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1) I am based in Southeast Asia (UTC +8) so my posting hours may be unusual (especially for those in North America). I usually update at least one or twice per day. Just to keep the game moving, please post at least once every day and at least once during the weekend.
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5) Please note that on the following days, my posting can get unpredictable:
Tuesday/Thursdays - all day, as they are the 2 busiest days of my work week
6) Please complete the Macros and the Slides linked at the top of the page.
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8) Let's have some fun and tell a great story together! After all, that's what we are here for.
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Your adventure begins as you are led into a somewhat damaged shop. Discarded papers and debris have mostly been cleaned up, but the location has clearly been burglarized. As you are taken into the backrooms, you find several chairs positioned around a table.
"Would you like coffee, tea or any other refreshing beverage? Immaculate-Weaving-Under-Moonlight Nairaba and Kitsch will be with you shortly."
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A short young man, with childish features enters the room. He wears layered, supple leathers with small studs that almost resemble iron jewels with Tian characters etched in each. He only carries a small bandoleer of throwing spikes as visible weapons. He carries a large scroll across his lower back.
He hops into a chair and smiles, Tea, please!
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A massive Minotaur with heavy armor and a huge great axe clops in behind Ebiten.
They pull out a gnarly looking case and open it up, to reveal a fairly thick pair of spectacles.
In a paradoxical deep yet timid voice they introduce themselves and then ramble a bit. "Mr. Gruff here. I'm a monsterologist. Pathfinder Society seemed like a good way to learn more. I'm still a little nervous about my promotion to field agent, I mean I didn't even know how to properly wield a sword before I joined, but Mr. Farabellus put an axe in my hands and told me I was a natural."
Additionally, Mr Gruff nods and orders Tea as well.
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”Coffee”, says a male Fetchling with chalk-white skin. His eyes and shoulder-length hair are black, and he has several black piercings in his face and ears. A small silver skull hangs around his neck, the black chain looped through the eye sockets. He wears studded leather armor, but his forearms are bare. Stylized chains are branded around both wrists, with circular scars on the backs. There’s something unpleasant about the way he’s grinning.
”I’m Shalosar, acolyte of the Midnight Lord, and metal kineticist”, he says in a gravelly voice. ”I rip people open, and sometimes close them up”
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After a few minutes, a Mwangi man and an ysoki woman enter the room. The well-dressed man begins speaking immediately. "Hello Pathfinders! I’m Immaculate-Weaving- Under-Moonlight Nairaba, head of Procurement for the Society, and this is my counterpart, Kitsch, head of Supplies. We’re extremely sorry you’ve gotten pulled into this situation on short notice, but we have a bit of a problem, and we could use your help to resolve it. You see, while we were trying to set up trade with Ravounel, some extremely rude individuals calling themselves The Silver Devils decided to barge their way in here and wreck everything. They took some gold and a few valuables, but they’ve also stolen something whose true value they probably don’t know."
Her expression serious, Kitsch speaks up. "We suspect they stole it on accident, but what they got is a cipher that contains a lot of very important information. Society business partners, trade arrangements, shipping routes, and even all known entrances to the Maze of the Open Road. This could be extremely dangerous; if that cipher is decoded, especially by Chelaxian intelligence, the Pathfinder Society in the region could begin to suffer ‘setbacks’ and ‘accidents’ across the board. Obviously, we’d strongly prefer that this not happen. These Silver Devils clearly have ties to Cheliax."
"So, to get to the heart of the matter," Nairaba says, "we really need that cipher back. We’d like you to sneak into the enemy hideout, which we’ve discovered is in a cluster of buildings near the Salt Gate of Old Kintargo, and get it back."
Kitsch straightens up, lightly waving a hand to draw the attention back to herself. "I’d like to point something out. Based on our inquiries, the Silver Council is the best thing to happen to Kintargo since its founding, and these Silver Devils are a violent reactionary force looking to drag Ravounel back into the darkness of Chelaxian rule. While we wish for the cipher to be recovered successfully, please destroy it if you have no other choice. Our priority is that it not fall into the hands of Chelaxian spies, as Cheliax is likely to use it to cause problems not just for us, but for Kintargo and all Ravounel. We really don’t want to tip the Devils off and let them know that they’ve managed to get their hands on something valuable. Caution is our best bet—after all, if they learn we’re desperate to get it back, they might just go to ground with it."
"Insofar as we’ve been advised, the cipher was being updated with information regarding contacts in Kintargo who wish to do other business with the Procurement and Supplies Division, which as you might understand is very important. Operating within this area is still rife with a certain amount of danger due to Chelaxian interference, so we keep those records secret. It just happened to be here at the wrong time."
We have a few contacts who might enable you to infiltrate the location, and we’d prefer if you kept force to a minimum. The more force we bring to bear, after all, the more important the information may be deemed. Besides, the thieves are likely to bolt while a battle is being fought. If this information goes to ground, we might be unable to find it again, or it could just be turned directly over to Chelaxian intelligence. As we’ve said, we’d really prefer to avoid that.[/b]"
Kitsch speaks up, "Should be a sealed tube, like a scroll case made of metal. A locked latch holds it closed, and it has a tiny emerald embedded at the top to help us keep track of it in the event it gets mixed in with other scrolls."
Naraiba turns back to you "Any other questions?"
Cheliax never really left Ravounel, and even now secretly controls it from the shadows.
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A tiny creature scurries across the table. It's a brown mouse that boldly moves to one of the teacups and takes a sip. A closer look reveals it to be wearing a neat blue hat with a tiny yellow plume and a matching blue tabard. A belt around his waist holds is home to a scabbard containing a rapier with a fancy basket hilt. The mouse removes his hat and bows deeply to the group. He greets them with a truly outrageous Galtan accent.
"Bonjour mes amis. Eet ees I, Giles le Renard at your service."
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The last to enter--nearly missing the briefing--is a large dog. "Just water, thanks."
Aside from the speech, there's something about the way the dog carries himself that sets him apart from a normal animal. The look of his eyes is particularly striking.
Of course, the first clues are probably the armor, and the greatsword strapped to his back.
Also perched on his back is a small cat. The cat is also clearly atypical, a paw holding open a large leather book as the other adjusts her spectacles.
The cat watches the mouse. "Rather small for a 'renard,' aren't you?" says the cat.
[b]"Aw, lookit him! He's so tiny. Look at his little sword!"[b] says the dog, [b]"You're so cu--ah. Hm. Excuse me.
"Right. Yes. Devils bad. Understood, ma'am. I'm Artemios, a warrior of sorts. This is Nadia, she's my, um... chronicler?"
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Ebiten nods, clearly distracted by the menagerie that walked in and started talking? Whoa! They said that being a Pathfinder would be wild, but I never imagined this!
Then pulling himself together he turns back to the Master of Procurement and Master of Supplies, Uhem, this cipher is what, a book?
”It’s in a scroll case”, Shalosar replies, ”so it’s probably a scroll, maybe a bunch of ‘em”
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Drokki says what he believes to be true
"Though Ravounel has maintained its independence for several years, there are still elements within Kintargo who view the city and nation as being more orderly under Chelaxian rule." the dwarf shares and then begins to wonder
"Is there any problem if we just walz through the main door into the hideout of Silver Devils and take the cipher back?"
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"We would rather you sneak into their hideout. If they get wind of our plan to retrieve the cipher, they might spirit it out of the city. It would be best for you to wait until sundown to try to infiltrate the Silver Devils' hideout"
"In the meantime, you can try to get the lay of the land before you go in. Here are some suggestions..."
PREPARATION WORK
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The cat watches the mouse. "Rather small for a 'renard,' aren't you?" says the cat.
"Aw, lookit him! He's so tiny. Look at his little sword!" says the dog, "You're so cu--ah. Hm. Excuse me."
Giles winks at the cat. "Small of stature perhaps, but large of spirit. Ze fox is known for hees cunning, thus why I chose Renard as my nom de guerre during my time rescuing ze innocents of Galt from ze terrible fate of ze final blades."
Turning to Artemios he does a brief dance. "No need to be embarrassed. I am indeed quite cute. All ze better for charming ze ladies, no?"
"Which course of action we take I leave to ze rest of you. I am confident zat I can work with any of zeese plans."
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"I am neither stealthy nor good with people, How about we try to involve the rival gang to create diversion?"
"Don't you have to be good with people for that?" Artemios sits up proudly. "I'm good with people, though!"
"He's really not," says Nadia, moving out of the way of the Pathfinders.
"Let's go gossip at the taverns!"
"I am not involved in this. Let me just read up on this location some more."
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"I am neither stealthy nor good with people, How about we try to involve the rival gang to create diversion?"
"Don't you have to be good with people for that?" Artemios sits up proudly. "I'm good with people, though!"
"It depends, Sometimes it is enough to destroy some property and leave other gangs sign on the spot" shares the naturally good in nature Champion
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You ask around about the Silver Devils in taverns and bars near the Salt Gate.
A local gang in the area known as the Burning Daggers has a bone to pick with the Silver Devils and can be convinced to create a distraction.
By scouting the warehouse district, you can not only find the location of the Silver Devils’ base, but also be made aware of its potential defenses and the gangs’ numbers when infiltrating the hideout.
[ooc]Skills:
DC 13 Perception to Seek
DC 15 Stealth to Sneak scouts the area without being noticed.
You might pretend to want to join up with the Silver Devils, ingratiating yourselves with the gang.
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"The Silver Devils are a menace, but mostly insignificant muckrakers, and there are maybe 10 of them total. Most are brats from a bit of money, but not much. They make trouble even for the other gangs in the area—hell, the Burning Daggers really hate them! The Silver Devils hide out in one of the old salt warehouses."
Shalosar finds the building where the cipher might be hidden. Mr Gruff is unable to find anything relevant and Giles encounters a hungry cat and barely escapes with his life.
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"Zat is a good idea. I could use a drink after 'aving to flee from zat caterwauling feline. Eef I had stayed to confront it ze devils would have spotted me for certain."
Unfortunately Giles partakes of the free drinks provided by Shalosar a bit too much and falls asleep before he is able to properly impress the Silver Devils.