You’ve had a few days’ rest in the Woodsedge Lodge before Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro welcomes you to the lodge’s meeting room once again, now largely repaired since the Red Raven’s assault more than a week ago. She is joined this time by a dark-haired man, slender and silent, clothed in a simple traveler’s cloak, heavy shirt, and wool pants. The dark-haired man stands behind Eliza as she gestures for you each to sit, a heavy chest set on a table beside him, a thick iron lock sealing its contents. Once you’re settled, Eliza makes a few gestures, muttering a few incantations before sighing heavily and directing her attention to you once again.
Eliza speaks, “The man beside me is one of my agents in the Grand Lodge in Absalom. He is not a Pathfinder, is not employed by our illustrious organization, and is my little secret. Therefore, you need not and will not know his name. He has spent the better part of this week gathering a host of information on Adril Hestram — his motivations, his reasons, anyone he spoke to in the Grand Lodge, and most importantly, the contents of his personal quarters.” Eliza reaches back and thumps her hand on the heavy chest. “All of that is in here. You can look through it if you like—I have—but it hasn’t told me anything I didn’t already know save one piece of information: I know where Odrian is.”
Eliza waits a moment to see your reactions and then continues. “If you recall, Odrian was on Adril’s target list, but it seemed as though Hestram didn’t know where Odrian was. At some point just prior to joining you in the journey here, he found what he was looking for. It seems Odrian leads a doublelife—apart from being a venture-captain and, let’s face it, likely a member of our Decemvirate, Odrian is also Prince Odrian, the Thurok of Arl, a city high in the cold mountains of the northern region of—“ Eliza pauses for a moment. “Well,” she continues, “a city on the planet Akiton.”
After the party's had a moment to process the revelation, she continues.
“It seems likely to me,” Eliza goes on, “that whoever took Adril’s body from this lodge likely took it to Akiton, as neither Adril nor any of his co-conspirators have shown their faces at the Grand Lodge, and since it was the only other location he was seeking and hadn’t found when he set his plan in motion here in my lodge."
“I want you to travel back into the Maze of the Open Road, find Condria again and see if she can’t guide you to the portal that leads to Akiton. As far as I know, Akiton is cold and dry but you can breathe the air, even if it’s a bit thin. Go there, find out where Odrian is, and find Adril or any of his conspirators should they still be there. I shouldn’t have to say it, but I will: I want Adril alive, should you find him. He has many questions to answer and many deaths to answer for. Any questions?”
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Do you mind? Markavious say as he makes his way to the chest. Has it been checked thoroughly...Clever folks hide things in plain sight He begins looking around the chest for secret compartments and such.
Before leaving Markavious casts Symbol of Mirroring on the group.
Try and stay within 60' of me and you will have a mirror image of yourself.
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At the mention of the red planet well known to his people, Kynrac nods silently. He listens until Eliza is done, then also checks the contents of the box, empowering his sight with detect magic.
"I do have questions, Mrs. Petulengro. Firstly, why showing us your agent when you could have concealed his appearance from us? Should Hestram overcome us, he could learn what the agent looks like and seek retribution."
"But for the most part, I'm concerned with Odrian. Do we have any way to prove that we're on Decemvirate business? He's boud to trust Adril more than us."
Eliza opens the chest at Faldoc's request. The ranger finds it filled to the brim with assorted paperwork and correspondence, all of it vaguely hinting at Adril's connection with some sinister organization outside the Pathfinder Society.
"In this case, I'm revealing my agent in the interest of mutual trust. If we're going to get to the bottom of Adril's plot we need to be able to fully trust one another. Wouldn't you agree?"
At Kynrac's second point, the Venture-Captain undoes the clasp on her wayfinder and hands it over to the oracle. "This is my personal wayfinder. Odrian will recognize it. That should be enough for him to know that you are there acting on my authority."
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Karu shows up to the meeting late, coated in a light sheen of sweat, wearing only a pair of culottes, held up by his dragon-styled leathr belt. His muscles glisten as his silver hair is tied off with a single piece of twine and his green cloth headband is drenched with the exertions of his exercise. An ape-shaped paw print can be seen on his chest above his heart: the leftovers of his death to the gorillich.
"What have I missed?" he asks of the assembled team.
After being informed, Karu steps outside the room and returns, hoisting his pack on his back and holding his ancestral blade in his other hand. "Let's go f+%# up some shit." he tells the group.
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Kynrac nods respectfully to his Venture-Captain as he accepts her wayfinder. He carefully puts it his his magical haversack.
"Very well, Mildady, we shall be on our way then. I agree fully with you, and respect you all the more for it. Only one question remains: what are we to expect in Akiton? I don't suspect there's a Pathfinder Chronicle published about it, but perhaps you could offer some insight?"
"Another planet?" Atum blurts, uncharacteristically. "I am prepared for anything. Which reminds me." Atum takes out a heavy bag and tosses it at Kynrac. He then more gently hands the elf a piece of paper. "To harden my skin more than the sphinxes already have."
After being informed, Karu steps outside the room and returns, hoisting his pack on his back and holding his ancestral blade in his other hand. "Let's go f$~$ up some s!~@." he tells the group.
Atum nods and smirks to his friend. "Indeed. And on another planet this time."
"Unfortunately the Society's records aren't terribly detailed in regards to the Akiton. I can tell you that it's a bit smaller than our own world and inhabited by varied plant and animal life. I believe the dominant race are humanoids very similar to humans here on Golarion. I've read that it's cold but not so cold that one couldn't survive with the aid of appropriate equipment or magic", Eliza explains.
Once preparations are complete, the party departs the lodge for hedge maze and the extraplanar Maze of the Road within. The maze's medusa guardian is waiting when they arrive, her head bowed and cloaked.
"Welcome Pathfinderssss. What passsssagess can I help you find today?"
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The road to Akiton if you would be so kind
Markavious will cast Extended Symbol of Mirroring on everyone, It is well worth a 10 minute break.
Everyone has a duplicate of themselves for 4 hrs 20 min
Condria nods in understanding and gestures for the party to follow.
After an hour of wandering the mazes's seemingly endless twists and turns, Condria brings the party to an arch of red-tinged steel, twisted at impossible angles and framing a shimmering swirl of reddish-orange light that sometimes seems to manifest an impossibly tall pyramid atop which rest thousands of red-skinned humanoids either kneeling or prostrate.
"Thissss isss the portal you ssssseek."
Condria pauses to consider the question. "Hrm. The large hairy one you call Adril left through thisss portal a week ago along with another brute and a woman with pale ssskin and sssilver hair."
"I don't think so, though it's possssible he brought them through one of the timesss he and his minionsss killed me."
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"Already a week behind?" he says. "It seems the Society is severely lacking in preventative measures in case one of their own turns." Karu says dismissively.
He pulls on his signature breastplate and dons his small dragon's head shield before nodding to Atum. "I await you on the other side, brother." he says just as he blindly leaps into the portal.
The very light twists and bends as you step leap through the red portal, time seems to stretch and pull at you, your skin tingles and then burns, and then, just when it begins to hurt, the world solidifies once more, only it’s not your world any longer. You find yourself standing atop a vast stepped pyramid made of enormous blocks of red stone. The pyramid has to be at least 500 feet tall and its base occupies nearly half the dusty city that surrounds it. All around you, down every side of the pyramid, red-skinned humans, their heads shaved clean and dressed only in loincloths and thin shirts, prostrate themselves on every step and chant quietly in unison: “Odrian, Odrian, Odrian.”
Just then a sudden, icy blast of wind tears across the pyramid, disturbing clothes, whipping at red flags, and causing the canvas roof above the portal to groan with age. Though in every direction beyond the city you can clearly see red desert, the air is as cold as a glacier and as thin as the highest mountains on Golarion. None of the red-skinned humans prostrated before you seem to even notice the cold.
But someone has noticed you: suddenly one of the mourners stands and stares at you from under a thick brow with large, dark eyes. Though he wears the same clothing as the rest, he carries a thick sword on his hip, a shield on his back, and a quiver with a few javelins in it on one shoulder. He regards you silently for a moment and then says, in perfectly unaccented Taldane, “if King Adril is yours, you can have him back.”
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"King? I think you mean traitor." Karu says, clearly still unhappy from the last mission.
"Apologies for whomever you lost, but we are on a mission to retrieve the wayward son of the Society and sever his head from his body as penance for the fellow Pathfinders he has killed or maimed." Karu says boldly.
Seemingly placated by Karu's words, the red-skinned man nods. "Perhaps we have similar goals. I am Kol Voss, brother of the Princess Verrish who is widow of Prince Odrian, Arl’s thurok. Prince Odrian was slain in his quarters by that cowardly beast Adril Hestram. I would see him removed and my people freed from his corrupting influence."
As Voss speaks the others around the party begin to break from their funereal trance. They stare at the party in rapture, as though beholding the very gods themselves.
Quickly a crowd starts to form, pushing at Kol Voss to move him aside — a dangerous move on such a tall platform. They tear at the party's clothes, grab for their hands, and shout in a strange tongue. Women try to push babes into Karu’s arms, the men kneel in fealty, and all the while the crowd pushes in closer and closer, threatening to crush each other and the party.
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Kynrac tries to remain calm as the crowd pushes forward. He shouts out to Voss.
"Kol Voss, can you convey my words to them? I would try and soothe their lament before something ill happens."
He then addresses the crowd, shouting at the top of his voice for everyone to hear his words, even if they can't understand him.
"Good people of Akiton, hear us out! We have come to ease your pain, to mend the wounds the accursed Adril Hestram has left gaping in your hearts. You grieve King Odrian, and so do we. Know that we have come to remove the traitor Adril Hestram to power, and see that his deed is punished accordingly. Please, do step back and calm down before anything bad happens here and now."
Voss appears annoyed by Kynrac's request but complies. Once he finishes the crowd stops clamoring for a few seconds only to surge forward again with twice the fervor.
"I should have known that would happen. They think people from your world are gods. They'll tear you apart in their 'worship'. We have to get out of here."
After a few treacherous minutes of pushing their way down the pyramid steps, the party reaches the ground. Voss is quick to lead the way to the edge of the crowd and once the party breaks free of the press of bodies the desperate worshipers do not pursue.
"Once Prince Odrian married my sister and came to power, the people of Arl began to know him as a god of Azlant. Fortunately, I am no such fool. Odrian took me to your world and showed me the truth. To told me that on your world he's a Venture-Captain of the Pathfinder Society and that he was a member of the Decemvirate. I think he believed that educating me would make me accept him. Little did he know it only made me hate him more”, Voss explains once the group's put some distance bewteen themselves and the pyrmaid. "But for all that I hated Odrian, Adril and the killers he brought with him are worse. You are not like them, so I can only guess that you are either here to stop him or to kill him and take his throne. Either way, Hestram will be gone.”
"If you would trust me, I have a secret chamber beneath the streets of Arl. We must go there quickly if we're going to find Adril before his spies warn him of your arrival."
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Karu sneers at the revelation bestowed upon them by Voss. "Are we sure that we wish to save Odrian and the Society? Any man who puts himself up as a god without taking the Test of the Starstone is an impotent man with dreams of grandeur."
Looking to Voss, Karu nods. "Lead the way. Even if Odrian is a piece of human garbage, Adril must be brought to justice."
Satisfied with the Bold Strider's answer, Kol Voss moves quickly ahead. He gestures for you to make haste, then ducks down a side street. Once you catch up, Kol is standing over an opened grate. “Down the stairs — hurry.” In the background, rising from somewhere over the city, you can hear a large crowd of people — a large crowd of people headed this way.
When the party descends the stairs, they find themselves in a dusty passage carved from dark, red-stained rocks. Beneath the dust at their feet is an ornately tiled floor. "Arl hasn't had a slave class for over a hundred years but when it did, these tunnels were the only permissible way for them to travel the city", Voss explains.
“Adril was dead,” Kol Voss says as he begins moving again, “when he first came through; the pale woman carried his lifeless body in her arms. The next we saw him was the night he and some of my misguided rebel compatriots invaded Odrian’s estate, killed his household, and murdered Odrian. Adril took my sister, the Princess Verrish, as his new bride and has ruled the city as a tyrant since then. He’s run endless games in the Crimson Forum, slaughtering anyone who dared to speak out against him and appeals to the worst part of my people's nature. His first victims were Odrian’s cabinet and city council and he’s since moved on to petty criminals and anyone who displeases him. Today he has several of my most trusted lieutenants in there and I plan to get them back.”
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Karu sneers at the revelation bestowed upon them by Voss. "Are we sure that we wish to save Odrian and the Society? Any man who puts himself up as a god without taking the Test of the Starstone is an impotent man with dreams of grandeur."
"And even those who do can not be trusted," Atum mutters to himself.
Atum stares straight at Kol Voss as he speaks. "Adril is a traitor. I did not know Odrian so I will not speak to him but, as Karu said, if he set himself up as a god and revealed the secrecy of the Decemvirate to you, then he was a fool. But our goal is to get Adril."
"Now, if you can tell us where to find Adril we can try to bring back your sister. How many lieutenants are missing? Where are they? How do we get to them?"
"I will take you where they are being held. There was more than a dozen of us when they were originally captured. I don't know how many still live."
"We’re on our way to meet my few remaining loyal friends in our secret sanctum beneath the Crimson Forum. With your help, we may very well face Adril Hestram today, save my compatriots, and rid Arl of the Beast.”
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"Lead on Voss and let us know of any impending danger so we may appropriately prepare." he tells the bloodthirsty man as he pulls on his Deliquescent Gloves and dons his Amulet of the Mighty Fists. "We shall end Adril's reign and let your people decide who to install in his place."
With that, he turns to Atum. "And then we will have a chat with the remaining Decimvirate about claims of godhood from its membership. The only god worthy of praise is the one who ascended from his own perfection, Irori. If the Decimvirate thinks they have reached perfection, then I will beat them senseless and drag them to my training hall to remedy the situation."
Just as Karu finishes, Voss stops at what looks to be just another wall in the slave passage and reveals a cleverly hidden secret door.
Inside are a series of linked chambers that may have once held animals of some sort based on the musky odor. In the center of the main chamber is an open double door of reddish steel revealing a 20-foot-by-20-foot room inside. Outside this room await a dozen men and women dressed like Kol Voss, but wielding a variety of weapons — some familiar and some quite alien. The group looks to Kol Voss with confusion when their eyes settle on the party. He says something to them in his native tongue and that confusion becomes excitement.
Voss enters the room and gestures for the party to follow. Once the group is inside, Voss's allies close the doors from the outside.
“We’ll speak in here, in private”, Voss says as the room falls dark save a sliver of light from somewhere far overhead.
In the distance can be heard a sound like tens of thousands of people cheering in unison.
“This problem we have with Adril Hestram must be solved at once and I know only one way to make sure it happens.” Suddenly the room lurches upward and vibrates with the sound of grinding chains. “Above us in the Crimson Forum, King Adril himself is about to watch as several of my closest friends are torn apart by monsters. He likely has my sister at his side in chains. Together we will free my friends and then challenge Adril to combat in the arena. He must possess Odrian’s symbol of power — the mighty Starsword — so I will swear the oaths of my ancient tribe and challenge him for the weapon. Should he refuse, I'm confident the entire city will turn against him. Together we will slay him in combat, take the blade, and free the city and my sister from his tyranny."
With the extent of his plan laid out and already underway apparently, Kol Voss pulls the shield from his back, draws his bastard sword, and looks up. The light above rapidly grows brighter and the roar of the crowd grows louder.
Voss meets the Bold Strider's gaze and gestures with his sword. "That danger you were asking about is coming. Prepare yourselves!"
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Karu hands Kynrac a small pouch of diamond dust as the Iroran Priest blesses him with stronger flesh. "Much obliged, Kynrac."
After the blessing from the elf, Karu sits down to meditate and his muscles bulge and ripple from the effort. Aside from the rapid growth of strength, Karu's body remains impossibly still.
After a few seconds, he stands. "I am ready to face Adril." he says firmly.
Suddenly the ceiling crashes open and the cacophony of the crowd washes over you.
The Crimson Forum is a large arena constructed primarily from the same reddish stone seen elsewhere in the city of Arl. Seated above looks to be near 10,000 souls, most of whom are red-skinned humans. Throughout the stands a handful of rat men, lizardfolk, 12-foot-tall, four-armed humanoids, and a few incredibly strange floating and pulsating brain-like creatures can be seen. Adril Hestram sits in the luxury box on the north side of the arena and a beautiful red-skinned woman, Princess Verrish no doubt, sits on a short chair beside the hulking former venture-captain, chained by the feet to the floor.
As the party rises to the arena floor, the crowd goes silent and even the monsters in the arena, four huge four-armed red-furred apes and a giant, freeze in surprise. Five men chained to enormous wooden poles can be seen huddling away from the suddenly distracted monsters. All are injured, weak, and sick.
Adril leaps from his throne, knocking it over in his rush to stand. His face bulges in surprise, his cheeks red and angry. “My friends!” he shouts unnaturally loud, “I’m sorry to see you alive.” He crams two fingers into his mouth and performs what can only be a magically enhanced, ear-splitting whistle. The monsters stop menacing the prisoners and turn to face Adril. “King Adril, your god, wishes you to destroy these fools! Kill them all!”
The crowd roars with approval.
At Adril's urging, the enormous clay-skinned giant roars a challenge and slams his fist into the sandy arena floor. On the far side of the arena a huge thickly muscled arm and fist composed of the sand itself emerges and lunges for the party.
The huge fist pummels Faldoc's noble hound with earth-shaking force.
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1. The order of their saves in order from highest to lowest. (e.g. Fort - Will - Ref)
2. Elemental resistances and immunities
3. Special attacks
4. Special defenses
5. Do they have combat reflexes or any other ability that will let them make attacks of opportunity.
Does Adril have any magic protections on/around him
Mighty Atum only connects once with his polearm but what damage his inflicts looks to be fully effective.
Markavious recognizes the four-armed apes to be some kind of Akitonian girallon. Like their native cousins, they are hardy but dim-witted. They have no special resistances but they can rend victims with their sets of vicious claws and possibly have some kind of specialized breath weapon.
The giant looks to be some species of Akitonian giant. It too is hardier than it is nimble or strong-willed.
The girallons knuckle forward to attack but three of them find themselves blocked by Markavious's wall of force. Impossibly, they begin to climb the open air until they find where the wall of force ends. From overhead two of the beasts breathe down a swirling cloud of stinging dust. Another sends a blast of sand across the party's ranks.