The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion:
“Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table.
“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!”
With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder.
“Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born.
“But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,” he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach.
She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying,
“Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice,
“Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet. “Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.”
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WwG is a rather scruffy looking man dressed in a jumble of clothing. When he enters he respectfully lays his overly long spear against a wall so that it will not be a hazard. Forgoing the use of a seat, he lounges up against a wall.
"A cave, huh? How far away and do you have any idea how big the cave complex is?"
Janira, answers.
"Oh. Gee-willikers, mister Walks with Giants. That's a good question now. Letsee... It's a two day journey. We'll take the road to Diobel fer 'bout a day, then, lessee, we turn off and head through the wilderness fer 'bout another day to the foothills of the mountains. I didn't go too far in 'cause I thought it best to report back first and gather a group to investigate."
Janira takes a sip of her spiced apple cider.
"Tell me, mister Walks. What made you decide to join the Society? Do you have any previous adventuring experience or special training?"
She turns to the others present.
"And what about you?... And you?... Aaand, you?"
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"As for me there was little trouble in Tamran Venture Captain Oraiah Tolal sent me and a few others to deal with. Some smuggling issues the Sczarni family was involved in that we had to deal with. After that some of us here were sent to investigate a newly discovered fort near here."
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Rahu blows the steam off his tea, which the barkeep insisted costs just as much as any other drink.
"Well, Janira," he says as he wipes tea from his upper lip with his sleeve, "I found that the life of a monk did not particularly suit me, and that I had a proclivity for treasure hunting. So I made my way to Absalom, where I had heard there was a need for people with such a skillset."
Well, I didn't relish the idea of being a sell-sword...or a sell-axe, in my case... Dorgan says as he butts his cigar into an ashtray and takes a swig of a blend of strong coffee, whiskey and who knows what else.
So...my uncle said he worked with some Pathfinders a while ago..and said it's a good choice for getting ahead in the world, but still maintaining some independence. I'm not too overly fond of a bunch of rules...some yes...but too many...nope...I'm gone...
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Halle just arrives a little late at the event, and silently leans against a wall to hear what's being said. She manages to get a cup of apple cider, but as she's about to drink, Janira asks the questions at each one of them.
Well, I'm simply happy to be around, especially with so many known faces. I'm honestly glad to be finally free from the bad smell of our last... Shared endeavor. - says the Garundi - I joined the Society to explore the world. My life is dedicated at nature, but I'm always fascinated for the mysteries we unearth throughout Golarion, and happy to lend my eyes and scimitar.
She dresses somewhat exotically, having something "first worldly" to her features; but other than that, pretty much resembles exactly what an adventurer with links to the Scarab Sages would look like.
"My, those are interesting stories. Oh, yah! The Fallen Fortress. Lot's of folks are talking about that. You all did a wonderful job there, and rescuing Balenar, too!"
"Well, good to hear you all have some experience. Let me tell you a little about myself..."
She and her family revere Desna, but Janira respects most other religions and believes that faith is important to everyone. Within weeks after turning 20 years old, she enlisted with the Pathfinder Society, and although she initially joined to see the world and sample all of the fine food it had to offer, she quickly took to the Scrolls and its focus on learning and preserving knowledge. She now aspires to have her work published in one of the Pathfinder Chronicles, suspecting that would qualify her to train as a Pathfinder Chronicler. Janira has a life-long love of learning, and she offers sincere praise to those who demonstrate a head for knowledge, facts, and figures.
Although she trained most with Kreighton Shaine, she also learned the arts of the whip, blade, and crossbow from Marcos Farabellus and a few spellcasting tricks from Aram Zey, and she looks up to each one as role model. In fact, she fancies herself an educator and loves inspiring others through motivational lectures and speeches, always taking care that her instincts as an older sister don’t come across as condescendingly protective. She has been on several missions since her Confirmation, but this is the first time that she’s been in charge of leading an expedition.
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A stocky Suli entered, bearing a longspear over his right shoulder, wearing a chainshirt with a half dozen javelins strapped over his other shoulder. "Excuse me, is this the Pig’s Paunch?" he said, before taking a sniff of the air. "Never mind, this place smell's like it is. I was sent by the Concordance to join you in this adventure. Gemtorian is my name...land coming back alive sounds fine by me.
"Welcome! Welcome, Gemtorian."
Janira looks up at the newcomer with a friendly smile.
"Please have a seat. Tell me, Gemtorian... where do you come from? I sure would like to know more about your people."
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An impeccably dressed Taldan man in studded leather armor and carrying a bow enters the room and scans it, seeing who else is gathered for this mission. He sniffs a bit (disdainfully?) and says, "Greetings to all, I am Gaius Marius, Inquisitor of Hathor from Taldor. Who knew the Pathfinders had such...humble...beginnings. A gillman eh?"
He attempts to clean off a chair before sitting down and thinks for a moment.
"I don't believe my studies have covered such creatures, it will be interesting to learn more about them. What other creatures did you observe in the area...Janira is it?"
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"I have been living in the Wall of Heaven area of Tain Xia, just to the north of Goka. I had been a disciple of Master Kia Fenshu at the Temple of Yamatsumi and after my training I was sent here. There are few of my kind in the area but between the volcanoes, snow covered mountains and the clear sky, it has a lot to offer for a Suli. he said before talking in general about the lands of Tian Xia and the Suli.
"Wow, Gemtoran, you are from quite a ways away. That's fascinating."
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During your time spent training with the Pathfinder Society, you may have had a chance to learn about the Isle of Kortos, which is home to Absalom, the City at the Center of the World. A particularly observant or studious initiate may have also learned a bit more about the Kortos Mounts.
At the center of the Isle of Kortos stand the Kortos Mounts, the points on the island.
Long hours spent by some initiates in the Grand Lodge’s libraries may afford them additional knowledge regarding the origins of the gillmen.
Janira watches some of you stare at the ceiling in thought.
"Ohhh. Well, that's okay. No need to be shy, either."
Janira says in slight disappointment with a reassuring pat on Dorgan's hand.
"Besides, we all can't remember everything we've learned in the past, don't-cha-know. Some of you may have never even heard of the gillmen before anyway."
She shrugs with a smile.
"Well, I can tell you that they're also known as the Low Azlanti, the gillmen are an amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people."
Janira then clasps her hands together, ready to get things underway.
“On to the details of the mission at hand,” Janira says with an eager grin.
“After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing in there.
“The caves we’ll be traveling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too.”
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"Exactly what kind of 'local inhabitants' have you run into or are known to be in the Diobel area? Was there any equipment you wish you had brought with you during your time in the area? That way we can better prepared. And in case your studies didn't discuss this fact, Taldans are the true last descendants of the Azlanti."
Gaius chest puffs out as he states the 'fact' of the origins of Taldor, exhibiting the pride typical of Taldans about their heritage.
"And in case your studies didn't discuss this fact, Taldans are the true last descendants of the Azlanti."
Janira appears dumbfounded for a moment.
"Well, I only took one semester of social studies so far. I hope to learn more in advanced classes like anthropology and archeology. We might even find some interesting things about the Gillmen in those caves we're going to."She quickly answers Galus' other question.
“Lessee, Galus... Centaurs control the lowlands and surrounding wilderness of the Kortos Mounts. The areas farther up the Mounts are controlled by minotaurs, and the icy peaks are home to tribes of harpies. They’re always vying for territory, but with any luck, we should be able to avoid them and reach the caves without conflict."
She then adds,
“There’s always the chance we may run into bandits along the way, and there are dozens of kinds of predators in that forest. That’s why we should always be as prepared as possible.”
"As for equipment, I'll get to that in just a moment."
“Now, before we head out, if there aren’t any more questions, we should take a moment to go through your gear and make sure nothing important gets left out.”
"Do any of you have common adventuring equipment like rope? a light source? food? a way to make fire? Any sources of healing, and other essentials?"
She eyes Gaius' pack, noticing it's pretty much bulging at the seams. She raises an eyebrow at all the scrolls poking out from various pockets.
"It looks like you're ready to take on all of Golarion yourself, Mister Marius."
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I've got the basics...no curing stuff...but I did just come into a bit of coin...so a fix-me-up draught wouldn't be a burden...
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“Now, before we head out, if there aren’t any more questions, we should take a moment to go through your gear and make sure nothing important gets left out.”
"Do any of you have common adventuring equipment like rope? a light source? food? a way to make fire? Any sources of healing, and other essentials?"
She eyes Gaius' pack, noticing it's pretty much bulging at the seams. She raises an eyebrow at all the scrolls poking out from various pockets.
"It looks like you're ready to take on all of Golarion yourself, Mister Marius."
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Rahu chuckles over Janira's remarks on Gaius' sacks full of gear. "I myself travel relatively lightly - for a member of the Pathfinder society. It is perhaps a burden I bear more easily because I do not wear any armor. Despite that, I do have all the requisite materials required for an assignment."
He briefly hesitates before adding, "In fact, I recently acquired some new climbing gear after an unfortunate incident in my last assignment, about which I will not be providing any additional comment on at this time."
"Excellent! You all seem very well prepared. Some of you even have several alchemical items with you. Alchemist’s fire, antitoxins, and the like are very useful indeed. Those of you that travel light should be okay. Your companions have plenty of gear. One of the tenets of the Society is to cooperate."
She smiles up at you.
"Speaking of the tenets of the Society, another one is 'report'. It's very important to keep records or a journal of your adventures. It makes it easier to recall what you did out there when you return. Not to mention, the Venture Captains will be able to refer to your journals afterward."
Janira reaches into her pack and pulls out parchment sheets, charcoal, quills, and ink pots for everyone.
"I have enough for everyone. The charcoal is used to take rubbings of bas reliefs and other notable inscriptions."
"Alrighty, then. Are we all ready to go 'explore'?"
Janira hoists her pack over her shoulder. Once out of the tavern, she leads the group west out of Absalom and through the Cairnlands, picking up any last-minute purchases on the way out of the city.
The journey through the City at the Center of the World is swift and without incident. Most of the first day's journey is uneventful, but Janira points out landmarks such as siege towers,
"Hey, look! Over there in the distance is The Fallen Fortress,"
distant mountains, or distinct flora and fauna along the journey.
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"Yep, that's the place we liberated from an underworld invasion. Troglodytes. I hope they cleaned the place with magical cleaners. The place was naaaasty."
"Underworld invasion? It must not have been too serious since no one asked me to go on that mission. Still there is no job too small, am I correct good Shaman?"
Gaius carefully pats Walks shoulder somewhere that looks...less dirty...than most of him.
Just use "trigs"...and they stink to the heavens. Took me three days to wash the smell off my armour after we cleared it. And my nose still burns a bit...
Unpleasant is putting it mildly.... Dorgan says as he grimaces at the reminder.
Luckily their stench didn't affect me as much as the others...might be the dwarven iron stomach we're known for...
Dorgan offers to take a watch where his darkvision is best put to use.
"I have heard troglodytes are stinky and ugly creatures."
Janira wrinkles her nose.
"They supposedly have very large, city-sized communities in the Darklands. I can't even imagine how stinky an entire city of troglodytes would be. Eww!"
She shudders at the thought.
As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows more dense.
Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road.
“I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well... if you don't have one already.”
She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. G. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid.
After studying the compass for a moment, she remarks,
“We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northeast past those large rocks up ahead.”
She takes one step forward, then stops in her tracks.
"Shh! Wait!"
She calls out quietly, holding a hand up gesturing for everyone to stop.
"What's that sound?... Do you hear it?"
A droning sound approaches from the northeast, getting louder as it nears. A large mass of flying insects flows though the trees straight for the group.
"Oh no! A Kortos 'skeeter swarm!
Janira turns to bolt, but thinks otherwise with the new recruits present. Steeling her resolve, she turns to face the swarm.
"No, wait! We're Pathfinders!
Gaius
Gem
Rahu
Walks
Skeeters
Dorgan
Halle
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Walks steps forward and readies an action to blast them with a Color Spray when they come within range.
"This spell worked really well on a bat swarm we ran into in the fort. Oh. wait. these are insects. I don't think Color Spray works on insects. Crap.
With a sigh he pulls out an acid flask instead and readies an action to toss it at the swarm when it gets 10' away.
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"Ah so you have faced a swarm before? They are much tougher to hit and damage than some might think! Hopefully this will give me the edge..."
Gaius flicks his wrist and his brand new spring-loaded wrist sheath drops his Wand of Divine Favor in his hand and he then activates it, casting the spell on himself. He then grabs one of his acid flasks and prepares to use it at the next opportunity.