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The mid-afternoon sun shone down on a beautiful day in Absalom as a hooded and surly Armiger Lucius Forensus guided his mount down the cobbled street toward his destination. "The Pig's Paunch? Really? What an idiotic name..." he grumbled to himself as he plodded on. Trailing close behind him, just far enough to the side to avoid the feet of the blue roan destrier, was Lucius' favourite hound, Cacciatore.
As he finally arrived at the dilapidated building, he looked up in distaste at the grotesque figure of the bipedal swine above the door. With a grimace still on his face, he dismounted, lashed the reins to the post outside the door, and made the signal for his canine companion to take its usual spot underneath the shadow of the horse.
Taking a moment to rub the edge of his cloak over his black enamel breastplate, with great care spent on the crest of House Forensus, he retrieved the papers directing him here from his belt pouch and pushed his way into the dingy building.
Looking around, not seeing any sign of the familiar wayfinders denoting his current superiors, he found a seat facing the door and growled at the bartender. "Wine... please."
Hopefully, this mission would be completed quickly and he would be assigned something more fitting of his station.
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Led by the hand of a filthy urchin, an old man enters the tavern. Plumes of sawdust flyinto the air as the child throws a heavy backpack onto the floor.
There ya go. Pig's Paunch. Gimme that copper.
The man leans over and yells into the child's ear: Rig Launch!? NO, He sniffs the air. I smell the ocean! Is this the docks!? Where did you take me?
The kid cups his hands around his mouth and yells.
The man spins in a circle, holding out his hands. I smell bacon!
The kid kicks his shin. My copper!
The old man hops about in circles, clutching his ankle and wailing. Oh… the cruelty of youth these days… robbing a poor and blind old man, to leave him on the docks…
The child sneers, and kicks the old man in the other shin. He falls over and rolls around like an overturned beetle. Sawdust clumps in patches of greasy grey hair. The child snatches the man's coin purse from his belt and runs out the door.
Wu's arms and legs thrash about. Won't anyone help Old Man Wu? Poor, helpless, old man Wu, here to join the Pathminder Society and make this world a better place, free of skullduggery such as this!
Deeply moved by this pathetic display, a patron walks over and helps the old man into a seat, explaining that he is indeed in the Pig's Haunch. Thank you, young man… would you like a butterscotch? He produces lint-covered lump of old candies stuck together like a giant rock. Please, the bag too, if you don't mind. There you go, yes, thank you. He pulls a gold coin from his boot. Bring old Wu an ale? The finest please!
Moments later, Wu loudly smacks foamy lips. He leans back and belches; briefly, the air smells of radishes.
Are the Pathminders here? Hello? A moment later, he nods off and begins to snore.
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Lucius scowls at the spectacle. By the five, he'd better be talking about another group.
Still nursing his first cup of wine, he mentally reviews the meeting he had in the offices of his new commanding officer. "Meet with the senior agents, follow their orders, return from the mission successfully with a full report of your findings. Work with your fellow new agents, regardless of your personal opinions on their competence or discipline."
Mulling those words over in his head, he grimaces. I hope it's another group, anyway...
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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.
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“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. Despite what others might tell you about the Wounded Wisp, it was under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born!”
”But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey Westyr, 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.”
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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, 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.”
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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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You have a moment to ask Janira questions before she begins briefing you on the specifics of the mission.
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Hey! Calls a halfling coming through the doors and approaching Janira. Sorry I'm late. Everything just seems so tall today and I'm still getting used to things. I ran into Kreighton on the way in and he said to talk to the other halfling. Is that you? While she doesn't seem like the brightest torch in the room, her voice is clearly one of the most beautiful you've ever heard. Except... it just keeps going...
Kreighton said something about some caves? Oh right. I'm Palakar. I guess we'll be working together. Anyone know anything about what's there?
(The 'how to format your text' button isn't working, so I don't know how to do the OOC font style. Can someone type it up?)
(In an effort to be polite to fellow posters and preserve my own sanity, I don't expect to type out ALL the stuff Palakar says, just the important bits. Just imagine a few more sentences tacked onto most lines.)
(She's not one of the knowledge-type bards)
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The hooded figure in the corner stands up and pulls down her cloak revealing a serpentine face. She confidently walks over to join everyone.
Greetings. I am Desirea of Nagajor. I was told my kung fu would be tested if I joined the Pathfinder Society but looking in some cave doesn't sound all that challenging.
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"Oh my," Janira responds to Lucius, "aren't you officious! We'll get to the details of the mission in just a moment, don't worry. And don't worry about it, Palakar." she says, turning to the halfling. "You're in the right place now. Desirea, I'm afraid I don't know much about Kung Fu, but I'm sure you'll learn plenty while you're out there!" Janira checks her clipboard. "I thought we had at least one more coming. The only name I have is 'Wu', though." She turns to address the other patrons of the Paunch. "EXCUSE ME, DO ANY OF YOU KNOW A WU?"
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Wu's chair clatters over as he leaps up; his arms pinwheel about, shadowboxing urchins. A long spindle of drool dances from his dirty beard.
WHAT!? Kung Wu!? How dare you! I'll kung you, you younguns! Back in my day, youth never kunged their betters! We elders kunged them, as is just!
When no victims materialize, Wu sighs and wipes his beard on his sleeve before falling abruptly backwards onto the floor.
Scrabbling along the stained wood, his fingers find the tipped-over mug. He grips it in both hands and tries to drink, turning the bottom almost straight into the air before spitting something out. Poor Old Wu. Bereft of his beer, his chair stolen, and woken from his lovely dreams of youth to be tormented by false kungs! Poor Old Wu, left with nothing but old age, a sore bottom, and sour dregs to chew with his last three good teeth!
Suddenly his long nose thrusts high into the air. His blind face turns to Janira. Oil and old blood. Are you from the Pathminders? I'll have you know: you're late, elders are getting kunged willy-nilly, and you owe me a copper! Most heinous, this town! Many wrongs to right, indeed! He stands.
Are we to be off yet? I'm sure we can teach them all a lesson, and be home in the early afternoon even though we're already late. I like to be abed before sundown, I'll have you know.
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Whooboy, this is gonna be a tougher assignment than I thought! Still, Master Shaine wouldn't have given it to me if he didn't think I could handle it.
"Why don't you come on over here and join us, Wu? Here, I'll guide you." Janira leads Wu to your table with one arm while signalling to the bartender for a beer. "Don't worry, I'm sure they already learned a valuable lesson. Here, have a seat. The nice bartender is bringing you a new beer as we speak."
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!
”I grew up with six siblings, in the Eastgate area of Absalom. When I came of age, I knew I wanted to see more of the world, so I joined the Pathfinder Society! That was about four years ago, now, and while I joined up to travel (and try all of the exotic foods I could find), I’ve really grown to love learning and the processes of preserving knowledge. I hope to one day have my work published in the Pathfinder Chronicles!
”Now it’s your turn. Please, tell me a little about yourselves!”
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Desirea tilts her head to one side considering the validity of sharing about oneself. After a moment she nods ever so slightly before speaking.
There's a monastery in the mountains of Kullan Dei where the mists are ever present. From a young age I had lived and trained there with many others. I am foremost among my peers in my school, however my talent is also my curse. Since none my age could truly challenge me there I could not grow. My sensei decided I needed to travel abroad to further my cultivation.
I plan on facing any dangers we encounter head on. My foundation is both solid and strong, we will overcome obstacles with my strength.
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The tall Cheliaxian remains standing, though he relaxes his stance slightly. The light from the hearth glints off of the black enamel of his banded mail, and the gold accents on the embossed five-clawed star of his pantheon shimmer slightly. "I am Armiger Forensus, of the Order of the Godclaw. I have been seconded to the Pathfinder Society under Commander Ollysta Zadrian of the Silver Crusade. My family and place of origin are irrelevant, but if you must know, our holdings are near the eastern edge of the Whisperwood, along the border between Cheliax and Isger. My father is Baron Forensus, and I have eight older siblings."
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Wu turns his ear the young armiger. Order me a Godclaw too, young man — don't stint on your elders! Muttering about "crispy crab meat," Wu greedily slurps more beer.
His nose points to Desirea. Mists, raining? What? Why can't those fool monks ever train in accessible locations? So serious those monks take themselves. Such nonsense. He pauses to suck hops out of his wet beard.
Always been that way, they have. Why, Old Wu trained with the monks of Vildeis long ago, during the Great War. They too were bigheaded, those monks. Some gouge their own eyes out, you know. Some even adopt blind old children like Old Wu himself and make them into paladins or monks. Self-sacrifice!
He snorts. I'll have you know, back in my training days we had to walk up to the monastary uphill both ways — before the sun came up and after it set — carrying buckets of lead in the mists and the rain and the snow! We didn't have shoes! Then at night, back down uphill the village to get our daily thimble of leek porridge. Those monks, with their vegetarianism… you wonder why Old Wu fled? I NEED MEAT! He slams his fist on the table.
Are my Godclaws ready yet? Fry them good — I like them burnt!
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The other halfling has skin that looks like moving water and hair that's a riot of wet colors. So, yeah! I'm Palakar, and I'm from Druma. From guess where!? The Palakar forest! Ok, so technically I'm from a tiny creek in the forest that feeds into the Profit's Flow river, but none of you mortals have gotten around to naming it yet, and Profit's Flow is just a terrible name for a river. But a great pun at least. Anyways, I know it's a bit unusual for a naiad to be named after a forest, but Kortos doesn't really have any waterways, so I'm stuck with Palakar for now.
Anyways. So the fey in Druma have this nice deal where the humans only cut down a couple trees a day and act nice, and we don't make them all get lost in the woods or drown them. So anyways, I guess being around all those Kalistos rubbed off on me a bit, and I decided to look into this money stuff. And it turns out, people will give you money just for talking! And I talk a lot! At least, that's what others say. Some say I babble like a brook, and I'm like "duh!", but then they act like it's a bad thing. I don't know. Anyways. So the boss loggers like to have me talk to the other loggers about what they should be doing and getting them motivated. And the guards in their fancy black jackets like to hear me talk about all the awesome stuff that other guards used to do - they even gave me this nifty book about stuff that other guards used to do just so I could read it to them.
So one day I'm talking with the loggers, and this elf comes through. and she's just got all this gold stuff, and has this fancy silver necklace that's really nice but kinda clashes with the rest, you know? So she says she's the Cleo-something Sage shows me this fancy orange gem and says that she's looking to talk to the Kalisto's about if they can get more of the gems for her. And then she tells me about the Mierani forst, and all these other places she's been that sound amazing! And then she says there's a whole bunch of sage people that get together and hang out. Which sounds fun! But then she say's they meet down in Osirion and Thuvia. And she start's talking about them... and they're the most awful places in the world! Like, how can anyone live there?! No forests, no rain, and only a couple rivers in a giant thing of sand? It sounds terrifying...
So I think she could tell I was a little freaked out, and starts telling me about this other group that she's also in, called the Pathfinders. And that they go to all sorts of places, and you don't have to go to the sand places if you don't want to. But that you can go to other places, like the River Kingdoms! That place sounds awesome! Imagine a whole kingdom ruled by river fey! Ok, I found out it's not actually that, but it's close enough. And the Mwangi and Sodden Lands, and along the Sellen Rivers, and so many other places. So I just had to come try it out. So I went along with her in Druma and then she brought me here. She made me get clothes though, which I didn't really understand for a while, especially since she wasn't wearing much either. She got me to sign up with the Pathfinder school here, and here I am!
Oh, but you probably wanted to know how I can help out. So one day back in the forest the satyr's from across the river and... finally notices the glazed looks on the rest of the party Oh right. Stories latter. Ok, so the pathfinder school tought me a few things, like how armor is nice and how to use crossbows, slings, and rapiers. And I'm learning blowgun because Seramaydiel uses one - she's the goddess of talking. Oh and I'm learning to play the trumpet too, but I'm not very good yet. But what I'm really best at in a fight is talking! - I know, right? So sometimes I talk so much that other people get confused and start attacking the wrong thing. Other times I can get people flustered so that they accidently drop things or fall down. And I know how to make things sticky or slippery. And I can give someone a token that brings them luck.
Oh yeah. There was a paperwork mixup back at the lodge. They ran out of the right forms, so rather than wait for the right papers they just turned me into a halfling for the week and gave me a form for that. Hopefully things will settle down when we get back.
So that's probably enough about me. Janira, I know what you mean about wanting to go and try all the exotic ponds out there. There's just so many of them. Except in stupid Osirion. Oh, so where's this Kullan Dei place?
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When they told me there was a halfling bard coming on this mission, I thought 'oh, an easy one! I know how to advise a halfling bard!'. What have I gotten myself into?
“Well...um...I guess we won't be wont for entertainment on this trip! Anyway, 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's 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. Any questions?”
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“The area we’re heading to is controlled by a large centaur tribe. If we cross paths with any of them, they’ll see the horses as an affront and might become dangerously unfriendly. Our mission is to explore the caves and investigate the gillmen activity, not fight the local populace. We could probably convince them to overlook one horse, if you were walking beside it rather than riding, but we cannot travel as a mounted party. Honestly, given that you'll be exploring a cave, your horse may be better off here in Absalom anyway.”
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“Now, 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. Do you have food? Does someone have a way to make fire? How about a light source? Does anyone have a means of magical healing? How about alchemical items? A flask of alchemist’s fire or acid can be a life-saver in some cases.”
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Your first day of travel is interesting, if uneventful. Janira points out broken siege towers as you pass through the Cairnlands, explaining what she learned from Master Shaine about the many times Absalom has been unsuccessfully assaulted. You make camp in a pleasant, sheltered hollow in some low hills, taking turn at watch without incident.
Janira wakes you up early the next morning and you press on towards your destination. As you progress deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser.
Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road. “I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.” She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. G. 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.”
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Ahead of you, slightly off your path, a large tree falls. The loud booming noise as it strikes the ground causes animals all around to scatter and run, including a nest of snakes that emerge from a hole in a log in front of you, scrambling in your direction!
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Initiative:
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I know not if your local snakes are poisonous…
WHAT? LOCAL STEAKS?
Wu absentmindedly shoves aside several snakes with the quarterstaff he was using as a walking stick, babbling while he moves ahead. Out of Wu's way. Quality beef! I am ready to be seated!
Once he is away from the swarm he pulls out a flask of oil.
Well done please: charred, scorched, chewy as my sandals — or I send it back to the chef!
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Well, I might be able to confuse A snake if it's not too dumb, but I don't think it'll help with that many of them.
Palakar takes a step away from the snakes. She sees Desirea's alchemist fire and likes the idea, so she draws her own and throws it. Well, it's pretty rare to find a snake you can't eat. But these one's aren't even venomous!
(Should still splash them hopefully)
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As the canopy thickens overhead, Lucius would have pulled a torch out of Inesorabile's saddlebags. Now, torch in one hand, he looks at the illuminated creatures.
"Any suggestions on how to deal with these snakes?" he asks, as he swings down with his morningstar.
He takes a step back, morningstar in one hand, torch in the other, and calls to Cacciatore. "Cacciatore, come here!"
Cacciatore snaps at the swarm before going to join his master.