”The Decemvirate are truly grateful that so many of you have answered this summons to the Grand Lodge, for they, above all, know the trying lives that field agents endure. Indeed, you have only to look about this courtyard and gaze upon your colleagues to know they have come from all ends of Golarion to be among us. Look not grim, but rather determined, for this summons is not one brought of dire threat or terrible consequence. No! The Decemvirate has instead summoned you to taste the opportunity to enter the greatest contest of martial arts the world has ever known—the Ruby Phoenix Tournament”
”The legacy of Tian Xia’s legendary mystic arcanist, the nearly immortal Grandmaster Hao Jin, the Ruby Phoenix Tournament is held only once every ten years. The Tournament is run by Sifu Xho Nuo, Emissary of the Ruby Phoenix and sole heir to Hao Jin’s secrets. The prize for victory: an artifact pulled from Hao Jin’s fabled collection of the greatest wonders Golarion has ever known”
”Though Xho Nuo has made no formal announcement, we have learned the sifu has chosen to hold the qualifying round for this decade’s tournament here in Absalom. The Pathfinder Society has long sought to send one of its members to compete in this tournament. If our information is true, this means that for the first time, the Society has the opportunity to qualify a good number of its field agents. While the chance to glean an artifact from Hao Jin’s collection is enticing, that is hardly the entirety of our goal. However, I shall speak more on this subject at a later time”
”At present, we have learned that Xho Nuo plans to host a covert meeting to address all would-be contestants. Don’t get too excited though; it’s supposedly being held at a decrepit tavern in the Docks called the Devil’s Dregs. Go there and see what details you can pick up about the competition and the other entrants, but watch your backs. There’s little law to protect you down on the wharves, and it’d take a riot to raise any attention. Oh, and I wouldn’t expect an appearance from Xho Nuo either, as his social status prevents him from contact with such filthy and common places. My guess is that he’ll send one of his agents to rile up as many lowlifes as possible to serve as fodder for the first round of the contest”
”Lastly, though its likely Xho Nuo is aware of our interest in the competition, we need all our agents to maintain as much secrecy as possible. For all we know, he has deliberately chosen Absalom to bait our interests, so it’s imperative that he identify as few of our agents as possible. From here out, to keep our affiliations covert, we request all of you make arrangements for your stay outside the Grand Lodge. Try to pick a place that’s low key to avoid attention. Don’t worry about the cost though. The Decemvirate will pick up the tab. Good luck.”
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Deluge, pack goat by his side, is meandering through the town taking small swigs from his wineskin and occasionally letting forth a belch that smells of something nasty but fermented. The man is middle aged, bald, and overweight. Though he is not riding the goat, the goat seems to be bearing more than its fair share of his weight. His gait looks steady enough though; it does not appear that he is drunk - just lazy.
"Well, goat, here we go again. They say do this, we do this, they say do that, we do that. It would be nice to be the one in charge one day. I wonder if any other druids are at this gladiatorial expedition. Probably not if they're..."
"Hey there little lady. Whatcha doin' in that pile of garbage? You look like you could use a swig of this."
He presents the wine skin to her. It is full of fermented goat's milk.
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Victoria lets out a satisfied sigh and smiles.
Just the kind of thing I was hoping for! Shelyn will take delight in such a performance of battle, and the dance of combat! I'll do my best to win!
She hums to herself as she takes in the sights around her one last time, noting the lady covered in trash and the curious fellow speaking to her, and then giggles.
Well, since the Decemvirate is picking up the tab, I guess now is the time to go stay in one of those really nice inns! You guys should come too! I hear they'll bring you breakfast in bed!
The young duelist starts to skip off, determined to find the most luxurious inn she can
Victoria is a young, lithe duelist, whose movements suggest one extensively trained in the art of dance. She has long dark hair, and an olive complexion. Her eyes are bright and cheery, suggesting a completely irrational sense of optimism about the world around her.
Without warning, a flash of smoke flares up from the center of the tavern floor. As it clears, a towering, golden-skinned humanoid of hideous and terrifying countenance steps forth, ebon teeth gleaming fiendishly. Standing before the crowd, she greets them with a slow and gracious bow, yet her eyes never look away.
The creature gestures to call the crowd’s attention, and one by one they fall silent.
“Good evening and allow me to introduce myself, I am called Kiang Zhen. My sifu, Xho Nuo, the Emissary of the Ruby Phoenix, wishes for me to tell all of you that he is most pleased to see so many of you eager to attend the tournament. It is his desire that everyone please find a table and make yourselves comfortable at his expense.”
The room becomes increasingly packed as contestants file in, and barely a minute later arriving contestants quickly fill all remaining tables leaving the tavern with standing room only – yet more and more continue to fill the place out – it is tightly packed and it is a struggle to both keep a hold of your own food and drink as well as dodging the spilled food and drink of others.
A short time later…
”Again, your attention please. I regret to inform all of you that Sifu Xho Nuo will not be present this evening, though he has appointed me to speak on his behalf.”
”To speak with candor, there are many who wish the Sifu dead and wish to steal from him the ancient secrets he was appointed to guard. This comes as no surprise to the Emissary, for he has been charged with the protection of a great and terrible power. Even now, in this very room, some of these same individuals sit amongst us. To them I say, Sifu knows who you are and fears you not. He even entreats you to join the Ruby Phoenix Tournament, for he shall not compromise the primary intention of the contest – to find the world’s greatest martial artist. Rest assured, this tournament shall test the mettle of its contestants, regardless of their intentions. Competition shall be fierce and violent without regard for contestants lives. That is your concern – not mine, not the Emissary’s. Those who fail might be lucky enough to walk away with their lives. For this reason, there are few places where our tournament is truly welcome. Thus, given the nature of the tournament and other circumstances, the Emissary has expressed to me the need to retain secrecy. However, I assure you he shall make an appearance before the end of the qualifying round.”
”Lastly, I have noticed many of you have come as teams. This is good, for initially, you may need help from allies you trust.” The beast pauses for a moment, letting his dark, pupil-less gaze hover upon the crowd. From his belt he unfastens a leather satchel and holds it aloft before the crowd. “I have here 100 rubies. On the morrow, fifty of these rubies will begin to glow, and those individuals or groups in possession of one such gem shall be contacted by one of our agents, who will give them the details of where the first event of the qualifier will take place.” then with a wide and wild grin he says “And so it begins!”
On his final words, he tosses the bag into the air, sending the rubies scattering everywhere. The next moment, he vanishes, leaving behind only a vaporous wisp.
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"Enroll the Society, you will explore ancestral ruins and loot their treasures for the power of wealthiness and knowledge..." protests the half-elf young woman "Ha! Here we are, in another mission impossible to understand"
After some more grumbling Elneth finally tells her preference "I think a cheap inn will make me feel the most comfortable"
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When the rubies are thrown Elneth averts her eyes trying to see where the trick lies, but not wanting to remain without her own ruby she jumps over the scattering gems ant tries to catch as many as possible, pushing away any interfering person.
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Watching the powerful woman hungrily, Amarion is entirely prepared when the scattering of rubies is thrown forth, moving to catch one before it has left her hand.
All this to find some musclebound idiot who can hit other musclebound idiots the best - if it weren't for the Sifu's reputation I would never bother with this.
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Despite its sizable taproom, the Devil’s Dregs seems filled to capacity. The smells of cheap ale, unwashed bodies, and thick pipe smoke mix in the crowded room, as tightly squeezed contestants push and shove their way about the tavern. As one might expect in the Docks district, the tavern extends over the harbor, and beneath the floor lies the silty, brackish water of Absalom’s wide bay. The dim light of the tavern’s few lanterns exposes few specifics about the patrons or the surroundings.
As Elneth grabs a gem, a nearby man tries to stab him with a sword and take it.
But the sword glances off her armour.
Status, bold may post
Elneth
Faeria
Amarion
Man in green
Sir Ninn
Victoria
Deluge
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When the man touches her with a strong hit Elneth looks in a fury while storing the ruby in her mouth "Ja-woald-neval-haf-it-bastald!" and packed by the crowd as she is, she attempts to hit the man's legs with the hilt of her weapon as she half-undraws it, trying to trip him to the floor.
Then tries to make her way into another direction closer to the exit.
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"Hey there little lady. Whatcha doin' in that pile of garbage? You look like you could use a swig of this."
He presents the wine skin to her. It is full of fermented goat's milk.
Offhandedly the woman takes the wineskin dabs some on her fingers, hands the wineskin back and rubs what's on her hands in behind her ears and under her arms. "Thanks." Her voice is low and husky, and she sounds half-asleep, a fact supported by her flyaway hair. Her eyes, never quite in focus, wander to the left and right, only ever managing to meet Deluges by accident and then without recognition.
She sniffs. And then seems to focus more on the druid. She sniffs again and pokes the man in the ribs with her dainty but dirty finger. "Did you get me drunk last night. I smell wine. OH MY VITRUE, IS THIS YOUR ALLEYWAY!?"
She heads to the tavern's heads, which she treats as if they where her own. Which is to say she leaves a pile of leaves that had blown into her hair and clothes the night before all over the place. She exits only slightly more composed though she must push her way past the logjam of people who have suddenly crowded her the place.
Who is towering, golden-skinned humanoid of hideous and terrifying countenance who is talking about secrecy?
She sniff again and believe she knows. People who drink often see fantastical things and even though that sounds, well, fantastic, she's not quite sure whether she is in the proper mood, especially after waking up in a some strange Lothario's alley.
”Lastly, I have noticed many of you have come as teams. This is good, for initially, you may need help from allies you trust.”
Huh? Faeria looks around.
Faeria imagines that the big orange being is just her imagination until one of the rubies hits her in the forehead, but then she has always had a powerful imagination.
...The smells of cheap ale, unwashed bodies....
She sniffs again and then herself.
As the press begins Faeria becomes annoyed. This is her-- well she uses the bathroom here quite often she thinks. Yes, I use this place quite a bit. I even recognize the bald barkeep over there cleaning that tankard. Who could ever mistake such a person for any other anywhere? Honestly. Well, I suppose if they want these things so badly....
She mutters the words of magic under cover of all of the hubbub.
She doesn't doesn't say 'hey, look over there' until other people notice it, thinking it too convenient if she were to.
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When the man touches her with a strong hit Elneth looks in a fury while storing the ruby in her mouth "Ja-woald-neval-haf-it-bastald!" and packed by the crowd as she is, she attempts to hit the man's legs with the hilt of her weapon as she half-undraws it, trying to trip him to the floor.
Then tries to make her way into another direction closer to the exit.
Faeria winks at the man--with some effort.
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Amarion 's spray of acid goes wide, although a hole in the bar shows it would have been pretty effective if on target. Faeria easily identifies the odd creature as a Kuma Oni.
Elneth, holder of the ruby and target of the man has the presence of mind to sweep his feet out from underneath him, sending the rogue crashing to the ground amongst the press of people.
As she leaves, he tries to stop her from the ground without success.
He tries frantically to get to his feet and follows her.
Most of the crowd has yet to notice the raft outside. Yet.
Status, bold may post
Elneth
Faeria - concentration check to keep your illusion going in the press of people.
Amarion
Sir Ninn
Victoria
Deluge
Man in green
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Victoria sees the mayhem around her, and starts speaking loudly. Her words are cut short by a man shoving past her to grab a ruby from the floor by her feet that she completely overlooked.
Hey! All of you calm down! Stop shovi--HEY! Who do you think you are Mister!
She stops talking, and sighs.
Those rubies are just so beautiful! I really want one!
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Clearly raising angry with the man following her, Elneth finally draws completely her greataxe all over the crowd. With difficulty she maneuvers the weapon to avoid cutting anyone while talking with her ruby-full mouth "Y'u-bastald! Do-youl-busness!"
And provided the man is not intimidated by the large weapon and keeps closing to her for grabbing the ruby, she makes her axe descend onto his head very recklessly!
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Amarion tries to distract the swordsman with a dose of acid to the face. Elneth eventually convinces the man to stop attacking her by removing his hand. It is a pretty persuasive argument all things considered and he stops to consider his past misdeeds and likely future.
One or two people are starting to break away from the middle of the room and look out the window.
Status, bold may post two rounds of actions
Elneth - Has Ruby
Faeria - concentration check to keep your illusion going in the press of people.
Amarion
Sir Ninn
Deluge
Victoria - may act three times rather than two.
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Retrieving her axe from the amputated hand, Elneth looks at the man with angriness then back to Sir Ninn and talks with her mouth full "Dya! Ta'll-him-Sil-ta-stap-halassing-oul-luby!"
The half-elven girl looks around for others trying to get the ruby and any other free one she can point out to other members of the team.
But she is too obsessed about protecting her ruby and snarling at anyone suspicious of approaching, she places no focus on the task.
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Victoria finally spots an unclaimed ruby, and snatches it up, holding it up to the window so it catches the light.
Oh my! This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Shelyn would be proud! I'll make a necklace out of it! I'll wear it forever! Oh, wait, was that guy trying to take your ruby, Elneth! That's bad!
She jumps up onto the table, and tries to shout over the clamoring of people brawling.
Stop stealing rubies, everyone! HEY! You there! Let go of that man's hair! AND YOU! put that sword awa-- Oh my, Elneth, you just chopped off his hand! Guys, I think we need to protect ourselves!
With that, the duelist draws her rapier and assumes a defensive fighting stance.
We need to get out of here! Anyone want to try and clear a path?
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The team, for surely that is why you were called together, sets about trying to find rubies. Sir Nim looks and looks and eventually almost slips over as he stands on one.
A few more people are looking out the window, and one brave soul tries to jump through it.
Victoria easily spots a third ruby and pounces on it. She then looks around the room, there are a number of evil poeple, but most of their aura's are quite mild, only slighlty worse than you would see on a typical street.
Status, bold may post
Deluge - may post two rounds of actions
Amarion - May make a second perception check or another action
Elneth - Has Ruby; May make a second perception check or another action
Faeria - may make a second perception check.
Sir Ninn - Has Ruby
Victoria - Has Ruby.
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Perhaps it is real? But if it were shouldn't one of teammates seen it by now? They are teammates right? That's what the voice said. 'For surely that is why you were called together.' But could they see it if it weren't real? I mean they are my teammates, how sane could they be? Oh my goddess! Maybe this is another escape attempt!
Faeria grabs one of her companions (Gregory, she thinks) by the sleeve and asks: "Do I smell of fermented goat's milk, or do you see that?" as if the two things were somehow related. She points out through the now broken window at a barge full of rubies. (Or does she?)
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A man stands transfixed at the window, looking out at the raft of gems. Slowly he shakes his head, looks around and notices your group and their haul of gems.
"Deliver me a Ruby!" he commands Victoria.
Status, bold may post
Deluge -
Amarion - Has Ruby
Elneth - Has Ruby;
Faeria -
Sir Ninn - Has Ruby
Victoria - Has Ruby.
Man
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Deluge decides that discretion is the better part of valor, and makes it difficult to see who has a gem and who does not by casting Obscuring Mist.
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Victoria prepares to disarm the man as mist rises, causing consternation throughout the room. It doesn't help Amarion who looks but cannot find another ruby.
Sir Ninn, seeing violence erupt readies his shield.
Status, bold may post
Faeria -
Man
Deluge -
Elneth - Has two Rubies;
Amarion - Has Ruby
Sir Ninn - Has Ruby
Victoria - Has Ruby. readied disarm, 27