“Fellow Pathfinders, I am Jorsal of Lauterbury, Venture-Captain of Nerosyan. I welcome you to the Starrise Spire and bid you to find a seat and speak with the other guests. Once everyone is comfortably seated, I will get to the point of this great gathering.”
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A human, well into his fifties, garbed in ornate platemail with a holy symbol of Iomedae embossed on the breastplate flags down Omrax. "A fellow soldier of the Inheritor! Well met! I am Sir Osbert Deloray. It gladdens me to see that the Pathfinder Society is bringing it's best and finest soldiers to discuss this threat."
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A grimy looking dwarf approaches. His medium armor appears to be of fine dwarven make, but probably has not been washed since the day he bought it, the grime and bloodstains serving as somewhat of a testament to that. His oversized helmet and large, double-sided axe appearing to have the largest concentration of foulness. He sits down, produces a flask from somewhere on his person, and introduces himself- Hey. M'names Quaff. Not much for this strategizin' stuff, just point me at what we need to get rid of, and I'll smash it good.
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Syeira finds herself a comfortable seat off in a corner and positions herself a bit awkwardly, with her legs crossed, hanging over the side of the chair. She is a Varisian woman in her mid-30s with black hair and piercing blue eyes. She stands at almost 6 feet tall with a thin frame. Curled up in her lap is a pipefox.
She doesn't immediately begin conversing with anyone. For now, she is quietly sitting in the corner, observing the room and the people gathered.
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A dwarf with a bright red beard that matches his shaggy mane of hair moves into the room, trading a nod with his kinsman as he finds a seat, dropping heavily into it with a grunt. When Quaff speaks, Radek grins. "Hai! And if'n ye leave anything behind, I'll finish it with shield and axe, rockbrother. Me name's Radek, and if'n this mission takes us into the wilds or underground, I'll find the way in gettin' us te where we need te be."
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Syrenia is somewhat familiar with the relationship between the Pathfinder Society and Mendev. The Pathfinder Society maintains a strong working relationship with the crusaders of Mendev. An extensive treaty exists between the nation and the Society, giving the Society the right to operate in the region, but requiring Pathfinders to defend Mendevian cities and participate in crusades.
Radek knows about the region, but mostly by reputation. The Worldwound is infested with demons. Evil and destructive creatures, demons are native to the Abyss, though they can be summoned by means of magic. Many of the demons within the Worldwound emerged from the rift at the center of the region.
Hania has more extensive knowledge of the horrors kept at bay by the brave soldiers of Mendev. The demonic hosts are kept somewhat in line by powerful overlords known as demon lords. The exact number of demon lords is unknown, but many such creatures are revered on Golarion. Each demon lord has a portfolio, similar to that of a deity; however, most demon lords lack many of the powers a true god possesses.
Osbert chuckles at Radek and Quaff's exchange. "Admirable bravery and commitment, but these fiends are not to be trifled with. Today we shall be discussion how to handle the building force, and hopefully follow those plans up with decisive action. Between you and me... Venture Captain Thurl is ill-equipped to handle this situation. He seems more interested in research than action. It pleases me that Venture-Captain Jorsal is leading these discussions, and to see such accomplished holy warriors within the ranks of the society opens up numerous tactical possibilities."
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Cugel appears to have done his homework before showing up to the meeting.
The Worldwound is an unnatural blight on the world. Believed to be a rift into the Abyss, this gateway from Golarion opened shortly after the death of Aroden.
The nation of Mendev came to prominence during the First Mendevian Crusade in 4622 AR. This crusade was built up from the weakened church of Aroden and followers of the goddess Iomedae. Since that time, Mendev has engaged in four crusades against the demonic threat.
A series of specialized artifacts keeps the demons of the Worldwound at bay. Known as wardstones, these artifacts are layered in runes that ward away demons. Powered by regular acts of faith, wardstones dot the border between Mendev and the Worldwound, keeping the demons from crossing in great numbers.
Wardstones prevent any form of teleportation magic, demonic or otherwise, from working across their borders. Despite this incredible ability, the wardstones don’t hinder such magic from working within the confined areas.
Pathfinder activities in Nerosyan operate out of the Starrise Spire, which is led by Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury. Jorsal is a pious man and a skilled combatant; he’s believed to have made no fewer than 50 missions into the Worldwound in search of artifacts for the Society.
While Jorsal officially oversees Pathfinder Society operations in the area, there is a second venture-captain in Nerosyan who’s in charge or a second lodge—a nononsense dwarf by the name of Thurl. Covered in tattoos
and piercings, Thurl operates undercover as the leader of a mercenary company, and he handles far fewer noble missions for the Society than does his colleague.
Nerosyan itself is an old city put to a new use. Before the Worldwound erupted, the Diamond of the North was very much a diamond in the rough, a wild river town with twisting, narrow streets and ramshackle buildings. With the First Crusade came an influx of law and a grander purpose as the city expanded its walls to accommodate the rush of armed immigrants. Now the city has been rebuilt for war and defense, with broad avenues punched through the old blocks to enable the movement of troops. Any parts of the old city that were outside the new walls have long since been razed by demons, and the unsettled land that fell within the walls has been built up to house the swollen population of crusaders as well as the large population of merchants, artisans, and camp followers who support their efforts.
Nerosyan is divided into several districts, though the local crusaders often group smaller districts together. The four amalgamated districts include the Egelsee District to the southeast, Confluence District to the southwest, Woundward District to the northwest, and Battle District to the northeast.
Considered the heart of Nerosyan, the Cruciform Cathedral is the center of Iomedaean worship in the city. Acting as a tactical command center, the cathedral allows crusaders to quickly move about the city via the interior
walls that section off the city.
Several towers have been constructed about Nerosyan to facilitate the city's defense.
Battle Tower, at the northernmost point of the city, is the most likely to weather an assault by land. Earthen revetments surround three layers of nested towers, making the tower the most heavily fortified site in Mendev.
Confluence Tower is geared towards defending Nerosyan from attacks across the two rivers that meet at its base. The tower has held its own
through several riparian attacks from Dread Barges and other Abyssal craft that periodically swarm up from the Sarkora River. At its base is the Crusader’s Quay, a set of military wharves that offer shelter for the small crusader navy in ingenious covered slips.
Located at the eastern point of the Nerosyan diamond, Egelsee tower serves a second purpose as a rapid-response staging area for Nerosyan’s
cavalry, which can ride out at a moment’s notice through special large-scale sally ports built into its outer walls.
Almost completely surrounded by the West Sellen river, the Woundward Tower defends the city against aerial assaults. The tower bristles
with spyglasses that scan the skies, as well as the most advanced siege engines and the best archers in Nerosyan. The city’s wardstone is housed in this tower, as close to the border as possible.
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Syeira seems to note the question posed to the room and responds. Her voice is somewhat stern and may be mistaken for cold or mean.
"I can't say that I have experience fighting devils. Most of my experience with the Society has been with elemental outsiders, Lissalan cultists, and a few trips to Numeria to deal with technological sites. I would certainly appreciate any advice to make my spells and rapier attacks more effective."
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Spells: Lvl 1: 9; Lvl 2: 8; Lvl 3: 8; Lvl 4: 8; Lvl 5: 7; Lvl 6: 4.
Rods: Lesser Versatile MMR: 3; Lesser Bouncing MMR: 3; Lesser Quicken MMR: 3; Lesser Logical MMR: 3.
Four Leaf Clover: 3
None
Cugel shakes his head wistfully.
"Ah, Lissalan cultists. I miss them. Keep hoping they'll poke their heads out once more."
"As for the demons, a bit, here and there. Had an excursion into Tanglebriar. More experience with Devils, honestly."
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Osbert shrugs. "Well, my advice would certainly depend on the tactics on the field. A full frontal assault on the wound would be suicide, even for experienced soldiers such as yourselves. I suppose we'll hear more soon regarding planning our next moves. Any siege will need to be well thought out. Demons are resistant to most offensive magic and mundane weaponry, so sheer numbers would be insufficient. Even with the most generous of our allies we would have a hard time outfitting full armies with cold iron weaponry. Lots of similarities with fighting devils, although at least demons are more brutish and somewhat easier to predict. For what little that is worth..."
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"Demons can be slain, but unless their overlords are taken care of it will be as building a dam in a raging river. Send in a force, stem the tide from one site and watch more show up in another. If I may be so bold, you are not of the rank and file of the Pathfinder Society are you? Yet you have come to this meeting? For whom do you work?"
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Nay, we are not of the rank and file but capable agents of the cause for the good and the just.
He pauses to reconsider the man's request, not usually one to reconsider his words.
Rest assured Lord Obert, our weapons are far from mundane, and the list of our deeds and titles would be too long to recite, even if humility were cast aside.
Holy warriors and stout casters form our ranks.
As far as battlefield tactics go, wisdom says if you cut off the head of the serpent, the body will founder. If there are leaders to be eliminated, we are the team. Describe their location and numbers and we will devise a plan. If you are short on details, reconnaissance may be needed.
“Pathfinders, please get settled. I’d like to start in a few minutes.”
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Syeira sits up, her pipefox scurrying up to her shoulders. She seems somewhat irritated by Obert's insinuations.
"I'll have you know, Obert, that I'm a recently appointed Venture-Captain myself, and I don't exactly take kindly to the suggestion that we may not be capable of the task at hand. The Pathfinder Society has pledged assistance in this matter and has sent you some of their finest. Perhaps you should feel a bit more gratitude towards our presence here, rather than questioning our capabilities against this particular flavor of threats to Golarion."
She's ready to go into another tirade to further rip into Obert, but she catches herself and leaves the matter at that.
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Obert raises a hand to calm Syeira. "You misunderstand me friend. It is quite the contrary that I was concerned about. When the Society calls for their Seekers and highest of officers for favors... well it makes me think that the situation may be more dire than I had initially thought. Anyhow, it seems as though Jorsal is calling for us to be seated, so we had best pipe down."
“Welcome one and all, to the city of Nerosyan. I am Jorsal, Venture-Captain of Starrise Spire. I know you all have questions about why you’ve been sent here, and I intend to spend the evening answering those questions".
“I shall start by telling you why the Society has sent so many skilled agents to Mendev. Intrepid agents recently uncovered information that points to a startling find in the old nation of Sarkoris, now known as the Worldwound. These agents have discovered that a dwarven Sky Citadel, one of the rarest sites on the planet, rests within the Worldwound. It is known to us as Jormurdun.
“It is the will of the Decemvirate that we should come together and find the exact site of thi—”
The speech is interrupted by a distant explosion and the sounding of war horns!
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Venture-Captain Jorsal rushes up to the party and begins speaking quickly and frantically.
“My friends, it appears the city is under attack by a force of demons from the Worldwound! How such a thing is possible, I do not yet know, but I do know that this attack cannot stand. Our treaty with the
crusaders of Mendev binds us to join the battle. Give me some time to rally our agents as best I can, and in the meantime I trust you to pick where your skills can best be put to use. Go forth into Nerosyan or hasten to the skirmishes outside its walls, and aid where you can. I shall summon you again when I know how to best combat this enemy.”
He turns back before riding off, adding, “Keep an eye out for Venture-Captain Thurl. If he is not already helping, ensure that he’s not pinned down.”
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Syeira ponders the group's apparent strengths and the information gathered earlier (mostly by Cugel).
"It would appear the Battle District would be the most complimentary to our skills, as we all seem very effective in melee combat and can defend the city from land attacks. However, if other people have a preference, that is fine by me as well."
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Lady Syeira, that sounds as good as any. Let us make haste.
Omrax pauses for a brief meditation as he draws his sword and heads towards the sound of the battle.
• I will learn the weight of my sword. Without my heart
to guide it, it is worthless—my strength is not in my
sword, but in my heart. If I lose my sword, I have lost a
tool. If I betray my heart, I have died.
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You take off at a hustle towards the battle district of Nerosyan. It's about a half-mile through hectic crowds of civilians retreating and crusaders marching towards the warhorns. Suddenly one of the civilians catches your attention and waves for you to come towards a building. “Please, we need your help! This crusader was taking us into a safe house for protection from the demons, but he was slain by a trap. We know we’re in danger out here on the street, but none of us are willing to go inside for fear of what else might be in there! And even if we go somewhere else, there may be other crusaders that try to shepherd people this way. Could you lot go inside and do a sweep?"
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The door is ajar, and whatever trap that slew the crusader seems to have been expended. Inside is utterly silent. Peering through the door reveals a large storehouse retrofit to be a pub of sorts. The tough exterior of the storehouse makes it an ideal safehouse, but it seems as though someone got to it first. A rug is haphazardly tossed in the entryway near a small hearth, likely shifted by the blast of the trap from earlier. Two large tables sit at the upper level, and an open set of steps descends into the bar area.
OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT
Pathfinders have struck a blow against the invaders in the Battle District