the hag.
Fox makes a small yelping sound, being near a patch of disturbed earth.
It starts digging.....
Fox and walla rapidly unearth the buried object - a piece of blade - it is immediately obvious this is the part you are looking for. It lies there in the earth, ready for the taking.