For your dotting pleasure.
A summons to report the Office of Ambrus Valsin's office in Skyreach is received by each of you. The group arrives in the waiting antechamber of Vaslin's office close to the appointed time. The veteran agents have a few moments to chat before being attended by their Venture-Captain...
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Mely seems to have arrived first, having settled herself on one of the couches in the antechamber after having found a place to stable her mount. And now she was resting from the trek up while absently fidgeting with her sleeve.
She isn't entirely normal and you're biggest question might be how she got here. She's wrapped several lengths of fabric around her body in shades of blue to white and grey that give off the impression of a stormy sky and drape down well past her waist. Still, there's no hiding the fact instead of legs she has a long, fish-like tail of cerulean colored scales curled beneath her.
Her skin is pale to the point you question if it could be her natural color, and her hair is a shade of blue that perfectly matches her scaling. This merfolk has an expression of curiosity on her face when at ease that helps to offset the unnaturally wide pupils of her green eyes. It seems as though she's new enough to the surface that every other thing she comes across is something she's seeing for the first time.
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The door opens after a bit of a struggle and a squat, thin green frog-man (or grippli -- about two and a half feet tall) ambles in. He has a longbow stretched across his back that is taller than he is and an extensive set of vials stretches across his sunken chest in a well worn bandoleer. His bulbous green eyes focus on Mely for a few moments, until he squeezes out a greeting with throaty undertones.
"I am G'look of the Kaava Lands. Pleasure to meets you."
When he turns to hop up and take a seat next to the merfolk woman, she can see a thin set of leathery batlike wings hanging limply on his back.
After a time, you are called into Vaslin's office. He is seated behind an ornate desk pouring over a numerous amount of papers and scrolls strewn about the workspace. He nods as the agents pile into the large office.
“Pathfinders, I’ve called you here to talk about the Hao Jin Tapestry. The tapestry, as some of you may know, is a gateway to a private demiplane created hundreds of years ago by the Tian sorcerer Hao Jin. She shared the spirit of discovery with us Pathfinders, and curated a vast collection of objects, places, and even people, many of them stored within her tapestry. Hao Jin was known as the Ruby Phoenix, an appellation referring to her red hair, which was said to grow a more brilliant shade every time her resurrection magic returned her to life. She vanished without a trace over four hundred years ago. The Society won the tapestry in a martial arts tournament in 4712, as stipulated in Hao Jin’s will, and we’ve been exploring it since. Recently, however, the tapestry has become dangerously unstable.”
“I’m asking you to enter the Hao Jin Tapestry. I’m sure you understand both the risk and potential rewards implied in such a mission. Our planar experts have reviewed Aram Zey’s notes and the tapestry’s recent behavior. We’ve concluded that each new expedition into the tapestry weakens its fabric, bringing it closer to unraveling. The Society must balance our desire to salvage as much of Hao Jin’s collection as possible with limiting our intrusions into the demiplane. With that in mind, we’ve been doing some research into Tian historical documents, in search of significant locations that Hao Jin may have transported into her tapestry. We think we’ve found an important one: the Shen Province Imperial Archive. An ancient letter sent by one of the librarians mentions that Hao Jin was visiting to study their collection. Shortly after that letter was sent, the Shu Empire began to collapse, plunging the provinces into war. The library disappeared entirely, and visitors found only a round hole where its grounds used to be. These reports are consistent with other locations that Hao Jin transported into her tapestry."
"One of our scouting missions spotted a lone building in a remote area of the tapestry that matches the library’s description, and I want you to go in and explore it.
You have two goals on this mission; the first is to search the library’s archives and return with a selection of documents most valuable to the Society; this could contain rare Shu documents many centuries old! The second, which may turn out even more rewarding, is to search for any clues about what happened to Hao Jin, or at least what she was studying at this library."
"I’ve requisitioned a bag of holding for transporting any potentially valuable books you find. It will hold a thousand pounds, but put some thought into what you choose. If my guess is right, you’ll find far more than you can carry away even in such a generous amount of space."
"Remember as you go that the tapestry is far from stable. Our experts agree the magic that it uses to repair itself is reacting poorly to our intrusions. It will be important to get in and out again as quickly as possible, so try not to stay more than 24 hours. If you have to leave before you’ve finished searching the library, we may not be able to get you back in for a second try.”
Ambrus stands and is ready to field any questions the agents may have.
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"Piece of cake, as always when it comes to magic and doing things we should not do..." mutters a tall, fully armored Taldan man.
"Well, we Valertis are known for our share of querstionable acts and I've done my share for the Society already, so what's one more... right? Just a question though... where are you dropping us exactly? Not far from this library, I hope..."
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Mely gives G'look a long, slightly confused look. But not as much as she's given a lot of creatures. After a brief moment of it quietly sitting there next to her she finally pipes up. "Oh, I'm sorry! I haven't seen anyone quite like you before! I've seen frogs near the shores, but not talking ones." She adjusts herself, sitting up more properly before offering the grippli a hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you G'look!" And she appears to be utterly sincere in that statement.
She notices two others have arrived for the briefing, but doesn't bother them as Vaslin speaks, intent to try and catch everything she needs of their mission. When there's a pause at the end she lets the others speak first before raising a pale hand to get Vaslin's attention. "Um, if we have to pick between trying to find information on Hao Jin or the history, which do we prioritize? I find libraries fascinating, but I would wager locating her is more urgent?"
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"What ever is to become of that which we cannot retrieve?" Asks a voice from somewhere in a shady corner. The strange, small voice turns out to belong to a strange, small, dark man in strange, dark, exotic finery. His doll-like features are wickedly sharp, almost appearing two-dimensional from the side, and even more striking than his indigo skin and intense purple eyes is his wild hair that somehow manages to be vibrant black and lambent white simultaneously. How long he'd been sitting there silently before now is, come to think of it, anyone else's guess. "Is it not worth a second, perhaps even third, Bag?"
Anbrus tries to field the agents questions as best as he is able.
"A very good tactical question Rogar. I believe we have determined the library's location and you should enter the tapestry fairly close to where it lies."
He turns to Maldrek. “We don’t know much about the library, except that its collection was highly regarded. I would assume it had some sort of defenses, but what condition they may be in or what may have moved in during the time since it was plucked from Tian Xia is anyone’s guess.”
Amrus smiles to Mely “I understand that you’re very active field agents, but just trust your instincts. I’m sure you have a wide range of skills that can help you identify documents our researchers will be interested in. But in addition to that, be sure to retrieve anything that might indicate what Hao Jin was researching during her stay there. I hope it will not come down to a choice between that information and retrieving the books needed, but again, we have assigned this mission to you because we trust your judgment”
Ambrus offers Sihir a side glance before turning to address him directly. "If only we had more bags to spare, Sihir, but the fact of the matter is that we do not. As such, you will need to be judicious in what you retrieve. I would say your chances of bringing back something valuable rise significantly for about every 250 pounds of books you can bring back, beyond what fits in the bag of holding. Just remember, you’ll only have the one trip."
Ambrus nods, 'Unless there is anything else, ready yourselves and we will get you all into the tapestry."
Hao Jin was from Goka, a city on the continent of Tian Xia. A powerful sorcerer and famous collector, Hao Jin was killed and returned to life several times before she vanished without a trace over 400 years ago.
One of the librarians at this archive was considered an authority on the Great Beyond, and maintained a separate department on the mysteries of the planes that was hidden from normal visitors.
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Mely listens to the additional explanation in silence, slightly wide eyes taking in the discussion, and particularly snapping to focus when Sihir seems to just step out of nowhere. "You look very... different." She offers the musing to herself before turning back to Ambrus.
"Can I bring my horse? I have a bit of trouble getting around quickly without it." She wiggles her tail out from beneath her and lets the full, scaled length wave up and down a few times before her seat to help make her point. "I have a spell that can help, but it will only last about eight hours, so I don't want to use it until I need to."
Ambrus seemed a bit of a rush, but this was important enough to delay him. As she waited for a response she would fill the other party members in on what she knew of Hao Jin or her miraculous ability to rise from the dead.
Ambrus quirks a brow at Mely. "Um, I had not figured on transporting mounts into the tapestry. I do not believe you will have to travel much once inside, but equip yourself as you see fit."
Hearing no additional questions, Ambrus instructs the agents to meet in the tapestry room. The agents enter the designated area and see the fabled Ho Jin tapestry laid out in all of its splendor on a low square table in the center of the room. Ambrus directs the agents to touch a specific area of the tapestry. The agents are awed at the intricate crafting that went into the making of this magical demiplane made real, though they can see signs of wear and tear on the work of art. Once the agents are in place, Ambrus gives them the command word. Once the agents speak it, the world swirls into a series of light streaks. As their physical bodies descend into the tapestry, sparks of magical energy form spheres where their bodies once were then fade. The word goes dark then the agents open their eyes...
A bright galaxy stretches across the night sky above a small valley. The library building is visible less than a mile ahead, but a wooden bridge crossing a small river stands in the way.
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Mely will consider Ambrus's words a moment, then nods. It sounded like she would be better off leaving the horse behind. With a sudden rush of clouds and fog rushing from beneath her robes her tail disappears from sight. When the magic fades she's left with a pair of barefoot legs.
It takes her several cautious moments to get to her feet, wobbling once or twice as she gets used to using her legs. The balancing part was quite difficult, before she trails after the others to reach the tapestry and step through.
Once there she takes some time to consider the sky, eyes wide and smiling. "The entire concept of the sky still fascinates me..." Rogar's words draw her attention back to the moment. "Agreed... just, be careful. I'm trained in water rescue, but that armor looks heavy. Don't slip in if it's wet!"
G'look takes to the air and she waits a moment for him to check for threats before proceeding forward. "It doesn't hurt to be cautious, the last time I was in the tapestry I was attacked more than once."
And she'll scan the way forward herself.
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If there's time enough, Sihir makes a last-minute purchase of ink and rice paper.
Once there, he raises his customary personal wards ...
...and draws a newly acquired wand: What looks like an incredibly slender prayer wheel made from a diverse array of semiprecious stones, each stamped with a different numeral from any number of numeral systems.
He waves it across everyone in turn; as he does so, everyone has the same experience: A fleeting epiphany fixated on, of all things, a particular number....
The agents approach the bridge. G'Look takes the air to scout the area. The party stops before the bridge, studying it. They see nothing out of the ordinary. The sound of rushing water fills the air, and the group feels the light spray as the stream cascades over the rocks in the stream.
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Mely will give Sihir a bright smile. "I have no idea what you did, but thank you anyways!" Then follow after Rogar, appreciating the fact it's night out and she isn't forced to squint at everyone. Seeing nothing particularly wrong with the bridge or its structure she to plod her way across on bare feet.
The mermolk seems to have found her land-legs for the moment, but she does hold one arm slightly out to the side as she goes, as if not entirely certain of her own balance. "I always worry about these old bridges in the middle of places ever since I saw this was how surfacers get across small water sources. They look so rickety!"
The agents move across the bridge. As Rogar reaches its center, a distinct click is head before the bridge collapses beneath their feet, sending all of the agents save for G'look tumbling into the stream. To make matters worse, the logs from the bridge fall with them, certainly adding to the sudden danger presented.
Your deft action saves you this time! You are able to leap toward one of the remaining beams of the bridge structure and find purchase, but you now find yourself somewhat stuck on a limb before a raging stream. You likely will be able to climb down, but it will take you some time and you will either have to brave the stream or wait on the northern bank to plan your next move.
You are unable to leap to safety and fall tumbling into the river. You take
Additionally, the logs from the bridge tumble after you, crashing into you as you fall. Make another REF save v DC 20. If you fail the second save, you take:
If you make the second save, you suffer only half damage.
If your character has a spell or device which will trigger feather fall, then you avoid the falling damage but, as you are floating, you are unable to avoid the log damage taking that full hit.
Once you reach the river, you find it extremely muddy. Make a Climb, Escape Artist or Swim check v. DC 20 or become grappled.
For those of you trying to cross the river, see below:
You find the banks of the river extremely muddy. Make a Climb, Escape Artist or Swim check v. DC 20 or become grappled.
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Mely was clearly right about her concerns, but this does little to comfort her as she topples into the river amidst a pile of logs. She lets out a scream of shock that immediately after becomes muffled by a mouthful of muddy water as she sinks into it.
Several heartbeats later she surfaces out of the sludge gasping and gagging. The merfolk is battered from the fall, but it's difficult to notice underneath the sludge covering her. "This... this is AWFUL! This is barely even water! The person that built that... that death trap of wood should be punished!" As she's rather loudly complaining her feet turn back into her fishtail from being submerged and she begins using it to push herself through the water.
She takes a moment to collect herself. "Is everyone alright? I have a wand of touch of the sea for just this sort of thing! If you see someone sinking let me know!" She'll pull said wand out and start moving towards Sihir, who she sees is stuck so she can give him the ability to swim.
G'Look looks on in horror as his fellow agents tumble from the collapsed bridge. Rogar manages to get himself to the northern bank unharmed. Sihir gets the worst of it as he falls and has logs tumble over him on the way down and finds himself stuck in the river mud. Mely falls into the water but manages to avoid major damage from the logs. Her aquatic nature does her well as she is able to maneuver the rushing stream and avoid falling victim to the soft gushy mud. Maldrek falls hard, but rolls away from the logs in the nick of time. Unfortunately, he rolls straight into a bank of soft mud that holds him tight!
G'Look spies a group of kobolds emerge from a hidden blind in the forest. They watch the agents fall into the water and seem to talk amongst themselves. Though armed, they do not take any hostile action toward the Pathfinders.
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For a brief moment, G'look fancies himself an airborne hero, prepared to extract his companions from the muck one by one. Seeing the group emerge from the forest, he changes his mind, and decides to run a bit of interference.
Flying lower to the ground, he extends his hands out peacefully and hopes they speak the common tongue.
"Greeting dwellers of the forest. I am G'look. My companions and I seem to have some trouble fording this river and could use some help."
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Mely will do just that, lighting up her wand and then touching Sihir with one of her hands. "Time to return the favor already!" When the magic reaches him he'll gain a sudden confidence in the water, able to swim nearly as well as the merfolk herself can. "See if you can't get free now, I'm going to go help Maldrek over there."
She gives a thumbs up and then cuts through the water with a few strong pushes of her tail so she can draw herself beside the tiefling and repeat the process.
Mely attempts to aid her fellow agents, swimming to Sihir she is able to call upon magical aid to free the stuck wayang. He is able to extricate himself from the muddy bank.
After freeing Sihir, Mely makes her way to Maldrek as G'look makes contact with the gang of kobolds.
The kobold nods to G'look but does not take the offered hand. The lead kobold is able to speak to G'look in broken Taldan. "Stuck in the mud? Heh, we will help...as long as you no hurt us Scalebreakers and tell us why you come?"
The other kobold pull out rope and begin to make their way to the party but wait for G'look's response before continuing.
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Uneasy as the party diplomat, but still hearing his friend's groans as they struggle in the muck behind him, G'look lowers himself to the ground. Honesty is the best policy he tells himself.
"We are emissaries from Golarion --- here to help prevent further destruction to your world. We are seeking a library."