Venture Captain Amara Li patiently waits in a private room of the Gilded Lotus teahouse in Hisuikirasu, the capital of Kwanlai. Beside her sits a tengu woman wearing a rich green-and-gold kimono and an elaborate beaded headpiece, her possessions and feathers immaculate. Her regal appearance is overshadowed only by the sheathed katana at her side and the stern look of an experienced warrior upon her face. Amara Li speaks once everyone has arrived and had an opportunity to enjoy tea.
“Some time has passed since I have been able to enjoy the company of distinguished Pathfinders such as you. Nearly two years ago, I expanded the Society’s operations in Tian Xia with the assistance of honored friends, and from there the Society has unearthed many discoveries once lost to this age. It is because of this matter that I would introduce you to my companion.” Shemotions to the tengu woman beside her. “This is Shiyo Takarak, a samurai of the Way of the Kirin, a noble organization we have worked with often and are sure to work with much more in the future. Shiyo has made a request of the Society, and it is our duty to oblige.”
Amara once again returns to her tea, as Shiyo begins to speak with a smooth and melodious voice. “Just north beyond the borders of fair Kwanlai lies the monstrous nation of Wanshou, a swamp-filled wasteland ruled by a vile elder kraken named Zhanagorr. Twice has he tried to expand his territories into Kwanlai alone!” She stares into her tea and regains her calm. “In the time of Lung Wa, our agents operated out of Shen-Shu, a once-grand structure now buried beneath a muddy swamp in Wanshou. Our records indicate a vault deep within contained the flute of the fallen emperor, Wise Zijao’s seal, and the second Shu coronation crown. The flute is your priority, but retrieve the other two relics if you can.”
The samurai reaches into her kimono and produces a scroll tube and a small purse, which she places on the table. “My agents report a mysterious wizard known only as Lord Rybos has begun excavating the Sunken Valley where Shen-Shu lies, most likely to unearth whatever riches were lost when Zhanagorr’s storms swallowed the region. I am told that Zhanagorr has eyes everywhere, so I suggest you avoid any settlements along your journey and travel through the swamps. I am providing you with maps to help guide you through Wanshou undetected” the tengu’s clawed hand slides the items forward— “and with coin so you might procure any supplies you need for your travels. I trust you will represent both your Society and the Way of the Kirin in a way that would make our patrons proud."
Amara Li looks up from her tea before adding,“Remember Pathfinders, you are heading deep into unfriendly territory. I suggest you use discretion while making preparations.”
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"Of course, Mistress Li. If I could have a moment to think about this mission."
Ralph closes his eyes and begins a soft incantation. Using his spell study ability, he casts a spell to commune with the many sages and scholars amongst his ancestors to draw upon any snippets of knowledge that might aid in this mission.
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Exiel falls silent as Ralph meditates on the details of the briefing, trusting his friend to deliver from his voluminous knowledge information that could prove vital to the mission's success, and preferring not to interrupt his ruminations.
Until the deadpan snarker in him compels him to quip, "so apart from retrieving the three artifacts, we are to obtain rooibos tea and calamari for dinner? Sounds good to me."
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"Though discretion isn't my strongest attribute, I trust in our more magically inclined friends to disguise us as necessary on the mission. We will represent the society in the most positive light possible."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Ralph opens his eyes slowly.
"Fears about this Lord Rooibo...dammit Exiel, RYBOS... would be well-founded. "
"Known for his frequent dealings with Zhanagorr’s heretical minions, the Servants of the Deep, Lord Rybos is a favorite of the elder kraken and often works on secret projects for him. Although completely unheard of until 10 years ago, Lord Rybos quickly rose to power within Zhanagorr’s ranks, a feat only accomplished by those who have committed treasonous or particularity ruthless acts in the elder kraken’s name. A native to the western waters of Minkai, Lord Rybos battled alongside Xidao warriors against the minions of Zhanagorr for nearly 20 years before suddenly defecting to join the elder kraken."
"Much of Wanshou is now under varying amounts of water, whether its submerged coastline, sodden swamps,or fields subjected to consistently heavy rainfall. The moisture allows the country to continue producing immense amounts of rice. The storms that the elder kraken Zhanagorr stopped not only flooded the country; they also heaped colossal amounts of silt and sediment into valleys and lowlands, burying once-prosperous settlements beneath many feet of earth. Over the decades, much of the sediment caused by the storms has compacted and settled in such a way that one can excavate it easily with only moderate risk of cave-ins. The absorbent soil tends to retain much of its water, yet long-term excavations often flood over time. Anyone exploring such a site should be prepared for the possibility of underwater exploration."
"I frequently prepare the life bubble spell, which should facilitate any underwater travel we need to do, provided we don't need to remain under water for more than 3 hours. In a pinch, I can cast the spell again, potentially giving us 6 hours in total. If we need more than that, I will teleport us out to give us time to re-prepare accordingly."
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Who/what are the Servants of the Deep and Xidao? Is Minkai an ocean or lake? Are these minions of Zhanagorr some sort of water creature or land creature? What kind? Is Lord Rhybos a land creature or water creature? Since he used to be an ally, is Lord Rhybos an arcane caster, divine caster, weapon warrior, or assassin type skills?
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Are there paintings or at least detailed descriptions of the artifacts? I would hate to come back with the wrong thing.
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“A group of masked extremists who worship the elder kraken Zhanagorr as a god. Though Zhanagorr is clearly not divine, his religious sect seems capable of conjuring some form of magic, and its members are easily recognizable by the bizarre, unusually tall, narrow, featureless masks they wear. Exclusively human, they are traitors to their people, serve their vile master without fail, commit all manner of atrocities in their false god’s name, and often masquerade among the common folk as spies.”
“Little is known about this mysterious wizard beyond what I’ve already said. He surfaced about ten years ago and has gained much influence over the Servants of the Deep since then. Lord Rybos controls not only the Sunken Valley, but also much of southeastern Wanshou. He’s focused his attention on excavating the Sunken Valley, but for what reasons I can’t say."
“Carved from the horn of the fallen emperor kirin Raikajin, the flute is a powerful artifact that supposedly bestows control over storm and sky to any who can play it’s mystical tune. Stories of the flute claim that its music can end the mightiest typhoon, calm a raging volcano, and even sate the bloodlust in one’s heart. Our records indicate that only a master musician can summon the magic of the flute’s music, which is likely why it saw
use so infrequently. Zhanagorr laid claim to Wanshou by using his dark magic to end the supernatural storms that nearly consumed its shores, but we believe that it was Zhanagorr who originally conjured those storms. I don’t want to see Kwanlai fall as Wanshou did; in the hands of a master, the flute—if it’s as powerful as we believe— might end any storm the foul kraken conjures. Although I don’t know of anyone in Kwanlai skilled enough to summon the flute’s magic, that’s something we will worry about after it’s recovered.”
“The honored Zijao was one of the first of our order, and his seal stamped our founding charter among other foundational documents. It should be in the Way’s possession once more, so that none might impersonate the visionary and dishonor his memory.”
“The piece crowned only one ruler of the great and fallen Shu Empire millennia ago. You would know it by its mithral construction and nine large emeralds that adorn it. It plays a role in the Way’s plans, but I’m not at liberty to discuss it further.”
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Lavode furiously scribbles the descriptions. Aha, so he is a wizard. We are practiced at dealing with those.
Can you give us a rubbing or sketch of the seal's imprint from one of those documents. A seal is not exactly an uncommon item you know.
Hmm... I suppose you would be worried about fakes. Well provide a portion of the sketch or rubbing. It would not be enough to duplicate, but would be enough for us to verify.
Is it known if the seal or crown is magical?
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"If we are preparing for sudden underwater combat, we should use the funds provided to obtain a few air bubble potions," Ralph observes. "The air crystals will suffice for Alden, Nienna and Naala, but Lavode, Exiel, 42 and myself will be greatly inconvenienced by not being able to utter incantations."
The tengu woman presents you with a map of Wanshou that emphasizes elevated areas that would serve as trails for you to follow, as well as a silk pouch containing 150 platinum pieces. The coins are shiny, recently minted in Kwanlai. She tells you that these are Way of the Kirin funds, and that anything purchased with them may be used during your mission, but must be returned if unconsumed. She looks stern for a moment and says, "We expect the Society to exercise proper discretion in using these funds. If you use them to purchase something larger, we will need repayment of the funds following the successful completion of your mission."
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A smile appears on Ralph's lips as he considers what spells exist that may be of particular use on this adventure.
"There are 2 spells I know of, but do not have in my spellbook. The first makes several targets buoyant, whilst the second can instill in a group of individuals a pathological fear of water. If I could be permitted to purchase scrolls and scribe them into my spellbook, they could prove...amusing and exceptionally effective against denizens of the deep."
"I will of course also be covering most of our transport and water-breathing needs. Speaking of which."
Ralph turns to the tengu woman and asks, "is there by any chance any reason I should not simply teleport us all to Shen-Shu?"
The tengu woman smiles. "If you possess the means to transport yourselves directly to Shen-Shu, then of course you should."
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Ralph grins.
"Excellent. Well, if there are no objections, I propose that we spend the day purchasing our supplies, then meet back here for a good dinner on me. Then we rest for the night, and first thing tomorrow, I transport us all to Shen-Shu. Venture Captain Li and Lady Shiyo, you are of course welcome to join us for the feast."
With the benefit of Ralph's teleportation you arrive in a swampy area, from which you can see the sunken valley. It takes an hour of sloppy slogging through the swamp to approach, but you make it with no difficulty other than sodden hems and muddy shoes. A floating settlement of boats, docks, and deep wooden retaining walls surrounds a large excavation at the northern edge of the swamp. To the east past this bustling area lies a lone dock that leads to the sunken stronghold of Shen-Shu, whose once-lofty balcony now rests just feet above the waterline. The rest is buried beneath dozens of feet of compacted sediment.
A lone dock leads to the west side of the once-elaborate balcony of Shen-Shu, whose algae-covered walls and moldering rooftop rise only a short distance above the stagnant waters of the mucky swamp. The covered balcony rises two feet above the waterline and connects to the dock via a wooden staircase accessible through an opening in the railing.
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42 glares at Ralph, "You need to work on your targeting... Those boots were new..ish."
"I was a little ways off, but I trust you will notice that my other spell has kept your precious boots dry and clean," Ralph replies evenly with an arched eyebrow. "Now if you are quite done complaining about trivialities, see if you can ascertain a way to enter the building."