An adventure for characters of levels 1-5. Will begin on March 6, 2022.
You begin in a meeting room in the Grand Lodge.
“Pathfinders, I’m sure you know our associate, Guaril Karela, if not personally then by reputation,” says Ambrus Valsin while gesturing to the Varisian man seated across from him. “We’ve had reports from a confidential informant in the Aspis Consortium that trouble is brewing in Tamran. Probably not coincidentally, several of Karela’s shipments bound for Tamran have gone missing.”
Guaril adds, “You see, the Molthuni navy maintains a rather tyrannical blockade around the city—a blockade past which my associates and I have helped Ambrus move items numerous items. It’s not so difficult; the Molthuni are not the brightest stars in the sky. Or at least it wasn’t difficult until recently. An unknown party has intercepted my last dozen shipments, and I doubt Molthune is responsible. When I lose shipments—”
“—Our lodge in Tamran loses much needed supplies,” finishes Ambrus. “Not to mention the fact that Guaril provides many important goods to the people of Tamran, such as food and medicine. Your mission is to accompany Guaril to Tamran and investigate the disappearances and thefts. Hopefully Oraiah Tolal, our venture-captain in Tamran, will have more leads. “You depart with Karela in two hours. If you have any questions, or any supplies to purchase, I advise you do so now.”
In addition to any questions, you may attempt a Knowledge (History) check.
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A rather ragged looking man listens intently as Ambrus speaks and introduces the man who looks like a lizard. But who is he to judge? He looks something like a wolverine, or so some have told him.
Walks with Giants is a fresh recruit and rather inexperience so, no, he has not heard of Mr. Lizard nor is he aware of the area's history. But hey, if you want to identify that bird, he's your man.
"Sounds pretty straight forward. Protect the shipment and find out who is behind it. But why us? Why not hire mercenaries and detectives? Is this all on the hush?"
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A slick looking half-orc decides to 'contribute' to the conversation. He smiles often, perhaps too often, and you have the sense you should keep an eye on your coin purse when he's around.
"And when Guaril loses shipments, he loses money - no need to sugarcoat the situation Valsin. One hand washes the other, am I right? Do you have any idea what's been 'lost' in these shipments? Anything in common or are they taking everything in sight? Have there been any other changes coinciding with these losses?"
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A slightly short and powerful looking Mwangian man stands with his hand rested on the neck of a small elephant. The elephant radiates a warm personality, whilst the man seems more reserved and contemplative
"Hmmm, whoever we're to attack this shipment would seem most unwise. This Aspis Consortium - they are trouble I take it?"
"And when Guaril loses shipments, he loses money - no need to sugarcoat the situation Valsin. One hand washes the other, am I right? Do you have any idea what's been 'lost' in these shipments? Anything in common or are they taking everything in sight? Have there been any other changes coinciding with these losses?"
Valsin replies, “The list of stolen goods is extensive. Mostly mundane supplies, food, medicine, alchemical and magical crafting materials, and the like. We’ve also been having trouble receiving reports and artifacts from the Tamran lodge.”
"Hmmm, whoever we're to attack this shipment would seem most unwise. This Aspis Consortium - they are trouble I take it?"
"You must be new," Valsin says with a chuckle. "Yes, the Apsis are trouble. They are what you might call a rival of the Pathfinder Society, and while I won't claim everything we do is on the up and up, Consortium agents would slit their momma's throat for a nickel. They wear badges with snakes on them if they are operating in the open."
“If it’s not the snakes," Valsin answers, "then it could be the Church of Razmir. We’ve had unpleasant dealings with them in Tamran in the past, and I wouldn’t put it past the Razmiri to hold a grudge. We also can’t rule out any of Guaril’s enemies or rivals, of which I’m certain he has many.” Guaril does not comment, merely offering an innocently apologetic smile and shrug.
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"So basically stealing everything in sight. Mundane supplies aren't worth the effort so I'd guess they don't know what's in the shipments either. Unable to get reports from the Lodge in Tamran? Have you tried magical means? This sounds like a worse situation than the shipments being stolen. I'll need to pick up a few supplies for the road..."
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"The road takes us to strange places, ja? But undead are nothing - they're bones break just as easily as goblins," says a hulking varisian wearing a simple vest that couldn't cover the man's chest, even if it still had the buttons sewn on.
"But the stench - that's a totally different matter."
Arioch looks surprised and says, "I thought you brought the stench in!" and snickers.
"Undead, you say? In a lake? Do any of you know more about that? If we are to face undead, then there are certain spells that might be worth preparing."
“Tamran lies on the western edge of Lake Encarthan. The area is forested, but it can get a bit marshy along the coast. Nirmathas has been at war with Molthune for the better part of a century. I fought there as a mercenary when I was a young man. The people of Tamran are good folk, but when times get tough, they can be a bit insular and suspicious of outsiders.”
Valsin ponders a moment. "I hadn't heard about more than the usual amount of undead in the lake."
"Well, if there's nothing else, make your preparations and head for the docks."
Guaril Karela provides a ship to take himself and you to Tamran, using the cover of night and his own cunning to slip through the Molthuni blockade. You reach Tamran in the early hours of the morning. A local Pathfinder agent named Reginar Lacklan surreptitiously greets you and offers to take you to the Ashfall Lodge, the Society’s base of operations in Tamran.
Like much of the city, Ashfall Lodge rises above the marshy ground; however, whereas most other buildings stand atop piers and pilings, the Pathfinder lodge straddles three broad cypress trees. Rope bridges and wooden slat ladders wind across its outer branches, leading to a handful of tiny cabins for storage and visiting agents. Two bell pulls hang from the southern tree—one weighted by a medallion depicting the Glyph of the Open Road and the other weighted by a bronze symbol of two faces in profile.
Reginar takes hold of the Open Road rope and gives it a sharp pull, sounding a high-pitched bell in the lodge above. From above, a gray-haired halfling woman examines the visitors, smiles, and drops a rope ladder. She nimbly clambers down and gestures grandly to the elevated structure. “Welcome, Pathfinders. May Ashfall Lodge be your home away from home and your welcome to a new land. If you’ll accompany me, I can answer any questions you might have.”
Karela explains that he has his own enquiries to pursue and arranges to reunite with you at the Ashfall Lodge in three days to see what they’ve learned.
The halfling introduces herself as Oraiah Tolal and leads you to a small meeting room inside the lodge. There she explains that her own attempts to investigate the thefts were stymied by a pernicious rumor spreading through Tamran slandering the Pathfinder Society in general—and more specifically herself and Reginar—as Molthuni sympathizers. Oraiah suspects that the rumor campaign may be linked to the disappearance of Guaril Karela’s shipments, but she has no proof. She suggests that you might be able to learn more, given that they are relative newcomers to the area. After all, whoever is spreading the rumors hasn’t had the chance to fully turn the city against them.
“Karela’s shipments across the lake haven’t been getting through, which means the bandits must have a ship. If they have a ship, they’ve probably visited Tamran’s docks.”
“Many consider the Gar's Last Meal the only inn in town worth staying at—a harsh verdict but a great place to dig up rumors.”
“The Forest Bounty’s the town’s most popular feast hall. These days it’s seen a lot of traffic from members of the city’s various militias. You probably won’t get a very friendly reception, what with the rumors around town, but talking to the militia patrols is your best bet at learning what’s going on outside the city.”
“We haven’t been getting our supplies, but several of the more… illicit… items Karela used to bring into the city are still appearing in the market. That suggests someone in town is fencing goods for the thieves.”
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Walks with Giants is automatically predisposed to favor the halfling when he sees the nature friendly domicile. With a broad smile he ascends the rope ladders and finds a comfortable spot to rest.
"Well, that is certainly helpful. Though none of us is highly skilled at gathering knowledge, I'm sure we can muddle through as long as we are not outed as pathfinders. Say, I noticed that other pull cord next to yours. Who does that belong to?"
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"So check out the docks, Gar's Last Meal, and The Forest Bounty. Maybe we'll be able to employ some of our charm to make the locals a bit friendlier. Fencing eh? Makes sense; the muscle has to get paid. A stop at the market too then. I might have to see if anyone less reputable will talk but that might require some remuneration; is there a slush fund for that?"
Before you leave, Oraiah offers you a place to stay at the lodge. Further, she can cast the following spells free of charge for the duration of the adventure whenever they visit the lodge: cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, cure serious wounds, magic vestment, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, and remove disease. She can cast these spells in any combination, but she can cast no more than six spell levels per day.
You may attempt a Diplomacy (Gather Information) or Knowledge (Local) check to learn more about Tamran. This takes hours.
The docks are bustling with activity, despite the blockade. You need to make a DC 17 Diplomacy check to find someone willing to talk to you. You may attempt multiple times, but each attempt takes 1d6 hours. (Whoever rolls first for each attempt, please also roll for time.)
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Jilla pops into a tavern to use the latrines and ends up chatting to a fellow cook for several minutes. When she comes out, she says "We better not get too beat up on this mission! Word is the temples are running out of medicines and potions since the blockade kicked into full gear and Pathfinder Society shipments got held up."
Working together, Jilla and Walks with Giants can find out a bit more about Karela. Now you need to find someone willing to discuss more with you.
It takes quite a while, but Jilla is eventually able to track down a middle-aged half-elf apothecary with a white beard and a single silver earring named Jonathram who is willing to answer your questions.
“Thefts? I don’t know nothing about no thefts. I know about receiving stolen goods though, and I ain’t about t’get locked up on no fool charge like that. Some Varisian feller come by wanting to buy up mah vermin repellent, trying to barter off some potions or whatnot. But I sees the Glyph of the Open Road on ‘em, and I ain’t about to touch no Pathfinder stuffs, so I tell him to shove off. Boy that got ‘im real mad. He was itchin’ up a storm, he was! Must have been living in them marshes, where them skeeters live.”
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It takes quite a while, but Jilla is eventually able to track down a middle-aged half-elf apothecary with a white beard and a single silver earring named Jonathram who is willing to answer your questions.
“Thefts? I don’t know nothing about no thefts. I know about receiving stolen goods though, and I ain’t about t’get locked up on no fool charge like that. Some Varisian feller come by wanting to buy up mah vermin repellent, trying to barter off some potions or whatnot. But I sees the Glyph of the Open Road on ‘em, and I ain’t about to touch no Pathfinder stuffs, so I tell him to shove off. Boy that got ‘im real mad. He was itchin’ up a storm, he was! Must have been living in them marshes, where them skeeters live.”
"I can see that a man of your integrity, intelligence, bearing, and obvious good looks would never be swindled into criminal activity. Isn't it sad that a good, honest businessman has to deal with such lowlifes while trying to make an honest living? I'm hoping a man of your wisdom would know what kind of lowlife scum would do business with that Varisian feller and where they might be found. So where are these marshes you think this feller is at? And how much for some of your vermin repellent?"
Arioch attempts and honest looking smile while having coins in his hand to purchase some of the aforementioned repellent.
Jonathram simply shrugs and answers, “Shores’ lousy with marsh.”