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The party begins the adventure in Nexus House, having recently arrived in Quantium, the capital city of Nex. It is mid-morning when the adventure begins. You are already aware of the mission which brought you to Nex: a diplomatic overture from the Grand Lodge combined
with a few straightforward research tasks.
Nexus House was the second lodge founded by the Pathfinder Society (after the Grand Lodge in Absalom). The Pathfinder Adolphus and his wife, a Vudrani princess named Ganjay, established the lodge using funds stolen from the treasury of Bhopan. It is a sprawling, opulent building with unusual magical extravagances seen nowhere else...
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“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.”
Ezren gives a polite bow. "Greetings, Vash-Vatom Sanserkoht. I am Ezren. My companions and I have been sent here to deliver this sapphire, which contains research on the founding of the Nexus House." He hands over the sapphire, happy to so easily complete the first part of the mission.
Although not quite as excited as he is to see the archives.
"Additionally, if at all possible we would like to do some research of our own in your archives. Much has been lost with all the recent attacks, and it is important to piece together what information we can. History should never be forgotten."
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Sebnet smiles graciously at Ezren.
"It's a pleasure to meet you! I am sure your allies will introduce themselves as well, yes?"
Sebnet taps her chin with a ringed finger, as she considers Ezren's words.
“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?”
Merisiel's focus is mostly on studying her surroundings and deftly twirling a dagger as the venture-captain welcomes the group, but after Ezren speaks she adds, "And I'm Merisiel," with a quick smile.
"What exactly is this apparatus in the Archive?" she asks as she follows Sebnet.
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"Oh, the Orrery is a massive brass-and-steel contraption! It shows the movements of Golarion and the other planets around its sun, along with moons, comets, and other celestial bodies. Each glides easily along well-oiled tracks when pushed." Sebnet has the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Not that I have done that... well, not *recently* at any rate..."
Ezren taps his chin thoughtfully. "We're looking specifically for information on some of the earliest Pathfinders. Durvin Gest, Selmius Foster, Kerinha Napsunar, and of course Adolphus. Would you know approximately where such records might be?" He considers for a moment. "Also, why are the records in a jumble? One would think being accessed less frequently would leave them more organized, not less. Unless they were never well-organized to begin with?"
He looks appalled at the notion. An archive that was never properly organized? Unthinkable!
Perhaps he can manage to talk his way into being allowed to organize them himself. To leave such important documents in a state of disarray...it goes against everything he believes in as a scholar.
The cleric woman follows the party which is conducted by the venture-captain of the Nexus-House.
She's also surprised to learn that the Archive is not well organized. And waits quietly until she can speak as the conversation is well-run and the venture-captain is in a mood to talk much.
My name's Kyra. The bless of Sarenrae be upon you.
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Sebnet is very impressed by Ezren!
"Oh, the Archive is kept quite clean, I assure you. It is just that the stuff it contains is the older research materials that we have - the sort of things that are rarely accessed by anyone, these days; I mean, some of these records won't have been touched in hundreds of years! The organisation system may be a bit odd, as well - as far as I can tell, it is *mostly* arranged by author / title, rather than by subject matter, but each successive curator organised each new section their own way, believing that *their* system was superior."
As the conversation with Sebnet wind down, she stops and gestures to a wide passage—the entrance to the Orrery Archive. The sprawling library is 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. Each glides easily along well-oiled tracks when pushed.
Although the orrery is the most impressive decoration and the source of the library’s name, 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.
"Alright - here you go; good luck!"
Merisiel gets to work, clambering around the shelves and picking the mechanisms protecting them to get to the less accessible volumes. She also works on righting the fallen bookshelves. Finally, if she has the time, Merisiel helps look for tracks and make sense of filing systems.
Ezren practically starts salivating at the sight of all these books. So much forgotten knowledge, all in one place! Who knows what mysteries might be uncovered!
Hour 1:
As both a wizard and a scholar, Ezren immediately zeroes in on the enchanted table. "Oh this is simply marvelous! I really need to ask how this was constructed, I could use one of these for my own studies..."
Hour 2:
"How could the curators have been so careless with their filing systems! Not a single thought of consistency. It's barbaric!"
Hour 3:
While beginning an ill-fated attempt to reorganize the entire archive, Ezren is distracted by the section on Occult works. "Hmmm...this work doesn't seem relevant, but in the context of this other publication it becomes very interesting indeed."
Hour 4:
It's pure coicidence that has Ezren glancing at the Orrery with detect magic active. He had merely been curious about whether a particular text he was reading was actively magical and trying to deceive his eyes or whether the author's handwriting was just really bad. A second later all thoughts of poor handwriting are erased from his mind as he gapes at the enchanted Orrery. "That's...it's...it's so beautiful..." He might actually be crying. It's hard to tell.
He immediately gets to work testing out different celestial configurations.
Hour 5:
"Merisiel my dear, are you sure you checked the upper shelves thoroughly? I swear I see an old tome up there that you missed."
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Merisiel is unable to reach the highest shelves; the varnish seems incredibly slippery!
Ezren, after almost becoming lost in introspection, eventually plumbs the depths of his arcane might, and forces the enchanted lectern to obey him!
Fumbus...
...recalls knowledge about old archiving techniques, and helps to re-order some of the shelves!
At the end of the hour, the party meets up, and compares notes.
One Success: The PCs should keep looking to learn more.
Two Successes: The PCs find the location of the material related to Durvin Gest’s Mwangi expeditions. These are the specific records Kreighton Shaine wants, but they also include 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 unknown in the Grand Lodge, and the PCs are certain that Kreighton Shaine will want to know more about it. Unfortunately, the referenced folio detailing the Open Road Pact is missing...
Three Successes: The PCs find some old catalogues of records kept at the archives that refer to a Pathfinder named “Kerinha Napsunar”. The records themselves, however, are nowhere to be found...
(Failed)
Arcana: One of the tables is enchanted to aid in research, magically flipping pages in any book placed upon it to relevant passages. A successful Arcana check is required to activate it.
(Critical Success!)
Athletics: Some of the bookshelves in this area have collapsed and must be hefted upright with a successful Athletics check to peruse their contents.
Lore: These shelves have several relevant works that are poorly organized. Any successful check with a Lore skill relevant to research, such as Scribing Lore or Pathfinder Society Lore, uncovers useful information.
(Success)
Nature: The orrery is magically enchanted to aid in research; manipulating its arms into appropriate celestial configurations causes the other arms to swing toward shelves containing related knowledge. Operating the orrery in this way requires a successful Nature check.
Occultism: Piecing together unexpected correlations between relevant works on this balcony requires a successful Occultism check.
Society: This section of the archives has been filed and re-filed by different caretakers many times. Navigating the idiosyncratic filing systems of each successive caretaker (each, of course, thinking their own system to be superior) requires a successful Society check.
Survival: The tidying enchantments in Nexus House make tracks or other evidence of past use difficult to find. In this particular spot, the enchantments are disrupted and clues are more evident. Uncovering traces left here by previous library users requires a successful Survival check.
Thievery: Books in this section are protected by glass-fronted shelves secured with complicated latches; a successful Thievery check to Disable a Device is required to access them.
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Merisiel, with incredible skill, quickly unlocks all of the sealed cabinets; truly she is a maestro when it comes to locks!
Ezren easily navigates his way through the inter-woven web of idiosyncratic filing systems, quickly imposing his own idea of order!
Fumbus...
...in a show of suprising strength, manages to lift many of the fallen bookcases, allowing ready access to the previously-hidden volumes!
At the end of the hour, the party meets up, and compares notes.
Four Successes: The PCs note that several other sections of works regarding Nexian ooze-crafting are missing. The missing folio about the Open Road Pact was filed near them and the missing works (including the details of Kerinha Napsunar’s expeditions) were likely all taken together at once.
Five Successes: The PCs discover a 2-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. The treatise was sold to someone named Bijan Ohrlavi. Attached to it is a note.
Six Successes: The PCs discover the cargo manifest of Selmius Foster’s first Vudrani spice trade.
Seven Successes: The PCs locate the civic permits for Adolphus’s founding of Nexus Lodge.
Eight Successes: The PCs should keep looking to learn more.
(Failed)
Arcana: One of the tables is enchanted to aid in research, magically flipping pages in any book placed upon it to relevant passages. A successful Arcana check is required to activate it.
(Critical Success!)
Athletics: Some of the bookshelves in this area have collapsed and must be hefted upright with a successful Athletics check to peruse their contents.
(Success)
Lore: These shelves have several relevant works that are poorly organized. Any successful check with a Lore skill relevant to research, such as Scribing Lore or Pathfinder Society Lore, uncovers useful information.
(Success)
Nature: The orrery is magically enchanted to aid in research; manipulating its arms into appropriate celestial configurations causes the other arms to swing toward shelves containing related knowledge. Operating the orrery in this way requires a successful Nature check.
Occultism: Piecing together unexpected correlations between relevant works on this balcony requires a successful Occultism check.
Society: This section of the archives has been filed and re-filed by different caretakers many times. Navigating the idiosyncratic filing systems of each successive caretaker (each, of course, thinking their own system to be superior) requires a successful Society check.
(Critical Success!)
Survival: The tidying enchantments in Nexus House make tracks or other evidence of past use difficult to find. In this particular spot, the enchantments are disrupted and clues are more evident. Uncovering traces left here by previous library users requires a successful Survival check.
Thievery: Books in this section are protected by glass-fronted shelves secured with complicated latches; a successful Thievery check to Disable a Device is required to access them.
(Critical Success!)
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At this point in time, there is horrible grinding noise as four of the statues situated around the library animate, with obviously hostile intent!
Fumbus reacts first, steps the side, and tosses a fire bomb at Purple (doing so with such precision that it doesn't do any splash damage)!
He scores a direct hit, but it doesn't do as much damage as he would have hoped.
Cursing, he draws his dogslicer.
Fumbus
Merisiel
Kyra
Ezren
ISK (-, -7, -, -)
"Wait, Fumbus, dont-" is as far as Ezren gets before Fumbus throws the fire bomb. Luckily it doesn't hit anything but the creature, but Ezren glares at him anyway. "Be careful! You might damage the books!"
Unfortunately being unable to use fire also eliminates some of Ezren's most powerful spells. For now he decides to use a cantrip, at least until he has some idea of how powerful these creatures are. And frost shouldn't be able to hurt anything...
The cleric draws her scimitar and strides to the damaged one to swing it.
+1 striking scimitar:
Damage:
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Ezren moves to the side, and tosses a blast of cold at the damaged statue.
To his horror, his attack, likewise, does not do as much damage as expected.
Kyra, on the other hand, secure in her faith in the Dawnflower, strides forward and delivers a terrifying blow, which cracks right through its hardened shell, shattering it to pieces!
Merisiel, hoping to follow suit, chases after the next closest one, drawing her rapier in the process...
...her first blow goes wide, but the second delivers a devastating blow, pushing spiderweb-thin cracks throughout the statue's outer shell.
The statue engaging Merisiel starts swinging...
...landing two solid blows!
Meanwhile, the other two statues ponderously move closer.
Fumbus moves to assist Merisiel...
...pushing his blade into one of those cracks Merisiel caused, and pushing it wide open, shattering the statue's outer shell!
Fumbus
Merisiel (-19)
Kyra
Ezren
ISK (-, -18 (Broken), -)
Ezren moves further away from one statue and, incidentally, closer to the other two.
Well, he needed to be closer to them anyway if he wanted to try this spell. He did hope Merisiel was okay; that punch had looked like it hurt.
"The cold didn't bother you, how about electricity?"
The cleric casts Searing Light upon the one arriving near Ezren and already damaged by him.
Searing Light:
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Ezren causes electricity to crackle between Green and Yellow...
...but discovers that stone doesn't electrocute that well.
Kyra then channels the burning light of the Dawnflower...
...charring the statue so badly, that its exterior shell warps, melts, and cracks!
Merisiel attempts to finish-off Yellow...
...her first strike shattering it!
That allows her to move up to Green...
...and with pin-point accuracy, finds the weakest spot in its construction, shattering it into dozens of pieces!
The remaining statue then moves forward to engage Ezren, but only has time for a single blow...
...but it makes it count, bruising some of his ribs.
Fumbus then hustles around to flank with Ezren...
...managing to chip off a small flake.
Fumbus
Merisiel (-19)
Kyra
Ezren (-14)
ISK (-9)
The cleric swings three times with her scimitar against the remaining statue.
+1 striking scimitar:
Damage 1:
+1 striking scimitar:
Damage 2:
+1 striking scimitar:
Damage 3:
Merisiel vaults over the table to get at the last remaining statue and gives it two quick jabs from her rapier.
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Merisiel drives her rapier through the centre of the statue's chest, causing it to shatter!
With that, silence once more descends upon the library.
Inspecting the remains of the statues, Ezren spots a complicated mark on the back of each statue’s head, which he recognizes as akin to arcane runes used in golem creation rituals, and are likely responsible for the statues’ animation!
These marks appear quite recent, but it’s impossible to definitively date them.
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Merisiel looks for tracks, and manages to find subtle signs of passage.
Meanwhile, Ezren manages to piece together some otherwise non-related data into a useful whole!
Nine Successes: The PCs discover a notebook detailing methods to slow-down constructs.
CONCENTRATE, MANIPULATE
You designate a single construct within 30 feet that you can see or hear. The construct is slowed 1 for 1 minute.
Additionally, the party is aware that they have exhausted all their research avenues in the Orrery Archive.
"Well, that would have been significantly more useful an hour ago." Ezren isn't actually upset about the statues attacking them, some sort of security is to be expected in an archive like this. He is mildly annoyed that they weren't informed beforehand of that danger.
"We discovered all sorts of interesting documents within the archive. Why, we even discovered the civil permits for Adolphus’s founding of Nexus Lodge! It was very exciting."
"Really, that archive needs a more constant touch. Someone should organize the entire thing, so everything is filed under the same system." As an afterthought, he adds, "Oh, and you should probably let people know in advance about the guardian statues. We weren't expecting them, and we may have shattered them into pieces because we didn't know how else to deal with them."
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Sebnet looks shocked.
“What? Animated statues in the Orrery Archive? We have several magical marvels here in Nexus House, but this is news to me. Could it be sabotage? We haven’t needed particularly strong security in the past, but perhaps we should consider it. As it might be relevant, what were you doing, as precisely as you recall, when the statues began running amok?”
"We were discussing our findings when the statues animated," Merisiel tells Sebnet, "but immediately beforehand I was unlocking cabinets while Fumbus lifted fallen shelves, and I believe Ezren was trying to decipher the filing systems."
"The statues weren't yours?" Ezren looks puzzled. "They clearly belonged in the archive. So they weren't supposed to be animated? All the more unfortunate that we had to destroy them then. They must have been relics."
"We did find a note about a man, Bigan Ohrlavi, who was fanatically interested in ooze research. The bill of sale was written by Igrigi Lokar. Would we be able to speak to him?"
Kyra spent time to treat the wounded ones.
Let me have a look at these wounds, Merisiel.
Medecine, treat wounds:
Damage healed:
You too, Ezren.
Medecine, treat wounds:
Damage healed:
We can go further tomorrow. A good night of sleep will be a good thing to you both, then.
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“That name Bigan Ohrlavi isn’t familiar to me. But others in this city may know more.”
Sebnet looks thoughtfully at the bill of sale.
“That said, the circumstantial evidence certainly suggests that this Ohrlavi is most likely the thief.”
The Gnome then smiles.
“Igrigi? He’s one of the most competent assistants I’ve ever had. A very smart man — capable, if sometimes a bit opinionated. He recently left Nexus House’s employ to take a higher-paying position within the city bureaucracy somewhere. He did so with my recommendation, frankly; I was glad to see someone with integrity and skill rewarded. It might be worth talking to him, to see if he knows more.”
So let's go to meet him tomorrow, after a good night of sleep. So we'll be all well.
The next morning, they are going in the street asking questions.
Did someone try to sell documents in the area? That's important and this letter will explain to you which level of importance the case reaches.
Diplomacy:
Merisiel uses one of the letters to get a list from a city official of bookshops specializing in strange or magical topics and alchemists who study or create oozes, then visits the addresses she's acquired asking if they've had any desperate customers with slimy currency.
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After a decent night's rest, the party splits up, and heads out into Quantium to do some research.
After an hour of asking around, Kyra finds that no-one who might know anything is willing to talk to her; perhaps being an obvious cleric of the Sarenrae is scaring off those with more... flexible... ideologies?
Merisiel, on the other hand, spends a fruitful couple of hours asking around some of the local alchemical suppliers, and learns that a brother and sister named Bijan and Zaynap Ohrlavi, ooze-crafters who originally came from Oenopion, having been buying a lot of reagents recently, and seem to be operating out of an abandoned apothecary shop called Wishful Cures.
Fumbus uses another one of the letters to get a meeting with Igrigi, who is current working in the Office of Building Quality and Assessment, evaluating planning permits.
He happily makes time for Fumbus over a meal at an upscale restaurant near the Bandeshar, the majestic palace that once served as the Archmage Nex’s home and still functions as the nation’s seat of government. Igrigi remembers Bijan Ohrlavi, and recalls that the alchemist had a twin sister named Zaynap (whom he never met). Igrigi found Bijan to be suspicious and near-obssessive interest in works on ooze-crafting mildly off-putting. He wouldn’t put it past the twins to steal what they couldn’t afford.
Igrigi doesn’t know much about the Open Road Pact, but he recalls that a folio on that subject was filed near the materials on oozes; a thief concerned with haste rather than precision might have accidentally grabbed the Open Road Pact folio as well. Igrigi recalls that the Ohrlavis were based out of an apothecary shop called Wishful Cures.
Fortuitiously, Igrigi was looking over sewer access plans earlier in the day; he recalls that Wishful Cures is abandoned, but it has an access to the Quantium sewers in its basement. He warns Fumbus that, should he need to enter the sewers, he should avoid the slurry flowing there—it has strange effects on the mind in addition to being foul to the senses.
Ezren allows his companions to do the mundane mingling. He's more interested in the magical side of things.
His attempts to find someone who might have taught a thief how to animate statues are...less than useful. Likely because he uses that exact phrasing in his inquiries. After another door gets slammed in his face, Ezren snorts in annoyance. "Hmph. It's not like I'm accusing them of being the thief themselves. Really, I was even trying to be polite!"
He's exceptionally dejected when he meets back up with the group. He's wasted several hours and learned nothing of any use. Fortunately they had more luck, and he perks up a little when he hears about Wishful Cures.
"Hmmm. I suppose I can admire their dedication, if not their methods. Ooze-crafting is an unusual obsession, but weird obsessions often lead to great discoveries. I am curious what their peers think of them. Perhaps we could find some other ooze-crafters to ask?"
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Ezren asks around, but gets caught up in the tutors’ dull lectures; this attempt takes 4 hours rather than 1d4 hours. The wizard-tutors impart knowledge of secret gestures rumored to impede the magical function of Nexian constructs.
Using the last letter, Ezren asks around, and learns that ooze-crafters in Nex operate out of the city of Oenopion and are rarer here in Quantium. Among the most notorious ooze-crafters in Quantium, however, are the Ohrlavi twins, who were disgraced and exiled from Oenopion for... questionable... practices.
Kyra tries to open the door, a bit like Amiri would do.
Athletics:
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Channeling the might of her Barbarian friend, Kyra forces the door open!
A quick search inside reveals that the upper level is indeed quite abandoned, but behind the shop’s wooden counter is a trapdoor.
The trapdoor’s hinges are well-oiled and show signs of regular use. It leads to the shop’s stone-lined basement, which connects to Quantium’s sewer...
The basement of Wishful Cures is a jumble of boxes and crates, most of them left ajar, and heaps of yellowed papers and dried herbs scattered across the floor. The air contains a sour, chemical smell emanating from an opening in the far wall of the closet to the south.
...However, before anyone steps into the room, Merisiel notes that there is some kind of trap covering most of the room, with nozzles scattered across the ceiling, clearly designed to spray something nasty down on anyone below...
Motioning for her companions to stay back, Merisiel cautiously enters the room, making sure to avoid any trigger mechanism she's noticed. She begins methodically attempting to disable the central system that supplies the nozzles.
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Kyra channels the aid of Sarenrae, granting Merisiel some assistance.
Merisiel then (barely) manages to disable the complex trap.
Trap dealt with, the party is able to explore the room!
Fumbus eventually discovers a Ring of the Ram concealed in the binding of an illustrated encyclopedia of medicinal berries!
I think we should go through this passage over there.
Kyra will cast detect magic before they move on.
Merisiel nods in assent at Kyra's suggestion. She prods the runoff in the tunnel with one of her daggers, then (assuming the blade isn't melted or grabbed or anything) quickly skips through the liquid to get around the corner to the nearest sewer room. She stays well back from the sewer channel itself and warily observes the chamber.
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The sludge-stained ceiling of this sewer chamber rises to twelve feet high. Wide passages containing a greenish, slow-moving slurry flows from north to west. In the northwest corner of the room are several loose stones and a few metal canisters. To the west, a staircase ascends north to an area illuminated by a steady light source. A wooden plank has been turned into a makeshift bridge over the northern sewer canal. A collapsed wall to the east leads to the apothecary shop’s basement and to several twisting passages. The greenish slurry is concentrated in the twisting passages to a viscous slime a nauseating blue in colour.
As you enter the room, to your horror, you see the greenish sludge in the big central pool move as a slime-encrusted ooze the size of an elephant surfaces, sloshing effluvium and noxious chemicals up onto the walkways as it does so!
Merisiel
Ezren
BP (-)
Fumbus
Kyra