Zaigan flies within reach of the hovering genie and slashes him twice with powerful divine blows.
Umberto's arrow flies wide of his target as he adjust for the melee mid-air.
Taman pulls forth a vial and drinks the contents before Idruzi blesses him with a protective spell.
Natty likewise draws and quaffs a potion to replenish his lost blood.
=== Round 4 ===
+22+ Dresden(), Wolf()
+22 Xojject(-36), Azer(prone, -25)
+12 Zaigan(-16 smite, fly), Natty(-20-TBD)
+7 Taman(fly, SoF), Umberto(), Idruzi(-12)
Full attack (+ Outflank)
Natty's potion...
Dresden beats on the fallen fire dwarf with his longsword and biting him for good measure. Murphy does not quite manage to bite the squirming dwarf despite his prone condition.
Lord Xojject barks at the azer.
GET UP AND FIGHT! Where are the other cowards?
He flies back 5' and full attacks Zaigan with his blade.
I have had enough of you!
for
for
The blade nearly cleaves the small paladin in two. But but the holy power of Zaigan's smite saves him from being slain outright by the second strike.
for
The efreeti does not relent and tries with a final blast of fire, but none hurt the halfling
for
for
for
The Azer tries once again to beat the wolf off him...
for
=== Round 4 ===
+12 Zaigan(-55 smite, fly), Natty(-7)
+7 Taman(fly, SoF), Umberto(), Idruzi(-12)
=== Round 5 ===
+22+ Dresden(), Wolf()
+22 Xojject(-36), Azer(prone, -44)
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"Zaigan, hang in there!" Idruzi cries out as he sees the efreet cut his friend savagely.
"Cayden Cailean, you've been in tough scrapes before. Help us out of this one!" Idruzi says as he lifts his holy symbol, spilling a bit of ale from the mug.
3rd--
2nd--Align Weapon, Bull's Strength (d), Grace,
1st--Bless, Enlarge Person (d), Divine Favor, Liberating Command,
Orisons--Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
Umberto looses another arrow, but it flies harmlessly past the efreet Lord and hits the far wall of the estate.
Idruzi heals the stalwart half-elf paladin (forgive me for referencing as a halfling - I think the pic threw me). And Zaigan is restored from the brink.
Sensing a tactical advantage, Taman rushes around behind the red menace, drawing a swing from Lord Xojject as he moves into position.
AOO for
AOO for
Finally, Zaigan flies up deliver his blade to the efreeti, taking advantage of Taman's flank. He lands the first blow just barely, drawing a cry from Lord Xojject.
CURSE YOU!
With the distraction, Taman plunges his large blade into the efreet's back, between the shoulder blades.
AGGGGGGHGHHHHH! I am beset on all sides by brigands...
And his blade drops to the ground far below, clattering on the ground as the proud Lord Xojject floats uncontrollably to the ground as well, unconscious and bleeding.
The prone azer guard gulps hard as he sees his boss dropped to the ground.
=== Round 5 ===
+22+ Dresden(), Wolf()
+22 Xojject(-107, prone, bleeding), Azer(prone, -44)
+12 Zaigan(-30 smite, fly), Natty(-7)
+7 Taman(-34 fly, SoF), Umberto(), Idruzi(-12)
Full attack (+ Outflank)
With the stroke of Dresden's sword, the Azer is knocked down and bloodied on the stairs.
After dispatching the efreeti, Lord Xojject, your group can easily search the library and the estate. You have no problems planting any remaining evidence against the noble house.
Natty is able to reach the efreet and finds Xojject barely alive.
He spots the Cinderfury gorget around Xojject’s neck.
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Natty wipes away the flesh and blood from the metal object around Xojject’s neck and is just about to put it in his pocket, when Idruzi's voice booms across the hallway. He hold the object in front of his eyes, gives a sigh and look of sadness and loss as he says, "I suppose you mean this." Holding the gorget high up, in view of everyone, especially Idruzi. "I guess we'll be taking this back then" and shrugs his shoulders.
Once he is offered the chance, the Azer raises his hands and calls out.
Enough! I do not want to fight. The efreet made me work for him!
I will not hinder you. I heard you let others of my people go. The large axe on his belt is an heirloom of his family.
Also, have you found Flamebinder’s Jaw? It is usually kept in the trophy room. It would mean much to the Azer to remove that from this place.
Idruzi is able to stabilize the Efreet. Natty finds a number of items upon his person, including the gorget, fine bracers, frosty breastplate, and a cloak (*) see below:
The trio searching the upstairs, particularly the Master Suite to the southeast, you find:
The walls of this chamber bear a patina that continuously shimmers and swirls, and every inch of the floor bears fantastic mosaics of metallic tiles. A desk of polished marble stands to the southeast between two bay windows. The desk’s surface is covered in an abundance of brass sheets. This seems like a great place to plant documents.
This is the main business office of Xojject Cinderfury, where he twists all contracts, trade documents, and wishes with business partners in his favor.
Most of the documents requesting aid are stacked together and set far to one side as if they’d rather be forgotten, whereas missives from creditors congregate messily toward the center.
In a glass case atop the sideboard to the northeast rests Flamebinder’s Jaw, a brass azer jawbone poised atop a metal stand.
***
In the adjacent room to the southwest (Taman already looked within)
Exotic trophies, ancient relics and glimmering weapons rest atop illuminated pedestals that encircle the room.
Besides the first empty case which once held the large axe Natty found below, there are 3 other labeled cases also empty (and ironically the items are found on Lord Xojject). The second is a frost-forged steel breastplate inscribed with Shelynite iconography. The third is a set of bonebreaker bracers made of steel and studded with tiny garnets that seem to map the constellations in an unfamiliar sky. The fourth is a shield cloak made of orange-red drake hide.
Downstairs in the library, the search of the three sections will take considerably longer (up to 20mins per section - perception checks are the easiest, unless any of you are professional librarians).
Contracts: The person searching find a wealth of ledgers, trade maps, and signed business agreements covering a wide range of services, including Player Handout #3. The handout is a contract between the Cinderfurys and a group referred to as the Bralkashik.
Lineages: The Cinderfurys extensively documented not only their own family tree but also those of many other families. Even if the PCs don’t take any of the texts and charts, looking over them provides considerable insights into the convoluted efreeti lineages and how those have shaped the contemporary political landscape.
Magic: The family keeps a plethora of scrolls, tomes, spellbooks, and other magical writings here. The entire section radiates a riot of magical auras. Detect magic assists in the search, but cannot pinpoint items. However, with ample time, you are able to find a few noteworthy items.
Find a book of extended summoning (lawful)UE , a page of spell knowledge with resist energy, and a spell lattice (1st level)ACG.
Zaigan is able to find the contract (handout 3) as well as a
Contract in Ignan "Azerite Pact"
The PCs also uncover a frayed, ancient contract titled the Azerite Pact. With a successful DC 20 Appraise, Knowledge (history), or relevant Profession check, a PC can recognize that contracts like this are extremely rare and almost never duplicated, often because the dominant party holds the only copy that lays claim to the subservient party’s goods or services. The contract’s fine print is written in a painfully ornate Ignan script, and a PC who both understands Ignan and succeeds at a DC 15 Intelligence, Linguistics, or Profession (barrister) check determines that this is a legal contract that identifies a large population of azers who are bound to serve the Cinderfury family, having begun their service several centuries ago as recompense for services to the sultan. The contract formally cuts the azers’ ties to a different noble family and mandates their servitude in all things in perpetuity and with no recourse for eventual freedom. If the PC exceeds the check DC by 5 or more, she also recognizes similar signatures and language on another document in this section. This additional text identifies the Mishalq family as an obstacle to the Azerite Pact’s fulfillment, detailing a range of possible approaches the Cinderfurys might take to ensure their rival would not be capable of interfering—the subtext being the Cinderfurys willfully sabotaged the Mishalqs’ finances and reputation. With a successful DC 18 Knowledge (planes) or Profession (merchant) check, a PC can isolate several especially informative documents valuable to those pursuing business interests on the Plane of Fire.
The handout is a contract between the Cinderfurys and a group referred to as the Bralkashik. With a successful DC 20 Knowledge (planes) check, a PC recognizes the Bralkashik as an extended guild of efreeti operatives that specializes in smuggling, theft, fencing stolen goods, and other low-violence crime. The Bralkashik are something of an open secret among efreet, who see the organization as a necessary evil in a treacherously civil society, albeit an evil that shames the client whenever that patronage becomes public knowledge. The handout also references Sairazul’s Tears, which a PC can recognize with a DC 20 Appraise, Knowledge (local), or Knowledge (planes) check as a set of priceless diamonds stolen from the shaitans’ Peerless Empire centuries ago.
Taman finds the listed magical items in his search through the Magic section.
After finishing the planting of evidence and Zaigan taking the treasure as suggested by Idruzi, your group prepares to depart the estate of the now defeated Lord Xojject.
On the walkway to the front door and make your way out of Emberhearth, you encounter a regally dressed efreeti lounging causually against the outer wall of the estate.
Salutations, Pathfinders. She says with a formal bow.
I am Sarath Iqdaudja, a member of the sultana’s court and I have been watching your movements since you returned to this plane.
She continues. You probably do not yet realize, but you and your patron have played a role in larger plans that shall reach all corners of the plane and beyond. Know that you have the sultana’s favor, not her ire. Furthermore, you would be wise to take caution against attacking any of the sultana’s favored ambassadors or diplomats. And with that, I will take my leave. Farewell. she speaks an arcane word and disappears.
As you continue down the walkway towards the front gate of the property,
Qalkami intercepts you.
My dearest friends. How fortunate I should find you here. I must inform you that as we speak, a host of nobles are on their way to witness the Cinderfurys’ treachery. she says loudly.
As she moves closer, she speaks more softly.
So were you successful with your mission? Can you confirm you were able to leave the evidence, and take any of the key treasures I had requested you bring to me as part of our arraignment with your Society?
She waits for your response as she looks down the avenue in the distance, where a large group of nobles appear to be approaching.
Quickly, as we only have a minute.
Qalkami smiles in malicious delight as the gorget is produced.
The efreeti tests the gorget’s weight in her hand for a moment before pocketing it, Indeed. How far the family has fallen since their generals were the sultanate’s pride.
She turns to Zaigan with a slight sneer, finding his overwhelming goodness being distasteful. She takes the contract from the half-elf and reads it.
I am sure it means nothing to you, the Bralkashik are something of an open secret among efreet, who see the organization as a necessary evil in a treacherously civil society. This will indeed be useful.
She then asks What of the Azerite Pact? She cajoles If you have found it, what possible use could you have for such a document?
Very well. If you have placed the evidence, that will be enough.
Qalkami listens intently to where you planted the evidence and seems satisfied once she has confirmed they placed sufficiently as directed.
Finally, she nods her approval, I declare the Society’s obligation fulfilled, and in return, the promised secret.
She moves closer as the Nobles approach.
“Only a powerful artifact in its own right could crack the jewel you have found. What you seek is known as Fossilblight, a legendary weapon of solid diamond the shaitans built to punish the City of Brass.” She scoffs.
“They lost it, no thanks to my family’s guile. We found it, and when the shaitans dispatched a mighty colossus to crush us in retaliation, we used the weapon to pin the war machine deep in the Kullan Dei Mountains of Tian Xia, a range on your home planet. Tell your elders, as they seem so desperate to know. I have a final piece of business to conduct.”
She steps back and asks you to leave the protective talismans at the Chromatic Dragon in her name.
Immediately after concluding her business, Qalkami turns to great a plethora of elegantly dressed efreeti nobles, royal guards, and politicians who mill about the estate’s main entrance, scowling at any of the Pathfinders who linger.
Qalkami hovers to address the gathering.
“Citizens of Brass! Look upon Emberhearth and observe! Today, the corruption of the Cinderfurys has been revealed, defying the very dynasty that put them in power. They conspire with the Peerless Empire to attack the throne, and their crimes must be punished. It is my charge to protect the sultana’s glory, and I would extinguish the last flame before allowing any harm to her. I’ve failed her once before, and I will not do so again!”
Respectful nods, light clapping, and a few cheers from the crowd greet Qalkami’s speech. The royal guards quickly rush into the building while the nobles begin congratulating Qalkami on a job well done.
To you, it appears as though the Cinderfurys’ guilt is accepted in spite of any evidence, and while there’s some truth to that thanks to political maneuvering, they can learn through the rumor mill later how their contributions helped drive the rise of the Mishalqs’ power and the fall of the Cinderfurys’.
Idruzi was able to uncover and isolate several especially informative documents valuable to those pursuing business interests on the Plane of Fire.
After exiting the Cinderfury estate and Qalkami, the party can locate a few of the befriended azer slaves at a prearranged location later to exchange information and gladly accept Flamebinder’s Jaw. You have our thanks and that of our people. We are in awe and soon must excuse ourselves to begin making arrangements to commune with our ancestor.
The only task remaining is to return your talismans of fire endurance to the Chromatic Dragon in Qalkami's name before the planar travel home.
Idruzi says, eyeing the nearest tavern.
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"Ah, Umberto it seems I have to leave gifts to two gods now, Calistra whose priests have helped me in the past, and now Cayden to fill my belly with good ale and companionship of the tankard. My thanks to you all, without your help and our combined strengths this could have ended badly." he wipes his mouth, "I wish you all luck and hope our paths cross again and we will triumph together once more." he swigs his ale, the brown liquid trickling down his chin, a wide smile on his face.