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'Well...that can't be good.' considers the gnome at the back. 'Glad I wasn't in there when he did that!'
Calmly mumble a few words to herself, she points at the beast she can see. A translucent beam shoots forward and engulfs Mara for a moment. "Watch yourselves. These things might hurt...Think we asked nice, they'd back up so we can get a better shot?"
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Deshacerla wards Mara against one of her foes.
Zac pops off two shots, one of which slams into the closest corpse, but it barely seems to notice (although it is clearly damaged by it).
Thorax delays, whilst Ulthun confirms that these are Mummy Shamblers, the least form of mummified foe (little better than zombies) - they are vulnerable to Fire and Positive Energy, and like to grab foes, so that they can bite them.
Then, the form that was flailing around in the furthest 'pit' staggers to its feet, revealing itself to be nearly 9' tall, and as bulky as an Ogre! It then staggers forward, gnarled hands reaching towards the living...
Round 2:
Dran'Thor (-0)
Adalan (-0)
Mara (-0)
MS (-14, (dead), -8, -3)
Deshacerla (-0)
Zac (-0)
Thorax (-0)
MB (-0)
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Staring wide-eyed at the newly revealed monster, Adalan backs up and presses himself against the wall of the chamber. His attention quickly returns to the mummies immediately threatening him, however, and he hastily forms a floating, circular barrier with a few arcane words, positioning it to ward off their attacks. He then sends a tendril of lightning crackling through the two undead adjacent to him.
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The heavily injured mummy catches the brunt of Adalan's blast of electricity, and crumbles to dust, but partially shields its colleague.
Mara then takes Red apart with a deft strike, before turning her attention to Blue.
Round 2:
Dran'Thor (-0)
Adalan (-0)
Mara (-0)
MS ((dead), (dead), (dead), -7)
Deshacerla (-0)
Zac (-0)
Thorax (-0)
MB (-0)
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"Bigger one? Where?" inquires the gnome. "I can't see!"
Quickly casting a spell on herself, she makes her way into the room. Stopping suddenly as the beast comes into view
"OH MY! That's a biggy!"
Critical Success Sanctuary ends.
Success - The creature can attempt its attack and any other attacks against the target this turn.
Failure - The creature can't attack the target and wastes the action. It can't attempt further attacks against the target this turn.
Critical Failure - The creature wastes the action and can't attempt to attack the target for the rest of sanctuary's duration.
Thorax sees an opening, and attempts to nimbly dodge past the giant.
Once he's in position, he Quickdraws his Shortsword and attempts to shank the giant!
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Like a well-oiled machine, the party takes the monster apart!
Dran'Thor electrocutes the mummified corpse.
Adalan then blasts it with force missiles.
Mara strides forward, and delivers two deft jabs, which would probably have seriously inconvenienced a living foe.
Deshacerla heals Thorax.
Zac then chops it in half!
A thorough search of the room does not turn up anything of interest, apart from the 'Pathfinder's' bloody corpse, which has been thoroughly dismembered.
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This dead-end corridor contains two statues depicting mummified corpses at opposite ends, their arms raised, and pointing at each other.
Everyone *apart* from Adalan and Mara note that the right arms on each statue are jointed at the shoulder, almost as if they could be manually raised or lowered...
"Levers!"
Thorax sets to work playing with the arms and figuring out what results occur from different positions...
...unless he's zapped, singed or maimed, in which case he starts dismantling things with his thieves' tools.
"We report back to Venture Boss now?"
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Visibly still a bit shaken from the unexpected undead attack, Adalan replies, "We definitely do need to inform him of the impostor we discovered, but first we should at least see what's behind the door to the southwest, just for the sake of thoroughness."
Adalan walks down the corridor to join Mara and checks the final room, resuming his routine sweeps for magical auras.
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The centrepiece of the shrine is a 10-foot-tall statue of what must be a god, holding a brazier of lit coals.
Adalan and Deshacerla identify this as a depiction of Set, the Osiriani God of darkness, deserts, and murder.
Adalan also discovers a Dull Grey Aeon Stone in the offering bowl in front of the statue.
"Now we report back to Venture Boss!"
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Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir is very interested to hear the party's report of what was in the complex. He is, however, deeply concerned by the existence of the false 'Pathfinder', who had been exploring the site well in advance of the Society...
"I will work with Osiriani government officials to root out the source of the problem. For now, though, you have earned a rest in the gardens of the Sandswept Halls!"
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A few weeks after finishing up in Osirion, the party has, by various means, made it back to the Grand Lodge, where they find letters waiting for them...
I do hope you’ll join us at the Grand Lodge for the celebration to congratulate the most recent group of initiates—yourselves included! A good time is certain to be had by all, but it’s more than just a party.
Gatherings like this are an excellent opportunity to rub elbows with the Society’s leadership and get to know them. That means you’ll always be quick to know about the best opportunities as soon as they arise. I hope you’ll take advantage of the event to put your best foot forward.
I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
—Janira Gavix, Pathfinder Society Head Initiate
I do hope you’ll join us at the Grand Lodge for the celebration to congratulate the most recent group of initiates. I have to say, I’m proud of how far you’ve come since you were an initiate, and I look forward to seeing you support the next generation of Pathfinders. Besides that, gatherings like this are an excellent opportunity to rub elbows with the Society’s leadership and get to know them. That means you’ll always be quick to know about the best opportunities as soon as they arise. I hope you’ll take advantage of the event to put your best foot forward.
I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
—Janira Gavix, Pathfinder Society Head Initiate
Thorax has heard that Zarta Dralneen, a Chelaxian expatriate once known for hedonism, will be at the party. Zarta Dralneen was betrayed by her country, receiving official condemnation based on false charges. Since then, she has set her old lifestyle aside to focus on other priorities. She has long helped the Society root out dangerous artifacts and uncataloged perils within its vaults. Recently, she was faced with the choice between continuing to pursue her goals within the Society or leaving to pursue vengeance against those who betrayed her. After careful consideration, she has decided to stay with the Society. She has accepted a new position as Head Archivist, granting her official authority over the contents and security of the Grand Lodge’s extensive troves of knowledge and magic.
-----
It seems as though the entire Grand Lodge has the air of a celebration. The great gates are flung wide, and the phoenix trees lining the entryway are in full flame. The halls of the main tower of Skyreach, normally somber and reserved, echo with the sound of voices and music. The great ballroom is decked for a celebration, with colorful banners and bunting along the walls, tables replete with food and drink, and a jovial cacophony of conversation rising from Pathfinders of all ancestries, nations, and backgrounds.
After a quick scan of the room, it’s obvious that many of the attendees have gathered in small groups here and there. A half-orc woman in an iconic ship captain’s hat stands near the punch bowl , handing cups to anyone who passes within reach, and a dark-skinned half-elf leads a small group of new agents around the room, introducing them to other attendees. Several senior agents stand in quiet conferral with a dark-haired Taldan man with a distinctive chin strap beard , while a scholarly dwarf tells a rousing tale to a rowing audience.
A familiar blond halfling woman bounces over, bubbling with excitement. Janira Gavix, Head Initiate of the Pathfinder Society, grins, "Oh, I’m so glad you made it! After all, the celebration is for you. Have you gotten drinks? Snacks? Be sure to spend some time getting to know everyone—it’s best to be on good terms with the movers and shakers in the Society, that’s how you learn about the latest opportunities. I’ll be here if you need me to help you with anyone’s names or to make an introduction. Just let me know how I can help!"
Janira gestures everyone forward into the room, beaming all the while.
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"Sire, you really should learn to read. I can't keep doing this for you forever."
*cough* a-ahem *clears throat*
"Pathfinder,
I do hope you’ll join us at the Grand Lodge for the celebration to congratulate the most recent group of initiates. I have to say, I’m proud of how far you’ve come since you were an initiate, and I look forward to seeing you support the next generation of Pathfinders. Besides that, gatherings like this are an excellent opportunity to rub elbows with the Society’s leadership and get to know them. That means you’ll always be quick to know about the best opportunities as soon as they arise. I hope you’ll take advantage of the event to put your best foot forward.
I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
—Janira Gavix, Pathfinder Society Head Initiate"
"Thanksy!" Thorax exclaims to the old knight.
As the two of them arrive at the celebration, Thorax runs off to grab a bite to eat, and after securing TWO platefulls of meat and... uh, meat... he approaches Eando Kline.
When Thorax notices Eando is once again in need of a social rescue, he reacts in song!
"Hey you Longshanks, Shoo shoo shoo!
Thorax Toothlicker gots work to do!
Need talk to Boss, and then time to dine!
You can talk later to Eando Kline!"
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Eando is deep in conversation with a middle-aged Taldan woman with dark hair and an aquiline nose, dressed in tasteful, but somewhat reserved, albeit extremely luxurious, clothes and jewelry. Thorax easily recognises her as Lady Gloriana Morilla, the former head of the Sovereign Court.
Surprisingly, she is actually somewhat distracted by Thorax's... 'performance'... but recovers quickly, returning to her previous topic of conversation with practiced efficiency.
Thorax grumbles as he fails to shoo off the frilly woman, but he has meat, so he keeps himself entertained.
But not for long!
Thorax first tries to distract the Half-Orc Venture Captain with a tall tale of Survival living in the wilds before coming to Absalom with the Crookedtoes Tribe:
"Lots Undead! Tribe needed to flee, but not safe! So we rescued some lost knights," he says while pointing to the Watcher-Lord, "Fled through caves and then valleys and then forests. Ended up here!"
Next he runs over to the Half-Elf. "Oh! You new here! Come from Jungle, right? Big island here. Lots of trouble. Need to know the trails to stay safe!"
And finally he runs over to Gorm Greathammer. But rather than try an impressive speech or moving tale, Thorax simply rummages around in his bag of meat and pulls out a rack of carefully butchered ribs. He gestures to the dwarf, points to the ribs, and gives a 'Thumbs Up' with a toothy smile.
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Calisro is currently being waylaid by a lizardfolk, whom Thorax recognises as Urwal, the enigmatic head of the Verdant Wheel, who is patiently going over some nautical chart corrections (in minute detail) with the Venture Captain, who has a glassy look on her face, and a fixed grin.
Incredibly, Thorax's interjection about hunting techniques and cave exploration manages to draw away Urwal's attention, but at the last moment, he remembers himself, and returns to bothering Calisro.
Fola is currently deep in conversation about bringing additional aid to the beleaguered tribes of the Mwangi Expanse with an aasimar with violet eyes, and gold patterning to her skin, whom Thorax recognises as Valais Durant, the head of the Radiant Oath.
Once again, Thorax's interjection proves to be quite distracting, almost, but not entirely, distracting the woman.
Finally, Gorm is currently deep in conversation with a man with impressive muttonchops, whom the party easily recognises as Ambrus Valsin, the former head of the Grand Lodge (and its current Steward).
Ambrus nods politely at Thorax's talk of butchering techniques, but it doesn't prove to be quite as persuasive as he had hoped.
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A large stocky goblin enters the room. Definitely not typical for a goblin. Bair Mann seems to be some sort of blend of goblin and another goblinoid. But the oily green and yellow tinted skin definitely indicate his heritage. For a goblin, it is quite odd that he has hair, though it doesn't quite seem real. He runs his hand through it surveying the party and it springs right back into shape.
He claps his hand together, "Eeeeey, dis is da kinda party I can get behind!" He nods to Janira as she welcomes him and moves on over to the buffet, loading up a plate with a bit of everything, "Ooooh, gotta try dis... and dat... and some o' da stuff here..."
He slows as he piles food up taller onto his plate and looks behind him at the piling up line, "Wassamaatta! I'm gettin' food here!" The shocked looks bring him back to reality, "Oh crap! I mean, I'm sorry. Boss said to be gud." He hurries along, grabs a drink and finds a table to set his food on as he watches the crowd.
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Hmmm... lotta fancy dress people here. Boss said to make contacts, better get to it. When I got my belly full of course. No talking hungry! He shovels pretty much everything down and manages to even wipe his hands off on the tablecloth to look mildly presentable.
He heads over to his 'pathfinder' boss and introduces himself with a very strong handshake, "Eeeeey, Eeeeando. Er... I'mma Bearman and I take care o' what gotta be done for ya." He turns to the lady who has Eando's attention and tries to distract her with a wink to the VC, "Haya dere toots, you look like ya know quite a bit about dis town. Who's da important people I gotta get to know?"
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After his attempt, he slips away and sees another venture captain (Calisro Benarry)stuck handing out booze to everyone. Mebbie be nice and take over for her? I'd get to drink as much as I wanted. He moves up, skipping the line and shouldering a couple people out of the way to grab a couple steins, filling them and starting to hand them out to the patrons. "Yo boss, can I help ya outta dis jam 'ere? Lemmee take over so you can enjoy the party." He looks at the lizardfolk trying to bother her, "Move along now friend, you got a drink already."
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When the line empties, he slips away and lines up his next target, watching that she is plagued with a bunch of recruits following her around and bugging her. He slips up with a flagon of mead he hands to the beleaguered VC (Fola Barun), "Take a break ma'am, I'll take over here. Alright listen up you all to the tale I'mma about to tell ya. I grew up in the arena, battling for fame and fortune. There was this one time I fought..."
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Seeing a tough strong-arm man (Gorm Greathammer) stuck telling a boring story to a bunch of sincopants... psychoparts... cincopunts... er jerks, he decides to challenge him with a bit of fun. He moves over and pulls the tablecloth off a nearby table, dropping it to the floor. "PUT ER HERE BOSS, I HEAR YOU DA ARM WRASTLIN' CHAMP!"
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Mara fetches herself a drink and looks around. Wow. I've never seen so many of the important people of the Society all together. Janira's right, this is an excellent opportunity to make some contacts.
And where better to start than with the head of her own faction?
Wandering over, she listens for a second to the conversation between Fola and Valais. "Excuse me, pardon the interruption." She holds out her hand for Valais to shake. "You're Valais Durant, correct? I'm Mara Spintho. I just wanted to say that I think it's amazing what the Radiant Oath is doing. It's...with everything that's been happening, it's really encouraging how many within the Pathfinder Society are shifting their focus towards simply helping people. Both our own agents," with a quick smile and nod at Fola, "and everyone else."
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Lady Gloriana is thoroughly caught off guard by Bair's gambit, giving Eando a bit of a breather, before recovering her composure, and redoubling her efforts.
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When Bair moves over to Urwal, and makes his spiel, the stoic lizardfolk nods, and takes his drink elsewhere.
Calisro smiles toothily at Bair.
"Thanks, young lad! We'll make a solid Pathfinder of you yet! Now, as to what I have for you... A friend of mine - a long-lived naga with unparalleled occult knowledge — was unjustly accused of a crime, punished with the Charge of the Gorgon, and left petrified in Westgate. I've managed to grease the wheels of politics, and gotten permission to restore my friend, but it'll look a lot more official if a third party takes care of the details, and you lot are a perfect fit."
She then gives Bair a greater salve of antiparalysis, wagging her finger at the Goblin.
"Now, you are to use this *only* on my friend!"
Calisro then winks, and hands over a small hip flask, filled with red fluid.
"This, on the other hand, is a pick-me-up for when you really need to get back on your feet."
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Moving on to Valais Durant, between the one-two distraction provided by Bair and Mara, Fola is able to break free with a smile and a nod, briefly briefing the rest of the party:
"Greetings. I have a simple task for you: A scholar at the College of Mysteries has been working on an interesting new ritual that’s has led to considerable division among her colleagues. She’s been under growing pressure to leave the College, so now might be a good time to contact her, determine if she would be a good fit for the Pathfinder Society, and, if so, recruit her."
She then smiles again.
"Strong or deceptive words are still by far better than physical blows. This should help with that."
Fola then hands the party a lesser silvertongue mutagen.
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Ambrus nods at Bair's display, and looks like he is about to break off haranguing Gorm, but at the last minute, changes his mind.
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The dwarf enters the room. His beard, his battle axe, his looking eyes. Manifestly he's used to be in the nature more than in a reception with little sandwiches and so on.
At his turn, he tries to introduce himself to the 4 main people of the attendance.
Calisro Benarry, head of the Horizon Hunters:
Ah, the nature. The only beautiful one. The only who gives you what you deserve really. Don't you find easier to walk in a forest than in a crowd?
[b]Nature:
Fola Barun, head of the Envoys' Alliance:
Oh, ma'am, this building is a very ygood construction. It's solid. It must have been constructed by dwarves, hasn't it?
Architecture Lore:
Eando Kline, head of the Vigilant Seal
Well, this little party is well done, isn't it? All this meat here is a marvelous theme to travel for. Do you like these small eggs?[/dice]
[b]Society:
Gorm Greathammer, head of the Grand Archive
Ah ah, you are looking as a solid guy. You must have a good power in hands, don't you?
Athletics:
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Adalan enters the ballroom with a mix of curious excitement and some trepidation. He wanders absently for a while, eating a bunch of grapes as he scans the crowds and marvels at the venue itself. Eventually remembering Janira's advice, he prods himself to talk to someone important and settles on his own faction leader, the fabled Eando Kline.
Noting Gloriana's presence as he approaches, Adalan changes course towards her and begins somewhat abruptly, "Lady Morilla! I'd be fascinated to hear your thoughts on the current state of Taldan politics. The Grand Princess seems to have solidified her grasp on power quite effectively, but how far do you think her reforms can go without provoking more opposition from the remaining traditionalists in the aristocracy?"
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Still sipping her drink, Mara looks around the room. Hmmm. Looks like Adalan is trying to talk to Eando, but Lady Gloriana is being pretty persistent. Wonder if I can get her attention and give him a chance?
She wanders over, a bright smile on her face. "Ah, Lady Gloriana! I was hoping to get the chance to talk to you tonight. I have some questions about Grand Princess Eutropia's latest reform proposals, and I know that you're better informed than most. Do you have a few minutes?"
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The Taldan noble is pleasantly surprised by Mara's interest, and turns aside for an in-depth discussion.
This gives Eando time to step aside, and brief the rest of the party.
"I have a simple task for you - some smugglers were using a recently exposed ship in the Flotsam Graveyard to smuggle goods into the city from Nex — including creatures, apparently. One of their “goods” broke free of its containment, and the smugglers have been looking for someone to recapture it. I am not keen on letting the smugglers regain their missing “cargo,” as the creature is equally likely to be a slave or a menace. I want you to locate and identify this strange creature, and then determine what its fate should be."
He then hands over a small sheaf of papers.
"As for concrete aid, well, this is a list of individuals that I use to gather information. Drop my name when in conversation with them, to get the best scoop on current events."
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Sliding into the hall....late as usual, Deshacerla slips into a back corner to take in the crowd. 'So many people here...likely no one realized I was late.'
Her eyes quickly falling on Eando and the Lady, she frowns. 'Only lady my VC should be that involved with is me and the Lady of Graves.' A taut smile scrawled over her face, the small woman quickly checks her appearance in a reflective plate and makes her way across the room.
'Remember...be nice. Mom always said ya can catch more flies with honey...or something like that.'
A sweet smile plastered over her face, she curtsy's to the duo. "My, my! Such a great turn out here. You do certainly look nice, m'lady. I'm sure you're catching the eye of everyone here."
Turning back the Eando, she salutes him with another smile. "I have already died once and the Lady sent me back. Anything you need, I'm your gal...anything."
With another curtsy, she slips away.
-------------------------------------------------
Finding herself next to the story teller, she listens for a moment before nodding to the man. "And the great Gorm saves the day again! I swear, the stories alone could incite a generation!"
"While we're no where near his caliber yet, surely one of you has a story of your own? Please, lets give the man a break. Stand up and tell your tale of heroism! Let your songs be sung!"
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Looks like our group has managed to chat with every faction leader now...except the big one. The Grand Archive leader and his steward have been intently conversing this whole time, barely allowing anyone else to get a word in edgewise. Although people are certainly trying, given the large crowd surrounding them.
Mara grins. Crowds I can handle.
She squeezes through the crowd, nimbly dodging the other party-goers. She nearly dances as she moves, gracefully making her way through until she's right next to Ambrus Valsin. "Hello!" She laughs. "You've certainly backed yourselves into a corner here, I had to tumble through the crowds to make it! I'm Mara Spintho by the way, it's a pleasure to meet you."