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Duskin isn't any shy at all; he smiles at all the other presents as best as he can. He's somehow handsome, and his voice is very pleasant.
- Nice to meet you all! - he starts, arms open - I'm Duskin Veilsong, the Puppeteer.
He walks in his small steps across the room, looking at the other pathfinders.
- It's a pleasure to be with my fellow adventurers! - and opens even more the dark, shadowy smile, waiting for other introductions.
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Kasei has a platter of jasmine-scented tea, sipping slowly at the hot liquid as he watches the other pathfinders enter.
"Konichiwa, Mister Veilsong" he replies to the wayang. "I am Kuwabara Kasei, Bushi in service to the Lady Shizuru." An emblem of the Silver Crusade and a holy symbol of a sunburst around a katana hang from a chain around his neck.
"It is a fine thing to be so close to home again."
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A practical and down to earth dwarf like Gudrun appears somewhat out of place in such an exotic and mystical location as Goka. The dwarfs lack of manners or ettiquette haven't done much to improve that situation. However given the chain shirt he wears, the battleaxe and shortsword at his side, the daggers across his chest and the various tools and kits he shoulders, it's pretty evident that the blonde bearded dwarf takes what he does seriously.
"All reet. Name's Gudrun Cairncarver. I'll be yer trapsmith and an extra blade at yer side. Don't get in my way and I'll make sure ye don't get yer head cut off by some axe trap or break yer ankle in some damn goblin pit."
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"Dead-Eye" is short, stout human with a thick, bushy, unkempt beard wearing scale mail (By his stature, you'd almost think him a tall dwarf). The heavy crossbow on his left hip barely clears the ground. He has 2 containers of bolts on his right hip. and a 2-handed hammer over his shoulder that looks almost too big for him to wield.
"Name's Jones, though some call me 'Dead-Eye.'" Noticing the Silver Crusade emblem, he gives a subtle nod of acknowledgment to Kuwabara. "It's nice to meet you all. I'll be your sharpshooter this fine adventure. . . So, does anyone know where we'll be heading?"
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An athletic and shapely tiefling slinks into the room. Walking past Gudrun, her tail caresses his shoulder, almost like a hand. Whether the tiefling intended to do this or not is unclear, as she is looking ahead.
Finding a seat, she stretches luxuriously before addressing the others.
"I'm Saarai Shae," she says. "I'll be dealing with scouting, traps, and other stealthy operations. I'm well-equipped to handle a variety of problems," she adds.
Almost as an afterthought, she says:
"Before I became a Pathfinder, I used to be a Taldorian duchess with wealth beyond your wildest imagination...quite the change of events in my life!" she muses quietly as she plays with the tufting of her chair.
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Duskin smiles to all of his companions, shaking his head affirmatively, and then approaches Saarai.
- Oh, a duchess! What a pleasant company! - says, not disbelieving her even for the split of a second - Wealth, you said, huh?
He now seemed even more interested. The archivist approaches her with curiosity.
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Kasei arches an eyebrow, trying to recall a Taldoran duchess with tiefling blood, but with a mental shrug, figures that these avistani have strange customs. He puts the cup of tea down, and gives a courtly bow, appropriate for greeting nobility, to Saarai, and bows to Duskin, Gudrun, and Jones as well. His bow to Jones includes a similarly subtle acknowledgement of their shared allegiance.
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After everyone introduced themselves, the group was called into Venture-Captain Amara Li’s office and explained the situation below.
The Pathfinder Society has turned its attention to the Ruby Phoenix Tournament—a world-renowned fighting competition, held once every ten years in the city of Goka on the eastern continent of Tian Xia. More specifically, the Decemvirate is interested in the incredible prizes available to the tournament’s winner—a choice of treasure from the legendary vaults of Hao Jin, the Ruby Phoenix herself. As part of the preparations for the tournament, Pathfinder Society agents have been deployed across the Inner Sea and beyond to seek out forgotten lore, allies, and magical items to be used by the Society’s tournament representatives.
Venture-Captain Amara Li, leader of the Lantern Lodge and Goka native, has uncovered information about one such item hidden amid the reaches of the Wall of Heaven—an Iroran relic known as the Braid of a Hundred Masters. Organizing the search from her base in the Dragon Empires, she intends to send a group of Pathfinders to the high mountain range in search of the braid’s ancient home: the Clouded Path Monastery. The two-week-long journey to the mountains began in the cosmopolitan city of Goka, passed through the surrounding villages and farmlands, and led thousands of feet up into the tallest mountain range on Golarion; all that remains is the final day’s journey up from the base camp.
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Saarai purses her lips.
"I know a lot of things about a lot of places...except this one. All I know is that nobody has seen the monks of the Clouded Path Monastery in years. In the past, the monastery often sent a small group of them to the mountain’s base camp to trade for the goods the monks could not produce for themselves in the harsh mountain environment. Sounds like either something happened to the monks, or they have secluded themselves even more than monks usually do. Crazy," she says.
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"Ice demons? I've heard Yetis hunt there. I'm not sure if they're ice demons or something else, but we'll need to be well prepared. Warm coats at least are necessary, that they are. The greatest danger will probably be the legendary Shang Xu, I've heard locals speak of his raids. Is anyone learned in the lore of Yetis?"
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As far as Duskin knows, his aunt is no where near the mountains at this time of year. However, he can't recall where is cousin is currently staying, she might be there. So it is a good possibility that there be yeti in these mountains.
Coming along with you on this journey are two explorers, who are familiar with the area. Xue Ho and Hai Xuan. They rely on you for protection as you rely on them for direction.
The base camp site, only a few hundred feet above the forest line that covers the lower reaches of the Wall of Heaven, offers a panoramic view of the surrounding farmlands, far below. The half-flooded terraced farmlands appear silver and mirrored in the late afternoon light. The camp itself is little more than a trio of unmaintained wooden shacks surrounding the remnants of a large firepit and a fallen wooden corral fence to the east.
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Duskin is clearly afraid, but tries to not look like it. He smiles and starts moving his arms as if holding a puppet in his hands and making him dance. He moves closer to the creature, but not too close, and then focus his performance to create another creature: a shadowy one!
The Shadow Eagle appears in the air, close to the feline creature, and immediately proceeds to attack it with his talons and bite.
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"This is not a yeti," Kasei observes. "All I saw at first was a flash of white fur. But this is a cat. I don't know the Taldane word... in Minkai this would be called a Hyoh."
He calls to the guides in Tien, asking them if they've seen leopards in this part of the trail before.
The stoic samurai looks down at the leopard. "It is a shame we had to kill it -- this is a beautiful animal."