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The courier from the Pathfinder Society found each of you in your usual haunts. Whether that's relaxing by the beach in Vudra, hunting big game in the Mwangi, or sitting by the fireplace in that tavern you always seem to end up back at. Whichever it is, they deliver a letter from Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin urging you to travel to Druma for your next assignment.
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Each of you received a letter delivered by courier from Abrus Valsin. It directs you to proceed to the Silver Spoon Inn in Druma where you will meet up with your fellow agents and collect a packet of intel from the bartender, Kristoff. Then in the guise of agents of Grandmaster Torch, you will pass this intel to Emilio Busca. What could be simpler?
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The Silver Spoon Inn and Tavern is a roadside inn 10 miles west of Kerse that caters to business travelers and tourists. It certainly fits the description given in Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin’s letter. Its black marble bar top and gilded chairs are clearly intended to suggest an atmosphere of wealth and luxury, but the tattered seat cushions and faded wall tapestries betray a general slide into disrepair.
Patrons clad in jewels and fine clothing mill about the room, drinking and gossiping excitedly. A few white-clad individuals stand aloof from the crowds, nibbling at crusts of bread rather than partaking in the exquisite charcuterie boards laid out on polished ebony tables.
A tall, sandy-haired half-orc man with rough but pleasant features stands behind the bar, polishing the marble surface with a white cloth. He wears a simple leather jerkin over a loose canvas shirt and trousers. A brass tankard dangles from a leather strap at his belt. He grins and calls out in greeting: “Well met, travelers! What’ll you be having, then?”
As each of you arrives, it's pretty easy to pick out your fellow Pathfinders amongst the other patrons. Gathering at a table, you're able to make introductions and scan the crowd for the Varisian agent Emilio Busca.
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A soft whispering of leaves and the sound of something coarse scraping against wood is enough to draw one's attention to the funny little creature that currently sits in one of the chairs. It's about the size of a halfling that seems to be made entirely of vines and leaves, twisted into a humanoid shape. An especially large cluster of leaves forms a rudimentary face, with two round eyes, a small hole for a mouth, and no nose to speak of. Framing its face are several daisies, twisted into the vines and leaves of its body, bobbing gently with each of the creature's movements. It wears few clothes aside from a mithral chain shift and a large floppy sunhat which rustles as it looks around.
"There are lots of fleshies here today," the leshy remarks in a high-pitched voice. "I hope that won't make it too hard to find who we're looking for."
"Oh. Today I'm Soddy Daisy," she adds, growing more animated as she speaks. "Maybe tomorrow I'll pick a different name but Soddy Daisy is who I am today! Poffis said that fleshy persons usually don't change their names but I don't really know why."
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There could be little more contrast between Soddy Daisy and the woman sitting next to her. A half-orc, tall even for her race, with bones woven into her full plate sits with her back towards a wall where a gigantic, shining hammer leans menacingly. She had a jovial smile on her face that did not match her intimidating appearance as she drank, but her razor-sharp teeth could probably turn that smile menacing in a moment.
"I changed my name, once, when I left my tribe," she answers, curious about Daisy, the first leshy she has had the pleasure of meeting. "I am now Elbesamiya dy Bulaka, though I prefer just 'Elby' unless we are trying to impress some nobles. Though this..." she pauses a moment. "This looks like it may be an Elbesamiya kind of place."
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"Oh! You change your name to suit your situation," Soddy nods, her daisies (and hat) flopping and bobbing in response. "That makes sense. Leshies sometimes change names with the seasons or just because we want to or because we see a new vista that inspires us. Putting on a new name is like blooming all over again!"
"You ladies waiting on more folks to join you?" the half-orc bartender asks cheerfully as he refreshes Elby's drink. "Anything I can get you while you wait?" His look at Soddy makes it clear he's not sure if or what she'd drink. Or eat for that matter.
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"I think so. I'm sure they'll blow in soon," Soddy answers the friendly bartender. While she hadn't forgotten the instructions in the letter she'd received she figured it might be best to wait until the rest of her teammates had gathered before making a move. So she instead she simply nods eagerly when he inquires about their orders.
"Water, please! Oh and do you have tiny breads? I had them once and they were go, so I'd like to have them again."
Turning her attention back to Elby, Soddy pauses to consider this additional bit of information. Finally, she nods. "I see. I'm sorry that season of your life was bad. Hopefully the season you're in now will be good and stay good."
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Tabar is wearing a dark brown adventuring outfit and light leather armor, he has a buckler and carries a fine Rapier at his hip that is attached to his wrist with a very fine chain.
”Yes, yes! We have not had the pleasure or misfortune to work together before. I am Tabar!“ he says with a sarcastic tone.
The scrawny Ratfolk with dark brown hair and black eyes sits on a riding dog with a military saddle. The dog looks like a mixture of a black wolfhound and a mastiff.
Around Tabar’s neck a pendant with the holy symbol of Chaldira Zuzaristan is clearly visible.
”This dog of mine is ‘Sag’ ... " Tabar says very fast with a friendly smile on his face that suddenly fades away.
“Well, we heard you serve a drink called TORCH here?“ the small ratfolk says to the bartender.
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No one in the crowd appears to match the meager description you have for your target, the Varisian, Emilio Busca. All of the patrons are clearly high-society, wealthy Drumans or oath-keeping Kalistocrats.
The bartender comes back with waters and a plate of the same small crusts of plain bread that the white gloved kalistocrats at the back of the room are nibbling on. After setting them down, he puts his hand to his chin, his fingers held in the Pathfinder field sign for ‘Ally.’
”Hmmm,” he appears to ponder Tabar’s request. ”I can’t say that I have a drink called that. But if you want one of those fancy flaming drinks, I could make an Azer’sTears for you. Is that what you’re asking about?” As he lowers his hand from his face, his fingers switch to the hand sign for ‘Yes.’
It’s clear he wants you to order one of those, perhaps so he has an excuse to bring you the packet of intel.
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You hear muffled shouts and oaths outside. The noise goes on for several minutes before a bedraggled human stomps irritably into the room.
He pauses at the door, sighs and turns around.
A few minutes later the same man returns. He has a smart, straight-backed poise and his hair and clothes appear neat and tidy.
Drawing up to the table he shakes his head with a rueful smile, ”Apologies: someone’s stupid retriever decided that it should get a hold of a hippogriff!” He pulls out a chair and sits down, ”Hell of a job to stop Beaky from tearing it apart.”
He nods to his companions, ”Seldiir Elberion, at your service.”
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A very hairy, disheveled looking man is being practically dragged into the inn by a neat and tidy Dwarf. The Dwarf half pleads and half tugs on the man's shirt sleeve "DALE WE ARE LATE! Why must you insist on making me late? Its embarrassing!"
"Late? Are you sure Harold? I'm pretty sure the time was just a round about suggestion, not a definitive declaration..." He bends over to snag one last bloom off the bush before following the Dwarf, and soon his nose, into the establishment. "Well, it does smell like lunch time maybe? Or was it dinner time... when did we eat last?"
He sniffs the pink flower with green variegation before peering closer with a hand lens "Not a unique variety, but certainly not the most common either." He slaps it between some pages of a stuffed notebook and struts into the room to find a table. No sooner though does he sit down that Harold the Dwarf elbows him and points out the mismatched group up at the bar.
"Not sure about you, but I've never seen a talking Daisy before..." Harold whispers. Dale looks up from the menu and grins. "A vine leshy! And another rat folk!" And with that he heads over to join in the group's conversation while Harold sighs and orders himself a red wine. Finally some peace and quiet. They can deal with him for a while.
"Hello there. Don't see such fine species such as yourselves around very often. My name's Dale."
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"Not sure about you, but I've never seen a talking Daisy before..." Harold whispers. Dale looks up from the menu and grins. "A vine leshy! And another rat folk!"
Tabar looks around to see the other Ratfolk.
"Did you smoke or drink anything toxic?" he asks Dale with strange tone.
It’s clear he wants you to order one of those, perhaps so he has an excuse to bring you the packet of intel.
Tabar only nods to signal yes.
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A small child skips into the room, then stops dead in her tracks when she sees all the people, her eyes going wide.
She appears to be about six or seven, wearing a worn, simple, light brown dress, with flower designs stitched all over (probably not part of the original design). She holds some silver and gold ribbons in one hand, which are attached to a small red balloon, floating over her head, clearly filled with some sort of buoyant gas.
A number of nearby eyes turn her way out of curiousity, though quickly dismiss her as a lost servant's child or the like. A few more helpful types ask if she's lost or point out that she really shouldn't be here without an adult, but she just smiles at them shyly and blurts out one reasonable sounding excuse after the other, as she slowly makes her way over towards the Pathfinders' table.
When she draws near, she smiles shyly again, and looks at who's there, her eyes going wide with wonder at the sight of Daisy.
"A flower-person! It's so beautiful!" She looks like she wants to go over and pick her... as her entire body seems to be quivering excitedly... but she seems to hold herself in check.
She starts to talk again, her voice taking on an exaggerated put upon tone. "I'm Samantha Susan Underbough." She says, with a slight grimace... before the tone seems to go away, and she starts back up again, speaking really quickly, with almost no spaces or pauses, except to take a breath now and then.
"But that names big and boring! My friends call me Sammi-Sue! Mr. Valsin told me to come here, and you'd watch out for me!" She smiles excitedly, and seems about to say something to Tabar, when she notices his riding dog.
"A puppy!" She squeals delightedly, and immediately rushes over to pet it.
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”Mr Valsin? Well, Miss Underbough, I’m sure we can help you out.” He leans in close, an avuncular condescension in his manner, ”but you need to keep that name, and anything else related to the organisation, silently zipped away.”
He pulls away slightly, all smiles, ”Now, what would you like to drink?”
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Sammi-Sue, busy trying to rub the shaggy belly of a dog three times her size, smiles happily up at Seldiir as he addresses her, but her look changes quickly to a worried frown as he reprimands her and, as if on queue, tears start to form in the corner. She nods and emphatically, clamping her mouth shut, before moving her hand from one side to the other, as if zipping it closed, as ordered.
The mention of a drink, however, has her move her hand in the other direction, just as quickly.
"Oooo. Oooo. Something fizzy! I like fizzy stuff." She blurts out. "Maybe with fruit, or one of those little umbrellas!"
She glances around the room, then her childlike demeanor seems to change slightly, as she adds quietly. "As long as it has a high alcohol content.". The comment is barely out, before the childish innocence returns once more. "Oh, in a big big glass! With a straw!"
She takes a moment to tie her balloon to the back of an empty chair, then tries to climb up onto the same chair. Quite the effort, with little booted feet kicking, and hands trying to pull her along. All the while, continuing to chatter away.
"I saw straws once *huph* that were all twisty and loopy *huph*. They were magnificent! *huph* A nice lady gave me three of them... at least until that meanie Rupert took them all." She finally manages to get up, her head barely clearing the table, and scowls dramatically, at the memory of this Rupert fellow stealing her fancy straws.
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Seldiir gives Sammi-Sue a thumbs-up then nods to the barkeeper, "Rum for me and something fizzy," he glances back at the little girl, "Sherbert-level fizzy, if you can, for the little one."
Then he slaps his hands together, "Cold-cuts. Nice!" the ranger heads for the charcuterie board then pauses, "Hey, Sammie-Sue, shall I get you a plate?"
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"Hello Tabar, Sag, Seldiir, Dale, and Sammi-Sue," Soddy waves, greeting each of the new arrivals in turn as she scoots her chair over to make room for everyone. "Today I'm Soddy Daisy. Maybe tomorrow I'll pick a different name but Soddy Daisy is who I am today."
She looks around at all the new faces with an air of interest, though her gaze seems to linger on Tabar and Sammi-Sue in particular. "I haven't worked with a rat-fleshy or a little fleshy sprout before! I did work with a snake-fleshy and a cat-fleshy once, though. They were really nice."
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She looks around at all the new faces with an air of interest, though her gaze seems to linger on Tabar and Sammi-Sue in particular. "I haven't worked with a rat-fleshy or a little fleshy sprout before! I did work with a snake-fleshy and a cat-fleshy once, though. They were really nice."
Tabar raises an eyebrow again.
“Listen plant daisy! It’s awful enough that these pink faces think that they are better than the little rat all the time! I don’t need you patronizing me, ok?! Ok?!?“ the little rat says with a little insecurity while sitting on his riding dog and shifting on his saddle.
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Sammi-Sue looks at Seldiir with a serious expression.
"My friend Liza says eating meat is wrong, 'cause you have to kill cute little animals to get it." She chides. "So one should eat just vegetables and beans and such."
She nods her head emphatically, like she's just made an important case... then, as she glances across the table at Soddy Daisy, suddenly throws her hand up over her mouth in shock and horror.
"Oh no!" She exclaims weakly. "Liza didn't know there were plant people too! I didn't know there was such a thing neither! I'm sorry! You're just as cute as pigs and chickens and stuff."
"Maybe we shouldn't eat plants either." She concludes... but then looks confused for a moment. "But what's left to eat?!"
"Candy maybe?" She suggests hopefully. "I could eat just candy. That wouldn't be so bad."
"Maybe then I could change my name too!" She adds, with an embarrassed smile at Soddy Daisy. She taps her chin thoughtfully for a moment, then seems to have a sudden inspiration.
"I could be Candi-Sue!"
She adds, in a conspiratorial whisper to Tabar beside her. "Replacing the y with an i, of course, 'cause Liza says y's are boring!"
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Dale looks at the ratfolk riding the dog, then around the room once... twice, scratching his head a bit before laughing "No, you aren't the first ratfolk I've met before that's all. You guys are pretty rare it seems! Or at least statistically significant." He grins and grabs up a handful of the sausage and cheese platter, tossing/dropping one down for the dog's pleasure and his own dismay.
"Nice to meet you Daisy - Today. And you Candi-Sue, and you Tabar, and you Seldiir and... this is?" He asks the seriously large orcish woman.
Dale doubles the order for fizzy drinks, but puts the kibosh an any alcohol enhancements. He takes a look around the room to get a feel for the local establishment and its folk.
"Let me see if I've got this all. One rum, two Azer's Tears, and two fruit fizzies. Hmmm," Kristoff murmurs as he ponders the request for fizzy drinks. "I know this other bartender who specializes in fruity fizzy drinks. I'll never be as good as him, but I'll see what I can do," he finishes as he heads off to the basement storage room to look for fresh fruits, top-shelf rum, and curly straws.
Several minutes later, he returns with a tray heavily laden with your drinks and more.
"One for you sir, and one for you miss," he says with a bow and a wink to Sammi-Sue as he serves the brightly colored fruit drinks. Hers does indeed have a twisty straw stuck in it and is in fact fully alcoholic, as you'd expect from a cleric of Cayden Cailean. Dale's however, lacks a cool straw but does sport a paper umbrella. "Had to make sure I could tell them apart," he explains. "Plus, that was the only straw like that I could find," he adds in an aside to the young girl.
He sets the rum in from of Seldiir, and two large, wide-rimmed glasses for Elby and Tabar. Clearly pleased to be getting to make a drink he doesn’t often get a call for, he snaps his fingers and a magical spark ignites the drink with a small ‘whoosh’ into a multi-hued dance of fire. The flames seem to drip upward somehow, perhaps thus explaining the name of the drink.
Once you’ve all finished appreciating his artistry, Kristoff then sets a small dish of candy in front of Sammi-Sue Candi-Sue and a platter of meats, cheeses, and sliced veggies in the center of the table. Lastly, he drops a whole ham-hock bone onto the floor for Sag.
He finally steps back with a grin and brushes his hands off together. "If you need anything else, just ask."
He pauses as if expecting you to ask him something important, and his eyes look meaningfully at the platter of food he's just delivered.
Perception
Soddy Daisy, Tabar and Seldiir all suddenly notice the corner of an envelope peeking out from beneath the platter.
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"Oh? That was patronizing?" Soddy replies to Tabar (who had rushed off to the restrooms before she could address him earlier). "I thought I was making an observation," the leshy says, clearly puzzled by Tabar's reaction. "I didn't mean to upset anyone."
Looking back to Candi-Sue, the leshy bounces slightly in her seat. "No, eating plants and meats is okay! It's just all part of life's cycle. Fleshies eat plants and animals and then when fleshies die animals eat them and plants grow from what's left. As long as you're thankful for what you eat and what it gives to you, you shouldn't feel bad about it, okay?"
There's a pause and then Soddy adds, "Oh but be nice to the animals and plants when they're alive, too. Whether you think you might eat them one day or not."
Soddy looks around the busy tavern again. "Anyone see the fleshy we're supposed to meet? They seem very elusive."
"Glad you like it," Kristoff replies to Seldiir. "A hippogriff, you say? Sorry, I'm not allowed to serve anyone or anything outside. But there's a livery stable down the road. Tell Kaitlyn I sent you, and she can add it to your bill here."
Seeing Tabar search the room, and noting Soddy's question, the bartender asks, "Who is it you're supposed to meet? I know everyone here, maybe I can help."
Sense Motive
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Sammi-Sue takes a sip of her fizzy drink, smiles, then chugs down the rest of it.
"Yummi!" She exclaims, then burps slightly, covering her mouth in embarrassment as she giggles.
She then starts into the candy, and you notice the balloon ribbons that were tied to her chair, are now wrapped around her wrist... the balloon in question bobbing above the table.
She makes a big production of separating the candy by color, and eating them in categories, explaining a long convoluted and nearly impossible to follow hierarchy of candy colors and which tasted better.
Strangely, the samples of meats, cheeses, and vegetables in front of her seems to shrink as well, though she never pays it much attention.
You note that some of the balloon's silver ribbons wrapped around her wrist, occasionally manage to wrap around some of the meats and cheeses on the platter in front of her, and surreptitiously drag the samples back and drop them into a small pocket on her dress.
She doesn't seem to be paying any attention to it.
Kristoff points a finger at the other bartender and whispers something. In short order, a serving boy arrives with a large rare steak, serves it to Seldiir and departs. At this point in your Pathfinder careers, you're all readily familiar with this simple messaging cantrip.
Kristoff chuckles. “Emilio? That scoundrel? I don’t know where he got the coin to drink like he did, but Cayden bless him for it. He was tight-lipped about his work, but I got the impression he was mixed up in some nasty business. I guess for someone like him that’s just another day, another gold piece. He rented a room for a week, but toward the end of his stay he seemed nervous. Always watching over his shoulder, you might say. Didn’t keep him from coming in for our daily sessions. Then three days ago he stopped showing up at the bar. Haven’t seen him since.”
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Soddy focuses her attention on the conversation between Tabar and Kristoff, clearly not paying attention to anything her other companions may or may not be doing.
"Fleshies have places they like to go. Do you know where Emilio liked to go besides the bar? If you do, maybe we can go to those places and look for him there."
Kristoff wipes his hands on his apron as he lets out a deep sigh.
"I don't know where he did his business. But it wouldn't matter if I did. If you're looking for him...."
He pauses to signal the other bartender that he'll be a another minute.
"Something happened the other night when I was on my night off. Seems some Kalistocrat had it out for him. Business deal gone bad most likely, or maybe he stole something from her. I don't know, and honestly don't care. But either way, a troupe of Blackjackets busted in here and dragged him away."
Kristoff pauses to look around at the other patrons, particularly the small knot of white-robed Kalistocrats at the back of the room. He leans down closer to the table before continuing.
"I don’t have confirmation, but some of my regulars say they saw Amynta Irel’s insignia on the abductors’ uniforms.”
"You can check his room if you like. I'd have to send one of my serving boys with you when you do. Nothing personal, you understand," he finishes with a disarming smile.
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Tabar nods.
”Thank you. We’d appreciate to be accompanied by your serving boy to see the room!“
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"Oh? That was patronizing?" Soddy replies to Tabar (who had rushed off to the restrooms before she could address him earlier). "I thought I was making an observation," the leshy says, clearly puzzled by Tabar's reaction. "I didn't mean to upset anyone."
Tabar looks at Soddy.
”It’s fine. We non-humans have to stick together!“
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Kristoff laughs with a deep basso chuckle at Soddy's innocent question. "I like you, Ms. Daisy. To answer your question, Irel doesn’t come around my place much, but I know she’s pretty high up in the social order. She has an estate not far from here, out in the country. She likes her privacy. A lot,” he finishes with ominous emphasis.
At the sound of raised irate voices at the bar, Kristoff begins to step away from your table. He summons one of the serving boys with instructions to take you to Emilio's room and keep an eye on you. Lastly, he suggests that you talk to the regular customers who may have witnessed the abduction or who might know more about Ms. Irel's dealings.
Gather Information (Diplomacy) OR Knowledge (Nobility)
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While the others check the room, Tabar seeks out a couple of his contacts.
When he is back, he gathers the team to tell them what he found out!
”So Emilio betrayed this noble woman now she is probably trying to get back to him! As much as I regret to say this but we have to get Emilio out and because Amynta Irel obviously is away currently with most of her troop, this might be easier than expected! Any ideas?!“ the ratfolk asks.
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"I can make myself look like one of the toughs the grandmaster and his crew tend to keep around," Elby suggested, knowing many people thought that about her already. "I'm not so great at the talky bits of a ruse, but I don't imagine Torch hires them for their conversational skills. And if we run into someone who need to be convinced" - she says it in a way that implies she doesn't mean beaten to a pulp like most do when they say that - "to help us, I can help with that.
"Good way to get Emilio to trust us, too, I think"