You are waiting for the mission briefing with your fellow agents.
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Hoho! Finally, I get to answer the call once more! A gnome with violet hair, ruby eyes and earth brown skin waddles in with a big smile on his face. Ah! Someone is already here! Perhaps we've met? I'm Bizzle, of the Goodwagers! A pleasure to meet you or to see you again!
Bizzle takes a quick look around, obviously trying to find a source of refreshment. So, where are we going? Bizzle then pats his somewhat oversized belly after he finds a seat. I hope its somewhere nice!
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A youthful looking Aasimar with snow white hair and glowing amber eyes stands up abruptly from his seat, and rather stiffly addresses the gathered adventurers.
"H-h-hello!" he stammers, his eyes darting around nervously.
"My name is Aldaris, I'm not quite used to all this adventuring business,I'll do my best not be a burden on all of you!" He exclaims resolutely.
A tall figure in a dark cloak thumps the floor with the butt of a Halberd. Aldaris flinches a little
"Oh! where are my manners. this is my companion, Aelurus!"
The hood of the cloak falls away to reveal the visage of a female Catfolk eidolon.
Aldaris bows, to no one in particular
" I hope we can all get along"
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A dwarf walks into the meeting room and everything about him is an assault to your senses. The first thing you notice is that his clothing is discolored, covered in the stains of sweat that seems to perpetually drip from every pore of his body. His hair and beard appear to be so oily as to be greasy. It's only a few moments before your eyes start to water however. If the sight of him is sickening, then that SMELL is downright stomach-turning. Did he roll around in a pile of rotting fish in the bilge of a ship before he showed up for the meeting? As the smell assaults your nose, you can almost taste the foul funk that rolls off him. Then he speaks, a gravelly, raucous voice that nearly hurts your ears.
"GOOD DAY MATES! 'TIS ME TORTUGA! MASTER OF THE GRANITE FOOT AND CAPTAIN OF THE GRANITE HELM! I FLY THE FLAG OF ANDORAN, SAILING THE INNER SEA AS A SCOURGE TO SLAVERS!"
The dwarf offers his hand to each of you, but do any of you dare take it? Do you risk your sense of touch being violated in the same way as your other senses?
"BEFORE WE GET UNDER WAY, IS THERE ANY OF YOU THAT CAN CARE FOR ME MAGIC BAUBLES? I CAN NO USE SOME OF 'EM MYSELF!"
Tortuga holds out a variety of wands.
"THIS ONE MAKES ME A SUIT OF ARMOR OUT OF MAGIC."
"THIS'N MAKES ME BIG."
"THESE TWO HEAL ME QUICKLY."
"AN' THIS MORE SLOWLY."
"OH, AN' A MERCHANT SOL' ME THIS MAGIC RING, SAYS IF PEOPLE CAST SPELLS AT IT, IT WILL LET ME CAST 'EM LATER. HE ALSO SOL' ME THESE SCROLLS AS A STARTER KIT. MAYBE ONE OF YOU CAN TAKE THE RING AND USE THE SCROLLS ON IT."
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Aldaris and Aelurus both wrinkle their noses at the smell of the dwarf.Aldaris fishes into his backpack and fishes out his reinforced scarf,wisely purchased to block out the physique-altering mists of Mwangi,but probably also useful in drowning out the odor of rotting fish.He glups nervously and approaches Tortuga.
"I'll be happy to take your wands good sir, it's the least I can do"
He hesitates for a moment after grasping the wands, eyeing the ring cautiously.
"perhaps it would be better for a more experienced wizard to handle that particular trinket."
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Rogar walks into the room passing Tortuga and waives his hand in front of his face. He's dressed in dirty robes and has a pick strapped to his backpack. A large spellbook is tied to the other side of the backpack.
Hi there...Yes indeed I'm a wizard and a miner too. I was just working on a mine outside of Absalom. What's the problem?"
A earth elemental follows in behind him.
"Oh yeah...that's my friend Rocky!
You are led to the Master of Spells’ office, where the newly re-appointed Sorrina Westyr still seems to be settling in. She stands among a few unsteady towers of books, replacing and rearranging them on a bookshelf. She dusts off her hands and smiles.
“I apologize for the mess. I was hoping to get a quick accounting of these tomes, but it’s taking longer than I anticipated.” She takes a seat and gestures toward the other chairs. “To business. No doubt you are aware of the death of my predecessor and replacement, Aram Zey, at the hands of Aspis Consortium agents during the attack on the Grand Lodge months ago. What you may not know, however, is that Zey’s soul was imprisoned at the time of his demise in a magical lantern. One of the Aspis agents—a strange elf who we later discovered goes by the name 322—absconded with the artifact and made her way to the Forae Logos library, where she escaped into the Dimension of Dreams with the help of a night hag named Aslynn. But all is not lost.
“Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine has taken the abduction of his friend’s soul quite personally. He has spent countless hours searching for Aslynn’s whereabouts in the hopes that we can still save Zey. Shaine recently had a breakthrough. He discovered the night hag is currently doing business in an itinerant marketplace called the Veiled Bazaar, and will likely be there for the next couple of days, perhaps even attempting to sell Zey’s soul. There is one small catch: this market is on the Ethereal Plane.”
Westyr takes a mahogany box from a drawer and sets it on the desk. “Luckily, we have a way for you to get there. Shaine is preparing a ritual as we speak that will allow all of you to cross over.” She opens the box to reveal a Harrow card and a number of vials filled with a milky liquid. She hands over the Harrow card. “Once on the Ethereal Plane, this will transport you to the Veiled Bazaar, where we would like you to find out whether Aslynn is selling Aram Zey’s soul and, if so, acquire it. We don’t fully know the night hag’s motivations in all this, so try not to antagonize her. Once you have the soul, you can use these to return to the Material Plane.” She then distributes the vials.
“I’m sure you have many questions, but we need to keep it as short as possible. Who knows what other beings might be looking to purchase the soul of a high-ranking member of the Pathfinder Society.”
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The Ethereal Plane! My, that is quite a trip, haha! Bizzle seems to be pleased that he'll be visiting such a place. So tell me about this Ethereal Plane. Should we be prepared for anything in particular? And this bazaar sounds fascinating! What do you know about that? Any peculiar customs we should know about?
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Suddenly getting somber, Tortuga says to Rogar, "Ya see buddy, that's a bit of a sad sack tale if ever there was one told by any a'bard on Golarion. 'Ere since I was a young'n, I always had a bit of an odor about me. Dinna' matter how much I washed, the stink of the ocean was always about me. Me folks thought I was cursed, so they sent me to the temple, but 'twas nary a thing they could do fer me. Me kin put up wit' it as best they can, but when I was but a young man, they told me and my smell it was time to go. So, exile from me home, I went to Andoran, where I sought to train to become a sailor. I figured if I lived at sea my smell might not be so out of place and I would always be near enough water that I could have a bath whenever I wanted. Alas, I guess it was bad enough, fer cap'n after cap'n rejected me. That is until I met Cap'n Maldris. A kind soul was he. He not only made sure I learned to be a sailor, but he tried to have me learn all sorts of things. As much as the teachers would try to learn me all sorts of things in me brain, if it didn't involve using me muscles, I wasn't very good at it. Still they saw enough promise in me to make me an agent 8 years ago. So yeah, kind of a sad tale, though I suppose it does have a happy endin'."
"Now, as fer the task at hand, I canna even spell eth... eh... other-real much less tell ya 'bout it. Someone good at book learnin' will have to clue us in."
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" most exciting! Do you hear that Aelurus? We're going plane surfing!"
The summoner seems currently content mumbling to himself and his companion,given the rest of the party are preoccupied with their own matters. He tries to recall what he knows of the Ethereal plane....
and maybe ponder what he knows on the subject of souls as well....
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Chasik thinks to all the places he has been, fallen tombs, labs filled with unspeakable horrors. This is the second or third time her has added planar travel to his list.
So, travel to the Etheral Plane, find out what is going on with Aram's soul and get it back. Why does it seem like it will never work out that way Chasik says with a slight scoff at the theory of it being sooo easy.
Chasik, takes mental notes on everything he has, trying to figure out what might be useful where he is going.
The Ethereal Plane! My, that is quite a trip, haha! Bizzle seems to be pleased that he'll be visiting such a place. So tell me about this Ethereal Plane. Should we be prepared for anything in particular? And this bazaar sounds fascinating! What do you know about that? Any peculiar customs we should know about?
Sorrina Westyr responds, "I can tell you about the bazaar, at least. I myself have not traveled to the Ethereal Plane. We aren’t sure exactly where the bazaar is, as it never takes place in the same location twice. It’s previously been held in spots that correspond to rather remote locations on the Material Plane, and Shaine believes that trend continues."
"Any idea of who else is after Zey's soul?"
Sorrina slowly shakes her head. "Unfortunately no. We are hoping you can uncover more information while you are there though."
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Bizzle thinks about his own questions as soon as he asked them. Hoho! This much I do know. Fill me in on stuff I can't recall!
The Ethereal Plane is a transitive plane that is coexistent with the Material Plane. It is possible to see into the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, though the view is indistinct. A creature on the Ethereal Plane is invisible, insubstantial, and completely silent to someone who is positioned on the Material Plane. Neat, huh?
The Ethereal Plane has no gravity and is mildly neutral-aligned. Magic functions normally on the Ethereal Plane, though its effects do not extend into the Material Plane. A spell or spell-like ability with the force descriptor (or one that specifically affects ethereal targets) cast on the Material Plane can affect targets on the Ethereal Plane, but the reverse isn’t true. Too bad, might be helpful one day!
There is little in the way of actual geography on the Ethereal Plane, and even most of those who are considered “native” inhabitants of the plane are but mere travelers here. Such creatures include etheric dragons, phase spiders, night hags, and xill. The Ethereal Plane is home to aether elementals and many forms of incorporeal undead. Yes, even undead! Haha, hope we miss out on those suckers.
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"Hmmm...I seem to remember..Yetakerinos, an ancient etheric dragon, runs the Veiled Bazaar. He handpicks all of the vendors and is cautious about whom he invites to participate. He frowns on open violence in his marketplace and acts as security if any of the guests get out of line. Ok so no beating up the Aspis agents...."
Rogar relates the rest of the information too.
Once you are ready, Sorrina Westyr escorts you out of the Grand Lodge and through the streets of Absalom to the Pharasmin temple in the Ascendant Court. She explains that Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine is waiting here, having prepared a spot “where the barrier between this world and the Ethereal Plane is thin.” She takes you into a room within the catacombs underneath the temple, where Shaine is waiting. He stands impossibly still in the center of the room, holding an obsidian dagger whose blade is coated with a viscous paste.
So, did you get into a fight with a can of glue? Here, let me help you heal those cuts and bruises! Bizzle will offer his wand of Cure Light Wounds to the Master of Scrolls.
Kreighton Shaine waves Bizzle's attempts to heal his injuries, noting that they are a small side effect of the ceremony he is about to complete.
Once you are ready, Kreighton Shaine nods to Sorrina Westyr, who steps out of the room. The Master of Scrolls turns and announces, “I am about to open a portal to the Ethereal Plane. When you pass through, you will be on your own until you return. Be careful.” With that, he holds the dagger in front of him and makes a downward cutting motion. The blade seems to slip slightly out of existence as it slices open the air surrounding it. A shimmering rip hangs in the center of the chamber.
The other side of the portal is a world of swirling mists and indistinct shapes. Sounds are muffled and colors are muted. You can see Kreighton Shaine still in the room you were just in, but it is like looking through a dirty, poorly made window. The Master of Scrolls puts away the dagger and peers around as if searching for a sign of your presence, but his gaze passes right through you.
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Aldaris just nods in interest to the more experienced adventurers chatter. They do really seem to know their stuff.
As the portal to the ethereal world swallows up the party a concerned look passes over his face for a moment, uncertain of the change in background, but switches to one of wonder as the plane unfolds before the Aasimar.
When you touch the magic Harrow card and speak its activation word, gossamer fog whirls about you and then disperses to reveal that you are now elsewhere on the Ethereal Plane. You arrive on a large circular platform.
What at first appears to be a flock of birds—but is actually a school of fish on the Material Plane—swoops down close and then through you. Some tall bushes growing on the silty ground are actually clumps of seaweed.
A number of stalls, tents, and wagons dot the platform. Dozens of figures—not all of them humanoid—mill about the shops, haggling with one another and exchanging items. Despite the participants’ and goods’ strangeness, the event appears to be nothing more than a marketplace, yet a sense of ruthlessness undercuts the convivial air. An immense green dragon watches the proceedings while perched atop a nearby basalt column that seems to exist on both planes.
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"oooooooooooo"
Aldaris utters aloud as the market unfolds before him.He taps the platform beneath cautiously.
"How interesting.we're suspended by force magic, on massive scale.I cannot comprehend the source of which this magic originates!"
He moves towards the middle of market, approaching strangers for information.
"please, Sir! Madam! A moment of your time? I have some questions!"
Aldaris and Bizzle start asking some of the passersby for help. After they are turned down by a mysteriously dark and blurry humanoid figure, a crow wearing a plaster mask with a nose shaped like a scythe’s
blade lands on the ground in front of them. Intelligent eyes peer through the covering’s eyeholes.
After a moment, the bird makes an awkward bow and, in strangely accented Common, introduces himself. "Ah, hello! I be Tik and you be in need of a guide, yes? You are new, yes? I offer myself and my services!"
Tik responds to Tortuga, "No cost! Pharasma has tasked me with observing the Veiled Bazaar and recording the details of any transactions involving souls that should rightly be heading to the Boneyard. I have witnessed a number of these events, I feel that I need to amass a few more infractions before reporting back to the Lady of Graves." He continues, "Most of the trading that happens at the Bazaar revolves around ephemera stranger than souls: fleeting memories, plucked thoughts, stolen shadows, dark favors, and the like. The only real rule of the Bazaar is that violence is to be avoided at all costs, lest you be shunted from this place and discouraged with force from ever coming again."
Tik makes a few clicks with his beak, as if to emphasize this last point. "Now, what exactly are you looking for in the market? Is there any specific vendor or item you are looking for?"
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Is that right? Pharasma? Quite the gig you've got there, Tik! Haha! Bizzle thinks for a moment and then asks, So, what other "infractions" have you come across? How can a soul be involved in a transaction, as you say?
Bizzle wonders if meeting with this creature is by chance or if it was looking for the party.
"As I said, there is no cost from me as long as you agree to the conditions of the Bazaar so that I am no implicated with you. What the soul will cost though... that is a matter to discuss with Ashlynn. I know that she is currently peddling a soul and this must be the soul of the friend you mentioned. Come, I will take you to her and you can discuss terms there."
The bird flits forward and waits for you to follow, taking you through the strange market where caulborn, xill, phase spiders, and other dark and mysterious creatures walk freely.
Tik stops at a large gauzy tent whose walls ripple in a nonexistent wind. When you step inside, there are a variety of items scattered throughout but the only person there is an elven woman. The elf stands among a few display cases holding a variety of unusual goods: tattered books whose script squirms on the pages, glass cubes glowing with a variety of colors, fragments of stone leaking unknown fluids, and numerous other trinkets. However, Aslynn is nowhere to be seen.
The elven woman looks away from the tattered books as you enter and addresses you in a cool and even tone. "I am Aslynn’s representative at the Veiled Bazaar. Do you wish to purchase anything?"
The elven woman only nods when Tortuga asks if he has seen her. "Indeed, Pathfinder. But in this place I trust we can all be civil." On the question of a soul for sale, she states, "A number of other parties are interested in the item, and if you want to impress my new mentor, you must offer something sufficiently and acceptably extraordinary in a fair exchange."
"Aslynn is keeping the item in which you are interested at another location. Even I don’t know where it is. But rest assured, she can get it here quickly." She then says, “This is the Veiled Bazaar. If you can’t find something to pique Aslynn’s curiosity here, then you aren’t trying.”
At this point, a Vudrani man with a large, drooping mustache and a pulsing third eye enters the tent and proceeds to look over the items for sale. The elven woman moves to assist him as if she doesn’t have anything more to say to you until you have something to trade.