Pathfinder agents have been called to meet with the Master of Scrolls at the Grand Lodge of Absalom immediately!
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As the party begin to gather, a small dark shadow detaches itself from a larger patch of shadow between two bookshelves. It stalks silently towards the group, carefully avoiding any areas of bright light caused by the illumination in the room. As the shadow draws closer it becomes apparent that the shadow isn’t anything more sinister than a little wayang gentleman, dressed in dark travelling clothes and carrying a small black umbrella under his arm. He hops up into a nearby chair, from which he first hangs the umbrella, before surviving the assembled group and placing the book he’d previously been reading down beside him.
”Hello everyone, I’m Daratar. It’s good to meet you.” he says, giving everyone a polite nod.
”Does anyone know why the Master of Scrolls has summoned us here with such apparent urgency?”
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A half-orc, tall even for her race, with bones woven into her full plate stands with her back towards a wall and leans a gigantic, shining hammer against the wall. She has a jovial smile on her face that does not match her intimidating appearance as she looks at the goods, but her razor-sharp teeth could probably turn that smile menacing in a moment.
"I am Elbesamiya dy Bulaka," she says tentatively, hoping that she is not interrupting something important, "though I prefer just 'Elby' unless we are trying to impress some nobles."
Most consider Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine a peculiar figure within the Pathfinder Society. However, ever since the death of Aram Zey, Shaine’s demeanor and eccentricities have been subdued as he threw himself into a seemingly fruitless investigation of the Aspis Consortium agents that attacked Skyreach and murdered the Society’s Master of Spells. Kreighton has enlisted the help of several Pathfinders to follow up on a handful of leads relating to Zey’s death. To drive home the importance of this investigation, Kreighton has personally escorted you through Absalom from the Grand Lodge to the grim spires of the Blakros Museum. There, Shaine holds out a folded missive before reaching the doors.
“This is a letter of writ indicating that you operate under the direct order of the Decemvirate. It does not compel assistance, but anyone within Absalom will think long and hard before refuse to cooperate. I have reason to believe that an artifact—a magical lantern—played a pivotal role in stealing Aram Zey’s soul after his murder. The curator of the Blakros Museum, Nigel Aldain, informed me that the building once housed such a relic. However, Nigel claims the lantern is now missing from the collection. He has agreed to open the museum’s doors to the Pathfinder Society and cooperate with this investigation.”
Shaine quietly looks over each person assembled with a weary stare and turned-down lips. “Search the museum for clues regarding the lantern. If there is a connection between this relic’s disappearance and Zey’s murder, continue to follow any leads you find until you have exhausted all possible avenues of research, then report back with your findings. Precious days have passed since I began my investigation, and every additional day gives the culprit more time to hide; research rarely happens quickly, yet I cannot remind you enough that time is of the essence. The soul of someone I consider a dear friend hangs in the balance.” Kreighton takes in a deep breath then exhales slowly, trying to regain his composure. “I wish you luck, Pathfinders. Do you have any questions before I depart?”
The Blakros Museum catalogues every relic that passes through its doors in great detail for both historical significance and value. If the lantern ever entered the museum, there would be a record of it.
The Blakros Museum has changed hands several times and seen a number of conflicts within its walls. If something were stolen from the museum, it is possible that it disappeared during one of those struggles.
The museum’s curator Nigel Aldain is a former member of the Pathfinder Society, and he held his old colleagues in contempt for several years afterward. While it shows good faith that Nigel is cooperating with the investigation, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that he might have had a hand—directly or indirectly—with the lantern’s disappearance.
Long ago, the Blakros Museum was a fortress that belonged to an enigmatic wizard from Absalom’s ancient past: Ralzeros the Overwatched. Ralzeros purportedly possessed strange connections to the Dark Tapestry and disappeared without a trace centuries ago. Some of the museum’s collection includes objects that Ralzeros himself collected.
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Patrick frowns more. He hasn't said much, not even introducing himself as yet. When he does speak, his voice sounds like a certain potion's professor with an equal amount of snark . He has also been in the Blakros quite a few times, investigating other incidents.
Was the murderer apprehended sir?
He also looks around the room.
Usually Pathfinder agents travel in quartets. Are there only meant to be three of us? Or is the fourth late? Unless for some odd reason they are counting Dao
"Unfortunately, in the chaos of the attack on the Grand Lodge, the Aspis agents responsible were able to escape. Several specialists and I conducted a multitude of divinations at the site of the murder and while many results were inconclusive, we did discern that a female Aspis agent bearing a magical lantern absconded with a vital piece of Aram Zey—we speculate that it was his soul, preventing him from being resurrected. Beyond this, we know little. I inquired with Nigel regarding magical lanterns, and he volunteered information about the museum’s former possession."
"Capable of slaying the Master of Spells and associated with the Aspis Consortium. Beyond that, divinations have failed to garner any information. It is my hope that your investigation of this lantern will lead to exactly what we do not know, while also setting the stage for future missions."
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"We shall do our best Master Shaine." says Daratar with a sympathetic smile.
"You mentioned that Nigel volunteered information about the lantern which was held at the museum, are you able to share that with us, or would it be best for us to speak directly to Nigel about it? I was also wondering if he knew when the lantern from the museum disappeared? I know from past experience that the museum does have rather a reputation when it comes to powerful items being mislaid."
“I have not had the opportunity to speak with Nigel regarding the lantern he once possessed. That responsibility now falls on you, as I
must oversee other administrative tasks pertaining to the inquiry.” He pauses before admitting, “As well as my other duties, which I have neglected too long.”
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Just as Shane begins talking, the door to his office opens once again revealing a tall male human figure clad in lamellar and a white cloak adorning his shoulders with an ornate blue bow slung across his back with a mosaic of antlers carved all around it. His hood was down, betraying any hiding of his aasimar features of short golden hair and other-worldly skin.
"My apologies, Master Shane. Sir Radiarch Eklesya of the Nerosyan Guard. As I was just wrapping up my last mission in Taldor, some sort of convention delayed our ship from returning on time."
Radiarch, not letting embarrassment take hold, moved in to an open spot among his new set of fellow Pathfinders, standing at full attention and listened as the others asked questions pertaining to this new quest. He nodded to Elby's clear revulsion to the potential theft of a soul. As to recover an artifact of clearly such great importance to the mission, the Silver Crusade would also assume Radiarch would ensure it's safe return to Absalom.
"We will see to the lantern's safe return, sir," he responded, preparing to depart the meeting with the others.
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Mun, knowing he was venturing to the Blakros museum, called on his old friend Janira to help with some research before he left. Sadly, there wasn't much time; the only useful information he could uncover before rushing to catch up with Shaine's entourage was that the Blakros kept meticulous records. Slightly out of breath as he arrived, Mun was about to point this out when the Master of Scrolls noted the lantern had been recorded in the Blakros' inventory.
Trying not to let his disappointment show, he catches his breath as he retrieves a wand, using it to cast prestidigitation to clean his clothes from the short hike to the Museum. The elf stands meticulously dressed in all of the latest fashions, his outfit highlighted by a necklace of charms in various shapes and sizes. All appear custom-made, and seem quite valuable; it doesn't seem like Mun minds a visible display of wealth.
"You're obviously in a hurry, and you enlisted our help for a reason. We've got this. Please; see to your other priorities." The elf looks ready to enter the Museum as soon as Shaine takes leave of them.
Mun is accompanied by a rugged-looking bear that--despite her fierce appearance--is perfectly behaved, sniffing the air as she heels closely behind Mun.
"Very well then. I will take my leave to do just that. Nigel is waiting within, so good luck, Pathfinders." Kreighton Shaine nods and strides back down the street towards the Grand Lodge.
The museum is closed to the public for the investigation, leaving the entrance hall uneasily quiet. The curator Nigel Aldain waits anxiously in the middle of the foyer with his hands clasped behind his back, pacing across the tile floor in the shadow of a looming bronze statue.
He offers a practiced smile. “Such a pleasure to see my former comrades-in-arms on this somber day. I mourn the passing of a—ah—charismatic man such as the Master of Spells. An exceedingly tragic loss, that.”
Adjusting his spectacles, Nigel motions for you to follow him deeper into the museum. “When I heard about the relic that may have snatched Master Zey’s spirit from the ether, I suspected it could have originated from the personal holdings of the museum’s first owner—a mad old wizard who saw fit to vanish without a trace centuries ago.” Nigel escorts you from the foyer of the Absalom Gallery, through a pair of double doors, and into a grand display of historical relics from Taldor and Osirion. “The building’s purchase included a sizeable collection, much of which we have kept locked up under tight security due to its unusual and often dangerous nature.”
Rather than proceed to another room, Nigel stops before a bare stone wall, and with a deft touch of several mosaic tiles, he opens a concealed door leading into a freight elevator operated by a series of chains and pulleys. Gesturing toward it, he offers words of cold comfort. “The Collection Esoterica contains several unusual objects of little historical import, but curious magical properties. Only I and select members of the Blakros family even know about this collection. To have an item go missing seems... well, rather unthinkable, wouldn’t you say?”
The lift grinds into action, descending slowly into the subbasement.
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One would think so .... but ... I would conclude that someone..... in the know .... could be responsible or have leaked the information usually for some sort of personal gain. Presumably even the Blakros's would not be immune to that.
Plus .... from what I do know about the original owner, I would be very interested in perusing his collection. It seems that we have much in common.
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Having been involved in resolving a number of earlier incidents in the Blakros Museum, Daratar decides it may be prudent to take precautions before embarking on another visit. So before entering the building he pulls out a wand to apply some additional magical protection to himself.
As the group head towards the elevator Daratar turns to the curator "I'm curious, how much is known about this lantern and its history? Have any previous investigations been done into it and do you know exactly when disappeared?"
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Before stepping into the museum, Mun prepares Selune with a few protections of his own, casting one spell from his own power, and another from a wand.
"I agree with Patrick, it's likely that whoever is responsible is likely an inside player. How long is the list of people who know about this collection--and the lantern in particular?"
Nigel shakes his head. "Almost nothing is known about it. I don’t even know if it has a proper name, and it has been in the collection since before I was caretaker here. There has been so much going on that I haven’t had the time to closely examine most of the items kept in the archive.” A frown of consternation crosses his lips as he continues. "The chest containing the lantern is empty and, curiously, I couldn’t find any record that we had ever even catalogued it; I was fairly certain we did. Other than that, I didn’t see anything else amiss. No one else has been down here since then.” He rolls his eyes and adds, ”I wanted to, ah, preserve the scene for your keen eyes. As for who knows, myself and Lady Blakros obviously, and a few other family members. None of the others would be privy to the specifics of the individual items, given that to my knowledge, I am the only one to visit the collection during my tenure.”
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"One other possibility is that whoever stole the lantern learned of its existence via some form of divination magic." suggests Daratar.
Then after pausing to have a think about any further questions he had, enquirers "You mentioned that the Collection Esoterica contains items with curious magical properties, are there any of them which we would need to be especially careful around while we are there, or any other potential magical hazards we need to be aware of?"
"Most of the objects are just curiosities with no real magical properties. A handful of them are more than what they appear, though defy simple categorization. They are… elusive in nature, hard to precisely divine the power they hold. A handful of objects came from the personal collection of Ralzeros the Overwatched himself. While I doubt any are dangerous, one of those few might be troublesome. Unfortunately, I know little to suggest how they might trouble you. The vault itself has no wards beyond those that cover the entire museum, so there are no traps or the like to beware of.”
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A bald fellow in simple robes comes rushing up, huffing and puffing. "Terribly sorry to be late! Bon Jon Bovi, Bon Jon to my friends, that's my name. Wouldn't you know that I had to clean the incense burners this time and I'm sure you can imagine how long that takes! Anyway, what're we up to this time? Ah, the Blakros Museum again - well, hard to imagine that anything could go wrong here!"
The freight elevator comes to a stop in a musty basement with walls of pitch-black stone. Beyond the lift’s sliding doors lies a cluttered archive stacked floor to ceiling with wooden crates, chests of documents, and other containers. The walls contain shelves that are cut into the stone walls, laden with bizarre trinkets and relics from across the world.
“Here we are,” Nigel proclaims, stepping off the elevator. “The oddities and archives belonging to the Collection Esoterica. I ask that you not disturb any of the relics in the crates, but you are free to peruse any documents. If you find anything, come let me know. Otherwise, I’ll be working on more pressing matters upstairs.”
Each research challenge is like an encounter and has two key statistics: a Complexity rating, which reflects the level of complexity of the information being searched, and knowledge points (kp), which are an abstract representation of the amount of information a given collection contains. A research challenge’s Complexity rating acts as the DC for a Research check to unravel that library’s clues. A Research check is akin to a Knowledge skill check, though many research challenges note additional skills a PC can use for that collection.
Attempting a Research check requires an uninterrupted 8-hour period of research, and a character cannot take 10 or take 20 on a Research check. Each 8-hour period of research grants a cumulative +1 bonus on Research checks in that collection. Up to two additional characters can use the aid another action to assist a primary researcher. In addition, some libraries grant a Knowledge bonus—a bonus on specific Knowledge checks (including Research checks) made within that library—due to the depth and completeness of its collections. Research checks cannot be made untrained unless the skill could normally be used untrained.
Succeeding at a Research check reduces a research challenge’s knowledge points, similar to dealing damage to a creature’s hit points. The damage dealt by the primary researcher varies based on her training in the skill she used for the Research check. A primary researcher reduces a collection’s kp by 1d12 + her Intelligence modifier if she has either the Skill Focus feat in the skill or has both 5 ranks in the skill and treats the skill as a class skill. Reduce this to 1d8 + her Intelligence modifier if she has either 5 ranks in the skill or treats the skill as a class skill (but not both). Otherwise, she reduces the collection’s kp by 1d4 + her Intelligence modifier. For every 5 by which a Research check exceeds the collection’s Complexity rating, the primary researcher decreases the kp total by 1 additional point. Rolling a natural 20 on a Research check acts like a critical threat, doubling the kp reduction if a second Research check with the same modifiers (taking no additional time) succeeds. Conversely, rolling a natural 1 on a Research check automatically results in failure, and the collection’s kp increases by 1/4 its maximum knowledge point total as the collection’s complexity causes a researcher to follow a wrong avenue of research.
As the knowledge points are decreased to various “trigger points,” the PCs uncover the collection’s corresponding secrets. By the time a collection’s kp total is reduced to 0, the PCs have learned all that they can from that library. In order to learn more, they must visit another collection and continue their research there.
Skill Focus OR Class Skill + 5 ranks – 1d12+INT
5 ranks OR Class Skill – 1d8+Int
Base – 1d4+Int
Exceed DC by 5 - +1 for every 5
Nat 20 – Critical Threat, roll to confirm to double KP reduction
Nat 1 – Critical fail, increases KP by ¼ maximum
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Mun nods at Patrick as he joins the sage sorcerer in one half of the library. After a brief conference about what Patrick thinks they should focus on, he begins scanning for titles--or scanning through loose documents for themes--looking for documents that Patrick can use to get the details they need.
As Patrick sets to work inspecting the archive, he is caught unawares by a buffeting force! Radiarch and Mun see the sorcerer reel back from an unseen impact, but the cause cannot be found.
22 Radiarch
19 Daratar
18 Elby
17 ?
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
12 Mun
8 Bon Jon
Daratar sees an insubstatial figure hovering next to Patrick, rearing back to strike again!
22 Radiarch
19 Daratar
18 Elby
17 Red
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
12 Mun
8 Bon Jon
"An invisible stalker!" Daratar shouts out. "It's a naturally invisible elemental!"
The shouting appears to attract the assailants attention, as it turns to fly over at the witch calling out its position!
Elby hears a loud OOF from her companion, turning to see Daratar reeling towards her from the invisible assault.
22 Radiarch
19 Daratar (Damage: 11)
18 Elby
17 Red
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
12 Mun
8 Bon Jon
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Bon Jon swiftly infuses his body with the flowing energy of acid.
Then he leaps almost impossibly through the air, landing atop a crate and kicking out at the creature that he cannot see.
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Feeling his fist connect with something that he cannot see, Bon Jon remarks, "Our master always told us, when slicing cucumbers save the peel."
Bon Jon kicks out, finding nothing but air, before twisting around to deal a solid blow!
22 Radiarch
19 Daratar (Damage: 11)
18 Elby
17 Red (Damage: 23)
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
12 Mun
8 Bon Jon
The Pathfinders leap into action!
22 Mun
22 Radiarch
19 Daratar (Damage: 11)
18 Elby
17 Red (Damage: 23)
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
8 Bon Jon
With Daratar's well placed spell, the invisible foe is outlined, giving clear shots to Radiarch and Elbesamiya! Even better, the stalker fails to react, blinded by the glittering particles.
19 Daratar (Damage: 11)
19 Radiarch
18 Elby
18 Mun
17 Red (Damage: 30, 30NL, Blinded)
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
8 Bon Jon
Blinded, the stalker lashes out at the last place it knew a foe was: directly at Bon Jon!
Unfortunately for it, the monk easily dodges the flailing blows.
19 Daratar (Damage: 11)
19 Radiarch
18 Elby
17 Red (Damage: 30, 30NL, Blinded)
16 Mun
13 Patrick (Damage: 14)
8 Bon Jon