Gameplay thread. Those who I have identified under the Recruitment thread: please go ahead and dot / delete this thread. Thank you.
PS: I will start this in the next day or two, with slow intro allowing RP between you all, then kicking it into high gear next week.
Your reputation in the Inner Sea has reached a certain level of fame which has begun to attract a myriad of suitors, charlatans, salesmen and other less reputable characters. On occasion, fame does bring genuine opportunities, such as the one that has been brought before you.
You have caught the attention of a Taldan merchant named Hanoris Dellum. The man has contacted you all with a proposition he promises will make you incredibly wealthy and even more famous.
Dellum proposes to meet you all at a remote roadside inn northeast of Zimar, called the Lion Sleeps Inn, insisting on absolute discretion. The Lion Sleeps Inn is detailed more thoroughly on Slides 4 through 6. Once you arrive, Hanoris meets with you in a private meeting room (area N6 of the inn). He explains that he’s recently discovered that he might well be the last living scion of a disgraced Taldan family—the Adellas. His relation to the Adellas is minor, but when curiosity about the disgrace the family suffered years ago drove him to research his ancestry, he found that there really wasn’t much to learn—the Adellas had been pronounced 'damnatio' by the government: their memory was to be wiped from every public record and monument, and all members stripped forever of noble status. As such, all public and even most private records of the family had been destroyed. But Hanoris did find something—mention of the family’s secure and remote boneyard. So secret and well defended was this necropolis that it escaped the damnatio purge. Known today as the Tomb of the Iron Medusa, the necropolis has faded into relative obscurity.
Hanoris gets to the point: he tells you he suspects that the Adellas were framed, that they were the victims of a conspiracy by powerful enemies to ruin their reputation. Yet proof of these suspicions has likely been lost, due to the damnatio—with the possible exception of whatever information might still lie in the old family burial grounds. Hanoris asks you to travel to this necropolis and explore it—to seek out the secrets hidden within the Tomb of the Iron Medusa, and to find proof that the rumors about the Adellas’ evil and disgrace were lies. In particular, he feels that the once-famous family sword, Infensus Mucro (said to have been an intelligent weapon), could be key in exonerating the family’s name.
Hanoris goes on to point out that the vast treasures no doubt contained within the Tomb of the Iron Medusa could make brave adventurers rich, and that aside from the family sword and any proof you can find of falsehoods brought against the Adellas, he has no interest in those treasures—you can keep whatever else you find in the ancient necropolis.
Hanoris retrieves a white marble funerary baton from a pouch and places it on the table. He explains that this baton, the only physical object connected to the Adellas he managed to discover in his research, is a key of some sort to entering the necropolis. In fact, this very inn was once owned by the Adellas, and it was in a hidden panel behind a plaque on a wall here that he found the baton. Hanoris then twists the top of the baton, causing the tip to pop open and reveal a hollow inside containing a rolled parchment. He believes that in the Adellas’ last days, one of their members wrote the lines on the parchment as a sort of guide or map, in the hope that they could guide future descendents through the wards and defenses of the tomb so that proof of the falsehoods could be found. He hasn’t been able to find more information about the parchment, but he suspected that the “Slumbering Cat” mentioned in the first line refers to the Lion Sleeps Inn.
Working from this assumption, Hanoris spent several weeks exploring the lands northeast of the inn, and after some time confirmed his hunch, finding the necropolis in the foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains. He has not had the courage to explore the necropolis itself, but he suspects that both the poem and the baton itself are the keys to entering the ruins. Hanoris says that he’ll be staying here at the Lion Sleeps Inn, awaiting your return from the Tomb of the Iron Medusa, then wishes them luck on their coming adventures.
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Lilliandra makes a striking figurre as she enters the tavern, he long sinuous body slides across the rogh wodden floor. She is bedecked in flowing full plate, shaped to resemble multicoloured blue and green scales with interwoven fish designs. She looks around the In, I suppose these lodgings will have to do if there is nothing better nearby.
She regards the merchant with a degree of suspicion as he talks.
But perks up at the mention of a vast treasure hoard. A broad smile breaks across her aquiline features, My dear man, why didn't you start with that, of course we are going to help you.
She closely examines the rod and the paper, muttering a simple detect magic spell.
The Adellas you say, the Adellas, I am quite sure I have heard of them. She takes out a sllim volume of notes and flicks through it. Yes, yes, disgraced noble house, their symbol was a medusa as I recall.
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A male Aasimar with eyes like moonstones carefully takes stock of the allies that the Society has assembled to hear Dellum's offer and respond. He has a prominently displayed symbol of an Iron Hammer around his neck, along with an assortment of ioun stones flying around his head, but no weapons. He appears to have muscles comparable to those of Absalom’s weakest mage, but wears Monk’s robes nevertheless.
Mal greets his fellow pathfinders, "Well met, fellow agents. The Forge Father, and common sense dictate that we familiarize ourselves with each others abilities and plan accordingly. I’m a follower of the Father of Creation, and while most of us practice their skills with the hammer, I’ve found the best way to prepare for anything is to hone the one weapon that cannot be taken from you, yourself. I receive blessings from the Father and accordingly, if any of you have need of minor divine assistance, I can provide it. My abilities are limited to minor deeds and I suspect foes we face will have far stronger magics. Regardless, every foe I’ve faced, from Aboleth to Zombie, has broken on the shield I've trained my body to become. Finally, I can deal with any of Droskar's follies we happen to find, including magical traps."
Mal sits in the private meeting room and listens intently.
Upon hearing the offer of tomb exploration for information, in return for what lies within, he knows instantly what Venture captains of the society would counsel. He agrees, " Indeed, the society would be happy to explore your family's burial grounds. Whatever we uncover within, we'll let you know. "
That poem could and batton probably are important... I'll let the wiser among us deal with puzzles, if they can't I can try to pick the lock or force our way in.
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The captain listened to Hanoris speak, nodding along at appropriate times and smiling all the while. Brother Rabbit's garb could only be described as downright gaudy. Bright oranges, greens, blues and yellows stream together on his robes, which looked similar to Mal's if you ignore the bastardization of the color scheme. Once Hanoris was done speaking, he stood up and took a bow, grabbing his tricorne before it could fall off of his head. "Of course, my good man. Captain Brother Rabbit of the Voracious is at your service. No tomb can scare me away, for not even the Gloomspire held challenge for me. This Tomb of the Iron Medusa of yours shall be yet another triumph in my long history of adventuring!" Brother Rabbit boomed as he talked, and moved in a very animated manner. In fact, it seemed as though he was incapable of being still for even a moment.
Turning to the rest of the group, he continued in that loud, deep timbre of his. "Being a shield is all well and good, new friend, but I find that making sure they cannot hit you in the first place is the best defense you can have. But I do see us doing very well on the front line, mate. There aren't many enemies out there who can strike me, and those that try often to, or try to strike my friends, find themselves face first on the floor. Outside of that, I do make a fairly good scout, as well." As if to punctuate on that final point, Captain Brother Rabbit lifted his arms as if in celebration, several ribbons of gaudy colored cloth hanging from them as if to deny his words entirely.
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Lilly smiles a little condescendingly at Mal. Fear not good dwarf, I bring within me a wide range of potent divine magic, granted to me by...well, nevermind that for now. I am a wanderer on the waves who has found herself washed ashore. Surely the Stars will show us the way ahead.
She smiles and strokes a star emblem on her armoured skirt.
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The halfling, with a large feral wolf likewise provides her introduction with a deep bow.
”I am Dora. I have been called many things, and not all kind or true. Battle Herald of the Society and Oracle of Erastil. Most notable as a Champion of the Ruby Phoenix. All pale in comparison.
It is an joy and privilege to have been selected to offer assistance this day.
But you probably have far more knowledge of the significance of the events than we can know. Any pearls of wisdom you share will be well received.“
While not foreign to conflict, I have been an avid student of wars,
far more than a front-line participant.
I will provide inspiration in battle, as well as applying my study of tactics and lore both in and out of combat.
post of legionary high captain during the legendary
campaign against the Whispering Tyrant. In 3758 ar,
at the Battle of Istavala Vale, Marcus Junius’s courage
and self-sacrifice saved an entire legion, the emperor’s
son among them. Marcus’s posthumous reward was the
elevation of his family to the nation’s aristocracy. Before
two generations had passed, it was impossible to think of
Taldan nobility without including the Adellas. As the clan
grew, its members prospered, excelling in the arenas of
entertainment, nautical skill, and tactics.
Unfortunately, this constant striving to enhance the
family legacy, combined with the egotism it engendered,
led the Adellas down a treacherous path. They increasingly
turned to infernal sources for advice and aid, the leaders
of the three Adella clans believing themselves the betters
of the devils and fiends they secretly commanded in a
display of hubris that would be repeated some years later
in modern Cheliax.
Within several generations, three distinct branches
had emerged among the Adellas—the Sardisi, the
Voxus, and the Daellum clans. But as the end drew
near, critics commented on what appeared to be a race
to self-destruction between the three clans. Certainly,
the cancer of pride had worked its way into the Adellan
psyche, polluting the noble house in ways both insidious
and dramatic, and finally spelling the end for each of the
three branches in succession.
The Sardisi clan was the first to fall. The Sardisis became
preoccupied with pleasure and self-indulgence. The last of
the clan, Drusus Adella, was known more for the fanatical
devotion of his five daughters than for any significant
accomplishments. Indeed, his lack of achievement was so
profound he eventually retreated in shame to a self-imposed
exile. By this time his daughters had been married off to
important aristocrats, who were acutely sensitive to public
humiliation. Their husbands forbade them any contact or
correspondence with their disgraced father. Soon after the
lonely and destitute Drusus committed suicide, opening
his veins in the bath of a seedy Absalom brothel, his five
daughters became infamous for murdering their husbands
in 4222 and then vanishing from society.
These five scandalous murders had no clear connection
to the other two clans, yet they triggered a cascade of
increasing bad luck and ill fortune upon the family
nevertheless. The Voxus branch was next to fall. Known
for their nautical prowess, members of the Voxus clan
traced their lineage back to Pasco Adella, admiral of the
Taldan Third Fleet during the 42nd century and veteran
of over a hundred sea battles. Later generations would
exploit their family’s seafaring renown to become great
import/export tycoons, controlling vast fleets of merchant
ships plying the oceans of Golarion. But this branch of the
Adella family withered during a literal civil war between
twin brothers Vespacio and Vincenzo, who went so far as to
field armies against one another. The crimes of their five
murderous cousins may or may not have directly led to the
fratricidal feud that dealt utter ruin to the Voxus branch in
a single generation.
The last surviving branch, the Daellum clan, at first
seemed likely to weather the ignominious end of their
cousins. The cunning and ruthless Bartolomae Adella,
who led the Daellums, was an exemplary and highly
successful commander in the Taldan military, and for
some months it seemed that what had come to be known
as the Adella curse had passed this final clan by. Yet
Bartolomae went on to suffer a crushing military defeat
on the fractious Qadiran frontier. Humiliated
to the point of blasphemy (although some
held that Bartolomae’s blasphemies were
nothing new), he fell on his powerful sword
Infensus Mucro in contrition, yet even this
act was hardly salve enough to atone for
the family’s military failure. Indeed, so
appalled was Grand Prince Beldam II by
the family’s impressive descent into murder,
hubris, and blasphemy that he proclaimed
the entire family damnatio—their memory
was to be wiped from every public record
and monument, and all members stripped
forever of noble status.
In the end, only two Adellas survived
the shame and fall of the three
clans—Bartolomae’s younger brother
Cadimus and his beautiful sister
Lucretia. Times were
hard upon the last Adellas, and while they
tried mightily to atone for their kin’s crimes, fate was not
done with the family.
As they were traveling east, Cadimus realized that they were being
pursued by assassins. In desperation,
Cadimus called out to some dark power for aid—an ill-advised
cry for help that resulted in the instantaneous transport of
the entire carriage and all its passengers, living and dead,
to the family necropolis.
The last Adellas vanished into the hidden necropolis,
and in the decades to follow, their name would be all but
forgotten, save for vague memories of their disgrace.
The old Adella Necropolis, known to scholars of obscure history as the Tomb of the Iron Medusa is located roughly 35 miles to the northeast of the Lion Sleeps Inn. The necropolis itself sits in a hidden dale in the foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains, surrounded by a 15-foot-high wall made of tightly fitted gray stone blocks. Wider sections resembling castle watchtowers are spaced along the wall. Spaced equally around the wall between these towers are 10-foot diameter iron discs decorated with the leering medusa face of the Adella family crest (See Slide 7). Sturdy vines make for easy climbing (DC 5 Climb check), but no matter where the wall is scaled, the interior is utterly in ruins. The entire complex radiates strong transmutation magic.
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Mal looks expectingly at the devoted casters in the group.
C'mon lads, figure out this poem and batton. Or I'll be asking Torag to steel my nerves while I turn my fist into one that goes through anything.
A masterfully wrought iron relief of a medusa’s head, ten feet in diameter, decorates the stone wall between the two nearest towers. A circular hole about an inch and a half in diameter sits at the back of the sculpture’s open mouth.
An examination of the hole in the medusa’s mouth reveals that it seems to match the tip of the funerary baton given to the group by Hanoris. The iron carving radiates strong transmutation magic.
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Riding atop her wolf, Rusty, Dora whistles softly as Lilly provides the history lesson, forcing herself to not interrupt.
Well, that was a quite the history. I wish I could have been there to see the Adellas Family at their peak of renown, rather than it is now.
She points.
Looks like the batton will act as a key in this portal. Unless there are specific battons for each of the portals. she ponders.
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A lady, clad in finery befitting a noble gathering rather than a battle or dungeon exploration, approaches. She flies a banner of white, and seems precariously balanced on her horse. She tries very much to go for an attitude of ease but holding the banner with one hand and the reins with one as well, she certainly does not look at home.
It is also quite evident that this is not a human. Graceful reptilian features softly accentuate rather than detract from her beauty, and her scales are white as the snow. She approaches the group but slows a fair way off. "Hail," she cries over the distance.
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Sahess approaches within reasonable speaking distance. "Hanoris Dellum requested my aid. As Lady and Senator of Taldor, it is my duty to aid as I am able. I was kept over-long at the Senate and had to arrange alternate transport. I am Sahessrala Lyruhe, Lady and Senator of Taldor, Ambassador of Nagajor, eminent patron of the arts and member of the Pathfinder Society." She gives a polite bow, still mounted. You can see a haversack in with the saddlebags, but otherwise not much else seems to be with her. It's also worth noting now that she is closer, she is monstrous; not merely in being an ophidian humanoid, but she is easily over six feet and probably almost twenty stone to boot. It certainly contrasts with the feminine figure she's attempting to portray. "Have I missed much?"
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"Haven't missed anything at all," Brother Rabbit responded. He kept his eyes open searching for that 8 point star Thrag had mentioned. Her pulled his Elixir of Vision and downed it, tossing the empty vial back into his bag. "Haven't even made it to the fun parts yet."
"I'm the good Captain Brother Rabbit, by the by. Charmed. Also by the by, would anyone be able or willing to give me a good tappingwith a wand of Mage Armor? I'd do it myself but I can't." Without removing his gaze from his search he pulled a wand from his bag and held it up. At the same time he dug deep into the well of Ki in his body and his skin started to turn oaken as it turned to bark.
Brother and Thrag move to the next iron medusa disc and note that it is the same as the first one: an examination of the hole in the medusa’s mouth reveals that it seems to match the tip of the funerary baton given to the group by Hanoris.
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Lilly has a look at the medusa face as well, examining it with detect magic to see if she can determine what might happen if they insert the rod into the mouth..
As the stranger arrives she looks over, dismisses her momentarily, and then takes a second look. Hmm, looks capable, lets hope so
Greeting stranger, I assume you have been dispatched by one of the Captains and have been suitably briefed? My name is Lilly, a servant of the Wanderer. We were just trying to decide how to access the necropolis, going over the all seems fruitless, I suspect some magic is involved and we were trying to work out just what. By your attire I assume you are no wizard, have you any familiarity with such as this? she says, gesturing to the walls and the medusa face.
As she speaks she quietly takes Brother Rabbit's wand from him and activates it. You really should learn how to do this yourself. There wont always be someone available who can do it for you.
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"No, I am not familiar with these locking devices, but I can try to fly over the wall if you'd like," Sahess supplies.
She dismounts carefully, both to avoid falling and looking improper. Once on solid ground again she retrieves her haversack and puts it on. Sahess examines the medusa heads but doesn't know anything more than is evident. "It looks like you might have the right of it with that stick," she says, indicating the funeral baton.
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Brother Rabbit grins as Lilly casts the spell on him. "Lilly, you needn't be concerned for me. I have potions of the same in case they're needed. And one of those neat pearls in case someone was already ready with it. I'm prepared." Rabbit finally turned away from the wall. "It seems the medusa heads might all be similar. That star the poem mentioned might be further in. What do you think, Thrag?" For the sake of posterity, however, he checks another one down the line.
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Seeing as everyone else is preparing, Sahess reaches into her pack and pulls from its center compartment a sword nearly so large as herself, black as night but not obsidian. She speaks a command word in draconic and her clothing shifts, from courtly finery to a suit of plate mail nearly so black as her sword. There seem to be a few additions to the plate mail, including leather straps on the back which seem counter to form.
She checks her grip on the sword, and looks about for any reaction.
As Lilliandra inserts the tip of the funerary baton into the hole, a loud metallic “click” is heard by those nearby and the metal covering the medusa’s eyes slides back, exposing eyes made of polished white marble, with painted black pupils glaring menacingly.
