Welcome to a messy bounty!
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An aging goblin woman leaning heavily on her staff peers through her thick lenses at a sign outside a small restaurant. Her staff appears to be an old broomstick missing most of its twiggy brush.
"Can you read the board, Toad?" she asks the creature riding on her shoulder, "I can't make heads or tails of it. Does someone need to vent?"
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A goblin in rusty half-plate armor and a longsword hanging loosely off his hip, which causes the tip to be constantly dragging, walk up to the sign.
"Another mission for Zror. Maybe I can finally fine Rox." Seeing the other goblin, he goes over to her and asks. "You haven't seen a mangey mut that answers to Rox have you?
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Overly delighted at the first taste of her piping hot teacup, an elder halfling woman sets the cup down after a cautious but ultimately hearty sip.
And quickly snatches the menu from in front of Mama Jawchu scoldingly but still as sweet as the two lumps long-since dissolved into her roiling beverage "Board is over there, little one" herself not being any much less "short" by human standards, she redirects the poor creature without condescension nor hesitation.
And turns back to enjoying her mid-afternoon treat!
As you explore the Bazaar of Sails, a bustling marketplace in the Dockway District of Magnimar, you notice a man (see slides) hanging a poster on the job board with weary determination. His clothes, while clean and well-kept, seem to be from another era.
His poster reads as follows.
Immediate Assistance Needed!
Hello intrepid adventurers. I require a competent crew to
check out an abandoned building, track down a wayward
servant, and clean out some disgusting pests. Please inquire
at the Rusty Anchor.
—Zarzan
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"Oh, thank you, deary" the goblin says to Zòila as she pats her on the arm, "You've been quite helpful to Mama Jawchu, have a treat" Mama digs a candy wrapped in wax paper from the pocket of her robe and places it in the halfling woman's palm.
Turning to the other goblin, she says, "Zror, is it? Would you be a dear and walk me to the Rusty Anchor? Mama Jawchu has some pests to clean out."
With one last look toward Zòila she begin hobbling toward the establishment.
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"Track down a 'wayward servant', eh?" chimes a Varisian man, his face covered in unusual tattoos. "I must admit that I am not much of one for 'abandoned buildings' or the 'cleaning' of 'disgusting pests', but I do have a talent for tracking down marks."
"If you are Zarzan," he says to the man posting the notice, "then it would seem that you are in need of services that I have to offer. You may call me Costolian--Costolian Milotti." He offers a hand in greeting. "And if you are not Zarzan, would you be so kind as to direct me to this 'Rusty Anchor'?"
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Mama Jawchu's demeanor throws the elder halfling woman off - but only for a beat as she quickly recovers, staring down at the treat with a suddenly-giddy expression, bobbing in her seat to utter "Ooh! Don't mind if I do!" popping it into her mouth without a second thought.
Outside, sitting at her table, tea steaming, she keeps a curious watch on the goblin - their eyes meet once more! - before she takes another sip of her tea, wondering what she will do with her day, in absolutely no hurry to do much of anything.
After a spell, having fully enjoyed herself and even lingered overlong to peoplewatch, she rises to pay her tab, and curiosity gets the better of her, as she finds herself squinting at the bounty poster "Intrepid" trying on the term to see if it "fits"...
...and apparently having decided it does, follows the direction her goblin friend went off to, in search of the Rusty Anchor, but not particularly in a hurry to arrive...
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A large well-built mountain of a man enters the tavern and makes his way to the table where the Pathfinders are gathered. His many weapons clank as he moves.
"You Zarzan?" he asks. "Clarence. Looking for work. You need me to hunt down some pests. This is easy job. Free coin. If I do this job alone, will you give me their share as well?"
”I am indeed Zarzan, Costolian and Clarence.” the man replies. ”Come with me to the Rusty Anchor and I will explain.”
Once you are at the Rusty Anchor, Zarzan explains his situation. He speaks in heavily accented Common, ”I was once an apprentice to the great wizard Meave the Enchantress in the Thassilonian realm of Bakrakhan. Whislt I was on an errand to retrieve rare supplies in the capital, Xin-Edasseril, the event known as Earthfall stranded me outside of time, a fate shared by everyone in the city. I found myself in a new time and place, so I travelled south to see if my teacher’s home and study were still standing.” He pauses for a moment, as if working out the Taldane words to use.
”I found Meave’s home on an island near here, one which the locals call Gull Island, but putrid oozes infest the place. I couldn’t eliminate the creatures myself, so I hired a local mage to conjure an ooze mephit for me. I sent the mephit to handle the oozes, but the slimy servant is overdue and I want to know what is going on. I have two tasks for you - clean out any remaining oozes, and the ooze mephit as well. I am willing to offer you each 4 gold pieces if you complete this task.”
”Any questions?”
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"Oh, Mama has her ways," she replies to Zror with a big, toothy grin revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
"Is Rox your wolf? I haven't seen any around here, I'm sorry to say."
The goblin woman nods along to Zarzan's story, "That place sounds ripe for a real good cleaning." she looks around at the assembled group appraisingly, "I think we can de-ooze it."
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Arriving late, Grandmother Time misses the whole pitch, and asks when prompted "What is the request, then?"
And realizing the faux pas, and the disturbance it would likely cause, she disengages her attenuating wavelength, and rewinds her morning completely with a sixth sense. Moving backwards, the causal stroll through the Marketplace from the Rusty Anchor to the Exotic Tea vendor, in slow motion, our temporal hero un-walks those steps, un-pays the merchant, coins "leaping" up into her hand, and un-sits up from the cart upon which she had originally sat down, and watches Mama Jawchu's One Last Look, which incidentally, becomes a first of sorts, pausing her Infinite Eye here, to correct her (now forking) path.
Leaving coin on the table, she jumps up "Wait there little one - I wish to join you" and with surprising alacrity, springs into motion, and for the third time today, as a matter of perspective, walks forward in brisk stride with her new friend across the Marketplace and (once again) to the Rusty Inn, and hearing the entire lecture, asks her question:
"What is your relationship with the conjurer?"
"The conjurer is just a local mage I hired. Any other questions?"
Most oozes are mindless creatures driven only by hunger. They can survive lengthy periods on minimal food. Oozes have no discernible anatomy and lack vital spots to attack.
“If the mephit causes trouble or won’t leave, do what you must to get him out of the way. He has his uses, but he is tiresome. I can’t have him interfering while I am investigating the ruins. I do not wish to squander the money I spent to conjure him, so if he is alive and willing, I would have him continue to serve me rather than be slain.”
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Costolian shares what he knows about the threats ahead.
"The mephit may be hard to find among whatever may be left of the ancient home. The slime ball can fly, so you'll want to look up as well as down for him. At least, we should be able to talk to him, unlike the oozes. There's a good chance we may encounter pirates, too, so I suggest we go in well-armed--and keep any valuables on the mainland or well-tucked away," suggests the thief.
"I'd be happy to hold them for you, if you'd like," he adds with a grin. "Otherwise, we'd best get this dirty business done with."
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Zòila bends her mind forward and backward through the history she knows - things that have happened, things that have yet to happen - a pensive expression as her eyes see not what is directly in front of her, but beyond...
A beat.
"Ooze of our gardeners below the city" Zòila elaborates on Costolian's thoughts on the matters at hand "Sewer ooze. Caustic little creatures, no discernible anatomy, prone to spraying filth when they feel threatened" with non-sequitor she puts forth "Wizards" she half adds, between thoughts "Powerful wizards are the like to inhabit these islands, protecting their isolated fortresses and books with wards and traps and servants"
Gull Island is one of many similar islands in the waters near Magnimar, some of which boast dilapidated ruins. A building of wood and plaster stands at the peak of the hill-shaped island. Despite its supposed age, it looks to have withstood the passage of time.
At first, there is no sign of the oozes as the PCs clamber atop the weather-beaten rocks to the old building.
There is a single entrance at the front of the building. The walls of the building are made of specially reinforced wood.
The building has no windows.
A lone table faces the entryway in this windowless chamber. The floors are slick with moisture, and a putrid smell hangs in the damp air. A trail of filth leads to an open door opposite the building’s entrance.
Before anyone enters, Costolian spots the pit trap In the entryway. It is 10' square.
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"Hold on, everyone. Watch your step. It seems that we some has set a pit trip."
Costolian makes an effort to outline the trap and look for any nearby wooden planks or rocks that could be used to make the area passable. He looks through his pack and produces some rope and a bedroll that could perhaps be used to secure the opening of the pit.
Costolian successfully disables the mechanism that opens the trap door.