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"Both Rhona and Lady Ogden want the tower to act as a time machine??"
Chunhua slouches in her chair. "Then the knowledge of history/future 'history' can benefit both politicians ... maybe(??)"
"I believe 'The Many' refers to one of the Eldest of the First World. They're essentially Fey demigods."
She sits back up and glances towards the door. "I'm also ready to head to the clocktower."
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Ferdrin tips his wide-brimmed hat to Chunhua.
Now that is an astute idea. I wonder how close to this they've come. Or perhaps they've even succeeded in some small way they aren't telling us...
He becomes eager to get to the clocktower as well, but he hopes to find other academicians there: wizards and similar practitioners.
The team spends relatively little time in the tavern before heading out to investigate further.
In the center of “unstuck” Uringen stands the Clock Tower, a five-story edifice constructed of blue-gray stone and mottled with pearlescent white blocks. At the very top, the clock faces align to the cardinal directions, while long arms of weather-tarnished metal click out the hour and minute, but the four faces do not depict the same time. The time on the western face moves the most erratically, with its arms swinging backwards and forwards, while the northern face depicts an accurate time. On each floor, glass windows break up the monotony of stone.
On their arrival, the Pathfinders find a familiar pixie, calm despite the activity around them.
“Ah, hello there! Aurelia mentioned you might be stopping by! Welcome to the Tower—I would be Cerotious, aide-de-camp for Mayor Ogden and advisor of First World affairs to Uringen. Is there anything in particular that makes you curious?” The pixie manages to pull off a courtly bow in mid-air as he presents his name and title. Around the butterfly-winged fey, plain-robed apprentices set up delicate apparatuses, while others walk slowly up the wooden stairs to the next floor.
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Eltran claps his hands.
“Very good Cerotious!! Thanks so much. Can you elaborate on the peculiar details of the tower and the aid that you believe that we can provide as Pathfinders?!? I am an expert on planar lore but the first world is not my specialty I have to admit!!“ he says with some excitement.
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“I’m Chunhua, Cerotious.”
She *bows* “I’m surprised the two mayors are not in accord about our presence here. Do you know what is behind Lord Mieren’s belligerence?”
“Do you have your own theory about what is going to happen at temporal convergence?”
Chunhua smiles. “And finally, when temporal convergence occurs, where might be the best place to purchase ‘temporal essence.’”
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Ferdrin, at your service! I'm fascinated in all things magical, be they arcane, primal, occult, or divine. I have more fundamental questions about this phenomena! First, what is its base nature? Based on the local connection to the First World, I would assume it is fey, but assumptions can be nasty traps.
Ferdrin tries to hold himself back a little so that Cerotious perhaps doesn't feel entirely bombarded by questions.
Cerotius responds, "I like your enthusiasm. We'll come back to the temporal essence in a bit. Mayor Mieren runs the static side of Uringen and distrusts those from outside the area. He is furious that Mayor Ogden invited an "unkown group of misfits", that's you, to be involved."
The pixie's face brightens as he takes a breath and launches passionately into a discussion on the tower.
“As you can see, Ogden’s lesser apprentices are moving her timepieces to various places within the Tower, but my focus is here—on the circle. Most of the speculation up to this point thinks that Reckless Rhona messed up her construction…but I don’t think so.” The pixie flits over to an open windowsill, pointing at the narrow gap between the stonework. “This is not the work of a sloppy person! No, I think that the fey circle interfered with her design somehow, and that’s why part of the town disappears…I just have to prove that somehow.”
The pixie pauses for a moment, tracing a symbol on one of the white stones embedded in the wall. “Aurelia mentioned that an unbiased and fresh set of eyes might reveal insight otherwise clouded by staring at it too long. As the senior assistant researcher and head pixie on the clock tower deciphering project, I take any potential leads very seriously.”
Closer inspection of the white blocks indicates that they are made of the crystalline stone known as quartzite instead of the more common granite.
The gears within the clock tower are extraordinarily intricate and spin very fast.
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“Ugh, I’ve just realized, we are probably going to be exploring the clock tower after convergence, right?”
Chunhua looks like she could kick herself. “Don’t know why I didn’t think of that before.”
“Cerotious, what is the full name of the First World entity, ‘The Many.’ Are there any priests or lay worshippers of that deity in the village? Could we say a prayer to them, or make an offering for good fortune in our venture?”
She spends 15 minutes watching the rapidly rotating rotors.
“If we’re short of time, I’d suggest breaking into two groups:
First & Second Floors
• Cade
• Dhovahk
• Freddy
Top Three Floors
• Chunhua
• Eltran
• Lu Yan
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Eltran is fascinated!
“My engineering talent lets me discover that each stone was individually carved and fitted into its resting place, with no mortar used to hold the structure together—merely pressure and gravity! Very good! And look here: Closer inspection of the white blocks indicates that they are made of the crystalline stone known as quartzite instead of the more common granite!“ he says.
He takes his time to watch the gears within the clock tower that are extraordinarily intricate and spin very fast.
“Hey, you surely can also notice an anomaly in the mechanism; some of the gears should not be moving at all, or should be moving in the opposite direction, if they worked as typical gears!!“
He then spends extra time to examine the top floors as suggested by Chunhua but will also look at the bottom floors if time is available.
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Ferdrin is mesmerized by the gears somehow turning opposite of what they should be.
Truly these working are remarkable. I can't wait to uncover whatever fey magic caused this.
He stares intently at them, trying to figure out how they physically turn against the opposite gears.
Ferdrin starts at the bottom, inspecting the gears and stones of each floor. He also stops to detect magic on each floor, scan both the gears on that floor and a sampling of the white stones, just in case.
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"A map might help us navigate the 'temporally frozen' tower more easily -- or at the very least it will highlight any major differences."
Chunhua follows behind the others, pad and quill in hand, like a junior engineer mapping the interior of a compromised building. She adds notes to individual fixtures per her more knowledgeable seniors' assessments.
"Are we checking for secret doors and rooms as we explore?"
The team move carefully through the tower, examining everything as they go. Lu Yan observers that the stone is inscribed with numerical sigils, along with five repeating shapes. Each floor has one of these shapes embedded multiple times in the stonework, glass, and in the clockwork gears that run up the central shaft of the tower, but in subtle ways.
On the first floor, a four sided tetrahedron; the second, a hexahedron with six sides; the third, an octahedron with eight sides; the fourth, a dodecahedron with twelve sides, and at the very top in the Tower’s belfry, the twenty-sided icosahedron
In a break from this pattern, the ceiling of each floor other than the top floor contains the symbol of the floor above, and the floor of each floor other than the first floor contains the symbol of the floor below.
When they mention this find to their host, Cerotious says, “The very thing! Shape and form are so much more important to us of the First World than those of this world. I’m glad that you agree that these patterns are significant. Aurelia wasn’t so sure that they were more than an artful design, but I think these numbers are tied to the nature of the tower somehow.”
While studying the other sigils that decorate each floor they realist the magic used in this tower is somewhat unusual, and deciphering its nature with conventional methods is difficult.
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“So … Four – Six – Eight – Twelve – Twenty.”
6 plus that difference (2) = 8”
“The difference between 8 and 4 = 4
8 plus that difference (4) = 12”
“The difference between 12 and 4 = 8
12 plus that difference (8) = 20”
“The next numeral in that pattern would be (20-4)+20 = 36
And the next one after that is (36-4)+36 = 68”
Chunhua shrugs. “Whether that pattern is relevant or not – Goodness knows.”
“Shape and form are so much more important to us of the First World than those of this world.”
How adorable! Cerotious speaks of these multi-sided solids like his very existence depends on them!
🤪
Eltran notices significant sigils buried within the jumble that Cerotious has never noticed. Cerotious lets out a whoop of joy, delighted that the Pathfinders have made a “major breakthrough” in research about the tower. He explains that the symbols found are a part of Ambros’s esoteric time magic, and that they will help him and the other researchers figure out if the tower really can be used to travel through time.
Cerotious suggests the team head back into town for any last minute preparations, reminding them to make sure to enjoy a good meal and be in place a bit before midnight to observe the event.
The dark of night is broken by lanterns, torches, and magical lights of every color surrounding the central square around the Clock Tower, lighting up the night in a festive atmosphere as the metallic embellishments and clock faces catch the light, breaking it into prismatic hues. These hues shimmer and reflect off the fountain at the center of the town square.
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“Guys, I’m going to bite on buying some of the enhanced alchemical weapons. If nothing else, they should grant us some more goodwill with the villagers.”
Chunhua smiles as she realizes she had more spare gold than she thought. “Let’s see. 140 gold pieces will net me:
• 2 x acid flasks (20 gp)
• 2 x alchy fire (40 gp)
• 2 x bottled lightning (80 gp)
The archer hangs her purchases about her person, looking more like an alchemist than a fighter.
“Cade, if you want to share my enhanced alchemics, feel free! I doubt I’ll be able to chuck all of them in any upcoming battle.”
“Take half of them if you like.”
"I am so looking forward to this monumental event Cerotius!!"
“I can assure you I am as well, Master Eltran.”
“You will better see exactly when the four faces synchronize if you stand back at least fifty feet from the base of the tower.”
Mayor Ogden’s aide-de-camp, the faerie Cerotius begs you to stand back from the base of the quadruple Clock Tower.
“You really don’t want to miss that.”
“Is it possible to be constantly detecting magic towards the fey circle as midnight approaches and arrives?”
“Do you mean, you intend to continuously ✨cast a cantrip at the base of the Clock Tower as the Event unfolds, Master Freddy??”
Cerotius gazes over his pince-nez at the arcanist like he's thinking, Are all humans crazy?
Before his professional diplomat's face re-appears with a cold flush of blue. "That’s absolutely fine, ser."
"Though, if I may ... Lady Ogden expected you Pathfinders to distribute yourselves amongst the villagers in the square, in order to help safeguard the populace in the event of something happening at the Witching Hour.”
"None of us are sure what is going to happen, Agent Dhovahk."
"Though Mayor Ogden likes being prepared for all possible scenarios."
Cerotius smiles in gooey admiration. "But the safety of her constituents is the mayor's highest priority -- and that's where you Pathfinders come in."
A hush descends over the gathered crowd as three of the faces synchronize and begin to march in solidarity, counting down the final minutes of the Uringen day.
The arms of the fourth face swing wildly, teetering and tottering according to some unknown rhythm, until its minute arm moves steadily backwards, before catching up to *TICK* and *CLICK* in time with the other three faces …
A mere six seconds before the dawn of a new day, all of the faces of the tower suddenly erupt in a vivid violet light, and arcs of blue and red energy strike out into the ground. Ripples in the air twist and bend the light around the tower, splitting and shredding their blue and red energy.
These bicolored energy coils form some kind of miniature gates, which spew forth a number of hostile fae into the town square.
They are too far away to have any involvement in the present fight.
Dhovahk
--
Green
Pink
Blue
Purple
Red
--
Lu Yan
Eltran
Cade
Ferdrin
--
Orange mini-fae dragon
Yellow mini-fae dragon
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"These fae may have been expecting this," Dhovahk observes as the air around him grows damp. "More of them went to the tower with purpose. I will do my best to remember where they entered. Te wairua o te tai me te ngaru, horoia atu te hunga ka pa ki tenei hapori." Vapor turns to mist turns to droplets turns to water as an orb coalesces before the undine. With a gentle wave of his hand, he sends it rolling over the nearby fey.
Dhovahk knows the mini-dragons are Gloom Dragons, variant faerie dragons corrupted by pessimism and inaction.
He also knows the tree fae are called Twigjacks, while the insectile race are Vexit Gremlins. These are fierce little fae that *clack* and *rattle* while wielding a tiny but solid-looking hammer.
Both faeries targeted by the aqueous orb are flattened by the ball, though neither get sucked inside it.
The Pink Twigjack takes a 5 ft step and unloads a shower of splinters on Dhovahk and Lu Yan.
Her Green mate, moves to the north to give a similar treatment to Cade and Eltran.
The Blue gremlin waits for the stick-show to stop, before moving into flank on Cade with his 5’ crawling Purple sibling.
Meanwhile Red marches 15 feet inside one of the *glowing* energy fields, before *popping* out of a RED portal behind Cade.
Round #1:
Dhovahk
--
Green
Pink
Blue
Purple
Red
--
Lu Yan
Eltran
Cade
Ferdrin
--
Orange Gloom Dragon
Yellow Gloom Dragon
(except Dhovahk)
Lu Yan feels even small twigs pierce his lower body doing acutely painful damage.
In response, the Scaled Fist calmly floats into position, though his roundhouse kick sails over the gremlin’s head.
Round #1:
Dhovahk
--
Green
Pink
Blue
Purple
Red
--
Lu Yan
Eltran
Cade
Ferdrin
--
Orange Gloom Dragon
Yellow Gloom Dragon
Dhovahk doesn’t recall any particular weaknesses Vexit have, though he is positive they have Spell Resistance, and that cold iron weapons work best against them.
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"In case you were wondering!! The Witching Hour = Midnight on all four clock faces. Totally logical!!" the corpulent man says.
~
"Hey!! I spy another group of ugly, insectile fae sneak from out of the shadows, climb the east wall of the clock tower, and open one of its supposedly impenetrable windows. Someone of us has to get those insects!!" Eltran shouts.
Eltran tries to identify the fey!
Eltran tries to dodge the splinters and he is bare successful!!!
Eltran takes out his Three reasons to live horn and starts to inspire you by blowing it!
"We can win!! We are better then these fey creatures!"
He then slightly moves.
Eltran can confirm the Tree-like faeries are called Twigjacks.
The Bright Pharasman knows Twigjacks have no particular immunities or damage reduction. Although they do have a vulnerability to fire.
The bard ducks out from the cloud of greensticks, five feet closer to the Pink ‘Jack, from where he belts out arias from The Magic Flute on his natural horn.
Round #1:
Dhovahk
--
Green
Pink
Blue
Purple
Red
--
Lu Yan
Eltran
Cade
Ferdrin
--
Orange Gloom Dragon
Yellow Gloom Dragon
As he steps left, Cade lashes out at the Purple gremlin, but his recurved blade sails over the short critter’s head.
The halfling warrior has better luck against Blue, scoring the faerie’s torso quite deeply. Though Cade is convinced his magic weapon should have done more damage than it actually has.
Round #1:
Dhovahk
--
Green
Pink
Blue
Purple
Red
--
Lu Yan
Eltran
Cade
Ferdrin
--
Orange Gloom Dragon
Yellow Gloom Dragon
Ferdrin can supply details of just about anything the party wants to know about their fae opponents. Concerned about the Pathfinder Society’s ongoing reputation in the community, the arcanist summons a flaming sphere with which to harass the pink Twigjack.
Unfortunately, this ‘Jack manages to leapfrog the ball of fire, like the legendary Jack B. Nimble.
♨
The Gloomies respond by ✨casting adjoining curtains of glitterdust, improving the aesthetics of a couple of Pathfinder wardrobes.
Both dragonettes then re-position themselves, Yellow using the energy portals.
Round #2:
Dhovahk
--
Green
Pink
Blue
Purple
Red
--
Lu Yan
Eltran
Cade
Ferdrin
--
Orange Gloom Dragon
Yellow Gloom Dragon
It’s turn.