You should all have your Chronicles by now. If not, PM me. I'll give it another day or two before I mark this inactive.
Search Posts
If your character has a Day Job and you want to roll it, you'll want to do so now. Also, I need Glorin and Aylanna to fill out the below info: Player Name
After Lady Gloriana pockets the note, she thanks you all again, and excuses herself to attend to other business. Left on your own, you filter out of the tea house and into the streets in search of further festivities. The remainder of the day passes uneventfully, and you all retire to your respective sleeping quarters. The following morning, the final morning of the festivities, you rise, get cleaned up, and have breakfast. The announcement of the late councilor's replacement is today, and you make your way to an open-air amphitheatre in the Wise Quarter. By noon, a large crowd has gathered there, and the First Lady of Laws, an Osirian woman named Scion Lady Neferpatra of House Ahnkamen, steps out onto the stage. "People of Absalom, we know that you have all been waiting patiently for the deliberations for the late Councilor's successor to come to a close. Those deliberations are now ended, and we announce to you now that your new Councilor is Grint Basatrel. The late Councilor's diligent assistant, we all trust that he will carry on the great works his predecessor began," she announces. The Osirian woman steps back, and Grint himself steps forward. He thanks Diobel and the High Council for their trust, and launches into an impassioned speech about both the past and about his hopes for improving relations between Absalom and its vassal cities. As he closes his speech, the crowd disperses to fit in a bit more festivities before the festival officially ends. A blind-seeming beggar, easily recognizable after a few moments as Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng, sidles up to the party as the crowd disperses. "And so ends an election and begins a political career. I'm pleased that the High Council chose Grint, as he's amenable to working with the Society. It sounds like he's not the only one with friends in high places; I hear several of our close allies owe you their thanks, and they've already begun paying off that debt with a few presents delivered to the Grand Lodge with your names on them. Well done. The Society's strength is not measured by the enemies it defeats but by the friends it keeps." With a concealed wave goodbye, Dreng stumbles off into the crowd once more, his alms bowl held high as he listens for more rumors of note.
GM Only:
After a short while, three trumpeters play a fanfare and Lord Minovitas himself takes the stage. "Welcome, esteemed colleagues and honored guests. On this historic day, the glorious Opparan Trade Commission is open for business! But it is not just commerce that we commemorate today; we also recognize the valor of several of the greatest heroes of our time who have fought in Mendev's recent crusade and pushed back the demon threat so that others might live in peace. Yet this was not accomplished alone, and in an alliance of nations we found our strength. With the establishment of this facility here in Absalom, the Commission hopes to continue this alliance and further promote fair and equitable trade to the benefit of all." "With great honor, I dedicate this embassy to its founding members, whose esteemed accomplishments shall be forever commemorated by the work of the world-renowned painter, Amya Illanaf!" With that, Lord Minovitas gestures dramatically toward the paintings, as if expecting someone to unveil them for him. When that fails, he strides over to the first painting and theatrically whips off its cover while smiling to the audience. He repeats the action with the other paintings, and only with the third does he realize that something is off. He turns to look at the painting he had just unveiled (the one that displays an elf and a tengu fighting a dog-headed, four-armed demon) and fury rises on his face. For their part, the crowd seems unimpressed by the speech and chuckles mildly at the pompous Taldan lord's expense. Lord Minovitas rushes off-stage, presumably to complain to his staff, without a further word. ---------------- Shortly thereafter, Lady Morilla finds you in the crowd and gathers you all to a private room in a nearby tavern. She retrieves her silver raven figurine of wondrous power from you, and then takes a deep breath. Exhaling, she says, "I'm appalled and disappointed that the same nobles who once opposed us now seek to steal our glory by claiming that creating the army was their idea. While I thank you for today's efforts to rebuke them, I fear they'll simply continue to perpetrate this fraud back in Taldor. Worse, should they succeed, it will only reinforce the 'do nothing' nobility and be another nail in Taldor's coffin. And if it's a coffin they're building, I refuse to be buried with them." "This is not unique to Taldor, yet in other lands I have met nobles who have their people's needs in mind and greater vision of how to accomplish their goals. Rarely are these members of royal families, but many have their respective monarchs' ears. Rather than recreate the Taldan empire of old, we shall promote an enlightened aristocracy that promotes the virtues of strong, wise governance. I do not expect a response now, but I invite you to join me in this endeavor." As she speaks, there is a quiet knock on the door followed by a woman saying, 'My lady sends her thanks." A sealed missive slides under the door, which Lady Morilla swiftly retrieves and secrets into a pocket in her petticoat to review later. Knowledge (nobility), DC 20: The seal is that of Princess Eutropia of Taldor.
GM Only:
Aya launches into a skilled oration about the plight of the working class and how the Power of HORUS! can save them all, which, combined with Ki Chin's lie about quick jobs and gambling debts on the one hand and Aylanna's attempts to smooth things over with her silver tongue, mollifies the warehouse worker. He shrugs and mutters something under his breath, then returns to his work. Free of further scrutiny, the party is able to haul the wagon inside and switch out the paintings.
Mercifully, the other warehouse workers aren't terribly astute, and there are no guards present. You are able to complete the task and slip out again. All that remains now is to observe the results of your handiwork. That, of course, involves going into the Opparan Trade Commission's front door and socializing with the guests before the unveiling commences in a short while. You do so without incident, and find yourselves in an opulent, if understated, gallery with a number of tables covered in fine linens and trays of hors d'oeuvres. A handful of maidservants and a butler or two move through a light crowd, trays carrying wine bottles and empty wine glasses in hand. A number of notable people seem to have gotten the invitation also, given the amount of finery on display. A man and a woman in particular stand apart nearby, sipping on wine and speaking quietly to one another. The man is in his late sixties, obese and constantly sweating--he seems rather irritable, and makes a point of taking it out on a hapless maid who happened to spill some wine when refilling the man's glass. It didn't even spill on him, but rather on the tray, but that was enough to set him off. "Really! Couldn't Lord Minovitas find an elven wench or two for this soiree? At least they are graceful!" he bemoans to his companion. That companion, in turn, is a venerable and frail-looking old woman leaning on an ebony cane, a worn falcata rather incongruously at her side. "Yes, well, we mustn't be too hard on him. We all know that good help is hard to find. Besides, at least the lass isn't a Qadiran." She pauses to appraise the woman (who is not, in fact, Qadiran)--just to make sure. "Are you?"
After using a scroll of erase to deface the last painting, the party places everything back in order in the wagon and makes its way toward the warehouse at the back of the Opparan Trade Commission. As you approach the warehouse, you see a handful of laborers shifting various crates around. One, a stocky Taldan man with a strong jaw, looks up at your approach, then furrows his brows. "You don't look like the guards the boss hired. They call off 'sick' too? Don't blame them--boss's late paying everyone, seems." He sizes you all up. "Who're you?"
It takes a little bit of time to replace the paintings in the frames with your own paintings, but no one interrupts you (or really even notices your presence in this particular isolated causeway). There is still a third painting that must be dealt with (by erasure, defacing, or plain leaving-it-on-the-side-of-the-road). There is also the matter of how you're going to walk this wagon up to the warehouse without arousing the suspicions of the warehouse workers. Even as you take the wagon and begin heading toward the warehouse, you still have a little bit of time to come up with a plan.
One painting that Lady Gloriana had commissioned is of herself, mustering troops on the edge of a battlefield. The other is of a pair of adventurers battling a towering dog-headed demon with four arms, two ending in pincers (). The pair are an elf and a tengu who look suspiciously like your own Elemenar and To-to-obika.
GM Only:
The lead guard hesitates, then looks at his comrades for support. They seem equally hesitant, and even more so after Elemenar points out--quite innocently--that the area is quite isolated. The leader grumbles nervously, "...He still hasn't paid us for the last job, either. This ain't worth it." With a wave to the driver of the wagon, he backs away from the wagon. The driver quickly hops down from the wagon, and the caravan guards beat a hasty retreat. You've got the wagon now, and the paintings...but no uniforms. You do recall that Lady Gloriana sent a silver raven figurine of wondrous power with you, to be used after you'd acquired the paintings, though. That in mind, you activate the magic of the raven, and send it winging away to carry word to Lady Gloriana. A short time later, it returns, bearing a note in its clutches. After alighting upon Elemenar's shoulder, it drops the note into his hand and goes inert again.
You'll still need to get the modify or deface the paintings and then get them into the warehouse somehow, though.
The lead guard seems dubious. “We don’t have time for this. Stand aside!” he commands, motioning brusquely.
The party retires for the night and makes plans for their less-than-legal activities on the morrow. When daylight comes, you make your way to where you expect the caravan carrying the paintings to come through. You don't have to wait long before it does, either--a horse-drawn covered wagon, escorted by three guards (a fourth guard sits on the wagon, driving it). They don't seem to be aware of you just yet.
Ki Chin: You recall hearing that the warehouse in question helps to stock shops in the Wise Quarter and Foreign Quarter, so it contains a wide variety of goods. Prospective clients visit often to rent out space or order shipments of goods, which often includes a tour of the facility.
In addition, you also recall hearing that Lord Minovitas sent for a handful of Taldan guards to transport six flat crates from the warehouse, but they are yet to arrive at the guildhall. His lordship sent word that he intends to dispatch replacements soon to retrieve his possessions.
Aylanna: You recall hearing about Lord Minovitas’s business dealings. The warehouse in question helps to stock shops in the Wise Quarter and Foreign Quarter, so it contains a wide variety of goods. Prospective clients visit often to rent out space or order shipments of goods, which often includes a tour of the facility.
You also heard that Lord Minovitas sent for a handful of Taldan guards to transport six flat crates from the warehouse, but they are yet to arrive at the guildhall. His lordship sent word
In addition, business has been slow for the warehouse, and the owner is late in paying his employees’ wages—much to the workers’ chagrin.
Glorin:
You recall hearing of this Lord Minovitas. He is a Taldan nobleman who has spent much of the past year in Absalom, laying the groundwork for future business endeavors, though most of that time he has spent intoxicated while wining and dining influential citizens. Aya: You recall hearing of this Lord Minovitas. From what you hear, he's been fighting a losing battle to maintain his upstanding image in Absalom as several Taldans have begun telling stories of Lord Minovitas's habitual exploitation of his ancestral lands and its people. At least two of these rumormongers have disappeared very suddenly in the past month. In addition, his superiors have formally censured him on at least two occasions for 'ignoble conduct,' which would qualify as felonies if performed by a commoner.
Lady Gloriana looks to the others, then Ki Chin. "I have a few items which may help. Three scrolls which will destroy the artwork , if that would help. I also have paints and a scroll which will allow the caster to fabricate a new painting . Or, if artistic pursuits are beyond you all, I did have a couple of paintings of my own commissioned. They are unframed, however, so you would need to replace Lord Minovitas's paintings in their frames with those." She pauses and reaches for a pouch at her belt. The Taldan produces a small figurine crafted of silver in the shape of a raven and places it in front of her. "Finally, use this figurine to inform me when the task is done. You have about twelve hours before the unveiling--it will be tomorrow morning. If I can help you prepare, let me know; otherwise, I will let you see to your own preparations."
The party quietly slips out of the feast and make their way to the Petals District. You find the tea house without issue, and as you enter, you are greeted by a Tian-Min woman dressed in a kimono. She bows and greets you in Tien before repeating her welcome in Taldane, and immediately gestures for you to follow her. It seems she was expecting you. The hostess takes you all to a private dining room, opening the sliding door and ducking aside to allow you entrance. Lady Gloriana sits in the lotus position on the floor, and gestures you to sit. The hostess, in turn, directs several serving girls to bring in trays of snacks and tea; once they are finished, the hostess and the serving girls withdraw. Lady Gloriana still holds her peace for a few moments as she tilts her head and listens to make sure that no one is eavesdropping. At last, she speaks. "Nearly a year ago, I and several of my best agents began assembling a grand Army of Exploration to do battle in the Worldwound and inspire others to do the same. Admittedly, we also aimed to restore some of Taldor's lost glory, if its leaders would show initiative by funding some of their own crusaders. Most of my peers continued to sit idly and mock our efforts, yet now that the army has proven victorious, these critics are racing to claim that they were key contributors." "Several of Grand Prince Stavian's loudest sycophants--including the boorish Lord Minovitas--are in Absalom for the dedication of 'The Opparan Trace Commission,' which is a new guildhall intended to host Taldan business and is scheduled to open tomorrow afternoon. One of my agents serves as an aide to Lord Minovitas, and he reports that the lord commissioned the celebrated Varisian painter Amya Illanaf to create a series of portraits to hang in the grand hall. I have since learned that these are entitled 'The Heroes of the Worldwound.' The one my agent chanced to see portrayed that portly hound Lord Minovitas in pristine battle regalia with his foot planted on a dead fiend, as though he had slain it himself--all while Iomedae sings his praises in the background." "We cannot afford to let Absalom see these, for they would perpetuate the stereotype that Taldor is a land of foppish aristocrats dedicated to their own grandiose delusions. If we let this happen, we would reward the ineptitude and indolence so common in Taldor's upper class. We would also surrender much of the credit we are due." "I have made arrangements to sabotage the portraits, which Lord Minovitas is keeping covered until they are unveiled to the public. If you can get to the paintings first, you might secretly deface or alter them to embarrass Lord Minovitas and send a message to other Taldan nobles who would do the same. At present, the art waits in a warehouse in the Wise Quarter. Find a way in, do what you must, and try to avoid hurting innocents or being caught in the act; we're trying to help Taldor, not start a civil war."
You all make your way toward the Wise Quarter slowly, taking time to amble through the streets and stop off at a tavern for a drink, dessert, and/or stew. It's thankfully uneventful, and you manage to time your arrival in the Wise Quarter for just before the Preinaugural Feast. You find the great hall you were told it was to be held at, the ostentatiously-named Great Wyrm's Haul, and step inside. You seem to be fashionably late (despite being slightly early), as the conversations are already in full swing. You recognize a number of faces, including the Paracountess and her entourage from earlier, along with the Teriarch of Diobel. You hear other names dropped as people are introduced in casual conversation around you, and it seems that a number of the members of Absalom's Lower Council are present. There's quite a bit of speculation about who the deceased councilor's successor will be, with the names "Grint Basatrel" and "Etrasc Primhorn" bandied about most often. Opinion seems quite divided about whether Basatrel, who used to be the previous councilor's assistant, could ever hope to take up his predecessor's mantle. Some scoff at the idea, while others point out how shred he was in his dealings as his predecessor's assistant. The other name, Primhorn, many people seem to have no opinion on--or at least, none they're willing to state openly. The waitstaff wander the great hall as you mingle, offering trays full of wineglasses and hors d'oeuvres to the various guests and dignitaries--including yourselves. One such waitress, a beautiful elven woman attired in a maid outfit whom you swear you've seen before, takes one such occasion to slip a note to Elemenar, along with an insouciant wink. The note reads: To the esteemed Elemenar and his associates, Please do me the honor of attending the Cherry Blossom Teahouse in the Petals District this evening. I have an important task which will require skill and discretion, and I believe you and your companions are just the people for the job. Sincerely, Lady Gloriana Morilla The Preinaugural Feast is in full swing, but it's not like you were commanded to remain until the end of the affair, either.
Hearing the party call after them (and realizing they probably can't outrun you all anyway), the war-hero-slash-slaves pause their attempt to flee. The sole surviving half-orc, having regained his sight at last (and seeing the party otherwise distracted), leaves his great axe behind and himself flees for his life. A few moments after that, the Qadiran's form shifts, leaving a gaunt, gray-skinned humanoid with what almost seems like an unfinished, noseless face. Knowledge (nature) DC15:
It's a doppelganger. A dead one. The party removes the war-heroes' shackles and return to the Grand Lodge with no further problems--the Coins District's guards are notoriously lazy, and don't bother to show up to investigate until hours later. Ollysta meets you at the Grand Lodge, personally greeting and shaking the hands of the three war-heroes. "I am glad that you were able to free these brave souls, Pathfinders," she says. As the party recounts the chain of events that led to the war-heroes' renewed freedom, her countenance turns from joy to sadness as she contemplates recent events. "I wish I could say today's events were isolated, but I cannot. With recent victories to the north, I understand the Fifth Mendevian Crusade is drawing to a close. I now see that we have as much work to do at home helping people as we do on the frontier fighting demons. Fortunately, our efforts at the Worldwound have made the Pathfinder Society look as much like a guild of heroes as an association of archaeologists, and the positive response has not been lost on the Society's leadership. I expect they will continue to support our efforts as we turn them homeward and attempt not to be crusaders, but soldiers of peace. Be prepared for missions of mercy and justice. Our work is not done." She salutes you all, and turns to the three war-heroes, leading them off on a search for better raiment and food. By this time, it is early afternoon. You recall that there is a Preinaugural Feast to take place in the Wise Quarter later in the afternoon, but you still have a few hours to spare before then.
GM Only:
The living torch of a half-orc continues to roll on the ground, trying to put out the fire on him as Elemenar hits him with a second jet of flame. The smell of cooking (half-)human flesh fills the air and that half-orc goes still. The other jet of flame washes over the other half-orc on the front lines, setting him aflame. Aylanna's follow-up ray of fire strikes him a moment later, and he too collapses into a burning heap. Lin Ki Chin crosses blades with the Qadiran, the sound of steel striking steel filling the alley for a brief few moments before Ki Chin finds an opening and cuts down the Qadiran. In the eerie silence that follows, the remaining half-orc blindly calls out, "Master Blackburn...? Midley Blackburn...?" A note of panic creeps into his voice as he realizes he's alone. "I surrender!" The clatter of his great axe on the cobblestone of the alley and the clinking of the war-hero/slaves' shackles as they attempt to escape this fight between what to them seems rival slavers are the only sounds filling the alley as the skirmish ends.
GM Only:
Things continue to go from bad to worse for the slaver and his minions as the divine power of Horus washes over them. Their would-be slaves don't fare much better, and take it upon themselves to make a break for it. They shuffle off in their manacles toward the south. Round 2 Elemenar
Glorin nearly cuts the Qadiran down on the spot, his urgrosh cleaving deep into the man's shoulder. For their part, two of the half-orcs fumble for potions at their belts and down them. The half-orc who happens to be aflame drops to the ground and attempts to douse the fire by rolling around. Unfortunately, he's not terribly successful. GM Only:
Round 1 Elemenar
GM Only:
for The party springs into action, with Elemenar’s jets of fire setting one half-orc aflame and leaving the other singed. The half-orcs not aflame catch Aylanna’s radiance a moment later. They clutch their eyes with one hand, stifling screams. “Must I do everything myself?” the Qadiran complains, and wades into melee with his bastard sword. Fortunately for Elemenar, his sword swing goes wide and the Qadiran almost loses his balance correcting the awkward sword stroke. Round 1 Elemenar
GM Only:
The Qadiran and his henchmen have a slight headstart, but are hampered by their newly acquired slaves. You're able to catch up to them fairly easily. As Aya calls for them to stop, the Qadiran's entourage turn, hands on their weapons. It looks like there're three half-orcs, each armed with a greataxe and a shortspear and armored in a chain shirt, and the Qadiran, who seems unarmored but wields a bastard sword. "Kill them," the Qadiran says, and they all draw steel. GM:
Initiative
Round 1 Elemenar
As the party discusses what to do among themselves, the Qadiran and his entourage make to depart the area, heading back up the street with all three war-heroes-turned-slaves in tow. The pesky, interfering Andorens never did show up. Or maybe they're just late? Either way, the Qadiran and his henchmen don't seem to want to find out as they half-drag their newfound acquisitions off.
GM Only:
Stig once again collects the slips of paper upon which several bidders have placed their bids. He looks each over, then turns to the winning party. "And the half-elf wench goes to the Qadiran gentleman. We thank you for your business," Stig says as his cronies shove the half-elf paladin toward the Qadiran man. The next slave is hauled up from the Slave Pits, and you don't recognize this one. A human male, he seems less hearty than the other two, and he doesn't match the description that Ollysta gave you. You let this bid pass by, and this one is called in favor of a high-rolling, portly Taldan man. The final auction begins as Bounder Stig's cronies haul up a slim elven man: this must be the elven sorcerer Elwyhir Eshikonas, whose crime seems to have been slandering the rulers of the Land of the Linnorm Kings. "This fine elven specimen comes from the far north. I'm told he's got a bit of that elven magic about him, so the wise investor can no doubt find a use or two for him!" Stig announces. "Place your bids now, ladies and gents." The party writes down their final bid, all eight remaining coins, on the provided slip of paper as their bidding opponents do likewise. A crony comes around to take up the slips, and Stig reads through each. With a wry chuckle, he announces the winner: "Once again, we thank the fine Qadiran gentleman for his patronage. This auction is now closed. Thank you, and may your journeys take you far from any pesky, interfering Andorens." The elven sorcerer is shoved into the hands of the Qadiran man's party as the 'quick auction' quickly shuts down. It looks like it's going to take some 'alternative tactics' if the party is to retrieve these wronged war-heroes now.
GM Only:
The party writes down their bid, as do a couple of rival bidders. Bounder Stig comes around and collects each, looking over the slips of paper. "And we have a winner!" he declares, holding up a particular piece of paper and waving to a Qadiran man. "And we thank you," he says to the Qadiran. The man's prize, Talmar, is shoved roughly toward the Qadiran man, and a second slave is manhandled up from the Slave Pits and placed on display. 'Manhandled' may be the wrong word here, however, as this is a woman in tattered rags whose slightly pointed ears mark her as a half-elf. This must be the half-elf paladin that Ollysta described: Holianda Wist, a River Kingdoms swindler who converted to Iomedae's faith. "Next up: Look at this fine wench's lineage. See those points on her ears? A trace of the exotic about her, aye, and anyone'd find many uses for her, too. Place your bids now!"
"Alright, first up!" Bounder Stig calls as a human male is roughly shoved forward. "This fine specimen here would serve well as a miner or a farmer--look at that lean physique and those toned muscles. Or, if you've got the means to keep him loyal, he'd make a fine guard, too! I hear he used to be a bandit, so he knows which end of the sword to stick in someone!" From the descriptions that Ollysta gave you, this must be Talmar, one of the war-heroes: a former bandit from Isger. "Write yer bids and let's get this quick auction done, quick!"
Ollysta wishes you luck and departs. As the Commemorative Service is winding down, the party does likewise, returning to whatever lodgings they have secured upon arriving in Absalom from Tian Sha the previous day. The next day, the party meets in Misery Row, a cramped street on the eastern edge of the Coins district. Climbing the stairs up onto a platform that runs the whole length of the street, you all see that this section of the city is quickly coming to life with the morning. Rough-looking men and women escort the much more well-to-do as the latter--clearly the rough-looking ones' employers and generally looking like rich merchants, nobility, or other aristocracy--peruse the 'wares' in the street itself. It is from this dichotomy between elevated platform and bare street below that the so-called 'Slave Pits of Absalom' get their name. Elves, dwarves, humans, and a number of other similar races have representatives in the Slave Pits, most wearing tattered rags and covered in dirt and dried blood. You make your way through the ever-increasing crowds of the morning to the nondescript place that Ollysta indicated held the war-hero slaves. A gruff-looking man halts you at the door and gives the party a cursory glance. "Get lost," he says. This must be Bounder Stig. Thankfully, Elemenar remembers what Ollysta told the party about the special auction coins, and the gruff man grunts as Elemenar shows the rolled leather coin purse. "Fine, fine--find a spot." He motions you inside, scratching a note on a clipboard he has in hand. You do so, taking seats as you wait for the auction to begin. More trickle in after you, and by eight o'clock, some dozen bidding parties comprising around 50 people are present. "Alright, enough of the chitchat! Anyone up fer bidding find a spot around the pits. Anyone else...shove off!" he calls, launching into his opening banter. "Today, I'm holding a quick sale auction! That means I'm doing this quick. Any of ya with complaints can stick around to thank the pesky Andorens that keep showing up and gettin' in me business. Each auction is one bid per slave, got it? No haggling today, and no complaints! Look at yer bid coins an' you'll know I already got yer money. I ain't havin' no arguments today neither, so don't nobody spill blood on my block unless you paid for it." "So here's how it works. I put a slave up for auction and anyone interested writes down a bid. I check the offers and the slave goes off to the highest unique bid. If yer bid's the same as anyone else's, ya both lose. I ain't got time to sort out no arguments. Remember, I keep all bids, so even if ya don't win, I'm still takin' yer coins, so if you can't afford to lose 'em, don't place a bloody bid!" "Lastly, the bids for all auctions start at 8 coins. I ain't repeating that and if there's anyone dumb enough to offer me less than 200 gold, don't expect me to take any more offers from ya, period. All clear?" From about the block, the buyers grumbled in agreement, after which the auction begins.
The paladin frowns, clearly troubled, and nods in agreement with the party. "I do not approve of slavery, but this is not the time to overthrow the entire institution and risk the slaves' lives. Perhaps in the future the circumstances will be different. For now, we play their game and do a little good where we can." She looks at Ki Chin and Elemenar in particular as she adds, "And as reprehensible as it is, slavery is legal here." She hands over a rolled leather coin purse embossed with an image of stocks and the words 'Stig's Twenty Five.' "You'll need to head to Misery Row. The bidding starts first thing in the morning. Eight o'clock--don't be late. The auction is being run by a Varisian man called Bounder Stig. He runs a closed, buy-in auction; you'll need the coins in that purse to participate, so don't lose them."
You make your way to the Commemorative Service in the Docks district. You arrive at the small plaza where it is taking place just as it begins, with a number of speakers taking turns to praise the late councilor, Hadrel Grayrain. A portly man--a merchant, by his manner of dress and the weight of his belly--takes a few steps forward, raising his voice so that it carries throughout the plaza and extols the late councilor's prowess as a negotiator. "Never before have I seen a man convince a pirate to give him his cloak and his purse on the strength of his words alone," he claims. "But more than that, Councilor Grayrain was a good friend, and a better business partner. He will be missed." He takes a few steps back into the small crowd, and a moment later, a platinum-blonde elf woman takes his place. She too extols his...virtues, although she makes sure to throw a lot of innuendo in there, and then steps back into the crowd. Another man takes her place after a few moments, and then another. As you listen to this long list of speakers reminisce about the late councilor, a tall, dark-haired woman clad in armor that glistens in the moonlight approaches you Quietly, she hails you all with a raised hand, then motions for you to follow her. She leads you a stone's throw away from the crowd, then turns to address you: "While I am happy to see you here, I have come because I need someone I can trust to help me right a grievous injustice," the woman begins. "When Queen Galfrey called for troops during the Fifth Mendevian Crusade, many who answered her call were criminals in their homelands who joined our cause in efforts to seek redemption. For their valor and sacrifice, Queen Galfrey granted them a warrior's pardon. Despite this official declaration, a number of bounty hunters followed these criminals north. Either ignorant of the declaration or in defiance of it, they have begun capturing several of these felons-turned-war-heroes and turned them in for profit. More trouble, when they cannot claim their bounties, these hunters simply sell our heroes off as slaves." "I have learned that three of these champions are to be auctioned in the slave pits of Absalom tomorrow. What's more, I am familiar with the particular villain who is hoping to buy all three--an unfitting end for these redeemed souls. Such auctions are generally closed to the public, and those bidding are required to purchase special coins in advance. Fortunately, the Society owes us many favors for our valor over the past year, and they were willing to provide me both seats at the auction, and auction coins. However, I'm too well known in Absalom, and my appearance at the auction would jeopardize the mission. Please, attend the auction, buy the freedom of these crusaders, and bring them to the Grand Lodge to give them a true fresh start." The paladin looks each of you over, a plea in her eyes.
The party decides to head toward the Docks district and finds a tavern on the way. A respectable establishment with a completely incongruous sign bearing a golden needle and spool of thread, it bears the name "Golden Thread Pub." You all find seats inside, and, since the hour is relatively late, you find that there's as much sloshing of tankards as there is eating of food. A waitress comes over and tells you that the special of the day is a shepherd's pie, then takes drink orders. Returning a few minutes later with the various wines and ales the party orders, she then takes the rest of your orders. The service is speedy, and soon enough you're all happily downing alcohol and dining on fairly fine-quality fare. You don't see any familiar faces at the tavern, and as the wining-and-dining ends, you step out into the street again to see that the moon is starting to rise. You'll need to head for the memorial site now if you're going to make the Commemorative Service in time. Of course, bed is starting to sound better now too, given bellies full of food and spirits.
With Elemenar's magical insight, he is able to determine that the owb had been able to escape the mirror into the Prime Material Plane, but even with the mirror shattered, residual magic had prevented it from escaping the room. In addition, it seems the mirror fragments still held power over the owb, as it would seem--at least, based on some intellectual deduction and To-to-obika's observation of the owb's reflection--that the owb's reflection always appeared in the mirror's pieces. Had the owb been too much to handle, it seems likely that holding a mirror fragment up would have enabled the party to locate the owb, even in the dark--even without any sort of ability to see in the dark. It would seem that something possessed the slain Pathfinder to shatter the mirror, thus releasing the owb from its magical prison. She paid for it with her life, and her friends were only able to escape and seal the door behind them, if what they said of the story to the Society is true . Reasonably sure that they've solved the mystery, Aylanna knocks on the door and the dwarf Hasjald opens it, escorting the party outside. Hasjald leads you to the Paracountess, who has already returned from her own errand with a leather folio in hand. "I'm pleased to hear you were successful. Together we are preparing to open a new chapter in the Society's illustrious history. I have with me a formal proposal for the creation of a dark archive dedicated to the study and proper handling of any artifacts the Decemvirate deems dangerous enough to hide away. Knowing that they can trust me--and agents under my direction--to do this should seal the bargain. If you are strong enough to handle what lies in darkness, I welcome you to join me. For now, though, there are more festivities." As she parts ways with the party, she winks knowingly at To-to-obika and Elemenar, as if hinting that greater rewards best left unspoken await. For your part, you have a bit of free time before the evening. As you recall, there is a Commemorative Service scheduled to take place in remembrance of the previous Councilor at moonrise in the Docks district. You could make a brief appearance there, or may think it wiser to get some rest after the skirmish in the Vaults.
GM Only:
Wisdom checks
To-to recalls that during the commotion, he caught a glimpse of the owb reflected in the shattered shards of the mirror strewn throughout the room--even while it was in the area of its darkness spells.
I don't know that Elemenar would know how powerful of a caster the owb was, necessarily, but he does know that the basics of the spell, including that it's (whatever in-character translation of) a 3rd-level spell, and thus that it's going to persist for at least 50 minutes.
The owb does indeed fly out of the cloud of darkness and the mist again, aiming for Aylanna again. The party is ready this time, and a pulse of energy from the cleric greet the owb along with a ray of fire from Aya. The ray of fire catches the owb an instant before the pulse of energy, and the owb lets out a plaintive wail. As the magics fade, the owb has vanished.
I believe so (I assume Aya put it there, because I didn’t).
The color momentarily seems to fade from Aya's form--skin, hair, clothing, and all--before she seems to shake off the effects of the owb's touch. To-to and Ki Chin tense in preparation should the creature reveal itself near them. Round 5/6 Effects: Prayer, deflection aura Round 5
Round 6
A mist billows forth from Aya's scroll, obscuring sight outside of the darkness. The action is met with a whispered, hissing cackle, and the party ready themselves for the appearance of the shadowy foe. It doesn't take long, and the owb is heard more than seen as it passes through the mist among you. Only Aya seens the creature, as its skeletal frame bursts from the mist to take a swipe at her with its claws. Instead of slashing her, however, it simply touches her. Then it vanishes back into the cloud of darkness covering the northern part of the room.
Round 5: Effects: Prayer, deflection aura Lin Ki Chin (-3 hp)
Nothing comes forth from the darkness to meet the party's spells this time. Instead, there is an eerie silence for a few moments; finally, a flickering orb of blue flames emerges, streaking toward Elemenar to strike him across the chest, leaving blued, frostbitten skin instead of scorched flesh in its wake.
Round 4/5: Effects: Prayer, deflection aura To-to-obika
Round 3/4: Effects: Prayer, deflection aura To-to-obika
I think you would need the Heighten Spell metamagic feat in order to raise the level of the spell like that, but I’m not sure that it’d actually have any effect against a natively-higher level spell like deeper darkness. I’d probably allow it to momentarily raise the lighting level in the darkness-affected area, though, if you did have the Heighten Spell feat (one round per heightened light). Could always fling a fireball.
The owb flies out from the cloud of darkness, taking a swipe at Glorin before vanishing out of sight back the way it came. for and The party, having had a moment to rally themselves, let loose in a fusillade of magic. A pulse of magical energy washes over the owb from Aya, while Aylanna's ray of flame scores a direct hit on the shadowy outsider, and a dart of magical force from Ki Chin's wand slams into the owb as it vanishes again. Even in the short period of time the party can see it, they see one of its most minor wounds close.
Round 3/4: Effects: Prayer To-to-obika
Various preparations are made as the party realizes that the darkness is going to hinder them substantially.
|