You are waiting for the briefing with your fellow agents.
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Entering the room, the flaxen-haired aasimar finds a comfortable seat and awaits the briefing with interest sparking in his gold tinged eyes. Varian is medium height at 5'11" and of medium build... His skin is a dark bronze color, offset by his long fair hair. He wears a chain shirt that he keeps very clean, and is only armed with a dagger and a crossbow. He has six fingers on each hand, When the light catches him just right, his shadow sometimes has the image of a winged humanoid, though he doesn't actually have wings.
To the others present, he introduces himself, "Hi, I'm Varian, and pleased to meet you all."
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This blonde human woman has been asleep since you got here. Her well-worn skirt is adorned with sigils, stamps and drawings of flags from various regions around the world. As she snoozes, she clutches onto a silver quarterstaff with one hand and a spellbook with the other.
She pops awake when you introduce yourself. "Oh gosh, sorry about that! Taking a nap!" She puts away her book and shakes your hands vigorously. "I'm Cirri Merryweather! Pleased to meetcha!" Her hair comes to rest a little bit after her clothes.
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Evad Alacar enters the room. You would be sure he was a Mwangi man, if not for the tell-tale pointy elven ears. He has a dark complexion, but it is clear he must be a half-elf; as he is far to light in color to be a drow. Other than the ears, it’s his human features that are most prominent.
He wears green and blue linen robes tied with a rope belt. Around his neck is a cord with a piece of driftwood carved into the shape of a leaf with a drop of water on its end. His hair is braided with feathers and seaweed woven in to the braids and his scruffy beard seems at odds with him to grow. A worn leather satchel stretches across one shoulder and he holds an also well-worn leather bound book in his right hand.
Evad’s wide mouth features a generous smile as he speaks in an unexpectedly deep and gruff voice.
“Friends I am Evad Alacar. Gozreh has provided a fair breeze this day. It favors the traveller. Will that be us this day."
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A well built figure walks in following the lot. He's feature's resemble that of stone, grey hard skin with sharp edges, could easily be mistaken for a walking statue.
"Hellow. Name's Gridger." He speaks in a low, rough voice. He bears a chain mail, bruised and dirty, similarly to the rest of his garments and belongings with the exception of the scabbard that holds his greatsword hung on his back.
"I hear we're task for a trip to Cheliax? My goodness. I just returned from that forsaken place." He lets a sigh.
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Cirri shakes Evad's hand. "Wow, where did you get that amulet from? It looks beautiful."
"I bet I know what kind of tree that came from...give me a second." She swaps her spellbook for a different one, rapidly flipping through until she stops at a drawing of a tree. It has a detailed cross-section of the trunk, and she takes a look between the picture and the grain on Evad's wood. "I think this is the one. Right?"
When Gridger introduces himself, Cirri takes note and shakes his hand. "I've never met an Oread before. Good to have you here."
Cirri tries to remember anything about Oreads, but she only remembers the basics.
"You've been to Chileax before? I went to Oparra once to attend an opera, but man, that did not work out well!" She shudders, fighting off some unknown fear.
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The door opens up revealing a tanned halfling quickly followed by a white tiger. The halfling is just under 3 feet, carrying only a sling, club, and a belt pouch full of stones. He wheres a headband of dark green. On his belt he has a second pouch with a scroll case sticking out of it.
The tiger carrying a saddle and a set of saddle bags, which make it a tight fit, forces her way thought the door. Once it is through, she saunters off to a corner, turns in a circle a few times before collapsing on the floor.
"Geez Ki, make yourself a home why don't you. You couldn't even say hi?" The tiger growls back softly, it then raises it head and looks around the room, slowly blinks it eyes, and lays it head back down.
"Now, was that so hard? Anyway, I am Rufeo, that lump over there is Ki'lala. Do not worry about her, she is fully grown and well housebroken. So is this the group going to Cheliax?"
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The tiger yawns and the huffs at Rufeo.
"I know you do not like Cheliax. Last time we were there, she had to have a leash. Nice to meet you" Rufeo rubs his hand on his trousers before extending his tiny hand to Varian. Afterwards, he walks over to Ki'lala, and the cat knowingly makes a little space exposing her belly, for Rufeo to sit down in and lays against her.
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A woman in plate mail sticks her head into the room. She looks at everyone and nods as if confirming something to herself. "This must be the room for the briefing." She is a tall Garundi woman with graying dreads, and light mocha skin. As she enters the room you notice her plate mail looks new except for the occasional soot smudge, and she carries a very large sword but no shield.
Overhearing the missions location is Cheliax she says, In all my missions for the Society, I don't think I've ever been assigned to Cheliax. Nice to meet you all. I'm Ariana."
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"Cheliax has never been a welcoming place. I wonder what brings us there this time." the Oread says as he heads to a chair to lay down his equipment save for his sword.
Observing Arianna, it becomes obvious he is fixated at the sword she holds and get's a little bit of excitement in his face, but he remains silent about it. We shall see who the better swordsman..woman? is. This shall be an interesting journey.
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Addressing Cirri's question Evad answers; Yes, that's right, it's the baobab tree or tree of life. Have you spent time in the Mwangi Expanse?
Well met, I'm Evad. As the fellow pathfinders file into the room.
I've never had the displeasure of being in Cheliax proper; but I have had to deal with there agents before. Little trouble really. But within the country itself, that likely another story.
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Addressing Cirri's question Evad answers; Yes, that's right, it's the baobab tree or tree of life. Have you spent time in the Mwangi Expanse?
"I've never actually been there." Cirri ponders. "I've wanted to travel there and look at the many animals and plants there. I've heard they have elephants, tigers, and all kinds of monkeys there. I've heard there's a big shrine dedicated to a monkey god or something. So cool!"
She takes another look at Evad. "I'd say you have the build of a martial artist. Do you fight with quarterstaves, by any chance?" Cirri hefts her silver staff. "I'm sure you can teach me a thing or two about staff fighting."
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Adressing Cirri, "You'd be careful about referring to gods in Cheliax, I have it known that they don't take kindly to deities other than Asmodeos, and if that is who you're referring to as a "monkey", we'd not make it out alive.." , Gridger gives a few words of advice on conduct within Cheliax based on his recent experiences.
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"You think so?" Cirri ponders, then pulls out a different book and writes some notes down. "Don't...mention...religions....in the open...except Asmodeus." She snaps it shut. "Okay. Makes sense. I'll try not to mention it."
"You must have had one heck of an adventure, Gridger. Did you bump into trouble in Cheliax?"
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"No trouble that couldn't be solved by my blade." Gridger smirks, as if, he's a little bit overly proud of his swordsmanship. "But if you're looking for specifics, hellknights are known the be the hand of the law, and theirs is known to be swift justice." Thirsty from all the talking, Gridger drinks a huge gulp from his waterskin.
You have been relaxing in the Magnimar Lodge, getting to know your fellow agents. Rain patters outside the windows of Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch’s study.
Finally, Zarta Dralneen, leader of the Dark Archive, enters with a glass of red wine in her hand and a thoughtful look on her face. Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch follows in closely behind her. "Good, I'm glad that you have all become acquainted. I will give you more details about your mission right away then."
She moves behind her desk and sits down as Zarta stands looking out a nearby window. “We have an important mission for you inside Cheliax. Several days ago, we received word that the Hellknights of the Order of the Gate issued a call for aid at the Menador Gap. Apparently Chelish forces are spread thin these days. Imagine their surprise when we volunteered to help.”
“As I’m sure you know,” Zarta cuts in, “the Society has enjoyed few opportunities to explore Cheliax since the shuttering of the Delvehaven lodge in Westcrown decades ago. Luckily, we still had a Pathfinder agent in the country, an eccentric man by the name of Olandil. He has been gathering and protecting Pathfinder Society records and creating a journal of historically valuable sites within Cheliax that remain unexplored. For years, an embargo trapped Olandil in the port town of Pezzack, but a group of your fellow agents recently arranged for his escape. As it happens, one of the sites in Olandil’s journal lies close to the Menador Gap. Called The Temple of the Sky, this site supposedly contains a host of magical pillars that hold ancient knowledge. I’m sure you’ll agree that such knowledge is best kept safe within the Dark Archives, which is why we would like you to obtain a transcription of each pillar.
“Equally important to recovering these tablets,” Zarta continues, “is your mission to aid the Hellknights in securing the Menador Mountains. The details are vague, but we are told that the diviners of their order determined that a chaotic catastrophe is brewing somewhere in the peaks, and we suspect orcs are involved. Pathfinders, myself included, have come into conflict with Hellknights in the past, but they are still useful allies who share a number of our goals. Helping eliminate the threat will strengthen our alliance and ensure Hellknight aid in the future.”
The venture-captain adds, “I have arranged for a teleport spell to take you directly to the Hellknight expedition. Hellknights are not known for their patience. Please make your necessary preparations and return here as soon as possible.”
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At the mention of the name Olandil, Gridger brows, or the stony features that looks like brows raise slightly. "You don't say, Olandil... Hellknights.., they are all too familiar to me." He turns around and looks at his companions, "I'm not all that familiar with Orcs, but I'm as ready as ever." He takes a swig to finish whatever remains of the drink he has, and picks up his gear, ready to make a move.
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"Ms. Zarta ma'am, what can you tell us about these knight of hell...I have never met one personally." He ask while bouncing on his heels..
He then shudders when he hears the last couple words she say,"Teleportation, never did like it..."
Ki'lala gets up and yawns again, why stretching her big muscular self in front of the fire....
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Gridger enlightens rufeo by sharing what little he knows based on his experience. "A little bit of my experience with hellknights, creatures of the law they are, fierce and ever ready to punish those who break the law. Whatever the law of the land is. I've never been teleported before, this will be interesting the least to say."
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"I've a fair bit of experience with being teleported... be prepared for a gut-wrenching experience. I suggest eating light if at all before leaving."
"I've something to purchase as well... I'll be right back"
Heads out to buy paper, graphite and other tools to transcribe the pillars and make rubbings or etchings if necessary.
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"Do you have any more information about what besides Orcs we should expect to find in the Mountains? Do you think we'll have any issues with slipping away to take care of transcribing the tablets?" Ariana sips from a glass of wine while waiting for the others to arrive back from their shopping trips.
"Ms. Zarta ma'am, what can you tell us about these knight of hell...I have never met one personally."
Zarta answers, "Hellknights are members of knightly orders that value law above all else. Many, daresay most, of their citadels are in Cheliax. While Hellknights look to Hell as an example of perfect order, Hellknight orders are not inherently evil organizations. Within an order, there is a strict hierarchy, with the lictor at the top and the trainees, known as armigers, at the bottom. Most Hellknights simply use the title Hellknight, though spellcasters instead use the title signifer."
What more can you tell us of the Temple of the Sky, to what patron was it originally dedicated? Evad looks on in anticipation of the answer. Before following up with. What other dangers are known to exist around the Gap?
Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch answers, "Unfortunately Olandil's notes were limited in scope so don't know much about the Temple. We are hoping you can make some discoveries during your trip."
"And it is also unfortunate that the Hellknights' communication with us was rather brief-efficient, as they might say-but it failed to mention any other threats in the area. Certainly the orcs are the most notorious dangers to contend with in the area, but be prepared for everything."
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"Look to Hell as orderly? The Abyss is a mess." Cirri underlines the word Confused! in her book.
"Well, they have to defeat a devil to join the ranks of the Hellknights. What are their three principles of the Chain? Order, Discipline and Mercilessness, right?"
Cirri flips through her book and begins reading her notes. "The Menador Gap is the only significant passage between the Menador Mountains and the Ravounel Forest. The Menador Keep is a chokepoint used to heavily tax all traffic through the mountains. Those taxes are used for patrols and maintenance, due to the high risk of land slides. Patrols also keep predators like Manticores, Wyverns and Chimera at bay. Most of the time."
Cirri closes her book. "Okay, I gotta prepare my spells accordingly."
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"I respect them for their dedication." Gridger mutters his feelings towards the hellknights, "respectful fighters they are."
But you can see he figits a lot, probably restless from all the talk and little action that has happened so far. He walks unsettlingly back and forth around the room until teleportation takes place.
After everyone has prepared their spells and made their last purchases in Magnimar, you are teleported away to the mountains!
The area in which you arrive is a small clearing in the midst of a field of boulders and hoary trees. To the north, the ground slants sharply upward and leads into mountainous peaks of jagged rocks. Roiling black clouds are gathered behind the peaks and the region is filled with a hushed quiet.
The Hellknight expedition waits in the clearing, oiling swords and reviewing spellbooks. There are 10 Hellknights in total. They all wear red robes and identical steel masks engraved with a swirling vortex pattern.
A Hellknight’s commanding voice pierces the quiet. “Pathfinders. My name is Signifer Karva and I am in charge of this expedition. The Order of the Gate doesn’t often work with your organization. Under different circumstances, we could have even been enemies. But today that is not so—we share the common purpose of restoring order to this region. Know that at my command, my Hellknights will sacrifice their lives to accomplish this mission, and I expect no less from you. If you truly wish to return home safely, obey my commands and heed your duties.“
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Cirri tries to hide her smile as Signifier Karva goes on about sacrificing their lives, and being enemies in another time, another place. Still, at least she has an idea of what to do next.
"Hi! I hope we all come back alive and well, but we do need to help the people in this region. Oh, I'm Cirri. Pleased to meet cha!" Cirri puts out her hand for a shake, not really sure if the Signifier will stoop down to her level for a shake.
Cirri stands there awkwardly, with her hand outstretched like a child waiting for her mother's acknowledgement.
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The journey through the teleportation puts Gridger out of ease, he spins around trying to get a hold of himself, looking like an idiot. Minutes later as the party greets the Signifier, he also approaches her. This outfit is not the hellknights that I'm accustomed to.
Getting straight to the point, he makes his acquaintance.
"Greetings, Gridger, swordsman, what can we do for the hellknights today?" Being sore from his last encounter with hellknights, he does not extend his hands.
"Greetings, Gridger, swordsman, what can we do for the hellknights today?"
"We are a Hellknight order focused on the pursuit of knowledge, both infernal and arcane. Our signifers outnumber our rank-and-file knights—an anomaly among the Hellknight orders. Other Hellknight orders fear and respect our power, and you should as well."
"However, with unknown threats and sources of power ahead, we thought it might be good to have some backup. Also I was told the Society is interested in those ruins of the Temple of the Sky nearby. The order sent signifers to catalogue them many years ago, but strange guardians that hurled bolts of lightning drove them away. None have ventured there since. The temple is near Gozreh’s Fork. After you help us deal with the orcs, you are free to seek out the temple, if you wish."
"Other than Orcs what threats may we find in the area?"
"The source of the chaos is unknown, but we suspect it’s an incursion of planar beasts or undead working in league with a tribe of orcs called the Severed Hand. Our diviners received troubling visions of scarred orcs covered with strange runes, piles of heaped skulls, and swarms of wriggling worms. Worse still, the diviners sense that the chaotic taint is growing stronger. They sent us to investigate."
"So where we go from here"
"The Severed Hand tribe lives deep in the mountains, roughly a two-day march from here. Our patrols seldom come out this far, so we will be in untamed wilderness for most of the expedition. There is a small peak called Gozreh’s Fork near the edge of the tribe’s territory that offers a good view of the region. We will head there first to get a grasp of where things stand in the mountains."