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Getting Started
This scenario starts in Augustana, within a private room that VentureCaptain Brackett has rented in the Brine Shark’s Bistro, a modest eatery in the Shipyard district that has some local fame for its savory crab cakes and compelling view of the docks and tall warships of the Great Salt Harbor. In addition to Brackett, the room also includes the two heads of Procurement and Supply, the fastidious Nairaba and the boisterous Kitsch. Read or paraphrase the following to get the adventure underway.
“Excellent, you’re all here,” Venture-Captain Brackett says as he gestures to seats around a large wooden table in this private dining room. “I have two people you need to meet. They’re responsible for fulfilling the Pathfinder supplies that you equip yourselves with before each mission. First, is our head quartermaster, Kitsch.”
He points to an ysoki woman using a full toolkit, including various pliers, saws and picks, to dismember a large crab carcass. Kitsch’s overalls are liberally smeared and spattered with both grease and shell bits. She glances up, waves, and then returns her focus to trying to break apartthe crab shell without saying a word.
Then Brackett points out a tall mwangi man in an elegant tunic unsuccessfully trying to stay out of spatter range. “And this man is our Head of Procurement, Immaculate-Weaving-Under-Moonlight Nairaba.”
“Please, that is such a long mouthful,” the man says as he passes out
napkins and cleaning cloths. “Feel free to call me, Nairaba. Tell me, what are you called?”
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As Venture Captain Brackett is starting to talk a tall and muscular Elven woman enters. She wears studded leather armor and is festooned with various weapons.
Most importantly she bears a large tray with a good dozen crab cakes and one partially eaten in the other hand.
She heads in as quietly as she can, puts the tray of food down, grabs another crab cake and finds a seat.
Afterwards she introduces herself as Sindarailla.
Nairaba. is pleased to meet all of you all.
While they talk, waiters bring in wine, savory crab cakes and other seafood dishes. Nairaba pours wine for everyone and then tastes it, nearly spitting it out. “Oh my, has this gone off? It may be more suitable as cleaning solvent than as a beverage.”
A PC wishing to inspect the wine can do so with a successful DC 10
Alcohol Lore (or DC 13 Society) You succeeded to recognize the vintage as Sauerton Red, a local Andoren vintage known for being both cheap and nearly undrinkable to those unused to its acidic aftertaste.
Kitsch glances furtively around for waitstaff, then dumps the bottle of Sauerton Red into a drooping plant. She holds up her hands for a moment and pulls three bottles of wine out of her cheek pouches. The moment she empties her pouches she says, “Sometimes the secret to a good supply chain is knowing when you need to smuggle things in. I think you’ll find these bottles are much better, Nairaba.”
“Thank you.” Nairaba carefully wipes each bottle down before passing them around; they are an excellent Galtan vintage.
Brackett closes the door firmly so that no other waitstaff can invade. “Now that you’ve all been sufficiently wined and dined,” he says, “it’stime to explain why we’ve scheduled this little excursion to Augustana. Cheliax
has never embraced the Society, even at the best of times. They made
Pathfinders illegal within their country. Then a few months ago, they burnt Greensteeples, the secret lodge we had there.
“But since the Battle of Hellknight Hill, they’ve grown positively restless,” Nairaba says. “We’ve always had Chelaxian smugglers and the like willing to deal with the Society, but now they’re all treating us like pariahs, and some have told us that the Chelaxian military is requisitioning all the supplies they would normally sell to us.”
Brackett nods. “Immediately after the battle, Zarta Dralneen warned us that Cheliax does not forgive slights. Since Isger is under the protection of Cheliax, Queen Abrogail will want revenge. With an Inner Sea war brewing, the Society’s leadership believes that we need more ships for our naval defenses.”
“So that’s why Nairaba and I are here,” Kitsch says, “This is thebiggest shipyard in the Inner Sea. But Nairaba and I aren’t fighters. We’reasking you to escort us and look for signs of trouble.”
“No one believes that Cheliax will do anything direct without a formal declaration of war,” Brackett says coldly. “But that doesn’t mean that they won’t try indirect and underhanded methods.”
For the two people asking about the ships, but Mia and Atlach asked something similar. This also answers old Glims's question Whatever it takes Mia, but..
Question asked: What is our budget for ship purchases?/How many ships are
we buying today?
Answer: “Let us worry about the money,” Nairaba says gently, “but we will welcome your feedback on the ships we see. Do tell us what you think of them.”
She responds to Alanosse yes if that is how you want to put it.
She responds to Sindrailla. Yes, you should know about the Cheliaxian.
Question: What kind of trouble do you expect? “Anything short of actual Chelaxian troops on Andoran soil,” Nairaba says.
Answer: “The Chelaxians have a diabolical love of intrigue.”
Question: What have Chelaxians done before? “What haven’t they
done?”
Answer: Brackett grimaces. “They’re not above smear campaigns, assassination attempts, soul extraction and third-party actions through cat’s paws.”
Touring the Shipyards
As soon as the PCs are ready, Kitsch rubs her paws together. “Enough
talking! Let’s go shopping!”
“Remember, we would like your honest opinion on all the ships you see,” Nairaba says gently. “It’s important to have multiple opinions when we’re considering a purchase as large as a ship.”
Nairaba and Kitsch lead the way down the five blocks from the BrineShark’s Bistro, down a steep incline to the dockside office of Olad the Alright Shipwright (overzealous male halfling salesman). Soon, the sounds of the Shipyard district grow more raucous. Gangs of workers sing Consortium lumberjack chants as they haul timber, and a cacophony of saws and hammers fills the air as craftsmen put together hulls in the dry docks. Augustana is sultry in summer; Nairaba and Kitsch fan themselves but heat radiates off the streets. The occasional cool breeze blowing off the Great Salt Harbor brings some relief not just from the heat, but from the mingling smells of sweat, sawdust, oil, and tar.
Olad greets that Pathfinder delegation as if they were long lost friends, pumping their hands (or claws, or whatever the party has for appendages) and expressing his joy in meeting them all. “Buying ships for a navy, yes?
Why then, you’ll be needing lots of ships! Small ships! Tall ships! So many ships, and Trustworthy Olad has them all for you!”
She responds to Old Gim Yes quite a collection, have a good look.
The Pathfinders successfully determine condition of the ship, it is in the text.
The Pert Peach is a squat, mid-sized ship painted in gaudy colors and replete with the eye-watering scent of perfume belowdeck. Olad gestures expansively on the ship tour. “This pre-owned beauty is one we’re refurbishing! In addition to an excellent galley, there are so many private rooms, useful for storage!” A PC who makes a successful assessment of the ship realizes that while it would make a great passenger or hospital vessel, the ship is much too slow andunwieldy for the rapid transportation the Society often needs.
The Scurvy Scamp is a lean, two-masted brig. “Okay, so you want fast, you want lean, you want this ship! She’s fast and can be used for discreet merchandise,” Olad pauses to wink at Nairaba and Kitsch, “or for stealthy drops of soldiers on an enemy coast.” The
Scurvy Scamp is indeed seaworthy and fast, but a PC who makes a
successful assessment of the ship realizes that its rudder is in terrible repair and needs replacement. If the price was reduced for the bad rudder, it might be something the Pathfinder Society could fix in a few weeks.
As the players travel to the third ship, aimless sailors wander around the dock area of the shipyard. Some have opened a crate of Sauerton Red and are passing bottles around. The sailors sit on the docks, drinking and watching the nearby ships. Olad detours around a pair of sailors who are stretched out on the dock and then complains,
“Those louts are getting in the way of honest work.” He turns to the sailors and shakes a fist. “Hey! We’re trying to work here! Move on!” but the sailors shrug and ignore him.
The Lucky Duck is a full-rigged ship with three tall masts. There are recently repaired battle scars on the hull.
“This ship may need a good scrub down and a little love, but she can carry a lot of personnel and has the space for 50 cannons onboard.” A PC who makes a successful assessment of this ship realizes that this vessel, despite its very prevalent rat problem, is ready now and would serve the Pathfinder fleet just fine.
this is a roll to determine if Olas was with you at the time you noticed the strange behavior of the sailor. Yes he was with you at the time. He didn’t disappear for the five minutes you saw the strange behavior or anything like that. He knows what you are talking about.
Strange indeed, but I'm sure they have a reason.
The wooden docks creak underfoot as Olad leads the way off the Lucky Duck. “I have a few other options for—” he breaks off as a commotion starts near the docks. Dozens of rough-looking goblin sailors swarm throughout the area, lighting fires in the shipyard and brandishing weapons. They shriek gleefully as terrified dockworkers scream and scramble out of the way. Plumes of smoke rise, and the scent of burning wood fills the air.
Olad puffs out his chest. “My ships! You’ll have my
ships over my dead body!” Olad shouts as he grabs a belaying pin and jumps into the fray.
From all sides, the sounds of “Ook-ook-ook!” calls rise as both monkey goblins and gorilla pirates grab onto ropes and swing into the dock area, attacking everyone in their path.
Nairaba and Kitsch: As noncombatants, Nairaba and Kitsch run and hide during combat, but also take steps to heal their fellow Pathfinders. At the end of each round, Nairaba hands Kitsch a healing potion (or elixir of unlife if the PC has negative healing) that Kitsch then loads into a bolt and fires at the most wounded Pathfinder while shouting, “This may sting!”
Roll init
pirates=Ps on map
goblins=Gs on map
Map
sinderella
Atlach is up.
Atlach hits but doesn't crit.
That hurts. The gorilla pirates move and do a Frightening display. Everyone two will save dc 22s vs frightened.
Everyone is up. 2 goblins were deleted, the challenge points wheren't cumulative so only 1 goblin on map.
He is still alive but good to know. @high in the mountains, don’t forget your two will saves vs frightened, could cause a miss.