|
You find yourselves on the edge of the nation of Andoran, just outside of an Eagle Knight encampment. You once again unfurl the missive from Venture-Captain Brackett asking you to come to this outpost, just to make sure you remember the details of the request.
To my trusted allies,
I hope that this letter finds you well. An acquaintance of mine has reached out to the Pathfinder Society regarding a treasure that we cannot afford to pass up—a journal that once belonged to the accredited dwarven spelunker Ghelib. The namesake of Ghelib’s Fissure in the Candlestone Caverns, he gave the surface world much of our knowledge of the upper layers of the Darklands before he disappeared on an expedition. Any additional insights the journal contains would be invaluable to the Society.
The journal, of course, comes with a small price: my friend and former protégé, Evanno Pratt, is a lieutenant in the Steel Falcons, one of the three branches of Andoran’s Eagle Knights. They’ve been monitoring a duergar raiding party that has been plundering the surface, and they are requesting our help to put a stop to these attacks.
Not only would the retrieval of Ghelib’s journal represent a significant scholarly find, but a joint operation with the Steel Falcons also could be an excellent way to rebuild Andoran’s relationship with the Society. Make a good impression with the Eagle Knights, and stay on your toes underground. Even the upper layers of the Darklands can be treacherous.
Yours most sincerely,
Venture-Captain Brackett
Upon their arrival, a Steel Falcons ensign directs the you to meet Lieutenant Pratt on a pavilion overlooking an entrance to the Candlestone Caverns. There, you find Evanno Pratt standing in front of a map, coordinating tactics with other Eagle Knights. All around, you can see several soldiers building sturdy wooden barricades, which they bring to the tunnels below.
Evanno looks up. “Ah! I see the Pathfinders have arrived.” An Eagle Knight officer steps aside from the ranks, doffing his hat jovially. “Pleased to meet you all! Lieutenant Evanno Pratt, at your service. But you can call me Evanno, or Ev.” He smiles as he waves your group over to a table bearing several incomplete maps, labeled as depicting nearby sections of the Candlestone Caverns. “We’ve been dealing with a problem these past few weeks that a bit of collaboration should be able to solve. A group of duergars from the Candlestone Caverns have emerged, raiding the nearby lands for slaves and supplies. We’re not sure if they’re a scouting party, colonists, or something else; frankly, it doesn’t matter to us. They’re abducting Andoren citizens, and that’s not something we can allow to stand.” Evanno’s expression darkens slightly. “We’ve been setting up some barricades in Candlestone, blocking off several passageways. Our plan is to force the duergars into this cavern right here, forming a two-pronged assault to wipe those filthy slavers out before they can escape deeper into the Darklands. The second prong,” he gestures to your group, “is right here in front of me. When my platoon found that journal on a duergar body, I knew that good ol’ Brackett would send some of his finest in exchange for it—and you all certainly seem capable. The placement of barricades is nearly done, and we want you to meet us there through the fastest means necessary; once they realize our trap, we need to act quickly. This map’s incomplete, so feel free to depart from it if you find a faster route. Any questions?”
|
"Oh, my!" the young pale-skinned man calls out as he first encounters the Eagle Knights. "So gallant. I am charmed," he presents a limp handshake to 'Ev'. "Adorin' the Andorens!"
He then smirks as he looks between the Eagle Knight and his companions. "So we're plumbing the depths, eh? Penetrating into the dark? You've got the right man for that!" Aloysius places his hands akimbo and stares at the map.
"Now tell me what I need to know about this map. And why are they called the 'Candlestone' Caverns? Does the stone glow or something? I like things that glow." Aloysisu affixes a fierce gaze onto Lieutenant Evanno.
|
|
* Faction- Envoy’s Alliance Champion: gain Reputation with a faction
* Promotional- none
* Advanced- Devil’s Keep (Infernal Detonations): 1/adventure reaction to deal damage
* Generic- [ ] [ ] Amateur Genealogist: increase skill in Genealogy Lore or Heraldry Lore
* Generic- [ ] [ ] [ ] Sand Slide: reaction to add bonus to failed Reflex save
* Generic- [ ] [ ] [ ] Traveler of the Spirit Road: boost crit fail on Hide, Sneak, Sense Direction, or Track in forest
* Slotless- [X] Hobgoblin Ancestry: can play a hobgoblin
* Slotless- [ ] Society Connections: heightened Earn Income check
* Slotless- Engraved Wayfinder: vanity add on for a Wayfinder
"Duergar? All right then." The thickly muscled hobgoblin says. "How many of them are there? What are we getting into?"
|
"Can we burn them?" asks a much smaller goblin compared with Oumbroc's towering presence. His clothes are covered in dirt and mud as if he managed to roll in every puddle between here and Absalom. "Round them up and light the torch?" The goblin laughs maniacally. "Looni Burni burns them good!"
|
|
Evanno grimaces dourly. “They’re a bunch of dwarves who went rogue—I don’t know the whole story about how they became the monsters they are now, but they enslave other creatures above and below the surface without a care. Those scum work people to death—the sooner we’re rid of them, the better. As to how many, we are not sure.” He goes on to explain more of the history of teh Candlestone Caverns.
The Candlestone Caverns are a vast labyrinth of living limestone tunnels and caves located in the northeastern Aspodell Mountains of Andoran near the border with Cheliax. They were exposed only two centuries ago in an earthquake. Deep below the Candlestone Caverns is the Endless Gulf, a rift in Golarion's crust that connects Nar-Voth, Sekamina, and Orv.
Speaking with various knights among the camp you find that the Candlestone Caverns are a gateway between the Darklands and Andoran. Its tunnels can be treacherous, and many an adventurer has either gotten lost in the caves or fallen victim to an unexpected plunge.
Evanno nods to one of his Lieutenants, who comes over. "Lieutenant Brackett, will take you to the tunnels once you are ready."
|
Standing with tattooed arms crossed across their broad chest is a tall muscular Ulfen man - obvious from their pale skin and heavy woolen tunic. They wear intricate scaled armour with a heavy fur cloak and strapped to their belt is a horned Iron helmet, clearly designed with a hope to intimidate their foes. A long Sword is sheathed at one hip with a long fighting dagger at the other. Their pale blue eyes examine the Knights and their plan.
"Well met! I am Vargir Lorrikssen of Kalsgard - seems a simple enough trade, though I've never sold my sword for a book before!" they give a booming laugh. "How often are the Duergar attacks? Any common tactics?"
|
|
Another dwarf, ruddy skinned and with reddish orange hair stands near the table and examines the map. His beard is braided intricately, though his hair is loose.
He's carrying a dwarven waraxe and has a clan dagger belted at his waist.
He asks no questions, but spits eloquently the first time duergar are mentioned.
Once everyone is ready, he joins the group to head down into the caverns.
And strangely enough...I don't have Dwarven Lore.
|
|
Vargir and Ulfgar aren't able to discern much more than what already has been before having to leave. Going over the plan once more the pincer move seems to be sound to Vargir.
Lieutenant Brackett cheerfully directs you to a tunnel leading to the cavern where the duergars are to be cornered. "The way there is long, and time is of the essence to catch the duergars in the pincer maneuver." He hands you a small map to the location in case you get lost. "Good luck!" He waves you farewell to return to his station.
After about an hour’s travel down the caverns following the map given, you end up coming across a cave-in blocking the main path forward, but you also find a side tunnel that was not marked on Evanno’s map at all.
|
|
Before the lieutenant leaves, Aloysius takes him aside, the light from his wayfinder casting strange shadows between the two men.
"Lieutenant 'Brackett', is it? That's a curious coincidence - any relation to the Pathfinder Venture Captain that sent us?"
|
|
Entering the cavern Vargir too lights their engraved wayfinder, using the light of the magical compass to help guide them through the dark cave systems. Strapping their horned helmet under their chin they pause to investigate the two tunnels, grip tightening on the weapons drawn in their hands - the Wayfinder's glow highlighting the runes carved into the steel.
"Hmm - the side tunnel will see us reach our goal sooner my friends, but brings the risk of unknown danger as the Knights have yet to clear it." they inform as they gesture with their Bastard Sword. "The longer one will be safer - I'm all for short and sweet! Help out the knights by clearing the place"
They wait for the group to make their decision.
|
|
"Lieutenant 'Brackett', is it? That's a curious coincidence - any relation to the Pathfinder Venture Captain that sent us?"
The lieutenant beams. "Yes, we are related. Though a little distantly."
Back in the tunnel Aloysius and Vargir both illuminates the darkness with their wayfinders as the group determines to head into the side tunnel and clear it out since time is of the essence.
A couple of minutes in Ulfgar's foot hits uneven ground as he nearly falls. The tunnel plunges into a steep decline too tall and uneven to simply walk down.
|
|
Aloysius considers the rend in the rock cautiously. Sighing deeply, the young man closes his eyes.
A scene out of a nightmare appears in his vision. A form, possibly human or of similar ancestry, encased completely from head to toe in a black leather costume with eye slits and nose slits as the only external openings, performs a disturbing trapeze performance above a crowded hall of nobles and effete. As we watch the figure flips and spins, twin daggers in each hand as it uses just the momentum of its body to twist out of the trapeze and land in front of a form pinned to a plank of wood at the front of a stage. The form strides towards the crucifixion platform, daggers raised...
Aloysius awakes with a start, a grey pallor to his skin. Without delay, the delicate-looking sorcerer cartwheels and front-flips over the pit.
|
|
Moving down the shorter tunnel with the agreement of their companions, the Ulfen warrior prowls down the corridor - weapons held tightly as they scan their surroundings, looking for any cave dwelling beasties that might try and leap at them from the shadowed alcoves. As ulfgar stumbles however, their attention is drawn to the uneven flooring around them and they press on, being careful where they place their large powerful feet.
|
|
Volt slips and take a nasty tumble down the sharp rocks.
Aloysius tries to reach out for the dwarf and ends up getting yanked down himself.
Taking their time the remainder of the group makes it down without incident. The sharp slope ends in a wandering cavern. Making your way around the perimeter you find a metallic grate securing the only exit in the room. The grate appears to be completely sealed, with no knob, lock, or other mechanism to open it. Near the grate, an inscription in a mixture of Dwarven and Undercommon glows faintly on the wall.
Oumbroc
Aloysius (17/23)
Volt (19/30)
Ulfgar
Looni
Vargir
|
|
As the Dwarf and Cleric take a sharp tumble, Vargir winces - though more at the Cleric's over acting than anything else. "Just ascratch my friend! Let me see about getting those dressed to avoid any infection da?" they offer, sheathing their blades and taking out their own healer's tools.
for
Once they have finished patching up Aloysius, the Ulfen turns their attention to the odd door in front of them. They turn to their goblin ally and chuckle. "Might be - but let's see if we can't figure out a trick first eh? Now Jadwiga - them you burn first and never ask questions!"
|
|
Aloysius realizes the text draws heavily on
Successful Methods for the Enslavement of Lesser Races, but between quotations, text alludes to two hidden switches near the grate that, if pushed at the same time, cause it to open.
A low rumble can be heard nearby as a spider the size of a halfling is blown against the wall, reeking of corrosive stench and clearly dead. The duergars placed some bombs nearby in a makeshift trap, and now you have to make your way past them!
|
|
Ulfgar is just starting to take a look at the inscription, his lips moving as he reads and trying to figure out the strange dialect when Vargir figures it out.
His axe is up and ready as the mid-sized spider corpse gets blown across the room.
When he realizes it's dead, he turns back to the traps.
He doesn't have much skill with this sort of thing but does study it and points at a thing or two with his dagger.
|
|
Ulfgar locates the bomb trap and is able to successfully disable it from blowing up the group. One by one he hands jars of chemicals back to Vargir. Seeing an opportunity Vargir is able to salvage two lesser acid flasks!
As you traverse farther into the tunnels, you hear the sounds of pitched battle between the Eagle Knights and the duergars far in the distance, but it is difficult to tell exactly from which direction as the sounds seem to bounce off of the tunnel walls. You are at a risk of becoming lost if you charge forward too hastily!
|
|
Volt, used to wandering the tunnels of mountains uses the sounds of battle to determine where to go. Exiting the winding tunnels into a large cavern that is barricaded at several points.
The Eagle Knights are fighting the duergars in one corner of the room, and suddenly a smaller group of duergars routs and heads straight for you!
Ulfgar
Looni
--------------------------------------------
Duergar B
--------------------------------------------
Vargir
Volt (19/30)
Aloysius (17/23)
Oumbroc
--------------------------------------------
Duergar S
--------------------------------------------
|
|
Ulfgar tosses a javelin right into one of the rocky outcroppings as Looni runs full into the cavern. The duergar standing on the top platform disappears from view as you hear it scamper of invisibly.
Ulfgar
Looni
--------------------------------------------
Duergar B
--------------------------------------------
Vargir
Volt (19/30)
Aloysius (17/23)
Oumbroc
--------------------------------------------
Duergar S
--------------------------------------------
|
|
Aloysius scampers forward, attempting to keep low behind the dwarf Ulfgar. Using the lighting from the Eagle Knights, he identifies a duergar target and draws an arcane sigil in the air in front of him.
"This is my specialty!" he confides in Ulfgar as two force missiles blast past the dwarf into the duergar holding a crossbow within the nearby rock formation.
|
|
Vargir rushes the platform, thrusting his bastard sword up at the duergar sharpshooter and misses. Volt's stubby legs have a difficult time keeping pace as he tries to keep up.
Aloysius moves a bit closer and sends a couple of magical missiles into one of the dark dwarves. Oumbroc closes the gap and gives the duergar the old one-two right into his bearded chin.
Three of them level their crossbows and fire bola bolts at those standing near the platform. The wounded lead duergar quickly goes invisible and rushes away.
Oumbroc and Volt feel themselves get tossed off balance as a bola whips around their legs.
Ulfgar
Looni
--------------------------------------------
Duergar B (Invisible)
--------------------------------------------
Vargir
Volt (19/30)
Aloysius (7/13)
Oumbroc
--------------------------------------------
Duergar S (Blue -6) (Green -8; Invisible)
--------------------------------------------