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Seelah politely converses a bit more with the pathfinders, then starts reading.
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She thanks the librarian for reminding them of the closing time, excuses herself and retires to her room for the night.
"Thanks for the offer, Salvio, but I'm good."
Early in the morning, you are jolted awake by a knock on your door. An administrator of the Grand Lodge informs you that you are to report to Venture Captain Ambrus Valsin's office in the next 10 minutes.
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"Ahh! Welcome, Agents." Valsin says as he stands behind his desk.
"Now that I have you all here, I have a mission for you."
He shuffles aside a few papers on his cluttered desk, procuring a stack of envelopes which he then distributes, ensuring each of you receives one.
"Contained within each envelope is a copy of the original missive I received from Sheila Heidmarch yesterday."
He grants a moment for you to peruse the contents of the letter...
Greetings Friends,
For some time I have been making diplomatic inroads into Kaer Maga, the so-called City of Strangers. The Society would love to gain access to the many vaults carved beneath the city long ago. However, because of the danger of the vaults, the group in charge of protecting them—the Duskwardens—rarely allows anyone to stray from their carefully patrolled paths. The Duskwardens seemed willing to consider allowing Pathfinders to venture beyond their protection, but only if we were acting on behalf of one of the city’s major factions with their endorsement. They want us to prove that we are willing to work as partners to a faction and that we will not upset the city’s existing balance of power.
After receiving the Duskwardens’ reply, I reached out to the leaders of several of the city’s largest factions with evidence of our agents’ skill and goodwill. Most of the responses I received were noncommittal. However, Regnald Ardoc, a member of the powerful Ardoc family, took a greater interest. The Ardocs own one of the Inner Sea’s greatest golem-crafting operations and rule Kaer Maga’s Bis district. Regnald has asked me to send a group of agents to investigate a strange malady taking over a section of the city.
A word of caution—very few in Kaer Maga are beacons of morality. For their part, the members of the Ardoc family are harsh enforcers of the law, and they expect the citizens of Bis to pay handsomely for the privilege of their protection. For your own safety, as well as for the reputation of the Society, show Regnald respect while you are in his presence.
Sincerely,
Sheila Heidmarch
A small map of Kaer Maga is folded along with the letter, with the location of Regnald Ardoc’s workshop in Bis clearly marked.
"You have just under an hour to gather whatever equipment you deem essential for your mission, then meet me in Teleportation Chamber 3. We will teleport you to an area just outside of Kaer Maga."
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Damiar watches the stars for half an hour in the library, chatting with her sister and catching up and then heading back with her to the dormitories. That night, she packs her adventure pack, quiver, longbow and all her supplies so that she is ready to go first thing in the morning.
As soon as she gets the message, Damiar talks excitedly with her sister. "Oh yay! Our mission! Do you think we'll get to go with the nice folks we met earlier in the library?" She makes her way to the mission briefing with all her stuff and then goes off to Ambrus Valsin's office.
"Ooh, Kaer Maga! This sounds exciting." Her own stuff ready, she happily helps anyone who needs help packing their gear.
DIPLOMACY (GATHER INFORMATION) OR KNOWLEDGE (LOCAL):
Based on the result of a Diplomacy to Gather information or Knowledge (local) check, you might know more about Kaer Maga and its people. You learn all of the following information whose DC is less than or equal to the result of their check.
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KNOWLEDGE (ARCANA OR HISTORY):
Based on the result of a Knowledge (arcana or history) check, you might know about the deeply magical history of Kaer Maga. You learn all of the following information whose DC is less that or equal to the result of their check.
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The very social Damiar finds out everything there is to know about local politics in Kaer Maga, but clearly she needs to read more local history. She shares with everyone what she found out in local gossip.
"Oh! Doesn't the city of Kaer Maga predate the Thassilonian empire?"
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Nodding, Iovo answers her sister’s question. “Yes, long before then. The first Runelord of Greed used it as a prison with the caulborn becoming the wardens and historians of the city.”
Looking to Valsin, Iovo asks “How quickly must we report in to this Regnald Ardoc and do you happen to know any of his formal titles?” Gesturing towards the letter from Shiela, she says “I’m guessing he would be the type to want to be addressed by his precise title or titles.”
Looking to Valsin, Iovo asks “How quickly must we report in to this Regnald Ardoc and do you happen to know any of his formal titles?” Gesturing towards the letter from Shiela, she says “I’m guessing he would be the type to want to be addressed by his precise title or titles.”
"The sooner, the better." he replies.
"I do not know of any of his titles. I'm sure 'sir' or 'mister Ardoc' would be respectfully appropriate."
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Salvio comes in a little behind everyone else, toting a pack and other equipment while muttering to himself. "...spellbook, check; wands, check; crossbow, check; winter gea--hey, wait a minute. Ah, Venture-Captain, what's the weather like there? This is in the Storval Rise, so I'm guessing it might be cold but not like the temple in the Hao Jin Tapestry cold?"
"Winter clothing will not be needed. It should be quite fair weather there. A light jacket may be necessary in the evening. Other than that, no need to worry about it being too cold in Kaer Maga."
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Farlen sits quietly after he reads his envelope. He was up and ready to move when the runner arrived and seems to be thinking to himself.
"Damiar and Iovo have the jist of it." "I can't add anything else to their assessment." "Though, one faction, Ankar-Te, uses undead as servants." "Might be hard for Seelah to stomach." "There are also peaceful trolls working in the city." "Thought I might warn you all."
"Darkvision and maybe burning hands over resist energy and color spray." He pulls out his spellbook and begins studying.
"I will meet you all at the teleportation room shortly"
After completing your preparations, you make your way to the designated Teleport Chamber. Inside, Kreighton Shaine, the Master of Scrolls, is prepared to whisk you on your way. He asks you all to hold hands within the magic circle before casting the teleportation spell.
In an instant, a flash of light, and a brief moment of disorientation, you find yourselves standing just outside the imposing walls of Kaer Maga. You're on the plateau overlooking the city, providing a breathtaking view of the Varisian lowlands stretching southward. Kaer Maga itself is nestled within the remains of an ancient fortress, a massive six-sided ring of seamless stone that spans over half a mile in diameter, adorned with an array of unique towers. Waterfalls cascade from the city's southern face, pouring thousands of feet into the valley below.
This awe-inspiring sight offers the perfect opportunity for conversation and camaraderie among your group as you approach the city.
When woken by the knock on her door and ordered to report to VC Valsin's office in the next 10 minutes, Seelah doesn't bother to try and don her plate armor - it would simply take too long. Therefore, she quickly dresses herself in the clothes she wore to the library yesterday and walks to VC Valsin's office.
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"Mission accepted, sir. I need to go and pack."
The paladin turns to her new party members.
"See you in one hour, in Teleportation Chamber 3."
With that, she leaves the VC's office.
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When she arrives at the teleportation chamber, she now has several weapons including a rapier and darkwood longbow, wands, and scrollcases along with a sack slung over her back. She greets everyone and gets into position.
When she arrives at Kaar Maga, she looks around excitedly. “What a wonderful view! I should tell Kreighton how much I approve of the landing area.” She seems more interested in the view of the low lands than the city.
She does turn to the city and look it over, analyzing what she sees. “So, anyone know which district is which?”
"I can sympathize", Seelah answers Salvio, looking a bit disoriented. "This was my first teleport, too. I think I need a minute to adjust to this high altitude..."
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I'll admit, I definitely prefer my boots on the ground rather than being magically whisked away a thousand miles from home. I can barely do boats... the dwarf grumps, I suppose we should approach the city directly? Kreighton Shane isn't one for making errors when precision is needed. I'm sure we're close. he says, trying to reassure himself more than anyone else.
As you venture into Kaer Maga, you pass through the bustling open-air meat market known as Meatgate, where local farmers offer their goods at affordable prices. Beyond Meatgate, you arrive at the Gap, a colossal breach in the city's fortifications.
Upon crossing the Gap, you enter the Warren district, which appears to be the most impoverished part of the city. The name "Warren" aptly describes the maze of makeshift shanties and ramshackle structures the residents have assembled using meager resources. Here, anyone willing to contribute to the community's survival is welcome, regardless of race, be it humans, halflings, goblins, or even orcs and ratfolk.
The transition from the Warren to the southern district of Bis is striking. In Bis, Kaer Maga's sturdy walls are well-maintained, and a stone ceiling blankets the area, bathing it in a perpetual twilight glow, illuminated by a mesmerizing array of shimmering lamps. Massive, buttressed platforms extend from the walls, each hosting a small cluster of residences and businesses. A network of pulley-driven lifts facilitates transportation between these platforms. Fortunately, finding the Kiln, your destination, is straightforward, and the locals of Bis readily guide you.
The Kiln itself is an imposing stone fortress, serving both as a thriving industrial hub and a center of government.
Following your map, you easily locate Regnald's workshop within the Kiln. Inside, the air crackles with sparks, and the rhythmic clang of metal striking metal fills the space, resonating throughout the foundry. This utilitarian workspace is teeming with dedicated craftsmen, most of them human or dwarven. However, you also spot golems and other constructs assisting in the metalworking tasks. In the heart of the foundry, a tall and muscular man meticulously shapes a glowing iron rod with his hammer. As he works, he utters an incantation, causing a brief blue aura to envelop the iron. He then hooks his hammer to his belt and speaks, his eyes fixed on the anvil and his ongoing work.
“I appreciate your coming, Pathfinders. I’ll get right to the point. There’s something wrong in the Warren. Normally the Ardoc family avoids exerting our influence in that district so as to not cause any political disruption, but whatever is going on now is getting in the way of food shipments, and that is not something we can let slide by.” He takes the metal rod and digs it into the nearby furnace while a mechanical creature pumps the bellows. “I’d like you to figure out what’s going on and take care of the issue if you can. My guess is that it has something to do with the damned vaults under the city. If that’s the case, you’ll need to speak with the Duskwardens eventually. Tell them I sent you and they’ll cooperate. From what your venture-captain told me, your organization is foolish enough to want to explore the vaults."
“If the people of the Warren don’t tell you enough, you could always try the Augurs. They provide uncannily accurate prophecies. For a sufficient donation of coin, of course."
“This should go without saying, but do not forget that I expect a full report once you have eliminated the problem.”
Regnald appears willing to answer any questions.
Seelah nods when her fellow pathfinders ask their questions.
I am in good company, it seems. They just asked all the questions I was about to ask him myself...
"I suggest you speak with Maran. He worked as a blacksmith in the Warrens until his shop caught fire in the middle of the night. The perpetrator was never caught, and the incident has left him suspicious of everyone. He is prone to heavy drinking. Recent events have left him jumpy and fearful."
"As for the Duskwardens, speak with Talbren. She's a half-elf that purchases my arms and armor or hires me for repair. She's a good soul, that one."
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The elderly half-orc shopkeep leans on a cane as you enter. She eyes you suspiciously and is hesitant to speak to you at first, only reluctantly showing you some of her wares that you seem interested in. However, after a little bit of chit-chat, the shopkeep, who introduces herself as Zerda, warms up to Damiar's delightful demeanor and how polite the rest of you are while inspecting her wares.
"It's so nice to see folks actually put items back in their proper place instead of dropping them on the floor or placing them on a different shelf." she remarks with a crooked, toothy grin.
She then becomes quite talkative...
"Well, my dearies, I hear Maran the Smith saw a hooded dead-like figure dash off toward the Halflight Path with a couple of undead servants in tow shortly after some kind of commotion in the Ankar-Te district."
"I'm not sure what kind they were, but I've been in Ankar-Te enough times to know a dead creature shuffling around. They moved kinda stiff-like, and they might have been wrapped in rags."
She also claims that her friend Trell was attacked by something that reached out of the gutter and "whacked him across the face. Made his whole face just droop and slide around! Of course, he was always ugly as lumpy horse apples anyway."
"After closing shop one night when I was taking out the rubbish, I saw three strange little creatures with blue skin and bulging white eyes. They disappeared down into the sewer just as I turned towards what was happening. Never seen creatures that look like that living in Kaer Maga, I tell you what."
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Salvio suddenly starts. "Oh! Where were we...three hundred sixty steps in each direction...oh! Back in the Warrens! Now, what was I thinking about?" He absent-mindedly jots a cryptic note to himself. "Sorry about that! I was just thinking about Master Ardoc's magical smithing techniques and lost track of time. Let's try Ankar-te first. Those drills sound kind of creepy."
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"Yep, let's go talk up the folks in Ankar-Te district. I think the undead rumor more likely to help us then Troll guts." Farlen Still looks puzzled, "Who is this Master Ardoc, I thought he was someone in the Bis district? Horus Ilaktya is who I thought was the leader of the Ankar-Te district. It is all running together though." Farlen still does not seem sure, "I will shut up and follow. Lead on."
Farlen is partical to talking to the police/duskwardens too. He thinks they may have a better read on the problem. "Then maybe the duskwardens, Yes?"
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Damiar puts on her new shirt. "Oh, it fits great!"
"Off to Ankar-Te, then? I've never seen the undead district." Damiar smiles at Farlen. "I don't blame you for getting a bit turned around. Kaer Maga is a huge town. But now that we've met with Regnald Ardoc, maybe we can meet Horus Ulakta in Ankar-Te."
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"True. I read a story once, though, about a thief whose house was a model of the city he lived in, and who sort-of lived in the time his house was built. He walked across the roof of a house that had long since fallen down...maybe someone like that could walk along the wall that isn't there and get around the Warrens." The wizard walks on a little further, remembering the story and chuckling, before he stops. "Oh! We're in Ankar-te, aren't we? I would've walked right past it."
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"oh, Regnald Ardoc, the Bis district blacksmith, who sent us to talk to the warren district blacksmith, Maran. But the Maran fellow lost his blacksmith building to fire." farlen seems to finally get on the same page."Kinda missed that first fellows sir nsme was Ardoc." "I will try to keep things straighter."
Farlen smiles and asks, "Any thoughts on the crestors with blue skin an white eyes? That sounded strange."
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"What's this stuff about measuring the city? You would need surveying equipment, chains and poles. Cheaper ones use rope, but it is not as accurate."
You start to get the feeling Farlen is only half paying attention. The wonders of this mysterious city are like candy that keeps drawing his attention away. "This city is fantastic, though we are headed to the more morally ambigous district now."
"Do any of you know what could have been seen by the Warren district blacksmith, Maran? Blue people, it could have been Derro or with the rags a dark stalker? The eyes sound more like a Derro though." Farlen chuckles nerviously.
"I have read about such things but I have not ventured into the darklands." "I get a little claustrophobic, not my best ..." Uncharacteristicly, Farlen is chattering away like a chipmunk but then falls silent.
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Seelah tags along. When the half-orc shopkeep mentions the rarity of folks actually putting items back in their proper place instead of dropping them on the floor or placing them on a different shelf, she answers:
"Well, it's just the right and polite way to do your shopping. The other behavior you described is rude and arrogant, or at least ignorant. Also, creating more work - and sometimes also loss as e.g. fresh fruit or meat gets spoiled unnoticed when hidden behind other wares - for the merchant means higher prices for everyone, so I think it's dumb, too..."
"I agree, Ankar-Te, then maybe the Augurs? Although, I'm not too fond of the thought of encountering undead that I should not destroy right away - as my goddess would like me to do. But for the sake of the mission I will not engage them."
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Iovo gets a few giggles and compliments on her new shirt as you all make your way to Ankar-Te.
Entering the gates to Ankar-Te, Seelah is very reluctant to step any further once she notices what lies within. With a bit of coaxing from her teammates, she begrudgingly joins her friends...
Ankar-Te is the northeastern district of the Varisian city of Kaer Maga, located within its massive walls. As such, it is almost entirely "indoors", with no access to natural sunlight. It is also the most ethnically and culturally diverse district in the already very cosmopolitan city, with groups from Garund and even far-away Casmaron or Tian Xia being the most common. Even though some of the organisations within Ankar-Te are almost as ancient as the city itself, it still attracts many of the new immigrants to the city. The district is home of some of the most bizarre and in some cases downright abhorrent practices and traditions. Ankar-Te is especially well-known for being the only part of town where necromancy is openly accepted with citizens referring to the undead as the "Twice-Born". In fact, it is not unusual to see the rich being carried about on palanquins by their undead servants draped in flowers to cover the appalling smell. The undead are regarded as property akin to an animal and, at any sign of free will or thought, they are mercilessly put down.
Meandering along the cobblestone streets, your group happens upon a bizarre sight. An Ustalavian street performer, dressed in formal undertaker attire complete with tie and top hat, cranks a street organ as one of his two zombie servants performs a song and dance routine to a somewhat cheery, upbeat tune. While the other zombie ambles through the crowd with a basket and moans for tips, the other shuffles and staggers as it tries to dance to the beat. It howls out the chorus, terribly off key, "Puttin' onnn daaa Riiiitz!!!".
With a diverse group of individuals gathered to marvel at the performance, this would be a great place to hear some juicy bits of information regarding the knowledge you seek.
Seelah doesn't feel like being the party face today, especially in this district. If any of her teammates starts a conversation, she will assist by smiling politely - and not going on a rampage against the undead.