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You are summoned to a vault deep below Skyreach in the Grand Lodge at Absalom by Master of Spells, Aram Zey. As you enter the vault you notice a five-by-seven-foot tapestry hanging on the wall, surrounded by a series of platforms and ladders to allow a close view of any spot upon it. The room is otherwise empty, save for the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Spells, Aram Zey, who paces impatiently before the Hao Jin Tapestry, glancing up as the door creaks open.
“Thank you for your quick arrival, Pathfinders,” Zey says curtly, speaking without making eye contact, as though his mind is moving faster than his mouth. As he continues his focused pacing, he gestures toward the tapestry.
“As I’m sure you know, we recently came into possession of this wonder behind me—the Hao Jin Tapestry—by winning the Ruby Phoenix Tournament in distant Goka. Within this piece of fabric lies an entire world in which one of Golarion’s greatest magicians placed treasures and mysteries beyond imagining. And it was supposed to be ours alone. This promise of exclusive access was made a lie, however, when the Aspis Consortium found a way into Hao Jin’s astral vault that bypassed the tapestry altogether, and Aspis agents are now busy stealing whatever they can move, hoping we will act too slowly to protect our winnings. Fortunately, a recent mission into the tapestry managed to uncover a clue about a possible Aspis base within the tapestry. That is your destination. The camp, interestingly, is within a great stone temple complex uprooted from the Vudran jungle many centuries ago by the sorceress herself. Since her disappearance, that part of the tapestry has been encased in a massive glacier. This temple — dedicated to a Vudran monkey-god, we believe — could prove enlightening on its own, notwithstanding the Aspis presence there. It’s a grim thought imagining what the Consortium has done to the place, but apparently more than three-quarters of it is still protected by the glacier, so we can still salvage a great deal. Vanaras — the simian humanoids responsible for constructing this temple — are great builders, and this temple is representative of the huge complexes that once graced the Vimada Forest before their wars with men and the rise of Khiben-Sald. It’s a representation of the cosmos, really, a series of nested squares with symbolic shrine-mountains all directed toward great Bahmenu, the mountain birthplace of the god Ragdya and, the vanaras believe, the center of the universe. This symmetry may serve you well, since it will help you predict the layout and functions of the temple as you make your way around it. Every corner of the temple will be fitted with a small shrine, all facing the symbolic mountain,” Zey pauses for a moment.
“Even an abandoned temple is a holy place to the vanaras, as it is to most of us Vudrani as well, and we hope you respect that fact. If you can save the sanctuary from the insolence of the gods-damned Aspis, it may draw the mirthful and enlightened eye of Ragdya himself upon our Society.”
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"Fascinating!" exclaims Max Kesi the Gnome bard as he pushes past the towering legs of half-orc and human fellow pathfinders. Dispensing with pleasantries, and interested only in the wonders of the ancient tapestry Max walks up to the tapestry, lighting it with a wayfinder to study the images while trying to recollect what he knows of the Vanaras, their temples, and the Vudran Jungle.
(if it's Nature, Geography, or Arcana it's +6 for all other knowledges it's as rolled)
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Than begins to think how to bring good to this Torag forsaken world. He listens with utmost interest the mission laid out. He also feels the value of protecting a holy place from those who would defile it. Thanagar looks up at Master Zay and says When can we leave ? He says with a deep voice filled with deep desire to protect.
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A tall, solid-looking human listens intently to the explanation offered by Aram Zey. He considers the consequences to the world at large if Aspis agents are allowed to continue their plans unchecked.
"I sense concern in my companion's voice, a concern that I share. I can only imagine what foul plots the Consortium is up to. In my first assignment, they nearly tricked the Society out of a priceless relic. This is a crisis of much grander scale. I too am eager to proceed!"
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A rather spindly Half Orc looks at the room’s occupants, puts down a tome he has had his nose buried in, and says:
“Yes, this will be a fine exercise. This will allow me to study a fine magical artifact in our care, and provide me a chance to leave these dusty libraries I’ve been studying in and engage in my first field mission as a Pathfinder.”
“Professor Khan at your service, Headmaster Zey. I have heard of other Pathfinders entering the Tapestry, could you tell us what we are likely to encounter inside and how we may return?”
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Crin looks around the room with eyes. Rather diminutive even for a gnome, he's quite pleased to see a fellow gnome on this mission, though the other members of the party look a bit gruff and dour in his opinion. As Master of Spells Zey explains the mission, Crin's eyes widen at the mention of the Hao-Jin Tapestry. He pipes up with a reedy voice, at the end of Zey's speech, "This tapestry, how are the Aspis Consortium able to access it? Can it be used to access other dimensions? Such as perhaps the First World? And, I would be interested to learn more about Vudran and Vanaran concepts of the universe. It sounds like such knowledge would be helpful."
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"We don't know how the Aspis are gaining access to the Tapestry, but we do know that they were attempting to establish a base of operations in a glacier. Our analysis of the patterns and shapes on the tapestry would indicate this is likely be where they must be doing so, but until you go and investigate, we won't know much more about their resources or any other Consortium threats to our operations within the tapestry," the Venture-Captain replies to Crin.
"It is possible you may encounter creatures within the tapestry," the Venture-Captain continues, "The wildlife in that particular part of the tapestry probably matched the jungle setting from which the temple was taken, and the advent of an ice age has no doubt killed or driven away the original inhabitants. There's no telling, however, what has cropped up since then."
The Venture-Captain sweeps his hand towards the tapestry, "You may enter the tapestry when you feel prepared. Each of you have slips of paper here that contain a command word that when spoken as you touch the tapestry here," the Venture-Captain indicates a particular spot on the tapestry, "shall teleport you to the part of the tapestry we are interested in."
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Each slip of paper is presented to you and bears a keyword upon it that, when spoken, shall teleport you to the chosen location. However, folded within the slip of paper is a smaller parchment, with the following information:
Many are the divine powers who stand against the minions of evil and destruction. While the temple to which you travel is dedicated to a neutral deity, the Vudran people venerate many gods, and there are likely shrines to celestial deities among them. But I fear the Aspis Consortium lacks our reverence and has likely already pillaged many of these holy sites. Do whatever is in your power to restore any blasphemed altars and give the powers of good the respect they deserve.
Dawnflower be with you,
Ollysta Zadrian
As ever, the true understanding of the past and the potential future is our goal. It is our tentative belief that the temple you will be entering might contain some surviving manuscripts of Hao Jin’s lifetime, including, perhaps, an earlier text of the Mizravrtta Brahmodya. Besides its importance to the understanding of Vudran secrets, it may shed some light on the ancient sea voyages undertaken by the servants of th e God-Pharaohs to what the papyri call Wutja-Ra, and the islands of the Seas of Verdure and Reeds. Locate this, and it will mark your afterlife for favor.
In the name of the holy dead,
Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage
Our wealth and power in the Inner Sea depends, in part, in our cargoes and caravans of spices and exotic goods from the far-flung ports of Vudra and its interior. But while we are the best positioned of all those who seek to dominate this pungent and rich region, these riches attract many rivals. Moreover, my associates and I believe that secret ruins and unknown rajyas may yet exist in Vudra’s eastern portions that might be still marked on maps or mosaics in this ancient temple. If you can quietly find such evidence, it would give us leverage to retain our preeminence.
In the name of the Satrap,
Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam
Having heard of the nature of your mission, we ask you to remain vigilant for impressed and unwilling members of the Aspis camp. The Consortium is accustomed to using captives for their worst work, and if the conditions within the tapestry are the same as they are in Consortium dig-sites and bases on Golarion, then we fully expect to find slaves to bent to their service there. But simply freeing them isn’t enough. We need tangible evidence that they are purchased slaves and not merely captured prisoners forced to work. Such evidence could be invaluable in changing the public perception of the Consortium in Andoran, and eventually maybe beyond our borders.
In democracy’s name,
Major Colson Maldris
Once you have read the notes, you are free to enter the tapestry.
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Seing Thanagar and Max disappear into the tapestry has Talwin taken aback for a moment.
"I've heard of such magic, but never seen it done before! Well, if they can do it, then I will not shrink from my duty. May the light of the Dawnflower illuminate our path!"
With that, Talwin speaks the word and vanishes with his companions!
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As you touch the tapestry, you are immediately teleported to within sight of the temple.
Symmetrical and colossal, the brownish-red stones of the Temple of Ragdya emerge from the glacier, hinting broadly at the scope and immensity of the vanaran complex. Sinuous nymphs, mighty tigers, and trumpeting elephants — frozen in ruddy stone — encrust the temple’s outer friezes. Packed snow and ice clad depictions of vanaras in jungle scenes, creating an odd dissonance between the climate illustrated in the carvings and the frigid conditions of the temple. The wind howls, and muted voices drift from within the temple. Even more eerily, a strange hooting and shrieking issues from the temple’s cornices and spires, as if by some magical or artificial means the calls of thousands of monkeys echo the sound of the arctic storm. A wide doorway stands unobstructed, providing ingress to the columned courtyard within.
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Crin looks around in wide-eyed amazement, then shivers. "It is cold out here. Or, should I say in here? It doesn't feel much like a tapestry. C'mon, maybe it'll be warmer inside that temple." He takes a few steps towards the temple, trying to take in all the details, especially the details on the carvings. "Hey, look at the leafwork on those nymphs, and hey! What's that noise? Let's go check it out!" He tries to determine what's making the noises.
and hey why not
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Looking around, Max takes in the environment looking for any obvious threats. "Did ol' Zey tell us how we get back? I agree we are not prepared for an extended stay in this cold and I don't think that temple sounds too inviting." Sinching up the saddle on his riding dog, Ceasar, Max looks back at the party, "Unless someone has a better idea I say we head in ... quietly ... I feel the quicker we get this one wrapped up and into the chronicles the better."
Max mounts up, and prepares to head in ...
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Crin spends a few more moments examining the carvings - that hooting effect is so interesting! He wonders how he might replicate the effect, and tries to memorise the haunting sounds.
Moving on, Crin tries to catch up with Max and Caesar, looking up at the gnome bard. "Great to have you along, Max, it's been a while since I've come across any gnome kin. Have you done much work on behalf of the Society? This is my first mission. You seem like a musical fellow; perhaps when we return you might give me some tips, I've been spending some time trying to master the flute." He shows off the simply engraved flute hanging at his side. "Do you know 'The Maiden Danced at Dawn'? Beautiful!"
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"Just errands for the Lodge so far, but no, not much work for the Society yet. That is a beautiful flute Crin! I would love to swap techniques!"
Excited by the interest in his craft, Max forgets he was trying to be stealthy. His newly acquired riding dog was not managing it well anyhow.
"Maiden Danced at Dawn? Let me see ... hmm ..." Max clears his throat, "might this be it?" Max softly sings so as not to attract the attention of whatever is making the noise.
The Maiden danced all night
She danced at dawn
The way she moves really talks to me
I'm going out of my mind
`Cause the way that she winds...is truly divine
She takes her time as she approaches me
Then she gives me the sign as she moves her behind
That only the gods could design
Like a bolt from a bow she makes a run
When she feels a beat the maiden
she can't be pulled from the inn
The Maiden danced all night
She danced at dawn
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The party make it to the entryway without incident; either there is no one in the temple or they are as far away from the walls that they don't hear the party approach.
Description: Four columns stand vigil in this open-air courtyard, a wide doorway opening in the center of each wall. To the east, a huge banyan lies fallen across the wide bridge that once permitted access to the great gates of the temple. To the north and south stretches a ten-foot-wide walkway running along the temple’s exterior wall. A wide moat of black ice separates this walkway and the inner complex. To the south, a crude wooden ramp leads from the walkway to the ice’s surface ten feet below. Two steep stone stairways lead up from the ice to doorways in symmetrical chambers flanking the main entrance on the other side of the moat.
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"Maiden Danced at Dawn? Let me see ... hmm ..." Max clears his throat, "might this be it?" Max softly sings so as not to attract the attention of whatever is making the noise.
Crin is delighted to find someone to jam with, and takes up his flute to accompany the bard. It's far from perfect, but a recognisable tune.
Then, suddenly realising where he is, he looks up, chagrined. "Sorry guys, guess we got carried away. If there is anyone nearby, it's a good bet they know we're here."
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Max stops singing and takes in the surroundings. Well, it looks like we'll need to get across that tree, or the ice to get into the temple ... I don't have a good feeling about this."
Not wanting to trust the ice Max does his best to examine the tree from his current vantage point for any surprises.
"... tree. ice, or follow these walkways ... anyone see another way ... personally I would prefer to die in a tree than under a sheet of ice in frigid stagnant water."
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Crin turns one direction, then another, taking in each of the doorways. "I say before we go inside, we should check the perimeter. Why not check that walkway to the north? At least, to make sure we don't have anything trying to sneak up behind us." Crin looks all around, looking for any sign the group isn't alone.
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Crin follows along with the others, taking everything in. Sometimes he has to hustle to catch up, when he stops to look at something interesting - he just has little legs after all. Bigs just never appreciate that!
When the party returns to the junction then, he has a good look around, especially looking at the fallen tree. He wonders what caused it to fall.
Perception check
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Roll Initiative, please!
A large Ulfen-looking man takes aim with a loaded heavy crossbow and fires across the ice towards Maxi! Fortunately, in his haste, he swings the crossbow at the last minute and the bolt shatters harmlessly against the stone wall of the temple.
"Hildr! Drabbin! Intruders!" the large man shouts, which is greeted with a sudden din beyond the door.
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If we are within 35 feet ...
If Max acts before any of the party harms the man ... With a flourish and a rhythmic chant Max attempts to charm the him.
Hoping that he is not Aspis Max thinks "This man may also have no love of the Aspis. But Aspis or not, the man may be a good source of information and may even be convinced to fight along side the us. We will need to get him to get Hildr and Drabbin to stand down though." Of course all of this hinges on Max's spell succeeding. He has never cast Charm in a life and death situation before. How exhilarating!
Max states to the party not to harm the man if his spell succeeds.
Max attempts to identify the man as local to the temple, or an Aspis.
+2 to +8 depending on the knowledge