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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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Tuesday/Thursdays - all day, as they are the 2 busiest days of my work week
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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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You see a male halfling wearing hide armor, with a rapier on his hip, and a shield on his back. His black hooded cloak covers his head, and his outfit has lots of pouches. One of them moves a bit.
“Call me Moonshadow, champion of Cayden Cailien!”, he says in a deep, gruff voice. ”Defender of the oppressed, upholder of justice, and hunter of evil!”
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A tall young man greets all those present.
"Hi there! Name's Sebastian, nice to meet you" he extends his right hand to anyone willing to shake it, "I'm a new recruit, ready to prove myself! All this adventuring stuff sounds amazing, isn't it?"
He sits and takes out a deck of cards from his voluminous shoulder bag, "Anyone fancies a game of cards while we wait?"
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"I'm not sure about that, Sir" the young man says at the halfling, "Towers is a 'game' considered blasphemy to the Song of the Spheres, which as you may know is the Goddess of luck."
"I'm really sorry Sir, I didn't mean to offend you. If you'd like to talk about your condition I would be glad to listen to you" Sebastian bows to Milo. "I'm in fact a desnan priest, maybe I can help, or at least offer a few words of comfort."
"I think 'jinx' it's something probably linked to halfling culture, Miss" he turns to the witch with a faint smile, "If I'm not mistaken their people put great importance on luck and fate, some of them can bring misfortune to their enemy, and that's seen as a blessing."
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"I'm not sure about that, Sir" the young man says at the halfling, "Towers is a 'game' considered blasphemy to the Song of the Spheres, which as you may know is the Goddess of luck."
"I'm really sorry Sir, I didn't mean to offend you. If you'd like to talk about your condition I would be glad to listen to you" Sebastian bows to Milo. "I'm in fact a desnan priest, maybe I can help, or at least offer a few words of comfort."
"I think 'jinx' it's something probably linked to halfling culture, Miss" he turns to the witch with a faint smile, "If I'm not mistaken their people put great importance on luck and fate, some of them can bring misfortune to their enemy, and that's seen as a blessing."
Milo shakes his head. "I appreciate the offer but Desna has frowned on my family for ages. No offence intended lad but will take more than a novice priest to help me. I'm familiar with the towers game but there's far to much chance involved. I've found that the key to dealing with my affliction is to try to mitigate the bad luck by reducing the variables involved. A game like chess would be more to my liking. All skill and no chance involved."
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Your adventure begins in Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen’s office in Iceferry Lodge. Deeply engrossed in a large stack of reports, Bjersig doesn’t notice the PCs enter. His dog companion, a husky named Mahki, nudges Bjersig’s arm to alert him to their presence. Born deaf, Bjersig communicates using an expanded version of Napsu-Sign, the Pathfinder Society’s highly developed sign language. All Pathfinders receive training in Napsu-Sign and can communicate with Bjersig without assistance.
Looking up from his studies, Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen smiles and scratches Mahki’s ear. "Welcome, Pathfinders," he signs using Napsu-Sign. "Have a seat by the fire. Your mission will lead you through Irrisen, the land of eternal winter; warmth will be hard to come by over the next few days."
Bjersig removes his reading glasses before continuing to sign, "Queen Anastasia of Irrisen needs the Pathfinder Society’s aid. Bandit raids are disrupting trade routes between Irrisen and the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Unfortunately, these raids impact Iceferry as well." Pointing to the stack of papers, he continues, "The bandits have no permanent base of operations, making it difficult for Queen Anastasia’s slow-moving military to locate their hideout, but using these reports, I’ve personally tracked them to an abandoned fort."
"I’ve learned they’re a motley crew of frost goblins, humans, wolves, and wargs. Surprisingly, a young winter witch, a Jadwiga, accompanies them as well. Their leader, a warg named Foroxicks, is extremely ruthless and violent. Take extra care when you encounter him. Fortunately, three red stripes that extend from his muzzle to his tail make him easy to identify."
Pulling a map out from under the pile of reports, Bjersig signs, "Your mission is to infiltrate the fort using a hidden entrance I discovered while scouting. Once inside, disrupt the bandits’ operation. Remember, Queen Anastasia rules with compassion. You need not kill the bandits if other options are available. Stopping them from conducting raids is your primary goal."
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If he shows no protrusion yet the alteration of his flesh is obvious. His body is sewn and transformed. Fortunately, only his face is visible. Wearing a mail splint and carrying a shield on which is his coat of arms (Per pale ermine and counter ermine), a morning star hangs from his belt.
If our help is needed for justice, my morningstar his hers. If that's not the case, my morningstar will also find her.
Knowing this introduction will mark the audience, he introduces himself: My name's Namre, follower of the law.
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Milo sighs and mutters under his breath. "My curse never fails to manifest itself in new and unusual ways."
The investigator steps between Nambre and the others. "Everyone please, calm down. We are all pathfinders here. Remember-explore, report and cooperate. This sort of bickering is beyond unseemly."
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The merchant ship, River Catch, sails along the Rimeflow River carrying you to the border city of Trollheim. From there, you travel by foot into Irrisen. Bjersig emphasized the importance of traveling light to avoid the bandits’ scouting parties. He’s confident they’ll flee the fort at the slightest sign of danger. Following his map, you are able to cross the border without incident. Reaching the fort will take two days of hiking through the snow-covered wilderness, but Bjersig’s map is clear and you reach the fort with no problems. The map leads them to approach the fort from the north through a thick copse of trees, and the entrance to an old sewer system is hidden behind a thick growth of arctic moss and snow, exactly where Bjersig said it would be. Your timing is perfect. A blizzard sets in just as you enter the sewer.
AREA MAP (Also linked at the top)
After traveling through the empty sewer, you find an access point. Squeezing through an opening behind an iron maiden, you enter a vacant room.
Lining the northern wall of this large room, rusty iron maidens stand grim watch over long unused implements of torture. To the east, the doors to four prison cells hang precariously from broken hinges. Frost-covered metal gates bar the two exits from the room. The sound of raucous laughter and singing drifts through the darkness beyond the gates. The song repeats over and over, its lyrics taunting and mocking with glee.
"Through the snow and cold of night,
Raid and steal. We thump with might!
Queen can’t stop us. She’s no witch.
Queen can’t stop us. We’ll be rich."
"’roxicks kicked you in the head
Beat your brother. He be dead!
Queen can’t stop us. She’s no witch.
Queen can’t stop us. We’ll be rich!"
You notice that the hinges on the doors are frozen and rusty.
DC 16 Thievery/Crafting to open them quietly
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Moonshadow nods toward the doors and gates. ”Those are gonna make a racket”, he says in a gravelly whisper. ”Gotta make sure they don’t squeak before using them”
He looks down at his belt. ”No offense”, he adds.
He peers inside the cells for anything of interest.
"A racket indeed. I assume you have some skills in erm... locksmithing? Please deal with the doors if you would be so kind. I shall assist if you don't mind."
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Moonshadow easily teases the door open without making a sound. You make your way out of the room and into a long hallway. You're drawn to a room at the end of the long corridor where the sound appears to be coming from.
Water leaking through the ceiling forms rivulets of ice on the walls and floor leading to a worn table in the center of the room. A crate and several small casks displaying trade markings for Iceferry sit on its top. The crate’s half-eaten contents—finely cured meats—litter the floor. In the northeast corner, a man with both hands chained slumps against the wall. Streaks of dried blood stain his ripped shirt, and his face is heavily bruised.
You notice five frost goblins sitting at the table drinking, singing, and taunting the human prisoner chained to the wall.
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The noble man draws his weapon. These goblins will have to express the reason why they have the prisoner. He looks at his companions to see if they are ready.
Milo gestures to Namre to sheathe his weapon. "Hold off on the weapons for now. Remember our mission is to disrupt the bandits’ operation. Stopping them from conducting raids is our primary goal. Queen Anastasia is a woman of compassion. She would likely prefer we not kill the bandits if other options are available. If we confront them properly perhaps we could persuade these goblins that there are safer occupations than banditry. If they won't listen to reason..." He quietly cracks his knuckles.
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"Not enough information. What if this mystery Jadwiga is male? What if these goblins actually know this person? Impersonating an unknown is too risky. Still... Perhaps if you went in and acted like you belong you could convince them that you are in a position of authority. You could mention the warg leader, Foroxicks."
Milo's brow furrows as he considers the options.
"It seems as though the queen not being a witch is an issue. If we could convince them that she doesn't need to be a witch to be powerful they may choose stand down."
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"Not enough information. What if this mystery Jadwiga is male? What if these goblins actually know this person? Impersonating an unknown is too risky. Still... Perhaps if you went in and acted like you belong you could convince them that you are in a position of authority. You could mention the warg leader, Foroxicks."
Milo's brow furrows as he considers the options.
"It seems as though the queen not being a witch is an issue. If we could convince them that she doesn't need to be a witch to be powerful they may choose stand down."
”Crafty”, says Moonshadow. ”I like it”