The elven archer’s throat is ripped out!!!
He falls to the ground bleeding!!!
After examining the fallen you notice that they are all still alive but will surely die if they are not stabilized.
During the examination you find two symbols that all of the attackers were carrying with them.
The first symbol is the holy symbol of Norgorber. He is the only evil god amongst the Ascended. He is known as a Taldan deity of thievery and assassination, as well as a keeper of secrets. He is called the 'Reaper of Reputation' by some, but has more insidious titles among his other worshipers. He remains an enigma to most, and his true motives are unknown. Many of his own followers remain ignorant of his plans and designs.
The symbol belongs to an organization called the Harbingers, which was founded around the Book of One Thousand Whispers and that are dedicated to bringing about the promised Age of Glory by making the prophecies from the ancient Book of 1,000 Whispers come true.
The Book of 1,000 Whispers is a book of prophecy used as a guidebook by the Harbingers of Fate in Absalom. This book predicts events happening between the years of 4604 AR and 4714 AR. Unfortunately for the Harbingers, many of the remaining prophecies make no sense.
Additionally, the dwarf had a written note that unfortunately is written in a strange code.
The note details that the Harbingers want to attempt to make the recorded prophecies within The Book of 1,000 Whispers come true so as to set the world right after the death of the god Aroden. The group has come to the Shrine of the Failed in search of unattended items that fulfill more of the book’s strange conditions, but they have heard of the investigation of the Pathfinders and as their mission is in direct violation of the Harbingers’ mission they are to attack the Pathfindes and try to kill them to ensure the Pathfinders don’t interfere with the foretold omens.
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Arioch turns to Ierwin and tells him, "Hey use this wand on our cleric until she wakes up."
"Sure, Mate!" Ierwin says gamely. "Wat's its command phrase?"
After examining the fallen you notice that they are all still alive but will surely die if they are not stabilized.
Ierwin checks everyone over to see that no one dies (loudly commenting as he does so). "Woah! Noice bow! Hey! This dwahrf is a sheila! They ahah so rahrely seen in the wild. This is a real find! Might be the beahrds.... This one though 'as 'ad a close shave. Crikey! look at the bloody size of this bloke's club! Oy, wat's this?" reaching for one of the mysterious trinkets.
"Just junk." he says and tosses it aside. "Now wat's in heah?" he says investigating a coin purse looking for an ID.
Buzz focuses upon the cast off trinket.
The moose nods knowingly.
You save your attackers' lives and learn that they were Harbingers that wanted to kill you because some of the Harbinders' crude prophecies could have been invalidated by Eylysia’s cache.
After surviving the ambush, you are able to leave the Shrine of the Failed after some explanations to the city guard who take the three Harbingers into custody.
The crowd gathered around the Starstone Cathedral has disbanded, and many of the locals are still horrified following Sir Reinhart’s attempt to vault the chasm on horseback, which ended with a fall into oblivion.
You deliver Eylysia’s cache to the Grand Lodge. Drandle Dreng personally thanks you for your successful investigation, indicating his interest in your future careers as Pathfinders.
He speaks with each one of you and should you not have completed your confirmation, the venture-captain promises to speak with Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine to have the process expedited.
Dreng promises that those who have already completed their Confirmation will receive further assignments soon.
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In the next weeks you receive a lot of attention as the news about your discovery spreads!
Several Venture-Captains from near and far send you their regards.
* * *
The Wounded Wisp staff is still flabbergasted about your discovery and has received some funding from the society with which they intend to repair the disgrace in their cellar.
You now also enjoy Heryn's gratitude which means that the first drink is always on the house! You can take cooking lessons in the Wisp whenever you want.
And of course you can be sure that several agents in the Wounded Wisp will never forget you and the events of that night.
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After about a month you receive a summons to gather in the Grand Lodge as Dreng wants to give you a thorough debrief on this mission.
When you arrive in the meeting room you are all together again but Dreng is not there, yet.
A little female gnome comes in again and says with a sigh "So sorry, but Dreng is not able to join you again! But Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin will be here shortly! You guys have become popular?! Hee?" she says with a little bit of jealousy in her voice.
She leaves again slamming the door.
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A little female gnome comes in again and says with a sigh "So sorry, but Dreng is not able to join you again! But Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin will be here shortly! You guys have become popular?! Hee?" she says with a little bit of jealousy in her voice.
She leaves again slamming the door.
Arioch rolls his eyes at the news Dreng stood up the group.
"Here we do that old geezer a solid and he can't even be bothered to meet with us..."|
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Arioch turns to Ierwin and tells him, "Hey use this wand on our cleric until she wakes up.""Sure, Mate!" Ierwin says gamely. "Wat's its command phrase?"
"Hey how's it going everyone?"
Using the magical command phrase "Hey, 'ow's it goin' everyone!" Ierwin activates the wand twice to bring Cara back from her near-death experience.
Ierwin half hums a little tune to himself. While crawling about looking under the furniture for rare, poisonous spiders.
Buzz begins tearing up the carpet with his huge blunt teeth.
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Illyndar helps revive the other teammates after the drawn out combat thinking he and the others are lucky it didn't get worse.
After the group is re-summoned back for field duties Illyndar greets his companions once again.
"Greetings and blessings to you all. I am happy to see you all looking fit. I was just in the library and was told to report over here to see the Honorable Dreng. Does anyone know what this is about? Has anyone seen him? What are you singing and why?"
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Illyndar helps revive the other teammates after the drawn out combat thinking he and the others are lucky it didn't get worse.
After the group is re-summoned back for field duties Illyndar greets his companions once again.
"Greetings and blessings to you all. I am happy to see you all looking fit. I was just in the library and was told to report over here to see the Honorable Dreng. Does anyone know what this is about? Has anyone seen him? What are you singing and why?"
"I think Dreng drank the bottle of wine we gave him, and a couple dozen more, and passed out somewhere."
After about ten minutes Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin's enters the room. He looks at you with a keen interest.
"Your recent investigations and recovery of agent Eylysia’s papers have already yielded results. Under my direction, a team of scholars has tracked down the long-retired Society ciphers the gnome used and translated many of her entries. Although many of these records present valuable leads, one is especially timely and exciting.
Several months ago, the Pathfinder Society recovered an incomplete relic called the Sky Key. Its missing components disappeared millennia ago, carried by dwarven refugees to the far corners of Avistan and beyond, and the Society has struggled to follow these faint trails to piece the potent device back together. It appears Eylysia may have found one of the pieces centuries ago!
She writes of a visit to Tar Kuata in Osirion, where she not only met with the Iroran devotees there, but also the curious order of dwarven monks known as the Ouat. According to her journals, some of the resident dwarves’ ancestors arrived long ago from the distant north bearing a broken treasure of wire and steel. Based on additional context and several magical divinations, I have reason to believe Eylysia—and you—may have found one of the lost pieces of the Sky Key!
We need to make diplomatic contact to the Ouat which will take months. But as soon as I am contacted by Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir in Sothis to prepare for an expedition I will potentially contact you.
Until then I wish you all the best on your future missions!"
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"Whoa... That hurt. A lot. Thanks for patching me up, Cara." He looks through the items, but only one triggers a memory. "This is the holy symbol of Norgorber, the only evil god amongst the Ascended. He is known as a Taldan deity of thievery and assassination, as well as a keeper of secrets. His true motives are unknown. Many of his own followers remain ignorant of his plans and designs."
"It's certainly a pleasure to see you all again."
Although some mistakes were made, we succeeded at the mission. And the elf surprisingly wasn't totally incompetent helped quite a lot, so I should try to be nice to him in the future... Now, why does Drandle Dreng keep us waiting?
Baldrum looks at Ierwin and his moose in silence, with a raised eyebrow, not understanding anything the hunter is singing.
This one's strange... a very special kind of strange...
Of course Dreng stood us up. At least another VC will talk to us...
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A piece of an incomplete relic? The Ouat, an order of dwarven monks? Sounds like my cup of tea mug of beer... After my Confirmation - which is more than overdue - it would be interesting to travel to Tar Kuata in Osirion.
"Ierwin, please start reading listening properly: 'OUAT', not 'QUAT'. There's quite a difference, really... And what do you mean with 'CRIKEY'? The relic is called the 'SKY KEY'..."
Maybe this human and his animal are a bit too special for me to endure in the future...