Pathfinder,
Your services are needed. Come to Ustalav’s capital city of Caliphas.
Safe Journeys
Once in Ustalav’s capital city of Caliphas, at the Pathfinder Society’s Vodavani Lodge (formerly known as the Havenguard Asylum) you may have expected to meet up with Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss. Having previously served at the now-destroyed Lastwall Lodge, Evni has been running Vodavani Lodge recently, but is currently away on business.
Therefore, you meet with the lodge’s former venture-captain, Beaurigmand Trice. Dr. Trice recently stepped back from his Lodge duties to concentrate on treating psychological wounds from the Whispering Tyrant’s brief but bloody return, but he has returned to his venture-captain duties to meet with you.
are settled.
The conference room in the Vodavani Lodge bespeaks its earlier incarnation as Havenguard Asylum: small and utilitarian, yet comforting, with paintings bearing abstract images in soft colors hung on the warm, wood-paneled walls.
Seated at the head of the table is a disheveled man who seems more than a little relieved at the arrival of help.
“Ah yes, agents, come in. Sit down. How are you all feeling? I’m glad you are here—and seemingly in good health? Very well, I’ll come to the point. We’ve received a letter from a friend of the Society, Mother Belchescu, a Pharasmin priestess from the peat farming village of Anactoria. They’re famous for the ‘Maid of Anactoria.’ It’s a bog body, the corpse of a human female, preserved in the bog for hundreds of years. It’s quite fascinating! The anaerobic conditions in the bogs north of town prevent decay, resulting in a natural mummification—ah, sorry. To the point. Right.” The doctor rifles through the
mess of documents on his desk, producing a folded letter.
“The uneducated locals believe the Maid has mystical powers: healing tears, whispers of portents, the usual. All rubbish! But they rely on the Maid to draw tourists, so it’s rather important to them. Mother Belchescu has asked for our help in protecting it—the Aspis Consortium has been snooping around, and she believes they mean to steal it. Alas, so many patients need my help here these days. So, the mission is yours! Investigate the Aspis agents’ motives and ensure the Maid’s safety.
Any questions?”
Brice offers the letter from Mother Belchescu.
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Hepcut Cloudsteel is a young orcish woman, nearly seven feet tall, with long blonde hair, who seems annoyed to be here. She does not appear to have any weapons beyond a simple knife on her belt. She's loudly chewing something, and occasionally smacks her lips.
"So, like, how do we know that this maid thing is rubbish? Like, there's a lot of things that have magic powers..."
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"Be still you two it is not a time for magic or crane style" The Tengu seems to be talking to thin air. before catching your looks
Forgive me I am Soguchi. Speaker for the ancestors of the way of the Kirin. They can be quite talkative at times He grimaces before adding And on occasion quite rude
Dressed in simple robes but with red star on his chest Soguchi reads the proffered letter. A simple mace of cold iron the only weapon but hangs from a well crafted belt and a variety of healers tools. Who is mother Belchescu?
"So, like, how do we know that this maid thing is rubbish? Like, there's a lot of things that have magic powers..."
"Because the Maid is a hoax concocted to fool the credulous!" Brice snaps. "While it is certainly a valuable specimen for study, its existence is anything but supernatural. To the contrary, the existence of the Maid is solely the result of the natural processes simply running their course. The processes are not only known to science, but their results are verifiable. Of, this, I can assure you."
"In reality, the Maid has no powers."[/b] Brice continues. "The corpse is completely nonmagical, and none of these so-called miracles have ever been properly authenticated. It’s all confirmation bias and wishful thinking on the part of superstitious farmers.”
Who is mother Belchescu?
"A priestess of Pharasma and a prominent voice within the small village of Anactoria." Brice explains. "I do not think she would have sought help unless her fears were genuine nor do I think she would make accusations against the Aspis Consortium unless her concerns were well-founded."
Both Folmyr and Soguchi recall that the Maid of Anactoria is housed in a glass display case in the cottage of the Tarsolu family, the peat farmers who first discovered her about 60 years ago. Many collectors have offered to purchase the Maid, including the Blakros Museum in Absalom, the Sincomakti School of Sciences, and various private collectors.
Do we know which Aspis agents we are dealing with? Amd are there any indications of the tyrants forces interfering at Anactoria?
Dr. Trice raises an eyebrow. “You undoubtedly know as well I do that the Aspis Consortium is an amoral business organization, interested in knowledge and history only if they can make a profit from it. Their agents wear a metal badge that shows a snake eating its own tail. Bronze for the rank and file, silver for the ones who coordinate and assign missions, and gold for the most influential leaders—short of the Patrons who run the organization. As for the ranks of the agents frequenting Anactoria or the identify of any of those ages, I am afraid I know nothing more than what Mother Belchescu stated in her letter."
"The history of interference by the Whispering Tyrant and the lich's minions is extensive here in Ustalav," Trice notes. "You'd be hard pressed to find any place in this land that the undead haven't impacted. I personally, however, am unaware of any specific incidents purported to have occurred within the town."
Seoni, who has been sitting silently at the back until now, sees what she knows about the Maid.
Hepcut recalls accounts of the Maid’s powers healing large numbers of people, too many people for them to be just an urban legend. Stories tell of her curing diseases, repairing broken limbs, and foretelling tragic events.
Seoni does not recall anything about the Maid.
Following the briefing, Dr. Trice charters two coaches to take the party to Anactoria. The party departs.
Two days later, the coaches arrive in Anactoria in the afternoon of the second day of travel. It’s a small village on the banks of the Droa River. The river borders the Albria Woods, with large peat bogs along the edges. There are clear signs that the villagers cut the peat, likely to sell as cheap fuel across the region. The village has little more to offer other than a shrine to Pharasma, a single inn, a general store, and a few dozen homes.
The carriage comes to a stop in front of the Weeping Willow, Anactoria’s sole public house. The arrival of two coaches in town attracts attention from inside the pub.
As you begin to disembark and a driver hands down your luggage from the coach’s roof, a dozen dour villagers filter out of the pub and gather around. One or two carry cudgels or staves, and the tavern keeper stands in front of his doorway with a heavy crossbow cradled in his arms. While you begin to take stock of the situation, one of the villagers approaches the party.
“So, you Snakes have returned to carry off your prize?” tThe woman intones in a thick Ustalav accent, a large cudgel resting casually on her shoulder. She shakes her head solemnly. “I do not think so. You had best turn that carriage around and head back to your Aspis masters. You will not steal the Maid of Anactoria!”
The villagers behind her mutter in agreement. Tensions are rapidly growing towards a boil!
The Pathfinders manage to cow the crowd with a series of withering glares.
The villagers back down, but the people of Anactoria remain suspicious.
Mother Belchescu had the sense to send for some Pathfinders to deal with your snake problem. Where is she? Soguchi brandishes the letter
As if on cue, a pair of women make their way through the crowd. As she passes, the villagers freeze in their tracks. "I am Mother Belchescu," says a woman in priestly garbs, "And this is the constable."
"Constable Doryn Fieru." the sheriff adds by way of greeting. "I'm glad that I didn't have to intervene."
"Please, come with me," Mother Belchescu says. As she motion in her intended direction, the villagers begin to disperse. "Please, feel free to stow any belongings at the Weeping Willow inn if you wish," she explains. "I have arranged rooms for you there."
"You handled yourselves well back there," Mother Belchescu notes, gesturing toward the carriage. "My confidence in your organization has increased. Unfortunately, an urgent development has arisen since I sent my request to the Society for aid: the Maid of Anactoria has disappeared."
"I ask now that you recover the Maid and do so as quickly as possible, before the town’s greatest treasure is lost forever." She produces a pair of vials from her pocket. One is labeled "moderate cognitive mutagen" and the other "moderate silvertongue mutagen". "I trust that these items will aid you in your investigation." She says as she offers them to the party.
"Would you like to start at the scene of the crime or begin taking interviews?" Mother Belchescu asks. "Or do you have other methods in mind?"
En route to the scene of the crime, Glenda learns that several strangers have been regular visitors to Annika Domiri. Annika is the proprietor of Domiri’s Sundries, which is the general store in town. The strangers come and go at night and are rarely seen in the common areas of town.
The Tarsolu family home from which the Maid was stolen is a two-story frame affair that seems well-maintained, in stark contrast to many other buildings in the village.
From the gate in the short picket fence, a stone pathway meanders through a simple garden to the front door. A large wooden sign by the gate proclaims this is the “Home of the World-Famous Maid of Anactoria!”
The cottage’s front room is a wide open space, twenty feet to a side, with wooden pillars supporting the upper floor. Across from the front door is a curtained area, and the curtain is currently drawn aside to reveal a long glass case. There is a closed door along the west wall.
A pair of elderly human villagers are present in the main room. The woman openly weeps, while the man chokes back tears himself. The couple is being consoled by a third, younger man who is clearly the most composed of trio. The trio's presence in the house, their shared resemblance, and their overt distress suggests that they are all members the Tarsolu family.
Given their current state, the family does not seem to have yet noticed your presence.
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"Hello, we're representatives of the Pathfinder Society," Hepcut says, "We were contacted by Mother Belchescu after she heard rumors of the Maid being targeted by the Aspis consortium. Can you walk us through the timeline? When did it go missing? Anything out of the ordinary in the time prior to its disappearance?"
"Hello, we're representatives of the Pathfinder Society," Hepcut says, "We were contacted by Mother Belchescu after she heard rumors of the Maid being targeted by the Aspis consortium. Can you walk us through the timeline? When did it go missing? Anything out of the ordinary in the time prior to its disappearance?"
Seoni will try to talk to people on our way; diplomacy is +11.
Seoni will try to talk to people on our way; diplomacy is +11.
Seoni learns about the strangers that have been regular visitors to Annika Domiri and confirms that they are each known members of the Aspis Consortium.
"Hello, we're representatives of the Pathfinder Society," Hepcut says, "We were contacted by Mother Belchescu after she heard rumors of the Maid being targeted by the Aspis consortium. Can you walk us through the timeline? When did it go missing? Anything out of the ordinary in the time prior to its disappearance?"
"The Pathfinder S-society? Mother B-belchescu?" The older man stutters, even as the older woman continues to loudly weep.
The younger man steps forward to intervene. "I appreciate your having come here and your efforts to help, but I am afraid that my parents are quite distressed. I am their son, Evgeni Tarsolu. Perhaps, we can speak in the kitchen," he suggests, pointing to the closed door along the west wall, "and let my give my parents some time to collect themselves."
"No, w-we can sp-speak with th-them." The old man insists, appearing to rally while doing his best to compose himself. He pats his wife gently on the shoulder, seeking to give her comfort by whispering words of assurance. "I really think they will be able to help us."
"Thank you, My Son." The man says to Evgeni. "Y-your concern has b-been gr-greatly appreciated. But, we are a-able to t-tell our story. Isn't that right, Dear?" Her loud sobs, reducing to sniffles, the woman nods her head. "Please, Evgeni, would you get your mother some tea?"
The young man pauses for a moment, clearly hesitant to leave his parents in their current condition, but then he acquiesces. "Of course, Father. I will be happy to get a pot going." The young man then departs for the kitchen.
"Such a good boy," the elderly man remarks. "Now, you said that you were Pathfinders, yes? I am Pietr Tarsolu. This is my wife, Solace."
"You asked for a timeline." Pietr smiles for a bit, as if suddenly hit by wave of memories. "Where to begin?"
"Solace and I have lived here in Anactoria for our entire lives." He continues. "I inherited this cottage and the Maid from my father, Stashu. Solace and I have had five children together."
"All five have left home," Solace adds as she dries her eyes with a handkerchief. "Only our granddaughter Olena still lives with us--" Her stops, as tears begin once more to flow.
"Please forgive my wife and I," Pieter interjects. Though clearly addled and sluggish, he manages to wrap an arm around his wife. "This whole or-ordeal has been quite trying for b-both of us. [b]"O-Olena w-was orphaned l-last year."
"And, n-now, we have failed the Maid, failed th-this whole town!" He sobs. "W-we feel it is our d-duty to be the c-ccaretakers of the relic and to distribute her 'healing tears' at irregular intervals. We are distraught over the theft and care only for the Maid’s return."
Pietr reaches for a handkerchief of his own to wipe his face. "Forgive us, but we need a few moments to gather the strength to continue."
Across from the front door is a curtained area, and the curtain is currently drawn aside to reveal a long glass case.
After wiping his face, Pietr manages to find enough stamina to continue. "Y-yesterday, at this time, I n-never could have imagined the distress that we are undergoing now. Qu-quite the opposite."
"Prior to its disappearance, visitors had regularly been coming to the see the Maid of Anactoria. Things had been going quite well. Better, about a month ago when our eldest son, Evgeni, returned from Lepidstadt University to stay here with us for a while before he heads on to a new post in Caliphas." Solace adds, though her voice is weak. "Yesterday was like most any other. Pietr saw to visitors. Evgeni and I worked in the kitchen, preparing a stew for dinner. All three of us were here the entire day, although Evgeni was out for a little bit."
"Just before dinner, he was called away by a visiting friend and didn’t return until later that evening. Other than that, he--like us--was home all night." Solace notes, looking to her husband for strength.
"Then, we s-slept s-soundly all through the night." Pietr notes. "When we awoke the n-next morning, we discovered that the M-Maid was gone. We called for Constable Fieru. Although she c-came quickly, word must have travelled fast for the village was already in an uproar by the time she arrived. That's when the constable took ch-charge of the crime scene to ensure nothing was m-moved." He looks into his wife's eyes. The two nod. "We've t-told you all that we told the c-constable. I'm afraid neither one of us remembers any other details of the theft."
"The Aspis Consortium." Evgeni begins, as he returns from the kitchen with a cup of hot tea in each hand. "They stole the Maid to sell for a hefty profit, I suspect." He quickly hands the warm cups to his parents, then provides them with a fresh blanket.
"Now, as you can undoubtedly see, my parents are quite distressed." Evgeni announces to the Pathfinders. "Should you have any more questions, you can direct them to me. Better yet, you should leave here altogether and go looking for the actual thieves!"
You notice that the hands and faces of both Pietr and Solace have a slight yellow cast. You suspect that they are under the effect of a mild poison.
Your hands look a weird shade of yellow. What have you been handling recently. May I remove the coating to both reduce the effects and possibly gain a sample of the poison you have been exposed to
"Poison?!" Evgeni gasps.
"P-poison?" Pietr repeats, weakly.
"I must object to this intrusion! My parents are clearly distressed! Now you want to prod them, like animals? On what basis? You are only making a horrible situation even worse!" Evgeni insists. "Besides, no one would want to poison our family! It has been a pillar of this village for generations! My parents, especially! No one would want to poison them or any of us."
Is Oleana well at the moment?
"As far as I know, she is." Evgeni snaps back. "I don't know what you are insinuating, but I don't like it. If you doubt us, I can take you to her so that you can see for yourself. She is in her room, presently far away from all this turmoil--thankfully. That poor girl has already suffered the loss of her parents. How much can she take?"
"But, if you insist upon wasting your time interrogating a five-year-old, distraught little orphan girl rather than hunting down Aspis agents, go ahead. I won't stop you." Evgeni shrugs indignantly.
[b]"Please let us take a look at your hands. I promise my companions are skilled and gentle."/[b]
At Seoni's urging, the elderly couple allows Soguchi to examine their hands and faces more closely. After a brief examination, the tengu discerns that both adults have recently consumed unusually large amounts of saffron, which tends to ensure a sound sleep but can have unpleasant
side effects in high doses.
Glenda explores the house further while Seoni questions them.
As Glenda begins moving toward the door that leads further into the house, Evgeni moves to intercept. "Just a minute,' he says.
However, his father interjects. "Let her go. The Pathfinders are here to help. They may explore the home as they wish."
Evgeni glares at the orc girl for a moment.
Then, the young man releases a sigh. "I-I'm sorry," he says. "I do realize that you are just trying to help. It's just that it is hard to see my family having to deal with all this grief. My father inherited this cottage and the Maid from his father, Stashu, and his father before him. Our family has been responsible for keeping the Maid for generations. This theft is taking its toll on my parents. The whole family, in fact.."
"I don't what else I can tell you that might help in the investigation. I was home in bed all night, which my parents can confirm." Evgeni explains. "Like many others in town, I suspect the Aspis Consortium stole the Maid to sell for a hefty profit."
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My concern if the Aspis have poisoned your parent who else might have been caught in the plot and youngsters tend to be full of vigor but their small size can lead them to be overwhelmed by some poisons Soguchi seeks out the kitchen for clues
He returns to ask the parents
You look after the kitchen very well. Were there any special ingredients unusual gifts for the meal last night? Saffron is very tasty but can induce a very deep rest
I will try to be more careful with my words we don't want to be making rash accusations
I will try to be more careful with my words we don't want to be making rash accusations
Seoni does not notice anything in particular about the young man's behavior.
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Soguchi conspires with his fellow pathfinders This has all the hallmarks of an inside job. No Forced entry. The parents made sleepy by a meal they prepared themselves and young son who seems inordinately keen to delay or even shut down any investigation. I suspect he has come to some arrangement with the aspis. Do we want to go with Seoni sweeet talking him into revealing what he knows or do we insist he tells us what he knows or else
"Ah.. you use a lot of saffron. That's not a cheap spice!"
There was saffron in the stew the family had for dinner last night." Solace Tarsolu explains. "Evgeni helped me make it prior to being called away before dinner. Little Olena did not eat the stew."
"Yes, the stew called for saffron," Evgeni confirms. "But, I didn't think I put in too much." He pauses for a moment, then says with a pensive manner, "Unless, we both added saffron?"
The mother and son exchange silent looks, but neither seems to be able to recall for certain.
Evgeni scratches his head, thinking further. Then, he declares. "If poison was involved, then there is one person in the village who was most likely in on it--Jahandreal! That elf studies a variety of insects and swamp plants, many of which are known to be poisonous."
Upon hearing the name of the elf, a look of concerned realization overcomes the face of Solace Tarsolu. "Jahandreal did once ask if she could dissect the Maid to see what insects might be inside! I suspect she would have taken the Maid if given an opportunity!" Solace's husband, Pietr nods in agreement.
"I must confess," says Evgeni, "I have always appreciated Jahandreal's curiosity and studiousness, even though I know that the
rest of the town sees her as meddlesome and strange. She lives outside of village. You would do well to include her in your investigations."
• Solace mentioned that Evgeni visited a friend the night before.
• Evgeni and Solace voice suspicions about Jahandreal
• Confirmed members of Aspis Consortium are rumored to have been regular visitors to Annika Domiri.
Annika can be found at her personal residence. As one of the wealthier residents of the village, Annika lives in a two-story stone townhouse on the southwest edge of town, where the bog’s aroma is carried away by the prevailing winds. The young widow maintains half a dozen servants to run the house.
• Soguchi posits that Mother Belascu may be involved.
If asked for other suspects, she identifies Jahandreal as a possibility, because the mysterious woman lives in the bog and rarely speaks to the people of Anactoria.
Mother Belchescu wasn’t present during the theft and did not witness anything, but she suggests that the you investigate the crime scene and speak with the Tarsolu family if you have not done so already.