Please dot in here.
The PCs travel to Lastwall, where they meet with the Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik in the back room of the Ace of Dreams, a gambling house that serves as the Pathfinder Society’s Uscalin Lodge.
Loud and raucous conversation filters through the door from the common room of the Uscalin Lodge, which doubles as the Ace of Dreams gambling house. “I know it’s here. I had it just a moment ago.” Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik lifts piles of papers and numerous boxes off of his desk, stacking them on various side tables and chairs in his clean but overly cluttered office. The tall, Varisian man’s face parts in a toothy grin as he lifts up a solid oak box. “Found it!” As if to punctuate his discovery, a crowd of players in the gambling hall erupts in cheers. Distracted for a moment, Besnik stares at the closed office door that leads to the common room. “Desna laughs. Well, she laughs at me, but she smiles on them.” The venture captain shrugs. “All they have is gold;what I have in here is far more valuable.
Besnik opens the box’s lid painstakingly slowly, careful to keep the contents out of sight. With reverence, he lifts a large tome from the box and gently sets it on the table. “Careful, the binding hasn’t held up well. This is one of the few Tomes of Righteous Repose left in the world. I’m pretty sure there’s one in the library of the Sancta Iomedaea in Vigil, but I’m—well, let’s just say I’m no longer welcome there. That’s a story for another time. “Up until today, I’ve only skimmed the pages. I didn’t want to damage it, but now that you’re here, I can’t wait any longer. Care to plumb the depths of this most ancient and wonderful storybook? Oh, the marvelous adventures we will soon read! This tome is a collection of tales describing how various crusaders died gloriously and honorably. I’m hoping to find some clues in the text that will lead us to an as-of-yet undiscovered site or relic. Maybe we can trade a bit of what we find with the Knights of Ozem and earn ourselves some goodwill. After what happened last time, we need it. “Care to peruse the pages with me?”
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Sitting next to her, slowly grazing on a bowl of the local assorted berries, is a bright blue slug as long as a human is tall.
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Can't say I've ever met a sentient slug before. After a quick survey of his allies, Evariel peers excitedly at the ancient tome. A slender elf, Evariel wears a long purple robe slightly reinforced-- scant protection against a skilled warrior, but perhaps enough to turn aside a glancing blow. He carries a dark wooden staff adorned with carvings and elvish runes, and a gold ring bearing a large ruby glitters on one hand. Adorning his brown is a gold headband set with multiple gems. "Oh yes, let's indeed!"
Waiting to see if you have any questions of the VC.
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A man of Taldan descent sits down and gets some paper and ink ready to take notes. He wears the colours of Sarenrae, and carries her signature weapon, a finely crafted scimitar. The edge of an intricate tattoo peeks up from his unbuttoned shirt. He looks around.
Oh, where are my manners. I am Goran, servant of Sarenrae. I see we are ready. I have heard of these tomes during my studies at the church library....but never thoughy I would be in the presence of one...so exciting!
The Pathfinders come across a significant piece of art next
to one of the poems in the Tome of Righteous Repose. The
piece depicts three samurai in a Minkai art style. Venture-
Captain Besnik reacts strongly to this
The Venture-Captain jolts upright.inkai art! Let’s see, the
Minkai Empire was founded in 3619, and the empire’s first
explorers didn’t reach the west coast of the continent
until at least 3691 ar, which leaves only sixty years
before the beginning of the Shining Crusade itself.
These women could have been among the first
Minkai citizens to reach the Inner Sea! Let’s
see, what secrets does the poem on this page hold?
[ooc] Now I need Know History/EReligon, Gather Information/Lingusitic checks.
Knowledge Rolls:
GATHER INFORMATION
(DIPLOMACY), KNOWLEDGE
(LOCAL), OR LINGUISTICS
Based on the result of a Diplomacy check
to gather information, a Knowledge (local)
check, or a Linguistics check, the PCs might
know more about Rellakarabee Fustbickle
and his Tome of Righteous Repose. The PCs learn
all of the information whose DC is equal to or
less than the result of their check.
15+: Rellakarabee Fustbickle is a gnome poet, known
mostly among literary scholars. His subject matter revolves
around heroic figures and tragic deaths. His style is too
melodramatic to gain significant acclaim, though he is
popular in some circles.
20+: Fustbickle based his poems on true stories from the
Shining Crusade. However, the finer details are ambiguous
at best. Rumors suggest he was on speaking terms with the
mortal Iomedae.
KNOWLEDGE (HISTORY OR RELIGION)
Based on the result of a Knowledge (history or religion)
check, the PCs might know more about Lastwall. They learn
all of the information whose DC is equal to or less than the
result of their check.
10+: Lastwall was established in 3828 ar, when it seceded
from Taldor. It is a military dictatorship, primary focused
on keeping the Whispering Tyrant locked away and the orc
hordes of Belkzen at bay.
15+: Lastwall originated from the remnants of crusaders
living in the area after the conclusion of the Shining
Crusade, the great war against the evil wizard-king Tar-
Baphon (also known as the Whispering Tyrant, who rose
after his death as a lich).
20+: Lately, Lastwall has had to recruit less pious
individuals to fill its ranks. On the borders, followers of
Gorum and Kurgess are more common than paladins of
Iomedae and Sarenrae.
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"Fascinating! And look at this over here..."
"Oh, I'm looking." Rilia almost purrs into Evariel's ear. She steal a glance at Goran as well. "Mmm."
She's a tall elf with smooth tanned skin and dangerous curves, whose eyes smolder like warm amber.
Knowledge Rolls:
GATHER INFORMATION
(DIPLOMACY), KNOWLEDGE
(LOCAL), OR LINGUISTICS
Based on the result of a Diplomacy check
to gather information, a Knowledge (local)
check, or a Linguistics check, the PCs might
know more about Rellakarabee Fustbickle
and his Tome of Righteous Repose. The PCs learn
all of the information whose DC is equal to or
less than the result of their check.
15+: Rellakarabee Fustbickle is a gnome poet, known
mostly among literary scholars. His subject matter revolves
around heroic figures and tragic deaths. His style is too
melodramatic to gain significant acclaim, though he is
popular in some circles.[etc....]
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"This gnome, Fusttickle, is a bit melodramatic for my tastes, a lot of 'a beast I am, lest a beast I become.'" Rilia says feigning a swoon with the back of her perfect hand placed against her forehead, "but he may have actually known the Inheritor before she ascended, during the war against the Whispering Tyrant."
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"Yes, Fustbickle's work should be taken with a healthy amount of skepticism," he agrees with Rilia, in a tone suggesting he's happy to have a kindred spirit to talk to. "But there are important things that can be learned from him nevertheless. And I would wager that this is Lastwall. Back then it was all Worldwound crusaders of course-- not so nowadays, if the bards can be believed."
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Hiro ponders what he knows and what is learned about the gnome poet, Minkai art, and, the Silver Crusade. Frowning he says."This is all very interesting, but I am ashamed to say, and perhaps a little dense, but I can draw very little inferences or connections between Minkai culture and the Silver Crusade...."
“Mordesha? Is that the name of a place or a person? Are the
samurai the heroes who the poem evokes? Wherever these
terrible events took place holds the answers to our mystery. Once
we can verify the location, we can share the information with the
Knights of Ozem. If some dark force still haunts the place, remove
it. I have a ritual that can unravel evil magic.” Besnik searches
through his office, eventually producing a finger-length scroll case.
Know Local
with a single elected leader, the watcher-lord. Though the
Knights of Ozem are prominent in both the Military and politics, not all citizens are knights, nor even soldiers. [/spoiler:
[spoiler=DC 15] Followers of good gods are abundant in the area, especially lawful gods but other gods, like Gorum are not unheard of though not all of the soliders are religous
enough to mount an offensive, Lastwall may not survive
the attack.
Know Local or Know History
undead armies
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Preying for cleverness of Calistria, Rilia casts her mind back through her studies at the temple brothel.
“Mordesha? Is that the name of a place or a person? Are the samurai the heroes who the poem evokes? Wherever these terrible events took place holds the answers to our mystery. Once we can verify the location, we can share the information with the Knights of Ozem. If some dark force still haunts the place, remove it. I have a ritual that can unravel evil magic.” Besnik searches through his office, eventually producing a finger-length scroll case.
Pressing up closer to Evariel, Rilia says: "Back in days of the Shining Crusade against Tar-Barphon, the Whispering Tyrant would 'recruit' the dead of his enemies into the ranks of his armies to bolster their numbers and for the shock-value they would inspire in his enemies. To combat the threat the crusaders would often bury their dead in hidden, consecrated places, was one of these burial sites. I would imagine it somewhere in the Ozem-controlled boundary of Lastwall."
The VC shakes his head. No.NO. Iomedae and her faithful helped to lead the armies of Aroden against Tar-Barphon. I do not think that they Lady of Graves cares about either side, but raising the dead is a no no to that flock he responds.
He looks at the party to see what they might do.
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"No one is really suggesting otherwise." Rilia looks at the Venture Captain for a moment.
"Though, given that the Whispering Tyrant made himself over as a lich, I think I can safely say that Pharasma was not on his side. I think though we will have to narrow our search a bit. Lastwall is bound to be full of reliquaries and cathedrals both new and old and some built upon one another dating back to before the Tyrant's rise."
"No one is really suggesting otherwise." Rilia looks at the Venture Captain for a moment.
"Though, given that the Whispering Tyrant made himself over as a lich, I think I can safely say that Pharasma was not on his side. I think though we will have to narrow our search a bit. Lastwall is bound to be full of reliquaries and cathedrals both new and old and some built upon one another dating back to before the Tyrant's rise."
There is a location that sounds familiar that you might have heard of.
The VC offers up the following aides:
Gem of all
elements (acts as
an elemental gem,
but the user can
choose when
activating it
whether to
summon a Large
air, earth, fire, or
water elemental)
Belt of tumblingUE,
daredevil bootsUE,
potions of aid (2)
Dust of illusion,
wand of vanish
(CL 4, 24 charges)
The PCs arrive during a thunderstorm to find a muddy
field with pillars of blackened stone reaching to the sky
like skeletal fingers. These forgotten chimneys are all that
remain of Mordesha. Near one of these is a long set of
stairs leading 100 feet underground. Unless otherwise
stated, the dungeon walls and ceilings are made of hewn
stone, 10 feet high. The rooms are completely dark unless
a light source is explicitly described