The manifest was discovered pinned to a corpse among the victims of the moldfolk in particular, they did not appear to have been killed by the half-orcs
Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Fantasy
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- Tags
- pathfinder
The manifest was discovered pinned to a corpse among the victims of the moldfolk in particular, they did not appear to have been killed by the half-orcs
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Sooo... what's the sequence of events here? The two half-orcs run a smuggling operation (have they been growing mold for sale, too?); the mercenaries busted in; (MISSING DATA); the place got overrun by mold and the mercenaries got killed by the moldfolk; we were asked to clean it up so the smuggling could resume.
Did the orcs have anything to do with the mold, or were they 'honest smugglers' who got caught in an operation run by mercenaries?
Well someone was smuggling in russet mold and that is the thing that makes moldfolk. Even if the half-orcs did not have anything to do with the moldfolk odds are good that their employer, who seems to have been this Egriso of Augustana, did have something to do with it.
Vote closed.
Arc 5 Post 15: Testimony Most Distant
Testimony Most Distant
23st of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
Burnlanders are many great and frightful things; numerous, rich and strong in sorcery, but they are also heat-blind, seemingly compulsively incapable to look up. It is barely a choice. You nod firmly and with that Gorok steps up, extending one scaled hand, claws wickedly sharp.
To her credit Ms. Silea Naran does not flinch as she grasps it and proclaims solemnly: "By Abadar's gaze, the deal is sealed." Though you feel no wisp of a presence in the air beside the smell of flowers, their bright colors long since gone even as the scent lingers, she seems to relax with the proclamation. "The man named here, Egriso of Augustana, would be named in full Egriso Vaylen of House Vaylen, one of the oldest and most wealthy trading houses in Augustana and the whole of Andoran. We of House Naran have long shared a river with them, traded in peace. Yet even in the most well-ordered nest there are maggots. Someone in the House has been trading with in russet mold and someone else has been covering it up. The mercenaries you found dead at the hand of the moldmen were paid in banknotes issued to House Vaylen..."
"Attempting to cover it up," you point out. "The mercenaries were killed and we cleared out the moldmen, so the trade should have resumed by now."
"Oh it has been well covered, just as Egriso's tomb was on Inheritor's Ascendance last," seeing Cob's confusion and your attempt to recall the Andoran calendar she expands. "Fifty five days ago. As is the ancient custom of their House, Egriso was buried in the catacombs beneath Old Vale Manor, the seat of House Vaylen in Augustana."
"Why does his fate matter to us?" you ask, suspicion growing like mycelia through soft soil.
"Because I want you to recover his corpse," the words are as blunt as an avalanche and just as inevitable. "Andoran is a free nation where all citizens possess certain unalienable rights, among them the rights to their own person and possessions. From this root grows a vast tree of jurisprudence—" You just keep learning new words today, something tells you even Mina could not have translated that one without magic. —"which, among many other safeguards, has to do with how evidence may be collected. I cannot simply send you to raid House Vaylen's files as though you were a band of Ulfen out for plunder and then present the information to a magistrate. Fortunetly, what you have already provided is enough to call upon the Twilight Talons to investigate House Vaylen, but I fear without more information regarding where incriminating evidence may be found we will come up empty handed, with naught but the enmity of the conspirators to show for it."
"So you want us to steal away a body from its resting place in order to find out where you can 'legitimately' find information?" Mina sounds horrified and little wonder, recalling what she had told you of her land, long troubled by the living dead.
"After the body has been questioned we would of course return it to its proper resting place," Silea proclaims primly, tapping her fingers on the table. As far as she is concerned deal is done and you are just being difficult.
"By which you mean we would have to break back into a tomb, carrying a corpse the whole way through?" You are quite proud of how scathing your tone is despite still learning the language. "Better to cast the spell within the tomb so as not to overly disturb Egriso's rest." Truth be told you do not care that much if one more corpse should shamble forth through dusty halls far off, but Mina does.
"You would not know what questions to ask," she tries, but Gorok cuts her off with a single word.
"Write."
Gorok Intimidation: 1d20 -1 (Charisma) +5 (Fear of the Unknown) = 17 vs Silea Will Save: 1d20 +6 (???) = 13 (Success)
Taken aback by his manner Silea hesitates, then nods. "I can provide you with a list of questions and a scroll. An arcane one?" she ends on a question.
Mina nods, still looking troubled about the whole thing but not enough to object.
"Good. Now I must warn you, House Vaylen began its rise to power and prestige as archeologists and explorers more than a thousand years ago. Over that time they have blossomed not only into one of Andoran's premier banks, but also the preeminent supplier of antiquities from distant lands. Many such treasures are held on different levels of the catacombs, some claim protected by repurposed Osiriani constructs. Watch your step and take nothing."
It just keeps getting better and better... If nothing else at least you get your eight hundred and fifty gold pieces on the spot. Still, Cob looks like he is considering the logistics of kicking the chair out from under her, but you cannot help but think that 'catacombs' sound like a rather large place. How easy is it really to tell that you have been robbed, less by whom?
Lost Banknotes; gained 850 gp -> Now at 3,576 gp 19 sp 21 cp
How do you prepare for the heist?
[] Someone who can pass through walls and fly would be very useful. See if Sirim is interested in doing some treasure hunting right here in Augustana
[] Go to the market to turn all thing gold into things that will help keep you alive and uncaught
-[] Look for Weapons
-[] Look for Armor
-[] Sell something to make even more coin
-[] Write in
[] Write in
OOC: So yeah, you are about to try to rob the graves of hereditary graverobbers turned merchant princes.
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- Location
- Singapore
If House Vaylen is linked to the Aspis Consortium we probably have nothing to worry about regarding "Osiriani" artifacts/techniques/methods since they're just counterfeit garbage made from Osiriani street junk.
They will however have all the poisions/traps/techniques/items used by organised crime.
They will however have all the poisions/traps/techniques/items used by organised crime.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Neat, it's time for Shadowrun, Golarion Edition!
I think we should try to get Sirim in on this. He could be extremely helpful, and this would be a good way for him to further ingratiate himself with us if he wants to convince us to work with him in the future.
Is there anything I'm forgetting that should be added to the list?
[X] Prepping for the Run
-[X] Someone who can pass through walls and fly would be very useful. See if Sirim is interested in doing some treasure hunting right here in Augustana.
-[X] Ask Silea to make some purchases on our behalf so as to not arouse any suspicion among the locals. We are somewhat eye-catching, after all. She might also get a discount whereas we would probably be overcharged.
--[X] Tools and items which Cob and Kori expect to find useful breaking into a crypt, such as Alchemist's Acid, Holy Water, etc.
--[X] Scrolls: Cure Light Wounds, Delay Disease, Delay Poison, Hide from Undead, Protection from Evil
--[X] A type 1 Bag of Holding or Handy Haversack.
-[X] Sell something to make even more coin
--[X] Try to sell or trade Mina's magic staff for something more appropriate for her. Her current staff cannot be recharged once used.
-[X] While our purchases are being gathered,visit the Temple of Pharasma to relinquish the lich's phylactery to them for destruction.
--[X] When we visit the temple, make sure to do so without any active magical effects so as to leave no traces for them to later track us.
I think we should try to get Sirim in on this. He could be extremely helpful, and this would be a good way for him to further ingratiate himself with us if he wants to convince us to work with him in the future.
Is there anything I'm forgetting that should be added to the list?
[X] Prepping for the Run
-[X] Someone who can pass through walls and fly would be very useful. See if Sirim is interested in doing some treasure hunting right here in Augustana.
-[X] Ask Silea to make some purchases on our behalf so as to not arouse any suspicion among the locals. We are somewhat eye-catching, after all. She might also get a discount whereas we would probably be overcharged.
--[X] Tools and items which Cob and Kori expect to find useful breaking into a crypt, such as Alchemist's Acid, Holy Water, etc.
--[X] Scrolls: Cure Light Wounds, Delay Disease, Delay Poison, Hide from Undead, Protection from Evil
--[X] A type 1 Bag of Holding or Handy Haversack.
-[X] Sell something to make even more coin
--[X] Try to sell or trade Mina's magic staff for something more appropriate for her. Her current staff cannot be recharged once used.
-[X] While our purchases are being gathered,visit the Temple of Pharasma to relinquish the lich's phylactery to them for destruction.
--[X] When we visit the temple, make sure to do so without any active magical effects so as to leave no traces for them to later track us.
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- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
Can we get the people we're working for help us get access to these things, because while we'd have difficulty getting theives' tools quietly, due to Cob being a goblin, these people are rich and can get someone to quietly get stuff for them with few questions.
(Though doesn't our new multitool thingy count as theives tools?)
And can we afford a real bag of holding?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Good idea. I'll update my plan.
And yes, the Anytool should count as Masterwork Thieves' Tools. I forgot about that.
A regular Bag of Holding costs 2,500 good and a Handy Haversack costs 2,000. Both are very expensive for us, but either one could be extremely helpful for us. Beyond making it easier to carry supplies, it would also allow us to more easily transport loot.
- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
As long as we can afford it, I think a BoH/HH are some fo the first things one should get.
That aside, if we're doing a shopping trip, maybe we should just stock up on alchemical items/potions and the like?
(Is there a cheap substance that deals with our Light Sentivisity so we won't need to depend on using the goggles since those are better with Galak or Cob.
----
But here's a big thing: this might go tits up. We might be caught in the act or somehow discovered after the fact via divination or whatever.
My point is that this is not any more urgent tomorrow than it is today, probably, so we should deal with the Lich before engaging in anything that has a chance of us ending up needing to leave asap.
It's a bit scattered to get accept a job and then pivot to another task, but sometimes life is like that.
Edit: Also, I don't wana take the phalactary to the crypt. It probably won't be able to do anything or set off alarms, but if we get caught and searched, having it in a crypt might be the sort of thing that can be spun to look really really bad.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
We should be able to do this while the purchases are being gathered. @DragonParadox?
Sure you can add that to the plan, though do keep in mind that you would be showing yourselves to the priesthood of Pharasma days a before breaking into a tomb. If investigators get called for some reason they might be able to tell from lingering magical auras who was involved.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
With a very Indiana Jones-y warning too.
I am of two minds about Sirim's involvement. One of the conditions our employer gave us was to keep it under wraps. Now, they were certain we would because we had no ties to noble houses of Augustana. Sirim, on the other hand, might. That's a pretty hefty blackmailing material we are giving away.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
They shouldn't be able to recognize our magical auras if we don't use any magic effects around them, or have any long-term buffs active, when we visit the temple
If you actually get caught things are likely to get very bad very quickly. Robbing graves is not a capital offense, in Andoran at least, but you can expect years of hard labor especially with a powerful merchant house pushing for a harsher sentence.
True, though in that case you might want to include that in a plan. Mina for instance walks around with Mage Armor on whenever she goes out.
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It isn't, Mina just does not want to make the priests upset.