Pub we're staying in is 'Stone Giant'. Pretty standard, maybe cleaner than other places but average for the area. Stable space for Flash and Cinder. Near enough to transport out that I don't feel entirely trapped. Decently priced. Food ok. Warm.
Recommend Griffin & Hart if you need to buy/sell magic items in a rush. We've had good service. Staff knowledgable. Branches across Golarion. They'd never heard of a vorpal dagger, said it'd be pretty pointless considering how hard it'd be to make. Still, will keep eye out for them elsewhere.
Pitax is unnaturally clean. Crisp. Unnatural. Tanna agrees. Also the guards are strange - large and armoured so heavily there's no sign of the person. Masked. Creepy.
Rumour that someone tried to assassinate Chester Goldhawk whilst our barons were in town. Need to look into that. Guardhouse first place. Also need to visit Silver Serpent Trade Guild and see if we can get appointments with anyone else they visited.
Bah! Lord Irrevetti is 'too busy' to see us. Being visited by Duchess Caroline of Galt. The others don't want to see her. Think they're wrong, but politics not my strength.
Captain of guards is Stromm. Has lovely wolf but not friendly. Says attempted assassination was successful and several good men also died. Goldhawk was brought back very, very dead, killed by slash wounds from a probably serrated blade. Then he woke up fine and walked away without speaking. Assassinations and coming back from the dead are both unusual here.
Stromm also mentioned high-profile bank heist whilst the barons were in town. Conveniently unavailable for questioning. Vault (Pitax National Bank) emptied, leaving melted object in centre of floor - unidentified. We can investigate unofficially and if we don't get in the way.
Barons visited Lord Asher. Met his senechal - Cuthbert. Barons were 'industrious' in trade deals with Asher estate + SS Trade Guild. Got on well with Asher - stayed 2 nights. Had been sent to Pitax to collect debt to Brevoy. Money was leant during turmoil after Irrevetti arrived from Numeria and took over. The tech he brought has helped the place thrive (no wonder it feels unnatural).
Cuthbert says Goldhawk's assassination was political: was a vocal inquisitor + the son of Eliza Goldhawk - the singer. Very famous up here.
The PNB robbery hasn't affected Asher estate. Was shocking because everything was stolen even though stored extra-dimensionally.
There was a 'religious kerfuffle' whilst barons were here: all clergy suddenly went to Absalom. (Presume that relates to why we're investigating them?)
Lord Asher arrived as we were leaving so Sam snuck in after and chatted with him. Says assassin after Goldhawk probably 'Red Mantis' - blood-letting assassins on a 'divine mission'. Asher also confirmed the barons helped out in Mivon and that he had a 'close, personal relationship' with them. Says they also met Leochenza, former ruler of Pitax. Irrevetti won rulership from him in cards. Not convinced that's the best way to govern.
SSTG: Xapiri Yasmina owns guild & showed us round. Confirmed barons set up profitable trade deals (mostly iron & silver). Says they're ambitious and their advisor (Gregor) is astute. Described them as "shifty" but also "green as the fields they seemed to claim" - wouldn't have met them if wasn't for Gregor + backing of Brevoy. Glad she did. They're particularly innovative with their magical solutions: SSTG have licence to do same river lighting we saw in Dawnlands.
On assassination, says Goldhawk can be abrasive and fast rise to power will make enemies - more than most, given his 'persuasion' (half-orc?). Didn't know much about bank heist except they were going to use the same security firm but decided not to.
At some point, Zab snuck off cos he's spotted a room the rest of us didn't see. Went in and found blueprints for the bank vault and list of contents: SSTG had unspecified "documents" about 6" by 12" stolen. Placed to help them steal the rest? Did barons do just cos they can? Was someone else after those documents, or something else in the vault? There's wild rumours round town - eg a cat did it (always back to cats!). Zabeel reckons (tracks in the dust) that Goldhawk had been there, and assassination was later. How he found out how to get in, why someone tried to kill him or massive coincidence?
Bank won't let us investigate. Said Stromm had said we could and he's a lying bastard who told them he'd never heard of us.
Others want to do more investigating. Ready to leave town, but must make most of it.
Occurs that some kind of ranged communication device - like message spell but longer distance - would be useful. Vodastone! Stones linked and magicked up so you can talk to someone with another stone on the network. Limited uses; need recharging. Griffin & Hart helping with the magic and patent pending.
Bounty board has bounty hunter-turned-assassin, Korvax. Been killing political people: 6 arrows around heart, no sign of struggle. Zabeel found he was hiding out somewhere unknown with spies using rocks to store messages for him. Tried to set him up but he was smarter than that (magic sleep, git), but Zab convinced him to meet again and we ambushed. He fell off the roof and we handed his body in.
Not a normal body. Organic and mechanical organs. Never seen anything like it. Tanna was taken with his tattoos - I think she stole one.
IMPORTANT! We were just back with Griffin & Hart and heard from town cryer that the barons have been missing for over 6 weeks following 'daring mission in the Abyss'. Presumed dead. Things were going well in the World Wound but this is major set back and start of things going wrong. Town cryer says report came from 'Grayson Silversong', staying in Steel Rose.
Steel Rose is kind of pub you'd expect to find bard. Grayson still stands out: flamboyant flute on hip but also braces of daggers across chest, large sword and his eyes!
Says Lord Alexei, Queen Svetlana, Aaron, Evander and Lord Kieran went into the Abyss to stem tide of demons incoming. Since, have been significant demon incursions to south and Baphomet himself appeared on the battlefield and swiped the Herald of Iomedae. Many died: Queen Galfrey barely survived. The plan had been a major push from an opportunity created by the barons, but Baphomet's presence impacted that.
Silversong knew the barons. Says can't decide if they were "brave, foolish, or insane". They did find a treasure horde big enough to fill Drezen. I'm not convinced he's exagerating: all his daggers are horichalcum.
Aaron (who went into the Abyss with them) is a tiefling who hangs around with them. Might be an assassin. Wears red armour. Joined them before they came to Absolam but after attempted assassination. Thinks the tiefling hanged in Absolam (the one who killed all those council members) was the one who tried to kill Goldhawk. Says there was some kind of usurption in the assassin order & the barons and Aaron ended up killing someone called the 'Blood Mistress'. Did Aaron join them to get close to Goldhawk - as a threat or to protect? Lean to protect, if Blood Mistress was one trying to have him killed?
Tieflings can burrow.
Ok, so Silversong joined the barons because he'd heard of Lord Alexei and wanted to study under him. Didn't join them in Abyss (neither did the griffin, Brutus, but their totem cat, Mr Tiddles, did) because he "knows when he's in over his head". Is it that the barons don't know, or aren't? "Yes".
Oh, and the cat 'tore through demons' in a 'spectacular display of arcane power'. Says all the group impressed him: if any can survive the Abyss, it's them. They entered Nocticula's realm through a hell gate which Queen Galfrey closed behind them. Plan is to return using devices crafted by Lord Alexei. Tanna asked about this: Silversong says items crafted by Lord Alexei have a unique and distinctive aura and are highly prized by their bearers.
Silversong's on his way back to Brevoy to tell Malliard of the Star Towers. I know of 8 of these: something to do with the old gods. Silversong says they're falling. One (near Iz) has been taken.It'd been kept safe by powerful wizards with divine aid but contact lost. Travelling to Malliard because he the only one outside the Arcanium who knows as much as they do there.
Drew magic circle in the ground - weird looking symbols. Needed blood to activate. Says he learnt it from Mr Tiddles. Teleported us all right to Malliard.
I missed the next session, a dungeon hack through an abandonned Rovagug temple. A bit gutted - sounds exactly the sort of thing Jvala would have loved! - but Real Life intervened the way it does sometimes. Will see if I can convince one of the others to do a guest post.... Zabeel, Tanna, looking at you!
On assassination, says Goldhawk can be abrasive and fast rise to power will make enemies - more than most, given his 'persuasion' (half-orc?). Didn't know much about bank heist except they were going to use the same security firm but decided not to.
At some point, Zab snuck off cos he's spotted a room the rest of us didn't see. Went in and found blueprints for the bank vault and list of contents: SSTG had unspecified "documents" about 6" by 12" stolen. Placed to help them steal the rest? Did barons do just cos they can? Was someone else after those documents, or something else in the vault? There's wild rumours round town - eg a cat did it (always back to cats!). Zabeel reckons (tracks in the dust) that Goldhawk had been there, and assassination was later. How he found out how to get in, why someone tried to kill him or massive coincidence?
Bank won't let us investigate. Said Stromm had said we could and he's a lying bastard who told them he'd never heard of us.
Others want to do more investigating. Ready to leave town, but must make most of it.
Occurs that some kind of ranged communication device - like message spell but longer distance - would be useful. Vodastone! Stones linked and magicked up so you can talk to someone with another stone on the network. Limited uses; need recharging. Griffin & Hart helping with the magic and patent pending.
Bounty board has bounty hunter-turned-assassin, Korvax. Been killing political people: 6 arrows around heart, no sign of struggle. Zabeel found he was hiding out somewhere unknown with spies using rocks to store messages for him. Tried to set him up but he was smarter than that (magic sleep, git), but Zab convinced him to meet again and we ambushed. He fell off the roof and we handed his body in.
Not a normal body. Organic and mechanical organs. Never seen anything like it. Tanna was taken with his tattoos - I think she stole one.
IMPORTANT! We were just back with Griffin & Hart and heard from town cryer that the barons have been missing for over 6 weeks following 'daring mission in the Abyss'. Presumed dead. Things were going well in the World Wound but this is major set back and start of things going wrong. Town cryer says report came from 'Grayson Silversong', staying in Steel Rose.
Steel Rose is kind of pub you'd expect to find bard. Grayson still stands out: flamboyant flute on hip but also braces of daggers across chest, large sword and his eyes!
Says Lord Alexei, Queen Svetlana, Aaron, Evander and Lord Kieran went into the Abyss to stem tide of demons incoming. Since, have been significant demon incursions to south and Baphomet himself appeared on the battlefield and swiped the Herald of Iomedae. Many died: Queen Galfrey barely survived. The plan had been a major push from an opportunity created by the barons, but Baphomet's presence impacted that.
Silversong knew the barons. Says can't decide if they were "brave, foolish, or insane". They did find a treasure horde big enough to fill Drezen. I'm not convinced he's exagerating: all his daggers are horichalcum.
Aaron (who went into the Abyss with them) is a tiefling who hangs around with them. Might be an assassin. Wears red armour. Joined them before they came to Absolam but after attempted assassination. Thinks the tiefling hanged in Absolam (the one who killed all those council members) was the one who tried to kill Goldhawk. Says there was some kind of usurption in the assassin order & the barons and Aaron ended up killing someone called the 'Blood Mistress'. Did Aaron join them to get close to Goldhawk - as a threat or to protect? Lean to protect, if Blood Mistress was one trying to have him killed?
Tieflings can burrow.
Ok, so Silversong joined the barons because he'd heard of Lord Alexei and wanted to study under him. Didn't join them in Abyss (neither did the griffin, Brutus, but their totem cat, Mr Tiddles, did) because he "knows when he's in over his head". Is it that the barons don't know, or aren't? "Yes".
Oh, and the cat 'tore through demons' in a 'spectacular display of arcane power'. Says all the group impressed him: if any can survive the Abyss, it's them. They entered Nocticula's realm through a hell gate which Queen Galfrey closed behind them. Plan is to return using devices crafted by Lord Alexei. Tanna asked about this: Silversong says items crafted by Lord Alexei have a unique and distinctive aura and are highly prized by their bearers.
Silversong's on his way back to Brevoy to tell Malliard of the Star Towers. I know of 8 of these: something to do with the old gods. Silversong says they're falling. One (near Iz) has been taken.It'd been kept safe by powerful wizards with divine aid but contact lost. Travelling to Malliard because he the only one outside the Arcanium who knows as much as they do there.
Drew magic circle in the ground - weird looking symbols. Needed blood to activate. Says he learnt it from Mr Tiddles. Teleported us all right to Malliard.
I missed the next session, a dungeon hack through an abandonned Rovagug temple. A bit gutted - sounds exactly the sort of thing Jvala would have loved! - but Real Life intervened the way it does sometimes. Will see if I can convince one of the others to do a guest post.... Zabeel, Tanna, looking at you!
As Zabeel:
ReplyDelete"Expenses currently include 65 bullets, 2 alchemy bombs 1 blood boiling pill and 1 blood chilling pill.
See Tanna's report for details of the ruined temple. Though I do not trust her to say anything coherent"
"Additional: This place is far to noisy, even when there is no one around."
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