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Details about the socialite Evanine Valborne’s estate and visiting hours are readily available by checking the local newspapers, as one of her friends has taken out an advertisement requesting for “anyone who holds her dear” to pay her a visit after the attack in Grandbridge 2 days ago. Her friendship with Grand Princess Eutropia makes a regular appearance in Taldan gossip, especially as they often attend the opera together.
However, Evanine Valborne lives in the Westpark district, which is a gated, walled neighborhood with regular security patrols. This prevents stray visitors from wandering onto her estate. Each party member must attempt a Diplomacy, Deception, Society, Stealth or appropriate Lore check as they travel through Westpark.
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When you arrive, Evanine Valborne lays on a reclining couch with a cloth compress on her cheek. Despite her state, she wears a fashionable dressing gown and has applied makeup that flatters her warm, amber skin. She gives a dramatic sigh before greeting you with, “Yet another set of admirers come to hear my tale of woe?”
Without waiting for you to respond, she launches into her story:
I was walking back to my home from Grandbridge last night when a group of Pathfinder agents chased after me. The agents caught me as I tried to flee. One of the agents restrained me and another told me to “choose my allegiances carefully.” Just as an agent pulled out a dagger to stab me, another man ran at me. The attackers released me. I saw the man and the attackers running off into the night. Of course, I didn’t follow, as I was too much in shock to even move.
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I've never really been good at blending in... Zenith thinks to themself after hearing Shandra.
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Upon arriving to the estate, Zenith listens to the tale, making sure to nod appropriately and make an occasional gasp or "oh my" to feed Evanine's ego and keep her talking in hopes she might share something relevant to the investigation.
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Scratch and Kaitlyn manage to tease out the rest of the clues from Evanine's story
Evanine recalls that as the attackers were running off, the man shouted that they were “incompetent fools” and said that they were using his fine tools like dunces. It was unclear whether he was berating subordinates or chastising strangers. The man she saw during the attack was light-skinned with grey hair.
With some prompting, Evanine remembers a few more details about the man’s appearance. She recalls that he stopped to look around and fish something out of his pockets before pursuing the other men. He was an older man wearing a heavy cloak over a leather work apron.
What would you like to do next?
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So unstealthy, I need to Hero Point that:
It seems very hard for Avery because her owl keeps hooting. Hush, Sophia! We're supposed not to gain attention! What is happening to you?" she tells her bird but she seems to ignore her.
Upon her arrival and hearing the words of Evanine, she feels sorry for her. Ï'm sorry for what happened to you. Do you mind if I check your wounds? I can perhaps help you heal faster or lessen the pain you are feeling. If you want, I can make you a better compress than that." she tells her as she sheepishly points at the woman's cloth compress on her cheek.
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Clearly not in her element, Shandra stayed silent during the meeting.
Once the meeting over, she turns to her comrades.
We can go to White Hall and hope to be able to take a look at the wayfinders they took from the crime scenes. Or go to the Oppara Lodge and question Lolly about Musello whereabouts?
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Scratch nods, once everyone has had their fill of the performance he heads out "Keep outta the hot sun, thanks for the info Lady."
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"Well, sure does sound like the VC is in on things, at least somehow. We should head on over to the White Hall, see if we can't get a look at the evidence they got on hand?" He looks to the others for their thoughts.
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Zenith thanks Evanine and agrees that the party should go to the White Hall. "Our instructions were to gather as much evidence as possible before going to the Oppara Lodge" they say, prompting whomever took the sheet of paper of leads from Lady Gloriana Morilla to pull it out and confirm the instructions if someone doesn't believe Zenith.
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You can easily find White Hall, as it stands above the neighboring buildings as a four-story marble structure.
The grand entrance to White Hall opens to a wide, naturally lit room. Signage points the way to publicly accessible offices on the first floor. The signs for evidence storage are likely of most interest to you which leads you down a maze of hallways to a back room.
The temperature in this windowless room drops to a chill. A front desk cuts off access to the shelving, storage units, and tables that fill the room. On those shelves, rows of crates and cloth bags bear neat labels.
As you enter this room, a bell on the door rings and the pair of workers cease their chatter. One of the workers, pauses from writing notes about recently received evidence to look at you with curiosity. The other worker remains focused on retrieving crates. Just past the desk, an open wood case on a table displays several wayfinders.
The gnome worker who was taking notes pipes up and says Hi, I’m Spritz Wellenly. How can I help you?
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Jaxon grins at Spritz, though it comes across as a bit of a sneer. "Heya Spritz, good to see you again! Been a while, but always good to see you. Whatcha been up to lately? I bet the bosses still don't appreciate the work down here, huh? Keep y'all dark and cold, amirite?" He chuckles and nods at the gnome.
Jaxon glances over to the open case of wayfinders. "Whatcha got there?"
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Spritz looks at Jaxon a little oddly but replies You know how it is, You gotta do what is necessary to make a living. They found these things at some recent crime scenes, so I am cataloging them as evidence.
The wayfinders each bear an unusual modification, including one that casts darkness instead of light and one that is made from adamantine.
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Zenith manages to charm Spritz with his assurances and earn a clue.
Scratch can't seem to find the right words, but doesn't distract from the group's effort.
Avery manages to impress Spritz with her knowledge, gaining access to the last clue.
The maker’s mark on each wayfinder includes text that says “Muesello’s Machinery.” The maker’s mark indicates that they were manufactured in Oppara, but the constabulary hasn’t found the workshop yet—no such establishment exists in the city’s official records, and the Pathfinder Society has not been forthcoming.
Curiously, the marks show that the newest wayfinder of the bunch was made four years ago. The rest were manufactured anywhere from a decade ago to five years ago.
Assuming you will move from there to the Lodge.
The bait and tackle shop that serves are the lodge’s front has a “Gone Fishing” sign hanging from the door.
Kat, Avery and Scratch all spot a Secret door into the bait and tackle shop in an alley in the back.
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Shandra stayed quiet during their meeting with Spritz as she was never confortable with people representing the law.
Good findings! she says to her comrades once out of White Hall.
As they go close to the Pathfinder Lodge, she looks around, searching for people following them.
Distracted she was not able to see the hidden door that Kat found!
Good catch, Kat. Let's be sure there is no traps before using that door.
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"Just remember guys in case a fight breaks out, we're dealing with fellow Pathfinders most likely so let's try to keep the blood loss to a minimum." He looks back and forth amongst all his guns, wondering just how he's going to do that himself... he pulls his wayfinder out to be more visible for the entrance.
He checks the door over for traps, giving the all clear sign if indeed it is, backing up and moving quietly.
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"Right, we'll play tag with them." Jaxon chuckles at Scratch and let's him finish checking the door before he or Shandra goes barging in. "Some oddities, but I'm not sure I would blame them for arresting Musuello, especially with what we know too. I mean, I'm happy to kick their teeth in if they do, but let's hope he has a better explanation."
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"You know, most of the time, I would really want to see you blow the door wide open, but just in case he's being framed, maybe we don't want to destroy the place." Jaxon walks back around to the front and looks around at the street to see how busy the area is. He walks up to the door and slips a set of lock picks into the lock and deftly twists it. He pauses to check the door for any traps.
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Jaxon works the lock on the front door with subtlety, and the tumbler clicks into place.
Unfortunately, this lock requires two successful checks to open (the back door requires five, with a higher DC.)
After Jaxon gets the one tumbler picked, the door suddenly opens and a kobold sticks her head out the door. Can't you see the sign says closed! Go Away!
She starts to close the door behind her.
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“Hi!“ Avery stops the door before it can even get closed. “We're actually here for something more important.“ she tells the kobold and looks at the others to tell the kobold what they are here for because she is not good at Diplomacy. “Do you mind letting us in first before we tell you about it? We might be overheard here.“ she adds.
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Well hurry inside then, and don’t go showing that off.
Cases of artificial lures line the walls of the shop past the entrance in this small sales room. Fishing poles stand in neat racks on display in the shop’s window, crowding the space and obstructing much of the view. Signs on capped barrels advertise a wide range of live bait, from leeches to minnows to crickets. A wooden counter holds a locked money box and a ledger. Three doors lead out of this room: one to the street outside, one behind the counter, and one on a wall covered with mounted fish.
There is a storage room to the South that the party can enter as well, as there is not enough space in the front room. The door to the storage is the one on the wall with the mounted fish.
What do you want then?
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Jaxon, it doesn't look like anyone else has been here recently.
Lolly replies If you mean Venture Captain Muesello, I don't know where he is. He messaged me to come an help him work on some machinery. I arrived two days ago, but haven't seen him. What's this all about? Who are you and what do you know about what is going on with VC Muesello?
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Zenith shrugs, "Well, we were hoping you would answer the same. I'm Zenith and we are all with the society. We are investigating some weird occurrences around town and some wayfinders were collected as evidence at one of scenes. We were checking in on VC Muesello to make sure he's okay and if he had any information for us. Who are you and do you know where he is?
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Avery looks at Zenith, then to Lolly. “We both know that the Venture-Captain makes wayfinders. Unfortunately, one of the incidents he is linked with has wayfinders as evidence with his signature mark, 'Muesello's Machinery'. What's odd is that those wayfinders found were modified to cast darkness instead of light.“ she explains the latest info they know.
She then looks at the others to maybe explain their other findings.
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Lolly has her eyes downcast as she explains: Muesello showed up yesterday and went into his workshop. He didn’t explain what he was doing, and urged me to stay away from the lodge in case someone showed up to cause trouble. I ignored him, of course, and stayed at the lodge in case he returned.
I guess I can let you into his workshop, but Muesello warned me that he left an “unpleasant surprise” for any enemies that might come poking around—I hasn’t gone in the room since Muesello left.
The back/left half of the Lodge is considered Muesello's workshop.
A single desk sits in the center of this workshop, with the top clear except for a pair of lamps and a magnifying lens. Wheels on tool and supply chests allow them to move within reach of the desk easily. Several half-finished projects sit around on tables. A thin layer of dust coats the room.