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Yuvonesom's morningstar is in his hands as quickly as the beetle corporates, and without missing a beat he takes the fight to the beetle, swinging his weapon in a downward chop at the creature. Unfortunately, the insect is lower than he thought, so he had already started resetting his swing before he hit the creature, stealing much of the momentum that may have cracked the creature's carapace.
I know nothing of these creatures, other than they look like beetles of some sort. Though you didn't need me for that.
Move: Draw Morningstar
Free: 5ft Step
Standard: Attack
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Maya is pleased by the group's agreement and happily begins to explore, admiring the furniture and statues placed about the room before deciding to head for the study. The unnatural lack of signs of life about the room only seemed to add to the sense of majesty and mystery the place seemed to hold. It appears Fimbrik's been gone for quite a while. How worrying. I wonder if there's a clue as to his whereabouts in his library...
Her thoughts are interrupted by Yuvonesom's voice and the sound of skittering bugs, one of which catches her off guard. She narrows her eyes at the creature, mentally cursing its close proximity that made using her spear difficult as she readies the weapon in one hand and flicks at the handle of the door behind her with the other, hoping it was unlocked.
Move: Draw Spear
Standard or move: Opening a door
Free: 5ft Step. Feel free to move me back if it's locked or opens the wrong way or something. :P
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Although Yuvonesom's strike lacked the strength possible, the beetle is fragile and its carapace cracks badly under the morningstar. It collapses to the floor, twitching its life away.
Maya opens the door into the study and steps in, readying her longspear. From the corner of her eye, she sees the image of Fimbrik still obliviously looking at the shelves.
The beetle, seeing a tasty morsel flee from its reach, turns its attention to the more leathery one, and bites down on Tagir, tearing a gash at his side.
The beetle opens its carapace, revealing a set of wings, With a half-hop, it flies over the sofa to land in front of Yuvonesom. It similarly attempts to bite him but Yuvonesom easily dodges the clumsy attack.
Seoni recognises these as fiendish fire beetles summoned by Fimbrik's magic. As vermin, they are mindless creatures and immune to mind-affecting efforts. She also knows that the summoning magic makes them resistant to fire and cold. They are also mildly resistant to magic.
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Maya opens her mouth to apologize to the absentminded scholar, quickly deciding against the silly thought and returning to the living room. She nods in thanks at Tagir, smiling to herself at Iddo's remark and the sight of an arrow meeting its mark. With a few quick steps and a twirl of her spear, she hops up to the table and aims to deepen the wound.
Standard: Attack
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Maya hops onto the sofa, and stabs the beetle with her spear, but it glances off its carapace. Yuvonesom attempts to smash it but meets with similar results.
The beetle continues its relentless attack on Yuvonesom, but again its mandibles clack harmlessly into the air just Yuvonesom easily dodges out of the way.
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With a vicious jab, Tagir knees the final beetle, smashing in its head into mush!
With the vermin called forth by the hidden summoning circle destroyed, you are able to conduct a thorough search of the house beyond the room you came in from. The house is completely deserted other than the two programmed illusions of Fimbrik in the eastern rooms. The cellar is unnotable except for stacks of newspaper, while the stairs leading up reveal an unfinished second floor. Those who summons arcane sight reveal the cause for the tidiness of the house - a permanent unseen servant. This invisible housekeeper has been keeping the house s&&%@ and span, and apparently has been moving the newspapers from the doorsteps to the cellar. It seems that the publishers in recent years have increased the thickness of the papers, and the servant has been having difficulty pulling the papers through the door slot, thus settling for stacking them neatly outside the door.
Other than the two potions and the two notes left behind by Fimbrik you found earlier, you find nothing else noteworthy in the house.
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Details left by Selmius Foster indicate the location of Arkath’s burial site: a plot of land in Eastgate operated by the faith of Pharasma, the Lady of Graves. A fence surrounds the graveyard, and the party enters via the wide open gates to the east. A number of stone mausoleums border the necropolis, while countless graves dot the grounds. You can tell that the graveyard was once well-maintained but in recent years, the mausoleums and graveyards are starting to become dilapidated.
Looking at the gravestones, you notice that most, if not all, of the deceased were interred a few hundred years ago. That the grounds are largely deserted is not surprising – the friends and relatives of those buried here are likely themselves long deceased. The only person present is a dark-haired lady dressed in fine black robes slowly pacing the grounds. She does not appear to be paying respects to the deceased, and instead appear to be on patrol. She glances at the party as you enter, but she does not immediately approach you.
After a quick tour round the necropolis, you find the northernmost mausoleum belonging to Arkath. By then, the attendant see your interest and paces over to you. She speaks politely in a slow measured fashion with a tinge of disinterest in her voice. “Good day, ladies and gentlemen. I am Hadriana, priestess of Pharasma, attendant of this necropolis. Do you require any assistance?”
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Maya frowns at Tagir's question but mirrors his bow nonetheless. Must he attempt to court every woman we meet? Raising her head once more, she feels somewhat tempted to give him a disciplinary elbow in the ribs, but settles for a cautious glare instead.
"It is as my companion says, Miss Hadriana, though you may ignore the follow up if you wish. We would like to look around and pay our respects if as much is permitted. Is that alright?"
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"Wait, you want me to speak with her?"
Iddo giggles, turning away from the epitaph he was examining towards the priestess. He takes a deep breath and, doing what one would assume is impolite for a social encounter, closes his eyes. However, this strange gesture allows Iddo to do something his companions have never seen him manage before - directly face the person he is talking to.
"Greetings, servant of the Gray Lady; we are here to pay our respects to this esteemed stonemason Arkath who has sadly left us for Pharasma's embrace. If there are any ritual steps we must take, please inform us so that we may not displease the goddess."
The boy makes bows awkwardly and awaits a response.
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Hadriana raises her eyebrow at Tagir, and although her face remains expressionless, her eyes linger on him for slightly longer than necessary before she turns to Iddo and Maya.
She bows, and smiles slightly more sincerely than before and replies, still in a measured tone but now with a tinge of genuine warmth. "Certainly. There are few who bother to those who have departed, especially those who have been interred here for a few hundred years. They remain, of course, under Pharasma's wings, but that the living continue to remember the dead is important. It is heartening that you, with much life ahead of you, takes the time to do so."
Without speaking further, she leads you towards Arkath's mausoleum. She unhooks a bunch of solid brass keys from her belt, and unlocks the tomb door. Then with a strength that belies her lithe figure, she gently pushes aside the stone slabs that serves as doors. The smell of stale air greets you as soon as you step in, but it does not appear to faze Hadriana. Inside, the mausoleum is spartan, except for a sarcophagus richly decorated with carvings of willow trees, rumbling brooks and dancing river nymphs.
Hadriana pushes open the cover of the stone sarcophagus, and steps back for the party to examine the remains, although she keeps a close eye on you. The interior of Arkath’s sarcophagus is empty save for the stonemason’s long-dead skeleton. However, a faint glint of light reflects off what appears to be a small coin inside the skeleton’s mouth! It appears ancient, and what seems to be elaborate engravings pattern the surface.
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I'm very sorry to bother you madam, but... was that a traditional custom? Yuvonesom asks as he points out the coin to the priestess, I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before, but I'll admit that I haven't spent much time around the departed. Not ones that have been interred, at any rate...
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"Perhaps it is a sign from Pharasma, a reminder to 'Put your money where your mouth is.'" Tagir brushes against Hadriana's arm as he moves closer to the coin. "Of course, that reminder might mean different things to each of us. Myself, I think it's saying that nothing cheap is worth having, and I should be willing to give up everything I own for the one who will own my heart."
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Did Tagir see a faint smile on Hadriana's face? Or was it a trick from the dim lighting in the tomb?
Whatever the case, she paces over to the tomb to look at what you are referring to. She frowns faintly on seeing the coin. "Placing a coin in the mouth of the departed is a custom in some customs. Meant to be a form of payment as the soul moves on to the other side. However, that practice is very rare in a modern metropolitan like Absalom. Besides, that coin looks possibly valuable, unlikely to be used for this purpose. No, I have not seen this before."
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How romantic.
Maya spends a few silent moments in reverence for the deceased before copying Hadriana's frown at the coin. "Then, would you perhaps have a clue as to what purpose it does serve? Arkath was well known and respected in his time. Would any of those who have come before us have left gifts such as this for following visitors to see?"
She examines the coin from a distance, unwilling to disturb the stonemason's rest. The cogs in her mind turn as she thinks, searching for any relation its pattern may hold to the arcane or what little she had learnt from Fimbrik's tomes. Adolphus mentioned that there would be a clue, and as obvious as it is, this coin would seem to be it. And Arkath told Selmius that his secrets would accompany him to the grave... What secrets could this key possibly unlock?
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Despite not handling it directly, Maya recognises that the coin is not of simple manufacture, but rather was crafted by magic. The interweaving patterns of gold inlay likely infuses the inside of the coin as well. Maya came across similar patterns in one of her mother's tome, and that it is designed to interact with another magical item to trigger its effect. What type of magical item it would interact with though would require some magical study of the coin, or consulting someone more well-versed in magical items.
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"Perhaps we could borrow this coin for a couple of days? Just long enough to have it analyzed by a skilled magician. Then it would be my pleasure to return it to you personally tomorrow night. Say 8 o'clock?"
"No, wait. I have to be in the Ivy District before that. I wouldn't have enough time afterward to get all the way here." Tagir pauses for a moment. Easier than giving fire to a goblin. "Why don't you meet me in the Ivy District? How about Michelina's Varisian Ristorante?"
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Hadriana gazes at Tagir expressionlessly, for a few seconds longer than is comfortable. Suddenly, she steps forward to him, and pats him a few times on his cheek.
"I like you, boy. Bold and direct. I like that in my men. This is would be rather unusual, but I don't see Master Arkath missing this coin for a few days. Especially after having it for a few hundred years." Hadriana mutters a prayer to Pharasma, and very gently reaches into the sarcophagus to retrieve the coin.
As she hands the coin to Tagir, she continues, "So you are up for some spicy food, I see. Send word to Madam Michelina beforehand. Tell her to reserve my usual table. And set aside a bottle of her Varisian Deep Crimson wine." She frowns as she examines Tagir's attire. "Wear something red. These dull colors do not suit you."
Hadriana then escorts the party out of the tomb before sliding back the stone doors and lock them. She then continues her slow patrol of the necropolis.
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"Yes, Sand," Maya chuckles, catching Yuvonesom's grin "I do hope your engagement goes well. A table for two in one of the finest eateries in Absalom. It does sound rather wonderful. Spicy delicacies and crimson wine, since nothing cheap is worth having, and a suitable gift for the one who owns your heart?"
She pats Tagir gently on the shoulder, composing herself and smiling more genuinely. I shouldn't be too hard on him. Who knows, maybe there was some truth in his words. "But we can deal with that later. Well handled back there. With this we're one step closer to solving this mystery."
She turns to Yuvonesom, frowning in thought. "I doubt Dreng would know much about this coin or its purpose. If he did, I'd imagine he would have obtained it already since he was the one who lured us to Selmius' room beneath the tavern. Besides, with how quick he was to dismiss us, I'm sure he'd appreciate it if we returned to him with a more concrete lead than troubling him now with something insubstantial. I don't think I've yet had the pleasure of meeting with Kreighton Shaine, though I have heard of his exploits. It could be an option..."
"As for the coin," she begins, eyes drifting to the golden object in Tagir's hand. "My mother used to create similar items a long time ago. It appears to be laced with gold and infused with arcane energy. They're usually crafted in pairs or more, and act as keys for some other magical device. As for what that could be..."
Maya hums for a second before glancing at Seoni. "Seoni, you know more about magic than I. Perhaps you have some ideas as to what this coin is linked to? If not, then... I may know someone who is willing to help. Yargos Gill, a historian you might remember from the Wounded Wisp. I'm sure he would know something about its origin, or at least be able to point us in a better direction. I'd like to return there if that is alright with you, though of course there may be other alternatives."
She shrugs, looking around for suggestions.
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Red is most definitely not my color, or Pharasma's. Perhaps there's going to be some blood to hide? Not my favorite style, but fun enough!
"Outplayed you say, Yuvie? I have the coin and a date with a beautiful woman. If that's being outplayed, then may it continue until I'm wrinkled and toothless!"
"I think Maya has the right of it. No need to disturb the higher ups if we don't have too. Better to solve the problem on our own, or at least let the bosses think we did. And Maya--remind me to show you how I got that nickname sometime." Tagir's grin shows more teeth than seems possible.
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Maya smirks just a little. "If you return alive from your appointment, I'll consider it."
She nods thoughtfully at Yuvonesom's suggestion and turns to follow him. "Ah but yes, the Keleshite man. If I recall correctly, he did mention he was a Pathfinder himself, and if this coin is linked to divine magic as opposed to that of the arcane then he is bound to know something. Good idea."
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Having decided to seek help from some of the people they met earlier today, the party head back first to the Wounded Wisp. Yargos is still there in a corner of the tavern reading his big tome. Otherwise, the rest of the bar is largely deserted, the lull between the lunch and dinner crowd. Yargos, ever engrossed in his book, does not notice you until you are standing practically right in front of him. He looks up, and grins when he sees Maya. When you pass him the coin and explain what you need, he frowns. "I apologise, Miss Maya. I'm merely a historian and am not well-versed with objects crafted by magic." He looks rather dejected not being able to help.
With one avenue a dead-end, the party heads to the Coin District, this time to seek out the Keleshite Aram bin Kaleel at his shop of curios. The streets of the market districts is unusually empty, likely due to the incessant rain that just won't stop. You find Aram's shop rather easily, and like the streets, the shop is empty except for the Serenite himself sitting behind the counter, looking rather bored. He perks up, however, when he sees your party enter, possibly mistaking you for clientele. When he recognises Yuvonesom, however, he smiles even more broadly and quickly approaches him.
Shaking his hand with a firm grip, Aram welcomes the whole party. "Welcome, welcome, to my humble little shop. Are you here to peruse of my wares?"
You quickly explain what your adventures thus far, and pass him the coin. One quick look at it, and he exclaims almost immediately, "Ah, this is a Pathfinder's coin!" He examines it closely from various angles. "And a very well-crafted one, too. Easily three or four hundred years old." Seeing your somewhat confused expression, he continues to explain. "Well, you see, in our Pathfinder's line of work, we sometimes need to pass on secret messages. What better way than to hide it in something as innocuous as a coin! Of course, this particular one is rather unusual - it was crafted not to be mundane but to stand out, as if to call out to whomever finds it. Here, let me show you."
Aram then fishes out his wayfinder from under his vest, and places the coin on it. Almost immediately, the voice of an elderly man emanates clearly from the coin.
The path and chamber are complete, hidden behind the nameplate of the requested aspirant and guarded by the word you requested. Fimbrik will add more.
"Ah, I believe that is a piece of the clue you are looking for! Hmm, aspirant? That can only refer to the god aspirants who attempted the Test of the Starstone to achieve divinity but failed. They are remembered in the Shrine of the Failed here in Absalom, so I am guessing that is your next stop in your investigation. Do you have the 'word'? Did you find it with Fimbrik?"
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After a fashion... Yuvonesom says while rubbing the back of his neck, as if embarrassed, he wasn't home, but I believe we did find the word we would be looking for. The Shrine of the Failed, you say? Seems like an interesting place to hide... Whatever it is we're looking for, I guess we don't know exactly what it is, do we? He shrugs before looking back to Aram, I thank you very much for you help Aram, and I'll be sure to come back to tell you all about what we find.
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Following Aram's directions, the party head to the Shrine of the Failed, in the Ascendant Court district. Along the way, especially when you enter the district, the crowd gradually increases. Along the way, there is great excitement and flow of traffic along the streets, despite the incessant rain. It seems that Sir Reinhart has chosen this very moment to attempt the Test of the Starstone. People you pass by on the streets are exclaiming that the valiant knight is preparing to charge his steed across the chasm outside Starstone Cathedral. The crowds are clearly making their way there to watch the spectacle. That in turn have provided you unrestricted access to the Shrine of the Failed. The city guard and what few caretakers the Shrine has have left to watch Sir Reinhart’s attempt.
Erected centuries ago by an unknown organization, the Shrine of the Failed is a dour complex that pays homage to those who failed in their attempts to overcome the Test of the Starstone. The building houses numerous altars, each dedicated to a specific failed aspirant. Black-robed acolytes are usually present to protect, clean, and maintain the halls as well as the few trinkets left behind by the aspirants, but they have now left. The shrine is a stone edifice with several levels that contain altars to the failed aspirants. You are able to access the Shrine via a large set of stairs at the side which leads to a basement annex.
The large monumental antechamber that you enter stretches eighty feet from end to end, with a ceiling suspended thirty feet from the floor by great pillars. Seven arched passages lead to humble alcoves, each of which contains a polished stone altar dedicated to one of the failed aspirants. Each altar stands upon a raised dais and bears a small brass nameplate identifying the aspirant and his would-be portfolio. Glancing at each of the alcoves in turn, counterclockwise starting from the northeastern one, you see the following names in this order:
- Gobru, god of fish and the bountiful sea
- Mellag, god of rot
- Oggo, god of the sixteen poses
- Spuchasta, goddess of hallucinatory incense and herbs
- the Muted God of silence and serenity
- Plokkis, god of spoiled food and wastefulness
- Zimpar, god of the screaming fear
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Maya bows her head politely towards the shopkeeper. "Yes, we're very grateful for the help you have provided us, Master Aram. Perhaps on our next visit we'll have more time to peruse your wares and chat about less enigmatic matters." She chuckles, grinning at Yuvonesom's cover up and making an effort to suppress her excitement.
"Sir Reinhart couldn't have picked a better time to attempt the test, it would seem. Fate is being awfully kind to us. Maybe Desna is as curious as we are to find out what secret has been hidden here. I never thought I'd be glad that the city guard can afford to be so lax with their duties."
She sets her travel pack down and begins rummaging through it, eventually pulling out a hastily scrawled sketch of the three supposed Pathfinders they had investigated at the wall of names along with the notes from Selmius, Adolphus and Fimbrik that had been stashed away. "So," she starts brightly, "any ideas as to who this requested aspirant could be?"
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Iddo slowly wanders around the hall, chuckling to himself: what person could possibly wish to become the god of sixteen poses? He finally reaches the south-western alcove, and carefully reads the inscription on the nameplate.
"Plokkis, god of spoiled food and wastefulness... yes, this seems to be the one. Now, what do I have to do? Touch it with the magic coin and say the magic word "wiffle"? Actually, I'd rather have someone else do it. I don't want to break anything."
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- From the Wall of Names, which also links to this handout
- From Fimbrik's Housewhich also links to this handout
- From the Tomb of Arkath
Iddo wanders into the alcove dedicated to Plokkis, the failed god of spoiled food and wastefulness. The alcove is bare, other than an altar with the failed aspirant's name carved on a nameplate.
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Maya plops herself down beside Iddo with a handful of papers and a frown across her face. She mumbles something barely intelligible about a spare waterskin in her backpack before pausing abruptly as her face lights up. "You're right, Iddo," she chirps, laying onto the floor a sketch of Karina Clamp's small space of glory on the wall of names, and the relevant inscription beneath it. "Fimbrik gave us the name of this fraud in particular, in addition to the password for... something."
She looks up again as her frown returns, eyes roaming the alcove suspiciously. "Well, the nameplate is certainly pretty, and whoever crafted this alcove did a very fine job I suppose, but doesn't it feel a little... empty? For a god of wastefulness, Plokkis' alter is a lot more bare and bland than I would have expected."
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Seoni does not find a clear way of opening the secret door hidden behind the illusion. Maya, on the other hand, lays her hand on the nameplate to examine it more closely, and discovers that it slides back to reveal a small chalkboard behind, with a small piece of chalk laid in a recess. Grasping the purpose, she scribbles the word Wiffle on the chalkboard and the secret door silently slides open.
You recall the Arkath's words that were stored in the Pathfinder's coin and understand its significance, "The path and chamber are complete, hidden behind the nameplate of the requested aspirant and guarded by the word you requested."
You enter what appears to be a natural stone cavern beyond the secret door.
This cavern is dark but dim illumination emanates from the northeast from an alcove. Otherwise, the entire cavern is silent and empty. When you approach the alcove, you can see several desks arranged along the northern and eastern edges of this small stone alcove. Whereas the stonework leading to this chamber is rough, the walls in the alcove are polished. A single gem rests among the neatly filed papers on the desk, emitting a soft luminescence that brightens the small room.
Looking through the paperwork left behind, even the unschooled can tell that they are priceless collections of Pathfinder Society lore and information describing dozens of unexplored sites. Most are written in an Azlanti dialect, but appear further encrypted. This collection is clearly a goldmine of great scholarly importance, but understanding the true scope of the discovery would require several weeks of careful study by researchers at the Grand Lodge. This is clearly the priceless cache of information left behind by Eylysia!