It has just started to rain as you return to Heidmarch Manor, the Pathfinder lodge in the Varisian city of Magnimar. You have been assigned here at the request of Sheila Heidmarch the local Venture-Captain to assist her with research into a number of local archeological sites. As you approach the lodge you are greeted by Ebrylis, one of the manor's gate guards.
"Ah, good. You've returned." he says, handing you a sealed letter. "Venture-Captain Heidmarch asked me if I could give you this. She's had to leave town for a few days to deal with other business, but said she had an important task that she was hoping you could assist with. Apparently this note should explain the details and Zeldana should be able to help you with the transport..."
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"Greetings, associates. My signifier is PumpkinCorp DivinoBot RNG-31029003," an orange-skinned android who has been standing motionless says flatly to those nearby. "For ease, you may refer to me as Orenjii. My function is to utilize my malevolent ocular implant to reduce the effectiveness of our opponents, then to provide fortune-telling services to them at high velocity."
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A tall and slenderwomen wanders into the room, musket on her back. Her skin is abnormally pale, and her eyes is of different colors.
She nods to her fellow Pathfinders: "Greetings, fellow Pathfinders! I am Arxioas Rosenthal, a gunslinger by trade. My unique appearance is a testament to my changeling heritage, a lineage that carries the echoes of ancient tales and mysterious origins. With my musket in hand, I shall be your reliable fire support, bringing forth both chaos and order. Consider me the "Silver Bullet" to Pathfinder's problems."
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Hi says a rather cheerful halfing girl, wearing a symbol of Desna and dressed in a form fitting, black, spider silk body suit. I'm Rani Frost, escape artiste, acrobat, trapfinder and trap removal.
She looks over to Orenjii Pardon me? Malevolent ocular implant? What's it do? You shoot beams out of your eye? Cool.
She wears a rapier at her hip and, for some reason, a set of handcuffs were dangling from one wrist.
Once the party have got themselves settled down in the lodge, attention is turned to the sealed letter passed to them by Ebrylis. Upon breaking the seal they find not only the letter itself but also a small map .
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
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The map appears to depict the city of Kaer Maga and is clearly marked with the location of Regnald Ardoc’s workshop within the city's Bis district.
Once the party have dealt with any outstanding business they have around town they head over to Zeldana's shop to discuss transport to Kaer Maga.
Located down a side alley behind an unassuming facade, Zeldana's small establishment is filled to the brim with a wild collection of Varisian esoterica and other items from further afield. As the party enter their arrival is announced by the chime of a small bell connected to the shop's door and the owner, a middle-aged Varisian lady, emerges from the back room to greet her latest customers, enquiring if they are looking for anything specific or perhaps interested in a harrow reading.
Upon realising that the party have been sent here by Sheila Heidmarch regarding transport to Kaer Maga, she informs them that she can indeed help with that, especially as the Venture-Captain had already arranged payment for the service.
Ushered into the shop's back room, Zeldana check that everyone has everything they need with them and reassures Orenjii that she is not aware of any unusual regulations in Kaer Maga, other than maybe rules against attacking the undead in the Ankar-Te district. Once everyone is ready she works her teleportation magic and sights and sounds of the shop's back room are replaced by a sharp outdoor breeze, with the party finding themselves gazing up at the massive 80-foot-high walls of Kaer Maga. The city sits on the edge of the Storval Plateau towering above the the surrounding landscape, with impressive views of the the Varisian lowland below the plateau to the south. Heading into the city, the party first pass through an open-air meat market known as Meatgate, where poor farmers sell their wares for affordable prices. Just past Meatgate, you reach the principal entrance to the city known as 'the Gap', a massive hole in Kaer Maga’s walls. Here you see all manner of guides, porters, and runners sizing up new arrivals to the city in hopes of securing work. Several of these individuals approach the party, offering to show you around the city, including the best places to find food, entertainment, and rest.
The tough looking halfling that the party end up negotiating with grins. "I'm not sure that a fancy qualification will be of much help around here." he says "Experience and contacts are far more useful. That said, I can definitely respect someone who is prepared to negotiate. You certainly seem like someone who knows what's what, so I'll cut the price in half. How does that sound?"
"It's a deal then." says the halfling, who introduces himself as Toma. "If you're after an audience with Reynald Ardoc you'll need to go to The Kiln in the Bis district. I know a few of the staff there, so could definitely sort something out for you."
"As for busking licenses, that varies from district to district. For example in the Warren it's a bit of a free for all, no license required, but if you pitch up on someone else's regular spot you may be politely or impolitely told to move on. The Bis district on the other hand it rather more organised and licenses are required."
Toma leads the party through the Gap and into the Warren, which the halfling explains is the poorest part of the city. The district’s name comes from the maze of makeshift shanties and haphazard constructions that its residents have cobbled together with limited resources. Anyone who is willing to put the work in to help the community survive is welcome, from humans and halflings to goblins, orcs, and wererats. These residents pay little attention to the party, however Rani gets the distinct impression that many of the residents seem to be on edge about something.
From the Warren the party head towards the Bis district. The transition between the Warren and Bis to the south is stark. In Bis, Kaer Maga’s thick walls are in good repair. A stone ceiling hangs over the entire district, casting it in perpetual twilight lit by a kaleidoscope of shimmering lamps. Massive, buttressed platforms soar off the sides of the walls, each holding a small collection of homes and businesses. A network of pulley-drawn elevators provides transportation between the platforms. Toma leads to the party to the Kiln, the massive stone fortress that is simultaneously a thriving factory and a seat of government. The halfling speaks to one of the guards who enquires about the nature of the party's visit before disappearing into the fortress. A few minutes later she returns "Master Ardok will see you now." she says and ushers the group towards one of the Kiln's great workshops.
Sparks fill the air, accompanied by the ring of metal striking metal that echoes throughout this section of the building. Utilitarian and functional, the foundry is full of craftspeople working diligently in the red glow of heated metal. Most of the workers are human or dwarven, but here and there golems and other constructs assist in the work.
The tall muscular man to whom the guard directed them, strikes a glowing iron rod with his hammer and mutters a few words, causing a blue glow to momentarily envelop the iron. He hooks his hammer to his belt and then begins speaking, his eyes focused on the anvil and his work as he talks.
“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.”
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Just curious. Dunno how long I'm staying but I thought I'd better check. Besides, the Bis District would probably be more receptive.
She chats to the guide about other things, such as shows, late night entertainment, best places to carouse, and where the local temple to Desna is. She also passes on her suspicions of the Warren's edginess to the others.
Yeah ... I was wondering why the folk in the Warren were looking nervous. So, how much to these Augers charge for these Augeries?
"From what I hear the price for an augury can vairy depending on what is being asked. If the ask is specific and is on a subject where the client already has good information it can be quite cheap. However, if the ask is vague and an a subject about which the asker has little information then it will be significantly more expensive. My advice would be to see how much information you can get by yourself and then consult with the Augurs." suggests Reynald.
"The vaults are underground cave complexes which lie beneath Kaer Maga, they are a dangerous place, home to all sorts of strange creatures." answers the big man.
"The vaults lie off of the Halflight Path, the route that leads up to the city from base of the Storval Rise. The Duskwardens are responsible for patrolling those tunnels, guarding the travelers and caravans who can afford to take that route up to the city. They are also responsible for keeping both visitors out of the vaults and the creatures in the vaults from leaving them. They are not aligned to any of the factions within the city."
"While it doesn’t happen very often, once in a while something escapes the Duskwardens and starts causing trouble aboveground. I hope that’s not what is behind the current situation, but the sudden change certainly fits with previous incursions."
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After finishing up with Reynald the party head out of the Kiln where they are met by Toma who has just returned from buying some Frigărui at a nearby stall. "You should try these, they are excellent." he says, taking a bite from one of the kebabs and offering the others around.
"Anyway, where to next?" he enquires.
As they ask around the party speak to a number of residents of the Warren. First they speak to an elderly halfling named Gindalee who is wearing a pretty shawl, she mentions she saw a hooded 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 around Ankar-Te enough times to know a dead creature shuffling around. They moved kinda stiff-like, and they might have been wrapped in rags."
Next they speak to Maran a dwarf who they find terrified and shaking in a corner of an alley near the entrance to the Halflight Path, by the Duskwarden Guildhouse. After the party calm him down, he talks about how he was sleeping on the floor in the guest room at his cousin Gel's when he heard someone moving. "I started to open the door and saw Gel walking away, all calm. Then I saw it!" he shudders, "It was huge, like a walking octopus! I just stared at its eyes and I felt myself just drift away..." He pauses. "By the time I came to, Gel was gone and so was it. I think they were headed towards the Halflight Path."
Lastly they speak to Kiama a young elf street urchin who is begging for coppers. She says she has heard lots of talk about a couple of up-and-comer thieves named Daven and Lodif. "Always champions of the archery contents, but I could tell they wouldn't settle for that. My friend Raz overheard them the other night at the bar talking about some big score they had planned in Ankar-Te. They were pretty loud and mentioned how 'No walls can hold us back now that we have this.' Then they flashed some kind of metal device. The next day there's all kinds of hubbub in the district about a break in. You'd think they'd know better that to mess around in Horus Ilaktya's territory. I'm sure they hightailed it outta there."
Thinking about the information they have found none of these seem to fit with the problem that Reynald was talking about. Perhaps if they ask a few more people something which fits better will come up?
The party continue their investigations in the Warren and speak to a few more residents. First they speak to Chanstone a young elf who runs messages for various groups and businessmen throughout the city. He tells them about some hooded figures who have been in town for several days asking about a sculpture of an eight-pointed star of a dark stone. They also kept asking how to gain access to the vaults below. Ever since they came through town, people have been nervous about going out at night, although it is difficult for him to explain why. "They're just damn creepy!" After a moment, he adds, "I think they had something to do with Kelgren Noc's murder. They were snooping around his place the day before."
The next person they speak to is Ulgan Trask a traveling merchant selling jewelry of dubious quality. He mentions that has encountered some odd goings-on while traveling the Halflight Path. "I've walked up that path quite a few times now, but I'm not going down there again until the Duskwardens take a close look at my complaints! I almost broke my neck. Someone put up a tripwire right near the edge of a drop-off and I only just stopped myself from going over. Ended up on my face, flat on the ground instead! And what do I see?" the he asks, pausing dramatically. "A footprint about the size of my hand, but with scales and claws at the end of the toes. Plain as day, right in the mud. Of course when I took a Duskwarden back, he couldn't spot it. Typical!"
Finally they speak to Havar, a halfling they encounter repairing pots, pans, and other small household items at his tinker wagon. He tells them about some recent trouble one of his clients encountered while traveling up the Halflight Path. "Apparently they were about half way up when all of a sudden the entire passage started filling up with smoke. They had to retreat back down the path and wait for it to clear. What sort of idiot would start a big fire so close to main route up to the city, someone could have died with all that smoke in such a confined space!" he says shaking his head.
By now some residents of the Warren are getting a little skittish about the party, due to them asking all of these questions about unpleasant goings on, but you think that your persistence may have paid off and you have some good information related to the problems you are investigating.
"Augurs it is." says Toma, who leads you towards the Augur Temple in the Downmarket district. "I occasionally do work for the Augers, so hopefully I can help you negotiate a good price when we get there." he adds.
Once you arrive Toma introduces you to one of the Augurs, a troll called Nuregore. She enquires about the nature of your request and seems impressed by the work you have already done to acquire information. "This information will be helpful in narrowing down the reading." she notes "Because of that I will charge you only 20 gold for the service."
Although the party try and negotiate a lower price Nuregore insists that 20gp is the lowest she can go, even with their guide putting in a good word for them. Once the price has been agreed Nuregore begins the reading...
“I can tell you something of where you should go,” says the troll, who then kneels on the ground, draws a long knife from her belt and, with a powerful swipe, slices the blade across her belly. She carefully reaches inside her abdomen and draws forth her glistening internal organs, lifting them to her eye level. She does not respond to the powerful odor that wells forth, and instead studies her intestines intently. “They change colors,” she breathes quietly, “shifting about in the light.” She looks intently at the party. “The place you search for. A place beneath and below. But there is more here,” she turns her head to the side like a curious bird. With the claw on her smallest finger, she pierces the intestine and watches carefully at what oozes out. “The waters are changed.” She shivers and hesitates a moment, “They carry something from far beyond.”
With careful skill, Nuregore shoves her innards back and presses the skin together. Her greenish hide knits together quickly and she stands. “Those are the visions I see.”
The divination complete, the party meet back up with Toma who has been waiting outside. "Hopefully Nuregore was able to shed some light on your problem." he says "Where do you want to go next? I seem to recall there was some talk of visiting the Duskwardens?"
Toma leads the party to the Duskwarden’s Guildhouse in Bis, swinging by one of the taverns on the way. The Guildhouse itself is a squat and solid structure with a placard bearing the group’s twisted-arch insignia in blue and gold. Upon explaining to the guards that they are working on behalf of Regnald Ardoc, they are escorted inside the hall to a small office where they are introduced to the duty officer, a half-elf by the name of Talbren .
“We’re always glad to have competent help around here. Things have definitely seemed more riled up than usual down by the Undercity,” she says. “How can I help, Pathfinders?”
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"Mr. Reynald Ardoc would like to see the troubles within the vaults below halflight path that's hindering people's shipment resolved and doesn't mind sending us to be the fixer. The Augur reveals that it has something to do with a vault of shifting colors. Do you know more about it, and can you lead us to the vault?"