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An energetic kitsune with silky fur and two fluffly tails saunters into the Pig's Paunch. She wears a comfortable silken shirt in the Minkaian style, with loose sleeves that reach her elbows, stretchy black knee length shorts and glossy lamellar cuirass armour. There’s a fine rapier at her hip, and a crossbow on her back. She wears a single braided bracelet on her left wrist. As she looks around the bar her blue eyes sparkle with amusement. Her maw is curled up into a wily grin, revealing the sharp tips of her white teeth.
She wanders up to the bar and orders a warm sake, then prances over to the serious looking blonde's table and kicks up her bare paws onto a nearby chair.
"Care for a sip, Blondie?" she asks Ingrid with a mischievous grin.
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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Janira looks to the gathered group of soon-to-be pathfinders, "So, any questions or can we get started right now? Oh, oh, or maybe we should start with introductions!? Preparation is key you know and it helps to know who you are going to be working with!" she says with a genuine smile of excitement.
At the center of the Isle of Kortos stand the Kortos Mounts, the points on the island.
Entire tribes of centaurs, harpies, and minotaurs constantly vie for territory up and around the Mounts, with harpies being the most common at higher altitudes and centaurs controlling the lower slopes and foothills.
Also known as the Low Azlanti, the gillmen are an amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people.
During Earthfall, the Starstone struck Golarion and destroyed the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant. It is said that gillmen’s ancestors survived the cataclysmic event because they received the blessing of an aquatic entity that allowed them to breath underwater.
Most scholars believe the terrifying aboleths were responsible for the gillmen’s transformation. Any alliance between them appears to have fallen apart over the millennia, however, and the gillmen are now an independent people.
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Some time before the appointed hour a heavily armored figure entered the establishment and chose a lonely corner to sit and sip on some hot tea.
Observers would notice a bald head and clean shaven face that is young but looks preternaturally middle aged. Keen observers would not there's no hair on his face at all. His once youthful and proud face is nearly constantly etched into a stoic frown.
His dress is much like his face, once fine and obviously well made, but worn from many hard miles. The grip on his greatsword looks worn from heavy use, and his breast plate shows many dents and scratches, though well repaired. If one squints, one can see a symbol that may have been the icon of Iomedae, long since scratched from the metal.
William watches the pathfinders start to arrive into the bar, their exuberance and obvious way of handling themselves pointing them out against the usual fare of this Inn. He found himself lacking any of the hope and excitement of his confirmation, as he had already done plenty of work for the Pathfinders, sacrificed plenty as well. He wondered why he even bothered with this group of ner'do'el's that dressed themselves up as dogooders as he still blamed the Pathfinder's and their actions in that dust up in Magrimar as the cause of his leaving the Paladin order of Iomedae.
He still never considered it was his own lack of faith or weakness of character that cased the loss, which was likely why he would never find the link he sought again.
I travel with this rabble and these Pathfinders because they pay me to explore unknown lands and find lost treasures. Without them my researches would be too expensive.
And fruitful the researches had been. In his search to replace the lost link with his Goddess, William had found that by delving into esoteric researches and haunted items he was able to gain a spark of magic. By continuing these researches he felt his power continuing to grow. Evidenced by the strange, broken, compass he recovered on his last mission. Considered junk by all and sundry, he fell a pull from the item and found that it contained latent psychic power, power that he was sure he could use to enhance his magics.
Magic is nice, but my broadsword does most of my talking
As the group seems to gather he smiles wryly at the energetic Kitsune looking to cause some mischief. He could say something... but why bother. He would just observe instead.
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Listening to their mission, William is immediately interested. He had read of Gillmen but had never met the amphibious humanoids.
They say they are the last descendants of the Azlanti people, I wonder what ancient knowledge or psychic imprints they may have. This is a task worth doing
Pushing down his reticence at actually interacting with new people, William stands and introduces himself.
"I am William. I am handy with a blade and have some small magics at my command."
Satisfied at his introduction, William settles back down.
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As her sure to be amazing trick is interrupted by the Master of Scrolls rambling on about another test, the kitsune rolls her blue eyes. She drinks down her sake in one gulp, and pours herself another.
"Cave. Gillman. Not sure I can remember something so complicated..." she remarks sarcastically.
At Janira's suggestion of introductions, she lets out a yipping laugh, apparently finding this hilarious. She watches the dour man in the tarnished armour, and the other agents around. With a grin, she says something in a foreign language.
She hops up from her chair and performs a cheeky bow from on top of a table. With a toothy grin, she looks up and finishes in common, "But you can call me Hoshi."
Then she hops down off the table and sits back in her chair, both tails twitching back and forth gracefully.
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Despite being dressed in leather armor designed to be "in-style" with the latest fashion, there is little doubt about the heritage of the man who sauntered in just as the meeting began. Red skin and twin horns atop his brow clearly show the fiendish blood running through the tiefling's veins.
With a bow, "Well met Ingrid from the North, I am Izlin Greymantle. A true pleasure to meet you." Stepping over to the rogue, "I'm sorry, Hoshi was it. With all the noise in the bar, I thought my ears may have played a ... trick...on me." This last part added with a knowing wink. Shaking William's hand, "I have found there are no 'small magics' in this world. Every bit is a dedication to Nethys' generosity."
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Janira introduces herself in more detail as well as the party opens up a bit. "I guess we are doing introductions first! Good idea! Well, as you already know, I'm Janira. I joined the Pathfinder Society on my 20th birthday in order to see the world and sample all of Golorian's exotic cuisine. Since my joining, however, I learned it is quite fun to acquire and preserve knowledge as well, and I hope to one day be published in a Pathfinder Chroniclers.
If we get into combat, I'll be sure to advise you on how best to take down our adversary or tell you an inspiring tale about a famous pathfinder. I'm also not too bad with a crossbow, although I can use a whip in melee if it comes down to it." she says as she looks to the rest of the group as the finish their introductions with rapt interest.
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"And that leaves me, I guess." A wayang finally speaks up; and you were pretty sure that seat had been empty up until just a moment ago. The shadow from the booth divider must have obscured the woman, who is dressed in simple, dark colors, as if she didn't want to be seen. "I'm Vari."
"This is an interesting group of Pathfinders; very diverse. I look forward to getting to know you all. But we should get down to business, shouldn't we?" She stands and pulls up a closer chair, which she spins around to sit on in reverse, resting her arms on the chairback.
"Janira, you've been out there before. What can we expect? What should we prepare for?" Vari appears to have no knowledge of the area spoken of, having likely skipped all of those seminars.
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Janira looks to Vari, "As to what to expect, well, centaurs control the lowlands and surrounding wilderness of the Kortos Mounts. The areas farther up the Mounts are controlled by minotaurs, and the icy peaks are home to tribes of harpies. They’re always vying for territory, but with any luck, we should be able to avoid them and reach the caves without conflict. There’s always the chance we may run into bandits along the way, and there are dozens of kinds of predators in that forest. That’s why we should always be as prepared as possible.”
She then ponders about the disposition of said creatures for a moment before continuing, "Well...the main thing I can tell you is that Centaurs are intelligent and able to hold a conversation, but can be dangerous if provoked. Minotaurs on the other hand, while semi-intelligent, will generally attack on sight, so be very careful around those."
"As to what to prepare for, well, I'll tell you what I'm bringing, maybe that will give you some ideas." she says as she begins rummaging through her backpack, "Let's see... a potion of barkskin, two potions of cure light wounds, a potion of feather step, a potion of vanish, a scroll of entangle, a scroll of gust of wind, a scroll of identify, a sandwich...make that three.., a scroll of mage armor, a scroll of obscuring mist, a wand of burning hands with a couple uses left, a wand of cure light wounds with a handful of charges, some trail rations, an acid, two alchemist’s fires, one holy water, a smokestick, two tanglefoot bags, one thunderstone, an antitoxin, two sunrods, and about thirty bolts." she finally looks up after going through her backpack and blushes a little, "Always be prepared you know..." she says with a sly smile.
"I suggest something to deal with undead of all kinds, like holy water, something to deal with swarms, boy do I hate those things, like acids or alchemist fires, and probably some camping supplies like rations and fire starting gear." she says as she hands out paper and writing utensils. "Oh, and here, take these! Taking notes is extremely important! It could be of great use to you Hoshi! If you can't remember something, write it down, that's what Master Shaine is always telling me!"
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Hoshi smiles in silent amusement at Janira's antics. When offered the paper and writing supplies, she taps her own head. "I keep all my notes up here."
Oddly, she only hesitates a moment more before she greedily snatches the writing supplies from Janira's outstretched hands and shoves it into her backpack.
"Sounds like a long trip. How much food are we gonna need?" she asks.
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"How much food? Well, uhh, I hope your mission doesn't take much longer than a week, but since the timing relies heavily on the lunar cycles, you might have to finish your mission next month if we take too long. Of course, if that happened, you could always come back to Absalom in the meantime." she says to Hoshi.
“On to the official 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 fnd 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." she then looks around at the gathered pathfinders in expectation of more questions.
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The first phase of your Confirmation takes you through Absalom, leads across the Cairnlands, along a well-worn path that leads toward Diobel, through the wilderness surrounding the Kortos Mounts, and culminates at the cave entrance noted in Janira’s Confirmation report.
The journey through the City at the Center of the World is swift and without incident, and the long trek across the Cairnlands has Janira giving you a thorough history lesson on the city. Other than her history lesson, most of the journey is uneventful, although Janira might point out landmarks such as siege towers, distant mountains, or distinct flora and fauna along the journey from time to time.
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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 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."
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Once reaching the wilds, William marches along in the front of the group, naked blade casually resting on one armored shoulder.
Having looked over the group, William quickly realized he would need to use his armor and spells to shield the rest of the group from danger. Taking the role almost brought back a shadow of the peace he felt in his faith and duty when he'd been a paladin. Almost.
This will do for now, I will unlock the secret if I research long enough
He watches keenly as their guide pulls out her wayfinder, he had not yet gotten the opportunity to examine one yet and was looking forward to being granted his own for study.
That's about the only reason I am putting up with this "confirmation"
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During the trip, Hoshi walks relatively near the front of the line. But, after a while she gets bored and scampers off to the middle, then the end. Then she's back up near the front. She tells jokes and poses riddles to the group as they go, occasionally telling stories that sound plausible and also turn out to be jokes. Her yipping laughter is a common sound on the journey.
As Janira pulls out her Wayfinder, Hoshi glances at it for a moment, "Nice bauble!" but then moves away, bored.
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Vari seems to stay close to Janira on their trip, observing the halfling closely. Janira was a near-celebrity in the Grand Lodge, almost the iconic Pathfinder, and Vari hoped to learn much from the bard.
Of course, their paths would go differently; Vari had a far different skill set, but there was still much to learn about preparation and process that Vari could apply towards building her own success within the organization.
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Two medium, brown, horse-like creatures with hawk wings, talons, and hooked beaks land in front of the party and they don't seem too friendly.
Initiative Order, bold may go!
Combat Slide
>>>Eiche
>>>Ingrid
>>>William
>>>Izlin
>>>Hoshi
>>>Vari
Enemy
Janira
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Izlin's dagger misses the hippgriff, but William charges in and cuts one down in a single massive overhead chop!
The remaining hippogriff runs along the ground, charging at William to seek vengence.
and the hippogriff manages to land a nasty bite with its beak on William's armor's weak points.
Janira finally looks ready to engage with the enemies, "Look alive! Oh! Oh! This reminds me of the story of Selmius Foster’s race against a marid and efreeti on the isle of Jalmeray, which taught us that nothing is truly impossible and every situation can end in victory." she says in a rousing tone.
Universal Bonus:
An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Initiative Order, bold may go!
Combat Slide
>>>Eiche
>>>Ingrid
>>>William
>>>Izlin
>>>Hoshi
>>>Vari
Enemy
Janira
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William curses as the beast's beak finds a soft spot in his armored protection but he manages to shrug it off and spin his blade up and around into a viscous counter cut.
"Die beast!"
Even as he does so, he compartmentalizes a small chunk of his psychic focus into his protective brooch, bringing up a protective barrier.
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The party works together and utterly bombards the remaining hippogriff with numerous attacks in unison. The hippogriff simply can't withstand this level of punishment and falls unconscious from its wounds.
Combat Over!
"Wow, that was a weird turn of events! Two hippogriffs attacking such a large group? Good job on all working together, I'll make sure to put that in my report." Janira says pulling out a piece of parchment and some charcoal.
"Now, would you like me to treat those wounds?" she says to William, while putting the parchment away and pulling out a wand.