The continuing adventures of a group of Pathfinder Society initiates as they enter training and approach their confirmation as bona fide field agents.
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4 are checked in. Waiting on Silverback and Josnavaarin and then we'll get started.
It has been weeks since your adventure in the Fallen Fortress led you to the doors of the Pathfinder Society. Under the tutelage of the Venture-Captains, and their trainers, you have found yourselves busy day and night, in physical and mental preparation to join one of the elite societies on all of Golarion.
The work is hard but interesting, and all of you seem to surpass your trainer's expectations. You see Balenor Forsend often, as he frequently checks in on your progress and invites you to dine with him regularly.
Finally, the weeks of training seems to be drawing to an end. The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: "Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig's Paunch one hour before dawn."
The Pig's Paunch is a run-down looking building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high up on a wooden table.
"Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please have a seat!" With that Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society's Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder. "Can you believe it? It all started here years ago -- well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born."
"But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey and I all agree that you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there's no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce Janira Gavix," he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying, "Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation."
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice, "Greetings aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen."
Master Shaine hops to his feet. "Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you are to come back alive as well." With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself leaving you alone with Janira, the halfling guide.
Also, during your training you might have had the chance to learn a bit about the Isle of Kortos, which is home to the City at the Center of the World. A particularly keen or observant student might have learned a bit more about the Kortos Mounts.
Long hours spent in by some initiates in the Grand Lodge's libraries may afford them additional knowledge regarding the origins of the gillmen.
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"Good day Master Shaine and Janira, It is good to finally feel accepted and I look forward to entering the caves with my companions. So we are to learn more of these gillman. Is there anything you can tell us about them at first such as the strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, etc?"
In a side conversation Jos tells his companions things he has learned in his training. He tells the others that he has learned that entire tribes of centaures, harpies, and minotaurs constantly vie for territory up and round the Mounts of Kortos in the center of the island, with harpies being the most common at high altitudes and centaurs controlling the lower slopes and foothills.
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Maximilian looks surprised at the mention of a gillman. "The origin of the gillmen, or Low Azlanti, is told in the third act of Earthfall; or A Tale of Two Empires. When the Starstone destroyed the ancient empires of Thassilon and Azlant, some aquatic entity, most likely one or more aboleths, saved some humans by transforming them to grant them the ability to breathe underwater and thus escape the cataclysm. They are now an independent race of amphibian humanoids, and probably the last remaining descendants of the Azlanti empire."
Janira bites her fingernail as she thinks about the answer to Josnavaarin's questions. Then she says, "Good question! We don't know a lot about gillmen. They don't seem to be much different from humans except for the three piscene gills on the sides of their necks. Most live in or near the water. They are quite a secretive race, but not outright hostile. This reticent behavior makes them hard to study. We are hoping that what's in the cave will give us some clues about their behavior."
As Max quotes a text, Janira gives a little clap. "Good for you Max, someone was paying close attention in history class...And your information is exactly correct! I should let you browse my copy of 'Azlant - The Fallen Continent' sometime. I think you would find it fascinating reading."
After answering whatever questions, the initiate Pathfinders might have about their upcoming mission, Janira pulls out a large leather-bound journal and opens it on the table. "Before we set out, we should all get to know each other an review our plan. After all, the most important factors that determine whether an expedition will be a success are cooperation and planning. You all seem to know each other, so I will introduce myself first, and you can call say a word or two about your skills that I should know."
She spends a few minutes exuberantly introducing herself: she joined the Pathfinder Society nearly 4 years ago after coming of age, she has a life-long love of learning, and trained with Kreighton Shaine for most of her time with the society. She learnt the use of the whip, crossbow, and blade and also a few spell casting tricks. She fancies herself an educator, and loves inspiring others through motivational lectures and speeches.
She then motions to each of the pathfinders, asking them again to share their main role or ability with the others, along with their reason for joining the Pathfinder Society.
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"I am not sure why I joined the Pathfinders," Silverback murmurs. "Something in a cold, east wind whispered it to me. Perhaps I will find out why I am here," he adds.
"I am one with the natural world, in both its peaceful and violent states. I bring with me an unreliable dinosaur, though I sense he will one day be very powerful."
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"My name is Aarion Belanor. I hail from a small Elven tribe, that resides deep within the Mwangi Expanse. I have decided to join the society to broaden my knowledge of the world and those that reside in it. On a more specific note, I seek any knowledge or information regarding an organization known as the Consortium."
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"Josnavaarin here, you can call me Jos. Hmm, to be a pathfinder. Well as I come from an isolated village in the colds of the North and spent most o my young life in like company I wanted more. I have talents I want to improve, skills I want to learn, and lands I want to explore."
Jos gets up and walks about restless or even anxious for more adventure but continues,
"As for my role, I am both a protector and support troop capable in a fight but also the one you want spelunking about in the dark of some forbidden tomb. I am fast and I know a thing or two that might get any group out of trouble."
Finished speaking he calmly goes back to rest upon a wall and listen to the others.
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"I'm Orovan, they call me Orovan Alleyborn. I was born in the streets and know how to fight, so the Pathfinders seemed like the right bunch to fall in with to make a coin and stay out of prison. Prison is really boring." answers Orovan, letting out a sigh of boredom, perhaps remembering prison or perhaps simply bored of all the socializing.
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"I'm sure you'll have heard of Maximilian Q. Viveiros." Maximilian bows deeply. "Having mastered the corpus of classical tragedies, I have joined the Pathfinder Society in search of new material. I shall create an entirely new canon following my adventures!"
"If the pleasure of my company is not enough, you'll find me an able swordsman in a pinch."
Janira nods at each player in turn. She gives Max a wink as he makes his introduction. "Oh my, what a brave group of initiates we have this time, I do hope all of you return."
With a sigh, she continues, "On to the mission at hand. After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time the gillmen entered the caves, it was a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you were called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing down there."
"The caves we'll be traveling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We'll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the path to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won't run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we'll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillmen are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves' significance, too."
"Any questions? While we answering questions, you should take a moment and go through your gear, making sure you have all you need for an overland journey into hostile territory. It's also important to keep accurate records, so be sure to use your Pathfinder Journals to record major events and details for the Chronicles later."
Once all the Pathfinders are geared up, Janira smiles and says "Let's go! Every journey begins with the first step."
She leads you across the crowded city and out the gates. The long trek takes you across the Cairnlands, the sight of your previous adventure in the Fallen Fortress. Off in the distance, if you strain your eyes, you can see the selfsame tower still standing even with the structural damage.
During the trek, Janira talks nearly constantly about Master Shaine's class on the history of Absalom. She points out famous landmarks, distant mountains, and distinct flora and fauna.
The well-worn path leads towards the edge of the town of Diobel, but then veers off to a forest at the base of the Kortos Mounts. The party enters the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield the day's sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser. Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo -- the Glyph of the Open Road. "I received this Wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well." She flips open the device and holds it in front of her, the initials J.L. are engraved into the inside of the device's lid. After studying the compass for a few moments, she remarks, "We're on the right path. We need to keep the heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead."
Most of the trees in this section of the forest have trunks that are too big for any creatures to share their space. Sporadic patches of light undergrowth provide places for creatures to hide. A large rock outcropping to the east rises nearly 20' to above the forest floor, and a small sinkhole to the northwest drops off sharply descending 20' to the ground below.
Suddenly, a loud crack splits the sylvan silence, and a tremendous tree topples in the woods to your left. The tree hits the ground with a resounding boom, and the noise seems to stir a infinitely large number of mosquitos which swarm together looking for blood to draw.
A Dangerous Path - Round 1
23 Aarion
21 Orovan
17 Swarm
12 Josnavaarin
10 Ruinor
9 Janira
7 Maximilian
5 Silverback
A Dangerous Path - Round 1 - continued
Seeing the swarm of mosquitoes rise, Aarion readies his alchemical fire to throw if the swarm approaches. Nearby, Orovan does the same.
The swarm, buzzing and angry, looks for flesh to consume. It slowly flies forward, and the two junior pathfinders release their fiery bombs.
Both score hits, doing significant damage against the swarm, which has many fried bugs now, but the irresistable tide of bugs still advances, overwhemling Orovan who is stuck in the cloud of insects, taking stinging damage, and bleeding. Several of the mosquitoes also are vectors for disease, and Orovan may get exposed as he is bitten several times.