Agents of History,
The Pathfinder Society and I have worked together closely to uncover forgotten secrets, particularly as I help secure the Society access to previously inaccessible Taldan artifacts. Recent events in Ridonport have caused quite a stir, and I believe Grand Prince Stavian III is preparing to retaliate in some fashion. Few know of his schemes, among these the Ulfen Guards who serve as his unwavering bodyguards. Of these, one has determined that it is his moral imperative to alert others of what he has heard of the grand prince’s plans. This is vital information. This is also whistle-blowing that puts that guard at risk. He is willing to take that risk only if someone first restores his family’s reputation in his homeland, the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Admittedly, he has not visited his homeland in many years, so his account of exactly how his family was defamed is unclear.
Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen of Iceferry has informed me that he knows something of this guard’s dishonored past and has begun piecing together the first clues that might exonerate him. I have already written ahead to Bjersig so that he expects company, and I trust you will assist the Society and me in this matter. Even if Inner Sea politics don’t hold your interest, I trust a centuries-old murder mystery will.
Also, please be considerate when meeting with Bjersig. He may be deaf, yet he is among the strongest, kindest, and most capable Pathfinders with whom I have corresponded.
Lady Gloriana Morilla
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Elena Endari moves towards the bow of the large merchant ship, her raven black hair whipping in the salty breeze. Her mithral breastplate seems to fit her as though it were molded to her form, moving with her as she walks. Her weapons, "Nusintia" (a +1 holy longsword), a cold iron longsword, a silver longsword, and a masterwork composite longbow, are all within easy reach and ready to slay any foe that may try to stop them from reaching their destination.
Varisian scarf around her neck is a nod to her roots, reminding her of where she came from. It billows along with her cloak with the sea breeze.
Elena scans the horizon for any sign of trouble, before turning to her companions, with a smile.
"What do you think of this mission? I have never gone this far North before..."
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A nagaji in Tien-style armor stands beside Elena. His smile is wide, exposing far more teeth than most are comfortable with, but still jovial. A battleaxe hangs from his belt, and his left arm grips a shield with the device of a lion's head mid-roar, looking as if it could reach out and bite you. His pronunciation is precise as he responds.
"I feel the chill in my scales, but we go where we must. The Ulfen make our nation stronger, and surely what we learn will benefit both Taldor and the Society." There is a note of doubt in his voice.
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His companion, however, is more inclined to cause doubt than feel it. An owlbear with a strange shimmer to its feathers is on the deck, wearing studded leather that must have taken a master armorer to create. Its saddle has a bracket to hold a flagpole, though the banner with an image of the Blakros family crest on a field of lightning has been stowed for the moment. It stands near the bow, feeling the sea spray on its feathers and occasionally shaking violently, to the detriment of any who stand nearby.
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"Aaack! Ohmygosh! Hahahaha!" Pai shrieks with surprise and then delight as she is doused by the owlbear's vigorous shaking. "Ohmygosh I smell like owlbear now, don't I? Hahaha! Anybody want a hug? Anybody?" The bright peach gnome with a short shock of fiery red hair holds out her arms, pale green eyes twinkling mischievously as she approaches the other Pathfinders. "What, no? Whyever not?"
Giving up with a laugh, she does her own version of the doggie shake, which is entirely ineffective and makes her dizzy for a moment. With a quick gesture, she pops up to fly about a foot above the deck so as not to fall down--and immediately realizes that, while she's not moving, the ship still is. Just before slamming into the railing, she lands back on the deck, catching herself before tumbling. "Whoa. Lost my sea legs for a moment there." She trots back to the group and quips with a wink: "You didn't see anything but the wind and the waves. By the way, did you bring enough winter gear? It gets cold enough up there to freeze off your dangly bits at night, and even in the daytime sometimes. Turn you into a corpsicle before you know it."
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A young man of Taldan stock wanders around the ship, getting used to the water again.
Guess i should have been a sailor..better late then never, i suppose... he muses to no one in particular.
I thought I heard a familiar voice. Hey Pai...how are you doing? he says with a smile as he sees the gnome sized ball of energy.
The weapons and armour show him to be a student of the rondelero fighting style popular in Taldor. His sword gleams in the mid day sun and his armour moves like a second skin.
Nice to meet you all...I am Mykel, of the Cassomir Therinors...at your service. You can likely buy cold weather gear where we are going...
After a smooth ten day journey, the ship arrives at the docks in Iceferry, a small town just across the river from Kalsgard, the largest city in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
As you are making your way down the gangplank, a gnome woman energetically hails to you from the dock. Bundled in furs and scarves, she holds her waving arm at the elbow with her other hand as if trying to push her flailing hand higher in the air to get your attention.
"Thank goodness you're here!"
She says cheerfully upon your arrival.
"Greetings, friends. I am Lirall, Bjersig's assistant."
She gives an awkward curtsy, her winter clothing making it difficult for her to bend.
"The venture-captain is expecting you! Please, follow me."
She leads you through the snow-dusted streets of Iceferry to the local lodge.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Pai."
She says with a big smile.
"It sure is nice having another of us 'wee-folk' around."
Lirall giggles and then cringes when she hears Pai make a dare to eat the fish head.
"Eww! The head is all hard and crunchy, and usually charred. The tasty meat between the head and the tail is the part you want to eat."
She giggles again.
"If he doesn't dare you, I will!"
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Elena hurries along with the others and buys herself a winter outfit.
"I've never had fish in a stick before... Jerky usually. I'll try one," she grabs one and gives it a bite. She seems to like it just fine. Nothing that blows her mind, but a nice meal before checking their main assignment.
"So, you know each other? Zylencia and I have gone to a few missions ourselves. Do you have any tactics we should be aware of? How can I be help during battles?"
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I've ventured up this way a couple times previous...things are very different than in the south.... Mykel says as he reflects on past missions.
Hmmm..as for tactics, I like getting up close and personal and taking advantage of my enemy's defenses...or lack thereof. If you get on the opposite side of me in battle, that would be great...but don't do it unnecessarily...
Oh...and there are some big critters up here too...and i mean big...
Jirall gives a side glance to the group.
"Mm-hmm."
"Okay, here we are!"
Passing through the double doors of the large home, Lirall heads to a panel of pulleys near the entrance, each color-coded cord labeled with a tag. She sorts through them for a moment before pulling the one labeled “Map Room,” and tells you it causes several small flags in that room to flap and signal the venture-captain that he has guests. His dog, a husky named Mahki, cheerfully howls a response, and Bjersig Torrsen calls out with a throaty voice,
“Please come in, friends. Mahki and I have been expecting you.” Lirall follows as you enter.
Bjersig is a confident half-orc man wearing a dark tunic and breeches. Lirall explains that he has been deaf his whole life but was raised orally, so he is a capable speaker and an excellent lip-reader. He can understand your spoken questions so long as you speak clearly and in his sight.
Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen leans over a large desk and studies several aged pages, and the dog Mahki eagerly weaves among the visitors to give each a sniff.
“I trust your travels were pleasant,” begins Bjersig as he looks up to weigh the new faces, punctuating certain words or phrases with hand signs.
“I am Bjersig Torrsen, head of this lodge. You know Lirall, and Mahki is already introducing himself.” He moves a parchment toward the front of his desk.
“An early Pathfinder agent named Eylysia chronicled an unnamed colleague’s investigation of a feud between two families. Centuries ago, it began with accusations of witchcraft and a gruesome execution, and the two have clashed ever since. However, the families chased off Eylysia’s colleague, and it appears someone hid these records so that a later generation might investigate the incident when the wounds were less fresh. Other agents discovered the records recently and sent them to me, and I have cross-referenced them with local histories here at the lodge. I believe I have a lead.”
With that, he strides over to a large map hanging on the wall, points to a pin stuck into a settlement labeled “Frostbreach,” and continues.
“Eylysia’s friend was investigating legends of Kolvi: the so-called Jarlsblood Witch, a warrior executed for using ice magic to kill a king. Legends say she was untouched by winter and was ferociously strong, so she set out to slay a linnorm and become a linnorm king. The reigning linnorm king followed her with his boon companions, and a terrible blizzard struck. Days later, Kolvi returned with the king’s frozen head. The town branded her a traitor, a witch, and an Irriseni sympathizer, sentencing her to death and using her maimed corpse to create a terrible effigy. The tales say that her body disappeared only a few days afterward, which the local folk took as further sign of her supernatural malice.
"Frostbreach is only a shadow of the town it once was a few centuries ago. Even Kolvi’s relatives have taken on a new surname— Trolltooth—and without Eylysia’s records, I might not have known which family’s reputation Gloriana wanted investigated and restored. I ask that you take the Path of Aganhei and travel to Frostbreach. Explore the town and surrounding area, and interview the people. Confirm what truths you can, debunk the rest, and follow whatever promising leads you find. I recognize that proving the Trolltooth family innocent would be best for the Society, but I leave it up to you to find the real truth, not the most convenient.”
The venture-captain encourages you to equip yourselves appropriately for the cold weather and notes that he has acquired transportation to take you to Frostbreach once you have made your preparations.
He then makes the Pathfinder hand sign for “questions”.
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a woman in dark clothing, that drapes off of her, as well as a long thin blade along her back, long silver hair trailing behind her
Artic
"Apologies for the lateness, I was held up at a previous encounter.Though seems I'm here just in time"
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Elena looks at Artic Fox and Lulari with curious interest. She's never seen a damphir or a samsaran before.
Her attention turns to the Venture-Captain, making sure to articulate clearly so he can read her lips.
"I'm not entirely familiar with the customs of this region. The problem was that she used 'winter magic'? Or that she killed the king? He tried to kill her first, didn't he?" it's clear Elena feels she was in the right to defend herself. "Is there anything in particular we should avoid doint?"
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Lirall giggles and then cringes when she hears Pai make a dare to eat the fish head.
"Eww! The head is all hard and crunchy, and usually charred. The tasty meat between the head and the tail is the part you want to eat."
She giggles again.
"If he doesn't dare you, I will!"
"Done!" Eyes twinkling, Pai takes a big bite out of the head--or tries to. She pulls back, empty-mouthed, then goes in for another chomp, which turns into a rather comical corn-on-the-cob-like gnawing. She mutters around the fish in her mouth: "Hmm. Tashtesh good, but my jawsh can't get frew it." Eventually all the edible parts of the fish have been eaten and the yummy flavors have been stripped from the bones. "Man, that was great! I'm gonna have to go back and get some more later."
Pai gives a cheery nod and a wave to the late arrivals, taking their unusual appearances in stride. After all, she just got back from a mission with some *way* weirder looking folks, so the whole "one head, one torso, two arms, two legs" thing seems totally normal by comparison.
Conscious of Bjersig's lip reading, Pai starts out deliberately speaking at a normal pace, but by the end she's babbling a mile a minute without realizing it. "Wow. Sounds like there's a lot more to the story than those legends say. There are probably tons of other explanations for what could've happened. --Oh, hey Mahki. Sure, you can lick off my hands. Saves me from washing the fish off them. Heehee! Oh, that tickles!-- Anyway, it is weird that she came back with just the king's head. Usually that's like a trophy thing. Anyhoo, so is the Path of Aganhei just the name of the road that leads to Frostbreach, or does it have another meaning? Is there anything notable about the town now? Like, are there any current family feuds that you know about? Do the other townsfolk know the Trolltooths are the same family as the Jarlsblood Witch? Or is this all stuff we'll find out when we get there?" If Bjersig needs her to repeat anything, she'll apologize and sheepishly do so with careful clarity.
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Elena looks at Artic Fox and Lulari with curious interest. She's never seen a damphir or a samsaran before.
Elena feels a sudden jolt of otherworldly energy in her mind, severely startling her. Shamus the Samsaran appears in her mind.
"What in the great heavens do you think I am? A blue-skinned devil!?!""Don't you remember the Trouble in Tamran we got into?"
He shakes his head in disappointment then disappears from her mind.
Mahki's ears perk up and he eyes Lulari suspiciously as she slips a piece of meat into her sleeve. Mahki stands, lowers his head and growls...
He then barks loud, followed by a growl and another loud bark at Lulari. The dog looks at Bjersig to get his master's attention and barks, growling menacingly after every third bark --along with a bit of flatulence.
Bjersig waves a hand to fan the odor, then looks over to Mahki. Able to read Mahki's body language and the timing of barks and snarls, he snaps at his dog,
"Mahki, no! Down, boy!"
He commands with hand signals and then sniffs the air. Bjersig grimaces, unsure of which odor is worse, then glares at Lulari.
Mahki stares with head lowered at Lulari, holding in his instinct to bark again.
"You have a... pet, do you? A rather odorous one? More odorous than Mahki, I presume. Sorry about Mahki. Don't give him fish."
Bjersig inquires with a raised eyebrow.
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Told you to avoid the fish.... Mykel says softly to Pai.
I think there are superstitions and such regarding ice witches and the like up here. I can't remember the exact reasons for it...but even if a wizard uses a minor spell to cast a snowball, they could be branded as am ice witch...
Bjersig gives a nod to the newcomers.
"Welcome."
He punctuates with a hand sign.
Lirall lightly nudges Pai in the side, signals that Pai has a bit of char in between her teeth, then nudges her again to listen...
Bjersig continues...
"As for any contacts, Frostbreach is a very self-sufficient town, so we do not see many of their traders here in Iceferry. However, I was able to learn about one of the living descendants of the Trolltooth family who might be able to help you when you arrive. Her name is Eigma, and she runs the local leatherworking shop there.
“If you're wondering what type of evidence you should look for... Stories, written testimonies, material items—really anything that would help us determine which side is correct, if that is even possible.”
Seeing Mahki lick the fish from Pai's fingers, Bjersig puts his palm to his head in slight annoyance.
"Fish irritates Mahki's belly. It gives him really bad gas."
DIPLOMACY (GATHER INFORMATION) OR KNOWLEDGE (LOCAL):
KNOWLEDGE (ARCANA OR GEOGRAPHY):
"Anyhoo, so is the Path of Aganhei just the name of the road that leads to Frostbreach, or does it have another meaning?"
"The Path of Aganhei is the primary route bridging Tian Xia and Avistan across the Crown of the World. The Path is actually two overlapping trade routes, one connecting the Successor States of Lung Wa with the Realm of the Mammoth Lords and the Sellen Passage, the other carrying travelers from Minkai to the Lands of the Linnorm Kings."
Ice storms and blizzards are commonplace near Frostbreach for more than half the year.
Many citizens and travelers claim to have experienced terrible visions, heard otherworldly sounds, or had some of their belongings stolen while in the area. The common response is to blame these on the Jarlsblood Witch and Frostbreach’s ongoing family feud.
Legends and stories tell of mystical creatures that curse anyone who ventures too deep into the brutal tundra, which has caused hunters and farmers to travel beyond sight of the town’s walls only rarely.
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"This is going to be a tricky one. The Trolltooths and Coalbraids have been at each others' throats for far too long. They fight just as much in the political arena, as well - the council they selected is a divided as everyone else in the town, despite the best efforts of the local linnorm king. None can see how their animosity is ruining the town."
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Blushing at being reprimanded, Pai sucks at her teeth and wiggles her tongue around the offending area vigorously, causing her closed lips to bulge comically as she listens to everyone expounding on their knowledge about this place. She nods along to the parts she's heard, and nods appreciatively to the parts she hadn't, doing an excellent impression of a bobble head doll. Finally, she gets that pesky piece of char out of its crevice and gives a big grin at Lirall, fervrently hoping there isn't another one.
"Okay, so we have to be careful to avoid showing favoritism while we're there. Which sucks, because whichever side we talk to second is going to be righteously peeved."
"We could try to split the party for that... one group asks the Trolltooths and the other the Coalbraids... unless we expect things to get violent in town. Is that something that happens between the two families or the other clans there?"
Bjersig thinks for a moment.
"I'm really not sure. I know they argue, but, you'll need to find out for yourselves. Like I mentioned earlier, confirm what truths you can, debunk the rest, and follow whatever promising leads you find.""When you are ready to leave, I have a horse drawn sleigh waiting to take you to Frostbreach."
Frostbreach was once a bustling trade town just east of the Path of Aganhei, used for restocking any travelers with supplies they would need before delving farther north. However, many avoid the town now because of the wintry misfortunes that seem to befall travelers as they pass through.
Two extended families control the majority of Frostbreach: the Trolltooths and the Coalbraids. Each family believes the other was at fault for the terrible events surrounding the Jarlsblood Witch incident, and these accusations have triggered numerous other feuds that have fueled animosity ever since. The more they squabble, the more the town struggles to remain regionally relevant.
With the feud so fierce in Frostbreach, its warriors have been especially reticent to attempt a linnorm hunt, which could be perceived as a power grab by that warrior’s family and instigate retaliation. Kalsgard’s linnorm king, Sveinn Blood-Eagle, has intervened several times to negotiate some peace, though this quells trouble only for a few months. The town has also elected a council of elders, hoping to bring back a sense of stability. However, this council has just become the latest battleground.
"It's about a two day journey to Frostbreach. Just stay on the main road and you should be fine."
Bjersig then adds,
"If you have never driven a sleigh before, Jirall will show you the basics. It's quite easy."
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"Oooo! Do the bridles have jingle bells?" Pai's eager to get out on the road. Sitting around wondering about stuff has its limits for her attention span.
Assuming she's fully prepared since she's been on cold missions a whole *two times* before, Pai declares she's ready to go whenever everyone else is. "Let's goooo slooow pooookes!"
Jirall has a sleigh —along with a couple of packs stuffed with basic supplies— waiting for you out in front of the lodge.
"We save the jingle bells for festivals and weddings here in town. The bells would probably attract who-knows-what type of dangerous creatures out in the wilderness."
"There's a rest stop for travelers about halfway to Frostbreach. You should reach it by sundown. It's a cozy cabin with a large fireplace and plenty of space to rest for the night. Just be sure to replace any firewood you use."
"Oh! Be sure to take the sleigh to the stables at the Linnorm's Tale Inn in Frostbreach. They'll take care of the horses for you, as well as a place to keep the sleigh while you're there."
She wishes you luck on your journey and waves goodbye as Elena snaps the reins to get the horses moving.
The journey by sleigh through the picturesque snowy landscape is relatively uneventful as you make it to Frostbreach in the early evening on the second day.
The Path of Agenhai may be what passes for a major road, but it is frozen solid for much of the way, with deep snow along the sides. Still, the horses are a sturdy local breed and don't complain.
Frostbreach itself very quickly gives you the impression that it is a ghost-town. It is inhabited - but by barely a third of the number of souls it must once have held. Most are Ulfen, with a sizeable minority of dwarves and the occasional gnome adding a dash of colour. No more than 350 people now inhabit the settlement. A decaying palisade wall—with several watchtowers and a pair of gates—encircles the town, and many of the homes are longhouses built to accommodate extended families of 10 to 25 people. Of the wooden causeways that crisscross the frozen ground, those that extend to the unoccupied parts of town are crumbling from neglect.
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Aye...if we could harness Pai's energy we can be there tomorrow...
"Ohmygosh that's almost true! This one time I--" Pai continues prattling incessantly for the whole trip, stopping only when someone else pipes up to get a word in edgewise.
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As the group drives through Frostbreach, Pai keeps her eyes peeled for the townsfolk's reactions to their presence as she babbles at her new best friends.
"Linnorm's tale? Do you think they might have a bit information about the matter? Might as well ask while we are there."
"Oh, sure! I bet you're all eager to hear someone else's voice for a while. Hahaha! Say, I can't help but feel sad when I see those run-down parts. What about you? Can you imagine what it would've been like in its heyday? Bustling with people and full of promise, you know?" She keeps up her chatter until the group approaches the inn, at which point she--finally!--has the sense to allow her teammates to steer the conversation to more practical matters.