The Mausoleum seems safe for now-in fact, the northwest area of campus is looking much less chaotic now-but while the rest of the campus is overrun with marauders and monsters and support staff, initiates, and visitors run in peril for their lives, you spot a nearby group of Pathfinders clustered together arguing about what to d, which team should stand back and support the other and who has the best idea of what is happening. A venture-captain approaches from the direction of Skyreach, moving quickly toward you.
Venture-Captain Janiff Ivulxtin, the former head administrator for the Grand Lodge nods curtly and explains, "Many of the other captains are busy investigating the potential source and goals of the attack and we alone can not coordinate the masses of Pathfinder agents. We need some of you to assume the vacuum of leadership and remind our colleagues that the Society's motto includes the word cooperate. The Repository and the Center House both have wards and defenses, but shouold still be cordoned off and protected from the outside. The Society has a number of visitors and guests who should be escorted safely off grounds and reassured that everything is under control. Finally, Absalom's district guards need to be stalled at the front gate before they overrun the campus and make a mess of everything. These are important tasks but not necessarily heroic and far too much for you to handle quickly. Delegate to your fellow agents and get these things done."
Conveniently, there are four groups of agents nearby....
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Aod gives a salute he learned in Mendevian Crusade. It's sloppy, and borders on disrespectful, but it's the only military gesture he's familiar with. "I hear ya Captain. We'll handle it."
"Listen up Pathfinders!" Aod shouts in a voice loud enough to get everyone's attention.
Aod looks the groups over, trying to ascertain their individual strengths.
"You there," He addresses one of the better armed and armored groups. "Go to the Repository, cordon it off keep it safe."
"You," He points to a second well-armed group. "We need the same thing at the Center House."
To a third group that seems lightly armored and quick, he says, "We have guests that have nothin to do with this fight. Gather them up and escort them out of the Lodge."
To the last, he points to the main gates. "Absalom's district guards are likely on their way. We can handle things here better without them in the way. Go stall them - say someone dropped a spike growth or cloudkill or somethin."
"You there," He addresses one of the better armed and armored groups. "Go to the Repository, cordon it off keep it safe."
A female aasimar stands before a small clump of Pathfinder recruits and scowls back at Aod. "Why don't you guard the stone building with no doors and windows? We'll capture that giant two-headed vulture flying around! We've got a signed commendation from Venture-Captain Wulessa Yuul for my team's exemplary work lately and I don't think a crew as competent as ours needs to be guarding some lame building."
"You," He points to a second well-armed group. "We need the same thing at the Center House."
A male half-elf leading a rag-tag bunch of beat up green agents shakes his head. [b]"Look, we've been through a lot lately. Maybe you should ask someone with more experience. Or maybe it doesn't need to be guarded. It is haunted, isn't it? I've been sleepwalking and some of just got over ghoul fever. It hasn't been a good week, ok?"
To a third group that seems lightly armored and quick, he says, "We have guests that have nothin to do with this fight. Gather them up and escort them out of the Lodge."
A dwarf wearing splendid green and brown armor rests his hand on his hips. "I'm quite confident that Professor Nigel Aldain can find hiw own way to the front gate and show the others the way. What gives you the right to order us about? You're no venture-captains!"
To the last, he points to the main gates. "Absalom's district guards are likely on their way. We can handle things here better without them in the way. Go stall them - say someone dropped a spike growth or cloudkill or somethin."
A female halfling in half-plate and a short-sword at her side speaks for the last group. "Look, we'd like to help but what if the guards won't take no for an answer? Can I be arrested? Will someone post my bail? Maybe a venture-captain should be doing this."
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To the aasimar, Kilian points out, "We do better when we're moving, not standing still."
Kilian looks seriously at the half-elf. "We're all tired, and I know you're pretty badly beat up. If we don't win here, though, we've got nothing to come back to."
I have no idea who this Nigel fellow is...better leave that discussion to the more knowledgeable.
He addresses the halfling. "Don't worry about being arrested. The guards pretty much let us alone."
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Quiven tries to help convince the first group that cooperation is needed in these trying times, even groups with such vaunted accomplishments.
Quiven then tries to raise the morale of the half-elf and his companions, telling them that everyone needs to do their share.
Quiven tries to convince the dwarf that nothing can be taken for granted and that the Professor could use all the help he can get.
Finally Quiven tries to ease the fears of his fellow halfling, assuring her that she won't be arrested and even if she were he would do what he could to post her bail, citing knowledge of the local laws and customs.
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With the aasimar...
In Aod's time with soldiers in the crusade he heard a term applied sometimes to regiment officers dealing with poor performance among the troups.
"A commendation from Wulessa Yuul you say? Let me see it." Aod takes the paper and promptly rips it in half, shoves part of it back into the Pathfinder's hands and goes Reg on the aasimar. "Listen up you prima donna! You want to compare tokens I got one here from Master of Blades Vonran Vilk. Saved his arse once up in Ustalav. I also got orders from Venture-Captain Janiff gods-damned Ivulxti and I'm gonna see them through! Get to the Repository and protect it, and if we all survive maybe I'll work a mending on this commendation."
***
With the Half-elf...
"Look, it's not much of a job. The Center House is still warded and I don't think it's much of a target, but we need someone to keep an eye on it."
***
With the dwarf...
"My authority comes from Venture-Captain Janiff Ivulxtin. There is too much to organize and he can't be everywhere at once."
***
With the Halfling...
"We have Aspis agents, monsters, and worse out there murdering folk." Aod chuckles at the thought of jail vs war. "Don't worry about the guards, I've got friends in high places that could help smooth over any problems. Ever hear of the former Master of Blades Vonran Vilk?"
Aod scares the aasimar and her group into action. She drops the torn papers to the ground and motions for her crew to move out, double time, towards Repository.
Quiven is also able to reassure his fellow halflings that the guard are not to be feared. They rush off towards the front gate where a guard has already entered, shouting and demanding to know what is going on. The halflings seem to be getting the situation under control though.
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To the half-elf, Cornelius tries to assuage his worries. "We need you to do your duty. Your action will be a force multiplier; by securing it, other agents will not have to worry about that location and put their efforts into stymieing the Aspis efforts elsewhere around the lodge." Looking at their state, Cornelius holds his holy symbol of Sarenrae high. "The Dawnflower can tend to your wounds, too. Perhaps her warmth will sooth your worries."
To the dwarf party, Cornelius dashes the thought of lying to him and hoping that the truth will spur him into action.
"We are under the authority of Venture-Captain Janiff Ivulxtin to direct your actions. And ensuring Nigel's protection is of two-fold importance. First, he is a guest of the Grand Lodge and his safety as a bystander in this conflict should be regarded with the utmost importance. Second, he is an important contact for the Blakros museum which offers us a chance to study the impressive catalog of relics they contain. His injury, or worse, death, will jeopardize the relationship we've built with the Blakros' over the past few years. Thus, escorting and protecting guests such as Nigel are vital to our efforts as Pathfinders."
After Cornelius' healing and words of comfort, the half-elf nods and looks a bit more sure of himself. He readies his crew and heads off to the Center House.
It takes a while for Cornelius to assert his authority over the dwarf's group but eventually he convinces them that your group does indeed have the power to order them to escort the guests.
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A dull hum emanates from Skyreach as the ground trembles, trees sway, and glass shatters. A moment later, most of Skyreach’s northwest tower tears free from the keep; however, rather than crash to the ground, a visible aura holds the structure aloft and causes it to float above the Grand Lodge. Even the shower of stone blocks floats, swirling around the airborne tower in a nimbus of speeding debris.
[ooc]Ok everyone! We only have a few days (and in the midst of a US holiday) to finish up this act. So we can try to do something quick if you want but unless you are speedy over the next few days we might not finish it.[ooc]
The tall statue ahead is cast in the likeness of Durvin Gest, the most famous Pathfinder of all time. Carved in a likeness of the adventurer in his later years-still dashing and bearing an assortment of scrolls and adventuring gear-the statue stares intently off into the distance. Beneath the statue-pedestals stand adorned with angelic figures and elaborate friezes showing some of the more memorable scenes from the Pathfinder's long and celebrated career.
Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the statue has decided that standing and looking impressive is no long enough and it starts stepping down from its pedestal, extending a distended metal maw filled with blunt, sculpted teeth!
Quiven's arrow goes flying past and Kilian is not able to trip it but Ander's grease sends the statue toppling to the ground!
The statue is somehow able to stand up out of the grease and advance on Kilian!
As you struggle to chip away at the statue, several venture-captains come running by. Your familiar Cassomiran Venture-Captain Trotter pulls out his famous pistol Pea Shooter and plants several adamantine cartridges in the side of the statue. He re-holsters the still-smoking firearm and shakes his head. "It's a shame to destroy that statue, but we have more pressing matters. We've determined the nature of the threat which confronts us. As many of you have already ascertained, a number of Aspis Consortium agents remained trapped in the Hao Jin Tapestry after we captured their back door into it. To our surprise and regret, there remained a means to communicate with the outside world and the serpents have been conspiring. This raid is comprised of two different Consortium groups coordinating in a two-pronged attack. They are aided by creatures from within the tapestry, whom they have deceived about our goals and intentions."
"At this time, we're still unsure about what is making Skyreach's tower hover, but we know for certain that someone has activated the Hao Jin Tapestry. Normally the Master of Spells Aram Zey would be the one to troubleshoot this kind of problem, but he is nowhere to be found. We don't have time to wait for him, and he may be in danger. I'm sending you as search parties and giving you temporary clearance to travel into the restricted sections of lower and middle Skyreach. Check on the Sky Key and the archives while you're there. Zey may have left notes around that could tell us how to shut down the tapestry."
"We must act with the utmost haste. I believe the Consortium's plan has backfired on them, but there's no telling how long before they regroup or, worse still, somehow make the situation worse."
You make your way to the restricted library on the bottom floor of Skyreach. Twelve bookcases line the walls of this cozy lounge room. Their shelves are crammed with books, scroll tubes, and tablets. Comfortable furnishings are arrayed so that scholars may examine the works without needing to remove them from the room. It may be here that Aaram Zey hid his notes about the Hao Jin Tapestry. Unfortunately, a dwarven Aspis scholar accompanied by two dwarven Consortium guards have gotten here first!
The dwarf fighter stands his ground against Kilian's trip attempt. Quiven's arrows sink into the dwarven mage and Ander's electric blade shocks the robed dwarf! Cornelius has better luck than Kilian and is able to knock one of the dwarf guards onto his rear!
The red-clad dwarven guard gets up from the ground and rushes to Ander's side. The other closes on Kilian:
Meanwhile the mage takes a step away from Ander and summons a blast of icy wind which hits everyone!
Ander easily knocks the caster to the ground as Aod digs his weapon into the other dwarf's side, drawing blood! Quiven attacks as well, though his blow if deflected by the dwarf's armor. Meanwhile Cornelius heals everyone as Kilian delivers his own hurt to the other dwarf across the room.
The two dwarves, despite their caster buddy bleeding on the ground, are not yet conceding the fight. The red-clad one swings his axe at Ander and the other battles against Kilian.