After a hurried summons to the Grand Lodge in Absalom, a quick conversation with Venture-Captain Alissa Moldreserva, and a wet, stormy trip across the Inner Sea to Andoran, the small, warm Pathfinder Lodge in Augustana is a welcome break from travel. “I can’t believe we are wasting our time on this matter,” says Caudron Wallace, the venture-captain of Augustana as he paces the main hall. “Frankly, I want as little to do with it as possible, so I’m passing it on to you.”
Wallace nods toward a door at the back of the room. “The vagrant through there was found collapsed on our front steps gripping a wayfinder of all things. We still don’t know who he is. Talk to him, for the tale he tells is amazing if true, and then come back here.”
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Turning her chair around from where she had been listening to the venture captain you seen an angelic figure. He hair is red gold in color and hangs to just below her shoulders in large curls. She is dressed in light layers of fabric in white, gold, and purple.
"Good day everyone. I am Valtyra Braga a humble traveler and collector of knowledge. Let us not dawdle if this person is of true importance. I would hate to make a bad impression with our first meeting." With that said she raises gracefully and proceeds through the door at the back of the room so that she might meet their guest and hear his story.
You enter a small sitting room with six comfortable chairs and a few bookshelves filled with the latest Pathfinder Chronicles. An old, withered man sits in one of the chairs, half-dozing when you enter. His skin is shockingly pale and his features are sharp with high cheekbones and a jutting chin. Despite his incredibly filthy visage, matted white hair, and infirmity, when he awakes and regards you he does so with a look of absolute, confident superiority.
“My loyal subjects, welcome! I know that some of you might not recognize me in my current state, but it is truly me, Gandros, the long-lost Prince of Augustana. I have been in hiding since the untimely death of my father, the Emperor, preparing for my return to glory. Unfortunately, I bear ill news. The army I have been gathering in the otherworld has been infiltrated by agents of our enemies. When last I called my forces together for inspection, dark assassins attacked me and I barely escaped with my life.”
He takes this opportunity to roll up his sleeve and reveals a series of recently inflicted claw and tooth marks on his right forearm. He then launches into a breathless retelling of how he came to be in the Lodge, without pause or acknowledgement of interruptions.
“I fled back through the magic portal to this realm. Grievously wounded, and with the assassins in close pursuit, I leapt into the dark river. I floated past the Almsman’s Sanctuary, but couldn’t climb out of the water. I did manage to grab one of the bridges, but a plank fell in with me. I held on for dear life and continued to drift downstream. I went over a waterfall and then emerged in the lake of ships and crawled to shore. Augustana has changed since I last walked my city’s bright streets, but I managed to find this house, bearing the symbol of my father’s empire.”
He holds up the wayfinder hanging from a chain around his neck. “I knew I would find help here! If you remove the threat from my kingdom below and help restore me to my rightful place as Emperor of Andoran, I will grant you any boon within my power!”
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"So you claim to be a Prince of Andoran and yet from all of the histories I have read Andoran has never had a monarchy ruling it. The symbol that you display is known as the Glyph of the Open Road and is the symbol for the Pathfinder Society and you are currently standing within one of its many lodges that are found throughout this world and beyond." Valtyra begins to walk in a circle around Gandros being ever mindful to disturb nothing as she moves about. She is looking Gandros over as she moves around him trying to place his style of dress, accent, and mannerisms. "If you would please tell us about who it is that is trying to kill you. Also, exactly how long did you say you had been gone for?"
He is dressed badly in ragged clothing. He's terribly pale.
He does not acknowledge Valtrya or Pai's questions. However he does respond to Azora. "Of course it is terrible news. My throne must be reclaimed. Go do that."
The wayfinder is magical. He is not. He is hurman and his clothes are covered in dirt from the sewers. He is pale as if he hasn't seen much sun.
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Dried sewage, pale complexion. I wonder how long he may have actually been beneath the city proper to have reached this state. That long out of sight of the sun could also help explain some of delusions he is now spouting.
"Could you tell us where this portal you exited from is located? It might allow us to be able to better able to track down your would be assassins."
Gandros continues to ignore Pai and Valtyra's questions. He gives them a hard stare, but does not answer.
Gandos nods to Azora, "Of course you must assist me. It's near the dark river near Almsman’s Sanctuary."
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At this point, Pai is kicking herself for not handling the situation differently. She knows how to treat nobility, but she had dismissed him as just a pretender. I should have been reverent and obsequious. Then he'd have answered me. Too late now. sigh. Bowing, she steps backwards to the wall and tries to blend in like a servant. Too little, too late, but I have to try.
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"The Almsman's Sanctuary? I am not familiar My Lord. Please excuse me while we look into it."
The oracle exits with a bow and reports back to the venture-captain. "Well, he certainly seems to believe what he is selling. Do you know any of the areas he has mentioned? Is the Almsman a statue or district? I fear the 'dark river' has to be the sewer. Please tell me I'm wrong and that there is a pleasant and beautiful body of water the locals refer to a 'Darkriver'. I'm guessing that might be too much to ask."
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You suddenly see a skinny human woman around 20 with auburn hair and a timid look on her face approaching hastily.
She wears leather armor, has a Rapier at her hip that is attached to her right wrist with a fine chain and carries a backpack.
She is still running when she starts speaking:
"Venture-Captain Wallace Sir, Venture-Captain Wallace Sir ... I am Setare Katsu and would like to report for duty! I know I am late but I swear that it wasn't my fault ..."
Suddenly she stops and looks at Azora, Pai, Valtyra and Ech'tan:
"Oh my god, I am really here - you guys are Pathfinders ... real Pathfinders! That is sooooo awesome! I would ..."
Again, she suddenly stops:
"Oh no, it happened again ... sorry Sir!"
and with that she steps back, raises her head and looks straight to Venture-Captain Wallace and awaits further instructions.
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Pai bows respectfully and follows Azora out of the room. She is surprised by the newcomer in the next room, but thinks her demeanor is amusing.
"Hi Setare! I'm Pai. Wow, Ech'Tan, I hope you don't mind being surrounded by a lot of women. Heehee!" Aside, to Setare, she whispers, "He's the strong, silent type."
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Valtyra strides out of the room and back into the hall with the Venture Captain. "That man, despite his claims, looks like he just emerged from a sewer. I truly hope that is not where we are going to have to go." Valtryra glaces at her wardrobe choice and shudders at the mere thought of going into the sewers.
Finishing her thought she suddenly whirls around to face the newcomer at the moment she realizes that there is someone else in hall. Valtyra looks the newcomer over before speaking. "Yes we are Pathfinder Society agents but that really should not have been difficult to deduce given the building you entered and the man you stand before. I take that you only just completed your three years of training prior to being assigned to this task? No matter, there are several among us who can lend you a guiding hand."
The Venture Captain greets Setare, "You arrived before they needed to head out. That's just in time. I'll allow your fellow Pathfinders to give you the briefing."
“My diviners say that there is some truth to his story. There has never been a Prince of Augustana, nor an Emperor in Andoran, but the old fellow has a surprising amount of knowledge of the pre-revolution noble families of the city. He may be the lost scion of some noble line. If so, he’s fallen far. From the filth and stink on him when we found him, we’re fairly certain he’s been living in or near a sewer. The wayfinder is also a mystery, but for now, it makes him one of ours. However, I’m more interested in his supposed gate to the otherworld. If it exists, I want to know about it. Implausible as it may seem, I’m certain that his injuries were caused by otherworldly beings.
We must take the possibility of a portal seriously. I don’t want to dirty my hands with this, but you don’t have that choice. Retrace the old man’s path through the sewers. The Almsman, whom he repeatedly mentions, is rumored to be an eccentric priest who runs some sort of hidden beggar’s sanctuary in the sewers. He may know where our prince’s portal is, if you can find him."
"But be warned; a local gang calling themselves the Steel Wyverns claims the sewers near the Almsman’s Sanctuary as their own territory.”
Venture-Captain Wallace shows you the spot on the map of the likely sewer outlet from which Gandros came. It’s near the north end of the crowded Augustana harbor, near where the north harbor wall hits land.
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"Hi Setare! I'm Pai. Wow, Ech'Tan, I hope you don't mind being surrounded by a lot of women. Heehee!" Aside, to Setare, she whispers, "He's the strong, silent type."
With a warm handshake, the oracle greets the swashbuckler."Nice to make your acquaintance Setare. My name is Azora Imolar. Glad to have you along." She then leans in a little closer between Setare and Pai and whispers, "Please tell me one of you brought a lot of extra perfume for after the sewer."
"Hello Pai, hello Azora! It is so great meeting you! Thanks for the warm welcome. Unfortunately, I have no perfume ... but ... but I could buy some if you want?"
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Finishing her thought she suddenly whirls around to face the newcomer at the moment she realizes that there is someone else in hall. Valtyra looks the newcomer over before speaking. "Yes we are Pathfinder Society agents but that really should not have been difficult to deduce given the building you entered and the man you stand before. I take that you only just completed your three years of training prior to being assigned to this task? No matter, there are several among us who can lend you a guiding hand."
A little intimidated Setare looks at Valtyra "I ... of course I ... finished the training of the society. It's just ... you know ... this is my first mission. It is very nice meeting you my Lady."
Ech'Tan is able to find the outflow pipe at the edge of the docks after about an hour of searching. It looks like there will be a slog through sewer water to get into the tunnels from here.
The channels in major tunnels are 10 feet wide and 5 feet deep. Where passages meet, there are usually planks laid across the channels to allow pedestrians to cross from one walkway to the other.
The water in the channel is revoltingly filthy, and anytime a PC becomes fully submerged in it they are exposed to filth fever. The effluvium is difficult terrain to move through, and the current is fairly swift. Anyone or anything swimming or floating in the channel drifts downstream 20 feet per round.
There is time for shopping on the way to the sewer entrance.
When you are ready you are able to locate an alternate entrance into the sewers. This one is a set of stairs at street level, and avoids the anticipated slog through the sewers.
The smell of waste and rot is strong in this large chamber where filthy water flows in a series of cascades between tiered stone tanks. A
raised platform along the east wall is connected to the passage’s walkways by several thick wooden planks creating a makeshift bridge. On that platform is what looks to be a makeshift alchemy lab on a rough-hewn table—beakers, glass vials, dirty bottles, and moldy buckets cover the entire surface of the table.
There are three men here who do not look happy to see you.