The room contains enough chairs, pillows, and desks to accommodate at least six visitors, but the gnome is the sole occupant. The keeps reading his newspaper, ignoring the presence of Hskovati. There's a table in the southwest corner, which was not visible from the window. On it, a neatly scribbled note (), on the backside of which a name is written:
Hollis "Evil grin" Thorne
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"He skipped town. Bah. Might as well check the house if he has any other clues about."
-Posted with Wayfinder
The name 'Hollis' definitely rings a bell to Lysassa ()
Rengar checks the rest of the house: in the bedroom, Fimbrik is shown asleep while two burly men watch over him, an illusion (obvious from the fact that Fimbrik is also sitting in the northeastern room), that does not show any reaction to anything. The room in the southeast shows Fimbrik studying, making it the third simultaneous appearance of the gnome.
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"It seems to be some sort of permanent illusion, but just to be sure he's not hiding as himself in one of them I suggest someone pokes a weapon through each of the illusions just to check we don't miss anything."
Lysassa will cast detect magic in all the rooms we investigate to make sure we don't overlook anything
" Maybe we should go take a look at the Well of Names and see if we can pick some more clues from there after that."
"Mental note: Hollis " evil grin" Thorne, Doulgondir Caskmail and Karina Clamp...names to remember"
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"So, when he actually lived here, do you think all these illusions were active? Did he just live in this house, seeing himself in all these places every day? That seems somewhat egocentric. Mages are such strange individuals." Realizing how that might have sounded to some of her companions, she quickly adds "At least some of them are."
After a thorough search of the illusionist's house, the party concludes that they have found everything there is to find.
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Created in 4330 ar, the Wall of Names resides on the grounds of the Grand Lodge in Absalom. The monument is a curving wall of black glass that stands atop a small hill at the western edge of the lodge’s grounds. Trees surround the hill, providing ample shade and privacy for those visiting the wall to remember fallen comrades. Carved into the wall are the name and date of death of every Pathfinder killed in the course of duty since the wall’s construction, and most entries also include a sentence or two summarizing either the agent’s greatest accomplishments or how she died.
Ketill the Tiefling
Killed by a Chelaxian Tiefling hater.
Vigfus Otkilson
Tracked his enemies, but found one too many.
Malena Antonescu
Framed for murder in Mendev.
Otiophon
Fought the Teppish, but turned his back too soon
The three names in Adolphus' notes are also here ()
Lysassa investigates the underlined portions of the epitaphs
The underlined portions of each inscription refer to aspirants that failed the Test of the Starstone. The Shrine of the Failed pays homage to these unfortunate souls, right next to the cathedral of the Starstone.
The Storval stairs are far away from here, in the Iron Peaks
At the centre of the Ascendant Court, the Starstone cathedral looms over the city. Next to it, the Shrine of the failed. As the party arrives, the place is completely empty, and it soon becomes clear why: Sir Reinhart has mae it clear he will attempt the test of the Starstone. As the valiant— and utterly doomed—knight prepares to charge his steed across the chasm outside Starstone Cathedral, everybody has moved into position to look - giving the party free reign of the Shrine of the Failed.
Past the entry, a monumental chamber stretches eighty feet from end to end, with a ceiling suspended thirty feet from the floor by great pillars. Seven arched passages lead to humble rooms, each of which contains a polished stone altar dedicated to one of the failed aspirants who attempted the Test of the Starstone.
Each of the niches contains a small stone altar to one of the failed aspirants. Each altar stands upon a raised dais and bears a small brass nameplate identifying the aspirant and the would-be-god’s areas of interest.
There's Demuren, who would be the god of sacrifice, Gobru, who aspired to be the god of fish and bountiful sea, Mellag, acolyte of rot, Oggo of the sixteen poses, Plokkis of spoiled food and wastefulness, Silmor, of blades, and Spuchasta, who aspired to be the god of Hallucinatory incense and herbs. (E2a-g)
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A somber mood overtakes Hskovati as she surveys all the valiant attempts. "Would I fall to a lessser deed than thiss, or will I fail to a monumental effort ass thesse attempted? As Ssir Reinhart iss attempting?" Belatedly, she realizes she has spoken her thoughts out loud.
Shaking her head, the paladin explores the areas more closely. "Look! Mellag, acolyte of rot! Doess thiss have anything to do with the rot you sspoke of earlier?"
Indeed, the altar to Mellag bears a familiar inscription: "Survived the horrors of Nemret Noktoria. Returned to rot from the inside.["
Indeed, the shrine to Silmor is in the southwest of the building, and the inscription match the one found on the wall of names:
"Fought up all but one step of the Storval Stairs. Blade shattered at an inopportune moment."
The dedication to the Muted God, whose etitaph corresponds to that of "Karina Clamp", is just indicated on a wall somewhere, not in a shrine. Apparently he didn't make that much of an impression.
Saying the word "wiffle" doesn't have any effect. Ella inspects the shrines, and finds that the nameplate on the altar of Silmor can slide sideways. Behind it is a chalkboard and a piece of chalk.
The west wall of the shrine suddenly vanishes, and opens to a large natural cave. It is dimly lit. The cave end in a small alcove.
Actually, it only looks like a natural cave, a very clever construction made with a stone shape spell
Several desks are arranged along the northern and eastern edges of this small stone alcove. Whereas the stonework leading to this chamber is rough, the walls in the alcove are polished. A single gem rests among the neatly filed papers on the desk, emitting a soft luminescence that brightens the small room.
On the desk is a stack of paperwork. Even at first glance, it is clear that this is a priceless collection of Pathfinder lore. Browsing through it, much of it seems to be encrypted in coded Azlanti. It is clear that understanding the true scope of this discovery requires several weeks of careful study by researchers at the Grand Lodge.
As the group makes their way to the exit, they find it blocked by an Elf and a Dwarf. They are bearing the marking of the Devil's Claw, a company of failed initiates to the hell knights, and a ruthless mercenaries that work for certain influential Chelaxian families.
There's another company member, a halfling, hiding behind one of the pillars.
Surrender and hand over what you found in there! The elf shouts, clearly ready to fire.
The dwarf is surrounded by an illusory double.
Rengar
Annalisa
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Elf
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Hskovati
Ella
Akeltara
Lysassa
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Dwarf (+1 img)
Halfling
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"Phah, you fellows must be kidding. Just the two of you against the six of us? Don't make me laugh." Rengar says.
He draws his weapon and advances further, keeping a pillar between him and the elf in case of archery, but giving himself a charge line against the dwarf for next round.
"Why don't you come over here elfy, Ill snap you in two and use you as a toothpick!"
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Annalísa's attention remains fixed on the elf and dwarf. She advances to take cover behind one of the large pillars. "Devil's Claw? Why should you risk your lives fighting us now? Last I checked your bosses don't pay that well for you to face this kind of odds. I mean, you seem capable enough, but three against one is tough to face, even for my half-orc friend here. I'll tell you what - let's just say you guys showed up just a few minutes late. You can help yourself to whatever's left in the cave back there and we all end up happy."
Rengar menacingly moves up, while Annalisa tries to keep the company from attacking.
The elf quickly ends those dreams by firing an arrow and hitting Annalisa in the chest, only narrowly missing her heart.
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Hskovati
Ella
Akeltara
Lysassa
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Dwarf (+1 img)
Halfling
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Rengar
Annalisa
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Elf
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