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Rumours abound about the Arcanamirium and the magical experiments performed by the wizard’s within, some say they hear the cackling of demonic creatures at night, bound within the heart of the school, others claim to have seen the twisted products of the wizard’s transmutations soaring high above the rooftops of Absalom. But such rumour is quickly dismissed, or course, as the Arcanamirium is one of the most respected magical institutions of the entire Inner Sea, and would never involve itself in such disreputable activities.
You are now presented with the chance to see the inside of the prestigious school for yourselves, you have been called to the main meeting hall of the Pathfinder Lodge to receive a briefing from the Venture-Captain Adril Hestram – all you have been told so far is that you will be asked to go to the Arcanamirium to perform some discreet task for the school’s wizards.
On your way to the meeting hall, some of you may have found yourselves surreptitiously given notes:
My heart is chilled by the latest news from the Arcanamirium. You’ve heard, or will soon, that the animal handler for the
Arcanamirium, Lemedor, is missing. He’s a longtime agent of our cause and though his mind was destroyed by magical means in service to our nation, he still feeds us important information about the practices and alliances of Absalom’s oldest wizard school. As a fellow Free Citizen, it is our obligation to make certain that his service lasts for years to come. Ensure that it does.
Secondly, the son of an important scion of House Arionne of Cheliax attends the Arcanamirium as an apprentice. Though a minor house in Cheliax, Arionne is a den of vile slavery and must be stopped. Lemedor informs us that most of the Arcanamirium’s trash is dumped into the sewers below—it would be fortuitous if an object of House Arionne were to be found there. Locate one and you will do our great nation a great service. May your efforts in peace and freedom bear great fruit!
Sincerely,
Captain Colson Maldris
I write you in the earnest hope that your dealings are profitable this day. It has come to my attention that you are to undertake a mission that will take you into the Arcanamirium. Oh, what an unbreakable bastion we have found the Arcanamirium to be! It’s as if they find honest profit and a desire for wealth insulting. Please find in the enclosed packet a small token. I wish you to place this item in an area where many docents, or teachers, of the Arcanamirium might congregate. Worry not what the token’s purpose is—know only that it will gain us an advantage in our future dealings with that school.
Also, we seek easier access to the facilities of the school for our own purposes. Since the robed docents and their servile students find bribes to be to be so repellent, we need another strategy. Look for something that might gain us better access to the school—keys, building plans, sewer diagrams, that sort of thing—and bring them to me. Who knows what myriad advantages we might have with free reign over the Arcanamirium?
Kind Regards,
Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri
I write you in the earnest hope that your dealings are profitable this day. It has come to my attention that you are to undertake a mission that will take you into the Arcanamirium. Oh, what an unbreakable bastion we have found the Arcanamirium to be! It’s as if they find honest profit and a desire for wealth insulting. Please find in the enclosed packet a small token. I wish you to place this item in an area where many docents, or teachers, of the Arcanamirium might congregate. Worry not what the token’s purpose is—know only that it will gain us an advantage in our future dealings with that school.
Also, we seek easier access to the facilities of the school for our own purposes. Since the robed docents and their servile students find bribes to be to be so repellent, we need another strategy. Look for something that might gain us better access to the school—keys, building plans, sewer diagrams, that sort of thing—and bring them to me. Who knows what myriad advantages we might have with free reign over the Arcanamirium?
Kind Regards,
Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri
We have them this time! An agent of Taldor—invited to the Arcanamirium—ha! No need to skulk in through a back entrance, no climbing the walls, no magical secrecy—you can waltz right in. While in the school (or under it) find a better way for our agents to penetrate that place and tell me about it. Greedy wizards—share your knowledge with the Empire!
Alas, it won’t all be the thrill of the hunt while exploring beneath the wizard’s school. One of our agents, as he fled the red-robed guards of the Arcanamirium, disposed of a scroll case in the most convenient manner available to him—he tossed it in the sewer. Since you’ll be mucking about down there, keep an eye out for a scroll case bearing my crown-and lion sigil. Our agent was caught and killed—otherwise I’d kill him myself for being such a careless fool.
Keep your eyes as sharp as your blade!
My Sincerest Gratitude,
Baron Jacquo Dalsine
We have them this time! An agent of Taldor—invited to the Arcanamirium—ha! No need to skulk in through a back entrance, no climbing the walls, no magical secrecy—you can waltz right in. While in the school (or under it) find a better way for our agents to penetrate that place and tell me about it. Greedy wizards—share your knowledge with the Empire!
Alas, it won’t all be the thrill of the hunt while exploring beneath the wizard’s school. One of our agents, as he fled the red-robed guards of the Arcanamirium, disposed of a scroll case in the most convenient manner available to him—he tossed it in the sewer. Since you’ll be mucking about down there, keep an eye out for a scroll case bearing my crown-and lion sigil. Our agent was caught and killed—otherwise I’d kill him myself for being such a careless fool.
Keep your eyes as sharp as your blade!
My Sincerest Gratitude,
Baron Jacquo Dalsine
The main focal point of the meeting hall is the imposing table occupying most of the centre of the room, resting on the table are five glasses of clean water; clearly the Society spares no expense for the comfort of its agents.
Adril Hestram is nowhere to be seen.
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Olomorn steps into the room and see the elf sitting in the center of the room. "Adril, you've lost weight and changed your race!"
He smiles and leans his massive battleaxe against the wall. “I am Olomorn Rubyax,” he says with a nod. “Looks like Adril is late…or perhaps this is yet another of those blasted pathfinder society tests.” Olo picks up one of the glasses of water. He sniffs it suspiciously.
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Olo smiles and pictures the elf’s head split in two by an axe and chuckles. “Profit before pleasure Olo….”, he thinks to himself.
“No need my friend, no need.” Olo tosses half the water out on the floor. He pulls out a small flask and pours whisky into the glass. "Yes, the magic school assignment. I am here for the briefing as well."
He picks a chair (far away from the elf) and takes a sip of his drink. “Oh that’s awful,” he says with a happy sigh.
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Levistus sweeps into the meeting hall pausing only briefly to take in the occupants. His high collared black Vudran silk robes flowing easily over the floor. "Greetings. I don't believe I have had the pleasure of previously making either of your acquaintance. I am Levistus Mohrgrim. A man of minor arcane talent. I am pleased to see that the society has put the appropriate amount of valuable resources into this endeavour." He pauses briefly to frown at the glasses of water but makes no move to pick one up before sweeping a chair clean with a black handkerchief and sitting. His dark eyes focusing on yours in apparent expectation.
Caelwyn:
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Entering the room, Alerion's sharp eyes weigh his fellow members. As he walks up to the chair nearest Caelwyn, one thought enters his mind. "Why do they always send dwarves? They're noisy and usually smell of liquor enough to warn everyone in a fifty foot radius." He then sits and gives a grimace toward the glass of water. "Greetings all. I am Alerion."
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Almost as if to punish Alerion for his thoughts about the qualities of dwarves, Thovar enters the room and stomps over to the table, taking up one of the unclaimed glasses. He sniffs it, takes a sip, winces, and sets it back on the table. Only then does he appear to notice the others in the room. "I am Thovar, humble keeper of coin and key in service of Abadar!" Looking around, he sees an empty seat next to the only other dwarf present, and claims it for himself.
Thovar is dressed in practical clothing, but it is clear from the key hanging on a chain about his neck that he is a cleric of Abadar. The key is wooden, but it has been painted so as to appear made of gold with a silver coin embedded in it.
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Thovar narrows his eyebrows at the elves as they share some joke. Stroking one of his beard's braids, he says, "I didn't realize the Arcanamirium was hiring a new jester. I was under the impression they were looking for people with real professions. Ah, well... anything to earn a living, eh?" He grins widely at the elves.
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"Olo! It's good to see you. And it's better to see you've brought a real drink!" Thovar graciously accepts Olo's flask and takes a swig. Handing it back, he says, "Because they've asked the two of us here, I suppose we can't give up all hope that this might be an assignment of some worth."
Caelwyn makes his joke and Thovar chuckles despite himself. "That would be an elven warrior and his wife, I trust."
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Levistus seems content, for a moment, to sit and watch the flaring racial conflict unfold in front of him. He frowns slightly as he misreads the comments as more pointed and adversarial than they are meant, "Gentlemen, if we could keep this venture a civil one it would benefit us all."
Roll:
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Thovar holds his hands out in a friendly gesture, "I mean no true offense, good sirs: I am but a humble servant of Abadar, sent to do his will in this mission. I will graciously accept the companionship of any who would accompany me. Unfortunately, I don't have any more of an idea than you do as to what today's mission will be."
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Olo chuckles at Thovar’s joke.
“I’m sure you are all fellows of quality and skill – no offense taken. You would not have survived the training and passed the annoying tests here if you were not. But…”
Olo stands and picks up his battle axe with a grunt.
“It could just be my impatience or boredom - but I grow concerned. Hestram has his faults – but he is a professional and would not keep us waiting as long as he has. Actually I don’t think I have ever been kept waiting for a briefing.” Olo adds with a smile: “Insulted, yes – many a time - but never kept waiting.”
“Should we go speak to someone and see what is keeping him? I am open to any suggestions on how to best proceed.”
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Laughing openly at the dwarven humor at the expense of those of shorter stature than even themselves he relaxes. However, those perceptive have noticed that Levistus drumming of his fingertips indicate he too is getting quite impatient. Finally unable to contain himself any longer he stands abruptly, "I agree. This is most unusual for him. I'll see if I can find someone around whom may know something." He heads out the door to see if anyone is about to question as he thinks to himself, Perhaps it's the wrong meeting room.
Opening his mouth to question the young man he is suddenly cut off by Alerion echoing his thoughts exactly. He clamps his mouth back shut and awaits the response.
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"Me, sir?" the young man asks, clearly unnerved by the intensity of Olo's glare, "I'm Ledic, erm... I'm the initiate assigned to take care of the meeting hall bookings"
** spoiler omitted **
Olo smiles and takes a step forward.
"So...Ledic...is there any way to check up on Venture-Captain Adril? I’m worried about him. I’m sure there is a system, a procedure to do this?"
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"Er, yes sir," the boy says nervously, looking over the dwarf's shoulder with wide eyes towards the others, "I guess you could send a message to him... he took his last meeting in his office, he doesn't like to be disturbed, but I guess you could get a message to him?"
"Sounds splendid! Lead the way lad and we’ll slip him a message. I'll apologize to him if he gets testy.”
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"Alright," the boy agrees hesitantly, rising from his seat and walking around the desk, "Venture-Captain Hestram's office is this way." The grey clad initiate begins to move towards the door, but is interrupted half way there as it swings open.
A bustling blond bear of a man bursts into the room, slamming the door behind him. Behold, the famed Absalom Venture-Captain Adril Hestram.
“Good, you’re here,” the venture-captain exclaims gruffly.
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Adril frowns sternly at Levistus as he ushers the group into the meeting hall, but doesn't respond to any questions until he closes the door securely behind him.
"Oh, all is well for me!" He crosses his thick arms over his barrel chest and leans against the door frame. “It seems that a journeyman wizard of the Arcanamirium, one Maren Fuln, got himself into more trouble than a blink dog nest. Fortunately for him, and for us, the docents at the school aren’t aware of the extent of it, yet. From what he’s told me, one of his transmutation experiments escaped. It looks like the school’s animal handler, Lemedor, who was assisting Fuln in the labs, went missing along with the beast. Fuln covered it up as best he could, but he’s at the end of his ingenuity.”
Adril grins and leans forward looking decidedly pleased with himself. “What the docent’s of the Arcanamirium don’t know is that Fuln came to us because he was in possession of a powerful and dangerous amulet that they believed locked away forever. This amulet contains the soul of a long-dead docent of the Arcanamirum named Lord Corgan who, rumors say, conducted necromantic and demonic experiments on his own students. Fuln believes the amulet to be in Lemedor’s hands and I want you to go get it and bring it back to me.”
“You’ll find Fuln waiting just inside the gates of the Arcanamirium.”