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Despite the worries of the Decemvirate, your voyage across the Inner Sea and up the Sellen River to the Galtan town of Woodsedge sees few dangers, and you reach your destination without ever having to draw your weapons. The whole nation of Galt remains in the thrall of a bloody revolution, and while signs of desperation, poverty, and even violence abound, none of it has prevented you from your mission. The Pale Maiden remains safe, and you have successfully completed your first direct task for the secretive inner circle of the Pathfinder Society. Sooner than you had expected, you find yourselves standing on the outer stair of the Woodsedge Lodge.
Situated on immense grounds just outside the town proper, the luxurious manor house is marred by cracked plaster, missing windows, and rotting shingles, but a well-groomed topiary hints at a building coming back from a near-death encounter with Revolution and abandonment.
Once someone knocks (or after a few minutes of someone failing to do so), The huge doors of the Woodsedge Lodge open with a slow creak. A tall, bulky figure takes form in the gloom within, emerging into the sunlight with a gap-toothed smile and a bushy blond beard. It’s your old venture-captain from Absalom, Adril Hestram!
None of you have heard of him, I’m sure. This is where Eyes of the Ten’s datedness starts to show. Adril Hestram is a Venture-Captain who appeared in VERY early scenarios (like, season 0 early), and the adventure assumes that you know the guy quite well (even though you don’t). Currently the only one of you guys who actually HAS met Hestram during the course of a scenario is Zhu Li (he appeared in 0-05: Mists of Mwangi).
The huge man chuckles with a belly laugh at the sight of you.
“I was wondering who they would send! The Ten choose wisely, of course! You did receive your orders to come here from the Decemvirate themselves, didn’t you? The servants are clucking that you bear the Pale Maiden. Is it true? May I wield the blade?”
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"Of course the Ten chose wisely, but you'd think they would have sent us with a caravan or something," Arnaut says with a dashing smile as his lets his pack slip to the ground. "Why, I'm barely able to stand on my feet after such a long journey! Perhaps you have servants or porters who might help us carry our things inside, where we may continue our discussion over some refreshments?" He chuckles before amending his statement, "Well, might help me at least - the Lady Sahess certainly needs no assistance in that matter."
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Sahess of course does not require assistance, and is benefactor of a caravan which certainly could have helped convey the Pathfinders along their way (which might have explained its lack of profitability). "We were told to deliver the blade to Venture-Captain Petulengro. Once it is within her possession, what she allows you to do with it becomes less of our concern, but until that time, you may not." The Nagaji seems very formal. It isn't meant as a slight, but duty is taken somewhat seriously. It is mercifully hard to tell her expression from behind the full armor that is worn and adorned with filigree, but it doesn't serve to lessen the impact of the rejection.
Sahess carefully dances around who gave the orders, though Arnaut had already given away their origin. It was clear that the others were not senators by the way they spoke. Words are weapons as well, dear children. "And to speak of her and discharge our duty, where is the good Venture-Captain?"
This is not to say that Sahess does not enjoy a good time and refreshments, but that is for after the job is done and not before.
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"Hestram, old friend!" The Tien woman says with a grin on her face. "I've not seen you since that jungle madness in the Blakros Museum! As you can see, my hair grew back," she adds with a smile, her face quickly returning to her normal, businesslike expression. "But no, as Sahess here said, the sword is for Petulengro's hands first, and if she wishes to allow you to play with it, then she is within her gift to do so, but we can't."
As she makes her way into the lodge, casing the building's entryway more as a matter of habit than anything, she adds with a slightly smaller grin, "I'd love to catch up some time, but, well, you know what kind of luck follows us. The sooner the ancient magical sword isn't our problem anymore, the happier I'll be. This thing is a trouble magnet, and we haven't had trouble all the way here. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Level 2: Touch Injection x2, Lesser Restoration x2, Barkskin, Skinsend, Ablative Barrier. Preserving Flask contains Touch Injection.
Level 3: Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Arcane Sight, Displacement, Fly, 1 Unprepared
Level 4: Echolocation, Freedom of Movement, Spell Immunity, Communal Air Walk, Universal Formula (Not infused)
”Fair enough, fair enough. The mission always comes first, however, I believe you haven’t been told everything. They won’t say why we’ve all been called here,” Adril says, “but it’s obvious the Pale Maiden is just a cover story. I’ve been… studying up on the Ten. I think I’m about to be promoted into their ranks. It was only a matter of time. My guess is that you’re here to represent my efforts as a Venture-Captain. I’ve no doubt you’ll make a very convincing argument for my promotion.
“Things will change between us if this happens. You’ve always been honest, dependable agents for me, so I’m telling you while I still can. After it happens, we will all be sworn to utter secrecy, for the identities of the Ten are the most treasured secrets of the Pathfinder Society. For now, though, I want you to know that I trust you implicitly, and I hope that you trust me. Once I have been made one of the Ten, even if we can no longer discuss it openly, I want you to know that I will always do what is right by you. Now then! Let’s get the show on the road!”
Adril Hestram leads you inside the Woodsedge Lodge. The filigreed front doors open into a spacious great room with an enormous fireplace against the opposite wall. Elegant upholstered chairs and couches scattered about the chamber present an inviting, luxurious atmosphere, as if the whole place had been designed for fashionable lounging. A sweeping stair beside the fireplace leads to the balconies of the mansion’s second floor, which look down upon the room as if it were a stage. A scuffed and oddly stained red carpet runs down the center of the stair, showing that work yet remains to restore the Woodsedge Lodge to its former glory. Some elements, like the threadbare stuffed owlbear in one corner, hint more at the past than the future, but things are coming along.
Adril leads on to the west, through a fine wooden door and into a woodpaneled corridor rich with the smell of fresh onions and simmering meat stew. The passage continues several feet to the north, with doors leading to chambers beyond. Adril bounds through the southernmost doors across the hall, leading you into a richly appointed meeting room where two figures are seated at a huge oak table near several empty chairs obviously intended for you.
Adril points to a male human garbed in crude leathers wearing a necklace of bird skulls. “This here is Osprey,” he says. “Honorable fellow, a friend to all and a Society man, tall and true. His keen eyes see much among the Pathfinders that others miss, and his counsel is unparalleled in our order.”
Adril turns to the gorgeous red-haired woman sitting at the head of the table, her pale face a marble bust of confidence and control. “And this,” he says, his cheeks taking on a touch of red and his mouth curving into a lecherous grin, “is Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro, the Lady of the Lodge.”
”Thank you, Adril.” Eliza says. ”It has been quite some time since I have seen some of you—some I have yet to meet at all. Mr. Wolfe, it has been some time since I have met you. So please, my esteemed guests, introduce yourselves to me.”
Hestram inhales as if he is about to say something when Eliza cuts him off before he even begins. ”I know who you are, Adril; I was referring to the guardians of Durvin Gest’s Pale Maiden.”
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"First Hestram, now Osprey! It's good to see you again," Zhu Li greets the seasoned Pathfinder, "And for once, not in the middle of a disaster. I thought I'd never see the day." She turns to the venture captain and sketches a polite, though not subservient, bow. "Master Librarian Zhu Li, at your service, Venture-Captain Petulengro."
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"I echo my companion's pleasure at seeing Osprey off the field of battle. I am the honorable Sahess, Lady and Senator of Taldor, though they suggest I should reverse those titles, ambassador of Nagajor and dragoness. We have brought the Pale Maiden to you as instructed. I regret we have not had the pleasure of being introduced before now, but your reputation precedes you as I hope does mine." Sahess inclines her head in deference to the Venture-Captain's rank, though Sahess easily towers over most of the assembled.
Osprey briefly looks Zhu Li and Sahess in the eye, slowly stroking the vaguely-bird-shaped head of his cane as if it were alive.
”The pleasure is mine.”
He speaks in a dull and unchanging monotone, any emotion that should be in his voice completely absent. His gaze falls on Arnaut and Jordan, sending a chill down the bards’ spines.
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"It's been quite awhile Eliza. I believe last you met me I was a newbie Pathfinder. I promise you I'm much more capable now, especially with this here bow. It's a pleasure to meet you again." Jordan unstraps a viola from his left side and begins to plink on it. He turns his attention to the other as he does. "I don't believe we've met, Osprey. The name is Jordan Fenrir Wolfe. I'm a musical bowman, of sorts. I'm afraid my compatriots are likely much more interesting than me. I just seek out a humble living. Figured I could use a bit more coin. Picked up the job. If you'll please show us to Petulengro so we can be rid of the sword, I'll happily acquaint myself with you further as soon as the promised coin is, well, guaranteed."
At that moment, the Pathfinders face what is quite possibly the most horrifying and spine-chilling sight that they have ever seen: Osprey smirks, revealing rows of yellow and black teeth.
”’Promised coin’? Your letter did not mention coin, now did it?”
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"Master Osprey, Master Wolfe, let us not argue in front of the Venture-Captain," Arnaut says with a sweeping bow. "Arnaut Daniél, singer and scallywag at your service m'lady. We are all honored to be in the presence of one who has excelled in the less-than-enviable task of maintaining a steady presence in such an unstable land."
"And Good Master Osprey, surely eyes as keen as yours would have noticed that the Society does not ask its members for favors in return for nothing," he continues, flashing his own winsome smile. "And while we have not met in person before, your sage advice has helped a friend of mine not far from here on the slopes of the Dragon. Surely such wisdom would agree that such a simple favor as the delivery of a sword - even such a storied blade as this - does not require the expertise of some of the Society's most experienced agents." He turns his attention back to Eliza. "Speaking of which, Lady Petulengro, I believe Lady Sahess has something for you." He surrenders the floor and motions Sahess forward with an easy wave of his arm.
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"Intercepting mail now, are we, Osprey?" Zhu Li teases lightly, a hint of curiosity coloring her voice. "But really, how would you know what our letters said?" The Investigator asks innocently, not really digging for information but seizing a loose thread in the provided information and giving it a little tug.
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Having the venture-captain's identity confirmed by a fellow pathfinder, Sahess does remove her pack, and unstrapping the bedroll removes from within it their package. "Not the most glamorous of hiding places, but safe and likely to be overlooked by robbers. I present to you as promised Pale Maiden." The Nagaji makes somewhat of a show of presenting it, being a member of the aristocracy and accustomed to pomp.
“You have my most sincere thanks for safely delivering the Pale Maiden to me,” Eliza says with a proud smile. “One of my servants will bring it to the lodge’s armory, where it will be kept safe to honor the responsibility granted to me by the Decemvirate.”
As she speaks, several human servants wearing elaborate dresses and fashionable suits bustle in and out of the kitchen through the north doors, delivering delicate flutes of bubbling wine, plates of fresh fruits, and platters of manicured finger-foods. Each of the servants wears a featureless white porcelain mask, obscuring his or her face completely. Each servant also wears a thin red ribbon around the neck. Eliza catches one of you looking at the ribbon, and her face takes on a serious cast.
“The ribbons represent the guillotine. The Final Blades that sing the song of Revolution and cut the heads from patriots. Each of my servants has lost a beloved one to the Mob. They wear the masks for their own protection. They are safe here in the Lodge. I know their identities, but it is critical that the rabble and the Mob do not identify them as servants of the Society. We are still not fully trusted here, after all, and although the people will not strike out against me, they may very well snatch one of my servants on their return home from a day’s work. I’m sure you understand.
“My homeland of Galt has lost much in this endless Revolution, and even the streets are dangerous. You are lucky to have arrived here safely, but I am sure you could have handled yourselves had you run into trouble.
“Of course,” Eliza says, “I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that delivering the Pale Maiden was merely a pretext to get you to the Woodsedge Lodge. You are here for something far more important than a courier mission. For tonight, the Lodge will be host to a Talespinning, one of the most important ceremonies known to the Pathfinder Society. And the guest of honor is Adril Hestram!”
Adril laughs heartily at the announcement. ”A Talespinning! Splendid! I am honored!”
Eliza nods. ”Osprey will explain the details of the ceremony when we reconvene for in about an hour.”
The Lady of the Lodge motions toward the servants. ”For now, please show our guests to their rooms; you may spend the night before you return to the Grand Lodge on the morrow.”
The porcelain-masked servants lead you all upstairs to your rooms —two of you must double up as there are only three rooms.
You all see Eliza and Osprey depart into a separate room and Adril enter a room on the opposite end of the lodge . The masked servants bustle about the lodge doing various chores.
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After the room situation is sorted, she adds, "I'm not gonna get wasted or anything, but I'm going to go have a drink with Hestram and catch up; I haven't seen the man in ages. Feel free to come along: the more the merrier!" She lays her pack and scabbard on the bed and goes to seek out Hestram, parting ways from the others.
[b]"I'm so sorry, Sue Lee--Shoo Nee? Bah! Tien always screws me up. I'm sorry, but this is a big day for me and I’m more than a little anxious; I would like some time to myself, if you don’t mind. Perhaps another time?”
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Arnaut shrugs as his companions depart. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about!" he calls after Zhu with a good-natured grin.
The room appears to be a training ground that has seen little use these past few years.
“Osprey—!”
“Don’t say you haven’t thought about it! With them out of the way, we’ll be able to overthrow the entire regime and take this country for ourselves!”
“Osprey, what in the Great Beyond would compel you to say such a thing?!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” The door opens and Arnaut finds himself face-to-face with Osprey’s dreaded guyliner! ”Perhaps the curious little weasel who can’t keep his nose out of things?”
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"Discussions of wildlife aside, congratulations again m'lady. Do let me know if the evening needs more..." he glances towards the wall and the solo viola music loud enough to hear even indoors, "tasteful entertainment for the evening." He waves jauntily. "Until then!"
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In quite possibly the least stealthy display ever, Sahess takes a claw and carves a small piece of fur from the large creature. "Ooops!" She declares, since it is quite obvious that she wasn't stealthy enough to get away with her gaffe.
*
When Arnaut asks about Alondais: ”Ah yes, strapping lad! Haven’t actually seen him for a few days, though...”
About an hour after the servants show the party to their rooms, Eliza, Osprey, and Adril Hestram make their way to the Great Room, where a squad of masked servants pass out long flutes of wine, selected Galtan cheeses, thin-cut venison, and poached axebeak eggs (which smell slightly of sulfur but taste delightful). The venture-captains mill about making light conversation with each other and any others present until everyone has finally arrived, at which point Osprey ascends the central stair to the Upper Halls, addressing everyone in the Great Room from a vantage
“Fellow agents of the Pathfinder Society,” says Osprey from the balcony overlooking the Great Room. “I deliver a message from the Decemvirate. Long have the Ten observed the exploits of Venture-Captain Adril Hestram. Time and again he has served the Society well, from his own adventures in the Mwangi Expanse to the many activities conducted by agents under his guidance.”
Osprey’s scratchy voice pauses for a moment and he leers out at you. His guyliner casts his dark eyes in shadow, giving him an ominous visage. He gestures to you and your companions. “That is where you come in. For tonight we celebrate the Talespinning Ceremony, and our ritual begins with each of you standing where I stand and regaling us with the story of your greatest victory as a field agent of the Pathfinder Society. We stand tonight to examine the achievements of Venture-Captain Adril Hestram, and your victories speak to his capabilities as a leader and his judgment in selecting the agents for his important missions for the Society. When we have heard from each of you, it will be Adril’s turn. After that, we shall know the way of things, and the way of the future for Adril Hestram, and perhaps also for all of you.
“Now,” he says, his mouth forming a crooked smile. “Who would like to go first?”
Once the first Pathfinder ascends to the balcony, Osprey descends and sits in a nearby chair
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"Lift your eyes, Pathfinders," Arnaut says from the balcony, his voice carrying easily throughout the lodge with a bit of a lilt. "My own adventure started with the happiest of occasions - a wedding - that was swiftly discovered to be mired in deceit and treachery from one closest to the newlyweds. Some of us might remember that dreadful time when our beloved Zharta vanished - though that was quickly discovered to be naught but a political ploy by a nemesis of both her and the Society. And who among us can claim truthfully to have met a Goddess in the flesh? I only know that I stared into the void, and it had no answers."
"Now, imagine the most humble of creature, the common goblin," he continues, picking up the pace slightly to increase the tension and draw his audience in. "Attach to it the wings of a dragonfly, the claws of a cat, and the fiery breath of a dragon, and you might have some idea of the horrors we faced in the halls of the Fleshwarped Queen of Thassilon long lost, but not forgotten. We brought peace and purpose to a princess of the Song dynasty in distant Tian Xia, then returned home to find our beloved Absalom itself under siege from an army of demonic and undead creatures. It was only through the brave actions - and sacrifices - of many Pathfinders that we were able to keep the city and those who call it home safe." He shrugs and grins. "The giant construct we piloted against a gargantuan undead dragon might have also helped."
"After that, I took to the seas as a sailor onboard the Magpie Princess, seeking the lost treasure of the notorious Red Jenny herself!" Arnaut prowls the railing, adding arm motions and highly expressive faces to his performance. "A tale of plunder and peril it was - and there was no shortage of either to be had as we raised our glasses to the Lucky Drunk, fought off river drakes to repair our ship, fought off sea hags and crabs both enormous and tiny, bargained with a dragon of the deep, saved the life of a triton from a fearsome fey of the waters, and overcame the treachery of the Magpie's captain herself to keep her crew and ship safe." He pauses. "As long as I live, I shall never forget the sight of that elasmosaurus sailing majestically through the sky." He snaps back to the present as if nothing happened, resuming his tale with aplomb. "Inside a cave of hazardous black coral, we found our prize - The Fearsome Tide, and inside the final piece of the mystical horn, the Three Reasons to Live!" He plucks the horn from his belt and holds it aloft for everyone to see.
"While my experience in the Tanglebriar was..." he grimaces, "...less than ideal, we persevered even when one of our companions was turned into an evil fungal creature - though it took us a few days to even notice the change in his personality, am I right?" He laughs, inviting the Lodge to do the same. "But we brought the Uprooters home before heading into the Hao Jin tapestry in search of the rats of Round Mountain. After fighting a crystal dragon just to reach the city of the ratfolk, we discovered a rakshasa had taken control of the people living there and swiftly freed them from the evil tyrant's grasp!"
His tone changes, becoming more grounded and solid. "We ventured deep into the realm of Orv to the Crystal womb to find the previous Master of Spells Sorrina, who had made a deal with a shaitan before absorbing so much of the Womb's energy that she became an oread herself. She could not complete her bargain alone, so in the spirit of the Society - Explore! Report! Cooperate! - we investigated towers grown from crystal and destroyed the evil spirit trying to reduce the work of centuries to rubble before bringing our lost Pathfinder home once more. We rescued the legendary weapon Fossilblight from an active volcano, destroying both the remaining fragments of the holy warrior Ankilhi's nemesis, a graveknight known by the name of his cursed helm Grimgrin, and the might juggernaut sent by the shaitans to crush the efreeti who dared steal from them. We fought a mighty linnorn, allowing the spirit of a warrior whose nobility I have yet to see matched to finally rest as we slew the opponent she had been fighting for over a century to keep the village that vilified and slandered her safe." He wipes a tear from his eye at the memory.
"They say the desert holds many secrets, but perhaps nowhere else can they be found in such overwhelming bounty as in the great library of Tephu, where we hunted down traces of the erased history of the Forgotten Pharaoh. These secrets led us out into the harsh wilderness of Osirion, to a gigantic temple in the shape of a sphinx with no face carved entirely of black quartz. A ghostly servant of the Dawnflower aided us in purging the shrine of both worshipers of the Lord of Greed and cultist determined to bring back an undead tyrant yearning to place Osirion back under his thumb as it had been millennia ago." Arnaut picks up the pace again, heading for the climax of the tale.
"In a secluded village of Tian Xia, we brought peace to factions on the edge of war. In return, we were allowed to bring back to the Society tales and lore from the Lotus Annals, a collection of ancient nagaji wisdom never before shown to outsiders. We negotiated with an angel, tricked by a foul summoner to guard his evil acts, to let us pass peacefully into a hidden refuge of the Runelord of Sloth. Within, those who wished to see the evil of Thassilon reborn strove to recover tokens proving their worth." He shrugs. "Apparently they were not worthy enough, since the tokens ended up with us back in Absalom. And most recently, I was part of a mission to the mammoth riders of the north to earn their trust and secure both a forward base of operations for the Society and their allegiance in our coming endeavors to explore both the Worldwound and the Dwarven Sky Citadel within!"
His tale finished, he bows and returns to his seat. Sipping his water, he glances at Eliza to gauge her reaction to the performance.
Before even having a chance to move down from the balcony, Arnaut is given a standing ovation from Venture-Captain Petulengro—Osprey even puffed out the faintest of laughs at Arnaut’s joke.
Osprey rises to address Arnaut as he descends down the staircase. ”While your enthusiasm is certainly something to behold, I did not want to hear your entire life’s story. I ask that you please not talk about EVERY mission the Society has sent you on. We must proceed with this ceremony in a timely manner.”
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Sahess smiles once it is her turn. "I have been since I first stepped foot on Absalom a most steadfast Pathfinder. I have fought time and time again to advance the society's interests since my very confirmation. I have secured us powerful allies, such as my fellow Nagaji. I have passed the test of Tar Kuata and I too met with the ratfolk of Round Mountain within the Hao Jin Tapestry. In fact, I fought for our right to enter the Ruby Phoenix Tournament, in which we gained the tapestry itself! I fought back against the Shadow Lodge, and even defended Absalom by myself, when the remainder of my party fell to inebriation!" "I have ventured deep into the Thornkeep as well as the Emerald Spire in search of knowledge and have drunk deep from those wells, but my proudest moment would have to be... that which earned me my titles. I am Sahess, Ambassador of Nagajor, Lady and Senator of Taldor, and I thank you for your attention."
Owing perhaps to the duration of the previous talespinning, Sahess keeps her remarks brief. She also neglects to mention that time she was nearly slain by a ghost while within a book, or her various visits to other planes that never ended well.
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Zhu Li twirls her scabbard, the form of an ornate rapier giving way to that of a simple, well-made cane with a head of black iron, which she uses more as a gesturing aid than any sort of walking implement. "I've several stories to tell, but in the interest of time, I shall pick just one," she begins, smiling widely as she throws back a vial of alcohol to lubricate her speech. "Listen close, fellow Pathfinders, to a tale of death, life, magic, and honor."
"Our tale begins on the outskirts of the Worldwound, in a small fishing hamlet called Gundrun. The town is nothing special, mind you, save for its hardiness. A sturdier bunch of folks you'd be hard pressed to find. But Gundrun is merely the river town where we received our mission; many years prior, in the First Crusade, a cleric of Iomedae named Ghalcor created a weapon that was rumored to be able to singlehandedly turn the tide of the war against the demons." She gestures imperiously with her free hand, stamping the cane against the floor. "And our task, as you might have guessed, was to find it."
"Ghalcor guarded his secrets jealously, even in death. Arrows and holy fire scoured the first hallway, a myriad array of ancient traps that were subverted or disassembled by yours truly," she smirks politely at this before continuing, "And these were the least perils of the tower. Ghalcor's traps, while devious and potent, were more aimed to stave off those of a baser nature than we. The true dangers began with the archons the cleric had bound to his service; long years of exposure to the Worldwound had twisted them, corrupting them with fiendish essence and driving them mad. We won through them, sending them back to their home plane at the edges of our blades, to come to the main chamber of the tower."
"And what a grand sight it was!" She exclaims, gesturing expansively with both arms. "A mighty work of magic, powered by pure holiness stored within unique prisms of Ghalcor's design; his very spirit clung to the earth, advising us on how to activate it, and what it would do. The defenses upon the tower, softened by our passing, began to fail, and thus the race began; demons sabotaging as fast as we could repair, a great Shemhezian demon battering through the walls with Ollysta Zadrian herself in its foul claws! Our wizard worked a spell to free her from her imprisonment, and I rushed from panel to panel, frantically patching damages and slotting crystalline prisms into their places, all while the Shemhezian battered the room with vast waves of unholy energy."
"And thus, I died, but as I fell to the waves of fell might emanating from the greater demon, I pulled the final switch with my own tumbling body. And here is where I must rely on the accounts of others, though I'm told the weapon made quite the sight for many miles. My work sufficient, I was able to restore the device to something approaching its full capacity. A Word thundered through the sky, accompanied by waves of holy light. Demon flesh melted from their bones, burned to ash and then the ash incinerated to nothing. Of the Shemhezian, only a skeleton remained. Of myself, I woke in Nerosyan a few days afterwards, rather confused but being hailed as a valiant crusader."
"Not bad for just another lucky drunk," she concludes, capping her speech with a pun and her pun with a wide bow as she descends back to reclaim her seat.
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Jordan finally, if rather begrudgingly stands up, Viola in hand. He makes his way up to the platform slowly, starting to pull his bow across the strings. "Have you all heard the story of the Solstice Scar? Well, I've helped close the rift not once, but twice, technically speaking. It was actually kind of odd, now that I think about it. Anyways. The Grand Lodge was full that night, packed to the brim when the alarm went out. Somebody had broken in to the Blakros Museum shocker, I know. As we made our way through all manner of various magical traps, animated objects, and other strange magics did I mention the swarm of books yet? it became clear this interloper wasn't your average crook." Jordan pauses for effect before continuing his song. "This interloper was here to take back an artifact that rightfully belonged, sealing away a terrible fate for this country. We helped them return the artifact to its proper location, but not before fighting off hordes of undead and kobolds. When all seemed calm, when it seemed like we could finally rest, we were accosted by..." Jordan's music swells to a climax before crashing, leaving the hall in silence for a few seconds.
Finally, he begins to play an atonal mix of horror and disgust as he exclaims, " I've seen houses smaller than these spiders, and the accosted our party stealthily from the bushes. Admittedly, I was the first to fall unconscious, one of the spider's fangs managed to pierce my heart, and I laid there, bleeding out. But alas, the resident Paladin, known prominently for his ability to cut the armor off of his foes and weapons clean in two, managed to revive me, and we managed to get a lucky teleport to the other side of the battlefield after all of us were made conscious (if only barely).
"Hanging on to our life, the Psychic, known for her craftiness, placed thousands of tiny etheric shards between the beast and us. The last thing I remember in that forest was the sound of the spider tearing itself to shreds from thousands of tiny shards I didn't have time to clean off until we'd made it to the swamp we were headed to. I can still smell it. Oh Nethys the smell. After that, it was a simple kill the witch story. But we didn't really burn her. That battle, my friends, is the closest I've ever come to not surviving a mission, and that, my compatriots, was my greatest victory. It was almost my greatest failure."
With that, Jordan jumps off the stage and takes his seat back at the front.
With each story, Eliza beams with joy and Osprey smirks.
When the last of you has finished recounting your victories, Osprey arises from a comfortable chair in the back corner of the room and clears his throat. “Assembled fellow Pathfinders,” he says. “You have represented yourselves well, and your victories reflect upon the leadership of your Venture-Captain leaders. Which brings us to the man of honor, Adril Hestram. Adril, will you please take your place on the balcony? I wonder, after hearing all of this, what you consider your greatest victory.” Osprey flashes a quick glance at Eliza Petulengro, who furrows her brow and looks to the floor. “And how that victory serves the greater good of the Pathfinder Society.”
Adril Hestram, beaming with pride, smiles a wide grin beneath his bushy beard as he bounds up the central stair to the balcony. As he looks at each of you in turn for a moment, the hulking warrior of a man releases a mirthful chuckle, as if considering a private joke. His bearclaw hands grasp the balcony’s railing as he addresses the group.
“I have never stopped adventuring. From my year lost in the Mwangi Expanse a decade ago to my tenure as a venture-captain in Abaslom all the way through to today, I’ve kept looking for new challenges and opportunities in the face of danger that would melt the hearts of ordinary men. And in all that time, I’ve learned a simple lesson that I’d like to share with you today—”
What at first seems like a tiny tremor soon erupts into a jerking and heaving cataclysm that shakes the entire room. Adril falls silent, a look of dumb surprise erasing the arrogance and confidence in his weathered face. For a single moment he looks utterly lost. Then, two enormous shapes—writhing, living leviathans of bright red chitinous plates—burst through the floor in the back corners of the room. Eliza screams as she is flung against the wall by the force of the creature bursting forth below her, knocking her unconscious. The head of the creature that sent Eliza flying slams into the balcony above, causing the lodges structure to groan before a horrific snap is heard and the southwestern portion of the roof to fall onto the balcony, whose old wood cannot support the sudden crash and goes tumbling down once itself, falling over Arnaut and burying the unconscious Venture-Captain Petulengro in a pile of rubble, and the chamber erupts into chaos.
Due to the crash, Eliza is under a pile of rubble and said pile of rubble makes rooms L4, L5, L6 (and by basic logic the southernmost L13, but that’s technically not written in) inaccessible, but does nothing else terrain-wise (the rubble isn’t difficult terrain, oddly enough).
Seeing as how we will be jumping between two maps (the upper and lower floors) I’ve come up with a pseudo-solution: all tokens will be on both maps, but a translucent token means that that creature is on the level of the other map. (I.e. Adril’s token on the Lower Floor map is translucent because he’s physically on the Upper Floor, and Osprey’s token on the Upper Floor map is translucent because he’s physically on the Lower Floor)
Round 1
===========
Zhu Li (if inspiration was used)
Sahess
???
Zhu Li (if inspiration wasn’t used)
Jordan
Arnaut
Scarlet Worms
Adril Hestram
!!!
Osprey
Woodsedge Servants
===========
Round 1
===========
Zhu Li (if inspiration was used)
Sahess
???
Zhu Li (if inspiration wasn’t used)
Jordan
Arnaut
Scarlet Worms
Adril Hestram
!!!
Osprey
Woodsedge Servants
===========
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|
Dodging the falling timbers, Arnaut takes a quick step back from the wreckage. "Didn't anyone tell them we wanted the party crashers to come out of the cake, not the floor?" he quips. "You should really feel sorry about that - look at the mess you've made!" He chides the worm next to him, then raises his horn to his lips. Instead of blowing through it like a trumpet, he whistles a jaunty sea chanty that echoes through the long pipe, resonating and harmonizing with itself. "Don't get eaten - or swallowed!" Arnaut calls out helpfully. "And they can tell where you are from your steps - better dance pretty!"
|
|
Sahess finds some trouble in adjusting to the extremely sudden appearance of monsters within the lodge, but less than one might otherwise expect. Within mere seconds, a greatsword is within her hands, and she is at the more easily accessible worm. It takes the few steps over to the worm to call upon the wellspring of rage flowing within her blood, at which point her mouth elongates into a reptilian maw, and wings sprout from her back between armor plates. The sword is brought down with extreme anger, cleaving away chunks of the worm with a loud roar.
Fort +19, Will +11, Str/Con +4
Round 1
===========
Zhu Li (if inspiration was used)
Sahess
???
Zhu Li (if inspiration wasn’t used)
Jordan
Arnaut
Scarlet Worms
Adril Hestram
!!!
Osprey
Woodsedge Servants
===========
|
|
Jordan, legitimately shocked at what's happened, struggles to find what to do, for a moment, but regains his composure. "TWO of them?" he shouts.
"Somebody's looking for something. The guest room doors have opened. Hope you guys still have your stuff on ya!" and with that Jordan will caste HASTE on the entire party. Once haste is cast, Jordan draws the bow from his back and steps toward the front door.
EDIT: forgot to knowledge check.
|
|
Zhu Li reacts quickly, casting her gaze around the room to take in the situation. She hops backward, lifting her hands into a Kirin Style stance, and examining the opponents. It doesn't take long for her to recall them.
"Oh, great, these things. Watch out for their bite, everyone! They've got a nasty venom, saps your strength.
She drinks down an extract and examines the worm to the south of her, picking her target carefully. She won't get many chances for this, after all.
Move Action: Study Target
Swift Action: Enter stance for Kirin Style
Standard Action: Drink Longarm extract.
Level 1: Coin Shot, Heightened Awareness, Shield, [b]Longarm (12 Min Remaining), 3 Unprepared.
Level 2: Touch Injection x2, Lesser Restoration x2, Barkskin, Skinsend, Ablative Barrier. Preserving Flask contains Touch Injection.
Level 3: Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Arcane Sight, Displacement, Fly, 1 Unprepared
Level 4: Echolocation, Freedom of Movement, Spell Immunity, Communal Air Walk, Universal Formula (Not infused)
The southwestern worm lets out a wail as it begins banging its head against the wall of the Woodsedge Lodge, causing the foundation to groan once again but thankfully doesn’t cause any more structural mishaps.
The two gigantic worms start making a horrible sound—a hacking and horking that cannot be healthy—and flailing about—the eastern worm sending the stuffed owlbear statue crashing out the window with a headbutt—before the two worms vomit out a pair of humanoid statues with raven’s heads covered in phlegm and spittle; crushing a nearby table and another taking the place of the owlbear that was now outside the lodge!
The two statues groan to life, wielding dual daggers! They let a loud caw that sounds unnatural coming from their stone mouths, and an area bursts out 10’ from the two of them—the southernmost one only hits servants with the burst, but the northermost one manages to hit both Arnaut and Zhu Li with it!
The two statues then strike out at the Pathfinders!
*
Adril Hestram stares on at the ensuing chaos taking place just below him, his shock and lack of battle gear keeping his muscles from doing anything.
Osprey whispers under his breath.
Osprey casts a spell defensively!
And the man’s skin hardens!
Osprey then begins to acrobatically attempt to dodge the attacks of the worm, moving straight toward Sahess and Jordan.
But unfortunately, Osprey is too slow to outmaneuver the giant worm, and it lashes out at the druid! (Though, oddly, the statues don’t take AoOs against Osprey)
”Oh, fuuUUU—“
Osprey’s remark is cut short as he is grabbed by the Scarlet Worm’s maw!
The remainder of the porcelain-masked servants panic, and they all run to the corners of the rooms, fall prone in fright, and so forth and leave the adventuring to the Pathfinders; the worms and statues seem to ignore them
Round 2
Field Effects: Haste, Inspire Courage +4
===========
Sahess
???
Zhu Li (-18)
Jordan (-69)
Arnaut (-17)
Scarlet Worms (White: -53)
Raven-headed Statues
Adril Hestram
!!!
Osprey (-24)
===========
|
|
Sahess spies the smoke and considers advising the venture captain of the impending danger, but has other things on her mind at the moment, most specifically the large critter adjacent to her. She shifts position so that should this creature fall she'll be in a better position for the following round's attacks.
Her rage fuels her strength but evidently not her accuracy. Some of the blows look haphazard, the speed of her strikes supernaturally enhanced but still not sufficient to make them effective.
Fort +19, Will +11, Str/Con +4
From above rings a loud voice:
One by one eight archers shoot down from the balcony above; shooting with arrows that explode on impact, catching fire to the nearby furniture and upholstery!
“[The scallywags] let loose a terrifying barrage of fire on all foes in area L2, using their Manyshot and Rapid Shot feats to fire two +1 flaming burst arrows and two regular arrows at the PCs. The flaming burst arrows also benefit from the scallies’ Vital Strike feat, meaning their damage dice are rolled twice on a successful hit.”
That is cheating on SO MANY LEVELS! You CAN’T use Vital Strike on a full-attack, nor can you use it with a ranged weapon, and these guys use it on BOTH! AND it applies to their Manyshot, so their first attack is basically rolled 4 times! It’s so CHEAP!
And because it very explicitly states that that’s how their attacks function, my hands are tied, so I HAVE to run it like this! I’m sorry. I’m SO sorry.
If the scallies are within 30’ of a target then they get bonuses. Because they’re 10’ up then by the Pythagorean Theorem we can find the max horizontal distance needed for them to stay within 30’.
30^2=10^2+b^2
B^2=30^2-10^2
B=(30^2-10^2)^1/2=28.28
I’m going to be rounding normally to the nearest 5 feet (reason I’m rounding normally is because if you solve for the distance of the hypotenuse for 10’ up and 30’ across then you get 31.something, which by Pathfinder rounding would be a different answer from the above—one would be 25’ and the other would be 30’; if we round normally to the nearest 5 feet then we get the same answer of 30’)
TL; DR: If the scallywags are 30’ away from a target along the horizontal, then they’re within 30 of that target overall, and can apply Point-Blank Shot and Sneak Attack.
*
*
*
plus 4 bleed
*
plus 4 bleed
*
plus 4 bleed
plus 4 bleed
*
plus 4 bleed
Osprey becomes a human pincushion as he takes all of those attacks, but he still on the verge of life!
Arnaut, on the other hand, isn’t so lucky. An arrow comes from above and explodes right in the Shelynite’s face, knocking him down with nothing but an arrow in his heart!
EDIT: But Arnaut’s necklace falls to dust as the arrow is pushed from his body and he BARELY remains upright!
Jordan takes a hit but remains standing.
Zhu Li manages to look the healthiest of those hit by the archers.
All of the shots fired at Sahess bounce right off of her armor.
Round 2
Field Effects: Haste, Inspire Courage +4
===========
Sahess
Scallywags
Zhu Li (-49) {Bleed 4}
Jordan (-97)
Arnaut (-64)
Scarlet Worm
Raven-headed Statues
Adril Hestram
!!!
Osprey (-199 [before DR]) {Bleed 4}
===========