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Standing to the right side of the door is a 4', 170# Dwarf. Clad in chainmail and holding a Cold Iron Dwarven Waraxe, he absentmindedly strokes the silver Holy Symbol of Trudd around his neck as he scans the room for possible trouble.
"I am Thorur Grundur, Warpriest of Trudd. I am ready to do what is required to assure the success of this mission.", he says gruffly.
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An extremely hairy man with numerous pox marks and healed burn scars across his limbs reads the note with great curiosity Some new places to visit, excellent. My collection is so far from complete. It'll give me a chance to compare the flora and fauna from Mwangii to another jungle!
Dale wanders into the room, eyes on the fine marble floor "Oh very nice. You can see some flecks of iron in it even." He lifts his head to see the others already gathered, not uncommon when it comes to Dale. Anyone that knows him expects he'll be late, never early.
"Hello there. I'm Dale and I'm so very excited for this expedition!" He gives the Dwarf's holy symbol an eyeball. "Trudd, not a common holy symbol, at least not one I've seen very often."
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Bells tinkle and chime as the door to “Pak’s Tobacco and Spice” opens. Shelves on the walls are full of jars and pouches, and a collection of masks adorns the wall opposite to the entrance.
An old Tian-Dtang man sitting behind the counter wakes up mid-snore, rubs his eyes, and exclaims in a raspy but exuberant voice. “Yes, come in, come in! Ah, you must be the Pathfinders Ms. Amara sent! Where are my manners! I am Pak! Tea, anyone?” Before anyone can answer, Pak flicks one end of his metal smoking pipe, snags a teakettle, and plants it atop a small brazier with smoldering coals.
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As they traveled Dale thought back to any information he's picked up in his travels about the following points of interest in the note they received.
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As per usual Dale tarries behind the group, keenly enjoying and admiring anything and everything. At night he'd talk about the stars, planets and moon when the clouds stayed at bay. If a dark night he'd call out the night sounds one at a time "Oh yes, Barred Owl, fabulous bird that one! Hopefully we find a pellet in the morning!"
During the day the options for discussion were much more numerous, bordering on endless, but he was particularly fond of speaking about the natural world and its wonders "See that flower there? Beyond the pretty pink petals arrayed in a whorl? Notice the buff white of the leaves? Tiny hairs. Feels great on your bottom when nature calls!" He snorts and stumbles, doing his best to find the next lost treasure in his path.
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"Old Pak? Good to meet you, I've heard much about you. I'm Dale and I can't wait to explore your lands." He smiles and offers a worn hand in greeting. Dirty fingernails and scratched, scarred, and chapped skin. "Tea is good. What variety are you using? Is it a blend or traditional?" His eyes dart around the room to enjoy it.
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The mountain range is volcanically active. In fact, Mount Pho-Yim, which looms over Ramparassad, often exudes ominous smoke. Seismic activity is common in the mountains, sometimes causing earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.
While Pak is serving tea and lighting his pipe with
vanilla-scented tobacco, one of the masks on the wall
animates and floats toward the PCs. Pak explains that the
mask is Tanbaru, a spirit oni.
Tanbaru lazily glides from one of you to another as he speaks.
“Long ago, I was a kami who lived near a temple of Yamatsumi in the Kullan Dei mountains. But centuries ago, the temple and I were magically transported into an extraplanar place called the Hao Jin Tapestry. For hundreds of years, I languished in a broken temple surrounded by tyrannical conquerors who encouraged my cruelest habits, and I turned into what I am now—an oni. It wasn’t until a group of Pathfinders found me and showed me mercy that I was able to see past my own selfishness and spite. I have been working for the Pathfinder Society ever since, both in Absalom and in Tian Xia.”
Pak then runs a hand across his partly shaved head and explains the opportunity at hand.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I would appreciate your to traveling to the Kullan Dei mountains in southern Dtang Ma and exploring what is left of the temple of Yamatsumi near which Tanbaru once lived. You see, the ancient sorceress Hao Jin was able to transport only the lower, front half of the original temple into her tapestry. I know little about the broken temple other than its haunted reputation, but Tanbaru here says that the temple’s secluded location high up in the mountains may well have kept its historical secrets and hidden treasures safe from vandals and looters, relics that should be valuable to the Pathfinder Society.
“I want Tanbaru to accompany you. Although his transformation into an oni made his memories somewhat frayed, he still instinctively knows the way there. You should know that when Tanbaru was a kami, the Pilgrim’s Path—the trail that leads up to the temple—was his sacred ward. His presence may have unpredictable consequences, so please keep him safe.”
Tanbaru chimes in, "Yes! I will help you to the best of my ability! If you want, one of you may wear me as a mask."
Old Pak gives you two large backpacks full of rice and a camping cooker that needs only twigs for fuel. He informs you that the terrain is rough and that taking pack animals into the mountains would be unwise. He also offers his two climber's kits that he could lend you, while advising you to purchase additional climbing equipment as necessary.
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Old Pak thinks for a moment, "Should mostly be normal mountain critters. Maybe snow leopards? I've heard that some birds make their nests in those mountains that can't be found anywhere else. And you're going to what used to be a temple, I don't think the elevation should be too bad. I don't think it'll get too cold up there, unless you're the kind that needs a light jacket even on a nice summer day!"
He chuckles to himself and puffs on his pipe.
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Vlazis is a devilishly handsome man with a challenging look in his eyes. Amongst his Chelish military colors he proudly bears the symbols of Asmodeus and his Archdevils, Dispater most prominently.
His warm and charming smile is nowhere in evidence as he strides confidently to meet with Old Pak and his Oni companion.
Sipping his tea he considers Tanbaru's offer with all the well-earned suspicion of a diabolist. "What precisely would wearing you entail, Tanbaru?"
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Putting an Oni on your face doesn't seem like a great idea.. but it could be a neat experience! Dale chuckles to himself as the others start in with the questions.
"I'd be happy to use some of that climbing equipment. I've got rope and a grapple but some extra stuff could come in handy. I can't say I've done a large amount of climbing, most of my missions were down in the Mwangii. That said, I've learned to deal with the heat, bugs, and wilderness quite well!" You can see some odd Elven tattoos on his face that don't look very old.
"How long is this trek? And what are the odds we'll get to travel into the Tapestry?" He wrings his hands together with that possibility.
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Tanbaru answers Vlazis' question, "Well, I would meld onto your face, and you would look like me. I used to be very familiar with this area, but that was centuries ago, and a lot of traumatizing changes have happened to me since then. I may not remember enough to put into words that can help, but my eyes might be drawn to something familiar, and you'd see that too!"
Old Pak responds to Dale, "You're more than welcome to use the climbing gear, just bring it all back!" he says with a light laugh. "Your experience with the heat will be good for the next few days, it's hot out here in Ramparasad right now. But it'll be much cooler once you start your ascent. It'll probably take you about one to two weeks to reach the temple from here."
Tanbaru flies over to Dale and chimes in, "And we're visiting the part of the temple that isn't in the Tapestry. I spent centuries in the Tapestry, I'm okay not going back just yet."
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"I can use the other climber's kit. Thanks, Pak." Baphos says it extending his arms to reach the kit. I hope it doesn´t fall to the floor and starts moving strangely. I don´t wanna scare the guys yet.
"If no one has problems, I can use the mask. My life hasn´t been easy and I used to see strange things by myself." Baphos says it with a smile on his face. He is looking around, waiting for the answer of the group.
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Kullan Dei is a 2,500-mile long mountain range that winds its way through Nagajor and into the dragon kingdom of Xa Hoi. The northernmost stretch of the mountain range extends into southern Dtang Ma. The nearest summit is just a few hours’ hike from the busy streets of the sprawling capital Ramparassad.
The mountain range is volcanically active. In fact, Mount Pho-Yim, which looms over Ramparassad, often exudes ominous smoke. Seismic activity is common in the mountains, sometimes causing earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.
Many species of birds and snakes are endemic to the Kullan Dei Mountains. Some develop a spiritual attachment to important sites, defending those areas as guardians or watching over them as auspicious sentinels. Dragons, ogres, and various types of kami and oni are also relatively common in the region.
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"We better be prepared to deal with the seismic and volcanic activity that tends to surround those mountains. Falling rocks would be a concern, as well as fissures, cracks, earthquakes, landslides and hopefully an eruption!" Dale sounds far more excited about these possibilities than concerned for some reason.
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"Wonderful!" Tanbaru says as he flies down and rest on Baphos' face. Tanbaru smiles apparently pleased with the trust (or because he no longer needs to fly the whole way himself).
Old Pak speaks up: "Well! I guess that settles it! You'd best get going! ... unless you had something more to do?" he gives you a playfully inquisitive look.
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When you leave Ramparassad, the weather is sweltering hot. After a walk past rice fields that extend a few miles outside the city and a hike through a bamboo forest, you find a mountain trail that leads south, deep into the Kullan Dei range. Up in the mountains, the weather is pleasantly cool. The air is thin, but the days you spend in the mountains are enough to become acclimated. After a week of hiking, you arrive at a set of stone pillars with inscriptions that read “The Pilgrim’s Path” in at least one language you recognize. The mist-shrouded outline of the broken temple is visible in the distance, some 5 miles away.
One of the pillars list what appear to be a set of rules. You can easily read rules in common, with some other languages apparent underneath.
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Dale picks his way along the trail at the back of the line, constantly stooping, stopping and picking things and giving them the eyeball under his own personalized hand lens. "Very interesting. There are similar species of this fern in the Mwangii, but the sporangium are located on the backside of the fronds while these are on the stipe. Interesting!" He stuffs the frond into a bulging pocket and makes it a bit farther to the next curiosity.
When the group finally gets to the trail head and he sees the signs, Dale starts unpacking his alchemy set "Does anyone read one of these languages? If not I can mix up something here to dial me in to read them."
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"The stone pillars not only mark the beginning of the Pilgrim’s Path but also a transition from profane to sacred, which means that travelers should show proper reverence to tradition and the rules of the trail." It sounds almost like he's reading it and not conveying his own message.
After a minute of mixing strange liquids combined with referencing a well worn manual, Dale drinks down his concoction and blinks his eyes a few times as the languages come into focus for both his eyes and brain. "Ok here we are, let's see...
Do not obstruct paths! Don’t pitch your tent or leave your equipment on the trail. Be courteous and mindful of others using the trail...
Leave no trace! Take your trash with you. Don’t make fires outside designated areas. Don’t leave any other trace of your passage.
Stay on the marked trail! Nature is sacred and fragile; do not tread on it. Don’t harm animals unless you must defend yourself."
He quickly translates the additional information. "So how exactly do you stay on the trail, yet not obstruct it with your tent, yet don't tread off the trail.. with your tent? Maybe there are designated camping areas... we'll find out!" He seems pretty upbeat about it regardless.
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The narrow trail winds along the base of a steep ridge, and large, jagged rocks have fallen from the cliff face here, blocking the path. At least a score of dark birds with white throats reside here, sitting atop nests built into the cliff face.
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Vlazis's eyes flutter with suppressed annoyance as he considers the avian barricade. It was clear that these were cowardly birds, likely to abandon their young if disturbed. And aside from the sign's prohibition about harming animals, these particular birds were known to him from his studies of augury as particularly auspicious signs.
"So we can't disturb them without causing them to abandon their young, and that would certainly be enough to cause great offense to the people and spirits of this place.
"I don't suppose anyone has a sleep spell prepared. I can't imagine they would be particularly resistant, and we would be well past them before they could actually be alarmed."
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I'm sorry, Tanbaru. I'm not used to it yet. Thanks for your advise. I will respect the path. I don´t want Yamatsumi angry!
You are right Vlazis, we shouldn´t disturb these birds. Unfortunately, I don´t know anything about the spell you suggest.
Trying to find another way to pass them without disturbing them or to find something useful around.
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Surprisingly Dale doesn't recognize the birds, nor does he speak 'birdese' to get into their heads. But the others apparently do and he quickly pulls out a well worn notepad and starts taking notes. "So tell me more of these birds, I collect lots of data on the flora and fauna of the places I visit, and these birds sound interesting!"
He spends some time taking copious notes on the birds looks, sounds, nesting habits, and all the information the others can provide. "Well, if the are blocking our path and disturbing them would be a bad idea.. as well as straying from the path... hrm." He starts churning out thoughts and ideas that project mostly as hrms, umms, and the occasional cough.
"I can try to calm them down so they aren't disturbed as we pass on the trail? I've read copious books on the topic of general avian mesmerism techniques, and I've got this useful tool that could filter my voice to make it even more soothing..." He starts transforming his viewing lens into a strange shaped trumpet.
Improvisation: You gain a +2 bonus on all skill checks for skills you have no ranks in. Furthermore, you can use all skills designated "trained only" untrained.
Improved Improvisation: Your nonproficiency penalty with weapons, armor, and shields is halved. In addition, the bonus on all skill checks for skills you have no ranks in increases to +4 instead of +2.
This implement at first seems to be nothing but a 12-inch iron bar lined with small plates and spikes. It can be folded, twisted, hinged, and bent, to form almost any known tool. Hammers, shovels, even a block and tackle (without rope) are possible. It can duplicate any tool the wielder can clearly visualize that contains only limited moving parts, such as a pair of scissors, but not a handloom. It cannot be used to replace missing or broken parts of machines or vehicles unless a mundane tool would have done the job just as well.
The any-tool counts as a set of masterwork artisan's tools for most Craft or Profession skills (although very specialist crafts such as alchemy still require their own unique toolset). It is an ineffective weapon, always counting as an improvised weapon and never granting any masterwork bonus on attack rolls.