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Wherever you find yourself to be, each of you receives a missive stating the following:
You are hereby summoned to the Grand Lodge at Absalom for a meeting by the end of the week. You are to drop whatever you are doing and proceed ASAP.
Signed,
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin
When the last of you reach the Lodge, you are all summoned to a briefing room. There's a table set with bread, cheese, and wine while you wait...
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Zaarah is a scrawny girl with auburn hair and amber eyes. She is standing with closed eyes. Her features seem Chelaxian but also have something else mixed in.
She is wearing light mithral armor and carries a black pulsing Scimitar at her hip that is attached to her wrist with a very fine chain.
Zaarah seems to be dreaming ... pulled her into her state of trance ...
She suddenly sits down and draws her Scimitar that is so black that it almost absorbs light.
"Mesh! No Mesh don’t say that! I ... I hate you for being so mean sometimes ... " she says saddened. She seems to listen to something and intently looks at her black magical sword.
”Agghhh... “ you hear as she bursts into tears.
”Oh Mesh!! You are ... ehhhh ... !!“ she continues crying.
She turns towards no one in particular and has a slightly absent view ... then she looks around and stops crying.
She stand up and starts speaking.
"You know ... I am glad I see familiar faces! Ridley!"
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A massive shoanti enters shortly after Zaarah. He has dusky sunburnt skin that is heavily tattooed with tribal designs and is shaved bald except for the shadow of dark growth across his chin. His powerful body hulks in a way that promises deadly power and tireless stamina. He is without weapons but the huge man's club-like fists suggest he's never truly unarmed.
He picks up a glass of the fine wine and sniffs it loudly. His weathered features scrunch up in displeasure but he quaffs it all the same. "Not much better than piss..." he growls in lament.
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Zaarah looks at the strong man and after a while nods.
”Piss? Oh yes piss. I once was on urine therapy during my medical leave... but I agree with you! Urine does not taste that bad!“ Zaarah says looking at the unarmored man as if she was trying to be nice but actually creating a very weird atmosphere.
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The shoanti cocks a brow at the awkward rail-thin woman. "Not compared to the swill Valsin's left us."
"Taurus", he offers in the introduction while pressing a closed fist to his bulging pectoral. "Do you know anything about the business the Venture Captain has summoned us for? His missive was brief."
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Heavy but steady footsteps precedes her, where the leshy is frivolous, she is stoic.
This female dwarf heavily armored in actual stone plates covering her vitals, a long shafted warhammer across her back and tucked into her belt at her side is a heavy looking flail. This flail is striking as despite her holy symbol proclaiming this dwarf's allegiance,its heavy ball is etched with images of stylized eagles and sunburnt.
The dwarf herself has her hair braided and pushed back for a more utilitarian style. Strong jawed with bright eyes, she's looks the part of a trained warrior with physique to back it up.
"Greetings." she gives a formal bow.
"In Torag's name I greet you. I be Faerin Boulderstep, a warrior pledged in service to my Lord. I have being on previous missions where I have slayed dangerous creatures with the aid of Slitherbane here." she pats the flail at her side.
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”No! But I always come when he asks to come ... you understand, right?! This is Mesh ... he is very mean! Who are your friends Taurus?!“ she says while holding up her black Scimitar.
Passingly aware that Zaarah is referring to her weapon, he offers the blade a brief nod. "Friends? Are you asking about my weapons?"
Appreciating the newcomer dwarf's more traditional warrior's poise, the massive shoanti gives her silent salute of greeting.
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An Osiriani woman with bronzed-skin, straight shoulder-length, chestnut brown hair and eyes as blue as the ocean depths walks into the room carrying a scroll and quill. She is dressed in a flowing cream-colored gown with a matching headscarf. A sash of saffron yellow embroidered with red thread and bangles of gold provides highlights to her outfit, her dainty feet clothed in leather shoes.
She places her book down upon the table and with her now free hands reaches up and removes her headscarf in a single motion, but not only hear scarf, but her hair was well.
Her skin begins to change in color gaining a bluish cast as if her body were suddenly deprived of oxygen before settling on a light cerulean tone all over.
The cream-colored garments seems to fall away in layers until they are replaced by more utilitarian garb under a protective layer of leathers. The quill in her other hand has become a gleaming mithril rapier which is then sheathed at her left side. She reaches into her haversack producing a wig of shorter-black hair which she fixes to her head before placing the bicorne that was once a headscarf atop it.
She takes her seat at the table putting up her feet, now shod in mid-calf high boots.
"Ursahla, captain of The Nereid's Kiss at the Society's service one more. Now where is that belated Venture-Captain of ours? Probably pouring himself a glass of the good stuff."
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An tall, skinny out of breath man comes sprinting into the lodge. He is covered in soot and is missing half an eyebrow.
Hey guys! Dropped what I was doing and ran here as fast as I could. Um... maybe I should have set it down carefully. The explosion was... um, quite large...
Anyways! I'm Ridley. I assume you all got the summons from VC Ambrus too?
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With all of you now present, within just a few minutes, Ambrus Valsin enters with a most stern look and, without a word, personally delivers the same letter to each of you…
After you have finished reading it, Valsin says, ”I do not know the exact contents of the letter you’ve just read; I know only that it comes from one of the Ten. While I would like to help you further with this mission, I’m afraid all I can do is point you to the Blakros Museum, where you are to meet with its curator, Nigel Aldain, and Hamaria Blakros in the morning…
“For those of you who do not know, I can tell you that our Society has a history both with the Blakros family and their museum. While our alliance with the Blakros family has been beneficial, it has also been challenging. We have been called frequently to the Blakros Museum to solve a string of crises in the past…”
”Many of these crises have revolved around the museum’s ties to both the Shadow Plane as well as the terrible void between the stars known as the Dark Tapestry. It would not surprise me if this mission concerns one of those as well…
”I know that many of you have served and resolved some of the Blakros crises in the past…and I thank you for your service in keeping the Blakros alliance stable and thriving. Feel free to let those that have not hear any details you might wish to share…
“As there is nothing else substantial for me to add, I’ll take leave of you now. Don’t be late for your meeting at the museum in the morning; both Hamaria and Nigel can be prickly about punctuality. Good luck.”
Valsin gives a parting grin to Taurus. "My apologies for the wine, my friend, it is not what I would've selected..."
He turns and leaves without further ado…
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As you share any previous experiences in dealing with the Blakros Museum with your fellow Pathfinders, or otherwise bide your time before your meeting there in the morning, you reflect upon the letter, pondering on what you might recall concerning the Onyx Alliance…
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"Wait a minute! Mesh knows something! You ... no. Just tell me ... pretty please?" you hear Zaarah arguing with her sword.
"Okay, listen what this rude Scimitar has to say although I have no idea where he knows that from: Since its recent changes, the Onyx Alliance has stepped up recruitment, offering new and veteran agents alike access to an impressive array of equipment. While most of these items rest within the Onyx Repository, a nearly unassailable fortress and heart of Alliance activities, a second storehouse exists within the city. The Wightir House was once used as an experimentation lab, but the Alliance’s new leadership has since repurposed it. Rumors suggest that the Wightir House is now a storage site containing various relics for Onyx Alliance use." she says giggling insecurely.
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Ursahla only halfheartedly listens to Ambrus Valsin as she studies the letter.
"I have had only a few dealings with the Blakros family but not so much with their museum. I can confirm some of what Zaarah said about the Alliance. Some of the contacts that my... other self keeps in Absalom were talking about it."
"Anyone been to the Shadow Plane before? Any ideas how best to prepare for it?"
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"I confess that I know very little of this Blakos Family as my missions takes me out further into the wilds or deep underground to battle monsters, especially of the serpentine kind." Florin says.
Nodding her thanks to Ridley for the explanation, she continues.
"Perhaps the Onyx Alliance has a tie in? This is a museum we are going into?"
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Zaarah suddenly hears something else.
"Wait, another message from Mesh: Over the past four years, the Onyx Alliance has undergone a drastic shift in its policies and leadership. No one knows the full scope of the coup that took place. However, it’s clear that things have changed. The Alliance is even thought to be sending envoys of peace to their longtime enemies, the Light Weavers’ Guild."
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As you arrive at the Blakros Museum the next morning, an attendant leads you to an office, familiar to some of you, perhaps...
Hamaria Blakros, matriarch and head of the Blakros family, gently rests the tips of her fingers on the wooden desk in front of her, the sound like the firing of a crossbow bolt in the silence. “Ah good, you’ve finally arrived. I see the Pathfinder Society remains eager to continue our ongoing association, and while I dearly wish this were a matter of import, I’m afraid this request borders on the... pedantic.”
Nigel Aldain, the elven curator standing at Hamaria’s side, twinges at the matriarch’s comment. He gives a weak smile and a brief nod before seeing himself out of the office. Hamaria motions for a clerk on the other side of the entryway to close the private office door.
“Pedantic, but important. You see, over the past few years, it has come to my attention that several important items have gone missing from our exhibits. Nigel believes that most of these disappearances are the result of Pathfinders, specifically the destructive means agents like yourselves tend to employ when working within the museum. While Nigel has cited recent actions involving Ralzeros or, as he puts it, the ‘so-called defense of our Shining Crusade exhibits from the northerners,’ I find it hard to believe that a conjured fireball could destroy magical relics that have withstood centuries or millennia of much worse battering. I’ve also heard rumors that these objects may have found their way into the hands of enemies.”
Hamaria gingerly walks her fingers toward a slip of parchment on the desk, pinning it in place with her two forefingers before sliding it across the table. “This is a list of items that Nigel recently catalogued as missing. I’d like for you to investigate these items and see what you can find within our records here. Our clerks can help you in whatever way you need, as should Nigel, though you may find it difficult to convince him.”
Blakros Museum Inventory of Missing Items
”I would prefer not to answer questions at the moment…you should conduct your own investigation on these missing items and not rely on my input or opinions before you submit your findings to me.”
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Crusader’s Blade:
You decide to investigate the missing items as they are listed on the inventory; the first item up is the Crusader's Blade. The archivists inform you that this blade has been missing for more than a year; however, they show you several archival sketches of the blade so you can get a sense of its appearance…
You also canvas the museum staff for any information they might shed on the missing blade…
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Ridley has little to contribute in regards to the blade, mainly succeeding in offending random people as he muddles about trying to talk to people.
Assuming someone successfully aids Urshala, Ridley will muse on what he knows of the relic, after drinking his cognatogen to enhance recall and using a charge from his want of heightened awareness
This blade belonged to an agend named Kaliba Damzi. She was last seen fighting the Onyx Alliance's raid on the Grand Lodge back in 4712. She was declared dead seven years ago, and she was long dead before the blade disappeared.
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"Hey, I just talked to some people. One of the staff members recalls that the last person to look at the blade was an interested Pathfinder agent, about a year ago. She took the blade off its pedestal, looked at it for a while, and then returned it. The blade disappeared a few weeks later. This agent was a tall, golden-skinned woman with curly black hair, brown eyes, and a habit of humming to herself. I think we really should look at the records of Pathfinders in the Grand Lodge to see who this Pathfinder was!"
Zaarah returns to the lodge.
"You guys won't believe it! The Pathfinder’s description matches an agent named Kaliba Damazi. Kaliba was last seen fighting during the Onyx Alliance’s raid on the Grand Lodge in 4712 AR. No one saw or heard from her again after that, so she was presumed to have been among the battle’s numerous casualties, and after magical attempts to contact her failed, she was officially declared dead 7 years ago. As she had not made provisions to be raised it would appear that she was dead long before the blade disappeared."
Zaarah thinks ... "Or she had something to do with the Onyx alliance and she was responsible for the theft of the blade!"
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Discovering that the missing sword was last seen in the hands of a long dead Pathfinder, you feel that you have enough evidence to dispute Nigel's findings that the Pathfinders were responsible for its theft or destruction.
You now move on to investigate the next missing item in the inventory...
Fahrstad Wax Golem:
As the missing wax golem seems to be more straightforward, the museum staff direct you to a cordoned off area that they simply refer to as ‘the waste pile,’ which is the result of an overeager Pathfinder hurling a fireball spell into a group of advancing wax golems. You examine the resultant melted wax pile..
When canvassing various staff members about the golem, they seem reluctant to speak but you press them on the matter…
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Taurus snorts angrily at the pedestrian request but joins the others in researching the lost items.
Finding nothing telling in the melted heap of waste, he tries the museum staff.
The massive shoanti rarely found doors remained closed to him when he leaned on the right people. A few well-timed growls and flexing of muscles later proves that the nervous staff members of the Blakros museum were no exception. Learning a morsel of potentially useful information he reports it to his companions.
"Some of the staff report seeing flakes of wax among the northern exhibits. I will search that section of the museum for proof."
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Seeing you follow the wax flake trail and hearing Zaarah's exclamation, one of the curator's assistants hurries over to the sealed vault when she sees your interest in it.
"My apologies, but Nigel is quite busy at the moment. You cannot enter this vault without the express permission of Hamaria Blakros; a powerful artifact with ties to the Shadow Plane lies within called the shadow obelisk. This artifact is particularly dangerous because it can open a portal to the Shadow Plane."
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We're here to investigate and that's what we're gonna do. I'm sure Nigel would want us to investigate every lead to discover what is going on here. No need to go get a key, I can handle it...
Ridley pulls out his lockpicks and deftly pops the lock open.
Um... Mr. Curator... this vault is empty. Your super powerful dangerous artifact is gone. Maybe go ask Nigel if he moved it somewhere else?
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The assistant curator gasps as Ridley makes short work of the assumed to be unpickable lock and opens the vault. "No you mustn't," she murmurs before her gasp grows even louder as she too sees the missing artifact. "NOOOO! I must summon Lady Blakros immediately!"
She sends a runner on the errand. In a few minutes, Hamaria Blakros makes her presence known, first miffed and then amused, at your initiative. "It would've been better if you had consulted me prior to opening the vault...but I did tell you to investigate without bias, so there's that. The artifact is not, in fact, missing; I have it. I removed it shortly after we discovered the missing items, but I can assure you there was no wax golem in the vault when I did so...
"Any way, you've certainly found a flaw in our security. Zarta Dralneen has been helping Nigel improve museum security recently, but it seems these measures have not yet gone far enough..."
She pauses a moment before continuing. "Pray tell, have you finished going over all the missing items? While I'm anxious for the results, I do not wish to hear your findings until they are complete."
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Zaarah raises an eyebrow and looks at lady Blakros as if she was dreaming.
Suddenly she steps forward and starts speaking.
"Oh oh, I am glad your artifact is still in your possession although it is quite insane ... oh I was allowed to ... ehhh ... yes insane! that Nigel was wrong in the first two cases we investigated. And ... well ... you should really check on his ... sanity?!" Zaarah says a little confused.
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Lady Blakros arches an eyebrow at Zaarah’s comment in return. ”Indeed? Well I look forward to your report. I’ll leave you now so you can get back to your investigation.”
Once she’s gone, you move on to investigate the third missing item...
Nemes of the Cerulean Pharaoh:
You deem the best course of action in investigating the missing nemes (a form of Osiriani headdress) is to learn more about the Pathfinder who died during its supposed destruction…
Upon questioning and/or cajoling the museum staff, you potentially learn more about the nemes’ destruction…
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”Hmm ... I remember my psychiatrist mentioning Chalos Visanda, a female half-elf, as something of a loud-mouthed agent who always chafed at being assigned seemingly low-importance missions. I also remember that Chalos was quite well versed in knowledge of magical items, so her sudden destruction of the artifact seems something of a freak accident!“
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Faerin follows the rest of her companions as they easily locate, discover and reveal information on the items listed in the report.
She was more of a warrior on the frontlines and this might be way out of her area of expertise but she helps where she can.
"This Lady Blakros seems keen on not getting involved in our investigations and it seems that most of the items are all associated with missing pathfinders of assorted skills?"
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"Hey wait a minute! As you know I am Scarab Sage and we have lots experience with Ancient Osiriani history. And i remember that the Cerulean Pharaoh was said to have access to powerful teleportation magic, which he made regular use of to travel around his lands."
She scratches her head.
"That means our fellow Pathfinder probably did not kill himself and the magic item but probably just teleported away!! This Nigel is really super insane ... hmmm ... maybe we would be a good match ... " she says in thoughts still scratching her head.
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As Zaarah's recollection of Cerulean history gives you a good argument against Nigel's findings, especially when considering the wax flakes leading to the vault, you move the investigation on to the last missing item...
Yamada Osa Painting:
You all seem to think that the last listed item is the most mysterious. The painting, which depicts a village in Tian Xia, has yet to be replaced. The still unrepaired stall bears several acid marks. You study the acid burns, hoping to find out what relevance they carry…
As with the other missing items, you once again question the staff members, who seem a bit anxious about the missing painting…