Aerin follows Yellow and clangs the flat side of his falchion against Yellow's head. He tries again, but sadly misses. Yellow doesn't look good anymore, but there's still fight in him.
Inspire Defense (+1 AC/saves, resistance 1), round 2/3
Manny 46/74 HP, prone, wounded 1
Yellow 58 damage
Inspire Defense round 3
Othello 89/99 HP
Atae 54/69 HP
Zabu 110/135 HP
Purple, Enfeebled 1
Blue, 43 damage, 1d6 persistent bleed, grabbed, Mirror Image (3 images)
Aerin 39/61 HP
Manny is up! Manny, I'll say you still have your whip in your hand. No need to waste an action grabbing it again.
Manny fumbles his whip again, and Purple's whip flies out to make use of the situation. Luckily, it barely misses Manny's face.
It's now Yellow's turn again, and he grins at Manny. He Steps away, makes a "you're next" motion towards him, then attacks Zabu in a flank.
Inspire Defense (+1 AC/saves, resistance 1), round 3/3
Manny 46/74 HP, prone, wounded 1
Yellow 58 damage
Inspire Defense round 3
Othello 89/99 HP
Atae 54/69 HP
Zabu 94/135 HP
Purple, Enfeebled 1
Blue, 43 damage, 1d6 persistent bleed, grabbed, Mirror Image (3 images)
Aerin 39/61 HP
Othello, Atae, and Zabu are up!
Othello moves up and slashes at Yellow twice. The second hit connects and Yellow goes down!
Zabu releases Blue and now jumps on Purple. He manages to grapple Purple and even restrains him! Sadly, his other attacks miss.
Purple is suddenly grabbed and can't move anymore. He tries to squirm out of Zabu's grasp, but Zabu's got hold of him and won't let go.
Blue casts another True Strike and makes use of the flank provided by Purple.
The whip lashes out once more, but misses.
Blue then bleeds some more.
Manny 46/74 HP, wounded 1
Othello 89/99 HP
Atae 54/69 HP
Zabu 87/135 HP
Purple, restrained
Blue, 45 damage, 1d6 persistent bleed, Mirror Image (3 images), enfeebled 1
Aerin 39/61 HP
Everyone may act!
Blue resists the quip, then gets an instant headache from the spell.
Manny 46/74 HP, wounded 1
Othello 89/99 HP
Atae 54/69 HP
Zabu 87/135 HP
Purple, restrained
Blue, 47 damage, 1d6 persistent bleed, Mirror Image (3 images), enfeebled 1
Aerin 39/61 HP
Everyone may act!
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Manny sticks out his tongue at the Yellow assassin. "I guess you were next, huh?"
Manny Strides until he can flank the Purple guard with Zabu.
Listening to Zabu's wisecrack gives him some inspiration. "Bad day for you, but great for us! We're invincible!" He Inspires Courage among his friends. And by we he means everyone else.
Zabu, Manny, and Aerin pile onto the poor helpless Purple. Zabu crits once and his second claw attack hits as well. Emmanuel boosts the team and gives Purple a taste of his own medicine, and finally Aerin manages to knock him out with nonlethal force.
You tend to your wounds and wake up Dhrami. She looks around at the carnage of her home and pales. "Oh- oh my. These brutes suddenly burst into my home and knocked me out. Thank you for your timely arrival, Pathfinders, or they would've robbed me blind. Please call the guard so they can take care of these miscreants and we'll resume our regular business."
She dusts herself off and removes some creases from her dress, still clearly shaken by the whole ordeal.
You look through your enemies' belongings. They're not wearing anything worth looting, but you do find a leather pouch with a Crafter's Eyepiece, an Emerald Grasshopper, and a necklace that's worth some money.
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Apparently not aware that he's got other people's blood on his face and hands, Zabu moves to comfort Dhrami.
"Just good luck that we got here before they could do anything more nefarious," he says, reaching out to grasp her hand and pat it.
"It was a pleasure to aid such a lovely, elegant lady. And don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of some way to thank me...us later."
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"Well, that's not exactly how I expected to meet you." Manny wipes his hands on one of the robber's shirts and glamours his armor a few times. "I'm Emmanuel Holysmith. You can call me Manny." He tries to help her up, if she's willing. Sometimes the elites have a problem with being approached. "Do you know if these thieves were after something?"
"We had come here from the Pathfinder Society to help you. We've heard of a series of robberies at the museum." Manny flips one of the chairs upright. "Maybe these thieves are looking for something. It would explain why the curator hasn't been able to track the losses down."
Manny wants to put the idea in her head that this robbery is related to the disappearances at the museum.
But it's clear he has an ulterior motive...
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Hearing Zabu flirt with the lady, she flashes him a grin so stern and then turns away. She moves up to Manny and in an instant her demeanor changes Manny, you were so brave to take those assassins on the way that you did, here, let me make you feel better, and maybe later, I can show you how to really use the whip, kissing him on the cheek and bandging him up
medicine
healing
Dhrami takes Manny's hand graciously and accepts his help getting up. "No, those thugs didn't have the grace to introduce themselves before knocking me out, I'm afraid. The museum's a constant headache, but Nigel doesn't take his work home with him, both literally and figuratively. If they wanted something from the museum, I have no idea why they'd be snooping around here."
Dhrami is unsure what to do with Zabu. "Er, yes, I guess I'll fetch you some sandwiches later on if you're hungry. The staff is gone, but I can see if I have anything left."
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"Well, normally I don't perform this badly. Uh, with my whip. Uh, my weapon." Manny blushes as Atae gives him some advice and relaxation.
He snaps back to Dhrami "Well, if you get any information on why they were here, we'd love to hear it. We really want to help find out what's happening to the museum."
Once that's done, Manny looks for the town guard so he can warn them of what happened and arrest the attackers.
"I think we should visit the museum, then. Maybe we can catch them in the middle of their attack."
"No, as I said, I'm as surprised as you are that these fiends are here. My family's rich, but we don't keep much of value here, to be honest."
You see several rugs and art pieces that could be worth a lot, but indeed fewer than you'd expect from a high-class family house.
She turns to Aerin. "No, I think you arrived just as I got knocked out, they don't seem to have taken anything yet."
If you search them, you find they all carry nonmagical whips and saps, a leather armour, and two lesser smokesticks each. You'd expect robbers of this calibre to be packing at least magical weapons.
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"Yeah...didn't someone keep one alive?" Zabu asks.
He grins at Atae. "You're cute when your jealous, but right now, can you wake the one that's still alive up enough so that I can make him wish he was dead?"
He slips a mask over the top half of his face that looks like a demonic version of his more feline features.
"Hold your pants, Manny. This'll only take a couple minutes. And, despite what you might tell Atae, 2 minutes is not a long time."
He's staring the robber in the face from a few inches away when he awakens, a fierce grin on his own features.
"Remember me, punk? I'm the one who shredded your pals like they were made out of straw and cotton. Now, unless you want to go through the rest of life missing a hand or two, you're going to tell me why you're here and who sent you."
The remaining thug turns from pale grey to almost pure white at Zabu's threats and looks at his dead comrades, but then steels his mind and decides his honour (or what's left of it) is more important to him than his life. He spits in Zabu's face and refuses to say anything.
Othello talks some sense into the attacker. He finally opens up. "I dunno what you want. We're just burglars. Fancy lady has a fancy house, we didn't see any servants around, thought it'd be an easy mark. Then you show up and cave our heads in. That's all."
Despite his words, he keeps glancing at Dhrami, as if he's expecting something from her.
Then Atae tries to persuade him through magic.
His eyes go cloudy for a moment, then he shakes his head and clears it of obtrusive thoughts. "Look lady, I don't know what your deal is, but it seems like you've got something going on with that fancy man and that short guy, and I don't want to become part of that."
You leave Dhrami and promise to come back soon to finish your inquiry. As a thank-you for saving her, she gives you two Lesser Healing Potions (the 2d8+5 kind), and a Wand of Heal.
You hurry to the Blakros Museum. Aside from the crowded streets, crowing town criers, and occasional panhandlers, the journey from the townhouse to the museum lacks the diversions that preceded your trip to the townhouse.
An imposing, multistory building with an exterior that seems crafted almost entirely from one massive chunk of volcanic rock stands at the end of a stone path flanked by large flower gardens. An ambitious decorator seems to have attempted to make the exterior brighter with the addition of colored banners and the beginnings of a mural near the front doors.
Everything seems to be in order. Guests are walking in and out of the museum, guards are at their usual stations, and nothing seems to be on fire, attacking the guests, or be walking around that shouldn't be capable of walking around. For the first time in a long while, the museum seems... normal.
You ask to see the curator, Nigel Aldain, and someone goes to fetch him. After ten minutes, a visibly annoyed elf in a fancy suit arrives. He runs a hand through his hair, smooths it flat, then addresses you. "What in the nine hells is going on? I'm busy conducting very important research and you call me here out of the blue? This better be important, or I'll have you banned from this museum for life. And your progeny as well, for that matter."
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Manny calls the guards, gladly takes the gifts. He hands the wand to Atae. "I think you're the only one who can use this." Not a gift.
As they approach the museum, Manny dresses down a bit. Not as fancy. Still lookin' good. Manny almost reaches for his whip on instinct but... nothing's wrong?
I don't believe it... not a single problem?
The Blakros Museum is actually in normal use. He can't believe it.
And Nigel is his normally upbeat self. Time to turn on the charm.
"Good to see you too, curator." He pulls out the wax-sealed document that dwarven thief almost ran off with. "We're... under orders to look around. Check inventory. You know, no biggie."
He hands the scroll over. "Maybe we can go somewhere a bit more quiet?"
Shylye, tell me if this is a trap. Is Nigel on edge, or is this a demon in disguise, or is he always this irritable?
Manny and Aerin both get the feeling Nigel's annoyance is more than just being disturbed in his work and general grumpiness. He's certainly busy, but the coldness in his voice feels goes much deeper than that, though you don't know why.
He takes the letter out of Manny's hands. "Yes, I've heard something like this was the case. Let me see..."
“Hmm.” Nigel smooths out his tunic and straightens his spectacles as he considers the information provided.
“I really don’t have the time for all of this, but I suppose the matter is out of my hands. I will of course cooperate, and I believe we can handle this matter in a straightforward manner. Allow me to show you a few of our exhibits, some details about the design of this museum, and my financial records. After that, I will guide you to the vault downstairs and we can hopefully conclude matters quickly, yes?"
He starts walking, expecting you to follow. Despite the coldness, he clearly shows pride towards the museum and highlights several pieces as he goes along. It is also immediately clear that the dimensions of the museum on the inside do not match up with those on the outside. While the building is pretty impressive, it's even bigger once you are inside.
Nigel Aldain
Discovery skills: Academia Lore, Pathfinder Society Lore, Society, Arcana, Perception (other skills are permitted, but will use a higher DC. Lore skill DCs are lower than other skills.)
Influence skills: ???
Resistances: ???
Weaknesses: ???
Nigel gives a tour of the museum and keeps a brisk pace, not really caring whether you can keep up or not. "The Blakros Museum was the former stronghold of a mad astrologer and wizard named Ralzeros the Overwatched in the early history of Absalom. The mage constructed the building from a solid block of volcanic stone with the aid of dark, alien powers. After his disappearance, the building was eventually bought by the Blakroses, and now I'm the humble curator of this place. I can't say it's always been easy, but I'm proud of what I've done so far."
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The only thing more boring than a museum is a library and Zabu is extremely disappointed that this museum that is famous for things going entertainingly wrong is operating normally.
With nothing else really to do, he watches Nigel closely as the man talks, perhaps accidentally figuring out what he cares about.
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Othello has never really been interested in the collections of memorabilia. The future is more important to him.
"Is there a chance for redemption for this person?" Othello thinks to himself. "Perhaps getting him to talk about it will show the path."
"The collection of so many important objet d'art must affect you so much. How has it affected you?"
Nigel Aldain looks happy as Aerin, Othello, and Manny praise his collection. "Yes, this museum more or less chronicles the history of Golarion itself. It's not just a repository for history, but I also encourage people to interact with history. There are several workshops and lectures being held every single day about a variety of subjects. A bit too interactive, sometimes..." He winces as he recalls memories of several mishaps.
"Anyway, yes, it has certainly affected me. I used to be a Pathfinder, but I wanted a less volatile job. My stress levels have gone down considerably, apart from those obvious incidents, and I'm enjoying my quiet life a lot more now."
Aerin, Atae, and Manny find out that good skills to use on him are Architecture Lore (to point out how well the museum is maintained), Intimidation (to remind Nigel of potential repercussions of a negative report), and Arcana (to talk about the magical nature of the museum and its contents). More can be discovered, but this is all you get.
Othello talks with Nigel and he is receptive to his words, but doesn't really manage to poke through his stiff demeanor.
Zabu finds out that relating yourself to Nigel in some way makes him drop his guard. It reminds him that he used to be a Pathfinder as well, and that you're only doing your job.
Nigel Aldain
Discovery skills: Academia Lore, Pathfinder Society Lore, Society, Arcana, Perception (other skills are permitted, but will use a higher DC. Lore skill DCs are lower than other skills.)
Influence skills: Architecture Lore, Intimidation, Arcana
Resistances: ???
Weaknesses: Relating to Nigel
"I'll start the tour proper with a perhaps the most sensitive matter," Nigel says as he leads you to a display case. "The deck of many things. Or at least, an excellent copy crafted by my wife Dhrami. The real thing's locked away safely of course, but though it's a crowd-pleaser, even I must admit it's risky to have on the premises. The staff member who found it accidentally drew the Dullard card, which reduced his intellect drastically. He then drew another card, Ruin, which caused him to lose all his wealth and property. The poor fellow had devoted his life to the pursuit of knowledge. We're doing our best to reverse the effects and will ensure that the deck of many things remains secure in our vault."
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"Well, you know how it is being a Pathfinder. They're surprisingly forgiving of failure, but you also know that there is always some serious repercussions to failure. I figure you don't want Pathfinders poking around in your business more than you feel comfortable with, so help us out so we can help you out. Or don't and see what the Decemvirate does," Zabu says.
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"A deck of many things, huh..." Manny peers at the cards. Beautifully handmade. "I've heard so many rumors about them. I hope your friend is able to make the best of it. I mean, you've dealt with a lot of danger as a Pathfinder, and now look at you!"
Manny focuses on Nigel's Resistances. What doesn't he like to hear?