The dwarven sky citadel of Janderhoff in eastern Varisia is one of the least visited settlements in the land, at least by non-dwarves. Nevertheless, the Pathfinder Society has been invited to assist in the excavation of a forgotten ruin within the large underground complex. What the fearless adventurers stand to find within could be the greatest discovery of the Age of Lost Omens, something sure to immortalize all involved in the pages of the Pathfinder Chronicles for ever more. But the ruins under Janderhoff aren't the end of the Pathfinders' journey; rather they illuminate a treacherous path ahead, from the familiar land of Varisia into much more dangerous territory.
We begin in Janderhoff, where Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch directed you to travel for your next assignment in an urgent missive. It read:
Pathfinders, the Society seeks your assistance in a matter most urgent. Recent engineering works uncovered a series of lost chambers beneath Janderhoff, but the company that began exploration and refurbishment of this space soon encountered trap-related difficulties. I quickly assembled a group of nearby agents to explore the lost corridors in exchange for a brief window of time in which to study anything found within. I have not heard back from those agents, and a contact has informed me that the team has been missing for two days, prompting the Mithral Mallet Mining Company to send a team of its own specialists to find out what became of them. Nobody has heard from either group since.
It is rare that we have an opportunity to document the interior of a Sky Citadel, so your task is twofold. First, find out what happened to the first team of Pathfinders. Second, explore the recently reopened chambers, and recover or document any historical treasures found within. I doubt that representatives of the Mithral Mallet will be pleased to see additional Pathfinders, so contact Rukha Borthwick, the sister-in-law of one of our agents in the first team. She is a resourceful dwarf and likely knows what steps to take to get you into those ruins. Luck be yours, Pathfinders.
All of you meet up just outside the city, where many from all over approach. The first thing you notice as you approach are the massive iron curtain walls of the city, proud reminders of the glories of dwarven architecture and engineering at their peak. Very little of Janderhoff proper peeks out of the mountainside, and so you expect the vast majority to lay below the surface.
There seem to be multiple tunnels that provide access to the city, and you find yourself shuffling through a very large tunnel with many other travelers. You immediately begin to see the signs of proud, ancient dwarven craftsmanship. A tunnel is not a dwarven tunnel until it has been properly planed, smoothed, shored, and rune-carved. The tunnel is hung with rich tapestries and banners, in honor of their history, heroes, leaders, and gods.
Towards the end of the tunnel there are clusters of dwarven guards, mostly fussing over merchants entering Janderhoff, inspecting imports and such. One particularly cheerful guard hollers in your direction, or perhaps at all of the individual travelers in your vicinity.
Enjoy your stay in Janderhoff! One of the last Sky Citadels proudly operated as a true Dwarven kingdom! Mind you don’t go off exploring lesser-travelled tunnels without a guide, as the Citadel retains a working connection to the Darklands below!
Just after, the tunnel opens up into a large entry chamber with further impressive polished arches, and immense tapestries of contrasting colors that are suggestive in a way similar to gems mined from plain, stony Earth.
Here you have finally arrived inside Janderhoff. Beyond this chamber, much of it occupies hundreds of interconnected rooms and tunnels. At first it is overwhelming. In fact you start to realize that this megalopolis may stretch through a portion of the mountain range, not just the immediately visible mountain. However, it seems easy enough to track the flow of trade and community to stay near more heavily populated tunnels and find key points of interest.
Some of our heroes may know a bit about Dwarven settlements and culture.
Carved mainly out of limestone and tuff, these tunnels and caverns are easy to shape by skilled hands, but still solid enough to support the downward force of the thousands of tons of mountain overhead. The secret lies in the dwarven arches that disperse the weight evenly, rather than relying on columns or thin walls (though plenty of dwarven architecture includes such elements as decoration).
Uncharacteristically for a race that has the ability to see in the dark, most of the inhabited areas are lit by oil lamps, tallow candles, torches, and continual flame spells, as the dwarves appreciate color and the play of light on their gilt- work. However, their mines are never lit with actual fire, due to the danger of explosive gases.
Dwarven troops regularly patrol areas of the Mindspin Mountains, especially to monitor natural wonders such as Crystalrock, called "the Heart of the World" by Janderhoff dwarves. These crystals pulse with a rhythm that can be felt for miles around, but lately these curious tremors have increased in tempo. Thus far, no one can understand why this phenomenon is occurring.
You may wish to spend time learning about civic officer Borthwick, the missing Pathfinders, and the uncovered tunnels.
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Nylthe isn't precisely at home among the dwarves in a sky citadel, but neither do the Darklands hold any terror for her. So with Aconite at her side she spends some time in the taverns and trading posts, seeking rumors of Janderhoff, and of course where to find Rukha Borthwick.
"It seems that the disappearances are not the first misfortunes to befall our erstwhile fellows. Missing tools and equipment could be bad luck, or there could be something there that doesn't wish to be found..."
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"Oh, kitty! Have you ever seen such a place?" breathes a tall, thin young woman with slightly-pointed ears as she looks around in awe. She carries a yellow and white cat in her arms and sports a backpack on her shoulders, as well as a longspear and some other bits of weaponry.
"I think this is the first time we've been underground like this, isn't it? I suppose we can mark that off the list," she continues, still looking around. Then, she smiles a bit shyly as she looks around at the agents who have arrived with her, not recognizing any faces this time. "Anyway, I'm Fran and this is my kitty and best friend in all the world, Mr. Sunshine. It's nice to meet everyone."
"Did...did you know that supposedly lamia matriarchs in the employ of the Runelord Karzoug have infiltrated the city?" Fran suddenly blurts out, clearly feeling the need for conversation rather than silence. "I mean, um, even though Karzoug was defeated in 4708 AR, they could still be hiding here in the city, planning all sorts of mischief!"
The cat in her arms seems to give her a rather quizzical look, which in turn causes the young woman's face to grow pink with embarrassment. "Oh, um, I'm sorry. Just...wanted to share...thought it sounded interesting. Um, I'll go see what I can learn about the missing team and everything..."
She quickly hurries away to do just that.
When she returns, she seems calmer and has something of interest to report. "Okay, so...I heard that the exact purpose of the chambers is unclear, because the official records appear to have been altered several hundred years ago. And it doesn't seem like many of the people here know that Pathfinders explored the newly discovered area...oh, but a half-elf known to be a Pathfinder recently began a brawl in a local brewery? Not sure what that was about."
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"A pleasure to meet both of you,"Marianna replies to Fran's greeting. She's a tall, muscular woman, in the full plate of a Grey Maiden, helm and all. Her sheild, currently slung over her travel pack, is emblazoned with a red rose motif across it's steel surface, and a finely made longsword at her waist. "I'm Marianna."
Hearing Fran's report gets a faint chuckle though. "Sometimes, I swear half the ingenious troublemakers in Avistan find their way to the Pathfinders as a means to support other shenanigans. However," she adds with a more serious tone, " finding out what happened there might help us if our lead with Rukha dries up. Shall we go try to find the good lady?"
I have heard about the brawl, and the chambers too, but I have no further information to offer.
says a bearded man wearing plain, grey and black clothes.
Nice to see you again Marianna. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Fran. I am Lebraerio.
Finding Rukha Borthwick turns out to not be difficult. You find out from locals that she spent 80 years as a civil engineer specializing in the trenches and pipes that channel water around and away from Janderhoff. So, there are many able to direct you to her makeshift office and workshop.
A brunette dwarf with pulled-back, but messy hair and ink smudges on her face and hands answers the door. As soon as somebody mentions "Pathfinders" she ushers you into her office without delay. It's quite cluttered, and the desk is covered with schematics of networks of pipes that bear fresh ink. She motions each of you to various boxes or piles to sit in, in lieu of proper chairs.
Leaning back on her desk, she begins Two teams down and unaccounted for. Surely you won't be the third? What questions can I answer for ye?
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Fran also takes a seat, Mr. Sunshine settling into a sentinel position of sorts on the floor next to her feet.
"No, we won't be the third," she says firmly. "But, um, it would help if we knew as much about the reopened chambers as possible before we go in. Did anyone have a chance to make any sort of map of the area, before the disappearances started? Even a crude one would be better than nothing at all."
Juis takes the offered seat, "The team the found the traps, did they specify what kind of traps they came across?"
Rukha frowns and things for a moment before conceding I didn't get specifics like that before the second group went missing... Her expression conveys disappointment as the state of the situation.
Fran also takes a seat, Mr. Sunshine settling into a sentinel position of sorts on the floor next to her feet.
"No, we won't be the third," she says firmly. "But, um, it would help if we knew as much about the reopened chambers as possible before we go in. Did anyone have a chance to make any sort of map of the area, before the disappearances started? Even a crude one would be better than nothing at all."
Thinking some more, she starts up again. All I know is that they appear to predate the Rending, which means they are at least 800 years old. They might be even older than that... No map, I'm sorry.
Wincing at her own answer, she continues I know I don't have a lot to offer to make this easier, but I'm more concerned with how you're even getting in. The Mithral Mallet is unlikely to allow other explorers into the tunnels, especially because early reports show that the section seems to need bracing. It may be that speaking nicely to the foreman will gain you easy access to the site, but you’d need to convince him that you’re competent and unlikely to cause any damage to the area. Failing that, I might be able to direct you through a few pipes that let out near that part of the Sky Citadel, but I would rather avoid risking my job to get you in.
She looks at the group expectantly for any more questions.
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"Okay then, Can you tell us about the foreman then?" Marianna responds. "What would show us as competent to him? Anything that we should avoid mentioning, or specifically bring up in an attempt to curry favor? Likewise, does anyone here have some skill with engineering, so someone can call faulty walls and such?"
Rukha's face lights up at the mention of prior expertise.
Ooh, yeah! That be helpful, if any of ye can show for engineering skill!
She looks around to see who speaks up with this.
That might do it, along with a bit o' yer trademark charm. Also, I'll take you to the entrance and introduce you to them, hoping that'll lend a little authority. But...
She hesitates for a moment.
That's as far as I go. I’m not prepared to handle anything that can waylay a team of Pathfinders and a team of Mithral Mallet delvers.
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"Ooh, um...I don't know anything about engineering but I know a little about some other things, like history and magic," Fran admits. "Maybe that'll be almost as good?"
She thinks a moment more, trying to come up with anything else that might be worth asking.
"Oh! I know these new chambers are unexplored, but, um, are there any sorts of guardians or traps that were used a lot in other Sky Citadels? It could help if all of them were built with similar designs and defenses in mind."
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Marianna pauses to think for a moment as well. "Can you tell us about the other teams that went into the chamber? "I know you're related to one of them, and one of them caused a ruckus at a local brewer, but there are a lot of agents for the Society, and we can't know them all. I would assume that the Mallet's team had to be local folk, and maybe knowing their reputation will help."
Rukha winces at Nylthe's suggestion and exclaims "Ooh boy. It depends on how many guards are posted nearby at the time. It could bring the Janderhoff guard down on us. Not the results we're looking for!"
She quickly looks away as Lebraerio speaks up.
"Yes! That's the stuff. Maybe we let him do more of the talking?" She looks around the group for confirmation.
She seems more confident in your chances now. To Fran, she squints and thinks about the proposed equivalency of arcane knowledge.
"It could be a good additional tool, but let's let them hear your friend's engineering expertise first. After that, I'm confident that they'll understand your skills will be needed too, for braving the uncharted tunnels. Alas, the tunnels of Sky Citadels are too varied to pick some known pattern and think we can know what to expect down there... if only it were that simple. Every time I go digging for a new project, to connect water or heat through sections of Janderhoff, I often find something unexpected."
Rukha nods when she hears Marianna's question, as if she sort of knew it would eventually come up.
"My brother-in-law Sandricaan Molnworret led the Pathfinder group, and he is a wizard of some talent. I know that he brought three others with him—a halfling, a human, and a half- elf. Sandricaan mentioned that the Tian woman has a reputation as a jinx, having been the sole survivor of several previous missions. Sandricaan’s no saint either, especially after his stint with the Aspis Consortium. Still, family is family, and I would rather see my sister’s husband safely out of there."
Rukha indicates that there's not much more she could offer you in the way of information and suggests that it's time to head out. She shuffles all of you outside of her messy office, and carefully locks it up behind her. As she starts to walk along in front of you she continues chatting and collects your names for a proper introduction to the Foreman.
The dwarf takes you through the wide main halls of Janderhoff to a separate side tunnel. You descend several levels and end up in network of small tunnels filled with shoddier workshops, and more makeshift taverns whose front walls are partial and do not fully enclose their interiors. It looks more like a collection of hollowed-out spaces that are temporarily occupied. Rukha explains that this is how things are near the lower, "civilized" levels where miners venture into the "wilder" tunnels.
She takes you all the way to the end of one long tunnel of this variety, and then you pass through a sudden narrow tunnel than ends in a freshly hewn chamber several hundred feet in diameter. At the other end of that chamber is a set of ornate arches, presumably the entrance to the discovered passage.
In between where you enter and the arched entrances, around the edges of the chamber, are many carved out spaces presumably for the posted guards and members of the mining company to rest in their off-hours. In front of the entrance is a cluster of posted guards.
Rukha motions for you to follow her and she makes a straight line to the guards, cutting through other crowds of miners crowded around tables of tools and tunnel maps. As soon as she introduces herself they seem a little impressed.
They then introduce themselves to you as Delver Ornregar and Delver Kannis, warriors from the Mithral Mallet Mining Company.
So, the next group who'd like to cause some trouble down below. Our superiors gave strict orders not to let anyone else in. A clumsy interloper might not just get themselves killed but also trigger a devastating cave-in that might threaten chambers elsewhere in Janderhoff
Ornregar and Kannis then look at each other, giving a knowing look before turning back to you and adding The lost delvers were comrades of ours, and we might be willing to look the other way to allow another group of Pathfinders into the tunnels. The right group...
It's obvious from the start that they're skeptical that your group is the right group. Rukha states that she thinks they'll be surprised and opens the floor for the Pathfinders to negotiate and make their case.
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Hello, my name is Lebraerio Hantwell.
That's all you understand and remember, as Leb starts to give the two dwarves from the Mithral Mallet a dizzying, lenthy speech about engineering, full of mathematical theories, scientifics facts, technical terms and things too boring for a normal, human mind.
The devious investigator even switches from common to dwarf langage with fluency! And he said that he had only "a few notions about engineering", before dropping the masterclass to end all the masterclasses! You feel he's about to invent the microphone, just to be able to do a mic drop at the end of his speech!
Worse, you feel you will HAVE to stop him talking, or he could spend hours exchanging with the now fascinated dwarves
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Fran tries really, really hard to follow Lebraerio's monologue on all things engineering but having no knowledge of the matter herself, she quickly becomes lost amid all the technical jargon. She's similarly unable to follow Juis' own commentary about the things often found in ancient ruins and underground caverns.
Still, she can't help but smile.
"You can see that Lebraerio and Juis both know what they're talking about, Misters Ornregar and Kannis. And the rest of us help in other ways. I've studied about magic and about history and about local traditions and customs. I'm also good at weakening bad guys and bolstering my friends. Marianna is strong and brave and Nylthe has her magic and her friend Arconite. Together, we can find out what happened to the other two teams - if you'll give us a chance!"
The delvers start to become impressed as Lebraerio plunges them into a technical deep-dive. As he goes on all of you can tell that they're starting to get overwhelmed. At times they glance at Rukha with exasperated expressions, as if saying Where did you find this guy?
By the time Juis cuts in, they greatly appreciate his brevity, but still deeply respect Lebraerio's breadth and depth.
They seem to return to a more comfortable, but amiable business demeanor as Fran finally addresses them. They look at each other and then Ornregar speaks.
Well... I have to admit we were a might skeptical when you all strolled up. But now... I'm thinking you're the best chance to get our brothers back, and perhaps keep your fellow Pathfinders from making things worse down there!
He then glances at Kannis adding, with a wink, We didn't see them come through here.
He turns back to the party to quickly conclude the conversation and urge you on. Now, get in there before we have 'splaining to do, and do your organization proud!
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Into the passage...
A recent, unfinished passageway branches off from a preexisting dwarven hallway. The extension runs for only a few dozen feet before reaching a smooth, worked stone corridor that opens into a large circular room with two exits leading east. Aside from the musty atmosphere, these ancient chambers are strikingly similar to Janderhoff’s more modern construction. Hewn from the mountain, the floor is worked to resemble flagstones and the walls are intermittently decorated with mock brickwork. Arrows—some broken, some splintered, and all ancient—litter the cold floor.
What do you do?
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Fran murmurs a few arcane words, conjuring a suit of ghostly, translucent armor over her form that slowly fades from sight.
"Always be prepared," she whispers quietly. "Kitty and I will hang back and try to stay out of the way. Well, kitty could maybe creep around a bit if no one else wants to but that's about all he can do. Oh - if someone wants, I can use my magic to make you a little better at, well, almost anything! Only for about two hours, but it's better than nothing."
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Marianna nods, drawing her blade and shield at this point. [b]"I'm willing for any assistance I can get, so long we can all complete the mission in one piece. Lebraerio, this is the point that we apply the dizzying amount of technical knowledge you just wowed the Malletmen with. We'll need you near the point to point out both snares and unstable stonework. I'll be behind to cover you if you need it."
Lebraerio quickly determines that the faux flagstones conceal a multitude of pressure plates linked to arrow traps throughout this room. One is empty, having expended its ammunition, perhaps tripped by the previous Pathfinder team.
It seems that team was able to bypass the rest, but they did not disarm them. With the pressure plates pointed out, the group is easily able to hop over them.
The two southern passages are tighter, but the party can still avoid stepping on them by taking their time and tip-toeing around them.
The Pathfinders move beyond the narrow passages.
The central feature of the next, nearly square room is the wide set of shallow stairs that leads upward to a pair of passageways on the eastern side of the room. A row of ancient and splintered desks lies at the top of the stairs, and an empty room is visible beyond.
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"Why would they just leave the traps and move on?" Fran asks, genuinely puzzled. "Did they not have anyone who could disable them? That seems...like a bad idea, coming into a place without this without someone like Lebraerio!"
Once the traps are either taken care of or bypassed, Fran looks around the larger room, curious. "Hmm...I wonder if I can see anything from here with my magic eyes?"
She waits until Lebraerio gives the okay to enter the chamber proper (or not) but does attempt to scan what she can reach for any magical auras.
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"Why would they just leave the traps and move on?" Fran asks, genuinely puzzled. "Did they not have anyone who could disable them? That seems...like a bad idea, coming into a place without this without someone like Lebraerio!"
Fran scans the room for any magic auras. She does pick up something! Up the stairs, a scroll on one of the desks seems to have something usable inscribed on it.
Lebraerio notes two grapple-bolt traps the fire from the South and then drag their victim back that way. Then, along the path of the Eastern grapple-bolt trap are two more arrow traps that fire at the victim as they're being dragged over those pressure plates. Finally, the Western grapple-bolt path has an already-discharged arrow trap.
Lebraerio may attempt to disarm the grapple-bolt traps first, then the arrow traps along the Eastern path.
Marianna easily confirms that there aren't really other paths forward, except the heavily trapped passages.
Juis provides a bit of divine inspiration as Lebraerio approaches the hefty grapple bolt traps down the narrow passages. He immediately spots a spot under the pressure plates where the connection to the bolt can be unhooks.
This completely opens up one of the two passages forward, as the western one only contains discharged arrow traps. While it doesn't block the team, the Eastern passage still has one armed arrow trap .
Lebraerio and his sharp eye lead the team to the West through a narrow passage, turning right and through a split into two narrow passages that quickly rejoin before leading to a circular room.
A few broken chairs complete with moldering cushions line the outer walls of this circular room. Four sconces sit lonely and empty around the room’s perimeter. To the North, a short passage leads to another circular room. The floors of both rooms are unbroken but etched with a geometric pattern that sharply contrasts with the flagstones to the East.
What do you do?
Earlier...
[dice=Spellcraft (DC 22)]1d20 + 12
Fran studies the scroll and juuuuuust when she thinks she's got it deciphered...nothing. Just a brick wall in her mind.
"Oh dear...I almost had it," Fran sighs. "Maybe we can figure it out later, once we're out of here?" She carefully rolls the scroll up and tucks it into a pack for safekeeping.
Just before Fran focuses her arcane eye on the scroll, Juis turns his divine guidance from Lebraerio onto her. It's just the push she needs to make out the Draconic etchings and before she knows it the rest of the spell is flowing through her mind.
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Fran blinks as time warps itself slightly and rewinds to just a few moments before.
"...Huh? Oh, sorry..."
She looks down at the scroll in her hands. "Um, anyway...I've got it! This scroll has a Zone of Truth spell written on it. Strange choice..."
As the group moves on to the next room, she looks around at the interesting pattern etched into the floors here.
"Oh, that's pretty! I wonder if it means anything or if it was just a design choice?"
Fran can't make any sense of the design on the floor .