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When you all arrive at The Laughing Lizard, a remarkably upscale tavern in the 'good' side of town, you are surprised when you are pulled to the side, away from the other aspiring Pathfinders that responded to Kel's summons. You're each handed a letter, remarkably simple in it's appearance, but quite important in its purpose when you realize that it is a summons to report to the Pig's Paunch the very next day to begin your confirmation! When you arrive, you can't help but re-read the missive. “Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table.
“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!”
With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder.
“Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born. But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,”
he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying,
“Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice,
“Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet.
“Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.”
With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself.
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A muscular, burly, middle-aged 3' 8" gnome is standing with you in this room. He has a reddish beard, although you can clearly see some white strands among the red. He wears scale mail and has a greatsword and gnome hooked hammer ready for unsheathe for action. While small in stature, he still packs a pretty prominent presence amongst the taller members.
In a gruff voice, Monterey reporting. So this is finally the test for which we need to pass to continue our lives as Pathfinder Society agents? Man, the Pathfinder Society sure does put their agents through a lot of training. No harm done, though. What's one good push up without another I always say? I guess the same can be said for those brain exercises we were put through as well. Got to keep the mind fresh after all! Heck, I think I even learned a thing 'er two from it!
Monterey waits for others to report in.
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A fin half-elf of pale complexion wearing black and with symbol of a chain skull around his neck was near the gnome.
Beginning here ? In this damp ?! Hopefully, now we trained in a well acomodating place...
Darksid'Ious at your service Master. I'm happy to see that my training is over and my master found me ready for this last Test.
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Dimira looks around with an even greater enthusiasm than Kreighton Shaine. It's just...Amazing! This is where it all started...After the Wounded Wisp, I've the honor to visit another place with such an importance for the Society!
Lost in her thought, she suddenly comes back to reality then Kreighton Shaine mentions the word "Confirmation". Confirmation?! Confirmation? Wow, Darathys will go crazy when he'll know about it! She's very happy to have this chance, somethins she had been waiting for his entire life. This is your chance Dimira, don't waste it!
"Well met Janira, I'm Dimira Kressen. Good job with your Confirmation. From your tale, it seems like you had a lot of fun mapping those cave entrances".
She tought about her mission for a few seconds. Well, I'm lucky enough with my assignments, I must admit. Darathys has been sent to the Land of Linnorm Kings for his first mission..., she thinks without being able to hold back a giggle. "This mission bodes very well. Exploring those caves and document their many passages is pretty exciting, don't you think?" she says with an enthusiast tone addressing to her new companions, "And this mistery about the gillmen makes everything so much more exciting!"
"Well, thank you for the opportunity, Master Shaine. And please thank Master Farabellus and Master Zey for me. You won't regret to have given me this chance!" It takes a while for her to calm down and regain a proper composure.
"Well, fellow Pathfinder, do you think we're ready to start? I...I can't wait! Let's do this!
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Omrijka is a tall female halforc Clad in a colourful Travellers out fit covered by her scale armour and topped with a bright red hat. A silver songbird hangs from her neck and two spears are strapped over a round backpack styled with the glyph of the open road. She carries a glaive (a blade on the end of a 7' shaft of wood
Whats going down Janira Gav Ix Omrijka asks in a tone more suited to the Pigs Paunch than the Laughing lizard
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Omrijka looks over the newcomer and sticks pot a surprisingly well manicured hand Pleased to meet you too Diswan Iszuwan. Love the grey dress you rockin that look Not realising she has completely misunderstood Xu Wuan's introduction she explains a bit more of who she is I'm Omrijka. Warrior of Shelyn here to help the society recover beautiful old objects and keep them safe so they can be seen by fresh eyes She glances over to the other four Looks like the others are talking shop already she smiles at Xu Wuan
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Janira takes the time to exuberantly answer any questions the group has, and helps them go through their gear.
“Master Shaine is brilliant, if not entirely focused. He has lived a very long time and seen things we could only dream about. I’ve learned to just accept his peculiarities and value any knowledge he wishes to share.”
“The gillmen are a humanoid race much like humans save for the three piscine gills on both sides of their necks. They’re a little secretive but not outright hostile. Most live in or near the water.”
“That’s exactly what you are being asked to find out. The only known permanent surface settlement of the gillmen is in Escadar. Why they’re venturing into the foothills of the Kortos Mounts is a mystery.”
“A Confirmation can last for weeks or months—or could be completed in a few days. Your resolve combined with your ability to fulfill the three duties of a Pathfinder will determine your success.”
“Surely ‘Explore, Report, Cooperate’ have become second nature to you, right?”
“Are you one of those adventurers who was brought in through a field commission? Master Marcos Farabellus is the Master of Swords for the Pathfinder Society. He’s responsible for teaching every initiate the fine art of combat. Master Aram Zey is the Master of Spells for the Society. As his title suggests, he’s in charge of teaching would-be Pathfinders to use and defend against magic.”
“The area we’re heading to is controlled by a large centaur tribe. If we cross paths with any of them, they’ll see the horses as an affront and might become dangerously unfriendly. Our mission is to explore the caves and investigate the gillmen activity, not fight the local populace.”
“By foot, it will take nearly all of today and much of tomorrow to make the journey. I know maintaining such a stiff pace will be tiring, but we need to reach the caves at the height of the lunar cycle if at all possible.”
“Centaurs control the lowlands and surrounding wilderness of the Kortos Mounts. The areas farther up the Mounts are controlled by minotaurs, and the icy peaks are home to tribes of harpies. They’re always vying for territory, but with any luck, we should be able to avoid them and reach the caves without conflict.”
“There’s always the chance we may run into bandits along the way, and there are dozens of kinds of predators in that forest. That’s why we should always be as prepared as possible.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but I have no reason to believe the gillmen activity has anything to do with lycanthropy.”
After the team gets all the answers they need, Janira stands on the table everyone is seated around.
Well, before we leave, I believe we should introduce ourselves, so that we know who's back we have in a pinch, and who our new friends are! Please, everyone, tell us why you decided to join the Pathfinder Society, and something about yourself!
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I guess I'll start. Well, I'm Monterey. Lean and mean; you'd think I'd be as strong as a dwarf you might. Decided to join the Pathfinder Society to do something better with my life. The Andoran army just wasn't for me. Not enough diversity; not that I have anything against humans. People would always laugh at me for my stature. Of course, I would quiet a few of them every time I faced battle. Yup, those days are over. Good riddance! I'm here for the more diverse squad that is the Pathfinder Society now.
As for my skills, well, you can expect me to get up and dirty with my greatsword if anyone opposes us. Of course, I mean to protect, not destroy. A lot of soldiers I worked with never got that...
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"I'm Omrijka. Protecta of pretty things. I'm with the pathfinder so sy et tee to discover and protect pretty things and possible get ideas for making more pretty things" she fingers a silver songbird round her neck. "And of course I protect the pretty things and them as find em with my slashy and pointy sticks like my old master Lathathi Whitewing taught me after I first borrowed his songbird" she takes the silver figure and kisses it. "So that's me warrior of Shelyn"
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"This One is Xuan Wu. This One has travelled far by ship, across the ocean from far-off Goka in Tian Xia. Through meditation and self-discipline, this One has focused on self-perfection."
Xuan then smiles.
"This One also has some small skill with working out how cunning devices work - a disciplined mind is just as important as a disciplined body..."
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"Hello my friends. I am Lorkas." Lorkas looks around with a hardy smile. He then pats his wolf companion on his head. "And this is Miro. We have been traveling around for some time now and find that we have greater duty. That has lead us here, to the society. Again, I am terribly sorry for our late entrance." He bows slightly to all his companions in the room.
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Greetings ladies and gentlemen. I'm Darksid'Ious, follower of Zon-Kuthon. I'm from the dark lands of Nidal.
I'm good with stories and with people and not bad with a rapier, my favorate tool when in combat.
I could also support myself and my comrade in combat with good stories.
Darksid'Ious is a pale half-elf, with piercings and black outfit. His smile is cold but true.
As if remembering something he says As for these "famous" Gillmen, they are also known as the Low Azlanti, they are an amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people.
During Earthfall, the Starstone struck Golarion and destroyed the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant. It is said that gillmen’s ancestors survived the cataclysmic event because they received the blessing of an aquatic entity that allowed them to breath underwater.
But, most scholars believe that the terrifying aboleths were responsible for the gillmen’s transformation. Any alliance between them appears to have fallen apart over the millennia, however, and the gillmen seels to be an independent people.
With a smile he adds We, in Nidal, we have been protected by Zon-Kuthon blessing during these dark days of Golarion
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Dimira smiles as she listens her newfound allies introductions. It'll be interesting to work together with them. When Darksid, as he decided to call in the very moment she pronounced her long and complex name, which reminded her Kreighton Shane's suggestion to learn Undercommon, is done with her introduction, Dimira chimes in.
"Well met, fellow Pathfinders. I'm Dimira Kressen, and...Well, I can't say I come from distant lands as you, friends. I was born in Absalom and raised behind the Grand Lodge walls. I've spent all of my life there, dreaming of the day in which I would become a confirmed Parthfinder field agent. I'm very glad to be part of this adventure, and I'm sure we'll do well together." She pauses for a second, passing her tongue on her lips in order to wet them. "This is not my first mission though. I helped the Society in uncovering a mistery involving the Wounded Wisp and a failed attempt to ascend to godhood...We had some trobles, but we managed to come back safe and sound, so I hope that we'll be succeeding as well."
Dimira smiles to each of her new allies. Her eyes betrays her eager urge to start the mission.
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