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Shigeru, utilizing his empathic link with Chomper for coordination, sits on the ground and ever so slowly pushes the cauldron of hot water with his feet until it lines up perfectly with the murder hole in the master bedroom.
Wiping his brow, he hears the frustrated swearing from his compatriots as Karasuma calls for help. He and Chomper head up to see if there is anything they can do.
As Darshan and Karasuma explain the issue, an idea strikes Shigeru. "Hm. This might be a bit unorthodox, but I may be able to get Chomper to help out with this."
He pulls out a small green lizard scale and rubs it between his fingers. The dry and brittle thing crumbles to powder and Shigeru smears it on one of Chomper's tentacles as he incants. "Deep in the ether knowledge abounds, to find it one needs but look around. This wisdom now in the mind will fill, giving my companion needed skill. EVOLUTION SURGE."
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As the magic surges into them, Chomper's eyes begin to glow faintly. After a moment the eidolon stops waving their tentacles about and focuses a piercing glare on the ruined catapult. The pair then swiftly begin setting to reworking the wood as only a multi-limbed clawed beast of abnormal strength and a scrawny half-elf can.
Chomper's magically enhanced skill manages to correct the errors Darshan made, allowing Karasuma to fully assemble the catapult.
Darshan: 45 minutes
Rika: 30 minutes
Shigeru/Chomper: 55 minutes
Kensaku: 30 minutes
Karasuma: 55 minutes
After an hour of work, the Pathfinders find themselves able to regroup, having accomplished much in a short time.
Darshan: 60 minutes
Rika: 60 minutes
Shigeru/Chomper: 60 minutes
Kensaku: 60 minutes
Karasuma: 60 minutes
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"Well, if we've got a catapult, we need it positioned well AND lots of ammo for it. So let's get a good supply, say, ten to twenty shots up into the tower. Anything heavy enough that can fit into the hopper but light enough to not break the arm... probably 'bout twenty to thirty pounds each, I'm thinking? Unless someone else has a better feel for it?"
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"Can anyone else see a good commanding arc to point this thing in? I'm not an expert, but I stayed in Amara's lodgings in Ramparassad last night?"
There's a brief pause.
"...has anyone spoken to our Venture Captain since we went to work? Does it take more than an hour to get ready for a tea ceremony?"
As the party descends the stairs, they find the main hall swept clean of debris. The windows are washed clear, letting the light shine on the cushions laid out on the floor. An elaborate setup of cups, kettle, and other tools suggest a sophisticated ceremony to be performed. Amara Li is seated on one of the central cushions.
"Thank you for your efforts so far." she says, bowing her head slightly. "As I mentioned before, when our guest arrives, I shall conduct a tea ceremony to begin our negotiations. I would ask that you all participate, as you could be misunderstood as an outside party otherwise. If you do not wish to, then I would ask you to leave the room for the duration."
From outside the house, a deep tone echoes through the air. The venture captain inclines her head as the sound fades. "I believe that came from the pier. I believe the Kirin has arrived. Would you please watch for him?"
"And perhaps it best if Chomper is not among the first Pathfinder allies to greet them as well?" Amara Li adds, seeing Shigeru and Chomper also moving out. Rising, she moves to the entryway and arranges herself to greet the coming guest. Her formal robes are azure and dove-gray silk, appearing none the worse off for the travel.
The front door opens to admit an elderly Tian man in full samurai armor. The katana at his side is sheathed but ready, one hand on the sheathe. Amara Li bows and speaks.
The man returns the bow, seemingly unhindered by the heavy armor.
With a polite smile, Amara Li turns and leads the way to the seatings for the meeting. She motions to the Pathfinders to take seats on the cushions behind hers and the laid out implements. The samurai removes his sheathed blade and lays it on the floor beside his own seat, before speaking.
"I know your tongue of Taldor, and would hear you give your names as well as your Venture Captain has." His words are accented but clear and strong. Amara Li nods assent as she readies the tea.
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Rika, aping both Amara Li and Tsuneo, takes a seat besides her Venture Captain, her sheathed blade set to the side uncomfortably. With one of her looks and a quick battle of wills, the raptor slinks and grovels behind her.
"我丽卡没有鬼。 我是开拓者协会的一个丑陋的刀片。 深切" she intones, wondering perhaps if she might be too harsh in her dealing with the old man.
Iko nods slowly as Rika speaks.
Amara Li continues the elaborate steps of preparing the tea. Each movement is methodical and practiced, each step clearly following a prescribed method.
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"我是。"
Rika pauses, thinking back upon her many missions, adventures in which she has done much good, protecting moreso than killing.
" 我也是一个用无耻的土匪来捍卫村庄，把妇女和儿童从坟墓或石头上救出来，引导他们走向光明的未来的人。 为了保卫这个社会而杀害了恶魔的一个孩子，并且确定了我们永远的敌人Vi蛇协会所要求的荣誉。 我为谁露面？ 反对那些反对协会探索，合作和报道的人。 但问我做什么就像问铲子是什么一样。 只有一个答案。 最好问问引导工具的手。" she adds, looking to her better spoken companions to pick up where she has left off.
Tsuneo smiles at Rika as a grandfather would to his grandchild. Amara Li speaks up, as the tea leaves steep. ”Rika is a fine warrior, suitable as a guard against evil here as we take tea. But the Pathfinders are varied in skill and talent, as Rika’s companions can attest.”
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The well-dressed tengu attorney sits down slowly, carefully placing a rather long curved blade on one side of his position to match the other weapons being shown 'at rest' and on the other side he sets down his well-crafted briefcase.
He will give a polite bow though somewhat modified for an avianoid frame to the new arrival.
"Karasuma Tazou, Attorney At Law. I am here to ensure that negotiations go without a hitch. And if things go in the other direction, we will be able to handle it.
Please forgive my lack of knowledge about the language in which you speak. Though I know nine, yours has eluded my study to this point.
However, as there are some who do not appreciate a barrister's attention, it is entirely within my capabilities to step out of sight if needed.
If I may be so bold, how was your journey here to this place?"
"The weather is a comfortable as it ever is. The sea was quite calm, for which these old bones are grateful." Tsuneo studies Karasuma intently. "You claim the gift of tongues, as well as the art of diplomacy. I am curious to know with whom have you negotiated and how those negotiations have improved both parties. Would you share those stories with me?"
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Following Amara's instruction, Shigeru has Chomper attempt to hide in a side room before their guest arrives and follows along as the group makes their way into the tea room. He places his bag on the floor near his cushion.
With a slight smile on his lips he listens to the unfamiliar language intently and waits to be called upon before speaking, though he does nod in agreement at Amara's assessment of their organization.
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"Ensuring negotiations go without a hitch is not necessarily the same as diplomacy. My legal training has been of use in a few situations to avoid complications of those who cannot speak plainly and fairly." Karasuma offers apologetically.
"I am not a great diplomat, though I have had the honor and privilege while within the service of the Pathfinder Society to handle several situations."
The tengu slowly pours some tea into his beak and tilts his head back before returning it to true.
"My first mission for the Society, a different team I was part of was tasked with discovering a possible meeting place for the people known as 'gillmen', in the foothills of the Kortos Moutains. We were able to secure peaceful relations, and discover some minor things about their faith and background while avoiding conflict."
"During the fourth mission for the Society, that team was tasked with uncovering the truth behind the incarceration of several of our fellow agents in Dawnton, Mendev. A duplicitous sort was utilizing the services of a foul demon in an effort to corrupt a willful young inquisitor of the Inheritor and stain their hands with the blood of innocents. We were able to resolve the situation with a minimum of bloodshed and with justice brought to the parties that required it."
Karasuma pauses for another sip, and to allow any questions or comments before continuing.
"The next mission took the team I was with to a prison in Ustalav, which had been burnt down in the years previous. Through the course of our investigation, we cleansed the place of significant spiritual problems and additionally made peaceful contact with one of the spirits of the place, who simply wished to be laid to rest when our mission was complete. At significant cost, we were able to complete this task."
"As you might begin to understand, our Society is far more than a diplomatic organization. We also engage in martial activities if it is required, and sometimes subtlety is far more important than either of the above. But in all of these things we have a mantra, a code... 'Explore, Report, Cooperate'.
When missions have failed it has more often than not occurred because one of those tenets was not followed. By sticking to them, we have been able to discover many new things, and pull together as teams and as an organization.
Please forgive my ramble here, it is not my intent to deprive my fellow teammates of their chances to relate themselves to you."
The tengu attorney will bow respectfully to Tsuneo.
Tsuneo returns the bow with a brief one of his own. "You have my thanks, Master Tazou, for your candor." He takes a sip of his cup before continuing. "I have heard tell of this motto the Society proclaims. The Way would be much in alignment with a tenant of cooperation. Your tales highlight your spirit of discovery, and this heartens my hope for a favorable arrangement."
"Thank you for such a wonderful tale of your adventures, Karasuma. I am sure your companions have even more varied experiences to recommend the Society to the Way of the Kirin." Amara Li interposes smoothly.
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"A good ramble is nothing to apologize for, Karasuma. One can glean so many interesting tidbits if they listen properly." Shigeru comments warmly. "Perhaps you could tell me more of that trip to Ustalav later? I had not heard about it before and am most intrigued."
He then turns to the guest of honor. "Well met Master...ah...Tsuneo, is it? I couldn't quite follow along with those introductions very well as my studies fail me much the same as our tengu friend's have failed him. Rika has agreed to help teach your tongue though, so maybe we can make it a group session." He smiles as he seems to day dream about this for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Ah, forgive me, I am Shigeru Kotabe, native of the city of Absolom and member of the Society's dangerous research division."
He takes his cup of tea and peers into it before turning a serious and level gaze upon Tsuneo and continuing. "You will find that Lady Li's assessment of the Society's variety of experience extends beyond its members and even influences our structure. This allows for targeted resource allocation to best suit the needs of our friends and to ensure successful protection of the weak from those who would exploit or injure. How does this align with your Way of the Kirin?"
"Forgive an old warrior his forgetfulness. Tsuneo is correct." the samurai says, acknowledging Shigeru's language barrier. "The Way was once much like many of the modern consortiums you know today. In the time of Lung Wa, it held much military and mercantile might. Now, we have few agents to wield the knowledge and power stored in our holdings, and even fewer soldiers to defend it." The corners of his mouth crease downwards in a frown that hints at his consternation. "I have curated what has been passed down to me by my relatives who guided the Way in its decline, hoping to protect it until we could raise the manpower to once again spread influence among the lands and families of Tian Xia."
"It is my ferverent hope that the Pathfinder Society can be the army of knowledge that the Way has been waiting for all this time." Amara Li offers, refilling the Kirin's cup. "Already you see that we have capable agents ready to take up the fight."
"I see the promise you have brought to me, Mistress Li. And I do not deny its possibilities." Tsuneo answers as he raises the full cup once more. "But I wonder, Shigeru Kotabe, at your profession of 'dangerous reseach'. Can you explain this further? How might you differ from your rivals in the Aspis Consortium, who I have heard you battle frequently in your expeditions?" His eyes peer out hard over his tea, belying the weathered age of his face.
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Darshan introduces himself. "I am Lord Darshan al-Hadir of Brevoy... but the title is a fairly recent thing, and while I am indeed of noble blood, that blood houses itself on the Isle of Jalmaray, and I have too many older siblings to have any hope of ever claiming a title. So, feel free to just call me Darshan."
"As for the Aspis... there is no comparison!"
After a pause.
"I can see, however, why some on the outside may not understand that. And, if I am to be honest, some Pathfinder agents behave in a way that is, er, rather Aspis-like. But, ultimately, our goals are different. The Aspis is all about profit, and about political influence and power. The Pathfinder Society is all about knowledge. Yes, there is some truth to the accusation that the Society hoards knowledge, but it is also true that we publish and share knowledge widely; if we do not share some, it is not to build our own personal power, but rather because we know that the unbridled release of some dark secrets we come across could be dangerous for all."
"While we do not waver in our commitment to knowledge, most of us try to help those around us, and leave the good people of Golarion we come across in no worse situation than we found them. We may, er, not have the same respect for the unneeded physical trappings of the dead as some think we ought to, but the Aspis consortium sees people merely as a resource to be mined. The Pathfinder Society is not like that."
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Kensaku nods absently in agreement with Darshan's assessment, doing her best to remain alert in the conversation and not distracted by the whispers of her past. When there is a time, she speaks up:
Forgive my rudeness, my name is Kensaku Rekishi, and I am honored to meet you. For my part, I serve as a historian and magical research expert, much like my companions Shigeru and Darshan, though my expertise comes from what a place or thing can tell me as much as my own prior knowledge.
I can attest to Darshan's sentiment of being custodians of knowledge; a few things I have found as a Pathfinder could upheave organizations, unleash terrible extra-planar creatures, and worse. So we act as guardians of that knowledge when we find it, to keep it from the wrong hands. Yet we also perform good works where we go too, and help people make better lives for themselves while we seek the knowledge of the past. In fact, a recent expedition I was on had us rescue a Kami guardian of an ancient and shattered temple to Yamatsumi from madness, gaining a great ally and so much lost knowledge to share with the world, once lost because of the actions of a sorceress long ago. That is what separates us from organizations like the Aspis Consortium: a genuine care for the people and cultures that we interact with, rather than a love of what we can sell their history for.
The aged samurai lets out a short laugh. "So there is some truth to the tales of grave robbing, Darshan? Ah, but I speak too bluntly. Truly, no army is a single warrior, nor is a single warrior all there is to an army. I appreciate the distinctions you draw between yourself and your rivals. I see a similar parallel between the Way and the Golden League, who you may have heard of." He turns to Kensaku and considers for a moment before continuing. "Guardianship is a heavy burden that we seem to share. Our stores of lore and bonds of responsibility are powerful tools. In the hands of Aspis and Golden League, they can become weapons of ruin upon good, honorable folk. I look forward to seeing what can be accomplished in the name of the Kirin with the hands of the Society for support."
Outside, the misty rain blocks the sight of the sunset. The sky has darkened over the course of the meeting, leaving the light of the lanterns hung about the room to illuminate the proceedings. "I am overjoyed to be honored with such a task." Amara Li begins, before a growing light distracts both her and Tsuneo. From the window, a bright reddish-orange glow brightens the horizon. Instead of the fading light of day, the glow steadily brightens. "That cannot be..." she murmurs in stunned surprise, before Tsuneo leaps up, sheathed sword in hand.
Amara Li rises in return, concern etched on her face.
Tsuneo's visage is grim, hard lines forming on his lips, before he relaxes, easing his grip. "That was uncharitable of me. I beg your forgiveness." He offers a bow to Amara Li and the gathered Pathfinders. "I believe we may both be under attack."
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Rika jumps to her feet, the subtleties and nuances displayed by the old man not something she has mastered. Or perhaps learned. "普拉特！隐藏" she barks at the velociraptor, who begins to slink into the shadows of the room as his master grabs her no-dashi from the ground on which it lays. "We attacked is!" She grunts irritably, the words not sounding as they should. "This is attacked. We need look, see and I need KILL enemies who attack."
And with those words uttered, she begin to move towards the highest point of the building, a room she has spent way too much time in. The lighthouse, along with the installed catapult.
The misty drizzle continues to block visibility of the surrounding area, but the glow of fire is unmistakable. It is clearly on the pier, and far too bright for torchlight or even a bonfire. The only structure on the pier that could produce that much light would be a ship.
Tsuneo nods at Rika's quick action, before turning to Amara Li once again. "Mistress Li, I have a way to call for assistance. However, it will take my allies some time to arrive. Respectfully, I request your aid in this, and your agents aid in buying time while we do so." The mistress of the Lantern Lodge considers only for a moment before nodding.
"So it shall be. Let this be the first offering of Society strength to the Way of the Kirin." At this, she turns to the gathered Pathfinders. "You have heard the request of our ally in need. You have my full confidence in maintaining the defense of this house. I have little else to offer you in preparing for the enemy." The elder samurai moves to the wall and opens the hidden door found earlier, pausing as you confer.
"We will be sure to watch for your traps, Master Tazou. May your sword strike true." Tsuneo replies, before leading the way into the passage. Amara Li smiles at the gathered agents. "May fortune favor you all." is all she says before following after, closing the hidden door once more.
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"Won't turn down being tougher given that we're expecting a bit of a brawl. Every little bit helps." Karasuma opines.
The tengu will attempt to use the catapult, though the chances of using it effectively are slim-to-none, despite having seen several in action in the Worldwound.
Overall, though, his best bet is to stay out of sight via his trained cart-chasing attorney skills after quaffing a potion of Darkvision.
Long minutes pass as the Pathfinders move to position. After perhaps a quarter of an hour, from his perch on the lighthouse tower, Karasuma can see the glow at the docks begin to separate into two points of light. Moving away from the burning pier, a horde of torches begins making its way up the long path to the house.
Crew Required: 3
Loading Time: 3 Rounds
Targeting Check: BAB + Knowledge Engineering Bonus (Int Check if untrained)
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Shigeru collects his eidolon companion and the pair make their way to the top of the lighthouse tower. He stops short as he breaks the landing and sees Rika's spell being cast.
He then turns to Karasuma and squints for a moment before speaking. "I can assist you with the catapult if you like. I was going to offer greater invisibility, but you appear to have that covered already." He rubs his eyes and gestures to the eidolon, clearly having difficulty focusing on the rogue bird. "Once the enemy is in sight I will enlarge Chomper and send them over the wall to stall them. If any of you feel like expending resources to increase their strength, it would be appreciated."
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Kensaku meditates on the lighthouse, lighting a stick of incense and touching the catapult while willing the knowledge of her past lives to come forth in case there is something she can use. Blessedly, she catches flashes of defending a castle from fiendish attackers, catapults and ballistae firing into the oncoming horde. She suddenly jumps to awareness and barks orders to any who are acting as the crew so as to get the best angle at the oncoming attackers, judging the angle and distance to the best of her ability in the dark.
Kensaku finds the glow of the torchlight a fine target. The catapult lobs its payload high into the air, disappearing into the mist. Long moments pass, and as the thud of the impact sounds across the island a hue and cry raises, reporting a successful shot. As Karasuma, Shigeru, and Chomper work to reload, shouts can be heard, indistinct but carrying the weight of command.