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Anastasia wanders into the meeting absent-mindedly.
She walks with slow steps and is not the most gracile woman although she is clearly a beautiful woman. Her almond eyes and her blonde hair shows her mixed heritage from the Inner Sea Region and Tian Xia.
When she meets the group she waves her hand.
"Greetings to you all." says the beaming woman with a contagious smile.
She is wearing a breastplate armor that clearly encumbers her heavily and with which she walks slowly. A small buckler is attached to her left arm. She also carries a backpack.
Resting on top of her chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Pharasma is visible.
She really has a natural presence when she bows to you all out of tradition and courtesy.
“Anastasia Shoi-Ming is my name! A pleasure to meet you all.“
Once the festivities in Highdelve come to a close, the so-called Heroes of Highdelve come to the realization that they must return to Absalom to report back to Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng. Before htey leave, however, Indalis informs the others that he has some business to handle in Ice Port and will meet the others in Absalom.
They bid each other safe travels and make head out in opposite directions.
After some time and much talk, they arrive in Absalom. Without much hesitance, they make for the Pathfinder lodge to meet with Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng. They find, however, that their presence is expected and others are waiting for them.
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Zhou Meng returns Anastasia's bow, "Greetings to Senior Shoi-Ming. This one is called Zhou Meng."
Meng is still wearing the robes from his last mission, though they appear a bit more worn than before. Perhaps it almost time for a new set.
One job on and already my clothes have taken a beating. This new path will be an expensive one.
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"I told you it was this way" a voice can be heard down the hall, and a high pitched squeal is heard. The door opens, "If we're late because of you..." and a frail man with a long white beard and hair walks in, seemingly arguing with someone behind him.
"Oh hello!" says Umdar, beady eyes and big smile showing under his white moustache "My name is Umdar, good to meet you all"
The hawk on his shoulder squeaks, a large bird with a long beak and a black and white striped wings. sighing to Anastasia and Zhao, he sighs motioning to teh hawk "And this is Falcorios, or Falco, he's smarter than he seems, but twice as stubborn" Falco let's out an indignified squeak.
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Gromdal tromps in, peering at everyone from his thick eyebrows. "So. Back at the pathfinderin', eh? Zhao. You're not dead. Good to see." His voice is squeaky and high, and he looks underfed for a dwarf, almost like someone stuffed a bookworm into armor. But he does seem a bit more hale than last time. Perhaps the sun agreed with him?
Drandle Dreng’s entrance is as understated as always at the meeting with him this morning. He carries stacks of papers and tomes, and shedding stray pages as he makes his way toward a large, cushioned chair; once seated, he greets you warmly.
“Welcome, welcome, glad to see you’ve made yourself at home. No point in beating around the bush, since I’m sure you’re all very curious why I called you here today, hm?"
“As you may or may not know, the Society has been bolstering its influence with the esteemed Blakros family for some time now, and have assisted them and their famous museum with various incidents over the past few years—discovering several new levels of catacombs in the process."
“Just recently, the Blakros Museum’s curator, Nigel Aldain, informed us that he’d discovered a mysterious portal within the building’s vast catacombs, and sought information regarding how to open it. We sent one of our agents, a man by the name of Anumet Akrostera, to help research the matter further, which involved delving into the various attics and crawlspaces of the Blakros Museum in search of clues that might lead to the whereabouts of the portal’s key."
“Earlier today, Nigel showed up here, claiming that something was wrong with Anumet. It seems that the Pathfinder set off some sort of curse or trap while poking around in the place’s attics and was acting strangely, and now he can’t be found at all. I need you to head to Blakros Museum and get to the bottom of this. Find Anumet, and if he has gotten himself into irreparable trouble, you’ll also need to take up where he left off and find that key.”
Knowledge (history)
actually abducted by alien monsters from the worlds he had studied so obsessively.
Knowledge (local) or Diplomacy (gather information)
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"Well, I know a little bit about the background of this mission. In the early days of Absalom, the Blakros Museum was the stronghold of an eccentric wizard. After being abandoned for centuries, it was bought by the Blakros family, who turned it into a museum for their vast collection of curios." she says.
"Additionally, I know that the Blakros Museum is owned by the esteemed House Blakros, an extensive clan whose family members have made their fortune by trading odd antiquities across the border of Taldor and Qadira, as well as by marrying off their beautiful daughters to wealthy nobles all around the world. They store many of their curious gifts and the findings of their more adventurous daughters in exhibits in the Blakros Museum, which they purchased for just this purpose.
The Pathfinder Society is interested in forming an alliance with the Blakros family to gain access to their extensive collection of historical and arcane treasures.
Many pieces in the Blakros’s collection are connected to the Dark Tapestry or other otherworldly horrors studied by Ralzeros."
VC Dreng pipes in, "Yes, that is correct. Although, you might not want to share all of that information outside of these walls. No reason to upset the Blakros family, after all."
He looks among the collected Pathfinders, "I forget myself. Is there anything else I might help you with before you head for the museum?"
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Falcorius screeches and flaps his wings in an agitated fashion, Umdar turning to him "Oh what do you know? Be quiet" stroking his beard he turns Anastasia.
"Yes, you are correct, I also remember that Ralzeros the Overwatched built what is now the Blakros Museum thousands of years ago as an observatory to study distant worlds (and some say, to be studied by them). He later disappeared following a mage-duel with another of Absalom’s early wizards. Nasty business."
Sighing and stroking his beard once more, he turns Captain Drangle "Straight to the Museum? Was that when this Anumet fella was seen last?"
Drandle shrugs his shoulders at Umdar, "Honestly, I am unsure where Anumet was last seen. The Blakros Museum is the last location I personally know that he was planning to be. It seems like the best place to start, at least, if I were the one taking this on. I can't fault you if you have other ideas."
For a moment, a look of shame crossed Drandle's face, before going back to neutral, "Well, Anumet was rather new to the society. This might have been his first mission, but I didn't even think it was a mission really. I didn't recruit him directly and, unfortunately, don't really know much about him. I think he was human. He seemed capable to explore the museum's newly discovered catacombs. He was to return to us for reinforcements, if things seemed dangerous. Hopefully, he is safe and sound and we can learn more about him after you find him. I can only imagine what he saw or found that drove him off."
After a few last pleasantries, the group heads out. As the museum is on the other side of the city, it takes awhile as they pass through the congested streets. They approach the museum to see a tall, well dressed elf standing outside, his face tightened in a way that clearly displays his current mood,
"I'm going to have to stop you right there, folks. The Blakros Museum is currently closed due to... It really doesn't matter why. Please come back later. I apologize."
The man shakes his head, and mutters under his breathe just loud enough to be heard, "Looks like the quality of new recruits has changed as of late."
He sighs and addresses the group, "I am Nigel Aldain. I am curator of the Blakros Museum and sent for you...fine individuals. Thank the gods you’re finally here. It would appear something quite bizarre has happened to my new Pathfinder-turned-assistant, Anumet Akrostera, while we were researching the key to the newly discovered portal beneath the museum. I had warned Anumet that many corners of the museum hold mysteries that, as of yet, have never been looked into, but I’m afraid something got to him all the same, as the last time yesterday I saw him he was acting quite strangely, and he failed to return today. I fear something evil in the attics of the museum may have cursed him.”
Nigel nods to Anastasia, "I agree, we should walk and talk. No time to waste really."
He walks through the front entrance and turns to address Umdar, "“Anumet was exploring the museum’s attics and towers looking for clues about the key to a newly discovered portal in the museum’s catacombs. This morning, he went up to the attic for a long time, and when he came down, he acted strangely, as I mentioned, as if he didn’t recognize anyone. His voice was hoarse and the words he used were bizarre and archaic. He kept
rambling about Ralzeros the Overwatched, but nothing he said made sense."
“He made for the catacombs and stared at the portal we’ve been trying to unlock for some time. I don’t think he realized I was still there, and I followed him around the other areas in the catacombs, where he seemed to be desperately searching for something. When he couldn’t find it, he was furious. Anumet avoided me after that, but I saw him look something up in our copy of Jackdaw’s History of the True Art, a book about famous wizards and astrologers. He took the book with him and ran out of the museum. I didn’t dare follow him, and haven’t seen him since. There was no table dancing, but it was certainly out of character from what I knew of the man."
He then addresses Gromdal, "While we do have catacombs, as I mentioend, those are more well explored than the attics. They’re too rickety and awkward for any practical use these days, but they’ve been there since the Blakros family bought the place. Tales say that Ralzeros the Overwatched put machines there that he used to observe the stars and
heavens above. Judging by how strangely everything up there is laid out, I suspect that the stories are right when they say he was insane. This whole place is filled with relics and I can't really say any one location is more stocked than any other.”
Nigel ignores the dwarf's comment and looks to Anastasia, "That was the only copy we had. Forae Logos is the only other place I can think that would have a copy. But before you run off looking for the book, is there a particular place in the museum you would like to look into first?”
Nigel nods to the lot of Pathfinders, "Let me show you to the attic Anumet was exploring."
He takes the group through a few of the museum's many display rooms and to a storage room. In the back corner of the room is a rickety-looking ladder that leads up through the decorative ceiling. "I'm sorry to say that this is the only entrance we have into the attic. Unless you folks have anymore questions, I will leave you to it. I will head back to the lobby and await your report. Good luck."
Reeking of vermin droppings, sagging walkways and cramped stairwells connect the museum’s winding upper levels. Stifling heat fills the sealed-off rooms and crannies, and cracked and rotten boards pop and creak at the slightest touch. Dry-rotted debris lies heaped atop broken furniture and shattered crates in the long-disused chambers. Boot prints make an uncertain and winding trail through the thick dust on the attic’s floors.
As Anastasia steps up towards the open door, she notices that the floorboards nearby look weak due to dry-rot. Judging by what she sees, she is afraid that something bad might occur if anyone was to stand on it.
Anastasia seems to think that there might be a few things that can be done to cross these poor looking boards. It might be possible to rig something to cross , or perhaps gingerly cross the boards quickly . Also, it might be possible to land a jump within the doorframge, where it is very likely the boards are more stable.
Alternatively, it appears as though the boards may be able to sustain a single person crossing them at a time.
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"I'm not the best on building things either. but I think those things are crossable if we are careful" taking out a piece of rope, Umdar ties it around him and gives the other end to the stouty dwarf. Winking "Here goes nothing" and he proceeds to tip toe around Zhao and past Anastasia, aiming to lunge the last bit at the door and tying the rope to the door handle from the inside
Gromdal looks for supplies to build a makeshift bridge, but is only able to find more wood in the same condition: dry-rotted. As he is looking around, Umdar nimble passes by the others and, on tip toes, crosses the weakened floor. Despite a few labored groans, the floor seems to hold firm. Umdar believes, despite his excellent prowess, any of the others should be able to cross safely ass well, as long as they cross separately.
Despite stubbing her toe trying to cross the compromised area, Anastasia is able to get through without issue.
Meng and Gromdal are able to cross without issue.
Strange, organic-looking patterns wind across the walls and ceiling of this chamber, and the stone walls look as though they had grown winding tendrils that enshroud the area. At the chamber’s center stands a massive, rust-covered device of gears and arms about fifteen feet across. The end of each arm supports a different colored sphere. Strange projections and barbed arrows point through each of the globes, their directions seemingly random. Opposite from the chamber’s entrance, a naked and clearly dead body is impaled by a rust-red arrow. The corpse faces a gray, wooden door, which stands ajar.
All of a sudden, the body impaled on the machine starts to pulsate with green energy. The energy sizzles and bursts forth from the largest of his wounds, firing at Meng.
acid damage and acid damage the second round.
As the green energy dies down, the mind of each of those gathered in the room see a shared vision. In the vision, a withered humanoid figure with an elongated, pointed tongue bursts forth from the gray door and grabs the then-living person, that seems to be Anumet, subsequently tearing him apart with its jagged claws and teeth. As the terrifying vision fades, the monster hisses, “The gate shall soon open!”
Looking more closely at the body, now thought to be Anumet, it is clear that the wounds could not have possibly been made by the machine he is pinned to.