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Karg glances over to the eidolon and to both ninjas nearby. He sighs before putting aside this weapon to try to stop the bleeding of the ninja in front of him. Without any training he just attempts to put pressure to slow the bleeding if not stop it.
And he is honestly surprised how well it turns out. Feeling that is the best he is capable of he moves away and approaches the blue ninja carefully to avoid charging into her weapon.
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The final ninja manages to keep away from Vash's lance.
End of Round 2 / Start of Round 3 (with damage summary):
Enora (7 dmg)
Viper Brother (9 dmg)
Kaa
Green Ninja (22 dmg, unconcious and stable)
Yellow Ninja (26 dmg, blind, dying)
Blue Ninja (10 dmg, 2 con dmg, poisoned for 5 more rounds)
Bakten
Reavis
Vash/Millie
Gray Ninja (22 dmg, dying)
Karg (19 dmg)
Shear
Lars (13 dmg)
With the battle settling Shear approaches Bakten and signals Karg to check on the pair of still bleeding ninja in the back.
Karg nods as he takes a healthy appreciation of Enora's magic and runs to do his best to stabilize the gray and yellow ninja.
The outsider thinks on his words for a moment before stating in a curt fashion, "Who are they? Why they attack?"
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A brief vital check shows that none of the ninjas have been mortally wounded. The 2 ninjas that the Samsaran dispatched appear to have been the youngest and least well equipped of the group, however the remainder of the ninjas are all seemingly expertly equipped for their task. They appear to be wearing well made armor that is of masterwork quality at the very least, and carrying a potion each. All of them also carried masterwork naginatas and a set of shurikens that includes 1 specially made one per set. All of them seem to bear a family resemblance to one another.
The Samsaran looks at Shear with an expression of mild amusement. "Ah, you must be the Pathfinders I sent for. I am, as I'm sure you've all guessed, am Bakten. As for these unfortunate souls, they have watched me from afar for two lifetimes. Several times, I chased them away, but they always came back eventually, and hid better. Never until now have they sought my life. If you learn more of their motives on your quest, I would be keen to hear of it. I had no plans to bother them unless they foolishly chose to bother me, but this discussion is one that requires privacy."
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As you patch yourselves up and stabilize the ninjas, Bakten beckons for Twig to come over. "Pathfinders, Twig, be a good lot and disarm and imprison these assassins in that room over there" he says as he points to the lot and then to a small room in the north edge of the courtyard. "We'll figure out what to do with the lot later."
Their equipment includes the following:
4x +1 Leather Lamellar armor
4x +1 limning shuriken
4x Masterwork Naginata
36 Shuriken
4x Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Additionally, while patching up and disarming the lot, you notice some unique properties of these ninjas. They are all female elven ninjas with the same unique tattoo between their shoulderblades. The tatoo is of a tree with knives instead of branches.
As the task is completed, Bakten holds out a scroll to the party and speaks up "A single soul's journey whose history puts your Pathfinder Chronicles to shame!"
The scroll contains the following writing:
Being a chronology of the incarnations of the samsaran Bakten Shengrah.
4981–5221 ic: Calysses of Bachuan, Pirate on Embaral Ocean
5221–5470 ic: Marakutis of Zi Ha, Yixing royal assassin
5470–5725 ic: Elris of Tianjing, Missionary of Irori
5725–5972 ic: Krenek of Dtang Ma, Sentinel of Ramparassad
• Defeated underworld dragon near Mt. Pho-Yim
5972–6222 ic: Qith of Zi Ha, Alchemist for Satsuna Kuga
• Destroyed undead rituals
6222–6421 ic: Rianon of Minkai,
• Explored Crown of the World
• Cured yeti blight
6421–6633 ic: Ilgafor of Zi Ha, Warlord of Hongal
• Defended Maiaji
6633–6750 ic: Malash of Hongal, Peacemaker
• Emissary for Imperial Lung Wa
• Evacuation of Jyito populace during oni invasion
• United elf clans of Jinin against rat kings of Diguo-Dashu
6750–6963 ic:
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6963–6961 ic: Malikeen of Wanshou, Savior of Dallo
• Constructed dam
• Defeated hag coven
• Cured plague
6961–present (7215 ic): Bakten of Kamikobu, Venture-Captain
• Led peasant army against bandit lords of Amanandar
• Joined Lantern Lodge
• Enlightenment approaches
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Looking over the history, Karg and Shear share a personal mental communication. Karg nods and motions, but processes the accomplishments of this one line.
Shear speaks first among the pair trying to get out a question but struggling how to convey it. "Space, what goes, why? It turns to it's attention to Karg who then relates Shear's thoughts.
"Shear wants to know why that space is blank. You know about lives thousands of years ago, but nothing for something much more ... recent. Was it forgotten, never known, or destroyed? This is why you called for a Pathfinder team right? What are you asking us to fix this?"
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Bakten nods. “My veiled life; my only failing. For decades, I have communed with my own past lives, in preparation for my passage to the Great Beyond, for only a soul in perfect balance with karma may transcend. Yet this shadow incarnation is silent, and it vexes me. I wonder now, did these assassins know of some slight of which I, myself, am ignorant? Friends—indulge an old man’s curiosity. If you can travel to the loci of my lives before and after, then two relics there may point toward the mystery and lift the veil. I am too frail to travel, but I have an item here that may allow you to show me those relics from afar.”. As be says this Twig holds out an ornate looking candle.
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First Batch:
Second Batch:
One more:
Enora, you're able to corroborate Bakten's description of the candle. It is known as a Candle of Conveyance.
This bone-white candle has the power to transmit occult information across great distances. To form the necessary bond, a group of between two and four creatures must participate in a 1-hour occult ritual that culminates with lighting the candle. Once alight, the candle functions as a continual flame that can only be extinguished if one or more bound creatures dies or departs the plane, or if all the participants mentally agree to end the effect. It also acts as a status spell between bound creatures. As long as one of the linked creatures carries the candle, others may perceive general impressions of their surroundings through the candle. Once per day, each linked creature may perform one of the following occult skill unlocks through the candle: prognostication (pyromancy only), psychometry, or read aura (Pathfinder RPG: Occult Adventures 194). These checks can occur over any distance, and any person or object within 10 feet of the candle can be the subject of the skill. The candle’s flame glows blue when a creature is using one of these skill unlocks. The candle otherwise does not transmit detailed sensory information, nor does it provide any means of communicating with other participants over long distances. A candle of conveyance is sensitive to the presence of ley lines and exhibits a white halo when brought within 100 feet of one. While the candle exhibits this halo, a creature performing occult skill unlocks through the candle gains information more quickly—the prognostication and read aura skill unlocks take only 1 minute, and the psychometry skill unlock takes 1 round per piece of information gained.
Bakten answers in an amused tone "Yes, yes, in my lives I have gathered much information on the subject of ley lines... the magical conduits throughout Golarion and beyond. When I die, the Lantern Lodge will inherit my biographies. Should you help me, I will allow you to examine them first.
As for your journey, it will not be a short one. My life preceeding my veiled life resided in Ayajinbo, within Jinin. Ayajinbo is about 300 miles northwest from here through the forests. Likely just over a week's journey, but through a peaceful land, so you shouldn't concern yourselves too much. My subsequent life in the land of Wanshou began in the farming community of Dallo, which is about 80 miles northeast of here."
Speaking an a focused voice, Shear does pause at times to confer with the summoner. "Savior of Dallo? What did you save from? Hags, plague," and with special emphasis, "water? Are fragments any still a threat?"
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"Interesting." Lars remarks as he ponders what the Samsaran has given to them.
"Are you saying you wish us to find out more about that part of your life which you kept hidden to yourself? Something you do not realise how or know why? Those journals make a good reward. Would you know anything else about those places? Their general area or how the people are like?"
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Bakten looks at Lars and smiles. "Yep, that is a good summary of my job for you."
He then looks back and forth between Karg and Shear, finally addressing his next comments at Shear and have an air of pride to them. "As for the grand achievements of my previous lives, they are just that... of a previous life. I have not kept in contact with the inhabitants of Dallo in this life, in fact they are not even likely to know of me by this name. If you are all ready, I shall prepare the ceremony to bind us all to the Candle. The ritual will take about 1 hour to perform, and then you may depart. Which task you take up first is up to you. Take your time on your journey, and be thorough. While my life is nearly at it's end, I will be spending my time here in restful meditation and will still be here after a few weeks time."
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"Who is going to be taking part in this ritual? I'm not too keen on being bound to anything." Karg shifts his armor nervously and pauses for a moment when his eyes meet Shear's piercing, glowing eyes before adding, "However, this is clearly an important task to you all and I would be willing to take it on for a short time"
"But we all can't make it into that ritual circle I will graciously not take that space from any of you."
Shear is insulted he isn't included within the ritual, but is not surprised. He shakes that off to move to other matters.
"If Bakten gives permission, we can question the attackers Reavis during the ritual."