You've all gathered in the Pig's Paunch, one hour before dawn, just as the letter that summoned you instructed. However, you look around, and Kreighton Shaine, Pathfinder Society's Master of Scrolls, is nowhere to be found. The air inside is thick with scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. Most everyone else in the room are inebriates sleeping off their revelries, so it is easy to spot others who received the same summons.
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Standing on a bar stool to command the attention of an early morning serving maid with nothing better to do is a flamboyantly dressed gnome. He speaks softly to the woman so as not to disturb the sleeping drunkards but he seems to entertain her all the same. He silently shuffles a deck of fourtune reading cards and has her pick one seemingly at random.
He takes her card, a beautiful blindfolded angel holding a sword in one hand and a set of scales in the other, and sets it on the bar. With a flourish of the deck he shows her that all the other cards are totally unique and then has her place her card back into the deck face down. With a skillful but silent shuffle Ruzz asks her to flip the top card back over revealing it to be Justice, her card, once more.
With a smile he flips it over and places it on the bar face down. Unbeknownst to her he uses years of slight of hand training to deal the second card from the top facedown instead. It looks just the same to her and when she flips the card on to top it is once again her card! Ruzz goes through this act until all but the last card is on the bar.
When she flips the card this time it is the death card. He winks at her to dispell any fear this may cause and slides his hand across the card, laying a palmed Justice card over it so perfectly it appears to the maid that the Death card transforms before her very eyes. Before she can react he scoops up the cards and slides them into his traveling robes so swiftly they seem to disappear all together.
With a bit of a bow the magician almost stumbles and falls off the rickety bar stool before catching him on the bar. He blushes slightly and shrugs, his aged gnome voice cracking into a high pitch. "That was almost perfect you have to admit!"
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A sudden chill invades the establishment as a tall old man steps in calmly, hands folded behind his back. Frost runs down the ceiling for a brief moment before receding.
The man is dressed in travel clothes, a simple but ample garb. At his belt are suspended an ice pick, pitons and a long coiled rope, and his grey beard glitters from ice flecks as if he'd just climbed down from a mountain. A smile appears on his face creased with wrinkles as he catches a glimpse of the magician entertaining the maid. He watches closely, amused, and suppresses a playful laugh as the Gnome stumbles down the stool, and approaches him.
"Very well done, lad." He begins in a hoarse voice. "I couldn't follow myself."
Upon closer inspection, apart from the wrinkles, the voice, the grey eyes and the bent back, the man looks decidedly unlike his age. He seems too muscular, far too muscular to be old, and his eyes have the fiery energy of youth. It becomes clear at once something is amiss in his appearance.
Suddenly, it seems a child's hush is heard very faintly in the Pig's Paunch. The grey eyes become still as ice as the old man looks to the ceiling, listening.
"Yes, Elias? Oh, you are right, I forget myself."
He dusts his clothes, sending snowflakes to the floor, and sets the longspear that was strapped to his back on the wall. "Forgive an old man his manners." He extends a hand. "I am Yaerstenn. I assume you are here on behalf of the society?"
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A strange creature, looking more like a tangle of swamp vines rather than a creature of flesh and blood is seated with you. Every inch of him glistens in the dancing light of the tavern coated with some oily substance. He constantly swirls a flask filled with the same rank-looking stuff.
"Yes the Society, or at least its representative Zarta Dralneen, has promised to find me a new home, so I serve her interests and those of the Society in return. I am Urushi. The swamps of Wanshou were once my home, but no longer."
He pulls out what look like a stack of long gloves of various sizes.
"If any of you cast spells or think you would have reason to come into contact with me, you may want to wear these if you don't have gloves of your own."
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A tall, slender half-elf comes at your table, wearing dark clothes and with a huge backpack on his shoulders. "So, you're the group who recieved the summon from the Master of Scrolls, I presume" he says with an aloof tone. "I am Everon Nemnis, soon-to-be famous Pathfinder and future legend of Golarion. If you want to succed in whatever mission they will throw at us, just remember to follow my lead and all will be well".
He sits down, and only then seems to notice the people at the table, like he didn't give too much importance to them before. "Oh, but what do we have here!" he says watching the old man sit at the table, "Old man, it seems you're going to accompany me once again! Aren't you ecited at the idea of acompanying me once again on the road to success?".
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A slender woman strides into the bar and stops to appraise the assembled Pathfinders. From distance she appears to be human woman of indeterminate heritage but close up one can see that her dark skin is covered in tiny scales that have a soft greenish gleam and her golden eyes have a second set of lids that blink horizontally. Her black hair is tied into thick braids with bright ribbons and strings of colorful beads. She wears a gaudy consisting of a silk Tien kimono, Varisian glad rags, Kelish style slippers and chunky pieces of costume jewelry. Her bare arms are covered in elaborate tattoos and there is a little bit of red and green ink that can be seen on the side of her neck that hints at a much larger tattoo on her back.
"Greetingssss, very travelerssss," the vishkanya croons, her forked tongue flickering from between her painted lips. "I am Vipera Besura."
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The gnome notices the old human as he walks up and jumps down from stool to the floor below. He laughs as if the frosty gentleman said something hopelessly hilarious and replies, "It's okay good sir, most people have a hard time following themselves! After all every time you try to watch your back there you are looking over your shoulder! If you were good at it there might be cause for concern!"
After hearing the man's name the magician bows then bows again and reaches way up to offer his ungloved hands for a shake! "Pleasure to meet you Yaerstenn! It's also my honor to meet Elias the ever remindful! I'll just assume they're your invisible imaginary friend, alter ego, resident haunt, familiar, angelic overseer, or demonic informant! I don't judge! You can call me Ruzz and you're perfectly correct about why I'm here! I like you already I do, infact I'd say you're just the type of person I'd like almost to the last de-tail!" The gnome bows a few more times after shaking or not shaking the old man's hand as the case may be.
He goes silent when the others introduce themselves, inwardly shocked he didn't notice them before now. Ruzz dusts himself off and bows a few dozen more times to everyone else but pointed doesn't say anything or touch anyone else. The little gnome pulls a silvery necklace out from the neck of his robes that has a charm shaped the "Liberties Edge" logo.
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As Ruzz mentions Elias, a shadow briefly passes over the old man's face and he stutters an answer.
"Umm, yes... He is a... an old friend of mine, let's say..." His amiable smile quickly returns as he listens to the wizard. He then turns to the new arrivants.
"My pleasure, Urushi. I do hope you will find a new home." He takes a pair of the offered gloves and adds: "Yes, it might come in handy if I should need to heal your wounds."
Yaerstenn looks curiously at Vipera for an instant without losing the smile, before realizing she is not human. "Greetings, Vipera. I am Yaerstenn."
As Everon sits at the table, Yaerstenn extends a hand with an amused smile. "Well met Everon. How is our future hero of Golarion doing? Well rested enough from our trip in the sewers?"
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Vipera looks the leshy up and down with her unnerving gaze.
"Do you fear usss touching you because you have poisonous skin? Ssssome people say that my people have poisonous skin, but that it is a ssslanderous lie. It iss only our blood and sssaliva that is toxic."
Vipera shrinks back from Yaersten, uncomfortable with the aura of cold that surrounds him. She instead approaches Ruzz, the performer.
Ahhh...a performer. I wonder if the gnome has actual magic at his disposal, or just knows sleight of hand.
"Ruzz, can you entertain us with sssome of your magicks while we wait for our instructor to arrive? Perhapssss if you sshow us one of your trickssss; I will show you one of mine."
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As the pathfinders talk, one of the 'drunks' slumped across a table stirs himself and shambles in the direction of the jakes.
A few minutes later, he returns and approaches the group with bleary eyes, "Hey, met some friends here last night. Figured I might as well settle in, considering..."
He squints and rubs his eyes again, "So, right, um... Cynan's the name. Cynan G Elberion, Esquire, at your service. Oh, excuse me."
Cynan shuffles over to the bar, clearly familiar with the staff, "Hey, Rosie, could you get my pack from out back? And maybe one of those, y'know, those head-cleaners?"
The barmaid shrugs and retrieves a bundle of gear, including a crossbow and a chain shirt, which Cynan dumps on a table. Then she cracks a raw egg into a glass of sickly green liquid. Cynan tosses it back, makes a face like he is trying not to vomit, and than makes a strangled wheezing cough, "Thank you, Rosie, you are a saint, if not an empyreal lord."
Cynan then strides out of the inn, "Won't be long, fellas. Keep an eye on my stuff."
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With a smile Ruzz climbs behind the bar and takes three metal drink shaking cups and a few olives. He motions to the bartender implying he won't hurt anything he's not willing to pay for and climbs up into a stool again. He does a standard cup and balls routine, hiding the olives under the cups only to make them disappear. Finally for the grand finale he puts all the olives under all three cups stacked one on top the other.
With a smile Ruzz says some mysterious magic words and snatches a sleeping rat from it's hiding place under the bar and replaces the olives with it before it can protest, using his words to hide any squeaking the animal might try. With a flourish the gnome uncovers the animal only for it to lunge at him with furry in its eyes!
Ruzz falls back reflexively, casting feather fall on the rat to slow it down before it can fall upon him. As the gnome crashes into the ground a confetti popper explodes sending a shower of rainbow colored paper into the air. Ruzz swats the rat sending it sailing in slow motion over the entire room with a very confused look in its face. Behind the bar Ruzz frantically cleans his hands with some strong alcohol, shuddering in disgust.
"I knew I shouldn't have used an amateur animal, always use professional! Always! Yeck!"
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Cynan returns to the bar a few minutes later, just in time to see confetti sail across the room. He is holding a large, brown paper bag.
He cocks his head and pauses for a second, "Welcome to the Pathfinder Society, you'll fit right in."
He grins and sits down at the table strewn with his gear. The corners of the bag are dark and almost translucent. The reason why is easy to see when he produces a large bread roll from the bag. A roll filled with a fried egg, two sausages, three rashers of bacon and some kind of dark, spiced sauce.
Cynan eats greedily. After a few bites he smiles up at the party, "I feel better already. If you want one, I went to Kaegum's, just on the corner, red sign, you can't miss it. Man, that centaur can cook."
He looks thoughtfully at the roll, "Well, fry anyway. Kaegum can really fry. And this sauce..." He eats the rest of the roll and belches gratefully. A greasy, pork odour wafts across the bar.
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The old man eases himself onto the bench and waves a hand at a passing serving maid.
"Some hard sausage and ale, if you would be so kind, lass."
Yaerstenn follows Ruzz's display with interest, hiding his laugh behind a wrinkled hand as the rat floats across the room. He takes a sip of ale, frost forming around his fingers on the drinking mug.
He looks at Cynan's hands dripping with grease and smiles softly.
"As sad thing indeed that my stomach is too old for this kind of food." He turns to Vipera, seeing that she seems to shy away from him.
"Please forgive my cold welcome, lass. I am afraid I know much too little about Vishkanya. Where do you hail from?"
Rosie, the one poor barkeep watches this mad gnome and his antics and just sighs. The rat lands atop a booth, and scurries into a hole, frantic and confused. Rosie snatches the bottle from the Gnome. "Never know what to expect with you pathfinders." She grumbles.
She is quick to bring Yaerstenn his sausage and ale, and quicker to offer everyone else some fare. "Kreighton told me to tell you lot he and his guest needed to tend to something before meeting with you. They were here an hour or more before being pulled away. They should be back soon, though."
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Vipera turns to look the old man up and down, her gaze meeting his for an uncomfortably long time.
"Our people are from landsss far away. I have traveled far and wide in my short life, and I have never ssstayed anywhere long enough to call it a home."
Vipera watches the gnome's trick, and seems to be impressed. She bows respectfully at the end of his performer.
"Yesss, I sssee that you are a true showman. My trick iss quite sssimple. I will turn my back and cover my eyesss. Chossse one card from the deck on your table, and I will use my powers of divination to tell you which card you have drawn."
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Ruzz climbs back up into the bar with a huff after having his cleaning alcohol taken away. He cleans up his mess and places the deck of gag fourtune telling cards back onto the bar top after making certain it is as dry and possible and gives the vishkanya a child like smile. Always eager to see others do their own tricks, especially card tricks, Ruzz draws a card. Being sure to hide the card from all the mundane methods of observation he can think of he takes a peek to see it is the jester card.
I'm ready good Vipers, please perform your trick at your leisure!"
The gnome tries to pay full attention to what is going on with his mundane senses but he finds Cynan eating rather distracting and keeps casting a side long glance at him to make sure the oaf doesn't accidentally grab Ruzz's leg and start chowing down with wreckless abandonment.
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Vipera plays a cat and mouse game with Ruzz for awhile, attempting to get him to reveal his card without revealing her unusual familiar hiding in the rafters. After awhile she reveals her floating eye, allowing it to float midair in front of her outstretched palm.
"It has been quite a ussseful partner in my former professsssion as a ssspy. Being a part of me, I have a ssense of what it feelsss, but I wish it could speak to me. Perhaps sssometime day it will. It hasss a will of itsss own and sseems to get ssmarter every day."
Vipera looks Cynan up and down. "You are right to find my gaze unnerving, ssoldier man. I can gaze into your soul and sssee your future." The Viskanya laughs ominously.
The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: “Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. Suddenly, the door bursts open, and all of you turn to look at the door to find no one there. Then you hear boots strike down on the table you are gathered around and look up to find a familiar elven man standing upon the table.
“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!” With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder. “Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born."
“But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,” he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying, “Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice, “Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet. “Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.” With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself.
You find yourselves in the company of Janira Gavix, scratching your brain to remember things about the Isle of Kortos and about Gilmen, and possibly with a few questions.
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Ruzz waves his hands towards Cynan as both an apology and a rejection of his offer. With the revelation of the floating eye familiar Ruzz is completely distracted from his previous fears and finds himself jumping down to take a closer look at the familiar.
This is a truly amazing bond you have forged! Is it your own eye transmogrified into a sentient being or did you sacrifice your own eye to give this beauty a home?
Before he can get an answer the door crashes open and Ruzz let's out a squeal of terror fit for the pig that is this pub's name sake. He listens to half of the oration hiding under the very table that Kreighton is standing upon. For the other half he is trying to sneak out from under it without his master noticing he was hiding to begin with, very unsuccessfully.
Kortos Mountains? Gah does this mean we're going to have to take a ship, over water, in the ocean?! Me?!
The gnome is already starting to look sea sick just thinking about it. He climbs back under the table and starts to do breathing exercises to control his nausea. In through the nose, out through the mouth!
Janira looks at the gnome. "You do realize we're in Absalom... on the Isle of Kortos, yeah?" The halfling can't help but giggle a little at the gnome's antics.
She then looks to Urushi. "Yes, the cave is on the Southwest section of the Kortos Mounts."
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"So we're going to take a nice stroll through some moldy old cavern, how wonderful." says the half-elf rather sarcastically. "Well, at least it's not another trip in the sewers..." He picks up his backpack and dons it on his shoulders "So, when do we leave this lovely place and start our Confirmation? I'm eager to show everyone what a soon-to-be hero of Golarion is able to do!"
"So impatient! You might as well put that bag down, as preparations have to be made!" The halfling admonishes with a gentle, teaching smile.
Looking at Yaerstenn, she answers, "The gillmen are a little secrative, but not outright hostile. You're being asked to find out why they're venturing into the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, since the only known permanent surface settlement of them is in Escadar."
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The gnome looks flabbergasted but says nothing, he can recognize there is no way to put a positive spin on this so he simple keeps his mouth shut and hopes his extravagant blue beard hides his blush of shame completely.
I thought gillmen had to stay close to water or they died, how long can they go in a deep dark cave without any water?
Ruzz paces away quickly without waiting for his answer and mutters to himself under his breath while shuffling cards for comfort. He stands close enough away to hear the conversation but far enough away so as to fade into the background as much as a gnome with a blue beard and outrageously colorful outfit can melt into the background in a place like this.
There we go I asked an intelligent question now I have successfully drawn attention away from my early blunders. . .
"While it's true that most gillmen can only survive a day outside of water without having major problems, there are some that have adapted to living on land for longer periods of time, though I don't think that's the case. That's just something you'll have to find out!" Janira smiles.
"You never know what you'll get on an adventure with the society! Maybe there is a lake in the cave? It's up to you to find out, and be ready if there is!" The halfling giggles at Cynan's question.
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I know nothing of this land, but I thought one of these seemingly learned men would know more. I have overestimated them.
Viper bites her lips worriedly, then appraises Janira.
At least this halfling seems to know about where we're going. And for one so small, she seems rather brave.
Vipera glances at Yaersten when he asks about the gillmen. "Any person can be dangerous. Janira, do you have any theoriesss on what these gillmen are getting up to in thisss cave?" Did they sseem ssssssinister?
"Dangerous or not, I am eager to do what ever it takess to officially become a Pathfinder. If I have to wade through forest and cavess I will do ssso. And if I anyone tries to sstop uss..." Vipera trails off, then shrugs non-nonchalantly.
"I may have my own theories, but this is your confirmation, agents. It's up to you to discover!" Janira addresses Vipera with an almost musical tone in her voice.
The halfling pulls out a large leather-bound journal and opens it on the table. "I have yet to even learn your names, recruits! Before we set out, we should all get to know each other and review our plan. After all, the most important factors that determine whether an expedition will be a success are cooperation and preparation! I'll go first!"
"I'm Janira Gavix! I enlisted in the Pathfinder Society as soon as I could, and although I initially joined to see the world and sample all of the fine food it has to offer, I took a liking to the Scrolls, and now, I just can never learn enough! One day, I want my work published in one of the Pathfinder Chronicles! If this were my confirmation, I'd let you know that I bring a little bit of magic and motivation to the group, but my skills aren't what's being tested here!" This introduction, though said with much excitement, doesn't feel rehearsed, but as a natural introduction of herself.
"How about you all? What made you decide to join the Pathfinder Society? What do you bring today that will help your fellow agents?"
After everyone has acquainted themselves, Janira slaps a hand on the table. “On to the details of the mission at hand,” Janira says with an eager grin. “After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing in there."
“The caves we’ll be travelling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too.”
"While you ponder all of that information and ask any questions, let me see just how prepared you are! If you don't mind, I'd like to look through your equipment to make sure you're ready for anything that could happen, and you need to be ready to document what you find!" The Halfling plops a large stack of writing supplies and paper on the table from her own bag. "If anyone needs it, take it!"
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Ruzz gets his adventuring gear from behind the bar and leaves it near the insufferable half thing for inspection. Thinking about the moon out loud the wizard goes over a few possibilities that occur to him.
"The most obvious solution is the tides. When the moon is at its fullest the high tides are the highest! If there is indeed water in the cave system it may only be accessible during the highest of tides. If this were the case then new moons would also see our fishy friends arrival but they do not. It is possible they simple aren't seen because the lack of moon light makes them harder to spot. . . Second theory is that they are performing some sort of sacrificial or occult ritual that is tied to the phases of the moon! The moon plays many roles in different cults and religions. My third theory is that they are paying taxes or dues to something or someone in the cave system that are due every full moon. This is perhaps the most bleak option as anything that could demand tribute from gillmen so far away is likely to be powerful indeed. I am excited to find out which it is and would be even more delighted if all my theories are wrong!"
The gnome, having made his contribution to the group think, sits at a table near by and listens patiently to the others suggestions.
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When prompted to, Yaerstenn offers his reason for joining the Society.
"I joined the Society upon returning from the mountains I have been exiled to for many years." He closes his eyes and remains silent for a moment. When he opens them again, they shine with a curious, cold spark.
"It was the will of the Gods that I partake in this endeavour. To atone for my sins, perhaps, or to spread good. I might never know. As for what I bring, it is only what They deem appropriate to give me. I serve as a conduit for their powers, and They can be either as unforgiving as ice, or as soft as a cool autumn breeze." After a few moments, he erupts in a hearty laugh and shakes his head. "Oh, forgive an old man this grim discourse. I shall do whatever is in my power to help you all."
When Ruzz starts talking about the gillmen, Yaerstenn listens to his suggestions, but only shrugs.
"Gods only know the reason for their activity. We best be prepared for anything, but we ought not to worry ourselves too much; the truth will be uncovered when we will be on the field."
The old man hands his pack to Janira, a huge, stained leather backpack stuffed with exploration supplies.
Suddenly, a pouch of trail rations starts to move - apparently on its own - in the bag, and as it falls to the ground, scattering nuts and dried meat across the Pig's Paunch, it seems that a faint child's hush can be heard. Yaerstenn grumbles a bit before bending over to clean up the mess.
"Fine time to play tricks on me. You know my back is not what it used to be."
He blushes slightly as he looks to Janira. "Please excuse this... accident. Those kind of things happen often to me. Please, do not worry about it, it shall not be an obstacle to our expedition." He then points to the climbing supplies on his belt - a small stack of pitons, an ice pick, and a coiled rope.
"The Gods have deemed just to make me quite an able climber, if I can say so myself. If it ever comes to that, in the mountains."
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Everon takes his backpack off again, puts it on the table and sits down on the same seat he was occupying before. "Ok Miss, take your time and feel free to check my backpack, you'll sure find it is ready for any adventure you'll throw at us" he says.
"As to why I joined the Society, well, as you will see out in the field I'm a particularly gifted adventurer: clever, agile, knowledgeable, also an adept alchemist. I thought that the group could benefit from having me in its ranks, while I make my way up as the new hero of Golarion."
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"Ssomeone may have noticed that I have an old Assspis tattoo here on my arm. What can I ssay? I thought that anyone who also liked sssnakes as much as me couldn't be all that bad. When I found out how much they were involved in the ssssslave trade; I found a way to buy my freedom from them."
Vipera empties her weaponry onto an empty table. This includes a crossbow, a whip, 8 shurikens, a kukri, and two vials of acid. "I don't have a backpack. I have always traveled light. But perhapsss sssome writing materialsss would be in order. I am not ussed to traveling with ssssuch a scholarly group."
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Ruzz watches Yaerstenn as he speaks and then jumps up with eyes wide when the pouch starts to move on its own. Instead of fear they are full of scholarly intrigue and Ruzz cannot help but come over and assist the man with cleaning up the mess. While he is helping he waves his hands in the air over the pouch trying to detect any subtle changes in viscosity or temperature.
"Surely trail rations that move on their own accord are exceptionally rejuvenating to the body!"
With a wink to the older man the gnome goes back to listening when the floor is clear. His eyes dart back and forth looking for another thing to go moving on its own around the interesting fellow.
Janira rifles through everyone's gear. "You all look pretty well prepared. I see a few of you have some light sources, though Ruzz, you may want to get some oil for that lantern, and I see several of you have alchemical items, though you may want a few more alchemist's fire. That may just be a preference of mine, but they've saved my life a time or two." Her main concern is the ability to make camp, for those without darkvision to see in the caves, and to be prepared for threats that can't be dealt with with normal weapons.
Now is your last chance to make any purchases before heading West out of Absalom and through the Cairnlands.
Janira looks at the small Gnome. "Ruzz, on a second look... are you sure you want to travel across the Cairnlands with ALL of that? It looks a bit heavy for you, and we want to make good time to reach the cave in time."
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The gnome looks at all the big burly human type folk. He grins and pulls his sack over to him and sets out a few items on the ground. He sets out five days worth of fire wood, ten torches,a bullseye lantern, three canteens, an iron cooking pot, and 50 ft of hemp rope.
"My motto is always be prepared! In my experience humans always forget they can't see in the dark! If any of you want to take any of this you are welcome to it for free! I had most of it carried here by a friendly man with a hair lip named ... That's not important! Anything that is unwanted I will have stored in my quarters at the lodge for later. Would this be acceptable dear Janira?"
With that settled Ruzz talks to the friendly bar maid about selling some meal tickets back to her in exchange for trail rations, apparently Ruzz hoped their mission wouldn't take them far from civilization!
Janira smirks looking over all the fresh blood for the Pathfinder Society. "Then if we're ready, let's be off! You'll find whatever shops you'll need on the way out." With that, Janira leads the way through Absalom into the Cairnlands.
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The journey through the City at the Center of the World is swift and without incident. During the long trek across the Cairnlands along a well-worn path, Janira takes great pleasure in discussing Master Shane's class on the history of Absalom, as well as pointing out landmarks, distinct flora and fauna, and peppering interesting facts about the distant mountains. The first day of travel passes without incident, and Janira calls for camp in the evening.
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When morning comes, the group has breakfast before packing up camp and pressing deeper into the forest. The trees tower overhead, the vegetation beneath grows denser, and the sun begins to be occluded from view. Janira pauses for a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road. "I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well." She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J.L. are engraved into the inside of the device's lid. After studying the compass inside for a moment, she remarks, "We're on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead."[/b]
A tree falls nearby, creating a cacophony of cracking and crashing sounds. Various small animals scatter from the sight, including a swarm of flying, bloodsucking insects!
[ooc]Round 1, bold may act!
Everon begins lighting a torch. Janira obliges and moves behind the group. "Now's your chance to shine, agents! Much like..." and she beings to inspire courage within you by reciting epic tales of past Pathfinders.
Cynan lobs an alchemist's fire into the mosquitos to great effect! Many of them disintegrate out of the air! However, the remaining few smell food and swarm in!
Cynan and Urushi are bitten by hundreds of mosquitos at once and are left bleeding!