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The path skirts around a field of iridescent blue flowers growing atop a hill. The translucent petals shimmer in the sunlight and their intoxicating scent attracts all manner of pollinating creatures. Some pollen-covered birds are seen sleeping under the flowers at the edge of the field.
Be careful. Inhaling the pollen from these Suncatcher Blooms can make you feel woozy or even make you fall asleep.
Any Party members who attempt to gather pollen from the field must succeed at a DC 19 Thievery check to carefully collect pollen from the blooms without dispersing it into the air and avoid becoming poisoned.
The next location, a Shaded Pond, sparkles distantly in the sunlight.
Salera shrugs. "Jiggs, give me the antidote. Stay. Here." She holds on to the potion but doesn't drink it.
Sometimes mortals are too smart and not risky. "Peter, a little Guidance?"
"Thank you."
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Jiggo manages to capture a good sample of the pollen in one of the preserving containers.
As you approach the rocks, a number of animals start growling and yipping loudly. You can also see a clutch of eggs at the base of the rocks, near what appears to be a burrow entrance.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green
Martin and Mavenee
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut
Yellow
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red
Blue
Orange
Purple
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Tsimaan calls from her place in the back You asked for samples of venomous animals, and these are venomous vermin. They breed quickly and invade crop storage to steal food.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green
Martin and Mavenee
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut
Yellow
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red
Blue
Orange
Purple
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"Nuisance creatures? Even so, I don't like attacking animals like that--I'm sure they'll change my mind soon enough. I'm fairly hard to poison."
Clover moves into the creatures' line of sight, studying them in her mirror to see what she can learn.
Clover has Dubious Knowledge, so on a failure she gains a true and a false statement but doesn't know which is which.
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These ELITE BURROWING VIPER RATS are relatively weak but have some nasty venom. No immunities, weaknesses, or resistances.
Burrowing Viper Rat Venom (poison)
Saving Throw DC 18 Fortitude;
Maximum Duration 4 rounds;
Stage 1 1d6 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round);
Stage 2 1d8 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round)
Clover tries to gains some insight into these creatures as she moves forward.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green
Martin and Mavenee ,
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut ,
Yellow
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red
Blue
Orange
Purple
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"Well, we can collect the samples if we knock them out, right?" Jiggo hustles over. "Let's try to surround them, carefully. Maybe we can get some of their eggs?"
Salera shrugs. "Jiggs, stay behind me." She drinks the antidote. "I promise not to kill them, alright?" She huffs and makes her way through the forest.
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These rats don't really have any special attacks other than the poison that is injected from their fangs.
Burrowing Viper Rat Venom (poison)
Saving Throw DC 18 Fortitude;
Maximum Duration 4 rounds;
Stage 1 1d6 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round);
Stage 2 1d8 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round)
You would also realize they are territorial, but probably won't charge out after you unless you get closer.
Red, Blue, Orange and Purple all hiss aggressively but don't move from their current locations.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green
Martin and Mavenee
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut ,
Yellow
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red
Blue
Orange
Purple
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Voron is dubious they can simply steal eggs in the current situation.
Uh... hrm. We need to incapacitate the creatures somehow. They are very on-edge!
Voron tries to think on what predator these creatures would greatly fear, that might cause them to abandon eggs and flee for their own lives.
Based on what he remembers, he incants the sound of that predator making ferocious and aggressive sounds in the woods just North of their nest.
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Voron makes a noise like a saber toothed cat, frightening most of the Burrowing Viper Rats away. Only Yellow remains.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green ,
Martin and Mavenee
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut ,
Yellow
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red ,
Blue ,
Orange ,
Purple ,
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The Yellow Burrowing Viper Rat hisses and shakes its head on confusion as another Clover appears next to it and whacks it over the head. It isn't down but definitely hurt.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green ,
Martin and Mavenee
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut ,
Yellow ,
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red ,
Blue ,
Orange ,
Purple ,
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The Yellow Viper Rat attacks the Princess Clover right next to it.
◆ Jaws attack
◆ Jaws attack
◆ Jaws attack
The Yellow Viper Rat misses terribly with all its attacks.
Bold may act
Voron Keyphyra
Green ,
Martin and Mavenee
Clover
Peter Plus-Haut ,
Yellow ,
Jiggo and Salera
Zhamie Zhapp
Red ,
Blue ,
Orange ,
Purple ,
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Princess Clover beats the creature into unconsciousness.
You now have an unconscious Viper Rat and a clutch of eggs. You can place them in the preservative bottles if you like.
Jiggo, Zhamie, Clover and Peter all spot a herd of Arcadian bison in the distance. Tsimaan notices you looking. “They’re a bit different from any bison you may know. They have blue horns and blue meat, and some people who’ve visited Avistan said they’re smarter than Avistani bison. One time I saw one rip the pants clean off of a woman who was foolish enough to try to pet it.” She laughs at the memory. “It carried her pants around on its horns for a good while, like a trophy.”
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An unusually dense grove of trees appears gradually across the road. Any semblance of a path near the edge of the trees disappears within a few feet due to both the intense darkness and the thick underbrush. The gunsmith awaits somewhere within, according to Rahaksenwe. Tsimaan hefts her pack higher and turns. “Well, they should be in there by now. Keep your eyes peeled, okay? They’re a grouchy hermit who doesn’t like visitors, and I don’t know if they remembered we’re still coming. It’ll be good for them, though. They need to get out more. You’ll help them with that.” Turning about, she pushes through the foliage and disappears into the grove.
Though the outskirts of the grove are almost impossibly dense, the same can’t be said once inside. Aside from a handful of large bushes here and there, no plant other than the trees grows taller than knee height. A thick layer of leaves blankets the forest floor where the undergrowth does not, and common species of fungi grow in place of the flowering plants ordinarily found in forest environments. The unusual darkness remains, though party members with darkvision are still able to see through it. Tsimaan draws a rod from her pack and cracks it with both her hands. The rod begins to glow brightly, casting light in a 40-foot radius and dim light for the next 40 feet. Tsimaan then picks up a long stick and ties the rod to it. “Don’t get lost,” she says with a wink.
"Jiggs, stay close to me." Salera holds Jiggo close and lets her Darkvision take hold. "Let's see if we can find this gunsmith. Hopefully they make good tea." Or something, anything. All of this nature stuff is boring me.
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The light will not be a problem, otherwise I would not have lit mine.
As you follow Tsimaan through the grove, the darkness begins to dissipate. Bioluminescent fungi and insects appear—scarcely at first, then more frequently until the ground and trees are dimly visible for dozens of feet in every direction. The trees thin out slightly closer to the center but swell and surge upward and provide cover that not even sunlight can pierce. Ferns sprout from the leaf-littered forest floor, climbing over logs and branches that break the path.
After many hours of walking, Tsimaan stops the group and declares that We have reached the center of the grove. The trees here are nearly ten feet across and fill the area, though they leave plenty of space for a creek to flow between them. Short bushes grow in large clusters, protecting the bare ground. Tsimaan begins to make herself comfortable in a clearing. “Feel free to look around,” she says as she unpacks some food. “They don’t like to announce their presence to strangers, so you might have to, you know, really look.”
Everybody except Peter spots a tree house overhead.
High above the forest floor and partially obscured by thick branches, a sprawling home sways with the tall trees. At least a dozen acorn-shaped huts encompass trunks at varying heights, connected by sturdy rope bridges. Each structure is surrounded by a wooden balcony and railing with odd gaps that lead into thin air. Glass globes hang from ropes strung over the bridges and huts, and hundreds of luminous insects feast on the glowing lichen contained within. More of the same insects feast on lichen growing on the tree trunks and branches, providing plenty of light for the entire home.An individual bearing remarkable resemblance to a large screech owl peers down from the entrance to one hut. “Tsimaan, who have you brought me?” they ask, their voice gravelly and laced with displeasure.
“I’ve brought you friends, Whiirii,” Tsimaan replies with a chuckle. “Provided you don’t scare them off with your glum demeanor first.” Whiirii’s beak makes an audible clack. “We’ll see about that. State your business, strangers.”
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Voron smiles up at the gunsmith, feeling a kindred spirit.
I don't blame you for having discretion about who approaches or enters your home. There are few who truly appreciate the craft of a gunsmith, a wizard, an artificier. I am Voron, a wizard of the Pathfinders. We come to you today to appreciate and request the utilization of your gunsmith skills. We bring the Stargun and we wish to return it to its rightful place in its former condition. That's where you come in.
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"It's dark enough here all the time for glowing things to grow?" Clover says as the part first encounters bioluminescence, "It's certainly a unique environment!"
When the find the home, she answers, "I find your home and the area you make it fascinating! I suppose that's hardly a good reason for you to want to see us, but it's not really why we're here. As my friend says, we seek your expertise because we've come into possession of this relic. It's not ours and may have been stolen, and we'd like to return it to the rightful owners. It's damaged, though, and we'd much prefer to return it in its proper state. Would you like to see it?"
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Salera studies the glowing lichen closely. She really likes the lighting. Reminds her a bit of home. Minus the fire.
Jiggo clears his throat. "Ah, yes. My apologies for intruding, but we have a task that only your expertise could complete. We'll of course assist in any duties required to complete its repair."
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Whiirii clacks their beak again. They walk to a gap in the railing, pause, and then fall forward into empty air. They allow themself to plummet toward the ground for a few seconds before snapping their wings open and gliding gracefully to the forest floor. Dozens of glowing insects follow them down the bottom and take up residence on the tree trunks, providing bright light for the entire clearing.
Strix and Syrinx regard each other as cousins. Syrinxes are always welcome in Strix society and vice versa, demonstrating a stark difference in their treatment of each other compared to their view of other societies. Their cultures share more similarities than they do differences, despite being separated by an ocean.
Strix and Syrinx regard each other as cousins. Syrinxes are always welcome in Strix society and vice versa, demonstrating a stark difference in their treatment of each other compared to their view of other societies. Their cultures share more similarities than they do differences, despite being separated by an ocean.
Strix and Syrinx were once the same people and lived on Arcadia. The location of their original home is lost, due to both time and the cataclysm depicted in the Scattered Nest. During the upheaval, they were separated into two groups. The ones able to stay behind became Syrinx, and the ones who were able to flee eventually became Strix. Many generations later, each group discovered the other survived. The reunion ushered in an era of joy and cultural prosperity, as both groups believed the other perished in the aftermath.
We can talk now. Do you have any questions for me, or anything else you want to tell me?
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"Of course. The Pathfinder Society found this relic, stolen a long time ago. Now, it's not ours, so it is only appropriate we return it to Arcadia."
"The problem is, it's broken. So we sought to find someone skilled enough to repair it. We think you are more than capable of this task."
"I should warn you. There is a powerful Night Hag who also seeks this item. We don't know why, but it's best we don't let her get her hands on it. If you deem it too dangerous to touch, we will be on our way."
Honesty is the best policy. Jiggo didn't want to endanger the gunsmith more than he had to.
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Peter whispers to the group, "I think this is a strix or syrinx. Strix and Syrinx regard each other as cousins. Syrinxes are always welcome in Strix society and vice versa, demonstrating a stark difference in their treatment of each other compared to their view of other societies. Their cultures share more similarities than they do differences, despite being separated by an ocean."
Peter than asks Whiirii if he is, or if he knows, the gunsmith.
"We have literally travelled across the world to find a legendary gunsmith, one that is capable of repairing a prized possession. Tales of their handiwork span this mortal world and the immortal worlds!"
♫ This is the story of a smith
Who fixed a gun and changed the whole world
While we don't see them in photographs
We absolutely need them
When they smile ♫
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Whiirii responds to Peter's question with curt, clipped words.
“I’m Whiirii, a gunsmith. I make, repair, and alter an assortment of guns for those who seek out my services.” Whiirii pauses and looks the party members and down. “Such as you and... your organization. I’ve got decades of experience under my wings and know techniques that have been passed down since long before Absalom’s founding. Any other questions?”