Sun-bleached cobblestone marks ancient works of Man.
A place of ordainment, now stained by a winnowing hand.
'Cross the waters wicked plots unfold; heroism thus provoked...
...Within Shadow and Mystery...
...By Sunfire and Gunsmoke!
Sunfire & Gunsmoke
East-ward the dusty Missa Shelf lies the ancient city of Almas, capital of the free nation of Andoran and one of the largest and most influential cities on the Inner Sea. 'Fore there was ever a democratic state of Andoran, 'fore even the Empire of Cheliax, Almas has stood proud on that southern coastal shore, over-looking mighty Absalom and the vastness of the Inner Sea. Here in these dust-swept hills, between shipyards and blacksmith, between forest and river, haunting rumours arise. A celebrated local politician goes missing. New gangs of misfits suddenly appear on the streets, hounding the good folk of Almas for their spare coin and confounding the Golden Aerie, headquarters of those most infamous Eagle Knights.
But when the wrong ruffians find themselves at crossed odds against the townsfolk, an unexpected duo finds themselves in the crosshairs. One, a talented and lawless gunslinger of questionable reputation and even more questionable motive, the other, a stoic by-the-books Clergyman in service to Sarenrae, Goddess of Light and Fire. As the criminal intent of the newcomers to town finds itself placed up against the priest and the lone gunman, the two are forced to work together in order to survive the fallout. Soon after, it has become apparent that these two aren't just unlucky passersby, but specific targets on a growing list of local citizens! Can these two polar opposites set aside their differences and put an end to a new Crime Lord before she has a chance rise from the shadows to take over the City, or will they fall into conflict over their fundamentally opposed world views? Can the two targets listed as "Sunfire" and "Gunsmoke" manage to unite and figure out who is trying to kill them both, or will their unseen foe prove the quicker draw?
Shadow & Mystery
In Great Absalom, the Greycloaks are the chosen defenders and guardians of the City and it's million inhabitants. Across the street, the Pathfinder's Society and their Grand Lodge serve as the headquarters to a global ambition of a wild world, tamed and brought to heel. But beyond these lauded heroes and glory-chasers, the Aspis Consortium has never wavered in it's devotion to the bottom line. Treasure, adventure and rebellion against authority all act to draw the "morally flexible" and less-than-heroic toward it's ranks. Most common folk only see the Aspis Consortium as a diverse group of non-landed nobility with their own private army of mercenaries, who have no ties to any one nation. But you know differently, and as one of the new recruits you know that there are discerning minds who guide what you know as "The Corporation", watching your actions with careful, calculating eyes. The Corporation have become brokers and procurers of rare materials, exotic magical weapons and highly valuable items; for you, that means dangerous, highly lucrative work. This has increased its prestige with the nobility and the powerful who desire these goods...
...But the Corporation's well-deserved reputation for high profits and once-in-a-lifetime ventures is balanced by ever-increasing suspicions and spreading rumours about their unscrupulous business practices. In the settled lands bordering the Inner Sea, the Aspis tend to maintain a pallor of respectability, but the farther one travels into the wild hinterlands, the more its agents' subtlety is replaced by open violence and worse. Can freshly recruited Aspis agents "Shadow" and "Mystery" complete their next series of tasks, or will their inner humanity and the possibility of shaking off the tethers of their dark masters lead them down another path? Can we escape our pacts and bargains, or will those claws prove too deeply entrenched for any to escape their fate?
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