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"Dang, Lord Vars -- whut makes ya'll so shore we be gonna go a-killin' thangs agin? Jus' 'cause the lodge done called us in? Ah don't reckon every uh-sign-ment has t'be dangerous and a-harrowin' like we already done! Mebbe that there dee-cem-virate has a milk run fer us this time. Ah reckon we is owed a nice, easy milk run after that moon dee-bacle..."
he pitches a pale orange Ioun Stone into orbit around his head:
"Check this here new spinny bit Ah got -- it's s'posed ta grab onta my soul if'n Ah dies! Guy what solded it ta me sed I kin go back inta my body after a while, if'n some kinda healin' is on hand. That mage gave me a big discount on accounta the gem bein' all messed-up an' cloudy an' not purdy enough fer his yoo-sual client-ale..."
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The door opens and you may think it has blown open on its own at first until you look down to note the fedora-topped halfling with a pistol on one hip and a whip on the other. An entire solar system of ioun stones float about his head and he wears his wayfinder proudly around his neck. He carries a load of books under one arm and smiles as he looks around and takes in the assembled party.
"Hello!" he begins, setting his books down on a nearby table and clapping his hands to remove the dust before offering a handshake to everyone. "Hi! I'm Venture-Captain Trotter Flaxseed of the Flaxseed Lodge in Cassomir. Historian and archaeologist extraordinaire! Perhaps you've read my latest treatise on the Aboleth's use and purposeful evolution of Ugothol, more commonly known as faceless stalkers? Or perhaps my paper about the morlocks of Rachikan and their connection to the Jistkan Empire of old? No? Indeed, then you've probably read my book about. . . "
Trotter goes on for a few more moments naming off countless books, papers, chronicles, treatises, and journals that he has penned about his various discoveries but eventually he catches on that no one seems to have read his somewhat obscure and numbingly academic writings. "Ah well! I spend most of my time nowadays organizing agents for missions over at my Lodge*. I'm excited to dust off ol' Pea Shooter here," he pats the pistol on his hip, "and get back to some real adventuring though! And you all seem like fine companions! It will be a treat!"
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"I am Duke Vars Stanic of Shady Mountain. Sorry, but I don't read much in the way of academic journals. Other than when I can escape with my worthy compatriots here to have some fun, I spend most of my time among the toadies and harridans of the imperial court in Oparra. Glad to make your acquaintance.
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"There's some farmin' there, but more importantly Shady Mountains has some domo-ciles o' some of th' empress's bestest subjects! Ah growed up 'round there, an' Ah kin vouch fer the upstandin' upstandyness of them locals o' Shady Rest!"
The big bumpkin offers his hand to the halfling:
"Hiya, Mr Trotsky! Ah'm Duhwoo -- part-time farmer an' part time Pathfinder. Ah'm a bit of a bard my own se'f, too. Ah prob'ly heard o' ya'll before: bard's a-gossipin' at th' Lodge an' all. One o' them guys tried to show me some kinda writin' 'bout them abolef's, whut mighta been writ up by you -- but Ah gotta tell ya, Ah'm 'fraid Ah couldn't make heads ner tails o' yer story 'bout them abolefs an' th' ugly dolls (or sumpthin' like that). D'ya like dancin'?"
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Duhwoo pulls his falchion, and starts dancing around swinging his blade as if in combat:
"Ho-down! Dose-ee-doh...step to yer left, pull yer blade in tight...an' High Guard!..."
evidently, without actual foes there, his singing is a little awkward; even so, his sword held high, the mock battle maneuvers begin:
"Strike yer partner blow by blow! Chop his body high then low! Swing that weapon fast and slow -- that's the way we treats our foe! Dance around with style and grace -- then hit yer partner with a mace! Smack yer partner in the face, put that badguy in it's place!"
realizing his calls aren't carrying so well without actually raging, he decides an actual dance might work better -- so he extends a hand to Avoreal, and if she's amenable he'll call some proper dance steps, executing the moves with her as he calls 'em:
"Swing yer pertner to-and-fro, spin her 'round and watch her go! Toss her high and pass her low, pull her in -- from fast to slow!"
Assuming Avoreal went with the offer to dance, when that last maneuver ends with the elf's body pulled in close to his, Duhwoo blushes and breaks his stride; stepping away from her, he looks at the halfling to distract from his faux pas:
"Uh, an' Miss Starseeker's got...uh...some fun servants in her mobile home -- what likes ta party, too! That's a fun part o' 'venturin' with her! We has a square dance most every night!"
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Avoreal smiles and takes Duhwoo's hand. She tries her best to keep up with his rambunctious style, but her elven gracefulness does not much for her in the "Ho Down" atmosphere..
She seemingly just gets flung around by the hulking barbarian. She does however retain the smile on her face as her lithe frame is thrown about.. After she manages to escape she pulls a rod and begins a spell..
"Ill get you a band Duhwoo!"
Roughly 6 seconds later Lillend Azata's appear in the tavern.. They essentially start playing Rock Band at Avoreal's command..
What other customers that are there get a lively performance between the assemble of Bards.. An Epic night indeed!
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Days of merry revelling later, you show up at the Grand Lodge with one of the most massive hangover you've ever experienced. You don't remember much from the past couple of days, except that this party ended with a letter of Aram Zey requesting the exceptional presence of such a retinue of Venture-Captains in Skyreach. The Pathfinders are all drinking anti-hangover alchemical beverages when the Master of Spells enters the room with a grave look on his face, but sarcasm always ready at his lips. "Oh good, you've met each other. Now that you're great pals, why don't you come with me and start actual work." He storms off the room, leading you to the deepest levels you know in the Grand Lodge, the Vaults of the Society. There, under a stone arch, rests a small hut with chicken feet and a beak.
"This is the famed Dancing Hut, a powerful artifact allowing to cross the boundaries between planes that belongs to the Queen of Witches herself, Baba Yaga." Aram Zey explains "Or rather should I say belonged. You see, the almighty Baba Yaga has apparently fallen victim to one of her daughters, the current queen of Irrisen Eluvanna, who managed to imprison Baba Yaga and capture the Dancing Hut to secure the sustainability of her rule. Baba Yaga was supposed to return to Irrisen this year and replace Eluvanna with one of her younger daughters, but Eluvanna had other plans. One of our teams managed to recover the Dancing Hut and travel across the planes until they found this."
The Master of Spells opens a small lacquered box and takes out a strange doll representing an old witch. Immediately, you feel a sense of urgency invading your mind. "These dolls are called matryoshka, and they're pretty common in Irriseni folklore. This one, of course, is another matter entirely. I present you Baba Yaga's prison, and your mission is to find a way to open it."
Grinning smugly, Zey lets the information slowly reach your half-drunk minds. "Yes, you've heard right. Your mission is to find a way to free one of the most potent entities Golarion has ever seen. Why does the Society care, you ask? I'll assume you didn't get your Venture-Captain title in a fair's game, so I won't insult your intelligence by reminding you how valuable an alliance with Baba Yaga would be for our forays into Irrisen, or across the planes." Another smug grin surfaces on Aram Zey's lips. "Wait, did I just said that aloud?"
"In any case, you are the only ones qualified for this mission. Take the doll, enter the Dancing Hut, and find a way to free the old crone. The Hut has shown great resourcefulness in guiding the other team, I don't see why it would be different this time. You know I won't wish you good luck, because I don't believe in luck. I believe you're the best chance we have of exploiting this situation to our advantage. Now get to work."
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Avoreal shudders at the sight of the doll, remembering how terrible the last little dolls were she came across.. "What is with Baba Jaga's daughters like for dolls.." She picks up the little thing a closely examines it.. Casting Detect Magic first.
Afterwards she tries to figure out what abilites the Hut has as well..
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"Ah yes!" Trotter quips, "It was the winter of 3313 AR when the men of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings received first warning of Baba Yaga's fell intent when her armies of cold fey and blue skinned ice trolls marched down from the Crown of the World." Trotter adopts the stance of a lecturer, or perhaps a fellow Venture-Captain briefing recruits. "Led by Baba Yaga herself, the queen of witches was all but unstoppable, killing any who resisted her and enslaving the rest. It took her less than a month to claim the lands that she wanted, that would become Irrisen. Strangely enough, almost as soon as she had conquered Irrisen, Baba Yaga seemed to lose interest in it. Instead she installed one of her daughters as the reigning monarch. Shortly afterwards, Baba Yaga returned to her life roaming the myriad planes as her whims desired. After a hundred years, she returned and placed a new daughter in charge of Irrisen. This pattern has repeated itself every century with Baba Yaga returning to place a new daughter on the throne and take the previous monarch with her to travel the planes. What becomes of them none are sure...."
Trotter takes a quick breath and continues his information explosion, as he is wont to do. "Elvanna is the fourteenth queen of Irrisen and was set to be dethroned last year in fact, as Baba Yaga has regularly appears every 100 years to replace the Queen. Elvanna was preceded by Yelizaveta, Betyrina, Kseniya, Velikas, Tashanna, Karina, Sascha, Harcatha, Aelena, Pjallarane, Urvalane, Morgannan, and firstly Jadwiga."
Trotter thinks for a moment. . . Perhaps this will make for a fine addition to the Chronicles when it is all through. "I accept! Of course I would love to help the Society (and Golarion) in this quest!"
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Devin floats calmly on his flying carpet. Enjoying the tea and other detoxifying beverages having been offered.
Thinking to himself Had it really been a good idea to accept the honored drinking mug from Cayden's Hall almost 4 years ago now. Free drinks at one of the finest drinking establishments in Absalom sounded like a good idea.... but it's lead me into too many early mornings like this. I'm a Venture Captain damnit, can't I get my own lodge instead of being called into Aram Zey's office to be his errand boy?"
Devin sits comfortably as his carpet takes him around the hut so that he can see it from all sides before floating back to the party.
"Doesn't look that big from out here" the Gnome finally speaks.
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Avoreal inspects the Matryoshka, and is able to determine that it seems to be some kind of multi-layered container keeping something-or someone-inside, similar to a trap the soul effect. It's hard to say how many layers are included in the protection, but an educated guess based on the number of smaller dolls contained inside would bring that number to five or six. Each layer should be opened by a specific ritual bound to an essence linked to the trapped person inside the doll. Finally, Avoreal cannot help but feeling empathic communications compelling her to enter the hut, though the presence is very faint.
As for the Dancing Hut, many things are known. First, it operates as a demiplane, or rather a collection of demiplanes, as well as countless portals to other planes. However, there is a specific key to each portal, and only Baba Yaga herself knows them all. There is also the matter of the Hut's conscience, which is still largely debated among scholars. Some think it is an intelligent item, while others argue it is merely an extension of Baba Yaga's will. Whichever it is, there is only one way of knowing.
Aram Zey clears his throat, and appears slightly ill at ease. "The other team, yes. Well, they came back from a place called "Russia" in a pretty bad shape. It appears their confrontation with Eluvanna's ally, a mad occultist called Rasputin, left terrible scars in their minds. We're caring for them, of course. They were the ones who brought back the Hut. Or was it the Hut which brought them back here? There is no way of knowing for sure."
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"The sooner the better. We presume that Eluvanna doesn't know about us detaining the Dancing Hut. As long as your mission remains a secret you'll be fine."
Vars enters the tardis hut and arrives in a small room that appears to be of the same dimensions than the hut is on the outside. When Avoreal joins him inside, the Matryoshka doll she's holding compels her to open a trap door in the hut's ceiling. The trap door opens out of a large, flat-topped gneiss boulder at the bottom of a grotto surrounded by sheer rock cliffs broken by myriad ledges and fissures. The sound of falling water echoes through the grotto and a fine, chill mist fills the air with sparkling droplets. Most of the grotto’s walls are in shade, though bright sunlight shines down from somewhere above, refracting through the mist to create rainbows and glowing jewels of radiance. The shadow of a huge, gnarled tree is just visible through the fog toward the sound of the waterfall.
The picturesque waterfall tumbles from the cliff above into a roiling pool that bubbles like a giant witch’s cauldron. The waterfall gives off a frigid mist, but hot steam rises from the bubbling waters of the pool, combining with the mist to make a comfortable, if somewhat damp, locale. Colorful lichens grow on the rocks around the pool, and lush ferns grow from every fissure and seam in the rock. Numerous trees, ranging from shrublike saplings to fully grown specimens crowd the soil around the pool’s edge. Just visible through the mist, a magnificent rowan tree with an immense trunk stands on a low ledge overlooking the pool. The lowest of its thin branches hang all the way down to dip into the surface of the pool, and its leaves constantly drip with condensation from the ever-present mist. Massive knots that almost resemble contorted faces look out from the tree’s gnarled surface, and its fissured bark bears the scars of ancient lines carved into the tree that lost whatever symbolic meaning they may have had ages ago.
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Trotter flips through his own set of books.
(+32 to navigate the City of Brass and surrounding areas, +32 to navigate the tunnels of the Darklands and identify Darklands natives)
Trotter also casts detect scrying before heading into the Hut.
"Interesting locale." The halfling Venture-Captain continues to scrawl notes furiously in his journal.
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As you get closer to the tree in order to inspect it, the bark shifts and morphs to become face, arms and eyes. The creature emerging from the tree looks as ancient as the world itself, an entity that weaves the threads of time itself. Definitely feminine in nature, she has a pair of shears in her hands, as well as endless golden thread she's constantly running her fingers on. Her voice can soon be heard, though none undestand that tongue.
"Вы пришли далеко, странников ..."
Seeing that none understand her, she tries another language-sucessfully this time.
"You have come far, wanderers, but the threads of fate have finally led you here to Grandmother’s Cauldron, the root of Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut. Here was Baba Yaga’s past made, and here will her future be decided. Know then that I am Vigliv, ally and mentor to Baba Yaga, for I am norn, and hold the golden thread of her fate in my hands.
"Baba Yaga has been trapped within the doll you hold by one of her own blood, her own power turned against her to do so. But to free Baba Yaga from her prison and gain mastery over her betrayer, you must pay heed to the wisdom of the universe and homage to its fate. Here, in Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut, lie the very fundamental essences of Baba Yaga’s being. Should her treacherous daughter recover these, she would gain great power over her mother, possibly enough to destroy Baba Yaga once and for all.
"Therefore, you must seek out these elements of Baba Yaga’s nature first. You must first take the fate of Baba Yaga into your hands, then find her power, her death, and her life. Lastly, you will need the blood of Baba Yaga to finally free the Old Crone. Only in this way can you defeat the daughter who betrayed her, and in so doing, save your own world. I can guide your steps in their quest. Your search begins now."
As she finishes to speak, the water beyond the ledge suddenly explodes in fury as a catoblepas emerges to attack you. The entity quickly retreats into the tree, letting you deal with it. The combat is swift and merciless, and soon the catobepas is no more. Vigliv emerges from the bole of the tree with a long, lustrous, golden thread in her hands.
"This thread represents Baba Yaga’s fate; the first part of your quest is done. Twine the thread around the doll and soak them both in the poison blood of the beast. Then bathe the doll in the pool and the bars of her prison will weaken."
Abiding by the primordial norn's will, you complete the first part of the ritual allowing Baba Yaga's liberation. Once the matryoshka doll is dipped into the tainted pool, the blood washes away and the golden thread of Baba Yaga’s fate is absorbed into the doll. A sudden crack appears in the wood where the cord was absorbed, and the doll splits open to reveal a second, slightly smaller doll within, this one painted as a stout Russian matron holding a pullet under one arm. Immediately, the empathic impressions become stronger, as if the prisoner's soul was infinitely closer than before. All of you are now capable of feeling the sensations sent by the doll.
Vigliv speaks again. "You have taken Baba Yaga’s fate into your hands. The first test is past, but many remain. You must now reclaim a symbol of her power. Know that the demon lord Kostchtchie and the witch queens of Irrisen were not Baba Yaga’s first attempts to elevate some mortal to supreme power to rule in her name over lesser peoples. There was another before, a great warrior called Bremagyr, whom Baba Yaga made a queen over a vast empire on her own world. Yet when the Queen of Witches sought the obeisance due her from this petty empress, Bremagyr forgot from whence her power came and refused to do honor unto Baba Yaga. Where Baba Yaga had raised her from warrior to queen in a year, she laid Bremagyr and all her empire low in a night. Never again has the sun risen or set over the crumbled empire of Bremagyr, as a lesson to all who would come after and seek Baba Yaga’s power but refuse her obedience.
"Bremagyr is now a shadow of the queen she once was, cursed to forever haunt her iron fortress of Vashliq, which was cast down by Baba Yaga and brought inside her Dancing Hut. Yet some vestige of Baba Yaga’s power still lies within Bremagyr, and only with the destruction of the dead queen will you be able to obtain that power and continue on your quest. Now go. Follow Baba Yaga’s guidance. Find the Canyon of the Drakes and enter the lost fortress of Vashliq. When you have reclaimed Baba Yaga’s power, bring it back to this sacred pool to unlock the next secret of the doll that imprisons her."
Following the ancient creature's guidance, you first clear Grandmother's Cauldron from its many dangers, then cross a first portal. There, a perilous adventure leads you to slay Bremagyr and recover Baba Yaga's power, which is incarnated in Bremagyr's crown.
Once the second ritual has been performed, the doll splits open once again with a crack, revealing another smaller doll within. As before, this new doll remains impervious, but Baba Yaga can now communicate with you through limited telepathy, though the communication is fragmented, as her mental voice cuts in and out almost like a weak radio transmission.
When you return to Grandmother's Cauldron, Vigliv speaks again. "Your bravery has won through, even against the treachery of those who would steal your prize. But your quest is not yet done. You have recovered Baba Yaga’s fate and her power, but now you must seek out her death. As she rose in power from a mere mortal, Baba Yaga used great magic to ensure that death would not be able to swiftly find her through misfortune or betrayal.
"Baba Yaga placed her death in an athame, a witch’s knife, which she then hid in a chest within a corpse, which she buried under an oak tree on the mystical island of Buyan. Even if Baba Yaga was slain, her death would still need to be recovered and released back into her body in order for her to truly die. And so Baba Yaga plucked the island from the ocean and stored it in one of the many hidden realms of her hut so that none could stumble across it, and her death, without first facing her power.
"Now, to free Baba Yaga from her prison, you must go to Buyan, find her death, and bring it back here to her cauldron. She is gaining greater awareness as you free her and will be able to guide you to some extent; heed her counsel. Now go; the death of Baba Yaga awaits you."
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before following Vars into the contraption, in response to Aram's report about the party that dealt with Rasputin:
"Ah been told Ah ain't never gotta worry none 'bout no mental damage -- reckon that means my brain's tough 'nough fer jus' about anything..."
after arriving in the "garden":
"Russia ain't so bad -- 'ceptin' fer how all this mist prob'ly makes it hard ta git a tan! Mebbe we jus' gots ta find that there Ras-pootin feller Mr Zay mentioned, an he'll tell us whut ta do next..."
then, when the norn is giving it's exposition, he leans over to Vars:
"Ah din't think Ras-pootin'd be a tree!"