Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin hands you a letter, alongside four minor healing potions (or four lesser healing potions for levels 5–6). "Thank you for taking this mission. Discretion is of the utmost importance."
I’ve assigned you a particularly important mission, but one that requires a level of subtlety. One of our own, Venture-Captain Varian Jeggare, has gone missing. We received a letter through hidden channels from his majordomo, Benedet, at Greensteeples Manor. Count Jeggare apparently departed in the middle of the night and according to Benedet, he missed his prearranged check-in and has been missing for longer than they consider normal for the venture-captain. I’m sending you to help them find out what has happened.
I don’t need to remind you that all Pathfinder activity in Cheliax is clandestine in nature, so you are to avoid any involvement with local authorities. You will be travelling with a trading caravan to the capital city, Egorian, and you’ve been provided writs to allow you to enter as mercenaries hired to work for the count. As long as you don’t make a scene like new recruits, you should make it to the Sorrowside district and Greensteeples Manor without trouble. Benedet is waiting for your arrival there.
Follow whatever clues you can. Find Varian or—gods forbid—his remains. As always, be careful, and remember— Cheliax is not safe for Pathfinders. Keep your guard up at all times.
—Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin
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A black-scaled kobold receives the letter. He is naked, save for a leather loincloth, bracers and handwraps. Tiny bat-like wings sprout from his shoulder blades.
”I am Dreadfang! Ghost killer, cow savior, bane of false dragons! With my powerful claws and fearsome breath, I will tear our foes apart, and send them screaming to Hell!”
Then he looks around and adds, ”Discreetly”
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"Cheliax..." Charlies absorbs the word after reading the letter. If he wants to prove himself, he must be brave of what lies ahead of the mission he accepted. He knows he is ready for this.
"I am Charlies." he greets the others with his angel unsummoned for now. Wearing handwraps, he also has a starknife made of silver hanging on his side. Stowed on his back is his steel shield.
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His long blue cloak billowing over a fastidiously polished armor, a young man joins the group of Pathfinders. From a silver chain hanging from his neck hangs a rose pendant, adorned with religious symbols of Shelyn. A long glaive is slung over his back, and a small set of travel drums hangs from his side. He smiles brightly at the group of Pathfinders.
Fingo Canvas. It's a pleasure to meet you all.
Looking at the letter, he adds happily
A covert mission posing as mercenaries? This should be exciting! I have to find myself a good alias. And a backstory. The world truly is the greatest stage!
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A woman of medium height and what seems to a perpetually sunny disposition arrives. She continually looks around, as if sizing up any potential marks.
"Shayla, " she says shortly. Her eyes widen as she recognizes someone in the group. "Charlies, right? My older sister Fran described how she had to keep you alive in your last adventure. Who'dve guessed that I get to babysit you next!"
In stark contrast to the graceful fields of black roses that sway in the breeze along the busy road hugging Lake Sorrow, the ornate black and red spires of the City of Thorns stand menacingly over the city walls from beyond the Sorrowgate. Hundreds of travelers, traders, and residents wait for their chance to bring their caravans into the city. With dozens of heavily armed soldiers clad in the black and red of Thrune livery inspecting every carriage and roughhousing those who dare to complain, the long wait to pass through Sorrowgate goes by with little incident as the crowds are cowed into acquiescence.
“Could be worse,” a merchant comments to his traveling companion in earshot of all those nearby. “The Southgate has Hellknights on patrol, and they won’t let anyone with gold or weapons through without making them pay a hefty tax. And the gate up by the Vice has been closed for months.” The guards review the merchant’s papers and allow the pair to pass into Sorrowside, with little hassle and few questions regarding their armaments and goods bound for the merchant quarter.
Through the open gates, the smaller structures of the Old City look worn and ancient compared to the more modern Thrune-era establishments which encroach on the district, including many with hints of foreign influence. More black-clad soldiers patrol the cobblestone streets, a harsh reminder of House Thrune’s dominance in every corner of the city.
Slowly the line moves up to allow another group of carts through the Sorrowgate, inching ever closer to the Old City beyond.
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Liam is a human wears a suit of armor made of mismatched pieces, which has an unusual number of knobs and dials and occasionally emits a bit of steam. He has a good solid shield, and at his belt is a rather unusual weapon. Those familiar with gnome culture might think they recognize it, but they would be wrong; he designed it himself, and any similarity to a traditional weapon he had never heard of is entirely coincidental.
"Discretion is no problem at all, Venture Captain," he says, adjusting his goggles.
"Oh, uh, I'm kind of a healer, too. The trick is to cauterize the wound while simultaneously vaporizing medicinal herbs using a small usually detonation of volatile... trust me, it works fine."
* * *
"Don't panic yet. It's not like we're lying. Our story is basically true, and it'll be easier if I can convince myself of that."
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Soon a slim character moves towards the group of Pathfinders. He has yellow eyes and a bit greenish skin pointing to some orcish blood in him. He wears a traveler cloth but of fine quality and a nice looking drum under his shoulder
"What a story! I joined wrong caravan heading here, for 4 days I tried to find who from the merchants are other pathfinder agents, when I realized my mistake. Then I learned that there was another caravan heading the same direction, and I heard of some naked kobold, so I knew it has to be Dreadfang!" He pats fellow kobold on his shoulder
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Soon a slim character moves towards the group of Pathfinders. He has yellow eyes and a bit greenish skin pointing to some orcish blood in him. He wears a traveler cloth but of fine quality and a nice looking drum under his shoulder
"What a story! I joined wrong caravan heading here, for 4 days I tried to find who from the merchants are other pathfinder agents, when I realized my mistake. Then I learned that there was another caravan heading the same direction, and I heard of some naked kobold, so I knew it has to be Dreadfang!" He pats fellow kobold on his shoulder
”Ha HA!”, cries Dreadfang in recognition. ”The metal golems! Good good!” His little wings flap excitedly.
The guards at the gate glance at your paperwork and let you in without a second thought. The gate shuts behind you as you enter the city and the caravan stops in front of your santcuary.
Dwarfed by the ostentatious black and red buildings that surround it, Greensteeples stands out as a small, ivy-covered manor of an architectural style that seems to predate its neighbors and outclasses them in subtleties of classic design elements. By comparison, the larger structures surrounding the manor telegraph their designers’ need to display their loyalty to Cheliax’s ruling house. Nothing about the unassuming building speaks to its role as Cheliax’s only active Pathfinder Society lodge.
“Milo, get those horses fed. His Excellency won’t appreciate underfed mounts,” instructs a halfling in a crisp and clean uniform bearing the same heraldry that’s emblazoned over the entrance to Greensteeples. The servant they scolded pulls on the reins of a pair of horses that follow them into the nearby stables. A few other halflings approach the uniformed halfling, and they continue giving orders as another pair close the courtyard gates behind them. All of the servants look up warily from their duties at the arrival of newcomers.
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Fingo seems slightly disappointed at the ease with which the Pathfinders cross the gate. No need for theatrics? How unfortunate. He gets over it pretty soon though, taking in the sights of their temporary residence.
Approaching the best-dressed halfling, he says cautiously
We are the... mercenaries whose presence the count requested. I assume that you are expecting us?
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Charlies is relieved that they get past the guards without a problem. Now that they are in, he is hoping they can also get out after their mission. He is anxious to even summon his angel at any time in public in this place. Seeing an angel roaming around in Cheliax would be a bad idea, he believes. It sounds like he will be doing this mission without summoning his angel.
"As he just said, we are indeed mercenaries." he confirms, stating the 'obvious'. "We are here for His Excellency." he emphasizes on that word with a wink. He then gets close to ask something and whispering, "Are angels allowed here? I heard Cheliax is the territory of, you know..." he shrugs to imply what he means.
The lead halfling pushes up their glasses.
"I am Benedet. What brings you to Greensteeples Manor?" The halfling looks up from their ledger, absentmindedly flipping a pen between their fingers. "Perhaps it is better we speak somewhere a bit more private?"
They direct you within an antechamber, where you see an Ustalavic wolfhound stand up and begin eyeing you. "Now now, Arnisant. Come here. Have a treat." The hound is almost as tall as Benedet, and takes the offered snack. Eventually he circles atop a large bed and flops down.
Benedet bids you to sit before a pair of halflings arrive to take your equipment. "Voren and Galen here will take your equipment to your room. Malla will be responsible for cooking food during your stay. Once you are ready, I suggest you do some research within the Archives."
They turn to Charlies and scan him. "Angels. Yes, you'll notice how... Infernal-leaning Chileax is. There is technically no law against Celestials, but do not be surprised if the guards begin to harass you."
Arnisant looks up for a moment before flopping back on the bed. Benedet puts their hands behind their back. "Now then, what questions can I answer?"
"Many good questions. His Excellency returned from a trip to Korvosa eight weeks ago. He needed to conduct some research here at Greensteeples, something related to one of his teams out in the field. He didn’t consult me on what or whom he was researching, but in all likelihood, His Excellency was striving to protect us. That is his way.” Benedet breaks into a small, warm smile before catching themselves and returning to their matter-of-fact disposition. “Several weeks ago, the Count left in the middle of the night. This isn’t abnormal for him, but he usually sends a message through magical conveyance or one of his roses to check in whenever he plans to stay away for more than week at a time.”
“His Excellency’s standing orders when he doesn’t return or make a scheduled contact is to call upon the Society to investigate. He has stated the best starting point, barring other leads, is always whatever project he is working on in the library. So, we are under orders to leave the archives exactly as he left them in cases such as this. Perhaps you will be able to find a clue to his whereabouts there.”
"Ah, I've given one of our secrets." Benedict fights back a smile. "The rose bushes are useful for discrete communication. His Excellence has a way to get our attention, and a way to speak through them. We haven't heard from them in a while though."
"Malla is a fantastic cook. She will make meals for you. She prefers to cook supplies plates of savory meat pies, fried cheese chunks, and bowls of her trademarked turnip and beet stew to appease any appetite. If you have special requests, she will do all she can to accommodate your request."
"Do you have any other queries?"
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Ah. I see that His Excellency had many contingencies in place to account for the poor standing of our group with House Thrune.
Fingo thinks for a second, then adds
Are the nature of the Count's activities known to others within Greensteeples? Or should we maintain utter discretion even within these walls?
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It is a relief to know about the presence of angels here, but maybe we need to be discreet for now," Charlies says. He then looks at the wolfhound in bed munching on whatever the halfling gave to the pet. "Does he bite?" he asks Benedet, wanting to pet it if he will be allowed. "Estes, my eidolon, likes dogs. Arnisant is a dog, right? I really don't have that knowledge about dog breeds." he admits. "Not that I am not interested in them, we just don't happen to talk about them much." he adds.
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Xun looks at Arnisant and Charlies "It seems to me like a bighting head-off bread of dog" the half-orc smiles as he says that
"Ok, so we need to follow on 'his Excellence' research in hope that we will pop up in a place where he went to, and find some leads on him. Sounds reasonable"
He thinks for a moment "Turnip and beet stew, hmm. That sounds exotic" as he looks at the roses with some interest
Arnisant raises his head, sniff's Charlies's hand, closes his eyes and waits patiently. Then he snorts and seems somewhat insulted when no petting occurs. Benedet saves the day with a scruff behind the ears.
"Within the Greensteples Estate, we are all loyal to His Excellency. You can speak freely to any of us here."
"Very well, then." Benedet adjusts their glasses. "Follow me."
You follow a series of stairs, ramps and curtains until you enter the archives. Bookshelves burdened with knowledge crawl from the lower floor to the second floor's celing. Maybe the chandeliers are hiding books. One thing you don't see are windows; unfinished rock peeks out between the shelves.
"My assistants will bring food and water upon your request. Please ring the bell when needed. Your rooms are next to the library, and will be cleaned periodically."
Benedet removes their journal and writes some calculations. "Lord Varian Jeggare is a public figure. I estimate in about 2 more days the city guards will arrive to begin their... investigation." Benedet rolls their eyes before regaining their composure. "You will have to move on before then. Good luck."
The doors shut, giving you peace, quiet, and time. You already notice a pile of food and water on the central table. Arnisant is lounging underneath, his head lying on his paws.
Research Collection: Two floors high, this library contains bookshelves with stuffed and mounted creatures of all shapes and sizes and other treasures from Count Jeggare’s travels.
Map Room: Greensteeples’ map room is hidden behind a portrait in the library of a Chelaxian noblewoman, labeled Countess Pontia Jeggare, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the venture-captain. The room is filled with maps and scrolls of multiple scrolls, littered with secret codes known to Pathfinders.
Arnisant: The aging Ustalavic wolfhound is only too happy to escort the Pathfinders throughout the library.
Greensteeples Archives Research
Dreadfang 0/2 checks
Xun 0/2 checks
Charlies 0/2 checks
Liam 0/2 checks
Fingo 0/2 checks
Shayla 0/2 checks
Greensteeples Archives Progress
Research Collection 0/?
Map Room 0/?
Arnisant 0/?
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Liam is interested in the construction of the secret room and door, but tries to focus his efforts on the actual content of the room. Which maps was the venture-captain looking at most recently, and what do they suggest?
Did he write any notes on them? While a terrible practice, it would be helpful in this case.
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While his tutors in Shelyn's clergy had emphasized to Fingo the importance of knowledge, the concept of research had never quite connected with his more artistic mind. He thus quickly finds himself of a mind with Shayla, and joins her in attempting to soothe Arnisant. Why not? The dog must know something. He thus starts singing a soothing melody while scratching the dog's belly.
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Dreadfang beelines for the research collection, peering at the stuffed creatures, and occasionally growling at one.
Then he makes his way to the map room, where he marvels at all the places he has been to, and the ones he hasn’t seen yet.
Finally, he joins Shayla, putting his claws to good use in the fine art of skritching.
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"Hopefully we can find enough information that can lead us to the missing venture-captain." Charlies is trying to keep his hope up and scans the Map Room to look for sketches or places that the venture-captain like to go frequently.
Hero Point!
He then asks Arnisant for help to find more clues that can lead to where the venture-captain last went. "Who is the good boy who is missing their venture-captain? Tell me, who is?"
The team begins their research crawling along the walls for books, maps, pictures, or keeping Arnisant busy.
In the research room, Xun Liam, Fingo and Charlies note some of the books are bookmarked with a particular style. The bookmarked pages all begin at the start of a chapter, and the first words of each chapter spell out a message, after some rearrangement. By the end of the day, Liam and Xun realize only one of them should stay behind to spell out the message. Eventually the effort pays off:
A rebellion sprouted in Kintargo thanks to a group called the Silver Ravens, inspiring other freedom fighters in Chileax to rise. One group called the Glorious Reclamation, were defeated and captured by the Chileax army. The leaders were executed publicly, but the Count believes there are survivors.
The rest of the time is spent taking care of Arnisant, who comes to life and eagerly plays along. He seems to enjoy tricking and pranking Shayla , Dreadfang. Charlies and Fingo manage to get his attention and some respect. After a looooong nap, he suddenly wakes up and starts digging at the rose garden. He digs up a small note. He must have remembered?
Count Jeggare’s has a lot of gardening notes. He's a fan of roses, and they have bloomed all over Cheliax. He has been unable to plant roses since the attempts to reopen Delvehaven in Westcrown, but there may be a hidden library hidden within Delvehaven's chambers.
Greensteeples Archives Research
Dreadfang 2/2 checks
Xun 1/2 checks
Charlies 2/2 checks
Liam 1/2 checks
Fingo 2/2 checks
Shayla 2/2 checks
Greensteeples Archives Progress
Research Collection 0/?
Map Room 4/4
Arnisant 2/?
As the sunsets, hunger and drowsiness set in. A knock on the door precedes a portly halfling. "It's me, Malla! Benedet said you should report to them and prepare to rest. I'll prepare your dinner and your beddin'. Come on, come on." She shoos all of you from the library.
Benedet is directing several halflings to check on Arnisant's food and his bedding when you reach their modest office. They stand up, fix their posture and turn to face you. "Have you found anything about His Excellency?" They speak with some haste. "Arnisant seems to have enjoyed his time with you."
Liam thinks he found a good lead in the Research Collection. Some of the rocks are looser than he expected, but maybe that's because they are loose rocks.
Benedet keeps attention as you report your findings. "I see... yes. That makes sense. Many of us mourned the passing of the Silver Ravens, as a few of the assistants are followers of Milani. As I said before, His Excellency is quite fond of using roses."
"Another day of research should come in handy. His Excellency is a very public figure. I anticipate someone will be concerned by tomorrow evening and check on him. I hope your research is complete by then."
After some pleasantries, a warm dinner is served. Rabbit Stew and Turnip Stew is passed around the table, with a large plate of smelly savory cheeses and salty salivating breads.
After food the night staff takes over and you retire for the night.
You hear a whine outside your guest room. Arnisant wakes you up at sunrise and leads you to the food hall. Oatmeal, cereals, various teas and lots of coffee tempt your nostrils. Arnisant chows down on a slab of beef.
Mella is ready to greet you. "Mornin' folks! Benedet said they had to respond to a summons. One of the fine Ladies in Egorian said His Excellency missed a dinner date and the guards are asking questions." She rolls her eyes. "I'm always tellin' His Excellency that romance has no home here, but he's young..." She sighs. "Once you are done, I'll bring ya to the library."
She drops a satchel of four lesser healing potions on the table. "A gift from Benedet, just in case ya need 'em."
Research Collection: Two floors high, this library contains bookshelves with stuffed and mounted creatures of all shapes and sizes and other treasures from Count Jeggare’s travels.
Arnisant: The aging Ustalavic wolfhound is only too happy to escort the Pathfinders throughout the library.
Greensteeples Archives Research
Dreadfang 0/2 checks
Xun 0/2 checks
Charlies 0/2 checks
Liam 0/2 checks
Fingo 0/2 checks
Shayla 0/2 checks
Greensteeples Archives Progress
Research Collection 0/?
Map Room 4/4 Complete
Arnisant 2/?
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Fingo thanks Mella for the food, humming lightly as he goes through his morning routine. He then decides that it would be unfair to his companions to spend all of his time in the delightful company of Arnisant, and instead reluctantly heads for the Research Collection.
Before beginning to research, he starts singing lightly, accompanying himself with his drums. As he completes his song, his eyes take a strange yellow tinge.
For the next ten minutes, Fingo then moves through the collection, looking for the telltale signs of invisible objects possibly left here by the Count.
Once he is finished with this task, Fingo starts moving from bookshelf to bookshelf, looking for more secret messages within the books.
Dreadfang and Xun spend more time with Arnisant, playing with him, following him when he catches a whiff of something (usually a rabbit), and helping him throughout the morning.
Eventually he woofs and invites them to his home, a rather large shack that could be confused for the outhouse, or maybe a toolshed. The paint is fresh, the wood is spotless. Several trinkets lie outside and inside, souvenirs from across Golarion.
As he invites them to his home, he curls up on a large pillow and takes a nap. They notice another note curled up on a table.
Count Varian has made notes in the margins to call out how recent attacks on known Hellknight and political leaders throughout Egorian have made his own undercover operations much more difficult and threatens the secrecy of his roses. While the culprits chose high-ranking or particularly diabolical targets, their purely fanatical attacks are likely, in Varian’s view, causing undue risk to Egorian’s populace and sets the revolutionary agenda back years as the government escalates internal security in response.
Liam believes he's made some progress in the Research Collection, but his clues are dead ends. He was about to make a critical blunder in his investigation, but he thought better and dismissed it.
Research Collection: Two floors high, this library contains bookshelves with stuffed and mounted creatures of all shapes and sizes and other treasures from Count Jeggare’s travels.
Greensteeples Archives Research
Dreadfang 1/2 checks
Xun 1/2 checks
Charlies 2/2 checks
Liam 2/2 checks
Fingo 2/2 checks
Shayla 0/2 checks
Greensteeples Archives Progress
Research Collection 0/?
Map Room 4/4 Complete
Arnisant 4/4 Complete