Bleak days have come to the Taldan city of Cassomir and nearby settlements, with a wave of depression and rage sparking horrific acts of violence. When retired adventurer Taergan Flinn doesn’t show up to meet with his old companions, the PCs are called upon to investigate, leading them into a swirling maelstrom of horror and tragedy. Can the PCs unmask and confront the malevolent entity behind the madness and restore hope to a tortured land?
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... are the first words that you hear when you see Aryas again with his moth!
”Ggg... I will teach you to talk soon enough!!“ he says smiling.
”Guys, it is so great to see you again! What have you been up to?! Okay, before you start talking, I have to tell you the story of my life! Love, Love, Love ... between goddesses can be incredible! And I was in the middle of it! You won’t believe it, but I am also not allowed to tell it!“ he says and holds his finger in front of his lips.
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A very bleak looking Hekk plops himself in to a chair, scooches it back from the table, and sulks in the corner, muttering about stupid blood and stupid ancestors and stupid spell casters. Other than a nice shiny mithril breastplate to replace his old battered one and a big honkin' bow, he looks like the same old Hekk.
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"At this very moment?" Tathane chuckles as he accepts Aryas's hug and then steps back. "Well it seems I'm getting to know my friends again. Of course, I was getting a bit bored so when the society contacted me about this problem here I was more than happy to have something to do."
His eyes move to the entrance as Hekk comes in. "Hey look! Look who else is here." He points out half-orc. "He looks a bit grumpy, wouldn't you say?"
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Tathane‘s words draw Aryas’ attention to Hekk.
”Hmm Tathane ... I know exactly what is going on! Our big bad friend wanted to be the mean frontline brawler that can confront anybody with his weapon! And now he suddenly realised that in his blood and in his ancestry there is so much magic that it is hard for him to ignore that ... and now .... inside of his mind and inside of his body he is finding so much raw power and mysteries to solve that he does not know what to do! Hekk! Get over it! You are a magic user!“ Aryas says smiling.
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Hekk gapes at him. Still in self denial, he responds with an
"I am not! You see this!"
He shakes his pole arm at him.
"And this!!!"
He waggles his honkin' big bow at him.
"Do I look like some namby pamby spell caster to you!"
At that moment he looses a little control and he grows a couple of claws, which he hurriedly hides.
"That was just my barbarian ability." he lies fiercely.
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"Greetings, everyone. I don't believe we've met but perhaps my reputation goes before me. I am Leopold R. Bibbard. Doctor Leopold Bibbard; Admiral Bibbard. A pleasure! A pleasure, I'm sure," he says as he glad-hands everyone in the room.
Dr. Bibbard has a warm, convivial demeanor and an air of deep spirituality. When he speaks to you, you feel as if you're the most important person on Golarion.
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Aryas shakes the admiral’s hands eagerly.
”Leopold! That is an unbelievably nice name! I hope that we will have a lot of fun together! Especially, because I heard about you sailers ... when it comes to breaking hearts at remote harbours around the world you are specialists! And I want to hear every detail! And if you have some stories about kissing booths then I would very much like to exchange experiences. Mr. Admiral, this one time when I was still in school... “ he starts telling a tale that actually nobody wants to hear that is not into
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Leopold seems thrilled to be asked for stories and he has plenty, each one more outlandish than the last. There are stories about princesses whose marriage proposals he had to turn down, a weekend fling with a polymorphed dragon that ruled her own demiplane, and the time his pillow talk convinced a Katapeshi slaver to question everything she'd done in life, leading to the emancipation of 1,000 slaves.
..."Of, course, that is how spicy ketchup was invented. Now, if you want to hear a story about a kissing booth, I can tell you about the time a succubus set one up near a local high school. The kids thought it was weird, but of course, I couldn't resist..."
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Aryas is thrilled... ”Leopold! You were sent by the gods ... Sarenrae and Shelyn to support my little butterfly to show me the right path! I just know it! Someone with your experience and with these stories to share is just the perfect tutor for me on my path to become the best adventure kisser on this planet! And if I can share some adventure to experience what you have already experienced in your life then I will be a little bit more enlightened then I am now, which is to be honest zero!“ he says beaming.
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Hekk just gapes through the entire series of fabrications, and his gape only widens with Aryas' admission and plans.
He doesn't know whether it would be better to knock their heads together or slap them soundly on the backs. In the end he decides to do neither as it might bring attention back to him and the wierd converstaion was, if nothing else, a respite.
"Er, the mission?"
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"Aryas, my lad, you are in luck. I have here a copy of my bestselling book 'Diatribics', possibly the most important self-help document in the multiverse. It will make you a better kisser, cure your seasonal allergies, and improve your memory. It will even help Mr. Grumpers over here improve his swing with a battleaxe.
But that's not all. If you want to go really deep, we can also do an E-Meter reading if there's time. We'll get you on the path to true self-actualization!"
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Tahane rolls his eyes at the mutual admiration society beginning to form and plops down in a chair next to Hekk. He nudges him with an elbow. "Crazy. Now we have to deal with two of them."
Quietly (for Hekk) he responds, "I say we dump them both. Visit a library and ditch them."
More loudly, "Ahem. The MISSION! Where's the venture captain for crying out loud."
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Tahane points a finger at Leopold and shakes it. Smiling, he replies. "I'm sure your training is perfect for all kinds of ailments." He leans his chair back on two legs, balancing himself by touching the table in front of him with his feet. "And if we ever get this mission Hekk keeps going on about, I'm sure I'll get to see first hand how wonderful you are."
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-Gift of Will (use my Will save modifier (+15) instead of your own the first time you would make one);
-Shadow Splinter (reduce the damage you take by 8 on a single attack; the damage to be applied to an ally of the attacker);
Mesmeric Mirror (when attacked, gain 2 mirror images that last for 1 minute); or
Misdirection (I can feint a target when you attack it to make him flatfooted for you).
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A tall, stern figure with a wide-brimmed hat has appeared in the doorway and gives a terse rejoinder: “I wouldn’t trust half of what ol’ Leonard here is selling, Admiral or not. Course looking at this lot, I’m guessing there are warrants out on all y’all.” Once he enters, you can see more clearly the massive crossbow slung across his back. He pulls up a seat at the table and signals a server for a drink. “Harlan’s the name. Looks like we’ll be working together.”
Soon after Harlan arrives, a courier enters the conference room you have been waiting in, announcing that she carriers a letter from Venture-Captain Hestia Themis.
Pathfinders,
I have been contacted by some old friends, Verus “Igneous” Crandel and his wife Branda Tulles. They were quite the pair of adventurers in their day: Verus known for smiting foes with his flaming warhammer, and Branda chose her own wedding rings by stealing them from the mausoleum of a corrupt Galtan noble and then promptly proposed to her now-husband Igneous after their adventure concluded.
The pair were part of an adventuring group known as the Golden Watch in their younger years, and they’ve saved the bacon of more than one crew of novice Pathfinder Agents working near Cassomir.
They sent me word that one of their friends is missing, and they would appreciate our assistance in finding him. Do your best to help them--they are friends of the Society.
Best,
Hestia Themis
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A tall, stern figure with a wide-brimmed hat has appeared in the doorway and gives a terse rejoinder: “I wouldn’t trust half of what ol’ Leonard here is selling, Admiral or not. Course looking at this lot, I’m guessing there are warrants out on all y’all.” Once he enters, you can see more clearly the massive crossbow slung across his back. He pulls up a seat at the table and signals a server for a drink. “Harlan’s the name. Looks like we’ll be working together.”
"Did the Kalistocrats send you about that tax matter? That warrant is null and void. Diabtribics is a religion, not a for-profit enterprise. Even they must understand the difference!"
"Now, how shall we get started on finding this individual?"
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Hekk perks up when the adventures are described. "Yea, sounds like fun. I wonder if this Igneus fellow will let me play with his flaming war hammer. I'd love to bash a few goblins with it."
Though the part about finding their frieds sounds supiciously like an investigation. I sure as heck hope this isn't another one of those stupid investigations. It sounds like one of those stupid investigations.
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After the briefing Tathane stands and stretches. "Well now. Looks like we have a mission afterall. You with a flaming hammer Hekk? Now that would be a scary sight." He picks up his newly acquired haversack and slings it over his shoulder. The light brown leather and canvas shows barely any wear but the pockets seem to be bulging with stuff.
"Aryas, you didn't mention kissing in your list of best things. Are you changing your mind?"
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"Looking scary sounds good. Scary and flaming even better. I'm definitely going to have to get a flaming Bardiche. Imagine the fun I could have."
He considers for a moment and adds.
"You sure about that kissing thing? You know kissing turns to biting and biting to bleeding and pain. I didn't know you were into pain."
Harlan, you're quite familiar with the reputation and composition of the Golden Watch.
Some adventuring parties rotate through members, but not the Golden Watch. They started out as five close friends who sought lives of adventure. They’re now far past their prime—with the exception of Taergan Flinn, who aged more slowly because of his half-elven blood. They meet up for annual adventures (on a small scale), and have done so since they all settled down and gave up the adventuring life. Rhoma Bissel, their wizard, died of old age a few months ago, but four members of the Golden Watch remain: Verus “Igneous” Crandel, Branda Tulles, Taergan Flinn, and Dern Fosimuth.
Branda Tulles: The public face of the Golden Watch, Branda has always had a way with words and a penchant for snagging precious treasures— but only if they belong to evil people.
Dern Fosimuth: The party’s human cleric, known as a trustworthy and pious ally—one with a powerful intelligent scimitar named Clarity.
Rhoma Bissel: The human wizard Rhoma, the oldest member of the Golden Watch, was the first of the group to die. She had settled into a comfortable life and died peacefully, surrounded by her family, inside the extensive library that was her most cherished place.
Taergan Flinn: This half-elf alchemist is the most active of the remaining members of the Watch, do to his elven blood.
Verus “Igneous” Crandel: Brawny and strong-willed, Verus is reliable as a rock. He owns a small ranch in southern Andoran that he bought with treasure he gained adventuring. Igneous is married to Branda Tulles, and the two split their time between the ranch and Absalom.
Before leaving, the courier also passes you a voucher for Pathfiner-provided teleportation to Cassomir, so as you as your affairs are in order in Absalom, you can make your way quickly to Taldor.
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As Harlan continues to rattle off information about the Golden Watch, Tathane becomes more and more impressed with their new friend. "Pretty impressive. You must keep your ear quite close to the ground around here."
After Leopold is done with the voucher he asks to look at it. Just as Leopold said, this must be an important mission. "You know, this is just the kind of thing that makes me think that this mission is more than what it sounds like."