Magnimar, the City of Monuments. A city with its eyes on the angels above and its feet swallowed deep in the muck. A city where the beautiful statues up on the Summit cast long shadows across the grime of the Shade beneath the Irespan; a city where noble aspirations and decadent vices weave together to form the tapestry of life. It is a city of corrupt politicians and humble pilgrims, of shining crusaders and poisonous assassins, of prostitutes and scholars, of visionaries and thugs. It is a city where a man might find his fortune if he did not bleed his life out in its gutters, where one brilliant moment of glory might wash clean all his sins. It all depends on how the pieces come together.
For each of you, today is a day where one of those pieces might be dropping into place. As you make your way through the high-class crowds of the Summit on your way to Heidmarch Manor, you hold a letter in your hand, an invitation to employment - and perhaps a great deal more.
Greetings!
I am Sheila Heidmarch, Venture-Captain of the newest Pathfinder Society lodge - and the only such lodge in Varisia at this time. You have come to my attention as someone who possesses a certain amount of skills and interests that make you an excellent addition to a highly specialized team I'm putting together for a matter of grave import not only to the Society, but to Varisia as a whole. Please report an hour before noon to Heidmarch Manor - you will be compensated for your visit, but that reward will pale in light of the riches that await you should we come to an agreement on my proposition to you. I look forward to speaking with you soon!
Sheila Heidmarch,
Venture-Captain
Ahead of you, a tall white marble privacy wall surrounds a broad acreage of gardens and leafy trees, with only the briefest of glimpses between of the red slate roof of a tall manor house within. A brass plaque hangs beside the open gate that reads "Heidmarch Manor," and two guards in private livery flank it in alert poses. As you approach, you see there are a few others, also dressed and equipped in the fashion of adventurers, approaching the gate at the same time, and the guards seem to be expecting all of you.
Uraisa recognizes the armor and trapping of fellow adventuring types. The slightly built human has none of the armor of most of the others, wearing only a light traveller's outfit. Her large spellbook poked out of her backpack.
She nodded toward the others, and presented the closest guard with the note from the Venture Captain. She scarcely looked around at the large estate, being a bundle of nerves at her first mission.
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Kassandra had nothing else to do that day, so she went to the Manor earlier than the appointed time, stood at a corner and inspected the others coming before her. After she saw four or five adventurer-type people entering the manor, she shrugged and went to the doors herself. She was not very enthusiastic about the meeting, but the promise for actual compensation drew her, especially since she had not received a job offer for a few weeks now.
Galyna makes her way through the opulent summit streets, as always, slightly amused at how little most of the city's upper tier residents understood the dangers that others held at bay. Others such as herself or the other adventurers up ahead as she approached the stately Heidmarch Manor.
It semmd the promise of a new lodge and a profitabls venture had brought a number of Pathfinders.
It should make for an interesting meeting.
A young Gnome walks up to the gate carrying one of the familiar looking letters.
Dressed in Simple greens and browns with a ragged cloak and a pair of fluffy white leg warmers, Her hair which is tied back in a long ponytail that reaches all the way down her back is striped black and white like a Badger (Or maybe a skunk), Her skin is a browish/yellow with a pair of Hazelnut coloured eyes.
She pauses upon seeing the large group "Greeting and salutations I take it Your all here for the job offer as well?"The Gnome give a friendly (if somewhat disturbingly overlarge smile "I'm Miet Silverback pleasure to meet all of you." Giving an elaborate bow as she introduces herself.
Uraisa nodded at the gnome's introduction, swallowed hard, and meekly squeaked out..."Hi there Miet. I'm Uraisa,". She blushed bright red at having to speak in front of the collection of guards and adventuring types.
"Sev, hurry up! We're gonna be late!"
Looking out from beneath the brim of his hat with a sneer Severus spits a black stream of qat juice leaving a dark stain at the base of the white marble wall, "We'll make it. I esked 'round an' these pinchers have good coin." Narrowing his eyes at his sister, "An' keep it professional, it's "Shiv" to the likes of 'em. Gotta rep ta keep." His eyes seem to miss nothing as they wander over the strange group of people gathered at the gate as he lowers his voice so only Ellanera can hear, "Ho ho, looks like a buncha marks ta me." As he closes the last few feet he grabs the front brim of his hat in seeming greeting under which you can only make out his heavily qat stained grin.
When they finally turned the corner and the gate came into view, the girl paused. "Who are they? Do you recognize any of them?" Suddenly self-conscious about her worn gear, she stepped closer to her brother. "They don't look like fighters. Bet none have seen the 'drome. Maybe they are here for some other reason. Or maybe we're at the wrong place!"
She looks around with concern before convincing herself that they are indeed outside Heidmarch Manor. "OK, so this is the right place. What sort of team is it? There are so many. The one with the book, I don't think she's going to do much with a sword, but that girl over there looks like she knows what to do in a fight."
When they get close enough to overhear some of the conversation, she stops talking - far too late for Sev's tastes, she's sure - and starts studying the 'team' in earnest.
The guards at the gate watch the group gather with polite disinterest, seemingly unconcerned. When Uraisa offers her copy of the invitation, however, the guard neither takes it nor looks at; instead, he nods his head politely and says, "You're expected, madam Ellsworth. Just through the gate and follow the path; the manor house is at the end, you won't miss it. Ring the bell and someone will show you in."
She hated being recognized in front of everyone, but she looked around for a bit, then nervously proceeded. The walked down the path, hoping the others joined her, walking to the manor. Once there she rings the bell.
Wishing she felt as confident as her brother looked, Ellantera stands near the group, looking at them, then looking at the gate, then back. "I guess we're here for the same reason. Do we just go in? I'm, ah..., you can call me El." She motions to the man with the well-weathered hat standing next to her, "This is my brother Shiv."
She waits for Shiv to make a move toward the gate, but she's obviously eager to go on in.
The man reaches up and brushes off the worn leather sleeve of his long coat as if trying to do the impossible and make it presentable. Using a hand-sign from the fights, he surreptitiously signals to El to wait. It's easy for her to imagine his mental smirk, More room ta move back here. Easier ta keep an eye on the woman in front of ya than the shiv in yer back... He follows the others after they have had a slight head start.
Oscar as usual arrived right at the appointed time, and noticed all the others gathered. He didn't recognize any of them, but that might be expected, as he hadn't been in Magnimar very long. He pulls himself away from the wall he had been leaning on for support, and with a slight grimace at the tightness in his still healing left leg, he joined the others in time to hear the introductions. "Oscar Salt". he says with a stolid look on his face. "Most people just call me Salt".
El smiles and gives him a little wave in acknowledgement.
Galyna took in the assembled group, quietly studying the interactions. The shy Urasia brought a ghost of a smile to the corner of her mouth, and the Gnome woman seemed genuinely friendly. The duo, brother and sister from the look of them even before the girl introduced them. Seasoned warriors, and probably good at it. The man Shiv moved like he was expecting an attack any second and preparing not to run, but to fight.
The quiet man reminded her of herself a bit, someone used to spending a large amount of time alone, depending only on himself. It would be interesting this meeting.
"I'm Galyna." she said quietly taking a moment to look each person in the eyes. "Godd to meet you all"
Kassandra looked at the other adventurers congregating before the entrance to the manor. Except for the siblings which seem to have had some experience outside of their homes, the others seemed friendly enough but not especially experienced, a fresh change from what Kassandra was used to from her previous jobs on the streets of Magnimar. She joined the group, using small nods and waves to gesture to the others that she acknowledges their presence, and introducing herself simply as "I'm Kassandra". Joining the small-talk, her mind drifted to think of her first rule when accepting such jobs - never get attached to others before the first shared job with them - a lesson she learned the hard way. It just makes their death harder, she grimly thought to herself, reminding herself that she is a professional, and needs the money.
The Mage looks over her shoulder. Oh no, they aren't coming. Did I listen wrong? Am I supposed to stay over there? What's going on?
Miet happily shows her Invitation to the guards and heads in "Guess there all a little nervous." She says to Uraisa as she heads over to push the bell.
Oscar definitely heads in, his slight limp improving with the movement, and presents his invitation to the guards.
Following the rest of the makeshift group, the rough looking man spits another black stream of qat before entering the manor grounds. Apparently, taking the guards at their word he does not even bother to take out his invitation.
El walking alongside Shiv, thanks the guards and wishes them a good day. As they walk toward the manor, she is trying to look everywhere at once, trying to take it all in.
"Thank goodness. I thought I had done something wrong," Uraisa confides to the gnome as they wait for a response to the bell ringing.
Kassanra shrugs and follows the others. She looks around a lot, stopping for a moment to nod to the guards.
The guards nod politely as the group files past them, looks of recognition in their eyes and no indication that they require seeing any invitation from any member of the group. As you reasemble on the porch of the large manor house in the center of the compound, the door opens, and Uraisa finds herself looking into the eyes of an older Taldan man in formal garb, who offers a deep bow to the motley group that stands before him. "Welcome to Heidmarch Manor, Pathfinders and others," he says gravely, stepping back to allow you entrance. "You are expected. If you please, Lady Heidmarch has asked that you await her in the library while she completes a meeting. It should only be a few minutes. Please, this way." The man indicates a room to the right of the main hall, where large, ornately-carved doors stand open invitingly.
Nervousness and excitement war for control of El's features as she looks at her brother. We are invited into a mansion! With a real library!
But she doesn't move, knowing he would prefer the strangers, even soon-to-be allies (?) be where he can see them. She motions with her hand, murmuring, "Please, after you."
A library!
Uraisa doesn't wait for another invitation. When the nice lady asks her to proceed, she quickly does, and walks through the doorway. She begins looking around, seeing what interesting titles would be on the shelves of a mansion such as this.
Oscar enters the room of books, and chooses to stand waiting just in case his leg stiffens up again. He looks around the room for anything unusual as he waits.
Perception
Sev, noticing how eager El is, nods his head toward the door while saying under his breath, "Go ahead an' keep an eye out. I'll stick with tha laggards." He eyes Kassandra suspiciously.
Upon everyone heading in, he notices Salt giving the place a once over and nods in approval as their eyes meet. He then proceeds to do the same.
Kassandra enters the library and immediately begins to checking the books for anything interesting which she does not know already. After a while, she begins to pull books out, examines them briefly and places them back, ignoring the others for the moment.
Sev, noticing how eager El is, nods his head toward the door while saying under his breath, "Go ahead an' keep an eye out. I'll stick with tha laggards." He eyes Kassandra suspiciously.
Upon everyone heading in, he notices Salt giving the place a once over and nods in approval as their eyes meet. He then proceeds to do the same.
"OK!" And she scoots through the door, ending up near Uraisa in the library, scanning titles and looking over the room.
Miet seems more interested in any statues or sculptures in the room rather than the books themselves.
Walking softly across the marbled floor, Galyna eases herself into one of the chairs and leans back, green eyes combing the room, gathering information.
A blond dwarf enters in a hurry, wearing an ornately embroidered coat and sporting a holy symbol of Abadar. "I'm not too late for the party, am I?"
Heidmarch Manor is large and well-appointed, rich furnishings decorated in a distinctively Garundi style. Bronze spears and long, thin wooden masks hang on the walls, and richly-woven rugs and tapestries in geometric patterns of red, green, yellow and black provide most of the color. The library is one of the rooms closest to the door, just beyond the foyer - the walls are covered in bookshelves, and the tables in the center of the room are heaped with books and scrolls. Most of the books are in Taldane, but the sharp-eyed exmainers looking them over spot tomes in Varisian, Kelish, Osirian and even Thassilonian and Jistkan, in addition to Elven, Orc and Draconic works.
For a few minutes, you are left alone to size the room and one another up, but after only a short wait, the door opens again and admits two more women. The one in the lead is a tall, attractive woman with dark curled hair and an aristocratic cast to her face, wearing a comfortable-looking but richly-woven dress; the other is slightly shorter (though still on the tall side for a woman), a half-elf with bright red hair, tattoos along her jawline and neck and a nose ring piercing her left nostril. She wears leather armor, and a sheathed bastard sword hangs on her back, matched by a distinctive redwood-and-mithral aklys (a hooked club attached to a cord) on her belt. The noblewoman smiles as she sees you all. "Hello, everyone," she says, in a surprisingly deep voice. "I am Sheila Heidmarch, Venture-Captain of the Magnimarian Lodge and mistress of this house. Thank you all for coming. This is Koriah Azmeren, one of the Pathfinder Society's most talented and successful agents. Unfortunately, the timing for our meeting has been complicated by Koraih's arrival - she has brought me a number of Thassilonian artifacts recovered from the Darklands below the Fogscar mountains, and I need to take a few more minutes to examine them. Please forgive the delay."
Heidmarch crosses the room, clearing some space off of one of the tables and placing an unusual object on it: an ornate cubical stone coffer, covered in Thassilonian runes. "In the meantime, though, I thought you could help us with another minor issue. This stone coffer is an ancient Thassilonian puzzle, a cunning feat of magical engineering known as a paradox box. As you’ll see from even a casual investigation, what appear to be seams on the sides are only shallow grooves—there’s no obvious way to open the thing. Each paradox box has its own secret method of being opened. Essentially, a paradox box substitutes hidden catches and magical triggers for a lock. Given time, anyone clever enough could figure out how to open a paradox box, just as given time, a locksmith can open any lock. This particular box was among those items recovered by Koriah — these scrolls are her preliminary notes on possible triggers or methods of opening it, but she’s not yet had a chance to sit down and properly investigate the thing. So... why don’t you put your heads together and see if you can’t do that for me? Even if the box is empty, as I suspect it probably is, knowing the method of opening it makes it a valuable find anyway. I’ll return shortly, and I hope to see that box open! Think of this as an audition, if you will — because the actual task I want to speak to you about soon will require as much wit as it will brawn!" Heidmarch places the scrolls with Azmeren's notes on them next to the box, then excuses herself and her companion, and together they leave you alone with the puzzle - and each other.
When Uraisa sees one of the tomes with the genuine Thassilonian script, she almost squeals with delight, as she rushes to it, and pulls it from the self, trying to discern the topic discussed. "You hardly ever see books like this," she spoke out loud to no one in particular.
When Uraisa sees one of the tomes with the genuine Thassilonian script, she almost squeals with delight, as she rushes to it, and pulls it from the self, trying to discern the topic discussed. "You hardly ever see books like this," she spoke out loud to no one in particular.
The text is a primer on basic magical techniques - it is, in fact, the same book that Uraisa herself used when first beginning her training, although that one was a translation and this an older copy. (It is itself a copy of a much older work that survived through to the modern era; the book in Uraisa's hands is probably no more than three or four centuries old.)
When she actually noticed the topic of the tome, despite being in a crowd around all these strangers, the young mage actually choked up a bit. I remember the first time I ever went through this book! She scanned through the book, focusing on one of the very first chapters, which instructed the reader on the correct components necessary for the various schools of magic. She immediately became lost in the pages.
Oscar immediately advances towards the box and picks it up to determine it's heft, and then shakes it slightly to see if anything seems to be inside. He wants to investigate the box first, before reading the notes so that he won't be swayed by someone else's ideas.
Perception
Appraise (To determine the value of the item)
Before handing it over to the Gnome.
Miet looks over the paradox box lifting it and examining it from all sides.
When the well-dressed dwarf hustles into the room, Ellantera nods and addresses him.
Ellantera sidles over to look over Uraisa's shoulder. "What does it say? Does it tell a story?"
Ellantera sidles over to look over Uraisa's shoulder. "What does it say? Does it tell a story?"
"It's a story all right. It is a primer on magical studies. I used a copy of it, when I began learning about magic. This one is much older and more valuable," she says keeping her eyes on the wonderful pages.
The girl nods slowly. "Oh, ok."
She makes her way over to the group looking at the puzzle. She keeps her hands behind her as she studies the box in the gnome's hands.
With a firm nod, she offers, "I'll bet my brother can figure it out. He can figure out anything."
Kassandra listens to Sheila speak and focuses her eye on the box. Although she tries to hide it by holding a book and flipping its pages every once in a while, it is clear she is very interested in it and tries to sneak a peak while the others pass it around. She does not ask for it herself, but tries to remember if she heard anything about such a box.