Aside from her combat gear, Inexora carried a satchel filled with ancient elven texts taken from the archive room, including the journals mentioned by the captive elf. She also has several maps of the cave systems that connect to the tower basement as well as a very
rough map of northern Avistan marked with the location
of the Worldwound and multiple possible routes to get
there.
In addition, she carries a heavy book of her own making filled with logs of hundreds of autopsies. Each page is covered in detailed anatomical drawings, many of humanoids, with copious notes on the subjects' injuries including times and causes of death.
What will you do now?
Seeing the final foe defeated, even the Shining Knight's vaunted determination can sustain him no longer--he drops to the ground, alive but unconscious.
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Luli hurries back to the Shining Knight’s side. ”Hold on - just keep breathing.” Pale light surrounds his hand, now cupped around the larger man’s face. ”We can’t lose you too...”
Once everyone who can stand is back on their feet, the halfling finally looks again at Umberto’s still form. Wordlessly, he takes one lifeless arm, then the other, and pulls the priest’s body across his shoulders. ”Let’s go,” he says, slowly but steadily making his way back towards the cavern’s entrance.
With some teamwork, you make your way back up with Umberto's lifeless form.
When you get up, Caldion stands leaning against the doorway on the ground floor, arms crossed, watching the woods.
He turns around, and gives a sympathetic frown at the sight of Umberto.
"I'm sorry for your friend."
His eyes also quickly notice the big satchel of elven secrets [insert party member] is carrying.
"I would see these texts. I must learn at least something, before it is carried off by foreign hands."
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Ash is willing to let Caldion peruse the texts, so long as he agrees that the Society will take possession of them after the review.
Caldion dismisses this with a vague "Hmm.", and starts reading.
He reads for about half an hour, then quietly hands Ash back the satchel.
Collecting what little mundane things he found on the drow scouts in area B, he heads out of the tower first.
Once you step outside, there is no trace of the elf, even miss Karma's nose is of no use. His scent simply stops a few feet outside of the tower.
And he finds himself in a strange environment, arriving in a waiting line of souls.
He is also more transparent than usually....
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After the whole fighting, the team decides to take an 8 hour rest to recover. It is halfway noon, about 15:00 PM, that they set out again.
The journey proved uneventful, though as Ash and Noke peruse the documents, they separate them into two categories. One, the documents on magic, architecture and journals.
The second, a more concerning one, the drow documents, of the autopsies and passage ways to the World Wound.
Upon returning, the first stop was the local temple, incidentally one to the Accidental Drunk God. Fees are paid, preparations are made. While the others take to dining at a nearby tavern, the priests work their magic, and Umberto is yanked from the waiting line, the last he hears there is a spirit saying.. "Lucky bugger.."
With Umberto back in the world of the living, the team makes their way towards Venture Captain Heidmarch's office.
She looks up from reading a book, a welcoming smile on her face.
"Ah, you have returned. I am eager to hearing your report.", as Ash hands over the two categories of documents.
She takes them eagerly. "Ah, this will be fascinating. Insight into the ancient elves' architecture, science and magic craft. This will be most useful to the society. Well done." She places them in a nearby chest and locks it.
"Ah, before i forget, i have received a parcel of Varisian wine. Come with me, this is a perfect occasion for this discovery."
She locks her office and takes you down to a storage room down the hall, and pours you all a cup of a fine smelling wine. A slightly dry, fruity wine. Would go perfect with chicken and veggies.
"Please tell me of the venture. I wish to hear everything."
"Drow? That is concerning indeed. I believe one stack had sinister drawings on them, i assume those were theirs?
This certainly needs looking into."
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"Venture-Captain, I can testify firsthand of the bravery of my allies. Truly, I am fortunate to stand amongst such a fine collection of stout-hearted warriors. I know not what evil lurks below the surface of these lands, but know that should it ever emerge, the Pathfinder Society will be ready for it!"
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She nods modestly.
"A toast to this succesfull mission, and good fortune in future endeavors. And with the elves nonethewiser about the find of the documents, nor the society's involvement, we can study them at our leisure." ^^
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Awww, yes, we met multiple drows, and their demons allies, which they probably summoned. Their big boss was a drow priestess of Shax. But we killed them all, to the cost of Umberto's life, true. That was a fine team of Pathfinders I was asked to join, and I'd be glad to be on the battle field again with you. Just note we need more cold iron weapons. And perhaps some silvered ones too, to be sure. Those creature we can resist being hit by our blades without too much of a scratch can be deadly on the long term. I can stand my ground quite a while, but even I can be defeated. I've been killed in action too, at least once.
As everyone socializes, there is a sudden commotion down the hall.
"Milady! Venture Captain!", a human in generic pathfinder attire stands in the doorway.
"Milady, finally i have found you.
I initially went into your office, but you weren't there."
Lady Heidmarch's face spells utter surprise.
"Into my office?! But i had locked that behind me when i came here."
She quickly puts her cup on a stand an hurries over to her office.
"How did it get open, who?"
As you arrive in the office, she is standing where there used to be the box with your recent recovered documents.
"The lockbox with the documents....it's gone!"
The only thing new in the office, is a folded piece of paper on the venture captain's chair. Not anywhere randomly, but specific on where she is usually to be met.
With the windows of the venture captain's study directly looking into the nearby street, now lit by hanging lamps, busy with people still in the early evening.
There stand a duo of hooded figures in green mantles across the street, seemingly watching the distress and confusion currently going on in the study.
As a few people walk by, they seem to have vanished, as if not been there at all.
With the paper's meaning of accusation far clearer to the agents than Venture Captain Heidmarch, who hadn't spotted the figures, the working day comes to a close.
The venture captain sighs.
"I will have to have people look into this. This is a complete mystery."
The agents take their leave, having done their job, deciding to end the venture with a stiff drink at the local tavern. The machinations of politics and intrigue are often too much trouble to be worth the effort.
[music of the tavern plays as camera slowly slides backwards out of the window, focusing sight on the moonlit sky above the city]