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You see J. breathe a sigh of release and visibly relax as soon as she leaves the house. "I'm sorry, I haven't been let out of the house the last few years." J. quickly cheers up though and as you begin to walk through the twisting streets of the Merchant's quarter she starts opening up. "Tell me about yourselves! Pathfinders? Man, that must be such an exciting life. Finding treasure, exploring lost civilizations, helping people, rescuing girls." She laughs nervously at the last comment.
"This is so cool. Thanks everybody!"
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"I come from a family of traveling performers. Some of the most beautiful, graceful performances that can bring a tear to your eye. For you see - the family legend is our blood has been truly touched by an angel, but not just any - one that remains our muse to this day.
My Father told me that the Angel was a messenger from Shelyn herself, to inspire the love of art and to share it wherever we go." Lya takes a dramatic pause.
"To my father's chagrin - i took this to heart and have learned and followed Shelyn's teachings - and set off to find the true meaning of inner beauty. I've spent time at many monasteries in my travels. But my heart kept me moving - always looking for further enlightenment.
And then I found myself in Absalom, where this lovely halfling joined me in a performance. She introduced me to the Pathfinder Society, a group that I could find a mutual relationship - they would send me on missions and I could extend my travels faster than on my own.
One such travel led me on an ordeal... at the end of which I was blessed with a Holy Symbol of Shelyn. After which, I was summoned here for this mission." Lya smiles brightly at the conclusion of her tale.
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Not having a clue herself of where to go, Kirin confidently follows Lya's directions. Maintaining a watchful eye for anything suspicious.
"J. As exciting as it is, it can be quite dangerous at times as well. Please stay close."
How did I get stuck on a babysitting mission...
At Zavra's comment, Kirin will quickly add "Rest assured, we are not all as... inexperienced as some. We will keep you safe."
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"Lady Dacilane, my name is Echo Miyamoto. I come from across the ocean from a land named Minkai. As a girl I heard stories about a land of sand and sun, very different from my own, where great pyramids were erected. There a civilization flourished; a culture unseen on Golarion until then."
"Being the second daughter after the second son, there was not much for me in the ways of our land's complicated social structure. I showed an aptitude with both blade and magic, though, so my Mother convinced my Father to let me study with the monks of Shizuru, the goddess of swordplay. It was in The House of Salt and Stone where I became one with my katana. This blade is my focus and its perfection my goal. The House of Salt and Stone teaches that armor is a crutch unskilled warriors use to cover their inefficiencies. By blending both martial and magic skills, I will be unparalleled in combat of any sort."
"My family's position in Minkai worsened. A perceived slight here, a direct insult there was enough to cause the Jade Regent to retaliate against my family. My first brother was slain along with his wife and children by cowards. My only sister disappeared. We do not know her fate. My second brother died defending our Mother and Father. The Jade Regent did not allow my parents the honor of killing themselves. Instead he caged them like wild beasts and allowed the predations of nature to slowly kill them while he watched."
"I needed to leave Minkai."
"It was then I remembered the stories of my youth about the great civilization: Osirion. I traveled to New Oppara and from there on to Goka seeking an opportunity to book passage on a ship bound for Garund. While in Goka, I performed a small deed for Amara Li, who afterward revealed herself as the leader of what she called the 'Lantern Lodge'. She told me I would make a fine Pathfinder. I was skeptical at first, but when she told me of the work the Pathfinders did in Osirion, I knew Shizuru's hand directed me. Many months later I arrived in Absalom where I studied and learned the arts of being an explorer."
Echo finishes her tale and bows slightly toward J.
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Kirin listens to the tales of others, maintaining a watchful eye. Then, with some reluctance she delves into her own, not wanting to appear rude.
"J. Like you, I came from wealth. Unlike you, however, I was never locked up." Kirin shakes her head sharing her obvious disapproval of J's mothers actions on that account.
"I am a Keleshite Princess. My mother had the great fortune of being named a concubine of the prodigious Padishah Emperor around the time of his 23rd wife. My mother shares my 'jinni-blooded' traits - our magical abilities. She preferred the comforts of the royal house over the exotic thrill of our magical prowess, however." Kirin shakes her head, clearly disappointed in her mother's lack of dedication to the calling in their blood.
"I preferred a life of... adventure. I could not stand to be cooped up there any longer. One day I ran into a Pathfinder in the markets. Saved him half his gold - poor man didn't know the meaning of of the word 'haggle'. Handsome though. Told me tales you would not believe."
"We Keleshite Princesses are free to choose whatever professions our hearts desire. I have a penchant for trade, and a love for magic. The Pathfinder Society seemed a perfect fit to both. In my downtime I manage a trade caravan - Quetzal caravan. Traveling with the Society opens many opportunities for trade deals in lands far and wide. And I get ample chance to put my magical abilities to use. And see the world." Kirin smiles, pleased with her choice.
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As you all account your stories, J. gets very wide eyed, "Wow, you all have such amazing stories. I wish I could go to Minkai, or see the faces of Kaer Maga, or to meet more Aasamir, or see a royal house in Qadira! And I know it's dangerous," she pats her kukri and slaps her mithril shirt, "I'm covered, and I have a team of Pathfinders with me. This is sooooo cool."
She trails off and has a mischevious look in her eye, "Shelyn...I wonder what mom would say..."
You try to move between two enormously crowded streets by passing through an alleyway between shops. Around the corner a group of young noblemen dressed in turbans, flowing silk scarves, heavy eye shadow, and impressive jewelry (clearly Qadiran inspired) round the corner. They start laughing and pointing, "What do we have here? A little Eagle Knight and her eaglings?"
J. speaks up, "Go away you bullies."
Another group pulls in behind, goading on their friends, "Well found, it's been a long time since we've been 'threatened' by an Eagle Knight before. What do you say boys? Should we treat this filthy abolishionist and her cowardly crew to a taste of what we do to slaves that act up?"
They draw saps, inch closer to the group and start squeezing you in.
Round 1 (Bold can act)
Zavra
J.
Lya
Echo
Kirin
Lucious
Wendice
Back Thugs
Front Thugs
Sappho
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J. is clearly agitated by the outburst, "You all think you're tough. Go find somebody else to tease." Clearly out of her element she begins to tremble slightly.
Round 1 (Bold can act)
Zavra - Readied
J.
Lya
Echo
Kirin
Lucious
Wendice
Back Thugs
Front Thugs
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Lya will put her hands up in a calming motion.. momentarily eyeing J..
"come now - surely a street fight in the middle of the Coins isn't wise - the last thing any of us need is jail time when the guards show up... Let's all carefully consider the circumstances here... Don't you agree Kirin?"
She will stay close to J... in a protective stance.
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"Listen!"
Wendice barks out without her usual annoying prattle.
"You WILL back off NOW, or Dessa help me you will ALL have to answer to each of our respective noble or rich merchant families! The very churches of our God's will reign fury upon your souls, and the Pathfinder Society will find your worthless bodies and pick over the carcasses for loot!"
She pulls out and flashes her wayfinder.
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Lucius groans when half of the pathfinders start with threats. That never ends well. "Lya, got to agree. None of us wants a fight. Trust us, folks, and just move along."
If they start moving, Lucius will 5' step forward, and cast color spray. DC17 Will -- unconscious, blind, or stunned based on target's hit dice
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Zavra holds an unusual looking concoction in her hand while Lya begins to negotiate with the thugs. They hesitate slightly, appearing to listen to what she says. Echo and Wendice break the calming voice of Lya with threats, which clearly increases the tension in the alleyway. J. looks very confused at the two different approaches to the situation, but holds her ground.
Round 1 (Just waiting on Kirin)
Zavra - Readied
J.
Lya
Echo
Kirin
Lucious - Readied
Wendice
Back Thugs
Front Thugs
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The hospurs look completely surprised as the electricity arcs out of Kirin's fingertips. Two seem to reflectively dodge out of the way while the one standing in back takes the full blast as his friends duck.
The one in back screams! "By Abadar's name, they're trying to kill us!" You can see several in the crowd filling the street beyond turn to look at the group of lightly armed opponents clearly overwhelmed by the magic before them.
The two in back of the alley, clearly frightened, drop their saps and draw their swords, "If it's blood you're going to draw." They begin to approach as a bomb flies over the heads of the Pathfinders. It lands slightly long of it's anticipated landing spot, but it catches both squarely in a blast of fire. Immediately after a colorful spray flows out of Lucious's fingertips and both drop to the ground.
The three standing thugs scream, "THEY'VE KILLED THEM! GUARDS! GUARDS! GUARDS! Get their leader, that Eagle Knight! They drop their saps and draw daggers while approaching.
Kirin staggers a little from the dagger which plunges into her.
J. appears completely taken by surprise. You see the glow around her turn brighter, and as a blue-tinged emphemeral outline of a boy with hollow eyes appears behind her. You see it point at a bucket, which launches from the ground towards the hospur that stabbed Kirin only to fly out into the street beyond.
Round 2 (Bold can act)
J.
Lya
Echo
Kirin -5 damage
Wendice
Zavra
Lucious
Back Thugs
Front Thugs
Thug Red: -3
Thug Orange: -3
Thug Yellow: -7
Thug Green: 0
Thug Blue: 0
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Seeing the bucket flying was weird... but Lya doesn't understand, so she steps towards Kirin, draws her wand, and readies to heal the next ally that gets stabbed.
"The open hostility is unappreciated. On both sides. This fighting is pointless..." as her disapproving look eyes her intimidate-attempting allies.
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Echo's punch lands squarely in the jaw of the thug. He swaggers back and forth as if he's ready to pass out. The whip of water flows outward, but misses hitting anything, only creating a large wet spot on the ground near Kirin.
Round 2 (Bold can act)
J.
Lya
Echo
Kirin -5 damage
Wendice
Zavra
Lucious
Back Thugs
Front Thugs
Thug Red: -8
Thug Orange: -3
Thug Yellow: -7
Thug Green: -6
Thug Blue: -6
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The thug gets hit with Kirin's magic and you see him shakes his head and grit his teeth, ready to continue fighting. Suddenly though, Zavra's bomb lands squarely at the feet of the thugs and goes off with a deafening "boom". All three crumple to the ground and begin to bleed heavily. One appears to be on his last breath. You can see from the street nobles and merchants, jaw agape in fear. You hear multiple calls for the guards, the blowing of whistles and the thumping of boots only seconds out in this very well guarded and heavily patrolled area.
Thug Red: -15 (Dying)
Thug Orange: -10 (Stable)
Thug Yellow: -13 (Stable)
Thug Green: -6
Thug Blue: -6
Magic Number: 19
Lya runs up and uses a charge off of her wand to stabilize the dying hospur.
Moments later a group of the city watch arrives, surveys the scene and demands, "Stop there, what is going on here?
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Lucius lets his spell go. He then quickly hurries, drawing his wand, to see if any others are as badly off. He makes sure each of the thugs live, before the watch arrives.
"Officer, there appears to have been a little misunderstanding here. These fellows showed up, and were looking for a little sport. Unfortunately, things got a little heated, and certain younglings allowed things to escalate far faster than they should have." He glares at Zavra and Kirin, and continues. "We're in the process of patching up the wounds, though I realize that patching up hurt feelings will take a little more time. I am sure that we'll come to an agreement, and let by-gones be bygones. I don't believe that there is any need for the guard here... no harm, no foul, I always say! In fact, once we are done, I'll be these five will be healthier than they've been in some time!" Lucius says, as he activates his wand to heal one of the street toughs.
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Zavra's eyes go wide when the last thug drops, she didn't expect those to do quite as much damage as they did.
"These Qadiran whips aren't nearly as tough as the thugs back home...", she things to herself as she jumps in to help out the other Pathfinders.
"Sorry about that!". The petite, unarmed and obviously unskilled 17 year old girl apologizes to the other Pathfinders as well as the guardsmen. "They were all planning on attacking us and I didn't have any other way to hold them back. They all looked so well prepared and we were all pinned into an ally."
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The guards listen to Lucious' explanation while they interrogate J., who looks absolutely aghast that she is in this situation. After watching you expend magical resources to get the thugs back on their feet, they take all of your names, give the group a stern warning about violence within the city limits, and suggest you both move along. The hospurs head off away from the group while the guards watch the Pathfinders head off as well.
(Didn't make it concious, Lucious' did)
As you quietly wander the streets, you can see that J. is visibly shaken by the events. After a few minutes, she starts to talk, "I don't know what happened back there, but if that's what it means to be a Pathfinder..." She trails off before continuing, "I guess I should tell you, considering who you are and where we are going. I've been keeping him a secret for far too long in any case."
She stop stops the party in a quiet corner, "Grishan, can you come out, please? These people would like to meet you."
A glowing green-tinted apparition that resembles an emaciated 14-year old boy with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes steps out of J.'s body. He is still wearing his school uniform consisting of a blouse covered by a vest with the clear emblem of the Tri-Towers school. His legs end just below the knees, trailing off into nothingness.
He speaks with a calm voice that sounds as if it is traveling from some distance away, "I am Grishan, a fellow classmate of J. here. I recall the collapse like it was yesterday. Junia, Cassiel, and I were playing in the necropolis like we used to. Nobody knew it was there except us. Then the earthquake struck. We were trapped without food or water. Cassiel died first, of dehydration. I survived a few days longer..."
J. speaks quickly, "And I lasted longest of all, because of a ring I found."
Grishan continues, "But it was my fault we were down there. I led them down there. There was this creature of the dark. It tried to consume Junia as she slept, but I hit her soul away, safe in the ether. Then the Pathfinders came, and that's a story for its own time. I don't know how I touched her, but we've been living together ever since, my mind in her mind. It is I who is trying to get back to the yard, not J."
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Kirin stands and attempts to regain her composure after the encounter. Pressing a hand over her stab wound she'll speak.
"Perhaps the burning hands was a bit hasty. But I had to make a judgment call off of very limited information. They appeared to be closing in and I take the safety of our charge very seriously. I meant them no mortal harm." She explains to the group, J. included.
She'll turn to Lucius after the guards dissipate. "Thank you for handling the guards - though I do not appreciate being referred to as a youngling" She says matter-a-factly, meaning no I'll will.
At J.'s disclosure of her secret.
Kirin nods. "That could not have been easy to tell us, J. I appreciate the honesty" She'll direct the next at Grishan, if possible. "We'll do all that we can to help. Just let us know what you need."
Kirin will turn to J. once more. "On the matter of disclosures. The Thugs mentioned that pendant on your surcoat in their target of us. Would you kindly explain its significance so we may be better equipped for any potentially related future turmoil?
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Lucius thinks about what she is saying. "Possible Pathfinder or not, you'll need to be ready. So, what can you and Grishan do, Junia? And what sort of gear do the two of you have?
"So, as I was going to say before your friends showed up, I have what might be called an interesting story. A friend of mine, a certain Venture-Captain named Silbeg Cailean, took me under his wing. He got me admission to the Arcanamirium a while back, where I took a liking to certain types of magic not regularly practiced these days, either. Though he claimed distaste for her, he introduced me to the Paracountess Zarta Dralneen. Fine woman, she. Knows a thing or two about enchantments you might say. Well, Zarta pointed out certain books that I should read, which led me down a certain path of magic. While I enjoy running my business, that's work, for me, the pleasure is in the power of the mind, and of the magics it controls. With a powerful mind, you see, you can turn your enemies into friends or employees... so really you never have to kill if you are strong enough. And I will be.
"so,if we get out of this alive, and you are looking for some fast cash, just let me know, J.! I am sure we can work out something!"
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J. points to the badge on her chest, "It's the symbol of the Eagle Knights, a group that I've read about and I believe in. And in regards to what I can do, I don't actually know much about my powers, except what Grishan does."
Grishan interjects, "Don't be angry at J., she's lived with me for a long time. It was I who has been pushing her to sneak out of the house and visit the Precipice Quarter. There's something in the Drownyard that J. needs to see or experience in order to understand herself."
He composes himself as much as a phantom can, "I also have my own reason for wanting to go to the Precipice Quarter. My brother used to ask me to spy on my friends and their families when I was a student. I hid the collected packets years ago in the Arboretum Arcanis. Please, please...let me finish this, it haunts me every day. I wish I could give you more details of where, except that it is in the Arboretum Arcanis.
J also adds in, "Please help him. Our emotions are tied. When he is happy, I am happy, and when he is annoyed, I can barely keep my frustrations in check."
You all know the Arboretum is on the way to the Drownyard.
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Lya looks at the group "I believe a slight detour is the least we can do to alleviate her.. his... their angst."
She will then turn to J "There is a couple individuals I am sure we can introduce you to if you so desire further knowledge on the Eagle Knights. Perhaps we will have time tomorrow before our scheduled return to your home."
She will then continue to lead the way, modifying the route to include the Arboretum.
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As the group travels through the city, Zavra will finish tightening all the buckles and belts on her armor. She constantly adjusts the various pouches and straps that hold her alchemical components, considering the most effective organization if they encounter more trouble.
Zavra watches the sights and people of the city in amusement. While the sights of Absalom are no more strange than her own city, they are quite different and she has had little time to explore the streets while she has been here.
She will also strike up some casual conversation with others within the group, curious to learn more about their own homelands.