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We start our adventure looking at Janira, the halfling pathfinder bard, assigned to accompany the adventurers on their mission. Mission? Yes, you remember, right? The mission assigned by Kreighton Shane? Ah, we'll get to that, there's plenty of time for a flashback once travelling starts.
Where was I? We were looking at Janina Gavix, pathfinder bard. Halfling. Sitting opposite of the adventurers at a table at the Pig's Paunch. The Pig's Paunch, "Where it all began".
Janira 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!
My name is Janira Gavix, and I joined the society nearly four years after coming of age. I joined to see the world and sample all of the fine food it has to offer. I did change that view quite quickly, though, and now I focus mostly on the preservation of knowledge. I hope to have one of my reports published in the Pathfinder Chronicles some day.
So what about you? What made you join the society?
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Rod sat quietly, listening to Janira before looking to the side and scratching the back of his head. "Ah... name's Rod. Rod Benteft. I, uh..." Rod seems uneasy about sharing his personal info, before finally inhaling and continuing.
"Uh... my dad was a lead captain of the guard in Magnimar... and master paladin for the Order of Iomedae in the city's temple to her. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps... I just couldn't do it. I mean... look at me." Rod holds up an arm to flex his muscles... what few there were. "I'm not exactly front-line material. Besides, I'm more a thinker than a fighter. But, uhm... well, dad didn't approve of how I approach my problems. I didn't have a skull thick enough to ram it into a wall until it broke."
Rod leaned back in his chair, clearing his throat as he finished. "Anyways, uh... I'm with the Pathfinders because... well, I ran away. I'm hoping if I come back an accomplished Pathfinder, dad'll finally come around to my way of thinking... hopefully... SO! Uh... what about you all?"
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A tall, slender figure leans against the wall next to Janira's table, wearing what looks like an oddly bulky cloak and listening to her introduction. He steps out of the shadows and pulls back a chair. As he settles himself into it, his cloak shifts as of its own volition, revealing itself to be a pair of large wings, smoky grey in color with touches of golden yellow. His long hair is similarly golden, and an iron pendant in the shape of a wasp hangs from a chain around his neck. His face is narrow and sharp-featured, and his movements seem to shift from complete stillness to quick, jumpy changes in posture.
"I'm Aeris," he says, his amber eyes flicking around the table, "servant of the Savored Sting. My family owe the Society a debt, and the Decemvirate saw me as possessing certain abilities that could prove useful to them." He pauses, the hint of a smile on his face, and continues, "So I didn't exactly end up here by choice. But I aim to pay the debt as I see fit."
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"Greetings fellow initiates."
"I know we'll become the best of friends. Sharing this 'bonding' experience for the rest our careers."
"My name is Baru Brimmstone. I'll get the obvious out of the way before it has time to hinder our cooperation. Don't let my physical form impede you. While I am a Tiefling, and probably look like something you would expect to find...
"... out there. The screening process for induction to the Society, is a thorough one. I DO share a bloodline with a more unscrupulous type of being, but much like a crazy grandfather, his disposition does not govern my free will. I am a 'blessed' with a gift for magical aptitude, and am interested in employing them in accordance with the intent of Society's directions. Please let me know when you are ready to depart."
"Of course the lodge put me together with religious fanatics, who think they are angels. If I didn't know better, I would think this is more a test of me, than the confirmation of some new blood. This should be an interesting initiation."
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Looking at Rod, "A humie ... they'll let anyone in here now-a-days, won't they?"
"As for why I'm here ... about three years ago, every two-bit outsider I knew was signing up for the society. Rumor was they were going to quit being so lenient with who they were allowing in. Didn't want to be left out ... always thought the society would be a good place to utilize my talents ..."
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Aeris gives Ba'al a sidelong look, wondering just what he means, but decides no offense was intended. "I don't know," he replies, "I've heard all kinds of things about how they screen folks, as Baru here says. Next thing you know, we'll be working side by side with nagaji. Not that there's anything wrong with that."
And that's the adventurers take make up this group. But before we continue, let's backtrack a little. Let's see how this group came together, and why they are here...
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 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 your 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 are about to explore during her 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 gillmen.”
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.
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A woman stands up. She wears a red dress, with blue stitching around the edge. She quietly closes the book she is reading, a leather bound time, with a simple lock on the front. She wears a pendant around her neck, and she grabs it gently as she stands. She looks around, looks down trying to find the right words, then addresses the party.
My name is Jessique, and I am here for selfish reasons I must admit. To make a long story short, my father is the only family I have left and he was never around. I wish to use the Society's contacts and knowledge to find my father and ask him some questions. I took to books, and as such found wizardry to be quite appealing. I focused on The Void, and feel everything to be connected somehow.
She sits back down and awaits orders from The Captain.
“On to 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.”
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Rod leaned over to Depravity, whispering his explanation. "They're folks with gills... hence the name. Beyond that, I don't think there's anything big or special about 'em. We had one living in Magnimar, but never got to meet him."
Turning back to Janira as he stood up, Rod followed after the tiefling out the door, asking as he walked. "So, are gillmen a regular sight around Kortos? If so, what's so special about them going about their business in a musty old cave?" This wasn't exactly what he had in mind for his first big mission with the Pathfinders...
Also known as the Low Azlanti, the gillmen are an amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people. During Earthfall, the Starstone struck Golarion and destroyed the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant. It is said that gillmen’s ancestors survived the cataclysmic event because they received the blessing of an aquatic entity that allowed them to breath underwater.
The wilderness surrounding the Kortos Mounts is controlled by a centaur tribe, and further up the area is controlled by Minotaurs - not an area you want to linger too long. Travelling to the cave will take all of today and most of tomorrow, but a stiff pace will get us tiring.
Upon Jessique's question, Janira says There's always the chance of bandits along the way, and there are dozens of predators in that forest. Beyond that, be prepared to explore a cave system.
You have a good pointe Jessique. 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.
Janira stresses: It is of utmost importance to keep accurate records of your explorations! She then proceeds to hand out writing utensils and paper to those who don't have such items.
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Rod takes the paper and pens, looking between them, then back at Janira; he seemed slightly perplexed, but... pleased. Very much so, in fact. "I... didn't realize writing was going to be a necessity to all of this. I was expecting a lot more weapon swinging; this is a nice change of pace."
He started to scribble away on the paper at the top, speaking as he wrote. "I've got my weapons, armor, enough food for 5 days (and something to cook it all with), rope, torches, 3 flasks of acid, 2 alchemist fires, and a few other odds and ends. Should be more than enough... I meant to buy some curative potions, but those were a bit pricey... a tanglefoot bag or 2 would've been nice as well. Not as prepared as I would like to be, but..."
The journey, of course, and the caves. You're going to explore them, and who knows, your exploits might even make it to the Pathfinder Chronicles if they're of sufficient quality! Janira positively glows at the thought just imagine...
The journey starts by a march through the city of Absalom. Here's an orphanage filled with cats, there's a stately manor with obsidian doors, here's a block square leading the adventurers through a non-foggy back alley - all very uneventful. Then a long march through the cairn lands, the barren lands littered with siege towers and other remains of a besieged past. Janira points out one particular tower - a once quatrefoil in plain tower, collapsed on one side - and remarks: That tower recently collapsed, there will probably be some exploring there soon
The rest of the day is uneventful, and as the party sets up camp, Janira takes the time to show an intricate compass, emblazoned with the glyph of the open road, the symbol of the Pathfinder Society. I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.”.
The next day, the camp is broken up and the journey continues. After about an hour Janira flips open the wayfinder 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.”
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.
A mosquito swarm is attracted by the hot blood the adventurers carry into the forest.
Janira sees the threat coming A mosquito swarm! Quick, as the lore master Andros Marguillen swatted the stirges of brine stump swamp, so must you defeat these mosquitoes. Stand fast!
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Jessique
Baru
Aeris
Rod
Ba'al
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Swarm
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Depravity
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Janira
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"Bah ... Mosquito's, blood sucking little runts!", yells Ba'al. As he rushes towards the swarm he reaches into his pack with his tail pulling out an Alchemist's fire. Once within 10', but as much to the left side as possible to leave a clear path for the others he grabs the concoction and lobs it into the suckers.
Aeris and Ba'al each lob a splash weapon at the swarm, but they both miss, each lob falling short of its target. Baru delays, while rod readies his flail.
Jessique readies her burning hands scroll, and as soon as the swarm moves closer, she unleashes her spell. The smell of singed mosquito fills the air, but the swarm is still active.
The mosquitoes swoop down upon Jessique and Ba'al, engulfing them in a cloud of buzzing and itchy pinches
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Baru
Depravity
Jessique
Aeris
Rod
Ba'al
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Janira
Swarm (6)
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Ba'al is undeterred by the swarm of mosquitoes but is angered by the ineffective use of the Alchemist's fire. Pulling his newly started pathfinder's journal that he had tucked into his belt he opens the book with both hands and repeatedly slams it shut in the cloud of insects trying to kill as many as he can.
Ba'al positions to allow others to safely attack ...
"SLAM!'
"For Irori's sake! These damn bugs!
Depravity sets the swarm - and two of her comrades - on fire using the bottle of liquid immolation. Jessique throws a vial of acid, and only barely misses the swarm. The direct ground underneath the swarm is now a burning inferno of blazingly hot fire.
Ba'al and Aeris improvise by attacking with melee weapons, but they soon learn the hard way that such actions are ineffective.
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Baru
Depravity
Jessique
Aeris
Rod
Ba'al
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Janira
Swarm (10)
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Rod frowned; this wasn't working. They were frankly just swinging at air! And he doubted his little flail would be able to do much. Brute force wouldn't work here: think, Rod, think! They needed something to blow them away or distract them. Sadly, he lacked any sort of fans or magical winds. So what would distract a collection of mosquitoes and occupy them...?
...blood! Mosquitoes hunt for blood!
Dropping his flail, Rod set down his pack and quickly started to dig through for some meat from his trail rations. Pulling a hunk of mutton out, he grimaced at the lack of blood on it, but also at wasting something so tasty. Still, this was necessary. Reaching back, Rod pulled his scythe forward and raised his other arm, creating a stinging gash in his forearm. Fresh blood gushing out, Rod rolled the mutton in his wounds, lathering it in blood.
Finally, Rod stepped up, waving the bloody chunk of mutton at the swarm and whistling. "Here, 'squitoes! Come on! Got what you're looking for right here!" he coaxed (likely to no avail), before chucking the bloody mutton off and away from the group.
The question now was, would it distract them long enough to make a clean getaway.
Rod throws out a large piece of venison, all the while talking to the mosquitoes. One has to wonder, can the insects even hear him over their own buzzing? At any rates, some of the stingy insect do actually seem to go for it. As for the rest - well - the fire that is now rapidly burning off the remaining greek fire from the shattered flask thrown earlier also toasts what remains of the mosquito swarm. Did the insects hear Rod? We'll never know.
Janira is quick to provide healing to Jessique and Ba'al
There, much better isn't it. Well done, I must say, you handled that well. Good thing we checked we had some alchemist's fire, right?
We have to move on, though, if we don't reach the caves by dusk, the gillmen may have already left.
The group continues its travels through the wilderness, until it reaches a spot blocked by fallen logs. A minor detour turns into an even greater one, as paths are overgrown and directions lost.
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Rod never was good at keeping his sense of direction. Still, he'd been trying to keep track of the paths they'd been on, and he thought he had a decent idea of where to go.
Just in case... Rod opted to use his scythe to carve an 'R' into most of the more notable trees. If nothing else, they'd be helpful in regaining his bearings, and determining if they'd backtracked or not.
As they traveled, Rod squinted up at the sky. "Hey; the sun sets in the west, right?" His mind was formulating a plan while he waited for an answer.
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"Wow, that was some quick thinking, Rod!" calls out Aeris as the fighter distracts the bulk of the mosqitoes. "It's always good strategy to use your opponents' desires against them, but I never would have thought to apply that to a bunch of bugs."
Urged on by Janira, Aeris sets out on the path once again with the party, until they come to a tangle of fallen logs making the way forward uncertain. He studies their surroundings for any indication of the best path forward or traces of where others have gone before.
The path seemed lost, but Ba'al and Aeris manage to find the right direction, and soon the adventurers are back on track, without losing too much time.
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.
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Aeris flicks his large, bird-like eyes back and forth between the running form of Janira and the cave entrance where she has tossed her pack and directed them to flee. After a moment of consideration, he says, "She must know what she's about, and she says to head into the cave, I guess we head into the cave." With a quick glance at his fellow Pathfinder initiates, he steps through the green fringe at the opening. Once he's inside, he opens Janira's backpack to see how its contents are likely to help their mission.