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This cold subterranean records hall is dim and quiet. In front of a heavy wooden door stands Venture-Captain Shevala Iorae, one of the Society’s premier experts on the ruined siege towers near Absalom. She waves and begins speaking eagerly as she approaches, the flame of her candle struggling against her pace.
“Hello! I’m sorry to summon you to such a bleak meeting space, but I’m gathering intelligence that I can really get only here. Come, you’ll have to see for yourselves.” Venture-Captain Iorae gestures toward the wooden door behind her, saying, “Before we go in, tell me—do you know much about the Red Redoubt of Karamoss?”
Knowledge (arcana)
Knowledge (engineering)
Knowledge (local)
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A towering, broad-shouldered half-orc stands in silence as the Venture-Captain greets them. His small, red-tinged eyes flick alertly around the simple room, briefly studying each of his fellow Pathfinders. When Iorae asks her question, he lifts a massive hand unconsciously to his left shoulder, where the hilts of three heavy, curved swords can be seen, their pommels formed in different shapes to make them easy to distinguish in a hurry.
The well-armed half-orc introduces himself brusquely, in a voice deep as thunder, ”Name’s Mohok. Got thrown out of Belkzen for being too human, then run out of Mendev for being too much orc. Joined the Society to try do some good in this damned world.” Mohok’s mottled green skin stands in stark contrast to the jagged blue tattoos that cover his face, neck and arms. He wears a finely-crafted steel breastplate over a worn, tattered jerkin of some indeterminate dark shade. A large raven, glossy black, sits on his shoulder, grooming its feathers fastidiously, seeming to pay no mind to what goes on around it.
”My blades are named too,” he adds, laying his fingers on the diamond-shaped pommel of one of his blades. ”Venture-Captain Heidmarch told me once to use my best judgment for how to solve a problem – so this sword is Best Judgment. My adamantine one is Sound Judgment, and my old iron one is Poor Judgment, ‘cuz sometimes that’s all you’ve got.”
Turning back to the venture-captain, he responds to her question, "I know I've been inside the Red Redoubt, back when I was a cub and they ran a few of us through it as a kind of obstacle course. 'Course, we found a level of the tower nobody knew about, nearly got chewed to pieces by machines along the way. The Society's been mighty busy there ever since, I hear."
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"No I do not. What of it? I am Balooo of the Ursine Clan"
Balooo is a rather large hirsute Ulfen with dark hair. His hands look rough and calloused. He is wearing a simple yet well made breastplate made of mithral that barely covers his massive chest. On his back is a sword made of a black metal and a bow, both seem almost brand new and hardly used.
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A somewhat squat, red skinned man with discreet horns stands next to Mohok. He bears a nicked and scratched full-plate, that might once have been splendidly golden, and from his neck hangs the Key of Abadar. At the mention of the Red Redoubt of Karamoss, he cracks a smile.
"Ah, yes. All that carnage when that 'training exerise' went wrong was quite unpleasant. We never did find that head..."
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Practicing minor variations of a swagger (as the standard locomotion has suddenly deserved particular attention) is a blue haired man that doesn't rise above the handles on the door. His hat and coat are made of a hardened leather, tested by the elements showing signs of weather, claw, and acid. On his back is a well used pack and an equally well used musket with arcane etchings across the length that glow with a dim light. A badge of some office hangs off of his waist that sways with his movement.
He returns to a more normal pace to keep up with the Venture-Captain and consider the question. "I had not heard of the place. Although based on your reactions it seems like an exciting place."
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A bald, gruff, white bearded (not gray), dwarf can often be found with his head in the books and whiskey close by. He wears a cloak, no armor, carries a heavy crossbow across his back, a battleaxe on one hip and a warhammer on the other he absent-mindedly plays with a rough obsidian ring on his right hand.
A gleam of excitement, almost imperceptible, comes across his face at the mention of the Red Redoubt of Karamoss. Torrag nods and reveals the information he knows on the subject from his studies.
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With his blue hair shaped in a pompadour style and his clothes and skin marked with various grease stains, the other gnome in the room lifts up his smoked goggles to take a better look at those in attendence, "The name's Van. Me and Torrag just time traveled together, he can vouch for me. Anyway cats, dig this. The Red Redoubt was built by a wizard named Karamoss, nicknamed the Machine Mage. He used this weird red metal named djezeteel that he supposedly invented. Djezeteel is cool for me because it's said to enhance magic, but that might be bad for all us depending on what Karamoss left behind. Anyway, he's also got a robot army down there that I've dealt with before. I hope you brawlers got something that can punch through metal."
After his brief explanation he looks Rakenlattle's blue hair and declares, "Before you ask, I don't think we're related."
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An ugly grin splits Mohok's face at Van's comment and he reaches a massive hand up to his shoulder, his fingers finding the pommel of one his blades, this one decorated with a multi-pointed gear. "Good Judgment here will take care of metal, and I've learned a thing or two about hurting constructs and metal men."
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Shevala opens the heavy wooden door into a cramped records room, eliciting a painful cry from inside, followed by curses in a strange language.
The room is even darker than the hall outside, lit only by a few small candles. A sturdy wooden chair stands in the center of the room, on which writhes a curious creature. Long, rubbery arms spill over the sides of the chair and brush the floor, connecting to a torso covered in dirty green scales. Huge black eyes protrude over a drooping, sharp-toothed mouth that appears to close on only one side. The creature squints against the light from the torchlit hallway, shouting, “Shut it! Shut the blasted door!”
“Pathfinders,” Shevala says with exasperation, “may I present Marw.”
"Marw comes from a section of the Redoubt known as the Scrap Heap which has been recently disturbed. He is a guest of the society and will help in escorting you through his home and into a deeper and more dangerous section of the Redoubt... the Forge."
Marw growls and nods, and Shevala continues.
“I need you to find out what’s going on within the Forge; if something is providing power to Karamoss’s robot foundries, it’s imperative that you deactivate that power source to prevent history from repeating itself. Of course, Marw here would also like us to ensure that whatever is scavenging in the Scrap Heap and endangering his people ceases to do so. Finally, please keep an eye out for anything of academic significance. The entire tower is a trove of historical data from one of the most fascinating periods in Absalom’s history! Bring me anything interesting that you can carry, and secure everything else so that future expeditions can study the artifacts in relative safety.”
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Desmond steps uncomfortably close to Marw, his otherworldly eyes piercing the darkness.
"You're an odd one, but you seem to have your wits about you. What can you tell us about the invaders in the Scrap Heap."
Desmond tries to lessen the impact of his intimidating appearance and lack of respect for personal space.
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Marw looks a bit nervously about. "No know what they are. Well armed. Metal men... take scrap and leave."
Shevala nods "I suspect from the descriptions he's given that they are automatons from below that have reactivated and are coming up to salvage whatever important components they can find. Preparation will be critical for such a venture. The level you'll be descending to is referred to in other documents as the Forge. Assuming a literal interpretation, forges are hot, so prepare to deal with high temepratures. Beyond that, I'd be ready to confront some newly minted mechanical soldiers if those foundries are indeed active. Marw will accompany you to the Scrap Heap, and he assures us that his choker allies will no only refrain from attacking, but escort you safely through the junkyard themselves."
She addresses all of you in a very serious tone, making sure you understand the severity of the situation. "I have spent most of my resources securing this information and working out the Scrap Heap deal. Absalom does not officially acknowledge this as a threat—at least not yet or not that they’re willing to admit to me—so we’re on our own for now. I have secured you safe passage to the Forge, but from there I am putting my faith in your skills and resourcefulness. This is an important mission for the safety of Absalom; please take the rest of the evening to prepare and equip yourselves with whatever you think you may need. You’ll leave for the Red Redoubt in the morning."
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The weather beaten gnome chuckles as Van denies relation. "I think you are correct, but it would have been a nice surprise to find family in the area. I'm Rakenlattle, I'm a lawman come from Garund from the Duchy of Alkenstar. I'm no stranger to monsters, but not those made of metal."
"Although I have had a chance to encounter of the kind farther north. It would be exciting to encounter more of the kind. I am still not quite prepared for one though, I'll correct that before we head in."
"Venture-Captain, were you able to find any record of any groups that may have head into the structure recently that would have cause to rile up this nest?"
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"So we are on a Society mission on behalf of the safety Absalom, just without the support of the city." The gunslinger ponders this as his strokes his beard. "Seems messy, but at least not boring. The people behind this, are we to bring them back to the city or use our judgement out in the field?"
"The last place of this sort left some burns on me, if this place is the forge I think that I want to be prepared for more than just a bit too much heat."
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"Shutting down a working power core? That should be a very interesting use of my skills!" Van says with excitement before catching himself and regaining his composure. "Ahem, I do my best work on site, so I don't have any questions now. Let me do a little shopping and I'll be good to go. I can cast protective spells from your scrolls if you want to save some money."
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She nods towards Rakenlattle and Van. “First and foremost, deactivate anything that could be powering or constructing robotic soldiers. Secondly, make any observations necessary to help further exploration of the tower. And finally, try and retrieve anything that we can analyze to learn more about Karamoss or the Red Redoubt. Oh—and of course, ensure that the raids on the Scrap Heap are stopped.”
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Marw leads you from Absalom to the Red Redoubt the following morning. He seems incredibly annoyed to be travelling by day, and is constantly shielding his eyes, walking through shaded areas, and cursing. The entrance into the Redoubt is uneventful as you are led through the old training course grounds and into a makeshift lift which leads down to the Scrap Heap. A group of chokers is there waiting for you, and after exchanging a few words with Marw, you are escorted through the technological junkyard to a pair of gigantic skymetal doors that open into the area designated as the Forge. The entire Red Redoubt is built of a ruddy metal with winding corridors illuminated by panels running along the tops of the walls. The chokers open each of the hallway doors by pressing their hand to a small panel located on the side of the doorframes. Within about 10 seconds, the doors automatically close on their own. The chokers take their leave of you, refusing to go any deeper into the redoubt, leaving you standing face to face with the heavy 15-foot-tall door labeled "Forge - Power Control Waste."
Beyond the door lies a strange lift, the same as many of you experienced on your first trip to the Red Redoubt. Upon entering the lift and pressing a button with an arrow, the device will rapidly move you either up or down. These devices that are designed for rapid elevation change, commonly referred to as an "elevator," often have selectors allowing choice of multiple destinations, but this one only has 2 buttons, one with an upward facing arrow which remains unlit, and one with a downward facing arrow which is lit.
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Heading further into the dungeon, Rakenlattle prepares by familiarly loading a bullet into his musket and another bullet make of adamantine into his pistol before securing both weapons at his side.
Rakenlattle is runs his hands on the machine with admiration as he considers how it functions. "Very familiar to the pulley systems back home, but so much more refined. How much weight can this sustain before slowing? How many of these lifts are there within the Redoubt?"
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Before descending, Van casts Mage Armor from his wand, and Endure Elements from the scroll he purchased. He then casts Resist Energy to make him less vulnerable to fire. The gnome then pulls out his spellbook to replace his knowledge of Resist Energy with Glitterdust.
He then looks to the others, "Any scrolls you cats want cast on you now?"
"Usually there's a weight limit on these things, but since its advanced machinery, I'm sure it can support all six of us at once." Van adds to answer some of Rakenlatte's inquiry.
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This trapezoidal chamber displays signs of recent vandalism. Battered red panels hang from single bolts, revealing exposed wires and structural supports. Glowing tubes flicker behind smashed translucent panes on the upper walls that intermittently emit showers of sparks. Opposite the elevator to the north, a set of thick double doors stands in the room’s shortest side.
A large multi-legged robot hangs from the ceiling as though my magic...
It turns, and appears to look everyone over with scorched artificial eyes before addressing the group in a cold, calm voice. "Hello. Are you designated as maintenance units? Maintenance request - please assist."
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Rakenlattle nods to Van as he knocks against the walls. "That is good to know. It would be interesting to find that limit. Often get a better idea of the craftsman when pushing their creations to the limit."
"I do have some scrolls to protect against the heat as well, but it would stop me from heat from hitting me as hard and I rather feel it as long as I can stand it." He cocks his head for a moment as he considers his statement and plays with his mustache as he searches for a better answer. "Going through the desert, I rather feel the heat beating down on me, if I don't have that, I lose some of that experience."
The sight of the robot brings some glee to the sharpshooter as he speaks in a hushed voice that barely contains his interest. "This is very new for me! It wasn't entirely the same frame, but the last one of these I met just jumped straight to trying to kill us. I hadn't thought about them of having conversations or asking for help."
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"It might seem like magic or a miracle, but it's something technological keeping him up there. I wonder if he's dangerous." Van explains to the others as he attempts to figure out what type of construct is on the ceiling.
As he tries to identify the creature, Van also addresses it, "Yo, what type of maintenance do you require and what are your current operational parameters?"
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Van: This creature is... unique, powerful, or both. You have no idea what capabilities this robot has. You can at least identify that it is, in fact, a robot.
“Request priority 1; override all previous designations. New designation: return with director unit Tig-0 to Forge power control station. Complication: main access route malfunction—please assist. Immediate objective: clear access route. Confirm new designation?”
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"I think if we free this robot, it'll take us to the power control station. Its brain must be a little fried, it thinks we're all robots." Van says to the others while he looks around the room to see if there was a way to disable the magnets, "Oh, he's been kept prisoner by something called a magnet. If we can turn it off, then he'll be free. The thing about magnets though, it'll pull your metal off of you if its strong enough."