Mark takes a few steps forward. "What do you mean, this will be equal to those events? What's so special about this thing?"
The Shattered Star was a powerful defensive item created well over 10, o o o years ago by the founder of the empire ofThassilon, an exiled Azlanti named Xin. At that time, the item was known as the Sihedron-a seven-pointed star made of the seven skymetals infused with powerful magic. When the runelords rebelled against him, this item was broken into seven parts (at least, according to the legends), and the runelords each claimed a shard for their own. In the 10 millennia since Earthfall and the end of Thassilon, the shards have shifted locations, yet they have never been reassembled into the Sihedron.
Nalun shakes his head a bit and says dozily
The Shard I have possession of is the Shard of Pride, it was once owned by Xanderghul the Runelord of Cyrusia.It allows me to access powerful magics of Illusion and its knowledge knows no bounds.
Nalun looks deflated after saying this he looks around and says
I need to take a nap...
Then he collapses into a chair and begins snoring loudly
"Awwwwww!"
Yes 6 others in fact. Each corresponding to a deadly sin.
Other questions and answers.
How did you know what the shard was?
Over the past several years, Sheila's become something of an expert
on Thassilon-the legacies of this ancient empire and its monuments and magic are, after all, the primary reason that the Pathfinders have become interested in Varisia. The story of the Shattered Star is one of the most oft-repeated legends of that time among those who write
about ancient Thassilonian artifacts-surpassed only by the Seven Swords of Sin in popularity. Even so, the Shattered Star legend is still relatively obscure, yet Sheila has long hoped to stumble across the location of a shard. Never in a thousand years did she even dare to hope that a shard would simply fall into her lap like this.
How can we find the other shards?
The most important thing that Sheila can tell the PCs is that the Shattered Star represents a powerful defense against the dangers that
seem to be rising up against Varisia, and that rebuilding the artifact will give the region a powerful defense indeed both in terms of the item itself and the heroes that the quest to recover the other six fragments will doubtless produce. As the interview comes to a close, she'll invite one of the PCs to hold the Shard of Pride and concentrate on the Sihedron's shape. (this will be Nalun) In doing so, that PC receives a powerful vision of the Irespan and Magnimar's harbor, around one Irespan
piling in particular-the Crow. Sheila then explains that each fragment of the Shattered Star is linked to one more fragment in a set sequence, and that by concentrating on the Sihedron while holding a shard that's been "awakened" with the proper ioun stone, one can receive a vision of the region in which the next shard in the sequence is located. Unfortunately, the location isn't completely exact-but it should be enough to set the PCs on the right course.
What does this all mean?
Sheila finishes by telling the PCs that they have in their hands an opportunity for great glory. By questing for the six remaining shards,
they can rebuild the Shattered Star into the Sihedron and give Varisia a powerful defense against the dangers the region will doubtless face in the future-and in so doing prepare themselves to be some of Varisia's great defenders! Questing for the shards of the Shattered Star allows the PCs to bolster their reputation in the Pathfinder Society
as well, and while Sheila can't promise specific rewards for the PCs, she notes that, as word of their quest spreads, their growing fame will bring with it its own rewards.
Is there anything else you can tell us?
Sheila promises to do some more research about the other five shards and the Sihedron itself, and should have the results of that research
for the PCs to use in several days or a few weeks (these notes are covered at the start of the next adventure, when the quest for the Shattered Star moves beyond Magnimar). For now, she advises the PCs to remain low-key about their goal. The longer they can keep the fact that they're rebuilding the Shattered Star a secret, the bigger head start they'll have against possible competitors for the prize, after all!
Nalun wakes and listen intently to Mistress Heidmarch. He seems a bit subdued but does exactly as she asks. After he receives the vision he exclaims I must know more about this Irespan and this piling in particular. and he scurries into the library to begin his research.
to represent Nalun's evening/day of research. I'm not actually sure if using the library gives a bonus but I'll let Dave figure that out.
The Irespan is an ancient giant bridge. Each of the piling's have different animals depicted on them. I'm not sure what information I have shared with you and what I have not. Tell me what you want to find out and I will see what I can come up with.
The Irespan
Visible for miles out to sea, the ancient basalt bridge known as the Irespan dominates Magnimar’s coastline. Jutting from a prominent foundation upon the Seacleft, the Giant’s Bridge, as it is sometimes called, soars more than 300 feet above the city below, giving the eclipsed area its name: the Shadow.
An obvious remnant of ancient Thassilon, few know that the Irespan once served as a vital travel route across the broken, mountainous terrain of Bakrakhan, the Domain of Wrath. This consecutive series of bridges formed an incredible highway of overpasses leading to the capitol of Xin-Bakrakhan, now known only as the strange island monument Hollow Mountain.
Marking the northern and southernmost holdings of the Domain of Wrath, the foundations of the Irespan lie at the edge of Edasseril to the north and between Eurythnia and Shalast to the south. When Bakrakhan sank into the Varisian Gulf during Thassilon’s final days, the Irespan shattered. All that survived was its southern foundation, numerous broken supports, and a few resilient stretches of bridge now spanning turbulent waters rather than airy heights.
There you go you know all that. =)
The Crow itself is located just under half a mile from the Dockway. The ruined piling itself is most easily reached by boat-Sheila can provide the you with a large rowboat or skiff that can carry four people. Rowing out to the piling is a relatively simple task even for someone who has no training in Profession (sailor), although without training it
takes 30 minutes to make the journey from the shore to the Crow because of the trickiness of the tidal currents (with a successful DC 12 Profession [sailor] check, this time is halved).
The Crow is a massive stone monument that rises from the waters of Magnimar's harbor. It was once a support for the Irespan, but with that monument's collapse, the Crow is nothing more than an immense freestanding piling. As with every one of the Irespan's columns, the Crow is intricately carved and embossed with ancient statuary and bas-reliefs featuring the motif of a specific animal or monster-in this case, hundreds of crow like gargoyles and carvings and decorations. Like all of the surviving pilings, the Crow is 200 feet wide along its midsection (widening to over 250 feet at the upper section where the piling once supported the Irespan above). The Crow extends 220 feet
above sea level, and extends another 5o feet underwater to the harbor floor.
While the idea of chambers being found within an Irespan piling is nothing new, the number of chambers within most pilings is relatively small. Within the Crow, all walls, floors, and ceilings are of carefully fitted masonry-the chambers are well over 10,ooo years old, but are in remarkably good shape because wherever the structure hasn't collapsed, ancient preservative magics still function. There is no lighting
unless otherwise noted. Ceilings are 10 feet high in corridors and 15 feet high in chambers. Most of the doors within the Crow were wooden and have long since rotted away-those that still exist are carefully crafted of stone and can be opened as normal doors, though they have no locks unless noted as such.
So lets take a day and then head to the Crow
I think, we should head to the Irespan. Specifically to the Crow piling, I've found much evidence to suggest that the interior is actually hollow and we could get inside somehow. This is what I believe the Shard of Pride showed me. What do you think guys?
Everyone is full health, Full spells, If you want to buy anything you can tell me in your next post.
"Do all the shards turn you into an a$*@#*% without its ioun stone? Where would we get six ioun stones?"
You get your stuff together and make the trip on the small boat to the Crow.
New map Up. It is in 10 a square scale but lets try to use it anyway.
A tall lancet arch at water level leads into a chamber at sea level within the side of the crow. Inside is what was once a small, stepped terrace, now filled with sea water to the level of its top step. Three rowboats are tied off to heavy stones placed on this step. Above, the ceiling rises almost all the way up to the top of the monument-an opening leads off this shaft to the west near the ceiling. At the west end of this room lies a small alcove whose floor shows the stains of countless campfires-the back wall of those alcove has broken through, revealing a passageway beyond.
"Do all the shards turn you into an a$*+~+* without its ioun stone? Where would we get six ioun stones?"
Good question that is not really covered by the AP.
Shelia give you a small magic box to keep the shards in to carry safely without the Ioun stone installed.
The pathfinder society will provide you with the Ioun stones you need when the time comes.
If we get into combat will make a map on the battle grid.
You hear nothing but you pick out some long human hair that looks like it belongs to human females. Along with some Rat hair?
Mark takes the hair and lifts it to his nose, sniffing it. He kneels in front of Maggie and has her sniff it as well.
You see her lower her huge head and her large feline nose snuffles at the ground.
Recent activity human females and giant rats. This seems to be who the boats belong to.
Mark shakes his head. "Looks like girl hair, but this place is too wet for tracks to survive. Can't figure out much from this, I'm afraid - apart from the fact that the hair likely belonged to the owners of these boats." He shrugs, letting the hair drop to the floor.
Moving on to the next room B2
Rubble from the collapsed wall has been pushed out into the chamber. Traces of recent habitation-bits oftrash and rubbish and the odd piece ofclothing or equipment-are scattered here and there, though the room now appears to be unused.
Nalun begins detecting magic.
Kierra, gently taps Yorn on the shoulder, and whispers something almost inaudible to him.
The small girl, seeming even more slight in the dark chamber casts "light" on the end of her spear.
"Now we can all see, we don't have to just wait on you.."
You can all see that this chamber served as a base camp as someone must have explored the piling. Whoever it was they have now abandoned it.
Mark and Maggie use their survival skills to reveal this chamber accommodated as many as a dozen or more inhabitants based on the evidence.
Where To B3 or B4?
Mark indicates the direction of B3. Maggie is on Yorn's heels, a silent feline shadow.
Nothing more than what I posted for B3
Mark wrinkles his nose; Maggie refuses to enter the chamber. Mark looks to Yorn. "I doubt they'd bother with traps in this room...the smell'd keep people out. Still...they're the sort to leave THAT lying around..." he gestures at the small corpse. "So who knows WHAT they'd do. See any traps, friend?"
Yorn takes 10 and does not find any traps.
Mark shrugs and enters the chamber, closing the door behind him. Bathroom break.
Yorn to you these chests look as if they have been looted and the powder was some kind of trap. The trap is totally inert now though. Just more signs of recent activity.
Nalun examines the murals.
He also detects magic.
Nalun you know that some people would pay money for (what do you call it when you rub like a crayon over something so you can transfer the image?) an image like that whatever its called! This is some really rare history/art here.
Really I couldn't think of the word rubbings...
Thank you Yorn, these RUBBINGS will be very valuable to the right collector
Nalun says as Yorn does all the manual labor.
"So, seven deadly sins. Nalun has Pride. There's, what, lust? Gluttony?"
Nalun pauses in his assessment of Yorn's rubbing ability to answer Shalee's question.
There are the following "Sins" which correspond to schools of magic in ancient Thassilon. Envy, which follows the school of Abjuration, Gluttony, which follows Necromancy, Greed,which follows Transmutation, Lust,which follows Enchantment, Pride,which follows Illusion, Sloth,which follows Conjuration my own specialty and Wrath which follows Evocation.
"You became dangerously proud. We ...should tread lightly. Especially with wrath ...and lust, honestly. I don't want to kill or rape anyone."
Nalun's ears turn red as Shalee mentions his earlier state of mind and he busies himself with copying Thassilonian diagrams into his journal.
Moving on.
Yorn souts ahead.
Bits and pieces of old rubble, fragments of furniture, and broken weapons and armor clutter the floor of this room.
Area B6a features a flight of stairs that leads down to area B5.
Area B6b contains only an overturned table in the middle of the room.
Yorn you spot 3 Wear rats hiding behind the table. They do not seem to have seen you
Round one start!
Yorn Goes first. Everybody else has to make at least 1 move action to get into the room. I will have a battle map up in a second.
It will be the Shattered Star Grid Map.