The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: “Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
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 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 you 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're about to explore during your own Confirmation.”
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 gillman.”
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.
Jainira pulls out a large leather-bound journal and opens it on the table. “Before we set out, we should all get to know each other and review our plan. After all, the most important factors that determine whether an expedition will be a success are cooperation and preparation! I’ll go first!”
The 2’ 10” tall halfling pauses for a moment smiling, then begins her introduction, “My name is Janira Gavix. I am the oldest of 7 and grew up in Eastgate, where my father still works as a porter who employs a dog cart to transport purchased goods from ships and shops to the homes of customers. I joined the Pathfinder Society about 4 years ago after coming of age. I wanted to see the world and sample all the fine food it has to offer. Though this is still a life-long goal, training with Master Shaine has awakened my thirst for knowledge.” She sits back in her chair and looks at the others at the table, ”Enough about me! I want to hear about my travel companions.”
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Another halfling, slightly taller and dressed in rumpled black leathers, mournfully looks at his now empty cup and the loss of an excuse it held. "Me name is Alistair UnderRoad. I used to be a guard but decided to try my hand and something more exciting than paying attention to the same 100ft stretch of wall for the rest of my life. I can't claim to be to interested in expanding my knowledge, but do loo forward to gaining a tale or two of glory under me belt."
He gestures to the strapped and unloaded Crowwbow hanging over his right shoulder, "I'm able to contribute in danger though, no worries about that"
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This 1/2Orc stands up excitedly. This is it our chance to prove ourselves. Like Kreighton Shaine said great things start small, but grow into something incredible. I used to drive trade wagons, not very well, an that is why I am here. FORTUNE an GLORY! That's right, I said it. I want to sit on a mountain of gold an gems, and spend it all on whatever I want. I want my name written down in books to last thousands of years. Oh, and statues lots of those, and I want the same for all my team. That's right team, for if there's one thing I've learned it's that you can't get there by yourself. My skills lye in the use of words, and the steal in my hand. Nivla then finishes off his pint of ale, sits down an says NEXT!
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"Здравствуйте товарищи" A man says in a strange language. "I mean 'Hello Comrades'" He corrects himself. He speaks with an odd, unheard of accent. "My name is Boris. I am here because of the doings of the witch Baba Yaga. She stole me from my mother Russia, in the midst of glorious revolution! And left me here. Cука! She also turned me into the Kitsune form as lesson, she said. I have learned much of my time here and have thought that this society is my best bet to find her and my way home. So it is a pleasure to prove myself!" He finishes his speech, pouring himself a small glass of clear liquid that he drinks it in a single gulp.
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An hour before dawn??? An HOUR before Dawn?!? as Holly rereads the note several times, even looking on the back for some clarification of an obvious misprint. "Don't they have any sense of civility, an hour before dawn" Holly mutters to the letter. Holly goes down the stairs to the inn keeper in slippered stockings and asks in a sweet voice, "Can you have someone wake me at, um, at, ah, what time does the sun come up? Ok, can someone wake about two hours before that time?" as Holly shutters at how early it is.
Rushing into the Pig's Paunch about 10 minutes late is a short halfling female, dressed in nice street clothing and dragging a large sack behind her with one hand and holding a beaten copper mug in the other that has a pastry balanced on top. Scanning the room, she drags the bag over to your table as it clanks, hinting of armor inside. Setting her mug on the table, she pulls herself onto an open chair (leaving her bag kinda in the middle of the floor) and stands on the chair with her rump leaning on the table. She picks at her pastry and makes a face (they didn't have any fresh ones yet, only stale ones) and sips at her mug of coffee (milk and two sugars, please).
Standing at a solid 2 1/2 feet is a female halfling with finely brushed auburn hair and vibrant green eyes ringed tastefuly with mascara. She is wearing good quality street clothes and calf high boots. She gives the group a bright smile, and says, "Hello, I'm Holly. Glory, gold and gems? I want to see the sights and visit some places, hopefully with some good coffee." as she wrinkles her nose following a sip from her mug. "Should have added three sugars. Yeah, some gems might be nice too but I would build a nice house on that mountain of gold, some place with a big fireplace to tell of my glorious adventures." and sets down her pastry with only a few small pieces torn out.
"Why am I here? Oh, I lost a bet with Aly, er, Sister Alyssa and she said that they would need a healer. You guys are the muscle and I will patch you up. Did she say we were to go into a cave? I was promised wonderous sights, interesting new people, and exotic foods. What is there to do in a cave? A little about me? Well, let's see, I have a younger brother, and there is va and pa and, of course, vava. My pa's a butcher and my va can bake the best rubarb pie you ever tasted. Oh, vava said you guys are to look out for me but I told her I'm grown now and can look out after myself. But, still, please, don't let me die." as she smiles at the group.
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Sniffing, nose upturned, Telandria quite literally looks down at half of the assembled party as the Master of Scrolls makes haste out of the tavern. She stares daggers at his retreating back, a look of scorn crossing her face as she addresses the assembled company.
"Greetings. I am Telandria. Of House Kyonin, I should add. It is quite the pleasure-", she says, the disdain obvious, "-to meet you this day. I am....quite lucky...to find myself in such company."
She peers down at Janira, "You say you explored his cavern complex, as well as several nearby. What sort of challenges should we expect: hostile wildlife, difficult climbs, traps of any sort?"
Jaina listens intently to everyone's stories intently. "Oh, I agree. This IS such lovely company. So, onto the 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 find 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.”
Looking at Telandria, "I did not have the equipment to go beyond the entrance of the cave, so as to what's in there I do not know. As far as the area outside the cave, 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. Are there any other questions?"
Everyone may make a Knowledge (Geography) check and a Knowledge (History) check if they'd like.
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A particularly demonic-looking tiefling listens to their instructions. Though her features are unsettling, perhaps the worst is that her hair seems to have a life of its own. Strands of her hair move and writhe of their own accord, as if she were a medusa with a head full of snakes.
"Well, I know a little something about everything!" she says with a suggestive wink at Alistair.
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Telandria shakes her head, declining both the offer of beverage and the proposition of further questions. She gives a brief nod, accompanied by the slightest of shivers as she regards her fiendish cohort.
"Then it would seem you would be useful to have at hand. One could always use a contact with a verisimilitude of knowledge..."
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Every minute of daylight, travelling by foot?
"Um, do you mean to walk to the caves? Do we not have a coach to take us? And it will take all day to get there? And what's a Gill Man? And why do we care about them? Should I put on my armor before we go, do you think, or can it wait until we get to the cave?"
I gonna kill Aly when I see her. Now I know why she would only laugh and not tell me anything.
Those that got a 10+ on Knowledge Geography know that at the center of the Isle of Kortos stand the Kortos Mounts.
Janira chuckles a little bit listening to Holly's questions. With a smile, "Yes, we'll be walking. It will take nearly all of today and much of tomorrow to make the journey. I know maintaining such a stiff pace will be tiring, but we need to reach the caves at the height of the lunar cycle if at all possible. The area we’re heading to is controlled by a large centaur tribe. If we cross paths with any of them, they’ll see the horses as an affront and might become dangerously unfriendly. Our mission is to explore the caves and investigate the gillmen activity, not fight the local populace.
"The gillmen are a humanoid race much like humans save for the three piscine gills on both sides of their necks. They’re a little secretive but not outright hostile. Most live in or near the water.
"As far as armor, I'll be wearing mine while I travel, I would advise you do the same."
Janira pauses for a moment waiting for more questions, then speaks up, "Now, before we head out, if there aren’t any more questions, we should take a moment to go through your gear and make sure nothing important gets left out." For those that let her, Janira takes a quick inventory of everyone's gear, recommending to those that don't have any rope, light source, food, or a way to make fire, that they aquire such adventuring gear. "If you have the coin, I might also suggest picking up some Alchemist's Fire or Acid Flasks and maybe an Antitoxin, as you never know what you might meet up with. Go ahead and make any purchases, I believe the shop across the street there just opened up, and meet back here in a half an hour."
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Holly will drag her gear to some place with come privacy and change into her scale mail. Hefting her backpack to her shoulders, she makes her way to the shop across the street and will buy more trail rations and 50' of Silk Rope. She also picks out 4 different colors of chalk and a pound of exotic coffee.
When she returns to the Pig’s Paunch, she asks, "Can any of you manage to carry my rope and torches? I don't seem to have room in my backpack." as she places two torches and 50' of Silk Rope on the table. You may also note that she is proudly displaying her necklace of an angelic ankh, a holy symbol of Sarenrae, on the front of her armor.
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"Thanks Alistair. I hope I don't have to go down any holes at all." and to the rest of the group, she says, "I can create light for short spells so don't have much need for the torches. And I can create fresh water for us to drink, too."
Turning towards Nivla, Holly asks, "Are you saying halflings aren't normal people?"
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Nivla Looks at the halflings
@Holly Me? No, but I believe that it is society that has implied this. I was merely pointing out that Most Halflings walk slower than other races, and it would make sense that Janira's travel calculations would be for her. I would point out that in societies eyes I am less normal than you. I guess the more appropriate questionshould have been: Is the distance in time to the cave calculated for tall persons, or short persons? Thank you Holly for pointing out the error in my question.
Janira chuckles at Nivla and Holly, "The estimated travel time is for our little band of adventurers."
As soon as the last member of the party makes it back to the Pig's Paunch, Janira jumps up, and hands everyone a piece of parchment and a quill. "Part of being a Pathfinder is keeping detailed and accurate records of your journeys. Explore, REPORT, Cooperate. Right. . ..Excellent! Let's get going, daylight's burning." With that, Janira leads the party out of Absalom as your journey begins.
You travel, the better part of the day as you make your way into the wilderness surrounding he Kortos Mounts. 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.”
Most of the trees in this section of the forest have trunks that are too big for any creatures to share their space. Sporadic patches of light undergrowth provide areas for creatures to hide while restricting movement for those passing through. A large rock outcropping to the east rises nearly 20 feet above the forest floor, and a small sinkhole to the northwest drops off sharply, descending
to the ground 10 feet below.
As Janira puts her wayfinder away, three hideous, dog-sized fleas leap about on long, gangly legs. The sharp, jagged edges of their jaws greedily clatter for blood.
Initiative:
Round 1
Telandria
Giant Fleas
Alistair
Holly
Janira
Boris
Calypso
Nivla
End of Round
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Alistair yelps at the sight of the three giant insects. "Incoming, jumping dog...things!, he shouts. His training kicks in and he shifts around Nivia, careful to not get neither too far away from the protection of the half-orc nor foul his own line of sight. His hands and feet work the loader with the ease of long practice and as he sights down the flanking flea he thinks When I write this down, I'll say they were much, much larger. The first bolt leaves his crossbow with a satisfying THWAPP.
Telandria Draws her bow, finds line of sight, and fires at flea on the left, hitting in square, making it stumble back.
The flea struck by the arrow, staggers off, retreating away into the forest. The other two fleas coming bounding in from the North.
The first attacks Janira:
The second attacks Boris:
Seeing the bounding Fleas, Alistair attempts to shoot one with his crossbow, and misses.
Initiative:
Round 1
Telandria
Giant Fleas
Alistair
Holly
Janira
Boris
Calypso
Nivla
End of Round
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What the ..? Gross.
Holly will call upon the powers of her diety, Sarenrae, and cast bless, filling her party with courage, allowing them to strike true. She then draws her dagger and takes a step towards the gross fleas with her shield at the ready.
"Sarenrae, guide our hands to defeat these foul beasts. Boris, get behind me."
Janira backs away from the fleas. Hmmm, let's see how they do by themselves.
Both miss Janira.
Janira then starts to tell an inspiring tale, “As Durvin Gest, exemplar of our Society, saw through the treachery of the fabled Lens of Galundari and chose to hurl the terrible lens down into the neverending Nemesis Well, so you, his noblest heirs, shall stand steadfast against deceit and error, surrendering nothing but your burdens, and falling nowhere but on our foes!”
Everyone is under the effects of Inspire Courage.
Initiative:
Round 1
Telandria
Giant Fleas
Alistair
Holly
Janira
Boris
Calypso
Nivla
End of Round
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Telandria fakes a yawn and look of boredom as the insects easily fall before the party.
Blending her arcane powers with the ancient Elvish art of the bow, Telandria mutters magical syllables even as she fires an arrow into the flea. Her spell is complete before the projectile strikes home, and a beam of cold follows the arrow's trajectory.
Nivla steps forward with his rapier and stand at the flea, doing an extra point of damage from Boris's Painful Stare. The rapier does a bit of damage, but not nearly as much as Nivla would have thought it to do.
Telandria takes aim at the undamaged flea with her bow and strikes true, killing the creature. She then fires off a Ray of Frost and does cold damage, staggering the creature.
The flea, staggered, takes on last bite at Nivla.
The creature's last ditch effort misses the half-orc and it falls unconscious.
Out of Initiative
Janira smiles, "Well done! Well done, indeed! Is anyone hurt? Janira pulls out a wand and casts healing Boris of his bite wound.
Janira stashes her wand in her backpack, "Now that WAS exciting. Well, daylight is burning, we're almost there."
As the group continues to travel through the wilderness, you find trails blocked by fallen objects, shortcuts overgrown, and other minor delays that cost extra time.
I need Everyone to make a Survival Check.
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As the group continues on, Holly walks with Alistair a spell. "Rotten luck that the flea moved left after you loosed your bolt. Else it was a great shot."
Later, she moves up next to Boris. "How's your shoulder doing? Those things sure are gross. I don't want to fight anyone but I make a great moving shield or distraction."
After a bit, she moves up to Telandria. "You sure shoot well and that ice you shot from your hand was amazing. We sure are lucky to have you with us."
Her next stop is Calypso. "They sure spooked me and I could hardly react."
Looking up at Nivla as she moves up to him, Holly says, "Boy, you sure are big but you move so quickly with your rapier. I'm glad your on our side."
As Holly walks with Janira, she asks, "Are we almost there? My feet hurt and we are walking so fast. Does armor always smell this bad? Any way to make it smell better? I think we missed a meal at noon. I'm not sure how much magic is left in your wand but I can heal everyone at once several times a day so you might want to save it if a bunch of us get hurt."
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Alistair chuckles at Holly, "In armor-wearing, as in all things, requires good undergarments. Buy cheap cloth and place between yourself and the armor - soaks up the sweat so your armor doesn't.
He muses for a moment. "Although take it from me - make certain the cloth isn't valuable first. Spent 2 days in the stockade for 'accidentally' using some priest robes I err...found."
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Telandria giggled a bit when Holly skips along with her for part of their journey; while she had slowed her movement to match the Halfling, several times she would speed up ever-so-slightly, forcing the shorter girl to hustle.
"Why thank you dear; you certainly are. Though I must admit, the prayer you spoke during battle sharpened my eye and steadied my hand."
She scouted about the forest, but, being city-raised, was not as intimate with it as her traditional kinfolk.
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"It is good. I apologize. That was poorly done. One thing i have found here is that i have mysterious powers in this world. Those of, what you call, mesmorist. So you know when i stare at a foe it's ability to resist suggestions goes down. And when they are hit, there is extra pain." Boris says. Nodding to Janira. "Thank you, малютка. That feels much better."
As the forest twists and turns, Holly makes her rounds conversing with everyone, all the while, nonchalantly, guiding the group through the maze of the forest.
The dense forest opens to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead. “Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines,” Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face. She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface. “This is where I saw the gillmen enter.”
As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth. The halfling worriedly remarks, “Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!” As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees. Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots the group.
Wisely assessing that a minotaur is beyond her charges’ capabilities, Janira screams, “A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag,” she continues, pulling off her backpack, “and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!” She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.
Do you heed Janira's orders and run into the caves, or stay outside and face the minotaur?