[PFS] GM Lithrac's Abducted in Aether (#7-23) (Inactive)

Game Master Cyril Corbaz

Beleth thinks for a moment, then finally accepts your offer, albeit a bit reluctantly. For your troubles, you receive a cold, thin metal rod. "This is the shaft of an arrow pulled from the queen of a planet that was destroyed thousands of years ago." She proudly claims as she nods goodbye to the Pathfinders.

Well done, you have one item that may be of interest to Aslynn! Where to next? There's Mr. Null or the Caulborn.

"And do you think insulting a creature is the best way to get it to act in the way that you want?" Sharna asks Noro. She shakes her head a little, then gives Alie an approving nod for the charm she displays with the spider. Sharna takes the metal rod with interest, unless someone else wants to carry it.

"Let us try the Caulborn. If they deal in memories and sensations, I believe that is just the sort of thing Aslynn may desire."

With Ra continuing to keep a sharp eye out Sharna moves with the others through the market towards the Caulborn...

Letting Alie take point on talking but as before I'll auto-aid.

When they find the Caulborn, Sharna offers one of her usual polite bows. She lets Alie handle initial introductions, then offers her own name and trade, saying that if the Caulborn have no record of, say, the scent of cilantro, she would be happy to offer such a thing as a courtesy. Because she has cilantro with her.

Alie leads the group toward the Caulborn, happy to leave that Xill in her rear view. She makes basic introductions, first herself, then the rest of the group. "We have heard you are one of the most interesting merchants here at the bazaar. What wares would you have for trade today? Anything special?"

Diplomacy 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (9) + 19 = 28

A group of hairless humanoid creatures with no eyes and large, fleshy, hood-like growths on their heads (see handouts) stand behind a table that displays a number of cracked pieces of rock. When approached, these caulborn merchants seem to confer silently with one another for a moment before one of them steps forward. Its split jaws open momentarily, and a thin string of saliva drips out. Just as it seems like it is content to merely drool at you, it speaks to you telepathically in an emotionless tone.

We are the caulborn. Each of these stones you see before you is a piece of calcified emotion separated from the pure fact of the memories gleaned from ones such like yourself. Do you wish to purchase one? I will exchange one of the for a handful of recollections from one of you. Would you like to trade?

Voros eyes the stones with a mix of repulsion and astonishment. He tries to appraise their price.

Appraise: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

He speaks with distrust, trying to remember anything he might know on the caulborn.

Knowledge planes?: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

"A handful recollection of what? Emotions? Memories?"

Noro shrugs off the reprimand, it was what she was used to.

eventually they reach the caulborn, Noro contemplates what is being offered.

You take away memories? will you remove them forever? Noro seems interested in such a thing, perhaps she has some memories she would rather have gone.

Sharna's gaze roams over the stones, then up at the grotesque creatures. "Will it cause us pain, to give you memories?" she says aloud, though she also tries to 'think' the question clearly.

Knowledge planes re: the caulborn: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

(If they're not outsiders, I have most of the KN skills trained. The most important thing Sharna would want to know is the consequences of giving up memories, but anything else is gravy too.)

Appraising abstract things like memories is near impossible. The value of such a thing would greatly depend on whom you'd ask. For a night hag, however, such things would be delightful and highly sought after.

Voros and Sharna recall that caulborn are a race of telepathic prophets and historians who subsist on the psychic energy of others. They wander the planes in search of new facts and concepts to add to the pulsating brain-sacks that serve as their collective memories. When a band of caulborn find a particularly interesting site, they settle down to dwell there for many years until they feel that they have learned all there is to know about the location.

A caulborn is literally a creature of the mind. Its body is self-sustaining, and it exists solely to record and catalogue new thoughts. While they are not evil, caulborn have little interest in alliances or friendship with other races.

You give, you get. Something for something. cryptically answers the caulborn. Painful? No, it is not. At least, to most creatures.

"Are the memories shared or lost?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Anoyone feel up to volunteering to give a memory, lose a memory? I'm afraid I will lose a spell and weaken myself. Of course, if I could get them to take that prior experience with those awful xill, it might be all worth it. Can we pick which memory we give you, Caulborn?"

"If we can select the memory, I may volunteer." Refen looks hopeful that he can.

Putting my response if they say "yes" or "no" in a spoiler as I might be out when they respond.

If you wish to offer a specific memory, we'll accept it as long as it's very intense as far as your own feelings go. the Caulborn replies. Then he considers Refen's offer, and communicates with his kin before accepting. Open your mind...

The caulborn reaches for Refen with its long-clawed fingers and takes his head in its hands. It presses its bulbous head against Refen’s. A handful of second later, it lets go. During that time, the aasimar's face remained calm and devoid of pain.

The Caulborn then offers to Refen a lumpy hunk of pumice. The rock is the distilled envy a minor lord felt while watching his greatest rival earn a position of power that was his own by right.

The Caulborn turns to Alie, asking Would you like to trade? We have other memories we could offer in exchange for your trauma at the hands of the xill.

If Alie doesn't want to trade, you can always visit Mr.Null.

"What memory do you have to trade? I think getting this one out of my head might do me well in the long run!"

Other thoughts, other memories. Perhaps another feeling, a strong one? cryptically answers the Caulborn.

"Sure. Give me a happy feeling. Take the one where the xill, kidnapped and tortured me, and worse things. I'll be happy to never remember that one," Alie agrees

"Whoa. I feel... great. As if something I can't put my finger on has been resolved. But for the life of me, I can't remember what it is."

As he touches the stone, he is taken aback. "Wow. That is a powerful memory. Almost felt it as my own."

Sharna watches Refen with some skepticism but when he truly seems unharmed she gives a little nod.

"Very well. I too will trade a memory, if the Caulborn wish to make further deals."

Sharna takes a breath, gazing at Ra and skritching the little feathers on the back of the hawk's head. "I offer up the memory of the day I found Ra... or that he found me, perhaps. It was a good day. I will be sorry to lose it."

Very well, we shall trade. First with you. he telepathically transmits as he comes closer to Alie. The same process occurs, and Alie feels relieved. Sharna undergoes the same process, offering the memory of the day she met her other half.

Alie is offered a vibrant purple crystal, whereas Sharna receives a deep blue one.

You are given the ineffable joy of the same minor lord once, years later, he at last managed to rise to power. he offers Alie.

As for you, experience the feeling of utter peace of mind, as this stone was offered by a mystic at the end of his journey towards illumination. he mentally tells Sharna.

Sharna touches at her head, feeling momentarily ill-at-ease. "I... I have forgotten... my skill as an herbalist," she mumbles. "...and much else that I knew..."

Gingerly she takes the blue stone, and her expression clears somewhat. "...well, what is done is done. I will not be troubled overmuch by it. Knowledge can always be regained," she says, seeming to come to peace with it. She offers a half-bow to the Caulborn.

"Thank you for the bargain."

To the others, she asks, "Well? Should we move on with our three bartered memories, or seek more here? Mr. Null may yet prove interesting."

Voros' eyes widen and his mouth opens and closes once, before he eventually says:

"You forgot WHAT? Your talents in your profession? That's... That's a risky trade, for sure! Do you think we need to buy more feelings for our task? Well... Nevermind. I need my competences to survive in the battlefield."

He shakes his head, clearly trying to balance the risks and eventually says.

"If we have what we need... We should head over to Mr. Null."

"Not... everything," Sharna says slowly, her face drawn together in thought. She is used to having her veil to cover her expressions and is not very good at keeping a poker face as a result.

"I could still name for you every species of tree native to Thuvia, or tell you poison creeper from yellow creeper, at a glance. But I..." she frowns, tapping the blue stone against her chin a moment. "...but I cannot recall how to make the yarrowroot paste which guards against infection, nor the correct proportions of wort and red thistle for Thuvian tea. It is discomfiting. Yet I learned all those things once; perhaps I shall learn them again with study.

"That said, I agree with you that three should be enough. Let us go find Mr. Null."

Alie knew that the witches's words were right. She was affected by the loss of the memory, but the grating fear and hatred of the xill was gone. That might be a worthwhile trade for the sorceress. She followed the others to Mr. Null's area.

Upon arrival, she again steps to the front. "Greetings. We are here as we heard you might have one of the most interesting times in this whole place for sale. Or barter. Is there any way you would entertain showing us your wares?"

Diplomacy 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (9) + 19 = 28

Noro watched as some gave their memories, She soon was starting to feel her contribution in this endeavor was less than adequate.

she had one memory that she wanted to part with, a memory that was nothing but pain her entire life.

But the memory was what drove her to be who she is today. to part with it would be a blessing, but also a curse.

As the other turn to leave, Noro stays behind for a moment.

As they are leaving, the Pathfinders can spot Noro mentally communicating with one of the Caulborn, and undergo the same process as Refen, Alie and Sharna. Her face becomes relaxed, almost detached and calm, afterwards.

An interesting memory. Here is what you bargained for, the redeeming of a murderous demon.

A brightly colored wagon positioned in a large archway boasts its offerings in flowing script painted on the side: “A Plethora of Priceless Peculiarities.” Beside the wagon stands a humanoid figure seemingly made from pure darkness, with no apparent facial features, who is wearing a flamboyant suit and hat. The creature telepathically introduces himself when you come near his wagon. See Handouts for his portrait.

Welcome, travellers. I am Mr. Null. Have you come to trade? You have come to the right place! I am blessed with your presence. Please, have a seat and let's discuss business together. Have you heard of me here in the Veiled Bazaar? I am very proud of my merchandise, a collection of curiosities unrivaled on this or any other plane.

Numerous objects, ranging from crystal figurines to a silver pair of scissors, are on display within the wagon.

When Alie opens the negotiations, he seems immediately quite taken by her. I think we can do each other a favor on this fine day. It just so happens that I am in the market for a breath of magic—an arcane whisper if you will. A simple jot of mysticism, be it from the gods, from a book, or from the very depths of one’s core, will do the trick! For such a trifle, I would gladly trade you a small trinket from my stockpile.

"An arcane whisper? Tell me more. I can cast a spell or two. Would something of that nature be sufficient? Would divine magic be better?"

Take 10 on the Kn Local

Sharna blinks serenely at Mr. Null as he talks with Alie. In a low murmur to the others, she says, "An astomoi. I have read of such creatures. They crave sensation but can be overwhelmed by odors and perfumes. This one is dressed most unusually, however."

Stepping forward to stand with Alie, she nods politely at Mr. Null. "I too would wish to know more. If we trade you a touch of magic, will we ourselves lose it forever, do you know?

"Also, please pardon my forwardness, Mr. Null, but I cannot help but be curious-- I had heard that astomoi such as yourself dressed plainly, yet you yourself are as finely arrayed as any peacock. It is lovely, but unusual...?"

Diplomacy if needed (not a class skill): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

(I suppose that would qualify as making a request?)

Alie grins broadly at hearing Sharna's comments. "I would certainly have not guessed your kind were plain dressers...that hat is amazing! Your attire would have you sitting for dinner with any noble I've ever run across. It is truly divine."

Auto aid Sharna on Diplomacy.

"yes there are plenty of us who can give you magic."

diplomacy aid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

-Posted with Wayfinder

While it is rather hard to get areading on Mr.Null's feelings due to his lack of facial expression, you clearly hear from the tone of his telepathic voice echoing in your heads that he's very excited about your remarks regarding his outfit. Pleasurable to the senses, isn't it? I'm glad you like it. As for that arcane whisper, you do not need to cast a spell. Just breathe out in this contraption. he explains, showing a twisted apparatus of brass and rubber the general size and shape of a sheep’s stomach from his wagon. Who would like to give a try?

Alie looks around at the others. Unfortunately, when it came to arcane things, she appeared to be the only logical choice. She stepped forward nervously and took the strange contraption, exhaling into the machine.

Sharna decides to wait until seeing the effect on Alie first. Sharna has a streak of ruthless pragmatism.

"Yes, your raiment is lovely. Though I cannot help but notice you did not answer my question of whether we forever lose the little whisper of magic," she says politely.

Magic, like all things, is fleeting. I only ask you to lend me some. Savvy?

Once Alie volunteers to give Mr. Null what he requests, he claps his hands together delightedly and presents her with the twisted apparatus. Pointing at one end, which is shaped like the mouthpiece of a musical instrument, he asks Alie to blow gently into it. She does, willingly, and sees the bulb on the opposite end of the device start to inflate.

Once the bulb is inflated, Mr. Null capers excitedly and hides the apparatus back in his wagon. With a sweeping gesture, he retrieves another item from his stash—a rolled-up piece of canvas—and hands it to Alie. She unrolls it, and a hint of surprise can be seen on her face.

Quite a personal item, isn't it? I hope you're as pleased as I am. Thank you very much for your business.

Upon your leaving Mr.Null's wagon, a blue-skinned errand boy wearing a white cap hops to you and delivers a message. "Are you the Pathminders? What? Pathfinders? Whatever. The Master of the Bazaar, Yetakerinos the Obscure, wishes to speak to you." Then the boy hops off, disappearing through the crowd of the busy marketplace.

Refen looks intently at Mr. Null for his answer to Sharna's question.

UMD 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32

Alie expertly figured away around the magic drawing machine. She looked around wanting to be sure it wasn't detected. She thought she had succeeded. She had a second thought when she received her 'gift' form Mr. Null. She quickly rolled the scroll back up tightly after viewing it. Just when she had gotten rid of her memory, there was a picture of that damn Xill with its arms around her, teleporting her to its realm. She'd never look at the picture again, that was for sure.

"Let's go find the Bazaar Master. I don't want to hang around here anymore!"

Noro had nothing to offer here, though she was open to mindless violence. of course that was not one of the items any of the merchants had interest in.

at the call of the Bazaar master, great what did I do wrong now. I may be a Pirate, but I never intended to plunder this place. she started to think out-loud

The ancient dragon watches you approach the column on which he is perched with undisguised curiosity. He silently flaps his tattered-looking wings and grandly introduces himself with a touch of a claw to his breast.

“I am Yetakerinos the Obscure, founder and overseer of the Veiled Bazaar, connoisseur of the remarkable, and authority on the esoteric. I welcome you, newcomers. You arrive at a fortuitous time. I would ask a favor of you, but first, let us get to know one another. Are these Wayfinders? This would mean you belong to the Pathfinder Society, is that correct? Would you introduce yourselves properly and state your business in my Bazaar? I've watched you from afar, and I'm positively impressed by your way of handling yourselves."

Sharna watches Alie with interest, but at the messenger from the dragon, that takes precedence.

In the presence of the great beast, Sharna bows humbly.

"Lord Yekaterinos, we are honored to have seen the sights of your Bazaar. You are most correct in understanding we are sworn to the Pathfinder Society; I am pleased that we have conducted ourselves in a way that meets with your approval. I am called Sharna al-Subaiyyat, from the land of Thuvia on the prime plane. I will not presume to give the names of my companions for them.

"As for our business; if you have heard of the Society, lord, then you may have heard that enemies recently struck it, in a cowardly raid. In the raid, a great student of magic, a man called Aram Zey, was slain by cowards. Further, his soul was ripped from him... and we believe it is being traded in your bazaar. We wish to retrieve it, and to right a wrong.

"But please, Lord: in what fashion may we assist you?"

*auto-aid Alie*

DM:

Alie follows Sharna's lead. "This is quite a bazaar you have here. You should be very proud that all species interact here and enjoy your wares. My friend Sharna has given you the basis of our mission. We are here to win back one of our Society mentor's souls. I can't think of a more noble mission. We appreciate you letting us try to achieve this in your realm. Of course we would be willing to help you in any way possible."

Diplomacy 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (16) + 19 = 35

" I am Xiaobo Feng Weimin, a peaceful monk from the land of Cheliax. I hated seeing the violence and oppression of the people there and try to do my best to resolve all conflicts without violence. It is a pleasure to meet one as old and wise as you are. My friends are correct sir. We are here to retrieve a lost soul and hope to do so with no violence."

diplomacy aid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

-Posted with Wayfinder

Voros bows low, as his latest encounter with dragons finished almost bad for him. And this one seems bigger still than the one his team has slain. He says with a low voice:

"My lord. I am called Voros, coming from Westcrown in Cheliax. Indeed, one of our master and beloved teacher was taken from us and we wish to see him back to our plane. We are wise enough to bend our knees to your rules, my lord, and will not disturb your bazaar, as you have already seen."

Diplo (aid Alie): 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12

"Refen Halmire. I am from..." Refen ponders for a moment... he can't remember! He shakes his head as if something is wrong. "Well, regardless, I am here along with the others to just get Aram's soul back. But may I comment you have a very well-run bazaar? I've never been an extraplanar marketplace before and it leaves a good first impression."

Diplomacy (Aid Another): 1d20 + 7 - 3 ⇒ (3) + 7 - 3 = 7

The dragon raises a scaly eyebrow. "A personal quest, is that so? Most distracting. Perhaps, as Pathfinders, you could tell me of your deeds, or any tales about of your own exploits? I'm sure you are seasoned explorers, so there's a lot to be said on your carreer." asks Yetakerinos.

When the dragon asks for tales Xiaobo pauses to think for a second remembering one of his last missions."There was this time when I was climbing up this mountain looking for this fiend, we were attacked by a demon and the only way to stop it was for me to jump 20 feet straight in the air. I grappled it and held its wings so it couldn't fly. Then we both fell over 150 feet to the ground. Once we hit I wrapped it up and waited for the party to decide it's fate. They ended up sending it back to its plane."

-Posted with Wayfinder

"There was one mission where myself and a religious companion were the only two survivors of a mummy attack. All three others were paralyzed instantly and died on the spot, but the two of us were able to take down the mummies. I almost died of Mummy Rot on the way back, but managed to pull through." Refen looks grim when he reminisces about that adventure. ...it was a doozy...

Alie remembered one of her favorite missions. "I helped hold a sailing ship together through the worst storm you could ever imagine! And I don't really know a thing about sailing," she giggled. "Talk about a fish out of water. No magic, just a lucky and exciting day! But somehow it worked. I even got the nifty moniker 'the Stormtamer' out of it. When I get notes about assignments from the Society, it actually is addressed to 'thenStormtamer!' It kind of makes me blush, but I think it's pretty neat!"

Sharna listens with interest to the journeys of her fellow agents. When the dragon turns its eyes on her, she murmurs, "I have had many journeys as well, like all of us. Not too long ago I traveled to a city ruled by orc-kind..."

Wow second time I miss introductions guess nobody will know who I am. should I post an intro or assume I remain anonymous? not sure here, and what story to tell if I never even introduced myself.

Noro smiles at Xia's story, nearly unbelievable had she not seen it herself.

Noro never did introduce herself as the others seemed adamant to make themselves so well known. before she knew it, the conversation had moved on.

seems she was but a shadow in the presence of this dragon, sometimes that that suits one such as Noro. the mention of Pirate does not always open doors in places such as these.