Our adventure begins at the Inspiriting Wellspring, located in the deserts of Thuvia . The Pathfinder team recently traveled to the Thuvian city-state of Aspenthar, and from there took a well-supplied camel caravan to the Wellspring itself. Upon arrival, the Pathfinders and the supplies they bring with them are eagerly welcomed.
The Inspiriting Wellspring, once a lively settlement, has been reduced to a single tower sticking out of the desert sands. A bustling camp sprawls on the north side of the tower. At its south side, ropes mark off large sections of sand and canvas tarps on poles provide shade for the Pathfinder agents busy with careful archaeological work. The tops of multiple buildings have recently been dug up from the sand, and cartloads of sand are being moved away from a partially unearthed building. A group of four agents emerge from a hole in the tower, sweaty and dusty, and immediately report to a group of senior agents. Among the tents stands a large pavilion, easily identified by its pennants as belonging to Eando Kline, the leader of the Vigilant Seal faction. The team is told to report to the tent after they have had the chance to freshen up.
But before we get to that, why don't you introduce yourselves?
A tall, dark-skinned human woman in shining half-plate enters the tent. Her shield bears the device of Iomedae. "I am called Seelah. I am here to defend the site and my fellow Pathfinders."
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A pale elven woman with a black ponytail enters next. Her right eye is violet, her left eye black. She has long purple nails, and wears a jester’s motley in purple, black and white. Holding a large marotte (jester’s baton), she wears a black cloak with the hood down.
She takes an elaborate bow.
“Aldonza Delamorte, devil-may-care harlequin! Bringing laughter to my friends, and slaughter to my enemies!
”With a flip and a quip,
And some tricks up my sleeve,
I can go toe-to-toe,
And make doubters bereave!”
The inside of the pavilion is as hot as the outside, but its shade and the rushes on the floor provide reprieve. Bent over a large map of the desert showing numerous trade routes are Gol Amri, a representative of the Thuvian government, and Eando Kline, leader of the Vigilant Seal. As the Pathfinder agents enter, Eando welcomes them and motions them to sit on a bench in the tent. He makes sure each has a large mug of water before he begins.
“Thank you all for coming. Prince Zinlo of Aspenthar has graciously granted the Society rights for exploration of the Inspiriting Wellspring and surrounding area. This is Gol Amri, the prince’s representative. While the ruins here are proving to be an amazing discovery in and of themselves, you are, however, needed elsewhere.” Eando takes a moment to refill everyone’s drinks, including his own. He rubs his thumb across the engraving on his mug as he orders his thoughts.
“The Society recently came to own a vast trove of magical relics. I would have liked that the studies of these items could proceed more cautiously, but the impatience of some opened up an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
“One of the acquired items is a magical dagger. Study revealed that this dagger is linked to a lost war machine of the ancient Jistka Imperium. The fact that the dagger is still ‘active’ leads us to believe the machine itself is active in some way as well.” Eando gestures with his mug for emphasis. “But we’ve run into a complication. We believe the dagger has a twin. And that twin is in the hands of one of the Society’s enemies, a night hag named Aslynn. We have reason to believe Aslynn’s forces are using the second dagger to search for the war machine. So, the short of it is that I’m sending you off into the desert with a dagger to look for a much larger ancient weapon. How that goes in practice, I’ll leave for Gol Amri to explain.”
As Eando sits down, Gol Amri gives him a nod and unfurls a map. “The area you are to explore is located in between two trade routes. Very little is known about it.” To emphasize her words, Gol Amri points to an area of the map which only reads ‘desert.’
“The dagger seems to be attuned, or maybe attracted, to something. While exploring the area around the Wellspring, we observed the dagger’s behavior. It seems to function like a dousing rod or compass. We’re relatively sure that it’s not pointing to the war machine directly, as the dagger changed directions during our surveys. Whatever it is that influences the dagger, it must be eliminated, and quickly. With the interference out of the way, you can hopefully use the dagger to then find what you seek.”
Eando puts a scroll on the table. “I also have a message to pass on to you."
The scroll contains a letter:
Hello, agents. I hope that Eando has given you the delectable details of your mission before giving you my letter. He probably also had some speech about how catching this strange machine is important. But I would ask of you something different. The dagger that is so much the center of this mission is pulling towards locations in the desert. We, the Grand Archive, would like to study whatever is attracting the dagger. Something that can exert such power over such distance would give us new and exciting insights into these ancient magic items. When you find whatever is affecting the dagger, gather as much data as you can, then try and shut down whatever it is, instead of disabling it—or even worse, destroying it! That way, we can later retrieve or study the devices. This would of course take more time then going straight for the “prize,” but keeping these devices intact could aid us in further missions. I’m confident you will make the right decision. Good luck!
—Zarta Dralneen
Eando continues. "I had the pleasure of reviewing a copy of Zarta’s message before you arrived. I am sorry to say we’re both expecting rather contradicting results from you. I’m afraid you will have to make a choice: either go with all haste for me and the Vigilant Seal, or take your time and study whatever else might be attracting the dagger for Zarta and the Grand Archive. Neither of us will hold it against you should you choose one mission over the other. This must have been a lot to take in. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
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A sandy-furred amurran enters the tent just as Eando Cline starts the briefing, doffing his long knit cap (think the hats worn during the French Revolution, though done in red & white stripes).
Once the briefing is complete, he first checks in with the Venture Captain, exchanging a brief greeting before returning to the gathered group. You catch a glimpse of leather armor beneath loose clothing well suited to the local climate, along with a medic's vest replete with bandages, balms, spools of silk thread, needles & knives
He nods to those present.
"Theo Geisel - pathologist by training & general investigator of odd situations. I lurk in the shadows as well, given the choice. When it comes to combat, I'll leave the up-close aspects to those better suited for it, shooting from some distance away. A pleasure to meet you all."
"I don't want to be too rash, but it seems like toying with something dangerous like that when Aslynn is searching for a weapon would be foolhardy.
"And worry not, Theo - I will be the bulwark between you and any who threaten us."
"Obviously agree with you, Seelah. Zarta's not wrong, though. These are likely sites of archaeological interest, and the idea of intentionally destroying them is unfortunate, but with Asylnn's forces looking for the same thing--likely led by one of her children, yes, though I have no evidence of it--well," he shrugs, "priorities."
Eando unsheathes a long, slender dagger. Its blade sports a string of glowing runes down its length and the handle is bronze, untarnished by time. "If any of you are lacking a magic weapon, this will suit." "It may have other powers, but for now we know it's linked to the war machine somewhere in the desert."
He then holds the dagger with the tips of his fingers, focuses, and chants a brief incantation. The dagger then floats gently in the air and
points wavers, sweeping from pointing west to south-soutwest. It then falls dormant.
"It has enough power to do that once per day. I suggest you perform the ritual every morning. The dagger led us here, but at this point we realized it's pulling towards more than one thing in the desert. Once you're close to one of the things attracting it then it should point more directly--and once you've eliminated the other things it's pointing towards you should be able to locate the actual target."
"I need to finish readying your supplies," says Gol Amri, "You'll each receive a dromedary to carry your supplies, and a 30-day supply of food and water for the beast and yourself. I also have a one-person tent for each of you. These tents have a flap you can throw over your dromedary; this isn't for the animal's benefit, as they're equipped for the desert, but for yours so you can benefit from their body heat. People who aren't from around here usually know the desert gets very hot under the sun, but a lot of them don't realize it can get very cold when the sun is down. I'll demonstrate how to use them when you collect your supplies."
"Any other questions?" Eando asks.
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As he approached the rest of the assembled group of Pathfinders, Angvim takes him time to take in the composition of the group, nodding in satisfaction at hearing Snarlfist's medical dedication and at the obvious frontliner Seelah.
The rest of the merry band of adventurers are somewhat harder to define, but that would something time should solve as they moved forward.
"Hello fellow travelers, my name is Angvim and I hope we can get to know each other during this mission. It's always a pleasure to work with fellow pathfinders"
Agnvim is a young, tanned yet somewhat pale human, with curiosity etched on in his eyes. He wears a finely crafted bandoleer over his leather armor on his torso and a leather whip on his belt. An intrincate black rune tattoo can be seen on the right lower part of his neck as it descends into his body. He also carries with him a tome he is always looking at with a sense of wonder, as if everytime he focuses he could find something new written on it.
As Aldora walks in, he cannot help but smile at her introduction, her words something he definitively didn't expect and he found himself almost dissapointed when she didn't end her speech with a piroutte.
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After hearing the briefing, Angvim's face turns sour as while he has no recolection about this antagonist being mentioned, it being a Hag is more than enough to make with him gooze bumps. "So much for a peaceful exploration then" he mutters.
"So far it seems everytime I go into a desert I find some sort of powerful magical entity" he adds, remembering his encounters with Safa, though it seems this time said entity won't be wearing kids gloves when dealing with the group.
As Eando finishes his speech, Angvim takes a step forward to ask about the supplies. "Should anything derail of from our mission or slow our way, is there anyway to replenish our supplies? Any settlements, oasis or whatever near our route?" he finishes, worry clear on his face.
"Unfortunately, it's what we have. While the Wellspring has more than enough water, the oasis does not provide enough food for our people here, and we are loathe to strip it of plant life. All our food is imported from Aspenthar. Should you run low on supplies, we expect the next big food delivery in ten days. You can restock then. The most important thing to watch is the amount of water you have available. Other than here in the Wellspring and the oasis that Gol Amri mentioned, there may be no other places where you can acquire drinking water. If you start to run out, it’s better to return than to ration. We have found plenty of travelers dead of dehydration with half-filled waterskins. The heat will get you faster than you realize.
"Yes, that will delay your mission; if it can't be helped, then it can't be helped.”
Eando presents the party with a small slate in an ornate frame. "Take this with you. It's magical, and anything you write on it will also appear on the matching slate in my office--use it to report back to me when you make a discovery, find the war machine, or end up in over your heads."
Gol Amri shows the Pathfinders their dromedaries and the supplies she's had prepared for them. "They are currently very well-fed and -watered," she assures them, "They're also well drained and very docile. They'll follow you easily if you take their harness. These dromedaries aren't trained to take a rider and will probably freeze up if you try it--though at the moment they're too burdened in any case."
She demonstrates the use of the tents with the flap to throw over the camels, and offers a set of loose-fitting robes anybody who doesn't have clothing for the desert heat.
"If you have any other questions, now's your last chance," says Eando Kline, as he urges the Pathfinders to get moving.
Murph knows that the Jistka Imperium rose to power after Earthfall, but before Old Mage Jatembe brought arcane magic back to Golarion. Jistkan artificers built golems by creating a magnificent articulated home, magically coaxing spirits into the physical bodies using occult magic.
Early Jistkan golemcraft bound elementals into clockwork bodies. But the war with Ancient Osirion made the demand for constructs sharply rise, and Jistkans turned to other sources and employed arcane magic. These other sources included dangerous experiments with fiend-binding, which produced devastating weapons whose destruction was prone to spreading far beyond the targets the crafters wished the see eliminated. Their greatest breakthrough came when they discovered how to bind the minds, life forces, and souls of accomplished Jistkans into ageless constructed bodies called automatons. Some of the automatons who have survived and retained lucidity until modern times have recently joined the Pathfinder Society.
I think the general idea is do the ritual every morning, then move to a hex in the direction indicated by the dagger and explore it.
From here the dagger points in an arc because it is drawn to multiple things. When you're closer you can expect it to point art a target directly--which is good, because searching an area of the desert would take days. Searching the entire thing is likely impractical.
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Aa Eando's urges everyone to get things moving, Angvim furiously skims through the book he is currently holding until he stops with a triumphant and loud "Aha! I knew I had seen in it here somewhere!"
He then realizes what he did and blushes while taking a fake cough to gather back his thoughts and carefully place a bookmark on the open page. If anyone had been paying close attention to him, they would've seen his eyes becoming cloudy and empty, only to go back to normal a second later as if nothing had happened.
◇ Set Tome expert skills to: Jistka Imperium Lore, Desert Lore.
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Snarlfist looks at the map and growls.
"Hmmm. Snarlfist learn to triangulate back in Oprak army, not very good at it, but learn concept. If there less desert to south, may that way first, and then use triangle to head straight to second. Travel through Oasis go faster and maybe learn tips from other travelers too."
Snarlfist starts drawing on their map with a deep purple ink.
Hope they not need this back thinks Snarlfist to himself.
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Theo makes a quick sketch of the barren, unexplored hex-scape in his journal. He looks at the map, showing the divergent directions directed by the dowsing dagger, along with the paired oasis locations.
"I think that heading SouthWest will give us the most information the quickest, as the targets should quickly diverge, giving us a better idea of our final targets."
Tapping the nib of his quill on his lower lip, he adds
" Plus, that oasis to the north of the SW path is a good contingency, in case we need to replenish our water."
"Southwest it is, then."
Traveling from the oasis at the Inspiriting Wellspring is easy going, but the lush vegetation falls away and the Pathfinders soon find themselves in arid desert conditions. Travel here is slower, and finding food or water seems impossible, though they press on.
The next morning they are able to repeat the dowsing ritual. The arc from here seems just a touch wider.
On the second day the Pathfinder team found only more sandy desert, though they pass an expanse of sand has been turned to glass. The glass is rippled and shaped into ridges, as if agitated while it was still in its liquid form. While it is likely a remnant of that ancient war, it seems entirely harmless now and clearly isn't responsible for the signals attracting the calamitous dagger.
On the morning of the third day the dagger turns in an almost perfect 90-degree arc, from due west to due south. They continue on that day and find nothing but more sand and sweltering sun.
On the morning of the fourth day, though, the calamitous dagger behaves differently. As the ritual is performed, the dagger spins and points in only one direction, barely quivering. Something that attracts it is close.
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Snarlfist continues to draw lines on map every morning doing his best to line up with there the arrows point.
(I added labels to the rows and collums, with us starting in A8.)
Starting in A8 (Wellspring): Day 1 we left normal terrain and spent 1 action moving SW to B7 and then being in desert we started SW again with our second action.
D2: we finished moving SW to C6 with our only action.
D3: We had 2 actions and went SW out of difficult terrain to D5.
D4: It is now D4 and the dagger only points NW instead of 2 readings?
Snarlfist growls "Northwest lines up with what we know. Snarlfist also think other one at spot Snarlfist calls G6, but hard to draw super accurate so I6 or similiar spot on grid not surprise Snarlfist."
It takes traveling all that day and the next, but when they try the dagger ritual the following morning the calamitous dagger fails to point in a direction. It wobbles and wavers and rotates all around, spiraling down in complete circles before it settles pointing vaguely at the ground.
It would seem they have found the correct area.
Searching the area is also slow going. It's Angvim who spots it first, on the second day:
The mid-afternoon sun illuminates a single natural stone pillar sticking up out of the sands of the desert. Around its base lies crumbled masonry and brittle beams. The pillar shows signs that a building or tower was once constructed against its sides, and parts of this structure still cling to the pillar’s sides.
The crumbling ruins are about 30 feet off of the ground. Climbing up the pillar would be one way to reach the structure, but finding a path up among the beams of differing heights by springing from beam to beam could also work.
Snarlfist is, indeed, a spectacular climber and scales the pillar in around six seconds.
Murph's ascent among the beams isn't quite as impressive, but he still makes it without incident.
Angvim has a little more difficulty making consistently progress, but still reaches the elevated building without injury before too long.
The ropes they throw down will certainly help anyone else who wants to follow.
The floor groans precariously as they reach it, but the buildings mounted on the pillar have stood the test of time. Adding the weight of a few humanoids is, proportionally, just not very much. It seems stable enough to hold everyone.
There are several panels here, but most of them don't seem to be connected to anything at all--decoys. Locating the correct panel will take a careful eye , though it would be easier if anyone had a knack for equipment like this .
While they look for it, the Pathfinders will have to consider their conflicting instructions. Do they want to smash the interfering equipment and move on, racing to their ultimate goal of locating the war machine as quickly as possible and earn the favor of Eando Kline and the Vigilant Seal? Or should they take the time to study the device carefully before disabling it less permanently, as requested by Zarta of the Grand Archive, at the cost of a delay of several days?
Seelah will carefully ascend using the rope.
She looks around for the correct panel.
"I still support getting rid of this and letting Zarta study the remains, rather than potentially letting it fall into the hands of a foe."
Seelah joins the others in the crumbling structure, and she and Murph easily locate the relevant device within an hour.
The equipment is a copper panel full of dials and crystals. With the group overall agreeing that it's best the simply destroy it and move on, shattering a few of the crystals to render the panel inoperable is a straightforward task that only takes a few minutes more.
Come morning, the dowsing ritual traces a new arc, a narrow one pointing from due south to south-southeast.
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"Well, that was certainly interesting" comments Angvim as he watches the device as they bash it. "I agree that it's best to destroy it and move on that taking a couple of days trying to understand how to disable it while a potentially dangerous war machine is out there waiting to be activated."
As the downsing ritual ends, Angivm looks at the rest of the group while asking "So... south?"
"If there are more sites to discover, we will deal with them as we find them. Perhaps the dagger is simply not as precise as a wayfinder. Let us proceed toward the other suspected location."