|
The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple,
especially given the importance of the occasion: “Start where it
all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign
of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a
corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human
sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the
room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a
familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table.
“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!”
With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before
looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder.
“Can
you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder
Society was born. “But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,”
he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying,
“Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful
voice,
“Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was
mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few
days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the
cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet.
“Initiates, for your Confirmation,
you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many
passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn
what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come
back alive as well.”
With these parting words, the Master of
Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while
humming to himself.
Janira looks at you all expectantly, and then slaps her hand to her forehead.
Oh, I almost forgot! Serak, you're to report to Master Aram Zey for something... Different. He wishes to borrow you for your affinity for setting things on fire. Please, hurry there, he can be quite impatient, and you don't want to start your confirmation off on the wrong foot...
Serak rolls his too-big-for-his-head eyes and gathers his things, giving the rest of you a curt wave before departing.
Janira looks back to the group, and smiles.
So, any questions?
|
|
Dusklord nods with a bored expression as Janira gives their instructions, though he does perk up a bit with the mention of the gillmen.
"We will complete this task, I assure you," he says.
Turning to Stephani, he says "A pleasure to meet you, dear paladin." His voice is overly sweet, or perhaps with a tinge of sarcasm.
"I owe my life to one of your order," he says. "I will forever be in the debt of the righteous. I look forward to working with you."
|
|
Janira looks at Aeleth with a bemused smirk.
Probably to chastise some pathfinder with too much idle time on their hands, knowing him. And he was probably wearing some ridiculous disguise whilst doing it!
To others, she nods as they introduce themselves.
Good, good, I'm glad you're excited! Tell me, though; What made you all become pathfinders in the first place? We might as well get to know each other a little better while I wait for a package to be delivered to me here. A smattering of potions and other equipment I feel we may need, from a society merchant who owes me a favor.
She says the last part with a grin, surely there is some interesting story behind it...
To Nago, she replies seriously.
Well, there is the current territory battle between a clan of minotaurs and the harpies that live in the northern parts of the Kortos Mountains, but we should be able to avoid any of that nastiness, with the path I have in mind...
|
Stephani raises an eyebrow at Dusklord's comment, but lets it pass with out comment. Looks like I need to watch this one...
"Well, I must say, becoming a Pathfinder for me is all about getting to see the world and promote good deeds. There is so much ugly out there, but there is also kindness and beauty, and I seek to help let that shine. Also, my father was a Pathfinder, and there is the matter of settling some scores on his behalf..."
She turns her head to the side, slightly.
"I know!", she grumbles, to no one you can see. "I'm getting to it already, so shut up!"
Then looking sweet and innocent, she asks of Janira "Do we have time to resupply before we go? I see you are well equipped for the wilderness, and I have only my armor and weapons, really."
|
"I come from the damp and tropical realm of Nagajor, where the only resssidentsss are nagasss, nagaji, and wild animalsss. All the nagasss look down on usss nagaji as if we were inferior them. I am trying to prove that not all of the nagaji are inferior. I met Nagi here while I wasss still in Nagajor and with her help I made it out."
After hearing Stephani ask about resupplying he adds "I would alssso like to get more gear."
|
Aeleth grins.
"How I became a Pathfinder? Well, the stories and the promise of adventure were what drew me. See the world, get into adventures, get paid for it in the process. What's not to like?"
As Dusklord indicates that the rest of the party might attest to his reformation, Aeleth stops grinning. And falls silent. And start slowly stepping further away from Dusklord.
|
|
Starling smiles, as if she was waiting to tell her story. She pulls out her lute and begins speaking, plucking the lute's strings. Although she appears to do it unconsciously, her words seem to follow the musical rhythm.
I have an older brother and sister although I lost all contact with them. You see, I was born in the a small fishing community in the Mwangi Expanse. This was a very seculded community, and it never suited me - I didn't want to grow up to be a fisherwoman. Long story short, I ended up leaving. The sudden impulsive kind of leaving that is. I followed one of the rare merchants who used to visit our village once every few months, and ended up in Jaha, a small town on the border of the Expanse. That turned out to be too boring, so I traveled by caravan to Sothis." Her music slows down here, each note reverberating for a while before she plucks the next string. "It was a long way, but I became good friends with one of the other travellers - a bard named Emerick. On the long road he taught me to play this", she lifts her lute, "and to sing, and enrolled me in one of the bardic schools there. I think he saw some talent in me, and didn't mind taking a young lost girl - like I used to be back then - and providing for her. I'm still not sure what were his real aims in doing so. Anyway, in the next several years I ended up performing in taverns, festivals and the like, with Emerick coming back to check on me every once in a while. A couple of years ago he suddenly stopped showing up, sending me a single letter, warning me not to go looking for him." At this point, her music begins to quicken, creating a dramatic - but still quiet effect. Starling takes a breath and continues. "Of course, I resolved to do just that, and joining the famed Pathfinder Society seemed like a good way to do it while seeing more of the world. It sounded dangerous but interesting enough, and if there's one thing I learned about myself so far, it's that I can't stand constant boredom like in my village." After finishing her story, she continues to play a slow tune in the background.
Starling then smiles warmly at Janira, "And what's your story? Why did you choose to join the Society?"
|
|
Janira beams at you from her seat, and then leans forward as she starts her tale.
I'm the oldest of seven children, and I couldn't wait to get out and see the world! As soon as I turned 20, I explained myself to my family, and joined the Pathfinders. I grew up in Eastgate, where my father still works as a porter who employs a dog cart to transport purchased goods from ships and shops to the homes of customers. Me and my family revered Desna, but I learned in the society that faith is important to everyone, and just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad.
I initially joined to see the world and sample all of the
fine food it had to offer, but it turns out my real calling was the Scrolls and its focus on learning and preserving knowledge. I really just want to get something published and be an official pathfinder chronicler!
As for supplies, we have enough time for you to buy whatever you want. We'll leave as soon as you are all ready. Speaking of...
On to the details of the mission at hand.
Janira says with an eager grin.
After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they
entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no
coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before
the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is
our best chance to find out why these caves are important and
what exactly the gillmen are doing in there. The caves we’ll be travelling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too.
I'll wait here while you get ready, and finish plotting our route.
|
|
Janira leads you out of the city, and through the cairnlands toward your destination. The first day is uneventful, with much talk of Master Shaine's class on the history of Absalom, and the occasional pointing out of famous ruins, siege towers, and the like.
The second day sees you finally reaching the wilderness at the base of the Kortos Mounts, and the feeling of civilization fades to the sounds of wildlife and forests.
As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser. Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road.
I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.
She smiles at you all, and then flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. L. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid. After studying the compass inside for a moment,
she remarks
We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.
Most of the trees in this section of the forest have trunks that are too big for any creatures to share their space. Sporadic patches of light undergrowth provide areas for creatures to hide while restricting movement for those passing through. A large rock outcropping to the east rises nearly 20 feet above the forest floor, and a small sinkhole to the northwest drops off sharply, descending to the ground 10 feet below.
As you start to get moving again, however, a tree crashes in the woods near you, followed by a loud buzzing! After a few seconds, a massive mosquito swarm comes out of the brush, headed right for you!
|
|
Starling begins singing, inspiring you to greatness, as Janira cries out
Swords and arrows won't harm them! Use magic or something that spreads out, like a flask of acid!
|
|
Dusklord scowls at the swarm as it engulfs the nagaji.
"I wonder how the transformation from death to life would affect these insects," the wizard muses.
Not having prepared any appropriate evocation spells, the necromancer removes a flask of acid from his bandolier and, once Nago has removed himself from the swarm's embrace, throws the flask expertly at the bugs.