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"Malusha, would you bless this man's blade? It would be much more useful than mine." calls out the wayang as he carefully attempts to cast a spell. Concerned of the creatures touch, he fumbles a few of the more intricate hand signals at key moments. As a result the ice shards evaporate harmlessly before him. "Dang it!"
Side stepping, he keeps his scrollblade in hand.
Malusha bestows magic upon Yjalk's greatsword. Ankird continues to be amazed at the prowess of his companions. sira moves into position. Dart pummels the undead creature relentlessly until it disappears in a flash of pale green smoke, its maddening babble finally silenced.
Out of Combat!
Yjalk holds his greatsword high in the air. "YESSS, SWORD MAGIC NOW! AGAIN GHOST MAN! HAHA! AGAIINNNN!" He manages to calm himself after a moment, looking tired and haggard from the exertion of battle. He shakes his head clear, then says, "What strength little frog man have! What magic little sun priest! What skill little-sword adventurers! Treasure yours, no weapon here, just rumors. Good fighting with you! We meet someday and fight side to side again, huh?! Yes."
With that, he motions for his crew to follow and they stride out of the fortress back toward the entrance.
You are left alone in the Sages' meeting hall, the hollow eye sockets of the Sages' corpses staring back at you. The ruby shards lay motionless on the table again. It is clear they still contain much magic within them.
What do you do?
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Slowly unfolding his scroll and replacing it, he offers Dart and Yjalk a bow. "Thank you for your aid, good sir. That was quite a quick resolution. Till next time."
As they disappear down the hall, Umbrato joins Malusha and Nadric eyeing the shard. "This must be what we came for. I wonder if it would allow the element in the far room to leave?"
Malusha, Nadric, and Umbrato examine the ruby shards but cannot get anywhere with it. It radiates impossibly powerful magic, but they have no idea how it works, or how to possibly contact the Sage's memories. However, remembering that Amenopheus gave the party a geode with which to contact him, you break the seal and tell him what you found.
After a moment, he sends back. "I will be there within the hour."
Having some time to poke around, you go back to the fountain room and find it empty of an elemental. There is still the secret door to open, and Sellana told you before she departed that it has something to do with the cartouches near the image of Nethys. Each cartouche can be pulled out and they can be rearranged.
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“Oh, she’s gone! D’you think that means she was able to go back to her plane? I hope so.”
Nadric looks at all the cartouches and reads their meanings aloud. “I know that each of these is one of Nethys’s powers, and see how he’s physically divided? Healthy on one side and burnt and scarred on the other. I think maybe we have to put all the powers of destruction grouped together on his scarred side. What do you think?” He turns to his teammates to gague their reaction.
Dart hears nothing on the other side of the door, just the wind from the courtyard howling. The secret door has no visible way to open it. Sellanna had mentioned that the way to open the secret door lay in the cartouches of Nethys.
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With everyone standing around, Sira shrugs. He prepares his open formula slot of Firebelly and drinks it.
He puts thE "Preservation the "knowledge of the world" and the "prosperity and abundance" in that order on the normal half of Nethys' side.
He puts the "Knowledge of death" the "Destruction" and the "Rune" in that order on the "dark side of Nethys
As Sira fits the last cartouche into its place, a resounding click is heard throughout the fortress. Beyond, the rich scent of palm wine, cinnamon, and myrrh fills this magically illuminated storehouse. Each wall has deep slots filled with papyrus scrolls. A white-and-black marble altar enveloped in faint wisps of faerie fire sits squarely in the center of the room. A ladder to the south leads up to a walkway, with more shelves and a golden sarcophagus. A small shrine next to the sarcophagus holds coded notes in ancient Osiriani.
The notes are question-and-answer sessions conducted with the scholar’s spirit. The questions concern the preservation of memory in magical jewels and the crafting and repair of such jewels—information that Amenopheus might be able to use to repair his own sage jewel and the Ruby Sage’s broken gem. The notes further explain that the sarcophagus allows a creature touching it to commune with any corpse placed inside. This ability can be activated once per day, as the spell speak with dead (CL 8th), though the visage on the lid speaks the answers rather than the corpse.
Inside the room you also find a heaping of treasure.
Searching the shelves reveals a collection of spell scrolls: a scroll of bless, a scroll of magic weapon, a scroll of ghostbane dirgeAPG, and a scroll of resist energy. The chest on the walkway contains five bottles of holy water, a stack of ancient platinum coins, five spell component pouches, and three scholar’s outfits in red, yellow, and green, cut in a style common millennia ago.
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Malusha holds the ancient notes in delicate hands. "No doubt these have been here for centuries," he says reverently. "Unfortunately I'm unable to read them. I really wish I could understand Ancient Osiriani. My dad always told me I should learn it." Malusha places the fragile papyri back on the shrine.
He slowly spins around the room taking in the opulent treasure piled everywhere. At the same time he casts detect magic. The scrolls are obviously magic but he searches for more auras throughout the room.
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Stepping into the room Umbrato looks around, wide-eyed. "Oh my! Look at this stuff!"
Snatching the notes and looking them over, he informs the others "They're notes. Questions and answers between the spirits. It details how one could fix and repair the sacred jewels...AND MORE! This is what we came for."
Turning to the sarcophagus, he adds You would be able to speak to the dead creature inside here as well. I'm...wow. So many questions! So little time. Anything specific you would like answered?"
The visage on the lid speak, "My name is Halmrat, court librarian of the Song Pharaoh. I was interred here after I died with honors due to my service. It looks as if you have a piece of the Ruby, yes."
As promised, in one hour Amenopheus arrives at the fortress, striding through the courtyard and into the hall. You lead him to where the shards of the Ruby rest and he bemoans the loss of the ancient knowledge, but then senses the magic still contained within it. He uses his own magic to awaken the Ruby and contact the Sage within.
The ruby sage's corpse starts to jitter in her chair and you think it is going to be another attack for a moment before Amenopheus raises a hand to steady everyone.
Amenopheus brightens when the woman introduces herself.
"I am the Ruby Sage, yes," says the corpse. "I maintained a limited awareness of my surroundings since my tumultuous death. I remember we were hiding from the Pharaoh's purge, awaiting a more enlightened age with which to pass on our knowledge, but the years grew too much for our minds. We argued. Hurled insults at one another, and one day, we fought. My jewel was shattered in the conflict. The emerald sage was the only one left alive and took his own life. That foul creature you battled formed from his insanity in unlife.
"Just the day before, however, the emerald and topaz jewels also lay on this table next to mine. But they were stolen by a thief named Kafar. I touched his mind when he touched the Ruby and so caught a glimpse of his plan. He was hired to bring the jewels to the Diamond Sage in a region known as the Pillars of the Sun. Is is there that we built our Sanctum so long ago, this being only a hideout."
"Strange," Amenopheus interjects. "Why would the Diamond Sage collect the other jewels there instead of finding worthy candidates to pass the jewels on? The Diamond Sage's actions are troubling, and not in keeping with the order. Kafar is a known enemy of the Pathfinder Society as well. It is disheartening to hear the Diamond Sage would go to such lengths!"
"Yes," says the Ruby Sage. "Kafar must be caught and the Diamond Sage must answer for their actions. To aid you, I will gift you my power."
The corpse stares at each of you.
"If you are willing to track down Kafar, reclaim the stolen jewels, and find the Diamond Sage to learn of their intentions, you will be granted my power for a time. Use it well, Pathfinders."
The Ruby flares light and soon you feel good, very good. Power floods through your muscles. You are quicker, lighter, and feel you have a reservoir of might to call on when things look bleak.
The corpse of the Ruby Sage slumps back into the chair once more.
Amenopheus smiles. "You've done well thus far, but there is still much to do. Let us go back to Eto and prepare for our expedition to the Pillars of the Sun."
He casts remove curse on Sira to remove the cursed item and then teleports the party back to Eto.
The growing light of predawn filters in through a window of the two-story building that Amenopheus has rented in Eto, and the aging Garundi man takes a seat on one of the cushions set out for this meeting. He produces a sealed letter from his robe, placing it in the middle of the floor before speaking.
“Good morning, Pathfinders. As you know, we have had our share of setbacks recently. Not only have the emerald and topaz gems sacred to my order slipped through our fingers, but we also faced the frustration of finding nothing but fragments of the once great ruby. Thankfully, its power is not lost entirely, and through the Ruby Sage’s blessing, it lives on in you. I am thankful that you have agreed to act on her behalf and see this through to the end.
“As we speak, the scoundrels who seized the two gems cross the Pillars of the Sun to meet their employer, the cryptic Diamond Sage.” He sighs heavily. “What she intends to do with the gems is a mystery, but the sage jewels are too important for me to take risks with. If the power that you wield is representative of a shattered jewel’s potential, imagine what one might accomplish with three undamaged stones! Until we know what her plans are, it is paramount that we get to the jewels first.
“Kafar and Nefti have a rudimentary map of the Pillars of the Sun, and last night I found a bartender who spotted them poring over it between drinks. She recalled little of the map, and she could not make sense of the marks or annotations; however, the right spells have allowed me to probe her mind and determine Kafar and Nefti’s entry point into the mountains. We will follow them from there.” With a somewhat chagrined smile, Amenopheus adds, “It may be that they will lead us to the Sanctum of the Sages, a hidden complex I have long suspected might be in this area.”
He stands and announces, “Prepare yourselves quickly. We shall leave momentarily.”
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The young half elven bard enters into the room. She has a mandolin in her hands that she gently strums and a glaive strapped to her back. She has very shiny and very new looking armor, elven chain that she stops every now and then to make sure it is polished.
Her clothes are a myraid of colors and on the clasp of her cloak is the bird symbol of Shelyn. She orders a drink and sits down to play a song about a cat, which is smelly. As she makes sure that the mandolin is in tune, she begins to sing
Smelly Cat, Smelly cat what are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, smelly cat it's not your fault...
They won't take you to the vet.
You're obviously not their favorite pet.
You may not be a bed of roses,
And you're no friend to those with noses.
I promise you before we're done,
All the world will smell ohhhh,
Smelly cat, smelly cat what are they feeding you?
Smelly cat, smelly cat it's not your fault!
Perform Stringed Instrument
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A rather disinterested elf leans up against the wall, with his arms folded. When Phoebee announces her intent to sing-especially about the prepared subject-he raises an eyebrow, listening intently. He can tell it wasn't her best performance, yet her skill managed to make it sound pretty darn good despite that.
"Fascinating! It must be the human side holding her back from perfection...too bad."
He claps slowly.
"I guess it is our fortune that you do not have a familiar, eh..."
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Looking at the elf who doesnt seem to have heard about her
Let me tell you about myself...
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a famous bard, Who started from this Absalom inn, a few months ago, a few months ago. The bard was a mighty singin gal, who didnt know what she signed up for
and went to a far off place, a place made of ice.
Her companions and she did battle with many creatures strong
like a stampede of bison... a winter wolf and a witch,
the scariest was a dragon white, whose breath sure was cold
it brought many down, but not this bard, she poked it in the eye, she poked it in the eye.
When she came to place more warm, she looked for a tome of repose
and found there a guardian dead but not, who was very mean, who was very mean.
This bard again used grease and grime to slip that creature up and when it was on the floor, she poked it in the eye, she poked it in the eye.
United with her friends once more, the bard was safe and sure
She met with lover Masym and they had a ball, and they had a ball.
She traveled out once again to sewers that were foul
and a ghastly fiend was there to meet the group that time, the group that time.
She used her powerful voice to give inspiration to them, and even though they were paralyzed, she helped to save the day, she helped to save the day.
And just back from fighting a devil bad, whose glaive was mean and sharp
this lovely bard did close two books, full of dread and hope. Full of dread and hope
And that is the story of this lovely lass, whose songs are good and pure. Thank you for listening to her, that will be a dime, that will be a dime. Or she'll poke you in the eye, she'll poke you in the eye
String Instruments
You have had the previous night to search for rumors and investigate leads relating to Kafar and Nefti:
Witnesses report seeing a rather tipsy Nefti playing the flute in various taverns throughout Eto over the past several weeks. He hasn’t been seen for three days.
A man m atching Kafar’s description recently visited a local herbalist and apothecary.
Several caravan g uards in the city overheard Kafar and Nefti complaining to one another about the Aspis Consortium.
Nefti tried to sell information about the Aspis Consortium to a foreigner, but the deal fell through.
The foreigner was actually a covert Pathfinder operative who suspects Kafar and Nefti may not only be aiming to go rogue, but are also looking for a new patron.
_____
You may also know something about the Pillars of the Sun:
The Pillars of the Sun are an isolated range of mountains named for their tall, wind-weathered spires.
The mountains begin 15 miles south of Eto, and an experienced rider might reach them in half a day. Because of its location and elevation, the region is extremely dry and hot during the day, with temperatures dropping drastically at night due to strong winds.
In past eras, attempts to settle in the region were frustrated by the mountains’ harsh conditions and aggressive fauna. To this day, many ruins stand as reminders of these ill-fated enterprises.
The Pillars of the Sun have long been an isolated place, and interspecies competition has honed the abilities of its monstrous inhabitants. Even creatures that are typically harmless in other ecosystems can be deadly here, and some are said to have truly
extraordinary power.
Many ancient structures within the Pillars of the Sun take advantage of the terrain and are actually carved inside the rock. Adventurers looking for ruins are more likely to find hidden trap doors and secret passages than crumbled temples covered in sand. Some of these subterranean vaults extend for miles beneath the surface, and a clever explorer can use them to cross from one valley to another to circumvent the most difficult of the mountainous terrain.
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Stumbling into the room, Umbrato looks around. "Seems we have some new faces. Sorry I'm late, had to do some shopping."
Listening to a synopsis of the information, he pipes up "Oh? I heard Nepsi's been missing for a few days. He had been playing around Eto."
His eyes drifting towards Phoebee, he inquires "Aren't you performers supposed to be good at dolling out information? What say you on these topics? Might you have something to share?"
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Oh honey, she tells the wayang, you would be surprised about what I know about so many things in response to his comment.
Diplomacy to gather info
know geograph
Oh I know a lot about Nefti she begins Witnesses report seeing a rather tipsy Nefti playing the flute in various taverns throughout Eto over the past several weeks. He hasn’t been seen for three days.
A man m atching Kafar’s description recently visited a local herbalist and apothecary. Several caravan g uards in the city overheard Kafar and Nefti complaining to one another about the Aspis Consortium. Nefti tried to sell information about the Aspis Consortium to a foreigner, but the deal fell through. But I hear that The foreigner was actually a covert Pathfinder operative who suspects Kafar and Nefti may not only be aiming to go rogue, but are also looking for a new patron.
I don't know as much about the Pillars of the Sun though. The Pillars of the Sun are an isolated range of mountains named for their tall, wind-weathered spires.
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Dart sits quietly and let's Phoebee share with the group. Her presentation of the information will be much more engaging.
"I'm Dart and yes I am a frog person. In that I am a person who evolved from the amphibians frogs not unlike you and monkeys."
He winks.
"Welcome to our little band of adventures."