[7/10/2026, 5:07:55 PM] Gul Banana
ok, before clicking this levelup button i need to finally finish reconciling which of my list spells were occult-only and still need replacement
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[7/10/2026, 5:08:08 PM] Dammitwho
Are we all here? No rush, this is Tokentime
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 5:08:23 PM] Dammitwho
Or rather, Actortime
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[7/10/2026, 5:08:27 PM] Crion
oim here
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[7/10/2026, 5:08:35 PM] Gul Banana
here's who's not here: a vast cosmic skull
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[7/10/2026, 5:09:04 PM] CBN
i'm here and updating with So Much Wisdom. so many lores at 'trained'
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[7/10/2026, 5:09:44 PM] CBN
forest, goblin, mountain, river, underworld, volcano, "fortune-telling". apparitions, man
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[7/10/2026, 5:10:27 PM] Nicolae
lol i get +2 damage to weapons i'm expert in, sorry dammitwho
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[7/10/2026, 5:10:36 PM] Tak Ironflame
okay, gotta pick a feat and a skill to boost
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[7/10/2026, 5:10:43 PM] Nicolae
fuck it that one's in character
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[7/10/2026, 5:11:14 PM] Gul Banana
i hope dubnoom has a chance to use volcano lore.
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[7/10/2026, 5:16:38 PM] Dammitwho
That's fine, I just need to start pissing off crion by attacking tak instead of by attacking imran
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[7/10/2026, 5:16:41 PM] Gul Banana
how did i even get @UUID[Actor.na4BvYZuIm8Bnbpr.Item.vtUnVzqFYDnDESm9]{Malicious Shadow}... maybe it's from a Lesson feat that i need to swap
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 5:17:00 PM] Crion
lol
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[7/10/2026, 5:17:26 PM] Gul Banana
although actually, maybe i should keep it. surely light can cast shadows
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[7/10/2026, 5:17:54 PM] Gul Banana
yeah, that's from greater lesson: lesson of shadow and does not require any particular patron
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[7/10/2026, 5:19:10 PM] CBN
i need to remember to use Prescient Planner, especially now that i have Prescient Consumable. freebies and retroactive planning...
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[7/10/2026, 5:21:19 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
a sudden recollection - with proof - of Wisdom that could've been dispensed already
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[7/10/2026, 5:25:15 PM] Nicolae
okay so ctrl c and ctrl v do Not copy text
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[7/10/2026, 5:25:20 PM] Nicolae
we got a spare tak
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[7/10/2026, 5:26:05 PM] Gul Banana
no need to wait for me to fix everything up, i'll be at this a while in the background... the core thing that makes it annoying is that when you take a spell onto your sheet, as a witch, the pf2e implementation *modifies its tags* - so all my spells list as Divine, and i have to look them up in the compendium browser to see whether that is actually the case
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[7/10/2026, 5:26:32 PM] CBN
tak displaying the dark truth of the shadowlands: you don't level up, you face and defeat yourself
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[7/10/2026, 5:26:44 PM] Gul Banana
then look at its traditions on the spell card, then pick a replacement if necessary...
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[7/10/2026, 5:26:51 PM] Gul Banana
but it's all in service of helping lindal's friends~
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[7/10/2026, 5:27:34 PM] Crion
mac's right click shortcut being "press the pad with two fingers instead of one" is too cute by half
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[7/10/2026, 5:27:34 PM] Nicolae
anyway i had been wondering when dwho was going to realize "wait, why am i going after imran when i should go after tak"
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[7/10/2026, 5:27:42 PM] Crion
nevertheless, drained was cleared
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[7/10/2026, 5:28:01 PM] Nicolae
it's always nice when you make the gm change tactics, up until those new tactics start kicking your ass ;_;
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[7/10/2026, 5:28:26 PM] Crion
i should look for tech support for more reactions bc i suspect i will need them
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[7/10/2026, 5:28:28 PM] Nicolae
anyway yeah i'll keep doing stuff in the background if we want to get into Narrative Business
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[7/10/2026, 5:28:46 PM] Crion
though maybe 2e locks down the action economy superhard even at high levels
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[7/10/2026, 5:28:58 PM] Gul Banana
figment -> glamorise
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[7/10/2026, 5:29:53 PM] Dammitwho
Is everyone prepared to move into narrative time? It's fine if not
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[7/10/2026, 5:30:02 PM] Dammitwho
i got a fridge cig
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[7/10/2026, 5:30:04 PM] CBN
i am!
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[7/10/2026, 5:30:22 PM] Nicolae
yes, i don't expect that i'll end up with any feats that will severely alter narrative events
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[7/10/2026, 5:30:32 PM] Gul Banana
i'm ready, but what is a fridge cig
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[7/10/2026, 5:31:51 PM] Crion
rdy
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[7/10/2026, 5:32:57 PM] Gul Banana
warp step -> message
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[7/10/2026, 5:32:57 PM] Nicolae
what tab is the party loot under, i got some potions to offload to the common good
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[7/10/2026, 5:33:31 PM] Gul Banana
that one
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[7/10/2026, 5:33:48 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak Ironflame deposits 2 × Holy Water in the party stash.
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[7/10/2026, 5:34:00 PM] Dammitwho
"i'm ready, but what is a fridge cig"
soda
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[7/10/2026, 5:34:11 PM] Crion
nodding
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[7/10/2026, 5:34:40 PM] Dammitwho
Nicolae: can you see the party sheet? should be in the actors tab
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[7/10/2026, 5:35:09 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
A "fridge cigarette" is a viral Gen Z slang term for an ice-cold can of Diet Coke (or similar soda) enjoyed as a refreshing mid-day break. The name likens the satisfying crack and fizz of the can to sparking up a cigarette and taking a few minutes to decompress.
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[7/10/2026, 5:35:30 PM] Dammitwho
I assumed the name was because it was bad for you.
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[7/10/2026, 5:36:04 PM] Gul Banana
aw, divine doesn't get Agitate
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[7/10/2026, 5:37:35 PM] Dammitwho
Anyway! You have defeated the Skinsaw cult that was, for reasons unknown to you, rustling your jimmies, and rifled through their belongings. Imran has laid claim to their 'tithe jar' of objects purloined from victims, with an eye to returning them to their rightful owners, and there's the large sapient-leather Hymnal that adorned the ritual chamber that you intend to roll up and deliver to the city guard as proof of your deed.
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[7/10/2026, 5:38:13 PM] Gul Banana
Just how much effort is it going to take to detach and transport those peoples' skins?
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[7/10/2026, 5:38:41 PM] Nicolae
i think we're just taking one as proof of nefarious deeds afoot
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[7/10/2026, 5:38:54 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Also, is anyone going to attack us as we walk through the city staggering under the weight of flayed, arcane-tattooed humanoid flesh?
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[7/10/2026, 5:40:05 PM] Imran Traveler
Surely in an advanced city such as this there will be an adverturer arbitrager we can sell the claim to for gold up front, with a modest hit to the maximal topline.
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[7/10/2026, 5:40:45 PM] Imran Traveler
We will want the relevant main trophy for the guard however, yes.
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[7/10/2026, 5:41:12 PM] Gul Banana
dead-or-alive bond tranches
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[7/10/2026, 5:41:50 PM] Gul Banana
spells left to repick: 5 first rank, 1 second rank, 1 third rank. doesn't affect anything immediate if we're attacked on the way out because I already sorted out the currently prepared ones
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[7/10/2026, 5:42:28 PM] Dammitwho
Well, the ritual chamber one is all kind of stitched together. It's a package deal unless you want to tear it into pieces...? The hanging hides in the hallway you fought the acolytes in are separate, though.
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[7/10/2026, 5:43:30 PM] Imran Traveler
Well, let's figure out the big one, then. If it requires a team, Imran will hire one and lead them back.
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[7/10/2026, 5:43:41 PM] Imran Traveler
Maybe he can convince some of the watch to come along too.
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[7/10/2026, 5:43:52 PM] CBN
if it requires some effort to carry...Carryall...
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[7/10/2026, 5:46:11 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Can Lindal roll thievery to contribute to figuring out how to eist a skintapestry?
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[7/10/2026, 5:47:05 PM] Dammitwho
No need, you've got plenty of time. I'm going to rule that between Dubnoom's Carryall and the four of you you can get it back to the surface and wherever you need it to go.
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[7/10/2026, 5:47:25 PM] CBN
Huzzah!
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[7/10/2026, 5:47:33 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak Ironflame has leveled up to level 7! Selected Feats: @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.feats-srd.Item.QRL79whClQDHljoi] Skill Increase: Stealth skill rank increased to Master.
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[7/10/2026, 5:47:55 PM] Nicolae
i also got rid of terrain stalker and hefty hauler for quick squeeze and medicine assurance
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[7/10/2026, 5:48:20 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom leverages the power of Dubnoom's Lesser Unburdening to ensure that he, at the very least, does not get his hands dirty on any big gross skinleather tapestries.
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[7/10/2026, 5:49:24 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran does the labor manually.
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[7/10/2026, 5:50:27 PM] Nicolae
"this town ain't big enough for the both of me, pardner"
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[7/10/2026, 5:50:52 PM] Crion
brbr
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[7/10/2026, 5:51:04 PM] Tak Ironflame
Are we taking the entire tapestry or just cutting off a bit of it?
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[7/10/2026, 5:51:40 PM] CBN
may as well take it all! More Proof = Better Than
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[7/10/2026, 5:53:05 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal will assist with wrinkled nose (and there's a lot to wrinkle). Messing with the dead is generally no good, but surely these people would prefer it to remaining where they are.
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[7/10/2026, 5:54:18 PM] Gul Banana
swapped-in first ranks: @UUID[Actor.na4BvYZuIm8Bnbpr.Item.5KMm09DWfy5OJGmR]{Enfeeble}, @UUID[Actor.na4BvYZuIm8Bnbpr.Item.jkPP7OIl1tfHbKkS]{Infuse Vitality}, @UUID[Actor.na4BvYZuIm8Bnbpr.Item.cQdku1WekFG2jcSM]{Lock}, @UUID[Actor.na4BvYZuIm8Bnbpr.Item.vKCqMXeFrY6hpdgU]{Quick Sort}, @UUID[Actor.na4BvYZuIm8Bnbpr.Item.2z9fdLYuN4gYSAFd]{Schadenfreude}. definitely going to prepare that last one some rest soon...
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[7/10/2026, 5:55:23 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Was it the ummm... the Coin Guard who hold this area? Token Guard? Or was there some sort of Whiteguard?"
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[7/10/2026, 5:55:32 PM] Crion
b
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[7/10/2026, 5:55:38 PM] Dammitwho
Your odd little procession attracts attention from the moment you reach the surface, though it's curious gawpers and looky-loos rather than a pitchfork-bearing mob. The people know an adventuring band when they see one, and there's a great many shouted questions of "what is that?" and "where did it come from?"
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[7/10/2026, 5:56:02 PM] Dammitwho
It is indeed the Token Guard who have responsibility (such as it is) for the Coins District.
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[7/10/2026, 5:56:28 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"From down there!" Dubnoom will call back at least twice before he gets tired of it. Gesturing straight downward each time.
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[7/10/2026, 5:57:39 PM] Dammitwho
A few of the louder Absalomians who first saw you carrying the rolled up Norgorberite relic are confidently telling latecomers "Come out of the sewers, it did! A pack of ghouls and vampyres down there, I'd warrant!"
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[7/10/2026, 5:58:19 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Wannabes, actually."
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[7/10/2026, 5:58:20 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran will curtly answer, "Evidence," or, "It's for the Guard," to any over-active questions-askers.
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[7/10/2026, 5:59:51 PM] Dammitwho
Heading to the HQ of the Token Guard? It's the Bail House, and any resident (there are a lot nearby) can direct you to it.
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[7/10/2026, 6:00:34 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
That would be helpful, as we don't actually know the way. Forming a parade sounds fun...
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[7/10/2026, 6:00:39 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Actually, how about this:
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[7/10/2026, 6:00:43 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Read the Air 2 Cantrip 3 Cantrip Concentrate Divine Manipulate Duration 1 minute You take a deep breath as you survey a social situation, showing courtesy to all around you as your intuition swiftly picks up clues about social contexts and unspoken assumptions of behavior. Your body language subconsciously changes to take advantage of this information and use it in your own interactions with those creatures. As part of Casting this Spell, you Recall Knowledge using Society to gain information about the immediate social situation. You also gain a +1 status bonus on your next Diplomacy check to Make an Impression on those creatures present when you cast this spell, as long as the check occurs during the duration of the spell. You can read the air only once in a given social situation; casting it again has no effect. Spell Effect: Read the Air Base: 1st Heightened: +2
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[7/10/2026, 6:01:17 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak just lets the others do the talking. He's focusing on the grim task he's shouldering.
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[7/10/2026, 6:01:21 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Lindal will try to Make An Impression on these crowds - strutting/gamboling alongside the procession, recounting our deeds, etc.
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[7/10/2026, 6:01:46 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
1d20 + 11
1d20 6 6
17
1d20 + 11
1d20 17 17
28
1d20 + 11 = 17 + 11 = 28
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[7/10/2026, 6:02:12 PM] Dammitwho
(oh, Nicolae, did you end up finding the party stash?)
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[7/10/2026, 6:02:18 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
He can't actually help shoulder the grim task, as his shoulders aren't high enough. But he can lessen its grimness.
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[7/10/2026, 6:02:46 PM] Imran Traveler
To the Bail House, then.
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[7/10/2026, 6:02:50 PM] Dammitwho
A brisk roll! To what end is Lindal using it?
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[7/10/2026, 6:03:25 PM] Nicolae
i did, yes! i moved some potions that were taking me over my encumbrance after i ditched hefty hauler
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[7/10/2026, 6:05:06 PM] Dammitwho
or is Lindal not choosing to Make an Impression yet
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[7/10/2026, 6:05:52 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
He wants to sell us to the crowds - these new adventurers, who could they be, so recently arrived and yet so accomplished? Look, they've stopped a truly vile cult! What heroism, &c.
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[7/10/2026, 6:10:10 PM] Dammitwho
Alright! Feel free to roll to make an impression (it should be in your basic action macros under Exploration).
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[7/10/2026, 6:10:20 PM] Gul Banana
i have rolled it, 8 minutes and 26 seconds ago
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[7/10/2026, 6:10:51 PM] Dammitwho
ohhhhhh i misread the "you Recall Knowledge" bit of your spell text
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[7/10/2026, 6:10:54 PM] Dammitwho
my apologies!
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[7/10/2026, 6:11:17 PM] Gul Banana
oh yeah, i didn't bother to Gain Information About The Immediate Social Situation
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[7/10/2026, 6:11:32 PM] Gul Banana
situation seems fairly clear (skin-mural, macabre parade)
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[7/10/2026, 6:11:47 PM] Dammitwho
well you do get that, i think you just don't need to roll for it???
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[7/10/2026, 6:12:06 PM] Gul Banana
if there's some information available, please feel free to convey it
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[7/10/2026, 6:13:26 PM] Dammitwho
Anyway: it is indeed something of a grisly parade. Thanks to the look of you (even Imran's grim countenance is well-established adventurer mien), and helped on still more by Lindal's farm-boy hero attitude, the people of the Coins District are under the general impression that you've done something good, or at least stopped something bad.
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[7/10/2026, 6:14:01 PM] Dammitwho
If the Hymnal and also you were still dripping with blood, or if you were trying to hide what you were doing that might be a different matter, but it's not so it isn't.
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[7/10/2026, 6:14:35 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Fortunately, all the blood got absorbed in a terrible cosmic ritual :)
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[7/10/2026, 6:14:41 PM] Dammitwho
Unlicensed performers try to ride your metaphorical coattails, banging drums and playing small instruments and attempting to recite popular soliloquys to the crowd - the thing sort of builds on itself.
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[7/10/2026, 6:15:54 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom, of course, cheers for the banging of drums and the playing of small instruments in his favor. "Yes! Of course! You are very welcome! It was nothing, but also, a great ordeal!"
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[7/10/2026, 6:16:16 PM] Imran Traveler
That is one narrow way in which blood-consuming rites are convenient.
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[7/10/2026, 6:17:12 PM] Dammitwho
Eventually you arrive at the headquarters of the Token Guard: The Bail House, a squat brick-and-mortar building. While the building itself doesn't appear particularly luxurious (whatever that might mean for a guardhouse), you can't help but notice that the uniforms of the Token Guard are tailored to their persons.
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[7/10/2026, 6:19:00 PM] Dammitwho
Another commotion erupts as you make your way inside - a troop of guards pushes their way outside to keep the crowds from just, following you in. There's a lot of shouting, hubbub, until eventually a woman in her early 30s with gold epaulets on her uniform emerges from the back: Lady-Captain Kythes Finch, Captain of the Token Guard!
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[7/10/2026, 6:19:15 PM] Dammitwho
"What," she asks in a tone of mixed astonishment and annoyance, "is all this, then?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:20:06 PM] Dammitwho
Off in a corner, a pale, ink-stained man with three quills stuck jauntily in his leather hat beckons silently and urgently to Dubnoom.
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[7/10/2026, 6:21:00 PM] Imran Traveler
"Captain. You have Skinsaws operating in and under this city." Imran sets down part of his load. "Fewer now than at dawn this morning."
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[7/10/2026, 6:21:54 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"We've therefore discovered the sad cause of all the missing-persons reports, assuming such reports were made."
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[7/10/2026, 6:22:24 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"And further assuming there to be a reward, we'd be happy to claim it."
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[7/10/2026, 6:23:04 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak takes that as his cue to set down his own portion of the tapestry.
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[7/10/2026, 6:23:16 PM] Nicolae
brb, tak will probably just Glower for a bit
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[7/10/2026, 6:23:52 PM] Imran Traveler
Imran has a brief, truthful summary of events ready to go if the Captain prefers that now, or later after some questioning and speechifying.
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[7/10/2026, 6:25:14 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"They were trying to summon a demon! But have been vexed!" Dubnoom makes a fist. "And thwarted!"
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[7/10/2026, 6:26:42 PM] Dammitwho
"This is a very serious matter, sirs." She glances nervously out the windows at the merry-making (but reluctantly dispersing) crowd outside. "Very serious indeed. I'd be much obliged if you were to come with me and we can take a full statement. Would, ah, any of you gentlemen care for something to drink? Lieutenant Vell can, I'm sure, see to it that...?"
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[7/10/2026, 6:27:30 PM] Imran Traveler
Inside it is.
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[7/10/2026, 6:27:45 PM] Imran Traveler
"A brisk cup of water."
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[7/10/2026, 6:28:25 PM] Dammitwho
I'm seein' double! Two Taks!
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[7/10/2026, 6:28:46 PM] Gul Banana
that other one's Tik
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[7/10/2026, 6:29:57 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Oh, some sort of drink that doesn't smell of sewers would be nice. Lindal's going to deliberately drop the bombast and calm down - getting the details across to these guards might well be important.
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[7/10/2026, 6:31:38 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Yes!" Dubnoom does not elaborate on what kind of drink. Keep them guessing.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:33:49 PM] Tak Ironflame
"Water, please."
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[7/10/2026, 6:35:07 PM] Dammitwho
An oily voice whispers in Dubnoom's ear, with that odd hollow echoing effect that indicates it's being transmitted via magic. "Listen, pal, once you've given your story to the bulls, you come talk to me, eh? I'll make it worth your while. Front page, my boy, front page!". If he had to guess, it was coming from the pale, inkstained man who was frantically signaling him earlier but now seems to be innocently sharpening one of the quills that was stuck in his hat.
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[7/10/2026, 6:35:42 PM] Dammitwho
Lady-Captain Finch leads the party back to a smaller room away from the hustle and bustle of the main area of the Bail House.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:35:50 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom steeples his fingers. Mm.
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[7/10/2026, 6:36:24 PM] Gul Banana
Rake Muck (rank 1, 2 actions, arcane/divine)
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[7/10/2026, 6:36:32 PM] Dammitwho
A solemn-looking man (Lieutenant Vell, you assume), returns with some perfectly acceptable iced water for Tak and Imran, and some mildly alcoholic fruit drinks for Lindal and Dubnoom.
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[7/10/2026, 6:37:01 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Thank you very much."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:37:07 PM] Dammitwho
"I suppose my first question is," Lady-Captain Finch says, "what in the Nine Hells is this thing you've dropped in my guardhouse?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:37:54 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Material components for a summoning ritual. The extremist Norgorber-followers tried to bring something... very big from... very far away."
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[7/10/2026, 6:38:14 PM] Tak Ironflame
"In a more down-to-earth sense, it's skins. Not all from animals."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:38:29 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom tastes and is immediately struck with a Proustian reverie of the time he and the boys fished some elven wine bottles out of a river. The elements had been kind to the contents; the process of continued fermentation, not so much. "Delicate. Floral." More to himself than anyone else.
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[7/10/2026, 6:39:22 PM] Imran Traveler
"The ritual was in progress when we arrived."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:40:11 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Honestly, it was pure luck that we stumbled across the cult. They stole from us and ran down into the undercity. Defeating them? That was skill."
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[7/10/2026, 6:40:22 PM] Dammitwho
"They stole from you?"
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[7/10/2026, 6:41:13 PM] Imran Traveler
"During attempted murder. Broke into a licensed boarding house in the middle of the night to do it."
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[7/10/2026, 6:41:44 PM] Imran Traveler
"We took unkindly to it."
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[7/10/2026, 6:43:30 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Right, they might have been after our skins, but if it wasn't for the theft, we'd not have known where to find the idiots!"
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[7/10/2026, 6:44:49 PM] Dammitwho
"I see. Which boarding house was this?"
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[7/10/2026, 6:45:11 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Somebody who remembers the name will have to answer that one.
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[7/10/2026, 6:45:34 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"The Golden Goblet! They're very nice people. Good breakfast."
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[7/10/2026, 6:45:58 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Or the Gilded Goblet! It has been a long day already." He looks to others for confirmation of either point.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:46:20 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom has been thinking "someday, Dubnoom will be a gilded goblin" the whole time so, it's fuzzy.
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[7/10/2026, 6:46:59 PM] Dammitwho
"The Gilded Goblet. Oh, yes, an fine example of the good tradespeople of the Coins District. Very generous and punctual. You've had no contact with Norgorberites before this? How did you know that's who they were?"
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[7/10/2026, 6:50:21 PM] Imran Traveler
"We took one alive. He confirmed the provenance of their curious identical knives and curious identical derangements before strenuously objecting to his situation."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:52:23 PM] Dammitwho
Her eyebrows raise at this, and she looks pleased. "Do you have any of these knives with you? That would be most helpful." You do, in fact! They're just listed as regular daggers and machetes and whatnot in your stash.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:52:46 PM] Imran Traveler
We'll produce them forthwith, then.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:54:46 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Technically they were more malign than deranged. As far as we know, some aspect of the one-eyed god may truly demand and reward such sacrifices, though of course we needn't respect this."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:56:51 PM] The Party
Machete
Deadly d8 Sweep
This medium-length sword has a wide blade and long grip. Though it is typically used to hack through heavy foliage, the machete can also be used as a deadly weapon.
Item 0 Price: 7 sp Martial Weapon
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:56:57 PM] The Party
Dagger
Agile Finesse Thrown 10 ft. Versatile S
This small, bladed weapon is held in one hand and used to stab a creature in close combat. It can also be thrown.
Item 0 Price: 2 sp Simple Weapon Reload —
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:56:59 PM] Dammitwho
"It's complicated," Lady-Captain Finch sighs. "Being a follower of Norgorber, even claiming to follow Father Skinsaw, is perfectly legal. What is illegal is anything you might actually do to demonstrate your piety, such as, ah..." She gestures, indicating 'the whole deal you've just brought to me'.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:57:04 PM] Imran Traveler
Thus produced.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:58:08 PM] Dammitwho
Lieutenant Vell leans in to his superior. "Some food?" He says, asking her while sort-of-also asking you. "Bananas are in season, we know a little place in Escadar..."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:58:17 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"We'd have checked the relevant regulations," Lindal lies, "prior to our sewer search, if we'd known there was a whole cult down there rather than lone fleeing thief."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:59:10 PM] Dammitwho
"So. These Skinsaw cultists attacked and tried to rob you at your lodging at the Gilded Goblet, several were killed - oh, yes, I think we have a record of that - and you pursued the last one to the sewers, where you found...?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:59:12 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Nevermind that. "Lieutenant, I beg of you, bananas. How better to reward proactive citizenry?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 6:59:56 PM] Dammitwho
"Yes, thank you, Orsan." Lady-Captain Finch agrees, and her bearded subordinate excuses himself.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:00:00 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Food, certainly." He pauses. "That stuff!" He gestures at the whole deal we just brought.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:00:52 PM] Imran Traveler
"A great beast in a waterpool, first. Smart enough to use crude weapons, fashion crude shields, and smart enough to flee when outmatched."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:01:19 PM] Gul Banana
orsan velle
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:01:21 PM] Imran Traveler
"The cult was using it as an unwitting doorman, to protect an entrance to their sewer temple."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:01:47 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"And that!" He nods and points to reinforce Imran. "Do you have many of those?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:02:21 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Ah, we should mention- the waterbeast got away. Swam."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:04:56 PM] Dammitwho
"Sewer temple..." the Lady-Captain has been carefully recording what you say. "Roughly how many cultists would you say you found there? Could you describe a path back to it, if need be?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:05:35 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"It was pretty easy to find by process of elimination. And avoiding big whirlpools."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:06:23 PM] Imran Traveler
"Depends how you count the big one."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:06:39 PM] Crion
i think it was seven all told?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:06:47 PM] Dammitwho
"The big one?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:06:50 PM] Dammitwho
Yes, seven sounds right.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:06:59 PM] Crion
three in front, two from the south, leader from the north, big guy
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:07:16 PM] Imran Traveler
"So there were seven, but one of them was made from the corpses of many others."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:07:50 PM] Imran Traveler
"So he poses a question of taxonomy. But if he counts as one, then seven."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:08:36 PM] Dammitwho
Lieutenant Vell slips back into the room, with plates of steaming hot fish and chips and a few sliced bananas.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:08:50 PM] Dammitwho
"So you'd say," the Lady-Captain continues, "that this was a well-established cult."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:09:24 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Formerly, yes."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:10:01 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Disestablished 4726, AR.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:10:17 PM] Imran Traveler
"We exchanged pleasantries with a man who fits as the leader of at least this cell of the Skinsaws. Then Tak blew his head off."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:10:48 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"They had an organised facility with skin-hanging rooms, dormitories, tactical daises and so on."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:13:12 PM] Tak Ironflame
"And a blood-soaked room for summoning horrors from other planes."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:13:29 PM] Dammitwho
She raises her eyebrows again. "Summoning...?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:14:42 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom wasn't in the right place for that one, so he's keen to hear more about it.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:15:29 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"It was.. yuck, a sort of skull, but the size of worlds? With tentacles, but they were also bone. And one unwhole eye."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:16:08 PM] Dammitwho
"...and you killed it?"
How y'all doing with the fish/chips/nans
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:16:34 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom has been housing fish like it's going out of style.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:16:32 PM] Tak Ironflame
"I assume it was being summoned. Sure as hell didn't look like it was from these parts."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:17:20 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak shakes his head. "We--" he gestures to Lindal and himself-- "disrupted the summoning circle, knocking over candles, smearing the lines, and so on, and we think that the ritual to summon it was incomplete. It died on arrival."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:17:41 PM] Crion
Imran will have very modest chips, and only a small bit of fish.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:17:48 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Thank some other gods for that. We did get lucky."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:21:00 PM] Dammitwho
"Hmm. Well, you adventurers have clearly done a great service to our fair city today. Yes. A great service. One which, I believe, there is the traditional recompense. I appreciate you turning this investigation over to the civic authorities, and you can rest assured we'll leave no stone unturned in making sure this matter is entirely closed! I'll see to it personally - Lieutenant Vell here, when you've finished your meals, will handle your disbursement."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:21:56 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Seems reasonable. Maybe they're more than a token Guard, although it's a bit odd how they resemble a cafe.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:22:56 PM] Tak Ironflame
"Thankee, Ma'am." Tak nods. "I'm glad I was able to help the people of this fine city."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:23:06 PM] Dammitwho
It's possible, Lindal, assuming that's what she's actually going to do.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:23:55 PM] Dammitwho
Any of you have anything you'd like to say to or ask the noble Guardsmen/women?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:25:20 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Just how common is this sort of thing? We're new to said fine city, and most places you don't get a murder-cult attack on your first night in."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:25:37 PM] Imran Traveler
Nothing immediately comes to mind, except -- "What are property rights down there, out of curiosity? In the underworks. Did they have legal squatter's claim to that temple?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:27:29 PM] Dammitwho
The Lady-Captain has simply bustled out. Lieutenant Vell answers your questions in her stead, and replies: "Oh, quite uncommon, quite uncommon. I can't speak for other districts, but we're proud to keep the Grand Bazaar safe!"
To Imran: "That's a... complicated question, sir. One more suited for the lawyers, I expect."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:28:13 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Did they buy it from the lawyers..." Dubnoom wonders aloud, because he does not know.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:28:55 PM] Imran Traveler
Interesting, interesting.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:31:52 PM] Dammitwho
"If there's nothing else," he says, "we can handle your appropriate reward."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:32:32 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
"Please do, Lieutenant."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:34:03 PM] Dammitwho
You follow Lieutenant Vell back to the front desk, where he officiously reads from a sheet of parchment: "Seventy-five gold a head for the four of you comes to three hundred gold pieces, and an official Medallion of Renown acknowledging your service to the Token Guard and the people of Absalom."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:34:47 PM] Dammitwho
With formal gravity, he counts out the coins into four bags and hands them over to you, then presents you with what looks sort of like a bronze military medal, stamped with an image of the Grand Bazaar.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:35:12 PM] Dammitwho
(I've added 300 gold to your stash)
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:35:13 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Does it have a ribbon so someone can wear it around their neck?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:35:17 PM] Dammitwho
Yes!
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:35:18 PM] Nicolae
siiiiick
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:35:40 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
That is actually cool. That's the sort of thing that makes you wan to collect a set from each city district and earn some kind of special display case.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:35:46 PM] Imran Traveler
Excellent.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:36:11 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak feels a little awkward about wearing public recognitions of valor and deeds and so forth, but fortunately it seems that one of the others will happily wear it.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:36:45 PM] Imran Traveler
We should turn around and invest a portion of this into some base of operations more secure than the king suite in a tavern house.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:36:55 PM] Imran Traveler
Even if it is just for now.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:36:57 PM] Dammitwho
I don't have an item thing made up for the Medallion of Renown, but these are its powers: when worn, the wearer gets a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy/Request checks when dealing with city officials (including guardsmen). Once per day, when the wearer would become @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.conditionitems.Item.TBSHQspnbcqxsmjL]{Frightened}, the condition is reduced by 1 (minimum 0).
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:37:36 PM] Dammitwho
(when dealing with Absalom city officials only. It doesn't work everywhere on Golarion.)
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:37:54 PM] Dammitwho
((the Frighten-reducing power works everywhere, though.))
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:38:14 PM] Crion
the medal is funniest on dubnoom imo
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:38:17 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom makes grabby hands at the medal. "Such powerful fashion."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:38:23 PM] Crion
therefore,
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:39:10 PM] Dammitwho
With that, Lieutenant Vell seems to feel he's done with you. The pale, inkstained guy with the quills in his hat is still hanging out here, and it's possible the rest of you have ideas of what you want to do - I believe Imran wanted to track down some priests of Nocticula?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:40:03 PM] Imran Traveler
Yes!
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:40:13 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Our broad agenda was to find some sages, some work (we seem to have accidentally covered that part), make some contacts and find a more-permanent living situation. One forgiving of little guys.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:41:54 PM] CBN
adding it to dubnoom's inventory as 'medallion of renown - absalom' to imply a progression
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:42:21 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom would like to pursue the psychomagical missive he was sent. He will NOT be telling the others about it.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:42:42 PM] Imran Traveler
The Nocticulans might help with that last point; what also might help is that it sounds as if legally speaking, the undercroft is fully out of sight and mind. That's dangerous, yes, but it means they probably won't have to deal with landlords if they set up a bolthole down there.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:42:57 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
...the otyugh wouldn't like it.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:43:32 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak would like to take a shower, eat something, and then start doing some work. For one thing, he is down to one bullet calibered for his jezail; the one in the chamber. He'd like to visit an alchemy lab and stretch his making-things muscles a bit.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:45:41 PM] Imran Traveler
The otyugh will learn to like us if it gives us a chance.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:45:47 PM] Dammitwho
Very good - Imran can roll Society or pitch me a roll to consider where he might find Nocticulans. Tak has other things he wants to do. Lindal, anything specific?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:46:14 PM] Imran Traveler
1d20 + 13
1d20 6 6
19
1d20 + 13
1d20 6 6
29
1d20 + 13 + 10 = 6 + 13 + 10 = 29
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:46:31 PM] Crion
grumble grumble
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:46:45 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
If we end up splitting up a while, Lindal thinks the best use of his own time would be to explore the city on a hunt for a) trustworthy sages who could inspect the Black Triune device and b) underworld-or-at-least-fixery contacts for whom we can do nebulous favours, in exchange for the Pulse of the city etc. This is very vague, but in his experience of cities (1) there'll be *someone* like that around...
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:47:08 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
He also just feels an itch to explore in general, there's so much of it and he doesn't like being reliant on random passersby for directions to e.g. the guardhouse.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:48:21 PM] Dammitwho
Tak could probably go to Bryndak Ashmantle at the Gallery of Innovation for that!
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:49:36 PM] Dammitwho
Imran thinks a moment. Probably the highest profile worshipper of Nocticula on Golarion is Sorshen, queen of one of the two states of the nation of New Thassilon. Maybe the New Thassilonian embassy has a shrine, or someone to direct you to the local equivalent?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:50:07 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak will probably head back to the Golden Goblet to drop off his things. No sense in hauling various kits and a large firearm to the workshop.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:51:30 PM] Dammitwho
The pale, ink-stained man looks up, delighted, as Dubnoom approaches. "Hey, there, Nedwin Sallowthorne of Eyes on Absalom. Great to meetcha, great to meetcha. You won't regret this kid, I promised you front page, didn't I? Just give me the scoop, the straight dope, the lowdown - what's all the ruckus?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:51:48 PM] Tak Ironflame
(Also in case any of the other members of the party have anything they need to say, ask, do, etc. with Tak before he gets to work.)
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:52:19 PM] Imran Traveler
Off to the embassy it is.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:54:23 PM] Dammitwho
Lindal's issue is: how do you get started with a search like that? He's made some friends in the Grand Bazaar and at the Gilded Goblet, maybe he could ask them? Or he could find someplace to keep his Ears to the Ground?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:55:03 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak washes up back at the lodging house (showing up covered in blood and sewage makes a bad impression), he heads for the Gallery of Innovation to see Bryndak Ashmantle again.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:55:17 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom gesticulates. "Cultists! Of the underworld!" He points down. "Attempting a fel summoning." An expansive gesture. "From parts...unknown!"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:56:22 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin is writing frantically. "Start at the beginning, and don't spare the gory details! If you don't have any, maybe come up with some? We're not the Sennight Star, get me?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:58:10 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom strokes his beard thoughtfully, being sure to rearrange his medallion to sit atop the beard. "Mm. Yes." He pauses, thinking.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:58:16 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Asking for tips on getting to know the city is a good idea, and Lindal's got three places to start - the Gilded Goblet waitress, around the bazaar (although I'm actually not sure who you're talking about in that case)... and at the docks. Our sailor friends should've arrived by now, and he's also hopeful of (+ willing to consume an icon roll on) finding someone else he knows.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:58:36 PM] Dammitwho
"Ooh, a Medallion of Renown, that'll play good, that'll play reeeal good."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:59:19 PM] Imran Traveler
Attempting a summoning from parts unknown, in a ritual using parts unknown.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 7:59:46 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"There we were! Roused, in the night, by the cowardly attacks of cultists! But Dubnoom's companions were FAR too stalwart, and the cultists FAR too frail of constitution and inconsistent of shoulder, to do anything but depart this place, for whatever shadowy hell their god has promised them."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:01:22 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"We gave chase! And made haste! To the sewers! Which are nicer than Dubnoom expected, even if you have a kobold problem. Or had. Awful little things. Stupid stinky." He continues. "An orglbtagh! A whirlpool-bound monster. It attempted to eat our heroes, but was banished by the promise of not dying that day! Sometimes, cowardice is wisdom, and wisdom is bravery!"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:02:05 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"And then there were more cultists! Whose headparts are now part of the masonry of your fine Absalomoniamian sewers! But probably not where anyone will notice!"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:03:10 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"And then finally! A great summoning! That did not happen! Dubnoom did not see that part! But it sounds like nothing happened anyway so." He gestures. "Magic. Untrustworthy when you are foolish. Foolish when you are stupid. Stupid when you face the might of adventurers!"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:03:50 PM] Dammitwho
"friends" is perhaps pushing it for the bazaar folk, but I meant the various merchants you made at least decent impressions on while looking for care and feeding for the orbfella. Roswine Yarindam of Kitten's Slumber and Yarz and Cendra, two hobgoblins who take care of animals.
But spending an icon point at the docks is an excellent idea!
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:05:19 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"And so! Banished, by the wisdom of Dubnoom the Wise! The shooting many times of Tak the Unseen! The mighty stabbing but slicewise of Imran Traveler! The shooting but in a different way with the light of his gods, of friend Lindal who has a longer name Dubnoom has not memorized! The Adventurers!"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:05:37 PM] Dammitwho
Your party has a letter of introduction given to you by Captain Marcellus Drusus of the Butterfly, which you came to Absalom on, and between that and Lindal's icon point with the Hurricane Queen you should be sitting pretty, seafarerwise.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:06:13 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Yeah! Let's look for someone who knows this city from the outside-in. A possibly predatory perspective.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:06:20 PM] Dammitwho
Lindal knows he probably needs to go to the Harbormaster's Grange in the Docks district, and can probably get directions there.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:07:01 PM] Dammitwho
(sorry if some stuff is delayed, i'm looking through sourcebooks for where you're going)
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:07:07 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
He'll bid a brief farewell at the inn (and a suspicious one to Steve) and then head out to see what can be learned this day.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:07:14 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
(it's np, and in fact, brb)
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:09:58 PM] Dammitwho
"An orglbtagh, you say. What kind of teeth on this beast? Slavering? And did you find anything juicy in the temple?" asks Nedwin Sallowthorne.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:10:28 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Slavering AND ravenous!"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:10:45 PM] Dammitwho
Imran is directed to the New Thassilonian embassy in the Foreign Quarter, but he has a problem: it's clustered with the other embassies, as you'd expect, and is in fact right near the Cheliaxians.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:11:02 PM] Dammitwho
It's probably fine, probably. It's unlikely that they're looking for him?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:11:30 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Candles, and a big hanging thing made of people faces! And almost a big summoned thing but not. The cultists had juice in them until they did not."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:12:07 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin looks up from his writing, near ecstatic. "People faces? That leather thing you rolled in here was made of people?"
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:12:23 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom files away that he did not refer to the Temple as such. Wisdom is holding suspicions until you can rat someone out later.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:13:08 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Probably! Dubnoom is not trained in the medicianary arts, it would be unwise to speculate. But probably! Noses and such."
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:14:45 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"All leather is skin! Did you know?" He taps the side of his head. Wisdom.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:14:46 PM] Dammitwho
Imran can roll stealth, survival, or pitch me a roll if he'd like to go unnoticed by roaming Hellknights.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:16:07 PM] Imran Traveler
If Imran uses his remaining Icon point (Silver Ravens, Positive) would that buy him blanket immunity from rolls for a time? Is there a set time where we get to roll those again or is it just DM discretion?
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:16:34 PM] Dammitwho
We roll icon points roughly every four Encounters
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:16:46 PM] Dammitwho
So one more and you'll be rolling again
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:17:31 PM] Dammitwho
Yes, I'll say that help from the Silver Ravens will get you past the ambient Hellknights unnoticed - describe from whence that help comes and how it does it
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:19:47 PM] Crion
do you have plans for the ravens in the city/can i invent some? or should i flavour it as like, Silver Raven Training
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:20:59 PM] Dammitwho
You can invent some: if it helps, Imran will likely discover that the New Thassilonian embassy is quietly working with the Silver Ravens to smuggle people in and out of the city
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:21:39 PM] Crion
eggselent
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:21:38 PM] Dammitwho
Tak, meanwhle, need roll nothing to return to the Temple of Brigh aka the Gallery of Innovation, where his friend Bryndak Ashmantle waits!
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:22:37 PM] Dammitwho
It's easy to spot when he gets close - the statue of Brigh in her clockwork form out front proclaims the long, low building's allegiance.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:23:44 PM] Dammitwho
"'The Shrine of the Severed Face', lurking just below our streets! This is gold, son, gold! Listen, hold still a second. Let me get a drawing of your face there." Nedwin urges Dubnoom.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:24:44 PM] Imran Traveler
Getting to the Embassy is first more complicated than anticipated -- Hellknights are in the city, he already knew that, and he should not have been surprised to find them prowling around places he was last seen or the embassies hailing from fairer lands than their own. But then it became easier, as Imran's trained eye picked out the signs -- chalk here, street art there, a slight tweak to a mural over a fountain, an errant twist in the grate of a drain -- of Silver Raven citypaths; ways to avoid patrols. Not Token guard patrols, not any of the other official standing forces of the city; these were here to warn against Hellknight activity.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:24:51 PM] Imran Traveler
The Ravens are in the city, huh.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:24:58 PM] Crion
brb
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:25:47 PM] Tak Ironflame
Tak smiles as he sees the familiar statue and heads inside, greeting anyone who recognizes from last time.
---------------------------
[7/10/2026, 8:27:10 PM] Crion
b
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[7/10/2026, 8:30:47 PM] Dammitwho
"B'gods if it isn't Tak Ironflame, back so soon!" Bryndak is there, looking pleased to see Tak. "What can our crucible of the new do for you. Did you find the work you were looking for?"
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[7/10/2026, 8:31:07 PM] Dammitwho
Is banana back? I don't want to leave him hanging
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[7/10/2026, 8:34:36 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom obliges but not only striking a pose, but enhancing it. Just a little.
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[7/10/2026, 8:34:38 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Glamorize 2 Cantrip 4 Arcane Cantrip Concentrate Manipulate Duration 1 hour Using simple magical gestures, you alter a minor detail of your appearance (add or remove highlights to your hair color, apply or remove cosmetics, add polish or accessories to your nails, etc.) or create a small environmental effect that's confined to your person (adjust surrounding lighting to favor your good side, cause a brief wind to make your hair blow dramatically, make a small chime occur as you smile, etc.). While the spell is active, you can Sustain it to make further adjustments. The changes persist until the spell's duration ends. At the GM's discretion, such alterations might grant a +1 status bonus to certain tasks, such as Impersonate or Perform. Base: 1st Heightened: +3
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[7/10/2026, 8:36:04 PM] Dammitwho
Imran makes it unnoticed to the New Thassilonian embassy. A resplendant edifice of beautifully worked stone with two wings branching off to its sides - as Imran enters he notices a large seven-pointed star (a sihedron) worked into the floor of the central dome. Several bureaucrats are having a quiet discussion here, and an elven woman, a receptionist, is filing papers at her desk.
She looks up at Imran and, in a neutral tone, says: "Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to New Thassilon. Did you wish to speak to representatives from Eurythnia or Edasseril? Or is there something else I can help you with?"
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[7/10/2026, 8:36:53 PM] Tak Ironflame
{Bryndak, my friend!} Tak says effusively in Dwarvish. {I did find some paying work, but it was the adventuring kind, and I was hoping for some work where I wouldn't have to draw a gun quite so often.}
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[7/10/2026, 8:37:53 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin's quill works at lightning speed. "There we go! Just a sketch for now, we'll get the boys at the office to really gussy it up." He turns around his writing board to show you the results. It's... captivating. Incredible. Dubnoom is absolutely certain it's a perfect likeness, capturing his heroic profile and the deep wisdom in his eyes.
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[7/10/2026, 8:38:17 PM] Dammitwho
https://crion.wddp.org/Whalefall/dubnoom%20the%20brave.png
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[7/10/2026, 8:38:43 PM] Imran Traveler
"I have...a bit of an unusual request. I am faithful of Nocticula, and recently come to town. My mistress's shrines are humble in these lands on the best of days, and in a city of this size, they're all but swallowed up. I was wondering if any here might know of one in Absalom."
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[7/10/2026, 8:39:29 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom nods, sagely. "It could only better in marble. Incredible."
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[7/10/2026, 8:39:32 PM] Dammitwho
The receptionist's tone doesn't change. "Name?"
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[7/10/2026, 8:40:21 PM] Imran Traveler
"Imran."
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[7/10/2026, 8:40:35 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
He clears his throat. "Now, there was talk of worth Dubnoom's while..."
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[7/10/2026, 8:41:49 PM] Dammitwho
She replaces the papers she was looking at with others, pulled from a small filing cabinet nearby. "Family name, if any?"
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[7/10/2026, 8:43:15 PM] Imran Traveler
"...Traveler."
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[7/10/2026, 8:44:17 PM] Dammitwho
Banana...
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[7/10/2026, 8:45:00 PM] Gul Banana
b
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[7/10/2026, 8:45:05 PM] Gul Banana
Bananab.
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[7/10/2026, 8:49:52 PM] Dammitwho
Nedwin throws his arms around Dubnoom's shoulders. "You bet, kid, never doubt it, never doubt it for a second. You an adventurer? 'Course you are, course you are. Now listen. I know front-page explosive runes. I'm giving you ten gold, up front. That's more than any of our workaday hacks get, right? Now don't get concerned, I know you got a lot more from the bulls just now. Standing right here, wasn't I? Well, I want to introduce you to a little thing we've got down here in Absalom: It's called getting paid twice for the same job."
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[7/10/2026, 8:50:27 PM] Dammitwho
"You stick with me and you'll be rolling in it, kid, absolutely rolling in it. Not to mention the fame!"
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[7/10/2026, 8:51:22 PM] Gul Banana
dubnoom could become a Source. "the adventures of actually they don't have a name per se but definitely no orb"
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[7/10/2026, 8:51:33 PM] Dammitwho
no orbS
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[7/10/2026, 8:51:40 PM] Dammitwho
they have one. he's a fella
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[7/10/2026, 8:51:47 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom nods. "Getting paid for jobs is good." Wisdom.
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[7/10/2026, 8:52:16 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
"Are you from Absalom, new friend Nedwin? Dubnoom may need recommendations, in the future."
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[7/10/2026, 8:54:59 PM] Dammitwho
Lindal makes his way towards the Docks district. Soon he can smell the briny salt air over the usual smells of the city, and then he can see the sea breezes playing through a veritable forest of masts. At first it seems like any harbor on Golarion - but the scale and the variety is quite different. The Absalom Harbor is enormous, taking in as much from the bay as it can. The mixture of different cultures is more pronounced even than the rest of Absalom; he can smell Osirian barbecue mixing with the scent of elven mead, strange spices and metal oils, the lowing of dozens of different kinds of animals.
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[7/10/2026, 8:56:25 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
Fantastical! How's the route between the Coin District and the harbour? Presumably wide, for goods to flow... is it possible to travel largely by rooftop (Lindalsivran's preferred method of urban movement, when alone), or are there significant interventions?
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[7/10/2026, 8:57:22 PM] Dammitwho
Off in the distance: Pilot Island, home of the famed Absalom Lighthouse which (as the chatty ferry operator tells you) is one of the largest structures in Absalom, at a full 650 feet tall! Attached to it is the Harbormaster's Grange, a small collection of buildings that includes a townhouse for the Harbormaster and offices for conducting business: this is where Captain Marcellus Drusus suggested you should take his letter.
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[7/10/2026, 8:58:25 PM] Dammitwho
In fact it is quite easy, generally, to take the rooftops to the docks. Lindal finds he's not even the only one doing so. At the Widdershins Gate when the party first entered Absalom he noticed a group of young people racing across the rooftops, and several times he notices similar groups. It appears to be something of a sport in Absalom, to get from place to place without ever touching the ground.
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[7/10/2026, 8:58:54 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
If this city was once at the Center of the World, the great harbor must have connected - largely still connects - to every place in the world. Lindal makes his way to Harbormaster's Grange, one eye on the absurd lighthouse and another on lookout for anywhere the pirates of the west might be spotted. Ram Banaram is going to have to ride in a little magical pocket a while... this just isn't a good environment to be small and squishy.
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[7/10/2026, 8:59:52 PM] Prabesh Pranavikram Lindalsivranragdya
The city is so big he wonders if it can even be said to have a culture.
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[7/10/2026, 9:00:57 PM] Dammitwho
{Ach, the world always has a need for violence. More's the pity! They ask for war-automatons, but imagine what we could build if we spent more time on automata of peace!} Bryndak gestures grandly to the fluttering clockwork birds chrrup chrruping as they fly about the temple workshops. {Well, there's always work here in the workshops. Not so well paid, I'll wager, but neither so dangerous!}
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[7/10/2026, 9:04:17 PM] Dammitwho
The receptionist checks her work. Looks again. Blandly, she continues "Her grace, Ayandai, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Her Most Serene Majesty Sorshen of Eurythnia would like to thank you for the charitable work you have done on behalf of the underprivileged of Absalom. Please enter the east wing-" She points. "And go up the stairs to the waiting room. Someone will be with you shortly."
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[7/10/2026, 9:06:00 PM] Imran Traveler
"Thank you."
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[7/10/2026, 9:06:33 PM] Imran Traveler
Interesting.
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[7/10/2026, 9:06:48 PM] Dammitwho
"Absalom born and bred, and don't let anyone tell you different!" Nedwin chuckles affably. "I knew we'd get along, just knew it. What kind of recs can I send your way? Need an intro to the Green Court? Looking to grease palms with the Pujoma Group? You seem like a sagely type- I've heard there's some mysterious spellcasters out in the Puddles...?"
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[7/10/2026, 9:06:56 PM] Crion
brb again
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[7/10/2026, 9:08:59 PM] Dubnoom "The Wise"
Dubnoom ponders his options. "Yes," he agrees, to all of the above.
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[7/10/2026, 9:10:26 PM] Dammitwho
"Fantastic. FanttasticK. People love reading about goblin politics. We've added a supplement just for that! Looking to move up in the world, eh?"
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[7/10/2026, 9:13:27 PM] Crion
b
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[7/10/2026, 9:14:20 PM] Dammitwho
It's as Lindal gets off the ferry onto Pilot Island and he moves through the crowds of sailors, sea-dogs, regular dogs, and grizzled old captains, that Lindal notices one that he's seen before! It was before he met his friends in the party, when he was accosted by pirates on the high seas... uh, what was their name again?
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[7/10/2026, 9:14:33 PM] Dammitwho
Banana: describe the NPC that will aid you in your quest
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[7/10/2026, 9:14:52 PM] Dammitwho
Nicolae: let me know if you're waiting on anything from me
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[7/10/2026, 9:15:39 PM] Nicolae
(No, I'm just flagging... it's after midnight ;_;)
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[7/10/2026, 9:16:07 PM] Dammitwho
Ah, sorry sorry! We can wrap up here...? Though the party is split, if some people want to continue?
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[7/10/2026, 9:17:29 PM] CBN
i've gotta drop for the night to tend to a spouse BUT i think dubnoom is in an ideal place to either faff about actively next time, or pick it up in the future
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[7/10/2026, 9:17:51 PM] Nicolae
I'm happy to wrap up Tak for now, but obviously if the party is split the others can go on
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[7/10/2026, 9:17:58 PM] Gul Banana
i'd be happy to describe the NPC that will aid in my quest... next week! or between weeks if that's more convenient for dammitwho.
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[7/10/2026, 9:18:39 PM] Crion
i can continue though if everyone else is dropping that's probably a good place to stop, unless you've got a Convo ready and prepped
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[7/10/2026, 9:19:02 PM] Dammitwho
do as you wish banana. i'm sorry if the split-party narration was a bit slow at the start but i think i got into a decent groove towards the end and am looking forward to continuing... NEXT WEEK!