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Nenettle climbs up on a chair, awaiting her companions. At the sound of some one coming inside. She instantly get nervous and changes shape to that of a vine, wrapping herself around the back of a chair.
I wonder if anyone will carry me around? Maybe if I ask them...but that would involve me talking to them...
An elf with leather armor and flasks als over his body leans against the wall.
"I know little about historiy or geography but ... I am here to graduate and show my worth! I understand that you want to know more about me. Well ..." he pauses for a moment and it is clear that he is thinking about the amount of information that he really wants to share.
"Well ... I have joined the Pathfinder society to learn and to give back. But I also want to warn you ... I love the heat of an explosion on my face. In combat, where my potions push my body faster than it has any right to move I will be hard to control!"
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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 stretched 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.
Mounts, the points on the island.
constantly vie for territory up and around the Mounts,
with harpies being the most common at higher altitudes
and centaurs controlling the lower slopes and foothills.
an amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last
descendants of the ancient Azlanti people.
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.
were responsible for the gillmen’s transformation. Any
alliance between them appears to have fallen apart over
the millennia, however, and the gillmen are now an
independent people.
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Nannette retakes her form, which is a jumble of vines, she extends an appendage which could make for an arm. From behind the leaves on what appears to be her face, comes a high pitched voice. "Hello all...I am Nannette. Ashasar sent me here, for uh, my confirmation...so I can be a Society...a part of the society...to represent The Concordance..."
"I at least know that at the center of the Isle of Kortos stand the Kortos Mounts, the points on the island."
Damiel looks at Anthela and smiles a little but returns to his cold stare after a moment.
He continues in common.
"I am a forlorn. I would rather speak in common. And I am sorry to disappoint you but I get my kick from something else. My potions push me ... and that is all I need. And you wouldn't want to see my bad side ... unbalanced, unstable, unpredictable. So what's your story?" he asks without much emotion.
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Seated at the table next to two elves is a creature with pale blue skin. In front of her are an assortments of gadgets, clockwork toys and porcelain figurines. She has a few bags at her feet, suggesting that she has done some shopping before this meeting.
After Master Shaine leaves, she says, "Ah... gillmen! that explains why I was invited to assist you in this mission!" Turning her head sideways she points at her own gills. "The gillmen, also known as the Low Azlanti, are an amphibious humanoid race just like my own, but they, however, are believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people. It is interesting to note that the most powerful of men's empires turned to the sea for protection, in the end... during Earthfall, when the Starstone struck Golarion and destroyed the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant, it is said that they survived because they received the blessing of an aquatic entity that allowed them to breathe underwater".
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Nannette retakes her form, which is a jumble of vines, she extends an appendage which could make for an arm. From behind the leaves on what appears to be her face, comes a high pitched voice. "Hello all...I am Nannette. Ashasar sent me here, for uh, my confirmation...so I can be a Society...a part of the society...to represent The Concordance..."
A young, tow-haired boy in animal training leathers shakes Nannette's branch.
"Hi! I'm Jimmothy! I came all the Pallet Town to visit Professor Shaine here at the Lodge and compete in the Kortos Summoning League. Uhh, are you some kind of Bellsprout?"
"Going to the mountains will be a great chance to get some rare Rock Summons, don't you think? And with gillmen there, maybe some Water types as well!" the boy says with exuberance. "I'm gonna get 'em all!"
"Kata?" says the cute, bellsprout- leshy-sized, bright, yellow caterpillar thing next to Jimmothy. It has eight legs in all; four up front near its head, and another four near its tail end. It flicks a small pink tongue out to lick its cute, but complicated mouthpieces upon seeing the small plant person.
"Chuuu." says the deflated eidolon.
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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.”
"Zzzz... zzzz... zz-*SNORT* Huh? Wha?"
“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.
"OH WOW! I didn't know there would be little kids coming with us. Hey little girl, I'm Jimmothy, is that your marid?" the boy asks excitedly indicating Mindy.
The boy continues while inspecting Mindy closely as one might a statue in the round. "She's really cool looking! She's almost like a real woman! How do you get her coat so blue and glossy?" The questions then turn more toward Mindy herself. "I bet you've got all sorts of cool attacks! Gosh! Are these like your toys, Mindy? They're so cool!"
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Princess Mindy smiles and bats her eyelashes at Jimmothy, shaking his small hand with her larger webbed one. "I am Mindy, but I am honored that you see a resemblance with a marid. I may have had one as an ancestor in the past. I am in fact an undine, and live in the sea near Absalom. And yes! I bought all kinds of toys before arriving here. Try them!!"
Turning to Nanette, she says, "Enchanted to make your acquaintance Nanette! Hi, I'm Mindy. I look forward to hear all the stories you have in store for us! it must have been quite the journey to get here yes?"
Princess Mindy's attention seems to be drawn back to Jimmothy, however, and while Nanette discusses her adventures, Mindy draws more toys out of her bags, setting them all on the table in front of her and Jimmothy.
"Huh uh... right... yes! oh my! you don't say! huh-uh, huh-uh..."
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“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. We can meet all manner of adversary out in the wild: some creatures are disperse like SWARMS and require splash weapons to be dealt with, some creatures are more susceptible to fire, but they all draw blood. Mind your defense and healing. Protect yourself at all times. Janira levels a serious gaze at the group. If her tone doesn’t instill some peril in you, it should.
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"Say you're pretty smart for a little girl. You aren't going with us are you? Are you gonna bring Mindy with you? Maybe we could battle. You know, to train. Don't worry. I won't go too hard on you."
"Um, I've got a waterskin for fire types, and rations for hungry forest animals. Oh, and I've got this hiking stick." the boy says holding up his quarterstaff. "Who's got the adamantine weapon for golems, or the holy crossbow bolts for raksasha? What have you got Katachu?"
Katachu pats its segmented thorax bulges with its four forepaws, and shrugs a quartet of shoulders in a show of embarrassment.
"A-chu!" **sniff** sneezes Katachu.
"Kata?"
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Janira gathers her belongings, satisfied at your preparedness. Let's head out.
--
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.
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Janira gathers her belongings, satisfied at your preparedness. Let's head out.
"Let's go Katachu!"
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.”
"Golly, did you hear that Katachu? Hey Janira, while we have some time, did you wanna battle Mindy, your marid, against Katachu? Or maybe your bellsprout?"
Damiel is ready for action.
”I just hope that this will not only be a research and diplomacy mission but that we will have some fun with fire and burn as well!“ he says with a sly smile.
Katachu looks hungrily at Nennette.
"Chu...." Katachu says looking disheartened.
To which, Katachu wanders back avoiding eye contact with Nennette, says "Chu" (rather sulkily), and extends a pair of unusually dainty black hands to shake.
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Positively excited at the idea of getting her own wayfinder, Princess Mindy ogles Janira's device hungrily.
"I can't wait to find out all the functions of this wayfinder. I heard they come in all shapes and sizes, and that even custom orders are sometimes condidered! ♫♪ ♫♪♪"
She breaks into song, but stops after two verses...
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As you pass through the clearing, you are beset on by 2 winged creatures. Janira quickly arms herself and addresses the group. Ok, don't panic. This is part of your journey. Remember to be resourceful and work together. I will intervene only if necessary. Now GET OUT THERE AND MAKE THE PATHFINDERS PROUD! Janira Inspires Courage in you.
The creatures get the jump on you and charge you in a feathered fury.
A minor scratch.
Hippogriff
Damiel
Nenette
Anthelea
Jimmothy
Princess Mindy
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Princess Mindy takes a step back, surprised at the beast's aggressive behavior. Calling upon the mystic powers of ancient Hurricane Kings of times gone by, Princess Mindy's ancient brass compass twinkles briefly with magic, despite its cracked sight glass, and with a sea breeze, a celestial eagle appears in front of her to defend her against the hippogriff!
Celestial Eagle Full Attack, Smite Evil, Inspire Courage:
for p/s dmg.
for p/s dmg.
for b/p/s dmg.
Meanwhile, Princess Mindy loads her crossbow!
**---**---**---**
for p/s dmg.