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Each Pathfinder has received a note from Zarta Dralneen, Grand Archivist for the Grand Lodge in Absalom. The note reads as follows:
Field agents,
I have entrusted you with an unusual magic key that only recently came into our possession. From our studies, we determined that the metal and crystals composing this key are not from any known corner of Golarion. The key acts as a receiver or amplifier for the confounding thoughts of an alien mind.
We have located the source of the signal somewhere near Ardis, the former capital of Ustalav. Reducing the
distance between the source and the key might be the only way to get a more accurate position.
We believe that the appearance of this key in our vaults may be an attempt by a group known as the Ardis
Scholars to get in touch with the Society. The Society discovered the existence of this group of secretive planar
explorers during a recent mission in Osirion, but we haven’t been able to make contact.
We have entrusted the key to you and secured it in this sealed container. Don’t open it until after you meet with
Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss. One of the researchers who handled the key found themselves walking in a field
with no memory of how they ended up there, which could prove fatal in a place like Ustalav.
I have asked Evni to talk to her local contacts and locate any leads or rumors that could help you in your search
for the source. She should be waiting for your arrival at the Lodestar inn.
—Grand Archivist Zarta Dralneen, Grand Lodge of Absalom
What's before you now is a trip to the countryside near Ardis... in Ustalav.
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A thin but muscular man in dark hellknight armor crumples the letter slightly as he sits in the Citadel. His face grimaces beneath a swirling vortex of a mask with only a single eyelet to look through. "Hmm..." He grunts, standinga nd grabbing a tattered blood-red cloak from a hook on the wall. He draps it over his armor as bits of the stark black show through. "Seems I am needed so soon." He slides a thin staff through the handles of a steel shield and strap it to his back before sheathing a small dagger to his hip.
Leaving his room he finds his commanding officer and sets the letter on teh desk. "I request a bit of leave. Ustalav is a wicked place and seems it requires a fair bit of cleansing."
A tattered red robe lies draped aver the armor showing little bits of the dark metal here and there. A thick wooden shield lies strapped around is back.
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In one of the small music rooms in the Grand Lodge an excitable little goblin with a brillian sun down on his chest plate hums to himself as he bounces up and down while trying to work up lyrics for his next song.
There once were some Pathfinders Grand
Who's services were in demand
They listed to the briefing
Before making with the leafing
And had all the problems in hand.
Need something more grim for Ustalav, I've got a long trip to figure it out, I hope these new Pathfinders like my song as much as the last batch/
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Dr. Talos wanders the Grand Lodge garden, and yawns.
He carries a polytool in hand, idly lopping the heads off flowers as he pads hither and thither. He cannot be still. His free hand constantly strokes his waxed mustache or flutters about and smooths his pencil-thin eyebrows. The polychrome under his skin glitters in the light and some kind of intricate, rose-gold tattooing runs all the way from his forearms to the pads of his soft fingertips.
Talos's expression isn't that of a man's, but rather a mannequin's — immobile, frozen in place, never changing. Yet it's also expressive: the good doctor can tilt his head around in the light to simulate a range of feelings, making the shadows dance across his sharp features to subtly change his face and show sorrow, glee, desire, hatred, ennui, rage, and many other such emotions.
He turns this grinning mask to the runner, who drops Zarta's letter in the grass and dashes off.
After reading the missive, Talos tucks the key into his breast pocket. "Well, well, well. It all seems a bit abstract. I hope there are corporeal problems to solve as well. Those at which I excel." Swish, Swish. Blossoms tumble to the ground.
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The knock on the door, followed by the appearance of a letter slipped underneath, rouses the half-orc from his meditation in his simple room. Jaqard pads over in bare feet to retrieve and read it, walking slowly past the unframed portrait of Eando Kline affixed to one wall and the small table heaped full with various Pathfinder Chronicles.
He sits on his bedroll as he reads the last few words, then prepares to depart. Each journey begins, and also ends, he thinks to himself, taking up his haggard adventurer's pack and slipping out the door.
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The four Pathfinders arrive in Ardis around the same time, and following the instructions from Zarta head towards the Lodestar Inn.
The Lodestar must have once been a popular and well‑appointed establishment, but it's lost most of its splendor in the decades following the move of Ustalav's capital from Ardis to Caliphas. The tables and chairs are made of sturdy oak, but bear the scuffs and stains of many years of heavy use. Once‑vibrant tapestries hang on the walls, their hues muted by decades of lamp smoke, and the dusty shelves are laden with silver teapots, statuettes of unusual beasts, and other knickknacks. A small figure wearing flowing robes that glimmer like the night sky sips a large cup of tea as she chats with a slender half‑orc in traveling gear and an older dwarf whose long red hair is streaked with gray.
The small figure you recognize as being Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss. The other two are not immediately familiar.
Spotting the group, Evni smiles widely and beckons to you all. As she speaks up, her voice fills the somber room with brightness.
"You've arrived, and not a moment too soon! The situation might be getting out of hand, so I fear we don’t have much time. Oh, by the way,
this is Ziri, a Horizon Hunter, and Kamenya of the Radiant Oath. They helped narrow down the signal's origin point."
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Ziri chuckles before continuing. "The village itself is abandoned, but there are still a few homesteads and farms nearby. The Ardis Scholars chose their headquarters well; folks around these parts know better than to go looking into anything unusual. I certainly hope we can find them. If Zarta's suspicions are true, it's possible they traveled farther than most! Can you imagine traveling to an entirely new planet?"
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Kamenya pipes in, her voice smooth and level. "Ziri doesn't hesitate to walk the path least traveled. From the little we know about the Ardis Scholars, they share a similar outlook, and also act with compassion. Their motto is ‘to learn, to understand, to embrace,' which doesn't fall far from the Radiant Oath's philosophy. I hope we can find these elusive scholars and welcome them as allies."
The battle-hardened dwarf sighs. "But most people fear what they don't understand, and I can tell you the people around Ilev are terrified. They started to suffer from frequent and debilitating headaches. Some have even reported finding themselves in places without recollection of how they got there. No one has been injured so far, but they're realizing something isn't right."
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"And when they realize an alien or mysterious organization may be causing all of this, they won't hesitate to use torches and pitchforks to solve their problems." concludes Evni. "But luckily, we have you! And the key in that box, of course. Zarta mentioned it should help us pinpoint the location of the source. What do you say, shall we take a look?"
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Talos turns his mask into a smile and looks at the monk. "Jaquard. Hug any bears lately? No, I suppose not."
Ziri chuckles before continuing. … Can you imagine traveling to an entirely new planet?"
He fidgets with a teaup, forgetting to drink. "From what I saw they're generally desolate, or filled with horrible monsters."
" Zarta mentioned it should help us pinpoint the location of the source. What do you say, shall we take a look?"
"Finally!" The doctor peers over Sun Fire boom Boom's shoulder…
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The box opens with a subtle click, revealing a key made of smooth crystal and blue-tinged metal. Whispers and fragments of incomprehensible visions surround the unusual key, creating a telepathic cacophony of jumbled thoughts and emotions.
When Sun Fire Boom Boom takes the key from the box, they can feel jumbled thoughts and emotions. Applying a conscious effort of will, attempting to sort through the emotions, could tell more.
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Alaric grasps the key, feeling a sudden instrusion into his mind. He quickly tries to set up mental protections and barriers. Years of practice having worked with devils.
He quickly drops the key as his hand shakes in fright. "There is not much on this world that can make it past my mental protections....and that did it in an instant."
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An emaciated figure, dressed in typical farmer's clothes, stands in a pasture.
A small farm with about a dozen head of cattle are behind him. Each cow is marked with the symbol of a broken crown.
The man slowly ascends a hill, leaving the pen where his cattle are without closing the gate behind him.
He stumbles, disoriented, while the animals wander off to their enclosure.
Alaric is Stupefied 1 for 24 hours
Jaqard quickly catches the key as it slips through Alaric's fingers, noting an expression of pain wash over the man's features. He takes a second to quiet his mind, only to get a sense that the crystal key has gone dormant.
Evni looks at Jaqard, then to Alaric. "Well? What happened? I'm dying to know!"
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Alaric mutters. "I had a bit of a vision." He bgins to stumble the words out as best as he can, trying to rmember all he saw before it leaves his memory.
"An emaciated figure, dressed in typical farmer's clothes, stands in a pasture."
"A small farm with about a dozen head of cattle are behind him. Each cow is marked with the symbol of a broken crown."
"The man slowly ascends a hill, leaving the pen where his cattle are without closing the gate behind him."
"He stumbles, disoriented, while the animals wander off to their enclosure."
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"No, not Aroden," Ziri says, though his tone isn't one of complete certainty. The half-orc strokes his chin, thinking. "Cattle branded with a broken crown. I'd guess that's the farm belonging to Kistur Radu. He's a reclusive man, and doesn't make the trip to Ardis often. Only when he needs some supplies or wants to sell meat. He's not too far though. Only a days travel north of here if you follow the road."
"Is a cow ever just a cow!?"
"I was hoping for a weird interpretation, for example, how the dream seems to suggest that the farmer is struggling and that his livestock is not being properly cared for. The broken crown symbol on the cows may suggest his loss of authority or control over his demesne. The fact that the farmer is disoriented and does not properly close the gate could symbolize carelessness."
"Not that I've ever dreamed, mind you."
"I am ready for a wagon ride into the backwater of civilization."
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"Your guess about the range is as good as mine," Evni says, replying to Alaric. "All we know, still, is that the key is not of
this world, acts as a sort of receiver, and prolonged contact with it without protective shielding causes headaches, memory loss, and other disturbances. Which you know firsthand now, I'd say."
"We think the key can focus the communication with the alien, acting as a receiver for their telepathic abilities. But that doesn’t stop them from just shouting to see who else or what else is out there. Without the key, their cries are unfocused and can’t reach very far, but it seems they can
still influence people. Now that we’re so close to the source, the key might help us determine their location, but the psychic echoes may be stronger, so be ready."
"As to the Ardis Scholars themselves," she continues, now looking at Jaqard. That's another gap in our knowledge. I can tell you that Pathfinders investigating the causes of an undead uprising in the Sothis Lodge encountered them in a place they called the Tomb Between Worlds. The Scholars were tricked by their mysterious benefactor and perished, leaving only a silver amulet with their motto engraved on it to speak of their intentions: 'To Learn, To Understand, To Embrace'. Which, at least, sounds a little like our motto. So I'm expecting that they'll be sympathetic, and you'll know them when you see them."
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With Evni's help you secure a horse-drawn wagon for your journey. Alaric drives while Sun Fire Boom Boom, Jaqard, and Doctor Talos sit in back. It's a slow-going journey that takes the better part of the day. The sun is reaching the horizon when you reach the farm. It is immediately familiar to Alaric.
A simple rectangular dwelling faces a small hill to the northwest. A fenced area attached to the home keeps in a few heads of cattle, each bearing a mark of a broken crown. The sound of a grindstone grating against metal comes from a small shed on the opposite side.
Moments later a man steps out from the shed, dressed as a farmer and showing signs of exhaustion. Alaric recognizes the man. He holds a cleaver in a white-knuckled hand.
His eyes dart back and forth, suspicion evident in his gaze. When he spots the group of Pathfinders he sucks in his breath, clearly working to calm himself. "I'm Kistur Radu. Care to explain why you are trespassing on my farm?"
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"I am Alaric, I will let the others introduce themselves. We came across a strange device that led us this way I'm afraid." Alaric begins his small inquisition into the matter as he makes his Hellknight insignia known. "We saw a vision of you in a bit of trouble and disoriented. Have you been having any issues? Sleeping or perhaps memory loss?"
Talos knows these country folk love to protect their land. Thus, he turns his masklike face to the farmer, forming a rictus grin of sorts. He waves.
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Kistur stares daggers at the hellknight, then spares a quick glance at the unsettling android behind him. Then he cocks his head, spits, and says, "Right, I don't want to talk to you lot either."
"Listen, I don't know nothing about nothing. But if you're looking for signs of weirdness then have a gander at Ardis Manor. It's abandoned, or that's the rumour. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for there. On that fancy cart of yours I expect you're looking at a day's journey."
He proceeds to give you directions to the manor, which involves some backtracking along the route you took before heading turning west.
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A brief silence fills the air after Sun Fire Boom Boom finishes their limerick. Kistur looks stunned.
Then he bursts out laughing. He bends over, slapping his knee. "Oh wow, that's not at all what I expected!"
It takes him several moments for Kistur to regain composure. When he does, he shares more than before. "Ok, so maybe I know a thing or two about a vision as well. Mine was of the inside of a dark room, lit by flashes of electricity. There was a tall woman in her fifties speaking, her tone calm and caring. She approaches some alien, careful to avoid contact with the electrical current running some mesh surrounding its enclosure. It looked to me like she wanted to help. She offers an empty glass syringe fitted with a short needle ending in a rounded tip. Light moved toward the syringe, making it glow, while electricity shot around her. The glow remained in the syringe, and a smile appears on the doctor's face. And just before it ends there's a view of Ardis Manor."
"I've been thinking about it for a while, and I can't shake the feeling that whatever the alien is, it's taking advantage of the woman. That ain't right. It's wrong. And that needs to be dealt with."
Using different skills you can ask probing questions to piece together more information based off what Kistur recounted.
Talos taps his manicured fingers against the lacquered wood of the coach. "I don't understand much of this, but this doctor seems foolish."
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"Maybe," Kistur replies. He doesn't seem all that sure though.
With a new destination available to them, the Pathfinders set out towards Ardis Manor. It's not long before they need to rest for the night, setting camp just off the road. It takes another full day for the cart to reach the manor, but the group spies it as the sun's last rays are on the horizon.
An overgrown path winds up the hillside, leading to an imposing manor that towers over the landscape. At the path’s end, two curved staircases lead to a patio, gray with age and sagging with disrepair. Underneath the patio, a patchwork of wooden posts supports the structure’s weakest points, preventing it from collapsing. Most of the windows are boarded up, but cold light flickers through the heavy curtains on the top floor.
You all notice that all door and window frames have steel rods embedded in the wood. It's a strange feature, but these highly conductive metal rods could fill each opening with arcs of electricity meant to stun and deter assailants.
Talos skulks about, approaching and hoping his preternatural danger sense alerts him to any traps. He looks under the porch to see if there's a piece of wood he might procure, and use to push open the front door.
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Talos moves up the steps, skulking about and watching for any dangers. Alaric follows behind him, surprising the others has he hurls his mace at the door. Jaqard and Sun Fire Boom Boom move to the base of the stairs.
The group waits, listening for any signs of movement. Collectively, the group is confident that no one made any movements.
There is a door nearby, which Talos checks and finds contains no traps.