You receive an urgent letter from Marcus Farabellus (First Handout on slide 2) to meet at the statue of Durvin Gest on the grounds of the Grand Lodge. In addition, members of the Silver Crusade also receive their own missive (Second Handout on slide 2.)
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"Its been a while since I have been in Absalom", Kal thinks absentmindedly to himself as he is crossing the courtyard to the appointed place. "But... they never seem to run out of urgent summons"
Seeing Diazepane has reached the statue first- Kal smiles. "It is nice to see a friendly face. I guess that, at this point, I should just assume that I will have the honor of travelling with you! Now, where is Farab?", glancing down at the crumpled note in his hand.
A sturdy looking mephit floats nearby to Xilt.
"Well, our last adventure was in a desert. I guess I cannot hope to be that lucky as to have it hot and dry again. Or can I?"
The mephit looks behind Mythryndyr as if they are being watched. Tzleztor smiles, he is after all a bit puzzled by the pathfinder's odd behaviour.
"Paranoid, much?"
Tzleztor's eyes glint mischievously. He plays off of the alchemist's fears working towards a laugh.
"Yeah, maybe he is one of those Apsis agents we have been warned about?"
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"Where'd you come from?!"
Diazepane keeps a close eye on Mythryndyr.
”Oh, from here and there,” he says with an enigmatic smile…
Tzleztor's eyes glint mischievously. He plays off of the alchemist's fears working towards a laugh.
"Yeah, maybe he is one of those Apsis agents we have been warned about?"
Myth gives a wicked smirk to the mephit, playing along. ”Yeah, maybe so…you never can tell where the Aspis might show up…but the last time someone accused me of being an Aspis agent, I had to put an arrow through his eye to prove otherwise,” he says with a wink.
Tzleztor nods sagely accepting Myth's ridiculous claim and smiling.
"Yes, I can see how that would convince a Pathfinder."
The immense Sky Reach Tower casts a dim shadow over the twenty-foot-tall likeness of the Society’s most heralded founding agent, Durvin Gest, his gaze directed over the horizon as if searching for one last adventure. Approaching with barely concealed impatience beside the angelic figures and elaborate friezes that adorn the monument’s base is Master of Blades Marcus Farabellus.
“Good, you’re here, I’ll be brief. I received a short relayed message from the Master of Spells. Zey reported that something has gone wrong with the gate he and Amara Li are working on to establish a direct link to our new base camp in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords through the Hao Jin Tapestry. I need not remind you of the importance of that camp and its proximity to Jormurdun. Once that gate is permanently established, we’ll be able to provide safe and reliable support for our efforts to breach the dwarven Sky Citadel.
[b]“We recently appointed a new venture-captain, Nikolai Adonai, to oversee day-to-day operations and provide security until Zey and Li finish their work. Zey speculated that one or more of the arcane foci used to stabilize the incomplete gateway may have been disturbed, but reestablishing the connection should be relatively simple with the help of the camp’s agents. That, as well as the fact that Nikolai hasn’t responded to any communication magic, suggests something is wrong.
“I need you to travel to the base camp, find out what’s going on, and repair the link through the Hao Jin Tapestry. Some of you are our most experienced agents when it comes to the Tapestry so put your expertise to work. Any questions?"
The immense Sky Reach Tower casts a dim shadow over the twenty-foot-tall likeness of the Society’s most heralded founding agent, Durvin Gest, his gaze directed over the horizon as if searching for one last adventure. Approaching with barely concealed impatience beside the angelic figures and elaborate friezes that adorn the monument’s base is Master of Blades Marcus Farabellus.
“Good, you’re here, I’ll be brief. I received a short relayed message from the Master of Spells. Zey reported that something has gone wrong with the gate he and Amara Li are working on to establish a direct link to our new base camp in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords through the Hao Jin Tapestry. I need not remind you of the importance of that camp and its proximity to Jormurdun. Once that gate is permanently established, we’ll be able to provide safe and reliable support for our efforts to breach the dwarven Sky Citadel.
[b]“We recently appointed a new venture-captain, Nikolai Adonai, to oversee day-to-day operations and provide security until Zey and Li finish their work. Zey speculated that one or more of the arcane foci used to stabilize the incomplete gateway may have been disturbed, but reestablishing the connection should be relatively simple with the help of the camp’s agents. That, as well as the fact that Nikolai hasn’t responded to any communication magic, suggests something is wrong.
“I need you to travel to the base camp, find out what’s going on, and repair the link through the Hao Jin Tapestry. Some of you are our most experienced agents when it comes to the Tapestry so put your expertise to work. Any questions?"
The mephit not being one to mince words just spits it out.
"Come on. You know he is probably dead."
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"Let's not be hasty. There are many other explanations for his silence, besides death. He could have been captured and tortured by the demons of the Worldwound, or he could have angered the locals and wrecked any relationship the Pathfinder Society had."
Diazepane will read over his past mission notes.
"Are the arcane foci objects? Are they disguised, or in the open?"
Farabellus doesn't have anything handy but gives a fair description of the man in question.
“Getting you there is going to be costly, but I’ve arranged for another agent to transport you there with magic. That said, if you can manage your own instantaneous transportation, that’s one less expense for the Society. Once you realign the foci and get Zey and Li out of the tapestry, they should be able to get you home."
Satrapy for his work.
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@Ebonfist - Is there a chronicle reward or deduction for accepting the NPC Teleport? Xilt is Neutral and a member of the Exchange so he really does not care about other people's costs. :)
21 Knowledge(Geography) on a take 10.
"Yes, I remember that camp being fairly close to Tolguth and right next to the Worldwound border. They have some pretty big and nasty animals if I recall correctly but they shy away from the border."
The wizard discusses with Diazepane the coming and goings around the camp.
Auto-aid for Knowledge-Local(+14 skill modifier) and assuming that the alchemist will take 10 on his knowledge check we should be able to know everything that we can possibly know.
@Ebonfist - Is there a chronicle reward or deduction for accepting the NPC Teleport? Xilt is Neutral and a member of the Exchange so he really does not care about other people's costs. :)
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"We've been there before. The camp lies approximately 45 miles east of Tolguth and is within sight of the Worldwound’s border. Megafauna, such as the majestic megaloceros and the realm’s namesake woolly mammoth, roam much of the eastern plains of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, though most shy away from where the Worldwound’s influence is strongest."
"Venture-Captain Nikolai Adonai earned his title over 2 years ago for his service, but he has never claimed a lodge of his own or sent agents on missions. Nikolai is a cleric of Saranrae, though he is rarely seen worshiping at her temples. Some speculate that he embraces the militant and less forgiving teachings of the Cult of the Dawnflower, a separatist branch of the church of Sarenrae. Nikolai is known for his ruthless negotiating skills and has received numerous awards from the Qadiran Satrapy for his work. I heard he recently turned his back on organized church of Sarenrae and has begun to proselytize from his own translation of The Birth of Light and Truth. Many of his religious colleagues interpret his teachings as radical and self-aggrandizing."
Tzleztor laughs as Dizapane completes his impromptu lecture.
"He is as big a poindexter as you are Xilt. I can see him being fabulous at parties."
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Xilt nods and listens appreciatively. The comings and goings of everyday people are not the primary focus of his studies although he probably still knows more than most.
Ignoring the gratuitous insult hurled by this familiar he thanks the alchemist.
"That was most informative. Hopefully it will be of some use in our mission."
"As for transporting us there instantly we will have to see how many people are willing to make this dangerous journey. If there are too many then we will have rely on the society's resources to get us there."
@EbonFist - I am safe in assuming that these scrolls of Teleport disappear at the end of the adventure?
@EbonFist - I am safe in assuming that these scrolls of Teleport disappear at the end of the adventure?
Whichever decision you make, Farabellus leads you to one of the Grand Lodge’s outbuildings. There you meet one of the Society’s more decorated, albeit cantankerous, agents, a wizard who introduces himself as Ethan. He pulls out a small silver mirror, says, “The Pathfinders’ Jormurdun base camp,” gives the mirror a shake, and holds it out to you. The reflective surface shows a vast field of tall grass, barren of any signs of civilization. “That’s an active view of the center of our camp. Master Zey has concealed its location from all but the most powerful of magic. Once you teleport there, you should expect to fumble around a bit before being able to pierce the illusion.”
If you are able to teleport themselves to the camp, Farabellus is all too happy to give you two scrolls of teleport, which are less costly than Ethan’s services; if you travel in this way, you always arrive “on target.” Otherwise, Ethan makes a circle of amber dust and uses a scroll to cast teleportation circle to send you to the camp.
As the magic dissipates, a vast, grassy steppe comes into focus. The only features to speak of are a handful of wizened trees, twisted into impossible shapes by the Worldwound’s taint, and the Tusk Mountains far to the north.
Tzleztor is spun around a little as he is teleported to their location.
"Man that was a freaky ride."
Diazepane and Mythryndyr both see the encampment around them through the shimmery haze of the mirage arcana. Kal'Ryon, Xilt and Tzleztor just see the waving grass of the plains.
The buzzing grows louder as whatever is making the noise seems to become aware of your presence.
Tzleztor looks at his master with a somewhat nasty look being well able to predict Xilt's behaviour well enough from the information shared through their empathic link. Being the Prima Donna that he is everything is always about him!
"You are going to save your own skin with nary a thought for your poor faithful familiar."
Feigning disgust he begs for a wand and then rummages into Xilt's Handy Haversack looking for the scroll that he needs to protect himself. The wand activates just fine but the mephit's pronunciation is slightly off on the reading of the scroll and it does not activate.
Prep Round:
Take wand of Mirror Image from Xilt
Attempt to activate wand.
Round 1 :
5 foot step (to continue to be adjacent to Xilt)
Draw - Scroll of Mage Armor
Attempt to activate the scroll
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Xilt shakes his head in a disapproving manner as Tzleztor botches the protective spell.
"I had thought that I taught you better!"
The wizard casts two spells of his own.
Prep Round:
Swift action - draw wand of Mirror Image from wrist sheath.
Give wand to Tzleztor.
Xilt casts Mirror Image @ CL 12 with arcane point spent.
5' Step.
Round 1:
He casts Haste on the entire party.
@EbonFist - Just a heads up that Xilt can cast Emergency Force Sphere if needed as an immediate action. He has not actually ever cast it to date but if the situation is dire he can. :)
Myth and Diazepane see two creatures fly up over the roofs of two of the nearby buildings. They seem to combine the worst aspects of humanoids, scorpions and mosquitos.
Xilt and Kal'Ryon see two creatures seemingly appear out of nowhere, their forms slowly revealed as though cut off by a line below which they are invisible and above which they are seen.
They don't move to attack, but the way they chant the same thing and move their various appendages suggest that they're doing something inimical to the party that simply hasn't manifested, yet.
Swarms of insects appear, to Diazepane and Mythryndyr they come spilling out of two of the buildings. To Xilt and Kal'Ryon they simply seem to flow into existence like some hideous stream.
They swarm around Xilt, Tzleztor, Kal'Ryon and Mythryndyr.
Perhaps worse than the damage to flesh and bone, the bugs begin eating Kal'Ryon's armor, Mythryndyr's bow, Xilt's spark staff and Tzleztor's shield!
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Xilt recognises the spell as it is being cast and responds instantly. He creates a dome of force to protect himself and Tzleztor from the Insect Plague.
Emergency Force Sphere (Fleeting) cast as a Immediate action in response to the spell. Hardness 20, 100 hit points. 5' radius which protects himself, Tzleztor and two squares to the west of them.
Xilt decides to examine the demons whilst in the safety of this force bubble.
@EbonFist- As soon as you let me know what my character knows about the demons my character (and Tzleztor) will take their actions for this turn.
Tzleztor camps out with Xilt while he examines the demons.
"Boss, what are these bug guys?"