Each of you has received a summons to the Grand Lodge in Absalom. Details were scarce - a sadly all too common situation - though the letter did mention there was a task in Osirion needing Pathfinder agents' attention. Now at the Lodge you wait for Ambrus Valsin to be read to greet and brief you...
|
"Indeed," says Liam.
He's a human of around average height, perhaps a little strongly built. He has a dusty traveling cloak over his backpack, and an unadorned steel shield.
Of note more than the man himself are his weapon--which is not quite a traditional gnomish flickmace but also not dissimilar--and his armor. Constructed of mismatched pieces of metal, it has more than the usual number of levers and knobs. If one listens closely, it makes odd noises even when he is still, and occasionally emits a burst of steam.
"In my experience there's always some kind of trouble at this place. Although I suppose I've only been here when called for that very reason, so that may not be fair."
|
"As long as you're not waiting on me," says a human woman coming up close behind Quickblade. A bit out of breath, she sketches a bow before introducing herself. "Erryn Canmore. I'm to be your medic, I believe." She smiles, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes.
She wears a simple but sturdy looking longcoat, gloves, and a bewildering array of medicinal tools and vials. At her side is a rapier, adorned with a charm that resembles a lotus flower.
"It seems we are assembled then."
A wizened old man walks in behind Erryn. He leans on a wooden staff as he walks, perhaps age finally getting the better of his joints.
"I am Ezran, practitioner of the mystic arts. A skill that will no doubt be of use if we are truly set to travel to the ancient land of the pharaohs!"
He offers Erryn a kindly smile and nods to the other gathered agents
Just as Ezran trundles in, the door to the office swings open and a large and muscled mustachioed man looks out from the entryway. "Ah! You're all here! Great! Come in, we had best hit the ground running!"
He heads back into the room. As you follow him in you see several notes and documents lying scattered about an imposing desk, seemingly in an ordered disarray with several stacks of notes about ancient Osirion manuscripts in one pile, a set of sketches of Osiriani relics in one corner, and so forth. A large map is spread out underneath the clutter, and Ambrus Valsin pushes a pile of notes aside of a section as he continues.
"There’s a matter in Osirion, at the Sothis lodge, that requires great care on the Society’s end. You have all proven yourselves worthy agents and I thought this might be a good opportunity to put your skills to use. Now, the first thing you should be aware of with this mission is that—”
Suddenly, the entire Skyreach Tower is rocked and the floors shake from what sounds like an enormous explosion. Valsin's eyes go wide and he moves quickly to race back out the door me just waved you in from. "Sweet Barelybrew! All of you, come with me!"
Out in the hall Valsin looks up and down the hall, where he and you can see many other Pahtfinders looking surprised and focused. Peering out a window across the way you can see large flames dancing through the sky coming from a shattered window on one of the tower's higher levels! A loud, melodic tone rings out from Ambrus’s wayfinder. He takes a moment to open its cover and then puts it away with a grim look. “Pathfinders, Osirion will have to wait. The Grand Lodge is under attack! I need you to head up to that room,” Ambrus commands, pointing at the shattered, fiery window above, “and see what in the Hells is going on. I’ll try to assess things here on the ground floor and get everyone to safety. Be careful. We've had attacks recently on lodges across the Inner Sea. If this is connected, whoever's doing it's getting far bolder. If you find any intruders, try to take some alive, see what they know! I’m counting on you all!"
|
|
"Aye... I just be hopin them flames be not from the Hells themselves. The last time I met with hellfire I be not enjoying the experience." mutters the dwarf.
He checks his shield is secure, draws his hammer and cries "Follow me!" before heading off at an easy dwarf-pace, making it more than likely that without a head start, it would be him following the rest of the group.
Khaul and Liam lead the way as the five of you race down the hall and towards the stairs. As you run, you pass many other Pathfinders also starting to shake off their initial shock. A few are also moving to grab up arms, while many others are instead ensuring other doors and rooms are locked and secured, treating colleagues who suffered minor cuts and scrapes from the tremor, and working to help evacuate scribes and visitors.
Ascending the stairwell several floors, the five of you go up the last set of steps and see a long hall spread out ahead of you. This section of Skyreach has several pillers decorated with mosaics of past Pathfinder expeditions lining the center of the space, while chambers to either side contain open areas covered in soft mats for meditation. Another stairwell also coming up from below from another section of the tower is just a bit to your left, while at the far end of the hall there is yet another set of stairs leading further up to higher floors.
Of course what draws the eye more than any of that is the fact that you're not alone here. Ahead of you you see four humanoid figures, all dressed in inky-purply-black leather and with sets of swords drawn and in hand. All four have stark-white hair and eyes and light grey skin, on whihc you can make out even from a distance various recent cuts, burns and bruises.
As you emerge from the stairwell and take in them, they seem equally startled. 'Finders! one yells and points at you with an outstrecthed hand while another sighs in response. Can see that Inva. Well, Plan B it is then.
With nods to each other, two of the figures move swiftly forwards towards your group. Each raises and thwips out a dagger as they approach - one at Liam and the other towards Khaul. Frowning as each blade *clinks* against your armor they then move backwards, one around a corner into a side room where she is temporarily blocked from your sight.
for
for
Initiative
Erryn
Quickblade
Ezran runs after the pathfinders, struggling to catch his breath. He pulls up short as he catches sight of the intruders. Before he can cry out, he watches Quickblade spring forth, already blade drawn and, on the enemy, before he can react.
Ezran cannot help but take note Quick as lightning! Such speed and skill are a valuable assets.
|
|
Her training taking over, Erryn draws her rapier immediately before running after the others. The sudden (but not unexpected) appearance of the enemy brings Erryn skidding to a halt, and she conjures a protective shield into place even as she hurls a wave of negative energy as a follow-up to Quickblade's feinting attack.
While 'Quickblade''s strike is easily dodge, Erryn's blast of negative energy visibly causes the closest attacker to wince.
One of the other figures races around the ranger and strikes out twice quickly with its shortsword in his left hand. His aim seem poor however, as even flat-footed Qucikblade easily avoids both cuts.
for plus
for plus
Initiative
Khaul
Khaul's mighty blow elicits a string of what sounds like cursing in a strange language from his target. She responds in turn with a flurry of strikes but the dwarf's armor and shield hold firm.
for plus
for plus
for plus
Initiative
Liam
Ezran
Ezran's hands are a blur of motion. Energy swirls about his fingers as he utters words of arcane power. He currls his hands, then throws them at one of the intruders, sending three globes of glowing light energy into the foe.
|
|
Liam notes that Quickblade and Khaul have been surrounded, and considers trying to draw some of the foes away from them. But then, surrounding the closest foe and taking them out is also a solution.
He steps forward, fiddling with the dials on his armor to get all of the different gadgets working in concert. He then swings his arm, snapping the head of his mace towards and enemy just as badly surrounded as his allies are.
Liam and Ezran each assault the nearest attacker in their own way. And one of them does it successfully this go-round!
As the sound of combat echoes around the hall, at the oppostie end of the room you see two more pale intruders hustling down from above at the staris at the end of the hall. The lead one of those two quickly surveys the scene and mutters in a strange tongue :
- Glare! Guards. Keep a path clear, we need to get below!
In response, one of the figures by quickblade slashes with three quick cuts against the flat-footed ranger. They draw blood at first, but a flash of Kraul's divine protection tempers the blow and the weight of judgement on the enemy causes their next two swings to be just slow enough to dodge.
for plus
for plus
for plus
while the vanished intruder races back out into the hall and hurls a dagger that lodges into Liam's arm. She hisses deeply in Common Run, now. While the cuts are shallow.
for
It's surprisingly demoralizing to him.
Initiative
Erryn
Quickblade 5 damage
Quickblade backs up his nickname! Red blood is now trailing down his target, who seems visably shaken and concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation.
initiative
Erryn
The figure surrounded by Kraul and Quickblade glances at them, looks at Erryn, and then opens both of their fists. Their weapons clang down down the ground as they crouch down and place their hands behind their head.
One of their fellows barks out in response at the captiulating invader Narius!
He then turns to Khaul and snarls. Doesn’t matter. We still have the numbers. And that can you’re in won’t protect you forever!
for plus
for plus
His words don’t land, but one of his cuts does - deeply!
Meanwhile one of the two new arrivals moves through the hall with purpose. Hugging close to the wall, he strides quickly past Quickblade as he goes to the stairwells leading back below.
Initiative
Khaul 24 damage
|
|
"Ooff" grunts Khaul as the blade slips between vulnerable plates in his armour.
"It'll protect me just long enough laddie. It'll do." he retorts.
Keeping his shield up, the champion of Torag swings again at the intruder in yellow. "Yer can dish it out, but can ye take it?" he asks.
*raise shield
* strike
* strike.
Khaul's hammer lands a forceful blow against the pale target. He now looks very shaken himself even as he dodges the second of the champion's swings.
While this is happening, the second new arrival very much follows the path of the first - sprinting quickly down the hall and towards the far stairwell as the female figure close to Khaul tries to jab the dwarf while he's distracted. It almost works, but Kahul manages to bring his shield to bear to just deflect the middle slash.
for plus
for plus
for plus
Initiative
Liam 4 damage, frightened 1
Ezran
Ezran raises a brow as he recognizes the uncommon tongue of the intruders.
"Pathfinders! I know not these brgand's purpose here but they reveal themselves. They seek something below. Do not allow them passage!"
Ezran steps to his left and once again send his hands into furious motion as his voice raises to shout the incantations of his arcane training. He splays his hands at the group of newcomers. Flames erupt from his hands engulfing the trio.
Liam tries to talk reason to the injured intruder, but his voice wavers and doesn't sound very convincing to anyone. Meanwhile Ezran unleashes a torrent of flame! A couple of the assailants dodge away from the worst of it but one is quite badly singed.
Annoyed, a slightly scorched pale figure advances up towards the wizard. Drawing out their shortsword he slashes out at the mage.
for
but there must be some lingering heat haze in the air as his swing misses quite wide.
Initiative
Erryn
Quickblade 5 damage
Ezran jolts as the intruder lunges for him.
"Villan!"
As Erryn quickly restores all of the damage inflicted by Khauls' recent deep cut, Quickblade steps forward and quickly shows one of the intruders why ignoring Liams' pleas was a bad idea. He drops, while behind the ranger Liam and Ezran see one of the other figures continue his path and slip by and away down the stairwell.
Initiative
Khaul
|
|
Keeping his shield up, Khaul glances over his shoulder with some concern as he notes the intruders slipping past him and into the rest of the group.
"I can hold these two Quickblade, go and help the others."
The dwarf then swings at the intruder in the swish purple shirt.
"By Torag, you will NOT get past me."
With shiled up, Khaul delivers and incredible swing against one of the remaining fighting enemies, causing him to slump down instantly from the force of the blow.
Seeing this, the wounded late arrival flees at Khaul's approach away and down the stairwell, while the one last intruder by Ezran tightens his grip on his blade.
Initiative
Liam 4 damage
Ezran
Ezran looks to his left, taking comfort that Liam and Khaul are there to help defend him against the mysterious foe. Cautious of his surroundings, he takes a careful step away from his attacker then sends an arc of lightning into the cad!
A much better showing indeed as Liam clobbers the man with his mace. Ezran's spell is sadly less effective this time as he manages to leap out of the way of every last spark.
Looking around and seeing the rest of his allies in the hall either down or surrendered, the last man standing gives two quick strikes against Khaul's well-armored form before retreating slightly into a corner to try and protect his back.
for
for
Initiative
Erryn, shielded
Quickblade 5 damage
Khaul
Liam 4 damage
Ezran
Ezran's face scrunches up in annoyance as the intruder doges his spell.
"Hmph. Let's see you do that again brigand!"
Electric arc cast at Red Intruder
Save DC 19
Critical Success You take no damage from the spell.
Success You take half the listed damage from the effect.
Failure You take the full damage listed from the effect.
Critical Failure You take double the listed damage from the effect.
This final figure proves surprisingly durable, dodging three physical strikes in a row while gritting down and resisting the worst of the magics assaulting him.
Khaul advances and hammers at the enemy before raising his shield.
for
Kahul's blow manages to finally get throguh the last intruder's defenses, and whith a thud drops the man.
Just moments later yet another figure with pale white hair runs up from the stairs, this time the ones you all came from. But this one is actually someone you recognize - Sorrina Westyr, the Society's Master of Spells!
Out of breath, the oread looks around at you five, the bodies strewn about the hall, and the cowering and surrendered still-conscious intruder sitting against one of the room's pillars. Pathfinders! Are you all right? Who's this, who are these, what's happened?
Her eyes go wider as she sees several of you bleeding, and Sorrina starts channeling divine magic at Liam and Quickblade as she waits for your response.
”Master Westyr! We are under attack! These intruders are but part of their invasion force. We did out best, but several of the intruders escaped and headed below. They are after something and we should waste no time and pursue!”
Ezran breathe heavily as he gives his report to Westyr.