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Dot in here
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Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik leans against the wall of a private
room in the Dryad’s Blessing Inn. With him is Ollysta Zadrian,
dressed in gleaming full plate bearing the holy symbol of Sarenrae.
She waits for everyone to get settled before reciting a brief prayer.
Her eyes are serious, but she wears a slight smile on her face.
Shevar Besnik speaks first. “I’d like to begin by thanking you all
for being here. The mission we have for you will be dangerous, but
it is vitally important to the people of Lastwall and the Pathfinder
Society. However, I am not the one coordinating this mission. For
those of you who do not already know her, allow me to present
Ollysta Zadrian, leader of the Silver Crusade, and the second-most
intimidating Sarenite I’ve ever known.”
Ollysta places her helmet on the table. “Thank you, Shevar.
Pathfinders, welcome to Three Pine’s Ford. We need you to recover
an object from an ancient and most holy temple, the Bastion of
Light. The relic in question is a helmet that rests somewhere
within the temple, likely within a fountain. The Bastion of Light
lies in the village of Roslar’s Coffer, northwest of here. The village
is small, but its people are strong and friendly.”
Ollysta pauses to close her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she says,
“The Bastion was a beautiful place used by Sarenite clerics during
the Shining Crusade. They devised incredible rituals and brought
many crusaders back from the brink of undeath. The helmet that
we ask you to recover may have belonged to a powerful captain
of the Shining Crusade, but unfortunately our histories have shed
little light on its owner’s identity.”
Ollysta begins to pace in front of the table, “There is a
complication. The Bastion of Light was claimed some eleven years
ago by a creature known as a red reaver. The beast guards the
Bastion fiercely and has killed or chased off all other would-be
heroes, looters, and soldiers who have approached it. Please
exercise caution, Pathfinders. The red reaver has become stronger
every year, and it will not hesitate to kill you. Recover the helmet,
and find a way to rid Roslar’s Coffer of the red reaver. Another
Pathfinder in the area named Gorm Greathammer has been
studying the Shining Crusade and knows more.”
Any questions?
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Maka, who is most likely sitting in the back, speaks up to ask a question. She is a rather small, young woman of Tien origins. Her Common is rather odd, almost as if it wasn't her native language.
"This 'Red Reaver' you speak of. You say it is stronger every year. How is this? Why would creature claim this 'Bastion of Light'?"
Silver Bullet looks up with a smile of confidence.
How has the reaver become so strong? “The red reaver was
already a fearsome beast when it arrived in Roslar’s Coffer,
but I suspect that it has developed a bond with some of the
crusaders’ ritual sites and relics within the Bastion of Light.
You would do well to see if you can sever that connection, but
take care to not harm the things you find there. Though it has
been abandoned for some time, it is still a holy place and we
are eager to restore it once the reaver is removed.”
Why is the red reaver drawn to the Bastion of Light?
“The red reaver is drawn to things that it finds beautiful. It
jealously guards those things it finds, and it will do anything
to keep you out of its territory. Perhaps you may be able to use
its fascination against it.”
Shevar adds “Yes. I suppose it’s a shame I won’t be joining
you then, eh, Pathfinders?” Ollysta glares at him in response.
No one has been able to talk with it so far. It is just very territorial and does not allow for that.
I will also take a knowledge history check.
You're going to reason with a beast, you're more crazy than the guy who tries to keep it as a pet.
"I think there will be no problem eliminating the beast! "
"Oh I am sorry I didn't introduce myself. I am Malark cleric of Sarenrae!"
Many have tried to enter its area before. Many have not returned. Proceed with extreme caution.
Please take great care as you search the Bastion of Light.
This holy place must be preserved for the people of Roslar’s
Coffer, worshippers of Sarenrae, and all good and just beings
in this world. I expect that you will take particular care to
avoid any undue damage to the artifacts within the Bastion.
Should you encounter anyone or anything else within that
place, take heed that you do not judge too quickly. The
Dawnflower’s light can shine upon any being willing to receive
it. The Silver Crusade keeps you in its thoughts. Be brave,
bold, and compassionate.
—Ollysta Zadrian
orcs more than a decade ago. The arrival of the red reaver helped drive the orcs away, but because many are unable to return to their old homes, the village now contains scarcely more than 400 people.
say the Sarenite clerics found a way to cleanse undeath from a corrupted soldier. The Bastion of Light was also notable for its intricate stained-glass windows depicting Sarenrae and her avatars. When Roslar’s Coffer was invaded by orcs, the Bastion was burned but, much to the amazement of the villagers, it remained standing. Out of fear of retribution from Sarenrae, the orcs left the great windows intact, and on most days the rising sun brightly illuminates the interior.
stories of their wounds being washed away “like so much mud” when immersed in the waters of the font.
shrines and ritual sites meant to confer blessings of strength and vitality to crusaders and pilgrims. Many involve testing one’s knowledge of or devotion to Sarenrae. Up until the orc invasion, most of these ritual sites were still intact. Though the state of them is now unknown, some may still be usable.
Ready to go, me too.
"I am also ready!"
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Maka stares at Besnik, waiting for a response to her question.
It is unsure if the reaver is of Golarian or summoned. Best guess so far is that it was not summoned.
After an uneventful trip,The village of Roslar’s Coffer lies ahead. Along the shore of
the river stands the busy but quiet fishery. Several abandoned
buildings on the edge of the town are adorned with red ribbons,
most worn and stained with time. Very little in the village appears
to be recently built, and many houses appear to be in disrepair.
Interspersed amongst the ribbon-adorned trees and buildings,
hand-painted signs dot the roadways and alleys warning travelers
to go no farther.
in the red reaver’s territory.
Tiki mounts his rhinoceros companion and heads out along the road.
[DICE=Survival]1d20+10
"Be aware, there are signs of orcs on this trail. Moving towards the village and into the Fangwood."
The village is a little over a mile from the Bastion of Light.
"The village has seen many adventurers and soldiers of Lastwall come in hopes of making a trophy of the red reaver. There was even a group of crusaders that came through town some time ago, but after the group left the village for the Bastion, they were never seen again. The villagers offer to send letters to the PCs’ loved ones should the heroes perish
in the red reaver’s territory.!"
Thanks Arie, you are a big help
Anything you would like to do in the village before heading to the Bastion of Light? If not we will move on.
Nope.
Ok consider yourselves on the way. Barkskin starts when you leave the village?
Once on the road to the Bastion of Light, you leave
the village and enter the buffer zone between it and the red
reaver’s claimed territory. The trees in this area are marked
with red cloth tied into the branches, and small shrines have
been built by some villagers along the road. The houses here
have been stripped, some to the foundations.
The area is eerily quiet. No sound of insects or birds can be heard.
The houses here have begun to rot, and the forest is slowly reclaiming the paths and road. Moss grows on the sides of leaning houses, vines snake across, through, and under the cobblestones. Here and there long abandoned crates and barrels sprawl, cracked open like eggs. The scene would be almost beautiful were it not for the remains of villagers and would-be heroes scattered amongst the ruins. A mangled corpse hangs from the branches of a nearby tree, draped over two of the larger boughs. The body is clad in frayed leather armor, and its rotted innards spill down the length of the tree trunk. Somewhere ahead, the clang of metal and the
stamping of feet echo through the woods.
Orcs, people, orcs as silver bullet points to the tracks.
You will quickly see what is making all the noise. A Huge red reaver just a little way off picks up one of the many orcs it has just killed and literally tears it in half.
It will notice you very soon. You can choose to to stand and fight, which you can guess is not the best of ideas, or you can flea towards the bastion of light to fight a safer area.
"We need to find safe area!"