Within depths of the Mwangi Expanse, Pathfinder Society leaders ensure that Society members are fully prepared for the expedition ahead.
|
"Achurius, at your service," he says with a quaver in his voice.
A decent sense motive check should allow anyone to tell that he is trying to act confident and competent in spite of his lack of experience.
He is a middle aged elf, though, as with most elves, that is not immediately apparent.
He is dressed in worn and comfortable clothes and about the only weapon you can see is a staff with the emblem of Nethys on the head of it.
|
Ronnie walks in, in a full suit of armor. His steps seem a bit more bouncy than they need to be and so his armor is likewise making more noise than it needs to. His checks are a nice bright shade of red, and he is smiling from ear to ear. A mace also dangles at his side.
"Achurius! This armor is new! I just got it. Isn't it shiney? I am much more durable now and can help many more people, yes?"
|
"Hmm. Taldor, and... Kyonnin?" A gnome with short, dark hair and well-kept, but comfortable clothes in shades of browns and blues sits on a nearby stump and looks up from her notepad expectantly. "Did I get that right? Accents and dialects are so fascinating - I'm always seeing if I can place someone by how they speak. Oh, right, manners." She tucks her pencil into her hair and holds out a small hand. "Arglwyddes. It's actually Arglwyddesgydagenwhirfellymae'nrhaideifodynbwysig, but most folks handle that as well as a baby handles a cow. Could I get your names, and your favorite curse or swear?" The pencil is back in her hand, held ready over the notepad.
|
|
Lounging comfortably on some cushions Archurius responds politely, "Curse? I prefer blessings. How about 'By the power of Nethys'? As for where I am from, Absalom. Unlike many elves I have not travelled much. Well, until recently, since I joined the society. So tell me, everyone, what kind of magic you practice."
Almost as an afterthought he adds, "Or, er, if you practice magic at all," as if it did not occur to him that someone might not practice magic.
|
|
A well-dressed elf enters the room, bowing deeply to the others, Litherian Greycloak, call me Lith. Achurius, is it, honored to meet one of the people out here. I have some small skill with magic, parlor tricks mostly. But I'm mostly here to gain the stories of others, and talk to different people. I've picked up a few things over the years, and generally had an okay time of it. But this is my first assignment for the Society, so I'm still trying to figure that out. the elf smiles easily and smoothly.
|
A well dressed goblin, looking nothing so much as a stereotypical professor, looks up from a book he appeared to be writing in.
"My name is Lohco. I am an academic of the occult first and foremost. As for my favorite curse..." Locho pauses for a moment and says something in another langaguge.
The word is complex and esoteric, representing a descendent worse off in every way to its original, a poor copy of something magestic. IE the goblin word for 'dog'.
"I am afraid I do not practice magic myself; I appear to be missing that...spark that gets it going. I am fairly knowledgeable in its effects however, even if I cannot use it myself."
A small army of Pathfinders, you among them, wade ashore as the the Society’s expedition makes landfall. Venture-Captains and society faction leaders--many of them familiar to you--immediately begin directing Pathfinders in the myriad tasks that need to be done...
______________
Pathfinders hurry around the makeshift camp, packing and unpacking supplies, making repairs, and scribing scrolls. The atmosphere is excited but tinged with some trepidation.
Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal from Nirmathas takes the lead, ensuring everyone has an assignment and is working on it. A religious symbol of Alseta—goddess of doorways, portals, thresholds, and transitions—hangs from her neck, showing two faces in profile.
Picture of Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal now on Slides.
There is much work to be done in preparation of the expedition. Venture-Captains Oraiah Tolal, Bjersig Torrsen, and Khoumrock Blackthane plan to accompany the Pathfinders on this mission, along with faction leaders Calisro Benarry of the Horizon Hunters, Fola Barun of the Envoy’s Alliance, Urwal of the Verdant Wheel, and Valais Durant of the Radiant Oath.
Descriptions of the tasks can be found on individual Slides.
You know that the Thorned Monarch is a fey. Being originally named Qxal, the Thorned Monarch sought to conquer Golarion before returning to usurp the First World from the Eldest. They poured much of their power into a demiplane to prepare for an attack on Golarion. Their symbol of rulership, the Perennial Crown, is an artifact that is the key to controlling the demiplane. It was only thanks to the efforts of heroes from the ancient empire of Bhopan, who managed t wrest the crown away from Qxal, that their attack was unable to proceed. The enraged Qxal destroyed most of the empire in fury, forcing its people to retreat to the island that still bears the empire’s name.
|
|
Arglwyddes pockets her notepad and hops down from her stump as the call to action is given. After introducing herself to each of the expedition organizers (and taking notes on their currently favorite or most-used curse), she gets to work.
"Now is that a spelling mistake, or do we really have 'gecko', 'gekko', and 'geko' potions?"
"Excellent - we will be sure to follow the instructions to the letter."
"This says it's a mountain, and while I do understand regional differences in what qualifies as a mountain, I believe that is the opposite of a mountain. I would identify it as a valley. Perhaps the map is upside down?"
"I don't know why someone asked me as a 'senior member' to give you a morale boost, given that this is also my first proper assignment with the Society."
"Perhaps I will handle the more intricate components and let someone else drag those ingots around?"
"You know, how we name and identify things really does make a difference in how we think about them. For example, some languages have one word for frozen precipitation while others have nearly forty, giving them much more clarity when discussing the topic..."
|
|
Litherian jumps in with gusto, trying to help out where he can, but understanding that as a jack of all trades, he's not going to be great at any of these, merely trying to help.
Reviewing Urwal's list, Litherian makes careful notes, thinking about the allocations to each party member, and carefully considering what the needs will be.
Looking at the magical practices happening for Fola, Litherian tries to help as best he knows. The elf knows a little, maybe enough to be dangerous, but is earnest in his attempts.
Reviewing the maps with Bjersig, the elf seems more confident in his abilities, carefully comparing the map to itself, and reviewing the senior Pathfinder's notes.
Surely, I'll go talk to people! Litherian crosses the yard, welcoming and shaking hands as he goes to make people feel more comfortable.
Approaching the smiths, the elf, skips to the top of the pile, helping to shuffle things into the appropriate piles to get sorted and reviewed by the smiths.
Finally he crosses to the pile of books being reviewed, and begins reading about the fey creatures and their society, lifestyle, and heirarchy.
The party impresses Urwal, who finds that the Society packed in excess for the potentially dangerous mission, and Fola Barun, whose team makes an abundance of materials and even has enough time to make some higher quality supplies.
Bjersig shares some early information and Khoumrock find the party to be helpful, though both could possibly use some more assistance.
However, Calisro and Valais are considering pulling in additional agents.
In addition to helping the faction leaders, there are also opportunities to help other agents prepare for the expedition ahead.
With a little extra help, Bjersig Torrson has now mapped the area thoroughly.
]maps (A, B, C, D, & F) for each encounter in Part 1.
Calisro is pleased to find that the neophyte Pathfinders are in much better spirits for the journey ahead and can lend a hand.
Alas, the party is not able to provide much help to Valais.
As you make preparations, a wizardly half-orc stops to offer some advice and foreknowledge...
Passing From: CamL
Passing to: Lysle
Aid Character's Name: Trilug Gerbul
Boosted? Boosted
Effect (includes boost if avail.): Gain the benefits of an automatic critical success on a check to Recall Knowledge.
Everyone gathers around a makeshift stage as the sun starts to slip below the horizon. Pathfinders whisper to each other in anticipation.
Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal addresses the group. “Pathfinders, our expedition begins tomorrow. We have a day’s travel to reach the site where we will find the Door of Seasons. The founders of our Society may have been unable to reach the realm that lies beyond this magical gateway, but we have something they lacked.” The Venture-Captain holds a verdant crown aloft. “This is the Perennial Crown, an artifact that will serve as the key to opening the door. I hope that Alseta will bless us as we find this doorway to a new place. From what we’ve been able to gather, there’s a demiplane on the other side. The demiplane and the crown alike are closely tied to the Thorned Monarch, Qxal, an evil fey who once terrorized this region. The Pathfinders who recovered this crown faced steep opposition from the Monarch, and I have no doubt they will defend the Door of Seasons even more fiercely. Be wary any fey you see along the way; they are likely to be working for Qxal. Stay in groups of four or more for safety and help each other. Make any final preparations that you require and get a good night’s sleep; your next few nights will be on the trail. We leave an hour after dawn.”
Day breaks, and the excitement around the camp is too high to allow any Pathfinder to oversleep. Agents perform morning rituals, eat breakfast, and take a final look through maps and plans. Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal gathers everyone together one last time. “I know that we’ve prepared well. We’re going to stop this Thorned Monarch. I have a small gift for each of you: a signal whistle with an engraving of the Perennial Crown. Use it to signal your fellow Pathfinders if you need help. And now, into the wilderness!”
______________
Picture of the Perennial Crown now on Slides.
True to her word, the Venture-Captain sees to it that you each receive a signal whistle. This whistle does not force other Pathfinders to come to your aid, but it just may get their attention when you are in dire need of it.
Rules for boosting and using Aid Tokens (and those currently available to the PCs) are on Slides.
The expedition begins quietly. An aasimar woman with violet marks on her face looks around.
“Urwal? Urwal, where have you gone? We’re setting off now. Urwal?” She jumps slightly as an iruxi man suddenly drops to the ground from the tree overhead. He begins talking without missing a beat.
“Pathfinders, watch your feet and know your plants and animals. The Thorned Monarch is wreaking havoc on the ecology of this area, and we don’t want to make it worse. Valais, aren’t you ready to go? We’re departing now.”
Valais Durant stares for a brief moment before replying. “Yes. Yes, I am ready. Pathfinders, we’re very close to the Door of Seasons now, and things are about to get dangerous. Watch each other’s backs and don’t be afraid to call for help.”
“Oh, good, you’ve made it this far,” says Valais Durant upon spying your arrival even as she patches up an injured Pathfinder. “All still in one piece? Glad to hear it. I think some of the newer recruits could use more help. I just spotted a team heading that way to help with charting the course, but they looked like they barely knew how to hold a map. Could you give them a hand?"
"The agents were last seen heading down that path, towards the river." Valais points toward a path cutting through the jungle.
Not too far along the path, the forest gives way to a meadow surrounding the sides of a rushing river. Here, across the river, the party spots a group of Pathfinders about to travel through a meadow of long grass to get the other side.
Map is now revealed on Slides.
Slide with the default marching order.
Achurius, Khyra, and Lohco are suddenly given pause as they realize how dangerous this is! The three Pathfinders recognize that the terrain has been magically disguised. At their insistence, it becomes clear to the party that what appears to be meadow is, in fact, a large patch of thorny brambles! The group must try to stop the befuddled Pathfinders.
|
|
“That’s a terrible idea to traverse that meadow. It’s not even a meadow - it’s full of hidden brambles. Come back and let’s find another way around it.” Arglwyddes appears to have been practicing speaking in warm, comforting tones - it barely even sounds strained this time (though her facial expressions are still rather flat).
"This is a fey trick, the terrain has been altered by the Thorned Monarches' magic!"
With the goblin's strong warning, the befuddled Pathfinders pause and agree to find a different path.
Once the recruits are relatively safe and Valais ahs been informed, the party continues on until they come across a stone structure.
“It’s just terrible,” grumbles Urwal, perched on top of the stone structure. [b]“Look at this!” He holds up a handful of freshly cut vines. “Yellow musk! What a thing to introduce into this environment. The Thorned Monarch will stop at nothing! Watch your claws. Or toes. Or fins.” He suddenly scampers away.
In trying to follow him the party comes to a deeper part of the woods.
Ronnie and Litherian spot an unusual plant made up of thick, green vines with numerous yellow flowers, as well as four humanoids with creeping tendrils bored through their brains.
SOME ENCHANTED PLANTS! - Round One Begins!
Ronnie
Litherian
Plant (green)
Humanoid (purple)
Archuris
Kyra
Humanoid (purple)
Humanoid (blue)
Locho
Arglwyddes
Humanoid (yellow)
Map for 2nd Assignment now up on Slides.
The flowering plant waves in the breeze for a moment as one of the humanoids lumbers forward.
As it moves, Ronnie strikes. The Pathfinder's flickmace finds its target. The humanoid creature lumbers around the tree until it is in a position to strike Ronnie!
When the creature's fist strikes, yellow pollen is released!
Ronnie is unaffected.
Then, from within the humanoid's form sprout a series of tendrils, reaching out to entangle the fighter.
SOME ENCHANTED PLANTS! - Round One Cont'd! (Humanoids Corrected)
Ronnie -5 HP
Litherian
Plant (green)
Humanoid (yellow) -7 HP
Archuris
Kyra
Humanoid (purple)
Humanoid (blue)
Locho
Arglwyddes
Humanoid (red)
Map for 2nd Assignment now up on Slides.
|
|
Achurius moves into prime blasting position and casts a cry of destruction on the pack of zombie-like creatures.
sonic damage to all the zombies.
Achurius moves into prime blasting position and casts a cry of destruction on the pack of zombie-like creatures.
SOME ENCHANTED PLANTS! - Round One Cont'd!
Ronnie -5 HP
Litherian
Plant (green)
Humanoid (yellow) -9 HP
Archuris
Kyra
Humanoid (purple) -4 HP
Humanoid (blue) -1 HP
Locho
Arglwyddes
Humanoid (red) -1 HP
Map for 2nd Assignment now up on Slides.
Khyra moves and tries to throw a fire ray to the plant (green).
The cleric's ray causes quite a flame on the plant.
Two of the humanoids
When the creatures' fists connect, yellow pollen is released!
fascinated, you must spend each of your actions to move closer to the plant (green) as expediently as possible, while avoiding obvious dangers. If you are adjacent to the plant (green), you stay still and don’t act.
Like the other, tendrils sprout out from the humanoids, threatening to entangle the Pathfinders.
Both avoid entangling.
The flowering plant slowly creeps forward through the brush.
SOME ENCHANTED PLANTS! - Round One Cont'd!
Ronnie -5 HP
Litherian
Humanoid (yellow) -9 HP
Archuris
Kyra
Humanoid (purple) -4 HP
Humanoid (blue) -1 HP
Plant (green) -10 HP
Locho
Arglwyddes
Humanoid (red) -1 HP
Map for 2nd Assignment now up on Slides.
|
|
“These don’t appear to have even the most rudimentary mental faculties, let alone enough intelligence to understand language as a concept,” Arglwyddes observes, “but that is simple enough to verify. You there! May your toes all fall off except for one to stub on a table!”
She then follows up her curse with a rock.
Khyra moves and tries to throw a fire ray to the plant (green).
“May your toes all fall off except for one to stub on a table!”
She then follows up her curse with a rock.
The rock hits, but the cursed creature does not appear to have been affected by the evil eye.
The goblin's dogslicer fails to penetrate the plant's thick cuticle.
One of the humanoids responds to the attack by pursuing the goblin.
When the creature's fists meets goblin flesh, yellow pollen is released!
Like the others, tendrils sprout out from the humanoid, threatening to entangle the Pathfinder.
You are each fascinated.
SOME ENCHANTED PLANTS! - Round Two Begins!
Ronnie -5 HP
Litherian
Humanoid (yellow) -9 HP
Archuris
Kyra
Humanoid (purple) -10 HP
Humanoid (blue) -1 HP
Plant (green) -10 HP
Locho -8 HP
Arglwyddes
Humanoid (red) -1 HP
Map for 2nd Assignment now up on Slides.