"Intriguing," says Caroliss. "I was supposed to learn things like calligraphy and painting, but I wasn't very good at either. We seem to have the benefit of time here. Did you bring materials? Would you be willing to show me now?"
Caroliss's curiosity is piqued by the calligraphy, but she's really far more interested in getting to know Alara.
"I did, in fact!" The elf dives into the satchel on her shoulder and rummages around inside it--eventually producing a blank journal with a green cover, an inkpen and a vial of black ink.
"Don't think I'd be much of a Pathfinder without something to write with and something to write down on."
We may be about the enter combat with this boxes possible guardians at any moment, it could well be more prudent to have caligraphy lessons at a later point in time. Ragnar states diplomatically.
I would as a matter of fact be interested, in Sarkoris, we mostly write on actual trees, and a system of writing that is calligraphic could well be of considerably utility.
I believe our agreed upon options are "lucre", "ulcer" and "lurec" if the first 2 fail? I believe we should try these 3.
The half-elf continues to be hard as the 9 levels of hell to read, which made her more the more intriguing to the rogue. As for Ragnar's reply, Krystal shrugged. "Eh, four people's more than enough to handle whatever's in that box. Let's get to cracking."
If no one objects, Krystal would put in those three letter combinations.
Lets see whats going to happen, hopefully not a fireball. Thinks Ragnar as Ambriel and Krystal operate the device.
Mindfull of his resources, he does not enter a preemtpive Bloodrage.
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Anansi the Spider continues to entreat the ancestors for advice. The halfling seems to have scooted back away from the box while still seated comfortably on his cushion.
Not exactly certain that the Venture-Captain would allow this contraption into her foyer if she thought any explosions, summons or deadly gases were expected.
The Shaman then winks.
But I suppose poisons are still on the table.
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Krystal finds her attempts to stick a tool of any size or shape into the stone box fail as it literally has no seams, it is a chest carved out of stone, but seemingly nonfunctional beyond the magical runes.
Otherwise, the group puts their minds together as the senior Pathfinders adjourn to an adjacent room to complete their debrief. Outside the rain finally starts and taps, taps, taps against the windows in the library.
Ambriel fidgets through the combinations. LUCRE causes the box to momentarily hum. Bright white light runs along the seams in two diverging points from the back and running along the sides to reconnect in the front. A metalic click echoes through the library. Before Ambriel can lift the lid open for herself, it slowly creaks up. A filthy paw pushes the lid the rest of the way up before the paw's owner, a creature resembling the world's ugliest dog jumps free with a malicious giggle, then a second and a third emerge!
As the creatures burst forth, the chest is knocked over spilling the remainder of the box's contents, a pouch and a sheathed dagger, onto the table as the tiny bipedal dog-thigs cackle and jump about the room in wild pandemonium, flinging books and artifacts from the shelves and drawing teensy daggers to cut leather chairs. One stops for a moment to point at the prospective pathfinder recruits and barks out something in the gnoll tongue.
The other two pull shortbows out and cackle.
"My goodness!" Alara gasps in shock as she rises up from her seat and draws her katana.
"Stop that right now!" She says as she steps up to one of the dog-creatures and swings!
Ambriel retreats from the box when the little beasts begin to emerge. When they show themselves to be vicious and destructive, Ambriel quickly recites a few arcane words, "Todellinen iskevä voima!", and with a gesture sends the silvery bolt that emerges streaking into the nearest of them.
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Anansi the Spider jumps up at the sounds and sights of the mini-pugs emerging from the tricksy box!
The halfling also notices a pouch and a sheathed dagger spill onto the now vacant table.
Whispering to the ancestors as he strides over to the table and grabs both.
He looks at them for further treachery.
Dey mite be giants...err...gremlins.
Anansi does not notice anything dangerous about the items. The pouch looks to contain a handful of small items, and the dagger gleams bright silver beneath the exquisite leather holder.
Anansi the Spider holds up the masterwork silver dagger.
Perhaps these mini-pugs are allergic to silver?
Possible AoOs just in case:
1:
2:
3:
Frustrated as his probably manifest inablity to hit (more then one),
he tries to figure out what the heck they are:
Sharing any information he gains with the party.
Ragnar then bloodrages, and focuses more on secure hits, as his Strength probably suffices to crush foes provided he hits them.
He starts singing:
Fruset land
En köldhärjad här
Föds on demoner ur krutrök
Rehnskiölds män
Stormar dess flank
Fruktat hans namn är i strid
En för en, flyr Deskars skem hem
Död väntar dem!
Badly bowdlerized Sabaton Lyrics because why not
Frozen Land,
a frostbitten force,
charges at the demons through dust clouds
Rehnskiölds men
storm the flank!
Feared was his name in war
One by one runs Deskaris scum home
Death awaits them!
Free action: Bloodrage, Turn off power attacking
Caroliss shares anything she might know about these awful creatures.
Other than that, she pulls out her whip and tries to distract one so that Krystal can stab it!
Unfortunately, she manages to whip a chandelier instead!
Her original plan didn't work out for her as the stupid box had nothing that could be pried with! So she begrudgingly handed over the box to the wizard, who promptly opened up the box... only to meet up with a surprise. Krystal blinked as she moved back in response.
"...okay so I was wrong. Sue me."
When she walked back towards the box and saw the items, she looked back at the creatures and nodded. ""I can work with this."
Grabbing the dagger,she moved to flank the creature across from Ragnar and give it a good stabbing.
Just as she thought she had a clear hit, she tripped and missed completely.
Ragnar's instincts allow him to slice one of the detestable creatures as it leaps from shelf to shelf. The other two pause their laughing and glance at one another in shock. Then they throw their heads back in a guffaw. One points at his bisected compatriot and makes a choking pantomime crossing it's bulging dog eyes.
A large piece of crystal knocked loose from the chandelier whipped by Caroliss impacts Alara's hand mid-swing and keeps her from connecting with one of the annoying buggers. Ambriel's force missiles slaps one across the face, leaving behind a deep welt. It hardly seems to matter when moments later Ragnar manages to plunge his sword through the creature's heart.
The remaining critter sings back at Ragnar in nonsense syllables with a mocking tone then narrows it's eyes and tries to shoot the bloodrager with it's tiny bow. The arrow flies wide, breaking a window and eliciting another harsh laugh from the creature.
Ragnar attempts to benefit from flank with Alara and/or Caroliss
And then goes out of rage at the end of his turn.
"That's just straight up not fair!" Krystal hopes to do a better job this time around by getting a good stab in.
Seeing that the more offensively minded members of the group seem to have things well in hand, Anansi the Spider turns his attention to the tumbled paradox box.
He cast Guidance.
The shaman absently says
Do leave their heads intact. I wouldn't mind asking each of them questions. If anyone recognizes the language?
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Taken aback by the considerable levels of violence and noise coming from Ragnar so suddenly, Ambriel steps back from the cluster and waits to see if another spell from her is needed before casting it.
The shaman absently says
Do leave their heads intact. I wouldn't mind asking each of them questions. If anyone recognizes the language?
Som ni vill, horisontell delning är det då. Ragnar interrupts his signing, before translating As you wish, horizontal bisection it is then.
Their language is neither Abyssal nor Skald nor Infernal. He adds matter of factly.
+2 if flanking
+2 if flanking
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This time, Caroliss uses her whip to try and help Alara land a strike.
And fails quite miserably in being useful.
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Caroliss' whip snatches Krystal's dagger right out of hand. Luckily, if one can say that around these things. Ambriel spins the last of them straight into Ragnar's bardiche with a projectile of magical force. It falls to the floor with a thump.
The library door bursts open as Koriah leaps in with her akyls twirling and ready to fight. Heidmarch is two steps behind her, but looks nonplussed.
"Ugh. Pugwampi. Damn, that means I missed a trap on the box!" The half-elf says relaxing her fighting stance. She frowns, "This mess is on me, Cap'n."
"Don't come down so hard on yourself dear. I missed the trap too, as did they," Sheila motions to the group around the table. "This is not evidence you or we are failures, but that the Thassilonian's were very advanced. Tell me," She asks while turning to the recruits, "Did it contain anything more interesting than some gremlins?"
I was more focused on eliminating the foe. I wonder how the Thassilonian maintained these creatures over such a long period. It cant have been a real Stasis spell, if one were to invest such resources, then something nastier then Pugwampis would jump out. Some conjuration trigger perhaps?
Mrs. Kogalnica was the one to overcome its lock.
Mr. Anansi was investigating the box during combat.
Ragnar states matter of factly.
Ragnar is truthfull, but hiding that he is out of breath. He is also trying to keep his currently heavily clawed hands out of Mrs. Heidmarchs as well as everyone elses, sight.
Still holding both pouch and dagger, the halfling lifts both above his head, so the tall people will notice.
If you happen to have a way for me to communicate with them, I would like to ask them?
Anansi the Spider then lifts up the found items a bit higher.
Krystal winced as the whip forced her hand to let go of her dagger. "Save that for another time," She replied, half of which with some sort of annoyance.
But the team managed to take down those stupid flying devils. "Gods that sucked." She shook her hand to dull the pain a bit.
When the two Pathfinder members arrived, she shrugged. "Too busy fighting annoying monsters to notice. But the dagger had a good grip. Seems like a masterwork version."
The senior Society members quickly take notes about the event and the box's contents. Bruos arrives a few minutes after the dcuffle bearing a broom, dustpan, and a wand. He uses a combination of elbow grease and magic to clean the mess left behind by the pugwampi. By the time Koriah and Captain Heidmarch finish updating their notes, the Dwarf has restored the library to its preferred state.
Koriah packs her things and gives Captain Heidmarch a half-hug on her way out the door. "Ah, we might just be able to start our business," She says before motioning for everyone to take a seat. She places the box's contents on the table. A bronze ring engraved with a bird's wing, the masterwork silver dagger, and three garnets.
"You took the risk, you can reap the rewards. The way you handled yourselves tells me that your reputations are well-deserved, so I have no doubt you will be able to help with the task at hand."
She withdraws a small scroll from her sleeve and unfurls it. There is a sketch of a human woman with curly dark hair and Varisian features. "Her name is Natalya Vancaskerkin, and she was an informant for the Society. Her choice. She seemed to want something better than doing cat burglary for the Sczarni, and she was on the verge of discovering something she thought might be huge, something that sounded Thassilonian. We were to meet three days ago so she could relate more details, but she never showed for the meeting. At first I was not concerned, but as we dug deeper we became more concerned. Our network of contacts has no sign of her, but we were hearing reports that the Sczarni were looking for her as well. I'm afraid she recovered the item and absconded with it, which is why her criminal associates are also looking for her.
"I need her disappearance investigated. Discreetly. Try and find her, and find what the item was her crew might have found. Recover it for me and I will pay you each 500 gold. Double if you can recover Natalya and bring her to me alive."
"You had me at Thassilonian," says Caroliss as Sheila Heidmarch explains the situation. Though she's not sure she fully understands the situation. "So what's the deal--are you saying that the Sczarni are looking for Natalya because she swiped it from them?"
"That is my best guess, yes." Captain Heidmarch pauses then adds, "Of course, there are many rumors that Nidalese slavers are snatching people off the streets. This may be true, but it seems like it would be an improbable coincidence. Missing people in Magnimar is not an uncommon occurrence. Common enough that there are often bounties for kidnappers and rewards for retrieved victims. It is also possible she was pinched by the watch. I should have heard something in that event, but sometimes they're slow to process prisoners."
Ambriel frowns a little in concentration as she runs through some ideas in her head.
"What can you tell us about her? Do you know her residence? Places she frequented? Friends or relatives she mentioned? Habits or things she spends time on or enjoys?"
"I'm afraid when she came to us she favored protecting her identity. Perhaps I should have been insistent on vetting her fully. The Sczarni crew she runs with, or ran with perhaps, are known as the Tower Girls."
She stands up. "I can give you the name of someone who she employed as a sort of liason when making contact with the Society. He goes by the moniker, 'The Amazing Zograthy'. I'm afraid that's really all the informationI can give you at the moment. I'm late for an appointmentwith my husband. Please check in whenever you have anything substantial. Thank you."
So, what do Natalya Vancaskerkin, the Sczarni, Thassilonian, the Tower Girls, and 'The Amazing Zograthy have to do with The Society? Sounds like a recipe for chaos.
The Shaman grins.
I have asked the ancestors and they tell me that this involves the Shaonti too. I will accept your quest to find this Natalya Vancaskerkin.
Anansi the Spider looks to those that he just recently met.
So, anyone familiar with this city? 'The Amazing Zograthy' does sound interesting if we knew where to find him.
Interesting, first priority item, second priority Mrs. Vancaskerskin? A pragmatic Lady for sure!
Vancaskerskin? Wouldnt that be a mildly infamous Riddleport crime family? We could hint at being at a recovery mission from them to keep our actual association with the society out of view.
It would fit with me being an out of town mercenary. Hmmm....
He pauses.
In Any disappearance, time is of the essence. Out of the possible leads, the watch is one that is probably the least profitable, but also highly unlikely to result in violence. Lady Kaddren is of a noble house and can probably just discreetly ask if they have Mrs. Vancaskerskin in custody, perhaps hinting at a burglarly and then expanding her line of questioning to the possible whereabouts of these "Tower girls".
The rest could pose as her enforcers, bodyguard or special consultants.
All other possible leads would likely point towards the less safe areas of the city, and I would strongly recommend braving these together.
I for one am new, foreign, and stick out. If my hunch of the local non-law-abiding population is correct, anyone of them who managed to steal or rob from me gets massive bragging rights with their respective community, so someone will most likely try. Also, time for trick 12.
Ragnar takes his money bag, secures it inside of his scale armor, that takes a second bag that looks like a money bag, fills it with his easily coin sized abyssal nail clippings, and puts it where his money bag was.
Cunning plan is Cunning Ragnar deadpans.
"Sounds a lot like my situation." Krystal couldn't help by give out a laugh, but it was a dry and somber one.
"Tower Girls huh?" Krystal tried her best to piece together what group that is. "Never heard of 'em. Must have been made together recently."
Once the leaders left. he folded her arms as she put her mind into focus. [B]"If the Tower Girls are still after her, there's a good chance she's alive. Or she died and no one found the body yet..." She shook her head of such negative thoughts. "But I bet she's resourceful."
She went to address the group in general. "Before the meeting, I was helping the Society find and take artifacts from the Sczarni. I actually worked with them even earlier than that. But I never stuck around with them like Natalya. Makes things even more dangerous if ya not careful. They don't take betrayals lightly."
She looked up and asked Ragnar. "Didn't know she was Riddleport. How did you know?
I had some mercenary assignments there, hired professional violence for the most part. Did due dilligence who not to cross, Vancaskerkin family was one of the names that came up.
Pay was above average, but betrayal-by-client-rates were off the charts, as in close to A-for-Alyushinnarra tier in terms of betrayal likelihood. Especially if you make clear that you are a mercenary and will not become part of their organization. I value my independence rather highly, being able to say no to demeaning assignments is simply too valuable.
Ragnar states pausing before following
One Saul Vancaskerkin I believe was at on point a part of the "ruling council" so to speak, however, I have no idea of the current configuration of power there. Lets say that there is a lot of upward and downward social mobility there. The name Vancaskerkin is too unusual to be accidental.
Turning to Crystal in particular
These Czarni have any specific customs? Formal greetings to show that, while a foreigner, you are not prey? Ways of paying weregild if something escalated and you need to smoothe it over? Also, is it more prudent to answer insult with insult or to ignore it? I can teach you how to insult Demons in return.
Nevertheless, going by the basic rules of criminal behaviour, and making an educated guess of where I would setup a crime syndicate if I was a mob boss
Ragnar looks at a conveniently placed Map of Magnimar and rattles of a surprisingly accurate guesses on where fences, hideouts or likely centers of criminal acivity could likely be, just based on logistics (or lack thereoff in case of the tower guards).
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Ambriel speaks up.
"The Amazibg Zograthy is known in Underworld circles as a middleman for a lot of business between the Sczarni and outsiders, for a price. He can typically be found on Washer's Row, Dockway."
"As for Vancaskerkins, there's no shortage of them in Varisia it seems. The name comes up a lot, rarely if ever in a good way."
"We could try the Watch first if you want. Second at least should be The Amazing Zograthy."
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Anansi the Spider looks at Ambriel.
It does seem that the Venture-Captain has collected a well built team here then. We each have our specialties. We are fortunate that while investigating this missing persons case that some are familiar with Magnimar.
The halfling prepares to depart for the their initial liaison with the city guard.
Probably a good idea to at least inform the proper authorities that Pathfinders are investigating this case. We don't want any misunderstandings.
Anansi the Spider then places the bronze ring engraved with a bird's wing, the masterwork silver dagger, and three garnets into his saddle bags.
These may prove useful.
He then smiles at each.
Are we ready for our initial mission?
The Shaonti winks at Ragnar.
You handled those tiny beasties quite well. I shall stay by you. The ancestors told me too! They have spoken! Oh and try to always leave them intact enough for me to speak with them.
The rogue got comfy as she explained herself. "In general, the Sczarni's a crime family. Not really that tight since they're all competing against each other, but they stay outtakes each other's way for the most part. Most are Varisians, but I got into their graces since there aren't that many of my kind here anyways. Most Varisians hate them, but they don't like stealing from their own, hence some complicated opinions on 'em. The thing is, they don't usually go hard on their own unless some really screws up. I bet she found something big and the others are after her for it. It's only a question of what."
The wizard winced a bit at the watch. "If we're going there first, I'll stay in the back. I'm not exactly well liked there... speaking of which... She smiled at the elf slyly. "Do you and the other have history together? Cause it seems like you do."
Caroliss tidies up her appearance after the rather disorderly battle, then collects her things as she prepares to depart. "May as well try the Watch first, since that's the easiest. Then this Zograthy character. Any man who has to call himself "Amazing" is probably compensating for something," she concludes with a smirk.