Place Holder
The adventure begins in the Twisting Garden Lodge in Merab, an expansive garden maze surrounded by a few small buildings that house caretakers, residents, and visitors. The proprietor of the Lodge is Diya Akan, a half-elf who retired from adventuring when a potent curse—one that magic has yet to overcome and that she has accepted in an ancient tomb left her blind. The same mission left her quite wealthy, so she established this lodge to continue her service to the Society. Since Amenopheus’s revival of the Jeweled Sages, Diya has also taken an interest in that faction and lent her aid to the sages when she can.
It takes nearly five full minutes, even with a guide, to traverse the maze of hedges and sandstone walls leading to the center of the Twisting Garden Lodge in Merab. The path eventually opens onto a spacious courtyard with a large pavilion at the center. A voice calls out, “Please, join me, before the food grows stale!” The guide gestures to the pavilion, where cushioned benches line the edges of the shaded area and surround a large table covered in delicacies. There Diya awaits, wearing a loosely wrapped red and white headscarf affixed at her shoulder with a scarab pin. She is fairly nonchalant about her blindness, and just to confirm who has arrived, she requests introductions.
"So who do we have here?"
|
A sharply dressed halfling, Xavier seems to carry himself with a bit of an "air" about him as if accustomed to high society and fancy gardens like this. Once arriving through the maze, he adjusts his monocle and tricorne hat while assessing his companions. Even though his skin is a bit sun-and-sea-worn, his accent is that of a high-born Taldan noble.
As the team arrives, he tips his hat to each of you individually in turn. "Xavier Grayson Flaxseed, of the renowned Flaxseed family, at your service. A pleasure to meet you, and to be part of your retinue this day."
"Well nice to meet you all. I will try and commit your voices to memory." She clears her throat before beginning again, "“I am Venture-Captain Diya Akan. Please, eat. Then we shall talk.” Her eyes, though clouded with blindness, betray her elven heritage. A dog with sand-colored fur snoozes at the venture-captain’s feet, his ears giving the occasional twitch when someone speaks.
Diya continues. “If you have spent any time in Merab these past few weeks, you have no doubt witnessed the ongoing construction as this city expands to meet its fast-growing demand for housing. You may have also heard that an archaeological dig team accidentally loosed an angry spirit on the city when they broke into an ancient section of the undercity. Rumors are swirling, and the creature is causing serious harm. Usually this would be left to the city watch, not the Pathfinder Society, but—well, I will let the Sapphire Sage explain.” She hands a letter to whoever is nearest. “Read it aloud, would you?”
After you all finish with the letter. “Merab’s officials have requested that your first order of business be to inspect and clear the ruin. You may learn something of the creature’s purpose in the process. I suggest you interview the dig team and speak with the scholar Obahar, who is probably already nosing about the site. You can trust his assistance. After investigating the ruin, follow up on these leads, and any others you discover. We must discover what this creature wants, as Amenopheus asked.” She then slides you another piece of paper.
"Make sure to equip yourselves for the desert. Any questions?
Diplomacy(Gather Information) or Knowledge(local) for what you might know about the culture and people of Merab.
Knowledge (Dungeoneering or History) for what you might know about the ancient ruins beneath Merab.
Diya ask for the Scarab Sage faction members to stay back for a side bar conversation.
|
|
Coincidentally at the mention of writing new pages, Xavier remains quiet during the briefing as he is jotting down extensive notes, annotating them in the margins with commentary and knowledge provided by his peers.
Looking around to his fellows, Xavier asks, "Before we head off gung-ho into the tombs and suchforth and forthwith...do any of us speak the language of ancient Osirion? T'would be a shame if we were to delve in only to find ourselves unable to learn much, yes? As long as we're on the topic, what languages do you all know? If we have anything shared beyond Taldane, it might give us an edge in combat if we can utilize something our foes don't understand!"
|
A tall Kellid grunts in response to the mission at hand. A greatsword hangs at his back. He was so engrossed in the food offered that he kept quiet throughout the briefing. Wolfing down everything offered to him.
Upon hearing Magni's suggestion to go straightway towards the site, he stands up and joins the dwarf's enthusiasm.
Merab’s population has grown steadily over the past decade, and construction crews—such as this one—have prospered, breaking new ground and leveling old buildings to make way for new structures. It is not uncommon for workers to break through into a collapsed section of the old city—or more accurately, older cities. The workers at this site, however, had to halt their excavation when they uncovered an ancient complex that predates Merab’s earliest surviving records.
The workers stand idly by while Obahar, an expert on ancient history and archeology, pokes and prods at the entrance to the ruins, looking for any clues about the structure’s origin or purpose. Nearly a dozen workers mill about the area as a wide array of excavation tools gather dust in the corners. A bearded man busily examines charts and objects laid out on a wooden table shaded by temporary awnings. A muscular young man in his late teens walks up and says, “I am Anaref. If you’ve come to cleanse the ruins of evil, I’ll tell you all you need to know!”
He eagerly shares what he saw with the PC's,“I saw the creature with my own eyes! A floating head, with a tongue as long as my arm and eyes like ice. It tried to lick me! I asked my gran, and she says it was a vargywheel.”
"It was let me tell you. But, working in these old ruins have toughened me up and gave me a lot of experience in fighting off these fiends. The leader of the dig site, Kehl, has seen one of the fiends too. But, that one is different, and she does not like to tell the story very often"
"With courage....." He then quickly changes topics. "Well I got to go back to work. Kehl is over at the drawing tables." He say pointing over to the female standing at a board with charts on it.
|
|
"Looks like that well has gone dry...though not much water was there to begin with. Still knowing what you're not facing can sometimes be valuable in ruling things out. Best move on and see what Kehl knows."
"Good day...may I assume that you are the very Kehl of which the others have spoken so highly of? My name is Talhaearn Tad Awen; though I'd be pleased if you would call me Tal. Might I have a word with you regarding your experiences in the ruins?"
"I guess you want hear what I saw", She begins by doing a hand gesture then recounts what she had seen. “It was a floating head, like the others say— thin and ugly. Seemed to be in quite a bit of pain. Reminded me of a rabid animal. I heard it in my mind. It said it was looking for the dungeons, and that ‘she who wears the spiral of death’ would be there. I have no idea what it meant. I’ll admit, I don’t scare easy, but it scared the skin off me. Please kill it.” With that she does the gesture once more.
|
|
Xavier jots down the languages his fellows mention, circling ones that are shared, also jotting down everything Anaref and Kehl have to say...then making an annoyed sigh once parts of the former's tale are revealed as falsehoods, the sound of scratches on parchment creating a certain background ambiance along with muttering in the Halfling language about future investments in leather commodities.
|
"Greetings, I am Umrallorn Ironjaw Grimstone. If you must address me quickly, I ask that you do not use a diminutive. In the absence of any of my clanmates, a simple 'Grimstone' will suffice."
He steeples his fingers.
"I am quite familiar with the background of the area."
"Xavier, an excellent suggestion. Beyond the common language of Avistan, I of course speak my native dwarven, and am conversant in the common tongues of Tian Xia as well as the Darklands. I have made an extensive study of ancient human languages, including those of the Azlanti, ancient Thassilon, and ancient Osirion. I am also able to converse with dragons and natives of the elemental planes of Earth and Water."
Spying the woman's gesture and instantly recognizing it Umrallorn comments,
"You are right to be wary. Some sort of evil seems to be loose in Merab. However I do not think that your gesture caries any power beyond that of a common person attempting to allay their fears through superstition."
|
|
Umrallorn looks at the woman.
"What was your name? It may be important to reference in the future. It spoke in your mind, you say?"
He strokes his beard.
"Hmmmm. Telepathic. When you spied the creature, did you notice any unusual smells? Did it make any actual noises, or did it only communicate via telepathy?"
"In the tombs of course. Where else would it be. Now, I do not wish to dwell on this further. Leave me be, go seek out Obahar, he is the one who summoned you all here" She then turns back to her charts.
Obahar is found near the entrance to the ruins, and is seen bending over a table going over blueprints. His ill-fitting clothes are an odd mix of styles and colors and are in various states of disrepair; the only aspect of his appearance he seems to care about is his neatly trimmed beard. He looks up as you all approach.
“You must be the Pathfinders. I am Obahar, local expert on archeology and ancient history. I’m glad you’re here! With our combined expertise, we’ll have this all figured out soon enough! While I am eager to learn more about the ruins, I am afraid my adventuring days are long behind me. Please go inside and take careful note of what you discover. This is possibly the most important find in Merab’s history—aside from the sun orchid elixir, of course! Where was I? Ah yes. The ruins spat out one fiend already, so there’s no telling what awaits you. Whatever you find, return it as-is. When you report back, we can find out where this monster is from and what it might be up to.”
Obahar makes a unique request of any members of the Scarab Sages: he asks that whenever they make an interesting discovery, they take note of what their senses aside from sight—can tell them about whatever they found. He awkwardly explains that, after all, “the venture-captain will have need of such descriptions—the smell of the objects, the way they feel, and so on. Just don’t taste anything could be dangerous!”
The PC's leaves Obahar and make there way into the tombs.
The air cools as the tunnel leads deeper beneath Merab. Wooden supports shore up the walls in more precarious spots, and abandoned side tunnels show where the crew explored layers of older construction beneath the dig site. Eventually, the tunnel intersects a wall of much older construction than the surrounding area. Sledgehammers and other tools lie outside a hole in the wall large enough for a person to step through that opens onto a large room. The southern part of the room is largely collapsed. A sprawling message in red symbols covers the floor.
When you enter the cavern, the words on the floor writhe in a spiral, and a telepathic message broadcast by an irritated, deep feminine voice enters the mind of all nearby creatures.
“Pathetic slave! Your base obsession with secrets served its purpose for a time, but you have grown tiresome. And now you dare to turn this obsession against me?! Foolish! You could have served a higher purpose, empowering me for all eternity. Now, for your defiance, you will grow to hate your immortality. You will wallow in ignorance forever, and even I, your master, will forget you.”
The first room to the north contains chest that sits in the western alcove. The chest is locked, but in poor condition.
The next room to the north. Detritus litters this room, including bits of metal, broken furniture, crushed glass, leather strips, and shredded parchment. The walls, ceiling, and floor are covered in deep gouges forming words and phrases in multiple languages.
After a few minutes of investigating, the PC's can determine that the room once contained a table with thick leather restraints, a single stool, and a small writing desk.
|
|
”As a student of all things ancient, including languages, these phrases make sense to me. This one reads “I will seek the Dungeons, find the screams, remember your name, KILL YOU”. Well that seems a bit dark! Now what have we here...” Tal pieces together several pieces of parchment and makes a series of low, guttural noises. ”Sorry...just clearing my throat.”
”These writings date back to the Age of Destiny, around seven millennia ago. Fascinating!”
|
|
"Really! You don't say!? Seven millennia!! We absolutely must take care to preserve all of this for the archives...as well as some rubbings of the cuneiform on the walls..." Xavier quickly descends from listing what needs to be catalogue and how into making a list of what things need to go on the list.
The chest does not detect as magic.
Over a dozen small alcoves line this hallway, each containing rusted shackles bolted to the walls and copious amounts of dust. Three of the alcoves contain brittle skeletons hanging from the shackles. Frantic whispers echo around the otherwise-silent chamber, seemingly originating from the skulls of the deceased.
|
|
”These bones... Tal thinks out loud as he tends to do. ”These people suffered from multiple diseases...’twould be impossible for them to have remained alive long enough to contract so many deadly diseases unless they were being kept alive by magical means. That’s likely the reason these bones are so well preserved and are able to tell us their story. Fascinating!”
|
|
Umrallorn nods sagely, concurring with Tal's conclusions regarding the approximate age of the writings.
Thinking back to the message the party received when entering this complex, Umrallorn mutters, "There are several outsiders obsessed with secrets, such as nalfeshnee and doru. Given the construction team’s observations, it is far more likely that the telepathic voice refered to a doru div."
Umrallorn studies the chest.
"I unfortunately have no means at my disposal currently to open this chest. Though I should be able to prepare magics which will open it after a sufficient period of rest. In the meantime, I suggest removing the chest to a safe location. After we have finished our explorations of the site, of course."
"Most intriguing," Umrallorn mutters as he also examines the bones. He carefully packs a few away for further study.
Using detect magic Umrallorn studies the room, and proceeds to thoroughly search for hidden compartments and secret doors.
|
|
Before leaving Magni examines the chest searching for traps:"Aren't we going to try opening this?" the dwarf says, puzzled by everyone ignoring the chest.
He then follows the others into the next room and listens to Talhaeran's explanation.
"Someone might have experimented on them. Cultists of some evil deity perhaps?"
|
|
[dice=Perception check]1d20+10
Before leaving Magni examines the chest searching for traps:"Aren't we going to try opening this?" the dwarf says, puzzled by everyone ignoring the chest.
"Magni, in the absence of the key, I do not possess the skills to open this device. No other of our number can, then I suggest we transport it, carefully, from this place once we have completed our survey. When I refresh my spells tomorrow I will prepare one which will."