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Several weeks have passed since your most recent return to Absalom. For all of you, this has been on the back of some truly epic accomplishments. Defeat of a Runelord of Ancient Thassilon, forays into the World Wound and battles with monstrous generals of the Calamari King of Wanshou. After all your storied accomplishments, the change of pace is a welcome respite.
Having bonded with your fellow agents on these adventures, it has become unremarkable for you to call on each other or invite each other to visit on social visits. However, even amongst you, it is rare for the haughty and reclusive archmage you know as Ralph Cauthorn to make social calls, so it is with some surprise that you receive on one otherwise unremarkable morning a summons to his laboratory at the Grand Lodge in Absalom.
When you arrive, you find that light refreshments have been prepared and laid out on a small table in a corner of the other laboratory, far from his shelves of books and magical reagents. A few relatively simple but comfortable couches surround the table. His workdesk stands just a few paces from the refreshments, but the archmage himself is nowhere in sight. As you step into the room, a voice calls out from the stones.
”I will be with you shortly. Until then, please take the opportunity to make yourself comfortable.”
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Shortly after you are gathered, the door opens once more, and a familiar figure walks in, though you do not recognise him at first, for where he usually holds himself proudly upright and with his chin slightly upturned, he is now stooped over his staff and hobbles just slightly as he walks. Even the latter fact strikes you as odd, for several of you know by know that since attaining a certain level of mastery of magic, he has disdained walking in favour of magical flight. He notices your stares and scowls as he pulls himself a little straighter, though the white knuckles gripping his staff belie the effort that it takes. As he shuts the door behind him, several runes glow along the edge of the frame. Lavode, Exiel and 42 in particular identify that they are abjuration runes to ensure the privacy of this conference.
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”Quit your gawking,” Ralph says harshly as he hobbles to his desk and sets himself down on his high-backed chair with a barely-concealed heave of relief. He notes the concerned look on (at least some of) your faces and sighs irritably. ”If you must know, my recent wresting of Lavode from Pharasma’s Boneyard infringed a few supposed “rules of magic” and outright broke several others. Not that such a thing ever mattered to Nethys, but the Lady of Graves was apparently most displeased, and took it upon herself to have words with Nethys about the dangers of mortals holding sway over life and death without consultation with the gods. Whilst I am not privy to the details of the discussion, the result was that Nethys permitted her to put a temporary exaction on my health and magic as recompense for stealing from her domain. It will be about a week at least before I am able to be out in the field again.”
”However, my mind remains clear, and my research invaluable. Research that is relavant to a recent venture that some of you embarked upon,” he continues as he nods to 42, Exiel and Alden (and perhaps a few others of you). ”You will recall that not too long ago, some of you retrieved a couple of items from a stronghold of the Queen of Witches herself. Artrosa.”
Ralph pauses awhile, and you are uncertain whether it is to catch his breath or to give you some time to recall your harrowing experiences in that place and grieve those who fell to the darkness of that dungeon. Eventually he speaks again.
”After our defeat of Krune, I successfully petitioned Aram Zey for permission to research the keys and the location to which they would bring the Dancing Hut and those within it. I have just yesterday completed my research, and in light of it Zey has instructed me… to give you your next assignment.”
”The Parapets. A mighty mountain range separating the lands known respectively as “The Skyfire Mandate” and “The Drakelands”. Do not concern yourselves if those names mean nothing to you - they shouldn’t, for these are lands far beyond the Inner Sea, Tian Xia or even this very world. The keys will take you to a distant planet far amongst the outer stars. A planet that my research indicates is called Triaxus.”
”Not much is known about Triaxus at this stage, so you can understand why Zey was adamant that a team be sent as soon as possible. As before, it appears we are still following Baba Yaga’s damnable trail of proverbial breadcrumbs, except this time, the crumbs are in the shape of a bearskin and a two-headed eagle.”
”You will not have my magic supporting on this venture, so be sure to prepare accordingly. If you think you will need another agent to assist you and can find one who is both available and capable enough to be likely to survive a foray into an unknown planet, do so quickly. I am instructed to have you reconvene here at sundown. Do not be late.”
”Oh and one more thing. Dress warmly.”
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"Well, bugger if I know anything about distant planets. But I may have a friend who might."
As he speaks, Exiel extends his right arm, and you see that it now sports a tattoo of a dove. A tattoo that bobs it head at Exiel, then steps out of his arm. Those familiar with his former familiar, Lucien, note that this bird is clearly of a different species and colouration, and if that was not apparent, what happens next surely makes it so.
The dove's form shimmers, then expands and takes on a golden hue, turning into a large golden helmet with white cloth trim flowing out from beneath and two white wings that flutter as the helmet hovers before Exiel. Beneath the visor, you see in place of a face what appears to be a mask of papyrus.
Then the strange creature's form shimmers once more as the helmet and papyrus-mask shrink as the cloth trim extends out into a small flowing dress of pure white silk and fills out with the body of a young girl. The wings on the helmet move to the back of the new figure, still flapping as the small angel gives a brief curtsy.
"Friends, this is Lauriel, my new assistant. Torag has granted her to me as a guide and counselor, and she is far more knowledgeable than I in almost all matters I can name."
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"Exiel has told me much about you all. I am honoured to meet you," the small angel says in a voice that is at once soft, melodious and confident.
As she considers the new information granted by Ralph, Exiel takes the opportunity to cast heroism on her to aid her memory. As she thinks, the papyrus of her mask shift rapidly.
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Lauriel is able to tell you all that Triaxia is a world whose erratic orbit causes exceptionally long and disparate seasons. Because of this it is also easy for her to tell you that it would deep winter this time of the century. The Triaxians speak their own tongue that is completely different from any language on Golarion.
The local dominant race are known as Triaxians. They have elongated ears and fur in the winter, but are for the most part relatively similar to humans. However, that dominance is shared with dragons and dragonkin, who are about as numerous as the Triaxians on their planet, and far more numerable than on Golarion. Dragonkin are lesser dragons that have evolved to be able to use weapons and tools, and are not the offspring of dragons and triaxians. Unlike true dragons, dragonkin are not colour-coded by their scales. The fauna is as varied as Golarions, though they tend to be quite ferocious as befitting the harsh climate and dominant demographic. The only race Triaxia shares with Golarion apart from dragons are the gnomes, though the gnomes there have long overcome their bleaching and are not at risk of it.
As Lauriel recounts all of this, Ralph's own eyes widen. When she finishes, he nods in satisfaction.
"My own divinations would likely have uncovered most of that, but I am hardly an easy source of knowledge to match up to. You have found an excellent helper, Exiel. Perhaps, little one, you can teach Exiel a thing or two about the value of applying knowledge to solve problems over the brute force he so evidently prefers."
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"Indeed, but brute force applied at the wrong time under the wrong circumstances can harm you more than help you. Knowing when to apply it requires knowledge. You would do well to remember that. You are, after all, heading to a world where you will be effectively cut off from all support from Golarion. You would do well to make allies where you can, as quickly as you can."
"Now if you are done yammering, I have nothing more to discuss. Return to me once you are done preparing. I will have your transport ready."
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Ralph smiles.
"I can only tell you once you are ready to go."
"It is surprisingly easier to travel to another plane of existence than it is to travel to a distant planet on the same plane - it is easier to cross the barriers between planes than to bridge the sheer distance. So unlike the trip that Alden, 42 and Exiel made to Artrosa, we cannot simply determine where the latest keys for Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut will take you and then teleport there. Or rather, the spell required for that is simply out of the society's reach at the moment. "
"So there is only one way that the Society has to get you to your destination, and one way back - the Dancing Hut itself. Which was why I had to keep your means of travel a secret until you were ready to go. Not that I or the society do not trust you, of course, but the Hut is an artifact beyond all price, and the secrecy of its location an absolute secret. And you cannot reveal what you do not know. Even I have had my memory of its location modified so that I no longer know its location...just how to get there."
Ralph retrieves from a pocket in his robes a wayfinder and a small gold coin.
"Usually, the keys to Baba Yaga's hut are re-created by the hut itself after they are used. These items I have in my hand are...not true keys. I crafted them so that when used with the Hut it will cause the Hut to return to the Society's secret hideout, and you will be retrieved from there."
"Keep in mind that whilst the hut may be of use to you in this venture, allowing the hut to get too damaged will render you stranded on Triaxia. Likewise if you lose these temporary keys. Take care of them if you wish to see Golarion again."
"Now then, before we go, I believe Nienna has a friend to introduce?"
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"Indeed?" Ralph asks, intrigued. A spark of competitiveness flickers in his eyes. "I wonder which of the two of us is able to produce the more potent fireball...but as you have noted, Nienna, I have not the strength to compete now, nor is there time. In any event, well-met, Vplitletz. Hopefully we will get to compare notes if you return."
"I mean when you return. When. Ahem."
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VlipzLetz Steps from behind Nienna with a Red face "Well hello there my name is Vlipaletz Sada Harmony master of the divine scrolls and this is my spiritual protector SilverBite" the purple Cat meows with a sound of excitement "This celestial feline have slain many of dragons undead and alive and have just taking care a dangerous hill giant King and his horrific sorcerer bride”
I sigh, and in my head I say “ It is always the beautiful ones that are so evil” My secondary specialty is to be a magic missile specialists I am still in practice with this” I has little bit of sweat come down his face with nervousness
"Currently I am a Harold of Baba Yaga and is equipped to handle the cold I have my own wand of Endore elements from my early travels" lowers his robes to reveal his back with the magical seal of the Black Rider blushes a little bit and pull back up his robes.
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Ralph directs you all to sit at the couches that you were at earlier in the day. Once you are seated, he utters a few words of power. A soft glow fills the room as previously-invisible glyphs light up in a circle around you.
When the light fades, you find yourselves in a small enclosed stone chamber. The chamber itself is unremarkable, save for a few continual flame spells that light the chamber just enough for you to make out in the gloom a rustic hut approximately 15 feet tall and 15 feet square. Its timber walls hang with bundles of drying herbs and are etched with eerie symbols. From beneath its splintering wooden porch extends a pair of legs, like those of a fifteen-foot-tall chicken with gigantic talons caked in mud but sharp as razors. As you approach it, it bows its legs, allowing you to clamber onto the wooden porch and enter inside.
You find yourself in a small room, but the more perceptive of you realise that just this room alone is larger than what the hut appears to be on the outside. Bundles of dried herbs hang from the rafters, and
along the walls are numerous shelves holding a bewildering variety of glass jars, bottles, and vials containing all manner of strange magical components and alchemical ingredients.
A massive cauldron sits in the middle of the room. No fire burns under the pot, but the liquid within bubbles and churns, and white fumes rise and lap over the brim. A large stove, writing desk, book case and fireplace complete the room, along with a number of crates, barrels and sacks. A short flight of steps lead up to a set of double doors in the North wall, and a small ladder climbs to a trap door in a corner of the ceiling. Two other doors are set in this room, but they defy all attempts at opening themsleves for now.
On the shelf are several curious tokens, including in particular a golden nugget and a blue dragon scale.
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"That nugget and the blue scale were the items we were sent to retrieve from Artrosa. If memory serves, when my group first wrested this hut from Irrisen, we took the correct tokens and tossed them into the cauldron like so..."
As he speaks, he carefully takes the two indicated tokens and looks to Lauriel to see if she is able to confirm with her extensive knowledge that this is the right thing to do.
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You throw the keys into the cauldron, and immediately the cauldron bubbles as the hut begins to shudder ever so slightly. The door to the hut slams shut, and for a few brief moments, you wonder what will happen to the few of you clustered in the hut. Eventually the shuddering ceases...and one of you finally musters the courage or curiousity to open the door of the hut.
You find yourselves in a wintry region of snow- covered mountains. The sun is much smaller than it should be-it's not much more than a pinprick of light, though still blindingly bright to look at-and stars are oddly visible in the sky. The sun appears to be directly overhead, suggesting it to be noon here, yet it does not provide illumination equal to bright light, only normal light. The temperature is absolutely freezing and hits as a rude shock to the system until you quickly cast your wards against the elements.