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I could use some healing before I try, attempt, and endeavor to remove this trap.
Chak passes off his healing wands for someone trained to use on him.
Watts, you want to give me a hand, help, and assistance with this?
Cloak of Resistance +3
Ring of Protection +1 or +2
Amulet of Mighty Fists +2
Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2
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With Watts' help, Chak is barely able to disable the trap, allowing access to the bookshelf. Taking a closer look at the singular tome on the shelf confirms what you likely suspected. This is, in fact, the Abysium Codex. It is slightly warm to touch, and incredibly heavy .
While the Tengu work on the trap, Cirri and Eadie take inventory of the rest of the room. Underneath the cot lies a small brass chest secured with a lock.
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"Exceptional. Even though it is incorrect to judge a book by it's cover, the weight and power of the book make it difficult not to expect great things from this volume. I ... it probably would not be in the best interest of a prompt return for me to start reading it now."
Watts resists the temptation for the moment to give a casual examination of the chest to search for more insidious traps.
"I'm not certain if anyone else noted this, but it should be emphasized that the current rumors of Xun tattoos were that they depict the form of the bearer's next reincarnation and, if that is accurate, it should also be stated that Shadow Orchid's tattoo depicted a dragon."
"As a positive note, dragons have relatively slow rate of maturation."
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“Good to know, Master Watts.”
Eadie has no idea what the investigator is talking about, but is subconsciously drawn to another personality that her fellow Pathfinders may consider odd.
The young warrior is delighted to discover four amulets of natural armor. She wastes no time placing one of the necklaces, featuring a golden orchid chased with onyx, around her neck.
She test-fires one of the masterwork light crossbows into the Learned Crane’s ceiling, before hanging it from the back of her overstuffed backpack. She also ties a case of 20 quarrels to her belt.
“Vim, are you going to save your healing capacity for inside the Tapestry?”
“I might get a low-ranking street cleric to heal me on the way back to the Lantern Lodge – should only cost 30 gold yuan or so. I also want to pick up another antitoxin.”
“Does anyone want the potion of CLW? Otherwise I might drink it.”
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On the second try, Watts is able to spring the lock and open the brass chest. Within the chest is a letter and a small black book.
The parchment letter, written in the elven tongue, is dated 2 months ago and appears to be from a man named Ascalar Vruul, a silver agent of the Aspis Consortium. The letter describes the consortium’s need of the Abysium Codex so they can access the Hao Jin Tapestry, which they have not been able to do on their own since losing the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. The letter cites the two organizations’ alliance during the tournament as the reason to cooperate, and threatens that not complying will result in the Consortium taking “other actions” and cutting the Golden League out of the resulting profits.
The small black calfskin ledger, also written in Elven, contains Shadow Orchid’s meticulous and extensive catalog of criminal exploits dating back nearly three centuries. Many of the assassinations, thefts, and acts of extortion and bribery detailed in the ledger link Shadow Orchid and the Golden League with numerous governments and powerful organizations throughout Tian Xia and the Inner Sea.
Additionally, the chest contains a small collection of useful items. There is a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, a glowing gem, and an ornate rolled up mat.
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Aldebert, knowing that time is of the essence, wastes none in bringing in the various bodies. "It's nice to see that she hopes to see me in her next life. Although, if she keeps the same temperament, her next life promises to be short. If I may help myself to one of these rings and to one of these amulets, I feel that my enemies laughingly terrible attempts at hitting me will be even less successful. Take a note of that Navhelan."
Passing by the priceless book, Aldebert continues: "If we had time we could set this crime scene as a disagreement between the Black Tulipe, or whatever her besotted name was, and the help. Alas. I would take the crime book but hold it to ransom for recognition of the Society as the clearly superior organisation. Now, if we are quite done here, let us move on to better things, such as the Hao-Jin Tapestry. Perhaps we will encounter enough besotted reptiles so as to quench Navhelan's thirst for... Whatever it is they thirst for in the old colonies."
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"Subversion may ultimately be unnecessary. They chose to lead immediately into lethal combat and were ultimately part of a far reaching criminal plot. We would be lucky to have an honest member of the guard to share this with. In any case I would be all too pleased to entry the Tapestry. I am too interested to see if they retain any native holiday structure within, or if there are groups living within at all. There will just be another minute, I wish to properly catalog the tattoo any the mechanisms by which it may function. If she is to return, I want to be proactive about detection rather than rely on her announcing her desire to attack."
Watts makes notes on the tattoo, the design and type of dragon, what he can trivially discern of the ink's composition, and so on. That does he gives a quick Pharasmin prayer to her and the others.
"If you do come back to this world in another life, I do hope that you avoid the assassin occupation and focus on literary pursuits."
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Vim tears his eyes away from the codex when Eadie adresses him.
"Huh? Oh, yes. I can patch you all up now with my own spells if need be, but I do have some spells that can be of use in the tapestry. Your call."
He then examines the two items from the chest after casting an orison.
"A mat to refocus ki, and a summoning gem. The latter might be of use later in the tapestry, and I do have a good track record when dealing with elemental beings..."
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“Nah! I vote hold onto ya spells for when we’re in the tapestry, Vim.”
Eadie gives the oracle a friendly *slap* on the shoulder. “I won’t be able to run down to the corner temple when we’re in there.”
“quench Navhelan's thirst for... Whatever it is they thirst for in the old colonies.”
“Ale mainly.”
“Speaking of which, is it true you Taldans drink beer warm?” *BLECH*
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"It is ultimately your choice, but I do agree with Eadie. I would prepare to meet just as much, if not far more resistance in the tapestry than we did just here. That magic may prove critical in a moment of need."
"I can also to corroborate to a Cheliaxian love for ale especially at the dock bars I frequented. They had a poem attested to such that went ... in such a way I likely should not offer to repeat in anything resembling polite company."
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"Well I feel a lot less awful about breaking into here. I guess she was holding it for the Aspis Consortium."
"Man, I don't know what these things are, but they sound valuable." Cirri isn't sure what to make of them, and Riddywhipple is also perplexed.
Cirri squats down and flips open her spellbook. "If you give me about 15 minutes I can squeeze in another spell."
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Would these help, aid, and be of assistance to our studies.
Chak pulls out a scroll and reads it, taking the mat into his hand.
Ah yes, this is a mat for meditation. Those who rely on the powers of internal focus, centering, and discipline can use this to replenish some of their reserves.
Shall I try the gem?
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The Abysium Codex, true to its name, is composed of hammered sheets of pure abysium. It emits a pale glow, but contact with the tome makes your stomach churn a bit. Returning to the Lantern Lodge, Amara Li and Aram Zey seem incredibly busy handling Pathfinder dispatches to several locations about Golarion, ranging from a Chelish dinner party to a Market in Korvosa. Aram Zey looks up upon your return. "You've got the Codex? Well, you all can read right? What are you looking at me for? Get to work! The vault isn't going to unlock itself now is it?"
Amara Li looks on apologetically. "The ritual to access the Sacred Vault should be contained within the tome. Aram Zey and I will be available for any questions."
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Eadie closes her eyes and waves her hands about in imitation of Cirri, while chanting gibberish.
"The next thing I'll say is the truth ... The last thing I said was a LIE!"
Eventually she opens her eyes, pronouncing proudly.
“The gem is a summoning gem. It summons more gems … or maybe summoners?”
Eadie stares back at the others. “What? As Cirri said, Vim worked it out – a split-second before I did.”
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"We drink wine mostly, as proper people are supposed to. Wheat and barley is for making bread, not brewing that moribund soup. If Aspex hadn't stolen the empire with his lies, we could have taken the time to teach you people about the proper way to consume wheat. Although, I suppose it beats the state you were in before hand, munching on the dry grains for sustenance. Thank the Gods for mighty Taldor."
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Cirri digs through her scroll collection and pulls out one.
After too many attempts, Cirri finally reads the scroll. It burns to ash in her hands.
"Hey, is this thing on?"
"Okay, I used a scroll of Tongues on myself to help out. I'm not leading. Someone else lead!"
Cirri assists the leader with her knowledge of portal conjuration.
Cirri tries to learn more about the vault itself.
"Hey, this headband is paying off already. I'm learning a bunch of interplanar goodness I lost track of before!"
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Chak turns from what Cirri was trying to do and now looks at Watts expectantly.
"Hmph. Well, I think, Mr. Watts should lead this investigation, research, and study into the secrets of the Codex. *I* can read Tien perfectly fine, but my knowledge of such things is more practical."
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"Allow me to organize your notes in the manner codified by Phalanx command in 4683."
"A-HA! Now I remember why this codification system was discontinued in 4684. Allow me to return your notes to the chaos they were in" he comments, having made a mess of Watt's careful notes, some of which are currently stuck to the ceiling. "And now for the tried Phalanx tactic of... RUN. RUN WHILE HE IS DISTRACTED! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
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"The magic is working properly Cirri. I can understand your Tien clearly."
"I am grateful to have that honor especially among each of you, although I expect Vim to be able to draw upon a greater reservoir of information than myself. Still, it has been a few years since I have led a research team. It may be hubris or pure desire, but I can not turn it down."
"Aldebert or Eadie, if either of you wish to aid, but are unable to because of the lack of knowledge of the local language. I can grant you my own potion of tongues. I've already used it a few times, however it should be of similar taste and composition to when I first purchased it."
Watts thinks for a moment on how to state his thoughts clearly, but for the moment gives a motion of agreement with Chak and moves toward the tome. After a brief examination, he begins requesting references assistance as well as cross checking his own findings.
...
"Alright, Aldebert may find the potion unnecessary."
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Watts begins the arduous process of flipping through a 50 lb metal codex and taking relevant notes. It becomes rapidly apparent why Aram Zey and Amara Li have little interest in joining in with the research.... As the tome is made of pure abysium, it is rather unpleasant to handle. After about an hour of research, everyone who has flipped through the tome is feeling a bit sick to their stomachs.
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The ritual to enter the vault is buried within a great deal of what looks like superfluous content - hundreds of unsettling mathematical formulas, dozens of randomly placed arcane symbols, and a bewildering number of nonsensical poems, prayers, and riddles. Within though, also appears to have a few pieces of information which have relevant cross-references within the Lantern Lodge library.
Within the vault can be found an ivory statuette of the lich Takaral. Crushing the statuette and using it as a material component during the ritual will facilitate the reattunement.
A child's wodden training katana, once owned by the Perfect Swordswoman Setsuna Kuga is stored within the vault. The sword has a magical incantation inscribed on it as a haiku. That incantation is a part of the reattunement ritual.
A golden brick that was once part of the great golden wall that encircles the Eternal City of Axis exists within the vault as well. Inscribed upon the brick is a magical incantation in the form of a prayer from The Order of Numbers, the holy book of Abadar. While this prayer is held within the Lantern Lodge libraries, the original verbiage may help the ritual go more smoothly.
Finally, an onyx merchant's scales, a symbol of Abadar, should be used as a divine focus during the ritual. One such scale should be stored within the vault.
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"Ugh, this thing is heavy and making me a bit queasy." Cirri takes a moment to sit on a stool. "But hey, if this works we can say we cracked another mystery wide open!"
Riddywhipple thinks. "You should drink some carbonated tonic after this, Cirri. It helps me with indigestion, AND I blow bubbles for the next few minutes. Win-win!"
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"Of course not you hydrocephalic hunk of starmetal. What he clearly meant was that the potion is not part of the standard infantry kit, and with good reason. We Taldane are master linguists. Unlike you dirty provincials, who cry out for devilish succor whenever things do not go your way. Did we call out for the Lords of the Abyss when our empire was stolen from us? No. We kept a stiff upper lip and soldiered on. In retrospect that was probably a terrible idea."
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It takes 11 hours to finish reading through the tome, and most of you are sick to your stomachs, but you've got all of the info you can and you've got a good idea how to proceed with the ritual. Shortly after you finish putting the extra cross-reference material away, Aram Zey notices you winding down your research.
"Well, I presume you've concluded your research? If that is so, I suggest entering the Hao Jin Tapestry immediately! Are you all prepared?"
The sickness still hasn't worn off from contact with the book, and after 11 hours of straight research you could all go for a meal at the very least... Considering the massive quantity of material though, you feel that you've made very good time thus far.
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"I actually find Aldebert quite sound of mind, if needing training in a proper system of organization. He expresses a much broader vocabulary than I see from many other Taldane speakers and he has an excellent recollection of details of Taldane military procedure."
"Unfortunately the codex has little to do with that field and into an area far outside his specialty. Unfortunately the poisons the pages are composed of limits how much I can explain my though processes. If either of you are interested afterward I can tutor in the nature of planar cosmology, arcane theory, or Tien history."
"If those subjects don't interest you I could go also discuss in length the ancient kingdom of Azlant whose people ended up defining Taldor and much of the early development of the Inner Sea. It is an exceptionally interesting subject that kept me riveted for many a day."
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It takes 11 hours to finish reading through the tome …
“Are we there yet?”
After half an hour, Eadie is bored stiff. After a full hour she is almost catatonic.
“I’m going to take advantage of this downtime by refreshing my spells expended today.”
The young warrior field strips her armor, sets up a bedroll on a comfy divan and snuggles up to her Lucerne hammer.
“Wake me up if you summon the Shadow Orchid’s new incarnation. Leave me asleep if it turns out she’s now Taldan. G’Night!”
"If either of you are interested afterward I can tutor in the nature of planar cosmology, arcane theory, or Tien history."
Eadie goes cross-eyed at this.
"If those subjects don't interest you I could also discuss in length the ancient kingdom of Azlant."
“Did they wear pretty dresses? What about the women?”
Eadie considers the possibilities an advanced, utopian society could offer. “Did they ever have open season on people that really teed you off?”
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"My tummy, is rumbly." Cirri powernaps frequently throughout the day. "I'm used to 2 naps during the day. Kind of like a bird. I guess that's how I work."
Aram Zey urges the party to enter the tapestry. "I'm alright with that, but we should prepare. I've heard the last time someone tried to enter the tapestry some kind of guardian tried to suck out their brains!"
Riddywhipple gasps. "My brain! That's where I keep all of my booze recipes! Protect me, for the greater good!" Cirri uses the Wand of Mage Armor on him before getting ready.
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"Your mind contains recipes for spirits and liqueurs? By Abadar's sacred key, it's a treasure that musty be protected to the death!" comments Aldebert, who nonetheless tries to assist the actual experts, more often than not being completely unhelpful. Which does not prevent him from manipulating the codex, a practice which results in a rather green around the gills crossbowman around the eleventh hour. "I would love to hear more about the customs of Ancient Azlant. After all, we Taldane descend directly from them in an indirect fashion. Now, while I do believe that the haggard crone's reincarnation will be present, it is nonetheless no reason to go charging in sick and tired. Phalanx command tried doing that to beat a column of the Taldane Horse once at the battle of Zarminzi, with the extreme emetic effects that are recorded in the history books. Dirty Qadirans taking advantage of our illness. Typical. And I believe her to be no better than any Qadiran. Except with the limitations of the mind that come from being her."
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"We should rest and be ready for whatever may be waiting for us within the demiplane. I do promise to do my best to protect from anything that may cause you injury or otherwise impair your creation of alcoholic concoctions."
“Did they wear pretty dresses? What about the women?”
Eadie considers the possibilities an advanced, utopian society could offer. “Did they ever have open season on people that really teed you off?”
"I don't think I'm able to definitely describe their attire as pretty, but I have had heard at least some experts in the field describe them as elegant. Unfortunately clear records regarding this are more sparse as clothing of the Azlanti civilization deteriorated far more quickly than many of their other creations."
"The most accurate versions that are easily viewed would likely be in Taldor, as Aldebert touched on, because of the history that draws some artists to maintain a legacy of inheritors of the legacy of the nation of Azlant."
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Aram Zey seems quite impatient, but not adverse to his pathfinders seeking to prepare themselves further. While he will likely be upset about you trying to catch a full night's sleep, a short break and a quick trip to procure some more resources before going in would likely be acceptable. The sickness feels as though it's wearing off quickly now that you aren't flipping through abyssium pages, and within an hour or 2 you'll be good to go.
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Aram Zey rolls his eyes. "Fine. Get whatever you need. Be ready for anything. As our expeditions into the Hao Jin Tapestry have demonstrated, the demiplane contains a wide assortment of creatures and dangers. Once you complete the ritual return here immediately. It is only a matter of time before the Aspis Consortium finds a way to access the shrine, so we need to act quickly and send reinforcements to secure the site once you’ve performed the ritual. Also, one of you will need to bring the Codex with you into the tapestry. The shrine exists outside the demiplane’s normal geography, and is inaccessible even to those inside the Hao Jin Tapestry unless they are in possession of the Abysium Codex or have some other magical means to access the shrine. We
know little about the shrine, other than that it contains more treasures from Hao Jin’s collection and is the home to some form of magical power source that acts as a regulating device for the entire demiplane.”
He turns to head back into his temporary office at the Lantern Lodge. "Whenever you're ready, meet me in the conference room down the hall."