Dot and delete (I think).
*snatches dot*
Background:
Although the Pathfinder Society began as a casual club of adventurers, within a decade it had published its first compilation of discoveries, and within 15 years it had established a ruling body of 10 wise and popular leaders: the Decemvirate. Over the following decades, the Society expanded, founding lodges across Avistan and northern Garund.
As the Society’s influence grew, so too did the Decemvirate’s influence. Some began to question the council’s judgment. By 4408, factions were angrily debating what the Decemvirate’s role should be and how much power it should wield. Violence followed three years later.
The plot failed, and although the primary conspirators perished in the attempt or were expelled, the Society remained too divided to perform sweeping punishments without shattering the organization irrevocably. In order to mend bridges, all of the surviving Decemvirate members retired from their posts and established secret successors drawn from a mix of the three factions. To protect these new leaders from future conspiracy and corruption, each donned unique artifacts known as Decemvirate helms to hide their identities and thoughts.
Not everyone was entirely content however. As one of the first Pathfinders, the gnome Eylysia pieced together many indirect clues that let her identify several of the new leaders, and confronted them. The Decemvirate quickly framed the event as an assassination attempt by Eylysia and named her a traitor.
You are all gathered at the Pathfinder Lodge in Absalom when a letter arrives from Kreighton Shaine.
Pathfinders,
I have recently uncovered a series of notes that I believe hold critical truths about the origins of the Pathfinder Society and the founding of the Decemvirate. A gnome Pathfinder by the name of Eylysia was well-known at that time and was held in high esteem until an assassination attempt on members of the Decemvirate organized by Eylysia led to her ejection from the Society. These notes I have found indicate there may be quite a bit more to Eylysia’s story than we previously realized.
The most legible of Eylysia’s notes reference a “speaking artifact” purportedly lying beneath a “false rider.” Descriptions drawn from recent visions suggest the “speaking artifact” originated in Varisia. I suspect it is related to the Shoanti, a people well-known both for their oral traditions and horsemanship.
It seems Eylysia suspected that the noted explorer, Montlarion Jeggare, had glimpsed this “speaking artifact”. Head to the Jeggare Museum in Korvosa, where Montlarion’s ancestor, Mercival Jeggare, serves as curator. Once there, see if you can locate this “speaking artifact”. I await your findings.
Sincerely,
Kreighton Shaine
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"Howdy y'all!" An energetic voice rings out over the lodge, bubbling in anticipation of her first mission. "Maxine Lark here, ready for adventure!" A human looking girl with an overpacked bag across her shoulder, Maxine is practically vibrating with excitement as she awaits her fellow Pathfinders.
"The Decemvirate huh? That seems like a big order for my first mission, but I'm sure we got this! Right Ronaldo?" Peeking out from a fold in her bag, a toad croaks in agreement.
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Aurk is a dwarf that looks like he is covered in dust and dirt and hasn't taken a bath in a long time. He doesn't smell, though. He is wearing some type of bone armor and carries a wooden shield on his left arm and a club in his right hand.
He taps his chest with his club and proclaims, "Aurk here."
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Phytus is...something. A short humanoid shape, woven from bumpy natural textures in mottled browns and greens. Spindly limbs clutch wooden growths that could pass for more body parts, but are just crude weapons. Their face is seemingly obscured by a mask of leaves. There are eyeholes, but nothing behind them.
"Masks under masks, before the play has begun," they say in a singsong voice. "We will do our part. It bears understanding."
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Vangral is painfully thin, even for an elf and incredibly pale. Yet his eyes shine with an unhealthy brightness. For all that, his hair is long and thick and jet black and he moves with languid but not sickly energy.
His clothing is all black silk, leather and lace, well kept but old and some of it a bit ill fitting as though it weren't originally made for him.
He is carrying what appears to be a doll, though closer inspection shows it would be more likely to give children nightmares than comfort. It is made of an odd leather with oversized teeth in a gruesome smile. It has a thick head of hair of all colors and textures and Vangral is combing it carefully.
It is hard to tell whether the smell of dirt and dust comes from the elf or the poppet as both seem clean but the scent is unmistakable, as is the chill of unseen, undesirable things that surrounds them.
"Oh unseen secrets and masks, what a delightful mission, eh, Vaultkeeper? We're going to have so much fun!" he says, speaking to the doll he is grooming. His voice is as bubbly and energetic as Maxine's in it's own way, though the hoarse way he whispers and his obvious age make it strangely ominous.
You arrive in Korvosa, and there is ample signage pointing towards the Jeggare Museum. However, you may choose to gather some information about Korvosa, the Shoanti, or the Jeggare Museum on your way there.
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Phytus delays their asking around to duck down an alley, muttering something about seeing "Glines and the Switch." They emerge nearly an hour later in search of mission-relevant information. If asked about the wait, the ghoran says, "Gathering information from an older local. They have promised to help."
"Less scrupulous Pathfinders than we trod here centuries ago. Montlarion Jeggare was a better person, though sides opposing his benefactors may have disagreed."
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The party suddenly hears an odd noise from down the road behind them, like a rapidly galloping deer or mountain goat...with only two hooves.
With alarming speed, the source of the sound catches up and reveals itself: Standing atop a strong but slender set of hooves is an unearthly-looking man, tall and athletically-built (if rather lanky) with ungodly-pale skin, a face that is long, thin, and exotically beautiful with more than a hint of southern Tien heritage, but also somehow off-putting. His long hair is as white and diaphanous as a ghost's. His clothing and leather lamellar armor are practical, a little plain, and well-kept, and in addition to a few wicked-looking metal sidearms, he gracefully holds a beautiful quarterstaff of some unfamiliar dark wood.
He looks at you, and you immediately kind of wish he hadn't: - his eyes, Black-on-grey, cephalopod-like in design, look as though they can see things in you that not even you would want to see.
He nimbly flashes his Open Road token before saying (in a voice that is anything but bubbly), "Please forgive my late arrival. It is good to be adventuring again."
"I am Ekanta Hanoi. All that separates Life from Death is Loneliness, Suffering...and my whirling Staff."
As you approach the museum, Mercival Jeggare, a portly man adorned in a frock coat and ruffled blouse, walks out to greet you in person.
“Welcome to my museum Pathfinders! I am Mercival Jeggare, the head curator.” The scholarly figure gestures toward a grand entryway dotted with displays of weapons, artwork, and fossilized remains. “Come in, come in! Always a pleasure to host members of the Society. I assume this is in regards to the missive I received from Mr. Shane?”
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Maxine initially tries to gather information from the locals, but after a mention of a local scandal she instead turns into a storm of gossip and giggles and falls behind the rest of the group.
"Wait for meeee!" Maxine bursts into the museum, panting and sweating. "What'd I miss? Are you Mercival Jeggare?" She walks up to the round man and shakes his hand vigorously, asking "You know about this talkin' magic thing?"
Mercival furrows his brow.
"I am unsure what the 'speaking artifact' or 'false rider' could be. Adding an enchanted mouth could make an artifact speak, I suppose. A ‘rider’ may suggest someone mounted or else a proviso or alteration of some prior statement or decree."
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"Oh yes, with the right spells, you can make anything talk. It's just a matter of whether or not it has anything interesting to say. Usually it does not," Vangral says, eager at first but then growing disappointed as he gets to the end.
"Perhaps it would be better if we look at items that are artifacts. Where is your very good stuff?" he asks the curator.
Mercival gladly directs the group to the largest gallery containing Shoanti artifacts, bragging about how it's the largest collection of Shoanti artifacts on all of Golarion.
Skylights illuminate this gallery. Exhibits displayed within decorative alcoves include several wooden totems and tools. More wood-carved pieces rest within a raised exhibition area to the north.
A massive glass-walled case dominates the center of the gallery and holds three bound volumes of the Pathfinder Chronicles. To the south, a table bears two metal chests as another holds two wooden reliefs.
Ekanta beelines for two cases, one holding a Shoanti sword, and another holding a spear.
Taicho looks at a few of the more intricate artifacts.
Phytus and Aurk are enamored by the ancient wooden artifacts in the center cases, while Vangral is drawn to the books in the glass-walled case in the center.
Maxine is still shaking Mercival's hand vigorously when a resounding “crack!” and cascade of wood dust heralds the fall of an enormous glass skylight before it shatters upon the marbled floor.
Two swarms of shrew flies, having eaten through the wooden rafters, descend on the wooden artifacts of the museum.
The bolded may act.
Taicho
Ekanta
Phytus
Aurk
Maxine
Vangral
Green Swarm
Red Swarm
Mercival utters some profane-sounding Shoanti words and beelines for the exits.
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Vangral has drawn his little doll out of the pouch he wears where he keeps it. Of course, when he puts it in the pouch, he arranges things so that the doll is looking out.
He is showing the little thing the books he's looking at but also seems to be carrying on a conversation with it, listening as much as he's talking.
"Oh look, Vaultkeeper...flies. How curious. Aw...they're not interesting ones. They seem more interested in wood than anything else. Well, our new friend probably does not want them eating up these relics so let us go see if we can help," the elf says to the doll before tucking it away and moving over to get closer to the flies.
He voices arcane words, makes arcane gestures then holds his hands together, his fingers fanned out and a gout of flame shoots out over the insects.
Ekanta throws a flask of acid which lands squarely in the midst of the red swarm. Vangral blasts the green swarm with fire, which does more damage than he expects.
Aurk tries to sympathize with the swarms, but can't understand them.
Phytus braces for an attack, but it never arrives. The swarms are interested in the buffet, and descend on the artifacts.
Maxine walks up and casts acid splash.
She may have killed a few flies but did not damage the swarm.
Both artifacts appear to resist the damage.
Round 2, Pathfinders are up!
Taicho
Ekanta
Phytus
Aurk
Maxine
Vangral
Green Swarm (-3 HP)
Red Swarm (-4 HP)
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Vangral looks down at his fingers in disappointment. They're not even smoking.
"I think you need to teach that one to me again," he says, talking to the doll that is looking out of his pouch. It looks very much like the little thing is smirking, though its hard to define what has changed about its expression.
He steps away from the closest swarm of flies, more out of principal than any tactical reason and pulls out a flask of acid and lobs it at the creatures...or the area they're swarming on.
"This cure may be worse than the disease," he says when he considers the fact that he's throwing acid at artifacts.
Taicho waves his wing to keep the swarm off the artifacts.
Ekanta throws a vial of acid, which lands in the swarm. A fury of buzzing indicates the acid caused damage.
Phytus also launches a vial of acid, which also lands in the swarm. Too many individual flies have been damaged, and the red swarm dissipates.
Aurk fist bumps Phytus and Ekanta.
Maxine moves up to cast acid splash on the green swarm.
Vangral launches an acid flask, landing an accurate splash that avoids the artifacts.
The remaining swarm is frustrated at not being able to eat the sweet, sweet priceless artifacts. It moves away from Taicho and tries to eat the next artifact in line.
It munches but the dried wood is tough to digest.
Round 3, Pathfinders are up!
Taicho
Ekanta
Phytus
Aurk
Maxine
Vangral
Green Swarm (-13 HP)
Red Swarm (-20 HP)
Ekanta throws a flask and it damages the swarm.
Vangral's flask finishes it off. The bugs scatter.
Mercival arrives back in the room, with additional staff in two. "Thank you, thank you!" he gushes. The staff begin cleaning up the glass and neutralizing the acid with lye.
You are free to examine the artifacts, especially the three volumes of Pathfinder Chronicles.
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"Call me crazy, but I was beginning to like the buzzing," Vangral says, turning to his fellows.
He shrugs it off, though and begins reviewing the Chronicles that have been offered, once more taking Vaultkeeper out of his pack and sitting him on the table so he can see, too.
"Oh look. We'll have to come back to this story when we're done. I always like hearing about owlbear cubs," Vangral comments before really digging in.