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The Aspis Consortium and Vanji Prospectors’ Guild may have allied to extract valuable minerals from the tropical Kaava Lands, yet their endeavor also threatens to release a fiend sealed beneath the nearby ruins. The Pathfinder Society and its new friends have strangled the operation economically, causing most of the workers to abandon the dig. However, a dedicated corps is trying to dig out one last lucrative (and perilous) haul before evacuating the site. The PCs range deep into the jungles alongside their grippli allies to stop the Aspis—and perhaps confront the same fiend imprisoned millennia ago.
Contents in “The Ghol-Gan Heresy” also contribute directly to the ongoing storyline of the Exchange faction.
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The group has been requested for a mission near the port city of Eleder, capital of Sargava Pathfinder. Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam has asked you to meet with Pathfinder field agent Fola Barun outside the city walls for a new assignment.
I have learned that despite the recent thrashing given to the Aspis Consortium and their Bloodcove operations, they have not yet realized that their operations in the Kaava Lands are destined to remain fruitless. The troublesome gnats continue to stain the markets with their ill-conceived attempts to control and influence local trade. More troublesome yet, my contacts tell me the Consortium has forged an alliance with the Vanji Prospector’s Guild. The Prospectors are an ambitious lot, and I fear that their resources combined with those of the Consortium could spell much greater trouble for the region than mere market squabbles.
I have made arrangements in concert with Venture-Caption Bellaugh to fund your passage to the city of Eleder, where you will meet with the Pathfinder field agent Fola Barun and some of our other allies in the region. Fola will have more current details on the situation in the Kaava Lands, as well as a more thorough explanation of the greater troubles I mentioned previously.
Safe travels,
Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam
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Sargava... what am I doing here?
The Lastwall soldier is dressed in heavy plate armor; not very suitable for the climate.
Anthys reads the letter from the Trade Prince.
The Aspis will never learn. What new trouble are they going to stir up?
He wears the insignia of Iomedae openly on his shield, just in case he wasn't already an obvious foreigner. Standing out like that should make it easier for Fola Barun to find him, at the very least.
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Any PCs who are also a member of the Exchange faction receive this letter as well:
Current events in the Kaava Lands have made it clear that the Aspis Consortium remains
a stubborn and persistent danger to both our own operations in the area and the region at large. Given that the Consortium has acquired strong allies in the Vanji Prospector’s Guild, so too must we seek a way to strengthen our own position in the region. As such, I am entrusting you with certain privileges to act as an authorities on our behalf, with control of resources capable of effecting significant change in the region.
While the precise details of how to use these resources are not clear to me at present, I trust that your discerning eye can find an appropriate opportunity to either undermine the Consortium’s operations in the region, or to strengthen our ties with existing allies in the region. Do note that these resources are not to be put to use for exploratory purposes, but must be used to either exploit actionable information on the Consortium’s operations or reinforce our position with established allies. In such precarious times, it is unwise to take significant risks on dubious prospects.
Bargain wisely, my friend, Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam
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Once all of you letter-bearers have arrived at the designated spot at the designated time...
A tall half-elf woman with short but tangled hair and deep green eyes beckons to a shaded area that offers some respite from the oppressive Sargavan heat. Two small, frog- like humanoids stand next to her, each observing their surroundings with sharp, bulging eyes. One seems unarmed save for a sling at her belt, while the other sports a bright, feathered headdress and has sagging skin that marks her advanced age. These three are clearly prepared for a small gathering, with simple wooden benches lined up in the clearing and a small table holding a selection of figs and dates, as well as jugs of both water and wine.
Fola, the half-elf, speaks first. "The Pathfinder Society has given me the honor of telling you about something that concerns my native land on many levels," she says. "This stretch of the Mwangi Expanse is home to many ruins left behind by the fallen cyclops empire known as Ghol-Gan. The relics they left behind have long served as bait for treasure-seekers, but a recent expedition by the Aspis Consortium threatens to do more than simply destroy a piece of history. The Consortium recently experienced a setback when Senghor’s leadership chose to support the Pathfinder Society in opposing them. In their desperation, the Aspis have joined with the Vanji Prospector’s Guild and launched a new operation intent on tearing what valuables they can out of an ancient Ghol-Gan temple. The gripplis protecting the temple tried to warn them that it houses something terrible left behind by lost Ghol-Gan, but they would not listen, and now the ancient fiend Parveen is on the verge of finally escaping her ancient prison."
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Fola pauses and nods to her grippli companions. With a weary croak, the older and larger of the amphibian people steps forward to continue the briefing.
“Fola has it right,” says the elderly grippli. “Your Society has worked with many groups in the region, including our own grippli tribes. I am Mother Bogwynne, lorekeeper and elder of the Krihirik tribe. I know much that has been forgotten, including the history of the ruins the Consortium defiles. Those ruins contain more than cyclops treasures—they also serve as the prison to a terrible fiend known as Parveen. This creature is an asura, a being that knows nothing but destruction and seeks to destroy all that the gods created. We gripplis have guarded against Parveen’s escape for generations, but as the Consortium breaks down the wards, we can feel the monster’s influence spreading beyond its prison.”
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Mother Bogwynne gestures toward the other grippli. “Purpurrup is a fiend-keeper whose tribe lives near the ruined city of Kaddodi. She and I seek to unite the grippli tribes to stop Parveen’s escape, but time fights against us. With the wards weakening, the asura may escape before the other tribes’ fiend-keepers arrive to aid us. Thus, we need you—not only to stop recklessness and greed, but to prevent greater disaster as well.”
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Anthys greets Marcus. "Good to see you again! Your knowledge and skills may be most helpful on this mission."
He asks Mother Bogwynne, "Will you accompany us? I can perhaps force the Aspis agents to stop their destructive work, but I cannot repair the wards.
And what can you tell us about the abilities of this Parveen? How might we prepare to defend ourselves against her powers?"
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Hello all! I am Kalia and this is Tika.
Kalia is instantly fascinated by Zax, taking Kalia's attention away from the too-hot temperature here. (If there is no snow, it is too hot.)
Her leopard companion Tika looks sleepy though and just yawns. However if anyone is eating anything, you might notice the large nose working. Food presented to her vanishes instantly and she looks at Kalia for more...
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He asks Mother Bogwynne, "Will you accompany us? I can perhaps force the Aspis agents to stop their destructive work, but I cannot repair the wards."
Mother Bogwynne replies: "Sadly, no. Purpurrup and I must leave to gather the grippli tribes. However, we shall meet you at the ruined temple as soon as we can! Parveen’s power exceeds that of a normal spirit, so fiend-keepers from multiple tribes will be needed to keep her in check."
"And what can you tell us about the abilities of this Parveen? How might we prepare to defend ourselves against her powers?"
The gripplie responds: "Parveen thrived on the brutality displayed in the waning days of Ghol-Gan. After the fall of the cyclops civilization, two magic warriors loyal to the archmage Jatembe battled with the fiend and sealed her away in the temple. You will have to make sure that the Aspis do not hasten her release."
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Sargava... what am I doing here?
The Lastwall soldier is dressed in heavy plate armor; not very suitable for the climate.
Anthys reads the letter from the Trade Prince.
The Aspis will never learn. What new trouble are they going to stir up?He wears the insignia of Iomedae openly on his shield, just in case he wasn't already an obvious foreigner. Standing out like that should make it easier for Fola Barun to find him, at the very least.
Kalia recognizes another slightly more northern kindred spirit, and offers to cast him an "endure elements".
I've already got one!
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Marcus' training and experience have benefitted him greatly; he knows much about asuras.
Most asuras share a cohesive philosophy that culminates in nothing less than the systematic destruction of everything the gods have had a hand in creating. To this end, asuras study and meditate on the nature of creation so that they might better know how the cosmos can be unmade. The simplest among these fiends seek out the pious to torment, as well as holy places and relics to pollute with the taint of loathing and faithlessness. Once the destruction or corruption of a holy place is complete, asuras might take up residence in the area to contemplate what they have wrought and consider future misdeeds. The precise records and histories some temples keep can end up being the undoing of other bastions of faith. Thus, asuras spread.
Asuras have reason to seek places to dwell and brood, for unlike many other outsiders, the asuras have no realm to call their own. While the largest population of them dwells in the vast wildernesses of Hell, these fiends can be found throughout the Great Beyond, living anywhere they can make room for themselves. Asuras spend time plotting and nurturing their vast abhorrence of all things. They perfect arts of war and ruin. Even devils are unsafe in asura domains, because although asuras share the alignment of their hellspawned neighbors, devils are proper creatures of the extant multiverse. So consuming is asura antipathy that devils too must eventually fall for asuras to accomplish their ultimate goal.
Despite their warlike and devastating actions, most asuras have an ascetic quality and great insight into reality. They know a great deal about the cosmos. Further, little in the way of material wealth or comfort can sway them from their goals. An asura might possess treasure, probably pillaged from temples lost to asura raids, and it might have servants to see to its wants and needs. However, it values such aspects of existence only insofar as they help the asura move toward its ends.
Other asuras perfect modes of fighting or act as guardians or even extraplanar mercenaries. Such asuras become instruments of ruin, their presence antithetical to the lives of their enemies, whomever those foes might be. They rarely care whom or what they are hired to battle, so long as they can end the existence of a deity's work.
Asuras often collect and guard treasuries of looted religious relics, letting such objects serve as bait for pious heroes powerful enough to locate such treasures despite the asuras' elusive aura. The fiends know the loss of such holy objects often grieves and undermines the beliefs of common members of a faith, and so do all they can to draw out such spiritual suffering.
While an asura's individual incarnations can be slain, these fiends are nearly impossible to destroy permanently. The divine spark in them returns to the presence of mighty asura lords, the asura ranas, in Hell or elsewhere. Within a variable amount of time, usually some multiple of 7 years, a slain asura reincarnates as a weaker asura. A truly devoted asura that died in service to the asura cause might be given its old form at the cost of some of the asura rana's essence. Reincarnated asuras remember their past lives, their origins, and any enemy who has wronged them, and while their appearances and resources change, their thirst for revenge is eternal.
Rarely, however, contemplation on the nature of the multiverse or a desire for something more than eternal strife causes an asura to choose a different course. Such asuras meditate to become closer to that which they once sought to destroy, purifying themselves of their soul-burning hatred. Redeemed asuras are seldom good or religious, but they do wander the planes, dispensing wisdom and working against wanton destruction. Evil asuras loathe these traitors, and seek them out to destroy them with teeming fervor.
Based on Mother Bogwynne's description, Marcus suspects that Parveen might be extremely rare--or, possibly, unique. Upon pondering this possibility, the Chelaxian feels a chill somewhere in the core of his being. After a brief prayer to his deity, the chill abates.
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Marcus nods to the Grippli as a sign of respect.
"Asura in general are evil, dangerous creatures. They are divine accidents, mistakes of the gods given form outside of creation, and are enemies of the gods and creation itself. They thrive in Hell, but are not of it in the same way as Devils."
"Like many outsiders, they vary in power and type. But based on the description, this Parveen may be a truly powerful, unique individual. We must make haste, as I fear great calamity should this being be freed."
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Upon sharing this info with the group, Marcus recalls another thing: The name Parveen appears in a few ancient texts as a fiend who spread blasphemy and ruin for centuries during the Age of Darkness. These foul deeds allowed her to obtain fiendish enlightenment, transforming her into an asurendra and attracting many lesser asuras to her cause.
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Those who have it, may attempt a Knowledge History check to know more about the Ghol-Gan.
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Mother Bogwynne and Purpurrup nod with approval upon the arrival of more grippli. "Welcome, Treeskipper. We have heard tales about your special abilities. We pray that such abilities are not needed for your mission, but we're glad to have you on our side."
__________
Kelson and Marcus know that:
Ghol-Gan was a vast cyclops empire that predates Azlant and saw the height of its power during the Age of Serpents, a period when the serpentfolk were the dominant race on Golarion.
Scholars divide the history of Ghol-Gan into four distinct eras: prehistoric, pre-classical, classical, and post- classical. The empire reached its height during the classical era, which saw the advent of writing and a period of long-lasting peace.
The post-classical period of Ghol-Gan saw the cyclopes abandon their gods in favor of demons and other fell powers. This led to a period of excessive violence among the cyclopes.
The two Pathfinders think that there was some other civilization that rose on the site of the old empire, but they can't quite remember the details.
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After conferring amongst themselves, the two Pathfinders realize that: Long after Ghol-Gan faded away, the Boalisi culture rose quickly on the site of the old empire. Historians trace much of their rapid rise to architecture and treasure looted from Ghol-Gan ruins. But the Boalisi disappeared just as quickly as they rose, destroyed by an unknown but undoubtedly very powerful source.
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__________
Tika yawns, revealing impressive teeth. The nervous Pathfinder intern makes sure to provide another fish for the cat, more confections for the pseudodragon, and more food and drink for everyone else. Then, the intern readies a parchment and quill to record any questions or requests from the assembled team.
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"Thank you, Kalia, for the spell. I am not used to Sargava."
"Mother Bogwynne, do you know what weapon one needs to battle asuras?
My sword is magical, and of steel.
I have a cold iron dagger and will get a silvered warhammer.
I do have an oil to make my weapon blessed, though it may be inefficient to apply during a fight."
"I will get a scroll of Communal Align Weapon (Good) that Marcus can use on us all if needed. There are probably other priestly magics we might want, but I know that powerful scrolls can be challenging to use."
"Marcus and I make a very solid front line with our shield wall, and he has keen eyes for spotting traps. I would suggest that he and I generally go in front. Kalia, what are your preferred tactics with Tika?"
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"Mother Bogwynne, do you know what weapon one needs to battle asuras?
My sword is magical, and of steel.
I have a cold iron dagger and will get a silvered warhammer.
I do have an oil to make my weapon blessed, though it may be inefficient to apply during a fight."
Mother Bogwynne responds, "If you come to a point where you must confront Parveen directly, it is already too late. Only the specialized power of the combined fiend-keepers could hope to prevail in that situation."
Purpurrup adds, "The lesser asuras are varied in form and ability. However, your reasoning is sound; good-aligned attacks tend to be effective against them and their resistances."
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Once you have asked all your questions, Mother Bogwynne and Purpurrup leave to gather the grippli tribes. They promise to meet you at the ruined temple as soon as they can.
Fola encourages you to purchase any supplies you need in Eleder and then make haste in your journey.
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As you travel, the tangled foliage of the Kaava Lands eventually gives way to a series of crudely constructed trails. Some of these trails lead nowhere, as though those who made them decided that even well-sharpened machetes could not hack away the thickest of the jungle’s vines. Instead, they eventually coalesce into a more easily cleared path. The rushing sound of the Oubinga River fills the air, even though the foliage sometimes makes the water itself hard to see. Humanoid footprints indicate that the main path saw travelers recently.
The trails you follow are little-used at first, though as the coastline gives way to forest, the paths show signs that many groups have passed through this area.
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Anthys, Kelson, and Marcus can hear a person babbling very loudly and incoherently in the distance.
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The party moves forward cautiously. The trail opens up into a small clearing. The grassy jungle bears many signs of recent use, including ruts from wagon wheels and foliage stomped flat by the passage of many feet. Massive trees surround the clearing and bear various marks from knives and chisels, likely intended to provide direction to caravans passing through the area about where to head next and what areas of the forest to avoid.
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In the clearing you can see 4 humanoids:
One is on the ground, clutching his head, rocking back and forth, and babbling noisily. There is a mace in front of him and something smashed adjacent to the mace.
Two of the other humanoids are facing away from the one on the ground, as though they were keeping an eye on the jungle.
The fourth person is shaking the shoulders of the first one on the ground. You can hear snatches of his words: "Calm down, Kahsu!" ... "We gotta get outta here!" ... "If you don't shut up, those fiends will surely hear us!"
None of the humanoids has any weapons drawn.
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The three standing humanoids visibly pale at Anthys' greeting. Two and Three noticeably jump, and Three clutches their chest is fright. One (who was called Kahsu by humanoid number Four) continues babbling loudly on the ground and pulls at his hair.
Four challenges Anthys and Marcus: "Stay back! Who are you?!? What do you want from us?!?" This person is clearly on edge.
__________
From their new vantage point, past the jungle foliage and at the edge of the clearing, both Anthys and Marcus can now see that the smashed object next to the mace is a broken unholy symbol of Norgerber.
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Kelson recognizes a sort of pattern in Kahsu's babbling. So does Zaxxle.
__________
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Anthys rolls his eyes.
He does have his sword drawn, but he points it at the ground.
"Let me guess, you are Aspis?
Because you sound like you are foreigners in this place.
As am I.
I'm Anthys. A Pathfinder. A follower of Iomedae from Lastwall. A long way from home.
Our group has bailed out you..."
"you idiots?"
Anthys grits his teeth and searches for a more tactful phrase. "...you unlucky explorers before, in this jungle, haven't we?
Whatever our rivalry, fiends are worse.
Let us help you.
I swear by the Inheritor that I will not betray you to fiends."
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"Indeed, and you seem to be in some distress. You were making quite a bit of noise, and we could not but overhear your exhortations regarding fiends while we approached. My friends and I have a great deal of experience dealing with fiends, and none of it pleasant. If you are having difficulties with one, please, allow us to assist."
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With his exasperation clearly on display, Two blurts out: "Kahsu, will you shut up!"
Four says to your group: "Look, we're just treasure hunters. Aspis, Pathfinder; does it matter? Some Pathfinders become Aspis. Some Aspis become Pathfinders. May as well debate different shades of the same color."
He takes a deep breath to calm down and signals to his standing companions. They relax their combat stances and unclench their fists. "We had intended to explore some ruins near here. But it was defended by fiends. Then, out of nowhere, Kahsu, lost his mind..."
Every few moments, Kahsu, repeats something about the Ghol-Gan in Infernal. But his words are erratic.
Further questioning of the Aspis looters reveals that they haven't the appropriate knowledge or vocabulary to adequately describe what they encountered. They're not stupid; they simply don't have the words or experience needed to communicate the details in a meaningful way.
Then Kashu starts repeating "collapse" in Infernal and curls into a fetal position on the ground--shaking uncontrollably.
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I have Lesser Restoration but doubt it will help much though maybe in part. Let's try to figure the issue out first; others might be more skilled at this than I.
She looks at the Aspises (Aspes?) for permission; assuming this is ok, she'll cast "detect magic" on the troubled Aspis and then does a Spellcraft check.
She also uses her healing background...