A warm fire blazes in the hearth of the well-furnished sitting room, one of the dozens that can be found amongst the labyrinthine halls of Skyreach in Absalom. Here, you await your companions -- and your orders.
|
"AH! Azdak, I've heard of you. Yer friend Cadmuk and I had some fun in the desert earlier this year. It'll be good to get out of here. Irori's arse knows that boredom breeds stupidity. I'm hoping Hack shows up, dwarves make everything better. I saw that Quattlebaum bird downstairs. This is be good."
|
"AH! Azdak, I've heard of you. Yer friend Cadmuk and I had some fun in the desert earlier this year. It'll be good to get out of here. Irori's arse knows that boredom breeds stupidity. I'm hoping Hack shows up, dwarves make everything better. I saw that Quattlebaum bird downstairs. This is be good."
"Senzo, it is a pleasure to meet you. Cadmuk mentioned that trip to the desert. How I do miss my homeland. Do you know what I just realized? I've got another meeting with a different Venture Lieutenant to attend. Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to work together another time. Good luck with your next mission. I look forward to reading the chronicles on it. Ahh, here comes my replacement now. Have you met Skybek Odeon? I suspect you will get along marvelously!"
Azdak waves Skybek over.
"Skybek, my friend. I want you to meet, Senzo. I believe you will be working with him on this next mission. Well, I hate to eat and run, but so is the life of a Pathfinder. Cheers, boys!"
|
"Aye, I'm glad tae meet yae, Senzo. Skybek's the name." The dwarf offers his companion a hearty handshake. "Ahh dannae believe we've met. Whair dae yae come frae, Senzo?! Ahh've come doon frae the foothill's o' the World's Edge mountains in a place called Maheto. When Ahh was a wee thing, mae father was a fine watchmaker thair."
|
|
"Greetings fellow Pathfinders. My name is Darro from the Liberty's Edge Faction. I was told to report here for additional instructions. My companion outside," Darro points to the large wolf howling outside "Blackthorn, and I stand ready to root out and destroy any evil we may encounter." Darro sits down on a chair near the fire inspecting his arrows sipping from a cup filled with Brevoy Brandy.
|
|
"Greetings fellow Pathfinders. My name is Darro from the Liberty's Edge Faction. I was told to report here for additional instructions. My companion outside," Darro points to the large wolf howling outside "Blackthorn, and I stand ready to root out and destroy any evil we may encounter." Darro sits down on a chair near the fire inspecting his arrows sipping from a cup filled with Brevoy Brandy.
"Aye, it's nice tae meet yae, Darro. Ahh'm a follower o' Cayden Cailean and a loyal member o' Liberty's Edge as well. It's gud tae hae yae with us!"
|
|
Just as Azdak is leaving, another dwarf comes storming in.
Good ta see ye! He gives the sorcerer a hearty man-hug. Ye be leavin' already?!?! Well, I'm lookin' forward to runnin' with ye again. But, do my ois decieve?? I see two of Dwarven blood! and if my partner Riegel's description is on, I'd say this one is Skybek.
He stomps over to give Skybek a hearty wrist clasp. Me gunslinger friend speaks highly o' ye, sir. Tis a pleasure to find out fer meself the truth o' his words! I'm Harnac, representin' Grand Lodge and Clan Lucridious. Me and me ax'll keep the beasties offa ye, if ye patch up me wounds while I'm doin' it. Ye kin call me Hack, Hal, Luc, er whatever else ye feel fits.
Then he turns to the other dwarf, offering his hand. Greetin's, sir! Harnac Lucridious, atcher service.
|
A halfling dressed in a coat of green and russet leaves seated in the corner near the fire looks up immediately at the entrance of the boisterous dwarf. He smiles as he absently strokes the plumage of the human-sized bird at his side. Harnac, my friend! the halfling says warmly. Haven't seen you since that little incident on the Taldor coast, old bean. How've you been?
|
|
Well, pluck my beard and call me a gnome! Orryn, what a pleasure! Looks like whomever needs the Pathfinders' help specifically requested the best, eh?!?! An' yer mighty bird--what is his name again? Maybe this time the terrain'll favor ye ta use yer steed in battle, I'm fer seein' that with me own eyes, make no mistake!
Hack slowly holds his hand out to the great bird, low enough to clearly not be striking, but high enough to be seen coming. He stops about 2 feet away, only willing to pet the creature if it cares to have it done.
|
|
He stomps over to give Skybek a hearty wrist clasp. "Me gunslinger friend speaks highly o' ye, sir. Tis a pleasure to find out fer meself the truth o' his words! I'm Harnac, representin' Grand Lodge and Clan Lucridious. Me and me ax'll keep the beasties offa ye, if ye patch up me wounds while I'm doin' it. Ye kin call me Hack, Hal, Luc, er whatever else ye feel fits."
"Aye, bless mae beard its another fine dwarf fer oor next mission! Ahh've got a great feelin aboot this ane!"
Grasping Harnac's wrist with a hearty clasp, Skybek replies, "Aye, and yer explots have nae gone unnoticed yerself, mae friend. Ahh recall that wee adventure yae had with Azdak when yae had tae transport goblins up in the frost lands o' Irissen. That took a mighty deal o' restraint on yer part! Ahh think Ahh would've strangled the lot o' them."
"Harnac, mae friend, Ahhye, Skybek Odeon, son of Hybek and brother of Tybek on behalf of the entire Odeon clan in Maheto at the World's Edge Mountains am at yer service and yer family's."
|
|
Well, pluck my beard and call me a gnome! Orryn, what a pleasure! Looks like whomever needs the Pathfinders' help specifically requested the best, eh?!?! An' yer mighty bird--what is his name again? Maybe this time the terrain'll favor ye ta use yer steed in battle, I'm fer seein' that with me own eyes, make no mistake!
Hack slowly holds his hand out to the great bird, low enough to clearly not be striking, but high enough to be seen coming. He stops about 2 feet away, only willing to pet the creature if it cares to have it done.
You'll be well-served to give her this, Hack, says Orryn, holding out a freshly-deceased dire rat helpfully. Stellah can't get enough of them, and giving her one is a quick way to being her friend.
As to the terrain being well-suited to me and my girl: well, we can hope, eh? The halfling smiles as he offers a draught from his bottle.
|
|
Ah, f'course, f'course, Ho there Stellah! Hack takes the rat from Orryn and offers it to the bird, hoping she will gloss over the dwarf's incorrect pronoun usage and not nip off a finger or three in a fit of pique...
So...me axe is newly enchanted and ready for cuttin' up more monsters. Aaahm ready!! He then takes Orryn's offered flask and takes a hearty swig.
Writs of travel arrive at your meeting room, borne by a Pathfinder initiate. Tomorrow you depart aboard Gozreh's Thunder, bound for Katheer, to meet with Venture-Captain Esmayl ibn Qaradi. The voyage is pleasant and uneventful (other than Hack vomiting no less than thirty times over the side--food poisoning, no doubt--and Stellah feeding the entire crew one evening on caught fish), and the bustling port city soon heaves into sight.
***
Venture-Captain Esmayl ibn Qaradi sits behind his immaculately clean desk with his head in his hands. He sighs, takes a deep breath, and rises to address his guests. "Originally, I wasn’t planning on sending a team back out to the Zho Mountains. The risk of losing another team is, frankly, too high. If that weren’t enough of a reason, the Society’s assault on the Worldwound has left the lodge’s coffers much lighter--too light to fund another expedition into dangerous territory so soon. However, following some conversations with fellow agents, I am reminded that all Pathfinders must come home--no matter the cost, no matter the danger. The lessons of the Shadow Lodge still resonate." He nods toward a Pathfinder who stands silently in the corner. "In fact, the recent disappearance in the Zho Mountains has brought a surge of monetary support from the one-time disciples of Grandmaster Torch. It was enough to finance your voyage here, and I would happily provide you the remainder if you succeed."
The venture-captain takes a few steps toward a beautifully illustrated map of Qadira hanging from his wall. "Six years ago, a team of Pathfinders received a map of an unexplored area in the Zho Mountains, and ever since they have stayed busy surveying the region and sending me updates. Until recently, they had uncovered only a few dozen small sites and a plethora of new plant and animal species, but their most recent update referenced a large illusory barrier. Since then we have not heard from them, and I believe they found something dangerous beyond. I ask that you use what notes I have on file to track down these agents and make sure they return safely. Investigating the nature of this illusory... field, barrier, shield... is secondary at best."
Esmayl pauses thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "If you have any questions, I shall answer them as best I can, though most of what the Society knows about the mountains is in the logbooks of those agents."
|
|
Senzo is an odd dwarf. Besides his mohwak and beard', he's nearly hairless. He eyes everyone and nods approvingly. Gozreh's Thunder? Sounds like a good name for a gassy grizzly bear! HA!
VC Ishmael it's a pleasure to meet ye. Good friend of mine was one of the Pathfinders on that first mission*. Talking is mostly for sucks. I'll leave that to someone else. Happy to read though. Happy to read. I have to say Ishmael, I feel like there should be another master in the Society. Call it the Master of Planning or something. It's like the society always sends week agents to get in trouble. Angradd teaches that we should escalate the violence... I mean action... powerfully enough and quickly enough. Send in the big guns first I say."
Mike, was that the infamous TWO prestige session at GenCon '08?
"I'm afraid that if we sent in the big guns first, we'd soon be out of guns," the Venture Captain says with a sigh. "Our resources are stretched thin."
|
|
"Aye, Esmayl, Ahh dae like the idea o' findin lost Pathfinders. If lost agents frae the society need oor help, then Ahh'm happy to gie it! Noo, can yae tell us aboot these Zho Mountains? Dae we ken what the barrier is protectin? Is this the type o' barrier that we can penetrate on foot, or will we need tae mak an entrance with mae axe?"
Esmayl shakes his head. "You'll have to answer that question on your own once you get there. The initial report was very vague."
"As for the Zho, expect the worst in those mountains. Not many people have been truly able to settle in those mountains. Those who try either never return or return badly hurt and scarred forever. It is common knowledge that the Zho are home to feral beasts, draconic monsters, and other dangerous creatures. Qadira’s spellcasters have long practiced elemental magic and conjured genies, and geniekin are relatively common in the region. It is believed that most have gravitated toward settlements in the Zho Mountains, though nobody seems able to confirm this rumor."
|
|
The doors open and in a big cloud of smoke a woman dressed in black enters the room.
"Yes thank you grandfather, that is quite enough of a big entrance, now begone." She says to over her shoulder to noone in particular. Though you can see a large white tiger cramped in the hallway. Strangely enough you hear a ghostly voice call back "Your welcome!"
She shakes her head in annoyance and turns around.
"White Fang stay back there. it's cramped enough as it is." The tiger meows in disappointment and with a large enough bang falls down to lie in the hall, blocking the way for most others.
As she walks further in the room, she removes her mask and you can see a beautiful half elven women with hair as white as snow. She approaches the venture captain and moves her right fist across her chest as a salute.
"Esmayl? My name is Delphine. I received word from intermediaries within Liberty's Edge that my services were required. I apologize for my tardiness but the guards at the door had trouble letting a large tiger walk in.
You'll have to excuse my ancestors for putting up the show. They had issues with moving on and keep annoying me with their presence. Though they can be useful at times." She says with a smile.
She takes a glance at the map and sees the pin in the Zho mountains. She shares what knowledge she has about the region with the others.
Delphine knows something of the Zho Mountain range: Although the mountains rarely more than 2 miles high, they are nonetheless a formidable barrier between Qadira’s Ketz and Meraz Deserts. Two of the most famous peaks are Zhonar and Zhobl, a pair of large volcanoes that violently erupted nearly a thousand years ago.
|
|
*Coff* *coff* Well met, Miss Delphine. Will your ghosts be followin' us to the mountains? He slows his hand-waving of the smoke as he spies the tiger. Huh. Nice kitty!!
...Angradd teaches that we should escalate the violence... I mean action... powerfully enough and quickly enough...
HAR! Ye an' I'll be gettin' along just fine, brudder!
If you have any questions, I shall answer them as best I can, though most of what the Society knows about the mountains is in the logbooks of those agents
I take it, Cap'n, that we'll have some startin' point of where the missin' Pathfinders be last known to be? Hack turns to address his companions. I ain't much for trailcraft...any o' ye know how to track? Maybe yer White Fang, Delphine, can scent out who we're lookin' fer?
Oh, an' ifn' we'll be up against strange foes, mayhap I'll be buyin' a couple of potions of Fly, jes ta be suren I can sidle up and plant me axe where she's dyin ta go.
|
|
"Well, at least the volcanoes havenae erupted in a long time. Ahh just hope we dannae start the eruptions again."
"Dae yae think we'll be need hot and cauld weather gear? Deserts and Mountains can create a wide range o' climates."
"Oh, an' ifn' we'll be up against strange foes, mayhap I'll be buyin' a couple of potions of Fly, jes ta be suren I can sidle up and plant me axe where she's dyin ta go."
"Cayden Cailean alwa's liked tae travel, and by his grace, Ahh can fly jist like a wee bird. If Ahh prepare ahead o' time, Ahh can cast it on one o' yae, but mind yae Ahh dannae hae enough tae create a whole flock o' yae."
"Before you go," the Venture Captain adds as the party turns for the door, "these are to assist in your mission, contributed by several former members of the Shadow Lodge. Use them wisely." He slides a satchel across his immaculate desk. Inside you find a potion of remove curse, a potion of cure moderate wounds, six potions of endure elements, and two doses of oil of taggit (a poison).
Outside, you meet another agent bearing a prominently displayed wayfinder and leading a dozen horses. "These will bear you to the mountains. In the name of the Shadow Lodge, I wish you good luck. May you all speedily return in health."
The journey to the Zho Mountains is brisk and uneventful, and you arrive in the foothills in less than a week. The first team’s notes and maps provide an incomplete picture of the mountain range and its myriad pathways; it will take some effort to find their trail.
|
|
Skybek did specifically ask whether hot/cold weather gear would be appropriate...did we get an answer on that?
He slides a satchel across his immaculate desk. Inside you find a potion of remove curse, a potion of cure moderate wounds, six potions of endure elements, and two doses of oil of taggit (a poison).
"The sun in Qadira is rarely forgiving. But do what you think is best. Those potions should provide some relief."
Orryn finally fishes out the map of the Silken Way, and in no time the party has found the last team's trail, spotting a few key landmarks and markings etched into the wind-blasted stone.
The trail winds around and over several of the lower peaks, gradually taking the party several dozen miles into the Zho Mountains and several thousand feet higher in altitude. As you enter a high alpine meadow filled with scrub brush and dry grasses that cling to the thin soil, signs of the first group's progress vanish entirely. This mile-long alpine mountain cove appears to be a dead end--but Orryn, glancing at his map, remarks that the parchment has a conflicting depiction, with the trail continuing past a seemingly solid cliff face.
The party fans out to explore the meadow and relocate the trail, Senzo approaches the cliff ahead. Staring up at the solid stone, it seems to shudder before the monk's eyes--Senzo steps back in surprise, fearing a rockslide, but quickly realizes that the cliff itself is an illusion. The trail leads on, straight ahead, just as marked on the map.
With its illusory nature clear, much of the plant life gradually fades into transparent shadows, and the cliffs at the far end of the vale part to reveal a much larger valley beyond. In the distance, a large wall encircles a humble town of stone structures. An immense castle built of bronze bricks towers over the settlement from its perch just above the base of a nearby mountain.
The party stands but a hour's march from the town's outer wall.
|
|
A shadow passes over the heads of the dwarves, and they turn to look up at a simply armored half-orc with handsome green-gray skin, peaceful yellow eyes, and the worn hilt of a greatsword peeking over one shoulder. T'Orca gives the party a winning, tusked grin.
I understand I have just barely arrived in time. I was held up tending to a friend of mine, Tuesday, the fussiest fuzzy tiefling to ever be pelted with flaming arrows. His scrolls were charred so badly he asked his only friend, a Paladin of all things, to help him recopy. Sarenrae knows I'm not the best with that sort of thing, but if there are lost Pathfinders to be found or evil in need of smiting, I am happy to be of service.
T'Orca gives a salute and nod to the other Liberty's Edge members And let the light that guides me strike holy terror into anyone fashioning themselves a boss of people
T'Orca has also purchased hot weather gear and has prepared Divine Favor and Grace
|
|
Delphine takes one of the endure elements potions for her tiger, it's got a thick fur coat for the winter, not for the summer. She herself merely makes a few seals with her hands and her outfit changes to become a heat resisting one.
"Greetings T'oOrca, and well met." Delphine says and introduces herself to T'orca.
At the sight of the outer wall sha stops her horse and turns to the others. "Any tactics from here on out? I'm not sure what a castle is doing here. Maybe it's another illusion. Perhaps our little friend on the giant eagle could take a gander from up high?"
|
|
Well met, T'Orca. I don't think anyone was ever sorry to have another friendly sword-arm nearby...
Any tactics from here on out? I'm not sure what a castle is doing here. Maybe it's another illusion. Perhaps our little friend on the giant eagle could take a gander from up high?
Oi, capital idea. Orryn, you wanna give Stellah's wings a stretch n' have a look-see?
|
|
Orryn nods to the newcomer from astride his bird. Well met, T'orca. We are only too pleased you have been able to join us — the more the merrier!
Orryn greets Delphine's and Harnac's suggestion with enthusiasm. Oh, indeed. Any excuse to soar, after all! Keep your eyes peeled, all; I've seen many an ambush sprung from such as this.
Orryn and Stellah will take to the skies and scout. Take 10 on Perception for 20 for Orryn.
Up atop a warm thermal, Orryn shades his eyes from the sun and gazes down at the structures beyond. Some three miles distant lies a settlement perhaps large enough for several hundred inhabitants, encircled by a high stone wall. A massive bronze-bricked castle, nearly equal in size, sits just beyond on a mountainside, its gates shuttered and guarded by miniscule figures. The town itself has only one gate, facing your direction at the end of the long winding valley road, and it too is guarded.
|
|
"And let the light that guides me strike holy terror into anyone fashioning themselves a boss of people."
"Aye, T'Orca, It is nice tae meet yae! Ahh'm always glad tae meet a fellow Liberty's Edge brother. We'll have tae share a drink sometime and celebrate oor freedoms! But first, we've got tae try and find these missing Pathfinders. Dae yae have some skills at trackin or anything that can help us with the task?"
Skybek looks up at Orryn and Stellah taking to the skys.
"Aye, that's a clever trick. Even though Ahh ken how tae cast the fly spell, Ahh've actually never dared tae dae it. Yae ken . . . fly through the air! Ahh always feel much better with mae oon twa feet on the ground. Ahh always thought that if Ahh was meant tae fly, Ahh wid o' been born with wings. Instead, Ahh was born with this trusty beard o' mine!"
|
|
Orryn will return and relay his findings. The Venture-Captain told us of an illusory barrier, which it seems Senzo already got us through. He considers a moment, then continues. I wonder if this settlement is the "something dangerous" he mentioned. Maybe I'm just a paranoid old soldier, but they certainly seem steeled against something.