The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion:
“Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table.
“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!”
With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder.
“Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born. But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master
Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,”
He says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying,
“Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore
during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice,
“Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation retched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet.
“Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.”
With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself.
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An mostly bandage covered woman nods, her musket by her side. One could barely see any skin under the bandages. Half her face was covered except for her eyes.
"Very well. I accept and I look forward to the expedition"
The young woman then began to examine her muskets barrel and the assortment of pouches containing bullets, after all this she examined the 2 powder horns
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The Shoanti man sits cross legged on the floor, shield and spear sitting across his legs. He watches in awe as the Elf walks away. "So," he says to himself, but loud enough for the rest to hear, "that was an elf! Incredible. They are even nicer looking than they said!" He stands up at almost lightning speed and turns to the others. "I am Flat-too-" he cuts himself off. "Um...I am Hargev from An-Dor-An" he sounds out each syllable of his factions name. "Me and my brother were sent here for this 'confirmation' but he decided to wait out side of this human town." He goes around awkwardly shaking everyones hand, but stops when he gets to Janira, "Is it safe to bring a child along?" It is clear he means no disrespect. It is almost as if he doesn't even know what a halfling or an elf was until just now.
Janira, laughs and smiles up at Hargev.
"Oh don't worry about me, I'll be alright. I'm tougher than I appear." She turns back to address the entire group as she continues. "Now what do you know about the Kortos Mounts or Gillmen?
and destroyed the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant. It is said that gillmen’s ancestors survived the cataclysmic event because they received the blessing of an aquatic entity that allowed them to breath underwater.
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A small wrinkled woman walks in using a walking cane for balance.
"I am a bit late, but at my age I don't move so quick anymore."
She sits down and listens to what Master Shaine has to say.
"I am afraid I do not know that much about the Kortos Mount, or Gillmen"
"I remember hearing something about there being something at the center of the Isle of Kortos ; the Kortos Mounts, the points on the island. About Gillmen all I know is that they are men..with gills"
She looks around the room.
"Oh yeah, introductions...polite people seem to do that. I'm getting to old for this." She sighs "I suppose you need to call me something, even if it is just to draw my attention. You can call me Lysassa."
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"I dont really care much about who or what people are or where they hide. I simply need to catch them." the human girl chuckles
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"A last few details before we head out. But we will be quick for your brother's sake Hargev." Janira says with an eager grin.
“After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing in there."
“The caves we’ll be travelling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too.”
Janira hefts her large backpack up onto the table and begins to quickly sort through it.
“Now, before we head out, if there aren’t any more questions, we should take a moment to go through your gear and make sure nothing important gets left out. So lets check our equipment, make sure you all have something for light, something to create fire, rations, rope is always helpful. Also any alchemist items might come in handy."
Janira smiles again a she looks over the equipment.
"Oh yes, we should be able to pick up anything that you might have missed on our way out of town. And for Hargev's brother's sake we'll go over the mission detail on the way out of town."
"I do hope everyone is alright with traveling on foot. The centaurs in the forests around Kortos might take offense to us if we come in riding horses, but the trip shouldn't be too tough. Now lets be off."
With an eager grin, the halfling grabs up her backpack and heads toward the door.
Just before you exit the Pig's Paunch, Janira turns around and pulls a stack of parchment from one of her many pouches.
"Oh to make sure that you can keep accurate records of our journey and any discovers that you make, please take this. Make sure to keep accurate notes on anything that you find, remember 'Explore, Report, Cooperate."
Janira now leads the group out of Absalom and through the Cairnlands, picking up any last-minute purchases on the way out of the city.
The day's travel is uneventful as you head through the Cairnlands, Janira points out ruins of what would have been siege towers not far off, distinctive mountains, and even some fauna unique to the area.
A few moments after the group leaves the city, the bushes begin to rustle. Out comes jumping a wolf, almost a solid grey on his back with white on his underside and face. He walks right over to Hargev and licks his outstretched hand.
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Hargev smiles when he sees the wolf jump out of the woods. "Akela!" he says happily and stretches out his hand, which the wolf licks. "This is my brother, Akela/" he says turning to the rest of the group, "He and I are the last of our pack" He pets Akela behind the ear. "Well, shall we be going?" Hargev's spirits are much higher beside his brother and he is much more talkative when he is around.
As the company walks through the forest, both Hargev and Akela keep a lookout with Oster. The entire time Hargev his tripping over his shoes and pulling on his cloths undonfortibly. It is clear he does not enjoy wearing them. Hargev doesn't write much on his paper, only what really catches his attention. He sees Lysassa drawing pictures of the fauna and takes a shot at it, takes another look at Lysassa's drawing and only shows Akela, who gives Hargev an affectionate lick on the face. Hargev's penmanship is actually not bad, but his writes in a strange language. "The tongue of the wolves," is what he calls it.
After about an hour of walking Hargev has fallen somewhat behind, "One moment please," he calls out and he takes his pack of and sets it down. He takes off his shoes and sets them in the pack and then pulls his shirt off and throws it in after the shoes. He smiles at the rest of the group "Sorry, I don't find your extra skins comfortable." He chest and back are muscular, but covered in scars that look like he was attacked by large animals on more than one occasion.
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As Aldrea lowers her blunt stick from Akela Hargev smiles at her, "Do not worry Aldra, while I'm sure you know how to use your stick very well, Akela will dodge your blows. Even if you did hit him, you stick wouldn't hurt him. It has no point!" he seems to find the idea of a pointless stick amusing.
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"Pointless stick? Dodge blows? What on... oh boy..."
She knew this wont end well if she had to use her musket
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Akela never stays by Hargev's side for long. He's always chancing something up a tree or down a hole. He disappears into the forest on several occasions and brings back a small animal for Hargev. He goes around to the other members of the group sniffing them and licking their hands if they stretch them out for him.
As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser.
Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road. “I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.”
She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. L. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid. After studying the compass inside for a moment, she remarks, “We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.”
Most of the trees in this section of the forest have trunks that are too big for any creatures to share their space. Sporadic patches of light undergrowth provide areas for creatures to hide while restricting movement for those passing through. A large rock outcropping to the east rises nearly 20 feet above the forest floor, and a small sinkhole to the northwest drops off sharply, descending to the ground 10 feet below.
Just as Janira finishes checking your bearings via her wayfinder, somewhere in the surrounding forest a tree falls scaring up many of the smaller animals. From the underbrush bolts a small dog with mangy looking fur. It's eyes set upon you and with a howl, that is answered from behind you, it attacks.
Janira looks up as the tree crashes down and the dogs come bearing down on the party. Uncoiling a whip from her hip she begins to tell a tale of a famous Pathfinder agent.
“And it was Selmius Foster’s race against a marid and efreeti on the isle of Jalmeray, which taught us that nothing is truly impossible and every situation can end in victory.”
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Now you see why Aldrea has pointless stick Hargev. It is called "gun" and lets her kill things from far away. You must teach your brother not to be scared of the noise it makes.
I'll move forward, putting myself between the dog and the group. Then I'll ready an action to attack the dog when it comes close enough to hit.
Aekla lets out a howl and moves in on one of the rabid dogs, bitting at it's legs.
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Akela lets out a fearful yip and Hargev turns to the sky and then to Oster. "Gun?"
Think of it as a way to throw a very small rock very fast at something. Too small and fast to see. When you hear the loud bang, that means that it threw a "bullet" at an enemy. Do not stand between Alreada and the enemies she will throw bullets at; it is not safe and it makes it harder for her to aim her gun at the enemy.
The wolf Akela charges into combat with one of the dogs, biting down hard. The dog lets out a howl as Akela tries to bring the rabid dog down, but it manages to keep it's feet under it.
The second dog sets it's eyes on Oster and moves in, but just when it's close enough to snap at him Oster's blade comes down hard. Killing the beast before it can bite.
The dog fighting with Akela attempts to twists around in an attempt to bite the wolf.
But is unable to get a hold of the larger wolf. The two break apart just as a clap of thunder rumbles through the clearing and Aldrea's musket ball impacts into the dogs side, toppling the dog over.
The dog gives one or two more breaths and whines before it stills.