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Examining the pillars, Garad notices monstrous faces hidden amid the flames, howling in rage or pain. Amid the debris, he also discovers a single pamphlet that escaped destruction. This pamphlet is an advertisement for the Blakros Museum’s latest exhibit that features Cyclopean relics from Iobaria. Inside the pamphlet is an image of an obelisk that looks similar to the obelisk depicted on the drawing you acquired earlier.
Gedrim realises that the pamphlet has been alchemically treated to render it fire and water resistant.
Fairmount notices a partially burnt mural beneath the soot on the south wall. When the soot is cleared away, you discover that the mural depicted a towering troll-like demon with wide horns cavorting through a burning Absalom. The demon has a grotesque, barbed tongue, a heavy spiked club, and lightning sparking from its eyes. Fairmount also finds a Scroll of Flaming Sphere hidden in a cache behind some crumbling plaster - until the fire damaged the plaster, it is unlikely anyone who didn't know of the cache could have found it.
Gedrim confirms that the troll-like demon depicted in the mural is Urxehl.
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An unnatural storm spirals around Blakros Museum, battering the building with torrential rain and a barrage of lightning that strikes just outside the doors and windows. The gardens around the building are aflame, burning despite the deluge. Crowds flee the deadly storm in a panicked, chaotic stampede of tears and screams.
Before you can enter the crowds themselves, a dwarf runs out of the Blakros Museum. The heavy wind at his back makes it hard for him to control his movements, and he’s tossed into and trampled by the stampeding crowd, sustaining an injury to his leg in the process.
"Help!"
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Dran'Thil manages to lug the injured dwarf out of harm's way.
He introduces himself as Algrid, an intern at the Blakros Museum. While he was cleaning the entryway, he saw an intruder with a single glowing red eye appear in a burst of black energy. Terrified, he fled into the streets for help. Algrid is worried about everyone else who was in the museum — looking through the crowd, he doesn’t see any of his fellow employees or patrons...
Crowds of citizens stampede away from the area in fear.
Powerful winds blow from the Blakros Museum’s entrance.
Lightning strikes unerringly outside the museum’s doors and windows in a steady stream.
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Fairmount also looks for a clear path.
"This way!"
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Orcs are tough, right? Well this one thinks they are. Fairmount tries to muscle through the crowds.
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And at the last second feels the prickly sensation of an electrical charge on their neck and tries to dodge out of the way of the lightning blast.
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Papa gets trampled a bit by the crowd on his way through...
But with dwarven stoicism brazenly ignores the heavily wind on his first attempt...
...and then dodges the worst of the electricity.
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Fairmount easily finds a path through the crowd.
They are blown around a bit bit the strong wind, but it still doesn't take them that long to make it through, although they are buffeted a bit...
...and then dodges the worst of the electricity.
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Dran'Thil easily finds a path through the crowd.
They are blown around a bit bit the strong wind, but it still doesn't take them that long to make it through, although they are buffeted a bit...
...and then dodges the worst of the electricity.
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Garad talks his way through the crowd, but then *really* struggles with the heavy wind.
...and then gets struck head-on by a bolt of electricity.
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Gedrim spots a narrow path through the crowd.
Like Garad, he struggles with the heavy wind, although not quite as badly.
...and then dodges the worst of the lightning.
When you enter the Blakros Museum, the patrons are nowhere to be found...
...However, there is an enormous racket coming from upstairs, which is, coincidentally, when the cyclopean exhibit is located.
Across the exhibit hall is a black stone obelisk. As you watch, it’s pulled from its plinth and clutched in the arms of a robed cyclops with a gleaming red eye. In a pulse of black energy, the merged figure disappears with their prize. Lightning crashes through the skylight and strikes the floor in the center of the exhibit, leaving a smoldering symbol burnt in the floor and four strange creatures: a pair of gray bears with crackling fur and a pair of tiny, cackling trolls with horns and lolling, spiked tongues.
Gedrim (-13)
Fairmount (-6)
Dran'Thil (-9)
Garad (-22)
ST (-, -)
SB (-, -)
Papa (-9)
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Fairmount calls over to his allies as they enter, bandaging some of their wounds and at least not making anything worse.
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With as much bandaging as can be done right now and being out of potions, Fairmount sneaks up the stairs with the other pathfinders. Hearing the commotion and seeing Papa dart forward to attack, they quietly pad up, draw a shortbow and snap off a single shot at another of the enemies.
for
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Gedrim recognises the bears as Storm Bears, and knows that they are immune to electricity.
Fairmount puts an arrow through the Cyan troll, nailing it to a display case.
Garad chars the Red troll, which shrieks in pain.
The Cyan troll regains consciousness, and both it and the Red troll fly up into the air, and flee through the hole in the ceiling.
The remaining bear Steps forward, and bites at Dran'Thil...
...but he easily dodges.
Papa (-9)
Gedrim (-13)
Fairmount (-6)
Dran'Thil (-)
Garad (-8)
SB (-)
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Papa makes a *huge* dent in the remaining bear with his pick, and then Gedrim finishes it off with a volley of force missiles.
As soon as the final bear falls, the unnatural storm instantly abates.
Looking around what remains of the exhibit, you learn the artifacts in this exhibit are from Old Koloran, a cyclopean empire that once occupied a vast territory centered on modern-day Iobaria. Old Koloran was famous for widespread worship of fiends and other horrors.
After the PCs report to Ambrus, he remarks, “You faced more opposition than I expected, but you handled yourselves well. I’m impressed.” Ambrus thanks you for your efforts and lets you know that he’ll likely have another assignment for you very soon. He grumbles a bit that the Pathfinder Society has once again had to send agents to clean up a mess at the Blakros Museum and wonders aloud where the museum’s curator, Nigel Aldain, was during all this mess.
Over the coming days, rumor of your exploits against demon cultists swirl around the Grand Lodge, each more outlandish than the last. Of Drandle Dreng, there is no sign...
In recognition of your hard work and the perils you overcame at the Blakros Museum, Ambrus Valsin gives you a pair of barkskin potions.
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“I said keep it steady!” Captain Thernalore Vamys barks at the undine workers on the shore as the Flawless Diamond begins to drift. Wavebreak Haven is small, with only a few dozen buildings visible further inland. The dockworkers panic as the ship’s hull collides with the pier, battered bushels of palm fronds failing to completely cushion the impact. “Now look,” Thernalore leans over the rail and inhales deeply, ready to chastise the inexperienced crew, before she sees a familiar face approaching the ship.
“The Society will reimburse you for any damages, captain.” The authority of Venture-Captain Rashmivati Melipdra puts an end to the turmoil. The middle-aged Vudrani woman carries herself with the upright posture of a martial artist as she moves to meet the ship, though she does have trouble finding purchase with her cane as she crosses the sand. Meleeka Sanvara, a muscular monk in tan robes , runs ahead of the venture-captain with a gangplank.
“Greetings, Pathfinders. As you can see, we are in dire need of experienced volunteers. But I’m getting ahead of myself.” Meleeka helps the venture-captain onto the deck of the ship before stepping aside to allow several dockhands room to begin unloading cargo. “The Society has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Monastery of Unbreaking Waves since—”
A scream from the shore interrupts the briefing. A porter claws at the blood-soaked sand as he is dragged into the sea with a trident in his chest. A battle cry drowns out the victim’s screams as several scaly raiders emerge from the bloody brine, charging with teeth and spears.
The shore erupts into chaos, and the Venture-Captain calls out over the din of battle to establish order. “Pathfinders,” Melipdra turns and gestures toward the carnage. “Protect the porters! Meleeka and I will lead the monks in defense of the ship and stop the sea devils from reaching the settlement! Hurry!”
Dranald (-)
Hannah (-)
SDI (-)
SDS (-, -, -, -)
Jasariel (-)
Gedrim (-)
Farryn (-)
Ukh (-)
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"Oh no! We have to help them!"
Hannah dashes across the pier towards the beach and stabs at the green-scaled sea devil!
+1 Striking Ghost Touch Halberd :
And if an AoO presents itself:
+1 Striking Ghost Touch Halberd :
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"I'm here to help, but that doesn't mean I'm staying for the buffet!"
Hannah takes a Guarded Step to be shoulder-to-shoulder with Dranald and begins thrusting at the most injured ones.
+1 Striking Ghost Touch Halberd :
+1 Striking Ghost Touch Halberd :
And if an AoO presents itself:
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Jasariel moves sideways along the edge of the ship until three of the attackers are lined up in front of her, then levels her trident at them.
"Tempestuous Sky Father, grant me a shard of your eternal lightning that I may strike my enemies from the face of your creation!"
A crackling ball of electricity swells around the trident's prongs before leaping out and blasting through three of the scaled humanoids.
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Jasariel conjures a bolt of lightning...
...frying all three, although the current is attenuated a bit by the time it gets to the third one.
However, it is still enough to take Green down.
Farryn darts forward, and tries an electricity spell of his own...
...electrocuting both, to a greater or lesser degree.
Ukh then puts a bolt through Cyan, ending its life.
Dranald hacks away at Red, doing a significant chunk of damage.
Hannah's first swing finishes off red, and then her second leaves Unbordered heavily injured.
Gedrim Strides forward, and channels electricity...
...harming both.
Unbordered charges in, and is immediately cut down by Hannah.
Yellow, unperturbed, Steps forward...
...and bites Dranald once.
Jasariel (-)
Gedrim (-)
Farryn (-)
Ukh (-)
Dranald (-9)
Hannah (-28)
SDS (-19)
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Dranald cuts down the final sea devil with a devastating blow.
As you fell your last sea devil, Meleeka finishes of her opponent with a fiery punch.
Several Vudrani monks and other inhabitants arrive soon after, including
Melipdra and Rirzik (N male undine gnome monk). They report that the remaining sea devils have been defeated and the settlement is safe.
“Only one? You’ve been bested, Meleeka,” Melipdra finishes dressing a wounded porter while gesturing toward her assistant. The martial artist drops the smoldering remains of a sea devil’s torso into the sand and returns to the pier to rummage through the scattered crates. The venture-captain continues the briefing. “Like I was saying, the Society has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Monastery of Unbreaking Waves. The local undines have made great strides in rebuilding the monastery since we defeated the undead responsible for the school’s disappearance.
But the tradition now faces a new threat. An incursion of sea devils is attacking the monastery. You might know them as sahuagin. I was told that the monastery needed our help, but to see a shiver of this size make it to Wavebreak Haven means the situation must already be dire. We must come to the aid of the Unbreaking Waves, now!” She gestures to the surf, where a short figure is soothing several half-horse, half-fish creatures. “Rirzik here will escort you by hippocampus to the underwater monastery, where Grandmaster Remendi is organizing the resistance.”
Rirzik steps forward, smoothing his turquoise eyebrows, and takes a deep breath, “I have enough hippocampi for everyone. They were a little spooked by all the noise, but I calmed them down.”
“And the Society came through with the supplies!” Meleeka interrupts, hauling several large bags across her shoulders as she rejoins the group on the beach. “There are enough potions and fins for each of you. I wish I could join you, but as my fire burns brighter on dry land, I think I’ll be better off seeing to the defense up here.”
Melipdra rests a hand on her agent’s shoulder in reassurance. “There is more to a battlefield than the front lines. Support our allies on the shore however you can, and remember to not lose sight of the bigger picture. Helping our allies means helping to preserve a still largely undocumented tradition. We must not let the Unbreaking Waves become another casualty of this senseless violence.”
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Hippocampus? What for a story to tell at the corner of a fire when he will be an old goblin... But to arrive at this point he will have to survive to what will occur now. And he can’t count on his alchemist’s fire for this. That’s another story for sure.
And what will we encounter under the surface? You know I’ve never been there. I’ve never been under the surface of the water in my bath...
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Farryn nods, "Ah great work on that little battle. I'm sure it was just a weak raiding party though. Does anyone need healing... or do we even have enough time to heal?"
He grabs his four potions, looking them over intently, "Well they aren't how I would have packaged them, but they appear to be quite functional. Shall we head into the deep and try to solve this mystery or at least put a stop to the attacks."