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Each Pathfinder has received a note from Zarta Dralneen, Grand Archivist for the Grand Lodge in Absalom. The note reads as follows:
Field agents,
I have entrusted you with an unusual magic key that only recently came into our possession. From our studies, we determined that the metal and crystals composing this key are not from any known corner of Golarion. The key acts as a receiver or amplifier for the confounding thoughts of an alien mind.
We have located the source of the signal somewhere near Ardis, the former capital of Ustalav. Reducing the distance between the source and the key might be the only way to get a more accurate position.
We believe that the appearance of this key in our vaults may be an attempt by a group known as the Ardis Scholars to get in touch with the Society. The Society discovered the existence of this group of secretive planar explorers during a recent mission in Osirion, but we haven’t been able to make contact.
We have entrusted the key to you and secured it in this sealed container. Don’t open it until after you meet with Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss. One of the researchers who handled the key found themselves walking in a field with no memory of how they ended up there, which could prove fatal in a place like Ustalav.
I have asked Evni to talk to her local contacts and locate any leads or rumors that could help you in your search for the source. She should be waiting for your arrival at the Lodestar inn.
—Grand Archivist Zarta Dralneen, Grand Lodge of Absalom
★ -- ★ -- ★ -- ★
Having read the note sever times you soon find yourselve deep in the Countryside near Ardis, former capital of the dread nation of Ustalav approaching the Lodestar inn.
The Lodestar must have once been a popular and well‑appointed establishment, but it’s lost most of its splendor in the decades following the move of Ustalav’s capital from Ardis to Caliphas. The tables and chairs are made of sturdy oak, but bear the scuffs and
stains of many years of heavy use. Once‑vibrant tapestries hang on the walls, their hues muted by decades of lamp smoke, and the dusty shelves are laden with silver teapots, statuettes of unusual beasts, and other
knickknacks. A small figure wearing flowing robes that glimmer like the night sky sips a large cup of tea as she chats with a slender half‑orc in traveling gear and an older dwarf whose long red hair is streaked with gray.
The small figure you recognize as being Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss. The other two are not immediately familiar.
Spotting the group, Evni smiles widely and beckons to you all. As she speaks up, her voice fills the somber room with brightness. "You've arrived, and not a moment too soon! The situation might be getting out of hand, so I fear we don’t have much time. Oh, by the way, this is Ziri, a Horizon Hunter, and Kamenya of the Radiant Oath. They helped narrow down the signal's origin point."
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Fen bows when she sees the venture captain, and again to each of her companions.
"Zhao Fen, it is an honour."
Fen is a young Tian-Shu woman, wearing beautiful jade-green full-plate worked with intricate gold and white filigree. The amour is knocked and scratched in places, but clearly well-tended. Even inside the inn her tightly bound pony-tail bobs back and forth as if in an unseen breeze, but she seems unconcerned by it.
She has a katana sheathed at her left hip, and another strapped to her back, and a green-and-white crescent moon holy symbol around her neck. She steps subtly to one side as she indicates her travel companions.
"And these are..."
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A grungy looking dwarf stumps in following the half-orc. They drag a chair noisily out from the table before flopping down on it. It's hard to tell where her gray tinged hair stops and the dingy, greyish, well worn clothing begins. She grabs a tankard and downs it in one gulp before brushing some twigs and dirt from her pants.
"Durg," is all she says. You're not sure if that was a name or a commentary on the ale.
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Zabu was fairly excited when he saw the name of the person who sent him the letter. When he opened it up and saw that it was just words and not a picture, he almost completely lost interest and shoved it in the bottom of a pouch before going back to what he was doing.
It's fortunate he happens to be in the area when he finds the note while looking for something else. He still doesn't really read it...something about a key...a signal...no provocative picture of Zarta...yada yada.
He doesn't have anything else to do so he shrugs and shows up...late.
Zabu prefers an establishment that sets out to be seedy from the beginning, but one that has gone to seed over time is a close enough second.
"Zabu. I am a fighter and I do know things, though not things they allow you to do in public in most places," he says with a wink and a feral grin that perfectly matches his features.
His clothes are almost as wild as he is with buck skin pants and a vest, battered boots and a belt with an enormous buckle.
Oddly enough, the only weapon you can see on him is the spiked gauntlet he wears.
"If we don't have time, why are we wasting it talking? Just tell me who needs bleeding."
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Ziri gives a nod before speaking after you each introduce yourselves. "The signal is somewhere near the village of Ilev. It should take you about a day if you take the Old Crown Road, unless you're adamant about taking a carriage down every old and overgrown path."
"Hey, a carriage is an excellent base of operations! Although I admit, I don't mind having a permanent base from time to time." protests Evni.
Ziri chuckles before continuing. "The village itself is abandoned, but there are still a few homesteads and farms nearby. The Ardis Scholars chose their headquarters well; folks around these parts know better than to go looking into anything unusual. I certainly hope we can find them. If Zarta's suspicions are true, it's possible they traveled farther than most! Can you imagine traveling to an entirely new planet?"
Kamenya pipes in, her voice smooth and level. "Ziri doesn't hesitate to walk the path least traveled. From the little we know about the Ardis Scholars, they share a similar outlook, and also act with compassion. Their motto is ‘to learn, to understand, to embrace,' which doesn't fall far from the Radiant Oath's philosophy. I hope we can find these elusive scholars and welcome them as allies."
The battle-hardened dwarf sighs. "But most people fear what they don't understand, and I can tell you the people around Ilev are terrified. They started to suffer from frequent and debilitating headaches. Some have even reported finding themselves in places without recollection of how they got there. No one has been injured so far, but they're realizing something isn't right."
"And when they realize an alien or mysterious organization may be causing all of this, they won't hesitate to use torches and pitchforks to solve their problems." concludes Evni. "But luckily, we have you! And the key in that box, of course. Zarta mentioned it should help us pinpoint the location of the source. What do you say, shall we take a look?"
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"As long as it's still got a tavern, I don't care how deserted it is. It still has a tavern right? Right?" Zabu says.
"Take the weird thing to the place where it might be most dangerous and hope that we don't accidentally open a gate to another world full of alien invaders. Got it." he recaps the mission.
Zabu will pass on carrying the thing that seems to be making people blackout and wake up in places without remembering how they got there. That happens to him often enough on his own.
As the briefing winds up he starts to hum, every now and then breaking softly into a chorus - "Gonna take my horse to the Old Crown Road and ride until I can't no more."
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The box opens with a subtle click, revealing a key made of smooth crystal and blue-tinged metal. Whispers and fragments of incomprehensible visions surround the unusual key, creating a telepathic cacophony of jumbled thoughts and emotions.
You can tell that the key has an active link, and that it is psychically charged. Spells like mind reading, telepathy, or mind probe or telepathic abilities make the images and emotions that come through it easier to understand.
The crystal key is inside a lacquered jewelry box about one foot long, six inches wide, and three inches tall. Fen realizes the box is too heavy to be made of wood alone; underneath its fabric lining hides a layer of lead.
When Fen takes the key from the box, they can feel jumbled thoughts and emotions. Applying a conscious effort of will, attempting to sort through the emotions, could tell more.
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↺ Cast a Spell (somatic) - Ancestral Defense (Uncommon Abjuration Cursebound Fortune Mental Oracle)
As she touches the key, Fen sees the spirits of the Zhao family swirling around her, siphoning off its energies, though others see only their effects as Fen's hair whips around her and small objects in the room topple over. The spectral form of her mother Zhao Meifeng hovers in front of her and grasps the key at the same time that she does, a reassuring smile on her face.
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Fen's eyes roll into the back of her head. Fen sees the inside of a dark room lit by flashes of electricity. A tall and kind woman in her fifties speaks in a tone as calming and caring as her gestures. She approaches an alien, carefully avoiding contact with the electrical current running through the metallic mesh surrounding its enclosure. At this distance, her thoughts become clear: she wants to help. She offers an empty glass syringe fitted with a short needle ending in a rounded tip. Tendrils of light ebb toward the syringe, filling it with a warm glow, while electricity discharges around her. The essence remains in the syringe, stable, and a smile appears on the doctor’s face. Before the link ends, the alien shows the character glimpses of the outside of the Ardis Scholars’ manor.
Another series of images flash through Fen's mind. She identifies with the alien more deeply and discovers their chosen name: Lumna. Fen also feels Lumna’s emotions: guilt for having harmed Dr. Treju in their first encounter, fear for their own survival, and grief for the good doctor’s death.
After the vision ends, the key goes dormant as it slips free from Fen's fingertips to thud to the ground. Evni looks at Fen in shock. "Well? What happened? I'm dying to know! Did you see something?"
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Assuming this was a Recall Knowledge Check, Drak will reroll with Kreighton's Cognitive Crossover.
It looks like the key has an active link, and that it is psychically charged. Spells like mind reading, telepathy, or mind probe or telepathic abilities make the images and emotions that come through it easier to understand.
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"Yes I saw something"
Fen takes a moment to collect herself.
"I saw some sort of creature in a dark room. I knew it was alien in some sense. It was in an metal enclosure crackling with electricity. A kindly woman in her fifties was offering the creature a syringe with a rounded tip, and it somehow filled it with tendrils of light which seemed to please the woman. The creature was called..."
She pauses like trying to recall a memory from years gone by...
"Lumna, that was it. Lumna felt guilty about having hurt ... Dr. Treju, and they were afraid too. I saw a manor too, presumably that of the Ardis Scholars?"
"Could it be that this one creature's captivity is the cause of all this? The Scholars have a lot to answer for if that's the case, that poor thing"
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"Your guess about the range is as good as mine," Evni says, replying all of you. "All we know, still, is that the key is not of
this world, acts as a sort of receiver, and prolonged contact with it without protective shielding causes headaches, memory loss, and other disturbances. Which you know firsthand now, I'd say."
"We think the key can focus the communication with the alien, acting as a receiver for their telepathic abilities. But that doesn’t stop them from just shouting to see who else or what else is out there. Without the key, their cries are unfocused and can’t reach very far, but it seems they can
still influence people. Now that we’re so close to the source, the key might help us determine their location, but the psychic echoes may be stronger, so be ready."
With Evni's help you secure a horse-drawn wagon for your journey. It's a slow-going journey that takes the better part of the day. The sun is reaching the horizon when you reach a nearby farm.
A simple rectangular dwelling faces a small hill to the northwest. A fenced area attached to the home keeps in a few heads of cattle, each bearing a mark of a broken crown. The sound of a grindstone grating against metal comes from a small shed on the opposite side.
Moments later a man steps out from the shed, dressed as a farmer and showing signs of exhaustion. He holds a cleaver in a white-knuckled hand.
His eyes dart back and forth, suspicion evident in his gaze. When he spots the group of Pathfinders he sucks in his breath, clearly working to calm himself. "Names Kistur Radu. Care to explain why you are trespassing on my farm?"
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Zabu passes the time carving his name into the side of the wagon with his sharp fingernails.
And regaling everyone with tales of his prowess both in battle and romance (it's surprising how many hobgoblins are involved and in which category.)
He also sings that "Old Crown Road" song, or at least the chorus enough to get it firmly embedded in everyone's head.
He is all too ready to pile out of the wagon when they get to the farm, though when he sees the farmer he cocks his head to the side and a malicious grin comes to his face.
He sniffs the air and looks and listens suspiciously.
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Fen draws the conversation out a little longer, both out of genuine concern, and to put off getting back into the wagon with Zabu's "songs", if only for a moment.
"Thank you Mr. Radu, that's very helpful. We've had reports of headaches in this area, have you experienced anything like that? Any blackouts or such? We're hoping to provide aid, if we can"
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It takes him several moments for Kistur to regain composure. When he does, he shares more than before. "I have been having blackouts myself recently, it came with a strange vision. Mine was of the inside of a dark room, lit by flashes of electricity. There was a tall woman in her fifties speaking, her tone calm and caring. She approaches some alien, careful to avoid contact with the electrical current running some mesh surrounding its enclosure. It looked to me like she wanted to help. She offers an empty glass syringe fitted with a short needle ending in a rounded tip. Light moved toward the syringe, making it glow, while electricity shot around her. The glow remained in the syringe, and a smile appears on the doctor's face. And just before it ends there's a view of Ardis Manor."
"I've been thinking about it for a while, and I can't shake the feeling that whatever the alien is, it's taking advantage of the woman. That ain't right. It's wrong. And that needs to be dealt with."
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"I'm sorry you've had to experience that. I had a very similar vision myself, and we're here to try to put things right. If it's OK we'll come back and check on you when we leave town to make sure these episodes have stopped."
Fen looks uneasy. When they're alone she explains her concerns
"Kistur's vision was eerily similar to my own, but he had quite a different interpretation. We need to learn more, and with haste, I hate to think of the psychic stress everyone in this town must be under."
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With a new destination available, you set out towards Ardis Manor. It's not long before they need to rest for the night, setting camp just off the road. It takes another full day for the cart to reach the manor, but the group spies it as the sun's last rays are on the horizon.
An overgrown path winds up the hillside, leading to an imposing manor that towers over the landscape. At the path’s end, two curved staircases lead to a patio, gray with age and sagging with disrepair. Underneath the patio, a patchwork of wooden posts supports the structure’s weakest points, preventing it from collapsing. Most of the windows are boarded up, but cold light flickers through the heavy curtains on the top floor.
You all notice that all door and window frames have steel rods embedded in the wood. It's a strange feature, but these highly conductive metal rods could fill each opening with arcs of electricity meant to stun and deter assailants.
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Zabu avoids the sparking electricity as the group heads up the stairs to the front of the manor.
The tapestry and upholstery are new and well made, filling the entrance with unexpectedly vibrant reds. An empty glass decanter sits on an elegant entry table nestled between the two south-facing windows. Three portraits painted by expert hands adorn the walls, each mounted below a plaque bearing a fragment of the Ardis Scholars’ motto: “to learn, to understand, to embrace”. The large door leading farther into the manor is sturdy and unblemished by the ravages of time.
The three paintings have no names, dates, or titles. Though having seen Dr. Treju in the vision you recognize her as the subject of the middle painting.
You move from the Foyer to the Great Hall. Most of the floor tiles have been painstakingly repaired and waxed in an attempt to recapture the great hall’s lost splendor, although not its function. A few chairs neatly stacked in a corner next to a shattered blackboard covered in complex scripts and a portable lectern speak to the great hall having a more academic purpose.
Elegant marble columns support the ceiling, each fitted with six thin metal rods running through their entire height, and a massive spiral staircase leads to the upper floor.
At a glance it looks as if the notes on the blackboard detail complex formulas meant to predict planar interactions so they can be exploited for traveling. They’re difficult to decipher though, as clearly someone went at them like a rage-filled demon.
You find hints that the Ardis Scholars were predicting a weakening between the Shadow Plane and the Material Plane for the next two weeks in the area surrounding the manor!
Examining the northern section you marvel at the columns, and note the metal rods affixed to each. You are curious as to why the rods are there to begin with.
You recognize that the steel has been treated to conduct electricity, allowing the energy generated to flow freely through the building.
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"Doesn't look like they want our help." Durg grumbles as she hops out of the cart. She casts longstrider so she can keep up with everyone else.
"Gonna look around," she says shortly as she moves to circle around the building, giving it a quick once over and looking for any tracks. More information never hurts.
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"Nice to see the inside matches the outside," Zabu says.
He didn't pay much attention to blackboards when he was a kid, he's definitely not going to now.
He heads toward some of the stairs to look around but doesn't go up them yet.
"I suppose somebody wants to figure out what all that chicken scratch means?" he nods toward the writing.
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Interesting. The Artist on all three portraits is someone named Silvu Cioraru.
The chicken scratches are hints that the Ardis Scholars were predicting a weakening between the Shadow Plane and the Material Plane for the next two weeks in the area surrounding the manor!
and the Steel rods attached to the columns allow the electricity to flow freely through the building.
I suggest we check the rooms down here before we go upstairs. How about over here?
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Durg pulls out a staff and her morningstar just in case as she wanders around the room. Pausing for a moment in front of the blackboard, she peers at the scribbles, squinting as if that will help her understand it.
She gives up after a few moments, then heads for the door on the northern wall, once again checking for signs of life.
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Fen gets more and more concerned while wandering around the manor, and Cicero's explanations to little to put her at ease.
"It may be prudent to ask for protection"
◆◆ Cast a Spell - Resist Energy (Abjuration)
She touches Zabu and Drak and though they see nothing, Fen sees the wispy insubstantial form of her ancestor spirits protecting them from harm.
She then quietly draws her ghost-touch katana in two hands in case these scholars have unleashed things from the shadow plane and stands behind Durg.
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The group gathers near the northern door and cracks it open. The acrid smell of alchemical reagents fills the room. Most of the furniture lies in splinters, the wood covered in extensive burn marks and pitted by acid. A few shelves in the northern room are still filled with vials, alembics, and half‑finished creations along with scattered journal pages.
Unfortunately you also see a massive pile of yellowish-orange slime covering most of the room. It pulses and jiggles, but does not react to the opened door. Beyond the immediate room and through an open door you also spots another bit of strangeness: two large balls of seething flame, roiling about in place.
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"Let's Try something unwise"
With a glint in her eye, Fen touches a small sphere of water embedded in her katana, and a spout of water appears harmlessly in the hallway behind her. At the same time she becomes mistlike, and walks through the jelly, passing completely around it and reforming on the other side!
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Fen turns to mist and slowly filters through the slime and balls of fire to appear, dab smack in the iddle of the chamber. She quickly realizes this was a bad idea as the mindless creaures begin to squirm and turn towards her.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
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➤ Zabu
➤ Drak
Roiling Incant (Yellow)
Roiling Incant (Pink)
Ochre Jelly (Red)
Ochre Jelly (Green)
Durg
Zhao Fen