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"Hello my fellow Pathfinders. I am Balon, of the Pallid Princess. I am pleased to meet you."
A very pale man with white hair, wearing jet black robes, bows deeply to the group. He carries many small items on cords around his neck and belt clips, including an ugly-looking grey slug in a jar. To his back is strapped a wickedly sharp scythe.
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August turns to look and finally sees the familiar face. Fredrik! No, I have not seem 'em at all, I'm afraid they gone off somewheres else. I'm alone. The dwarf's face turns a bit sad thinking about his former friend, but quickly turns into an expression of hope. Hey, would YOU be my liege? I've been wanderin' around lookin' for work an' all but its hard ta do on yer own. You know I'm good at listenin'!
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August turns to look and finally sees the familiar face. Fredrik! No, I have not seem 'em at all, I'm afraid they gone off somewheres else. I'm alone. The dwarf's face turns a bit sad thinking about his former friend, but quickly turns into an expression of hope. Hey, would YOU be my liege? I've been wanderin' around lookin' for work an' all but its hard ta do on yer own. You know I'm good at listenin'!
Yea, I haven't seeing they for a while too. Sure we could work together friend. It would be my honor to fight along side a warrior like your self. Fredrik does a small bow to his dwarven companion. My Pharasma bless our endearvors.
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Sitting in the corner, waiting for the others to gather, a swarthy Varisian lad softly strums a lute humming softly to himself. His dark hair is long, past his shoulders and his eyes are dark and intelligent, taking note of all the surroundings and the incoming Pathfinders though he doesn't seem to look up from his music.
He wears a brown cowled robe over his leather armor, and carries a fine dueling rapier at his side.
The lad nods politely as others filter in, but doesn't stop his musings on the lute until the VC walks in and calls the meeting to order.
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A pleasant looking elvish female slinks into the room. "Everyone else all here? I must have received my letter a bit late," she smiles as she sits in the corner. She pulls out a knitting needle and loop while waiting for the instructions to their current mission. For those who watch closely, hey could see a tiny monkey poking its head out from underneath her cloak sleeves.
Most consider Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine a peculiar figure within the Pathfinder Society. However, ever since the death of Aram Zey, Shaine’s demeanor and eccentricities have been subdued as he threw himself into a seemingly fruitless investigation of the Aspis Consortium agents that attacked Skyreach and murdered the Society’s Master of Spells. Kreighton has enlisted the help of several Pathfinders to follow up on a handful of leads relating to Zey’s death. To drive home the importance of this investigation, Kreighton has personally escorted you through Absalom from the Grand Lodge to the grim spires of the Blakros Museum. There, Shaine holds out a folded missive before reaching the doors.
“ This is a letter of writ indicating that you operate under the direct order of the Decemvirate. It does not compel assistance, but anyone within Absalom will think long and hard before refuse to cooperate. I have reason to believe that an artifact—a magical lantern—played a pivotal role in stealing Aram Zey’s soul after his murder. The curator of the Blakros Museum, Nigel Aldain, informed me that the building once housed such a relic. However, Nigel claims the lantern is now missing from the collection. He has agreed to open the museum’s doors to the Pathfinder Society and cooperate with this investigation.”
Shaine quietly looks over each person assembled with a weary stare and turned-down lips. “Search the museum for clues regarding the lantern. If there is a connection between this relic’s disappearance and Zey’s murder, continue to follow any leads you find until you have exhausted all possible avenues of research, then report back with your findings. Precious days have passed since I began my investigation, and every additional day gives the culprit more time to hide; research rarely happens quickly, yet I cannot remind you enough that time is of the essence. The soul of someone I consider a dear friend hangs in the balance.” Kreighton takes in a deep breath then exhales slowly, trying to regain his composure. “I wish you luck, Pathfinders. Do you have any questions before I depart?”
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The museum is closed to the public for the investigation, leaving the entrance hall uneasily quiet. The curator Nigel Aldain waits anxiously in the middle of the foyer with his hands clasped behind his back, pacing across the tile floor in the shadow of a looming bronze statue. He offers a practiced smile. “Such a pleasure to see my former comrades-in-arms on this somber day. I mourn the passing of a—ah—charismatic man such as the Master of Spells. An exceedingly tragic loss, that.”
Adjusting his spectacles, Nigel motions for you to follow him deeper into the museum. “When I heard about the relic that may have snatched Master Zey’s spirit from the ether, I suspected it could have originated from the personal holdings of the museum’s first owner—a mad old wizard who saw fit to vanish without a trace centuries ago.” Nigel escorts you from the foyer of the Absalom Gallery, through a pair of double doors, and into a grand display of historical relics from Taldor and Osirion. “The building’s purchase included a sizeable collection, much of which we have kept locked up under tight security due to its unusual and often dangerous nature.”
Rather than proceed to another room, Nigel stops before a bare stone wall, and with a deft touch of several mosaic tiles, he opens a concealed door leading into a freight elevator operated by a series of chains and pulleys. Gesturing toward it, he offers words of cold comfort. “The Collection Esoterica contains several unusual objects of little historical import, but curious magical properties. Only I and select members of the Blakros family even know about this collection. To have an item go missing seems… well, rather unthinkable, wouldn’t you say?”
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"I'm sure Master Zey's soul would prefer to be raised instead of being held in this relic, given how much he enjoys living to make others miserable..." Balon scoffs, having had several run-ins with Zey and not being the biggest fan of him.
"But yet, I recognize that his soul should be free to choose, as opposed to being imprisoned. I was there the day of the attack, and it was, pardon my Chelish, a sh*tshow. We Pathfinders were caught with our figurative pants at our ankles, and it was disgraceful that the Aspis dogs were able to accomplish all that they did. I in fact was grievously injured in the attack, and one of the Aspis actually used my visage as his disguise, pinning me, though temporarily, as a possible turncoat. If I hadn't been found at death's door during the attack before the Aspis agents could dispose of my body, I would likely have been posthumously declared a traitor. It was then that I decided to train myself as a combatant, rather than a simple spellcaster... I was tired of being taken down by a common blade."
"We will go determine what happened to the relic, and hopefully it will lead us to clues as to who has it now."
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"That lantern might be a cursed item. What happens to the soul in the lantern?"
After thinking for a minute Elliot continues.
"I heard that the Blakros Museum catalogues every relic that passes through its doors in great detail for both historical significance and value. If the lantern ever entered the museum, there should be a record of it. The Blakros Museum has changed hands several times and seen a number of conflicts within its walls. If something were stolen from the museum, it is possible that it disappeared during one of those struggles. Have there been struggles lately?"
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Kreighton looks at Elliot and August, and says I know very little about the lantern. After Aram’s death, several specialists and I conducted a multitude of divinations at the site of his murder. While many results were inconclusive, we did discern that a
female Aspis agent bearing a magical lantern absconded with a vital piece of Aram Zey—we speculate that it was his soul, preventing him from being resurrected. Beyond this, we know little. I inquired with Nigel regarding magical lanterns, and he volunteered information about the museum’s former possession.
Struggles? I think Nigel himself believes the museum is cursed, as often as trouble brews in that place. It was only last year that there was the trouble with the Silver Mount collection...
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Nigel looks somewhat disdainfully at August, and does his interest in his past away with Hmm, yes. My past. It is true, I used to be a member of the Society. You were here to investigate something else, were you not?
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The freight elevator comes to a stop in a musty basement with walls of pitch-black stone. Beyond the lift’s sliding doors lies a cluttered archive stacked floor to ceiling with wooden crates, chests of documents, and other containers. The walls contain shelves that are cut into the stone walls, laden with bizarre trinkets and relics from across the world. “Here we are,” Nigel proclaims, stepping off the elevator. “The oddities and archives belonging to the Collection Esoterica. I ask that you not disturb any of the relics in the crates, but you are free to peruse any documents. If you find anything, come let me know. Otherwise, I’ll be working on more pressing matters upstairs.”
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August just looks at the man. Yes, we are. Ain't we, Fredric? I thought you knew that, Mr. Aldaine. I was just askin' about ya bein' a Pathfinder since bein' a library guy hasta be borin'.
The dwarf looks at the room and notices all of the paperwork. Err, are ya sure you don't need any boxes crack'd open?
Nigel leaves for the rooms upstairs, as Tessara starts looking through the archives.
Tessara feels a sudden pain from a powerful blow. Some unseen enemy is attacking her!
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Vasily
Balon
Fredrik
Elliot
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???
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August
Tess
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"Can anyone negate invisibility? If not, we may be in a bit of trouble, my friends!"
Balon will ready to use his mind fear ability as soon as he can see the invisible enemy.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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My predecessor was in the process of sifting through the collection. You'll find all the documentation there. I'm afraid she didn't quite have my organised mind, but I'm sure you'll be able to find something.
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Fredrik shields the party against evil influences, while Balon waits for a visible enemy. Elliot keeps a cool head and pinpoints the source of the attack, just in front of Tessara ().
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Vasily
Balon
Fredrik
Elliot
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???
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August
Tess
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Vasily moves at the invisible enemy, drawing his rapier. The invisible thing keeps attacking Tessara, slamming into her twice.
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August
Tess
Vasily
Balon
Fredrik
Elliot
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???
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August will move up to the square with the suspected invisible enemy and try to defend Tess!
for
August deal a blow as the invisible creatur, feeling solid resistance in his weapon strike. There's no blood, or scream, though. Tessara screams in fear. Elliot and Balon strike at the same location where Argust landed his hit, but with less success.
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Argust
Tess
Vasily
Balon
Fredrik
Elliot
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??? (25)
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Fredrik steps and swings with full might. A quick early succes leaves him to think that he can follow up, but his second swing hits only air. Vasily lunges out as well, but times poorly, and the creature is no longer there.
Balon feel a movement near him, then the full force of two powerful slams!
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Argust
Tess
Vasily
Balon
Fredrik
Elliot
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??? (31)
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Balon spends a point from the mental focus stored in his scythe to give it the Limning property, then swings it viciously at the square from which he was just attacked.
or for
for