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"Well ain'tchoo the gentleman! Lookee here Mawd, ye've a bit t' learn 'bout yer manners from this fine fellow! Pleased t' meetcha I'm shurr!" Agata takes the proffered snuff box, pinches two large fingerfulls, snorts them up her nose with a honk, and promptly sneezes explosively over everyone. She sighs happily. "Well ain't that nice..." she murmurs to herself.
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"Agata, I would like you to meet Zaarah Katsu. I think you two will get along famously," Marta announces, while backing away cautiously. Her appearance, in contrast to Agata's, is immaculate and orderly. If actions speak louder than words, her actions are saying keep her away from me.
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Zaarah looks at Marta and smiles.
"Oh everyone is so kind here!! We thank you so much Marta!" she says to Marta and almost wants to give her a hug.
She then looks at Agata and is fascinated.
"You are really ugly and dirty but at the same time super cute! Does anybody have Prestidigitation memorized so that they can clean her up a bit ... " Zaarah asks loudly.
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Valsin glares at Zaarah and starts to say something further but checks himself, shaking his head, muttering lowly to himself instead. ”Flyn and Kramac told me she was ‘eccentric’ but didn’t mention she was b@t$h!t crazy…but they also said she was excellent in the field, so I’ll roll the dice…”
He looks back up to the group with a humorless smile. ”That’s all I got, so your ship awaits. Find Janira and bring her back safely. Remember, the Decemvirate does not take this matter lightly. Fare thee well.” He turns abruptly and leaves…
You report to the ship which sails when all are settled. The trip is uneventful as the ship sails smoothly through a bit of the Inner Sea, then the inland rivers and waterways, and finally into Lake Encarthan, soon thereafter docking in Tamran whis h is built upon its banks. It is indeed like a ramshackle floating island. You depart the ship and begin your search…
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Before exiting the ship she will do her usual buffs:
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"I am thrilled you can make it Agata. I think that you are going to round out this little group of ours marvellously."
Flint prepares at night for the day ahead and casts a couple of enchantments which he thinks might be useful for their investigation in the city.
Delay Poison (Extended 18 hours)
Deadeye Lore (Extended 18 hours)
Heightened Awareness (Extended 3 hours)
Heroism (Extended 3 hours)
"Clearly we should visit this inn first. We can gather some information about our halfling friend."
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Zaarah rolls her eyes at Ambrus but remains silent. She keeps to herself during travel and talks to her sword sometimes but is always eager to talk if she’s approached.
When they arrive she suggests to gather some information on Janira and see if someone saw her. Maybe starting with the bar they were told about.
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Alie was dumbstruck by the old crone that was apparently meant to accompany her crew. Give her a wide berth or she will spit snuff on you, the little sorceress thought as she shook her head.
As the group prepared to rest the night before departure, she used her extend Rod to extend her Mage Armor and False Life for temporary hit points. As they departed the ship, she cast Overland Flight (16 hours) and extended Heroism (5 hours, 20 minutes) on herself,
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Tired and hungry, you arrive at Gar’s Last Meal around 8 PM. After asking around about Janira and showing folk the sketch you were given, in just a few minutes, you get information from the barkeep and a couple of patrons. While they do not know exactly where she went, she did indeed stay there; she was known to have taken several extended excursions into the forest. Everyone seemed to like her and she them. They tell you that she gathered her stuff and left about a month ago, with an old local guide, Remus, who knew the country well and could keep her out of the war torn regions; they only know the two left for the highlands west of the Fangwood and neither had been seen since…
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As the group gathered and ate their dinner, Alie advises about the sending spell message. ”Either they want to help us find Janira or it’s a trap and the people who might have taken her will try to do the same with us. No real matter which, but I suggest we go to the midnight meeting at the Dancing Lancer tavern.”
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"We should check the place out ahead of time. And we should explore the city, visiting libraries or what not to see if Janira has been there and been researching anything."
Putting on her friendly diplomatic face, Marta addresses the Barkeep.
"Good barkeep, are there any sages or institutions of lore in this city we can investigate. Did Janira ever mention anyone or any place?"
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The bartender snorts loudly. ”No offense young feller, but the Druidic shrine near the center of town’s the nearest place you might find some one remotely resembling a sage…but you might not as well. Take a deep sniff…smell the fish? Tamran has hundreds of score more fisherman than scholars. You arrived here after dark…perhaps you might take a better look in the daylight. This is a war torn city that’s swapped hands more than you can count; it was even burned to the ground once, took a year to rebuild. Not exactly the type of place to attract sages and their like…
“As for Janira, she was friendly but didn’t mix business with pleasure much; no names other than the old scout Remus she disappeared with…”
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With a straight face showing no emotion Marta responds.
"No offense but Disappointing. In a city of nearly 10000 people, one would expect more than one scholar and even a temple or two dedicated to one of the deities of knowledge. I guess we can check out the shrine. Druids do tend to have interesting tidbits of knowledge we might find helpful."
Turning to the group she adds, "But for now, shall we case the Dancing Lancer tavern?"
...he then utters a few more words under his breath and he suddenly smells like fish.
"Act like you don't know me in there; I'll sit at a different table and try to keep an eye on things and hear what the common folks are saying about you, an obviously rich and powerful party of adventurers, when they're out of your earshot... if lucky, maybe I'll also catch something about Janira that they don't want to say to our faces..."
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Flint's grins at the barkeep's obvious response. He in fact would be shocked if there was a library or a scholar of renown in this small, run down city.
Flint nods slightly in agreement to Theodric now Marduzi. The monk sees through the disguise quite easily but he doubts that many others will. He thinks this all to be a pointless exercise but Flint has been wrong before. Clearly in Flint's mind these people have no clue about Janira's whereabouts but at least this charade is entertaining.
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Flint eats his fish dinner and observes Theodric in character. Five minutes before their meeting at midnight and in a place of increased privacy he casts a few spells to prepare for the meeting.
Heroism (Extended to 3 hours)
See Invisibility (Extended to 3 hours)
Heightened Awareness (90 minutes)
Barkskin (1 KI point, 80 minutes)
Delay Poison (Extended to 18 hours)
Deadeye Lore (Extended to 18 hours)
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Marta takes the cue and also casts a heightened awareness on herself, though she does it before entering.
She also casts an extended Hunter's Blessing (urban/human) on the entire group. She also embarrasses herself trying to get the wand of ablative barrier to work, but eventually succeeds.
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The bartender gives directions to the tavern, on the outskirts of the city, in a seedy area. He warns you to be wary…
You make your way there…upon entering, you see a few folk, seedy looking indeed, glance at you and then look away. An old man with an eye-patch hobbles over to you, and bows. ”C’mon in, right this way, private table awaitin’ ye…”
You follow him to a back room; he peels back the curtain revealing a large, round table with a man in a red leather mask with white cloth slits covering the eye holes. The masked man motions for you to sit down before speaking in a hushed voice that sounds as though it might be disguised with magic…
“I apologize for my rudeness in contacting you so suddenly and briefly, and thank you for meeting me here. I cannot tell you my name, for I am a member of the Decemvirate, and my ability to guide the Pathfinder Society hinges on my anonymity. What is doubtlessly more important to you than my name is how I can help you.
“In recent months, I have been investigating the disappearance of a high-ranking Pathfinder agent named Osprey, and have discovered a series of similar disappearances throughout the Inner Sea region, all of which occurred under similar circumstances. In each case, the missing person was last seen with an attractive stranger, and appeared to be rapt with the new acquaintance’s beauty and charm. Reports in most cases place the missing individual in the company of the same stranger in the Nirmathi city of Skelt, from whence the party is said to have traveled south toward a recently active volcanic ridge called the Growling Skald. Your missing friend is among those whose disappearance matches this pattern.
“Our divinations have located several of those who vanished on the moon. Long have reports spoken of a demon-tainted jungle on the surface of the moon—what we on Golarion see as the Moonscar. It is there that I believe those abducted have been taken, though for what sinister succubus plot I know not. Few have the means to venture into such a realm, which is why I am here, now, with you. There is little I can offer you beyond pointing you in what I hope is the right direction. Yet if you can find a way to the Moonscar and retrieve not only my missing agent and your friend, but any other captives of the demons there, then my faith in you has not been misguided. Whatever plan the Moonscar’s Insatiable Queen and her servants have in the works, it has sped up drastically, and I fear for us all should they not be stopped.”
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Flint nods. It seems all in all to be a relatively straight forward mission. Kill the monsters, stop their plan and then rescue the prisoners.
"This is all well and good. Do you have any information about how to activate the gateway between the Growling Skald and the surface of the moon? Also do you have any maps of the surface of the moon? I am a capable woodsman but this is a little bit off the beaten track I think you would agree."
"I feel my senses sharpen already... thank you Marta! the last time I was made part of a sacred hunt was when the city of Vigil sent us to fight the giants in the Mindspin Mountains!"
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Theodric stays in the tavern's common room with his disguise and keeps a discrete eye on the remaining customers to see if anyone is taking an interest on the Pathfinders heading towards the private room...
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Zaarah sighs in relief.
“Well, except of the fact that it’s really easy to impersonate a Decimverate member, we just really, really want to believe you … because finally it makes sense why we Seekers are here. Mesh and I have to admit that the Moonscar is definitely something we wanted to visit!! But we just learned to teleport and that won’t cut it unfortunately. So the gate comes in handy … and Osprey was instrumental in us becoming Venture Captain so bringing him back is personally important to us! So any more information on the victims? I mean was there a motive or is this a coincidence?“ she asks.
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"I feel my senses sharpen already... thank you Marta! the last time I was made part of a sacred hunt was when the city of Vigil sent us to fight the giants in the Mindspin Mountains!"
"It's the least I can do. You can expect me to cast this spell whenever I have a decent idea of what we are to be encountering. Say, do any of you have a divination spell that would help me make that determination?"
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Flint looks at Marta.
"We can attempt to apply a modicum of common sense and see what we know to answer your question. First we know that several if not many humanoid prisoners have been taken to this moon. This leads me to believe that there is breathable air, water, food and that the temperature is within acceptable limits to support these prisoners.
Add to this fact that we know that there is a large jungle on this moon as well. This means that the temperature is not cold, certainly not below freezing for a jungle realm to exist. It would also means there is a suitable supply of water, air and natural light as well to support the growth of the jungle."
Theodric listens to the dwarf with admiration. Such wisdom! it is as if listening to the stones themselves, making the unknown sound plain and obvious...
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Marta stoically responds.
"I prefer facts over supposition any day. And though your conclusions seem reasonable, I can think of any number of potential mistakes. For instance, the jungle might be inimical to human life. The prisoners might be kept in a life bubble. The plants might thrive on extreme conditions like our own brown mold. I could go on. If all we have is supposition then I will certainly prepare using the best judgement I can. But if someone has a divination spell that could identify the terrain and type of opponents, that would be better. I have run into many unexpected opponents during my adventures and expect no less this time."
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The man behind the mask hesitates before attempting to answer your questions.
“I’ll tell you all I know…and hope that will be enough infirmation for you to go on…
“Two months ago, a dormant volcanic ridge in the Mindspin Mountains known as the Growling Skald awoke for the first recorded time since before Earthfall. In the course of the eruption, a number of ancient Azlanti ruins were exposed to the sky; this is what I think drove the ever curious Janira to explore there. One search ruin appears to be an astronomical station…since it appears to be just after this time the succubi were said to appear in this region, not to mention the time the disappearances began, I can only assume it has become partially functional once more…and perhaps this station might’ve involved the rumored portal. It would certainly explain the appearances and abductions…
“As for the conditions on the Moon, there should be breathable air…we could divine the folk abducted were there and the Moonscar has been said to be a jungle, alien as it might be, hence it would only thrive there with oxygen. The cycles of day and night are likely to be much different as well as much longer…the days being blistery hot and the nights being frigidly cold…
“One final note. The list of kidnapped victims whose circumstances all led them to the Growling Skald, you may know some of them, includes the following:
Janira Gavix
Pathfinder agent Osprey
Commander Andabar Ceroban of the Knights of Ozem in Lastwall
Nexian golemcrafter Pendrel Zarafari of Oenopion
Druman Kalistocrat Obenna Sirara
Garrin Levoye of Andoran’s People’s Council
Professor Zembe Utomo of the Magaambya
Chelish noble and famed opera librettist Enlina Charthagnion
“That’s the extent of my information. Find this portal, go to the Moonscar and rescue these folk; some have secrets that need to stay that way. I’ll know when you’re back and will find you.“
The man rises and then seemingly disappears from your view…
Theodric joins the meeting, catching only the last part of it. "Ah ha! the Mindspin Mountains! I'm well familiar with this place. I knew I'd have to go back there one of these days! fantastic! Marta, you should set the sacred hunt to 'giants' if we head there! ...although, we also fought some ancient undead giants and some very angry dragons last time I went there... ... ..."
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"Well there you have it. It is not so bad after all. Everyone should bring their own protection against the elements. We should probably ward ourselves against fire of course before entering a recently active volcano."
Flint nods at Marduzi/Theodric.
"Aye, I have spent much of my life fighting giants and a few dragons as well. They can be dangerous but are usually fairly straight forward. These succubi on the other hand are treacherous. We should compare notes on what we know about them before our battle with them. At least about the breed in general."
41 on a take 10 for K-Planes about Succubus (with Heroism and Heightened Awareness).
"If everyone is alright with this plan I suggest going back to the inn and getting a good night sleep. After a solid breakfast and perhaps a quick stop at the local store we can proceed post haste to the Growling Skald."
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Theodric heads back towards Tamran proper, his head swimming in memories from years past. Nearing the center of town, he then takes a turn and leads the party down south towards the docks, despite the intensifying lake scents and the trading of solid land for jetties and all manners of wooden structures hung together by whatever seemed to be at hand at the time.
"Tis not a mistake, I promise. You have *got* to try the Gar's Last Meal's hospitality. I can't wait for double helping of Puglas' clam chowder. Besides, all my men are already lodged there and have taken the liberty to secure rooms for all of you..."
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"Alright people. I know the geography of this area well enough so I suggest that we travel near the rivers at the edge of the forest. That should be a lot quicker, easier and safer than the more direct route straight through a dense forest."
"It is a good distance so maybe six days or a week depending on our pace of travel. This is probably our last time to stock up before we leave to the moon so think about what you might want to buy and take advantage."
"There is good hunting and fishing here but on this moon I can make no guarantees about the abundance of food or water although I am optimistic.
As I said before prepare for extreme temperatures on the moon or you will be sorry latter."
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Flint makes some last minutes purchases before leaving Tamran.
20 Durable Cold Iron Arrows 22 gold
Flint & Steel 1 gold
Vermin Repellent x2 10 gold
Grooming Kit 1 gold
Blanket and Bedroll 6 Silver
Cold Weather Outfit 8 gold
Waterskin x4 4 gold
Smoked Goggles 10 gold
Scroll of Create Water x2 25 gold
Soul Stimulant 300 gold
Total cost will be deducted from character sheet 381.6 Gold
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...
Marta will follow suit, also obtaining a wand of endure elements, though she pays cash. And she will also buy a runestone of power, level 2, so the delay poison spell can be cast on her by Flint without his having to expend a slot, and because it is nice to have.
Notes:
Every night, before bedding down, she casts
Greater Magic Weapon on UC
Greater Magic Weapon on spear
Hunter's Blessing (favored terrain and enemy type selected based on likely area of travel)
Delay Poison using Flint's page of spell knowledge
Every night she has Mage armor cast on her by Agata
Every morning she has Delay Poison cast on her by Flint.
All spells are extended (she has 4 Lesser Metamagic Extend Rods and 1 Metamagic Extend Rod)