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On the Grinning Pixie’s deck, Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry, a beatiful but rigid looking half-orc, wearing what is similar to that of a pirate captain' garb, and a tricorn of course, stands defiantly amid the howling wind and driving rain. The powerfully built half-orc’s voice carries over the storm. “There!” she yells, pointing to the northwest. “We’ve reached the Gloomspires.” As if on cue, numerous impossibly narrow fingers of black rock suddenly appear in the distance. The unnatural structures exude a sensation of unnatural and profound dread. Benarry laughs deeply as the sensation descends. She looks around the deck, noticing some familiar faces.
“I bet you’re glad to be back to these gods-accursed spires! I sent in another team to continue the good work you started, and things didn’t go so well. You’re the closest thing to an expert on this rock we have, so I’m trusting you to bring the team through this mission safely.”
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A fairly impressive half-orc stands before you.. His skin dark mottled, with a hint of blue and almost scaleish. He wears a breastplate and carries a greataxe on his back. Dark hair and blue eyes complete the package. He is one of the more handsome half-orcs you have ever seen.
He eyes the Venture Captain with an almost feral look..
"Glad to be back on duty Captain! When we are done here I should like to buy you a drink somewhere's private!" He looks to his other companions whom he's been riding with for days now.. "You buggers ready to get at it? I hope so cause we are here!"
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A new guy to the group, Phantom stands on the deck in a cloak that covers him completely except for the tip of his beak. His feathers are dark purple and his eyes are completely black. On his back is a well maintained Elvin Curve Blade. " Yes I am ready, I hope this mission goes smoother than my last few. They have been close calls. Oh, I am Phantom, at least that is the nickname that I have heard my enemys call me by."
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Standing 5'7" and with a wry smile on her face, Zero brushes a single strand of red hair away from her eyes. "Zero. Here via the High Ice, enjoying a bit of southern hospitality." She motions to the quivers crisscrossed on her back. One is decorated with inlaid jet and holds a full quiver of arrows. The other is comparably plain and seemingly empty.
"I'm the Society's premier ambidextrous archer. I can put arrows through a wagon wheel at 50 yards with either hand," she boasts, mimicking drawing a bow first with her left hand, then switching hands and repeating the motion with her right. "While it's spinning," she exaggerates, testing to see if anyone believes her.
Adapting a bit more serious tone (but only slightly), she continues, tapping a katana at her side. "I can fall into formation with the rest of them if need be. Though fair fights seem like missed opportunities. Giving the opponent a fair chance has never been my style."
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Standing nearly 5'11 tall the Aasimar looked over to the gloomspire before turning his head to the rest of the party. There was something angelic about him and his posture showed it, small symbols of Ragathield adorned the clasp of his blue cloak that fluttered in the wind. He raised his hand to the back of the ship, and those interested in seeing it would have noticed another ship that had been shadowing the one they were on. With that done platinum eyes took in each and everyone. "Greetings, I am Lance Corporal Kor'Sarro Khan, Ragathiel will guide us as we cleanse this accursed place..." He regarded the Gloomspires before smirking for a brief moment.
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A strikingly handsome man stands among the group, or rather floats, his feet never touch the ground. He is of average height and has a slim build to him, yet is perfectly proportioned and in excellent physical shape. It's hard to judge his age as he appears much younger than he seems, having a youthful glow to him. His hair is a light blonde, almost platinum and with a particular sheen to it. Bright blue eyes that almost seem to sparkle like stars in the night sky look over the group gathered. His clothing is modest, similar to a clerics vestments, and impeccably clean, covered by a mithril breastplate. A gleaming morningstar hangs to one side of his belt and a dark wooden shield is strapped to his back, emblazoned with a blue and silver butterfly, the mark of Desna.
"I hope this expedition goes better than the last one here. I would rather like to avoid being paralyzed again. Do you have any further information about what happened to that other adventuring party?"
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She leans in closer. “Let’s review some of the details of your mission.” Her eyebrows furrow. “Two months ago, I sent another team of Pathfinders to Old Sevenfingers’s tomb aboard a Thuvian caravel called the Pride of Aspenthar. The Pride and the Pathfinders never returned to Drenchport. Divinations confirmed that the ship was lost. It apparently sank after transporting the Pathfinders to the tomb, but no Pathfinders were on board. I sent the team into the second level of the tomb—a place called the Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts. I put a veteran explorer named Jaohd Ilzinian in charge of the team. He’s a paladin of Shelyn known for his skill at fighting against things that should be dead.
“Ilzinian’s team carried the Orb of Stars with them. It’s a powerful magic item that freezes the Gloomspires in place so they can be explored safely. As you can see,” she says, gesturing to the spires, “the orb isn’t working. In the last few minutes, those columns have shifted twice. Without the orb, the spires only stand still on the solstice.”
Benarry allows her words to sink in before continuing. “The solstice begins in a few hours, so you’ll be able to make your way to the tomb just fine. I need you to climb up to Sevenfingers’s tomb, find out what happened to the Pathfinders, and recover the Orb of Stars. Also, I let Jaohd borrow Old Flotsam, my folding boat. She’s precious to me, and I’d really like her back.” A sudden flash of lighting and the roar of distant thunder punctuate the captain’s words, and she smirks. ”Sounds simple enough, don’t it? The spires will stay in place for three days. If you find the orb, you’ll get two weeks. If you stay longer than that, you lubbers might run into trouble sailing back out. I’ll circle the Pixie around the spires for three weeks just in case. Any questions before you jump in the rowboat?”
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The Paladin let go of a brief sigh as he heard that once more Pathfinders were missing. He shrugged in regards of the Gloomspires, seeing he had been here before and found it a place infested with undead, traps and god knows what else he regarded Zero for a moment, waiting to hear the answeres she was going to get before following Gronk and getting into the boat, before entering he turned to the Venture Captain with a wry smile... "Ragathiel's Vengeance will shadow you for those 2 weeks captain..."
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"3 weeks for a rescue mission, Sounds like alot of time. Will we need the full time to get through the whole labyrinth?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The half orc Benarry looks at the pathfinders, and smiles, a charm of hers that captivates many a people. "A curious bunch now are we?"
“Jaohd is a Taldan paladin who worships Shelyn. He’s tall and scrawny, with gray eyes and red hair. He joined the Society thirteen years ago and become an expert on spirits and haunts. His longsword, a fine blade he calls Ether’s Kiss, can hurt creatures with no real body of their own. Jaohd went into the Gloomspires with four other agents: the Taldan twins Alrasus and Naphinia, known for their quick fingers and quicker wits; Zumek, a Kellid warrior who could wrestle a crocodile and win; and Yetisiel, an elf with the power of storms in her blood."
Turning over to Zero directly, “Regarding the orb of Stars, I know The Saoc Brethren of Lirgen made the orb. It can hold the Gloomspires in place long enough for us to study the site properly.” And turning back to the whole team, "As you can see, we're very interested with the place, so we sent the pathfinders in to further explore using the orb. Like I said, 3 weeks is just in case." She gives a cheeky wink at Phantomblade.
"Now, before we head off, take these, also, if you need to purcahse items, talk to the Grinning Pixie's quartermaster, he'll attend to your needs." She hands over to you two poouches of Grave salt, and a wand of ghostbane dirge wrapped in a shroud. She explains, “That ratty scrap of cloth is connected to Sevenfingers himself. A mystic old sea dog performed a ritual to connect it to the wand. He said it should make the magic item more effective in the Gloomspires, as long as you don’t unwrap it. You let me know if he was trying to pull something on me, and I’ll go get my coin back.”
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Chuckeling he nodded at Gronk "Seems like we will have some sort of fun then in the Gloomspires..." Turning to his companions his tone became serious for a brief moment. "Keep in mind to stay within my proximity in case we run into something that can cause fear, my presence will strengthen your resolve against those attacks..."
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Phantom will pick up 5 antitoxins, 5 antiplagues, 5 south syrup, 5 vermin repellent, 5 blade guard, and 5 meditation teas.
"Got these last few supplies, I am ready to go."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The journey to the Gloomspires was uneventful, taking off from the shackles, the seas prove to be calm, and the wind soft. The travel takes a couple of days, but being in the sea feels like it takes a lifetime for some of you. The boat atmosphere is lively, with drinking, fishing, gambling being a favourite way to pass the time for many.
As you approach the Gloomspires, there are columns a many, they look rather plane, but you are amazed at how they came to be in such an isolated place in the sea. You try to count them but with a strange fog enveloping around, you can't see more than a mile out into the place. You're dropped off at what is described to you as the path towards Sevenfinger's Tomb, and walk up narrow winding steps. The journey is long and tedious, and all you see is grey stone after stone after stone, the journey up the stairs takes approximately two hours.
At the top, A lush canopy of tropical trees, flowering vines, and thick undergrowth forms a dark green wall around this small clearing. To the south is the edge of the column, and a sheer 500-foot drop. The tree create pathways, and there are three that you can see, to your front (North-East), to your left (North), and to your right (East).
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The Aasimar silently drew the No-dachi on his back and said a little prayer to Ragathiel before he slowly reached his eyes towards the road they were about to enter. Remembering the previous encounter with the cannibals and flesh eaters he reached out with his mind to see if anything up ahead would detect as evil and give him a warning on what they were about to encounter.
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Although you cannot see very far due to the fog, Kor'sarro's detection as far as you know works normally. And he does not detect any evil from within his immediate surroundings.
As Phantomblade walks away, 20feet away from you, he is only a shadow and you cannot make out his physical appearance. After around 50ft, you estimate, he moved somewhat north and cannot be seen from where you stand.
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Ok Phantom will scout the right path as well before heading back to update party about the sailors
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The path straight ahead looks to head toward a large standing structure, however before you are able to reach it, a bunch of figures start walking out from the Eastern side. Everyone can see the outlines of these figures clearly, you make out approximately 4 of them. If you can see their outlines, surely they could see yours.
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"Stand ready comrades. We do not know what their intentions are"
With that Phantom draws his Elvin Curve blade and stands ready to meet the people coming there way
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Zero draws her bow, shifts it to her right hand, and pulls an intricately chiseled arrowshaft out of her seemingly empty quiver.
"ARE YOU FRIEND OR FOE?" Zero shouts in the direction of the misty figures, firing a whistling arrow well above their heads. "LET'S TALK BEFORE EITHER OF US JUMP AT SHADOWS IN THE MISTS!"
This will probably go poorly, you know, she tells herself, shifting her bow back to her left hand, just in case.