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We'll meet again
Don't know how
Don't know when...
Garedon, researching a new spell, sits up suddenly in his chair for a moment, scowling, disturbed by the ... "Hmm. 'Infectious' - yes, that would seem to be the word that has all of the proper connotations." ... infectious qualities of one of Miko Teppen's petite melodies. As an attempt at a cure, he composes a petite poem in the manner of a Tian school:
Under the gold crown,
Taldor's true glory, knowledge -
The Lion's domain.
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I'm sure I'll meet Garedon again.
Miko looks up briefly with a smile, holding a quill in hand. Writing her personal journal, she's been describing her newly found friends. Descriptions, notes, actions. A great tale of deceit, knowledge, investigation. Music. She writes, not to publish, but to cherish the memory.
Happy memories
A final few days before getting ready to travel. Where to? She doesn't know. With whom? That she does know.
Travel. Travel with the right companions, and you're safe. I should be with this group.
Miko feels unworried, to her own surprise. To her, travel has always been moving away from, rarely ever moving towards. With these people, though, travel is going to be moving with. Companions for travel becomes travel with company.
The road as the goal by itself.
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You are all summoned to the Pathfinder lodge in Magnimar where you are rushed into a meeting with Shelia Heidmarch. She gestures for you to sit and begins her briefing. "As you may or may not know the Pathfinders are still trying to maintain a foothold here in Varisia and we have recently heard of a job that may help with that. To the east on the Storval plateau lies the fortress city of Kaer Maga. It turns out that the local temple of Pharasma is having a bit of trouble in their Gobsmouth Ossuary and have asked the Pathfinder Society for aid. I have sent an agent ahead of you to iron out the details with the local temple. You are to meet up with this agent and perform the task the Priests of Pharasma have requested of us. You may resupply here in Magnimar before you head out, of course if you have any questions I will do my best to answer them. However some of the finer details will have to be answered by the agent I sent ahead of you."
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Garedon is unsentimental about 'remains' - valuable minerals and other fertilizers, and simply part of the chain of life - although a well-functioning ossuary does serve a distinct function, helping to prevent bodies or, later, bones from being acquired by necromancers and other malefactors. (Garedon, when choosing to specialize, avoided necromancy for its generally unsalutory effects on mind and body, despite its positive uses.)
Garedon, not one for polite attention, cocks one ear towards the Venture-Captain and begins searching through his chapbook copies of the Pathfinder Chronicles on various subjects.
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Carved on the cliff face below the city are numerous representations of gigantic bodies and faces, though who these titanic carvings actually represent is a matter of some conjecture. Some of these masive sculptures lead into the Undercity, a dizzying network of caverns, tunnels, and cambers, both natural and man made.
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"Having trouble? I don't suppose we can see a copy of their request for help. Knowing a bit of what sort of trouble they're having with the Ossuary might help us know what we need to pick up here in town. We'll be prepared for anything, of course. But being especially prepared for a specific case might be a good idea. Surely they gave some idea of what sort of task they need us to complete?"
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Arriving just as the briefing starts, Tuich pauses in the doorway. A smile creeps onto her face. I know the backs of those heads! she thinks with delight as she spots old friends and new. Again no Kawrock though, she notes with a mental sigh.
Still standing quietly in the doorway, her attention turns to Shelia as the woman begins speaking.
Her color drains a bit and she takes an involuntary step back when the Storval Plateau is mentioned. Wind buffets her when it becomes clear the party is headed to Kaer Maga. Magnimar hadn't been too bad, being as far down the coastline as it is. But this expedition would have to cross the Rise...
She tries to calm herself and Tooley so she can think. Departing by boat up the Yondabakari would make the most sense, and there's waterway to the base of the Rise below Kaer Maga, she thinks as she tries to visualize a map. But I don't know if there's a way up from there. Maybe sail to the Storval Deep and cross the eastern mountains? Or travel along the coast? No, you'd have to pass by Brinewall; no one chances that, and then all the mountain ranges...
She didn't want to think about the one sure option she knew: up the Storval Stairs. The exact route her tribe was taking to Asylum Stone when she cost Tooley his life.
Heart's sorrow renewed, eyes glistening with tears waiting to be wept, fists clenched, she stands unmoving in the hallway and listens.
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"We are acting quickly on this as there are sure to be other interested parties. That is why we sent an agent ahead of you to gather that kind of intel so you will hopefully have a head start on the competition. We will also be magically transporting you there for this same reason. What ever it is they are trying very hard to keep it a secret.
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Tuich visibly relaxes upon hearing of the magic transport. "It's okay, Tooley," she whispers. "We'll be okay."
Not wanting to disturb the briefing, she quietly moves into the room. Slipping up behind Vyk, she puts her hands on his shoulders as she leans over to whisper in his ear. "Have you been eating alright, friend? You look thinner."
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Vyk smiled and answered back just as quietly.
"Ah, good to see you, Tuich. And I can assure you I have been eating. Garedon has had me follow a strict diet and exercise regimen of his own invention to increase my Dexterity in battle. He's also been tutoring me in Spellcraft. Some of it I even listened to."
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With no further questions Venture Captain Heidmarch escorts you to another room where several wizards are ready to send you to Kaer Maga. After muttering a few words there is a sudden flash of light and your stomach lurches as if you are being pulled quickly in one direction though which direction that is you are not certain. As you find the ground beneath your feet again and your eye adjust you see a large temple in front of you along with a rather strange looking fellow.
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The man is dressed in a black robe with blue trimm, a large blue spiral is embroidered on it's chest. His face and head are covered in long black hair. When he speaks he has a slight lisp, "Ahh you are here, jusst as Sslipss discribed you too." He points at Vyk, "Except maybe you he ssaid you would have a magnificent hat on. Anyway welcome to Kaer Maga, my name is Kursse and I wass ssent ahead of you to iron out the detailss of your mission." He looks over both shoulders before continuing, "Sso there are two problemss, the firsst is that the Osssuary iss almosst full and recently ssome of the remainss have gone misssing. What the priesstss of Pharassma would like you to do iss make your way through the Osssuary to the ssealed door at the back. I have sscured sspecial permisssion for you to go unesscorted, thiss iss a really big deal according to Sslipss. You are to make your way beyond the ssealed door and clear out any monssterss or trapss you find. This will make more room so the temple can continue with burying the honored dead and hopefully you will alsso find what ever might be taking the remainss down there." He pauses a moment as if listening to something. "Yes I know I was getting to that part. The Ssociety is allowed to take any treasuress or artifactss from thesse unexplored ruinss but anything linked to the goddess Pharassma musst be turned over to the church. Any quesstionss?"
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Garedon nods knowingly, and with a bit of sadness, at the mention of the hat. "Indeed, the traditional wizard's hat - tall and conical, embroidered with important arcane and cosmological symbols - was magnificent."
"In what manner is the door 'sealed'? Have there been trespassers who have bypassed the sealed door, or was the door sealed in response to the disappearance of the remains?"
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"There are always priests, Addy. But most of them are layman. True clerics are rare. Paladins rarer still. Do not mistake their inaction for cowardice. Braver still to seek help."
"Likely the Pharasmins are trained as counselors and midwives. They serve an important function. My own birth was troubled and without the aid of a Pharasmin lay sister, I'd be dead, my body then likely pickled and sold off as an imp fetus."
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"Pickled imp fetus? But you're a--"
Oh, right, a joke. Lighten up! She smiles, and shakes her head at the memory of their hungry feathered friend. Sobering slightly, she continues. "Like I said, we'll be more than capable of executing the task at hand, and I, for one, will be honored to remove the sinister presence. But burial grounds are treasured by many, and venerated by Pharasmans above all. It's dismal to imagine that it was allowed to fall to monsters.... but that is neither here nor there, I suppose."
The half-elf sighs, and turns to Karse. "How long have these missing remains been... missing? When was it first noticed that they were gone?"
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"Sso many questionss, you'll have to help me Sslipss. Miko, only memberss of the Temple of Pharassma are allowed insside the Ossuary. There have been many inquiress and internal invesstigations on the clergy and they have turned up nothing. Garedon, the ssealed ssection is behind a locked door. Vyk Tyr is correct they do not have many warriorss and those few warriorss are sset to guard the current crypt. Now how long the bodiess have been going misssing I can only guesss at ssince the temple iss trying to keep a lid on it, Sslipss ssayss it'ss money thing. I would ssay a few weekss at mosst." Kurse pauses a moment to listen then adds "Yess we will get to that, you're getting ahead of yoursself Sslipss. Anymore questionss?" He asks as he cleans his ear with is finger.
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"Can the Pharasmans outfit us with any supplies? Perhaps some free or discounted holy water could aid us in completing this task. Or if they happen to keep around the ancient magical holy greatsword of their order for times of trouble that we could borrow..." Vincent is always hopeful for a freebie.
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"Now he's sskipping ahead too." Kurse motions at Vincent. "Well I do not ssee the harm in giving you thiss now." Kurse hands over 6 potions of cure light wounds and 6 holy water along with a mithril tube. "That tube iss a chime of opening with five chargess." Kurse holds up three fingers. "You'll need it too....oh right thank you Sslipss." He adds two more fingers to the three he was already holding up to make five. "Sso five chargess and you'll need to ssave one to get out as my insstructionss are to lock the door behind you. I am not to ssure on the ssize of the osssuary but they have been placing remainss there for centuriess. No more room meanss no more ssacred burial sspace and an end to the temples primary income."
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The sudden feeling of falling-but-not-falling, of standing still at an incredible speed, of her stomach's insides desperately trying to swap places with its outside. A feeling she's felt before, the first time long prior to her becoming a Pathfinder. And not a single time pleasant.
Still, it was better than what she'd dreaded: trekking through the Curchain Hills to the Stairs, passing close to where...
The breeze begins again, and she works to calm her spirit as Kurse introduces himself and begins speaking. But the breeze doesn't stop this time; in fact it intensifies a bit. Yet... a sense not of fear or dread or anger. More of... curiosity? Eagerness? Confused, she focuses on what the man is saying... and how he's saying it.
"Slips?" she asks quietly, rhetorically. "A... friend of yours, Tooley?" She studies Kurse, looking for hints she might recognize.
An eyebrow rises when the goddess is mentioned. "Pharasma, guide of the newly departed," she says quietly to no one in particular. Then she clears her throat and raises her voice. "Sir, as a supplicant to Pharasma's spirit sister Ashava, it would be my honor to assist in the recovery of any artifacts pertaining to the Lady of Graves. And I can assure you that you'll not find a more upstanding group of Pathfinders than I am blessed to consider friends."
Her hair suddenly blows across her face and her silks buffet more wildly. After a resigned sigh and a facepalm, she pushes her hair out of her face. "Alright, alright, I'll ask." As she accepts a vial of each liquid as well, Tuich raises her eyes to meet Kurse's, an apologetic look on her face. "Also, Tooley wants to know if Slips can come out to play."
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Music
Miko barely suppresses making a strange face at the holy water being offered. I mustn't be disrespectful. Even though I don't share their beliefs, this isn't my fight.
Still, holy water. As if I need "divine" favour to burn a zombie. Acid works just as well.
Miko shows clearly more interest in the musical instrument. Now here is something I can put faith in, she says, then hums a haunting tune to herself
In the bowels of the mountain
at the bottom of a hole
One mine in Hell city,
aching muscles of steel
No childhood songs curing,
or remorse healing wounds
Eyes like storefronts
draw puzzled-looking stares
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"Tuich it iss good to ssee ssomeone with a sspirtual connection in the group, that may come in handy at ssome point down there." He chuckles at her last comment, "Yes Sslipss can come out to play, as if I could sstop him. Now if everyone is ready I will take you down to the unexplored crypts. Kurse starts to dance along with Miko's tune as he leads the group down a narrow set of stairs leading down the cliff face of Kaer Maga. The Storval plateau stretchs out for miles from the dizzying heights of the cliffs. You approach what looks to be a large head with what appears to be a crown carved into the cliff face. The path you are following leads straight into this carvings mouth. Once inside the ossuary you spot robed and hooded Pharasmin priests silenty tending the deceased in his luxuriously appointed catacombs. Every space seems to hold some sort of remains as you pass until you go down several stairways were you see more and more open spaces for burials. Your journey down is eerily quite and ends in a disused portion of the crypts. Kurse unlocks the door which swings grinds open revealing a stone spiral staircase leading into the dark. In a whisper he says, "Thiss iss where Sslipss and I leave you, good luck and remember to leave a charge on the chime of opening to get back out...Oh and Sslipss ssayss it wass nice meeting Tooley and try not to die."
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Tuich pulls a pebble out of her pocket and waves her hand over it. The rock begins to glow as she intones "కాంతి", and she tosses it into the stairwell so it clatters down the steps to illuminate the far darkness. She casts another light spell on her aspergillum and holds it high above her like a torch as she looks at Vyk sideways.
"Tooley's never seemed to bother you."
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"We all die, but I believe I understand that you a referring to a particular, proximal frame of time and the activities related within such concerning the ossuary. I shall give your words all due consideration," Garedon responds to Kurse and Slips, but having already turned his attention to the fated doorway.
"You need not concern yourself with that possibility," Garedon reassures Vyk, "I do not believe it is possible that anything you could do could make me think less of you."
With that, Garedon tosses his ioun torch into the air and into orbit around his head, projecting an outsized image on the wall.
Garedon, too, looks beyond and then casts Mage Armor on himself and casts Unseen Servant. "Servant, walk forward thirty feet, pressing on walls and floors."
He then casts Detect Magic and concentrates while any auras resolve themselves.
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Vyk winces at Garedon's unintended insult, but bites his tongue at the first sarcastic response that came to mind. The wizard meant well.
"Uh, thanks."
He then turned to Tuich.
"There's a big difference between an occasionally mischievous spirit, and a shambling corpse animated by unholy, negative energy that hungers for death and destruction. And I'm pretty sure that Tooley would agree. "
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Vincent looks at the vial of holy water in his hand. "It's not quite an artifact of power, but I'm sure it will suffice."
Vincent sends his own Ioun torch swinging into orbit before proceeding down the stairs. "Come on, Vyk. Shambling unholy corpses hungering for destruction? You make a fun fight sound like something to be feared! Besides, if we die, at least they'll have a place to put the bodies." The Gorumite unsheathes his greatsword as he descends.
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"There's a big difference between an occasionally mischievous spirit, and... unholy, negative energy that hungers for death and destruction."
"Well, for now I suppose. But Tooley's not a teenager yet."
Her silks ruffle briefly, and she cocks her head to one side for a moment. "And he objects to how you labeled him. Though I can't tell if he's objecting to 'mischievous' or 'occasionally'," she adds with a slight grin.
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Holy water. I wonder how they do it, it must be a simple trick.
Miko is quite used to divine magic being not all it seems.
The same actually goes for undead. It's just a simple trick, and a whole lot of mental games, if you ask me. All stories: first they'll tell you bedtime stories, make you afraid of death. Then stories of the afterlife, to make you afraid of what comes after. Then the undead, they'll make you afraid of not getting to the afterlife.
Don't believe the stories, Vyk. Undead, they're just dead men. Made to move by evil tricks, but that doesn't make them alive. It doesn't give them humanity
Miko seems to put special value in that particular word, as if it defines her.
And for those who are afraid, I have this, picking a wand from her backpack, a little token of luck, to ward against those who would manipulate you. All it takes is a little willpower to activate it.
She holds out the wand for anyone who needs a little self confidence. And a casting of mage armor to back it up.
You'll have to be your own god. Don't let anybody put a leash on you.
She'll then activate it on herself, I can use a little self confidence in this place, as she suppresses a shiver.