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In the sprawling metropolis of Merab, largest of the city-states scattered like jewels across the desert of Thuvia, the Twisting Garden Lodge provides a respite from the dusty, hot wind and the bustle of commerce and traffic in the streets. The expansive maze of hedges and sandstone walls takes several minutes to navigate, even with the aid of the guide who met you at the entrance and promised to lead you to the proprietor of the lodge, Venture-Captain Diya Akan. As you make your way past cultivated topiary in the shape of myriad magical beasts and bas relief carvings in the walls, you have the opportunity to introduce yourselves.
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Kridash, the half-orc, seems to be out of his element here in Garund. His pale skin is not used to such strong sun, and he frequently shades his eyes when looking around during the day. He bought some hooded clothing on the market just to remedy this, and - with the exception of the face - keeps his hairless head covered with the attire almost constantly. Not someone you would guess for a bouncer at first glance; what he lacks in muscle tissue, he makes up with his agile movements and personality. A few stern looks here and there can sometimes change the outcome of a situation, and he proved so with at least one merchant in the bazaar when the half-orc showed his disdain for haggling. He wipes the sweat off his forehead looking at the - if you can call it that - garden, and observes the surroundings.
"I usually like big cities, but the heat kind of takes away from the experience. First time in the south, too." He extends his right hand to offer handshakes to the other agents. "Name's Kridash, but I'll take it easy on you folks. 'Ash' will do."
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Shin in his leathers looks at ease with the place though his strange crossbow may draw a few eyes here and there.
He greets Kridash with a bow before taking his hand, giving it a good and firm shake.
"This one be Shin Bloodstone. A simple forestor, the heat is unusual but I'm sure we should be fine."
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As a native of Osirion, Mekhu feels at home in the dry heat of Thuvia. His dark skin is lightly filmed with sweat, but he is clearly comfortable in the current environment. He looks around as they pass through the garden and pulls out a small journal, scribbling notes in it with a stick of charcoal as they walk. He looks up from his book as his companions introduce themselves.
"My name is Mekhu Inebni," he says, snapping his book closed and slipping his charcoal into a pouch on his belt to shake Ash's hand. He nods at Shin politely. "If you're not comfortable with the heat I'd recommend light coloured loose clothing," he says, indicating his own outfit - a loose fitting white robe cinched with a leather belt festooned with equipment.
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"My dear colleagues, it is so nice meeting you! Ash, Shin, Mekhu ... Andor - I can see our names printed in the chronicles already." Andor says with a smile on his face.
You see a human around twenty years old in light leather armor, rapier and loose clothing.
"I have to admit that I just joined the PFS. So has anyone met VC Akan before?"
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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 awaits a woman, wearing a loosely wrapped red and white headscarf affixed at her shoulder with a scarab pin. Her eyes, though clouded with blindness, betray her mixed elven heritage. A dog with sand-colored fur snoozes at her feet, his ears giving the occasional twitch when someone speaks.
“As you can see, my eyes are not what they once were. A potent curse encountered in my adventuring days -- such are the risks we take! I am Venture-Captain Diya Akan. Please, eat. Then we shall talk.”
After a few bites, 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 gestures to a servant, who presents a letter and reads it aloud.
“What should have been a routine survey expedition in Merab recently unleashed an evil being of unknown nature upon the city. I have since felt the creature pulling at me and my sapphire jewel, as if yearning -- nay, hungering -- for its powers. I believe that this creature can sense relics of great import to the Jeweled Sages, and it is searching for something with great intensity. I dare not approach the city myself lest it turn its search on me. I entrust you with the task of tracing its path, determining its destination, and acquiring whatever objects it seeks.” The letter is signed by Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage.
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"Dear Venture-Captain, thank you so much for these amenities. And be assured, we all know that we do not need eyes to see the beauty and ugliness of this world and that vision can sometimes cloud our senses to recognize the deepness of our counterparts souls." Andor contemplates a moment longer and looks at the letter. "I belong to the Scarab Sages and if the renowned Amenopheus fears to confront this mystery I have to admit that this is a little frightening - especially as this is my first PFS mission."
Andor tries to remember details from his teachings that could be relevant given the information he received about Merab and the contents of the letter.
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Divs are neutral evil outsiders that sow misfortune and ruin. They have the following traits unless otherwise noted.
Immunity to fire and poison.
Resistance to acid 10 and electricity 10.
See in Darkness (Su) Some divs can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
Summon (Sp) Some divs share the ability to summon others of their kind. Each entry describes the success chance and type of divs summoned.
Telepathy.
Except where otherwise noted, divs speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
“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 hands over a piece of paper on which the following has been written:
—A woman under the care of Sarenites at the Temple of the Redeeming Sun started
raving in Ancient Osiriani, and no one can cure her. The creature could be responsible.
See what she has to say.
—A young alchemist is suspected of poisoning his customers. Offcial reports state he
blubbered about a “demonic face.” Insuffcient evidence for an arrest, so they closed his
shop. Talk to him—get more details. Could be related.
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"Very good. Excellent actually. ." remarks the otherwise stoic
Elf on the side.
"Although that area of Thuvia is known to be populated with outsiders known as Div. vile if half said about them is true. Corruption crossed with blood of genies."
"One fact unusual on these ruin, or so I have heard. Typically, such ruins are uncovered as the city expands outward, but this discovery was near the center of the city, where previous construction is being cleared to make way for newer, ."
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Ash greets the hossts with a polite nod, and otherwise remains silent for the duration of the briefing. He takes mental notes of the situation as they speak, and occasionally nods, confirming that he is indeed listening.
"I say we check with this Obahar fellow. If he is a scholar of sorts, he might provide details that could be useful."
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"If you please, Ash, Grey, and and Ecthelian, could you give me a moment alone with Andor, Shin, and Mekhu?" Diya waits for the other pathfinders to give her some privacy with the other Scarab Sages adherents.
"Good luck, pathfinders. Let me know what you discover!"
She bids you all adieu, and leaves through a private route, while the guide leads you out the way you came.
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Andor sits down and writes down all the information we received & deduced as a team including the potential sources of further information.
"Team, I told you that this is all new for me so do we gather some independent information in the city or do you guys always trust that the VC has done her homework in terms of leads?"
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Mekhu, like Andor, makes copious notes during the briefing, filling in the margins with his own thoughts and considerations. He stays behind when Diya requests a private audience and listens intently. With her message clear, he rises, nods politely at the Venture-Captain and joins the rest of the group.
"I concur with Shin. The longer we wait, the more damage this entity will do. And if a dig truly is loose in the city, the ramifications are significant. We should move with haste to the site and sees what this fellow Obahar can tell us."
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Ecthelien raises an eyebrow at the private meeting of the Scarabs, but leaves them to their privacy.
Agreed. Delaying will not solve the problem. A quick visit to this Obahar is the most logical course of action.
He picks up his gear and bow.
What is the distance from our present location to this fellow?
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The guide informs you that Obahar is at the dig site, where the construction crew unearthed the ancient complex. It is a short journey through the streets of Merab to reach the location.
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!” An older woman stands a few paces behind him, looking impatient but also ill at ease.
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Ash speaks out: "Hi there. I don't mean to be rude - the offer is appreciated, but we'd like to speak to Obahar if possible."
"It doesn't have to be a private conversation, if you wish to be present with your insights, but to prevent us wasting time by asking the same - or similar - things twice, it would be preferable if we could speak to both of you."
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"Obahar? He's right over there," Anaref replies, as Grey goes up to the bearded man he indicates.
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. Approaching him, one can see he is examining some old blueprints on a table near what appears to be the entrance to the ruins, occasionally glancing up at the tunnel and making thoughtful noises. When Grey speaks, he jumps, startled, and then smiles. “You must be the Pathfinders. I am Obahar, expert on archaeology 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.”
Anaref meanwhile answers Andor's questions: “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.”
The older woman, who seems to be the leader of the dig team, shakes her head. “My name is Kehlaviya. But I do not wish to speak of what I saw. Avert!” She makes an unusual gesture as she says this last word.
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Mekhu listens carefully to Anaref, jotting down his answers as he speaks but doubtful of their accuracy. The reaction of the older woman is more unusual, however.
Mekhu notes down her name and her likely Pharasmin-influenced superstitious actions in which she attempts to deflect harm from herself. He closes his book and steps up next to Andor who is already trying to calm the woman. "My colleague is correct in what he says. We are here to deal with this spirit and it's evil. Any information you might have could help us protect you, and the rest of the city."
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Kehlaviya sighs and reluctantly tells you what she knows. “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. Didn't see a tongue, though,” she says with a glance at Anaref. “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.”
Obahar steps up to Mekhu and whispers in his ear.