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Lord Blakros comes swanning in, a flourish of well cut robes and fine design, a rather ornate looking clockwork crossbow slung over his shoulder, offsetting the gleaming buckler of mithril. The sound of flapping wings brings with it a small dragon with butterfly wings and a rather neat looking monocle; the smell of freshly baked hot apple pie gently wafts ahead of it - it's Boffins!
"Ahhh my old friend and new cousin Rhanloi, who'd have thought our early adventures together would find us galavanting about and then both marrying members of the Blakros family after we saved Aldain in the family museum and he made the introductions? Seems you waited a fair bit longer to get the knot tied than I did, but smashing wedding you held old chap, simply marvelous!"
"But oh, who is this? Aethrys the Dawnblade! Why you have barely aged a day since we faced the fires of Karamos together. Clearly looking after yourself well then? Super!"
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Aetherys is a lithe elven girl bearing long, well-kept blond hair flowing down to her waist. Some of it is braided, with small clasps respresenting the Dawnflower. Her eyes are deep blue, and she hardly ever blinks. At her side, a black-bladed scimitar rests, engraved with arabesque.
"Greetings, I am Aetherys and this is Dawnblade." she says as she strokes her scimitar.
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A small halfling not quite 3ft in height, gracefully bows to the group despite the mithral chain shirt and two small scimitars strapped cross ways to her back as she introduces herself
"Marra Dawnflower of Sarenrae, at your service. I delighted to see Aethery, Boram and Rhanloi again, but I don't believe I have had the honor of adventuring with Lord Sinclair though I do seem to recall seeing him or someone that looks exactly like him at Rhonloi's wedding dancing jubilantly on a table."
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?”
----
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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"Very well, Master Shaine, we will endeavor to be diligent in our research. The Master of Spell's soul will be found and restored. The Dawnflower will see to that. We need to know though, what have you learned so far about that lantern? Have divinations revealed anything? Also, what is the current state of our standing with the Blakros family and Nigel Aldain? Are they to be considered trusted allies through and through?"
*****
Once she's arrived at the museum, the desert elf bows gracefully to Nigel, if only to manage the curator's sensibilities.
"Well met, Master Aldain. You have our most sincerest thanks for your undying support in this hour of need, even more so to be granted access to the Collecion Esoterica. What should we be aware of about this fantastic collection of tomes? Are there any wards - magical or mundane - that protect it?"
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Know Local
"So, 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 would 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. "
"The museum’s curator Nigel Aldain is a former member of the Pathfinder Society, and he held his old colleagues in contempt for several years afterward. While it shows good faith that Nigel is cooperating with the investigation, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that he might have had a hand—directly or indirectly— with the lantern’s disappearance. "
***
To Kreighton:
"Do we know what this lantern looks like? Anything about its history or former owners - people who may know its background and powers?"
****
To Aldain:
"What records have you located about the lantern? Who has had access to its storage area recently?"
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Marra is impressed with her friends knowledge, but seeing that Rhanloi is just on the verge of recalling something useful. The bard uses some of her magic to enhance his recall.
cast Timely Inspiration {link} +1 retroactive to Rhanloi K(local) roll for a total of 30.
Kreighton Shaine answers the questions of Aetherys and Percy: Be careful about who you trust. Anyone might have facilitated the in ltration of Skyreach—even someone within our own organization. Use Nigel as a resource, but be a critical recipient of all knowledge he offers.
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.
I have not had the
opportunity to speak with Nigel regarding the lantern he once possessed. That responsibility now falls on you, as I must oversee other administrative tasks pertaining to the inquiry.” He pauses before admitting, “As well as my other duties, which I have neglected too long.”
---
Nigel Aldain answers the questions of the pathfinders, but as usual shows more preoccupation with the museum's artifacts. The collection Esoterica is one of the largest collections of occult ephemera in the entire Inner Sea region. Most of the objects are just curiosities with no real magical properties. A handful of them are more than what they appear, though defy simple categorization. They are... elusive in nature, hard to precisely divine the power they hold. A handful of objects came from the personal collection of Ralzeros the Overwatched himself.”
Most wizards have the wherewithal to maintain their own dignity, but Ralzeros had an unfortunate reputation for madness. He has been gone for centuries. Beyond his xation on astronomy—or perhaps astrology—no one knows much about him. The Blakros family purchased the building and all its possessions a considerable time ago.
About the lantern, I know almost nothing. I don’t even know if it has a proper name, and it has been in the collection since before I was caretaker here. There has been so much going on that I haven’t had the time to closely examine most of the items kept in the archive.
The chest containing the lantern is empty and, curiously, I couldn’t find any record that we had ever even catalogued it; I was fairly certain we did. Other than that, I didn’t see anything else amiss. No one else has been down here since then.” He rolls his eyes and adds, ”I wanted to, ah, preserve the scene for your keen eyes.”
----
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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Marra's touch did indeed help Rhanloi recall that last fleeting bit of information, which he shares with the group - "Long ago, the Blakros Museum was a fortress that belonged to an enigmatic wizard from Absalom’s ancient past: Ralzeros the Overwatched. Ralzeros purportedly possessed strange connections to the Dark Tapestry and disappeared without a trace centuries ago. Some of the museum’s collection includes objects that Ralzeros himself collected."
===================
Inside the museum, Rhanloi looks keenly about at the artifacts. "Nigel, before you depart...which crate held the lantern? And can you show us where it should have been logged? Thank you for your sage assistance!"
As I said, I'd rather not have you disturb the artefacts. My predecessor made an attempt at categorizing the paper documents in the collection, you might find her notes a good start. Might. She didn't quite have the pendant for organization that I have.
Nigel then finally points to an empty crate that one, though there is little of note about that crate. After all, most items are stored in boxes like that.
With that, the cousin of Percy and Rhanloi leaves.
Percy moves to investigate the crate, when suddenly, he feels a slam from something invisible. Then, the basement comes alive with the found of invisible creatures shuffling - it's hard to tell how many there are.
[ooc]But you can use a DC 20 PRC to pinpoint them - the first one is pretty obvious to Percy
[spoiler=init]
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Aetherys
Marra
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???
???
???
???
---
Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
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Atherys is quick to point out the position of the invisible assailant, but the Dawnblade nevertheless doesn't find its mark.
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Aetherys
Marra
---
???
???
???
???
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Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
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Marra strikes at the invisible creature, but fails to hit her mark.
The invisible creature slams twice at Percy
Two other creatures can be heard drawing nearer from among the boxes...
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Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
Aetherys
Marra
---
???
???
???
???
---
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Rasamoro is a bit lost. He haven't expected to meet invisible enemies in the museum. Last time it was different museum experience. But he had his way to deal with them. He unsheathed his katana, while knocking his wand of true strike out of left wrist-sheath. Quick movement and couple words imbued his katana with arcane power.
- "Say me where to strike!"
Rasamoro is at a loss to find the invisible enemies, only for Percy to pinpoint one of them by outlining it in golden particle. It looks to be a humanoid shape, though something is strange about its head... as if it has a snout of some sorts.
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Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
Aetherys
Marra
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MD
MD (invis)
IS (blinded)
IS
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Boram steps away to drink his potion, while Rhanloi takes a well-aimed shot at the outlined target, a buzzing sound reverberating as it hits the target.
Marra attack the creature that remained invisible, and completely misses her target.
It's an invisible stalker.
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Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
Aetherys
Marra
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MD (12)
MD (invis)
IS (blinded)
IS
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Aetherys strikes at the closest creature, and the dawnblade does his work well, slicing through the unseen creature.
It turns visible in front of her - it is a ghoulish, humanoid figure, with tattered robes and pale milky-white eyes. It has a distended jaw, with a strange, proboscis like tongue.
The ghoulish figure claws at Aetherys, trying to grab onto her head with the strange appendage.
The other creature turns visible as well, and moves for Rasamoro, mimicking the moves of his companion.
[spoiler=K(planes) DC 20]
These other creatures are Mnemor Devils, evil outsiders that feed on the memories of their victims[/ooc]
There's still an invisible creature in the room, and Marra soon finds out exactly where it is: slamming into her!
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Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
Aetherys
Marra
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MD (12)
MD (26)
IS (blinded)
IS
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"You look VERY FORTUNATE Aethrys!"
Percy hexes the Magus and cackles gleefully!
Fortune on Aethrys (as long as she stays within 30' of Percy
use this good luck once per round, allowing them to reroll any ability check, attack,
saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. (PFAPG 66).- (PFAPG 66).
Aetherys succeeds at planting her arcane mark on the devil, but her success is limited to just that. Boram takes a shot at the other devil, and hits it with a fiery arrow. Rhanloi follows up with a shocking arrow, and sends more jitters through the creature.
Marra speeds up the actions of the party, while Percy ensures fortune shines on Aetherys.
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Boram
Percy B
Rasamoro
Rhanloi B
Aetherys
Marra
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MD (38)
MD (41)
IS (blinded)
IS
---