A handful of Pathfinders each receives instructions to meet Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine in Tymon with all urgency. Travel instructions, if needed, are included.
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The incessant beat of hammer against anvils and weaponry greets entrants into Smine’s Weaponworks, a smithy of great repute in the town of Tymon in the River Kingdoms, along with an oppressive wave of heat and the acrid smell of coal. A broad-shouldered dwarf, face and arms smudged with soot from the furnaces, smiles broadly, proclaiming in a voice harsh with years of yelling, “Ah! I was expecting you lot! Step inside my office. I have refreshments.”
He steps inside a cozy office, gesturing at an eclectic assortment of chairs, ranging from an overstuffed chaise to a sparse and undecorated rocking chair. After rinsing his face in a nearby basin, he pours out several glasses of water, immediately quaffing one for himself before refilling it and sitting down at his desk. “Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine, at your service. Guessing the Lodge got my message. You don’t look too fresh-faced for this mission.” Finishing the rest of his drink, he wipes the corner of his mouth with a clean cloth.
“I’ll be quick about it. You’ve got a bit of travel ahead of you. One of the mayors of Uringen, Lady Aurelia Ogden, wants the Society’s help with an experiment she’s been doing. The clock tower of Uringen has drawn all sorts of researchers. It hasn’t worked quite right from the get-go. It makes a whole piece of the town disappear. Four clock faces, each with a different way of counting time, each displaying a different time—until now. The mayor thinks that those faces might finally join up. What’s going to happen when it does is anybody’s guess. She doesn’t have the staff she needs to record it properly. That’s where the Society comes in.”
“Uringen’s alchemical goods are some of the best. In exchange for recording the experiment’s effects, and dealing with unexpected issues, Mayor Ogden will give the Society a discount. But there’s something else that the Society wants. You heard about the mishap with the Sky Key? How it’s not working correctly? Turns out, that clock tower might have something that can fix it. Scholars call that something ‘temporal essence.’ Fetch at least one vial of the stuff. Ogden says the best time to collect it is in the middle of the clock face alignment. I’ve arranged for travel to Embeth Forest. When you get there, you’ll be meeting Jamel Visser. Visser’s the leader of the local forest guides. They call themselves the Embeth Travelers. Don’t dawdle. You’ve got to make it to Uringen before the clock faces align. The boat will get you to Visser in a little over 2 weeks if you don’t run into trouble. The clocks align in 3 weeks.
“Any questions…or refills?”
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“Welcome, Lu Yan.”
Chunhua rocks with a slow frequency and delicate amplitude, as she raises her glass to the newcomer. “Looks like we’re straight down to business. Yay!”
“VC Smine, do you mind if I summarize your briefing in my own words to see if I understand the mission ..? Oh, good.”
“Sounds like the assignment is divided into three parts:
❧ Meet Jamel Visser and then accompany his Embeth Travelers to Uringen.
❧ Use our skills to help the on-site researchers achieve ‘clock face alignment’
❧ Explore the ‘clock-aligned’ town of Uringen and recover a vial of temporal essence
“If I have that correct, I’m happy to throw in 20gp or so for some decent food for us all to share, until we rendezvous with Master Visser.”
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I am happy to make your acquaintance, and expect we will make an excellent team. He takes a glass an raises it to the rest of the group.
"VC Smime, you mentioned sections of the town disappearing. What happens to them, and why is the disappearance associated with the clock?"
"Also, what is the role of Jamel Visser and his Embeth Travelers in this situation? Are they just escorting us from the edge of the forest to Uringen?"
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Eltran is absolutely anxious to continue adventuring with the crew that his step brother Xiao Junior praised so much!
He is clearly astounded to learn that the mission involves alchemy and engineering as he is very interested in this area!!
~
Eltran walks with slow steps in his full plate armor and heavy shield which clearly encumber him heavily.
He is clearly quite chubby and not really the most attractive man. His mixed Taldane and Tian Xia heritage together with his Ifrit blood make him an oddball that does not feel welcome in most places.
~
When he meets the group he waves.
"Greetings to you all. Superb to work together again." says the corpulant man with a self conscious smile.
Resting on top of his chest, two amulets showing the holy symbols of Pharasma and Brigh are visible.
Facing you all Eltran bows but more out of tradition than courtesy you believe.
“Eltran Katsu is my name Lu Yan. And we just returned from the Planes so it feels good to be on old Golarion again … but being on the elemental planes is really great!!“
He does not really have a natural presence and unfortunately might come across as strange sometimes.
~
You see him performing a spiralling gesture to the lady of graves.
Worshipers of Pharasma—as well as most commoners—trace the goddess's spiral-symbol on their chests, typically as a form of prayer when hearing ill news or a spoken evil.
“I just want to know if any opposition or danger can be expected?!“
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A sharp featured man in a wide-brimmed hat, and closely drawn cloak seems to get excited at the mention of unexplained behavior of the clock.
Well, that is what the Dark Archive is for, after all! he booms from behind the scarf drawn over the lower half of his face.
He is familiar to most of you, though he's been away for a short period.
I am happy to rejoin you all after teaching courses at the Arcanimirium for a stint. Duty calls and all, but you have your delicate mage back!
He nods at Chunhua and Eltran before introducing himself to Lu Yan.
Eltran's question gets him thinking as well.
Opposition... or anyone who thinks something bad or nefarious should happen at the moment of alignment. These events tend to bring out the doomsday crowd...
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The Sky Key? Oh boy. Dinosaurs. Lizard men. What was that group called? Harbingers? What does the society have us doing this time? Time. That's the better question. When? When will this take us? Maybe I should stick to those sewer missions.
"Captain Smine, what do we know about this 'temporal essence'? It sounds... tricky. Time traveling kind of tricky. How do we contain it without ending up somewhere we don't want to be?" Cade asks.
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A tall undine clad in simple robes bows to the venture-captain, and then to Lu Yan. “The tides have drawn us together for a reason,” he states placidly. “Spirits willing, we may find peace in the movement. I am Dhovahk.”
He listens carefully as the other Pathfinders speak, waiting for a lull to add his own thoughts. “This phenomenon cannot be harmful to the town, or it’s inhabitants would have already sailed for calmer shores. But I wonder how long this concordance of times is expected to last - a day? An hour? A minute? A second?”
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"Does anyone know the history of Uringen? If the clock tower is causing the town to disappear in time, knowing the past might help us better understand what to expect..."
"That's a good point, Cade."
Chunhua slips quickly into 'Big Sister' mode. "I've done up a mental list of herbs and spices that will help vary the taste of fish and game dishes that we're likely to catch and cook on the West Sellen."
• Dill
• Basil
• Chives
• Whole Lemons
• Cumin, Chili, Tumeric (curry powder)
• Ginger
• Mustard
• Black Pepper
"As well as beverages that will keep the longest on our journey."
• Cheap Cabernet Sauvignon (Red) Wine
• Vudran Pale Ale
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“Oh, yeah.”
Chunhua nods her agreement. “Rice and beans. Beans and rice. And the only time one should be in the galley is if they’re working there.”
She rubs her chin. “I hear what you’re saying about extra ginger, but remember we’ll be on a riverboat. So it SHOULD be nowhere near as rough as a sea voyage (or teleportation).”
Hmm... "Has anyone had a bad trip with a tp?"
The venture-captain tries to answer questions as they arise, occasionally showing signs of frustration as Pathfinders talk over each other and him. During the course of the conversation he imparts the following.
“One of the founders of the town built the tower. Great piece of work—even if it’s not dwarven,” he says with a wink. “It combines magic and machinery. I’m no wizard; can’t tell you more than that. It causes a piece of the town to disappear and reappear—at least, people in Uringen say that’s what it does.”
“The mayor’s going to have a keener idea of what is needed. Record the usual stuff. Sights, sounds, anything else you notice. Bring extra paper and ink, just in case. You never know.”
“Uringen is split. I mean that literally. One half of the town disappears for bit, and the other sticks around. Aurelia Ogden is the mayor of the half that disappears sometimes. Knavar Mieren is the mayor of the half that sticks around. They’re pretty isolated in Uringen. You’ve got to get guides to help you through the Embeth Forest. Guides like Jamel Visser. I’ve heard that the town itself is always moving.”
“Jamel Visser is the leader of the Embeth Travelers, who get folks to and from Uringen safely. I’d heed his word about anything. With the fey thick in those woods, I’d take precautions against them too. Good man, though. He doesn’t have much use for coin. We’ll be paying him in more useful goods.” Smine nods toward a collection of weapons hanging from the wall.
“Hold off on buying any alchemical goods until you get to Uringen. No sense wasting your money. Also, don’t go blabbing that you’re with the Society while you’re in Tymon. Locals don’t know about this lodge. The boat’s already been paid for, and Jamel's expecting you. You should have plenty of time for the journey."
As the conversation devolves into culinary descriptors, the Venture-Captain adds, perhaps with a slight wistful tone, "Sounds like I know who to summon as travelling companions the next time I need to make a longer journey."
Uringen’s alchemists are renowned through the Inner Sea for the effectiveness of their elixirs and potions. The clock tower that stands in the center of Uringen doesn’t tell the same time on all its faces, and one of the faces always spins wildly out of control.
20+
25+
30+
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“So what you’re telling me, Eltran is that Uringen’s clock tower was built on top of an ancient fey circle by one of Uringen’s founders, using stolen fey song-notes?”
Chunhua fingers another 20gp in her pouch and makes a mental note to set it aside for paper, ink and quills. “Wow! No wonder the local fey are not exactly friendly. Can anyone sing?”
“So apart from some provisioning and stationery, I’m good to go. Remember if we’re up against fey, pack some cold iron weapons.”
“Cade, hit me up, if you haven’t got one.”
"Sounds like I know who to summon as travelling companions the next time I need to make a longer journey."
Chunhua taps the side of nose twice in quick succession. “Anytime, boss!”
“So what you’re telling me, Eltran is that Uringen’s clock tower was built on top of an ancient fey circle by one of Uringen’s founders, using stolen fey song-notes?”
The blacksmith looks momentarily bewildered before understanding dawns across his face, "I think what your companion refers to is not musical in nature. There is some thought that the wizard Rhona Ambros, who constructed the tower, followed instructions from a manuscript on time-altering magic. The providence of this manuscript is dubious at best."
Perched on the prickly legs of a cricket, this tiny creature has gossamer wings and the upper body of an elven woman. As a bard you have heard of this fey's special ability: Grigs are capable of rubbing their legs together like a cricket to create a surprisingly pleasant sound not unlike that of a tiny fiddle. A grig can create a catchy tune that compels any creature within a 20-foot spread to dance and caper.
As fey creatures, grig do have some magical abilities to disguise themselves or even become invisible. They have also been known to encourage plants to entangle others, and to make a fire produce a thick cloud of smoke or a burst of blinding fireworks.
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Ferdrin sighs.
Then I suspect those Fey to be relentless in their antagonizing the town.
Freddy nods at Chunhua, remarking Yes, I think cold iron should be useful too. But specifically about grigs...
He trails off, thinking.
[dice=Knowledge (nature), grigs]1d20+11
"Yes, about those grigs..."
"I don't suppose we could catch these fey with a net made of cold iron?"
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"Hmm..., ok, what do you have? Worse case, I'm sure cold iron chunks can be hurled in a sling just fine."
Chunhua looks dubious at this comment, but doesn't respond directly.
"I'm going to pick up a cold iron glaive for 16 gp."
She draws a handful of gold sails from a stout belt-pouch. "I can also purchase two small cold iron kukris for you which will only cost 32 gp in total."
"None of these weapons will have been forged by Master weapon-smiths of course."
The Pathfinders experience an uneventful trip along the Sellen River, arriving near the edge of the Embeth Forest.
A sturdy wooden pier stretches over the western bank of the fast-moving river, where a river barge offloads several crates of labeled goods. Nearby, a camp laid out in a rough semicircle bustles with activity, its borders marked off by covered wagons and tarpaulins. Water from a recent downpour collects in the canvas’ folds and in puddles on the ground.
Obviously expected, the adventurers are directed toward the central campfire where a human meeting the description of Jamel Visser is standing. He is dressed in plain forester’s garb and a well worn but well-kept suit of leather armor with a longbow ready to hand. He listens to what looks like a couple of scouts, a pensive expression upon his face. As the Pathfinders approach, he turns to greet them.
“Well met, travelers. Smine sent word of your arrival, expressing the urgency of your journey, but we will have to delay your departure. On our trip here, we ran afoul of that blasted grig’s traps, and we won’t be able to leave until we’ve fixed things up.”
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“Chunhua at your service.”
The archer allows her rice hat to tip off the back of her head, exposing a plait of coarse back hair that disappears down her back. “We should try to avoid any delay if possible.”
“We ran afoul of that blasted grig’s traps.”
“Did these events occur somewhere along the path to our destination? Perhaps we can help?”
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The academician tips his wide-brimmed hat at Visser, greeting him.
Ferdrin Ternyth at your service. We made a point to prepare specifically for grigs before departing for this camp. Firstly, what damage has been done by their traps?
Cade nods in agreement, wondering what these little creatures could actually do to hinder people several times larger.
Jamel engages in conversation with the Pathfinders, smiling slightly when help is offered, looking mildly annoyed when anyone tries to rush them forward. He is adamant that to proceed safely means taking the needed time to deal with the issues at hand.
“Nithra’s folk like to harass us in and out of the woods. We usually catch most of their tricks, but not this time.”
“Our mules are sick, probably poisoned, and even some of our hounds have succumbed too. Our healers would be most appreciative if you helped them out.”
“I’ve got a few other problems, to be honest. Deadfall, pits, whatever snares those twisted fey assembled, and that’s just the start. They’ll all need to be cleared or disabled as we travel through the woods.”
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Poisoning? Do you know how they're sneaking it into your food? Surely the nutritional supply chain can be secured! the academic bellows as his companions get to the healing.
Thinking some more on the denizens of the surrounding environs, he adds
You know... I have heard that these forests contain some benevolent fey, who occasionally assist those who provide them offerings of bread, honey, milk, or alcoholic beverages. Perhaps we could go that route to subvert the grigs!
Dhovahk leads three of the others as they set about helping to treat those affected by poison. The extra assistance is appreciated by the druid as he assess the situation and begins treatment. The others learn quickly from his directions and soon have a steady rhythm going, doing good work. Unfortunately, it is also strenuous work and toward the end the teams energy, concentration, and supplies are running low.
In the meantime, Ferdrin and Cade focus on winning the favour of the local friendly fey, and locating some of the nearby traps.