Pathfinder! You've been summoned on a mission to fabled Jalmeray! As you set foot on the docks near the northern tip of the isle, you see other Pathfinder agents are there as well. Explore, Report, and Cooperate!
Fluffy looks up at her mistress clearly pleased with all the new smells and sounds on the docks.
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A tall, slender woman with elven features joins the trio. Her hair is covered by a brightly colored scarf, and her clothes are likewise colorful. She wears no armor. She's about to approah Grilgoth when she hears Tempestas' greeting and starts. "Tempestas korasha? How did you come to be here? I'm Zhaxia damaya, out of Qabarat."
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There is no end to exotic places that this job will take me...
A well-dressed elf sets foot on the dock, his skin rather pale. His dark hair flows just past his shoulders to his upper-back. All of his facial hair is well-kept, and you imagine it must be trimmed nearly daily. He has sharp features that suggest sternness, yet he keeps a pleasant, cordial expression. His dark eyes however, seem rather cold in contrast and hide whatever is going on behind them.
His artisan's clothing is very practical, but he wears it cleanly. A spotless white shirt with ruffled edges and loose-fitting tan breeches. Overall, you get the feeling that he does't like to get dirty.
He sees a... varied group of individuals gathering nearby.
If those aren't my fellow agents they are the the most unlikely transplants. Either way they will have great stories.
He approaches them.
Well met! I'm Darzus. I trust you've also been summoned her by the Pathfinder Society?
He brushes off the front of his shirt out of habit.
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Zhaxia looks rather embarrassed. "I was in training to maintain one of the great aiudara in Qabarat, and had something of an accident during what should have been a routine exercise. I suspect it's because I was also studying an unusual ysoki psychic discipline." She smiles. "It's been an interesting journey, though. We'll have to exchange stories later."
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The small, bright green frog like creature joined the others gathered in expectation of a mission. ”Greetings, am Eegru,” he says in passable, if not great common.
He bounces a little back and forth, exuding nervous energy. ”Am Eegru’s first mission,” he adds to the conversation. He didn’t have any visible armor, although he did have a staff and a net carefully folded across his back.
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Grilgoth nods at the Grippli.
"First missions can be exciting. I remember meeting a Gold Dragon on my first mission. Imagine that?"
"So what exactly is going to happen. Who can say but that is the whole point of it. Right?"
Grilgoth nods to the others trying not to be too impolite. However speaking to one stranger at a time is almost pushing her limited social skills to the breaking point.
Fluffy likes the sight and smells of new agents and barks in greetings to the newly assembled party.
"Woof!"
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This is only my second Tempestas replied. My first one took me to a rather barbaric place where they hunted and killed whales. I found that ... distasteful
It was obvious what Tempestas did as he wore studded leather armour and carried a pack, longsword and shortsword, as well as a mug with the symbol of Cayden Caelin engraved on it. A long bow and arrows were also on his back.
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Having watched from afar a half-orc shakes his head and makes his way to the odd collection.
A well groomed (too well groomed perhaps?) half-orc saunters to the gathered agents and says, "Hey it's either a Pathfinder's meeting place or some of the circus attractions got lost on the way to the big tent. I haven't seen like half of you all; what a trip. The name's Arioch and I'm here to help with any 'situations' that may arise."
He's wearing a well-shined chain shirt of an impossibly light cut, a fine cloak, and carrying a large sword at his hip.
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I've.... a few missions under my belt.
The dainty elf brushes his sleeves off one at a time, continuing to straighten his entire outfit. Looking around at those present he remarks
It seems we have a capable group here today. I suspect they may try us with a little danger! He let's a wry smile slip for an instant.
As you talk and walk, time passes quickly and soon you see Padiskar ahead. The city of Padiskar, near the northern tip of the Isle of Jalmeray, is not so much a city as a ring of small villages surrounding a massive, howling ruin, from which terrifying screams of whatever the Vudrani Maharaja Khiben-Sald left there in ancient times can still be heard.
The new Venture-Captain Vasuman Mihir maintains a small safe house for the Pathfinder Society here, taking over from Padiskar’s longtime Venture-Captain Aamina Shahrazad, who, Pathfinder Society gossip holds was recently murdered by men loyal to Zamir, a bandit lord and alleged Aspis Consortium agent who operates out of the nearby jungles.
Finding the safe house presents no difficulty, and Venture-Captain Mihir wastes no time on pleasantries. “This is a fake scepter of the arclords,” he says, hefting a bejeweled staff in his hands bearing glowing runes across its surface. “You will lead a caravan toward Niswan carrying this false relic and several crates of minor magical items. My porter, a young boy named Waman, will give you a detailed travel itinerary, which you must follow with care. Except that it is almost certain that you will be ambushed before you reach your destination, since young Waman is a spy for the Aspis Consortium and has sold out and murdered a dozen or more of our brethren and associates, including our former venture captain--I’m sure of it. The scepter is bait in a trap, and you are the teeth. Do not let on to Waman that you know of his transgressions--we need him to lead us to his master, the bandit lord Zamir. We’ll either make Zamir our man or disrupt his business permanently. I’ll deal with Waman myself once this affair is resolved.”
Venture-Captain Mihir holds up a second item, a plain-looking but easily recognizable wayfinder. “This wayfinder is also a fake, although unlike the scepter, it does have real power. The dial always points to the scepter.” Mihir demonstrates, moving the wayfinder in a circle around the scepter, the needle pointing unerringly at it.
“Waman gave Zamir information that enabled the bandit fool to steal artifacts from dozens of our caravans and even from safe houses such as this one. Zamir has a method of disassembling the artifacts so that he can smuggle them off the island with ease, bound for ports of call in Cheliax. What we do not know is where Zamir is, since he never attacks with his men.”
“I gave Waman the information about your journey, so at some point along the route, Zamir’s bandits will ambush you. Previous experience indicates that his bandits will not kill if they don’t have to. Let them steal the scepter. You must put up a small struggle, maybe even kill or injure several of his men, but most importantly you must let them escape and they must escape with the scepter."
“Give them a few hours after the ambush to escape and then use the wayfinder to track Zamir to his hideout. Zamir is an arrogant man whose loyalties lie with whoever can make him famous to the people of Jalmeray. Right now he believes the Aspis Consortium is the answer. You will either convince him that the Society is the answer--as he could be a very powerful ally in the region--or you’ll end his operations for good. How you handle it, I leave to you. Good luck on your journey and may the gods guide your hand.”
"Smart questions, something I don't always hear from Pathfinders," Venture-Captain Mihir replies. "The scepter bears an enchantment that should fool cursory inspection by amateur arcanists. If the ambush party has a master spellcaster with them--well, you'll probably all get killed anyway. But as far as I know, Zamir hasn't been able to enlist anyone of that ability."
"The other items in the caravan are really little more than trinkets, with nothing more expensive or powerful than an everburning torch. Again, more bait for the trap. As for a 'rescue' party? Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."
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Arioch chuckles, "So we'll either be found out and dead or hauled off with little chance of a rescue? Way to motivate the troops boss! Ah well if it was easy anyone would do it, am I right?"
"Also while the fake Wayfinder will point the way to the fake scepter I'm guessing it doesn't point the way back here. Assuming we can't use our awesome diplomacy to convince Zamir to switch sides how do we find our way back? And when you say you're going to deal with Waman exactly when would that be? Hopefully before he decides to murder us."
Venture-Captain Mihir answers Arioch's question about Waman. "I'll deal with him as soon as your caravan leaves and I'm confident he's leaked your route for the ambush. I haven't decided what I'll do with him yet. Most likely I'll sell him into slavery." He says this nonchalantly. "As for finding your way back, I trust Pathfinders, more than anyone else, not to get lost in the jungle."
He then looks at Darzus and scrutinizes the elf carefully. "I have little information. The villagers are sure that Zamir has absorbed several smaller jungle-bandit groups, and we’ve heard rumors that the long-deposed and villainous monks of the Tiger’s Eye are working for him.”
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Venture-Captain Mihir answers Arioch's question about Waman. "I'll deal with him as soon as your caravan leaves and I'm confident he's leaked your route for the ambush. I haven't decided what I'll do with him yet. Most likely I'll sell him into slavery." He says this nonchalantly. "As for finding your way back, I trust Pathfinders, more than anyone else, not to get lost in the jungle."
He then looks at Darzus and scrutinizes the elf carefully. "I have little information. The villagers are sure that Zamir has absorbed several smaller jungle-bandit groups, and we’ve heard rumors that the long-deposed and villainous monks of the Tiger’s Eye are working for him.”
"Monks of the Tiger's Eye eh? What do you know about them? Numbers, where they're based, anything of use."
The Venture-Captain shrugs. "There are many monastical sects on Jalmeray. All I know about the Tiger's Eye is they are likely to be skilled martial artists, and to be wary of them."
He reaches into satchel and brings forth several scrolls. "Some messages were sent for each of you well ahead of your arrival. You can take a look at your scroll on the way. Good luck, Pathfinders. Remember: Explore, Report, and Cooperate."
Jalmeray is known as the Kingdom of the Impossible and when it comes to bribing their tax collectors this moniker is truer than the sun is yellow. Offers of gifts to smooth transactions generally lead to misunderstandings there and, as a result, our reputation in the Thakur’s court is somewhat sullied. We must work to remedy this, but by different means. We need to impress the agents of the Thakur at the grass roots level. Should you encounter any of the Thakur’s agents, please make a determined effort to make a positive impression on them, and make sure that they associate that impression with Qadira. I have one other request: there is a rumor that this Zamir acquired a dervish tapestry that does not belong to him. We care not that he has it, but we want you to prove that you have the skills to get it back through negotiation or bribery. Prove to me that you have these skills by carrying this tapestry through my door here in Absalom.
Best Wishes for a Safe Journey,
Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri
Champion of Freedom,
This man Zamir is a smuggler and a bandit. It’s clear that he trades in slaves, and rumors persist that he has captured and enslaved arcanists in his employ. The ideals of freedom must blossom in the tyranny of Jalmeray and you must find and free these prisoners! Return them to Padiskar when they are free. Since you’ll be in the so-called Kingdom of the Impossible, my superiors want you to deliver a letter to the Thakur
himself. Since this isn’t possible, you’ll need to do so through his agents. Take the enclosed scroll, and should you encounter any of the Thakur’s men, convince one to take the missive and deliver it directly to the Thakur. The Eagle Knight seal on the scroll will likely make this a difficult task as we are not popular there.
May the Fires of Freedom Burn Bright,
Captain Colson Maldris
Exquisite Flesh Morsel,
I sent a Chelish diplomat named Sananda Florez to talk to Zamir some months back and it seems to she’s been enslaved by that beast instead. Though the idea of Sananda in chains is… thought-provoking, I need you to find her and ask what message she has for her sweet mistress. This is our code, and upon hearing it, she will share with you what she knows. You decide if she deserves to be free. She was likely captured placing a small device (a smooth black stone) beneath the ruined gate of Zamir’s
hideout. While we can hear what’s going on around this device, it does not tell us its location--an oversight to be sure. Find this device and return it to me--there’s too much attention on Zamir now and it no longer serves a purpose. Ensure that none of your pathetic Pathfinder colleagues sees you retrieve it.
Paracountess Zarta Dralneen
Servant of the Ruby Prince Khemet III!
This scoundrel Zamir is known to us. Another of our agents was with a caravan that he raided a few short weeks ago. The bandit stole an important and ancient item from the man and may still have it. The item is known as the Pharaoh’s Crook of Order, and though it is not a particularly powerful item, it is a token of favor given by the Ruby
Prince himself and an important symbol of our great nation. We care only that it is in the hands of those loyal to the Ruby Prince--you may keep it if you like or return it to me for a reward. My most trusted agent in Jalmeray revealed to me in a letter that Zamir’s hideout is an ancient monastery filled with statues (though he failed to note the location). One statue in particular appears to venerate one of Osirion’s greatest hand-to-hand fighters, the beauty known as Banafrit. It is known that all statues of Banafrit were commissioned as oddities and trinkets. Stand close to her ear, whisper the words, “In greatness, for Pharaoh,” and her head should click and fall off. These statues were commissioned thousands of years ago—there may be problems. Bring me the head and you will have the gratitude of the Ruby Prince himself. Do not damage the head.
Eternally Grateful,
Amenopheus, The Sapphire Sage
Grilgoth double-checks her journal for mention of Zamir, while Darzus asks a few locals for any relevant gossip about the bandit.
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Grilgoth pats her trusty book and puts it away. Knowledge is generally less useful than the power of exploding fire but it does come in handy from time to time.
"Yes, this Zamir is wanted by the Jalmeray authorities. He is a rebel of sorts. Also there are rumours of him shape shifting. He might be a weretiger."
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Grilgoth pats her trusty book and puts it away. Knowledge is generally less useful than the power of exploding fire but it does come in handy from time to time.
"Yes, this Zamir is wanted by the Jalmeray authorities. He is a rebel of sorts. Also there are rumours of him shape shifting. He might be a weretiger."
"What does one use to fight a weretiger? And is there a reward for his head or something?"