Inside the foyer of Skyreach at the Grand Lodge, a masked servitor awaits. A specter in white, save for the ribbon of scarlet around their neck, the servant bows and gestures to the central staircase, silently leading the way upstairs to a large study. Eliza Petulengro, the unmasked member of the Decemvirate, sits behind a wooden desk covered in neatly arrayed stacks of books and hand-written reports. She gazes quietly across the edge of her teacup. Setting the tea down, she glances to the side at a rune-etched sphere studded with strange metal canisters.
“I expect you know who I am, so I shall dispense with unnecessary formalities. Mostly, I deal in two things—truth and potential. I haven’t the time to shield the first, but I see the second in you. I need you to join me in traveling the Maze of the Open Road. It was once a great asset to the Society. For many years, the Decemvirate and trusted agents could travel all of Golarion in moments. A gift from an ancient druid king, the maze lent us power, discretion, and speed. In time, it also allowed for a terrible betrayal."
“The current Master of Spells, Sorrina Westyr, elected to seal the maze despite its advantages. And for some time I agreed with that wisdom. However, fate has forced our hand. The maze has grown dangerously unstable and we need its abilities now more than ever. With Sorrina currently traveling to the Mwangi Expanse, it falls to us to collect the necessary samples required to diagnose the maze and make it safe and reliable once more."
“Regrettably, this stabilization device,” Eliza indicates a hovering sphere honeycombed with canisters, “will require almost all of my concentration. I will need you ready to protect me as we gather samples along the path through the maze to the Woodsedge Lodge in Galt. Thankfully, Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau is sending an agent to meet us, who should smooth our progress considerably. You have my trust in this. Any questions before we begin?”
Eliza is the second person in the slide that I have linked to. Any boons or GM star hero points to hand out?
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Fangor is clearly a cleric of Razmir, his silver mask hides his feature and transforms his voice. Heavy gray robes masks his frame so it's difficult to clearly distinguish his height or frame. Nevertheless, his voice seems to be quite aged, almost a murmur, but very melodious and entertaining. Only his pointy ears that appears from time to time betray is elven heritage.
His immaculate white glove hands are clearly delicate and manipulate with ease the wayfinder he have in hand, engraved with an intricate F.
With his smooth and melodious voice he says I've only heard rumors about this Maze since I've joined the Society. I second our friend here and ask what is the Maze and what dangers can we encounter in it?
Also, what type of samples do we need to gather?
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Imiriax is a young Taldan man with a raven perched on his shoulder and several wands in a holster at his side.
He smiles at the Razmiran. "Hello, Fangor. It's been awhile. I haven't seen you since that affair at the Crossroads in Sarkoris."
Turning to the Venture Captain, he continues. "I appreciate your confidence in us, Ma'am. But I do have a few questions. First, I'd love for you to tell me all about this device." Imiriax looks at the sphere with fascination.
"Oh, yes, and you mentioned a betrayal. That sounds important. What was that about?"
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Quinoline walks into the Lodge, her glasses dripping with sweat. "Sorry I'm late, I just got back from Irrisen. Wow, I've never realized how hot it is here in the Inner Sea."
Quinoline isn't visibly armed, but the rows of vials on a bandolier across her chest suggests she's not helpless. She's wearing a pair of spectacular glasses, and wipes them with her shirt.
"Where does the Maze go? Or what does it protect?"
" Well it's a bit like an extra planar road. One minute you could be on the way to Galt while the next minute you could be on Akiton. So be prepared to see anything.," she says with a slight concern in her voice.
" As for samples, we're just gathering some planar energy readings so we can figure out potential issues. It's a simple enough process. I just need you to protect me while I take the readings. Unfortunately, this process requires all my concentration do I will be unable to aide you," Eliza adds while holding up a cannisters.
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”So, are there any maps of the maze, or do we have to find our own way though. And are there any inhabitants or traps that we should be wary of?
“Basically, Madam Decemverite, what can you tell us about what we are going to face? Anything you can help us prepare for is potentially a threat we manage more easily. ”
Valeros walks in Happy to help.
" The maze doesn't really protect or guard against anything. Its original purpose was to act more like an easy manner for society members to travel throughout Golarion and beyond without aid of teleportation magic. That's what makes trying to predict what you will encounter fairly hard. For all I know you could run into some alien from beyond the solar system as your traveling."
Eliza turns to Imiriax and says," Right betrayal. Sorry. Basically to make a long story short a supposed ally of the society used the Maze to travel around Golarion in a partly successful attempt to eliminate the Decimverate. Don't worry about it too much. Attempted murder of us is a regular enough occurrence."
“This collection device is an ancient device made of the skymetal
noqual, a powerful magical insulating material. It’s fairly difficult to operate while it’s actively collecting magical samples, requiring complete care and focus, so you’ll need to guard my back while I collect the samples.," she says holding up the silvery cylinder.
So as you enter the maze a single step somehow stretches across the length of timeless moments until a strange sky snaps into place above you. Eliza winces a bit and gives the stabilization sphere a look of concern. Blue sky has been replaced by pale lavender with a fringe of starry indigo. The orderly emerald walls of the maze are spotted with irregularities as ragged branches tear at the open air like talons and sections of new growth swell like verdant tumors.
"The degradation is worst than I feared,"Eliza continues,"Take some earth and clippings next to the portal threshold as a baseline. Keep your eyes out for other deviations." She frowns and looks to the sphere as it obediently hovers to her side and eldritch bands of energy begin stretching from its protrusions to follow her commands.
As Eliza finishes her instructions a cheerful if somewhat road-worn halfling crawls from between wild plant growth. He spends a second
brushing stray twigs from his curly hair before giving up on appearing presentable. Picking up his satchel and an unusually large, chittering squirrel, he addresses Eliza.
“You aren’t monsters! Could it be? Eliza, your picture does not do you credit! I am so glad I found you. The way to the Woodsedge Portal is particularly plagued by planar anomalies. We considered the Edme cavern portal instead, but as you know overland travel in Galt is nearly as troublesome. That device is fascinating! But since time is of essence, you can explain how it works as we travel.”
He offers a letter marked with the seal of the Woodsedge Lodge, “My credentials.”
The letter reads:
Eliza,
I am sending this letter in response to your request for an agent to aid you in exploring and mapping recent changes to the Maze of the Open Road. Rindle Rainfickle is possibly the most capable halfling I have ever known. Like you, he too is a Galtan patriot though he spent time far and wide on the business of the Society. Particularly, he served for years freeing his distant kin from Chelaxian bondage. A number of the refugees have even become part of the community here in Woodsedge. I was a bit surprised to find that the two of you had not yet met. He is one of my most reliable scouts and explorers, and has already taken the initiative to begin mapping the changes to the maze. Hopefully you and Sorrina will find him as indispensable as I have.
Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau
Eliza adds,"Rindle here has been exploring the maze more than I have had. He's more familiar with the anomalies than I am."
Rindle says in response,"“I have a map of the shortest route to the Woodsedge portal. There’s some weird stuff along the way… Strange symbols, luminous orbs, tears in reality, that kind of thing. At one point, I was almost buried in a wall of red sand. Shouldn’t be too bad, really, as long as we keep our eyes on the path forward and don’t get lost.”
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Fangor looks at the letter, trying to find any discrepancy that could make it a forgery.
It will be good to have someone who knows the ways to travel here. Never been to that place, so everything will look strange to me.
Name's Fangor, pleasure to meet you Rindle. Have you heard of our Lord and Savior, Razmir the Living God? Please, accept this pamphlet that will tell you much about Him.
He adds with his smooth voice while giving the pamphlet to the halfling.
Quinoline you look the document over and you realize its legitimate. It even has the fancy little wax seal that all official Pathfinder Society correspondence uses.
Rindle replies,"Well the extra planar intrusions are a little bit unusual but that's why we are here. I'd expect to see extraplanar creatures like axiomites. I'm not sure myself.
So as you make your way this particular corner of he maze, a statue of a robed spellcaster rendered in the act of drawing forth a wand stands in a readied pose. Some of the statue's fingers have been snapped off. Liches spot its stone body here and there. Glinting sparkles shift in the topiary walls and a soft breeze comes from some unknown place bearing clashing scents of cinnamon and tar.
Upon entering the area Eliza says,"Would you all look to see what we can use as a suitable sample? "
In the area of the rose bushes lining the walls of the maze there are clusters of crystallized sap resembling emerald-hued amber rowing directly from the limbs of the plants. The crystals exhibit a strange humming sound and grow out from the branches in rigid angles.
Navashi looks at the crystals and says,"I'd recommend we take the crystals. They seem to be significant in how the affect the environment.
You would all know that the humming is caused by the resonance between the crystalized sap. Taking one as a sample might cause a disruption that will be likely harmless here but could cause a cascade of planar energies with unforeseeable effects further down the path. Collecting the soil at the base should provide a safe sample without affecting the stability of the maze.
These crystals exhibit right angles and strange edges indicating the influence of some greater force at work within the area of the maze. Energy consistent with Axis, the Plane of Law, might explain the changes.
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Imiriax nods his agreement with Fangor. "The resonance between the crystalized sap seems to produce the humming. If removed here the harmonics could be amplified, or even altered by the Maze in potentially dangerous ways, like a wave propagating through an unstable solution."
"So, yes. What he said."
We get to see extraplanar creatures, cool.
"Lets continue down the maze. Just be aware. If Navashi is correct we may run into some weird anomalies", Eliza says while studying her sample.
As you proceed with a single step, the world explodes into darkness and light. Walls of green become swirls of verdant light A dizzying arraw of symbols and runes swims through the air, accompanied by the aromas of dried spice and parchment.
As you move about you feel unusual. Your bodies appear to be composed of arcane symbols and you feel a bit off almost as if your body and mind are out of synch.
"Sigh..... I think that we're in a planar disjunction with Ahkenefti, Nethy's divine realm. Our bodies are covered in runes representing the underpinning of realty. Be careful. You can try and brute force the process to reshape the plane but we may anger nearby guardians," she says annoyed at the recent revelation.
"Im not sure what happened. The maze didn't look like this when I came this way before. Things must be getting bad," Rindle says with a bit of concern in his voice.
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"If you say so, Quin. You don' mind me callin' ye that, Lassie, now do ya?" says Thulgrun, while thinking of all the nonsense his cousin Dethor Ironfist, his assistant always tells him.
"Always use people's proper names. You know you don't like it when they call you 'dwarf'! Be nice, and smile once and a while!"
As you continue to through the gate. You are in an area composed from psychic and arcane energy bound in runes and musical notes. The very fabric of this area bombards your minds with music, colors, and every single sensation possible.
As you pass through the final gate you enter into a rune-warped corridor combining the energies of the previous two room with primal energy and life essences. Unfortunately, the confusing energies of this room disorientates most of you while in a dizzying array of sensation of life and runes.
As you make the way through the final portal you hear a booming voice shout out,"Intruders. We will not allow you to undermine the plane with your existence. We will fight you and restore the order to the realm of Nethys."
" Very well. Explain to me why your here. Recently there has een destruction of multiple crystals that hold the fabric of reality together. Even if your intentions are pure your actions may further damage Do you know anything about such sabotage or destruction? Leniency will be granted if confess."
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"We are explorers at heart, and would welcome your aid and offer ours, if that accomplishes common goals. We seek to repair the conduits to aid our travels from one location to another."
Quinoline will produce the soil sample she took earlier. "This is a sample we took earlier, we left the crystals intact for fear of making the damage worse."