Going in alone doesn't really sound like a good idea, but I don't want anyone else risking themselves either.
Saria looks at the rest of the group and gives them a quick nod. "I'll go and talk with her."
"Please be ready to step in if things go the wrong way", she whispers as she steps up to the plank.
With a small prayer, she attempts to cross towards the door on the other side.
(+2 dex, +1 Guidance, -3 ACP)
Saria crosses and enters the room with the goblins behind the barricade. Natalya stands with one of them beside her. Another goblin watches from the now-open doorway that leads further inside.
The lithe, dark-haired woman stands confidently behind the barricade. A rapier hangs from one side of her hip and a wand has been tucked into her belt on the opposite side. Hanging from her neck by a leather thong is a curious chunk of metal, generally shaped like a blade. It is a coppery colored metal with an indentation toward the middle.
"We saw you take down Terisha. That's no mean feat. And I saw those cheap hired mercenaries flee when you and they got too close. Good help is hard to find, yet here you are. You say you do not want to fight, hut I know you can. I can make a couple educated guesses why you're here, but let's hear what you have to say on the subject."
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Saria gestures at the wayfinder hanging from her belt as she speaks:"We're Pathfinders. We were sent by Sheila Heidmarch, our venture captain, to find out what happened to you, since you never showed up to the meeting you had arranged to happen three days ago."
"The captain is still interested in meeting you - we will be happy to protect you on our way back to the lounge, if you're worried about another attack by your former associates"
"Oh? You are an awfully competent bunch for mere messengers." The woman throws back some curly black locks of hair and half-smiles. "Well, you certainly did do me a favor. Perhaps I should oblige the good Captain? Very well. Meet me out front in five minutes." She waits for Saria to depart before leaving the platform.
Saria smiles at Natalya's praise, and replies "Well, our jobs as Pathfinders sometimes involve more than being simple messengers. And everyone on the team was hand-picked by the captain herself, so I'm sure she considered a fight with your previous crew might happen and figured we'd be competent enough to handle it."
"Thank you for agreeing to come with us. I'll let the rest of the team know and we will wait outside for you to get ready"
Relieved that the conversation went well, Saria crosses back outside and relays Natalya's answer to the group.
"Natalya was pretty impressed with how we handled ourselves against the tower girl and her crew, and has agreed to follow us back to the lodge. She asked us to wait for her outside, she'd be ready to leave in five minutes. I just hope the journey back proves uneventful."
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Do we think she'll come through?? Eskander shifts his weight from one foot to the next, nervously. As he waits, he fidgets with a small crystal from his belt which occasionally shines with a dim light. We did handle ourselves pretty well, that's certain. I was worried for a minute early, but we're pretty capable Pathfinders he beams with the last.
When Natalya comes out with her entourage, Eskander peers at the stone around her neck,
Wow that's pure horacalcum! Amazing find! Pleasure to meet you, I'm Eskander. he grins again, nodding his head at her and her goblin attendants.
Zadira is jubilant that they are going to get a THOUSAND gold EACH... they were promised double for bringing her in alive, and it was going to work!
... She just wonders if they are going to have an argument over the "discreetly" part of the whole thing. ... She hopes that the goblins know how to keep a low profile.
When Eskander identifies the stone as pure horacalcum, she looks around and motions for him to keep quiet. They didn't need more trouble.
She keeps an eye out on the way back, ready to fight anything that threatened Natalya in the least.
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When Eskander voiced what she too had noted regarding the amulet, Bel merely nodded in agreement; having no need to follow the comment made by her half-elf male companion.
"Natalya was pretty impressed with how we handled ourselves against the tower girl and her crew, and has agreed to follow us back to the lodge. She asked us to wait for her outside, she'd be ready to leave in five minutes. I just hope the journey back proves uneventful."
"Nicely done, Saria," she lauded the shaman's efforts with Natalya.
Bel kept her focus on the surrounds in case of anything noteworthy or threatening.
Once outside, Natalya strides confidently away from the slums, her goblins in tow looking the part of professional bodyguards. It is obvious why she picked these three. They remain quiet and alert, always scanning for dangers.
Once at the edge of the worst part of town she gives her goblins a nod and they scurry off into the shadows. "I told them to avoid other longshanks but follow us to the manor's walls." Natalya says aloud as she climbs up the massive ramp to the wealthy side of town. "Any idea if she has the cottages unoccupied? I'm thinking I might need a new hideout."
Natalya seems to be on the level about the goblins, but you get the impression she's asking about the cottages for reasons other than what she said.
Well, at least we won't be going around town with a trio of goblins in tow - I don't know if Sheila will like three goblins showing up at her front door though.
Is she referring to the Thassolanion houses? I believe at least two seemed occupied this morning. Still, her interest in them seems to be more than just looking for a new hideout.
Saria gently nudges those who are closest to her, trying to tip them off that something about Natalya's interest in the houses is off, and tries to keep her talking to see if she reveals anything more.
"I'm not too familiar with the captain's estate, as today was my first time there. Are you referring to those houses on the way to the Meeting House? The Thassilonian Houses, if I'm remembering what the guard told me correctly?"
"Those are the ones, I remember when-Oh, no!" Natalya suddenly slinks close to the wall and draws up the hood of her cloak. "I owe him a lot of money, if he sees me, it could turn violent. I know just the spell to protect myself though."
Zadira listens to Saria and takes her seriously. I mean, they had to deliver her for the gold, but they didn't really have to *trust* her.
When Natalya slinks close to the wall trying to avoid someone, Zadira steps in between her and the person, interrupting the line of sight and trying to stave off trouble.
She tries to watch Natalya closely, now worried that she was going to try to slink off before they reached their destination.
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"Those are the ones, I remember when-Oh, no!" Natalya suddenly slinks close to the wall and draws up the hood of her cloak. "I owe him a lot of money, if he sees me, it could turn violent. I know just the spell to protect myself though."
** spoiler omitted **
"What spell would that be?"
Mallory can't explain the strange feelings, but it soon fades. Natalya eyes her cautiously for a moment. "Just something to give me a chance in case a fight breaks out," Natalya replies with a dismissive hand gesture. "He's gone, let's hurry before it gets too late." She moves off, hustling down the street more quietly.
The gate to the lodge remains open as always, with a bored looking human guard waving everyone through without a second glance.
Everything is quiet on the grounds, and the major-domo let's everyone into the library to wait for the Captain. Several minutes pass in quiet.
Zadira gets a distinct whiff of goblin, and notices them following behind, but she loses them when they move inside the building.
When they get to the library, Zadira acts casual, but she makes sure to take a position between Natalya and the door. Clearly they had earned their money, but she wanted to make sure their prize wasn't going to stab someone and try to take off.
She quietly passes on the fact that the goblins are in the building to her teammates, just so there is no surprise if they burst in.
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Bel remained quiet as she moved along with the others, listening to the conversations around her.
Once on the grounds and past the guard, Bel noted the trio of goblins on the move - past the guard.
Standing in the library, waiting for the Captain, Bel's thoughts turned back to the three goblins. Where did they go? Sneaky little buggers. They wish to protect their mistress. Let's hope they're not up to mischief, here.
She heard Zadira's quiet warning and Bel merely nodded and answered quietly, "Noticed them, too. Will be mindful."
Eskander watches the strange interactions between Mallory and Natalya, noting it down for future reference. Could the skymetal be making her jumpy? Or put her on an unstable mental ground? he reviews what he knows of Horacalcum, which admittedly, isn't much.
As they enter the estate and Zadira quietly mentions the goblins trailing them, Eskander blinks, looking around suddenly, and then realizing he was supposed to stay quiet about it since she didn't make a big deal. But the half-elf tightens his grip on the spear nervously, and follows the group into the study - this time bringing the spear into the house. He looks around at the objects in the study, peering intently at an astrolabe on a shelf and absently reaching for his notebook before pausing and smoothing his hands on his tunic and adjusting the hem of it instead.
Captain Heidmarch struts into the room wearing a hastily donned robe and night clothes. Natalya stands and leans close to her.
"Captain Heidmarch. I'm so sorry that I missed our previous engagement, I was simply very busy. It was always my plan to come see my friend, you are my friend, aren't you?" Natalya asks, with an odd tone in her voice.
The Captain puts on a large effusive smile and embraces Natalya tightly. She winks at the recruits then motions with her eyes to the door. "The best of friends, you're like a daughter to me." As she pulls away from the embrace Heidmarch stares at the metal around Natalya's neck. "What a beautiful necklace," She says after a pause. "It looks like it is missing something though. Oh! I have just the thing! Give me one moment, dearest!"
Natalya walks to the window as the Captain rushes off. She leans out and takes a deep breath. "The air tastes better up here. Feels better," She says leaning out the window.
"Nice evening. Good omen for a new start, right?" She asks before slinking back to her seat.
Zadira laughs and says
Yes, a nice evening indeed.
She wanders over to the window, looks out, and returns to her place by the door, letting Mallory quietly know on the way about the light at the window and asking her to watch that as an escape route. Then she again makes sure she is between Natalya and the door.
I mean, no offense, but that place you were staying, it smelled pretty bad. I bet you are glad to be back someplace easier on the nose at least.
What was that bright light just now?
Intrigued, Saria moves closer to the window as Zadira returns to her place at the door, taking a peek outside (and looking towards the Thassilonian Houses, if they're visible from this window).
"It is indeed a fine evening. And those cottages on the way seemed quite cozy, I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable there if one is available."
Eskander understands Captain Heidmarch's message, and seeing Zadira plant herself in Natalya's pathway to the door, Eskander wanders in the general direction of Saria and the window, but not too close. He seems utterly confused by the strange repartee between all the folks, but instead fishes out his journal and begins a quick sketch of the necklace Natalya's wearing.
Cousin, he says, addressing Natalya We are among friends here, as you can tell, Bel and I share a love of the open road, and have spent our time growing among the caravans of our people. It is okay. he says, trying to diffuse whatever the heck is going on in the room.
"Our people?" Natalya asks as she glances at the door. "I know little of either elves or Varisians. We share less in common than you might believe. I was a baby when my mother was murdered. She never had a chance to teach me about our culture." For a brief moment Natalya drips the mask and shows genuine emotion. The moment passes and she turns away to wipe a tear from her eye before continuing in her haughty voice, "No matter. I'm on the cusp of my destiny, and I will be the one writing it."
I hear someone fighting. Maybe goblins? Did they perhaps misunderstand one of your orders, Natalya?
Natalya draws her hand crossbow and aims it at Zadira. "Oh, no, I believe they followed them to the letter. Most see goblins as useless, uncontrollable nuisances with the brains of your average potato. Some are special. A mastermind like myself knows how to spot that potential. Now, now, don't do anything rash. We wouldn't want the good Captain to walk in and assume her dearest friend is being attacked."
Zadira says
Yes, that would be tragic.
while raising her own bow, pointed at Natalya.
She doesn't attack immediately though, just maintaining the standoff, but she readies an attack which will go off if any of the following happen.
--Natalya shoots, moves to escape, or does anything else negative or harmful
--The goblins make it into the room
--Battle somehow starts another way
--Captain Heidmarch orders it.
(point-blank)
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Eskander sees the wheels coming off the cart, and rather quickly at that. Listen, it doesn't have to come to this! I'm sure we can figure something else out, let's all just calm down here.
"I guess we have ourselves a good old fashioned Shackles Standoff here. Let me explain what's going to happen next. The goblins have barred the door and are working to contain the Dwarf. Heidmarch comes back in here and sees weapons drawn. She has been ensorcelled, so she will end up going a little crazy. If you're lucky, she uses that quarterstaff of hers. If you're not, well...what I've heard about the things that woman can do to a person with her bare hands is pretty scary stuff.
What my arrow can do to your chest is also the stuff of legends. If you're willing to gamble your spell prowess against your well-being, well, so am I. We were promised double pay if we brought you in alive, but I figure we already did that, really... so if you happen to die now, when I was forced to shoot you in self-defense, well then, we should still totally get double. And I would definitely rather see you dead than have to chase you back to that sewer you were living in. Disgusting. Seriously, you thought you were doing *better* by going there than you could do here? What a ludicrous joke.
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"Do not forget that we have magic of our own - your spell can easily be dispelled or surpressed, Do you really believe you can take all of us AND the captain? Drop your weapon and call off your goblins, this is not a fight you can win."
Natalya smirks. "It isn't my destiny to fail now! She aqueezes the trigger on her hand crossbow. The tiny bolt flies past Zadira who launches her own projectile.
Natalya looks profoundly confused with Zadira's arrow protruding from her chest. She squints and opens her mouth to speak but it takes her a moment to choke out, "But...but I am the smartest...the fastest...my...destiny?"
Moments later Captain Heidmarch enters scowling. "Damn. I was hoping she wouldn't make a move until I got back. It isn't her fault." She sighs then pulls a potion bottle out from under her robe.
Wumbrout Brios arrives as Sheila Heidmarch checks Natalya's pulse. "One intruder killed, ma'am. Other two run off. I woulda chased 'em, but..." He taps his peg leg with his axe.
"No matter, I doubt they will return." She takes a small spherical stone out of her pocket, blue streaked with bright crimson and carefully places it into the indentation on the shard of metal around the woman's neck, then roughly yanks the arrow free as she pours the potion down Natalya's throat.
Natalya gasps suddenly and clutches her chest. Her hand comes back covered in blood, but she remains alive and shocked. She looks at Heidmarch and bursts into tears immediately. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She tears the shard off and throws it to the ground. "What did I do? Why did I feel like I could...gods...I thought I was going to conquer Golarion!"
"You were cursed, my dear. Cursed with extreme pride. It's okay, it's over now. I deactivated the curse. Wumbrout? Could you make sure one of the cottages is ready for a guest? Then make some coffee, please. It is going to be a late night. Sorry to have you up so late, my friend! We will get you an extra day off soon."
To everyone else she says, " Please give me a few minutes to get my husband, we have a lot to talk about."
She returns a few minutes later with her husband, Sir Canavyan Beidmarch close behind. Both have books and notepads in their arms.
"What you have found, my friends, is nothing short of a miracle. Varisia has seen its share of miracles of late-the discovery of Xin-Shalast and the defeat of Runelord Karzoug, or Korvosa's release from mad lleosa's rule come to mind-but this discovery will soon be remembered as an equal to those events. This is a powerful Thassilonian artifact, a fragment of horacalcum and a portion of the Shattered Star of Xin: to be precise, the Shard of Pride."
"Thank you Captain. I'm afraid I'm not as familiar as I'd like with Thassilonian lore - what is the Shattered Star of Xin?"
"Reportedly, the Shattered Star was a powerful defensive item created well over 10,000 years ago by the founder of the empire ofThassilon, an exiled Azlanti named Xin. At that time, the item was known as the Sihedron-a seven-pointed star made of the seven skymetals infused with powerful magic. When the runelords rebelled against him, this item was broken into seven parts, and the runelords each claimed a shard for their own. In the 10 millennia since Earthfall and the end of Thassilon, the shards have shifted locations, yet they have never been reassembled into the Sihedron.
"It may not be as popular or fous as the Seven Swords of Sin, but I've always been fascinated by the legend. Where did you find it, Natalya?"
The curly haired woman whispers, "The Crow. Secret room I found." She has stopped crying but has a look of total depression on her face.
... Uh, sorry for killing you...
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"I'm still here. But I wish you had killed me," Natalya says with red eyes and a tear streaked face. "Ayala...she is going to be trouble. If it was just trouble for me, I wouldn't care, but if she finds put about the Pathfinders, she is going to lash out! Oh, gods, she has to be brought to justice or...killed."
Captain Heidmarch walks over to the young woman and squats down beside where Natalya is trying to let the chair envelope her. "Natalya, I need you to listen closely: this is not your fault. You were under a magical compulsion designed by some of the mightiest wizards to walk Golarion. I bear as much responsibility for your actions as you do, more perhaps. What's past is past. All we can do is move forward and do better."
"Sorry to interrupt," Her husband says, "But did you say, 'The Crow'? You've been inside?" Natalya weakly answers in the affirmative and the man lights up. "Fascinating! How large was the area you found it in? We guessed some pilings may hold large, even extensive, chambers."
"Huge," is all she says in reply.
Heidmarch grabs the shard from the ground and offers it to Zadira. "Humor me, if you will. Hold this and concentrate. Imagine a seven-pointed star, each point shaped like this shard. Don't worry, the curse is inert now, thanks to the ioun stone I placed in it. If my research is correct, the shard should tell you where the next piece of the whole is."
Zadira takes the shard and closes her eyes, trying to focus on the shard and imagine a star made out of pieces like this...
Zadira focuses and concentrates. She sees a hazy vision, as if it was an extremely foggy twilight, of a massive piling carved with birds and winged creatures. A single crow flies off in the distance, behind it through the fog is a large city.
I see a massive piling carved with birds. There is a crow in the vision, and behind it is a large city.
She opens her eyes
Is that the place you were referring to as "The Crow"?
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Saria thinks for a moment, trying to recall from where she remembers the place's name.
"Didn't that creepy guy under the bridge say that the Tower Girls had moved into the Crow from whatever space he was renting them? Does that mean they have another one of the shards?" Saria looks around at the rest of the party before turning towards Natalya.
"Sounds about right," Captain Heidmarch says to Zadira.
Natalya shakes her head in the negative. "I didn't tell anyone about the Shard. But I don't know how and where they may or may not have explored. I would guess Ayala would not want to risk losing more of the crew to spider demons wod would have ordered them to stay to the spots we cleared."
"If you're going to go inside The Crow," says Sir Canavyan. "I would very much like you to recover as many details about the interior as possible. Maps, sketches, notes, anything you can gather. Especially of anything that seems exceptionally unique. Unusual, and Thassilonian."
"Well," begins Captain Heidmarch, "I believe this find could be most critical should Varisia be under threat. Not to mention, the thrill of discovery and documentation is hard to pass up. Are you all up to the task?"
Yes. Do you think we could maybe get our pay before we set off to the new place though? We might need to grab a few extra supplies.
"Absolutely. Preparation, or lack thereof, can make or break any expedition." She withdraws long enough to retirve the agreed upon payment.
Eskander listens to Natalya and what Captain Heidmarch have to say, dutifully taking notes as they speak, quickly sketching the necklace. POWERFUL MAGIC GRANDSON.... wait, what I'm trying to listen and take notes, stop it! FOLLOW THE MAGIC, YOU WILL LEARN MUCH MORE the half-elf scribbles out what he was writing squinting to focus on what was being said around them THIS IS IMPORTANT, PAY ATTENTION...I'm trying to grandfather, let me focus and write this down! His eyes clear as he returns to the task at hand of copying notes down.
As the Captain returns with coin in hand, Eskander slips it inside his armor, Thank you Captain. and bows his head in gratitude. He turns to the others, What of what we took from the mercenaries trying to catch Natalya, do we have a rough inventory? Can we sell some of it away? Should we plan on trying to enter the Crow tomorrow?
I have a rough inventory, but I might not have gotten everything... wasn't there a crossbow too? Not sure if I missed anything else.
She passes over the list she made:
Bronze ring engraved with a bird's wing (ring of feather fall)
Masterwork silver dagger
Garnets (3)
3x potion A
2x potion B
Masterwork short sword
Masterwork whip
Masterwork chain shirt
Smokestick
Climber's kit
Grappling hook with 5o-foot silk rope
Second story harness
Silver holy symbol of Norgorbor
Thieves' tools
4 pp, 47 gp
Captain Heidmarch, can the Society front us the coin and dispose of some of this equipment in Absalom? It would make our lives less, complicated? Eskander asks, considering the likelyhood of a wandering merchant not being involved with the Sczarni in town unlikely.
Captain Heidmarch, can the Society front us the coin and dispose of some of this equipment in Absalom? It would make our lives less, complicated? Eskander asks, considering the likelyhood of a wandering merchant not being involved with the Sczarni in town unlikely.
"We could try and liquidate it, but I'm afraid I couldn't give you a great estimate. You would probably be better off finding someone anonymous in The Bazaar of Sails."