Yyrkoon scales the wall with ease.
Lad works with the other rogues assembled here, but the going is tough.
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Lai takes a moment to stash her knives, replacing one in her boot and cranking back the spring mechanism on her wrist sheath for the other. "I might be better off trying to climb than picking the lock with the others-- never was much good at that." Her silk dress shimmers and becomes a proper adventuring outfit, one more suitable for climbing but still carefully hugs her form and accentuates her features. Flaunt it if you've got it.
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One group of more mechanically minded pathfinders move to the locking mechanism and start tinkering with it aided by a liberal application of grease, a number of ropes are thrown to the top and people begin clambering up the walls. In another location, another group try brute force and trying to smash their way through. A stone bridge appears out of nowhere, then the flap of wings as a giant roc arrives to pluck people up and drop them on the far side - allowing them to form a defensive perimeter….
Within a minute, the outer gates give way to the small army of ninety highly motivated Pathfinders and their sheer brute force, magic, and mechanical knowledge.
Defending Skyreach, a valiant group of Pathfinders line the towers and stations along the fortress’s exterior. On the grounds in front, a large black dragon lies in a crumpled heap, its corpse riddled with arrows and leaking acid and ichor. A group of wounded goblins are seemingly retreating towards you, but once they spot you, they attack.
Lad shoots the wounded goblin and it falls to the ground.
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Lai draws the dagger she'd just returned to her boot and steps to the side-- not putting herself between the goblins and anyone else, but hoping for a good position when they close.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Realizing that you are between them and their best escape route, the goblins charge en masse.
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Hasshin steps forward and attacks the goblin to his left. Swing his massive sword in a horizontal swipe
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The nagajis each fell a goblin.
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Nine hells, She thinks as she takes a slice to the arm. Stupid goblins. She flicks her wrist to free her other dagger, and stabs at the one that had gotten her.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The rogue's combined assault takes down the two remaining goblins.
Before you can make any sense of the current situation in the Grand Lodge, a voice from the shadows calls out.
“Come quickly!”
Wedged into one of Skyreach’s darkened doorways is the enigmatic Pathfinder, Osprey. He’s paler than usual, several arrows pierce his skin, and his hands are smeared with blood.
“I have little time to speak; however, I must now burden you with a suspicion that is now a reality.”
Lowering his voice to a soft hiss he whispers, “The Shadow Lodge is real."
Reaching into his ragged robes, he hands you and item.
"Here, take this. It might be of more help to you than me at this point.”
Osprey refuses Marsius' offer of healing with a wave of the hand.
While the Decemvirate continues to deny the existence of the Shadow Lodge, its agents — mostly former or current Pathfinders who see the Society’s plodding methods of artifact control to be outdated and naïve — are building their own lodges in locations all across Golarion. Though their numbers are still small and scattered across the Inner Sea region, they possess an organizational ability that rivals that of their parent. While the Decemvirate and the Society’s myriad venture-captains struggle to get to the bottom of the Shadow Lodge’s very existence, these former Pathfinders now have lodges numbering in the dozens and are actively recruiting from within the Pathfinder Society’s ranks.
It is not a matter of good and evil. It is rather a question of methods and goals, limits and horizons. One cannot tell a member of the Shadow Lodge simply by appearance. Even personality and past deeds are unreliable measures, as the Shadow Lodge counts among its ranks some of the most storied and trusted agents in the Society. Anyone could be a member. The Shadow Lodge is ambitious, to be sure, but its members are not careless, so they build slowly, methodically, and — so far — quietly, beneath the radar of the Society at large."
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In the middle of the conversation with Osprey Valyssa notices the huge black dragon soaring over Skyreach and spewing forth acid on the masses...
By the heavens! A Great Wyrm! And it rests on the mazole..on the building that houses the dead! What shall we do? Charge it along with the others? or do we maneuver past it? My skill at arms is not nearly enough to defeat a dragon!"
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The huge dragon is an imposing site, and has brought the small army to a bit of a standstill, some start trying to work out a way around – seeing a chance to make a break for the single door and hopefully passing through it to the safety of the mausoleum.
A half a dozen of the most seasoned Pathfinders instead ready to make their stand, drawing swords and casting spells – their faces set in grim masks of steely resolve.
Alie Saechel
Boswick Bumbleberry
Dwayne the Rock
Oxirane
Rogar Stonehand
Sareth
This is the vanguard leading an assault on the dragon, each one of them heroes towards the twilight of their careers – leading what may be their final charge into glory. Should they fall this day their names will live on in song – and forever be engraved on the Wall of Names.
A small number of other journeymen Pathfinder seem equally set on following up on the charge with their steel also at the ready.
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Lai presses herself against the wall and makes her way more slowly toward the door, deciding that not being seen at all is better than trying to minimize her time spent in the open.
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The battle is joined with ferocity, he show is far more spectacular than the entertainment in the Irorium earlier.
The most seasoned Pathfinders appear to be faring well, and a small cohort of around a score are in lending them aid and trying to harry the dragon.
One enterprising group has simply abandoned all due care and has crashed the gates into the mausoleum, leaving the entrance wide open for any who can make it across the courtyard!
Hasshin joins Marsius in a mad dash across the courtyard.
Yyrkoon and Laiashi manage to skulk around the edge of the battlefield and reach the door unscathed. The rest of the party are not as lucky. The dragon spots you, and even in it's current preoccupied state, it manages to send some of the roof flying with a mighty swing of it's tail, showering you with debris.
Everyone except Hasshin dodges most of the rubble, and the party reforms in front the bashed down gates, where you can peer into the Mausoleum. These rooms contain large, steel surgical tables. Their perimeters are lined with additional work areas whose tables are covered with texts, surgical instruments and tools, alembics, scales, abacuses, and similar devices used in alchemical and biological tests. The rooms also hold barrels of wash water, along with bottles of various fluids and salts used in sterilization and embalming. The center of the floor contains a drain for run off, as well as a few waste buckets.
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"Everyone ok?" Lai asks, noting some fresh gashes and bruises on her allies. "You ok?" she asks Yyrkoon directly.
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"Alive. Fairly healthy." Marisus responds to Laiashi as he ducks into the building to get away from the threat of the dragon. "If others are worse, come here. I can mend some of the wounds."
The nagaji looks around, drawing his shield back out. "Why do you think such a creature is guarding such a small place. Why would Shadow Lodge agents care about here?"
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Under heavy attack, the mighty black dragon falters, blood spilling from dozens of wounds. She staggers forward, raises
her wings, lets out an ear-piercing roar, and takes flight, headed for the harbor.
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Haashin brushes some rubble off his head "yesss cousssin I could do with a bit of the lightsss touch" hasshin cracks his keck and hands ready for the. Next move
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"You ok?" she asks Yyrkoon directly.
"Yes, I seem to have come through relatively intact. Thank you."
The nagaji looks around, drawing his shield back out. "Why do you think such a creature is guarding such a small place. Why would Shadow Lodge agents care about here?"
Yyrkoon starting looking around the space ...
"Agreed ... maybe we can find something of import here?"
Yyrkoon finds nothing of interest in the first set of rooms, but hears the unmistakable titter of goblins further in.