You begin in Ravounel’s capital city of Kintargo as you cross Bleakbridge, the bridge that connects the northern and southern halves of the city and also serves as a thriving hub of commerce. The marketplace’s slender, wooden storefronts dissipate into tents and pop-up vendors. As you pass a lively tavern called Clenchjaw’s, you spot a sandwich board sign with the silhouette of a swashbuckling figure with silver ravens flying behind them.
“Fortune and glory await daring adventurers. Ask Laela Vost about exciting opportunities. Experience on boats and at sea is a bonus!”
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A man wearing armor that bears the dents and scratches of several battles slowly walks across the bridge, deep in thought. The adornments on his armor--an emblem of the flaming sword symbol of Iomedae--are worn, poor in condition, and barely recognizable.
Few would guess that he is the scion of a once-noble house of Cheliax or that he once had once been among the hopeful at the gates of Lastwall.
Spying the sign, the man pauses to read it. He knows he has been at sea before, but does not seem eager at the prospect of returning to it. He considers the heft of his armor and weapons and imagines it weighing him down as he slips beneath the waves and sinks down, down, into the cold depths.
He then checks his coin purse, acknowledging its lack of heft. He soon finds himself looking around for this "Laela vost".
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Just before entering the tavern, Illnore pauses for several heartbeats. Suddenly, with a popping sound, a large, round, spiky burr with three long vine tendrils appears beside her. Over both of their necks (or where one would assume a neck would be) is a glowing sigil shaped like three teardrop-shaped loops with their points meeting in the middle, evenly spaced in a triangular shape, with sharp spikes jutting outward between them from the center.
"Oh, Chiselnits! I found some adventure for us. And we might even get to try being on a boat. Wanna go find out more?" Illnore's eyes are shining with excitement.
"A boat? YEAH! Let's go!" Chiselnits exclaims. He retracts his body's thorns into himself and rolls off--in the wrong direction. After about ten feet, he stops. "Uh, which way is it?"
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Upon her arrival in Kintargo, she notices that some are gathering near the tavern, in its bounty board. Curious, she stealthy approaches towards it. She begins to read its contents when not much is reading it. She quickly goes inside the tavern to look for a someone named Laela Vost. Too many people. She finds herself a table and observe for any signs of gathering and talking.
Her name is Kara, wearing a cotton jacket that seems not common. She also has a white long hair that is ponytailed behind her. She has shortsword and shortbow as weapon, and stowed behind is her buckler.
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Approaching the large message board near the tavern, an elegantly-dressed human, wearing a comically large ascot tie, looks slightly out of place. The 6-foot tall man has a neatly combed coif of dark hair with a full mustache, and he has a wide-eyed look of wonder as he enters the town center. He often sports a well-trimmed beard -- when it hasn't been singed off by his electrical experiments. He typically wears an odd set of goggles on his forehead, always ready to tinker.
As he awkwardly approaches, he keeps shifting his backpack to find a more comfortable position. Alas, sometimes things are just heavier than a clever wizard (and wanna-be inventor) should be expected to carry.
When he sees the paladin at the board, he asks, "Hail! And well met, good Sir. I am Tesla." He tries to formally bow, but almost falls over. He struggles to remove his pack and set it down. "Are you considering applying for one of these jobs? If so, maybe you could use some arcane support?" The wizard creatures an arc of electricity in his fingers and shoots it safely into the air.
Chiselnits rolls up to Tesla and tries to touch the electricity with a thorny vine. Fortunately it dissipates before he can make contact. "Ooo! Boats and little friendly lightening? This is gonna be so fun!"
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Illnore's eyes widen in alarm. "Uh--whoa there, buddy! <Phew!> Uh, we need to have a talk about looking with our eyes, not our hands. Or vines. Okay?" She turns to the two men. "Sorry about that. He gets a little excited sometimes. I'm Illnore, and this is Chiselnits. You guys looking for Laela Vost, too?"
Inside the lively tavern, the party has no trouble finding people who can point them to Laela Vost, a bronze-skinned Taldan woman in fine embroidered clothes, sitting at a table within view of the band playing on stage. Laela begins by offering you some mint tea and butter mints, as well as a seat at her table. "So," she says, looking at each of you in turn as you finish your tea, "tell me about your adventuring careers. Alone and as a member of a team, if you have such experiences."
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When he sees the paladin at the board, he asks, "Hail! And well met, good Sir. I am Tesla." He tries to formally bow, but almost falls over. He struggles to remove his pack and set it down. "Are you considering applying for one of these jobs? If so, maybe you could use some arcane support?" The wizard creatures an arc of electricity in his fingers and shoots it safely into the air.
"Why do you call me 'good'?" Garrace mutters, expecting no response. He continues in an embittered, begrudging tone clearly prompted by more than the wizard's inquiry. "I am considering the job, but I have no need of parlor tricks. You may accompany me if you wish, but I will not be responsible for your life."
Inside the lively tavern, the party has no trouble finding people who can point them to Laela Vost, a bronze-skinned Taldan woman in fine embroidered clothes, sitting at a table within view of the band playing on stage. Laela begins by offering you some mint tea and butter mints, as well as a seat at her table. "So," she says, looking at each of you in turn as you finish your tea, "tell me about your adventuring careers. Alone and as a member of a team, if you have such experiences."
"Experience? That I have in greater measure than I would wish," Garrace declares. Though he looks in the direction of the woman, his glare turns vacant as the man clearly becomes lost in thought. After a few moments, he regains a sense of presence. "You may keep the 'glory' offered in your notice, for I seek only coin in return."
"As for my 'career', though I hail from Cheliax, my formative years were had in Lastwall and I have survived its horrors," Garrace explains. "In search of coin, I have collected bounties across various lands from the north at the Crown of the World and the Realms of Mammoth Lords to the south in the Sodden Lands and Vidrian, and many nations in between from Druma to Ustalav to Taldor and Absalom. Oft, by chance, I have worked with Pathfinders and others. I could do so again, if need be."
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At the mention of Lastwall, Illnore's eyes grow wide. As Garrace speaks, she slips a hand onto his arm in sympathy. When he quiets, she murmurs softly: "Thank you. ... I'm sorry."
Taking a deep breath, she turns to Laela: "Chiselnits and I just won the Balgirdtrek with our team in the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Before that we helped secure a deal with some pirates down near the Eye of Abendego, and before that we did a bit of tomb security down in Qadira. Kind of all over, really, but always with a team. It's more fun that way."
"As for my 'career', though I hail from Cheliax, my formative years were had in Lastwall and I have survived its horrors,"
In an unintentionally loud whisper, Chiselnits asks: "What horrors?"
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"Shhh! I'll tell you later." She glances sheepishly at Garrace. "Sorry."
"No need for your apologies or your sorrow. Neither can save those that have been lost," Garrace replies sharply, harshly shaking away the arm of the woman that had simply been extended in kindness.
"No, if apologies are to be extracted for the fate of Lastwall, then such should be exclusively divine in nature!" He seethes for a moment before growing somewhat calmer, but no less biting. "As for your Uprooted Companion, it should count itself fortunate to be so ignorant."
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Kara joins the group and stands behind Laela and answers her questions, trying not to dig in with their conversation. ”Almost killed by a alpaca murderer, and ambushed by thugs. Not bad for me, having brought to a time I am not familiar with. But hey, I still survive. What could wrong this time, anyway?” she says and reveals herself by standing next to Laela. ”Kara,” she tells her with a smile, extending her hand she just has taken out of her jacket's pocket. She does not mind the conversation of the others but she is listening, getting information about them as much as she could.
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"Shhh! I'll tell you later." She glances sheepishly at Garrace. "Sorry.""No need for your apologies or your sorrow. Neither can save those that have been lost," Garrace replies sharply, harshly shaking away the arm of the woman that had simply been extended in kindness.
"No, if apologies are to be extracted for the fate of Lastwall, then such should be exclusively divine in nature!" He seethes for a moment before growing somewhat calmer, but no less biting. "As for your Uprooted Companion, it should count itself fortunate to be so ignorant."
Illnore's eyebrows rise at Garrace's harsh reaction to her sympathy. She doesn't let herself get miffed, though. Instead, she shrugs and lets Chiselnits win an arm wrestling match (with his muscular vine, not the two thorny ones) to distract him from Garrace's derogatory reference to him. It actually works.
"Yeah! You're no match for me, Illnore! Woo hoo! Anybody else wanna try?" Chiselnits assumes the position in the hopes that someone else will want to arm wrestle him too, flexing his...muscles? Do vines even have muscles? Regardless, it looks pretty strong, despite having no bones.
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Maneki steps up and seats herself before Chiselnits. "I'll take you on, my green friend. You and Ilnore are quite known to me since my sister monk Kaitlyn told me much about you. I was also told of your courage in battle"
"I have not been out much after returning from Cheliax and Port Peril. I've spent most of my time in study so I have not really had much in the way of experience. Where are my manners?! I am Maneki Pemanah, by the way."
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Having nowhere else to be at the moment, Tesla follows the others into Clenchjaw's Tavern. When Garrace mutters about being good, Tesla responds, "A mere figure of speech, where I come from. No offense meant, goo..." he corrects himself mid-sentence "...I mean, just Sir." After Garrace walks away, Tesla himself mutters, "Perhaps he'd prefer 'Grumpy Sir' instead." The analytically-minded Tesla thinks nothing more of it and orders an ale when he gets inside.
As the group challenges one another in arm-wrestling, the flabby wizard smiles, "If I have to lift up anything heavier than this mug of ale, someone will need to call a medic!" He takes a sip and enjoys the festivities.
Tesla perks up when Kara mentions about being from another time. "You too? Where I'm from, the study of electricity is much farther along." He sighs, "Forgive me. My name is Tesla."
He bows formally. "I've only recently arrived in Golarion thanks to an experiment that had ... unforeseen side effects." After another sip, the wizard continues, "I've just been picking up odd jobs on my way south to Absalom: In a place called Varisia, I helped defeat some oozes in an odd mansion. Then in Nirmathas, I helped an odd witch with some rock stew. And now I find myself here. As I said, odd jobs." He sits back, taking it all in.
Maneki steps up and seats herself before Chiselnits. "I'll take you on, my green friend. You and Ilnore are quite known to me since my sister monk Kaitlyn told me much about you. I was also told of your courage in battle"
"Yeah! Here we go!" Chiselnits wraps his vine around Maneki's hand and counts down to start: "Three, two, one, GO!"
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A man in simple clothes of green and brown. He wears a well worn breastplate, a warhammer tucked into his belt, and carries a guisarme on a shoulder.
"I hope I'm not too late. I saw the sign outside and was curious about what it could mean. I have no boating experience, but I'm handy in a fight."
The man bows slightly to everyone. "I am Adoril the Younger. Please call me Adoril. I am a champion of Erastil. I'll keep our foes on their backs and off of yours. I've recently come back from another adventure where we...fixed the Maze of the Open Road? I'm not sure I have the words to explain it, but I have experience working as a member of a team. I'm pretty good at negotiations and fighting too."
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Tesla perks up when Kara mentions about being from another time. "You too? Where I'm from, the study of electricity is much farther along." He sighs, "Forgive me. My name is Tesla."
Kara is kinda a closed book. She looks sideways to Tesla, calculating the man with his appearance and his background. "Ahh, electricity. Something this era that needs to utilize at its full capabilities. Let's just say, I am way beyond your time. More like..." she gets interrupted when the man in simple clothes of green and brown approaches the party and introduces himself.
"You would not want to know how." she tells Illinore with a wink, and intently forgets to continue what she is trying to tell Tesla. Not that she doesn't want to, she is just wary to people she just met.
"Hello, Adoril. Kara." she tells the newcomer with a nod. "I think we just about to go, isn't it, Laela?"
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Sipping his drink, Tesla nods to Kara knowingly, interested in what she has to say ... or not say.
He looks up from his drink and seems quite happy to explain to Illnore about temporal anomalies. "In my case, it had to do with an electrical surge caused by an abundance of amperes in the circuit. In the end, I failed to calculate the ohm's correct resistance factor." It's clear that he has absolutely no idea what caused the accident. He quickly takes a sip of ale in the hope that no one notices. Or was listening too closely.
"You folks do seem to know what you are about," Laela says, "and you, the little one who dealt with pirates - that may come in quite handy.
Not sure Mr. Lightning in going to enjoy this, but you do what you have to.
"I have an exciting opportunity to liberate treasure from a wrecked Chelaxian ship, the Infidius, just off the coast. I served aboard the ship as part of its crew when the ship ran aground, and that the merchandise on board will act as my 'severance pay' and help me start up my own business.
"I'm happy to split the salvage equally with you."
Assuming you agree, Laela insists on taking you on her small skiff to the wreck of the Infidius, warning that the waters are choppy and treacherous. "So far, no one has ventured to the wreck, but once the current political climate subsides, it’ll be every person for themselves in a mad dash to reclaim lost Chelaxian plunder. Oh," she adds, mostly looking at Garrace, "don't come dressed as an anchor.”
“The ship belonged to the Delronge family, wealthy merchants who are loyal to Cheliax’s ruling house of Thrune. I don’t know what all they were trying to haul out of the city, but I can guarantee it’s their best stocks. I’m sure the nobility will overpay even more than they already were for whatever we find.”
Chiselnits, Illnore and Maneki know that equal distribution of weight prevents a boat from capsizing.
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Oh," she adds, mostly looking at Garrace, "don't come dressed as an anchor.”
Illnore can't quite hold in a little snort of laughter. "Gosh, I love how you phrased that. Hilarious! So: choppy, treacherous water. I'm assuming 'treacherous' refers to things that might attack us? What kinds of those creatures are common around here?"
Before boarding the skiff, Maneki advises her companions to balance the weight so that the boat doesn't capsize in the waves.
"Yup. Good call, Maneki. I learned that with little toy boats and pebbles in the bathtub, but the stakes are higher out here. Oh hey! I have a rope and a grappling hook. Maybe those'll be useful for hauling up treasure."
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Adoril rubs his chin, "Where had the ship run aground Laela? How big would you say this ship is? Last question I can think of, had you run into any hostile groups before the ship ran aground?"
Before boarding the skiff, Maneki advises her companions to balance the weight so that the boat doesn't capsize in the waves.
Adoril gives a nod.
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Tesla nods importantly when Laela calls him Mr. Lightning. "It's actually Master Lightning, madam. But you're close. And may I say: how astute of you to notice." After others have their questions answered, Tesla adds, "How long a journey is it?" He listens to her answers.
When Maneki mentions something about balancing the boat, Tesla bows formally, "Excellent information, dear lady. Just point me in the right direction to even things out." Tesla plans to enjoy the sights and see this new world from anywhere on the boat.
"Don't worry about getting there. I've got a skiff that will take us all to the wreck; I just need you to grab as much loot as you can!"
Once everyone is ready, she takes you to the boat, where she assigns everyone a seat and distributes supplies. What’s left of the Infidius lies broken upon a rocky outcropping jutting from the harbor a short distance away. Laela maneuvers her small skiff toward the wreckage; you can speed the journey by rowing, but she does not demand it. The further out from the docks that the party travels, the rougher the waves become. One particularly large wave rocks the boat hard enough that each of you must succeed at a DC 14 Reflex save or be thrown overboard.
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In light of Laela's suggestion and, moreso, due to his earlier vision, Garrace arrives wearing an explorer's clothing rather than the breastplate he was seen in earlier. A heavy, metal shield, however, remains strapped to his back.
His unease is apparent as he enters the small boat and takes a seat. His demeanor calms only somewhat, but quickly changes as the large wave approaches. He holds fast to the boat's sides.
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When Laela offers the option of rowing, Tesla tries to make it look like a difficult decision before he turns her down. As explanation, he holds up a flabby wizard arm and attempts a mockery at flexing. "Strenuous activity and I don't seem to get along." As for the voyage, the wizard is enjoying the fresh air and the rolling tide.
He barely notices the waves.
"Rowing? I love rowing! I rowed when we worked with pirates!" Chiselnits wraps his vines around a couple of oars, uses his body spikes to steady himself, and begins to row. He's plenty strong, but it's hard for him to brace himself to get sufficient leverage. Illnore has to hop down and push against him (thorns retracted in that spot, of course) to help.
When the large wave hits, the sentient burr acts like a kid on a carnival ride. "Whoooa! Wheeee! Hahaha! That was fun, wasn't it guys?"
As soon as he sees Adoril in the water, Chiselnits stretches out his vine and extends an oar out to him. "Catch, Adoril!"
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When he sees Adoril get thrown overboard, Tesla springs into action. "I may not be much good at arm-wrestling ..." he stares at the oars disdainfully, "... or rowing ..." he looks back at the champion, and continues "... but a good wizard comes prepared." With that, he casts Air Bubble on Adoril as his companion enters the ocean.
Adoril falls int he water, but Chiselnits and Laela pull him back into the boat before anything worse than getting wet happens to him.
Laela navigates to the mostly intact bow of the Infidius.
Everyone out," she says as she rows up beside the ship. "I'm not going to risk adding my boat to the ruins here. Bring what you can here. I'll return in half an hour, before high tide. And use this if you have any problems and I'll come back sooner." She then hands you a signal whistle.
At this point, you can start working on recovering treasure. There are two phases, and during each you can each make one check including: Athletics to Swim, Perception to Seek a treasure or Thievery to Disable Device on a lock. You can also use Arcana, Crafting, Nature, Religion or Society to identify valuable items in chests you have already found. If you have other skills you would like to try, you can, but the difficulty may be higher if what you are trying is not closely related to the task.