Padding along beside him is a scaly dinosaur. She slides between group members, sniffing each of them and poking her nose into pockets and packs looking for treats. Leave them be Shimmer says Anwar. At the sound of her masters voice she perks up, raising her head she is as tall as a fuly grown human. She weaves between the group and takes up her place guarding her master. Looking at the assembled pathfinders she gives a short, sharp barking noise.
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The small blue haired gnome enters the room next, fully expecting to be late. ”Sorry, just got my assign-“ she trailed off, seeing only a couple others in the room with no sign of the VC.
”Hey guys, I’m Doodle! Nice to meet you,” she says, holding out a hand until she hears the bark of the dinosaur. ”Does that thing bite friends? I’m hoping it can at least take a hunk out of an enemy!”
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A tall vudrani man, wearing a suit of full plate that has been shined and polished so well, he fairly gleams. The open palm symbol of Irori is quite prominent on the breastplate. A large mustache rests on his upper lip, and almost seems to have a life of its own as he talks.
"Ah, welcome." He says, cheerfully at the sight of the others, his words heavily accented. "It would seem the day has ended for most... but ours has much left to reveal."
"Jayori Bissumbhur." He says, by way of introduction, pressing his hands together and bowing his head slightly. "Devoted emissary of Irori. May we all strive for such perfection."
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Hestram, a loud big bear of a man with messy blonde hair stalks into the room and very quietly - and far more intensely than you are used to seeing from the normally jovial venture captain and he shuts the door - holding in hand a sheaf of thin papers.
“I am not normally one to get overly sentimental about the missions of ordinary field agents. But this time things are different. Rijana, a priestess of Nethys in her previous life, is one of the best scholars on arcane mysteries that we have,” said Hestram as he paced back and forth, thoughts unsually disorganized.
He shook a thin sheaf of papers in his hand. “I have a missive from her hand just a month ago tells a daring tale of hidden dimensions in the Mana Wastes. Apparently she believe that could be used to return magic once again to that failed, desolate garbage heap." A bitter belly laugh escapes him as he considers his own comment. Don't get me wrong - I could care less about restoring magic there—but I care a lot about what bizarre ruins and hidden sanctums might have been concealed there while magic lay dormant on that battlefield between wizard-gods. Potentially dormant artifacts of unknowable power could lay within. Since this represents an incredible opportunity for us, I haven’t the time to waste to send another message back and await its answer—I’ve asked a Decemvirate member who happens to be a powerful wizard, to teleport you to Rijana’s last known location, a dusty hamlet on the edge of the Wastes in northern Geb called Geb’s Rest. At this point, a tall thin figure wearing a black robe with a gray mask and crown appears from directly behind Hestram and gestures grimly.
Hestram's irritation seems to begin boiling over, his level of anxiety and desperation at how close to a major find he is evident for all to see I’m sending the lot of you because Geb is dangerous, the Mana Wastes are deadly, and I want this thing done right.” Hestram takes in the sight of the pirate cleric and the foppish Iroran and snorts at his own joke “Well, I at least want it done. You lot will have to do. Get to Geb’s Rest, find Rijana, and bring back whatever notes she’s got in her journals about the Mana Wastes. She should have four journals if my memory of her bizarre organizational skills is correct—I want all four of them. I can no longer wait on her meticulous pace.
He chuckles Say whatever you need to say to her to get those journals. Tell her I’m reviewing them for inclusion in the Pathfinder Chronicles, I don’t care. Just bring them back. Now get yourself ready to go—you can’t buy a decent potion within a hundred miles of this backwater dust pile. Come back here when you're ready. He looks over the group and in particular looks to Doodle as he speaks of tricking people, intimating knowledge of her gleaned from her file.
Adril and the Masked man wait impatiently for any trips to the quartermaster or questions you might have.
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"Just more opportunity to show one's faith in their own acumen." Jayori says, with a smile at the halfling. "Irori would approve."
"I am more concerned with the other side of the border. Geb is not a place for the faint or righteous of heart." He continues with a worried frown. "I had heard that only the dead lived there now, the living little more than chattel. How is it that there is a village there?"
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Adril looks a bit surprised and then scowls a disappointed scowl. Ahh...was hoping experienxed agents like you would know what you were in for. The Mana Wastes are unpredictable - the exact manner in which magic functions or not is in flux. Magic may work really well only to suddenly dry up. I've heard tell of magic going off even when you werent intending to cast it. Be cautious.
The big man sneers at those of you who cast. Seemingly this is of no concern to Adril and his style as an agent.
As for Gebs Rest - its more rural. It once served as a staging ground or something from back during the Everwar - normal people live there. Maybe unknowingly as cattle. Rijana didn't mention being particularly worried about being eaten. Its right on the edge of the Mana Wastes.
He gestures to the sheafs of paper. Rijana is annoyingly meticulous. Very detail oriented and cautious. Works very slowly. She's a Garundi human and a member of the church of Nethys so this is all a passion project for her. Her notes didnt note any particular hazards beyond the dangers of the wastes themselves. Though yeah I guess it's possible shes vampire kibble now.
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Adril seems relieved that you are finally ready and that tall thing masked figure soes a couple of gestures and and you are soon shunted through space to your location the very brown desert town of Gebs Rest.
Remember there are FOUR Journals. I need all 4 no matter what. Adril shouts as you disappear. His words still ringing in your ears.
You are confronted by a town that has clearly seen better days.
The buildings are short and squat brown affairs that have long since lost whatever color they were once painted.
There are about 4 dozen buildings still in tact centered around a town center.
Ivy and other plantlife has overgrown many of the outlying buildings. The down is deathly silent. You hear absolutely no sounds and see no people.
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As they appear just outside Geb's Rest, the sight of the village fills Jayori with unease.
"That does not look like a town vibrant with human life." He says, his usual smile replaced by a concerned frown.
His hand immediately goes to rest on the pronged spear at his side, and he makes sure his shield is properly set.
He leads the way down, eyes scanning the area ahead as he quietly mutters a prayer to Irori under his breath.
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Before they are teleported Anwar casts a few spells in preparations.
He hands Doodle a wand, Could you use this on Shiimmer please, feel free to use it on yourself as well.
As they arrive he looks around, Well this place looks utterly desolate and miserable. There are no signs of life here at all, not so much as an insect
He sets up a wide circular pace around the group, looking for signs of habitation or tracks of people.
Shimmer pads alongside her master, sniffing the air and ground.
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As you do a quick once over of the town you start to pick up scenes of the town as it was just a short time ago.
You peak your heads into a residence and find a dinner set out and abandoned mid-bite, spoiling on the table. There is clothing on the lines outside of several houses, having gone stiff after what is obviously several days in the sun.
You peak inside the inn, there are mugs in several different states of mid-use. A large pool of ale sits beneath a tap alongside the shattered remains of a mug.
This leads you finally to the center of town - the large fountain in the center of town.
Fredreka's eyes pick up the sickly black glow of undeath shambling around the fountain - 4 undead humanoids dressed in armor and armed with weapons and livery are surrounding the fountain!
Zombie Red
Zombie Yellow
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Anwar
Doodle
Jayori
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Zombie Green
Zombie Blue
---
Shimmer
Fredreka
Two of the zombies approach quickly - indicating they are more than just shambling basic undead and wearing a specific livery
One approaches Jayori and the other Anwar it holds its scimitar with surprising proficiency and swings.
The pair was overzealous and both miss widely!
Zombie Red
Zombie Yellow
---
Anwar
Doodle
Jayori
--
Zombie Green
Zombie Blue
---
Shimmer
Fredreka
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Doodles rays of fire are devastatingly effective on the blue hued zombie and quickly turns it to ash
Jayori is having difficulty identifying what these creatures are and where they may have come from but his difficulties as he sinks his trident into the chest of his oncoming attacker which only slows him temporarily as the prongs slide effortlessly in an out of his chest not taking as much meat with them as he may have hoped.
Zombie Red
Zombie Yellow (-12)
---
Anwar
Doodle
Jayori
--
Zombie Green
---
Shimmer
Fredreka
The green zombie moves over to Jayoris position but is unable to strike this turn.
Zombie Red
Zombie Yellow (-12)
---
Anwar
Doodle
Jayori
--
Zombie Green
---
Shimmer
Fredreka
Shimmer gives a little yip of joy, hops forward and tries to shred the creature that tried to harm her master.
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Jayori takes a swipe at the zombie as it flees, but there is little force behind it, and merely deflects off of the zombie's hide.
Glancing around, he decides that Shimmer would probably be better suited to chasing it down, his armor not making him the fastest of pursuers.
"Well done. Do not let it escape, lest it warn its undead masters." He calls, as he instead turns towards the second zombie, coming around the building to his left. He quickly moves up to cut it off, and jabbing his trishula at the things's face.
, for damage.
Shimmer gives a little yip of joy and scampers across the courtyard, running down the fleeing zombie.
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A bright flash of pale green shimmers off the body of the zombie in reaction to Doodles magic missile as if the creatures were preternaturally warded in some way against such a spell.
Jayoris Trident found purchase though again not as much as he initially thought.
Meanwhile shimmers charge does not pierce the skin of the strange liveried zombie.
The Zombie confronting Jayoris makes a swing with his scimitar at the dragon man
But the swing bounces off his tough dragon scaled hide.
Zombie Yellow (-12) (PANICKED)
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Anwar
Doodle
Jayori
--
Zombie Green (-11)
---
Shimmer
Fredreka
Shimmer lashes out but is confused by the strange creatures ungainly movements.
Shimmer gives a yip of enjyment and charges at the strange thing.
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Shimmers joyous pounce successfully slashes into and makes quick mince meat of the loose zombified flesh and the group is left standing in the now-still-deathly silent town square of Gebs Rest.
Now that the imminent danger has passed however they party has time to notice something - dangling from the centerpiece of the fountain is a dessicated body dressed in black and white robes and wearing a black and white mask.
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"It would seem this town's fortunes finally succumbed to the blight of a country in which they lived." Jayori says sadly, as the last zombie falls.
He is puzzled by their use of weapons, not something he has seen zombies typically do. He picks up the one dropped nearby, before they continue looking around town for any survivors.
He is especially taken aback by the corpse in the fountain. "To take the time to pose a body so..." He mutters. "That takes a whole new level of evil."
He quickly scans it for any trace elements of evil, then moves to bring it down from its grisly perch. Eventually removing the mask to see who's underneath it and what condition they are in.