Round 4:
Atum: Go
Suliji: TBD
Roos: TBD
Roakar: TBD
Hugo: TBD
Ignatious: TBD
Sword: 51
Suliji: 133
Patron: (At -12)
Round 4:
Atum: Go
Suliji: TBD
Roos: TBD
Roakar: TBD
Hugo: TBD
Ignatious: TBD
Sword: 51
Suliji: 183
Patron: (At -12)
Atum's attacks are brutal. Suliji can do naught but take the hammer. In a moment she is dead.
....meanwhile Hugo watches as the Patron is savaged by an unknown source. He instantly reaches out with his divine gifts and grants him the Breath of Life.
With Suliji down the erstwhile holy avenger drops to the ground...
Out of combat.
Hugo returns posthaste with the still bound Patron. The Patron is briefly effusive in his gratitude before composing himself and attempting to recoup his dignity in the face of Pathfinders. "While I appreciate your assistance in that matter, I must insist that you clean up “this mess” (pointing at Suliji and the destroyed golems) "And I demand that you show yourselves out without further incident. "
If there's a reward or deeper show of gratitude forthcoming, it won't be from him....
As you conclude your infiltration of the Aspis Building, the chaos and carnage throughout Ostenso is coming under control of local authorities.
You meet Marcos Farabellus at the Grand Lodge in Absalom. When you join him, he is accompanied by Ambrus Valsin, Seeker Castamir of Andoran, and a dark-skinned woman wearing a mask shaped like a steely whorl with three eyeholes—a member of the Decemvirate.
Farabellus speaks up, "Well, Suliji may have gotten away but let's not forget all that you did accomplish in Ostenso though. You broke into the Consortium headquarters, which is no small feat and something that will leave the Aspis questioning their own power. And not only that, but you did it with no casualties to yourselves or the agents working for you and with minimal casualties to the Aspis. In fact, you saved one of the Patrons, something he won't be forgetting any time soon." He laughs heartily and proclaims, "I knew I could count on you! You’ve made the Society proud today."
Valsin stares off into the distance, deep in thought, with a slight frown on his face. Eventually, he speaks, saying "I wonder, though, if we may have let an opportunity pass us by that the Society may never have again. It may have been that with Suliji's help we could have killed off several Patrons and left the Consortium crippled and scrambling."
Castamir then pipes in to come to your defense, "Suliji was treacherous, there is no guarantee that she would have cooperated or held up her end of the deal. An opportunity to strike at the heart of the Aspis? Maybe. But a risky one, and at what cost? Driving the knife in deeper, widening the wedge between our organizations? No, instead they did the most peaceable thing and maybe the Patrons will recognize that. We can only hope."
The member of the Decemvirate, who has been intently watching and listening but heretofore silent, finally speaks up.
“The Society has endured for centuries and shall endure for many more—beyond the lifetimes of any of its members yet sustained by future generations and the organization’s guiding principles: Explore the world’s mysteries, report those findings, and cooperate to ensure one another’s success. As evidenced by recent events, we must sometimes go beyond that call to ensure a future in which we can study the past. Even when agents fall in service to lore, we commemorate them and foster another to pursue her objectives.” She reaches for a bag and withdraws an intricate helmet adorned with three gem-studded flanges. Cradling it in one arm, she continues.
“Even among the Ten, malady and misfortune inevitably claim everyone, and another must rise to ensure the Society lives on, immortalized in deed and legend. We watch for those who might accept—and be worthy of—that challenge. You have earned a rest, brave Pathfinders, but we hope to see your return to the field.” She returns the helm to the bag and adds, “Perhaps then we shall meet again to discuss certain future opportunities to leave your mark on this age and beyond.”
In the weeks and months to come, the Pathfinder Society and Aspis Consortium step back their hostilities toward one another, making several quiet concessions to one another to maintain the peace. It’s only a matter of time before an Aspis agent fells a Pathfinder or a Society expedition thwarts a Consortium operation in the name of historical preservation. Even as hostilities gradually begin anew, both organizations prove increasingly careful not to let the conflict get out of hand—especially true for the Consortium’s Patrons, who are painfully aware how decisively the Society could retaliate if it deigned to do so again.
It would have been, but the hit that did it put her WAY negative
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Atum stoically stands up straight and looks down on Suliji's lifeless form after delivering the killing blow. "Good riddance."
He then looks across the room to the restored Patron. "I hope you remember for the rest of your life that the Pathfinder Society saved the Consortium from destruction today. Perhaps the violence and treachery from both sides can be lessened, if only for a while."
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Back with the Society leaders, Atum bows his head to the member of the Decemvirate. "It is an honor to serve and I still feel confident that we made the right decision in lending a hand to the Consortium, though they be our enemies, to stop Suliji, who would have brought unknown chaos and perhaps the mutual destruction of both organizations. I hope history judges us as having made the correct decision, or at least the noble one."
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Hugo nods in agreement with Atum's assessment as he looks with disappointment to the rescued patron.
While our actions were in part for the good of our order, the mutual benefit to your consortium should be obvious. We were not compelled to do so, but did with mutual respect of professionals. You have some in your organization who understand this. Hugo thinks of Mr. Khayn in particular.
***
We completed the mission within the scope and constraints placed upon us. We can only hope our success will show continued or at least occasional cessation of the hostilities between our organizations. I am sure the Aspis will be doing some house-cleaning to draw out any others who may have been aligned with Suliji.
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"Horay for us!" Roos says to the others and toasts the group with his flask. He passes it around to the others if they so desire. "If it weren't for the deadly woodsman Hugo, Iggy the Flamer, Roak the Oak, the Stoney Man and of course the dashing one...Me...this world could have been lost to evil. Drinks at the tavern are on Roak since no barkeep would ever challenge the man to pay the tab!.....No Aspis allowed..."