[dice=Sense Motive]1d20 + 15
When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. When the creature is within 5 feet of the source, it pinpoints the source's location.
Cladissa continues to use her scent until she finds the sloth.
”If there is anything else you are holding back, now is your chance. We will be speaking with this Red Raven himself soon enough,” Argor says. He then turns to Eliza and Osprey, adding ”Do either of you need healing?”
Adrenia flits Over to them, wand in hand, her bare feet padding lightly onto the floor as she lands. ”There isn’t much magic left in it, but I can use what’s left to alleviate any wounds you may have,” she says demurely.
Cladissa continues to use her scent until she finds the sloth.When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. When the creature is within 5 feet of the source, it pinpoints the source's location.
Cladissa follows the sloth's scent to a particular segment of the bush.
Suddenly part of the bush erupts into the form of a ninja-like sloth, striking out with a single claw.
The claw lodges itself in Cladissa's throat, doing massive damage and leaving a bleeding wound.
The bralani sees the sloth attack, and shouts,
”Then restrain it!” he calls out as he looks to Osprey and Eliza, ”Would you two be so kind as to keep these two secure? Thrassk, Gianluca, Grommesson. Let’s go catch the sloth. Alive.”
He and Adrenia then soar out to find the others.
The bralani flies down and attempts to grab the sloth.
The azata can not seem to successfully get a hold on the wily animal.
”Then heal her! Leave the creature to me!”
The moment Argor sees it, he uses his magic to restrain the animal.
__________
Argor grabs the sloth, and then the sloth breaks free and flees five feet away. The bralani does as it is told and heals Cladissa. Thrassk flies out the window. "Do you want me to knock it out?" he asks.
"If we really can't restrain it, Thrassk. For now let's see if we can grab the damned thing. Clearly the Red Raven's still a force to be reckoned with, even in this form."
Gianluca's elastic arm snatches the sloth up off the ground. "Got the bugger!"
Argor reaches out again and tries to restrain the Raven. Staying well away from him, Argor says, ”Raven, listen to me. You attacked someone we all considered an enemy. We have learned this much from your men. We would like to talk peacefully with you. Our actions were in self defense. I am willing to free you from this form, so long as you agree to speak with us in a civilized manner afterwards. Do you understand?”
Meanwhile, the Bralani heals Cladissa once more.
Cladissa's throat is nearly tore out by an overly aggressive sloth.
Fortunately, Cole taps her with his paw and administers some healing before she bleeds out.
"BLOODY RODENT!" she screams raggedly, incensed that the polymorphed animal managed to deal her such a nasty wound. In her anger and hurt, she retaliates with a spell to draw off the Raven's vitality to bolster her own.
Fuming, she stomps away from the creature and allows Argor's bralani to heal her.
Cole stays by the struggling sloth ready to translate.
Gianluca seems strong enough to keep a good grip on sloth, especially with Argor's assistance.
The Sloth-Raven says, "No kill? No trap?" which Cole then translates.
Argor will confirm via Cole, ”So long as you do not get aggressive, we at this time do not intend to kill him. He will be restrained for our safety, but given the circumstances, that should be a reasonable condition if he wishes to be human once more.”
Cole's yellow eyes narrow at the task of translating the verbose wizard's words to sloth.
"You no fight, we no kill. You follow, you get what you want."
After pacing a while and simmering down, Cladissa walks back, hearing Argor's offer. "No, he's deadly as a sloth. We don't need to turn him human. Use one of our headbands. It'll increase his intellect enough for a conversation, and it keeps him in this relatively harmless state."
”That seems a reasonable compromise, but should this all prove to be a misunderstanding, we should not leave him cursed to live a life of a sloth. Remember, we were here to potentially confront Hestram ourselves. He and his men had no way of knowing this, though they should still be punished for the murders of innocent servants, that will come later. For now, we need information, and if he seems cooperative enough, I see no reason to return him to humanity. If at such a time he becomes a threat, we deal with him appropriately and definitively. Agreed?”
Cladissa's teeth grind. "I find it hard to believe this will be just a 'misunderstanding.' I admit I may be... closer to this than most, but if he's taken by this revolutionary madness, all of Galt may be better off if he remains a sloth. I'm sure I could find a very nice home for him. Maybe someplace in the Mwangi Expanse."
The Sloth Raven seems resigned to not being able to escape so many people at once. It agrees to parlay.
”So, tell us, Raven, why kill Hestram? And why kill the innocent servants here in the Lodge?” Argor asks.
"I was commanded to hunt down and execute Hestram by order of the Revolutionary Council as punishment for the murder of Teppin Montrose. I assumed that all the Pathfinders here were in league with him. As for the servants, I did not command that they be killed. Sometimes my men can become over zealous when it comes to enemies of the Revolution."
”The actions of one Pathfinder does not render guilty all of the Society. And what proof do you have that Hestram murdered this Montrose?”
"Teppin's estate was granted to me by the council. I talked with Teppin's spirit, and he told me it was Hestram. Clues at the scene of the murder back that up. You know, the Maze is connected to multiple places across Golarion. I'm sure Hestram has more agents out there committing murder even as we speak."
Cladissa considers who Teppin Montrose is.
He was as the Raven says, a lord from the area of Edme on the other side of Galt. He didn't have much of a public profile, but was clearly wealthy.
Cladissa folds her arms while thinking. "I wonder if we need to go check out Teppin's estate," she muses aloud.
Then she broadcasts mentally to her teammates, ::With Hestram dead, we've lost our main suspect in hunting down the Shadow Lodge. There might be something if we were to learn why Hestram murdered Teppin Montrose::
"You mean my estate!" the Raven interjects.
"The Maze of the Open Road is no ordinary hedge,” Eliza says. “The Lodge’s books and my own investigations reveal that it contains portals that connect to sites all over Golarion. It’s been here for centuries, and it’s extremely dangerous. I’ve been spending most of my time worrying about the rare curious citizen who sneaks onto the grounds and wanders in, but I wonder if I shouldn’t have been more concerned with what might come out." She glares pointedly at the Raven and his men.
"If you plan to go to my estate you will need a guide," the Sloth Raven says through Cole. "I will lead you to my Raven's Roost and you can examine the scene of Teppin's murder for yourselves."
"Absolutely not!" Eliza quickly interjects. "You and your men are now prisoners of the Woodsedge Lodge, Raven. You won't be going anywhere other than a cage after you murdered my people in cold blood!"
Osprey holds up his hands for calm. "It seems we now have a decent idea of what in the Hells happened here tonight. I think it would be best if you Freaks go and search Hestram's room. Eliza and I will continue to interrogate these prisoners, and secure them in the Battleground. We can meet on the rear lawn in a few minutes."
"Hestram's dead in my room. I'll check his body first, then help search his room."
She takes her leave of the group, giving the sloth a sour glare. ::Cole, stay with him::
She then inspects the body of the venture captain.
Once she's satisfied that she's found everything on Hestram's body, she goes to help the search of his room.
Argor nods, hoping perhaps a moment away will allow cooler heads to prevail, before searching Hestram’s chambers.
Grommesson the beast accompanies Cladissa and Argor.
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Hestram's corpse doesn't have anything more interesting than a large set of clothes on it.
His room however contains some interesting items.
Greenstone Idol: This battered primitive amulet suggests a humanoid figure. Crude etchings along the idol’s inner surface identify it as a totem to Angazhan, demon lord of savagery. Its workmanship is similar to that found in the deepest jungles of the Mwangi Expanse. Holding the stone for even a moment raises the hackles. Those who possess the idol must concentrate to avoid bursts of sudden anger.
Ophidian Necklace: A sphere of finest emerald at the center of an elaborate setting glimmers as it catches the light. A delicate feminine face glares out from the gem’s milky interior, its head capped with a crown of entwined snakes. The tiny reptilian locks suffuse the gem all the way to the setting, where they continue as a scaled motif that extends to the fine chain from which the setting depends. To don the ophidian necklace is to drape silvery snakes upon your shoulders.
Map of the world: This well-traveled map of Golarion bears five markings in confident red ink. Four of these marks are bold capital letters inscribed on or near cities. The fifth is a line of text scribbled in the map’s lower margin.
TM (Edme, Galt)
K (Mwangi Expanse)
EK (Corentyn, Cheliax)
S (Absalom)
The margin inscription reads: Divination confirms O is nowhere on Golarion.
After the Freaks finish searching the room, Eliza meets them in the hall and calls them to the rear lawn of the Lodge. Eliza and Osprey await them near the entrance to the Maze of the Open Road. Both look somber and contemplative.
A smudge of ash on Eliza’s cheek and disgusting stains on Osprey’s already filthy garb hint at the chaos of only moments ago. Eliza turns to you with a wistful sigh as Osprey speaks with a low, scratchy voice.
"This Red Raven struck at Adril Hestram for a reason. As you know, the Talespinning was not a prelude to Adril's promotion, but rather a test of his loyalty."
“A test,” Eliza says, “Adril Hestram appears to have failed.”
“It seems our suspicions of Adril turning Shadow Lodge were probably correct. You have proved yourselves loyal Pathfinder agents time and again. Thank you for saving us back there." Osprey smiles, his thin lips showing comfort and humor belied by his penetrating, avian gaze. "We need you to venture into the Maze of the Open Road and figure out who exactly Teppin Montrose was, and if Hestram really murdered him. If so, we need to figure out why he was killed and who else the Onyx agents might be after..”
Eliza steps forward, her hand curling into a triumphant fist. “I believe in you. I have since the moment we met. Go into the maze. Learn what you can of the Red Raven’s operation and how it ties in with Hestram. Come back and report to us, and we will coordinate our next move. The Raven said that if you make it through the Maze to his 'Raven's Roost' that you will encounter his paramour there. Her name is Geppa. You are to tell her to 'remember the vernal key' to let her know that you are working with the Raven against Hestram. He says she will help you.”
While looking over the items in Hestram's room, Cladissa studies the necklace closely, debating about whether to put it on. If her divinations tell her it's not cursed or of an evil origin, she'll try it on to see what it does.
"Hmmmm," Gianluca furrows his brow. "Assuming 'TM' is--or was--Teppin Montrose, are the rest of these initials other targets? And if so, how many have already been killed?
"And 'O is nowhere on Golarion'. Interesting. Do any of these initials remind any of you of prominent figures that could be targets? I admit it's not much to go on.
"Either way, I agree. Let's make haste to the Maze and see if we can make sense of this."
During the room sweep, the beast who is Grommesson gets bored and shrinks down in a painful episode to a noble half orc.
"Well, if TM is Teppin Montrose, then the other red initials could be locations, too. Do you think the O refers to Onyx?"
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+21
While looking over the items in Hestram's room, Cladissa studies the necklace closely, debating about whether to put it on. If her divinations tell her it's not cursed or of an evil origin, she'll try it on to see what it does.
Cladissa analyzes the necklace's magical properties and determines that it would provide a resistance to petrification effects.
"We will try to learn more from here. Maybe we can figure out who the other initials on the map refer to while you are gone," Osprey says.
"Or maybe the Raven's organization will have tracked down more of the Shadow Lodge Onyx agents in the Maze."
"Let'ssss go then," Thrassk says. "We'll ssseee you sssoon Venture Captain, Osssprey." The dragon man then leads the way into the Maze of the Open Road.
"Oh, that's quite the powerful ward," Cladissa comments. Not having anthing taking up that particular location except for the heavy medallion awarded to her by Lord Gyr. "If no one minds, I'd like to wear this while we continue this mission. It seems pointless to leave it here, or stuff it in a sack for later."
If no one objects, she puts on the necklace, looking to see if there is some sort of visible effect by wearing the magical object.
=================
Cladissa nods her head in agreement with continuing their search for Hestram's activities. "Would you wish for us to go immediately, or to go once we've rested and regained our spells?"
"Oh, okay, I guess we're leaving now. Take care!"
Considering the map and the clues left on it she looks to Grommesson. "Onyx would be a good guess. The only other 'O' I can think of is Osprey here." She looks pointedly at him, to gauge his reaction.
At a glance the Maze looks like any common hedge maze, if a living structure 300 feet to the side can be considered common. Its 20-foot-tall walls always appear perfectly manicured, even decades after their Pathfinder caretakers left for safer grounds. Eliza has spent a great deal of wealth refurbishing the rear lawns to a semblance of their former glory, but she hasn’t had to drop a copper on the Maze of the Open Road. It still looks as elegant, lively, and beautiful as it did the day it grew from the earth.
From the air, the maze looks simple. A series of turns and short dead ends eventually lead to a wide central courtyard bedecked with statues, small stone buildings, and marble arches. Fliers cannot lower themselves into the maze, stopping at an invisible plane of force that covers the entire maze like a lid.
Inside the Maze, the shadowy pathways stretch and turn, surely taking the Pathfinders outside the dimensions of the maze as viewed from the lodge’s rear lawn. The leafy walls virtually bristle with enchantment, and the atmosphere thrums with the sense that once inside the Maze of the Open Road, they have somehow left the mundane world behind. The trail of the Raven and his men is clear enough that even an unskilled tracker could follow it. At irregular intervals side paths branch off from their chosen path, leading who knows where. After several minutes the path widens to reveal a long causeway roofed by crumbling marble arches.
Far up ahead the stone pathway opens onto a large plaza containing a handful of ruined stone structures, ancient buildings that look like abandoned temples. An enormous marble colossus of a robed figure looms upon a pedestal at the center of the courtyard, looking down upon a field of lifelike statues arrayed in a chaotic pattern. All bear terrified looks and are posed in grotesque defensive postures, arms out to stave off some unseen danger.
Having obviously attempted an aerial approach, Argor returns to the group with his findings. ”A wall of force bars aerial approaches. And it would seem this maze has either extra-planar properties or potent illusions in play, as it’s physical appearance does not match with what is seen above.”
"It looksss like their trail continuesss through thossse ruinsss up ahead. Ssshall we?"
"Hang on," Cladissa says, first testing the air with her scent receptors, then bringing up another casting of see invisibility as a precaution. She didn't want them to stumble into an ambush.
Likewise, Argor and Adrenia renew buffs on himself and the group.