.
If there's room, I'd love to join with a level 1 character. Looks like there are still a few spots on the Gameday sheet.
As the Grinning Pixie lurches and sways in the storm, Venture- Captain Calisro Benarry of the Arcadian Mariner’s Lodge grins widely as she slides a clay jug of strong Sargavan rum across her table. Though broad-shouldered and half a head taller than most humans, the intimidating half-orc speaks with an almost childlike excitement in her husky voice. “My apologies for all the secrecy,” she says. “I had to make sure some pirate rascal didn’t catch wind of our mission. Now that Drenchport’s a week behind us and we’re hugging the Eye of Abendego, it’s time to give you lubbers the full run-down.”
Benarry waits for the jug to make its way back to her, then takes a long swig. “I mentioned in Drenchport that the Society wants you to explore a recently discovered ruin somewhere north of the Shackles. Well, that was partly true, but it wasn’t exactly the whole story.” Benarry’s eyes narrow and her grin becomes unsettlingly sharklike. “We’re actually sending you to the Gloomspires, to Old Sevenfingers’s tomb.” Chuckling softly, she slides the jug back across the table. “Here, have another nip. Looks like you need it.”
Sempet Sevenfingers was a legendary pirate who was active in the region 300 years ago.
From his dreaded flagship, the Voracious, Sevenfingers commanded a small fleet of pirate ships. He was feared and despised for using cannibals and madmen to augment his boarding parties.
The Gloomspires are an ancient field of massive stone columns that rise from the Arcadian Ocean. Most sages say they were already old when the Ghol-Gan Empire was young. The Gloomspires are hollow and contain many chambers and passages, all of which are
believed to be cursed, monster-infested, or both.
“I’ve been researching the Gloomspires for a very long time. Before I sailed to Absalom and joined the Society, I was a Free Captain here in the Shackles. Back then I learned about the Gloomspires, Old Sevenfingers, and all the treasure and secrets the old devil took with him when he sealed himself in his tomb.”
A long, rumbling growl of thunder makes Benarry pause, and she takes the opportunity to wet her lips with another swig of rum before she continues. “Since joining the Society, I’ve been able to learn even more about the Gloomspires. Most importantly, I’ve discovered that they’re tied to certain alignments of the stars, and that twice each year—beginning on the nights of the summer and winter solstices—the columns cease moving for exactly three days.
“So, tomorrow’s the summer solstice. Now that you know the ‘where’ and the ‘when’ of this little caper, you need to know why the Society’s sending you.” Benarry pauses before continuing in a more conspiratorial voice.
“I recently came into the possession of a logbook once owned by the pirate captain, Mazzer Thrennt. Before Thrennt ended up as lusca-bait seven years back, he was a moderately successful pirate who shared my obsession with the Gloomspires. It turns out his log contains an inventory of the plunder he liberated over the years, including the loot he found in Sevenfingers’s tomb. One item on Thrennt’s list immediately got my attention: His log described with perfect accuracy a relic from lost Lirgen called the Orb of Stars. I’m certain that this device can manipulate the alignments of the stars—or at least how we perceive them— and historical accounts suggest we could also use it to trick the Gloomspires into thinking that the solstice lasts more than just a day. The Society and I both want that orb, and it’s going to look really good to the folks back home if you’re able to secure it. Here,” she says, passing a sheet of parchment across the table, “I’ve written down some of the particulars.”
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The creepy half-orc that people have avoided most of the trip nods and says, "Good." Most of the crew and Pathfinders feel uneasy around the monosyllabic half orc. Something about his gaze that gives you the chills. Almost like something else was watching you behind the half orc's cold dark eyes. Until now he's spent the briefing in his usual hunched over posture, his limp hanging arms swaying with the ship.
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Cirri sees the jug, remembers the night she was so drunk she thought she was a bird and tried to fly across rooftops (thanks goodness for Feather Fall) and declines.
As Benarry notes a parchment, Cirri grabs it as soon as she can. "Oh wow. Shipwrecks, and hidden caves, and they stop moving for a day? That's so cool!"
Cirri's enthusiasm quickly flushes out as she keeps reading. "Hall of the F-flesh Eaters? So are we gonna find undead? I hope not."
The ‘great Hall of the Flesh Eaters’ is a name long associated with the uppermost level of Sevenfingers’s tomb. In his log, Thrennt mentioned his exploration of Sevenfingers’s tomb and a few of the other Gloomspires, but the old goat was careful not to map or describe the Gloomspires’ interiors or describe any of the monsters or traps he and his crew encountered.
His log contained an inventory of the treasures he found, which included a description of what I believe is the Orb of Stars. Thrennt claimed to have left the Orb in a side chamber connected to the ‘great Hall of the Flesh Eaters’. He also claimed that he collapsed the tunnel leading to the chamber with the intention of returning later with digging tools to retrieve it.
The journal doesn't say how big it is, but the simple fact that Thrennt was able to carry it suggests it is at least portable.
After two more days of sailing, a dense fog appears on the horizon, and soon engulfs the ship. Tall, dark shapes can be faintly discerned as rising from the water, gigantic spires. The fog seems to play tricks on the senses - there are strange sounds, scents and even tastes teasing the adventurers, shadows seem to move the wrong way, and the light of lanterns just seems to go where it pleases.
The ship finally halts at the base of a spire, where a narrow staircase leads up.
We are here. Any final questions before you move up?
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Cirri spends the next few days talking to her fellow adventurers, comparing notes, getting to know each other and trying to get long sentences out of the spooky half-orc.
As the ship slows down, Cirri finishes her sea shanty about the joys of rum and grabs her staff and her spellbook.
"I guess we'll return here within three days, right?"
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A young tiefling in chelish clothes Sam is light on his foot and has a strange reptilian quality to his figure. His face betrays little emotion, cold yellow eyes with a snake's gaze.
So, we go in and we clean up. Fine. But you are not seriosly expecting us to do the digging, right?! He asks the VC without any humour in his voice.
In three days, or sooner. Those stairs are perfectly safe, and as for the digging - I seriously hope for you that that is going to be the worst of your problems. Good luck
It takes nearly two hours to climb the narrow, winding steps to the summit of the great stone column containing Sevenfingers’s tomb. Although the swirling chaos of the Eye of Abendego lies only a hundred miles away to the east, the violent storms it constantly hurls across the seas seem to have forgotten this eerily quiet place. Surrounding the monolith are dozens of nearly identical columns, their ominous outlines stretching down into the mist. And here, atop Sevenfingers’s tomb, is a small clearing surrounded by a thick and utterly silent veil of tropical trees, hanging vines, and thick undergrowth, all shrouded in fog.
A lush canopy of tropical trees, flowering vines, and thick undergrowth forms a dark green wall around a small clearing. A broad trail cuts through the foliage and vanishes into the mists to the northwest. To the south and east is the edge of the column, and a sheer five hundred-foot drop. The ground here is a soggy carpet of thick green moss and black soil.
The plants here have been stripped of all edible fruits and seeds.
Somewhat hidden away are the remains of a weeks- old campfire that contains the charred skull and bone fragments of a humanoid. All of the bones show signs of gnawing.
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As Cirri climbs up the long, long staircase she can't help but be amazed by the beauty of the storm. "Beautiful. I wonder what's blocking the storms around here. Besides magic, I guess."
Cirri is scribbling pictures of the trees into her journal for comparison later when she notices the campfire. "A predator may be around here. Prefers humanoids. I'm guessing they ambushed whoever was around that campfire." Cirri quickly puts away her journal and pulls out her spellbook and quarterstaff.
Cirri notices the tracks of several humanoid leading north through a small trail..
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Orophin just listens to the others, amazed by the jungle on top of the pillar.
"Life will always find a way. Amazing that a jungle exists here in such a place. Amazing."
He goes over to look at the camp site, and counts the number of sleeping rolls, tents or other indicators of how many people probably camped here.
There is no campsite - just the remains of a fire.
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During the long climb, Cacumattus seems captivated by the view out over the ocean. By the time the party reaches the top, the gnome's face is almost back to its usual brown, finally losing the greenish tint that it had taken on shortly after setting sail. The sorcerer had spent much of the voyage hanging over the aft railings, and had almost missed disembarking, hurrying off the ship, muttering, "This boat thing was fun for a while, and even the queasy feeling was interesting at first, but it sure does got old fast."
Once at the top, Cacumattus examines the folliage. "Look here, there are Gereyfruit trees, but they've all been picked clean. Same with the Sigenut bush there, in fact there's not an edible fruit, nut or seed left anywhere. Something was very hungry or very thorough..."
A clearing is shrouded in shadows thanks to the thick jungle canopy overhead. A dozen makeshift beds of leaves and palm fronds surround a sickly campfire that barely manages to keep smoldering in the humid air. A few splintered bones and cloven skulls litter the clearing, and all show signs of being gnawed upon.
Six figures sit around the campfire: a single man that sits motionless, as if in a seance, and five men gather up as soon as they spot the adventurers.
These men are fatigued and underfed
---
Seline
Cacu
Cirri
Scare
Kerastes
Orophin
Sam
---
Cannibal Medium
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
---
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"Cannibals, eh? I told you I'd show someone a difficult meal." Seline's eyes glint with excitement and a foul smile crosses her face. She moves forward and attacks the closest cannibal with a punch."
(-1 from Power Attack, orange arrow on map indicates target)
(+2 from PA)
She punches the cannibal squarely in the jaw, knocking loose several sharpened teeth.
Seline opens hostilities - though that is a matter of timing more than provocation - and hits a cannibal in the jaw, almost knocking him out. Cirri decides to cast a defensive spell, and Kerastes and Orophin stand at the ready, with Orophin ready to fire should the cannibals move.
(He will eventually miss, though)
The Scare Crow readies a scythe.
--
Seline
Cacu
Cirri
Scare
Kerastes
Orophin
Sam
---
Cannibal Medium
Cannibal (13 NL)
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
---
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Seline rushes past Cirri and wails on one of the cannibals with a mean right hook. "Whoa! I guess we won't be doing this diplomatically or defensively, then." Cirri gestures with her staff while shouting some notes in coordination. After a moment, translucent blue armor covers her from head to toe.
"Okay, let's do this."
Cacumattus fires off a crossbow shot, but the cannibals remain undaunted, and unhit.
--
Seline
Cacu
Cirri
Scare
Kerastes
Orophin
Sam
---
Cannibal Medium
Cannibal (13 NL)
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
Cannibal
---