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Pathfinders hustle about the grounds of Woodsedge Lodge, checking in, mustering in units, unloading and delivering supplies, cooking, and socializing. The atmosphere is tense but excited. The Maze of the Open Road is a place of legend that few Pathfinders have had the honor of traversing. Once dangerous, the Maze was recently repaired by Eliza Petulengro of the Decemvirate, and news that the Maze is once again malfunctioning has led to intense speculation among the gathering Pathfinders. Cutting through chaos and gossip alike, Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau takes the lead, ensuring everyone gathers in their assigned units and tends to their duties.
Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau (CG female half-elf detective) accompanies the Pathfinders on this mission, along with faction leaders Calisro Benarry (CN female half-orc corsair) of the Horizon Hunters, Eando Kline (CG male human explorer) of the Vigilant Seal, and Urwal (NG male lizardfolk astrologer) of the Verdant Wheel. Also present are Head Initiate Janira Gavix (N female halfling instructor), and Ashasar (N male suli druid), a planar specialist and liaison between the Pathfinder Society and the Concordance of Elements.
Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau is the head Pathfinder for this mission, but all of these leaders participate in the expedition.
As you enter the Pathfinder camp, you take the time to meet your traveling companions ().
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Banterknell (or BK to his frineds) is dressed up in wildly colorful clothing, perhaps to compensate for a very slight bleaching that has begun in his hair, though he keeps that mostly hidden under a jester's cap. His mouth is stretched into a wild grin, perhaps a bit too wide.
"Greetings, fellow pathfinders! This will prove to be an educational and exciting mission, I am sure!" He does not look all that sure though, a desperation leaking through is eyes, if not his voice. He says this while wildly jabbing his flute in the air like an exclamation point as if to punctuate his sentences and lend gravitas to them.
"Banterknell, adventurer par excel lance, at your service!"
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A lightly tan-skinned elf with silvery-white hair tied in a neat ponytail behind his head says in a low raspy voice "Well-met. I'm Nyx Kirath. I've heard of this place whispered in many halls, but I'd never had guessed that this is what it looks like."
He's covered in a dark cloak, with a hint of leather armor visible only from the front, and a sword's black hilt jutts out. He clutches a shortbow with beaver tail fur tied to two points of the string as silencers. He has a quiver full of black fluflu-fletched arrows at his back.
Nyx turns Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau and asks "What task do you have for us today?"
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A small goblin finally steps in to the camp as well. He's wearing a somewhat dirty cowl and stained travelling clothes. A small mace hangs from his belt, and from ears and clothes small trinkets and animal bones. He's face is covered with arcane tattoos, although not very well made.
His voice manages to be slightly high-pitched and gravelly at the same time. "I'm sorry late to this gathering, but now I'm here at last. Grexyl be my name and..."
He's cut short by a being as unlike Grexyl one can be. An angel, not much bigger than Grexyl himself but in a bright white toga, and a radiant smile on his face, showing as perfect teeth as Grexyls are not.
"Wooo, this is amazing, coach! What a team, there will be some serious spanking of evil soon! My fists longs for it! When do we start?"
Grexyl waves him down.
"... and yeah, this is Chadriel. I'm afraid he is as unsufferable as he seems. But he says I'm the chosen one to brings a message to the world. He rather seems to have forgotten the message, however. And given he's as smart as a sack of pickled potatoes, I don't count on him remembering it anytime soon. But he's handy in a brawl. I'll try to keep his conversations to a minimum, for your sanity."
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Relevant Skills Nature, Perception, Survival
Task Details Verdant Wheel faction leader Urwal walks amid the gathered Pathfinders. He checks each person’s face before shaking his head and moving on to the next. "There are Pathfinders unaccounted for. Although the upcoming mission will be dangerous, Galt is not a land it would do to get lost in. Find our wayward companions and bring them here so no one gets left behind."
Relevant Skills Cooking Lore, Society, Survival
Task Details Horizon Hunters faction leader Calisro Benarry clutches at her stomach as it grumbles loudly. "Just in time! I’m starving! Go lend the Lodge’s serving staff a hand so everyone can have a proper meal before this mission gets underway. We can’t set out on an empty stomach!"
Relevant Skills Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion
Task Details Ashasar stands outside a magnificent hedge maze, examining it with interest. "This is the fabled Maze of the Open Road. Our divinations indicate the maze’s misalignment is due to an outside source beyond the maze and not a problem with the maze itself. Still, I prefer to conduct a second assessment to ensure nothing’s changed. I’d like you to assist by gathering magical readings—just don’t enter the maze!"
Relevant Skills Diplomacy, Perception, Society
Task Details Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau proffers a long list of names. "I’ve organized all the Pathfinders into teams of between four and six agents. Take this list and help everyone gather in their assigned units."
Relevant Skills Deception, Diplomacy, Performance
Task Details Head Initiate Janira Gavix smiles and waves at the sight of the PCs, then hurries over to say hello. "Do you have a second to lend me a hand? I brought along a few dozen newly graduated Pathfinders, but they’re worried about the upcoming mission. I know they’re ready for this, but the scale of it all is setting them on edge. Could you talk to the rookies? Some conversation and encouragement will help settle their nerves."
Relevant Skills Athletics, Society, Survival
Task Details Vigilant Seal faction leader Eando Kline sifts through crates and wagons, divvying gear up into piles. "Help me sort this equipment according to the supply list, then deliver it to the assembling teams. We need to ensure everyone is well equipped for the upcoming mission."
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Oh hi there little fellow, Chadriel says as BK approaches. Although he's really quite small himself, his ego tends to forget that size sometimes matters.
Instruments you say? Nah, that's not really part of my thing. I have been blessed with a most amazing voice however. Let's see..
He coughs slightly, then tires to do a small aria, whiles he dances like a boxer.
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Grexyl rolls his eyes as he sees Chadriels 'dance'.
"For the lights of... That's enough for now thank you very much!"
He uses Manifest Eidolon making Chadriel go away. "It just so much I can handle have him around at any given time", he says with a slow shake of his head.
Then he processes to see if he can assist in the Mustering
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BK successfully convinces the newbie Pathfinders that there's nothing to worry about. The new Pathfinders jump to their feet and join in the mustering with renewed fervor.
***Greater Success***
Well done!
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Nyx locates some of the missing agents and escorts them back to camp. One of the agents grumbles "I told you we should have made that left turn at Albuquerque!"
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Mao and Jerikyo both help out with the Magical Investigations of the Maze of the Open Road. They make some interesting discoveries which they communicate to Ashasar.
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Grexyl attempts to sort the Pathfinder Agents into groups of 4-6 but the agents ignore him.
A hush falls over the gathered Pathfinders as Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau ascends a podium erected outside the entrance to the Maze of the Open Road. “Welcome to Woodsedge, Pathfinders! Thank you for coming. As many of you know, the Maze of the Open Road is an interdimensional pathway built long ago by Forest King Narven Feathereyes as a gift for the Society. Time was not kind to the maze, but thanks to the efforts of Eliza Petulengro and other Pathfinders, it was repaired.
“Recently, the maze’s paths realigned and now all point to a single location. Our investigations indicate this isn’t a problem with the Maze of the Open Road but an outside source—a beacon—that’s attracting the paths. The maze is of critical importance to many missions and must remain available. Our mission is to fix this strange anomaly.
“We traverse the Maze of the Open Road to an unknown destination. Although this is an exciting opportunity to explore new horizons, our mission is not exploration. Our mission is to find the beacon and sever its connection to the Maze of the Open Road. Prepare yourselves! We leave shortly.”
After a few minutes to allow for any last-second preparations, Venture-Captain Jirneau leads the assembled Pathfinders into the Maze of the Open Road. ”Stay close, we won’t be here long.”
Armeline guides the Pathfinders through the maze with confidence, while Eando Kline, faction leader of the Vigilant Seal, takes the rear, ensuring no Pathfinders get left behind. Armeline hesitates only a moment before plunging through a shimmering portal, out of the Maze and into the unknown.
Following her lead, the Pathfinders arrive in a large stone chamber with red stone walls and polished tan floor tiles, lit by a luminous arch rising from a central raised platform. The chamber has three side chambers and one exit. “Fan out, Pathfinders!” Venture-Captain Armeline orders. “Secure the area.”
You emerge into the empty ruins and quickly investigate the entry room with its three side chambers.
The first side chamber contains a fountain that splashes water into a large stone washing basin. The running water makes a soothing, burbling sound that is quite relaxing. The water is clean, clear, and tastes metallic.
Jerikyo and Grexyl realize this is an ablution chamber, used to ritually wash before entering a sacred space.
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
In the second side chamber, three rows of wooden hooks protrude from the stone walls in a line around the perimeter of this side chamber, one row at three feet above the ground, one at five, and one at nine. A smooth and well-worn black wood bench is in the chamber's center. It’s old, but sturdy and comfortable.
Nyx and BK realize this is a dressing chamber, which would have held clothes for creatures varying from Small to Large in size.
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
The arch in the center of the room soars up fifteen feet wide and twenty-five feet tall. It’s constructed of a luminous crystal that sheds bright light.
BK, Grexyl and Nyx determine the arch is a powerful artifact with a connection to another plane. Furthermore, all Nyx realizes the arch is releasing a barely audible hum as it resonates with something elsewhere in the ruins. When you present your information to Ashasar, the suli druid raises an eyebrow in appreciation. “Impressive mystical analysis. I’ll investigate this further while you explore the rest of this complex.”
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
The final side chamber behind the arch is ovoid-shaped. The entrance to this ovoid chamber is only partially blocked by a circular stone door, which slides in and out of the wall. The red stone chamber is completely curved, with no angles or hard edges anywhere.
The chamber is empty, but as Nyx, Mao and Grexyl enter this chamber, they see a large grey and blue container in the center, similar to a sarcophagus, constructed from metal and glass. BK and Jerikyo just see an empty chamber.
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"A sarcophagus, do you see it as well?. That is an ill omen to find, I believe, who would be buried in a place like this?
Grexyl, loosens the strap for his mace and weighs it in his hand. Readying himself for a potential nasty surprise.
Grexy Manifests Eidolon. Chadriel appears just in front of him in a flash. He does a few warm up jumps, cracks his knuckles and punches the air.
"Oh yeah. This looks evil! Shall I bash it? Can I?"
Grexyl sighs a bit.
"Let's keep back for a second. Comrades, what do you think we should do? I think we need to investigate, but I fear it could be dangerous. Any one here that can see if it trapped or cursed?
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You are offered choice of either an owlbear claw, a potency crystal, a scroll of burning hands, or a scroll of true strike
[ooc]assuming this is one each, Nyx will get a potency crystal[/dice]
"For some reason, my instincts are telling me that before we should deal with that sarcophagus - we should all take a ritual bath."
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Why should we bath here and now? I don't care much for that sort of practices. Chadriel is obsessed with being clean, he might join. But I will wait till there is a purpose other than getting wet.
Chadriel will go first, Grexyl be at the entrance. Start by looking at it using Religion (or if Lore: Angel Eidolon works, same modifier).
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Grexyl heads over to the sarcophagus but doesn't recall anything about it.
Jerikyo doesn't find anything remarkable about the pool (other than it's water and he'll get wet if he goes into it! :) )
At Ashasar's encouragement, you proceed out the door and into the next room. On the other side of the door (the side that faces the next room), there are six faintly glowing glyphs.