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1) I am based in Southeast Asia (UTC +8) so my posting hours may be unusual (especially for those in North America). I usually update at least one or twice per day. Just to keep the game moving, please post at least once every day and at least once during the weekend.
2) Please label all three of your actions. Even if you think what you are doing is obvious.
3) If I am unavailable for longer than 24 hours, I will let you know in the Discussion Tab. Out of respect for your fellow players and myself, I ask that you do the same. Real life happens, and real life will always take priority over the game, but out of fairness for your fellow players, please let us know if you will be unavailable for an extended period of time.
4) Please note that on the following days, my posting can get unpredictable:
Tuesday/Thursdays - all day, as they are the 2 busiest days of my work week
4) Please complete the Macros and the Slides linked at the top of the page.
5) Questions, concerns? Feel free to share them in the Discussion tab.
6) Let's have some fun and tell a great story together! After all, that's what we are here for.
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Cirri plays with a silver piece, lifting it, pushing it around the table without actually touching it and slicing droplets of water. She's a tan skinned blonde haired woman, with a pair of dark gray feathery wings growing from her shoulders. Her sky blue dress is marked with a raindrop motif and her metal belt is engraved with wispy horizontal lines, like the wind.
She squawks as you approach her table. "Oh hi! I'm Cirri Merryweather. Pleased to meet you." She shoots up to a standing position and offers a slightly moist handshake.
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Starlight hops up on a chair to to see what the winged woman is doing. She looks like a plushy dark coloured unicorn, and is about the size of one, with what looks like a grouping of blue stars on her rump.
When Cirri extends a hand, Starlight replies with a forehoof. Starlight Sparkle. Wishborn poppet and wizard slash arcanist. What are you doing? Sleight of hand? It looks fascinating
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"Oh! Yes, it's kind of fun. You uh... call a bit of water, move it around with some wind, and try to move it under the coin. Then you try to pop the bubble underneath the coin. It's a game I like to play to pass the time." She pauses and looks a bit sheepish. "You know, when people don't panic."
"My parent's always like, 'Cirri, be proud of your abilities.' And then my dad is like 'Cirri, show them what you've got!' And then my uncle is like 'hey cool, Cirri. You're a living hydraulic press!' Which I guess is cool. I'd rather move the metal myself than rely on waves."
"Sorry, I'm ranting again." Pause. Inhale. "I noticed that I'm good at collecting water and wind. Makes sense, I live on the coast. But engineering and mechanical stuff- I want to learn more. Dad and Uncle suggested the Pathfinder Society. Par was against it, but wished me luck."
"But mechanics and metals looks so cool. I figure if I keep practicing, maybe I can move metals with my mind. Someday."
She snatches the coin, keeping her arm movement ambiguous. "Also the Sleight of Hand stuff is fun."
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Starlight nods. I quite agree. I should work on my own a bit more
Her horn starts glowing with a dark purpleish violet colour ((the same sort of colour a blacklight generator glows)) and a coin, surrounded by the same glow, floats out of a pocket in a saddle bag and drift over the table.
It's also really fascinating how magic works she continues while spinning the coin end over end. Take this for example. The amount of thaumic energy requred for this is proportional to the mass of the object but is proportional to the square of the velocity of the object .....
She stops as she notices Cirri's eyes begin to glaize over. Sorry. I'm also interested on how it all works. So ... you're a kineticist?
Oh .... your wings look cool by the way. Can you fly with them?
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"Thaumic... energy... like a kind of torch? Uncle would know more about that. Sounds like... the more you push, the harder it hits?" Cirri cocks her head to the side and pulls out her notebook to scribble notes.
Cirri briefly looks away. "I'm still working on my wings. My parent can fly but... they said not to rush. It takes a while." She flexes them a bit. "But it IS fun to jump off hills, and trees. And buildings, but people around here don't like that."
"Your horn is beautiful, by the way."
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Starlight had extracted a book labelled Fundamentals of Magical Theory as Applied to Low Powered Spells and the two were currently perusing the pages, many of which Starlight had added her own notes.
All it's basically doing is applying an upward force which is just less than the pull of gravity, indicated here by the letter 'g'. If you think about it it's actually a subset of the 'Fly spell' designed to ensure the target makes a soft and safe landing.
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The adventure begins in the Events Hall of the Grand Lodge a few hours after midday, as the festivities are in full swing. The hallways are chock full of agents and guests filing in and out, jovially introducing themselves, discussing recent ventures, and swapping stories. You are summoned to the offices of Fola Barun. When you arrive, Fola and several other familiar agents are in the middle of undoing and resewing some gilded letters stitched onto a large green banner. She momentarily stops her needlework to greet you.
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A poppet in the form of a small, bipedal stuffed rabbit hurries into the room. He is dressed in academic robes and has a mortarboard cap atop his head. He stops and composes himself, brushing some chalk dust off of his robes. He attempts to adjust his cap but fails miserably as is it in fact, stitched to his head. He frowns and strokes the tassel atop his cap instead, removing imaginary tangles. He coughs nervously and introduces himself. "Thorry I'm late. I wath giving an impromptu lecture on the early hithtory of the pathfinder thothiety to thome rookie pathfinderth." His oversized front teeth cause him to speak with a outrageous lisp. "I would have been finished with my lecture thome time ago but the thtudentth kept trying to leave, forthing me to run after them. Allow me to introduthe mythelf. I am Profeththor Bun Bun, Q.T.E."
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Bechamel doesn't usually carry any ale with him, but he brews his own mead and will offer some to Kromrock. Then, he introduces himself.
"I'm Bechamel Mornay."
The bow on his back suggests he's an archer of some kind, and the assorted pots and pans he carries suggests he used to be a cook. Or perhaps it is the other way around - he used to be an archer, and now he's a cook.
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Fola waves hello as you approach. She places hands together before her face. Thimbles cover the tips of all her plaster-bandaged fingers. "I sincerely apologize for pulling you away from all the fun, but as you can see, we have something urgent to remedy." She nods in the direction of the green silk banner. One of the agents yelps, having stabbed themselves with a needle. "The seamsters misspelled a crucial word and I only caught it this morning. Originally at this hour, I was scheduled to give a fellow Envoy’s Alliance member, Taiwalei, a guided tour of the Maze of the Open Road. Since I’m unable to part with my duties, however, I would like you all to act as his guide instead. Of course, this counts as a regular Pathfinder mission, so you will be compensated. It also shouldn’t take very long. I informed Taiwalei there’s an event here he must attend around late afternoon. You have three hours before the event starts. Once the time is up, you can all return to the ballroom in the Event Hall to join the party and consider your mission complete. Any questions?"
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Taiwalei once fended off a megalodon by himself with his bare hands. The experience didn’t decrease his love for sharks, who he advocates are usually harmless. You know Taiwalei became a Pathfinder Society agent while exploring Tian Xia with his cousins, having sailed there from their home islands in the eastern Okaiyo Ocean. He is known for generously offering free passage to those who wish to join the Society.
You know that Forest King Narven did not, in life, pass much knowledge on about how to maintain the maze’s condition. The hedge maze thus declined after his death. The planar fabrics were frail in certain areas, which led to gradually worsening instabilities that have only recently been resolved. Eliza Petulengro, a member of the Decemvirate that leads the Pathfinder Society, took point on the recent stabilization efforts
You know Taiwalei became a Pathfinder Society agent while exploring Tian Xia with his cousins, having sailed there from their home islands in the eastern Okaiyo Ocean. He is known for generously offering free passage to those who wish to join the Society.
Other than being transposed from their previous entry and exit points, some of the portals of the maze have merged. This is particularly the case with portals to the various the elemental planes, likely the side effect of the Material Plane containing large amounts of all elements.
You also know that Forest King Narven did not, in life, pass much knowledge on about how to maintain the maze’s condition. The hedge maze thus declined after his death. The planar fabrics were frail in certain areas, which led to gradually worsening instabilities that have only recently been resolved. Eliza Petulengro, a member of the Decemvirate that leads the Pathfinder Society, took point on the recent stabilization efforts
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"Is the Maze completely safe? Are there hostile creatures inside? And where would we take them, as a destination?"
Bechamel will share with his allies about what he's heard of Taiwalei. "I hear Taiwalei once fended off a megalodon by himself with his bare hands. The experience didn’t decrease his love for sharks, who he advocates are usually harmless. He became a Pathfinder Society agent while exploring Tian Xia with his cousins, having sailed there from their home islands in the eastern Okaiyo Ocean. He is known for generously offering free passage to those who wish to join the Society."
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"Is the Maze completely safe? Are there hostile creatures inside? "
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"I doubt that the mathe ith thafe." Professor Bun Bun attempts to straighten his cap with little success before beginning his lecture. "You thee, Foretht King Narven did not, in life, pathth on much knowledge about how to maintain the mathe’th condition. The hedge mathe thuth declined after hith death. The planar fabricth were frail in thertain areath, which led to gradually worthening inthtabilitieth that have only rethently been retholved. Elitha Petulengro, a member of the Decemvirate that leads the Pathfinder Thociety, took point on the rethent thtabilithation effortth." He shakes his head ruefully. "It'th not thafe at all. But it'th altho not particularly dangerouth for a well prepared group of pathfinderth." He nods at Taiwalei. "Or for anyone capable of wrethtling a megalodon and thurviving for that matter."
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Cirri manages to steer the old woman in the direction of the Vaults.
"Oh thank you dearie!" the woman says gratefully. "I was looking for one of the treasure Vaults. You see, I was found there once by this wonderful group of Pathfinders. How are you enjoying the party, dear? Your wings look marvelous. I should be able to enhance them with one of my signature spells but I don't have it prepared right now. Come visit me sometime and I'll help you..."
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"I... think I can help!"
"I can help too. In fact I am very helpful. Profeththor Bun Bun, Q.T.E. at your thervithe. Thith way pleathe Madam."
Professor Bun Bun gives the elderly lady a respectful bow and provides directions alongside Cirri. As they travel he gives a running lecture of all the rooms and points of interest that the group passes. Eventually something the lady said finally sinks in and he eyes her suspiciously.
"Erm...One moment. 'Thome pathfinderth found you in one of the vaultth?' What were you doing in the vaultth?"
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"Oh, I'm sure you're looking for that nice man who appears to be new here. He was heading off in the direction of the Quadrangle. Not sure what he wanted there though."
The woman grins at Starlight. "Been a while, hasn't it, my colorful friend."
"Why, I was one of the treasures, of course!" she replies to the professor, with a perfectly straight face.
You proceed to the Quadrangle and find a large door blocking an alcove in a workshop. A pair of disembodied gloves has positioned itself in front of said door. An equally disembodied voice can be heard.
"Not quite, friend. Try again. I'll let you go once you guess the answer to my riddle. 'What has 4 legs at dawn, two legs at noon, and three legs at dusk?'"
"Heya! Nice to see you again! I'll be with you soon."
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"You... were a treasure? Well, I'm glad to see you ready and able." Cirri waves. "Bye now! We're on a time crunch."
"Oh! A... pair of gloves?" Cirri looks at the talking pair. She grins menacingly and plucks a feather from her wing.
"For the record, I think your answer is uh... well, commonly they say human, but sometimes you'll hear other ancestries. Strix argue whether the wings count as legs, but I'm never certain."
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"Ridiculouth. The anthwer ith clearly a kangaroo. They bend down on all fourth to forage in the morning, thtand on two legth to leap around at midday, and plathe their tail on the ground at night to lean back and retht."
The stuffed scholar grins smugly. He leans over and whispers to Cirri. "A human? Really? How did you come up with thuch a thilly anthwer, Thirri?"
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"Hmm. A Kangaroo could fit, too. That's the problem with riddles- perspective really changes the outcome." She glances at Starlight Sparkle. "Like I said, strix argue over this riddle constantly. Not only because of the... history with humans, but also, are wings legs? They are important to fly and glide with, but you can't really stand on them. And you need both, so are they two legs or just one?"
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Lorch and Mr Glovely agree to a test of strength. Mr Glovely gains the upper hand in the beginning but quickly tires to the orc. Before long, Mr Glovely is tapping Lorch on the arm, signalling that he's had enough. Mr Glovely heads over to the large door and pounds on it. The door begins to fold downwards, then shakes itself like a wet dog, and finally assumes the shape of a gaudy treasure chest. Behind the alcove is the 'missing' Venture-Captain Taiwalei.
"Oh hey hey hey! Nice to see ya again!" Biglock greets you, before turning to the newly-released Venture Captain, "Well, your Pathfinders were able to secure your release, so you're free to go."
"Well met, Pathfinders," Taiwalei says, "My thanks for releasing me. Biglock would have let me go if I gave up and I really wanted to guess the riddle"
When you arrive at the portal, four dozen agents step through from the sailing lodge, the Grinning Pixie, with an incredible amount of luggage and crates. While they wait for the crowd to pass, Taiwalei takes the brief waiting time to formally introduce himself and learn your names.
"Taiwalei of the Eastern Okaiyo Ocean, pleasure to meet you all." The charming seafaring venture-captain gives a slight bow. "I leave myself in your care! So, who are you all? What’ve have you done lately? Fola must be really impressed with your work to ask you to be my guides!"
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Cirri claps in appreciation as Mr. Glovely falls to Lorch's strength. "Wow, incredible. I have to study that technique. It's like you saved up your strength and then... BAM!"
"Good to see you Biglock. Take care of Mr. Glovely, alright? I have... so many more questions."
Turning to Taiwalei, Cirri quickly bows, her wings curving around her front briefly as a sign of respect. "I'm Cirri Merryweather. Dad says it's best to be honest, so... uh, this is actually my first time with the Pathfinder Society. But I've done a lot of sailing so far. Sometimes it's to catalogue old civilizations, find some lost artifact of their time, or to note inventions lost to history." She grins. "But I bet you found a lot on the open seas, too!"