Gameplay thread for Origin of the Open Road. Go ahead and dot.
Sorry, what does "go ahead and dot" mean?
Sorry, what does "go ahead and dot" mean?
Create an alias and post as your character. In your case Scott you would create an alias as Merisel and post here, essentially "sitting" at my table with your character sheet.
Whatever you write in this thread will be your actions and words in character.
You have all recently arrived in the Nexus House's grand hall in Quantium, the capital city of Nex. It is a sprawling, opulent building with unusual magical extravagances that you have not seen before, even compared to the Grand Lodge in Absalom.
After a short time of waiting at the hall, you finally meet with the Venture Captain of the local Lodge.
“There are my honored guests!” cries a bronze-skinned gnome with bright streaks of gold in her dark hair, a vibrant red tunic, and enough glittering earrings, bangles, and necklaces to supply a modestly sized jewelry store. “I was concluding some urgent business here, or I would have met you at the dock.
Sebnet Sanserkoht, at your service.” The gnome gives you a gracious bow and a large grin. “Alas, my last-minute business didn’t permit me to review Kreighton Shaine’s letters to me. If you don’t mind, please remind me how I can help you and— oh!—I ought know your names as well. Rude of me to have
omitted proper introductions.”
You have all recently arrived in the Nexus House's grand hall in Quantium, the capital city of Nex. It is a sprawling, opulent building with unusual magical extravagances that you have not seen before, even compared to the Grand Lodge in Absalom.
After a short time of waiting at the hall, you finally meet with the Venture Captain of the local Lodge.
“There are my honored guests!” cries a bronze-skinned gnome with bright streaks of gold in her dark hair, a vibrant red tunic, and enough glittering earrings, bangles, and necklaces to supply a modestly sized jewelry store. “I was concluding some urgent business here, or I would have met you at the dock. Sebnet Sanserkoht, at your service.” The gnome gives you a gracious bow and a large grin. “Alas, my last-minute business didn’t permit me to review Kreighton Shaine’s letters to me. If you don’t mind, please remind me how I can help you and— oh!—I ought know your names as well. Rude of me to have omitted proper introductions.”
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"Greetings vash-vatom, I am Kaneda Tetsuo, I hail from Tian xia. My sword is yours for the right price." said Kaneda bowing with sword in hand. He reaches into his coat pocket and hands Sebnet the sapphire. " We were sent to acquire information on the Nexus house, and would hope that you have the right information to guide us."
Ezren smiles at the gnome and rises from his seat to greet him. "It is no worry, I understand how business can cause us to forego traditional manners. I take no offense. I'm Ezren, it's nice to meet you."
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Merisiel greets Sebnet with a graceful sweeping bow -- an impressive feat, given the multitude of daggers sheathed up and down the length of her torso. But the elf's agility makes it look effortless.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Vash-vatom. I am called Merisiel. I specialize in retrieval, of objects and information, especially when ... discretion is required."
She looks around the room, studying the architecture and furnishings with a professional eye. "Your grand lodge is stunning. If time permits, I'd very much like to have someone show me around."
A series of repeated, squeaky squishing sounds can be heard as a sopping wet goblin approaches. The sounds are the result of soaked boots making contact with the well-polished stone covering the floor. Large pellets of water drip from his form with each step, leaving a clear trail of where the goblin has been.
Walking to a point directly in front of Sebnet Sanserkoht, the goblin stops. His face forms a grim consisting of sharp, pointed teeth. Beads of water fly through the air as the small creature extends a moist hand in the direction of the gnome.
"Greetings, Longshanks!" declares the goblin. "Fumbus reporting for duty. Fumbus supposed to come meet with Vash-vatom. Would have been here sooner, but Fumbus had some trouble near the docks."
"And, then again near the privy." he adds.
He slips a hand into one of his several pockets, displacing the water inside, which runs down his arm until it forms into small rivulets near his feet. "Got shiny for longshanks around here somewhere..." he explains aloud. For a few moments, he squirms and squashes as he plunges the depths of his pocket, ceasing only once he happens to spy the ruby in Kaneda's hand. "Oh, there shiny is. Looks like longshanks already give it."
"Fumbus happy to take it back when longshanks is done with it." he notes as he holds out the still wet palm of a hand.
Ezren smiles at the gnome and rises from his seat to greet him. "It is no worry, I understand how business can cause us to forego traditional manners. I take no offense. I'm Ezren, it's nice to meet you."
”Likewise. It is pleases me to meet another scholar.”
Merisiel greets Sebnet with a graceful sweeping bow -- an impressive feat, given the multitude of daggers sheathed up and down the length of her torso. But the elf's agility makes it look effortless.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Vash-vatom. I am called Merisiel. I specialize in retrieval, of objects and information, especially when ... discretion is required."
She looks around the room, studying the architecture and furnishings with a professional eye. "Your grand lodge is stunning. If time permits, I'd very much like to have someone show me around."
“Of course! I’ll be happy to give you a tour of our fantastic lodge! Did you know that our Nexus House was the first Pathfinder lodge founded outside Absalom and was the historical home of the famous Pathfinder Adolphus and Princess Ganjay? We have statues of them downstairs in the archives if you wish to see them later. But I am getting off topic. Where was I? O yes. The expanded guided tour will have to wait until tomorrow. Super busy you see. I have numerous projects that need to get done today that simply cannot wait.”
A series of repeated, squeaky squishing sounds can be heard as a sopping wet goblin approaches. The sounds are the result of soaked boots making contact with the well-polished stone covering the floor. Large pellets of water drip from his form with each step, leaving a clear trail of where the goblin has been.
Walking to a point directly in front of Sebnet Sanserkoht, the goblin stops. His face forms a grim consisting of sharp, pointed teeth. Beads of water fly through the air as the small creature extends a moist hand in the direction of the gnome.
"Greetings, Longshanks!" declares the goblin. "Fumbus reporting for duty. Fumbus supposed to come meet with Vash-vatom. Would have been here sooner, but Fumbus had some trouble near the docks."
"And, then again near the privy." he adds.
He slips a hand into one of his several pockets, displacing the water inside, which runs down his arm until it forms into small rivulets near his feet. "Got shiny for longshanks around here somewhere..." he explains aloud. For a few moments, he squirms and squashes as he plunges the depths of his pocket, ceasing only once he happens to spy the ruby in Kaneda's hand. "Oh, there shiny is. Looks like longshanks already give it."
"Fumbus happy to take it back when longshanks is done with it." he notes as he holds out the still wet palm of a hand.
She gingerly accepts the (wet) crystal from Fumbus. “Errr. Thank you. I guess.” She makes a quick chant and you see a hologram of Kreighton Shaine appear above the crystal.
“Greetings Sebnet Sanserkoht.” the image of Kreighton Shaine says. “I have tasked these pathfinders before you to research several topics that we believe the Nexus House has records of. Specifically, we are looking for the expedition records of Durvin Gest, cargo manifests of spices penned by Selmius Foster, City permits drafted by Adolphus, and written records of Kerinha Napsunar. This information is critical to the Grand Lodge, so please allow these pathfinders access to your records. Thank you.”After the hologram ends, Sebnet taps her chin with a ringed finger. “Those records all sound quite old, which would put them in our Orrery Archive. Please come this way.” The venture-captain strides through one of the archways off the great hall, gesturing for you to follow and chatting as she goes. “There was something of an astronomy craze around here about three hundred years ago, but the apparatus at the center of the rooms that became the Orrery Archive has been gathering dust for quite a while. That is, it would, if we didn’t have enchantments to repel dust.”
Sebnet runs a finger along a decorative table as she passes, then holds up her clean digit to showcase her point.
“I’ll take you to the archive entrance and leave you to perform your research in peace. Gather any records you need, and we’ll have scribes transcribe copies of whatever you find. The records might be something of a jumble, I’m afraid. As I said, the Orrery Archive is where we store older records, and they might not have been accessed in quite some time. While we’re walking, do you have any questions?”
Visible concern overtakes Fumbus' face as he views the magical vision of Kreighton Shane and the goblin appears to be holding his breath. However, he lets out a loud, extended sigh of relief once Sebnet mentions having "scribes" do the transcribing.
"Let scribblers risk having precious words pulled from heads or losing helpful soul bits, but not Fumbus." he mutters as he empties out his backpack and attempts to wring it dry, before hurriedly tossing its contents back in and rushing to catch up with the longshanks.
Ezren looks down at Fumbus. "Don't worry friend, we won't let those scary books steal your precious words," he says with a smirk.
As they begin to walk, Ezren strides along next to Sebnet with a surprising spring in his step, despite using his quarterstaff for assistance with his steps.
"So Sebnet, you mention enchantments, but are there any magical wards or securities that we need to be made aware of in this archive? I would rather know exactly what we're getting into rather than be surprised. I hate surprises, you know."
Ezren looks down at Fumbus. "Don't worry friend, we won't let those scary books steal your precious words," he says with a smirk.
As they begin to walk, Ezren strides along next to Sebnet with a surprising spring in his step, despite using his quarterstaff for assistance with his steps.
"So Sebnet, you mention enchantments, but are there any magical wards or securities that we need to be made aware of in this archive? I would rather know exactly what we're getting into rather than be surprised. I hate surprises, you know."
"No, there shouldn't be any protective wards within the Orrery Archive. The only defensive wards in Nexus house are those that guard the small vault on the second floor, where we keep the more precious or more dangerous magical items that are scheduled to go in transit to the great vault in Absalom." Sebnet automatically replies.
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"Who is Durvin Gest exactly? What makes him so great? Is he only great because he was the first scholar?" Kaneda grips his katana, as to not hit any of the other adventurers.
Trying to keep up with the group Kaneda stays behind everyone else as he is not quite sure if he trusts his companions just yet.
"Also is there anything that we should be weary of in the area? I too do not like surprises."
"Who is Durvin Gest exactly? What makes him so great? Is he only great because he was the first scholar?" Kaneda grips his katana, as to not hit any of the other adventurers.
“He’s only the most famous Pathfinder that ever lived, and that’s even after 400 years! You probably recall that he, along with Selmius Foster and Gregaro Voth, are the subjects of the first volume of the Pathfinder Chronicles. So, what do we know about him around here, you must mean. Well, for starters, he launched several expeditions into the Mwangi Expanse from here in Nex, including ventures to discover long-lost structures and one journey to lock away a dangerous artifact.”
"Also is there anything that we should be weary of in the area? I too do not like surprises."
Jittery, aren't ya? You shouldn't really worry about anything here. I mean, this is a Pathfinder Lodge!" the gnome exclaims. Pathfinder Lodges are where us Pathfinders go to meet & research for an upcoming adventure and the place where we hole up when we absolutely need to be secure and safe from other organizations!"
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Merisiel follows along in the middle of the group, gazing around with wide attentive eyes. "The small vault on the 2nd floor? Interesting. How confident are you with the defenses? When I'm not on Pathfinder business, I do consulting work ... involving security."
After surveying the surroundings, a bit longer than seemingly necessary, she asks, "What can you tell us about some of the others that good Kreighton mentioned? Specifically do you know why Adolphus' city records are interesting, or do you know what topic Kerinha Napsunar wrote about?"
Merisiel follows along in the middle of the group, gazing around with wide attentive eyes. "The small vault on the 2nd floor? Interesting. How confident are you with the defenses? When I'm not on Pathfinder business, I do consulting work ... involving security."
"Well, I can tell you right now, that vault is quite secure! You see, when I inherited control of this lodge, I invested quite a bit of personal funds into beefing up the security of the vault! In fact, we havn't had any successful break-ins into the secure vault ever since my tenure as vash-vatom... though I have never run any penetration tests for the vault. Hmmm... Perhaps you would be willing to try to enter the vault tomarrow... Yes, yes. That would be absolutely wonderful..." She pulls some loose scrolls and a quill with ink out of seemingly nowhere and begins scribbling notes while mumbling to herself.
After surveying the surroundings, a bit longer than seemingly necessary, she asks, "What can you tell us about some of the others that good Kreighton mentioned? Specifically do you know why Adolphus' city records are interesting, or do you know what topic Kerinha Napsunar wrote about?"
“Selmius Foster is one of the three Pathfinders mentioned in the very first Pathfinder Chronicles along with Durvin Gest and Gregaro Voth. Selmius was an explorer who was instrumental in connecting Absalom to the eastern spice markets.”
“The Pathfinder Gregaro Voth is most famous for exploring several locations in the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse."
“Adolphus was an assistant to Selmius Foster but became an influential Pathfinder of his own right. His meeting with Princess Ganjay, their theft of Bhopan’s royal treasury, and their eventual marriage are all well-documented, even though their story sounds like two parts folktale and one part romance novel. They founded Nexus House together, nearly 400 years ago, and it was their statues you saw by the water-rise in our great hall. As for why the records are so interesting, I'm not sure. I'm sure the reasons are going to be documented in the Library. That is why you are here, isn't it?”
“Kerinha Napsunar was a contemporary of Durvin Gest and the other Pathfinders mentioned in the first Pathfinder Chronicles. Truthfully we don’t know a lot about her. I’m not entirely sure why, but I believe that Kerinha was much more politically active than her peers, and records of her discoveries may have been intentionally withheld to protect her contacts and sources."
At the mention of a dangerous artifact, Merisiel's elven ears twitch, and she asks, "Do you know what was so dangerous about this artifact?"
"To be honest, no. If it is still truly dangerous, I'm sure it is locked securely away in the vault withing the Grand Lodge."
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"Of course, of course Merisiel. I look forward to tomorrow when you can perform your penetration tests. For now though..." Sebnet suddenly stops and gestures to two huge double doors. "Welcome to the Orrery Archive," she says as she opens the doors and steps through.
The underground library is huge, but clean and tidy. Its most striking feature is the massive brass-and-steel orrery atop the main staircase. This model shows the movements of Golarion and the other planets around its sun, along with moons, comets, and other celestial bodies. Sebnet casually pushes the a planet, which glides easily along well-oiled tracks.
Other marvels abound in these extensive chambers, including several lifelike statues of past scholars (one statue is of an unusually learned-looking ogre), lofty balconies atop delicately arched staircases, reading tables that magically unfold comfortable stools when approached, and curios such as meteorites in glass cases, jeweled globes, and fulgurite displays. Several walls support tall bookshelves packed with tomes, scrolls, and folios of every variety. Rolling ladders allow access to the highest shelves. Ceilings in the Orrery Archive are 40 feet high, and the entire archive is well lit by sconces that resemble shooting stars and function as everburning torches.
"Anyway, for now I'll leave you to your work. I have my work on my own to do. Call me if you need anything; I'll be up on the third floor in my lab catching up on paying the local taxes. You wouldn't believe how much paperwork that is. Well, ta-ta."
Looking at the books all around him, containing volumes of writing, the goblin declares, "Fumbus go look for thoughts about Foster, foolishly discarded on paper. Fumbus spend years searching for discarded food scraps left in refuse heaps outside of longshanks' homes. Search like this, pretty much same thing."
"Longshanks in Absalom say Foster traded spice. If Fumbus can't spot helpful thought-scraps with eyes, maybe Fumbus find thought-scraps with nose. Worked for food scraps!" he notes.
"Thank you for the warm hospitality. We will get to work and be out of your way as quickly as possible."
Ezren takes in the extensive archive, breathing deeply the musty tomes. He cracks his knuckles and turns to the rest of the group.
"Alright team, let's get to work. Let me know if you need any assistance deciphering any arcane texts."
Looking at the books all around him, containing volumes of writing, the goblin declares, "Fumbus go look for thoughts about Foster, foolishly discarded on paper. Fumbus spend years searching for discarded food scraps left in refuse heaps outside of longshanks' homes. Search like this, pretty much same thing."
"Longshanks in Absalom say Foster traded spice. If Fumbus can't spot helpful thought-scraps with eyes, maybe Fumbus find thought-scraps with nose. Worked for food scraps!" he notes.
Fumbus wonders off and starts looking around for thought-scraps. Piking a random but promising book off a nearby bookshelf, he finds a cookbook on “Goblin Society: How Goblin Champion Chefs season Horse Meat”. Unfortunately, he does not find anything approaching the subjects he is looking for.
Finding no luck using his eyes, Fumbus uses his nose! He starts sniffing the air. He tries to follow his nose to discover the oldest ink he could smell. He follows his nose to a book proudly laying on a pedestal. Gingerly he opens it up.Unfortunately it turns out the book is an ancient book on how a community in Miwangi actually worshiped Erastil. Yet another dead end.
"Thank you for the warm hospitality. We will get to work and be out of your way as quickly as possible."
Ezren takes in the extensive archive, breathing deeply the musty tomes. He cracks his knuckles and turns to the rest of the group.
"Alright team, let's get to work. Let me know if you need any assistance deciphering any arcane texts."
Ezren naturally made his way to the section on magical history and known arcana. With precise methodology, he begins looking around the local card catalog, and looked for promising leads. The table holding the card catalog is magically enchanted to aid a spellcaster in finding books and records. Unfortunately, Ezren was not able to figure out exactly how the catalog was supposed to work. After spending nearly an hour trying to get it to work, Ezren gave up in frustration.
Merisiel gazes around the library in awe. She doesn't know where to start first, until a locked bookcase catches her eye. She muses aloud, "Not too many things are locked up, so maybe this is worth investigating."
She pulls out her trusty lock picks and carefully gets to work.
[dice=Thievery]1d20+13
Merisiel and Kaneda, on the other hand, do find some leads. Merisiel manages to find a book protected by a glass bookcase, where it mentioned Durvin Gest’s Mwangi expeditions. These are the specific records Kreighton Shaine wants, but they also includes references to the Open Road Pact: some sort of agreement between Durvin Gest, Selmius Foster, Gregaro Voth, and Kerinha Napsunar when they were all in the Mwangi Expanse together. This Open Road Pact is completely unkown in the Grand Lodge, and you are sure that Kreighton Shaine will want to know more about it. Unfortunately, the refrenced folio detailing the Open Road Pact is missing.
"Thank you Vash-Vatom." Kaneda bows "now lets take a look at the top stack and try reading something that picks your brain"
Kaneda leaps off one of the statues onto one of the nearest ladders, all-while searching for any books that sound like a hint of anything that sounds out of ordinary.
Using the lead Merisiel made, Kaneda goes to another section of the library expecting to find another book that would have some relevant records. He finds that that particular area had their bookshelves collapsed and had to be hefted upright. Kaneda does so, and he discovers some old catalogues of records kept at the archives that refer to a Pathfinder named “Kerinha Napsunar,” though the records themselves are nowhere to be found.
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Merisiel raises an eyebrow when it's discovered that critical documents seem to be missing. "How odd. This library seems to be in pristine condition with a first-rate filing system, yet Kaneda has found evidence of missing records -- the exact ones from Kerinha Napsunar that we're looking for. Also missing is a folio of the Open Road Pact that would seem to contain details of Durvin Gest's expedition."
She pauses and adds, "It's possible they've merely been misplaced. But I don't believe in coincidence. Perhaps something deliberate is at play here? In the meantime, we must keep searching."
Merisiel looks around, taking a minute to marvel at the massive orrery. As she moves to get a better look, a glint of light reflects off one of the planets. Something is indeed sparkling high in the bookcase behind the orrery. She moves the ladder, but realizes the orrery is blocking it. From the ladder, she leaps and attempts to balance onto the planet so she can retrieve the sparkling object.
"Eyes and nose fail Fumbus" notes the goblin as he spots a promising tome within a locked display case. "Perhaps, fingers pick out thought-scraps for Fumbus. Worked for food scraps!
The goblin manages to slip his small, boney fingers through a gap in the glass and he starts to work the bolt of the lock out of place.
Confounded that his expertise in the arcane arts yielded no results, Ezren decides to take a different approach and use his history of dealing with city officials and important people to draw any leads.
Wondering where the sections could have been misfiled, you try examining the librarian records for oozes, and you discover a two-year-old bill of sale for a treatise called “Living at the Shore of the Sentient Sea,” regarding the sentient lake of ooze at the center of the Nexian city of Oenopion.
So engrossed you were with your activity that you barely noticed the sound of scraping stone behind you. Turning around, you see that the statue of the ogre has animated, and is swinging his solid marble club directly at you! You barely dodge to the side at the last minute, and the club smashes into the bookcase behind you, throwing books and wood fragments everywhere!
Continuing on your hunt for relevant records, you search the card catalog for Adolphus. Finding some records in the database, you make you eventually find yourself at the highest point in the library, climbing shelves so worn smooth that they are dangerously slippery. There, you locate records detailing Adolphus’s founding of the Nexus Lodge. You are about to bring them down and show them to the others, when you hear a CRASH northeast of your position. Looking around, you see an animated statue moving purposely towards Fumus below!
Everyone but Kaneda gets to act before the statues!
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Balancing atop the largest planet in the orrery, Merisiel is just able to reach a small mirrored box. With some excitement, she carefully opens it, but is disappointed to find it empty. She decides to pocket it given its unique design, climbs down, and checks the catalog for any other entries on Adolphus. She finds a promising lead which she determines is atop the highest bookshelf in the library. She uses the ladder but needs to climb on her own even higher to reach the top. Just as she finds some records, she hears a loud crash below.
She calls down, "Watch out ... 4 moving statues! Can anyone identify?"
Merisiel leaps down from the cover of her perch on the bookshelf, landing with catlike grace just behind the statue below her. With surprise on her side, she draws her rapier and attacks in one fluid motion.
And then while she still has surprise, she attacks once more.
Merisiel's attacks hit great resistance as her rapier hits the surface of the statue. Despite the fact, Merisiel's precise attacks cause great chunks of Marble break off the statue!
Upon reading the title of the book the goblin had retrieved, he gives its binding a long, deep sniff. He then exhales, a little bit of disappointment evident in the tone of his voice.
"Fumbus hoping for more spice and less trade." he notes. Hearing the loud crash, he nearly drops the book. "Who there?!" the goblin cries out. Then, cocking his oversized ear, he hears Merisiel cry out:
She calls down, "Watch out ... 4 moving statues! Can anyone identify?"
"Fumbus can somewhat relate. Fought a pair of moving rocks once!" he calls back in an apparent effort to be helpful. He takes off running toward the direction of the sound.
Laying eyes upon the stone foe, he tries to think about what he may have read or heard about such constructs.
Considering what he knows, or believes he does, about the stone creature, Fumbus reaches for one of the vials of alchemical substances stashed in a pocket and hurls it at the creature.
Fumbus, you realize that these statues are extraordinarily tough, but are thankfully also brittle. Their DR of 6 is limited to the first two successful attacks (dents) that get past their hardness, after which you are easily able to get past their hard exterior.
Fortunately, the one in front of you that Merisiel already damaged has its outer shell already broken! You can throw a bomb at it and safely deal full damage!
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Reference: PHB Pg 544-545
Ezren watches in horror as his goblin companion hurls destruction in bottled form at the animated statue.
"BE CAREFUL NOT TO DESTROY THE ARCHIVE! We're here as Society representatives, remember!?"
Ezren moves away from the statue to put some distance between himself and the club before unleashing a volley of Magic Missiles into the golem.