Hello everyone!! I'm going to try to master my first game on this channel, I'm an avid player but as a pretty new Gm, I'm on my way to get my second star and I'm going to direct The refuge of time, interested be welcome,
As high-level Pathfinders you have knowledge of the Society's concern for the reappearance of the cult of Lissala,
eager to learn more about the forgotten deity, has sent agents to infiltrate the cult of Lissala and find out as much as possible about his intentions.
As you dedicated yourself to your daily chores, you are summoned to an urgent missionary, you are placed to present yourself in a discreet residence in Kaer Maga. After a long journey you finally arrive at the place, where a variasian man greets you and accompanies you to the salon "Welcome to one of the residences of Lady Sheila Heimdarch, my lady and patron, can you introduces yourself to check that you are the one who decides"
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"'One who decides?' what kinda gibberish is that. Speak clearly servant." ignoring the servant and addressing his companions the Baron continuous "If that was one of mine, when there would be some right disciplining for such incompetence."
Jack paces, boots filthy from the street tracking the floor while the spikes on his armor give off faint clinks. Recent rain may have removed some gore from the armor but it remains stained with black icor, now with a slight mildew odor.
"Now don't keep me waiting, the esteemed Baron Jack Pineglade is ready for the Lady Heimdarch."
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You see a beautiful Aasimar woman gracefully enter the room covered only in very revealing silks. You gather from the way she carries herself and the way the silk is both revealing and covers all of the important bits, that she is a professional at showing just the right amount of skin and translucency. As she sees everyone is watching her enter, she gives a little twirl, like a trained dancer, to set the silks swirling. You catch a glimpse of tattoos under the silks but they seem to be covered sufficiently that you can't quite make them out.
"Greetings fellow Pathfinders, I am LifeLover."
Looking around the assembled group, she looks each and every one up and down as if to assess how much money each of you might be worth. As she examines The Baron and whinces at the state of his armor, she comments. "You know Baron, I could help you clean up that mess" gesturing to the armor with a finger, "with a little bit of my magic."
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The woman in front of you is not beautiful, though her white bright hair, like the snow under the Sun, is exotic enough to claim your attention, and her soft voice and delicate moves make all of a charming one "Name is Pandora. Interesting... I am acquaintance to Lady Sheila Heimdarch herself. I wonder what does she have in mind for us"
Pandora smiles warmly at Baron Jack and offers her hand "Salutations Baron. Have your servants came with you, or are they left at your barony?" as she offers the hand, you are able to spot a Sihedron brand on the palm.
The woman gives an up-down stare when LifeLover enters the room with her transparencies clothing "Hi LifeLover! Pandora is the name"
Hi GM! A couple of things that might be relevant. Pandora has played #4–08: The Cultist's Kiss and has boons that might be relevant for the game. Specifically:
- Lissalan Library #25: Amid the Feasters of the Heart’s prized possessions is a collection on ancient volumes on their faith. When consulting these books, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks regarding Lissala and her ancient cult.
- Sihedron brand (endurance) #25: This dark image of the Sihedron rune appears to writhe beneath the surface of the skin on which it is inscribed, as though a worm were crawling under the skin. A character marked with this arcane tattoo receives a +2 profane bonus on Fortitude saves. Once per day, the character may activate the tattoo to receive a number of temporary hit points equal to twice her character level. Displaying the arcane tattoo grants a +4 circumstance bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks against worshippers of Lissala.
She has also played #4–02: In Wrath’s Shadow, which is an exploration of an old Lisalan temple. No relevant boons on that one.
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Throwing his own greasy hand into Pandora's offered hand and pointing with a quick sideways thrust of his head at a middle aged tien man with a backpack overstuffed with adventuring gear just entering the room. "That's Xuan, he goes where I go. Doesn't say a word but very reliable. Xuan. Is Hellboy watered and fed? You didn't let him bite you?" The man's gear is well maintained and high quality.
The tien man nods as Jack speaks then finds an out of the way corner to stand in. His gaze focuses on eyes and movements, not on mouths, Xuan does not understand Taldane.
Turning Pandora's hand to inspect the branded, Jack asks; "Nice brand. Ain't like no piracy or thieving brand I've seen. Where it from?"
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Responding to Lifelover, Jack continuous "Cleaning? What's the point. Clean it once and you will have to clean it again."
Taking in the graceful movement and revealing silks, Jack adds "Hey, you can move and have a body them tall-folk like. Come work for the Esteemed Pineglade Estate after this. Join us and we will throw the best parties."
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A battle-scarred half-orc enters the room. His shield is emblazoned with the holy symbol of Sarenrae, but he wears relatively light armor and carries no weapons besides a spiked gauntlet and a lasso coiled at his hip. "Name's Trokkus," he spits out. He nods to everyone. "Anyone know what this is all about? I hope it's better than my last mission. Damned Scarabs wanted to me to work alongside a lich of all gods-forsaken things!"
When you finish with your presentations the butler give you the letter
the letter bears Venture-Captain Heidmarch's seal, and seems to contain an enclosure. "Greetings, Pathfinders! I have new information for you about our agents' discoveries regarding the cult of Lissala. When the Ten learned of the cult's active existence, they sent a team to infiltrate a cell in the industrial town of Palin's Cove.
During that mission we learned that the cult intends to bring back the ancient Thassilonian Runelord Krune to rule Varisia. Pathfinder agents next encountered Lissalans here in the City of Strangers and discovered that the cultists aim to return the runelord by using refuge tokens that he created for his followers to reach his hidden location.
Our Pathfinders also uncovered the location of an ancient Lissalan shrine, documented to hold a cache of these refuge tokens. The enclosed map shows the location where the shrine is said to be-the fastest way there is from Kaer Maga west into the Wyvern Mountains. "Find the shrine and recover the refuge tokens so that we may use them to access krune's lair, thus preventing the Lissalans from raising their runelord.
Don't attempt to use the tokens yet-we also need to uncover the proper command words. And hurry, please! A group bearing the Sihedron-Lissala's holy rune-was seen leaving the city two days ago. They must seek the shrine as well. "Should you have additional questions about your mission, seek out a trusted informant in the Downmarket District, a textile merchant named Allira Vandane. She will aid you as much as she can. May Desna smile upon you, Pathfinders."
You go to the market district, to textile merchant where with a few simple questions you locate your contact Greetings My name is Allina, can i help you?? Do you have any questions about your mission??
History
Local or Diplomacy
Knowledge (religion)
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Trokkus rousts a few of his contacts in Kaer Maga. When he's finished, he says to his fellow Pathfinders: "Looks like the cultists have a two-day head start on us. I figger their leader, a conjurer named Naroth, has got himself deep in that Thassilonian sin magic. Sounds like they kidnapped some folks on the way to the Wyvern Mountains--could be a hostage or sacrifice sort of thing. We've got some ground to make up!"
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"Lissala isn't commonly worshiped, so whatever we find out is probably only going to relate to the people we're looking for," Pigglevitch added unhelpfully. The Gnome's purple hair almost flew out of his kettle helmet, but his gleaming armor was impeccably polished. He leaned against his ladder, nearly as tall as he was and reinforced with what appeared to be both silver and cold iron.
" Our informant only saw the group leave but not sure how many were, and about preparations give me a second, according to our sources, the shrine lies about 1oo miles west of Kaer Maga in the Wyvern Mountains, through the Ash-Blown lands."
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"Krune is sure one of the Thassilon's provinces powerful wizard rulers. He sure is bonded to one sin in particular" the woman tries to recall all information she has that might be of use "Although she is not worshiped this days, Lissala was a lawful evil Thassilonian deity of runes, fate, obedience, and the reward of service. A goddess of magic, her holy symbol is the Sihedron Rune, and her favored weapon the whip." the woman smiles and soothes the sihedron mark on her own hand and the whip in her hips "Her cult was known for its flagellations and mortifications of the flesh. Be sure her temple will bless followers and curse unbelievers."
"Yes, I have also heard Naroth is specialized on conjuration and left aside evocation and illusion. I have also heard rumors he left Kaer Maga 2 days ago. Among the abducted travelers there was a dwarven merchant from Janderhoff and a Taldan noble"
"What exactly are those refuge tokens? How will we recognize them? How can we pick them up and move them? Can we teleport with them or there might be some issues with their magic interactions?"
"After a long mountain journey along valleys and hills you reach your destination, in the distance you see the ruins that they told you about ......"
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Flipping a wand over his shoulder to Lifelover, Jack asks "This what Ya after?"
"That's perfect Jack."
During our journey, each night I use my Mnemonic Vestment to cast Secure Shelter from a scroll without consuming it. We have a comfortable place to sleep.
Seeing Jack struggling with the wand, I say in a very provocative voice filled with innuendo. "You know Jack, I could help you with your wand..."
I punctuate my speech with a little dance twirl that makes the silks I wear reveal lots of skin.
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"This is indeed a lovely shelter LL, thanks for it" Pandora smiles and sets herself comfortable in one of the chairs, placing her feet over the table.
"Have you ever been in one of those Lissalan temples? Wicked places I have to say. Those Azlanti corrupted themselves and their magic. It was a blessing they all were mopped from the face of Golarion" the bard entertains the night with songs of old Thassilion and its ruins, and scary tales of the perversion of the Lissalan cultists.
"In the mountain valley, sparse trees sprout from cracks in the steep cliffs, bending in the direction of the constant, howling wind. Piles of scree litter the ground at the base of the cliffs. In a hollow with a muddied brook, a hole in the mountainside opens up. It was clearly excavated recently-piles of soil and rock flank the opening. A perfectly square tunnel the height of an ogre cuts through worked stone, leading to a chamber beyond. Light from within reveals muddy tracks in the dust that coats the floor of the tunnel."
The strange creaure see you and shout: "Halt, tomb robbers! You shall not enter this sacred site. One more step and you will be destroyed."
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As the group approaches the temple entrance, Pandora uses her rod to cast an extended heroism.
As the group is stopped by the angelic creature Pandora speaks back " You are not the evil defender we where expecting to find here... We are not tomb robbers. We are only interested in some people that came here before us, and in some tokens that might put the world into danger if they fall in the wrong hands"
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I tell the rest of the party what that is.
I greet the angel in Celestial.
"As I said, we are not here to defile a sacred site. Can you tell us more about this place?"
I'm not real convinced that we aren't here to steal the tokens from this place and thus may be lying.
The deva wishes to follow orders and complete the agreed-upon term of service so that it can return to patrolling the Positive and Negative Energy Planes. "I'm willing not to fight and listen to your case, but first remove all our magic items and magic auras. You must voluntarily my test discern lies to pass inside."
After a while he asks you "have removed all the objects and auras?"
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Before anything Pandora turns to the party "This is a Monanic Deva, a being from the Heaven. I think we can rely on it" the woman gives an eye to angel, hoping it is not a disguise "I am open to pass your test"
Pandora is open to answer the Deva questions and tell the truth, but will not surrender her will to any other kind of magic.
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Trokkus doesn't recognise the being, and wary of being deceived, says: "If yer an angel, you won't mind that I check." He'll use detect evil on the Monadic Deva, and (assuming it's not evil), he'll grunt and say "Ya gotta job to do, and I respect that." He'll carefully remove all of his magical gear and step forward for examination.
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"Yes, yes, everything is done... go along, we are in a hurry please" the human tries to press the angel to do his stuff and maybe forget about the others "You don't need to scan all of us, true? You can take my word for my friends sure, so we can make this fast. I will make myself responsible for them"
She will try to say all truths.
Pandora quickly tries to sing and use her fascination to distract the deva while all others go inside the temple.
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Posting on discussion isn't working. GM did you make a post there and delete it? If you delete the first post it breaks the thread. In any case I realized something happened to an earlier post I thought I made. I had intended to cast a few long term buffs as we were approaching but that post never happened. Not sure why.
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Trokkus is getting annoyed with his companions, as he's standing there ready to go while they're balking because they won't temporarily remove their magic items. "This ain't no trap--I woulda sensed if it were evil. So take off yer gear, just like you was takin' yer yearly bath, and let's get a move on. Them cultists got a head-start on us, and we gotta stop them."