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"Who's ready to go out and paint the town tonight ... with blood."
"..." 322 stares at the small redhead impassively, the numerosity of the cosmos travels through her mind.
"Paaaathfiiindeeeerssss, come out to pla-ay!
Rataji paces back and forth, eager to begin mayhem and murderhobo some murderhobos.
You are Aspis Consortium operatives, hand-picked by your superiors for one of the most daring missions ever attempted against the hated Pathfinder Society. For centuries the Society has been the hyena of the archaeological world, descending upon legitimate Aspis operations to snatch whatever the Pathfinders want, kill hardworking contractors, and grow wealthy on the profits of their “historical preservation.” As they say, the victors write the history books, and the widely distributed Pathfinder Chronicles paint the Society’s piracy as heroism guided by a moral compass as true as the wayfinder each agent carries.
Despite the thick walls and heavy windows of the rented home that serves as your safe house, the passage of Pathfinders from across the Inner Sea region creates a muted rumble as they make their pilgrimage to the Society’s Grand Convocation, an annual gathering in which Pathfinders tell tales of their exploits, show off their discoveries, and celebrate another successful year. Every additional Pathfinder is another set of eyes to spot trouble and another blade ready to defend the Grand Lodge, yet every voice and footstep makes it even safer to discuss the impending attack.
Each of you has received your final instructions within the past 24 hours.
The tall, scarred human sits very still in a rickety chair, only moving his head to follow noises outside. He speaks quietly, in a tightly controlled voice. "I'm told that we have agents on the inside, ready to attack. There is another distraction we can use--the animals they have in their zoo, if we can get to it."
Once everyone has assembled, Rataji stands up and clears his throat.
"As you all know, hundreds of Aspis agents and sympathizers are assembling throughout Absalom in preparation for an attack on the Pathfinder Society’s Grand Lodge. Most of these teams are in position to sow chaos, lure the Pathfinders’ attention elsewhere, and keep the rest of Absalom from interceding."
He smiles grimly, puffing out his chest a little. "As ranking silver agent, I have been appointed to coordinate our strike.....we are the lynchpin of the assault. We are to infiltrate the Grand Lodge, using the festival and throngs of unfamiliar faces to cover our movements. We are to gather what additional information we need, meet with any informants our team knows about, and lay the groundwork for the assault. We may split into smaller groups if necessary."
Taking a breath, he scans his team, looking for complete attention. "Our cue to enter Skyreach—the towering stronghold the Society thinks unassailable—is a speech given by Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus. Agents will start ushering Pathfinders toward one of the lawns and pouring drinks for a toast, giving us a fairly generous window to get inside."
Rataji smiles, rubbing his hands together. "Once inside Skyreach, we have two major objectives: open the Hao Jin Tapestry gateway, and secure the Sky Key. In that order. I have some notes about how to activate the tapestry, as well as the coordinates within the tapestry where our allies are gathered. However, the notes only address how to send one person inside, not how to bring anyone out. It seems Zey is paranoid about even keeping any notes about cracking the tapestry open, and he only stores them in one of the vaults beneath Skyreach—a section called the Antarnicus Wing, used for most of the tapestry’s treasures." Pausing for a breath, he continues. "We must be prepared to break in. Once we have secured the notes, we need get to the tapestry chamber quickly, handle any opposition, open the gateway, and welcome our allies from inside the demiplane."
Furrowing his brow a bit, he continues. "We need to make sure that our allies from within the tapestry have some sense of where they’re going. After that, we ascend to the small museum where the Society is keeping the Sky Key." Smiling again, he says. "It’s the usual routine: take care of any guards, grab the target, get out, and keep the whole operation clean. A second team should find us soon after. They will speak the code 'Five fingers till Oathday' to identify themselves. Then we pass them the Sky Key, get out, and congratulate yourselves. Mission accomplished!" He finished, his eyes alight with the upcoming prospect on wrecking havoc on the Society.
"Everyone ready?"
"Breaking into the vaults could be done with time and the right tools." Shohiraj says from near the curtains, one finger holding them open a crack to watch the crowd outside. "But even with a good distraction, we don't have time for that, so we will need to acquire the keys. Normally they are carried by the Master of Scrolls, Kreighton Shaine, but I have been informed that he has delegated several of them to one of his proteges, a halfling Storyteller named Janira Gavix." Stepping to a table, she produces a slip of parchment from her sleeve, places it down and taps a sketch of the halfling drawn on it. "We find her, I lift them, and maybe we slip quietly into Skyreach."
Shohiraj arrived to the meeting in nondescript clothes of grey and brown with a worn haversack on her back like a simple traveler. Obviously it was a disguise meant to allow her to vanish into dark corners or a common crowd of citizens.
"I left some people behind in the Tapestry--unless anyone has a better claim, I'll go in and get them." Marnarius' hand rests, white-knuckled, on the hilt of his sword.
"..." 322 stares off into the distance as Rataji and the rest talk. Once they start moving, she will follow.
Hundreds if not thousands of Pathfinders, staff, and special guests are filing into the Grand Lodge to exchange stories, examine esoteric finds, and celebrate another successful year in the record books.
322 decides to wander around the party, examining the celebrations and such. She sees a table of foodstuffs and fills her wooden bowl with strawberries and a single apricot.
"I'm going to look at the zoo--see if there's an easy way to break it open and keep the beasts from coming after me." Marnarius makes his way towards the Menagerie.
"So do we want to break in when its storytime or make our own diversion? Breaking the animals out would be delightful. Maybe Charm or coherse somebody else into doing would even be better.
"Lift the keys and go inside? Couldn't hurt. Maybe one of these damnable PF'ers will have loose lips that can get us in another way. Gotta be a better way than the front door."
322 decides to wander about and observe at first, getting her bearings.
[spoiler=DC 15]Although both Kreighton Shaine and Marcos Farabellus have made appearances, nobody has spotted the Master of Scrolls Aram Zey. It’s not especially surprising, given Zey’s dislike of crowds and dealing with the public.
Marnarius goes to check out the Menagerie:
Broad pavilions and awnings shade segmented pens containing animals from around the world, ranging from harmless rodents and fowl to hulking dinosaurs from Tolguth, a giraffe mutated by the Mana Wastes, and war beasts from the Hold of Belkzen. A few heavily reinforced cages hold even stranger creatures, such as an immense two-headed vulture, a ram-headed sphinx, and an armor-plated serpent with fangs the length of a broadsword.
In anticipation of the Grand Convocation, there is an especially high concentration of beasts from the far corners of Avistan and Garund, and a constant parade of sightseers walk past the fenced enclosures. More than a dozen handlers patrol the fences, explaining to onlookers where each creature comes from and other trivia.
The enclosures all have heavy padlocks keeping them closed.
Marnarius buttonholes one of the handlers. "That's a big snake. Where's it from?"
This one is too eager for chaos. Shohiraj thinks as she watches Marnarius head for the menagerie. It is a good thing he was the one who volunteered to enter the Tapestry.
Shohiraj was hoping Rataji would offer a professional plan, but when she notices Agent 322 slip out of the room and enter the crowds, she decides scouting the area is good idea. Shouldering her haversack, she says to others, "I'm going to see about that key. If any of you have experience with invisibility magic, that would make the job a lot easier. Oh, and we should have a rendezvous point. I suggest this place as a primary location. As a secondary location, perhaps that statue near Skyreach." She points out the window at the statue of Durvin Gest.
Out in the crowds...
Shohiraj begins to hunt down the Halfling Janira.
"I know about the illusionary Art. Probably want to lift the keys last so that she doesn't know too soon. Keep tabs on her and right before we make our move, I'll tap you. Actually, we should all meet back here before the big announcement to share what information we find out during our mingling."
As the party begins to break up Joliryn calls out, "Marnarius, mind if I join you?"
Joliryn follows along Marnarius whether he accepts her invitation or not. After awhile, she then departs to check out other places in the Grand Lodge.
Statue near Skyreach... 322 murmurs over and over in her head. Is that suitable, I wonder.
She will wander that way to inspect the statue after nodding in agreement with Shohiraj's words. "Meet here if possible."
She speaks little with the Pathfinders, but picks up bits and pieces of the local chatter. I should poison the kegs to rid ourselves of most of the weaker Pathfinders, but Zey is the one who needs to be erased... she thinks as she passes by the festivities.
Marnarius buttonholes one of the handlers. "That's a big snake. Where's it from?"
"This one? Ah, she's from Sargava. A beaut, ain't she?"
---
At the statue of Durvin Gest, which is already carved in larger-than-life proportions, several dozen Pathfinders are gathered around swapping stories and participating in improvised competitions of braggodocio. Shohiraj spots Janira Gavix among the crowd. Janira is just finishing up a story about Selmius Foster-one of the first Pathfinders published in the Pathfinder Chronicles-and his fabled race against a marid and an efreeti, whom he cleverly tricked into distracting one another while he sped across the finish line. The story earns polite applause, and Janira hops down from the bench she had used as a speaking platform.
---
The Wall of Names is an important landmark on the grounds. Trees surround the small hill that bears a curving wall of black glass, providing visitors some privacy as they read any of the thousands of Pathfinder names inscribed on the surface. More trees grow in tight formation to the west, where the copse abuts the Grand Lodge's wall.
There are few visitors here but among them is a human male in black and white clothing. At Joliryn's mention of the phrase, he responds, "None would step on so great a serpent." After a moment's hesitation, he then adds, "But perhaps it is a fool who invites the viper into his home."
Marnarius nods absently at Joliryn's request, and matches his pace to hers.
The slayer nods appreciatively. "Aye...I'm guessing that getting her here took some doing, though."
"Sure, but the transportation is the hardest part really. Any druid worth her salt can put a nice charm or spell on an animal like this and make it follow you around like a puppy, to be honest."
Joliryn eyes narrow at the man's hesitation and cryptic rebuttal.
"Best not turn your back on the viper or you'll be bit. Now do you have tale to tell or shall I rip out your tongue for it being a useless piece of flesh. Isn't that was Society members do? Or shall I just add your name to this Wall. Then you can talk to Nethys itself and discover all the secrets of the multiverse.
"Answer quickly. Business needs to be attended to one way or another."
The statue seems the perfect place for 322's mission but the crowd makes it difficult to properly install the cosmic conduit. Reaching the statue requires climbing atop the pedestal . Placing it without being seen during the thirty seconds or so it will take to attach will be difficult .
---
The cleric hesitates for a moment but at Joliryn's insistence he relents, "Fine. There will be many more names added to this wall as a result of these actions but the blood be on your hands then." He hands over the information.
Marnarius waves in the direction of the other reinforced cages. "Oh, so that's how all of them got here?"
"Not all, no. Some of them needed subduing in the 'traditional' manner. Quite dangerous. But we heal them up afterwards and make sure they've got everything they need."
Shohiraj wanders the area near Janira, looking for guards, patterns, of movement, and generally planning out the best way to get the keys from the Halfling.
Noticing 322 in the area, she slips up near her. "Any thoughts?"
Joliryn takes the slip and shrugs at the clerics condescending remark. The more blood the better. She then wanders through the crowd until she finds Shohiraj.
"Let me know when you want to go dark. Wasn't there supposed to be a h'ork joining us?"
The slayer nods in thanks and moves on.
322 looks up at the statue and a shimmering cloak of darkness envelops her as she floats up towards the statue, she tries to hide herself from the crowds around her by hiding in the shadow of the stone giant.
The darkness turns into giant wings that erupt from her back and carry her to the pedestal as she tries to apply the conduit.
Shohiraj blinks in surprise as 322 ignores her and decides to climb the statue. Having no idea what the strange agent is doing, she turns and points away from the statue.
"Is that Ambrus Valsin?!"
Oh. She came to help me... 322 thinks offhandedly, a bit surprised that another Aspis agent would think to aid her of their own free will. No one ever helps me...
A few agents, having finished listening to Janira, now look up at 322 expectantly. Obviously they think that because she is trying to ascend to a higher place she is getting ready to give some sort of speech or tale.
322 stands on the platform and speaks of how the statue of Durvin Gest came to her in a dream. "My visions have shown that what Durvin Gest has started. This... Here..." she says with a wave at the group. "It will be continued by the brave people here and he would be proud of your accomplishments."
She turns away from the crowd and kneels at the base of the statue, her giant shadowy wings folded behind her, blocking her partially from view. "We should honor what he has started... Perhaps we close our eyes, give a moment of a silence for all that have been lost to the cause." she asks of the crowd.
After some time, ushers begin informing everyone in attendance to gather on the north lawn for a speech by the Master of Swords. This is your cue to regroup, as it leaves the lower halls of Skyreach nearly abandoned. You have no difficulty regrouping, sharing discoveries, and slipping into the massive building. Along the way 322 feels a weight and chill and realizes that another agent has deposited the soul-trapping lantern into her pocket.
Even though most of the fortress's personnel are enjoying the festivities, the Pathfinders are not naive enough to leave Skyreach completely undefended. The basements descend to the vaults but you will need to find a way past a trio of guards whether by stealth, trickery, or some other means.
Was this her plan? To distract them for me?
With 322 making a spectacle, Shohiraj looks around for Joliryn to give her the look that says, now would be a good time.
Shohiraj easily lifts the keys when one of them is distracted.
Rataji ambles along the grounds, keeping an eyes on his team in case they need any help.
Once inside Skyreach, Rataji halts the team. "Anyone have a plan to bypass the guards? I would suggest stealth or bluff."
"Before we go down, do any of you know what sort of beasts those are?" He indicates the sphinx and the vulture. "Keeper said that at least one might be intelligent enough to resist a druid's charm."
"Stealth would be..." professional "..preferable."
To Marnarius' question, she shakes her head. "Beasts are not my specialty."
"We have the keys, so perhaps I can don an appropriate disguise and bluff our way down on some sort of pretense. Anyone not good at playing a role might benefit from invisibilty, assuming Jolyrin can do that trick again."
[dice=Knowledge Arcana on Locked up "Animals"]1d20+5[/dice]
"Yah, that's a sphinx. Typically an intelligent magical beast. I'm surprised they have one here locked up. Why do you ask?"
Joliryn will share the information she gathered with the rest of the party.