Merisiel pushes through the pain and runs up to lend her assistance to finishing off the damn ooze. She takes up a spot next to Kyra.
Amiri shakes the goop off her blade, Well for starters, what ever you took from the local lodge."
Kyra pats Merisiel on the cheek, then whispers, "I think it was dead already. But thank you."
Valeros pats Ezren on the shoulder. That was well done, my friend. Steel can't quite handle everything, I guess. He smiles.
He then crosses his arms with only a slight wince and waits to see what is said.
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Bijan quails at Amiri's words. "Oh. I wondered if one of the parties we stole from might look for us. From out of town, considering we have more seemly ways of settling disputes here." Again, his eyes dart back to Zaynap. "Blackjackets? No, if it's from a lodge...I suppose you're with the Society. Follow me, I'll find them in my quarters."
Fumbus looks in surprise, "More seemly ways? I be gobbo not idiot, you attacked us!"
He begins inspecting the device, "And before we go get what you stole, tell us about dat machine."
Ezren winces quite a bit when Valeros pats him in appreciation.
"That, my vigilant friend, was too close for comfort. Those beasts are not to be trifled with." offers the wizard solemnly.
Ezren looks at his gear, seeing acid burns in some of his nicest finery.
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Bijan takes you to a small side chamber with two beds and worktables, one of which is swamped with books. Most don't look to be Pathfinder materials, but are all stolen, as Bijan attests to. Perhaps Sebnet can see them returned to their owners.
Several concern ooze-crafting, and are obviously from Nexus House. A few concern early missions of Pathfiner Kerinha Napsunar, some of which were as risky as smuggling religious contraband into Rahadoum. One more folio details the elusive Open Road Pact! It is massive, but bears a sensationalized abridgment tucked into the front cover.
"We traveled to the Mwangi Expanse to find it, and were successful. We braved countless guardians, traps, and the local bureaucracy to reach the place's heart. At the end we found a door with many keys, none of which fit its lock. We were mockingly informed any key would do, so long as only one of us was left alive to turn it.
"We would not turn on each other to see the deed done. Not even if we were lucky enough to be resurrected after our success. We instead swore that there would be no infighting, and the last among us would peacefully claim the prize. This would become the Open Road Pact among us, a living example of our promise to cooperate most among our three tenets.
"Selmius Foster passed away nearly twenty years ago, in 4330 AR. But I fear my time is coming to a close. There is little to be done about it. I can only hope the prize was worth the wait, and that I may hear of it wherever I end up."
-Kerinha Napsunar
"This will all come back with us. Bijan, your fate is in the hands of the Vash-Vatom, not ours. Your surrender and assistance with the machine and its creatures has earned you that."
"Bijan, this cavern and tunnels is quite elaborate. We noticed other avenues we could have pursued. What else are we leaving down here that could wreak havoc if left unchecked?" asks Ezren.
Fumbus attempts to fully disable the nasty device when the jerk takes his allies into the other room.
"Speaking of havoc..." "I may need some patching up."
Valeros leans against a wall and looks at Bijan.
"Not really sure what you guys were thinking. You're smart enough to mess with all the junk, but not smart enough to realize that all this theft was going to catch up with you. Sorry about your partner, I guess, but you should've surrendered as soon as you saw us."
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The walk to Bijan's workshop takes a route you didn't, with the black pudding in view. "You came through the collapsed tunnels. We deemed those too risky to plumb, without much reward," he says. He retrieves a pinch of dust from a bag, then tosses it at the dormant ooze. It shudders for a moment, then goes even more still than before. "I developed this powder to convince the things to keep away. Throw some on one of them, and they'll freeze. Should be time enough to get a disposal crew in. No other creations down here I can think of." Bijan pointedly ignores everything Valeros says.
Fumbus notes that most of the work is already done, but he turns the right valves to secure the device against anything present.
Returning to Nexus House doesn't take long. Sebnet stands in the same place she left you in. As you enter, any remaining ooze clinging to your gear starts to wick away. "Pathfinders! You're back, and with a guest, seems. So many books, too! Am I to take that as a success?"
Before setting out for Nexus House, Kyra once again calls on the healing power of her goddess to aid her compatriots' recovery.
"It seems so, but we will have to compare the records to what we found to be sure."
Fumbus attempts to rub in a few salves if they have time.
for
"What would I do without you friends? Die probably... Valeros thanks Kyra and Fumbus for their healing.
As Sebnet addresses the team, Ezren bows gracefully to her.
"Greetings esteemed and honorable Vash-Vatam Sanserkoht. Yes, we have indeed met with success. We have successfully recovered a great many artifacts, books, and journals from the guilty party. Unfortunately, the perpetrators were conducting foul experiments and met us with lethal force. I regret to inform you that not all of the enemy combatants survived, to which I do humbly apologize and offer my sincerest regret. I wish that it had turned out differently, but such is the nature of investigative adventuring that accompanies the role of a Pathfinder." offers the wizard.
Merisiel is quite enamored with this “Open Road Pact,” as she has heard of tontines before, but only in stories, the kind that eventually progress into action-filled sequences and narrow escapes. She triumphantly holds the folio up.
”We found this cool thing! Very salacious and old. Sal-old-scious. S-old-lacious? Something like that. Pretty neat.”
Valeros nods after Ezren speaks. "What he said."
After Merisiel shows Sanserkoht the Open Road Pact, he asks the Vash-Vatam, "What do you make of that?"
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The little goblin tries to hop up to slap Valeros on the shoulder, "No prollem big guy!" But arm is a bit low hitting somewhere mid-back.
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Fumbus looks around for more food now that their mission is complete. He appears to be disappointed. He whispers to Merisiel, "No salad here, sorry. I hungry too."
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The Vash-Vatom looks over the big folio with obvious interest. "This is...new. Well, obviously not, but I've never seen or heard tell of it before! I suppose it needn't have been general knowledge at the time of its writing. I'll have scribes start copying the whole thing immediately!"
The gnome looks over Bijan with a bit of distaste. Even Nexus House's enchantments must take some time with him. "I can't think of any reason these loyal agents would bring you inside but to tell me you're the 'guilty party.' Don't worry, I'll turn you over to the local authorities once I've figured out the full scope of you crimes." The alchemist doesn't respond.
"You've done good work today, Pathfinders! Cleaning up our library and city just a bit, even uncovering an event lost to time. I'll be sure to mention that to old man Kreighton. You deserve to be well paid for this venture!"
"Ah yes, payment. Now that is what I am talking about." She then looks over the nasty rash on her arm, "By the way, do you mind if crash here for a few days? I am feeling a bit drained."
"I don't have magic to heal that, so rest is the best thing for you." She glances over at Merisiel with a smile. "We can wait here for her to recover, can't we?"
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Sebnet beams. "Absolutely! You are my guests - guests of honor, now. Stay as long as you want or need. Shaine can wait a few days, at the very least."
With the Vash-Vatom's permission, you can stay at Nexus House until you're done. When you do return to Absalom with a final report, it is to an excited Master of Scrolls. Kreighton Shaine congratulates each of you on finding the information he requested and more. "Another bit of history, locked behind a door in the Expanse. Looks as if we won't be wanting for adventure!"
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