Torch smirks at the confusion he's caused. “Those will take you where you want to go. he says, pointing at the maps. Deviate from the path only if you know what you’re doing. Otherwise, stick to the landmarks.”
He pauses to consider another thought. “Normally this is where I would say ‘pleasure doing business with you.’ However,” he adds with a grisly grin, “I’m going to throw you something extra for free—just because I’m such a caring individual. You’re not the only ones who know about that site. I hear a group of foreigners set out from Totra not too long ago and are after the same prize. Sounds like there’s no time to waste.”
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Insidion's eyes narrow. "You've known about this group the whole time while you sent us to check off your shopping list."
Isn't he a spectacular schemer, Insidion? Learn from the best...
The tiefling shakes his head. "You have no shame...a commendable trait in your profession. I only hope the carnage you leave in your wake do not come back to haunt you. If it were not for our obvious need for haste, we would discuss this further...perhaps some other time..." Insidion says as he prepares to leave.
With a quick gesture from the door, he splashes some water from the bath on Torch's towel.
"Shall we proceed?" he asks the others.
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Annalísa grimaces at the sound of the news. Why am I not surprised that things keep getting more complicated? Nodding at Torch, she nods, "Normally I would also say 'pleasure doing business with you', but your errands have unnecessarily delayed us at this critical time. Thank you for your information, but my friends and I will not forget this. You might be more powerful at the moment, but these things have a habit of changing rather quickly."
She then turns to the others, "We should head out then as soon as possible and intercept this other group, whoever they are."
As the group leaves, Annalísa smirks at Insidion's trick. "Well played, friend."
Boon Rolls:
Boon of players choice on a natural roll of 1 or 20
**Re-Rolls not allowed on boons**
Adopted Weapon Training: You have spent an extended period of time training in a culture other than your own, and as a result, you have learned that population’s weapon styles to the exclusion of all others. You gain the weapon familiarity racial trait of one of the following races: dwarf, elf, gnome, halfling, or half-orc. This specialization comes at a price, and you suffer a –1 penalty on attack rolls made with manufactured weapons other than those granted by any weapon familiarity racial traits you possess. You ignore this penalty when using a weapon that benefits from any Weapon Focus feat or weapon training class feature you may have.
Ancestral Ally: Golarion’s many cultures have traditions of animal husbandry and cooperation that date back millennia, and you have embraced one of your people’s favored companion creatures. If you have the divine bond or mount class feature, instead of choosing an animal companion from the list provided in the class description, you may instead call a mount from the list below so long as you are a member of the corresponding race. If the animal companion statistics for your race’s mount are found in a source beyond the Core Assumption, the source is listed below. You must bring a copy of the listed book to all games in which you use the selected animal companion as though access to the animal companion came from the Additional Resources list.
If an asterisk follows an animal companion option listed below, the animal already appears on the list provided by your class description, and you are at least 4th-level, you may spend 5 Prestige Points to strengthen your bond with that type of animal. This increases your effective druid level as one higher when determining the animal companion’s bonus HD, natural armor bonus, Strength and Dexterity bonuses, bonus tricks, and special abilities. This boon cannot increase your effective druid level more than one level above your actual character level.
Dwarf: badger*, boar
Elf: bird*, elk (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3)
Gnome: badger*, giant weasel (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4)
Halfling: dog*, ram (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2)
Half-Elf: A half-elf may choose from the elf and human lists.
Half-Orc: camel*, bear; a half-orc may also choose from the human list.
Human: bird*, horse*
Custom Order: You have a special contract with an ammunition crafter, and you are able to order small batches of specialty ammunition as a result. Choose either a +1 or +2 ranged weapon enchantment. You may purchase +1 [enchantment] pieces of ammunition in sets of 10 instead of sets of 50. Once you choose the weapon enchantment, you may only change the enchantment type by spending 4 Prestige Points.
A new day dawns in the Osirian trade city of Eto only hours following the meeting with Grandmaster Torch. In exchange for a handful of services, he delivered several maps and sketches of landmarks that collectively point the way to the last known resting place of one or more sage jewels—enchanted gems capable of storing memories of Osirion’s past and reviving the Sapphire Sage Amenopheus’s order. “Those will take you where you want to go,” Torch declared while handing over the maps. “Deviate from the path if you know what you’re doing.” As an afterthought, he added, “You’re not the only ones who know about that site. I hear a group of foreigners set out from Totra not too long ago and are after the same prize. Sounds like there’s no time to waste.”
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"We're finally done with that information broker. You can never tell what's a lie and what's the truth. Most of the time it's the truth, but.."
The next morning, Swayaah visits a smith and buys a set of well crafted armor. She then visits a mage and buys a magic wand.
"Now then. Time to hit the town and find out what we can."
The route described in Grandmaster Torch’s map is rarely used, though the caravan masters are familiar with the oasis and the terrain surrounding it. They provide some advice about how to equip properly and avoid common desert hazards, granting the PCs a +1 bonus on any Survival checks made while traveling from Eto to Seeker’s Folly.
The gnoll clans have grown increasingly bold, and abductions along the common trade routes are becoming increasingly common.
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Reinor was "gathering information" in a tavern as usual, praising Caiden Cailean and lissening to the gossip.
But clearly, praising the drunken god was his priority at that time.
"So, comrades, did you find out anything useful? Shall we depart? As I understand, there is a long way ahead of us. May be we should buy horses or camels for our travel?" he asked after rejoining with the party.
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"Hey everyone. Hope you slept well." Swayaah waits for eveyone to greet her and confirm.
"The merchants say the route isn't used that often, but they did give plenty of advice on how to problems in the desert." Swayaah rattles off general advice on desert survival, as well as advice several merchants gave her.
"Also, they warned me to keep on the lookout for Gnoll raiders. They've been attacking caravans and kidnapping travellers. I'll claim to hope avoiding them, but I'd be lying. Gives me a good excuse to bust some heads."
The party follows the route on the map, and eventually arrives at an oasis, a natural waypoint halfway through the journey . The oasis shimmers like a sapphire in the midday heat. Life clings around its edges tenaciously, with only a few hardy plants nestled amid the rocks managing to survive in patches around the area. Finches bathe in the water, resting on an abandoned harness. Trash and castoffs from travelers litter the area, and a small brick hearth is the only permanent fixture.
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Dekion wipes his brow. He was so proud to show off his new armor before they left, but now after walking through the desert, was wondering if he should have waited to buy it when he got back home and out of the blazing sun. He looks around at the oasis to make sure it's safe to refill his waterskins.
Dekion notices a rustling behind the stones up north. Several gongs lie in ambush there, but they fail at being overly stealthy. Once they realise they've been spotted, they move on the attack.
---
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll
Gnoll
---
Swayaah
Insidion
---
Race gets ready and moves up, while Reinor strings his bow and waits for an opportunity to strike.
---
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll
Gnoll
---
Swayaah
Insidion
---
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Annalísa follows Reinor while closing the distance to the gnolls. She moves behind a tree and readies her own shortbow to shoot any gnoll leaving cover or even attempting to fire at the party. Moving around appears to be too much of an effort, unfortunately, so the arrow she releases flies weakly and falls far from her original target.
The goblins move around from their hiding spots, drawing immediate attacks from Reinor and Annalisa - which fly wide, though Reinor's attack comes awfully close.
On of them moves up to the next tree, and throws a spear at Insidion
A second one simply moves up, while a third seems to lie in wait for an opportunity to present itself.
---
Swayaah
Insidion
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll
Gnoll
---
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Swayaah pulls out her shortbow and fires at the further Gnoll, since it's not in cover. (if Annalísa's gnoll isn't in cover relative to Swayaah, she'll shoot that one instead.)
Swayaah doesn't pull the bowstring all the way and the arrow lacks force, landing short of the gnoll. Swayaah rolls her eyes in disbelief.
As Race closes in for melee, Annalisa and Swayaah try attacking from range. Of the three only Annalisa manages to score a success, piercing the chest of the gnoll she's targeting.
---
Swayaah
Insidion
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll
Gnoll (3)
Gnoll
---
Insidious moves up as Reinor manages to hit the gnoll through the foliage. The creatures respond by closing in to melee range
while the last gnoll moves up from hiding position.
--
Swayaah
Insidion
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll
Gnoll (3)
Gnoll (4)
---
Swayaah rips away at the gnoll in front of her, but she is too hasty to land more than one hit. The one that does connect, though, rips open the canine creatures and causes blood to gush out of the wound.
Race slashes away, but - as ever so often - his shield is the more effective weapon, bashing the gnoll and knocking the air out of it.
--
Swayaah
Insidion
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll (8)
Gnoll (3)
Gnoll (10)
---
If Swayaah seems bloodthirsty, Insidion is - well - insidious, ripping through a gnoll before taking a step up and rending the second, leaving nothing but a dual bloody canine mess.
-
Swayaah
Insidion
Reinor
Race
Dekion
Annalisa
---
Gnoll (8)
Gnoll - Dead
Gnoll - Dead
---