Gameplay here...
“CHECK THE BACK!” Venture-Captain Dagur Hawksight turns from the hallway to address the assembled Pathfinder Agents. “Vanis is behind schedule, but they’ll get caught up. They always do.” She winks as a glimmer of a smile passes her face. “Now, for your task:
“Twenty years ago, a group called the Technic League took power here in Numeria. They convinced the Black Sovereign Kevoth-Kul, Numeria’s monarch, that we were trouble, and he banished us—but that didn’t stop me. I’ve been running this place in secret since. Recently, the Technic League have fallen out of power and Kevoth-Kul has refocused. He and I had a little chat the other day...” she trails off, lost in thought for a moment
“To appease his suspicions, we’ve agreed to turn over a copy of all of our findings. Complete transparency. I agreed to send him a shipment of ledgers detailing every screw, nut, bolt, and wire that we’ve found and researched since this lodge started quietly operating twenty years ago. It’s probably the only thing that’s going to keep the Society operating here without first fighting off whatever army he sends to wipe us out for good. So trust me when I tell you: the success of this mission is paramount.”
A well-groomed human trots into the room carrying a clipboard and feather quill. “Task completed, venture-captain. We were able to find the crate containing the—”
They stop short, considering their words in front of these unfamiliar Pathfinder agents, but a nod from Dagur spurs them on, “—the gift for the Sovereign.” Dagur grunts in approval, then waves her secretary, Vanis, out of the room. Vanis nods politely, then spins on their heels and marches out.
The fur-clad venture-captain pulls out a large, rolled-up canvas map of Numeria, then spreads it out on a large table. “We’re down here: Hajoth Hakados, in the southeast, with the Numerian Plains to the north. The caravan needs to go northwest, all the way up to Starfall. I’ve plotted a relatively safe route north to the town of Torch, then west to Gorum Pots. There, you’ll meet up with a group of Gorumites who owe me a favor; just ask for Baric the Bloodfist. They’ll wait up to 10 days for you, and then help escort you the rest of the way to Starfall. You might think that buying horses is a good idea, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s dangerous out there, and what you find at market may not survive.
“Now I say the route is relatively safe, because in Numeria you never know what you’re going to get. Things here are always changing, always in flux. You need to be ready for anything. Don’t worry, your job isn’t babysitting the caravan; I’ve got some of our junior Pathfinders for that. I need you to scout ahead of the main group, clear out any dangers like roaming robots or wild animals, and make sure the caravan has a safe course to travel. I’ve got some reports that the Blue Streaks gang is on the move. They caused an incident when Kevoth-Kul and I met in person to make this deal to hand over our research.
“Listen up: your priority is the caravan and not the Blue Streaks. If they do make an appearance, foil any plot they have, but only strike back against them when you know the caravan is safe.
"Questions?"
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A black-scaled kobold furrows his brow. He is naked, save for a leather loincloth and inscribed handwraps. Tiny bat-like wings sprout from his shoulder blades. He addresses the group.
”I am Dreadfang!”, he declares in a high-pitched voice. ”Ghost killer, cow savior, bane of false dragons! With my powerful claws and fearsome breath, I will tear our foes apart, and send them screaming to Hell!”
Then he turns to Hawksight.
”Who are these Blue Streaks?”, he adds.
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Xun listens to the briefing and is baffled. He tries to listen first and ask questions later. He is a tall Mwangi man, his skin is dark falling into the green. Very quickly you can notice that his ears are pointed and his teeth are a bit more different than humans. He has some orcish blood in him. His yellow eyes observe the surroundings as he wonders what did he got himself into.
"Xun Saburo, storyteller. Before we will go any further, what are robots?"
He holds his high-quality drum close by, a short sword, and a bow.
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"Venture-Captain, ma'am," Larrathion begins, with a military salute. "I am unfamiliar with Numeria, but wouldn't it be easier to send out a single messenger or a small group with the information, rather than an entire caravan? Especially in areas as wild as these, apparently."
Idiot, he thinks, why did you salute? You got out of army business ages ago. Venture-Captains don't require formal greeting. Old habits die hard, I guess. Anyway, sounds like a scouting job in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I can stay here after the mission is over...
Larrathion is a half-elven male with mostly small weapons on his person. His clothing suggests he spends his time living outside of civilisation.
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Well, well, well.
A dark-skinned male human looks around at his comrades. He is wearing a black doublet in the ustalavic fashion, and on his head is a black top hat, from under which dreadlocks fall on his shoulders. His clothes are all decorated with symbols clearly associated with something occult: bird shards, some slightly frightening amulets, a pair of tarot cards tucked into the brim of his hat etc.
Apart from the dagger, he doesn't seem to carry a weapon at all. But what you definitely can't miss is the bright silver symbol of goddes Nocticula. Connoisseurs of religion, however, can understand that it is made unusually. Despite the common background in the form of a moon and a crown, instead of lips there is some kind of abyssal symbol.
It seems that there is simply a need for a hard diss on this techno-league of yours. Ha, believe me, they will be laughed at in all the taverns in this country. This is in addition to our mission. Free bonus from me, Solomon Mpadu!
He lifts his top hat slightly and nods to you all.
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A short slight female gnome with blue hair listens attentively to the briefing, also hearing an unfamiliar word or phrase or two. She wears traveling clothes, a long (to her) cloak and no armor. She carries a long spear, sling and dagger, although the spear still looks new and shiny from lack of use. She smiles and a melodic voice issues from her attractive face.
" I second the question on a 'robot.' New things and ideas should be a promoting phrase when recruiting for new Pathfinders!"
She looks around and nods and smiles at the pathfinders she has worked with before.
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Sitting in a chair much too big for him and idly swinging his legs is a goblin dressed in a ratty tuxedo complete with top hat. The top hat is far too small to fit his oversized goblin head and is tied on with a length of string. He reaches up to adjust a pair of cracked spectacles which are also too small and tied on with string. "Robots you say? Hmm..."
He pulls a pipe out from a pouch at his belt and fills it with an iridescent liquid. He leans back in his chair and softly blows into the pipe, causing a torrent of soap bubbles to emerge and float about his head.
"Well there are many types of robots, but in a nutshell they are a form of artificial life. Much like a golem, although they are powered not by eldritch enchantments but by a more technological expertise."
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hobbs Picklesmith. I am a practitioner of the esoteric disciplines. A wizard if you will."
He reaches up and politely doffs his hat to the assembled pathfinders, revealing a tiny hedgehog clinging to his enormous head.
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The hedgehog waves and greets everyone with a squeak. "Hello everyone, my name is Erina--"
Her greeting is cut off as Hobbs replaces his hat.
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Solomon shakes hands with each of the agents and slaps them on the shoulder, showing his sympathy. When he reaches out with his hand, you can see that under his doublet he has two bandoliers studded with scrolls and wands.
Along with him, by the way, there is a little flying pixie who tries not to attract attention to herself, and she does it most of the time.
Xun Saburo! Ukuphi kusuka, mfowethu? I am kusukela emzini Anuli, etholakala isizwe esikhulu Holomog. Kodwa ngathuthela Eurythnia, Enew Tassilon esikhathini eside esidlule, lapho ukuthandwa kwami kubuthana khona.
Xun Saburo! Where are you from, brother? I am from the city of Anuli, which is located in the great nation of Holomog. But I moved to Eurythnia, New Tassilon some time ago, where the likes of me gather.
and he runs his hand over his sacred symbol.
"Ex-Technic League enforcers who formed a gang to hold on to what power they could. They know more than a little about technology and magic, so they’re quite dangerous. Their leaders are Khismar Crookchar, a male gnome with blue lightning streaks in his hair, and Gatwa, a female medusa. I know that’s not much to go on, but it’s all the intel we’ve got.”
"Hobbs is correct. They have somehow figured to harness electricity to power these metal monstrosities"
Numeria is a nation of separate Kellid tribes who swear fealty to the most powerful warrior in each generation, granting them the title of Black Sovereign. The country is most well-known for the strange technology, creatures, and devices that, though they warp the land and make it dangerous, also hold the promise of great power for those who can unlock their secrets.
If there are no more questions, you may head off. But first, swing by the quartermaster for some supplies..
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Xun looks at Solomon and responds in Polyglot
"Ngiphuma emahlathini aseningizimu, umxoxi wangakithi wangithatha wangifundisa lokho akwaziyo, ngemimoya nabantu. Ngiqonde ukufunda nokuxoxa izindaba kusukela ngaleso sikhathi."
He reaches into his bag and takes out a small scrap of material, he blows some air and it changes into a topper hat "I see this is a hat team, so let me put my own"
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"What is the nature of this gift for the Sovereign? Is it likely to be specifically targeted for some reason? Is there a road from Gorum Pots to Starfall or will we be trailblazing through the wilderness?"
The goblin pauses and pensively blows more bubbles from his pipe.
"Oh yes. Tell us about the incident when you met Kevoth-Kul in person to make this deal and hand over the research."
She responds to this rather sternly, “A token from Lady Altouna, the ruler here in Hajoth Hakados. More than that, you don’t need to know.”
Her demeanor then softens a bit, “Basically, I came clean about operating a Pathfinder Society lodge under his nose for the past 20 years. He understands that we were hiding from the Technic League, not him, and together we’ve decided the best way forward is complete transparency. That’s why it’s so important that we get these ledgers to him safely.”
Hobbs is familiar with Medusa. He has heard stories of their Petrifying Gaze. Any creature within 30 feet of it has a chance of becoming slowed. If the Medusa focuses on someone, they may even become permanently petrified.
Dagur claps her hands, "Let's get a move on then, I didn't wake up at dawn just for you to dawdle."
"Oh one more thing" She pulls a pair of boots out from a crate. "Take these with you, but I'll want them back"
Dagur lends you a single pair of Boots of Bounding
"I expect you all to make it within the 10 days, so long as you take the direct routes."
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After a fairly short time slowly crawling along on the road Hobbs begins to lose patience. "Ugh this is going to take a prodigious amount of time and we have but 10 days before our dwarven friends cease to wait for us. Larrathion do you think you could find us some sort of shortcut?"
The goblin removes his hat and carefully removes the hedgehog from his head.
"Erinaceinae. Can you assist our ranger in finding a shortcut?"
The hedgehog gives a tentative nod. "I can try Mr. Hobbs."
"Perhaps we can travel along that dry riverbed over there. It looks like it might eventually intersect the road as it doubles back."
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Larrathion gently accepts Erina from Hobbs, letting her rest wherever she wants. He's surprisingly gentle with the small familiar.
With Erina poking her head out of a pocket, Larrathion takes the lead plotting a course through the wasteland. He keeps conversing with the hedgehog if she thinks they're going the right way.
"Good thinking Erina, it's a natural shelter from the elements, and though it might not be the straightest route, it's usually well mapped, so the chances of us getting lost are slim."
Larrathion shows to be a valuable scout and is able to lead the way for the caravan, utilizing multiple shortcuts.
The first day of travel is relatively pleasant as the PCs travel across the Numerian Plains. Near the end of the first day, one of the PCs spots strange metallic birds without wings that seem to hover and change direction in an instant. The flock of a dozen metallic birds creates a loud buzzing sound and seems to move in perfect unison, following the PCs from a distance of 300 feet for an hour before flying away. If attacked, the flock of metallic birds immediately flies away at high speeds, ascending far into the sky until they vanish into the blue.
A small stream lies east of the road, its waters trickling through a shallow riverbed. Grass and scrub brush cover the riverbed, while large boulders create huge mounds of earth to the east. At the base of the rocky mound lies the half-eaten corpse of a large creature.
Larrathion knows that the reason for such low water flow is that permanent settlers dammed up the river to divert it somewhere else. He also understands that it often makes the local wildlife desperate for freshwater.
At the base of the rocky mound to the northeast lies the corpse of a half-eaten large animal of some kind.
The caravan moves past the rocky mounds, they draw the attention of two similar-looking creatures and a swarm of smaller ones.
Larrathion assumes that these creatures are just dehydrated and looking for water. They can either placate them with 4 days' worth of rations or by someone using the Create Water. Alternatively, a character with wild empathy can or similar can attempt a Diplomacy Check to Make an Impression and calm down the big ones regardless if they make an offering or not.
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Larrathion nods in agreement with Zallarra. "Looks like settlers diverted this river, so if this is their territory, they can't really leave. Best to give them some of ours and leave them alone, I'd say. They have way too many teeth for my liking."
"Also, does anyone know what does buzzing birds were? They seem to be following us. Were they spying on us?"
The beast cock their heads as Solomon plays his music.
Solomon calms them for now.
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Solomon slaps Xun on the shoulder, jumps back on his horse and spurs it slightly while in his usual relaxed pose.
The agents head back to the caravan and provide the necessary amount to sate these creatures.
One of the caravan members mention that the dead beast's organs could be harvested for chemical purposes and sold to others from this land.
With the others pacified, the agents can examine the deceased one. They can tell that the beasts organs have not been harvested and can be done so with a Arcana, Crafting, or Survival check.
You also notice several metal implants embedded in the corpse’s flesh, which can be extracted with a Arcana, Crafting, or thievery check.
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Once the corpse is looked over, the next course of action is covering your scents so you do not attract other predators like this. Each PC can attempt to make a skill check to from the following list: Athletics (turning earth to hide their scent), Crafting (creating false trails), Nature or Survival (to mask the PCs’ scent using natural resources), or any relevant Lore skill. PCs with wild empathy or similar abilities can attempt a Diplomacy check instead
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Xun looks at the bodies of fallen beasts, he takes out his knife and as he hums a melody, he begins to cut.
As he cuts of parts his knife hits on a material that should not be inside
"What the ..." He looks at the carcass and tries to remove the implant
but he cut himself instead
Then Xun looks for herbs to rub into his hands to mask the scent
The stench stayed there and Xun got a rash. "Maybe one of you will have better luck"
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Larrathion looks on appreciatively as Xun cuts the best apart. "Well done Xun, hadn't picked you for the survival-y type. I could barely have done any better, I think."
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Larrathion starts gathering herbs to mask his own scent, and starts applying them to Erina as well. "You might be small, but you'll still leave a trail for the predators. This might be stinky, but it's for your own good, I promise."
He suppresses a laugh as he sees Xun struggling with the herbs. "Xun, I think you just grabbed poison ivy. Let me see if I can find something to help soothe that rash."