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While finishing up a scouting mission for the Pathfinder Society in Taldor, your stellar reputaion in the Inner Sea catches the attention of a Taldan merchant named Hanoris Dellum. He contacts your group via missive with a proposition he promises will make you incredibly wealthy and even more famous. Dellum proposes to meet your party at a remote roadside inn, northeast of Zimar, called the Lion Sleeps Inn, within the next couple of days, insisting on absolute discretion...
Intrigued, in addition to having been encouraged by your superiors to cultivate contacts in Taldor when given the opportunity, you agree to meet Dellum there and start heading that way...
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Two mounts bore two riders each. Actively keeping his eyes around his surrounding was what was very clearly an Ulfen warrior of some sort because if the braided blonde beard and hair wasn't enough to give that away, the wooden shield, battleaxe, and furs helped. But he wasn't the one that was handling the Al-Zabriti horse.
Leshys in civilization tended to be a wizard familiar or a druid assistant, but one wearing a Taldan tabard and guiding a horse was an odd sight all the same. His head appeared to be that of a dark green gourd and body that of interwoven rose vines with occasional black roses, and the horse appeared to appreciate the apparent lack of thorns. What made the sight even more comical was that strapped to the leshy's back was an adamantine heavy pick, far too large to be used proficiently by the leshy carrying it.
Adding to things uncommon was the second mount. More commonly seen in Avistan and in flight was a griffon, wearing leather armors and more Taldan green and blue cloth. Seated near the back of the griffon what was appeared to be perhaps a Chelish woman adorned in dark leather armor of her own with a rapier on her hip, but it was difficult to speak on her full appearance as she seemed slightly out of focus with the rest of the world, a shade in her shape seeming to hang an inch behind her. "I know that I'm in little position to speak on how you spend your coin considering where I would still be if you hadn't, but throwing away that much gold on a clothes shopping trip is crazy!"
These three were the apparent entourage of an obvious nobleman whose red robes with shifting, glowing geometric designs on them looked like they may have been more expensive to craft and enchant than the fabulous adamantine Aldori sword resting at his side. Like the Ulfen guard, most of the man's features hinted at being northern as well, but his eyes shown orange and his red hair was perhaps a bit too bright, as if it could at any moment alight. Jack cheekily grinned back at Ophelia, careful not to accidentally lead his griffon off path while doing so. "I personally think it was a fantastic idea. If any try to attack the party, then making myself a target is an easy way to keep everyone else alive. Witness all of the armor that I'm not wearing."
Jack's Ulfen guard grunted his displeasure at that, but seemed to have long ago learned to give up on pressing the matter. Ophelia hadn't. "If enemies are focused on you, then it makes it that much more difficult to catch them off-guard and strike them lethally! You are too bold!"
Jack looked mildly offended at that, dismissing what seemed like actual worry. "As if my well being is actually the reason you're concerned. Curious on what happens when I inevitably traverse the River of Souls? You 'died' in Dis and reappeared here without Pharasma or Asmodeus sending their clerics after you. Maybe you'll stay in the Material Plane. Maybe it's back to Hell once more. Maybe it's to whatever battlefield in the afterlife Ragathiel send me. Or maybe you'll have to be judged by the Lady Of Graves once more and end up having changed during this time and go somewhere else entirely."
Ophelia scowled at him and faded away, disappearing from sight except for those who knew what to look for on the back of the mount.
He sighed and turned his head back. "Sorry."
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The little gnome was engrossed in the newest performance at The House of the Immortal Son in Oppara. Her travels had made her miss so many of this season’s opera performances and she was super excited to finally get a chance to kick back and enjoy things.
After about 45 minutes, Alie felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to she who was interrupting her and saw a messenger with an envelope in hand. ”Dame Saechel,” the errand boy whispered as he dropped off the note and quickly turned and left the show.
Alie turned back to the show, trying her best to focus but it was too late. She closed her eyes and sighed, counting to ten. How do they always know how to find me, she thought to herself. The counting didn’t work, so she rose to her feet and demurely excused herself. She retreated to her room and cracked open the seal on the letter.
Once she saw the contents, she changed out of her favorite blue dress, grabbed her traveling pack and set out for this Lion Sleeps Inn.
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A stocky - is there any other kind? - dwarf greets the others. "At last, a mission that takes place in a tavern! Now that's more like it, doncha think?!? We kin be well refreshed while we's adventurin'! We'll call it: the Quest O'Cayden!" He laughs uproariously, despite the fact that it wasn't much of a joke, and then glowers darkly when he realizes that no one else saw any humor. "Yuri's me name, 'n me dorn-dergar's at yer service, though I reckon ye'll get better service if'n ye'll laugh at a joke now 'n agin - it ain't much price to pay, 'n it does warm me old shriveled heart." He looks reflective for a passing moment. "I spose me love o' fine jokery is on account o' me upbringin' in the sands o' Osirion - them city folk always lookin' down their noses at me kin, 'n callin' us sand dwarves, like that ain't the finest o' things t' be! Why, I'll tell you right, it surely did give me a bit o' temper, though most times I'm perfeckly good natured. I promise. 'N a bit of sacrament to Cayden here - " he pats his wine flask affectionately, "why that jes' makes me downright mellow." For a moment it appears as though Yuri might even smile, but then a dark look crosses his brow and a vein begins to bulge. "Jes so long as no one calls me uncivilized! On no account'll I stand for it - I warn ye now...I ain't no barbarian!"
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The aasimar is tall and slender, with feathered wings folded on his back. He has a vaguely Ifrit look about him, suggesting he is in fact one of the Emberkin.
"Greetings again, Alie." He nods to the gnome.
Daathiel smiles politely at Yuri's joke, but soon begins to expound on the dwarves of Osirion.
"Now that is hardly a fair judgment by the city folk, is it? The dwarves of Osirion, the Pahmet, are well regarded by serious scholars for their discipline, their training, and their dedicated guardianship of the places of the dead. A most important task in Osirion. As well, there are some who practice the traditional dwarven crafts such as working with stone. The architect Casmahn Brokenhaft designed the palace of the Panther Pharaoh during the Age of Destiny. Furthermore, there were the noteworthy academic contributions of the Pahmet scholar known as Three Quills..."
Daathiel rambles on for a bit.
The aasimar looks curiously at Jack's companion Ophelia and tries to figure out what sort of being the shade is.
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A plainly dressed young man enters with a Hawk on his shoulder. He smiles and nods to Yuri.
"It is pleasure to see you again after the debacle at the Grand Lodge. It will take many years to repair all the damage that was done that day. Granted we did all we could and you were particularly courageous as I recall."
He shrugs and switches the topic to the present adventure.
"Well at least now we are back to doing what we do best. Simple adventuring with hopefully no political intrigue and a good profit margin."
The bird on his shoulder twitches and Rokgurn places a ring on one of its claws.
The bird actually begins to speak.
"You will have to forgive my companion's lack of manners. He is Rokgurn and my name is Whisper. I will try to do my best to advise you as I can on these travels. The life of adventurer is a difficult one and many of you spend more time in the tavern or theatre then in the library and that is understandable."
"Although...I can see that I will have some stiff competition from some (eyes Daathiel) but that is a good thing."
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Hearing introductions, Jack lightly elbowed his invisible companion and gave no further inclination on what he wanted. She let out an obvious sigh before reappearing, but there was a hint of a smile showing now. "Short, long, or elaborate?"
"Don't want to burn the spells for elaborate. Long works."
Ophelia clapped her hands together once and she seemed to come more in focus with the rest of the world, her shade noticeably splitting away to float behind the griffon so her features were more detailed. "Right then! The name is Ophelia Peran, shadowdancer and assistant to the Pathfinder Society. I serve as herald to Ser Jack Blakros the Proficient of House Angel, First of His Name, Captain of La Wavejumper, Senator of Taldor, Blade of Grand Princess Eutropia, Acolyte of Ragathiel, and Wrestler of Dragons!" Jack opened his mouth to say something, but she continued. "Jack also likes fruity drinks, long walks on the beach, and is seeking a long-term relationship."
Jack smiled back at her, but it noticeably didn't meet his eyes. "Well I supposed I deserved that bit of embarrassment." He apologetically turned back to the others as Ophelia's shade joined her once more to blur her exact placement. "Titles and titles. I don't believe that I've worked with any of you before directly except perhaps for those odd occurrences when the Grand Lodge is attacked. But to be fair, I largely spend my time in Oppara or sailing around to play the politics game and find new opportunities in the Inner Seas, both for personal reasons and for the Society as a whole."
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”Glad I know someone assigned to this mission at least,”
That makes three of us, Declares a strange, mellifluous voice...in your heads.
You are at first unclear where it came from, until cresting - almost floating over - the hill you see a tall and spindle-thin elf with black-hair, pale, bluish-tinged skin, and eerie opalescent eyes. He is dressed in resplendent Osirian finery that combines elements of antiquity with the unorthodox, dominated by a duality of sharply contrasting colors (dragon-green and shimmering black, this time).There is something singularly strange about observing his movement, as though multiple moments in time sometimes appear simultaneously visible, and others may also feel like there are the barest fractions of moments when he might not be there at all. Sitting on his shoulder is a cat-sized dragon, the color of a moonless night, with a long, faintly scorpion-like tail and a harness festooned with wands.
As they come closer, the dragon hops off and flutters ahead of the elf, helping himself to the center of the assembly. As for the rest of us, allow me to introduce to you...Witch-King Vladek Tehuty-Cabal Odradek, Unique of His Name, Time-Pharaoh, Hero of Sothis, Jeweled Sage-Aspirant, Unmaker of Demon-Princes, Nemesis of the Aspis, Knight of Lanterns, Conqueror of Terror, Lord of Eyes, Bearer of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Sculptor of Reality, and Peer to Dragons!
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Travelling NE from Zimar, you come upon the inn, a two-story structure, after 35 miles of travel, in a compound containing the inn and a paddock...
As you approach, just to the west of the entry door, firmly affixed to the wall, is a fancy bronze plaque of a sort not uncommon in various Taldan establishments—a marker that commemorates the visit of some historical notable. This one reads: “Micheaux the Magnificent, Future Grand Prince of Taldor, Father of Stavian, Slept on these Premises on 5 Lamashan in the Year 4497. May Divine Providence Reward Him as He Deserves.” The date embossed on the plaque at the bottom is only 2 weeks after the commemoration date—19 Lamashan 4497.
Whisper chirps to Rokgurn in their shared language. He is ready to share his knowledge (in the common tongue) to any that might be interested.
(Whisper's Take 10 on his knowledge checks out of combat is also sufficient to gather all this information. His current skill bonuses are hidden in the spoiler above.)
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Rokgurn shakes his head at Whisper wondering how this useless trivia is going to help them in the actual dungeon.
"I wish they had a sign with information that might help with our mission at hand. Still I guess knowing is better than not knowing."
He pauses for a moment addressing his familiar but open to suggestions from others as well.
"Can you tell me at least how far away we are from the Tomb?"
@GM Otha - Has any time actually passed in game to travel to this Inn?
(Rokgurn being an experienced pathfinder is rightfully paranoid. He is currently flying around as a Medium Air Elemental and fortified with Barkskin, Extended.)
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Jack stared at the plaque, something immediately not adding up to him. "Huh..." He trailed off in thought before finally snapping his fingers. "That's what is off about that!"
He gestured to the date at the bottom, looking to the others expectantly. "This was supposedly created in 4497. But Micheaux didn't have that title until 4526. So either they lied about when this plaque was created, the artist was into divination, or 'The Magnificent' was an informal title he had that was only formalized when Stavian took the throne."
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Listening to the others recounting their various titles Yuri grows more and more out of sorts. "Aye, it's fine for ye, t'be gettin' properly rekognized on account a what all ye done - 'n I ain't no doubt ye done plenty - that's the way o' them decemberpirates, always workin' us t' the bone 'n beyond - but what about us what ain't got no spiffy titles?!? Where's our rekognition?!? Where's the respec'?!? It's always: 'Yuri, bash this!' 'Yuri, sunder that!' but at the end o' t' day, I'm still just a simple fella to them, jes' countin' the sands o' me life as they slip by. I'll tell ye what - they's goin' be some changes once I get me some respec'!" By the time he finishes his tirade, he is bellowing and his face is red. He sits back down with a bit of embarrassment. "Did I lose me temper agin? Oops, trying to work on that..."
Listening to the others discussing the intricacies of the plaque and various dates and what it all might portend, Yuri rubs his forehead as if trying to forestall a headache. "So ye say the plaque lies? Want me to smash it?"
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The door opens into a large, open room has a 25-foot-high ceiling, with a wooden balcony above the west, north, and east walls. A large central fireplace is at the center of the room, and a second hearth is shared with the kitchen. Heavy oaken tables with sturdy benches are arranged about the room, and the walls boast the trophies of successful hunters of years gone by: taxidermied heads of various animals—elk, deer, lions, wolverines, etc. Over the kitchen hearth hangs the stuffed head of a manticore. Wooden stairs lead up to the balcony.
Made of sturdy oak, the bar is to your right as you enter, surrounded by tall stools and with leaves that fold up at either end so that the barkeep may enter the common room. The bartender is serving a couple of regulars on an otherwise not so busy evening. There are a couple of adolescent girls waiting tables.
As you approach the bar, the two regulars bellow at you. "Arggghhh! Ye be out of towners! Beware around here, dere be werebadgers!"
The guy sitting on the adjacent stool takes a healthy snort from his tankard, yelling, "Dint be tellin' dem yer tall tales, Fernus! It be weresquirrels ye need be lookin' after!" He roars with a raucus laugh...
As you approach the bar, the barkeep, nods with a greeting, "Welcome ye to the Lion Sleeps Inn; ignore Besco & Fernus here, dey be naught but drunken fools. Eh be Vadim Fraterni, barkeep and proprietor of this fine inn. Wut kin Eh be a doin' for ye?"
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The barkeep nods. "Hanoris Dellum, ye be sayin', m’Lady? Aye, he be tellin' me to look out for yer group and was expectin' ye today or tomorrow. He be wanting to talk to ye in the private meeting room; Eh'll be leading you there and fetch the master to see ye..."
He yells to one of the serving girls, "Mags! Bring a pitcher of ale and a fresh loaf to the private room for Master Dellum's guests," before taking you to the room...
This room he leads you to boasts a warm fireplace, table and benches and windows with a less than impressive view of the barn and ruined lodge. The stuffed head of an elk hangs on the west wall. "Be a settlin' in and Eh'll go get Master Dellum." Mags brings the pitcher and loaf a few minutes later, arranges it, curtseys and leaves...
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Yuri glowers with dismay as the group moves away from the two drunks. "Ain't ye rekognize devotees o' Cayden when ye see 'em? It were only respeckful to have a drink together. Or two. Or three." Nevertheless, he goes along to the private room for the meeting with Dellum, after assuring Besco and Fernus that he will return later to drink to the werebadgers AND the weresquirrels with them.
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Besco and Fernus raise their tankards to Yuri as you leave for the private room, booming, "Aye, master Dwarf! Come back an' be a drinkin' wit us! Dere be wererabbits in dese parts we kin chat 'bout as well..."
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A few minutes after the serving girl brings your ale and bread, the merchant himself enters, a handsome young man that seems rather sure of himself. "Ahhh, thank you for accepting my invitation, friends...Hanoris Dellum, at your service. Shall we get to the business at hand?"
He explains to you 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, after all, and 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 (so named for its legendary architect, said to be a unique and talented medusa who served the Adellas), the necropolis has faded into relative obscurity and is located another 35 miles northeast of the inn.
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 the PCs 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 they find in the ancient necropolis.
Finished with his pitch, he gives a warm and winning smile. "What do you think, my friends? Do we have an accord?"
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Rokgurn simply smiles at the man's request.
"Perhaps I have missed something here but are you willing to pay for the safe return of your family heirloom? Perhaps it is implied but as a merchant I know that you will understand my observation."
"Also assuming that we are willing to do this for you do you have anything that might aid us on this mission? Perhaps some useful consumable items to use in this deadly necropolis?"
@GM Otha - In the last couple of days of travel Rokgurn has filled his Spellstaff with a Heal spell.
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”Oooo a Taldan nobility quest. I’d be honored to take on this task for you and clear your family name, depending on what we find down there. Can you describe the sword, or at least give us any clues it what it might look like? Are there any rumors of what might be guarding the tomb? Other than the Medusa of course. Are there rumors your family consorted with demons or devils? Or did they have fascination with undead or golems? There could be all kinds of deadly things down there,” Alie says, ticking off the questions she fired out at a rapid pace on her fingers.
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Jack pursed his lips together in consideration before speaking up. "Perhaps. Wealth is motivation, but you had mentioned in the missive about becoming more famous and haven't brought up how that would be accomplished."
Dellum grins. "Ah, my friend...the news of the wealth you'll procure, in addition to clearing out an ancient tomb from a notorious Taldan family and possibly clearing their name, will make you heroes throughout Taldor...and the word will spread beyond its borders..."
"So ye want us to dig around in an ole tomb built by a medusa? Seems legit to me. Can't think of anything that could possibly go wrong..."
"Exploring ancient sites and bringing long-lost information to light seems well within the mandate of the Society. I will do it."
The merchant nods his head enthusiastically at the Dwarf and Aasimar. "Aye, that's the spirit!"
Rokgurn simply smiles at the man's request.
"Perhaps I have missed something here but are you willing to pay for the safe return of your family heirloom? Perhaps it is implied but as a merchant I know that you will understand my observation."
"Also assuming that we are willing to do this for you do you have anything that might aid us on this mission? Perhaps some useful consumable items to use in this deadly necropolis?"
"Hmmm...I'm giving you permission to loot a family, albeit distant family, tomb, keeping all treasures you find, except for those I've specified...I think that will more than satisfy any payment you might require. And I'm sorry, I have no items to send with you as I myself am no adventurer; however, I will cover your room and board here for the night and tomorrow morning...."
”Oooo a Taldan nobility quest. I’d be honored to take on this task for you and clear your family name, depending on what we find down there. Can you describe the sword, or at least give us any clues it what it might look like? Are there any rumors of what might be guarding the tomb? Other than the Medusa of course. Are there rumors your family consorted with demons or devils? Or did they have fascination with undead or golems? There could be all kinds of deadly things down there,”
"Thank you, ma'am. I'm afraid I can't...but I'm sure it'll stand out and you'll know it when you see the sword. As it is a tomb, I'd not be surprised if you might encounter undead there. I do not know of any consorting of demons or devils, but that doesn't make it true..."
He then takes in all of you, and with a friendly smile, asks a gain. "So, I take it we are good, yes?"
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As you agree to this task, Hanoris smiles pleasantly, "Excellent!" He 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:
Parchment Inscription (Slide 16)
Hanoris then tells you the following information:
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 suspects that both the poem and the baton itself are the keys to entering the ruins.
Hanoris rises and bows. "I'll be staying here at the Lion Sleeps Inn, awaiting your return from the Tomb of the Iron Medusa; I wish you good luck on your coming adventure. And, as a mark of my gratitude, I'll be paying for your rooms and meal tonight. Please, tidy up and go back down to the common room and Vadim and his nieces will have you a nice dinner awaiting you."
and the cross-eyed medusa (Daellum).
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auto Nobility
Jack frowned and relayed what he knew to the others after their quest giver stepped away. "I wonder which of the three clans Hanoris traced his lineage to. Also wonder if the intelligent weapon compelled the Sardisi to kill their husbands or Voxus to go to war."
Jack assumed Alie already knew the next part and lowered his voice in case they were being listened in on. "Orcs are constantly engaging with Taldan military at World's Edge, but I have no idea if they would be something we'll need to contend with where we're going. On a possibly unrelated note, I strongly suspect that the World's Edge Mountains are where the Tarrasque is being imprisoned, so... yay."
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Daathiel nods along as Jack relates the details.
He looks at the parchment.
"Yes, the Lion Sleeps Inn seems to fit the 'slumbering cat' reference. As for the rest of it... I think we'll need to see the Necropolis for ourselves. These riddles will I think make more sense once we see what we are dealing with.
A 'Wall that hides its face' could be a Wall of Force, or a wall concealed by a spell of invisibility. We shall see."
He returns to the common room for dinner.
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After you've tidied up and headed back down to the Common Room, Mags and the other serving girl Corrine, seat you at your table and serve you food and drink. Besco and Fernus sit at a nearby table and, after giving a shout out to Yuri, they start regaling you with nonsensical stories and myths about the countryside there; as shepherds they assure you they've personally seen all these tings they tell you of...
A third shepherd sits at the table with the two drunks, introducing himself as Lucius Manvale; he seems much more distant and morose. He nods to you, echoing what you had heard earlier. "Pay ye not attention to these boors; dey like to be speakin' from dere arses. But things aint a bein' what dey use to be 'round here, queer things a be happenin'. Me two daughters, Cinda and Genelle, be a disappearin' nigh two months ago. Dere be sumthin' foul in the countryside, but dat be de only tings dese two fools be right about. Dey were good gerls and would never be runnin' off wit travelers, as some be suggesting..." He says the last part while casting an angry eye at the innkeeper...
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”Could you tell us more about them? What did they look like? How old were they? Anything particularly distinctive about them? If we were to find them, I’d like to be able to confirm it, without getting your hopes up for nothing.”
Lucius answers, "They are both brown-haired women in their early twenties, average height for women. They were wearing simple dresses the last time they were seen...and they were devoted to one another..."
He looks up to you all, a single tear sliding down from his left eye. "I'm truly grateful to you for keeping an eye out for my girls...no one else has even offered to help...I looked around this area after they vanished...but my resources are...limited. I found no sign of them..."
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After a nice dinner, and long night's drinking for Yuri (and whomever joined him) with Besco and Fernus, you have a very restful night in your room. You awaken refreshed in the morning and head down to the common room for a full breakfast before you depart...
You continue northeast on the road that brought you to the inn. After a couple of days of uneventful travel, you arrive at dusk to the Adellas Necropolis, home to the Tomb of the Iron Medusa.
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.
There appears to be neither gate nor door...
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Vladek looks over the parchment, Qadathra craning from his shoulder, both countenances betraying an atypical hint of concern.
"Let me be perfectly clear that I am NOT saying this for certain," Vladek declares at last, "but this does sound an awful lot as if live sacrifice is being requested - and zebu or whathaveyou probably won't do the trick, either."
Jack pursed his lips together in consideration before speaking up. "Perhaps. Wealth is motivation, but you had mentioned in the missive about becoming more famous and haven't brought up how that would be accomplished."Dellum grins. "Ah, my friend...the news of the wealth you'll procure, in addition to clearing out an ancient tomb from a notorious Taldan family and possibly clearing their name, will make you heroes throughout Taldor...and the word will spread beyond its borders..."
"One would hope so - and perhaps it shall be so! Nonetheless, you might be surprised at how...ungrateful some can be should you inform them their castles are built on flawed foundations. If we learn that history has failed to deliver this family of yours its due, then - Taldor being Taldor - who ever knows what that may imply for other families that fared better in the interim?"
He looks up to you all, a single tear sliding down from his left eye. "I'm truly grateful to you for keeping an eye out for my girls...no one else has even offered to help...I looked around this area after they vanished...but my resources are...limited. I found no sign of them..."
"We are adventurers," Vladek gives the sad man a shrug and a smile. "It's what we do."
Upon retiring to their room, Vladek and Qadathra conclude their evening in a 'weird' manner: By taking a painted wooden "cuckoo-clock" purchased from a tinker in Oppara, and feeding it to the fireplace of their room. After 10 minutes of silently watching it burn, Vladek looks deep into his familiar's eyes, and asks, "What has become of Cinda and Genelle Manvale, and how best may we secure their return to their father?"
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Before anything further happens, Vladek reveals a wand shaped like a miniature Osirian obelisk - made from some unidentifiable dark-greenish-blue mineral, around which spirals a maddeningly complex numerological design - which he waves over (almost) everyone in turn; as he waves it over you, you hear a series of delicate clicks or ticks, feel a fleeting pang of déjà vu, and catch a momentary flash of...did a tiny eye just blink open-and-shut somewhere on that wand...?!?
He then works his more standard adventuring wards ...
...sets a pair of humanoid skulls in magical orbit around both himself and Qadathra...
...and finishing off with a secret Elven blessing for Daathiel, who suddenly finds himself surrounded by erratic motes of light, like a halo of fireflies.
That taken care of, he looks up at the unwelcoming edifice.
"To find Medusa's iron embrace/Follow now the Spider Star/Behind the Wall that hides its Face," He recites from memory (despite apparently having only read the parchment once). He gives Qadathra a look and a gentle moment's pet...
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"Thank you, Vladek," says Daathiel as he accepts the spell.
He casts the following on himself upon arriving at the necropolis.
Grand Destiny (130 mins, 3 uses)
Heroism (130 mins, +2 morale)
Heightened Awareness (130 mins, +2 competence)
Acute Senses (13 mins, +20 enhancement)
Echolocation (130 mins)
He also keeps his Ring of Blinking activated all the time (reactivating it every 6 rounds, as it lasts 7 rounds).
Finally, he uses Find Traps from the wand, so as to get the automatic Perception check without spending a move action for every 10' square. This should save us a lot of time.
Daathiel will approach one of the medusa faces
He will examine the baton and the medusa face, seeing if the baton is a key somehow.