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Mara keeps a poker face even as she curses herself for her carelessness. I really need to practice sneaking more; I've clearly lost my touch. However she can't keep her eyebrows from raising as Meleeka Sanvara suggests the group challenge her new 'students' in order to join the dojo. Is she delusional? Surely she can't actually think we want to-
Which is when Thorax emerges and happily expresses his desire to learn.
For one moment, she exchanges a look with Ulthun. A long-suffering, how-is-this-my-life look. Whatever he's being paid, it's not enough.
"I have to admit we didn't come to join your dojo, Master Sanvara. We didn't even know anyone was here. We're actually looking for a statue known as One-Who-Waits. Perhaps you've heard of it? It's a relic sacred to the Monastery of Unblinking Flame." Not that Mara has any doubt about Sanvara knowing exactly where One-Who-Waits is, but she's curious how the woman will react.
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'Can't we just beat her and the students to submission? We all know it's going to come down to it eventually'
With a shake of her head, Deshacerla forces a smile. "My companion speaks the truth. We truly wish you and yours no ill will. My over-excitable companion seems quite keen on learning your trade, while my talents don't guide me towards your arts. Perhaps we can come to an accord of some kind? Help each other, if you will."
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The woman's beatific smile slips slightly, as she frowns.
"That Relic was originally stolen by them from my Ancestors; I have simply restored balance, by reclaiming that which was rightfully mine, and which they had no right to claim! It is, after all, an integral part of the teachings that I share here... teachings that they had no interest in promulgating."
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Relieved that the conversation has turned away from attempting those very unpleasant-sounding challenges in order to humor the apparently unhinged monk, Adalan replies, "If that's really true, I'm sure the Society would have been willing to hear your complaints and broker some kind of agreement with the Monastery of Unblinking Flame. However, given that you instead decided to attack our lodge and steal the statue, we're going to need to return it to our vaults."
"Oh. Yeah. Forgot."
Thorax draws his shortsword.
"First you give back statue, *then* you teach how to walk on coals."
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The woman snorts.
"What, the Society that has plundered the lore and relics of countless civilisations over the years, only to store it in vaults where no-one but them may access it? Why would they listen? You are simply more thieves and vagabonds, and lackeys of the same. My ancestors may not have been able to protect their Relic, but I will not give it up so easily!"
She then adopts a combat pose, as a halo of flames burst into life around her!
Mara
Deshacerla
Dran'Thor
Bair
Thorax
M (-)
BD (-, -)
Adalan
Thorax strikes up a stance of his own, but instead of lunging forward, he raises his shortsword up high and begins to sing!
"Silly Longshanks, we not thieves!
We be Pathfinders, even me!
Time to run away, before you get cut!
Your boss is in for some really bad luck."
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Mara considers the woman's claim. "Do you have any proof that the relic originally belonged to your family? I'd be willing to take any evidence you have-"
Before she can even finish her sentence the woman bursts into flame, Thorax starts singing, and Dran'Thor unleashes lightning. Mara pinches the bridge of her nose.
Oh be honest, it was going to turn into this anyway. One doesn't take notorious bandits as students without planning to bust a few heads.
...Fine.
Even as Mara moves to attack, she calls out, "Please keep in mind that we will accept your surrender at any time!" There you go. You gave them an out. If they don't take it, it's on them.
She strides forward and quickly strikes at one of the Mudclaws.
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Mara moves in, and carves two neat lines into the closest Disciple.
Deshacerla then targets the same one...
...which withers under the force of her necromantic might!
Dran'Thor then channels electricity...
...and whilst one manages to dodge, the other takes the full brunt!
Bair then moves around, and clobbers one of the disciples.
Thorax then taunts both disciples, leaving them thoroughly shaken.
Master Sanvara then glowers in righteous fury.
"I am Master of this Dojo! Why would I surrender to thieves!"
She moves forward, and slashes at Bair with a keening cry...
...and starts to char Bair's flesh.
Her disciples then blow pouches at sand at Mara and Bair...
...but both are unaffected, much to the disciples' annoyance, so they draw their scimitars.
Adalan
Mara
Deshacerla
Dran'Thor
Bair (-11)
Thorax
M (-)
BD (-28, -16)
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Bair's eyes go wide with fury as the scorching claws strike him, "WHY YOU GODDADODAT I DIDDIN EVEN HIT YOU YET!"
All thoughts of only whacking the enemies softly until they lay bleeding, maybe not dead, fly out of his head and he begins swinging wildly at any target close.
for
(+1 if prior swing misses) for
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"And surely survival is preferable to dying for the sake of a statue, right?" Adalan adds. He mutters an incantation and proceeds through a series of complicated hand gestures which cause three roiling orbs of distortion to form in the air and then fly past one of Sanvara's disciples to strike her directly.
Thorax follows up his verbal threats by striding forward and striking at the two monks!
vs Pink
vs Green
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Adalan sends a trio of force missiles into the self-proclaimed Master, temporarily knocking the wind out of her.
Mara then distracts Purple, before slicing and dicing her into oblivion.
Dran'Thor then buffets Sanvara with a thundercloud...
...leaving her reeling.
Bair then clubs Green, leaving him staggering...
...which plays right into Thorax's hands, allowing the wily Goblin to stab the man through the heart.
Adalan
Mara
Deshacerla
Dran'Thor
Bair (-11)
Thorax
M (-15)
With the two disciples downed, Thorax beams a wide smile and moves to flank Sanvara.
"Now I be your next student! I show you... 'Goblin Punch'!"
vs FF?
vs FF?
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Bair does not pull his punches at all... probably unable to. Maybe just unwilling to. Blood red colors his vision as he viciously swings his club twice. He stops briefly to look at his handiwork, letting loose a loud yell of intimidation, showing his big ole fangs in glee.
(+1 if prior swing misses) for
(+1 if prior swing misses) for
Thorax flinches as Sanvara's body contorts under Bair's mighty blows.
"...so hard to find good teachers these days."
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Adalan sends out a blast of ice-cold frost, which the wily monk manages to dodge.
Thorax tries to pimp-slap her, but she manages to avoid his blows, contorting her body into a range of uncomfortable positions in the process.
Bair, on the other hand, has better luck, landing a single, solid blow, leaving her shaken.
Dran'Thor tries to capitalise upon the distraction, but the woman moves as if she were possessed by fire, easily dodging his blow.
Adalan
Mara
Deshacerla
Dran'Thor
Bair (-11)
Thorax
M (-34, Persistent Electricity 1)
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Mara attempts to reason with the monk, and prepares to stab her, if she tries anything.
Deshacerla is more practical, and, channeling the energy of the negative energy plane, tries to harm the monk...
...who manages to resist the worst effects of the spell, but is still quite injured.
The electricity arcing across her body earths in the ground, as she collapses to her knees in a fit of tearful rage.
"How could I have so carelessly failed to prepare my students for battle?"
She tears off her handwraps, and flings them at Bair, before ripping the key-chain from around her neck, and tossing it at Thorax.
"I should not be called anything but an impostor, who isn’t worthy to be called “a master of anything” and who doesn’t deserve the secrets of my family! There is nothing for me here, any more - I should leave Jalmeray, and never return."
Meleeka then staggers to her feet, looking ready to leave...
Thorax holds the key up high, his eyes practically reflecting its image.
"Student versus teacher, head to toe!
Student beat teacher, in her own dojo!
I need new title... Hmm what do you think?
Thorax Toothlicker, Goblin Monk King!"
Thorax hops and dances in a little circle while performing comical kicks and karate chops.
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Mara is distinctly uncomfortable with the turn things have taken. Sure, the monk was a thief, but she’d seemed to genuinely believe the statue should rightfully have been hers. She could have surrendered, the ruthless part of her brain argues. Not our fault she didn’t.
Yes, but did we really give her much of a chance to present her side?
This whole ‘empathy’ thing was going to get her in trouble some day.
”Thorax, can I borrow your healer’s tools?” Assuming he agrees, she moves to the injured students and starts trying to stabilize them.
As she works, she talks to Meleeka. ”Look, it was six to three. That they didn’t win isn’t a reflection on you as a teacher.” She looks up, fixing her gaze on the monk. ”As for the secrets of your family, may I ask where you learned them? Because what you were saying about Pyralisia was very different from the story I’d learned.”
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”Are those scrolls also in the reliquary? I’d be interested in seeing them.” Mara considers for a moment. ”I’m assuming they’re also how you learned of your family’s connection to One-Who-Waits? If so, I’d be willing to take them to the Lodge. Assuming the scrolls are proven to be legitimate, I’d advocate that the statue be returned to you. No promises of course, I don’t have that much influence, but I’d try.”
Mara has serious doubts about the scrolls’ legitimacy, but her offer is completely genuine. Unfortunately she is also reminded of another complication. ”Did you know your ‘students’ are bandits? Rather notorious in this region, from what I recall. Known as the Mudclaws.” She dusts off her hands as she finishes stabilizing them. ”Whatever happens with the statue, I’m afraid we’re going to need to turn them in to the authorities.”
"You could come work for Society! Last angry Longshanks who we fought ended up working with us. You could get paid to teach new Pathfinders the secret of Goblin Punch!"
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The woman nods.
"Yes, the scrolls are in the Reliquary."
She then frowns, as she regards her students.
"No, they did not mention that to me. That is... unfortunate."
She now seems somewhat detached.
When Adalan makes to go off, the woman notes:
"You will need the key to get in. There are also some Phoenix Rune traps guarding the area - I can't explicitly tell you where they are, as they have the ability to move around."
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Adalan stops, taken aback by the woman's dramatic shift in demeanor since the beginning of the fight.
"Thank you for the warning," he replies. "You really could be quite helpful to the Society, and as you said yourself there's not much left for you here. We would greatly appreciate it if you came with us and taught your unique martial techniques to the Society's experts."
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Mara tilts her head to the side. She honestly hadn't considered asking Sanvara to join the Society. I suppose there have been stranger agents. Several of them on this mission, in fact.
"You could certainly come back with us. In addition to sharing your martial arts techniques, they could probably use your help in curating the artifact vault. It wouldn't hurt to ask. If you're interested, of course."
Knowing that Thorax knows more about traps than she does, (and also that he's the one with the key), she gestures for him to go first. "After you."
Thorax holds the key in front of him like a divining rod looking for treasure.
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The woman shrugs dejectedly.
"I suppose that I can give that a try..."
Thorax finds one of the traps , and once he has spotted it, easily disables it by tossing something unmentionable at it, splattering it thoroughly.
In an alcove towards the back, he then finds the goal of the party's quest: A statue of a meditating monk in the lotus position.
In addition to that, he finds a trunk containing several objects that belonged to Meleeka's ancestors:
An iron scepter topped with a sculpture of a talon clutching an orb that continually glows white-hot as if it is still being tempered in a forge and functions as an everburning torch;
Two leather bladders containing minor elixirs of life;
a bronze bangle adorned with a crushed stone mosaic of the Rain of Embers that functions as a bracelet of dashing;
and a set of six scrolls that describe various occult and martial art techniques developed by Meleeka’s ancestors.
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Having obtained One-Who-Waits, the return trip to Niswan aboard the Obsidian Owl is eventful. When the statue has been returned to Venture-Captain Melipdra, she assures the party that she can leverage their success to preserve the agreement between the monastery and the Pathfinder Society, awarding each of you a bag of rough-cut garnets for a job well done.
Furthermore, she applauds your maturity and forward thinking, for bringing Meleeka back with you. She asserts her belief in the power of second chances by revealing that the Society gave her one after she was defeated in the Challenge of Sky and Heaven nearly 30 years ago. While Melipdra acknowledges it may be hard for Meleeka to forgive herself for the shortcomings of her past, she believes the Society can use Meleeka’s talents to do a lot of good for others along the way while Meleeka gives it a try...
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Mara takes the reward with a grin. Have to say, for all the crazy situations the Society has gotten me into, it sure pays better than being a regular detective ever did.
Before they leave though, she does keep her promise. "Venture-Captain Melipdra? It may be a moot point, given that Meleeka agreed to join the Society, but she has scrolls with her that indicate One-Who-Waits was stolen from her ancestors. Would you be willing to investigate that claim? If it's true, then I think the statue should be returned to her."
Brought some bandits to justice, returned missing property to its owner, (either way you want to look at it), and preserved an agreement for the Society. Job well done.
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Upon returning to the Grand Lodge, the party takes a boat from Absalom up the Iseld river in Cheliax, transfers to a caravan after reaching the Conerica Straits, and finally arrives in Elidir, the capital of Isger. Their contact is a human woman named Karla Wesver, a fellow Pathfinder from Isger and a member of the Horizon Hunters. The party is to meet her at the White Stag Inn, a large and bustling inn on the Conerica River. Traders rub shoulders with merchants and river bargemen as furs and goods are exchanged. Sure enough, a woman sporting an intricate braid and a well‑worn travel outfit waits for you at the door of the inn. Upon seeing you, she waves you over and greets you each with a firm handshake before leading you to a booth in the corner of the taproom.
“Ah, good. You made it. I’m Karla Wesver. Welcome to Elidir, and welcome to the White Stag. It used to be that we Pathfinders had a bit of a strained relationship with the Chelaxian government. It still isn’t all sunshine and roses, but with the opportunity before us, we can now move about in public without fear of conflict or reprisal.
As you may know, Isger is still a vassal state of Cheliax. The Chelaxians have bled Isger dry for years, but the increased demand for goods like Chelaxian brandy and other luxury items in Molthune and beyond has resulted in Cheliax finally getting off its ass and investing some resources in Isger.
Normally these goods go through Druma to reach Molthune, but Druma has been raising import taxes. Cheliax issued an open bounty to explorers the world over: establish a new trail through the Menador Mountains between Isger and Molthune, suitable for pack animals to traverse. So, this presents a rather rare opportunity for us to find a way through the Menador Mountains into Molthune. Calisro Benarry, leader of the Horizon Hunters faction, has a special interest in this bounty. She is hoping you will take to this challenge with gusto. She sent a package ahead for you.”
Karla pats a large brown paper package on the bench next to her before handing over a letter.
“All good then? I’ve arranged for a river barge to take you out to the Menador Mountains and packed some provisions for the journey. Not all of the food you’ll need for the journey, mind—carrying all of that would be too heavy, and likely to attract unwanted attention from the wildlife. You’ll want to forage along the way, if you can. My friend Jasikah Marten will be waiting for you in Canorate. She will help you file your paperwork with the Chelaxian officials, and she’ll also have a warm and comfy bed ready for you. Good luck, and Gods speed!”
Adalan and Mara both know that the Menador Mountains are home to orcs of the Shattered Fang tribe.
Adalan, Bair, and Mara know that avalanches and cold weather hazards are common, and most routes are effectively one way.
However, Dran'Thor, with his superior knowledge of the natural world, also knows that the Menador Mountains carry snow at their peaks year‑round, but at lower altitudes partially melted snow can become unstable, posing an avalanche risk.
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Pretty much sticking with the group after his utterly failed attempt at the driving the new fangled gnomish monstrosity called a forklift, Bair listens intently for about three seconds before wondering how it would feel to freeze to death. He flexes his fingers as though already imagining them freezing solid first.
When the others mention orcs he perks up, "Dem greenies get asmush hadred as us greenies, but dadonmakem owr frends." He rubs his pretend frozen hand through his hair, holding it like a hard claw. The hair, as usual, remains unworried and springs back into place.