Cloudia attempts to get some useful information.
Her neighborhood connections prove to be quite useful as she questions old neighbors, friends, and family.
People have been complaining that the local bread and water taste funny today.
Sailors have been talking about a strange fog rising in the Flotsam Graveyard and at sea beyond the bay. Some even say they’ve seen the outlines of masts within the fog.
REWARD:
These rumors about possible enemies keep the PCs on their toes. Once during the adventure, each PC can reroll one initiative check. The PC must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
Mustering Activities:
Catch a Spy: Acrobatics (jumping) or Climb
Defensive Wards: Knowledge (arcana, religion), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Evacuation Notice: Diplomacy, Intimidate, CMB
Reconnaissance: Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth Maximum Rewards
Strange Things: Perception, Survival (tracking)
Urgent Repairs: Craft (wagoner, alchemy), Disable Device, Knowledge (engineering), Profession (teamster or the like), CMB
Useful Gossip: Diplomacy (gather information), Knowledge (local)
Useful repairs
A wagon with alchemical goods and other important supplies tipped over. Lukian notices that a couple of vials look dangerously unstable. He heroically takes them and throws them in a nearby fountain where they explode! The fountain is slightly charred and a little damaged, but all the precious cargo in the wagon is saved!
REWARD
As thanks for saving The wagon’s owner provides the group with some potions.
Every partymember gets:
1x Potion of Cure Serious Wounds
1x 2nd Level Potion of Choice (Without any valuable material components)
1x 3nd Level Potion of Choice (Without any valuable material components)
Mustering Activities:
Catch a Spy: Acrobatics (jumping) or Climb
Defensive Wards: Knowledge (arcana, religion), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Evacuation Notice: Diplomacy, Intimidate, CMB
Reconnaissance: Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth
Strange Things: Perception, Survival (tracking)
Urgent Repairs: Craft (wagoner, alchemy), Disable Device, Knowledge (engineering), Profession (teamster or the like), CMB
Useful Gossip: Diplomacy (gather information), Knowledge (local)
How about these:
Potion of Invisibility
Sure
Oil of Quench (assuming she can throw it and have it spill out and quench an area of fire)
That's taking rule freedom a bit too far (and to be honest, that's quite specific, so something that's always useful might be better)
Some of my personal favorites:
Potion of Fly
Potion of Heroism
Potion of Magic Circle vs Evil
Potion of Displacement
Botting Travail
Lukian finds a skeletal footprint.
Aurus also finds such a print, but with the help of Mao and Travail, he is able to follow the skeletal footprints to a bridge. There they notice that the supports of a bridge have been sabotaged.
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Several agents assist in marshaling Pathfinders as Marcos Farabellus unfurls several maps of Absalom’s districts. Once a crowd has gathered, he straightens to address the gathered Society. “Pathfinders, Absalom is under attack. We have received many reports of undead saboteurs attacking armories, granaries, water supplies, and guard outposts—targeted strikes to undermine our city’s infrastructure. Absalom is losing key resources, and enough people are panicking that it’s difficult to organize an effective defense.”
Zarta Dralneen, head of the Dark Archive faction, steps forward and interjects. “I have learned someone—someone who knows our home well—has stolen the Black Echelon codebook from our archives. A force of Taldan agents attacked Absalom long ago while following those encoded orders, and with the right combination of illuminated signals, one could draw these oathsworn operatives from beyond the grave to continue their attack.”
Farabellus narrows his eyes. “That explains the acts of sabotage. Absalom’s First Guard is struggling to restore order, and they need our help. Pathfinders, stand by for instructions!”
Ollysta Zadrian of the Silver Crusade raises her sword high, announcing, “We should not wait—Absalom needs us now!” Clasping the paladin’s upraised hand with her own, Lady Gloriana Morilla adds, “Each of us has accumulated considerable influence and resources in recent years, and this is the prime opportunity for each of us to lend Absalom our strength in its our of need. We may call ourselves factions, but today we can act as one!”
Nodding with approval, Marcos Farabellus calls out to the assembled Pathfinders. “It’s decided. Pathfinders, we’re deferring to the specialized expertise of these seven organizations to rally Absalom. Seek out the leaders for instructions, and make the city proud.”
It has been decided. The factions of the Pathfinder Society will coordinate the Society’s efforts to help Absalom survive from the attack. Each faction has identified a task ideally suited to its strengths and its agents’ skills, so choose your missions wisely. Most of you are best equipped to serve the needs of your own factions, but there are considerable opportunities to help Absalom by assisting other factions directly. Now is not a good time to be selfish—you’re all in this together!
Faction | Mission Name | Type
▫ Dark Archive | The Black Cipher | Puzzle
▫ Exchange | The Death Dealers’ Gambit | Intrigue
▫ Grand Lodge | Trouble at Fort Tempest | Scouting and Speed
▫ Liberty’s Edge | Chains of Injustice | Investigation
▫ Scarab Sages | The Rise of Gulgamodh | Ancient Mystery
▫ Silver Crusade | Absence of Faith | Divine Mystery
▫ Sovereign Court | A Noble Cause | Persuasion
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Cloudia takes a bane vs. evil outsiders arrow and promptly gives it to Aurus as the reward for a previous mission.
Naturally Cloudia is drawn to the leader of the Grand Lodge and wishes to report for that mission, but meek as she is her interest is not forceful.
"Shall we report to Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin? I'm sure he knows more about what's going on."
Cloudia takes a bane vs. evil outsiders arrow and promptly gives it to Aurus as the reward for a previous mission.
Naturally Cloudia is drawn to the leader of the Grand Lodge and wishes to report for that mission, but meek as she is her interest is not forceful.
You do not find Ollysta Zadrian, leader of the Silver Crusade faction, in the Grand Lodge. Instead you come across her finishing off a skeletal Black Echelon operative. She then motions for a group of citizens seeking refuge in an alley to move to a safer part of the city before she turns to you and idly cleans her sword.
“I’m pleased to see you have come to Absalom’s aid in its darkest hour. As you may have heard, undead creatures have attacked various locations within the city, and scouts have reported that an army of demon-flesh abominations is assembling in the Cairnlands. The holy warriors of the Ascendant Court would be instrumental in a war against such holy creatures, and I have begun coordinating the faithful. I know Absalom is home to more of the faithful than I have seen. Most notably absent are Sarenrae’s blades, and my close ally Scion Lady Xerashir of House Shamyyid at the Temple of the Shining Star has not answered the call to arms. I can only assume that something has waylaid her and her comrades. My presence is required here, but I am trusting you to investigate the matter and lend any aid necessary.”
THE TEMPLE OF SARENRAE
The smell of incense is heavy in the air at the Temple of the Shining Star, but it is ominously quiet in the vast Sarenite prayer room. Statues and other religious objects have been placed in concentric circles atop a massive sundial. Opposite the sundial is a portable lens-like device that seems to focus light like a magnifying glass.
Cloudia enters and starts looking around for a priest, looking curious and fully expecting one to descend on her to help her with any questions.
Cloudia immediately realises that there is nobody there. It should be busy with people, but there is not a single soul.
Mao moves towards the portable lens-like device and tries to analyze it, recalling information about worshippers of Sarenrae.
[dice=Knowledge (Religion)]1d20 + 6
Mao examines the Sundial and deduces that it was used as a central focus for a powerful spell, and the objects around the sundial were intended to function as foci for a conjuration spell, determining the parameters of the spell.
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Cloudia figures the sundial/magnifying glass thing is all about the Sun aspect of Sarenrae rituals. A curiosity but nothing else.
"We need to find out what happened to the priests. They should be around here somewhere!"
Cloudia starts poking her head in places where it probably should not be, looking for doors to go through and rooms to enter.
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Aurus follows Cloudia to the lens, peering curiously over her shoulder at it.
He shrugs in defeat and begins peering around the room. "In the guards, we would always joke that sayin' it was [i]too quiet was jinxin' it, and that was when trouble would come,"[/b] he says, seeming unnerved by the deserted temple.
Aurus follows Cloudia to the lens, peering curiously over her shoulder at it.
He shrugs in defeat and . "In the guards, we would always joke that sayin' it was too quiet was jinxin' it, and that was when trouble would come," he says, seeming unnerved by the deserted temple.
While looking around Aurus realizes that footprints and small objects littering the floor suggest a powerful and sudden force dragged people within the temple toward the sundial, but the tracks suddenly end 10 feet short of the sundial.
Botting Lukian
Lukian notices it is possible adjust the lens’s angle, focusing sunlight into a stronger beam of light. He also understands both that the lens is intended to empower spells and that the beam of light should be aimed at a magical focus.
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[b]"Should we aim the light at something? Can we at least identify what the objects are... Hey, you don't suppose they fried the priests with the focused light?"[b] she finishes with horror. After she recovers from her awful thought she looks around for evidence of fried priest. Or, since she is a conjurer herself, whether the objects on the sundial are also components for a conjuring spell. Though, since she is a sorcerer, she doesn't use components herself.
"Should we aim the light at something? Can we at least identify what the objects are... Hey, you don't suppose they fried the priests with the focused light?" she finishes with horror. After she recovers from her awful thought she looks around for evidence of fried priest. Or, since she is a conjurer herself, whether the objects on the sundial are also components for a conjuring spell. Though, since she is a sorcerer, she doesn't use components herself.
The lack of fried priests makes Cloudia realize the spell might be of the Conjuration(Teleportation) subschool. Her educated guess is that aiming a focused beam at the sundial should create a two way bridge.
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"Oooh, oooh! I think I now how to use it! Try aiming it at the sundial! But you all probably knew that."
"You know, I think... I think it might open a portal. But if we do this we need to be careful. Whatever is on the other side might attack us.
With that Cloudia casts Mage Armor on herself and Mao, knowing that there is no way they were not gong to try.
