Last time, on Pathfinder Society (Season 10, Episode 5)
Ghosts haunted the Varisian city of Magnimar. Restless spirits, dark rituals and bloodthirsty cultists terrorized the night. A supernatural investigator Theodorus Ichonvarde took his sweet time and drew no leads, so Lord-Mayor Grobaras tapped into a different resource- the Pathfinder Society.
The Pathfinders sanctified the monuments, restored sanity to the guardian spirit of Ordellia, and she led them to Luvyire, an azata follower of Ashava. The cultists planned to sacrifice him, but the Pathfinders saved him and quelled the threat. He warned them that the true culprit was still out there, corrupting the Glade of the Silver Spark. The malevolent will-o’-wisp called Tulvhatha must be stopped before she attacks civilization again.
Lord-Mayor Grobaras thank the Pathfinders and then claimed credit for quelling the supernatural activity and restoring peace to the monuments. Inspector Theodorus remained in the city, claiming the haunting wasn’t over.
|
Vornsk spends her evenings at the various monuments of the great city. She practices the rituals she learned that day. Her nights are a little more productive, as she looks for rare items to liberate. She begins researching the locations those items are housed.
She also spends some time with the newly met locals, the goblins.
Today is the day before the full moon in Magnimar. You have been in the Heidmarch manor, resting, recovering, and performing minor tasks for Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch. She asked you to come for breakfast at sunrise, and not to be tardy.
Sunlight streams through the dining hall’s window panes, illuminating the numerous dishes of food set on the table. Among the selection is a salad of fiddleheads, wild mushrooms, and herbs, a tray of grilled mackerel dressed with fen pepper, a plate of stuffed cabbage leaves, a bowl of maize porridge, and a tray of cheeses, nuts, and plums.
A blue-skinned man with solid black eyes, pointed ears, and butterfly wings stands nearby. He casts a curious gaze at the display while Venture- Captain Sheila Heidmarch strides forward with a warm smile.
“Thank you for joining us for luncheon, Pathfinders.” She gestures to the array on the table with a proud gleam in her eyes. “I thought we might chat over some quality Varisian cuisine. Please take a seat and help yourself to whatever you like, though I do recommend trying the mackerel—it’s freshly caught this morning.”
Settling into her seat, Venture-Captain Heidmarch pours herself a small glass of chilled white wine and reclines. “You likely know several areas of the city were recently disrupted by necromantic activity. The investigation traced the attacks to a will-o’-wisp named Tulvhatha, who has taken control of a holy site of Ashava known as the Glade of Silver Sparks. From what we’ve already seen in the city, along with Luvyire’s account of what occurred at the glade, it’s clear this creature wields power that surpasses most others of her kind.”
She flicks her gaze toward the blue-skinned man and inclines her head toward him. “Luvyire here has already offered Ashava’s blessing to transform the Pathfinders who saved his life into holy emissaries of the True Spark—something which can only be accomplished by the light of the full moon.”
Luvyire adds, “And I shall offer my goddess’s blessing to the rest of you as well.”
The venture-captain pauses to sip her wine and idly runs a finger across the rim of the empty plate before her. “Tonight will be the full moon, and with it the chance to seek out the will-o’-wisp Tulvhatha and end her destruction.” Luvyire perks up from the assortment of food and glances longingly to the window before looking back. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you, Pathfinders. After recently being on the receiving end of Tulvhatha’s wrath, I fear I’m still too weak to make the journey. May Ashava watch over you and keep you safe.”
“I’m glad you’re finally seeing reason, Luvyire,” says the venture-captain. “You’ve already helped enough, and Magnimar is safer for it. As for you, Pathfinders, given the unique nature of the blessing Luvyire has bestowed upon you, you will need to exercise discretion. Your transformation will draw unnecessary alarm if witnessed by civilians. With this in mind, please be sure to be at the Mushfens by sunset. Take the time to prepare yourself for this evening however you need. Luvyire and I are here if you need our assistance. Remember, you have only this one night to discover the Glade of Silver Sparks and destroy Tulvhatha. Be quick, but be careful—you go against a formidable foe.”
|
Rilia cocks one eyebrow with mild interest. "Fascinating."
Today is the day before the full moon in Magnimar. You have been in the Heidmarch manor, resting, recovering, and performing minor tasks for Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch. She asked you to come for breakfast at sunrise, and not to be tardy.
"We better not be moving the furniture in the rumpus room again or there's gonna be a real rumpus." mutters the big Ulfen on his way downstairs.
Luvyire nods as you discuss Ashava's Blessing. "Ah yes, most of you were not there when I gave it to my saviors, like her." He nods at Vronsk. "Under the full moon, your body will transform into a wolf who stands on two legs. With this blessing your hunt against Tulvhatha will be that much easier. Whether or not you accept it, the True Spark is forever watching over you."
" What should we know about Glade of Silver Sparks and Tulvhatha, and what exactly did she do to you?"
Luvyire hesitates, but Heidmarch answers. “Tulvhatha is a vicious will-o’-wisp possessing great supernatural strength beyond the capability of most of her kind. She’s likely taken control of the Glade of Silver Sparks to usurp its power and use it to her advantage.”
“Tulvhatha has proven capable of wielding significant necromantic abilities, and her activity has caused the dead to become quite active, so it’s likely you can have to deal with such threats. There are also many fey in the Mushfens, of both avoidant and hostile natures, so you should be on guard for the latter. Beyond this, the Mushfens hold their own natural perils with terrain that is quite dangerous for those not accustomed to traversing it.”Luvyire summons enough courage to continue. “The glade is... was a holy dancing field dedicated to Ashava. I maintained and guarded it with two of my dearest friends, who died protecting it. The site also held a sacred relic called the Soul Spark—a mystical orb that helped draw in wayward spirits so that we might lead them to their final resting places. I don’t know what has become of it or the glade now.” You notice the wounds across his body are still fresh- he sustained great wounds at some point during when the glade was lost.
"As you wish." Luvyire takes Hopfrey's hand, and a full moon appears on the top of his hand. The grippli is gifted with a vision from Ashava herself, who shows he and Vronsk dancing in Magnimar under the light of the next full moon, slowly transforming from their usual appearance to that of a werewolf with silvery fur the color of moonlight.
"Good luck, and good hunt." The yamah sits down slowly and carefully, straining from his wounds.
Moonlight streams through the forest’s thick canopy of dark branches. The chirps and gurgles of nocturnal critters echo in a soft, steady hum, interrupted only by the occasional snapping of a twig or low hoot of an owl. In the distance, fireflies flicker in the shadows. The scent of wet moss and dirt clings to the misty air. Several damp paths branch off, each leading deeper into the swampy woods.
The full moon emerges from the clouds. Vronsk and Hopfrey feel their hands glow warmer. As the twilight washes over you, your skin erupts into silver fur, your fingers grow sharp claws and your mouth grows into an elongated snout. Your senses are sharper than ever, and you are ready to crush the forces of evil.
You are a celestial werewolf. It is a glorious night to hunt!
You can change shape. You have three forms—your typical form, a wolf form, and a hybrid form. You can shift to any of your three forms as a move action. If this PC has earned the Celestial Lycanthropy boon from #10–05: Mysteries Under Moonlight, Part 1, you gain that boon’s benefits for free for this entire scenario.
HYBRID FORM
If you shift to your hybrid form, you gain the following benefits.
Senses: Your senses sharpen, granting you darkvision (60 feet), low-light vision, and scent.
Defenses: You gain DR 5/silver and a +2 bonus to natural armor.
Attacks: You gain a bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage if you are Medium or 1d4 if you are Small. If the bite attack hits, you can attempt a combat maneuver check to trip your target as a free action.
Pack Leader: You can communicate and empathize with wolves. You can use Diplomacy to alter a wolf’s attitude, and you gain a +4 racial bonus on the check when doing so.
WOLF FORM
If you shift to your wolf form, you gain all of the benefits listed for the hybrid form as well as the following two effects.
Speed: Your base speed increases to 50 feet.
Wolf Shape: All of the gear that you are carrying or wearing melds into your body until you switch to another form. All items that give constant bonuses still give their bonuses, except armor, which does not function. Unless you have other feats or class features that would allow you to do so, you cannot speak, cast spells, or manipulate objects that would require the use of hands.
|
As they leave town, Glorne takes an Ioun Torch out of his belt pouch, whispers "Bright Light, Bright Light.", and releases it to float around his head. He then quickly raises both hands outward to his sides. The pale, cool mist that constantly surrounds him flares up, gathers into a bright ball in front of him, then shifts into a shield of ice that starts to float around him.
|
|
Vornsk looks at the Mask of the Jade Neu in comparison to the new form. "Not quite my namesake, but te wolf, eet too is strong." she smiles. And steelthy." Her accent marks her as a woman from the Jade Empire.
"Does te undead, make the wisp more she searches for the word, Give her weakness to holy tings?
After the divine transformation, Glorne decides it's time to press on. Vronsk remembers one warning from Sheila Heidmarch before they left.
“Tulvhatha has proven capable of wielding significant necromantic abilities, and her activity has caused the dead to become quite active, so it’s likely you can have to deal with such threats. There are also many fey in the Mushfens, of both avoidant and hostile natures, so you should be on guard for the latter. Beyond this, the Mushfens hold their own natural perils with terrain that is quite dangerous for those not accustomed to traversing it.”
You may have prepared for undead and fey, but another kind of foe presents himself.
A sharp breeze cuts through the night, rustling loudly through the trees and brambles. Shadowy figures emerge from the undergrowth. The husky voice of the tallest figure calls out, “Halt where you are, monsters!”
“I knew there was darkness inside you, Pathfinders,” the man continues, his gaze a steely fire of determination and fury. “Does the rest of the Pathfinder Society even know what foul beasts walk among them, or do they know and harbor you nonetheless? Maybe it’s even worse than that, hmm? Perhaps this paltry cabal of you represents the true face of the entire organization. Be assured that I shall find out. But for now, I see the truth of your malignant nature, and the ruse ends here—along with your lives!”
Vronsk and Hopfrey recognize this man as the failed investigator whose mystery they solved a week ago. Investigator Theodorus Ichonvarde has hunted you down- but who is the hunter, and who is the prey?
27
19
Hopfrey
Glorne
Vronsk
Rillia
Theodorus
Jelly
Despite their attempts to ambush, most of you are prepared.
Current Map
|
|
"Evil is an action, but not mine. She then smiles, I do choose darkness as my ally."
Vornsk touches the Mask of the Jade Neu and an inky smoke flows from its edges. It flows down covering her edges as well, blurring where the night ends and she begins. She then rushes through the crowd to the other side.
Glorne lines up a sure shot and blasts his foe with it. The man shudders as the extreme cold ignores his armor. He still stands, but barely.
Vornsk wraps herself in a dark smoke and quickly runs south before they can react.
Rilia's whip wraps itself around the guard's longsword and is yanked out of his hands, falling at Rilia's feet.
"Stand fast, men! Do not let these abominations defeat you!" Theodorus yells. "We are Magnimar's last hope against these strange Pathfinders!"
Hopfrey is quick on the draw and aims his strange weapon at Theodorus's vital points. He scores a solid hit, and feels confident.
"Grant me the judgement of justice!" Theodorus pulls out his bow and counterattacks against Hopfrey. "Quickly, slay these shapeshifters and their vampire kin! Do not be deceived by their looks!" He fires the arrow but it doesn't get through his thick fur.
The guard with the Red gloves swings his longsword at Hopfrey, faring no better.
The one in White tries to take down Glorne. The frost slowly melts off his armor as he raises his sword, and cuts through the frosty shield.
The disarmed Pink soldier takes out his sap and tries to subdue Rilia, but he's either unprepared or distracted.
Theodorus (27 damage)
Pink (Disarmed)
White (24 damage)
Red
Jelly
Hopfrey
Glorne (11 damage)
Vronsk
Rillia
White's armor mixes with blood as he collapses. "Keep fighting! Keep fight- agh!" Theodorus tries to rally his troops, only to receive another bullet wound.
Jelly's Scorching Ray flares as it strikes the man with the Red gloves. He keeps going.
Retconning
White and Pink continue on. Pink raises his sap and receives a face full of frost. He continues on.
Vronsk emerges from her smoke, hits the guard's shield, then quickly retreats to the smoke before he can fully react.
As commanded, the guard in Pink falls and stays prone until his next turn. He's still going to swing his sap, though.
"Hit them harder, you buffons!" Theodorus cries into the night. "We can't let them or their vampire allies escape!"
The soldier in White takes a swing at Glorne.
"Never mind the frog-wolf... thing, go fight the one with the mask." Theodorus orders the man in Red to pressure Vronsk. He sighs, turns around and goes after her. He hits, but her fur repels most of the attack.
Theodorus turns to Hopfrey. "It's just you and me now, you- I call down the powers that be! Let shapechangers be my bane tonight!" He takes aim with his bow...
His silver arrow thuds mere inches from Hopfrey's feet.
Theodorus (32 damage)
Pink (No longsword, Prone, 17 damage)
White (24 damage)
Red (9 damage)
Jelly
Hopfrey
Glorne (11 damage)
Vronsk (2 damage)
Rillia
|
|
"Listen it's no good all this fighting--I guess you would call it fighting. First off, it doesn't do the Society's image any favors first by being accused of being wandering psychotic monsters by someone who is obviously the the town's mental defective and then shooting said defective to death in front of all his friends to prove the point we are not monsters. I mean we would just have to kill all of you to make sure our reputation survived in tact as a noble group of thoughtful scholars." She draws her rapier.
"Wouldn't we?" she says to the man at her feet, looking down the length of her sword. "And then we would never know why you thought such lies, would we?"