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The growing light of predawn filters in through a window of
the two-story building that Amenopheus has rented in Eto, and
the aging Garundi man takes a seat on one of the cushions set
out for this meeting. He produces a sealed letter from his robe,
placing it in the middle of the floor before speaking.
“Good morning, Pathfinders. As you know, we have had our
share of setbacks recently. Not only have the emerald and topaz
gems sacred to my order slipped through our fingers, but we
also faced the frustration of finding nothing but fragments of
the once great ruby. Thankfully, its power is not lost entirely,
and through the Ruby Sage’s blessing, it lives on in you. I am
thankful that you have agreed to act on her behalf and see this
through to the end.
“As we speak, the scoundrels who seized the two gems cross
the Pillars of the Sun to meet their employer, the cryptic Diamond
Sage.” He sighs heavily. “What she intends to do with the gems
is a mystery, but the sage jewels are too important for me to
take risks with. If the power that you wield is representative of a
shattered jewel’s potential, imagine what one might accomplish
with three undamaged stones! Until we know what her plans
are, it is paramount that we get to the jewels first.
“Kafar and Nefti have a rudimentary map of the Pillars of
the Sun, and last night I found a bartender who spotted them
poring over it between drinks. She recalled little of the map,
and she could not make sense of the marks or annotations;
however, the right spells have allowed me to probe her mind
and determine Kafar and Nefti’s entry point into the mountains.
We will follow them from there.” With a somewhat chagrined
smile, Amenopheus adds, “It may be that they will lead us to the
Sanctum of the Sages, a hidden complex I have long suspected
might be in this area.”
He stands and announces, “Prepare yourselves quickly. We
shall leave momentarily.”
What are the Pillars of the
Sun?
a mountain range south of Eto
inhabited by many terrible creatures.
It is a dangerous area of harsh desert and
barren, rocky terrain, full of cliffs
and chasms.”
Who is the Diamond Sage?
“She is the current bearer of her
respective sage jewel, but I have only
recently learned of her existence.
All I know for sure is that she resides
near Eto. It would not be surprising
if she actually resides in the Sanctum
of the Sages itself; if so,she must be
extremely resourceful.”
What happens if the Diamond Sage gets the gems
first?
her and her motives. I hope she shares my goals, but fear
she may not. At this point, one can only guess.”
How can we find Kafar and Nefti?
Kafar and Nefti, and teleporting to an arbitrary point in
the Pillars of the Sun would be a fool’s errand. Our best
chance is to enter the mountains close to their starting
point, and then follow their tracks.”
Tell us about the Jeweled Sages and their sanctum.
“The Jeweled Sages were an order of scholars who took
an oath to preserve the culture and arts of the golden age
of Osirion. Their venture proved controversial, for the
rulers that followed the Song Pharaoh were offended by
the sages’ pretensions and deemed the order subversive.
To escape persecution and safeguard the lore of our land,
the sages built their headquarters in a hidden location.
It makes sense that they should choose an isolated place
like the Pillars of the Sun as grounds for their refuge.The conquest of Osirion by Kelishite forces during
Osirion’s Second Age resulted in the death of most if not
all of the sages.”
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tipsy Nefti playing the flute in various
taverns throughout Eto over the past
several weeks. He hasn’t been seen
for three days.
description recently visited a local
herbalist and apothecary.
the city overheard Kafar and Nefti
complaining to one another about the
Aspis Consortium.
the Aspis Consortium to a foreigner, but the
deal fell through.
covert Pathfinder operative who
suspects Kafar and Nefti may not
only be aiming to go rogue, but are
also looking for a new patron.
mountains named for their tall, wind-weathered spires.
experienced rider might reach them in half a day. Because
of its location and elevation, the region is extremely dry
and hot during the day, with temperatures dropping
drastically at night due to strong winds.
were frustrated by the mountains’ harsh conditions
and aggressive fauna. To this day, many ruins stand as
reminders of these ill-fated enterprises.
place, and interspecies competition has honed the
abilities of its monstrous inhabitants. Even creatures
that are typically harmless in other ecosystems
can be deadly here, and some are said to have truly
extraordinary power.
Sun take advantage of the terrain and are actually carved
inside the rock. Adventurers looking for ruins are more
likely to find hidden trap doors and secret passages
than crumbled temples covered in sand. Some of these
subterranean vaults extend for miles beneath the surface,
and a clever explorer can use them to cross from one
valley to another to circumvent the most difficult of the
mountainous terrain.
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"Oh, Ah be hear tellin' o' those two! One always be pipin' away on that sad flute, the other fancyin' themselves as some kinda alchemist. Been workin' tahgether fer a while. Long enough ta get tired o' workin' fer the snakes. It's pos'ble they're'n lookin' fer a new boss, one thet'll be more 'preciative o' their skill 'n what not."
"As ta where we be headed? Not much ta be knowin' 'cept that them lonely wind-swept towers 'r 'bout fifteen ta twenty miles dead south o' here. Gonna take mosta the day ta get there. Pack fer heat 'n cold. Desert's a wee fickle when it comes ta keeping it warm at night. 'N bring somethin' ta drink. Coppers ta kegs the dirt 'n dust'll be scratchin' at yer throats afore too long."
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Daniel is a tall half-orc in mottled green clothing. He has a really nice bow slung over his back, a fancy looking pack and oddly enough... an eyepatch covering one eye. He taps his chin thinking as Amenopheus shares the briefing. He pulls small shard of ruby out and rubs it while listening, We'll get this figured out Mr. Shard and hopefully fix this whole mess.
He thinks for a bit and asks a few questions about where they are going and the dangers. Once Spackle and Amenopheus fill in what they know he quickly prepares to handle a difficult environment .
He shares with his allies, "Okay, I'm more comfortable in the woods or up in an area a lot colder than this, but I can handle my duties. I've got a small connection to nature that grants me a few abilities. Anyway, I'm a good shot with my bow if we gotta take anyone out and am a pretty good tracker."
He looks at his waterskin, "Can any of summon water outta thin air or do we need to load a cart up with barrels of the stuff?"
He turns to Spackle with a gleam in his eye, "You know a lot about these two we are after, are they humans?"
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"Aye I've heard of these pillars, very inhospitable so I'm told. Quite a few ruins belonging to the poor fools who tried to settle there."
Tholgrin is a classically sturdy dwarf wearing full-plate and an expression of unease when attention is on him. "This is Beryl" he says, presenting a fine dwarven longhammer, "and this is Ros, short for Roslar's Justice, my latest work", by which he is referring to a adamantine greataxe. He's forgotten the mission briefing to coo over his weapons, but remembers quick enough and puts them away again.
"I have this wand for keeping me comfortable in hot and cold weather, but I have no special magics for water. Oh it's a pleasure to meet you all"
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Next came Thorek Stonebeard. Apparently of the same clan as Tholgrin! A bow hung from his back, which showed much more signs of use than his hammer. His breastplate had the symbol of Kols emblazoned on it.
”Water won’t be an issue. Name’s Thorek, Clan Stonebeard. Inquisitor of Kols. I’m oathbound to the society, so I’ll do all in my power to see this through.”
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Daniel greets the two dwarfs and gnome with a hearty handshake, "Glad to have you aboard! Not needing to take horses and a cart full of water will let us go full speed or even quicker. I should be able to track them without issue, just keep an eye out for trouble as I do."
He adds, "Maybe we catch up quick and convince them to join up with the Society? Plenty of snakes have switched over in the past."
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”Nay need to worry about that either.” Thorek pulled out a slate of stone covered in runes. ”Magic is bound in here. Each morning come to me and I’ll make sure that the sun doesn’t bother ye. Im wearing metal meself. Would hate to get a rash. But I’d bring good clothing with ye anyways. Never know. Could get separated.”
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Once you're prepared to leave Eto, Amenopheus teleports your group to the northern edge of the Pillars of the Sun. There, just as the sun is peaking over the horizon, Amenopheus and the party find the path Kafar
and Nefti used to enter the mountains. The party knows that Kafar and Nefti have a head start.
Thorek and Daniel notice a crevice in the rock face that leads to a trap door that descends deep underground.
Enigmatic hieroglyphs cover just about every surface of this
chamber excavated into the mountain. Bas-relief engravings
stretch along the walls all the way from the lofty, tapered
ceiling down to floor level, their eerie pictography suggesting
an unnerving story. Toppled columns, crumbling shreds of
cloth, and potsherds scattered throughout the chamber attest
to the place’s abandonment and antiquity. Small holes in the
vaulted ceiling let in thin beams of sunlight but do little to
illuminate the chamber.
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Enigmatic hieroglyphs cover just about every surface of this
chamber excavated into the mountain. Bas-relief engravings
stretch along the walls all the way from the lofty, tapered
ceiling down to floor level, their eerie pictography suggesting
an unnerving story. Toppled columns, crumbling shreds of
cloth, and potsherds scattered throughout the chamber attest
to the place’s abandonment and antiquity. Small holes in the
vaulted ceiling let in thin beams of sunlight but do little to
illuminate the chamber.
When Spackle sneaks up one of doglike creatures notices him and snarls
Combat Pathfinders are up!
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The Pathfinders move up ready to face their foes. Thoreks arrow hits the creature in the side. Weit channels. Caelem drinks a potion. Spakcle lines and Daniel casts a spell.
The hound casts a spell on itself and disappears. The Festrogs moves up.
One of the akatas attacks Daniel
Another attacks Calem.
Both miss.
Pathfinders are up again
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With the akata falling to his attacks, the half orc shrugs and adds, "Well those hairless tentacled lion things things have a diseased bite but this one won't be a concern. Just don't stick your hand into the mouth to check the teeth."
After the halfling rushes over, Daniel unleashes a flurry of arrows against the target pointed out, "Got your back Weit!" Once the arrows are flying, he steps in close to the enemy to shelter the cleric a bit.
for (Crit only multiplies 1 arrow & DR is doubled if applicable)
for (Crit only multiplies 1 arrow & DR is doubled if applicable)
for
for
Current AC/Touch/FF: 21/15/16
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Thorek's arrows kill one of the azatas and two of the festrogs quickly fall to the party.
The hound is shown by Spackles spell it tries to ward off the blindness. It can see fine!
It looks at the party.
Its gaze tears into the flesh of the Pathfinders.
The last festrog tries to charge Caelem. It misses.
Pathfinders are up again!
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Daniel steps to the side and unleashes a flurry of arrows at the last fiend.
for
for
Current AC/Touch/FF: 21/15/16
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Not moving, he unleashes four more arrows, "We got em on the run!"
for
for
Current AC/Touch/FF: 21/15/16