A gnome Pathfinder, Lirall, grins widely and leads the agents into a comfortable office. Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen sits at his desk, poring over a collection of aged scrolls and maps. Bjersig’s service dog, a husky named Mahki, nudges Bjersig to draw his attention to the Pathfinderss. Bjersig grins at the team and invites them to sit with a gesture at a collection of comfortable chairs. Bjersig is deaf and prefers to communicate in Napsu-Sign, the Pathfinder Society’s signed language, though he can speak oral Common fluently when necessary. He punctuates his signing with expressive facial cues and intermittent vocal speech. Bjersig is excellent at lip reading and can understand spoken questions so long as they are spoken clearly and in his sight. Despite this, Lirall translates the group’s words into Napsu-Sign, just as she translates Bjersig’s signing for the Pathfinderss.
“Welcome to Iceferry Lodge, my friends! Enjoy the warmth while you can—you depart again shortly.
“Two months ago, the Linnorm King White Estrid invited a Pathfinder Society representative to engage in negotiations with her in Halgrim. Estrid’s looking for heroes to explore the mysterious Island of Ancestors, and she’s considering us for this honor. She made it clear that during these negotiations, we’d have to demonstrate we have the right skills and temperament for such a significant adventure in her lands. We’ve chosen Gorm Greathammer to represent the Pathfinder Society in these negotiations.
“By all accounts, Gorm’s doing well, but it seems negotiations have hit an unexpected snag. Last week, five juvenile linnorms descended on the city and are wreaking havoc. The linnorms are the children of Boiltongue, Estrid’s linnorm ally, which makes for a sticky situation. The populace dares not lift a finger to intervene, knowing they would face the wrath of their king—not to mention Boiltongue himself—if they upset the linnorms. Boiltongue, meanwhile, is busy attending to his duties in the throne room and is unable to pay his children much mind.
“Gorm’s reports indicate the linnorms are well-behaved under Boiltongue’s watchful eye, but a rambunctious ball of disaster outside it. To be frank, the city is in chaos—a chaos which Boiltongue and Estrid could easily end. Seems suspicious, doesn’t it?
“Gorm and I believe that while the young linnorms’ arrival was unexpected, the Estrid and Boiltongue have decided to use the chaos as a sort of test. This is an opportunity for the Pathfinder Society to prove their tact, skill, and bravery. And by the Pathfinder Society, I mean you.
“I’ve booked you passage on a ship heading to Halgrim. It leaves this afternoon, so you’ll have time to resupply before you head out. When you get to Halgrim, find the linnorms. Do what you can to keep them happy and out of trouble. It’s likely the linnorms will clash with Halgrim’s citizens. If they do, try your best to smooth things over. If you can’t, use this.” Bjersig places ten pouches on the table, each heavy with coin. “Funds to pay for damages and appease pride. Only use them when absolutely necessary. I’d much prefer you win over the citizens of Halgrim with words and deeds. Remember, we’re trying to make a good impression. Any questions?”
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A young aiuvarin woman in leather armor with a rapier at her hip and a bow on her back gives Bjersig a scandalized look. "Waitaminute let me get this straight. We haven't been on a mission in ages and you finally call us up to be babysitters?"
She turns to face a snow white owl perched atop a nearby bookcase. "Can you believe this, Silence?"
The owl preens his feathers, seemingly unconcerned by the rather mundane assignment.
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The woman frowns and nods at the owl. "That's a good point I guess. Babysitting linnorms isn't quite normal babysitting. I think so anyway." She turns back to the Venture-Captain. "So what are linnorms again? Aren't they just some sort of dragon? Also if we complete this assignment can we be the ones to explore the Island of Ancestors? That sounds much more interesting."
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A young human teenage boy, adorned in full plate that's a tad too big for him is late to the Iceferry Lodge. Slowing him down is a large halberd strapped to his left hip and a longbow strapped to his right. Both weapons are comically dragging on the ground behind him as he approaches the lodge.
Breathing heavily in the lodge's atrium, the boy looks to the group with wide-eyed excitement. "Golly, it's great to be going on another Pathfinder mission!" Catching his breath, he quickly says, "I'm Dennis. My daddy says I'll grow into my armor. I'm a real good fighter. I've been practicing with my bow, too!" The bow appears unused.
As he swings around to show off his longbow, his halberd nearly knocks over a nearby agent. "Oh, sorry mister. You'll be okay."
Dennis looks around excitedly, "Now ... what's all this about rambunctious balls of disaster?" When Meadow mentions dragons, the youngster squeals with glee, "Oooh! Are we gonna play with real dragons?" He continues, "I speak draconic. It's fun. Do you? How about you?" He looks around and yanks gently on the nearest adult's cloak: "Can we leave yet? Can we?"
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A short, green, goblin munching on a pickle still dripping with brine enters the meeting room and catches the tail end of the briefing.
"Sitting baby? What mean sitting baby?" she asks. Seeing the eyes of everyone on her, she turns a bright shade of red and bows. "Sorry. I's Lokaloka! I's buy pickles in marketplace before come here. Thought meeting in 10 minutes but not now. I's late, I know."
Seeing the owl, she walks up to it and coos at it, ignoring the fact that everyone's staring at her. She bites off a piece of pickle and holds it up to Silence. "Pickle?"
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A tall, thin elf with brilliant blue eyes, and beautifully crafted (but still massively oversized) elephant gun-like rifle 'holstered' over his shoulder, grins disarmingly.
"Oh, I'm sorry - must be behind the times. I thought Linnorn Kings became kings by hunting down linnorns? I must have misheard - I thought this was a hunting expedition! Good to know."
He then bows to the assembled Pathfinders.
"My name is Sir Alec Hammershot, but you can just call me Alec - after all, we are all friends here!"
“Linnorms are immense, serpentine dragons that live in the northern reaches of Avistan. There are many different kinds, though they’re generally all cruel, cunning, and can curse those who slay them. To become a linnorm king, one must defeat a linnorm and claim its head as a trophy—not an easy feat!”
"I wouldn't recommend it."
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A dry chuckle issues from the darkest corner of the room. Detaching herself from its depths is a nearly-completely-black-from-head-to-toe aiuvarin woman. She addresses Mrs. Perkins first: "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be the 'cool' babysitters, not the strict ones. But if you want to play 'good-sitter/mean-sitter', I'm pretty sure Dennis or Lokaloka would make great foils for you."
Turning to the Venture Captain, she asks: "What are the children's names? What do we know about them individually, and as a group? And how big are they now?"
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When the grown-ups begin asking important-sounding questions, Dennis sighs and sits cross-legged on the floor.
He retrieves his colored wax pencils (which look like crayons to the untrained eye) and starts taking notes. He mutters key words like "dragons" and "king" and "babysitting".
If anyone looks over his shoulder at his writing pad, they see a picture of a green dragon wearing a yellow crown. Next to the dragon is a stick figure of a woman holding a spoon.
A short, green, goblin munching on a pickle still dripping with brine enters the meeting room and catches the tail end of the briefing.
"Sitting baby? What mean sitting baby?" she asks. Seeing the eyes of everyone on her, she turns a bright shade of red and bows. "Sorry. I's Lokaloka! I's buy pickles in marketplace before come here. Thought meeting in 10 minutes but not now. I's late, I know."
Seeing the owl, she walks up to it and coos at it, ignoring the fact that everyone's staring at her. She bites off a piece of pickle and holds it up to Silence. "Pickle?"
Silence turns his head upside down and considers the pickle for a moment before turning away and resuming his preening.
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A dry chuckle issues from the darkest corner of the room. Detaching herself from its depths is a nearly-completely-black-from-head-to-toe aiuvarin woman. She addresses Mrs. Perkins first: "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be the 'cool' babysitters, not the strict ones. But if you want to play 'good-sitter/mean-sitter', I'm pretty sure Dennis or Lokaloka would make great foils for you."
Turning to the Venture Captain, she asks: "What are the children's names? What do we know about them individually, and as a group? And how big are they now?"
Meadow's face lights up as the rogue emerges from the shadows. "Nal! I haven't seen you since we won the Balgirdtrek! Look who it is Silence! It's our friend Nal!" She rushes forward and gives Nal a hug.
Silence continues to preen, unimpressed by Nal's appearance.
"The children are all young for their species, which makes them 'only' about the size of an elephant. They were Crookscale, Mangletail, Scourfang... and two others with names that aren't just a body part and an adjective. I don't recall exactly. I'm sure you can learn more about them once you are in Halgrim."
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As Dennis is sitting taking notes , he jumps up. "Ooh ooh!" he cries out gleefully. "I know lots about linnorm dragons. My daddy used to read me bedtime stories. When I was a kid." Which was not that long ago.
He continues without taking a breath, "They can fly, obviously. And swim. And they have poison. And they can breathe fire." He excitedly updates his notes with orange flames coming out of the dragon's mouth.
He looks around with wide-eyed wonder. "When can we find them? Can we leave yet? Can we?"
Halgrim is a prosperous port city and capital of the Ironbound Archipelago. Surrounded by the ocean and good hunting grounds, it also has some of the finest farmland in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
When the Pathfinders are done speaking with Bjersig, Lirall leads them out of the office. After providing the group with boat tickets and directions to the docks, she escorts them to the Iceferry Lodge storehouse and gifts them enough food for the journey as well as warm winter clothing. The agents can borrow this clothing free of charge or purchase the clothing if they want to keep it permanently. Lirall can also either sell you additional goods from the storehouse or give you directions to appropriate shops in town.
Outside the Iceferry Lodge, a human ranger sits on a bench with a snow owl. Alec and potipher immediately recognize her as Svala Ice-Rider, a well-known member of the Grand Archive whose account of an expeditions into the Crown of the World was recently published in the Pathfinder Chronicles.
Svala waves the group over and introduces herself. She remarks, “I hear you’re the agents selected to tame Boiltongue’s young. The linnorms will be your responsibility. Be sure to keep them safe, as well as the city. Power attracts enemies, and you can bet Boiltongue and Estrid have plenty of both. What’s more, there’s bound to be some who would love to see Gorm’s negotiations fail. Stay alert. If anyone tries to disrupt our negotiations, see if you can discover who they work for.”
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"Fun," Nal deadpans. While pinning down several linnorm kids, no less. Flashes of plays in which precocious children outwit adult villains pop into Nal's head, but she pushes them aside for now. Who knows if these princelings and princesses would be up for that sort of thing? She's certainly not interested in putting the kids in danger.
"Seriously though, do you know of any specific factions or individuals who are likely to be a problem?"
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When Nal encourages Dennis in the meeting room, the youngster beams with pride. "Golly! Thanks Miss Nal." He gets out his green wax pencil and fixes the scales.
Upon leaving the lodge and wrapped up in winter clothing, Dennis excitedly runs ahead. "Finally! C'mon! This way!" He has no idea where he's headed, but intends to get there quickly. When the group recognizes Svala, Dennis quickly changes direction to meet her. "Hi Miss. I'm Dennis. We're on an important Pathfinder mission. To play with dragons!"
“White Estrid is the Linnorm King of the Ironbound Archipelago. She defeated the crag linnorm Boiltongue on the Island of the Ancestors to earn her throne. Rather than kill Boiltongue, she spared his life and brought him back to Halgrim. The two have been allies ever since. She’s one of the longest-established linnorm kings, ruling with a firm hand but level head, continually engaging in both military and diplomatic maneuvers. Estrid is more progressive than most linnorm kings; she welcomes foreigners and encourages agrarian pursuits.”
“Gorm Greathammer is a dwarven prince. He’s a talented diplomat, knowledgeable historian, and one of the most renowned and well-traveled Pathfinders operating today.”
"Neither. Defeating a linnorm is required to become a linnorm king, but they are humanoids and rule over a city of humanoids."
The Pathfinders begin heading to the docks. Along the way, they pass a snow goblin standing atop a 12-foot-high tower of precariously stacked blocks of ice and snow, facing the wind with arms spread wide, while muttering to themself.
As the agents approach, they call out. “I’ve got a message for you. It came on the wind—with the snow, see? Snow always has something to say. This time, it’s for you.” They then turns to the Pathfinders and grin. “Nice spot you’re in! Chance to learn about linnorms up close! Chance to make friends. Sure would be nice for Pathfinders to befriend Boiltongue’s whelps.”
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Running ahead, like always, Dennis stops when the snow goblin calls out. Leading the way, Dennis introduces himself. "Hi Mister! I'm Dennis. I like making friends. Especially with dragons!" Seeing his new friend high upon a mountain of ice, Dennis continues, "Ooooh! Fun! Can I play?"
Without waiting for permission, Dennis starts to climb.
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Well, that's awfully convenient. Now, what's that sarcasm at the end? Normally "whelps" is a derogatory term. Nal's suspicions are raised, but she keeps her expression pleasant. "A message from the wind? That sounds worth hearing. And may we have the honor of knowing the name of the wind's messenger?" She looks up at the snow goblin expectantly.
Dennis has no problem climbing the tower, though it is a bit crowded with two at the top, even as small as they are.
The goblin answers Nal, “Urwal, I think. He usually goes on and on about stars and poems. But the snow doesn’t stick around for a speech, see?”
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Dennis jumps with glee at the top of mountain of ice. "Look at me! Look at me!" Turning to the goblin, Dennis beams, "Thanks Mister. For sharing your mountain. I'm good at sharing too."
After about a minute, the youngster is bored. "We're gonna make new friends now. Bye!" Dennis waves to the goblin and makes his way down.
Silence flaps his wings and hoots softly.
With nothing else to say to the goblin (or the snow), the Pathfinders continue to the docks.
Halgrim is a bustling port city perched on the black, rocky coast of Battlewall Island. Ulfen longboats line the packed docks, and brightly painted wood buildings with thatch roofs line the streets. The chattering of the locals mingles with the crashing of the ocean waves, the cry of gulls, and the distant clang of steel on steel. It’s cold enough for breath to fog the air and for a layer of snow to cover most surfaces.
The mood in Halgrim is foul. Locals complain amongst themselves, falling silent as foreigners approach.
To find the young linnorms, a Pathfinder must succeed at a Diplomacy check to Gather Information.
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Eager to find the dragons, Dennis runs ahead "I'll help!" Coming across the first grown-up, he pulls the local's coat tail and asks, "Hey Mister, have you seen the baby dragons?" Without waiting for an answer, he turns to someone else nearby, "How about you?"
As he's asking around ...
... he gets distracted by unruly children in the street and mothers daring to complain about dragons misbehaving???
Dennis can't believe the audacity of kids these days. But he smiles. He remembers back to when he was young . He retrieves his maestro's drum set, and starts banging away to get their attention. When the kids approach, he says, "Hi! I'm Dennis. I'm a Pathfinder. Wanna play?" He has extra drumsticks. Because he loses them. Often. The teen hands a drumstick to each child to keep them busy, and demonstrates (loudly) how to keep an orderly beat.
Dennis plays with the children, and they calm down. The mothers visibly relax.