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The vampire howls in pain as Vardarel's positive goodness sears its flesh. It does laugh uproariously as the spiritual armament misses again however. "You can't seem to hit the broad side of an oak tree with that bow, priest!"
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 4-5
Tactical Map
Hero Points: Salissa(1), Vardarel(1), Nicole(2), Bella(1), Eddie(1)
Special:
* The creatures a small. Token slightly enlarged for visibility
* Everything in the wider area is difficult terrain
Immune to Dominate: Nicole, Bella, Salissa
Before Your Turn:
DC 22 Will vs Dominate:
After Your Turn:
DC 15 Flat Check vs 1 Persistent Poison: Bella
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Those with ** may go
-5-
**Salissa Greenscale - AC 24 64/82 (temp hp - 6/6; Guidance)
**Nicole Flames - AC 23 (24 w/shield) 58/58 (AC 24)
-4-
Yellow (-56; 20 < AC <= 24; E1)
**Eddie 'Bo' Leetus - AC 23 (25 w/shield) 63/63; Slimer AC 12 31/60
**Bella Sidare - AC 23 58/78 (1 Persistent Poison); Khiari AC 23
Vardarel - AC 21 (22 shield) 51/51
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Nicole chucks another bomb at the vampire to eliminate it for good.
vs Yellow
vitality damage, 4 vitality splash damage fr Bomber Field Discovery, the target is Enfeebled 1 until the start of Nicole's next turn, and ignore Lesser Cover fr Alchemist Goggles
vitality damage
She throws another before she continues to raise her shield.
vs Yellow
vitality damage, 4 vitality splash damage fr Bomber Field Discovery, the target is Enfeebled 1 until the start of Nicole's next turn, and ignore Lesser Cover fr Alchemist Goggles
vitality damage
◆ Quick Bomber w Far Lobber feat vs Yellow
◆ Quick Bomber w Far Lobber feat vs Yellow
◆ Raise a Shield (+1 to AC)
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More ghost charge bombs from Nicole fly in. Her first misses () but the other one crashes right into its face. Yellow screams in agony and dissolves to mist. The mist flies towards a planter box full of dirt. As it reforms, Salissa produces a wooden stake and slams it right into the center of the creature where the heart would be.
Inside the planter, you find the the befouling lantern. While it cannot be used without a specific ritual, Urwal will be very interested in it.
You emerge from the house back into the light. With the source of befouling corruption gone, and the threat of the Whispering Way gaining a foothold past, the survivors take a moment to relax and catch their breath. They rally their spirits and let out a cheer. Moreover, the leshies whom you saved from the undead horde each hand you an heirloom woodcarving ().
Upon returning to the lodge, Anemone, Pattypan, and Bogs are shocked to hear what befell the sacred site. They are equally grateful to you for your part in foiling the vampire’s scheme. Pattypan and Bogs, now doing more administrative work than adventuring, offer several treasures from their adventuring days as thanks, hoping you'll put them to better use. Pattypan and Bogs hand you a clockwork wrist grappler and a [url=https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=3099]persona mask.
Thanks for playing!
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"That... is a vampire." Bella prepares to slap the thing in retribution but her allies are quick. Bella wishes she could drive the dagger into the vampyr to finish it off, but alas, she needs wood...
Bella humbly accepts the thanks, but she is quick to highlight Eddie. "Their natural sense of direction led us here just in time to help. This is Home, after all."
She makes sure to apologize to Salissa. "My deepest apologies. I did not mean- I really did feel I was surrounded by enemies, and you were the closest."
As they are dismissed from the debriefing, Bella bows to the group. "My apologies. I must return to the manor. There is one more person to apologize to. My... prejudice towards her left me easy to manipulate. While I do not completely trust her, she has done nothing wrong and deserves my respect."
Khiari smiles. She'll get Bella to trust the Rose Witch. A little bit at a time.
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Eddie watches confused as the vampire turns to mist and floats away. Then Salissa stabs it with a wooden stake? "These vampires are strange. Its no wonder the other leshies here didn't know what to do." Eddie smiles and pats everyone on the backside (its all they can reach!) in congratulations.
"Who wants berries? I got lots of yummy berries!" They let the healing berries flow.
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Eddie's normally cream colored cap turns a blushing pink with Bella's compliment "Oh no, do not give me all the credit, I'd been eaten if it wasn't for you all!"
The Sixwing Dixie swims along the sea, en route for Chilieax. The Southwestern coast peeks over the horizon. You are on route toward the coastal port city of Hinji, and the crew says they will dock tomorrow morning. But you're not here for sight seeing.
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin sent you here on a hurry. He gave you a seemingly bottomless bag containing a missive:
Experienced Pathfinders,
We recently made inroads with Lady Victiria of House Junianis, a noble family in Cheliax based in the city of Hinji. She gave us the opportunity to catalogue a series of their ancestral heirlooms that survived the Chelaxian Civil War. We sent a team of novice Pathfinders to perform the assessment, as it seemed a simple enough assignment for fresh agents.
Unfortunately, the assignment wasn’t as simple as it seemed. After the novices’ first day of examination, they did not return to the Junianis manor. Lady Victiria attempted to contact them using the resources at her disposal, and then reported to the Grand Lodge that our agents were missing.
Your task is to find our four missing Pathfinders and, if someone was responsible for their disappearances, make sure they are no longer a danger to the Society. If you find any of our agents, bring them to the Junianis manor. Lady Victiria has agreed to harbor any Pathfinders you find until your investigation is complete. Although the Junianis family has many connections in Hinji, it is important that you do not visit the Junianis manor except to drop off the missing agents for protection. You can go to Lady Junianis for additional information as a last resort, but relying on her for help might jeopardize our future relations. If the worst has happened and you find that the agents have died in the field, be sure to respectfully retrieve their remains and belongings.
After you bring the missing agents to the manor, complete the cataloguing of the heirlooms and report back to Absalom with the agents or their remains. Included with this letter are basic dossiers on each of the agents sent to Hinji, as well as a bag of holding and scrolls of gentle repose that are only to be used for the missing Pathfinders should they prove necessary. It is important that you use discretion—they were likely targeted for being members of the Society, so don’t go about flashing wayfinders and demanding answers.
Begin your search at the Waypoint Inn, where the agents were staying. The innkeeper is expecting you.
Explore, Report, Cooperate.
Amburs Valsin
Included with this information is a bag of holding (type I) as well as three magical scrolls, all of 5th rank. They are scrolls of >Peaceful Rest<. The bag also contains all of the Pathfinder Society items your requested.
Also included inside the bag was a description of several Pathfinders.
Tanno Kembers
- Tanno Kembers is a human man who made a living as a self-taught tomb robber.
- He first came into contact with the Pathfinder Society at a dig site in Nex, which he reached before the Society did.
- After assessing his skills and artifact collection and determining his willingness to work toward more noble ends, the Society gave him a field commission.
- Tanno is skilled at disarming traps, and is wary of potential foes at all times.
Selia Torossel
- Selia is an elf historian who specializes in the Chelaxian Civil War. She is perhaps slightly overzealous in her desire to uncover the truth of what brought Thrune to power, a dangerous topic of study.
- She is strongly affiliated with the Grand Archive faction.
- She is a novice practitioner of divination.
Jespya
- Jespya is a halfling martial artist, a skilled unarmed combatant with a reputation for bravery.
- They joined the Pathfinder Society after their partner died in the field.
- They are one of Marcus Farabellus’s favored pupils for their efficient yet overwhelming combat tactics.
- They were assigned to this mission as protection for the other, less combat-capable agents.
- They requested not to be resurrected in the event of their death.
Kiiruba
- Kiiruba appears to be a human woman, but she is actually a kitsune who favors her tailless human form.
- She is proficient in diplomacy and emissary’s duties and dreams of seeing the world.
- She was recruited to the Society through the Lantern Lodge. This is her first mission after completing her Confirmation in Absalom to become a full agent.
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Having read Ambrus’s letter, Vardarel immediately hides his wayfinder. He removes the aeon stone from it and puts it in a belt pouch so he can use it once the mission is underway.
He then spends a little time reading through the dossiers.
“Rather grim mission this time. I hope we don’t have to use these scrolls.”
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A familiar stuffed rabbit appears. Somehow, this time, he's ... different. He has what can only be described as a serene aura about him. Then you notice a small religious symbol hanging from his belt. His choice of weapon hasn't changed, however... neither has his pronounced overbite...
"Oh well met again. I prethume you're part of my group? Perhapth we haven't met. I am Bun Helthing, at you thervithe."
He tucks his Wayfinder away, opening a small incision in his stuffed belly and hiding it within himself...
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Looking down, he smiles. "Oh, thith ith the thymbol of Teki Thtronggut. I rethently read about her ekthploith. She helpth mithfiths, among otherth. I'm not exthactly mainthtream, after all. I mean, I'm a thutffed rabbit with a gun who talkth funny. I don't have the thame pedigree ath my hero, Profethor Bun-Bun tho I think I qualify. Teki ith referred to ath the Rememberer. Ethpethially thothe who otherth forget or overlook. I feel ith my dethtiny to remember them."
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"I find Cheliax to have a reputation for people going missing," Nicole remarks, drawing on the time she’s spent reading Pathfinder Chronicles in her spare moments.
"I hope they're alive and safe, but where do we even start looking?" she asks the other Pathfinders, discreetly tucking away her Wayfinder after noticing Vardarel do the same.
As for the stuffed rabbit, she has trouble understanding his words, so she simply gives the poppet a curious look.
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"I find Cheliax to have a reputation for people going missing," Nicole remarks, drawing on the time she’s spent reading Pathfinder Chronicles in her spare moments.
Another stuffed rabbit nods sagely. "Indeed. Cheliakth hath an ekthtenthive underworld. In fact..." He goes on to give a brief lecture on Cheliax's criminal underworld.
The rabbit is dressed in academic robes complete with mortarboard hat. He takes his wayfinder and attempts to place it underneath his underneath his hat, only to be stymied by the fact that his hat is actually sewn onto his head. He settles for tucking it underneath his robes. He nods at Bun Helsing. "I've worked with thome of you before but not everyone. I am Profeththor Bun Bun, Q.T.E. It appearth that I'll be your thcholar for thith endeavor."
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"I miss Miss Bella and Khiari already..." Nicole murmurs, staring into the horizon after yet another stuffed rabbit introduces himself, though, once again, she can't quite make out his words. "Indeed. Underworld. In fact." are the only fragments she manages to catch from the poppet's first sentence, and does not mind listening the rest.
She hopes she'll eventually get the hang of the way these two poppet Pathfinders speak, but she's hesitant to ask them to repeat themselves, let alone admit to Vardarel that she has no idea what the poppets are talking about.
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Professor Bun Bun rambles on about Hinji and its criminal organization, threading together tales he's heard alongside theories and random trivia. If you can understand his words, it makes an entertaning lecture. Bun Helsing hangs onto every word. Eventually Nicole gets a summary from Vardarel.
In addition to notorious gangs like the Sons of the Tear, a smaller gang is coming onto the scene of Hinji’s ice tears trade: the Daughters of Cocytus. Led by the enigmatic Mother Forsythe, this all-female group has a reputation for spreading fear, as well as being accompanied by a mysterious light that their victims half-remember.
The criminal underworld of Hinji almost entirely revolves around the production and illicit trade of a singular narcotic: ice tears. This ingested drug bestows visions of the past and “possible futures” to those under its effects, and its trade is largely controlled by criminal gangs that abuse those who become addicted.
The Sixwing Drake reaches the docks just after runrise. A pleasantly quiet trip is now filled with the hustle and bustle of crew and dockworkers loading supplies, taking inventory, and getting you out of the way. The Wayport Inn isn't too far off.
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A dingy goblin rolls up the gang plank on a smoke spewing contraption that to some of you looks like a miniaturized Meat Wagon. The goblin does a double take as he passes those he recognizes, especially Nicole.
"DON'T ASK NICKY, DON'T ASK!" He grumbles to himself, zipping over to join in the mission briefing. He nods in agreement with the smart poppet, as they summarize the criminal element of the city. "You can make a lot of money here Nicky if you went down certain paths.." He floats the obvious innuendo.. pointing to her alchemist's kit.
"Yes, I'm Stitch, Stitch Steeltoe, even though I don't LOOK like Stitch Steeltoe. But I tell you what, if I see one side eye or hear one snicker I'll have Meaty mow off the toes of your boots the first chance I get!"
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Bun stares at the goblin and the contraption. He involuntarily shudders as he sees the smoke billows out towards them. He digs into a pouch and pulls out a journal of sorts and leafs through it.
"Thtitch... thtitch... oh yeth!" He turns to the professor, "Umm Profethor? It thayth here that Thtitch ith a dwarf. Wath there thome freak acthident?" Shuddering at entering the smoke, he bravely marches up to Stitch and introduces himself.
"Well met. I am Bun Helthing, at your thervithe. I don't think we've met yet but I've heard a lot about you. I've been reading about your adventureth in chronicleth written by a thertain Roark Thunderbird. Pretty ecthiting if you athk me."
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Vardarel does his best to not let his amusement show at mention of Roark writing about Stitch.
After he it done talking to Stitch, Vardarel approaches Bun Helsing and with a straight face asks “Would you know where I could acquire these chronicles? I’m sure there are many things I could learn from them.”
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"Thtitch... thtitch... oh yeth!" He turns to the professor, "Umm Profethor? It thayth here that Thtitch ith a dwarf. Wath there thome freak acthident?" Shuddering at entering the smoke, he bravely marches up to Stitch and introduces himself.
Professor Bun Bun scoffs. "That'th clearly a goblin riding thome thort of ridiculouth mechanized goblin-machine. Dwarveth are completely different."
Stitch and Meat Wagon roll off the ship with a few unexpected differences. But he is well aware of Hinji's gang activity. His summary is as good as Professor Bun Bun's.
A gnome greets you as you enter the Waypoint Inn. "Greetings and Salutations! My name is Sellinore, and as long as you can pay the bill and you don't bring trouble, we'll get along just fine!" They hop off the stool and clap towards one of the workers, who shoots awake and scrambles to get your stuff. "Ah, help these days..." Sellinore shrugs.
"Wait a moment, are you... Pathfinders, by any chance? You match a description... Ah yes! My good friend Lady Junianis said you would come here to look for the other agents." They climb back up the stool and pick 4 keys off the wall. "The Society paid up until next week, so I've left their rooms alone, and opened up some rooms for yourselves." They hand you the keys. "Now the sooner you finish this the sooner I can open more rooms. Best of luck, now!" They sit back down on the stool.
Your rooms are rather plain, but it is a comfy enough place to sleep.
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"Well met. I am Bun Helthing, at your thervithe. I don't think we've met yet but I've heard a lot about you. I've been reading about your adventureth in chronicleth written by a thertain Roark Thunderbird. Pretty ecthiting if you athk me."
Stitch gives the toothy rabbits a long uncomfortable stare as they banter back and forth between themselves about him. "Actually Roark can't read or write, he paid me to invent a machine to write for him. I even gave him some interesting jokes if he asked nicely." He shrugs his shoulders and motors off.
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Bun Helsing hops up the stairs into one of the rooms and begins sniffing around for clues. He's seen plenty of rooms with items thrown to and fro. Sometimes people confuse him for a stuffed animal and toss him in their collection. The explosions and holes in the wall usually reveal his true nature, but he's long gone by then.
He discovers a letter in Selia’s room from one Dr. Howell requesting that Selia meet her at the gambling den Snake Tails to receive some historical context for an artifact in the Junianis family’s collection. A lack of adventuring gear in Tanno’s room suggests he accompanied Selia, while Jespya’s and Kiiruba’s rooms are somewhat unpacked, suggesting they left later.
Naturally he shows the letter to the Professor, but halfway there he makes a critical discovery. It's clear Dr. Howell shows little real historical knowledge of the Chelaxian Civil War. The terms used in the letter show a lack of knowledge beyond House Thrune’s most common propaganda. Furthermore, the handwriting is inconsistent, suggesting the letter was penned by multiple individuals.
Stitch is too busy checking the gambling dice and loses track of the investigation altogether. The rest of the team find the patrons are not in the mood to speak and decide to stay out of a potential turf war.
Nicole asks around but she isn't able to get much more information.
The team convenes and discusses their next move.
Snake Tails is located in a slightly more run‑down part of Hinji, within the Sailors’ Row district. Your journey is direct, although you earn some envious stares from some of the vagrants in the neighborhood.
Snake Talis is a gambling den, and judging from some of the scents, you suspect it is also a location to purchase illicit drugs. Glares greet you upon entry. No one likes a snitch.
"Newcomer, eh?" A young elf smiles, some of his teeth shine with gold as he turns to Vardarel. "Looking for some of the good stuff. Sit down for a bit." He chats with Vardarel, trying to see if he's a cop, wondering what his angle is, and Vardarel talks about historical records and twists it into navigating goods.
"Best to keep quiet, friend. Someone spotted a body out near the docks to the north of the gambling den." He looks about. Most people around here know it’s best to ignore such things."
Meat Wagon belches some smoke the wrong way and a halfling patron coughs up. "Way too loud! Get that thing out of here!"
What do the other teammates do?
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"Newcomer, eh?"
“Not so much that as things change so fast in cities.” He gratefully accepts the proffered seat.
"Best to keep quiet, friend. Someone spotted a body out near the docks to the north of the gambling den." He looks about. Most people around here know it’s best to ignore such things."
Vardarel thanks the elf for the warning. He replies with a hunting proverb from Ketephys relating to avoiding being ambushed by a predator.
"You're a sight for sore eyes." A female dwarf spots Nicole. "Come on, take a seat. Let's play for a bit."
Nicole keeps it careful and catches the dwarf cheating a few times, false cards, sleights of hand and she even proves the dice are weighted. "Haha! Good thing we're playing for fun- you'd have my head if you caught me cheatin' for gold."
Nicole takes this chance to talk about recent events in Hinji, especially newcomers. The dwarf motions Nicole to get close. "Newcomers? They stuck out like sore thumbs. Tried to act like authorities. Showed these things they called wayfinders. City Patrol never comes down here, we ignored 'em."
"But you best be quiet with your questions. The Daughters of Cocytus are not to be trifled with. And they're listening everywhere. I heard they recently captured a drake and are using it to guard something important in one of their drug dens. If they're that strong, I wouldn't mess with them."
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Professor Bun Bun is somewhat out of his element in the seedy bar. He nervously inches up to the bar. "Ekthcuthe me, barkeep. I don't thuppothe I could trouble you for a tharsthaparilla?"
He ends up nursing whatever the bartender ends up serving him and eventually manages to converse with one of the barflies.
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The bartender peers closely at Professor Bun Bun, raising a hairy fist... before laughing. "Let me see if I can make something for ya. A little light for a light bunny."
He starts mixing some of the lighter liquids. "Watch yourself, there's a lot of gangs who would pay big money for someone as fluffy as you. Take the Daughters of Cocytus. Their leader, Mother Forsythe, is offering money for unusual newcomers. They say she is an unnerving woman who’s accompanied by some sort of weird light that’s apparently alive. I heard they both thrive on causing terror in others, from their victims to their underlings." He shudders and drops a drink on the counter.
"Keep your ears open, alright? And don't drink too much."
Outside of Snake Tails you breathe some fresh air. Much less smelly than whatever was going on in that tavern.
The second thing you notice are multiple women wearing studded leather armor and packing gauntlets and slings. One of them is awfully close to Meat Wagon. "It's like a carriage but it doesn't need a horse? Like one of them trains!"
"Shut up and keep your eyes peeled, we're waiting for them to leave- OH MY GODS A cute bunny!" The woman wearing a Blue scarf is briefly distracted by the Professor.
The Red Hooded leader grumbles "Shut up! This is them. Asking too many questions, getting too nosy. Let's show 'em what happens!" Her teammates regain their composure and prepare.
The patrons inside Snake Tails seem uninterested. Just another day, another turf war.