The Grand Lodge is always one of the busiest places in the busy city at the center of the world, but today the halls seems even more packed and chaotic than usual. Junior members of the Pathfinder Society and staff hurry back and forth across polished stone floors while senior agents sit in alcoves or retire to private chambers.
|
"HELLO, ME ZUG!" yells a small but loud goblin. He jumps and waves his hands to make sure he isn't left unnoticed behind the furniture. The goblin wears outlandish fashions of leather and velvet, in combination of colors that must be a crime against society in some parts of the world.
"Me sing and play music. Make you happy wherever we must go."
|
"Quite the menagerie."
A tall slender man walks into the room. He wears loose fitting robes of that are on the edge of truly finer wear. He looks over the gathered team of agents, his eyes searching everyone individually, quietly taking their measure. After a moment, he grins.
"One that I am proud to be a part of! I will say this, this expedition could be anything, but it will not be boring. If it is anything like my dream..."
He looks about but shakes his head before he finishes the sentence.
"Not yet. Not sure if any of you are ready for that yet. No matter. Ah, but where are my manners. My name is Vander Kai."
The source of the extra noise in the Grand Lodge becomes apparent as a group of children - varying in age and ancestry, but most appearing to be in their early teens - comes around the corner, herded by an elderly dwarf and a young man in an Eagle Knight's uniform who Termia and Issil immediately recognize J Dacilane .
J spots the awaiting agents as well and grins. "Pathfinders!" he calls out, voice cutting through the hubbub with ease. The children quickly move out of his way as he strides forward confidently, whispering to each other and looking at the members of the Society with interest. The old dwarf straightens his half-moon spectacles on his face with one hand and clutches a set of papers tightly with the other.
"So good to see you today!" J continues. "Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to assist with our little educational venture. Allow me to present the students of Dacilane Academy!" The children all fall silent at this and shyly offer half-bows or friendly nods to the agents.
"And this is their history teacher, Professor Thandmere Krelsun." J gestures to the gray-bearded dwarf, who shakily attempts to bow and ends up dropping his stack of papers in the process. Several students immediately rush to help him, and J gracefully brings attention back to himself as a distraction. "As you've been told, the class is traveling to Woodsedge Lodge today to explore life in the Pathfinder Society and to cooperate in a series of small tasks at the Lodge. They'll report back to me at the end of the day." J casts a glace at the students as he puts a subtle emphasis on each word of the Society's motto.
"Why don't you each introduce yourselves to the students, maybe tell them a bit about your adventures in the Society so far?" J steps aside, leaving the floor open.
|
|
"Hello young peoples!" Zug says, and leaps on a nearby table to get a good view of the gathered group.
"Me Zug Cowbell. Me Pathfindeer. Me cowbell player. Me loudest! Me bestest!" he proclaims, and gives a not-so-gentle note from his namesake instrument.
"Is good you get to travel. No good sit inside all day with books. Books no good for health. Travel better. Me also travel much. Travel far! Places like..."
"... like Puddles. Great place. Meet goblin king, also make play of goblin king. Also destroy some walky-dead things. Great fun!"
The goblin poses proudly, hands on hips. Are these youngsters impressed yet? No?
What else there is to tell..? Oh, yes...
"Me also travel to River Kingdoms. Meet king. Not get killed. Stop revolution. Good taverns, me recommend!"
"Me Zug Cowbell, meeter of kings!"
|
|
Looking askance at Zug's introduction, Yakuthiel steps up and says, "I'm Yakuthiel Treeflyer. I've travelled to the artist city of Oppara and to the Mwangi Expanse. As long as I've got weapons and strong arms. I provide protection for the more..." he seems to struggle with the words here, "investigative of the Pathfinder teams."
|
|
Issil grins, recalling her times in school. Snoring through lectures, pranking teachers, sneaking off into the city during the day to bribe guards and eat snacks. Her first run in with a devil...
"I am Issil Telfae. Good to see all of you. I wonder how much trouble you'll get into today. Just enough to keep it exciting, I hope. I have an employee on hand who may or may not join me, especially if it gets too dangerous. She did discover the seven secrets and who was behind them. I'll gladly recall the tale to you if you ever wish to know what really happened to that bathroom stall." She chuckles.
|
Together with the elderly dwarven professsor and eloquent academy headmaster, a military guard is keeping watch over the children. She stands at attention with impressive discipline, her entire body stiff and unmoving, her right arm in a perfect 90 degree angle holding a perfectly-vertical polearm. Her almost grayish skin, unfemininely-short haircut, cold glare, and a vaguely Cheliaxian armor all seem to make the children wary of her.
When Dacilane gives the floor to the agents' introductions, the guard speaks up, in doing so revealing that she is in fact a Pathfinder and not a mere security guard. "Commencing mandatory Pathfinder introduction!" she speaks, a bit louder than socially expected but exactly the volume expected of a soldier.
"Name: Termia of Elidir. Occupation: city guard, Hellknight-in-training, and Pathfinder novice. Special talents: Physical combat training. Miscellaneous: None."
"Thus far, my superiors have assigned me on introductory missions to gauge my readiness and commitment to the Pathfinder Society. Some time ago," she gives polite nods at Issil and headmaster Dacilane, "I assisted your very institute in the matter as previously described by my colleague."
"I consider the aforementioned bathroom incident to have been largely uneventful," she adds, with an absolute lack of humorous tone in her voice. Having finished her mandatory introduction, she takes a step backward, and resumes standing in attention.
|
|
Vander attempts to stifle a smirk at Termia's last statement but is unable. He shakes his head with a smile then turns to address the children.
"Ah, students! What fortune." He bends to one knee and attempts to address the children at their level. "My name is Vander, and I sued to be a student just like you!" He accentuates his words by pointing playfully at the group. "In fact, my whole life was devoted to study. Now, you may think that is boring, and let's be honest, it is! But, also very important. Where I come from, knowledge is the ultimate power and I am here to tell you that it most certainly is. So keep up, pay attention and, because..."
Vander pauses as he removes a stone from his pocket and holds it in his palm for a moment before the stone rises into the air. It hovers a foot above his hand as Vander rolls his hand around the hovering stone without touching it.
"You never know what you may learn!" Vander smiles broadly to the children.
|
|
Oh gods above, this Hellknight again. Issil maintains her smile as Termia kills the mystery in the name of order. At least Vander is able to bring some smiles to the group.
How did he do that? Issil would love to show off her talents, but an open flame near children is a bad idea. Plus the headmaster may link her and the Carnelian Signet together.
The students clap politely as Zug demonstrates his cowbell technique, though one young goblin in the front of the group seems particularly enthusiastic with her applause. A taller human lad with flaming locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald green and sea blue nods in agreement as Yakuthiel talks about protecting his fellow agents, but frowns as Issil mentions danger. His neighbor - a pale, dark-haired human boy - grins excitedly at the mention of the seven secrets.
Termia's barked report startles a green-scaled kobold, causing her to drop a notebook - which in turn startles the pigeon perched on her shoulder into flight. The half-elf behind her does their best to ignore the commotion and listen to Vander, nodding when he speaks of his struggles to even have the opportunity to study. As Areeza finishes her introduction, she sees the goblin girl in the front visibly holding herself back from running up to her.
"Yes, yes! Thank you all for joining us." Thandmere shuffles the papers in his hands again, then carefully pulls out one and passes it to Areeza with a slightly-shaking hand. "Now, here are the rules for the field trip. And this..." He struggles to extract another sheet, but manages to get it out without sending the rest to the floor. "Ah, yes, this is your list of the tasks that the students are expected to accomplish today. Please remember that accomplishing these tasks is the point of this trip! Oh, and these are our student leaders. If you need to know anything else, please ask me now. We hope to leave in a few moments."
"You shouldn't need any special equipment," adds J. "But feel free to bring what you normally would on an assignment. It will be interesting for the students to see fully equipped Pathfinders. I hope that you enjoy getting a chance to influence the next generation." J lowers his voice and leans in closer to the agents so the students will not overhear. "Also, do be on your best behavior. They are children and they're as likely to pick up bad habits from you as good."
The Pathfinder Society purchased the manor housing the Dacilane Academy decades ago. In recent years, J Dacilane has become the school's benefactor and financed a high-quality education for the students there. Pathfinder agents recently investigated a reported haunting inside the Academy. Though the school had dealth with rumors of ghosts for years, the agents determined that the uncanny events in question were caused by an akizendri - a chaotic extraplanar being of the sort known as proteans.
With that, J excuses himself to check on the final preparations, leaving the Society agents to mingle and talk with the students and Thandmere.
|
|
When given the opportunity to examine the paperwork, Termia obsessively studies the rules for the field trip. Undoubtedly she has already memorized them word-to-word. "Professor, sir, if I may? I have sixteen questions related to these field rules. Though given that our time is limited, I fear we may not have the time to discuss each of them in detail."
"The most pressing concern requiring clarification: what manner of punitive actions are permissable for punishing students breaking these rules, in particular rules one and/or two?" she asks Thandmere, completely deadpan. "Of course, I am familiar with your institute's academic guidelines, but I am unsure whether this field trip counts as an extraordinary circumstance."
|
|
Issil ignores Termia's grilling. "Of course, professor. We'll be on our best behavior."
Maybe it's best I didn't get in costume. May be a bit too provocative. She grins.
"Greetings, Tels Olsen." Issil presents herself as a noble would, with a polite bow but not too formal. "I'm honored to show you around the Lodge. Besides the... required locations, I can show you the entertainment hall. Venture-Captain Greathammer is usually there composing a ballad or two. The variety of dances, lyrics and instruments may spark your fancy."
|
|
Vander nods politely to J, "Why sir, I am ALWAYS on my best behavior." Vander looks over slyly as he speaks, giving a wink to Hari.
As the agents disperse to mingle, Vander approaches Hari. "Quite the experience. Classroom study, while of use of course, is really not comparable to the things we learn in the field, in the world. The unknown may be frightening, but one cannot truly live until we expose ourselves to all the joys and dangers outside these stuffy halls. Tell me, what is it you hope to see in the world?"
"What manner of punitive actions are permissible for punishing students breaking these rules, in particular rules one and/or two?"
"Oh goodness!" Thandmere clutches his papers to his chest and gapes at Termia for a second before recovering. "Uh... please just inform me and I will take care of them. It. I mean..." The professor flusters for a few more seconds before overhearing Issil's offer of a tour. "Oh, I'm afraid there won't be time for that right now!"
"Besides the... required locations, I can show you the entertainment hall."
"That's mighty fine of you to offer, ma'am, but I don't know if we have time for that right now." Tels gives a smaller student a reassuring pat on the shoulders before giving his full attention to Issil. "I'm Tels. Wait, you already know that. I'm terribly sorry." He takes a deep breath before continuing to chat with Issil.
"Tell me, what is it you hope to see in the world?"
"Just, like, the world in general. All of it." Hari nods, then swiftly launches a barrage of questions back at the Pathfinder agent. "Where all have you been? Why were you sent there? Did you make any special preparations or find yourself lacking something you didn't think you'd need?"
Yakuthiel goes to Geltra, Sitting down so as to not be so overbearing, and speaks to her about Ruffles and about the field trip.
Geltra seems to appreciate Yakuthiel's patience as she calms down her familiar with a handful of popped corn kernels. "I hear they have great food there," she admits quietly. "I'm actually kinda looking forward to it. And the library, of course!"
She explains to the young one that the Lady of Light has a fondness for goblins who want to be good because she loves fire, too.
"Oh yes, that makes sense - but do you think that your worship of Sarenrae was instrumental in your being accepted into the Pathfinder Society? Do you think Ambrus Valsin would look more favorably on my applications if I included that? You don't see him right now, do you? Maybe he'd accept me into the Society if I gave him my letter in person - you know, first impressions and all that?" The stream of questions pauses for a moment as Vim looks around eagerly for a majestic handlebar mustache.
|
|
Whilst interrogating poor professor Thandmere about the academy's lax rules policies, Termia notices the students avoiding her watchful gaze, tensing when she looks in their direction.
"You there. Citizen," the soldier addresses Alec Gracekin, who appears to be an upstanding student leader, "It seems your fellow students are displaying nervous behavior around me. I suspect this is related to my earlier questions about the rules." She says this as though it was worth explaining.
"This is unwanted behavior; reacting negatively to one-sixth of the accompanying Pathfinder agents will diminish your enjoyment of the field trip by that much. For the sake of your field trip's success, please assure your fellow students that they have nothing to be nervous about so long as they follow the rules."
"At ease."
"May ask: Where name Moneymaker come from? You make money? Not legal money? Need help laundering? Me know many good places!"
"Oh no, Uncle Yig takes care of that. He's the one who's paying for me to be here - which is only fair since he's the one who told me about Pathfinders." Vim's red eyes glow with excitement as she regales Zug with stories of the Society from her family.
"This is unwanted behavior; reacting negatively to one-sixth of the accompanying Pathfinder agents will diminish your enjoyment of the field trip by that much. For the sake of your field trip's success, please assure your fellow students that they have nothing to be nervous about so long as they follow the rules."
"Yes ma'am, I'll be sure to do that ma'am." Alec gives a passable salute and turns to his neighbor. "You hear that Tels? You keep on the straight and narrow and you've got nothing to worry about!"
"Alright, everything's ready." J claps his hands for attention, then salutes the group. "I look forward to reviewing your reports this evening." The students clap excitedly and Vim cheers. Thandmere organizes the students into two mostly-orderly rows, and the expedition heads to the basement - and the portal to the Maze of the Open Road.
Passing through the unassuming wooden door twists the guts and stretches the body to impossible lengths for an endless second before the world snaps back into place. Green hedge walls reach up to a clear pale blue sky, and the large crimson flowers decorating the walls fill the air with a sweet scent. Thandmere consults a map, then leads the group along grassy paths and past broken marble ruins - and lectures non-stop as he goes. "Now, nobody knows for certain what these structures might have once been, but can anyone tell me what era and region used flanges like these on the columns and..."
The rather one-sided discussion only ends when the group arrives at another wooden door, standing in the middle of a dead end. Passing through gives the same feeling of being stretched like taffy - but when reality reasserts itself, something is clearly wrong. The Woodsedge Lodge sits in the middle of a well-maintained lawn (as it should), but the sky above it is a startling emerald color. The air itself has a flat, metallic tang, and the sounds of distant bells tinkle on the breeze. Oddly, the students don't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary. Many of them chatter excitedly about the journey through the Maze, and a few loudly speculate on where else it might lead.
Suddenly, Hari's alarmed voice cuts through the hubbub. "Where's Professor Krelsun?" They look across the group. "And where are the chaperones?" The other students fall quiet for a moment, then burst out arguing about what to do.
Professor Thandmere Krelsun is nowhere to be seen.
|
|
Issil looks to her teammates. "Where are we, explicitly? Does anyone know?"
She turns to the bickering school children and tries to put on her best smile.
"Now now, everyone. This is all part of the lesson. We have everything under control. Just calm down for a moment."
She sighs. "We cooperate and work together, even in... interesting scenarios." She looks at the emerald sky. "And the first step is to gather information. What does this emerald sky represent?"
Issil's charming smile seems to have no effect on the students - in fact, she would swear that Geltra looked right at her and didn't even seem to notice her! Areeza is likewise ignored, even by her admirer Vim. Vander pauses to think about what might be going on, but doesn't come up with any reasonable theories before Tels walks straight through him!
"Maybe they're stuck in the Maze," Vim suggests. "We should look for them!"
Hari puts up a hand to halt their classmate. "Absolutely not. Going into the Maze is strictly forbidden!"
"Well, let's go inside then." Tels gestures to the lodge. "They'll know what to do."
The students mutter assent and head to the two-story manor house. They walk up the staircase to the front door, which is between a pair of rounded turrets and decorated with a painting of a stylized wayfinder. Tels knocks, and when no one answers, opens the doors and leads the class inside.
|
|
The sudden shift in environment quickly alarms Termia, but in the ensuing general confusion, she hesitates ever so slightly. Her eyes desperately look for any signs of professor Krelsun. When it becomes clear that the teacher is nowhere to be found, she turns to the other agents. "Colleagues! We must-"
She pauses when she notices that the children are wholly unaffected by the chaperones' words, and that they physically can't touch them.
While following after the children and the other agents towards the lodge, Termia continues, pleading for her colleagues' attention: "A moment, please. In the absence of professor Krelsun, it is vital that we elect a squad leader among us, to choose our next action. Cooperation is is at its most effective when there is a clear hierarchy."
"Which of you has the authority to command this unit?"
|
|
Vander raises his arms as the child walks through him. Dumbfounded, he watches the students and shakes his heads.
"A waking dream." He looks at his fellow agents "I do believe we are under the effect of some sort of magic, though the origin of is beyond my knowledge. Either we or these students here are not existing in the same space, watch."
Vander waves his hand frantically in front of Hari.
"I will confess I do not know how to proceed. My mind often wanders into dreams, waking and otherwise, and I...I am not sure if this is a dream or if I have dragged you all into some other place or...well I don't know, or if it is something all together different. If anything, it is fascinating."
Vander smiles wide. Despite the strange situation he appears genuinely excited.
"Let's keep a close eye on this students and follow them. Perhaps they will be the key to our salvation, or theirs."
Issil waits for the students to finish entering the Lodge, but as she starts to follow the last one inside Tels shuts the door through her! The sensation is like suddenly passing through a strong current, and Issil finds herself pulled by the door to end up partially inside the building. With a bit of effort, she finds she can move through the closed door in either direction.
On the other side of the door, the lodge's great room appears abandoned. Books lie open on reading tables and a fire burns cheerily in the massive hearth. A set of animal-shaped drouge tiles stands spread across a table as if interrupted mid-game, and an account book rests next to an abacus on the table in the southwestern corner. Hushed exchanges between students are the only sounds.
A few students begin settling into the cozy chairs as Alec calls out, "Hello? Anyone there?" After a few moments, he shrugs and says, "I suppose we can do whatever we like then," before collapsing sideways into a chair and throwing his feet up on the fine mahogany table beside it.
"I'm going to get my assignment done," Geltra counters. "There's supposed to be an interesting Taldan artifact in this room. It shouldn't be hard to find." She begins examing the metal plaques around the room, looking slightly abashed at having spoken up in front of everyone. Her pigeon Ruffles coos contentedly on her shoulder, while the rest of the students groan at the suggestion that they should do schoolwork under these circumstances.
|
|
"Hello!"
"HELLO! WE HERE!"
It is a new feeling for Zug, not being heard. He does his share of trying to touch and poke the students, but quickly finds out it won't work. Seeing Issil pass through the door makes it all the stranger.
"We die and become ghosts?" the goblin comes up with an explanation. Hopefully an incorrect one, however. Dirges do not sound good with a cowbell.
Without anything better to do, he follows the students into the lodge.
|
|
"Then command her to cooperate." Issil shrugs as Areeza hesitates. I wonder if Termia would tie her shoelaces if she wasn't ordered to.
Zug's comment gives Issil pause. "I wonder if I could meet my grandmother out here. Such a sweet, fiery woman." Issil looks about the main hall.
"At the very least, we can help them with their assignment. If we're ghosts, maybe there's something we can affect in here. A tapestry we can flap, or a noise we can utter."
Is there anything she can affect in the Main Hall, like a ghost could?
"An artifact with a tie to Taldan History..." she recalls her studies of heralds and family crests. "Maybe we can help the children with their homework, at least."
|
|
Termia silently watches as Issil manages to pass through the lodge's entrance door, much like an incorporeal ghost would, and follows behind.
When Areeza, the candidate recommended by Issil, expresses doubt towards the very concept of a commanding agent, Termia raises an eyebrow two millimeters. "Ma'am, as I said, cooperation is is at its most effective when there is a clear hierarchy," the soldier repeats, as though what she says is a universally-accepted fact. "Flat organization structure begets chaos."
The matter is put on temporary pause as Issil brings up the topic of ineracting with the objects in the lodge. "Permission to experiment?" she asks Areeza. When no objection is raised, Termia marches to Alec's table, and, with the goal of disturbing the lollygagging student, she attempts to shake the the chair under him.
"It is bad manners to put one's legs on a table. Student Alec Gracekin, you have violated Dacilane academy field trip rule number two: no horseplay."
Termia finds that her hands pass through Alec's chair with little resistance - but when they continue through the table on the other side, one of the drouge tiles shifts ever so slightly and falls off its perch to clatter on the table.
Alec sits bolt upright at the sound and grips the arms of the chair with white knuckles, while any murmuring from the other students falls immediately silent. "Did... Did anybody else see that?" His brash bravado seems to have abandoned him momentarily as he first recoils from the table, then leans in to investigate. "It wasn't me, I swear!"
"Sure, Alec." Tels doesn't seem any less nervous than his classmate as he looks around the room warily. "Everyone, don't touch anything. And keep your eyes open."
|
|
"Hmm... We may not be able to communicate directly, but we can interact. Good thinking, Termia."
Issil moves towards the heatless torches and tries to pick it up, shake it, extinguish it - something sudden the students would notice.
Her feelings on heatless torches are so conflicted - what's the point of fire without the heat? That's just light masquerading as fire.
"Look!" Vim shrieks and points at the lantern Issil is waving her hand through. The flame dances wildly for a second, as if a strong wind had just blown through it before quickly regaining stability.
"What's happening?" Hari asks. "Who's there!?"
Vander's telekinetic manifestation looks like it's tapping on Hari's shoulder, but the student doesn't respond at all. Perhaps the psychic's magic is as limited in affecting his surroundings as he is himself.
"Maybe it was just the wind?" Tels offers slowly, though from his tone it seems he doesn't seem to really believe that.
|
|
On the other side of the door, the lodge's great room appears abandoned. Books lie open on reading tables and a fire burns cheerily in the massive hearth. A set of animal-shaped drouge tiles stands spread across a table as if interrupted mid-game, and an account book rests next to an abacus on the table in the southwestern corner. Hushed exchanges between students are the only sounds.
"Alright, looks like we can manipulate the items in the room. Someone mess with the abacus, or maybe the tiles?"
"There!" Alec points at the lantern next to Areeza. "It's... Something's here with us!"
"Maybe it's the folks who work here?" Tels suggests.
"Or Professor Krelsun?" Hari adds.
"Oh! I bet it's the Pathfinders!" Vim squeals.
"Of course you do," Geltra mutters under her breath.
"Can you hear us?" Hari continues. "Um... jiggle twice for yes, three times for no?"
"Why not just once and twice?"
"Once could be an accident - two means someone meant to do it."
"Oooh!"