Private game for tier 3-7.
Loud and raucous conversation filters through the door from the common room of the Uscalin Lodge, which doubles as the Ace of Dreams gambling house. “I know it’s here. I had it just a moment ago.” Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik lifts piles of papers and numerous boxes off of his desk, stacking them on various side tables and chairs in his clean but overly cluttered office. The tall, Varisian man’s face parts in a toothy grin as he lifts up a solid oak box. “Found it!” As if to punctuate his discovery, a crowd of players in the gambling hall erupts in cheers. Distracted for a moment, Besnik stares at the closed office door that leads to the common room. “Desna laughs. Well, she laughs at me, but she smiles on them.” The venture-captain shrugs. “All they have is gold; what I have in here is far more valuable.”
Besnik opens the box’s lid painstakingly slowly, careful to keep the contents out of sight. With reverence, he lifts a large tome from the box and gently sets it on the table. “Careful, the binding hasn’t held up well. This is one of the few Tomes of Righteous Repose left in the world. I’m pretty sure there’s one in the library of the Sancta Iomedaea in Vigil, but I’m—well, let’s just say I’m no longer welcome there. That’s a story for another time.
“Up until today, I’ve only skimmed the pages. I didn’t want to damage it, but now that you’re here, I can’t wait any longer. Care to plumb the depths of this most ancient and wonderful storybook? Oh, the marvelous adventures we will soon read! This tome is a collection of tales describing how various crusaders died gloriously and honorably. I’m hoping to find some clues in the text that will lead us to an as-of-yet undiscovered site or relic. Maybe we can trade a bit of what we find with the Knights of Ozem and earn ourselves some goodwill. After what
happened last time, we need it.
“Care to peruse the pages with me?”
|
You hear a rumbling voice addressing the VC.
”I see new faces ... an honor to work with you! My name is Kenji Haruuuu.“ Kenji says and his voice sometimes almost sounds like a howling wolf.
He bows to you in Tian fashion.
Kenji is a massive man. He has the furry face of a wolf-like humanoid.
He has a greatsword and a bardiche on his back, some more weapons at his side and a heavy shield in his hand. He wears a fullplate that looks like it has been recently oiled.
Resting on top of his chest is an amulet showing the holy symbol of Irori.
Kenji again looks at the rest of the group
"I am glad to walk the road to perfection with yooouuuu." Kenji says in a crackling and sometimes howling voice.
Kenji is very familiar with the author of the Tome.
Rellakarabee Fustbickle is a gnome poet, known mostly among literary scholars. His subject matter revolves around heroic figures and tragic deaths. His style is too melodramatic to gain significant acclaim, though he is popular in some circles. Fustbickle based his poems on true stories from the Shining Crusade. However, the finer details are ambiguous at best. Rumors suggest he was on speaking terms with the mortal Iomedae.
He also knows a bit about Lastwall.
Lastwall was established in 3828 AR, when it seceded from Taldor. It is a military dictatorship, primary focused on keeping the Whispering Tyrant locked away and the orc hordes of Belkzen at bay.
|
Elena, the young varisian woman in Mithral armor and several swords for every occasion in her belt greets Kenji with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Kenji. My name is Elena Endari."
She looks at the tome with curiosity as Besnik proposes to read the adventures of the book. "I have never seen one of these. Are we supposed to just read them" Elena is a bit at a loss as to why he would need more people for that. Has she heard anything about this?
Elena remembers a bit more.
Lastwall originated from the remnants of crusaders living in the area after the conclusion of the Shining Crusade, the great war against the evil wizard-king Tar-Baphon (also known as the Whispering Tyrant, who rose after his death as a lich).
The venture-captain replies, “Well, it’s a bit delicate; no telling how long the pages will last. I wanted to make sure we had multiple sets of eyes on it in case it gets damaged. But yes, read!”
|
Piotr strides in and removes the large cowl covering his head to reveal his face. He looks a bit more confident than usual. Still looking a bit haggard, he is not as shaky or twitchy like in the past.
"Greetings, friends."
He says softly as he gives a small nod and a slight grin to those he recognizes from before.
He turns to those he hasn't met and introduces himself.
"Well met. I am Piotr Lupescu, Blade of Milani, Baron of Taldor."
He gives a quick bow of his head in greeting.
He then turns to listen to the mission briefing.
-----------------------------------
Piotr peruses the Tome for a moment.
"Interesting."
He remarks upon learning what Elena and Kenji tell him.
He suddenly winces and grips the table in annoyance as his concentration is disrupted by the joyous hoots and hollers coming from the gambling hall.
"Besnik, sir... If I may ask, why choose a gambling hall as a Pathfinder Lodge? It is quite...
distracting."
He suddenly winces and grips the table in annoyance as his concentration is disrupted by the joyous hoots and hollers coming from the gambling hall.
"Besnik, sir... If I may ask, why choose a gambling hall as a Pathfinder Lodge? It is quite...
distracting."
The venture-captain quotes the crusaders’ statements with a wrinkled nose and a haughty, superior tone. “They ‘allow its continued existence by their good graces,’ but only because they can’t legally force me to close it down. Plus, I think they like having all the dirty, underhanded scum in one place so they can keep an eye on them. Having all the disreputable types in one area does allow me to pick up a good amount of gossip, too. Like the story of ol’ Lady Withren—whew!”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
“Let’s just say it involves a cat, a rooster, and a misplaced bottle of sovereign glue. Quite embarrassing for her, really. Best not to mention it around her if you want to stay in her good graces.”
|
|
"I'll be sure not to mention it to Lady Withren."
Piotr says with a smirk and a chuckle.
He then turns to Elena.
"I'll explain after we receive our mission. I'm quite excited to discover where the poems in this tome will lead us."
He tries to ignore the cacophony coming from the gambling hall as he gets back to perusing the tome.
"Undead, orcs, raiders... even dragons! You could find just about anything. Just prepare as a proper Pathfinder agent and you'll be fine."
After a few minutes of browsing, the Venture-Captain jolts upright. “Minkai art! Let’s see, the Minkai Empire was founded in 3619, and the empire’s first explorers didn’t reach the west coast of the continent until at least 3691 ar, which leaves only sixty years before the beginning of the Shining Crusade itself. These women could have been among the first Minkai citizens to reach the Inner Sea! Let’s see, what secrets does the poem on this page hold?”
|
A tall cloaked person walks in, his clothes looking bedraggled after a long journey. He pulls his hood back to reveal long brown hair and sharp Elven feature. He bows. ”Sorry I’m late; the trek here was…eventful. Wymarc, at your service…
“So what have I missed? No more haunts, if you please, had my fill in my last mission…”
"Oh, just finding some fascinating historical information in this very old book. Please read, but do so carefully."
After Pitor's comment, the venture-captain adds, "So she died in battle, victim to orcs’ treachery. If we can locate this ruin and retrieve the samurai’s remains and her blade, we can present them to the Knights of Ozem for proper burial. Any ideas on where this might be? Looks like there are some clues in the poem."
Elena remembers that hordes of orcs live in the Hold of Belkzen, most of which is a barren wasteland with terrifying creatures and very few resources. Fresh water is one of the most important commodities when traveling in Belkzen, as there are very few natural sources available.
Kenji knows that a shining crusader charged into battle alone against a horde of orcs. Before dying, the crusader fought through the ranks and slew the chieftain, sending his clan running. This story is often used to teach faith in the face of impossible odds.
Wymarc recalls that the vast Stranglegut Clan was under the control
of Tar-Baphon. When the sonnet’s hero died, the crusaders buried her and her sword, which had shattered against the orc’s bones, in a dwarven ruin. After the orc chief perished, his hordes fled. Without this victory, the Shining Crusade would have suffered major losses.
|
|
Kenji nods and tells what he knows.
“I have heard enough I think. Let’s go and find out what this is all abouuuuuut!“ he says and makes a sweet howling sound at the end.
Piotr rubs the back of his head as he ponders the information heard so far.
"Well, Kenji, we still have no idea of the location of this tomb, nor where these 'Kala's Tears' are.""I wonder if my scroll of Kreighton's perusal would help us see if the location is mentioned somewhere in this tome."
|
|
A light bulb flashes in Wymarc’s mind. ”Perhaps I can narrow that down a bit…I recall the tomb was located in a dwarven ruin…
“Legend has it that recalls that the vast Stranglegut Clan was under the control
of Tar-Baphon. When the sonnet’s hero died, the crusaders buried her and her sword, which had shattered against the orc’s bones, in a dwarven ruin. After the orc chief perished, his hordes fled. Without this victory, the Shining Crusade would have suffered major losses.“
"Ah, yes," the ventrue-captain exclaims. the Stranglegut clan was a prominent horde of orcs allied with the Whispering Tyrant; in their day, they controlled the orc’s largest settlement, Urgir. Kala’s Rage was the name of a massive waterfall in Belkzen, 40 miles east of Urgir. Over time, the mountains became dry and the waterfall slowed to a trickle, earning the waterfall the name Kala’s Tears. That is where you need to go!"
Besnik provides you with some supplies: a wand of cure serious wounds with 5 charges, a wand of protection from evil with 7 charges, a traveler's any-tool, two potions of bear’s endurance and two potions of resist energy (fire). He encourages you to pick up anything else you think you may need while he makes travel arrangements.
Once the Pathfinders have completed their preparations, they can depart for the ruin. The journey takes 13 days, all but the last 2 days of which pass through Lastwall. The last settlement you pass is Castle Firrine, a fortified town on the border between Lastwall and the Hold of Belkzen. Within Belkzen itself, the Pathfinders occasionally hear the echoes of orc war drums in the distance, but you do not run in to any significant danger
After climbing halfway up a rocky mountain to a wide ledge, you reach an obvious entrance carved into the rock. Unless otherwise stated, the walls and ceilings within are made of hewn stone, 10 feet high, and all rooms are completely dark.
Hot winds blow ash through the air; it collects against the rocky wall of this ancient structure. Four stone columns mark the entrance, where a fifteen-foot-wide stair descends into darkness.
This room’s stonework suggests a dwarven architect, but the floor and walls display carvings of Tien design. Carvings of swimming carp cover the western wall. The eastern wall carving depicts a katana over the sun. On the northern wall is a carving of two Minkai elven women standing before funerary pyre. The floor boasts the carving of an imperial sky dragon.
|
|
Piotr looks over at Kenji and responds with a wink.
Once inside, Piotr slides the polearm from his back and grips the haft tightly as he moves forward. He stays close to his companions and keeps alert of his surroundings.
"Ah. Those must be the two warrior women that interred their fallen compatriot in here."
He remarks when he sees the carving on the wall.
"Careful, you two." Piotr says quietly to Kenji and Wymarc as they step into the room.
"This chamber could be trapped. I don't trust that carving of a dragon on the floor."
He points the tip of his polearm at the dragon carving, nervous that it could be a trap that spews flame.
Kenji detects no auras in this room, and nothing happens when Piotr points his weapon at the carving. Wymarc is fairly certain that the room is empty.
Elena can hear a buzzing of wings from the east, as if there was a swarm of insects in the room.
While trying to juggle two divinations, Kenji doesn't have enough concentration to spare to avoid walking into a wall. Shaking it off, he continues to the south.
In an alcove across from a three-way intersection, a statue of a dragon seems to guard the temple.