As initiates of the pathfinder society, Kharg, Belinda Bluefoot, Arcanos Fiendbane, Olivia Adair, Jerrus Morris and Audyn Bancroft received extensive training under guidance of several masters. Yesterday they received a message that they were deemed ready to take their final test. 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 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. Several inebriates are sleeping off their revelries while in other places there are small groups of people closely talking together.
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The dark cloth of his rather plain outfit belays the archetype of 'bard' though he prefers the term 'dilettante' personally. Jerrus ducks through the crowd, easily gliding between the groups.
Sliding onto one of the empty benches since he had not seen any of the others that were supposed meet him here, he waits, cradling a small glass of mulled cider.
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Audyn couldn't look more out of place if he tried, his fine clothing and groomed appearance clashing with the rest of the patrons. Still, he seems calm, standing against the wall with his arms crossed, making no effort to conceal the hilt of his rapier on his belt.
Jerrus waves his arm when he notices Audyn, knowing him mostly from reputation though they had a couple conversations, they are by no means friends, but Jerrus knows that he was to meet him as expressed in the letter.
The hilt of Jerrus' rapier is much more weathered and less shiny, it may as well be the twin of Audyn's.
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A 6'4", thickly muscled half-orc arrives. Tattoos and brandings of a vaguely nautical nature, as well as symbols sacred to at least five or six gods cover his exposed greenish flesh. He rests his forearms on his massive Orc double ax and says My name is Kharg.
"and mine is Jerrus, please sit Kharg, the others should be here soon." he invites, openly admiring the tattoos of the man whom could snap the much smaller human in half.
As you are talking, a familiar elven man approaches the group.
"Welcome! Welcome, my students!"
The familiar voice is that of Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls. He goes sit cross-legged on a nearby 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 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 you to 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 need 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.
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 and review our plan. After all, the most important factors that determine whether an expedition will be a success are cooperation and preparation! I’ll introduce myself!"
"I'm Janira, a teacher for the society who focuses on inspiring groups of colleagues into giving their all. I've been with the society now for 4 years and this is the first time I'm supposed to be in charge of graduates during their confirmation." a small nervous grin flashes over her face, before she continues, "I am a decent spell-caster and can work with crossbow, blade and whip"
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"Ohh, me next" pipes up a little halfling.
"I'm Belinda. Belinda Bluefoot. My big brother Bulgo is a pathfinder and one day I'm going to be just like him. I stayed on the farm when he went out into the world, but I know a lot about animals and plants. Oh and this is Bertie."
She gestures to a small beat that seems to be keeping her feet warm.
"He's really gentle unless someone upsets him."
She smiles
"Oh, and I am good at fixing cuts and bruises too. Well, not really good, but a little bit good."
She looks with awe at Audyn.
"I think I have heard of you... I thought you liked hot areas better. Didn't you resurrect a monkey-god in the jungle and then save Katepesh from desert raiders..."
"And you Kharg... I'm sure I heard about your exploits during the Aspis attacks. I was out of town when that happened, only just arrived in Absalom to be honest."
She almost jumps for joy. "This is going to be So Much Fun."
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An older man with mostly white hair, though with some gray clinging about his lips and ears, nods sagely. He is tall though stooped by time, with a long face, and eyes that are deep and dark. He wears a light-colored robe that changes colors slightly, almost looking like prismatic light, as he moves. He has an old longsword buckled around his waste, though he leans on a staff.
He speaks with a melodic voice from under bushy eyebrows.
"I am Arcanos Fiendbane. I have knowledge of things magical and from all planes of existence. I am a student of magic, and an enemy of all kinds of demons and devils," he adds.
"I look forward to our journeys together."
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Nodding with reverence to the two masters, Jerrus listens intently, memorizing every detail and giving a small smile when finished.
"Well met Arcanos, and salutations Belinda. I am Jerrus Mossir, of Liberty's Edge. I am a spellsong warrior." he says with a soft confidence in his voice.
"What do you all think should be the first step? After we gather provisions for the journey?" he turns to Janira as if remembering something "How far away are these caves?"
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A young woman with green hair joins you at your table, just before Kreighton Shaine starts talking. She patiently listens to what's being told and speaks up when the others are quiet.
"My name's Olivia. I'm a sorceress, but my parents can't use magic. They told me the Pathfinder Society has many talented users of magic, and I hope to learn more about the powers I possess during my missions."
Olivia takes her backpack and places it on the table. "Maybe we could check if we have all the items we need? I have a vial of alchemist's fire, a vial of acid, ten pieces of chalk, flint and steel, a grappling hook, and a 50 foot silk rope."
"I can use ice and fire spells, so I think I at least have the swarm's covered. Though I do now notice that I have no healing items with me..."
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Kharg is a large half-orc who is covered with scars and tattoos. He wears a finely made chainshirt and carries several weapons, the most notable being the large orc double axe he is currently leaning against. It appears to be quite new with each axe made of a different type of metal. On his head, he wears a brownish-grey bandana.
I am Kharg. I have been many things in my time. Most recently I have been a crewmember on a privateer in the service of Andoran.
He turns to Belinda and says Yes, it is true, I was there at the Grand Convocation. We fought many waves of enemies. We won a great victory, but at great cost.
He looks to each group member in turn. I am greatly honored to be going through my confirmation with all of you. It is a matter of great pride that I have been selected for this.
Janira nods and listen attentively to all stories the group tell.
"You're the sister of Bulgo Bluefoot? I think I heard about your brother, I read his reports of a couple of his missions. Didn't he help recently with the Kalkamedes issue?
"Arcanos, it is always good to have something of a scholar in
a group. Those reports are often the most detailed and nice to read. They know things and see things others often overlook.
"Kharg, nice to have an extra strong arm. If I might inquire, I'm a but of a curious type you know, what made you change from privateer to becoming a pathfinder?
"Olivia, ahh, the thirst for knowledge drives most of us pathfinders. I hope you'll find the answers you seek and the mastery of your self.
"Jessur, nice to meet you. I see you will soon be the most valuable asset to any team." she says with a wink.
"As for your questions, I'll give you some more details of the mission so they can be answered."
Janira says with an eager grin.
"After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been 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 in there.
"The caves we’ll be travelling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. The caves are 2 days walking away, and we’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths 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 gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too.
"I advice you to bring some day rations, since we'll have little time to gather food on the way there." she looks around, unsure if anyone can gather food in the first place.
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"I have some food for Bertie and me." tells the excitable halfling.
"And yes, Bulgo did say something about helping someone with a sleeping problem. I thought it just meant that he told some of his older jokes a few too many times."
She hikes up her pack and then stops for a moment "Caves? Does anyone have a lantern?"
After thinking for a minute she adds "Are gillman dangerous? And why the full moon? Are they were-Gilmen? And what would they turn into? Sharks?" she tries to suppress a shudder at the thought.
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"Kharg, nice to have an extra strong arm. If I might inquire, I'm a but of a curious type you know, what made you change from privateer to becoming a pathfinder?
I will be forever grateful to Captain Andarik and his crew for pulling me off that slave galley., Kharg says, but since my earliest memories in my father's tribe, I have always followed somebody else's orders. Now is my time to strike out on my own, though the sea still calls to me.
He adds, I see your point about rations. I will purchase some before we leave town.
"The gillmen are a humanoid race much like humans save for the three piscine gills on both sides of their necks. They’re a little secretive but not outright hostile. Most live in or near the water.
"The only known permanent surface settlement of the gillmen is in Escadar. Why they’re venturing into the foothills of the Kortos Mounts is a mystery.
"But don't worry, I have no reason to believe the gillmen activity has anything to do with lycanthropy."
She nods as everyone seem to have asked the questions they liked and continues,
"I see you've thought of most things to bring along yourself, I've brought papers so you have something to write on to make your records of the events. Remember, the success of a mission is explore, report and cooperate.
With this she beckons the group to follow. On their way out of Absolom, they have time to make any purchases they stated.
The first phase of their Confirmation takes the group through Absalom, leads across the Cairnlands, along a well-worn path that leads toward Diobel, through the wilderness surrounding the Kortos Mounts, and culminates at the cave entrance noted in Janira’s Confirmation report. The journey through the City at the Center of the World is swift and without incident, and the long trek across the Cairnlands provides a great opportunity to discuss Master Shane’s class on the history of Absalom. Most of the journey is uneventful, and Janira point out landmarks such as siege towers, distant mountains, or distinct flora and fauna along the journey.
No encounters occur during the first day of travel, and the group has an opportunity to rest and prepare new spells before entering dangerous territory...
As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of 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 inside for a moment, she remarks,
"We’re on the right path. We need to keep 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 areas for creatures to hide while restricting movement for those passing through. A large rock outcropping to the east rises nearly 20 feet above the forest floor, and a small sinkhole to the northwest drops off sharply, descending to the ground 10 feet below.
Suddenly, you hear a the crashing of a large tree in the vicinity. Birds take flight and 3 giant fleas seem to be fleeing your way. As you are in the path of their flight, a fight seems inevitable...
As the giant fleas approach, they notice the group and the potential treat to a successful escape they pose. In a frenzy they leap on the group and attack!!
Apparently they target the largest and those who seem most prepared first..
The giant flea with a slightly blue shine on its carapace attacks Kharg!
But misses!
The giant flea with an evil red glint in the many facets of its compound eye attacks a well prepared Audyn.
The last giant flea still waits in order to decide who to attack. With its leap it can get almost anywhere.
As the flea's assault, Janira looks around in an attempt to estimate the potential danger for the group. She fastens her bag and starts in inspirational text for the group:
"As Durvin Gest, exemplar of our Society, saw through the treachery of the fabled Lens of Galundari and chose to hurl the terrible lens down into the neverending Nemesis Well, so you, his noblest heirs, shall stand steadfast against deceit and error, surrendering nothing but your burdens, and falling nowhere but on our foes!"
Audyns rapier hits a weak spot between 2 joints and pierces deep into the beast. Despite its robust anatomy, a lot of damage is done and it falls to the ground, likely not ever getting up.
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Jerrus groans in frustration as the creatures burst from the undergrowth, "Nothing is ever easy. I'll try to flank" he says as he moves to circle the creature , targeting the one that Audyn is also targeting, mostly to avoid the bear.
His rapier flashes in a curving thrust toward the dog-sized creature at his knees. "If you bite me, I swear, I'll bite you back" he says offhand
Audyn has finished the giant flea that was closest to him.
I would say that if the components are visual (line of sight is required) there should be no problem.
If the components are audible, music should pose no problem, but language dependent inspired courage as per the script I had to follow now is a problem.
Olivia 5-foot steps away from the flea adjacent to her, to a position that puts a tree in between herself and the flea that's still up north. She points a finger at the flea she stepped away from and shoots a ray of frost at it. But misses.
"Giant Bloodsuckers!" cries out Belinda in alarm.
"Gettim Bertie!"
Bertie steps closer to the giant flea and his bite and claw attack finishes the second giant flea.
The last remaining giant flea leaps on the group in a frenzied jump/charge. As Jerrus and Kharg are both ready, they immediately strike the creature. As Jessurs rapier leaves the beasts flank, he quickly shouts a thread to the creature "If you bite me, I swear, I'll bite you ba..", but Khargs axe cuts the beast in half. "ARRGGGHH!!!
"Great Job everyone," Janira says, "Congratulations on your first successful battle together. Unfortunately we have little time to celebrate and move on if we want to reach the caves by dusk. If we are too late, the gillmen may already have left when we arrive"
As the group continues to travel through the wilderness, they find the trail blocked by fallen objects, beyond it also seems as if there has been more rampant growth on the path.
"We must attempt to go through this," Janira says, "it is time to test your wilderness trekking skills."
As the group is searching for the easiest path, Olivia's sense of direction doesn't betray her and she finds an easy path around the obstacles without straying too much from the original path.
After a couple more hours walking, the dense forest opens to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead.
"Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines," Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face. She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface.
"This is where I saw the gillmen enter."
As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth. The halfling worriedly remarks, "Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!"
As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees. Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots the group.
Wisely assessing that a minotaur is beyond her charges’ capabilities, Janira screams, "A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag," she continues, pulling off her backpack, "and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!"
She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.
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Arcanos looks carefully at Janira before responding, as if trying to gauge whether she can handle this task.
"Do not make this decision in haste, brave halfling," he says. "Together I believe we could defeat it! But you lead this expedition. If you command it, I will comply," he says.
The arcanist steps back toward the entry, though he appears to be waiting for the others before retreating.
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Kharg holds his double axe in the ready position, unsure what to do. He looks from the minotaur to Janira to the rest of the group.
His instinct is to fight, but, the Halfling is already gone and a number of his party have already moved toward the cave.
We will catch up with you soon, Janira, Kharg calls out before joining his comrades.
The group leaves Janira to distract the minotaur, hoping she'll be ok. Finally they can start with their official Confirmation.
They enter the cave. The cave stretches deep below the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, through a narrow keyhole tunnel. The tunnel varies between 3 and 10 feet wide and varies equally in height, most of the time the tunnel is 7 or more feet wide and equally high. The caves are damp and seem slippery. There is water dripping from stalactites and the distant rushing of underground streams creates an eerie backdrop as the group explores deeper. The caves’ walls are patterned with blue-green luminescent fungi that provide dim light.
Petroglyphs —most depicting marine animals or spiral shapes— periodically decorate the tunnels’ walls, becoming increasingly frequent as the group ventures deeper. The rough surface of the carvings provides a natural platform for the fungi, causing it to grow thicker and making the carvings glow slightly brighter than their surroundings.
The narrow tunnel twists and turns for several hundred feet before slowly opening to a wider passage. A large hole spans the cave’s width and stretches ten feet down the path. The lower part of the pit is flooded with water and at the bottom of the pit you see a small object or a bundle of some kind. Its difficult to see through the water.
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"Look at those footprints. Someone is here in front of us..." says Belinda as she heads into the cave.
"Ooh, pretty pictures..." she takes out the note paper and starts to sketch them. "I'm sure this will be popular, so many chronicles are just words with no art."
She peers at the pit.
"Someone dug this, its not natural. Been around a while too." She peers down.
"If I had my fishing rod, I could get that bundle out. It may be a clue as to who is here."
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Kharg follows Belinda's gaze down to the bundle.
Hmmm, wonder what that is. I could climb down there and grab it
He reaches for his rope on his back and says, I could tie this around me, you know, in case something else is down there,
How wide is this pit anyway? I can't imagine these gillmen just jump over it. Kharg looks down the cavern, trying to get a feel for what is on the other side of the pit.