Game is played here.
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A well dressed Tengu reports to the mission with a swagger like he was on a sea-going sailing ship. At his waist is a dueling pistol, and a war razor is on the other side, though one wonders if his large beak is not more dangerous than the blade.
His feathers stand up like a disheveled hairdo after being struck with lightning, and small sparks can be seen flickering through them. Intertwined with his feathers are numerous colorful scarves, giving the black corvid a quite colorful appearance, which clashes horribly with his brightly colored tunic and white "pirate's" shirt (complete with cuffs).
"Arr, I be Blak Jak Sparrow, scourge of the Inner Sea!"
He then chuckles loudly, "No, really, just Blak Jak. No scourging quite yet. And I am quite proud of my lack of the speech impediment that seems to be prevalent among my kin that join the Pathfinder Society."
He takes off his flamboyant pirate's hat, bowing. "And how be ye, mateys?"
It's midmorning and surprisingly pleasant weather for a Taldan swamp. You've each received a letter from Ambrus Valsin calling you here.
Feel free to introduce yourselves and decide as a group which faction leader to see first.
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In stark contract to the tengu stands a massive, full-blooded orc. The mix of furs and sturdy leather that he wears does little to hide the myriad scars on the muscled, seven foot tall frame. The barbarian, as he could be nothing else, has a larger than life presence. Which is a good thing, as he'd need it to swing the oversized greataxe that hangs from his back.
"I am Krozuk Warskull," the big orc says, pounding a closed fist against his chest. "I am well, bird man. I am ready for scourging, if that is what you need." He looks the tengu up and down, then shakes his head. "Are you ready? Do not be insulted, but you lack the muscle. Do you need training?"
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A small Leshy with a head that looks like it formed from an extremely massive bulb of garlic clambers through the swamp and up to the rest of the group. Around his waist he carries a well cared for sword on one side and a dagger on the other. His scale mail armor appears to be well polished aside from the now fresh mud stains from dragging his root-like limbs through the swamp water over.
The small face looks excitedly at Krozuk and raises a hand. "Oh oh! I need training! I was told so, in Lastwall!
I am known as "Life Sprouts Anew and so Hope Remains" but for some reason most people just call me "Hope". I was named so, by the knights who found me in the land I have heard used to be called Lastwall. They trekked for days in a lifeless blighted land and found a long little crop still planted in a field that was alive. Needless to say they were shocked to find me alive, and I was happy to pulled a little closer to the great mother sun, I was starting to get a little hungry in there.
Anyway, I am here with the Pathfinders to complete my knightly training! The others said I cannot go back to join them again until I do so, and apparently there aren't enough knights now to train me there with all the icky undead around. So here I am with the Pathfinder Society, nice to meet everyone!"
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Krozuk eyes the newly arrived leshy with open skepticism. "You are very small, Life Who Sprouts Wings and Somehow Remains Hopeful. Can you be strong like the roots of a tree? We will try to make you strong." He shakes his head, coming to a conclusion. "But first, you will need a bigger sword. That is a puny weapon."
At the topic of where to start, Krozuk takes a long while to study the note. His eyes squint as he works through the words. He stops at the mention of Fola. "The leader says 'begin speaking with Fola Barun'. That is where we start. No?"
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A stout happy dwarven druid with his leshy are holding hands while walking toward the others. The dwarf is singing in Druidic as his leshy accompanies it with a dance. His singing turns to soft volume and then to a stop when they get near the group of Pathfinders. They bow together and he introduces themselves.
"Hello," he says, "Nice to meet you all. I assume you are all sent here as well by Ambrus. I am Tandang Boreas, and this is Plantina," he adds and leans down and speaks to the leshy, "Say hi to them, don't be shy," he whispers to her. "She's a bit shy, anyway, hehe." he explains with a laugh as the leshy hides behind him.
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A slender woman of medium height walks into the Pathfinder camp. Her loose robes allow fluid, even graceful movements.
"Greetings, Pathfinders! I am Shanti from Absalom. It appears we will be working together for this mission. I am a medic and healer, though I learned my trade in the back alleys of the poorer section of town."
Her voice sounds musical, but a quick glance at her ears don't show any sign of elven heritage.
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Krozuk takes in the new arrivals. Are all Pathfinders small?
"I am Krozuk Warskull," he says, once more pounding a first against his chest. "It is good to have a medicine woman, so welcome Shanti. And it is good to have a tiny tree person, to get into small places. You will be useful, Plantina."
He lingers a bit on Tandang, his expression uncertain again. "I do not know what to do with a dwarf, but we will figure something out."
Tandang Boreas knows that The Blackwood Swamp surrounds the Taldan port city of Cassomir on all sides except where the city faces the bay. The swamp is filled with dangerous wildlife ranging from carnivorous plants, groups of violent humanoids, and the much-feared hydra.
A dark-skinned half-elf with several silvery tattoos decorating her face smiles widely and steps close to shake hands. [b]“Pathfinders,” she says, “thank you for coming! My name is Fola Barun, and I am the leader of the Envoy’s Alliance. Please, tell me about yourselves, although some of you I recognize from the time we spent getting this camp set up.
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Hope does his best to do a deep honorable bow like a nobleman would do, though he thuds his head against the ground upon doing so. "Hello Miss Fola, I'm 'Life Sprouts Anew and so Hope Remains'. Feel free to call me any combination of those words, I don't mind. I'm training here to one day become like the great knights of the former Lastwall. Hopefully whatever tasks you have on hand today will help me in my journey of knighthood."
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"Hello, I'm Tandang Boreas and she is Plantina," he introduces themselves to Fola. "What is our mission today? I know that the Blackwood Swamp is filled with dangerous wildlife ranging from carnivorous plants, groups of violent humanoids, and the much-feared hydra. I wonder what more we can find there. Are we really be sent into the swamp? Not that I don't want to, it just excites me." Tandang says excitedly.
Fola Barun looks to Blak Jak Sparrow and gets an intro from him before continuing.
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“It is good you have come. Members of the Envoy’s Alliance faction seek cooperation as our primary way to further the goals of the Pathfinder Society. This means cooperation within our own ranks, but also with allies and potential allies throughout the world."
“One of our recruits recently established contact with a remote iruxi enclave in the Blackwood Swamp, called the Tskikha enclave. I would like to help grow that relationship. According to rumor, they recently had some sort of trouble. This is where you come in.
“I want you go to the Tskikha enclave and meet with their leader, Chief Thakik. Tell her that you wish to aid them in whatever way you can. Your primary mission is to build trust and prove that Pathfinders are worthy allies.”
Fola pauses a moment and her face fills with concern. “If you’re asked to undertake dangers on behalf of the Tskikha, please be careful. While alliances are important, the safety of our agents is worth more to me. Too many Pathfinders have been lost heedlessly charging into danger.
“What questions do you have?”
Fola Barun answers Tandang "I've told you all I know of this specific enclave. Go make friends and find out what you can do to aid them that's within your power."
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Without much more useful information to give you Fola Barun reminds you to get any supplies you need here before heading off the the Tskikha Enclace which should take you well less than an hour to hike to.
Eventually heading out... about half an hour of walking you find a ring of sharpened stakes stands a cluster of low mounds that rise above the rest of the swamp. Smoke curls from holes in the top of each mound. A few iruxi curiously peer out from behind flaps in the entrances. There it's easy enough to find the largest mound where you're able to meet with Chief Thakik.
An imposing iruxi woman sits atop a throne crafted from the bones of several swamp animals and wastes little time with pleasantries. “So, you are the ones sent? Let us hope you are as well-spoken and respectful as the one who came before you, the leshy called Rain in Cloudy Day."
“There is a hill nearby, topped with an ancient structure. It’s of little interest to us, but two days ago, a scout of our enclave, Igix, disappeared near there. We were about to send Kazuuk,” the chief points to another iruxi, “to see what he can learn. But with you here, we can test the quality of the Pathfinders, yes?"
“Accompany Kazuuk to the ruin and learn what happened to our scout. Overcome any trouble you find. Kazuuk will see what you are capable of. Impress him, and you will have my trust.”
Chief Thakik ignores Blak Jak's question but Kazuuk steps forward and bows gently before answering
"The swamp holds many dangers. It could be something as like a hungry alligator or a group of human thieves. What I know is that Igix didn’t get lost. He is too skilled for that.”
He ponders for a moment before following up, perhaps anticipating your next question.
“The ruins are Probably humanmade. Very old. They’ve been here longer than our tribe. I suppose they’re probably filled with trouble. Aren’t most ancient ruins that way?”
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"Hello, hello. I am Tandang Boreas and she is Plantina," Tandang introduces themselves to Chief Thakik and Kazuuk, bowing down their heads while holding hand-in-hand. "What would you like us to do to help you, Kazuuk?" he says to the iruxi with a wink. "The swamps could be a dangerous place to start with. Lots of dangerous wildlife ranging from carnivorous plants, groups of violent humanoids, and the much-feared hydra." he tries to impress him with what he knows about the Blackwood Swamp and the dangers it entails when one gets to travel on it.
Kazuuk will lead you out of the court before engaging in any further conversation.
"About a 2 hour hike so lets talk along the way." notes Kazuuk.
Along the way he chats with you, although is somewhat standoffish.
Kazuuk looks to Tandang and frequently tilts his head silently blinks, first one eye and then the other.
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"One thing I have noticed on my travels is that overland travel is more tedious than sailing," chats Blak Jak, striking up some small talk. "Now, I may be wrong about this, but when you are sailing, there's always something to do. Check the rigging, scrub the decks, take a bearing or sounding. Always. Over land it is keep your else open and your feet moving."
Krozuk declines to try and intimidate the local guide.
As the walk begins to climb a large hill Kazuuk despite feeling indifferent towards all of you asks about what you know and what to expect from you if danger should befall the group.
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Hero Point:
Tandang ponders the question. He is into healing people in a natural way, he starts sharing his thoughts. "Healing using healer's tools is good, but one can expand his expertise by using the bounty of nature that can serve as medicine. In a place like this, one must be equipped on how to find and prepare natural medicine from leaves and roots of plants in the form of salves and poultices, even without the healer's tools. There are many plants and herbs that can be used to treat wounds and cure diseases. As adventurer that always go out of the wild here and there, I think it is important to have such skill." he explains. "Like this one," he says and picks some leaves of a familiar herb. "Crush this into your hands and combine it with some wet soil, you can apply this to reduce inflammation of burns and wounds." he tells Kazuuk and shows it how it is done.
Tandang and Shanti impresses with their knowledge and use of medicinal herbs
Meanwhile Black Jak impresses with an unnecessary combat roll!
Kazuuk nods to Life Sprouts Anew and so Hope Remains understanding that both of their ways are useful in their traversal.
Kazuuk is himself an excellent scout and gets you to the location without incident.
There, a cracked structure, coated with creeping tendrils of moss and lichen, rises from the swamps atop a low hill ahead. The air is still here, as if waiting for a breath of wind. Even the usually noisy cries of animals fall silent close to the building. A set of broad stairs facing southeast lead up into darkness.
Kazuuk nods to y'all "I need to make sure the local megafauna are not attracted by our presence, I leave the ruins to you" And with that he disappears into the brush.
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Tandang slowly draws his wooden shield and club, drawing Plantina close to him. When one is in a place where animals fall silent, something ominous comes to his mind. He then scans the entrance for something he might find and share to others. "Kazuuk isn't joining us, is he?" he asks the others, trying to break the silence of the place.
Arming themselves, and ready for combat the party heads up the hill towards the ruins. As they get on towards the top the yellow flowers on the edge of the ruin animate and move towards you in a menacing manner
3 humanoids, seemingly infested by yellow flowers stumble towards you as though they were some sort of zombie, each of them features many grasping tendrils, ready to grab anybody who comes near. One of them, (Green dots) appears less zombie like than the others and is clearly an Iruxi, perhaps they can be saved but first you'll need to defend yourself!
Initiative:
Tandang
"Hope"
Shanti
Green Dot Iruxi Plant Zombie
Blak Jak
Solid Yellow Plant monster
Teal Dash Plant Zombie
Krozuk
Orange Mix Plant Zombie
Tandang, Hope and Shanti are up!
If you end your turn adjacent to a zombie, you are subject to
"Hope" moves up and slashes at the plant zombie, taking it down!
Tandang's repositions before their icy ray strikes true, wounding the plant zombie. In response creeper tendrils tear through the fleshy limbs, increasing it's melee reach to 10 feet in horrifying fashion!
Initiative:
Tandang
"Hope"
Shanti
Green Dot Iruxi Plant Zombie
Blak Jak
Solid Yellow Plant monster
Krozuk
Orange Mix Plant Zombie -8 (Extended Arms)
Shanti is still up!
Shati gets a nice shot in with her crossbow, finishing off the plant zombie before repositioning and reloading.
The Iruxi plant zombie creature thing shambles up to Hope and grabs with a meaty fist.
It holds on tight.
Will:
Failure: you are fascinated by the plant boss (not the plant zombie). For as long as you are fascinated, you must spend each of your actions to move closer to the yellow musk creeper as expediently as possible, while avoiding obvious dangers. If you are adjacent to the yellow musk creeper, you stay still and doesn’t act.
Critical Failure: As failure but the fascination doesn't end from hostile actions. (Make a new save at the end of each of your turns)
Reflex:
(Aura works at the end of your turn and their turn)
Initiative:
Tandang
"Hope" (18/22)
Shanti
Green Dot Iruxi Plant Zombie
Blak Jak
Solid Yellow Plant monster
Krozuk
Shanti is still up!Shati gets a nice shot in with her crossbow, finishing off the plant zombie before repositioning and reloading.
The Iruxi plant zombie creature thing shambles up to Hope and grabs with a meaty fist.
It holds on tight.
Will:
Failure: you are fascinated by the plant boss (not the plant zombie). For as long as you are fascinated, you must spend each of your actions to move closer to the yellow musk creeper as expediently as possible, while avoiding obvious dangers. If you are adjacent to the yellow musk creeper, you stay still and doesn’t act.
Critical Failure: As failure but the fascination doesn't end when you are attacked. (Make a new save at the end of each of your turns)
Reflex:
Initiative:
Tandang
"Hope" (18/22)
Shanti
Green Dot Iruxi Plant Zombie
Blak Jak
Solid Yellow Plant monster
Krozuk
Blak Jak is up!