|
With each touch from the being of emerald fire Ardisen feels his mind breaking, the oppressive whispers of the curse surrounding him like a malady of damnation. Despite his best efforts to flee, or aid his companions, the enchanter can manage nothing but to stare at his attacker through mentally anguished eyes.
|
Buri's natural attacks, being nonmagical in nature, fail to harm the emerald green spirit in any way. Luckily, the dwarven druid resists both the temptation to listen to the incoherent babble and the stench coming from the mass of carrion.
Initiative order - round 2 - bold may act!
1. S
2. Yjalk & crew
3. Quarr, Buri, Ignatius, Ardisen
4. C
5. Chasik, Amennekht
6. S
|
|
The emerald spirit lunges towards Ardisen once again, wroth at the bearer of the ruby shards!
The Chelish wizard falls in a coma on the ground, powerless to resist the corrupted powers of the Emerald sage!
The spirit revels in her babbling, and shifts slightly out of range before it casts another spell - at Quarr this time!
Yjalk steps forward and bring his massive sword down on the spirit again, but he misses.
Buri withdraws from combat.
Initiative order - round 3 - bold may act!
1. S
2. Yjalk & crew
3. Quarr, Buri, Ignatius, (Ardisen)
4. C
5. Chasik, Amennekht
6. S
|
|
Chasik, takes another hard shot from the mass of undead rot before him. He stands tall, almost taunting the creature to keep hitting him.
You'll have to do better than that you undead beast! I have some oil that may be useful, it is in my bandolier. It will help in hitting the spiritual enemies.
He takes another mighty swing at the enemy before him, hoping to return the favor.
|
|
Chasik and Amennekht both miss the carrion creature.
The Emerald green spirit presses on his onslaught against Quarr, but misses twice.
Yjalk strikes again, swinging his greatsword at the restless spirit with renewed might. His sword cleaves through the spirit, leaving it in a poor shape.
Initiative order - round 4 - bold may act!
1. S
2. Yjalk & crew
3. Quarr, Buri, Ignatius, (Ardisen)
4. C
5. Chasik, Amennekht
6. S
|
Quarr stumbles back as fast as his short legs will let him as the arms of this incorpreal creature reach out for him. He nervously looks at the creature and then to Ardisen, worried about them man but not wanting the same thing to happen to himself. He reaches out with a shakey hand as he throws one more of the few bombs he has left.
Precise Bomb to not target 4 friendlies
Point Blank Shot
DC 16 reflex save for Splash Damage
|
|
Stricken by the ghostly sword, the restless spirit of the Emerald sage is unable to avoid being splashed by Quarr's bomb, and ultimately dissolves into nothingness! The maddening babble gone, Yjalk's warriors help you finish off the carrion golem, putting an end to the immediate threat.
The Ulfen warrior gives a strong handshake to every one among the Pathfinders. "Ha, that was an epic fight indeed, one that will be long remembered! Who knows, maybe Signe over there" he motions at the skald accompanying him "will write a saga about the curses of this place and how mighty Yjalk and the Pathfinders slew an ancient Osirion evil. We should be going now, but should you ever need a boat ride, you will be welcome to set foot on my drakkar."
Once Yjalk and his Ulfen warriors are gone, Amennekht can finally break the geode Amenopheus gave him. True to his word, the wrinkled Sapphire Sage arrives one hour later. Once he had a chance to examine the ruby shards:
"How good it is to see you still alive! Don't worry, we'll take care of your friend Ardisen. He'll be back on his feet in no time. As for the broken jewel it is a shame indeed, yet we are somehow lucky. The ruby shards still hold a glimmer of magic - they may still contain several of the Ruby Sage's memories! Let me try this."
Amenopheus enacts a long and ancient ritual to give a temporary living shape to the corpse of the former Ruby Sage. She appears as she must have been in life, a beautiful but deeply affected woman. Her voice echoes in Seeker's Folly with a crystalline sound.
"Hail, heroes. I must thank you for bringing a measure of peace to this place. Our own madness was what killed us, as we were cornered by the Keleshite in this forsaken place. Hear my words, for they are our history - the history of our order. In the age when the Song Pharaph came to pass away, the Keleshite rose to prominence in the eastern Inner Sea. They conquered much of Osirion, which was by then only a pale shade of what it once had been. As keepers of Osirion's memories, we were hunted down, and forced to hide in secluded places like this one. Unable to escape our terrible doom, we turned against each other. We were three, the Emerald, the Topaz, and me, the Ruby."
The spirit halts for a moment, gazing where you found the shards. "Their jewels were not so long ago next to the remains of mine, yet they have been taken. One of the thieves touches my shards, and I was able to briefly touch his mind with mine. Whoever took the Emerald and Topaz is a man named Kafar, who had intentions of delivering the jewels to the Diamond Sage, who resides in his sanctum, hidden in the Pillars of the Sun."
Amenopheus frowns. "How unusual of a behavior. Why would the Diamond Sage collect the jewels instead of finding new candidates for them? Moreover, I am concerned, for the name Kafar is not unknown to the Society. An old enemy..."
The Ruby Sage nods. "I agree. These two thieves must be found, for we must reclaim the lost jewels. Finding the Diamond Sage and understanding his intentions is also paramount. This quest is no mere task though, so I will lend you the remains of my strength, infuse you with my essence so that you may transcend your boundaries. Farewell, heroes. Use my powers wisely."
At that moment, the Ruby Sage's corpse returns to its previous state before turning to ash. Yet for that tragic loss you feel no grief, but hope. Deep within you, a mythical potential has been unlocked. The quest awaiting you may be perilous, but you feel that you have it in you to face these impossible odds and win the day!
Amenopheus then teleports you back to Eto to resupply before your ultimate trek to the Pillars of the Sun begins. He warns you that the Pillars of the Sun is a very dangerous region of towering rocks, searing wind, and terrible beasts. With the fate of his order riding on your success, he announces that he will personally accompany you to Sanctum of the Sages.
|
|
Despite regaining consiousness within the cursed chamber, it takes several days following the Pathfinders return from Seeker's Folly for the young wizard to fully recover his faculties. While their encounter with the Emerald Sage clearly took it's toll on Ardisens mind, the magics worked by Amenopheus were quickly able to clear the ancient Osirion curses that escalated his condition. Much of the battle and following conversation is a blur to the enchanter, and it is only thanks to the updates of his allies that he is able to fully appreciate the scope of what happened and is yet to come.
Ardisen soon returns to his usual, confident self, especially fascinated with the newfound power he can feel invigorating him. While a previously unseen fire seems to burn behind the Chelaxians eyes, he goes to pains to avoid discussing how he is feeling and falls silent at any mention of the Emerald Sage and the battle. Any who pass the enchanters sleeping chambers at night report hearing the occasional cry of terror, but Ardisen dismisses any questions about such events with his usual smile and charm. It'd be hard to disbelieve the silver tongued wizards dismissal, but despite him sharing the Ruby Sages mythic potential as his fellow adventurers, even he cannot hide the fact that he always looks more tired than usual...
|
|
The growing light of predawn filters in through a window of the two-story building that Amenopheus has rented in Eto, and the aging Garundi man takes a seat on one of the cushions set out for this meeting. He produces a sealed letter from his robe, placing it in the middle of the floor before speaking.
“Good morning, Pathfinders. As you know, we have had our share of setbacks recently. Not only have the emerald and topaz gems sacred to my order slipped through our fingers, but we also faced the frustration of finding nothing but fragments of the once great ruby. Thankfully, its power is not lost entirely, and through the Ruby Sage’s blessing, it lives on in you. I am thankful that you have agreed to act on her behalf and see this through to the end. As we speak, the scoundrels who seized the two gems cross the Pillars of the Sun to meet their employer, the cryptic Diamond Sage.” He sighs heavily. “What she intends to do with the gems is a mystery, but the sage jewels are too important for me to take risks with. If the power that you wield is representative of a shattered jewel’s potential, imagine what one might accomplish with three undamaged stones! Until we know what her plans are, it is paramount that we get to the jewels first.
“Kafar and Nefti have a rudimentary map of the Pillars of the Sun, and last night I found a bartender who spotted them poring over it between drinks. She recalled little of the map, and she could not make sense of the marks or annotations; however, the right spells have allowed me to probe her mind and determine Kafar and Nefti’s entry point into the mountains. We will follow them from there.” With a somewhat chagrined smile, Amenopheus adds, “It may be that they will lead us to the Sanctum of the Sages, a hidden complex I have long suspected might be in this area.”
He stands and announces, “Prepare yourselves quickly. We shall leave momentarily.”
You have also just received a letter from Venture-Captain Balentiir, which reads:
Loyal Pathfinders,
The Sapphire Sage has requested our help once more as his hunt for the lost order of the Jeweled Sages and their iconic gemstones continues. Amenopheus tells us that Kafar and his pupil Nefti have snatched two of the gems: an emerald and a yellow topaz. It goes without saying that the Aspis Consortium’s involvement in this matter troubles me deeply; I will not have them outwit us as they did my colleague, Hestia. It saddens me that such a pair of brilliant operatives may die before your mission is over, but I would sleep better knowing that they were no longer a threat to the Society. Were that they had chosen to become Pathfinders rather than pawns of the Aspis Consortium! I hereby deputize the Sapphire Sage Amenopheus to lead this expedition, and you shall assist him in his quest. Remember our tenets: explore, report, and cooperate. I look forward to receiving word of your success.Godspeed,
Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir
complaining to one another about the Aspis Consortium.
**************
|
|
Quarr exit's his room to meet back up with the rest of the group after a long night. He looks tired and even a bit sore when all of a sudden thin membranes flow from his cloak as they outstretch from the idle of his back. It is a pair of bat like wings. They do not look able to carry much weight for a long period but able to maintain flight none the less.
I think I made a mistake. My mutagen in my system and the power that the Jeweled Sage gave us seemed to have a bit of negative effect upon my body. I attempted to tear them off last night but they seem to be attached into my nervous system.
As they are walking down the street Quarr is able to hear a few tidbits before people quiet and stare at his abnormality.
It seems that there was a man meeting Nefti's description playing a flute in taverns all throughout Eto, though he has not been seen for three days now. It seems that Kafar has also visited a local herbalist or apothecary.
|
|
With the powers imbued in him by the Ruby Sage, Ardisen has no trouble learning almost everything about their quarry. When the enchanter speaks to the people of the city, his empowered charm almost compels them to share all they know in an effort to please him.. Upon returning to his fellow enhanced agents, the youth informs them of what he knows and has learnt.
"It seems the people we track may be easy to turn to our cause. They are becoming disenchanted with the Consortium. I can use that."
Thinking for a moment, the wizard continues.
"We should purchase attire and spells appropriate for the heat in this region before we depart. The last thing we want to do is exhaust ourselves en route. Perhaps purchase a faster mode of transportation as well, if time is a factor."
|
|
"Good ideas, Ardisen. Horses, or camels, could maybe be rented. I'm not much of a rider, but time is likely of the essence."
Ignatius reaches one of his contacts from the Grand Lodge to get a wand of cure light wounds to use on himself and his allies.
"Yes, I know you've got one already, Quarr - but one more won't hurt!" He says with a smile.
|
|
The Pillars of the Sun are a desert mountain range south of Eto. Its terrain is rocky and arid, cut by profound chasms and colossal precipices. Getting lost is as easy as it is deadly, as a few wrong turns can throw explorers completely off track—or worse, off a cliff—trapping them between the scorching noon sun and the freezing night winds. The harsh environment alone is enough to keep most adventurers away, and the beasts that live in the mountains only magnify the danger of this inhospitable place.
Once you are prepared to leave Eto, Amenopheus teleports the group to the northern edge of the Pillars of the Sun. There, just as the sun is peaking over the horizon, you are able to find the path Kafar and Nefti used to enter the mountains. Temperatures continue to rise all through the morning, and after four hours of travel, the group reaches a place where the winding path through the spires splits.
The Sapphire Sage speaks up. "I believe we cannot afford to neglect any trail, so we will have to split up. I will personally follow one of the paths, and you will explore the other one. Do not worry, for I will remain in contact with you whatever happens." On these words, he casts a spell and strides magically along one of the trails.
Your path leads you to a series of switchbacks that ascend the steep side of a gorge, and approximately one hour after Amenopheus’s departure, you reach an immense cliff where the tracks simply end.