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Freydis enters the gathering place and sets her spear against the wall. "Ho! Who're my hunting companions today? The other brave sorts assigned to see what the earthquake cracked open?" the Ulfen woman questions the room at large. Her voice is loud, gravely and irritates your ears; it is a sound not congruent with her feminine features.
The pelts she wears seem too heavy for the climate on Kortos, but the woman seems comfortable. Next to her mane of golden hair spilling over her shoulders sits a bird. A bird with feathers the blackest you've ever seen and shimmering white specks that shift as Freydis moves across the floor sits on her shoulder. The thrush whistles a song, a beautiful and pleasing sound.
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A skinny yet solid man sits at a table, playing nervously with a small coin dancing through the fingers of one hand. At the woman's call, he flinches, and drops the coin, which begins to roll toward the edge of the table. A look of annoyance crosses his face, as he extends his hand, and the coin stops and snaps back into his hand. He looks up at the woman with the bird on her shoulder.
He nods to her and says, in a simple and quiet voice, "Zandu. And you are?"
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"Freydis! Freydis Lunskalla from the Thanelands," she says as she briskly closes in on Zandu, extending a strong but soft hand in greeting. Closer, the woman's irises seem to be shifting pools of blues and greens. Her skin seems to glow, but after a moment it becomes clear that she is only reflection a soft, inviting light that radiates from the thrush. "I'm a hunter-priest of the auroras."
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Zandu extends his own hand, dropping the coin he had been holding in it to do so. The coin dropped for a second, but before hitting the table, it stopped, hovering in midair. He shakes her hand briefly, then releases, perhaps a fraction of a second quicker than normal. "Nice to meet you." He then calls the coin back to his hand, and resumes fidgeting with it. "Been with the Society long?"
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You are led through the Great Hall of Skyreach past a large table with a shifting illusionary Inner Sea map on its massive surface. Standing around the Hall are dozens of pathfinders of various races exchanging stories of their exploits. You are directed towards a smaller meeting room, past an ornate fountain with crystal clear water. You can feel the chill from the cascading droplets as some splash you on their descent to the pool.
The placard before the room reads, “The Pipeweed Nook”. Opening the door you see a long table, chairs, and an imposing looking man sitting before a fireplace. He taps the ashes from his mahogany pipe into his palm and then throws them onto the flames. He smiles.
“Welcome initiates,“ he says in a friendly, laid-back manner. “I am pleased you could come so soon. I am Venture Captain Adril Hestram, and I have a task for you. Recently an earthquake struck the city, costing countless gold in damages as you can imagine. But it also caused a sealed siege tower from one of Absalom’s many, past, would-be-conquerors, to crack open like an egg.
“Word on the street is that no one has yet searched ‘the Fallen Fortress’, as the locals are calling it. However, against my commands, a young Pathfinder like yourselves, named Balenar Forsend, set off to explore the ruins alone. Now he is missing.
“While I applaud Balenar’s intentions, by going off against my words, he has violated the Pathfinder Oath, to explore, cooperate, and report. Hopefully he is still alive to full fill the last part of that oath.”
He clears his throat and stands, handing over a map of the Cairnlands marked with the location of this ‘Fallen Fortress’.
“Don’t forget initiates, during your explorations, keep your eyes peeled for anything that could be of interest to the society, especially historical or religious artifacts. Good luck to you all."
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From the back of the room, a large hulking figure emerges from the shadow. Clad in scale armor and hefting a shield on her back, it is evident from the tusks in her mouth of her half-orc heritage. "Sarenrae has bid me go on this adventure" she says briskly grabbing the map before anyone else has the chance. Glancing around at the others "Who else among you is brave enough to venture forth for the glory of Sarenrae and the Pathfinders?"
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Cornelius saunters into the venture captain's room and quickly finds a wall to lean against. He listens to Hestram's accounting of the earthquake and snorts when he mentions the cost of the damages.
When Murdoth walks up to the table he follows her. He tries to get a glimpse of the map before she grabs it. "Hah! Sarenrae? A half-orc following the Dawnflower?" He laughs. "Now I've heard of everything." He attempts to snatch the map from her hands. "Here, let me look at that."
He turns to everyone else. "I'm Cornelius, by the way. Most people just call me 'cork'. Not 'corky'. Just 'cork'."
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"Thank you, Venture Captain." Freydis nods to Hestram and then turns as Murdoth declares her challenge.
"I, Fredyis Lunskalla, hunter-priestess of the auroras, am brave enough. How shall I call you, O fiery warrior?" she replies to the sturdy woman. The preternaturally black thrush on her shoulder sings soothingly.
"Nice to meet you, Cork. I met Zandu on the way here."
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Having followed everyone else into the room, Zandu has stayed fairly quiet in the back, leaning against the wall. He is still fidgeting with his coin the whole time, even as his gaze settles intently on the Captain. He nods briefly when Freydis mentions him, and responds with a simple "Well met. Looking forward to this."
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The kitsune in the group, wearing an outrageous hat, steps in the middle of the room.
"I, Rrenarrdagnan, am herre to prrove my worrth and skills to be no lesserr than of my fatherr's. This rrescue and rreconnaissance mission is a grreat opporrtunity, as I seek rrecognition to follow him to the Galtian rroyal musketeerrs. Err, rrepublican musketeerrs, no, the Galtian rrevolutionarry musketeerrs!" he introduces himself pompously, with a Galtian accent. The accent is clearly fake to most people.
He snaps out his rapier and performs a series of thrusts and parries against an imaginary opponent.
"And so, with my fatherr's trrusty rrapierr, I will defeat any opponents, and prrotect the beautiful ladies!"
With a complicated maneuver, he tips his hat and bows to Murdoth and Freydis.
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A hooded figure carrying a very large volume attached to a rope about his belt stands closest in the corner. He lowers his hood to show the pointed nose and delicate whiskers of a Ratfolk. Perched on his snout are a pair of glasses so thick his eyes seem three times as wide as they should normally be. He sniffs the air carefully, as if getting the smell of each of his compatriots in turn. His fur is a soft grey and his eyes black as midnight, and his brown tail swishes softly behind him, a razor like blade tied onto the end.
It would be m-m-m-m-most appreciated M-m-m-mr. R-r-r-renardagnan if you found it in you heart to protect those of us who are not so b-b-beautiful.
He holds open his large tome and flips it open to a page. Noticeably, his voice his stronger, less hesitant, and no trace of the wavering stutter as he reads.
Sarenrae. Goddess of healing, honesty, redemption, and the sun. A fine deity for you to follow.
He snaps the book shut audibly.
I s-sadly do not s-share your devotion to the d-dawnflower. However, I agree we should do our best to rescue our p-pathfinder brother as we explore.
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Remmy nods.
Thank you. It is most appreciated.
When the venture captain interrupts, he shifts his pack.
I have all my necessities. I s-suggest we make haste as w-ell.
He grins, showing off his large rat teeth.
Besides, the s-sooner we get walking, the s-sooner we can stop for lunch. I have a w-wonderful recipe I'd like you all to t-try.
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Cork nods in Freydis's direction. "Nice to meet you too." He scans the other faces and is intrigued when the shadowed ratfolk emerges from the corner. The weathered magus raises a brown eyebrow in the rat's direction as he reads from the book. A slight smirk forms on his stubble covered face and he nods his head appreciatively.
Cork turns back towards Renardagan, "Well, we certainly have a motley band, hopefully not of fools, here." He digs in his pocket and pretends to pull out a coin. He flips the imaginary coin towards the venture captain. "For luck!"
With that Cork moves toward the exit along with the others who are starting to move. He nudges the rat, "So you cook? I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got. Spent way too many times trying to live off of a ship cook's slop."
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Remmy smiles and nods. His voice seems happily animated as he talks about food.
Why yes, I do. W-while I'm no m-master yet, I've been t-told that my recipes are more than adequate, and I hope to find some interesting ingredients in my exp-plorations. I'm hoping to t-try a multi-cheese mash with onions and a s-spiced S-sausage I created...
The grin as he mentions the sausage and pushes his glasses back up his nose gives him a slightly villainous look, like a evil mastermind describing his master plan to a hero rather than a simple recipe.
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Renardagnan is momentarily stunned by Remmy's comment, but quickly recovers. "Erm, but, of courrse! I was just so overrwhelmed by the beauty of ourr ladies I didn't notice you. I fight forr all good and purre!" he declares.
Following the others, Renardagnan leaves the room. He pays no attention to the map, just follows and concentrates on looking formidable.
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You immediately leave Skyreach and arrive in the Cairnlands by noon. As you follow the directions on your map, you see the tower off on the horizon. The ruined siege castle now being called the Fallen Fortress rises out of the churned earth of the Cairnlands. No doors or windows mar the otherwise smooth expanse of the tower’s walls. The tower is quatrefoil in plan; its eastern wing has largely collapsed, exposing the interior floors to the open air. Only the topmost level seems whole, though its eastern portion hangs precariously over the mountain of rubble left by the collapse. At ground level, the rubble frames a gaping hole in the side of the building that provides access to the tower’s darkened interior.
As you approach the tower you see 3 dogs fighting over the remains of a rabbit. They sniff the air, smelling your presence, and give you a menacing growl as they look your way.
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Freydis raises her eyebrows in surprise as the rabbit corpse begins to bounce and flop across the ground. "Interesting power. Just in case that fails..."
The Ulfen shaman removes a bundle of mistletoe and holly from her belt and speaks in an unrecognizable tongue for a moment and then stops. Nothing extravagant happens. She watches the dogs and waits.
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Remmy blinks as the rabbit bounces away. "Most useful indeed."
He shifts his glasses and hangs his book at his belt, flexing his claws a bit in case the dogs decide to come at them
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Cork chuckles at the bouncing rabbit. He glances at Zandu with a sly grin. "Nifty trick. I can think of some interesting uses for that." Cautiously watching to see if the dogs chase their fleeing prey, Cork draws his cutlass from the sheath hanging at his side. The slim steel blade rings slightly as he pulls it free.
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The three mutts all start to growl at the rabbit, as their lunch starts to move and 'run' away. They attempt to pounce on the corpse as Zandu moves it well out of the way of the path. As Freydis shouts out to them, they look back at the party unconcerned, then continue to tear into their meal. No longer seeing you as a threat to steal their food, they pay you no mind.
The tower standing before you is over 80 feet tall and its exterior walls are amazingly smooth. The ragged remains of the collapsed east wing wall are strewn about. You see 2 entrances to the tower on the ground level, one each to the north and south of the collapsed wing.
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Zandu grins at the reactions of his companions as the dogs chase the rabbit away. "It can be handy, for sure" he says, as he starts fiddling with his coin again. If you look closely, you can see the coin periodically leave his hand and curve back up into it.
He willingly follows Murdoth's lead toward the north entrance.
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Remmy sniffs the air and peers through his glasses.
"yes, let us s-sally forth."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The northern wing of the tower seems to have escaped the worst effects of the collapse, but rubble still litters the floor and everything is covered in a thick layer of stone dust. Thick cobwebs cloak the ceiling and hang down the walls like gossamer tapestries. A single archway stands open in the southwest wall.
-2 sight/heading, +2 sight
As you enter the room, you notice the ceiling and walls are covered in large spider webs. A funnel shaped nest hangs 10 feet above the floor and Murdoth and Zandu are just able to make out the movement of the builder before it strikes.
Surprise Round
Zandu
Murdoth
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Spider
Round 1
Zandu
Renardagnan
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Spider
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Cork
Freydis
Murdoth
Remmy
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As Murdoth makes her way into the room, carefully avoiding the rubble, Zandu sends a coin flying at the spider which manages to sever one of it's legs. The now seven legged spider spits a sticky web at the encroaching warpriest, rooting her to the ground.
Round 1
Zandu
Renardagnan
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Spider (-8)
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Cork
Freydis
Murdoth (entangled, DC 12 Escape Artist or Str check to break free, you take a -4 penalty on the roll)
Remmy
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"Ha! A worrthy challenge!" Renardagnan shouts and jumps into the room, beside Murdoth. Not able to reach the spider, he just takes a stance and tries to draw the creature's attention.
"Come herre, and fight like an honorrable spiderr!" he taunts.
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Immediately after tangling Murdoth in its sticky web, Zandu uses his mind to throw a large piece of the collapsed tower at the spider, squashing it for good. Renardagnan valiantly challenges the pile of crumpled legs to a fight, if it should ever get up again.
Out of combat!
A small cocoon hangs in the webs, holding the remains of an unfortunate dog that fell into the spider’s clutches. The desiccated carcass is still wearing its leather collar, which is studded with lapis lazuli stones and has a silver tag reading “Kita.”
As you explore the first floor further, you find the tower’s west wing is mostly choked with rubble, but a door in the eastern wall is still accessible. The door leads to a stone spiral staircase that runs through the center of the tower. Unfortunately, the stairway is also blocked with fallen rubble. The southern wing is almost entirely full of rubble and can't even be passed through.
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Remmy picks his way over to the downed spider and pokes it a bit.
The Mwangi have a lovely b-baked s-spider recipe. The t-trick is b-building a oven large enough to b-bake a giant s-spider in...
Remmy hears Freydis ask for assistance and nods.
A most intelligent p-plan Freydis, that will make our c-continued p-passage much easier than d-digging out the s-stairway.