I have posted this up once before on this forum but have recently made some additions to the work. Most importantly I have (if you care to san to the end of the document ;)) a timeline of each chapter and how this organisation can be used and fits in during the Adventure Path. Currently I have only done up to Chapter 7 but I plan on finishing the remaining chapters soon.
Be warned the document is a lengthy one so if you haven't the time to read through the whole thing or have read it before, scroll to the final section on the Timeline to see my most recent ideas.
Thanks
Delvesdeep
Explorers & Acquirers Division of Sasserine Museum
The Explorers & Acquirers Division of Sassarine Museum of Cauldron is a currently a small group of 14 members that currently comprise of one sage/historian, one art expert, one wizard, 9 warriors, six rogues. The wizard and three of the rogues are all recent recruits to the Division while the others have travelled to Cauldron at the request of the Museum Doyen – Lorian Dorcemetry, to scowl the frontier lands for ancient remnants of the ages before man.
The Division is still in its infancy but has already made some progress in its task securing a handful of artefacts from the Spellweaver Empire. Currently the Division operates from a large four-story house near the Tipped Tankard Tavern. The Division is divided into two teams – Research & Acquisition.
The Research Team
The Research team are the ‘brains trust’ of the Division and are the only members that have a permanent residence in the Head Quarters. There are three research members – Geneth Taliwar (Division Leader), Ralter Swir (Art Expert) & Falliwing (Magician).
Geneth Taliwar – Division Leader
The Division Leader and sage/historian of the group - Geneth Taliwir, is an elderly dwarf with a silver monocle, an eye patch overing his left eye and a short, well-groomed white beard. Geneth walks with the assistance of a wooden cane covered with smooth metal protrusions and has a noticeable limp. Geneth always wears worn leather pants and boots that look as old as their wearer, dons a silken red tunic and has bejewelled rings on each finger.
Geneth Taliwar was originally an infamous explorer, adventure and rogue who specialised in ‘acquiring’ exquisite and expensive artwork, relics, artefacts and jewellery from homes and ruins alike. When the overly ambitious rogue led a team into the ruins of Mauve Castle, where his team were all killed and he was left for dead, he was rescued by an ‘Acquisition Team’ from the Sasserine Museum.
Crippled from the expedition, Geneth spent his recovery learning more about his rescuers and researching about the treasures of the past. Division Leadership of an Acquisition Team was not a far cry from his old life. Geneth surprised himself by the pride he felt when the Museum Doyen asked him to travel to the Frontier Lands and base himself in Cauldron to head up a team to explore, map, discover and acquire artefacts from the unexplored wilderness of hidden ruins and mysterious monuments.
Ralter Swir – The Art Expert
Ralter Swir worked at the Sasserine Museum as an art expert specialising in sculptures, architecture and carvings. Raltar has always been particularly fascinated with works from ‘Sunken Civilizations’ and aspires to collect a substantial and priceless collection of artwork from these ancient underwater empires.
Raltar is a rock gnome with a long brown moustache, a baldhead and thick spectacles that sit precariously on the end of his large nose. Bumbling and jittery, Raltar is quiet and unsure during normal conversation but becomes increasingly passionate and confident whenever he discusses or is presented with a valuable work. Geneth has learnt to value the unassuming art expert’s opinion on visual history and other historical obscurities.
Raltar unexpectedly volunteered to join Geneth and his small team to face the dangerous and unexplored lands of Begedis only days before the expedition began. Many of his learned colleges tried to persuade the normally quite and reclusive art expert into reconsidering his ‘rash’ actions but all for nought. Raltar saw a chance to experience the adventure of discovery and the opportunity to be the first to unlock a piece of history.
Falliwing
Falliwing is a recent recruit to the Division and has become an important asset to Geneth and the team. Falliwing is a gaunt sickly man with a long, pointed brown beard, a flat cushioned hat and thick layers of fur that assists to disguise his frailty and keep him warm. Falliwing leans upon a crystal topped staff that contains golden vein that swirls about within it. While the disease that is slowly eating Falliwing away is not contagious to others, most people give the obviously sickly mage a wide birth.
Gurp, Falliwings toad familiar, sits inside the magician’s robes making strange noises from time to time. Falliwing has become completely oblivious to Gurps noises but these can be quite disconcerting to the unaware.
Falliwing grew up in Sterich in his youth and became an apprentice at a young age. As soon as he was made a full wizard Falliwing joined an adventuring group and jumped aboard an exhibition bound for the newly settled Frontier Lands. Falliwing and his group spent months trekking through the wild lands combating its monsters and searching through its ruins before he and the rest of his party were contaminated by a mysteriously disease.
Falliwing is now the last of his group. The rest have either succumb to the disease or one to many risky exploits. Falliwing saw in the ‘Acquisition Division’ an opportunity to find an answer to the disease that is slowly making him waste away to nothing. Within the one of the ruins of an ancient Serpent People Falliwing contracted the strange illness and it is within similar ruins the ever-hopeful mage hopes to find its cure.
Falliwing struggles to breath some days and is wracked by fits of coughing. Falliwing always feels continually cold and ensures he is smothered in furs and his large fireplace rages with stifling heat.
Falliwing acts as the Acquisition Teams magical liaison and assists with research and supplies of potions and scrolls whenever he is able. Falliwing also possesses numerous magical items he uses to assist the group in any way he can. In exchange for his aid Geneth has allowed Falliwing to stay in the Divisional Headquarters where he now dwells on the top floor attic. Geneth ensures Falliwing has everything he needs including components, an alchemy lab and plenty of fuel for his fire and warm meals to dull the aching cold.
Members of the Division frequently buy scrolls, potions and even minor magical items from Falliwing for half the normal cost. Falliwing is always looking for clues to his cure and in the shorter-term methods of relieving his pain, cough and cold.
Exploration & Acquisition Team
The ‘Acquirers’ are the ground troops of the Division, devoted to gaining artefacts, relics and art works from the region and particularly the lost civilisation ruins they continuously strive to uncover. Currently there are six members of this team but occasionally others are hired for specialised jobs. The Division is always on the lookout for loyal recruits that fit the mould.
Pouches - (Acquisition Leader)
Sebastian Destumtree or ‘Pouches’ to his friends, is a Fiddlekin with an insatiable appetite for adventure, risk and reward. Pouches was a cutpurse that Geneth rescued from execution when he chose to steal the wrong person. Pouches had his left hand removed from the incident and then was then left unconscious bleeding to death in the street by his would-be target. Geneth dragged the tiny halfling from the streets and into the Sasserine Museum and nursed him back to health.
Pouches was a reluctant recruit initially but the good treatment, skills, focus and rewards Geneth gave the capable young halfling quickly earned both his respect and loyalty.
Pouches is now no common thief. Infact Pouches only uses his skills to legitimately ‘acquire’ treasures for the Museum, never purely for profit. This is not to say Pouches isn’t fond of coin - he is, it’s just that he receives more than enough rewards for his retrieval of such goods from his benefactor.
Pouches acts as Geneth’s general, leading his ‘Acquirers’ and weeding out disloyalty and acts of petty thievery from the ranks. Those who wish to join the Acquirers ranks need to prove their worth, character and loyalty before they are accepted and Pouches is always the first port of call.
Membership into the Exploration & Acquisition Division of Sassarine Museum
Membership into the Division gains many benefits including –
1 Acquirer Ring
Silver with an in signature of the Acquirers imprinted upon it (Compass & Tower)
Grants:
+ 3 to Search & Disable Traps
+2 to AC(creates a haze around wearer that makes it more difficult to target the owner).
Ability to Intuit Direction
2 Cheap Equipment
From 10 to 50% off all Thieves Equipment, Low Level Arcane Scrolls, Potions & Magical Items
3 Safe house
The headquarters of the Acquirers have two rooms they leave for members in need of a place to stay or hide.
4 Research
The second level of the Headquarters is allocated to the Divisional Library and Art Collection and contains a comprehensive selection of historical tomes, texts, scrolls and tablets. Research checks on ancient civilisations in this library give the researcher a + 5 to +10 modifier.
5 Rumours/Information
With a group of street smart ‘Acquirers’ at your disposal Geneth has each member in a Tome Known as The Rumour Mill. The Rumour Mill is a collection of rumours members have heard in their travels which they write in the tome when they report in. The rumours always include a date and validity rating.
Gather Information Checks about Cauldron or its Environs are made at +5 with the use of the Rumour Mill.
6 Connections
The Acquirers have a growing list of contacts that include the ‘Off the Map’ store, Tipped Tankard Tavern, Church of St. Cuthbert, Skye’s Treasury, Frontier Merchant Coster & many others. Showing the Acquirers Ring gives members benefits ranging from cheaper prices to special favours. Members are likewise expected to return favours when these establishments need help.
7 Allies
The Acquirers are a small organization with a strong sense of loyalty to each other. If the need is dire the whole Division will take up arms to defend one of it’s own. Recently The Last Laugh thieves guild has began to try and poach the Divisions members and Geneth suspects his two newer recruits have ties to the guild. Geneth has tossed up the idea of making tentative alliances with the guild but dismissed the notion. Geneth wants to keep his organization legitimate and his Acquirers focused on ‘legitimate’ finds and exploration not petty theft, smuggling and burglary.
Important Notes/Adaptations
I have used Pouches instead of Jil in Drakthars Way. In my opinion Jil is a villain and having her assist the party seems a bit disjointed.
I have swapped the owner of the Trinkets shop (Demonskar Legacy) with Pouches and his constant companion Patch (the blink dog not the Orphanage worker). I have also changed the mysterious informant (Flood Season) to a halfling rogue named Snival who works for the Last Laugh and, by chance, is Pockets nephew. Pockets is embarrassed of his nephew due to all the underhanded dealings and scams he has inflicted on others, including his family, in the past. Pouches keeps this affiliation secret but still watches out for his trouble-finding nephew.
I have changed the location of the ‘Gems Game’ to the Acquirers guild rather than the Cusp of Sunrise. It is played twice a week with the mid week game having three tables (silver, gold and platinum) while at weeks end a ‘True Gems Game’ is played. This game is played by the best ‘Acquirer gamblers’ (Pouches, Geneth, Falliwing) and their closest allies (Skie, Maavu etc) along with invited guests will engaging in friendly banter and partaking in a refreshing beverage and light meal. This ‘True Gems’ game uses real gems to bet with, usually less valuable varieties but occasionally with emeralds, rubies and even diamonds.
Adventure Path Timeline & Organisation Uses/Links
Chapter One (Life’s Bazaar)
At the beginning of the Path the Acquirers are still settling in to Cauldron. They have already gains some allies and recruited a small number of rogues to assist in their operations. Some of these were once members of the Last Laugh or Alleybashers so screening them for loyalty, aptitude and skill is a crucial component of team assembly so far. Pouches has been given this vital role.
Vhalantru is suspicious of the organisation and has enlisted the Last Laugh to infiltrate the guild to keep a better eye on their motivations, members and successes. Too this aim the Last Laugh has been able to plant a ‘sleeping’ spy/assassin into the headquarters themselves in the way of the cook who they intend to awaken if the need ever arises.
Last Laugh has also requested that a few of their rogues ‘join’ the team, all of which have somehow been found out and subsequently rejected by Pouches to date (Pouches nephew, Snivals, has assisted Pouches in this)
The party may learn and contact the organisation through various means but most likely through Pouches.
- Pouches may rescue the party from an attack by a group of Alleybashers or Last Laugh one evening.
- Pouches may act as a convenient method to purchasing or selling unusual goods, items or relics in the Tipped Takard.
- Pouches may approach the party and tell them they are being shadowed by two cloaked Half Elves.
- Pouches may even just buy them a drink one night and introduce himself and his blink dog – Patches.
Chapter Two (Drakthar’s Way)
If he hasn’t already Pouches will meet the party when they are looking for the source of the goblins raids on the city. The Last Laugh keeps a vigilant eye over the guild but remain unalarmed. Most of the Acquirers work is currently directed outside Cauldron, in small ruins and dungeons so they are not impacting greatly on the ‘true’ guilds at this point.
Pouches may introduce the party to his eccentric drinking buddy Raltar at this stage and have the stuttering intellect share his obsession with Sunken Civilisation and Kingdoms and his research into the Kopru Empire that once ruled the region. This will pave the way for next chapter’s incursion into the Kopru Ruins. When Raltar goes to get a drink Pouches will inform the party that if they can acquire a relic from such a ancient civilisation and procure it for Raltar such an act would be highly rewarded financially and professionally by him.
Chapter Three (Flood Season)
The party will met with Snival for the first time this Chapter when he offers them information at the Cauldron Lakeside Pavilion about Triel. Like his uncle Snival has a broad ‘Irish’ accent and makes sure he leaves the party with -‘Make sure ye say a cheereo to me Uncle Poches now ye here!’ before disappearing.
If the party can locate a statuette, a relic. a map or even make an etching of something within the Kopru ruins and bring it back to Pouches and Ralter in the Tipped Tankard, they are rewarded. Raltar and Pouches suggest coming back to the Headquarter to receive the reward and while relaxing in the Parlour Raltar rewards the party with 500 gp in pearls and Pouches asks the rogue of the party if they would wish to join the organisation.
The party may also be invited to a game of ‘True Gems’ where they can met the organizations leader for the first time – Geneth, and the Acquirers Mage – Falliwing. Meeting Maavu during this game is also a great way to foreshadow the future tax riot. Maavu spends a great deal of time grumbling about Cauldrons unfair taxes during the game while Skye admits that her prices may soon have to increase also because of the taxes.
At the end of the night Maavu waits until Skye leaves and then quietly invites the party to come visit his warehouses and see some the magical goods he has recently purchased before he sells them to Skye. This gives the party a reason to be in the area when the Fiendish Umberhulk attacks at the start of the chapter four.
Chapter Four (Zenith’s Trajectory)
At the beginning of this chapter, assuming the party has met with Maavu and taken up his offer, the Umber Hulk attacks just before the party reaches Maavu’s Warehouse. Maavu emerges in the aftermath and tells the party, in no uncertain terms, that this attack was no accident, the whole government is corrupt and he was going to go speak to some friends who will fix everything.
The party are eventually sent on a mission into the Underdark and the Koa-Toa Hold after meeting with Celeste. If they think to discuss this with Raltar he can impart a great deal of information about the race to the party. In addition he believes the Hold may contain a great array of beautiful Koa-Toa frescos, ceramics and even tapestries. If the party can return with a Koa-Toa tapestry, fresco paints and a crafted pot Raltar will ask Skye to reward them with her discount from that point on or, if they already have the discount, give them 50% off any of her items for the day.
Chapter Five (Demonskar Legacy)
The Last Laugh report to Vhalantru about the increased collusion and strengthening alliance between the Acquirers and other prominent Cauldron citizens including Maavu. Fearing possible future opposition from the Acquirers, Vhalantru instructs the Last Laugh to awaken the ‘sleeper’ to dispose of the Organisation Research Team and Leadership group.
As the party enter the Demonskar and Vaprak’s Voice, during the night, Mandy (the cook) arms herself and creeps up the stairs into the upper levels and the bedrooms. Mandy first disposes of Raltar as he sleeps before moving down towards Geneth’s room. Before reaching the door though, Hallow burst out of his room and attacked Mandy and yelled for help. Before she could escape, Hallow and Geneth trapped Mandy between them and quickly disposed of her.
They take Raltar’s mutilated body and Mandy’s corpse down to the Church of St Cuthbert where Jenya is able to use Speak with Dead to learn that Mandy was affiliated with The Last Laugh. Jenya is unable to Raise Raltar in his current state so Geneth takes him to the Church of Wee Jas that same night, where he hopes Embril can resurrect him.
Chapter Six (Test of the Smoking Eye)
Geneth prepares for an attack by the Last Laugh and strengthens up fortifications and operations at Headquarters and in the city. Last Laugh operatives attempt to ambush known Acquirers and dispose of 4 warriors and 3 rogues. Pockets is also waylaid but is able to escape his attackers with the help of Patches.
Geneth attempts to call back all surviving members to Headquarters and prepares for any attack. Fortunately for the Acquirers Vhalantru’s attention is turned to other matters and opposing organizations at the time so delays his next attack for the time being.
Chapter Seven (Secrets of the Soul Pillars)
The party return to find Cauldron a very different place and the Acquirers Headquarters in siege mode.
Geneth asks the party to escort Pouches to the Lakeside Pavillon that night where he hopes to meet with Snival and find out more about the Last Laugh and their plans. When they arrive Snival is waiting. The Wee Jas assassins attack here led by Jil. Pouches faces off against Jil while the assassins attack the party. Pouches is ultimately betrayed and backstabbed by Snival and Jil knocks Patches unconscious before attempting to flee with Pouches body (teleporting away with a scroll) to the Church of Wee Jas.
Jil instructs Ike to plane shift Pouches body away with Raltars body to avoid any resurrection. Ike attempts to contact Embril with a Sending without success while fortifying the church and delays plane shifting the bodies until the threat of attack has passed.
After the assassination attempt and subsequent discovery that the Church of Wee Jas instigated it, the party realize that Raltar’s and Pouches bodies are in the hands of their enemies. The bodies are left with the body of the Stormblade member.
Returning with relics from the Spell Weavers Enclave may be a small silver lining for the Acquirers on an otherwise disastrous few weeks.
The rest of the timeline and the Headquarters description will be included ASAP. I have also posted this on the new SCAP website organised by Koramodo so if you would rather download it completely feel free .
Delvesdeep
This is a great idea! Even though I have made it to Zenith Trajectory, I can still add this as a new business that might aid the PC's. With the Alleybashers and Last Laugh, an honest guild to battle them would be quite handy.
Thanks for the hard work, I know it made my job easier.
-Neomorte
Awesome work. Thanks a bajillion.
Awesome work. Thanks a bajillion.
Thanks guys. I still have to add the last few chapters of the timeline and I don't have a map to go with the Headquarters write up so I still have a little bit more to do with the organisation until I'm finished.
Thanks again for you comments
Delvesdeep