Bishop puts a few arrows in one of the shamblers and Timber bites another and pulls it to the ground! Chun Hei then finishes it off. Meanwhile Thorgan lays his axe into another and chops it to pieces!
Davo then shouts something at the creatures in Aklo. They sway as they succumb to his magic and answer:
Tamerius then burns the outsiders with his spell as the cerebri move to the remaining shamblers and attack.
The two remaining shamblers suddenly disappear, apparently retreating. However, this disappearance coincides with the appearance of a human man flying 100 feet above you on wings made of darkness. "So you proved more capable than your friends at evading my shifting companions, but you will not remain here for long."
pur: 52
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Thorgan glances at his axe, unsure of what kind of "blood" it may have collected from the dimensional travelers.
Then, looking up, he stretches his neck and squints.
"Oh yea, why's that?"
As Davo closes, Thorgan winks at his gnome companion. "Got it covered lad, but ah think we could use a flyin' snake-lass!"
Tapping his heels together, he sprouts his own tiny feathered wings on his oversized feet then begins his ascent to meet the flying man.
Thorgan Status:
HP: 138/147
AC Normally: 22 (T 12 | FF 20)
Spells Remaining Today
4th - 3/4
3rd - 3/5
2nd - 6/6
1st - 6/6
Spells/Effects Active:
Greater Magic Weapon +3
Heroism (ext), Keen Edge (ext), Freedom Of Movement
Naturalist (Davo)
Greater Bane (+4d6)
Judgement of +Hit and +Damage :)
Abilities:
Bane Left: 10/12
Judgement Left: 3/4
Judgement Surge Left: 1/1
Dispelling Attack: 1/1
Swaying Word: 1/1
Winged Boots: 2/3
In a *puf* of smoke, fire and ashes a beautiful creature with wings and a burning bow appears near Tamerius and take fly to shoots at the newly arrived.
While the hounds gather around Tamerius to protect him from any harm.
Thorgan begins to fly, although he doesn't have the cool shadowy wings of this newcomer. Davo tries to put a mental hold on the man, but it doesn't seem to stick. Nikolai's glitter, however, gets in the man's eyes and blinds the flying combatant.
Tamerius calls on an ally who quickly fires an arrow into the man. Bishop then shows the flying archer how it's really done and he puts a series of arrows into the man which kill him outright, sending the man plummeting to the ground below and landing at your feet.
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Thorgan remains floating in the air for a moment, squinting at the hot Thuvian sun as it hangs in the sky.
His eyes narrow and he grits his teeth.
"Ah could jess swear th' Gods teased meh about meh boots, some sorta comment about how they may not be as fancy as Darkwing 'ere."
Gliding down, Thorgan coasts to an almost "soft" landing, and nudges the body with his boot.
"Check 'em for notes or documents. Crazy kidnappers always carry somethin' implicatin', or else we may need t' be speakin' with th' dead t' figure out where they took th' elixir!"
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Chun Hei speaks quickly while on the watch for further danger.
"If we can shift planes from here, we should be able to follow where the creatures went to. Check the fallen man for scrolls, he might have backups if he travels a lot." Once we have a moment we should still contact the Master of Swords.
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I agree. May be it will have been wise to have been taken by the creatures ? We need to go to where they come from. Several prisonners are trapped, ennemies or comrades we don't know but they may have answer to our questions.
We don't know enough to contact the Master of Sword as it seems there is several players playing here.
"I cannot speak for the elixir, but our fellows are in somewhere called Imlathre, the astral plane."
Davo is very familiar with the astral plane but does not think Imlathre is a place either on the Material or Astral plane; it sounds more like a name.
"We have a name... Loaralis the great... and a location. We must be able to do something with these."
Davo has heard of Loaralis before; it is the name of a very famous dragon that lives somewhere in the area.
"If we can shift planes from here, we should be able to follow where the creatures went to. Check the fallen man for scrolls, he might have backups if he travels a lot." Once we have a moment we should still contact the Master of Swords.
Farhaana Zadeh, the wizard who brought you here, comes running down the slope towards the battlefield. "I am sorry, I had no idea. Our teleport here must have brought those creatures and whoever this fellow was. As a matter of fact, though, I do have knowledge of magic that could shift us-well, just a couple of us-to another Plane to rescue whoever is still there."
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I think it's a little early to contact the Master of Sword Davoliznakamushka.
First, we need to go to the plane where were send the prisonners, if they are still alive which I hope.
It seems that shifting will send us to the right planes, so if Farhaana could send us here, let's go.
Once we have all the informations about the perpetrator we will go back to the Emir and ask him if he knows something about this dragon or this Imlathre.
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Thorgan frowns at the thought that teleporting the group here drew the dimensional attackers to them.
"Hmmm... might this be why teleportin' th' last few years failed t' transport the elixir?"
Not dwelling on the matter while there are captives trapped in another Plane, he gives a nod to Zadeh.
"Send us quick! Who knows what's going on over there!"
Thorgan doesn't consider asking about how they'd get back.
Farhaana quickly shifts to the Astral Plane and then shifts back to the Material Plane with the two survivors. It is quickly apparent, however, that the two survivors are not Pathfinders and must have been part of one raiding party or another. They call themselves Harkas and Rosham but say nothing else, acting much like prisoners on trial who do not wish to incriminate themselves.
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Nikolai, thoroughly bemused by his allies' use of magic, simply shrugs, and tries talking to the men.
"Look. Ve understand zat you are simply ze poor sods left behind, and undoubtedly were not ze ones who planned the raid; you vere just some of ze contractors hired to do ze dirty vork. Clearly, your former employer considers you expendable, or zey would not have abandoned you on another plane of existence. Tell us everything you can about vhat happened here, and I can honestly say zat I will do everything I can to ensure you get out of zis alive, and intact - after all, ve are far more interested in getting ze vials back, and catching ze mastermind, zan anyone else involved in zis... A view zat I am sure ze Emir would share... Help me find a vay to get him to forget all about you..."
Thorgan strikes fear into Harkas while Tamerius and Katl' Heel work their magic on Rosham. Instantly both become more willing to cooperate and with a few sweet words from Nikolai, they begin to spill everything the know.
Harkas speaks first, "Kitio hired me and the others to grab the elixir. Kitio has operated out of Aspenthar for the past 2 months rather than from his usual base in Merab. It seems to me like Kitio was able to mobilize considerable resources, as though he had the support of a high-ranking city official. I'm not sure what the next step of the plan was after we got the elixir. Kitio doled out information on a need-to-know basis."
Rosham has a different story, showing that clearly these two men came from the two different raiding parties that your gnome friend mentioned. "My employer went by the name of Loaralis, though I never met Loaralis, and probably anyone operating under such a pseudonym is just borrowing the name for shock value, in my opinion. The orders to attack arrived only that morning out of Pashow, where myself and the others were stationed. I know the other mercenaries had ample teleportation abilities, so if the elixir disappeared, my comrades likely escaped with it and have already delivered it to our employer." He says this last part with a bit of pride, looking down on Harkas and the other man's team of failed raiders. Rosham carries a copy of his orders, notarized with the seal of a middle-rank priest of Abadar in Pashow.
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"So the choice is Aspenthar or Pashow? Hmmmm. Neither seems terribly promising. Perhaps the flying man we faced earlier was Imlathre. It almost seems like there is another layer, deeper yet, a curtain behind which we may find the real mastermind behind these events. I suppose it makes the most sense to head to Pashow, though, if that's where the elixir went."
At Tamerius' suggestion, you head on to Pashow in hopes that the Emir will be able to shed some light on the situation, and also to update the Emir on the developments regarding the missing elixir.
You arrive to find the city in a state of panic. The sounds of distant rioting is audible outside, even from within the walls of Emir Guldis’s palace—it’s clear the people have heard about the theft of the sun orchid elixir!
Emir Guldis is a mix of angry and worried, sweating profusely as you meet him. He rushes towards you as you arrive, seeking an update.
“Please tell me you secured the elixir! Please! I just received a report from the faith caravan that high priest Kaarim is missing, and their vial of the elixir is gone. I don’t know how, but the people seem to have heard the news just as I did! I’ve had to send Saabira into the streets to direct the remaining guards to quell outright revolution, and it’s not going well! So please, tell me you found the vial!”
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Nikolai frowns.
"Ze High Priest is missing? Zat is... troubling. Ve have evidence zat a Priest of Abadar was complicit in orchestrating ze thefts..."
He then shares what the party has thus far discovered.
"Now, vhilst ze vials are missing, zat does not mean zat ve should despair... ve have leads, vhich ve can follow-up on. Ze important zing is to be seen to be doing something proactive, to be seen to be strong, rather zen simply freaking out."
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"If we can do something to help calm the populance, we would be quite happy to; as Master Tesla indicated, we have some indication that a factor withing the Church is likely involved. Unless you think we can do some immediate good in calming the crowd, we will set about pursuing that lead immediately."
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Tamerius was visibly mad at the riots and the mobs.
Unfortunately not Emir, but we have several leads who could help us retrieve them. We found that a certain local dragon, Loaralis is involved in the theft as well as the local church of Abadar.
You asks for the help of the Society, we will provide it even if our first attempt was not successful.
If you need help to qwell the riots I'm sure we could do something. Chaos can not be tolerate. He adds with an iron determination in his voice.
He turns to Davoliznakamushka May be it's time to contact Master Farabellus. The situation has changed and I fear that mastermind behind the thefts is also behind the riots. The news of the loss of the elixir and the start of the riots is too convenient and too fast for not being organized.
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Not one for chit chat, Bishop watches the others work. He does speak up though at the mention of the Master of Swords, [b]"Agreed, let us contact him. It's not bragging to say I'm a good tracker, one of the best. Let's pick a direction and go. The longer we delay, the colder the trail gets. Emir, you have the best the society has to offer right here. We'll recover the elixir.
Unfortunately not Emir, but we have several leads who could help us retrieve them. We found that a certain local dragon, Loaralis is involved in the theft as well as the local church of Abadar.
You asks for the help of the Society, we will provide it even if our first attempt was not successful.
The mention of Loaralis gets the Emir's attention. "her name has been connected to several crimes lately, including an attempted break-in in the sealed vaults below the church of Abadar. And did you also say there's some evidence that a priest of Abadar is involved? So are they working against or with each other? I'm guessing Kaarim's disappearance is not a coincidence. Oh, it's all a mess!"
The conjurer Farhaana Zadeh recalls, "Well, most of the vaults below were cleared and sealed following tremors that struck the region three decades ago, leaving most unguarded but presumed empty."
The Emir nods. "Well, obviously that wasn't entirely true. The two missing vials of the sun orchid elixir are sufficient evidence for me to ask that you investigate the Abadaran vaults, ascertain the traitor or traitors if someone is there, and recover the vials of elixir if you can. This seems like the most likely lead. I recognize this is a slight departure from the original contract, so I invite you to update your superiors if you wish."
You send a short synopsis of the events and your plans to Farabellus, who promptly sends his own response in return:
"I have many questions. Where did the extraplanar invaders come from? Is Kitio still a threat? These issues could stand investigation, but tracking down Loaralis and the lost elixirs is more important. The mission has evolved, and it requires direct leadership in Pashow, not a voice from Kortos. You’re now in command of the operation and have authority to direct the remaining Pathfinder teams as you see fit—they will report to you shortly and can assist where you cannot go. Leadership is a privilege but also a burden. Remember the Wall of Names, Pathfinders."
True enough, within ten minutes three teams of Pathfinders arrive to help in any way they can. While you are waiting, the Emir offers his dossiers of the teams for you to review.
This file provides information about the Pathfinders who call themselves the Axe-Fixers. These agents consider the Grand Lodge in Absalom their base of operations, and they have traveled beyond the Isle of Kortos for missions only rarely.
Garl and Shrade (CN male and female half-orc barbarians 5): Better known as the Boartusk Twins, these siblings earned field commissions for saving a group of Pathfinders in Lastwall. They accepted the invitation, not knowing quite what they were getting into. Since then, their reliance on brute strength has tarnished their reputation and earned them little work. Hoping to prove themselves as leaders, they founded a group and named it after their favorite motto: “There’s nothing an axe can’t fix.”
Eskaravarn (CN female half-orc warpriestACG of Gorum 5): Eskaravarn grew up in the wilds of Nirmathas, where she learned to fight, plan raids, and soldier on when her comrades fell to Molthuni blades. She barely survived a disastrous ambush, and Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal found her and healed her wounds. Eskaravarn has sworn seven years of her service to the Society as repayment.
Visbaron Adelum (LN male human magusUM 4): Too hot-tempered to inherit his family’s business in Taldor, Adelum found himself forcibly enrolled by his father in the Pathfinder Society as an impromptu finishing school. The hope is that Adelum would learn self-control and manners. Instead he’s learned magic and swordplay, which he’s all to eager to prove in the field. Fortunately, Eskaravarn’s world-weary admonitions keep him in line.
Maralyn Corwins (NG female human investigatorACG [psychic detectiveOA] 5): Haunted by terrible childhood memories that her family insists never happened, Maralyn believes that her research is vital to preventing a terrible fate from befalling her tiny hometown in Isger. She hopes to not only unveil this true threat but to also earn Doctor Kernaug’s approval by becoming an expert in her field.
Raphiel Vasheen (N female human mediumOA 6): Doctor Kernaug’s graduate assistant and the nominal leader of the group, Vasheen has a desperate intellectual urge to learn how the Dark Tapestry might bleed into common arcane magic and vice versa. She believes that the archmage spirit she channels is strongly connected to alien forces. The Society is beginning to suspect that Vasheen intends her research to unlock the real reason her mother—also a medium—has gone mad.
Sophron Delgavar (N female human bard 6): Born in the holy city of Kavapesta, “Sophie” was raised by strict members of the Pharasmin Penitence—Pharasmins who believe in the virtue of suffering. In studying theology at the University of Lepidstadt her radical views have softened, though she remains a fiery orator. Sophron joined the group both to stay close to Veronik, but also to delay her graduation—and her inevitable return to Kavapesta.
Veronik Locnave (LN female human swashbucklerACG 5): One of the most
accomplished fencers to come out of the Arbutus Blade dueling sorority in the last decade, Veronik has nearly completed her studies to become a surgeon. However, as the dueling doctors following her sorority’s traditions must, she’s postponed her graduation to travel and gain practical experience. She wears her Lepidstadt scar in a vertical streak below her left eye.
This file provides information on the team of Pathfinders who call themselves the Scroll-Seekers. These agents consider the Grand Lodge in Absalom their base of operations, though they represent several of the Society’s more ambitious and farflung recruiting programs over the past few years.
Janira Gavix (N female halfling bard 5): Few up-and-coming Pathfinders are so well known around the Grand Lodge as Janira, who prides herself on her memory of Society history and its greatest heroes’ exploits. Despite her well-intentioned helpfulness, some find the self-promotion she slips into her tales positively grating. Not so for the Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine, who trusts her as the leader of this motley band.
Athrax (LN male kobold alchemistAPG 5): Although allies of the Society, none of the Sewer Dragons tribe of kobolds had ever applied to become a Pathfinder—at least not until Athrax, an alchemical savant with a mean streak a mile wide. Training and mentorship has since softened his cruelty, and he now holds a provisional membership as long as he is accompanied by other Scroll-Seekers. His closest topside friend is Tarys, and her acceptance of his eccentricities is one of the strongest factors in his recent alignment change.
Ko Deschamp (CG male half-elf fighter 3/rogue 3): Born in the Tien state of Amanandar, Ko developed a reputation as a guildbreaker and infiltrator of bandit operations. For his services to the Lantern Lodge, he earned a field commission from the Society. His many successes give him reason to swagger, especially after traveling to Taldor, where his wild tales, distant origins, and skill with the naginata polearm make him the life of the parlors.
Tarys (LG female dwarf inquisitorAPG of Kelinahat 4): Tarys came of age in the sky citadel Kraggodan, where the wild Society stories of her uncle Gorm Greathammer encouraged her to strike out and see the world for herself. As a servant of the empyreal lord of spies and scouts, she has distinguished herself in the Society for the detail of her reports and her tenacious pursuit of facts.
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Looking at the dossiers Tamerius says with a smirk on his usually serious face.
Looks like we will play today the Venture Captain ! Reading the dossiers seems like having to choose who's the most qualified for the task at hand.
I will suggest to give the task to search for where come the extraplanar's invaders to The Kernaug group and the one about Kitio to the Scroll Seekers.
As for the Axe-Fitter, I have no idea... may be patrolling the street to help stop the riots ? But their reputation seems to add more bloodshed and chaos than order to these riots...
He turns to the Emir Thank you for your consideration Emir, we will investigate the Vault once we speaks with our team. Is your commandant joining us for this meeting ? Do we need to wait for her or she's too busy to stop the riots ?
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Thorgan scans through the dossiers, getting a chuckle out of the idea that there's "no problem an axe can't fix", but finally grumbling some about there only being a single dwarf among the teams. He does ramble on about how Tarys should probably be put in charge of The Scroll Seekers instead of that Janira Gavix...
"Agreed about th' Kernaug group and figurin' out more about Kitio goin' t' th' Scroll Seekers."
Shrugging at what could be assigned to the Axe-Fitters, he adds, "if we ain't got any other ideas, perhaps their axes could keep th' Kernaugs safe then? Two teams, one mission?"
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Chun Hei reads quickly through the dossiers as well
"I think Kernaug's group would be strong at investigating the strange planar goings on, but their psychic skills and Sophron Delgavar's oration skills may also make them best at at quelling any riots peacefully."
Chun Hei pauses to think before continuing "Of course no disrespect is meant from my suggestions, but I would be remiss if I did not speak my mind. Although upon further pondering, even if the locals find the Axe's unpleasant, they are likely the best at looking strong and keeping order. "
Having spoken her mind although changed it to agree Chun Hei follows with more ideas "Shall we send the Kernaug's to the ambush site to scour it for clues. There may be psychic impressions left, and extraplanar clues. They may even be able to interrogate the dead assailant."