You convene in Oppara at the clandestine lodge of Venture-Captain Muesello, who maintains his operation in the back rooms of a bait and tackle shop. His pockmarked
face creases with concern as he nods to you in greeting,checks outside, closes the door, and posts a “Gone Fishing” sign out front. From there, he ushers you into a
concealed room where Lady Gloriana Morilla waits in a chair near the fireplace.
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Anastasia wanders into the meeting absent-mindedly.
She walks with slow steps and is not the most agile woman although she is clearly beautiful. Her almond eyes and her blonde hair show her mixed heritage from the Inner Sea Region and Tian Xia.
When she meets the VC she waves her hand.
"Greetings to you." says the beaming woman with a contagious smile.
She is wearing a breastplate armor that clearly encumbers her heavily and with which she walks slowly. A small buckler is attached to her left arm. She also carries a backpack.
Resting on top of her chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Pharasma is visible.
She really has a natural presence when she bows to you all out of tradition and courtesy.
“Anastasia Shoi-Ming is my name! A pleasure to meet you all.“
“I appreciate your answering my call,” Venture-Captain Muesello says with a subdued smile as he closes the room’s curtains and clears away an unfinished wayfinder to make space. “Some of you may already know Lady Gloriana Morilla, and I shall explain why she’s joined us momentarily. First, let us remember that General Arnisant, hero of the Shining Crusade, is one of the most highly regarded figures in Taldor’s history. Arnisant’s hometown of Ridonport has always been especially proud of him, and nearly nine centuries since his death, his home’s still preserved as a museum. The Society regularly submits requests to the museum to examine the historical artifacts there. Usually we get a polite and curt ‘no.’ Most recently, though?”
Muesello tilts his head from side to side as if considering his words. “This time the curator, Cincia Reviamo, wrote that she cannot help because the local lord, Earl Calhadion Vernisant, has been taking undue liberties with the museum and its collection—apparently taking whatever he wants from it, claiming he has the right because he’s a direct descendant of General Arnisant. Taking priceless relics is one thing, but there’s another angle that Lady Morilla can explain better.”
Gloriana Morilla picks up where Muesello left off. “Taldor has many great legacies, but there are some traditions better left in the past. The practice of primogeniture dictates that Taldor’s crown only passes to male heirs, yet the laws have been amended over time to allow women to inherit land and titles in some circumstances.
“Even so, the Lion,” Morilla states, motioning that the animal has special significance, “has no male heir and seems utterly against his young Lioness leading the pride. It’s a stubborn stance that could condemn Taldor to civil war. I have spoken to many senators who also believe it’s time to update the empire’s inheritance laws. The Lion and his loyalists view this growing equality movement as a personal attack, even a coup. Among these is the Earl Vernisant, who would readily vote against reform just to become part of the Lion’s inner circle.
“Count Orlundo Zespire, however, is an undecided senator. Exports from his lands travel through Vernisant’s region, yet along the way many of the goods go missing as a result of canal piracy. Zespire suspects his colleague is at least negligent in allowing these crimes to transpire in his town—and possibly worse. It seems this isn’t the first misunderstanding between the two, and the count has informed me that he would be in the Lioness’s debt were she able to arrange someone to resolve the matter. If that also involves finding evidence that ties Vernisant to criminal elements, making that evidence public would cause the earl considerable distress and bring the count considerable joy. Just keep in mind that no matter what evidence you find, you’ll need
to convince Ridonport’s citizens to trust you before they’ll take your word over that of General Arnisant’s descendant.”
Muesello clears his throat before adding, “Just to be clear, the Society’s interest is in stopping Vernisant’s relic-pilfering and getting in the curator’s good graces. It so happens that Lady Morilla’s and the Society’s aims overlap nicely. Visit the museum, talk to the curator, figure out how to protect the collection, and investigate the earl’s alleged misdeeds. Any questions?”
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A thin, dark skinned, bald man enters the back room. He wears no armor, instead wearing light flowing clothing that allows for freedom of movement. The air around him seems to shimmer ever so slightly. In his right hand, he is fiddling with a small coin, walking it up and down his fingers while seemingly barely paying attention to it. If you look closely, you see that the coin actually floats back up to the top of his hand on each iteration, rather than walking back up the fingers.
"I am Zandu" the man softly introduces himself to Anastasia, nodding in response to her introduction. His voice is soft and unassuming, quiet, as if he wants to blend into the background.
As the briefing begins, he does just that, leaning against the wall in the back. As the briefing concludes, he speaks up. "Lady Morilla, forgive me, but I don't believe I'm familiar with you. How are you tied in to all of this? Are you in a position of influence with this Lioness? Why would the senator come to you, and why would you come to us?"
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Anastasia bows and her gloved and withered hands hang a little awkwardly down.
“It is a pleasure to see you again lady Morilla and venture captain Muesello!“
“I am of Taldan noble descent and believe that the terms Lion and Lioness refer to Grand Prince Stavian III and Princess Eutropia respectively, and that you Lady Morilla are using them for some combination of plausible deniability and thwarting divinations. Is that correct?“ she asks with a neutral tone.
"I will chalk your lack of knowledge up to dedication to other pursuits," Lady Morilla answers Zandu. "I am a member of the Taldan nobility and a Senator, myself. I will not say exactly how I came to know of his troubles or discontent but, suffice it to say that word travels fast and secrets are hard to hold in even an august body like our Senate."
She has a tight smile for Anastasia.
"You are indeed correct, young lady and I trust that this is the last that anyone in this room will use those two names until well after the current situation is dealt with."
Muesello clears his throat after a moment of awkward silence.
"Well...then...any other questions?"
Muesello takes over. "Ridonport, is a town built on the only natural harbor along the portion of Taldor’s coast known as the Jagged Saw. Its economy relies heavily on providing supplies to the Taldan Imperial Navy, which uses Ridonport as an overflow port given its proximity to the shipyards at Cassomir. It's between here in Oppara and Cassomir and a bit closer to the latter."
Lady Morilla explains. “Nearly nine hundred years ago, Arnisant's ancestor and the Taldan army led a coalition that drove the Whispering Tyrant back to his fortress of Gallowspire and imprisoned him there. It was a victory many weren’t sure was possible, and certainly a costly one.
Among many others, General Arnisant never made it back to Ridonport. Of
course, Taldor remains very proud of his accomplishments and sacrifice. None is prouder of this or more likely to bring it up and play on this borrowed fame than the current Earl Vernisant.”
Lady Morilla notes, “Count Zespire was the third-born child of his noble family, which meant he had little chance to inherit anything of consequence. He instead entered Taldor’s military and served in far-flung peacekeeping contingents with distinction, earning him his new title and lands when he returned home. By all reports, he has continued to serve Taldor honorably, and many soldiers still speak fondly of him as ‘the Iron Gar,’ a nickname he earned while combating outlaws in the River Kingdoms.”
Lady Morilla also makes a suggestion. “There is no reason to move in secrecy but you’ll be strangers making accusations, so the best approach would be to convince several upstanding members of the community to help spread the word.”
"A letter of introduction? Certainly," Muesello says. "There should be no need for a cover story. Cicia has asked for our assistance this time so should be expecting you."
As he is writing out the letter, Lady Morilla speaks one more time. "“I want to stress that we must operate legitimately and within the law. We have the moral high ground and I trust you to hold it. It would do terrible and lasting damage to our cause if you resorted to, for example, assassinating a public figure.”
since the previous grand duke Forath Bozbeyli was stripped of his title for having fabricated a heroic past. He was later torn to pieces by the prefecture’s common people for having deceived them. Even though 7 years have passed since then, nobles in the area hope that this one violent incident was an exception, not a sign of future retaliation. The commoners tend to remember the incident with a mix of pride and chagrin, both embarrassed by the destruction they caused yet pleased at having overthrown a pompous buffoon.
The journey by ship along the Jagged Saw and into Ridonport passes uneventfully. The museum is a short walk from the docks, where it stands surrounded by numerous old homes and within view of the 200-foot-tall statue of General Arnisant in the city’s main square. The museum is a spacious, single-story stone house that has undergone dozens of renovations over the years. Even so, some parts look overdue for repairs.
The entrance opens to a large sitting room. The furnishings are aging, albeit clean and free of dust. The walls are crowded with portraits, framed letters, and genealogical charts. Several glass cases protect more fragile items, and at least a dozen of the pieces carry an aura of faint transmutation magic from the unguent of timelessness used to preserve them.
On the wall just to the right of the front doors hangs a 4-by-6-foot painting of Earl Calhadion Vernisant looking dramatically into the distance with the crown-and-lion standard of Taldor waving behind him. The flag actually moves, and the painted earl nods stately at anyone who catches his eye.
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During the briefing, Kridash seems awfulyl quiet. He scans the new talent, and nods when they walk. There will be time to have a talk with them once the blueblood is done talking.
On the ship to Ridonport, Kridash approaches everyone to introduce himself to the agents he does not know. So far. "Call me Ash. I imagine it is simpler for you to remember. Sorry about the silence during the briefing. All those titles just cause me to get lost in the situation. Inever knew which means what.", he adds.
When Ilarien mentions Taldane Navy, he seems to get a little nervous. "Oh. Well. That should be fun."
When he sees the named painting, he gets a proper look at the man they are supposed to look for.
Ash see nothing particularly interesting in the man in the painting
He does suspect that they could learn more about the mentality and personality of the subject of the portrait if they spoke to it
The man in the portrait focuses on Anastasia.
“Wondrous as I am, I am only a facsimile of Earl Calhadion Vernisant, a member of the Taldan Senate, and a direct descendant of the famous General Arnisant, Hero of the Shining Crusade. But only a facsimile,” it answers.
Anastasia doesn't get any insights into the man represented in the portrait.
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"Good day to you, Master Facsimile. We know little about the Earl Vernisant, but I would expect great things from his illustrious lineage."
On the witch's shoulder, motion beneath her shapeless dress indicates the presence of some small creature. She gives it an affectionate glance as she listens to the painting's reply.
The portrait bears a proud yet falsely modest smile.
"Indeed, under my guidance, the navy’s usage of Ridonport harbor has increased dramatically, bringing much-needed funds back to our local economy.”
Ilarien also cannot get a sense of the man behind the portrait.
Ash finds that he can move the picture but there is nothing behind it but wall.
“Your behavior is disappointing, but predictable. Try to represent
yourselves with a little more dignity," the portrait says, indignantly.
A woman in her late twenties with dark black curly hair, dark eyes, and an olive complexion. She wears reading glasses and occasionally walks with a cane emerges from a back room.
"Ah, visitors. I thought I heard voices. Please, sign the guest book. What brings you to the museum? Just passing through? Come to learn more about the great General Arnisant?"
"Excellent. I have been expecting you. I'm Cincia Reviamo, the curator of this museum. I've prepared several rooms for you to use while you're in Ridonport. I don't normally do that for visitors but it seems appropriate since you're here to help," the woman says.
Then, she launches right into her concerns. “The museum owns the contents and operates mostly on donations, but that doesn’t stop Earl Vernisant from treating it as his personal property. He sends his people to take anything he likes from the collection, but I almost prefer that to when he adds things. Have you met his painting? That’s just one example, but there are more. Here we have the genealogy exhibit, which Vernisant commissioned when he found out that the mortal Iomedae spent some time with General Arnisant during the Shining Crusade. The earl added this chart to the display, and it’s the only document I’ve ever seen that suggests the Inheritor is one of his ancestors. That she and General Arnisant…then children…it’s not even…” Cincia struggles to voice her dismay, finally settling for a frazzled groan that she ends with, “I have questions.”
She motions to another display. “The mannequins—I managed to assemble four full sets of armor to represent Taldor’s major armies in the Shining Crusade: the Phalanx, the Horse, the Navy, and the Knights of Ozem. Unfortunately, Vernisant learned that the Knight of Ozem’s helmet is magical, so he had it relocated to his private collection for ‘study.’
“If you want this museum to be a useful source of anything other than propaganda, we’ll need to keep Vernisant away from it. So what are you going to do?"
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Anastasia nods.
“Firstly, we would like to see the museum’s collection and learn of all alterations and relocations that were done by the earl. Then, we should try to gather some information on what the earl is up to. Lastly, we would like to speak to the earl himself. Any suggestions from your side and any information you can already share?“ she asks curiously.
"Yes, he's taken several things and added a few. It's been going on since he came here. You're certainly welcome to look around the museum" Cincia replies.
"Obviously I want your help and your venture-captain Muesello was very
polite, but you must know the Pathfinders have a mixed reputation. How can I be sure you’ll respect the historical significance of this collection?
“And I don’t want the city guard knocking on the door asking if I know you. Promise you won’t get me in trouble with the law.”
impression on Cincia.
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“Please be assured that we absolutely understand your concerns! And we also understand that sometimes there is a wrong impression of our work! If I look at your resume and what you have done … and now imagine what would happen if for instance some of your very exquisite work, like the full sets of armor from the shining crusade, would be hampered with even more … that would be awful. We will prevent that. We are academics and researchers!!“ Anastasia says.
Cincia visibly sighs in relief. "I knew calling Pathfinders was the right thing to do.
”If you’re looking for evidence of Vernisant’s misdeeds beyond his disrespect for history, I can recommend a few people you’d do well to meet. There’s Rasvelg, the head of the shipwright’s guild. You’ll find him at the wharf most days. Patrician Neffery Adimare is a minor noble who owns the ship’s chandlery that supplies the navy. He likes to sit in there and listen to the naval officers’ stories. Joleana Tantriano is our senior magistrate. If you find out Vernisant’s doing anything illegal, you can take it to her at the courthouse.”
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Ilarien nods, her face relaxing. "Thank you. May we tell them that we spoke with you? They might not talk to us otherwise."
To the rest of the party (and after making sure that we're out of earshot of the painting), the witch suggests, "Start with the patrician? We shouldn't visit the magistrate without something actionable."
You find Neffery at the chandlery, which is a business dedicated to resupplying naval vessels.
He doesn't seem to have much to do and beyond negotiating with suppliers,
handling bookkeeping, and pouring the occasional drink, the patrician seems to have plenty of time to keep his auburn whiskers carefully styled and sketch attractive doodles in the margins of his ledgers.
He will gladly chat with any newcomers, including the pathfinders.
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Anastasia moves to him with a smile and tries to hide her gloved withered hands behind her back.
“We very much hope that you are well! We are here on official business for the museum that is led by Cincia and we would very much like to talk to you about Senator Vernisant! We believe that we have a mutual interest and this discussion has a purpose to find out how we can assist each other!“ she says.
Neffery seems a bit taken aback by the direct approach you take and looks around to see who is listening. But is not secretive when he answers.
“I'd certainly like to help, but Vernisant has a lot of sway around here.”
“Also, I’m a patriotic Taldan, and Ridonport is the birthplace of heroes! I’d hate to darken the town’s reputation by speaking ill of anyone.”
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Anastasia takes a note out of her bag.
“Please be assured that we are acting on behalf of Taldane nobles. Please see an introduction from my patron Dana Katsu here!!! And we also understand that sometimes there is a need to be open in the name of patriotism! So you really can trust us!! We are here for the good of Taldor!“ Anastasia says.
Your reassurances cause Neffery to open up.
“The chandlery’s been in my family for generations, and we’ve always been proud to do our part supplying the navy. That’s how we got our title, back in the 4500’s. Well, when Vernisant took over for his father as the new earl a few years back, he approached me about a ‘silent partnership’ in the chandlery. As an earl, he outranks me by quite a bit, and I should have been more cautious. At first it sounded like Vernisant wanted to invest for patriotic reasons. Of course, before I knew it I was sunk deep in debt to him, and he’d transformed my father’s favorite business into a private club for navy officers. They get liquored up enough when they’re tromping through here that they barely notice how much the earl’s hiked the prices—it’s the people paying the tab, not the officers, so what should they care? Now I’m not even allowed in the back office. Did I mention there’s a hidden wall safe I had installed back there? If you think Vernisant’s hiding something, that wall safe might be a good place to look.”