Meanwhile, Egg shakes, and there is cracking sound as a reptilian snout begins to poke out of the shell, followed quickly by a tiny claw.
"Roaaaaaark?"
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As Egg hatches, everyone, including Solvatar watches. Although Solvatar looks disappointed at not being able to fight the party, he appears even more excited as a new life comes into existence in his very manor.
"This is amazing! Even more amazing than a friendly bout! I wish your group all the best as you proceed onto your future paths."
As you board the carriages, you hear applause as the three masters, Kreighton Shaine, Sorrinna Westyr and Marcos Farabellus emerge from the gatehouse.
"You acted very swiftly and decisively during the attack on the manor!"
"Very well done, especially during the Scrolls trial. You also get a passing mark."
"I applaud your innovative way of getting past my dragon. You will do well in your adventures."
The deans escort you back to the Grand Lodge for a formal debriefing. They, along with Ambrus Valsin confirm that you have passed your trials.
Ambrus Valsin gives you all a well deserved rest, saying "Better rest up. You'll get new missions shortly"
Thanks for playing! :)
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Meanwhile, Egg shakes, and there is cracking sound as a reptilian snout begins to poke out of the shell, followed quickly by a tiny claw.
"Roaaaaaark?"
As the new life form makes its way into the world, it gives its first cry. A face pokes his head into the room. He appears to have the likeness of a raven.
"Yes? Did someone call?"
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Sorrinna turns to Konbu. "The mushroom spores are not creatures so Glitterdust would not have worked."
You have traveled by river boat up the East Sellen river to Restov, the capital of Brevoy. As you disembark, Marcos Farabellus greets you on the docks. He is a man of sturdy build with a bald head and a full beard.
"Ah, agents! So very good to see you! Welcome to Restov. I hope your journey wasn't too bothersome. This time of year the mosquitoes on the Sellen can be worse than falling face first and buck naked into a patch of poison ivy." Marcos punctuates his own jest with a bellowing laugh. "Let's get you all a bit freshened up before I get to the heart of the matter."
Marcos leads you to a nearby street vendor who sells fried fish and vegetables. He buys each of you a portion and buys himself a skewer of crayfish. While everyone eats and walks, he elaborates on the mission.
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At Marcos's greeting, Bee assumes a stern expression and salutes stiffly. "Agent Cori reporting. What trouble is brewing here, sir?" He can't keep that act up for long though. He chuckles a bit at the description of the mosquitos.
Bee chooses a plate of fried mushrooms and follows while changing his hair to a dark purple color and listening for details of their assignment.
"Chirrrp! Chirrrrp! Roaaaaaaaark?" Egg bounces along, happy as a clam, his tongue snapping out and grabbing a few mosquitoes along the way.
Can we go for a run after we eat this yummy fish?
Egg chirps as he gallumphs up to Cath, thumping his head under Cath's hand. Then Egg dashes around Ashun and Bea, chirping up at the other 'dinosaur'.
"Chirrrreeeeep!"
Let's play!
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As the two dinosaurs chase each other, Bitty smiles at Marcos and copies Bee's stiff salute. She stands at attention, draconic tail curved upwards. "Agents Bitisuru and Bamidele Blue reporting for duty as well!"
Then she giggles and says, "Thanks for the food, Venture-Captain Farabellos. What are we doing this time?"
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"Hello once again, everyone." he nods a bow to the others when they regroup
"He's almost my size now!"
He chuckles lightly when Bitty shows a grown Bamidele, "Yes, I see it." pausing briefly "Not that it is very hard to outgrow you." jesting.
And gladly accepts the treats Marcos buys them. "Pleasure meeting you, I am Ashun and this one here is Bea.", he says, pointing to the blue iguana by his side.
mlem
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"Ashun! Cath! Bee! Konbu! Loompecker!" Bitty says hello to everyone. "Do you see how much Egg has grown? He's almost my size now!"
Bending down and petting Egg, Cath smiles at Bitty, "Egg has grown quite a bit! I'm glad he could join us today."
Rubbing her neck at the mention of the annoying bugs, the woman then stands and greets Marcos with a salute, "Cath Gerbaine, reporting in. I'm just glad that the mosquitos aren't large enough to carry anyone away!" she laughs whilst walking with the Venture Captain, accepting his offer and getting one fried fish on a skewer and a roasted cob of corn with one in each hand.
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"Well met, agents! I'm sure this is a change from the Grand Lodge or from Solvatar Caryg's manor. First off, thank you for coming. This is a bit of an unusual 'mission', so let me get right to it. I received a challenge recently from Orlaelia Aldori. She's an up-and-coming swordmaster here in Restov. Claims her students are capable of besting any of mine. Now, I get challenges like that all the time, and normally I ignore them. But this time? Well, there's a little bit more to it. A double-edged sword, so to speak." He lets out a small chuckle. "Which is apt, because one of these extras is a sword. Orlaelia has bet Inheritor's Fury, her old longsword, on this deal. She used to be a Mendevian crusader, you see, and the sword has seen the depths of the Worldwound. It's a relic in its own right and an item the Society would love to study in depth, not to mention a valuable piece of modern history deserving proper cataloging and preservation."
"While the pursuit of a relic alone would not merit taking you away from your other duties, this challenge also gives us a chance to make new friends and acquaintances in Restov. It's been a while since the society had an active presence here. Rising to this challenge could give us a friendly rival at worst and some new friends at best."
"Orlaelia, though a veteran of many battles, is still Taldan at heart, from what I know at least, and still loves the arts. So! While this challenge will culminate in a duel between you and her students, she will most likely have a few other tests in mind that go beyond raw combat. Who can say what they'll be. From what I hear her style is quite practical, but old veterans like us see lessons in the strangest of places." He smiles, perhaps thinking of similar examples from his own past, though doesn't elaborate further. "I've opened up Birchwood Hall, our lodge here. Haven't managed to get all the damp and dust out yet, but that shouldn't bother us overmuch. I'm sure you've all seen much worse during your travels."
You arrive at Birchwood Hall just as Marcos finishes speaking. He leads you inside the building, through the main sitting room and into a wood paneled conference room. There's a faint smell of dust in the air that the open windows have yet to dispel.
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As you open the windows and clean out some of the dust, Marcos turns to you with a somewhat stern look on his face.
"Now, then, I'm not sure if you've been told otherwise, but this is a friendly challenge between the Pathfinders and Orlaelia Aldori. If the situation allows it, by all means, but we will not tolerate any attempt to sabotage these trials. This is not a training mission, but a chance for you to experience actual Pathfinder Society work. So I expect you to be on your best behavior. Any questions?"
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"A couple." he starts walking around, gathering old buckets and brooms that were probably around somewhere, tattooing them with a Prestidigitation cleaning glyph, "Do you mind if I clean up the place while we talk? As you said, in the best case scenario, a friend here might sow a new-old Pathfinder headquarters. So..." him and Bea start mixing some common herbs in the cauldron, trying to make a simple cleaning agent in maybe a few of minutes.
Filling one of the buckets with it, he takes one broom and starts cleaning up the place.
"And the other question is, what else is there to know about Orlaelia? Personality, guards or friends, where she usually stays, all of that."
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"Oh, I am sorry. Had I known we would have guests so soon, I would have used magic to clean and made some tea."
Ashun quickly freshens up himself with prestidigitation, and as always, presents himself as politely and soft-spoken as possible, making sure they're comfortable and feeling well received.
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Bee eats his mushrooms and listens to Marcos describe the plan. "Hah, nice. I'm always up for a good competition."
At Birchwood Hall, he nods somberly at the instruction to be on best behavior. "Of course. Professional. Dignified. High-class. Distinguished. Solemn." He continues coming up with synonyms while doing some stretches to limber up and turning his hair a bright orange.
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Eating her corn and fish while walking with the group, Cath speaks up "Friendly competition would be preferred than actually fighting folks to the death. It should also help us with our own techniques when fighting others."
"Yes sir! I will do my best as a member of the Society!" Saluting Marcos, she then makes sure all her attire is proper and clean before rubbing her teeth to get all the corn out from them. Fixing her short hair, Cath then brings out her walking staff to offer to anyone if needed when they enter the building.
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Bitty straightens out her outfit, and dusts off the exuberant Egg, calling him to her side and calming him down. Her hair and clothes still billow in a breeze that only seems to affect her. "Do we have enough time to make a 'Welcome' sign? If not, we should all smile and say, 'Welcome!' when we see them!"
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Marcos opens the door with an air of nervousness. A party of five waits outside, led by a middle-aged woman with her dark hair pulled back into a simple knot. She wears woolen trousers beneath her sensible skirts and a thick leather jerkin with an emblem embroidered on the right side.
"Marcos Farabellus!" the woman grins widely and gives him a firm--and long--handshake. While this extended handshake goes on, you take note that the four students behind her wear similar jerkins. All carry a distinctive Aldori dueling sword strapped to their hips.
Orlaelia Aldori looks you over as she lets go of Marcos' hand and enters with her students trailing behind her. "I thought you said there were five?" she asks. "Don't expect us to go easy on you," she adds with a competitive twinkle in her eye. "Students. Introduce yourselves."
The first to introduce herself is a half orc woman with long black hair in an intricate braid. She wears her school jerkin partially open to reveal a spotless white blouse underneath. Her pants are a light brown linen and don’t show a crease out of place. "I am Dura Aldori," she says and throws a wink at Bitty Blue.
A human man in his late twenties with short brown hair steps up next. "I am Halran Aldori," he says and gives you a fancy bow. He completes his school jerkin with riding pants and boots and wears a single pearl earring in his right ear.
"I am Rhenei Aldori," a white and gray furred ysoki says brusquely as they give an equally curt curtsy. Their school jerkin has a few extra pockets sewn on and they wear colorful layered skirts along with wraps around their back paws, leaving the toes open.
The final student, a gnome with golden hair in a bowl cut that looks as if she performed it herself, practically thrums with energy. She looks ready to explode into a thousand questions, but ends up saying, "Thisnabel Aldori! I am. Me. That's me, I mean." Her school jerkin looks as if it had several minor accidents with various substances and bears odd stains. She wears practical leather pants laced up down the sides and leather boots which have seen better days.
Marcos turns to you and says, "And my Pathfinders are..."
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Akin to a butler, the changeling performs a respectful bow with one of his hands on his chest. Gentle and soft-spoken, he says
"I am Ashun, Thull Ashun.", in the same movement, he points with his free hand towards the blue iguana by his side, "And this one by my side is Bea."
mlem
"It is an honour and a pleasure to meet you.", he gets up from the bow, but still maintaining a well-manered demeanor and a corteous smile, "May I offer you all a warm cup of herbal tea?"
"Chirrrreeeep?"
Did these strangers bring food? I'm hungry again!
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Egg give Bitty a look. "Chirreeep?"
Did I say that?
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Weapons jingling with her gait Cath stands before the students of Aldori. Eyeing up the others for a moment, she smiles and gives a slight bow before speaking, "Cath Gerbaine of Korvosa. I am looking forward to testing myself, and learning what I might have missed by not going to your school. It is a pleasure to meet you all." Bowing again, she then taps her chest twice with a closed fist. "May we all enjoy our experience together."
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Orlaelia and her students smile warmly at all of you, though they appear to look a little miffed by Loompecker's offer.
"Are you sure you're a Pathfinder?" Thisnabel asks, "I've never been asked if I need anything before, since most of our needs are provided by the school."
Rhenei looks a bit apprehensive at Egg. "Does he bite?"
Dura and Halran both appraise Cath and Bee, as if they are gauging their abilities by just looking at them. They turn to Konbu and Ashun, bowing deeply in response.
"I am Oraelia Aldori. Marcos and I go back a long way. Although we will duel eventually, there are other aspects of your training I would like to test my students on. My experiences in the crusades fighting demons have taught me that to not only survive, but win decisively, one needs more than a strong sword arm and quick reflexes. I therefore propose three challenges. The third challenge is obviously the duel between my students and yourselves. I will let you choose the first two challenges."
The swordlord goes on to describe several tests of various skills both physical and mental. "A flyting, bragging, and insult competition to demonstrate each contestant's wit. Unnerving your opponent can win a battle before it is even fought." She explains the rules to you ().
"A good poem can impress friends and allies and discredit an enemy, giving an advantage before a duel even starts. Each team could craft a poem." (
To test everyone's physical prowess without resorting to duels, Orlaelia likes a good, old-fashioned tug of war. It not only tests raw strength, but also teamwork and steadiness.([ooc]Over several rounds, each of you makes an Acrobatics check to keep your footing, Athletics check to pull the rope, or Diplomacy or Perform to motivate your teammates.)
"During official duels and training matches there is always a first aid professional close by; however, by their nature duelists usually aren’t so lucky when accepting a challenge in the heat of the moment outside of such formal settings. I have seen enough of her friends and comrades die in the Worldwound before first aid could reach them. It’s always best to be prepared and have someone on your team trained to save your life." ()
"Sometimes you have to take down an opponent in an unconventional way, without harming them." ()
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"Very interesting propositions. Althought my choices may differ from the others." he lightly rests his chin on his hand, thinking for a few seconds, then turns to his companions "Ah. I would rather suggest a list by my order of preferences, so it is better for you all to choose, in case my first option is not the one you all may find the best, but my third."
"If I would organize them by most to least interested in, it would be Medicine, considering I am a physician, it is the easiest one for me. Second is Cat Calling, although I do not condone harrasment, this one is literally calling a cat, and I simply adore animals. Then it is either Battlefield Conditions and Poetry, I am not very good at either or, but it is something I enjoy when it is available. Tug-of-War is not my forte, considering I am not strong, but I know that every bit of help counts. And ufortunately for Loompecker, the one I am the most opposed to is Insults, I highly abhor any form of curse, slander or degradation. If it is voted by the majority, I will oblige and help you craft any if necessary, but I will not profess them." nods to the party, a bit uncomfortable, but steadfast.
mlem
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"Ah. I would rather suggest a list by my order of preferences, so it is better for you all to choose, in case my first option is not the one you all may find the best, but my third."
Bee nods at Ashun's idea. "That is a good way of organizing it quickly." He thinks for a bit. "I think the only one I wouldn't be any good at is poetry. I can write silly poems, but nothing serious. But for my top picks down, probably Tug-of-War, Cat Calling, Insults, Battlefield Conditions, Medicine, and Poetry."
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Marcos and Oraelia produce a rope and bid you to follow them. They lead you to the garden where two lines are drawn in the grass in front of the lodge, 30 feet apart. A ribbon is tied at the center of the rope and the rope is laid at the midpoint between the lines. The students take up one end of the rope and you take up the other end. The goal is to pull the ribbon completely over a team's line.