Adventure #1 - Bones of Rac'cona (Cheliax)

[reefwood]

Objectives:
1) Subdue Chelish Pathfinders in Corentyn.
2) Impersonate Chelish Pathfinders to gain access to the Arch of Aroden.
3) Locate and recover the partial remains of a deceased Pathfinder.


Setting: The Pathfinder Society has not been welcome in Cheliax since diabolist House Thrune gained control of the throne seven decades ago. Chelish Pathfinders are mere puppets of the crown and submit no reports to the Grand Lodge. They seek out lore and relics only to benefit the crown or destroy perceived threats to its rule. All official Pathfinder field agents have been rebuffed at the border and undercover teams rarely return.

The new year, however, has erupted with an uprising in the largest Chelish city – Westcrown (City of Twilight). This bustling port is no longer the capitol nor the gem from yesteryear, but it is still a valuable and strategic asset that the crown dare not risk losing. Additionally, supply ships have set sail from the neighboring, freedom-fighting nation of Andoran to aid the rebels, and the Chelish capitol of Egorian (City of Thorns) is sure to respond by deploying its navy. The turmoil should be enough to distract the crown and its agents – at least momentarily – from most other matters and provide a window for Pathfinders to quietly conduct operations in Cheliax.

Corentyn (City of Nine Forts) is located in southwestern Cheliax and well-known for having withstood many sieges over the centuries. It sits at the mouth of the Inner Sea and overlooks the ancient Arch of Aroden – an immense bridge that once connected the north and south continents but has fallen into disrepair since House Thrune seized the crown. The central portion crumbled four decades ago, but pilgrims still visit its northern stretch. They are thoroughly scrutinized by the dottari (city guard) and Hellknights, however, city officials and representatives of the crown are usually granted unfettered access.


Background: Rac'cona Uldeth was an ex-venture-captain who spent her final years as an ardent follower of Aroden in Westcrown – the city where the man-tuned-god would return to the world. When he died, and the world fell into chaos, Rac'cona gave her life preventing powerful minions of Hell from opening a direct portal into the world. She died as a martyr and was soon elevated to sainthood, but her body was thought destroyed. It turns out, however, that the faithful hid her remains around the Inner Sea region in sites sacred to Aroden. The Pathfinder Society wishes to give the former venture-captain a proper burial. Most of her remains have been recovered over the past several years, but the final pieces are believed to be in Cheliax.


Details: Everfort is the Pathfinder lodge in Corentyn. It is run by a halfling venture-captain (Gringin Tallowfoot) and his tiefling chronicler (Lengrentu). The Hellknight Order of the Chain (based out of nearby Citadel Gheradesca) has assigned a human signifier (Devara Sarkis) to oversee their work. The so-called Pathfinders are pesh addicts who depart on a “field assignment” for a few days each month when a shipment of the drug arrives. Conducting the mission during this time will provide an opportunity to act in their place while nothing is expected of them. Also, they are known to occasionally work with a number of “field agents” who hail from the forest to the north: a half-fiend witch (Elandrexa), a half-orc huntress (Bregga the Axe), and an elven woodsman (Sa'tinder of Cicatrix).

Impersonation will require disguises. Gringin and Lengrentu are notable figures in the city, and all Chelish citizens recognize Hellknight armor. Mundane disguises can be created with disguise kits and their clothing. Magical disguises can be more accurate, but a strong mind can see through them. Additionally, as House Thrune puppets, Gringin and Lengrentu are issued identification papers with an arcane mark that changes at irregular intervals. These will be necessary to gain free access to the Arch of Aroden.

The Arch of Aroden was a massive undertaking that took five decades to complete. Housing for workers and slaves was built into it. Old units were filled in as new ones were created to keep pace with the length of the bridge as the project progressed. Upon completion, all the housing units were filled in. However, a pair of shrines to Aroden had also been built inside the 15-mile bridge for workers to worship, and these were merely sealed off when the bridge was completed. This was over 2,000 years ago. If any official construction records remained in Cheliax, they were most likely hidden away or destroyed by House Thrune, but experts say that the shrines would have been placed halfway between the ends and center of the bridge, which means the northern shrine should be three and three-quarter miles south of the north entrance. The central and southern portions of the Arch have collapsed.

[reefwood]

[OOC: A few things before we begin...

1) Be sure to read the mission details at the end of the opening post, even if you don't have time to read the setting or background. There will be more info presented at the table, but these details should be enough to create appropriate characters with relevant equipment.

2) Finish purchasing equipment and calculate load. This is somewhat related to the first point. If you stock up on dessert and spelunking equipment without realizing you are going to a seaport city, then no, you cannot spend time at the session revamping your equipment. Buying an extra potion or weapon is fine. Of course, this warning does not mean that you won't end up in the desert or in a cave

3) You can purchase equipment during a mission as long as you can find someone willing to sell it, so you may want to hold onto a few hundred gold if you want to have that option. If not, go ahead and spend it all before the game.

4) Venture-captain Haav'ork has a middle-aged human Chronicler named Leda who provides limited assistance to field agents. Mostly transportation and most other help at a distance, so to speak. However, she can cast Sepia Snake Sigil, if you would find that useful, but players would need to pay for the 500 gp material component for each casting. This spell is beyond your abilities, so the price tag may be out of your range but just wanted to let it be known.

5) Each PC will start this adventure with 1 hero point. If you make it to a certain point by the food break, you will receive another hero point. 2 hero points can be used to save your dead character. I figure you all should at least get a *chance* to have your character for more than one adventure. However, a character saved with hero points will receive a permanent injury related to their death. Also, hero points do not carryover between sessions, so use them or lose them.

6) We will gather at 2:30pm and take some time to present characters, refresh the opening info, and ask last minute questions. Dice will start rolling at 3pm. If someone is running late, we will start without them, and that will be okay. The food break will be around 6pm, and the end time will be around 9pm. If anyone needs a hard stop time, please let me know.]

[reefwood]

Haav'ork provides final pieces of advice and information:

• It would be best if the Pathfinder Society is not implicated in any way. House Thrune does not take slights lightly, and its reach spreads wide across the Inner Sea. Any number of future operations could be threatened should House Thrune know where to aim its retaliation.
• Extreme discretion is also advised with regards to your own safety. While House Thrune may have its attention focused on the rebellion, and many commonfolk may well believe that Gingrin and Legentru are official Pathfinders, there are those who know the truth –that the Society is not welcome in Cheliax– and would put you in danger for their own advantage.
• The Chelish Pathfinders need not be killed. In fact, their deaths could result in more scrutiny.
  Of course, the final decisions made in the field are you own.
• Bones are enchanted; still missing are 11 ribs, 1 femur, 1 hand, breastbone, skull.

Wealday, Abadius 25, AR 4712
12p – Leda teleports the party to Timberfell. They walk all afternoon and into the night to reach Corentyn. They enter the well-to-do Iron district and pass through the Gallows slave district to reach the warehousing Ice district. Ly'lue and Pratt approach a sailor, merchant, and finally, a slave to locate the tavern closest to the Chelish Pathfinder lodge. The Shark Inn is filled with mostly humans. However, a halfling with a Pathfinder marking sits with an elf in town for a wedding. Also, three tieflings are at a table on the other side. None in the party can understand their language, but it is clear that two defer to the one who also has a Pathfinder marking. As the tavern clears out, the party rents the two remaining rooms for the night.

Oathday, Abadius 26, AR 4712
The party heads to the Arch of Aroden across from the Whisper Fort. Iris and Taj present themselves as pilgrims with fake names to enter. The dottari (city guard) whistle, and a bookkeeper steps out of the gate to take their names. They walk over two hours to where the shrine is thought to be located. A close inspection reveals a section of stone blocks that were set in place at a different time than the rest of the walkway. Upon leaving, the bookkeeper glances up at their faces. Next, the party goes down into the Ash district in the cliffs to ask about the shipment of pesh. Pratt is able to keep their questions discrete, and they learn that it will be aboard a ship called the Seven Sails that is expected to arrive after noon. Then, they return to the Shark Inn in hopes of finding the Chelish Pathfinders again, but they do not show up this night.

Fireday, Abadius 28, AR 4712
Pratt departs early to learn more about the Seven Sails but comes up with nothing. The party watches from the Cliff Road for the ship. When they feel that that they spot it, they move down through the Ash district to the docks. Three half-orcs, and later an elderly human, approach the ship and spend some time below deck. The half-orcs each carry a half-barrel on their shoulder, and the humans holds nothing apparent. Pratt follows the half-orcs to a cliffside dwelling but does not enter, and then, the human to a rowboat but does not pursue further. Two more wagons of humans arrive and depart with several crates but are not followed. At dusk, the sailors on deck disembarks and are replaced by others from below deck. As the sun dips below the horizon, a middle-aged human boards the ship and goes below deck. The party decides to follow this one when he leaves the dock. The human walks along the Cliff Road for an hour and hops on the back of a wagon, whose low cargo is mostly covered by a canvas tarp. Ly'lue hops on the wagon beside the human who tries to not be obvious in keeping an eye on her. The wagon winds around the Cliff Road and turns northwest out of the city – toward the Hellknight Citadel. Traffic along the cliffline is sparse and spreads out over the next hour when, finally, the human tells Ly'lue that it is time for her to get off the wagon. It turns out to be one of the last things he will say. A fight breaks out with spells and swords as the men driving the wagon try to speed away. The human vanishes, and the halfling appears from beneath the tarp, but when all is said and done, the true Pathfinders stand victorious, and the rest are dead.

[reefwood]

Fireday, Abadius 28, AR 4712

11:00p - Inspecting the bodies, it is uncovered that the middle-aged human is actually the tiefling from the Shark Inn, and his satchel holds a large amount of pesh. The bodies of the Chelish Pathfinders and dottari are stripped of useful items and tossed over the cliff into the crashing waves below. The party hops on the wagon and turns the horses around. They riding back to Corentyn and turn north on the Timber Road.


Starday, Abadius 29, AR 4712

The party arrives in Timberfell an hour before dawn. Tired but with a safe place to sleep. Upon recharging spells and resting most of the day, they ride the wagon back to Corentyn in disguise. Taking the Timber Road to the city wall and circling it along the Cliff Road to the Arch of Aroden. The late hour draws some curiosity, but the identification badges pass inspection and allow unfettered access to the site. Eventually, they make their way into the shrine, which is guarded by a fiend. Most likely placed here by House Thrune as a hellish desecration of this once holy site. The battle is fierce. Taj squares off against the massive hellion while Pratt takes stabs from behind. Ly'lue supports them with arrows and spells, and Iris keeps everyone alive. Barely. But the party prevails and finds the enchanted bones on the dead fiend. The breastbone strapped to its chest, and six rib bones worn laced together on the head like a crown. Exiting through the arch gate, the bookkeeper notes their departure, but they are allowed to pass without question.


Sunday, Abadius 30, AR 4712

The sun is already up by the time Timberfell is reached. Everyone is exhausted, but Leda is ready to teleport the party back to Absalom. Haav'ork is pleased at the successful recovery of the bones, though, he furrows his brow upon learning that not only were the Chelish Pathfinders killed but a pair of dottari (city guard) were as well. House Thrune is sure to conduct an investigation. Best hope no loose threads lead them this way.


[OOC: Claimed items are listed below.

Ly'lue
1x Cloak of Resistance +1 (1,000 gp)
2x Potion of cure moderate wounds (2x 300 = 600 gp)
1x Potion of shield of faith (50 gp)
1x Masterwork Autopsy Tools (100 gp)
54 doses of pesh (810 gp)

Pratt
6 doses of pesh (90 gp)]