Reserved for Bruno Romero, Lance K, Nathanael Love, grimdog73, EbonFist, and noral.
As the battle cleared, Valais realized that the kalavakus’s influence over her mind had faded. However, its features still remained a part of her body. Valais suggested that the Pathfinders consider tracking down the babau tied to the other portion of her grafted demonic essence, but Kitarlo offered an alternative suggestion: perhaps the Pathfinders could use a purification ritual to cleanse Valais’s spirit entirely. Kitarlo proposed that the Pathfinders seek access to the Grand Library of Harmonious Scripture, a massive archive located in Heaven.
“Greetings, Pathfinders. Please have a seat,” says Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, beckoning towards the chairs before his desk. Over his right shoulder watches Ollysta Zadrian, faction leader of the Silver Crusade, with a cool, stern expression.
Valsin continues. “I hope you all have had a chance to rest. Your next mission, of course, is one that is close to the heart of many Pathfinders. Valais has not been not eager to go out in public in her condition, so she’s been keeping busy doing research and cataloging work here in the Grand Lodge. Everything was going about as well as could be expected, and her fellow researchers mostly learned to look past her tendency to mutter strange things under her breath. Or at least they had, until she suddenly ran out into the middle of a combat training exercise and attacked with lethal force, all the while begging her fellow agents to stop her.” Valsin shakes his head in dismay. "Although some feel that this demonic influence has made Valais too dangerous, I am unwilling to abandon an agent in need."
Ollysta Zadrian continues. “Kitarlo has called in favors and gained temporary access the Great Library of Harmonious Scripture. Your mission is to travel with him and escort Valais through the very gates of Heaven itself. Once inside, you must seek out the ritual in the library and restore Valais to her normal self. We have already spoken to Valais and Kitarlo. They are both very eager to see you again.”
“One final thing,” Ambrus chimes in, “You are representing the Pathfinder Society, so acquit yourselves accordingly. Don’t do anything that even carries a whiff of evil, like casting evil spells. Archons and angels can be a judgmental lot, and it’s important that we make no new enemies in Heaven. So once again: no evil actions, no evil spells. I need you to repeat that, so that it's clear."
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Xiao Jr. is a small Halfling with features that show his Tian origin.
He has a buckler in his hand and wears a custom-fit chain shirt suit that looks like it has been recently oiled.
Resting on top of his chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Chaldira Zuzaristan is visible.
Xiao Jr. is sitting on a military saddle on top of a riding dog that looks like a mixture of a black wolfhound and a mastiff.
It is clear that this dog can fight while carrying a rider and Xiao Jr is in control.
On Xiao Jr.'s shoulder you see a flying bat that has dark black fur which in some areas has a brown coloring.
Xiao Jr, his riding dog 'Pars' and his flying bat familiar 'Khafaash' enter and you see that Xiao Jr is beaming.
He turns to all of you with his white teeth and broad smile.
"Khafaash, Pars and I are here to support you and bring luck into your lives ... if destiny allows!" Xiao Jr. says to the team with a confident smile.
* * *
After listening to the Venture-Captain, Xiao Jr is clearly proud to be a Pathfinder.
"We are sooooo great! We don't give up! We help and support! No one is left behind! One for all, all for one!" he shouts cheerfully!
"I stole the last line by the way but who cares!"
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Fifi enters the debriefing room, careful to not step below papers that might catch on fire from her flaming hair. With a smile, she says-"I am glad the Society has been making headway into solving Valais' condition. If anything, a trip to heaven will be exciting!"-unable to contain the glow in her eyes she gets when she imagines it.
When Xiao introduces himself, she says-"By. The. Everlight. Xiao Katsu? As in, from the Katsu family!? You must be related to Kioshi Katsu, the extraordinary caster!"-bending down to pat the dog and scratch behind his ear.
She says-"Kioshi was an amazing, dependable colleague during my time in Taldor. Together with him and other amazing friends, we were able to do great good in that beautiful nation."-trying to forget how she may have had to hide her faith in Sarenrae during that time. She looks around for the rest of the group and starts doing her usual ritual of cutting out cake for everyone to eat, saying-"My only question would be, how exactly would we be going to heaven?"
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Xiao beams when he sees Fifi!!
"Oh I have heard of you Ms. Fifi! The stories about your faith to Sarenrae in the midst of Taldor and your resolve in the most dire situations have of course spread in our familiy!!" he says and bows in Tien fashion.
"Well, I am Xiao Jr.! My father Xiao and Kioshi's mother had a strong bond and when Kioshi's mother died, my father adopted him and his siblings and brought them to Leng Hao, a village full of Kitsune and Halflings in the Forest of Spirits east of Hongal - my hometown! So Kioshi and I grew up together and we are like brothers!!" he says and jumps into the air.
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Reggie ambles into the room as the briefing is being given. Or, more accurately, Rowdy ambles into the room while Reggie rides the wolf.
He pauses a moment as he sees another halfling on a canine then grins and gives Xiao a little salute.
He gladly takes a slice of cake from Fifi, giving her a quick, whispered "hello" while the other conversation goes on.
"'New enemies in heaven?' How many enemies in heaven do we already have? Am I with the wrong group?" he quietly says, obviously a little surprised by one aspect of Valsin's briefing.
"Valais has been through enough. If we can finally get rid of the demonic influence on her, then me and Rowdy are going to do whatever we can."
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Rowdy is excited to smell familiar people but...is that...
Yes. A not-wolf. He can smell them from a mile away. Poor thing probably didn't even realize it wasn't a real wolf.
He gladly greets old friends, tail wagging but gives the not-wolf a little growl and glare to remind it that he IS a wolf and it is NOT a wolf, just in case it gets any ideas.
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"Greetings, greetings all! Reggie, Fifi! It is good to see you again! As to you, sir" the Tengu says, doffing his elaborate feathered cap, to Xiao "I am Baronet Orin Tarfoot Tallfeather, and pleased to make your acquaintance."
Orin is dressed in a red jacket, with a tricorn hat, and a noticeable white cravat.
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A tengu in a tattered gray cloak and a leather plague doctor's mask slides out of the shadows in the corner of the room. The smoky glass lenses of his mask conceal his eyes as he looks at each of the assembled Pathfinders. Cracking the knuckles of his black taloned hands, he whispers, "ahhhh, I see the old crew has assembled once again. I've been waiting for my letter to arrive; I was starting to believe it would never come. But it seems there is a new agent among us this day. Perhaps one who has the magical support we so desperately needed during our little expedition into the World Wound."
The masked vigilante grabs a chair and sits on it with crossed legs as the Venture Captain speaks. "How exciting! Usually one does not get to see the shores of Heaven while they still inhabit this mortal coil. I am sure there will be much to learn."
On that note, one of the first decisions the Pathfinders need to make is to decide what to do with Valais. The options are to disguise her and sneak her into Heaven; or to enter with her appearance undisguised and talk your way through it.
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"I'm not opposed to disguising Valais on ethical grounds, as you may have surmised," the Ghostwriter says, tapping his leather mask. "But I feel that the risk of being caught trying to hide her affliction is too great. And if needed, I will be able to assemble a rhetorical defense of our actions that would persuade even the most stern and recalcitrant archon." Under his mask, the Ghostwriter has a smug smile (or whatever passes for a smile for a creature that lacks lips).
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Patros rushes in to the meeting room, breathless and unorganized.
Apologies for my tardiness...I left word to be woken early...apparently it fell on deaf ears...or drunken ones... he says as he tries to get his gear in order.
What did I miss? he says as he smiles at the familiar faces he sees. And a new one as well.
Patros, of the Cassomir Therinors...nice to meet you. I've heard that last name before I believe....
Valais is touched by all your words.
"I'm glad that you all accept me for who I am, but I also remember that I am not this ... thing ... that stands before you. I take an oath that should I survive, I will dedicate my life to making sure the light of goodness radiates everywhere!"
---
Kitarlo asks the Pathfinders to clasp hands in a circle and casts plane shift. Blinding light fills the air and then slowly fades. Golden fields of waist-high grass stretch out into the horizon, sighing with a sound like tinkling crystal. Ahead is a massive mountain surrounding by a glistening wall of diamond.
“It is so beautiful,” Valais whispers, "but also terrible to behold.”
Suddenly, the baying of hounds fills the air. A pack of golden-haired wolves and a radiant humanoid figure with a canine head approach rapidly.
A dark-skinned man with the head of a hound steps to the front of the pack. His resplendent golden armor gleams with sacred light. “Hail and well met, travelers. I see that you are no heavenly souls passed on to the next life, which means you are visitors to Heaven. I have heard no news of your coming, however. What is your business inside
the gates?"
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Fifi steps forward and curtsies, saying-"Well met, friend! What takes us here is a pursuit for justice, as the Everlight preaches. You see, our friend has been through a lot, at the hands of a despicable individual. A diabolic ritual, used on her against her will."-she says gesturing towards Valais.
"Our previous adventures led us to meet Kitarlo here, our good friend. It was through his guidance that we discovered that a solution to her ailment will be in The Great Library of Harmonious Scripture - a way to restore her to her former glory, "-she says, putting one knee on the ground and letting her hand rest on her right breast, which shows a faint scar in the shape of an angel wing.
"We come here in humility, for we know the Library must be only open to those who put others above themselves. I can put forth a promise: that our intentions are true and just. If we need to prove it to your through action, we are more than willing to right more wrongs in this world."-she smiles warmly.
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Xiao nods as well with a smile.
”You angels should be cool with this! We are really really trying to help! Isn’t this great of us! And I have to admit that it is beautiful here! Heaven? Heaven? Who would’ve thought that I would ever be in heaven?!“ he says and pets his dog that is still a little afraid of Rowdy.
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Aye...Kitarlo here has made arrangements for us to peruse the Library here. I cannot speak on your not knowing of our coming...perhaps the arrangements were made hastily and haven't made its way to you yet. If you want to check with the...administration, for lack of a batter term, please do. It would be pragmatic to.
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The Ghostwriter takes a deep breath, then launches into an elegant and comprehensive defense of the Pathfinders actions, which well thought out replies to any of the archon's objects. Among the points he addresses, he explains that Valais's evil aura is of no fault of her own and that removing this corruption is in alignment with Heaven's overall goals. With his chief arguments presented, the Ghostwriter takes a long pause before finishing, "And in conclusion, you can see that not only will any progress made in treating this affliction for Valais will not only alleviate her suffering and ensure that she will be able to better serve the causes of Law and Goodness; but such groundbreaking knowledge will be invaluable in the ongoing war against the forces of evil."
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Oh boy! Just look at all this grass to run around and roll around in!
Rowdy is just waiting for His Best Pal Reggie to give him permission when...
Oh great. More not-wolves. And you can just tell by how they look that they're going to be snooty.
Then, there is a two leg with a not-wolf head. Rowdy cocks his head trying to figure it out.
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Reggie is just about to let Rowdy run free, he can feel how eager the wolf is to do so, when the welcoming committee shows up.
"Yup, our friend Valais has been subjected to...well, I don't know if it's a curse. Honestly, I don't understand it all. But this wasn't a choice she made and she wants it reversed. We'd take it as a kindness if you'd let us to this library place so we can try to find a cure," Reggie tosses in.
Peligos listens carefully, and is swayed by Ghostwriter's arguments. "Your mission is worthy of entry. Welcome to Heaven."
He leads the Pathfinders up to Heaven’s gates and assists them with a few short hours of paperwork. Once the Pathfinders have passed the checks at Heaven’s gates, Peligos escorts them through to Heaven’s Shore, leaving them with a warning that they are not to leave the district without an archon’s express permission.
---
Heaven’s Shore is the mercantile district of Heaven, where mortals and other planar visitors can meet to trade with Heaven’s natives. Its streets are lined with lush, immaculately trimmed gardens and beautiful buildings. Statues of radiant celestial beings and fountains of crystal-clear water are common decorative accents. Grand staircases and sweeping ramps connect the district’s many terraces.
Kitarlo leads the Pathfinder through the winding paths of the district to a cozy restaurant called The Angel’s Wing. True to its name, the restaurant has a winglike shape, as well as a slanted ceiling that tapers downward toward the wing’s tip. The tables and chairs close to the wing’s tip are sized for creatures under 1 foot tall, with the table height gradually increasing toward the wing’s base. Its walls are covered in a soft substance with the appearance of downy feathers, which can be freely molded to create additional seating. Groups of contented patrons talk quietly amongst themselves, enjoying the restaurant’s hearty buffalo wings.
Kitarlo guides the Pathfinders toward one of the patrons, a humanoid raven with golden eyes and flowing white robes. This is Zepha, a preceptor archon who owes Kitarlo a favor from long ago.
After brief introductions, the archon hands each Pathfinder a golden token that resembles an open book. He explains that the tokens grant mortals access to the Great Library of Harmonious Scripture for a period of 6 hours.
"Kitarlo has been very tight-beaked about what you're all doing here. What are you hoping to find in the library?"
He encourages everyone to order. There is no menu - the cooks can conjure anything, as long as it's not evil.
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The Ghostwriter accepts the golden charm with a polite thanks and slips it into his pocket.
They say they can make anything here? I wonder where they get their meat from? the tengu muses to himself.
"I will take a bowl of locusts, roasted in salt and cardamom. And if you have chocolate covered ants, I would love a small plate of those also."
Having ordered, the Ghostwriter addresses Kitarlo. "We are on a mission to aid Valais here. An evil mage conducted a horrific experiment on her, grafting bits of demonic flesh to her own. We have been able to treat the condition a little, but we are hoping that we may be able to find some information in the library that will give us a chance at finding a true cure for her ailment."
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Xiao Jr. claps his hands.
"So nice of you Mr. Zepha to invite us to dinner! I would like to have steamed vegetables with peanut sauce please. Oh and yes, Mr. Ghostwriter is completely right! We want to aid the lady here: brave but unfortunate Valais! And I really think that we will find something important! Can you potentially help us?" he says.
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Ironically enough, hours of heavenly paperwork are almost enough to make Reggie lose his religion.
He puts the charm in his pocket. "Six hours isn't very long in a big library," he comments thoughtfully.
When they get to the restaurant, everything is right with the world...or planar representation of a moral concept...
"Oh my goodness, the buffalo really do have wings!" he exclaims and orders a plateful.
Wondering if they're like chicken, he gnaws on a bone while Rowdy looks on with obvious betrayal in his eyes. Reggie isn't able to chew through it, though he's sure Rowdy will be able to. It just won't splinter and choke him. He tosses the wolf the bone, and one with meat on it before diving into another.
"What they said," he comments, plainly barely paying attention as he dines on avian bovine.
He makes a mental note to keep an eye on the skies because....gravity and dung...
The meat comes from animals, but they don't slaughter the animals to get the meat, it just falls off.
At the end of the meal, the archon provides the Pathfinders with 6 tiny loaves of bread and a golden apple as gifts.
This enchanted apple appears to be made of solid gold.
When dropped or thrown, it draws the attention of the nearest hostile creature within 20 feet. The creature must make a DC 13 Will save or be paralyzed as if by hold person as it focuses its undivided attention on the golden apple. If the creature makes its save on a later round, it realizes it has been affected by magic and the apple is not actually gold. While focusing on the apple, the target takes a —2 penalty on Perception checks. The apple is consumed upon being dropped or thrown.
"Shall we go?"
---
The heavenly road winds for hours before eventually topping a hill and revealing a sparkling building of nine towers. Built from shining white stone and ribbons of crystal, the intricate towers twist into beautiful shapes that would surely topple without magical support.
“Welcome to the Great Library of Harmonious Scripture,” says Zepha, leading the way up a dizzying spiral stair into the heart of the nearest tower. Upon reaching the top, the archon holds open the door into the building with a kind smile and says, “This is where I leave you.”
“Hello!” calls a cheerful voice from inside. An orb of glowing
light and spinning wire floats above a stone altar covered with open books. “My name is Akarah,” says the orb. “Please present your token and let me know I can be of assistance!”
Akarah explains that the token grants 6 hours of access to the library, meaning the Pathfinders must use their time wisely. Luckily for them, the lantern archon has an encyclopedic knowledge of the books here and can readily suggest which titles they pursue. After the Pathfinder explain the ritual they seek, they rattle off a list of six titles to investigate.
1. The Luminous Libram
2. The Slates of Klador
3. Asaru’s Grimoire of the Planes
4. The Tome of Stars and Moons
5. Elgar’s Forgotten Compendium
6. Incunabulum of the Ages
Unfortunately for the Patfinders, the angelic library was not designed to be easy for mortals to use. The stacks in this tower fill a vast room that extends for miles. Moreover, there is no floor to walk on in the library: half the bookshelves float through the air in swaying rows, while the other are submerged beneath a pool of water 100 feet deep. Worse still, the bookshelves are constantly rearranging themselves to facilitate the research of powerful archons, making locating books very difficult for lowly mortals. Short of flight, the Pathfinders must navigate the library using small rowboats or by jumping from bookshelf to bookshelf.
After the Pathfinders have finished speaking with the archon, Kitarlo requests their assistance in searching for a means to regenerate his arm. Kitarlo cuts Akarah off before they has a chance to relay a list of helpful titles, using a sending spell to allow the archon to share the list with him without communicating it to the mortals.
"I've got my own task," he explains. "Go - GO! There's not a lot of time."
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Fifi excitedly prances around Heaven's Shore, trying her best to see the amazing sights, enjoy the atmosphere, and smile at everyone she meets. When meeting Zepha, she says-"A pleasure to meet you, Zepha! May this lunch be the start of a new friendship!"-shaking his hand.
"Anything, really!? Alright, how about freshly-churned strawberry ice cream! With a side of Mwangi silk bananas, and two dollops of Taldan dulce de leche!"-clearly showing her sweet tooth.
...
Fifi's eyes light up, saying with a starry-eyed smile-"Treasure hunt! I will take the Luminous Libram! Let the Everlight guide me to it!"-getting ready to search for it. She suggests-"There's big archons here who might be studying other matters. We can ask for their help, perhaps."
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The Ghostwriter stares up at the stacks of this celestial library in beak dropping awe. "So, many books...I have never seen such a library."
I wish I could have a thousand years here!
Recovering from his awe, the tengue suggests, "We should split up. There is a lot of ground to cover. I will start off looking for the Luminous Libram."
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"I know, I know," Reggie says, looking down with chagrin at Rowdy looking up at him.
He gives a sigh as he sees the literal ocean of books ahead of them. It doesn't seem like he's ever going to be on a mission that doesn't involve the chance of him drowing.
"We don't want to pair up?" he asks hopefully, but will take his own boat out to look for The Slates of Klador.
Fifi and Ghostwriter head out in search of The Luminous Libram. After an hour, they find it on a floating bookshelf. They might be able to jump from one bookshelf to another to reach it.
Orin and Patros look for Incunabulum of the Ages. They can't seem to find it on any of the shelves. Finally, after an hour of searching, they spy the book - it's fallen off the bookshelf into a tight corner.
Reggie and Xiao track down The Slates of Klador, and it takes ... an hour! To Reggie's dismay, the book is at the bottom of a pool of water.
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"Of course," Reggie mutters to himself.
"Well 'least we know where it is, maybe we can bring one of the others ba..." before he can finish Xiao is in the water.
He's not going to jump in, since that'll just mean they're both going to drown so he starts to get his rope out.
But then Xiao is back with the book. "Wow! That was 'bout the most amazin' thing I ever did see," he says, offering the other halfling a hand to help pull him out of the water.
All six return triumphant, with half the task completed in just one hour.
Fifi and Ghostwriter head off in search of Asaru’s Grimoire of the Planes. They don't see the book directly, but they've been assured it's on a shelf just on the other side of a maze.
Orin and Patros seek Elgar’s Forgotten Compendium. They find it ... on top of a 100-foot tall bookshelf.
Reggie and Xiao look for The Tome of Stars and Moons. They find it! Then they find another one! And another! There are maybe 20 different copies, each slightly different from another.