[Outpost 7] A Most Wondrous Exchange! (Inactive)

Game Master Michael Hallet

It's time for a trip to the Grand Bazaar of Absalom! This thriving market hosts wondrous shops of all sorts, whose proprietors are experts in a variety of wares. Having recently acquired a vast number of strange magic items, the Pathfinder Society needs groups of agents to visit the Grand Bazaar and exchange favors with these interesting shopkeepers in order to better understand some of the treasures that have fallen into the Society's hands. Thankfully, the Society's new ally, Biglock, has a good idea of where to start!

An old scraggly Dwarf with a large rifle slung over his shoulder makes his way through the market, half nervous and half excited. Food? Guns... FOOD? GUNS! Oooo explosives.. He stands torn between a number of shops, his nose surveying their wares from distance.

A gruff-looking and battle-scarred orc, wearing equally-scarred splint mail emblazoned with the image of a burning sun, walks slowly toward the assembling Pathfinders. The smell of smoke seems to arrive with him, and a faint haze seems to envelop him. "Blessings of the Dawnflower be upon you" he says, voice like coals being raked upon the hearth. "I am Olov, of hold Burning Sun."

A coppery-gold scaled kobold rests against one of the stalls, seemingly napping. He opens one eye to spot the Pathfinders, and then stretches and gets to his feet. The lanky kobold hunches and wears very simple clothing, seemingly just rough homespun cloth with no armor. You only see a simple dagger and wooden shield as weapons, but on his head is a makeshift crown resembling dragon spikes.

"Glad to see you all. The Dragon has been conserving his energy for later. But please, call me Rhaegal."

He eyes the dwarf. "Scratch, isn't it? I heard you make some loud booms. But that lunkhead thug Jaxon says you can bring down whole buildings. He acts like a drunk simpleton, but the meathead is at least observant." He snorts.

Scratch spits on his hand and offers hand shakes all around in greeting "Hey there! I've never blown up anything in my life!" He pleads the fifth but grins wickedly. "Jerky?" Unidentified meat jerky is offered to any and all. Yes there are a few strands of hair in it, and yes some is over cooked, and yes some is under cooked.

Deception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8

Its funny you mention blowing up buildings.. I just retrained out of that feat, as I think that was the only occasion I really got to use it. Now I can only set 1-2 bombs, instead of up to 4. But now I can reload on the run so..

A dark-haired aiuvarin human woman, well-dressed under her leathers, flashes everyone a smile. "I've been meaning to visit the Bazaar to pick up a few things, anyway. They say you can find absolutely anything, there." She has the tell-tale lilting accent of the River Kingdoms.

A large orc, who also bears the symbol of Sarenrae on her armor joins you. She has a scimitar at her side and well-used healer's tools at her belt.
"Olov, I am glad they have sent us out together again."

She addresses everyone else. "I am Unusk, also of the Burning Sun hold. Some of these items here are very strange, aren't they? I prefer for things to be straightforward."

Another kobold hurries into the Grand Bazaar. His scales shimmering as the sunlight bounces off his golden scales. He sees the coppery kobold and calls out. "Rhaegal! Wait up!" When he catches up to the group, he bows and says, "Greetings, smoothscales! I am Jinlong Dragonkin! I am named for the famed Pathfinder Adventurer Rhaegal Dragonkin, who also stands before you!"

Turning back to Rhaegal, he begins conversing in rapid Draconic, all but ignoring the others...

The PCs are called into the Grand Lodge for a briefing by chief archivist Zarta Dralneen. They convene in the vaults beneath the lodge, in an office lined with bookshelves and ancient relics in glass cases. An ornate treasure chest rests at the foot of the solid oak desk where Zarta is busily writing.

Zarta holds up a finger, scribing a few lines on the page in front of her before looking up. “Good, you’re here. Thank you for coming; I fear our newer agents lack the experience necessary to handle some of the tasks at hand.” She gestures to the chest at the foot of the desk. “This is Biglock, who’s been unusually quiet. Aren’t you going to say hello, Biglock?”

The front of the chest splits open into a gaping, toothy grin. “Just trying not to interrupt the briefing—until it’d be funny.”

Zarta shakes her head, though the corner of her mouth quirks up in a smile. “Biglock, as you can see, is cursed with a sense of humor. He and his associate, Mr. Glovely, will be giving you the details on these missions. As some of you may recall, we recently obtained a treasure vault formerly held by the Onyx Alliance. They entrusted it to us after a tangle with the night hag Aslynn; it appears there’s something in the vault she wants. To make sense of her plans, it’s vital we properly catalog and secure the vault’s contents. In the process, we’ve found some items that require additional attention. You’ll be heading to the Grand Bazaar to consult with merchants about four of these treasures, as their expertise will be invaluable in identifying, fixing, or locating the items in question.”

A scraggly old Dwarf with far too many firearms slung over his back cracks a smile as Biglock makes an appearance "Huh. Guess I've been missin' some fun down in the vaults. What's this about a night Hag? You been talkin' to my ex's?" He snorts at the joke, everyone knows Scratch doesn't isn't the relationship type.

He does look around for this Glovely person. "Name's Scratch, Scratch of clan Steeltoe."

Rhaegal and Jinlong converse rapidly in Draconic as they enter. They only seem to be half paying attention until Biglock speaks, and Rhaegal leaps back in alarm flapping his small wings. "The treasure chest speaks! Is it enchanted?"

The kobold cocks his head to one side as Zarta explains their task. "Will the treasure come with us? Maybe we can show people how it speaks to convince them to tell us about the items. They would be in awe of two dragons with talking treasure!"

"Good to see you again, Biglock!" Samna greets the chest. "I know we sorted many items in the vaults, which are we investigating today?"

Samna doesn't want to tell tales...but..."Rhaegal, I think Biglock likes to keep a low profile. Not everyone is as accepting of mimics are the Pathfinders are."

"Yes, I am unfamiliar with this treasure vault. What kind of things are in it?"

Unusk always seems to be standing at attention.

Olov instinctively reaches for his falchion as the chest opens its mouth, but releases his grip when he realizes none of his allies are alarmed. "Forgive me. It seems I haven't paid enough attention to recent events." With a polite nod (or as close as he can muster), he continues. "So we're to convince merchants to share their no-doubt hard won knowledge with us? Are we hiring them as consultants?"

"Knowledge and secrets indeed. Let me, or rather let Mr. Glovely here, show you something..."

The mimic grins, showing off his gold-plated teeth, as the two gloves hovering next to him present a tattered parchment scroll.

“This little number is a major codebreaker’s parchment! Some Pathfinder codebreakers tried to decipher it, but it didn’t go so well. The words on the page flashed red and partially dissolved before coming back. They took it as a warning and left off messing with it, but they managed to decipher two words: Omira Descinaria. Apparently, she’s a retired Pathfinder who runs a shop in the Grand Bazaar now called the Barghest’s Bin. No idea what connection she might have to the thing, but it’s worth an inquiry, no?”

Samna turns to Unusk, "The last time we were in it, there was a lot of unsorted treasure from the Onyx Alliance. Your standard enchanted items like magic weapons and scrolls, but some more unusual things, too." Samna taps her chin. "Including Biglock and Mr. Glovely, here."

Rhaegal nods and gingerly takes the parchment. He tries to look at it, but then tucks it away. "Dragons can keep it safe. Let's go find Omira Descinaria. She has a stall here in the bazaar, yes?"

Jinlong nods. "Dragons can definitely keep it safe. Shall we go see her now?"

Scratch listens to the back and forth between the group and the talking chest. He leans in a bit as he catches the glint of gold in the chest's teeth. "Nice grill." He chuckles, half impressed, half jealous. His own teeth not doing so great.

"So schmooze up an ex-Pathfinder and hope for a lead." He digs around in an ear and pulls out some stray spruce sprills, flicking them away with satisfaction. "So umm, you said EX Pathfinder.. she's not gonna shoot on sight or anything? Please tell us yer all still on good terms?"

"Yes, she just decided to pursue a different profession. The Society often acquires her wares."

Once you are ready to leave...

The front window of the Barghest’s Bin showcases a dizzying variety of curios. A weathered dragon skull sits at the center of the display, surrounded by multicolored bottles of liquid, bejeweled wands and weapons, and a chest overflowing with glittering coins. Inside the shop, racks of weapons, wands, and potions are neatly displayed and labeled, and a sign overhead reads, “Ask any questions you like!” In the middle of the room stands a glowering statue of a barghest, its body and limbs festooned with cloaks, robes, and belts.

Unusk takes a look at the weapons, to see if they are any good.

PFS Lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Jinlong browses the shop, curious of the various implements but not really understanding what they're good for.

Pathfinder Lore vs DC15: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

After more thought Scratch remembers the name, filling the others in on the way back to the bazaar "Omira Descinaria of the Barghest’s Bin retired from the Pathfinders after a disastrous exploration of a daemon-worshipping necromancer’s tomb resulting in the loss of her companions... which sucks."

---

Along the way there Scratch tends to work to blend in with the crowd, either not feeling particularly comfortable in such an urban setting or just by second nature. default exploration is stealth.

"Holy, we could be here a while. This place has some stuff!" He quickly scoots around checking on firearms, woodsman's gear, and cloaks. Need to find me one of those Elven cloaks that match these boots..

Jinlong watches Scratch. He scratches his head, wondering why anyone would want to blend in. Being a Dragon means letting everyone know how great one is, after all. He makes a mental note to ask Rhaegal why that is...

"Hello, anyone at home? You have quite the collection here. Samna admires the wares in the shop as she calls out.

A woman organizing shelves in the back of the Bin, turns to greet you, a wide smile on her face.

"Have a look around, tell me if you see any... Oh, Pathfinders. Do come in. Come to look at our special reserves today?"

Pictures on Slide 3

The scraggly beard and yellowing teeth of Scratch peers around a corner at the mention of special reserves. "What sorta special reserves? Brandy? Scotch? Whiskey..." She definitely has Scratch's attention.

Rhaegal faces off with the statue of the Barhgest. He sniffs at it for any signs of magic and then snarls at it the way a dragon would such a minor nuisance.

He turns to the woman. "You know we're Pathfinders? I suppose you know us well, Omira Descinaria of the Barghest’s Bin? I am Rhaegal Dragonkin, defender of mighty Jadirahx." He pauses to let her digest the fact that she was speaking to a dragon.

"We have need of your specialized knowledge. A few minutes of your time would be appreciated."

"Well, the special gear that I reserve just for the Society...

Pathfinders have automatic access to uncommon items from the Barghest's Bin section of Grand Bazaar.

"What knowledge could I possess that the Society lacks?"

"The Grand Lodge is stymied by an enchanted message. They recovered a major codebreaker's parchment, but they are worried that tampering with it will destroy the message. Do you have any experience with such things?" Samna finds it hard to concentrate with so many interesting and useful items around.

“It can’t be! May I see it?"

"The parchment once belonged to an adventuring companion of mine; I didn’t know of this specific parchment’s existence until now, but it was a method my former team used to log sensitive information. I know its command word, but before I offers it, can you do me a favor.

On the day I opened my store, there was a shop with a purple door across the street. I recall stopping in, but don’t remember any experiences within. I haven’t seen the door since, so I believe the shop must have closed or remodeled. However, anytime I smell pesh or a caustic chemical, the memory of that purple door returns. This troubles me, as does my lack of memory. Could you investigate the shop and get to the bottom of this mystery that vexes me to this day?"

"Oh fear not! You have two Dragons here! We shall get to the bottom of this shop!" Jinlong proclaims, glancing over at Rhaegal.

Scratch loses a bit of interest but shrugs it off. "Special gear? We'll have to take a closer look.. after we head next door to meet the neighbors." He grins, wondering if its too early for a smoke break.

Jinlong walks up to Scratch and mischievously puffs a cloud of smoke into the dwarf's face. "That enough of a smoke break for you, smoothscale?"

"Not really, maybe if you've got a couple beers to go with it." He grins.

You investigate the shop across the street. Indeed it is shuttered and the doors are rather plain. In fact, Jinlong does not find any evidence that the doors ever were purple. Was Omira imagining things? Was it all a dream?

"Let's ask some of the other shopkeepers in the area, see if any of them remember this purple door."

Can we gather information from other people in the area?

Scratch checks out the door. Is there still a business there and its closed or perhaps it is abandoned and could be investigated more thoroughly with some elbow grease? Or properly placed explosives..

"No answer? Oh dear." Samana purses her lips. "Do I hear something inside? Perhaps it is a child or small animal in danger."

Has there ever been a less-larcenous party of Pathfinders? I can take a crack at the door if needed, but I'm not an expert.

"I don't like this at all. Memories that disappear. Doors that change color."

Unusk moves to knock on the door loudly.

She won't knock if her team doesn't want her to.

Rhaegal nods to Unusk. "Might as well knock and see if anyone is home." He looks for any gaps at the edge of the door. "If there's a gap large enough I could try to fit through."

Rhaegal can Wild Shape into a tiny creature if there's a gap large enough to fit. I also support any Gather Info checks with people around.

Scratch won't admit it, but the other's suggestions make more sense than blowing the door to pieces. "Well, those are boring ideas, but they could work." Ok, he did admit it.

"I'm gonna go double check with Omira we're at the right place."

There is no answer at the door. Asking around, those who are willing to talk to you don't remember anything about a purple door ever being there. Others roll their eyes, mumble something under their breath about Omira and quickly move on.

Rhaegal shakes his head, snorting. "Let's go back and talk to Omira. This doesn't seem right. Her memory might be wrong. She even said she's never seen the door after that first time. What if this isn't the place?"

"This is the building she described, and we did promise to investigate it. It seems to be abandoned, so there's no harm in us having a look. Is anyone skilled at picking locks?"

It is the middle of the day on a very busy street.

Scratch checks to see if the door is indeed locked before they get to the fun stuff. "Can't hurt to try.. if that don't work maybe there's another less 'out in the open' option."

Jinlong points to Scratch. "Maybe that boom-stick Scratch is carrying might open the door..." Unsure of what's going on, he scurries to Rhaegal's side for guidance.

Jinlong points to Scratch. "Maybe that boom-stick Scratch is carrying might open the door..." Unsure of what's going on, he scurries to Rhaegal's side for guidance.

"Oh I can open it one way or another, but not sure we wouldn't attract folks that take offense to that sorta stuff!"

The door is indeed locked. A quick peek inside the windows shows that the shop has likely been abandoned for a long time.