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Ibid's takes the journal from Cyrus and cannot help but smile at the young rogue. As the old man looks at the large leather bound book in his lap, he laughs again realizing that the rogue has found the intended entry by accident.
He can feel the petty anger and frustration toward Cyrus lifting, as if he already knows he's hung onto meaningless grudge for far too long.
Thank you for finding my page, Cyrus Ibid says, passing the open journal. "Perhaps this will help detail the needed information on our exploits?"
Our task:
Collect the Orb of Stars, from the Gloomspires and Sevenfingers' tomb.
Orb of Stars
The Orb of Stars is a solid sphere made of a dull copper-colored metal inlaid with dozens of star-shaped moonstones, rubies, and blue sapphires that mimic the stars of the Cosmic Caravan.
Gloomspires
The Gloomspires are an ancient field of massive stone columns that rise from the Arcadian Ocean. Most sages say they were already old when the Ghol-Gan Empire was young. The Gloomspires are hollow and contain many chambers and passages, all of which are believed to be cursed, monster-infested, or both.
Since the time of Ghol-Gan, many of the Gloomspires have been explored, and some have even been claimed and repurposed by other beings. Of these, Sevenfingers’s tomb is the most well known.
The Gloomspires are inundated with strange, reality-warping effects. The columns occasionally shift their positions, and many explorers report feeling a sense of wrongness and foreboding just from being in the area. This bizarre magic also makes teleportation and plane- traveling magic very difficult, though summoning spells tend to function normally.
Sempet Sevenfingers
Sempet Sevenfingers was a legendary pirate who was active in the region 300 years ago. He used to be known as Sempet Eightfingers, but alas lost another finger playing a game of knives: he won, but not without cost.
From his dreaded flagship, the Voracious, Sevenfingers commanded a small fleet of pirate ships. He was feared and despised for using cannibals and madmen to augment his boarding parties.
Sevenfingers was a powerful wizard who dabbled in necromancy and communed with evil outsiders, entities from the Dark Tapestry, and other beings from unspeakable realms beyond Golarion.
The timer:
The Gloomspires are tied to certain alignments of the stars, and twice each year - beginning on the nights of the summer and winter solstices - the columns cease moving for exactly three days.
The Gloomspires and Sevenfingers' tomb:
Observation 1: There has been recent humanoid activity in the area, and nearby trees all seem to have been stripped of their fruit and seeds.
Observation 2: Attacked by a pack of barbarians with an insatiable hunger. In their ranks there was a near comatose barbarian woman with similar markings to the men. She writhes around and seems somewhat oblivious to what is going on.
There was some peculiarly abominable quality about them which made their destruction seem almost a duty...
Observation 3: A crack in the earth splits the ground amidst the weeds and the roots of a huge strangler fig tree. Using our utensils, We cleared a deep shaft and descended into the gloom.
Observation 4: The thirty-foot-long, root-covered crack extends deep into the Gloomspire. Numerous gnarled tree roots creep down the sides of the shaft, a few of them hanging almost to the muddy floor. Dozens of shallow niches are set at irregular intervals down each of the four walls of the shaft. Though some are empty, most of the recesses hold squat, four-foot-tall stone idols of leering, horned fiends.
Observation 5: The sickly sweet smell of rotting meat fills this perfectly square, low-ceilinged chamber. The east wall features a large bas-relief carving portraying a wide-eyed hag devouring her own hands.
The bas-relief fills those who look upon it with a terrible and gluttonous hunger, urging them to eat the corpse in the corner of the room.
Observation 6: This long, high-ceilinged hall is partially flooded with murky, stagnant water, and the sound of slowly dripping water echoes ominously throughout. A massive banyan tree has breached a large section of the south wall, and the tree’s enormous invasive roots now extend several feet into the hall. Long sheets of thick moss and other detritus cling to the twisted tree roots, forming a curtainlike barrier.
This area is infested with a foul leech.
Observation 7: This cathedral-like hall has a vaulted ceiling supported by eight square pillars. Dominating the middle of the hall is a huge mound of undulating gray-green flesh covered with weeping scarlet boils. The entire mass stinks of a weeks-old corpse.
Festrog and Ghouls were feeding upon the mass, we followed the unspoken pact of the living to destroy such foul and unnatural things, and erased them from existence, as if they should never had been.
Observation 8: Beyond the secret door is a narrow set of steep stairs descending into darkness. After several dozen feet, the stairs end in a solid stone door carved to resemble an immense scowling face.
Observation 9: This large chamber has a relatively low ceiling. The far southwest wall is set at an angle, and against the center of the wall sits a heap of bones and skulls resembling a large makeshift throne. To the left of the throne sits an oak and brass sea chest, carved with images of sea serpents chasing their own tails.
We found the ancient and mighty Rajhan-Vol, sitting upon his throne with his pets at his side.
Raj ham-Vol and his pets are no more.
Observation 10: After clearing the rubble and passing through the aperture, We found a small chamber which reeks of filth and rotten meat. A heap of coins and other valuables lies piled in the middle of the room. The largest item in the pile is a gem-studded copper sphere. Though completely motionless, the light on the sphere seems to flicker and fade like a desert mirage.
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Gunari can't help interjecting his comments. "The barbarians... what happened to them was truly tragic. I can only guess that the woman was their shaman or witch doctor, and they were linked to her. Something drove them mad with hunger. Could have even been the same thing that drove the ghouls mad with hunger. Very odd that they never looked up from their nasty feast, even when we were pounding them back to death.
"Mighty Rajhan-Vol, indeed. I think that years of being cooped up in their inflated his sense of self-worth. He wasn't all that tough, in the end. Or at least our archery duo made short work of them.
"Didn't enjoy the digging at all. No sir. Not what I signed up for. I mean, I knew it could happen, but I always figured we'd have ways to get around real, physical labor." He chuckles, amused at himself.
The PCs are expected to document their findings for the Pathfinder Society, so over the course of their exploration, one or more of the Pathfinders are likely drawing a map, writing down descriptions, or chronicling the group’s actions. These contribute to the adventure’s secondary success condition as hinted at by Player Handout, so it is not necessary to prompt the players to take these steps.
These contribute to the adventure’s secondary success condition as hinted at by Player Handout, so it is not necessary to prompt the players to take these steps.
The PCs complete their secondary success condition if they successfully document their findings and ensure that future expeditions to the site can easily access the second level of the tomb. Doing so requires the PCs accomplish at least three of the following goals, many of which depend on the players’ actions, not those of the PCs. Of course, the players might not be accomplished cartographers or practiced writers, so the GM is encouraged to judge whether or not the group fulfilled these goals based more on the players’ having made a legitimate effort rather than for having created an artistic or literary masterpiece.
First, the PCs should provide a map of the Hall of the Flesh Eaters, which they fulfill so long as at least one player draws a representative map of the site. One PC can also attempt a DC 15 Knowledge (engineering) or relevant Craft or Profession check to have created an especially accurate map, treating it as having fulfilled two objectives rather than just one.
Captain Benarry listens and reads intently. Her mood instantly brightens when you produce the Orb. She holds it reverently in both hands and a large smile splits her greenish face.
"You have done exceptional work here, Pathfinders. I hate to admit it, but you were much more successfully than I was - but this, this gives me time to go further and deeper than I was able to in the last three days," her grin is unabated as she turns to you, "Your deeds have proven many times over your worth as Pathfinders, and the Society as a whole will remember them for many years to come."
With that, Benarry becomes lost in the Orb of Stars for a long time. She doesn't even notice when the assembled team politely departs the room to "leave those two alone".
Before ordering the Pixie to return to Drenchport, she addresses the PCs once more:
“Pathfinders, you have done a great service for me and the Society. The recovery of the Orb of Stars paves the way for future expeditions. Soon, perhaps, we’ll learn more about the Gloomspires’ mysterious creators, unravel their arcane secrets, and perhaps even delve deeper into old Sevenfingers’s tomb to liberate his ill-gotten wealth. Considering what you’ve seen, you’re all now among the foremost authorities on the Gloomspires. I hope that I may call upon all of you again should the Society decide to fund another expedition.”
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Venture Captain, is ... shoveling a requirement if we have to go back? Maybe we would have enough ... prestige to have some laborers along to ... do the dirty work, if you will. As always, glad to be of service."
Turning to Amaranti, "When are we off this .... boat? I so look forward to dry land these days."
Chuckling at Amaranti's comment, the Venture-Captain addresses Finarin, "Afraid of some hard work Lord Moonstep? Ha. I might have known. Hire whoever you like when you return! It's not coming out of my coffers, though."
