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I may as well post the intro
An ominous storm gathers over Caliphas as you make your way through the winding streets of Ustalav’s capital toward Vodavani Lodge, where Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss (female gnome fortune-teller) has asked you to assemble. When you enter the lodge, a burly half-orc nurse escorts you to the infirmary, where Evni waits to meet you, along with Claudiette Dralston (female human ranger).
Vodavani Lodge is normally a bustle of activity, a whirlwind of Pathfinders preparing for or returning from missions throughout Ustalav and the Gravelands, but today it’s eerily quiet. A gnome wearing robes embroidered with butterflies and crescent moons tends to the wounds of a middle-aged woman as newcomers arrive. Ah, yes, you’ve arrived, Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss gestures for the Pathfinders to join her and her patient while passing a discarded bandage to the nurse. She asks him to fetch more coverings and hot water, and he nods and departs.
Evni’s patient relaxes at the venture-captain’s touch on her arm. This is Claudiette Dralston. She’s one of our best trackers, and her team has been scouting the Gravelands—that is, they were, until they disappeared a few years ago. Sadly, Claudiette is the only one of her team to escape the Gravelands. She turns to her charge and adds wryly, She finally found the time to report in.
Maybe we should ask Doctor Trice to help you, since your stitches are so untidy. Claudiette retorts with a kind but weary smile.
Evni tut-tuts, but gently pats Claudiette’s arm. Since the region fell to the Whispering Tyrant, Claudiette has been gathering stranded refugees in a village called Steadfast. As the settlement expands, it grows increasingly likely the Whispering Tyrant’s army will discover it. The dead are gathering near Steadfast, and its citizens need a safe path to the border. Claudiette left to find help. She barely managed to escape, and nearly died before reaching Vodovani Lodge.
Evni offers a cup of hot tea to Claudiette, who wrinkles her nose at the aroma before downing it in one gulp and then continuing the story. Evni’s people took some notes from my ramblings when I arrived. We’re hoping it’s enough to find the town and get the people out, because for the life of me, I’m not sure how I made it out of the Gravelands. I left a knight named Sir Cray Darahan in charge when I left, but if he has his way, he’ll end up getting everyone there killed trying to fight back against Tar-Baphon’s forces.
Evni nods. Our contacts among the Knights of Lastwall report that undead troops aren’t especially active in the area at the moment. This lucky circumstance, along with Claudiette’s notes, should allow you to sneak into the Gravelands without running into more undead than you can handle. Unfortunately, Claudiette needs to recover here. So, it’s up to you to enter the Gravelands, defeat the threats you encounter, chart a path to Steadfast, and deliver some critical supplies we’re sending along, including a magical keystone to prevent the dead from joining Tar-Baphon’s army. You can use the supplies in an emergency, but they’re intended for Steadfast. The more you can deliver to the refugees, the easier time they’ll have escaping. Questions?
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It stays in the village. We had a Pharasmin priest who passed on a few weeks back. Claudiette shrugs painfully. He explained how we could protect the town from undead by using the keystone, but he couldn’t complete the ritual to enchant it while within the corrupted Gravelands. The area around the town is afflicted. Something makes everyone who dies return to join the enemy. This stone, if properly enchanted, can keep that effect at bay—at least long enough for people to get away. I came to Ustalav to get help, but also to get the keystone to someone who could complete the preparations. Thanks to Evni, it’s ready to go.
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The smell of ash lingers on this tall gnoll's conspicuous red cloak as he enters the Vodavani warroom.
Making himself instantly at home, he unrolls a cylindrically folded blanket, out from which several glass tubes of gunpowder, grease, and other reactants tumble haphazard into little piles - he begins fiddling with them while listening to the briefing.
"Get in. Deliver. Get out." he summarizes upon hearing the directive to deliver the supplies to the Steadfast refugees - of which he pauses momentarily from what he is doing to take a curious peak "Easy" is his confident assessment.
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It stays in the village. We had a Pharasmin priest who passed on a few weeks back. Claudiette shrugs painfully. He explained how we could protect the town from undead by using the keystone, but he couldn’t complete the ritual to enchant it while within the corrupted Gravelands. The area around the town is afflicted. Something makes everyone who dies return to join the enemy. This stone, if properly enchanted, can keep that effect at bay—at least long enough for people to get away. I came to Ustalav to get help, but also to get the keystone to someone who could complete the preparations. Thanks to Evni, it’s ready to go.
Hmmm...so this compulsion for the dead to join the enemy is limited to just around the village?
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A handsome, but serious looking half elf in full plate armor walks in. A holy symbol around his neck and he wears a cloak of red with gold trim. He has a bastard sword in a scabbard and he carries a pole arm, a fauchard with him as well. He nods to those who are here. Greetings. I am Sir Kidron Quintus, knight of Last Wall.
He sees the gnoll, Axel, he says in greeting and begins to listen to what was said by the Venture Captains.
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The paladin will take a look at Claudette to see if she is in need of his healing and also to see if she wears an insignia or anything to mark her as a Knight of Last Wall.
He inquires Tell me more about this Sir Crahan. What Order of the Knights does he belong to? Does he champion one of the gods of good?
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Claudiette shakes her head. I wish I had a map. The whole area is shrouded in some kind of mist. You combine that with losing fight after fight with skeletons and other hungry dead… well… I’m lucky I can tell the tale at all.
A few hundred people are in Steadfast—and, ah, not all of them are exactly alive. Have no fear! The effect that prevents true death in the region has caused many undead to rise as Tar-Baphon’s servants, but somehow, many others have avoided such a fate. They’re dead, but they’ve retained their sense of self and purpose. I can’t explain it, but I know they need help just as much as the living—and the Whispering Tyrant’s forces will destroy them just as swiftly as the other refugees.
All I know that he's a Knight of Lastwall. That's it.
You're carrying supplies to Steadfast Evni gestures over to a pair of saddlebags. There’s some food and basic medical supplies of course. But most of the gear inside is specifically to detect, avoid, or—Desna forbid—fight off the undead. Use what you must, but the more you can bring to the refugees in Steadfast, the better off they’ll be.
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A goblin sitting quietly in the corner on some sort of stuffed cushion stands up. The cushion shifts, and you realize it is a juvenile bear.
The goblin glances around. "Me is Deerslicer, big bad monster hunter. Me know how t' deal wit' undead. If dey skeletons, you bash 'em. If dey zombies, you slash 'em. If dey ghosties, you run 'way and hide from 'em." He says to Evni. "Where you find girl at? Maybe able to follow her tracks back?" He stares in clear distrust at the notes, and the symbols written upon them.
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Deerslicer says, slowly since he already explained this, "Me am big bad monster hunter. Dis is Gracie. She jus' baby now, but gonna grow into big monster hunter, too." The juvenile bear rolls around playfully on the ground, landing in a sitting position and reaching arms toward Deerslicer to give him a hug.
Deerslicer sidesteps the hug and continues, holding up his bow. "Me am very good at tracking, and hiding in bushes and shooting prey ... very sneaky, I is," he says proudly. Then, he pulls out a rifle with a blade attached at the base. "An' if sneaky not work, me have boomstick, too." His handling of the gun exhibits all the caution and care that one would expect of a goblin with a firearm.
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Well, you all look fairly capable and .. I hope the instructions are enough to get you back. But yes, there are the dead. Evni responds automatically. They’re everywhere. And from what Claudiette says, something in the area makes it so that everyone that dies rises back up. Most of them under the spell of some necromancer or some other malevolence.
Before she can stop herself, Claudiette bursts out, And riders. Knights of death on shadowy steeds. Avoid the roads at all costs!
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One last thing. Evni intones the moment the PCs are out of Claudiette’s earshot. I contacted Valais Durant, leader of the Radiant Oath faction, with Claudiette’s report, as she had been a member of that faction. I received two missives back. They’re further orders. Requests really. Do what you can for the people of Steadfast. But whatever you do, come back to us alive.
A couple years ago, Evni Zongoss sent a team to find the remains of several lost Pathfinders in the vicinity of a town once known as Goldenflame. Several teams of Pathfinders were sent to find other holdouts in the dangerous lands. Their exploits and maps are well documented and are required reading for any Pathfinder working in the vicinity of the dreaded Gravelands. A critical success on this check gives the PCs a +2 circumstance bonus to their skill checks the first time they become lost in the woods.
Pathfinder scouts unearthed reports of groups of knights sent from Vigil in the last days before the fall of Lastwall to fortify smaller abandoned outposts throughout the countryside. Most never returned. One such outpost is a watchtower nearby made of dark obsidian and towering over the forest that surrounds it. Pathfinder reports are clear that it’s inhabited by powerful graveknights who should be avoided at all costs. Pathfinders are instructed to be wary if they hear the hoofbeats of a cohort of knights patrolling the area, because of the danger the tower’s knights present.
Most of the lands beyond the Path River south of Caliphas have been returned to control of the knighthood, and the remaining undead creatures are the straggling remnants of Tar-Baphon’s forces. It’s only a matter of time before the Gravelands are returned to Vigil’s control, according to reports.
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Society
The paladin knows and shares the following with the group:
Most of the lands beyond the Path River south of Caliphas have been returned to control of the knighthood, and the remaining undead creatures are the straggling remnants of Tar-Baphon’s forces. It’s only a matter of time before the Gravelands are returned to Vigil’s control, according to reports.
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Luca sifts through his memories of past Pathfinder Society exploits...
Pathfinder scouts unearthed reports of groups of knights sent from Vigil in the last days before the fall of Lastwall to fortify smaller abandoned outposts throughout the countryside. Most never returned. One such outpost is a watchtower nearby made of dark obsidian and towering over the forest that surrounds it. Pathfinder reports are clear that it’s inhabited by powerful graveknights who should be avoided at all costs. Pathfinders are instructed to be wary if they hear the hoofbeats of a cohort of knights patrolling the area, because of the danger the tower’s knights present.
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Secure in his knowledge that all undead can be shot, struck, bit, or blown up, he continues to make his preparations.
"Those are useful" he says, greedily stowing all three Bottled Sunlight in his explosives satchel, before finishing pouring the remains of various colored vials into needle-shaped bullet casings, which, after several moments, focused on the task at hand and not listening to any of the conversations going around the table, he declares:
"Ready" and rises from his chair, rolls back up his cylindrically folded blanket, and walks towards the door!
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Once you are ready to go.
The forested wilderness near Ustalav almost seems to have expanded overnight in the wake of the Whispering Tyrant’s triumph. Maps of the villages, cities, and trade routes of Lastwall are less than useful since that region has given way to the Gravelands. In some places, the roads disappear at the edge of the wilderness, while in others, small villages seem to have risen straight out of the mists—as is the case with Steadfast.
After a few days you reach an old stone bridge near the border of the Gravelands. This old bridge crosses one of narrowest points of the Path River, leaving the dubious safety of Ustalav for the wilds of the Gravelands. The well-worn path leading to the bridge hasn’t been kept up for many years, but the bareness of the river banks and sparse foliage keep it easy to follow. A light mist draws itself up from the river below, setting the far shore in a slight haze. ((see map on slides))
You are approaching from the north and as you get closer, you see three ruffians, near the north end. They look to be having some sort of earnest discussion. As soon as they see you they line up across the mouth of the bridge demanding a tax to cross. They look unfriendly at the moment.
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Deerslicer examines Claudiette's gear, specifically her boots, then looks her over in a vaguely menacing way. Gracie sniffs her, then licks her face.
Before you leave, he gets a beacon shot from his contact in the Swords, but then also grabs a sling, a vine arrow, and 10 sling stones. "I ready to go ..."
As they get to the bridge, the goblin and Gracie look around, seeing if they can find any indication of Claudiette's trail from her earlier journey.
Deerslicer stops at the bridge as he sees new potential menace.
He ducks into a shrub, eyeing up these toughs.
Deerslicer misjudged the shrub. Instead of hiding in the shrub, a bough of the shrub recoils against him with such force to send the goblin recoiling from it, so he lands exposed far away from any cover. "Stupid bush ..." he mutters.
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"Step aside, bandit"
Drawing his firearm and pointing it at the one who is talking, Axel's grin turns slightly, barely breaking surface tension into a wicked snarl not unlike a single toe touched into a pond of water to test it's temperature without full commitment - clearly enjoying himself as he wonders if his menacing affect will bespoil the confidence of these brigand bridge tenders.
◆) Draw
◆) Hunt Prey vs Lead Bandit
~) Coerce w/ Group Coercion
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The tattooed orc steps up and holds up his hands, although one of them is holding a polearm, and says:
"Woa, woa!! These ruffians are mistaken, they didn't know we were pathfinders. We are helping you guys out buy removing some nasty threats in the area. You don't want a a beef for the pathfinders guild, and you don't want to face a bear and experienced agents. You don't want the little bears mom to come too."
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The paladin is a little annoyed that these cretinous brigands are standing in the way of the group's advancement into the Gravelands
We have no quarrel with any of you, he states. Move out of our way, let us pass and be about our business. If we tarry here, you may one day become undead if we cannot stop what is taking place. What good is gold to a zombie or a skeleton?
Diplomacy
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The ruffians go from unfriendly to indifferent.
Hey. You're talking about that beaten up ranger lady? one asks. Is she okay? We weren't sure she was going to make it
So, why are you guys going into that hellhole of a place anyway? asks another, gesturing to the lands on the other side of the river.
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The bandit looks rather surprised to have a bomb thrown at him but, after realising it won't go off, he catches it.
Errrr ... thanks
They let you pass over the bridge. Now you have to pick up the spot where Claudiette exited the woods of the Gravelands.
Claudiette recommended sticking to the southern bank of the Path River going northwest from the Old Stone bridge. According to her reports, there should be some tracks and broken plants within a quarter mile to show the path she took as she stumbled out of the woods on her way to Ustalav. The haze is thicker along the river, but doesn’t impair your ability to see clearly enough to look for her tracks.
Make Survival rolls to Track, or Scouting Lore. Only one person should attempt this check.
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That is enough. Kidron is able to find Claudiette’s tracks leading into the woods.
The mists grow thicker with every step taken deeper into the Gravelands. An eerie silence draws around every living thing like a blanket, pierced only by the sounds of footsteps along the trail, the distant howls of unfamiliar creatures, and periodic hoofbeats on some distant road.
From this point on, the fog is thinner, but even during the day, the fog and trees block most daylight, causing the woods to be bathed in dim light rather than bright light during the day, and darkness at night.
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A grin passes over our slightly sadistic hero's face as he watches the bandit's surprise slowly turn from fear to understanding.
Axel follows the intrepid goblin, for at least he keeps a good pace, one which, perhaps, the long-legged gnoll can expend half as much energy to follow the frantic scurry of legs, leaving him lost in his thoughts, most of which are inappropriate, and accompanied by the occasional "random" outburst of short laughter.
"Heh"