You have been aboard the Glorious Payoff for weeks now. The air has been cold and wet, leaving the railings heavy with ice. The navigators expect that the ship will come into view of land within days, and this will provide a welcome break from the monotony of ship life.
The Pathfinder Society planned an expedition to Arcadia in hopes of being the first modern explorers to return with stories and new knowledge from the distant continent. Bjersig Torrsen and Calisro Bennary lead the expedition that set sail from Iceferry.
Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen rests against the deck’s railing, a pleased look on his face. He begins to sign a few words. “We’re not too far from land now,” interprets Lirall, the gnome standing beside him. “I mentioned your role at the start of the trip, but seeing as we’ve been at sea for months now, I figured it couldn’t hurt to speak of it once more.
“The Pathfinder Society hasn’t had a presence on Arcadia for the entirety of its existence, and now we finally have a chance to change that. Before he left for Valenhall, former Linnorm King Sveinn Blood-Eagle signed an agreement with the Society.” Bjersig produces a document from a scroll case on his hip. “Basically, Blood-Eagle agreed to allow the Society to build a lodge at Valenhall in exchange for our aid in helping him get there in the first place, plus a few other favors.
“Unfortunately for us, the Society’s preparations to follow Blood-Eagle took a bit longer than anticipated. Now, at last, we’re almost there, and this is where you come in. We have the contract in hand, but we know nothing about Valenhall, save for what the stories and songs say. I want you to get to know the area and determine a suitable location to build our new lodge. It would be helpful if you can get us off on the right foot with the locals in the process. Calisro and I will be taking care of other details like the unloading of personnel and supplies, as well as getting things in order with our building crew. We hope to be ready to go in a few days, which should give you plenty of time to make arrangements on your end. We’re getting close to land now, so if you have any questions, now’s the time to ask them. Otherwise, I’ll let you prepare yourselves for the glory of Valenhall. You can speak with Calisro if you need any supplies.”
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Traveling with you is a half-elven woman in her early-twenties, probably more at home wearing expensive clothing at one of Zarta Dralneen's affairs, but is currently clad in sturdy explorer's clothing. At the hollow of her throat is a silver holy symbol tied with a black leather cord like a choker. Despite a delicate profile, she doesn't seem to have too much trouble with her gear.
She flashes you a dazzling smile as she introduces herself. "Elixia Zielle of the savored sting, at your service." She looks at her fellow Pathfinder agents after the briefing. "So, make nice with the locals and learn whatever we can that can help Sveinn Blood-Eagle. Is there anything else you think we should know?"
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On a ship with you is also an old orc. He limps at one leg and some of the fingers on his left hand are mutilated. His skin is covered with scars and tattoos, and his hair are grey and thin. He must have over 7 ft high but he usually walks bent, looking at his stature once he must have of great strength, but now he breaths loudly and seems in constant pain. Most of his face is covered by a very crude mask that has symbols of Gozreh, Iomedale, Desna, and a few other deities.
He is wearing armor from a thick hide, his voice sounds like grinding stones
"Valenhall? Isn't that a place where criminals are sent to?" He asks Bjersig while looking at the sea.
If you pay attention you could have seen Rangi go for a swim when the sea was calm and the wind did not blow too strong. He usually went early in the morning, instructing the sailors to keep the rope out to let him come back. No one ever saw him swimming as he would change his shape to an equally ugly shark that would swim along with the ship.
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A rustic old Dwarf stands on deck, leaning against the railing and staring out onto the rolling sea Last time I sign up for a mission before readin' the small print. How come we couldn't just ride those magical paths out here instead of months on a ship! He coughs up a chunk of phlegm, sending it overboard.
"So what can we expect to find fer locals out here anywho? They speak the common tongue or somethin' different?" Scratch has a huge list of questions, considering he's never been there and prides himself on getting along in the wilds of most anywhere. He definitely looks the part. A bulging backpack with two long firearm cases sticking out the top and a set of sun bleached leather armor.
"Any particular topics we should avoid talkin' about? Or animals we shouldn't be huntin'? I don't wanna haul in a big cat fer supper and get strung up by my toenails for it."
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Rangi moves next to Scratch looking at his weapons. He never used a firearm, nor did he fight against someone who used it. He spotted Azu and looked at his small dinosaur
He lowered his head and turn his side to the animal lowering his head, he was glad to see that the creature returned the gesture.
He looked around at Azu, Scratch, and Elixia "I would have sworn that there was one more with us. Is my mind deceiving me?" he says in a harsh voice
"What you need to know is more than we know," Bjersig signs as Lirall interprets for you. "This is our first expedition to Arcadia. However, what we need from you is to secure a plot of land in or near Valenhall. We're not asking for much: enough land to build a structure with several large rooms. A view of the ocean wouldn't hurt." Bjersig chuckles, cluing you in that the last bit was not entirely serious. "Your best shot is to find Sveinn Blood-eagle. I don't know where he is or if he even knows we’re coming. It might not hurt to ask around Valenhall to find out where he is. If he’s unavailable, then maybe you can talk to other local leaders to help sort us out."
He shakes his head at Ragni. "Stories say it's some kind of warrior's paradise where the fighting only stops long enough to eat and drink."
He continues answering your questions. "There will be plenty who speak Skald. Any native Arcadians will have their own language. Some are sure to speak common. Sveinn Blood-eagle's people, at least. Again, since we have never funded an expedition to Arcadia, let alone Valenhall, there is more we don't know than we do know. My advice is be respectful and be prepared to apologize if you mess up."
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Rangi moves next to Scratch looking at his weapons. He never used a firearm, nor did he fight against someone who used it. He spotted Azu and looked at his small dinosaur
He lowered his head and turn his side to the animal lowering his head, he was glad to see that the creature returned the gesture.
He looked around at Azu, Scratch, and Elixia "I would have sworn that there was one more with us. Is my mind deceiving me?" he says in a harsh voice
"Just wait til you get yer first whiff of burnt powder Rangi, puts a gleam in yer eye and a skip in yer step I tell ya!" Scratch does fail to mention the echoing blast of noise, but he's not concerned about that part...
"Ya I thought we had more coming, eating all that salted food on the ride over must be messin' with our minds. Don't worry, I'll get on the hunt asap once we make landfall and contact. Fresh roasted game over a wood fire fixes all that right quick."
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"Nonstop action? Guess I better fix up some more ammo then. Maybe movin' quietly til we get a better lay of the land be a good idea folks? Walkin' into somethin' eyes closed doesn't give us great options if we come across somethin' we shouldn't be seein'."
"Yes. Of course," Bjersig says. "The Glorious Payoff set out on this expedition well stocked."
As the ship rounds the coast and comes into view of the docks, Captain Benarry stops you.
“Oy, real quick before you go, I’d love you to do something for me.” She produces a rough map of the northern Arcadian coast. “The charts we had were a touch out of date. It’s a miracle we even made it here at all, actually! We’re in dire need of better maps of the area, so if you can get us something so we’re not sailing with information from the Age of Darkness, I would highly appreciate it. I’ll make sure to make it worth your while.” She grabs her flask and takes a quick sip. “Sorry, it’s just that exploring a whole new continent has given me the excited gutwasps. This tends to help.” She holds out the flask. “Anyone else need a drink? Anyway, as I was saying, get me a map of the coast and I’ll make sure you’re compensated. Oh, looks like we just docked. Off ya go! Oh, set sail with me to Valenhall...” sings Calisro as she makes her way off the ship.
Disembarking, you look around and find what you see to be rather confusing given the descriptions some of the sailors have mentioned. Maybe Ragni was right about this being a prison colony. The dock leads to a small town no different than any other Ulfen coastal town. It is certainly no grand place of legend.
Some dock workers appear to be Ulfen in descent, tall, with pale skin and fairer hair, while others have rounder features, darker skin and hair tones, and slightly shorter builds. Many others seem to be a mix of the two sets of traits.
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Rangi simply nods his head to Calisro, and grabs the flask, he takes a sip and passes it back "Good, thanks" he says in his harsh voice.
He gets off the ship and looks at the others "Anyone is skilled in talking to people?" Rangi looks around and searches for an inn "We can buy a drink and a meal maybe innkeeper would say something."
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Scratch is never one to turn down a free drink, taking a quick double swig of the Captain's booze with a grin. "Make some map notes, gotcha!" He rubs his nose and shakes a leg, exiting the ship stage right.
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"I can't say I'm much of a schmoozer Rangi, more of a boozer heh." He grins, showing off a set of brown, crooked teeth. "Maybe bafore we get out into the woods it'd be good to at least take a walk around town, see what's worth seein... "
Scratch tests out his common on some of the Ulfen looking people, and if that doesn't work, the darker skinned ones. "How's the fishin' been? Anywhere's around a guy can get a beer maybe?"
While Azu sets out to walk around town, he does run into a few people curious about him and discovers that everyone--at least, everyone he meets--speaks common. He also learns that this is not Valenhall. It is a town named Port Valen, one of several along this stretch of Arcadia that the locals refer to as the Scarred Coast. He notes there there is no unoccupied land nearby adequate to build a lodge. The town is surrounded by farmland and pastures for horses. Beyond that, the forest grows thick and imposing beneath the rugged hills and mountains.
"Fishing's good," an Ulfen fishermen says as he runs his nets beside his boat tied to the docks. "If you can get in his good graces, Sveinn Blood-eagle may let you share his mead at his feasting hall." This also answers the question forming at the tip of Rangi's tongue. You can see a grand longhouse with the ends of the eaves carved to resemble the heads of linnorms. "He's the most renowned and respected warrior in town and has been coordinating the town's defenses. He won’t be with us much longer though, since he’s preparing to follow the call onward to Valenhall. He’ll be meeting the next wave of monsters from the Forest of Trials and marching on toward the Wyrmlake, far to the west."
While Elixia wanders around town, she also learns that this is not Valenhall, but Port Valen. She also hears tales describign how Port Valen is constantly besieged by monsters coming from the Forest of Trials--apparently their name for the forest beyond the town's farmland. Warriors of Port Valen who hear the call of Valenhall take the next step in their journey when they follow the path of these monsters back to their source.
The fisherman you stop to ask about the coastline chuckles. "My maps up here!" He taps the side of his head. "You can pay me to draw you a map, if you insist." He seems to convey that he's no cartographer but he'd be happy to take your money in exchange for his attempt to draw a map.
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The fisherman you stop to ask about the coastline chuckles. "My maps up here!" He taps the side of his head. "You can pay me to draw you a map, if you insist." He seems to convey that he's no cartographer but he'd be happy to take your money in exchange for his attempt to draw a map.
Scratch taps his own head and nods in agreement "Best map you can have fella, keep them good perch holes and sand bars tucked away up there." He heads off to find the others and maybe Blood-Eagle next.
The consensus seems to be forming to go meet with Sveinn Blood-eagle. Elixia joins up with the others and shares what she learned about the Forest of Trials. She also picked up along the way the general political structure in Port Valen. The town has its own mayor, Mayor Bloodfang. The town is part of a loosely affiliated coalition of towns along the Scarred Coast governed by a "Shore Council." Port Valen's representative on that council is Rahahkswenwe. Sveinn Blood-eagle also holds significant sway here, at least before he leaves for Valenhall.
Blood-eagle's feast hall is dim inside compared to the lightly overcast sky outside. There are no windows, and it is illuminated by torches and large cook fires. Ulfen warriors busy themselves sharpening spears, oiling armor, packing supplies, cooking, and other mundane tasks. The massive, white-haired warrior with a weathered face and a massive fur cloak over his armor standing at the far end of the hall must be Sveinn Blood-eagle. Any of the warriors near the door can quickly confirm that for you.
As you approach, you can see that Blood-eagle is standing in front of a table with a map of a town, probably this town, laid out before him. Several notations have been made on the map that look like positions for barricades and units of men. He stops speaking with the other Ulfen at the table and gestures. "Get it done."
He then turns his attention to you. "Word came that the Pathfinder Society finally caught up and docked this morning. I thought your expedition must have been eaten by sea serpents at least a year ago!" He laughs at his own joke. "What do you need from Sveinn Blood-eagle? And be quick. I'm very busy."
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Rangi moves a bit closer and looks around, he does respect physical strength and Warchief being able to stand their ground. He straightens up, which is one of the rare occasions to see how tall he is, and says
"I am Rangi, this is Elixia, Scratch, Azu, and Teja. Altho I somehow feel like Teja could be just a ghost... We are pathfinders and we were not eaten by sea serpents. We came here to find a plot of land in or near Valenhall. We want to build our lodge here, so we need enough land to build a structure with several large rooms. Bjersig Torrsen told us to find you, so we did."
He says in his harsh common, his face covered by the odd wooden mask.
Sveinn raises an eyebrow. "Only the bravest warriors can find Valenhall! And once there they never leave. That is not a good place for your lodge as I understand the work of you Pathfinders." He smiles and then nods to himself. "But I think we can help each other out," he says. "I am leaving for Valenhall soon--very busy with preparations as you can see--and I wont' be needing this feasting hall after that." He gestures expansively at the grand long house. "I sent a scout into the Forest of Trials to survey the path for me, but he has not returned. I need him back. Unfortunately, I cannot spare anyone to go look for him. You, however, are conveniently unassigned to any task. Go into the forest, find my scout, and bring him back. Do this for me, and I will speak favorably to the mayor and the shore council before I depart. My recommendation will go far in convincing them to let you build a lodge in Port Valen. I will even recommend they give you my feast hall!"
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Rangi looks around at the hall and hits the wall with his fist couple of times to see if the building is in a good state. When his hand does not go to the other side he nods his head.
"Go into the forest, find your scout, bring him back. What if he died? Should we bring back the body? What was his name and how do we recognize them?"
He looks around "What is that Forest of trials?"
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Scratch snaps out of his distraction just as the negotiations hit their peak "Search n rescue? If that's the case, Scratch is yer man, man." He offers up a hearty handshake between a couple grizzled men.
"Rangi asks some good questions. Any way we can get our hands on a map of this place? Sure would make getting to the Forest of Trials easier, not to mention we could use one for the trip back on the ship later. I think the one we took bearings on to get here brought us the long way.."
As they work through the negotiations and logistics Scratch takes a self guided tour of the longhouse, glancing at the supplies and equipment the men are readying.
"What sorta foes do you come across often around here? I ain't gotten the chance yet to scout myself."
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"His name is Tawekam Nekotek. You will recognize him as he is the only scout I sent to the woods," Sveinn says. "But he is a Mahwek hunter who joined my expedition after I landed. What is the Forest of Trials? It is a forest, of course. Three norn live within and advise Ulfen warriors who have heard the call of Valenhall. You may encounter fey within. The beasts spawned from Wyrmlake pass through the forest when they assault the town: dragons, giants, trolls, frost wolves. All manner of foul monsters. I am afraid I do not have a map of the forest--finding a good path was Tawekam's assignemnt. However, you should have no problem finding the forest. Walk west until you reach trees." He pauses a moment. "If he is dead, then bring back whatever reports he has made and his remains, if you can."
"No," Sveinn Blood-eagle answers Azu plainly.
After half an hour's walk, you make it to the edge of the Forest of Trials. Azu expertly guides you to the most likely trail head and quickly finds evidence of someone's passing. After another half an hour of hiking between the snow laden conifers, the sound of growl and barking is carried on the wind. You hustle onward and as you breach into a clearing, a man's voice cries out, "Look out! Wolves!"
A dark-haired man in leathers and furs stands upon a large stone rise. Greataxe in his hand, he tries to keep a pack of wolves at bay. One of the wolves is much taller and broader than the others.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Scratch
Red Wolf
Blue Wolf
Rangi
Yellow Wolf
Azu Azan
Elexia
Green Dire Wolf
Another large wolf bounds out of the shadows behind the rocks and climbs the stone rise. She bites down on the man's leg. Tewakam lets out a cry of pain. The wolf pulls the scout's foot out from under him and drops him flat on his belly. Red blood stands out starkly against the snow at Tewakam's feet.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Pink Dire Wolf
Scratch
Red Wolf
Blue Wolf
Rangi
Tewakam (NPC) (-15 hp, prone)
Teja
Yellow Wolf
Azu Azan
Elexia
Green Dire Wolf
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Scratch makes his way down the trail, long barreled rifle in hand "Reminds me of this race I won up north.. Balder.. trek? Or somethin' like that.. Weather sucked but at least we ate good!"
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"Wulves, giant bastards! Time ta smoke 'em out fellas!" Quick as a hiccup Scratch has his rifle on his shoulder and eye down the barrel.
The hair on the back of Rangi's neck gets scorched by the muzzle flash as a ball of steel flies off at the purple wolf attacking the scout.
He ducks down for some cover behind Rangi and fires again from the big orc's right side this time, again at the purple wolf.
*I'm not sure if soft cover qualifies or not, at the minimum he gets to reload anyhow.
◆ Covered Reload: You duck into a safe position or minimize your profile while reloading to make your next attack. Either Take Cover or attempt to Hide, then Interact to reload. As normal, you must meet the requirements to Take Cover or Hide; you must be prone, benefiting from cover, or near a feature that allows you to Take Cover, and you need to be benefiting from cover or concealed to a creature to Hide from that creature.
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The clearing echoes with thunder, birds scatter from distant trees, and snow falls off of the branches as Scratch sinks two slugs into the dire wolf's shoulder. The beast gives you all a baleful glare.
Two of the wolves break to either side of the stone outcropping to finish off the fallen scout. Only one of them reaches him before the rest of you can react and bites deep through his boot.
"There! It's left side is weak now!" Tewakam says as he rises to his feet. Badly injured and bloodied, he leaps off of the stone rise. While he draws your attention to a weak spot on the dire wolf. It might be in his better interests for you to distract the other wolves in front of him before they tear him apart.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Pink Dire Wolf (-17 hp)
Scratch
Red Wolf
Blue Wolf
Rangi
Tewakam (NPC) (-23 hp)
Teja
Yellow Wolf
Azu Azan
Elexia
Green Dire Wolf
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Rangi caught and turns to Scratch "Don't make so much smoke Scratch, I can't see a thing."
He limps forwards using at least once his bastard sword to keep his balance. He charges at the large wolf and strikes him with his sword. He takes two last steps and swings his sword
Then he raises his shield.
Teja and Rangi advance. The orc swings too high. Teja drives her blade through the smaller wolf's heart, killing it in an instant.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Pink Dire Wolf (-17 hp)
Scratch
Red Wolf
Blue Wolf
Rangi (shield raised)
Tewakam (NPC) (-23 hp)
Teja (1 Action left)
Azu Azan
Elexia
Green Dire Wolf
New Yellow Wolf
Elexia advances through the light snow and provides a much needed boon to the scout. His bleeding slows and the ragged bite wounds begin to mend.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Pink Dire Wolf (-17 hp)
Scratch
Red Wolf
Blue Wolf
Rangi (shield raised)
Tewakam (NPC) (-5 hp)
Teja (1 Action left)
Azu Azan
Elexia
Green Dire Wolf
New Yellow Wolf
Teja moves in to flank the dire wolf after finishing the lesser wolf with a single blow. Azu considers his options.
The dire wolf snarls and snaps at Rangi, but he cannot get past his shield. Recognizing the danger, he moves out from between the two Pathfinders. Rangi sees an opportunity to strike.
One of the lesser wolves moves toward Teja. She manages to snag the woman's leg with her jaws. The wound is minor, but the wolf bites down hard on her boot and pulls Teja's leg out from under her.
The injured dire wolf runes to the defense of her packmate against the more dangerous opponents.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Pink Dire Wolf (-17 hp)
Azu Azan
Scratch
Red Wolf
Blue Wolf
Rangi (shield raised) (AOO pending vs. Green)
Tewakam (NPC) (-5 hp)
Teja (65/68 hp) (prone)
Elexia
Green Dire Wolf
New Yellow Wolf