Every year, the Grand Lodge hosts the Grand Convocation at its campus in Absalom. While the Grand Convocation is ostensibly not a party, it is an opportunity for the Decemvirate and Absalom’s resident venture-captains to express their gratitude to field agents and those venture-captains stationed abroad. The Grand Convocation also serves the practical purpose of encouraging networking, relationships, and shared intra-Society communication. The Twelve are well aware that some interaction between field agents will only ever occur informally, hence the festivities serve to provide an excuse for agents across the Inner Sea to meet and mingle, if only for a week.
Table GMs, it is March 4th in Greenwich, so you may begin!
Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus strides up to the large crowd and claps his hands together for attention. “Welcome Pathfinders, one and all! And welcome to our traveling venture-captains stationed abroad as well our honored guests! I am Marcos Farabellus, and on behalf of the Decemvirate, I welcome you to the Pathfinder Society’s annual Grand Convocation!
I shall address all of the attendees later this afternoon to announce some of the Society’s greatest accomplishments over the past year and our plans for the future. In the meantime, I invite you to stroll about the campus, meet with your peers, and enjoy all the sites of the Grand Lodge. We have set up numerous challenges and contests so that you can show off your skills or sharpen them if need be. I’ll send around ushers when it’s time to assemble for the speeches on the north lawn. Enjoy!
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An old, grumpy-looking man arrives, seemingly burdened by a large backpack or something else bulky that resides under his cloak.
Well met, everyone. Name's Ellismus... El for short. I wonder why the Grand Lodge keeps insisting that I come to these things. I am specialized in alchemical... explosions... but closed spaces such as that blasted Blakros Museum sometimes... or places filled with blowhards like this very gathering here, require a delicate touch... that I do not have.
Ellismus extends his cloak to display a fine set of masterwork thieve's tools. Albeit no expert in 'those' arts, I can lend a hand when the main man is in a pickle... I suppose... Ellismus smiles in an attempt to be friendly, but it looks a bit creepy instead... you also spot some spinach stuck in his teeth.
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The male undine nodded at the old man, unable to keep from rolling his eyes. What madness is Zarta getting me in this time, he thinks as he forces a smile.
”Good to meet you, I suppose. That’s why they have these gatherings, for those who haven’t met to get to know each other. You can usually find me in the library,” he adds. ”Im Ashwell.” He had no armor and only a single dagger at his side, so he clearly wasn’t a physical threat…that much was obvious to anyone who noticed him.
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A dwarf, taller than average, in a masterfully forged heavy armor introduces himself:
"Lady Luck's blessing, Pathfinders. I am Grunjar, humble cleric of Desna. Pleased to meet you!"
On his face you can see a birthmark in the shape of a butterfly, the well known symbol of Desna. The wooden necklace he is wearing shows the same symbol.
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Grunjar, ’ a voice familiar to the dwarf calls from across the yard. It is quickly followed by the most stunningly beautiful woman who is in turn followed by a small group of admirers and hangers-on. Her expertly tailored noble's outfit and very expensive jewelry are somewhat unusual for a Pathfinder, but looking carefully one can see the hint of a finely-made chain shirt peeking out from beneath the black silk and lace bodice - neither of which hampers the view of her decolletage. Full-length black gloves cover her hands, one of which is tucked into the strap of a custom-made handbag with the LV logo of Lyria Veres, the top bespoke magical-goods makers in Absalom's Petal District. She strides across the field in custom aurochs-hide adventurer's boots with heels that would make a Calistrian envious. Her long black hair tumbles in perfectly coiffed waves across her shoulders but is held back from her eyes by a bejeweled gold headband. She wears red-tinted sunglasses to protect her eyes from the midday glare and which also serve to compliment the bright red lipstick upon her perfect pale complexion.
Upon reaching the dwarf and his companions, she gives him an air-kiss, breezily introduces him to her entourage, and then politely dismisses them to catch up with her friend. ”Dahling, how have you been? Spica sends her love, but she couldn’t make it zhis year. She’s … tied up … at zhe moment.” The playful smile and Grunjar’s blush let everyone know that, yes, what they’re thinking is exactly what she’s talking about.
She turns to the others to introduce herself. "I'm zhe Lady Vanessa Reisende, late of Panglois, and it's suuuch a pleasure to meet you all," she states with the slightest bow of her head to each in turn.
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I think she's gonna be a bit annoyed at that Lady Vanessa says a cheerful voice. It belongs to a grinning halfling girl with blonde hair, wearing a black formfitting spider silk catsuit, a butterfly pendant of Desna and a collection of rapiers.
I know I'd be a bit miffed. Buuut ... I can get out of anything ... except chores. Rani Frost, rogue and escape artiste extraordinaire. Maybe you've caught my act. Seriously though, I hope someone is keeping an eye on her. It's not a good idea to leave someone tied up and unattended, in case something goes wrong. But ..... you're going to have to work at it to keep me confined - and I looooove a challenge. I'm actually hoping to perform later
She bows to all present.
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A bald fellow in simple robes comes rushing up, huffing and puffing. "Terribly sorry to be late! Bon Jon Bovi, Bon Jon to my friends, that's my name. Wouldn't you know that I had to clean the incense burners this time and I'm sure you can imagine how long that takes! Anyway, what're we up to this time? Oh, a party?!? How lovely - not much of that sort of thing around the monastery, as I'm sure you can imagine - I don't suppose there are any snacks left?"
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Lady Vanessa looks the halfling gal in the skintight catsuit up and down, letting her eyes linger lustily. One can almost hear her purring in appreciation.
"Oh, don't vorry about her, my dear," she says as she steps just a bit closer. "I have minions attending to her. Grunjar, dahling, you remember Moo, zhat minotaur ve met last time. He's taken qvite a liking to Spica, following her everyvere in zhe dungeons like a great big puppy. He von't let any harm come to her, I'm sure," she finishes while waving off any further concerns.
"But you're planning to perform later? An escape act? I look forvard to seeing how zhey restrain you. From a professional perspective, ov course."
At the hurried arrival of Bon Jon, she tears her eyes from Rani and fixes them on the lean, strong body of the monk. "Ah, velcome, Bon Jon, you're just in time. I tsink zhey put zhe snacks out just over zhere," she says pointing her gloved hand toward a nearby table. "Vould you mind bringing sometsing for Rani and me, too?" Assuming he heads off in search of food, she watches in appreciation at how gracefully he moves and the hidden strength beneath those simple robes.
Mmmm, this should be quite the interesting adventure, she thinks to herself as she turns her attention back to Rani. Quite interesting, indeed.
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As the pathfinders reunite with old friends and get to know about new friends, a flight of giant eagles glides through the sky above the Grand Lodge, and a figure jump off from an eagle and flies toward the group.
This human male gracefully lands nearby and waves to you guys: "Greetings and welcome! I'm Colin Rosenthal, a newly-promoted Venture Captain. Thank you all for join us today at the Grand Convocation. I will be guiding you through all the interesting events we have going on around the Grand Lodge. As the Master of Swords already mentioned, we have set up many contests for you to participate. It's the perfect occasion to exchange ideas, learn new techniques, earn bragging rights, while having fun! Let's see....." A pooka familiar climbs out of his backpack holding a stack of pamphlets, and hands him one of them.
"This year we have Animal Taming, Boasting/Storytelling, Lore Symposium, Obstacle Course, Sleuthing, Trap Mastery, and Weight Lifting. If you see a fellow pathfinder that you want to talk to but don't know how to start the conversation, this would be the perfect icebreaker! Here, have one." he hands each of you the pamphlets about the contests and smiles, "Just don't overwork yourself."
The phamplet contains a map of the Grand Lodge with the location of the contest marked , as well as a short description of each contest. In the back of the phamplet is the advertisement page for the various factions and organization within Pathfinder Society.
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Ash’s ears perk up when he hears about the various contests. ”I suppose I could hold my own in the lore symposium. I’ve done plenty of library research and had several missions. I also think I’d be decent at the sleuthing competition,” Ash tells the others.
As the group breaks up, Ash casts Heightened Awareness on himself, which will assist him for 90 minutes.
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Lady Vanessa goes with Rani to cheer her on and admire her performance on the obstacle course, but quickly grows bored waiting for the young lady's turn at lockpicking. "Dahling, please excuse me," she says while lightly touching the halfliing's shoulder with her long lace-gloved fingers. "I tsink I vill go find a comfortable seat and listen to zhe stories." She leans down to give Rani an innocent air-kiss "for luck" before sashaying away through the crowd.
Though there may be limited seating, it takes only a smile for the stunning enchantress to secure a chair as a flustered and red-faced young agent gladly takes a seat on the grass at her feet instead.
Rani effortlessly maneuver herself and essentially 'glides' through the obstacle course like a Prince of Persia, winning applause from fellow Pathfinders. Her name is on the top of the chalkboard for the semi-elite pathfinders.
Her luck seems to run out for the trap handling competition, however. Although she managed to identify the trap, she ran out of time when she is working on the last few pieces of the trap mechanism. "Don't worry, it's just bad luck." VC Colin says to Rani.
Just as the group breaks up, VC Colin says to the group: "Instead of everyone go their seperate way for the competition, why don't we stay as a group and move together, so that we don't get lost in this campus filled with people, and get to see our friend's name be put on the leaderboard as well."
"Lady Venessa, does any of those contest sounds interesting to you?" he flies next to you and ask nicely.
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Bon Jon dutifully heads off in search of snacks for the group, shaking his head with bemusement. These pathfinders, they sure aren't much like the monks back at the monastery...
He comes back with several platters of snake snacks just in time to peruse the pamphlets about all of the contests. He quickly signs up for the Weight Lifting challenge - It'll be just like when the cook would see how many bowls of monkmash I could carry in one go... and the Obstacle Course - Reminds me of sneaking past the preceptor to beat curfew after a night of going into "town"...
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"Lady Venessa, does any of those contest sounds interesting to you?" he flies next to you and ask nicely.
"Ah, Captain, I vas planning to go to zhe story circle," she tells him as he alights next to her. "But if ve're supposed to attend multiple events, I suppose I could .." She looks over the map and notes that the animal area is nearby. "... try taming animals instead ov men, for a change."
She glares at the wild dog on the handler's leash,
but all it does is growl back at her. The handler, however, seems embarrassed that his pooch is misbehaving in front of such a fine lady. She laughs it off as a noble would, and proceeds to where she really wanted to be anyway.
She settles in her chair and waits politely for the rest of the team to join her at the story circle. Taking a read of the audience, she decides to relate a tale about her first encounter with her mentor, Zarta Drahlneen. Of course, given the gathering, she leaves out all the sordid details and makes it look much more professional and worthy of a Pathfinder VC and a new recruit.
The animals are unfazed by Lady Venessa's glare. Maybe a more friendly approach will work next time?
The Pathfinders, however, react much better to Lady Venessa than the animals. People gathers around her as she narrate her captivating stories with Zarta Drahlneen, curious about what the ladies of the Dark Archives are doing in secret.
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The Quardrangle is filled with scholars and knowledgable Pathfinders. The senior Pathfinders are discussing the topics like the similarities between Ragathiel and Rovagug, and the threat from The First World. There're also the age-old quarry between the different arcane school of magic. People ackowledged that Ashwell's input are meaningful, but didn't continue the discussion upon it.
On the Sleuthing contest, Ashwell managed to spot all the necessary details before the time's up, and successfully analyze the fake crime scene.
Bon Jon dutifully heads off in search of snacks for the group, shaking his head with bemusement. These pathfinders, they sure aren't much like the monks back at the monastery...
He comes back with several platters of snake snacks just in time to peruse the pamphlets about all of the contests. He quickly signs up for the Weight Lifting challenge - It'll be just like when the cook would see how many bowls of monkmash I could carry in one go... and the Obstacle Course - Reminds me of sneaking past the preceptor to beat curfew after a night of going into "town"...
[dice=Weight Lifting, str check]1d20+5
[dice=Obstacle course, acrobatics]1d20+14
The totally-not-Snickers fill Bon Jon with energy, allows him to successfully bench press the 300 lb bar, earning a place for his name in his weight group on the board.
Years of training in the monastery gives Bon Jon to be flexible and maneuverable. He jumps through various obstacles like a true ninja as the crowd cheer for him. Bon Jon managed to secure the second place on the leaderboard for his tier, a few points behind his teammate Rani.
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El heads outside to discussed natural sciences with the scholars.
[Dice=Knowledge Nature]1d20+18
Ellismus joins a group of wizards and druids that are discussing the relationship between the magic of nature and nature of magic. His input from an alchemical point of view are well-received by the scholars, as he points out that Alchemy can bridge the gap between nature(the chemical ingredients) and magic(the end result).
Whenever there's people, there will be GOSSIPS. As you talks to fellow Pathfinders, you can't help but overheard some of the newest and hottest rumors around Absalom. Besides the allegedly bastard child of VC Colin Rosenthal becoming a Pathfinder, there're a couple rumors that are particularly interesting to you......
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Hearing Vanessa read the Tale of Zarta's 1001 Nights - ... or was it 1001 Knights!?! - nearly causes Bon Jon to faint and he hurries to listen to other, less salacious, stories. Alas for the poor monk - he soon finds that the gossips of the Grand Lodge have taken to speculating about the legitimacy of old Venture Captain Rosenthal's progeny - I had no idea pathfinders could talk like *that*... - the poor monk blushes beet red and scurries in the direction of the drinks table, hoping that perhaps a cup of nettle tea or a glass of tallgrass juice will help calm his nerves.
Hearing Vanessa read the Tale of Zarta's 1001 Nights - ... or was it 1001 Knights!?! - nearly causes Bon Jon to faint and he hurries to listen to other, less salacious, stories. Alas for the poor monk - he soon finds that the gossips of the Grand Lodge have taken to speculating about the legitimacy of old Venture Captain Rosenthal's progeny - I had no idea pathfinders could talk like *that*... - the poor monk blushes beet red and scurries in the direction of the drinks table, hoping that perhaps a cup of nettle tea or a glass of tallgrass juice will help calm his nerves.
After people comes back from the competition, VC Colin allow everyone to free roam the campus. "Just don't leave the Grand Lodge because the Master of Swords is going to make his speech soon."
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Rani whispers to Vanessa Oh I could tell you a Zarta story that involves my sister but Prilla would probably do mean things to me if I told.
"I'll tell you zhe full story of zhat time vith Zarta if you tell me your story. And please tell me vhat your sister does to you, too, as a bonus," the Lady whispers in reply making sure to place her full red lips as close to the halfling's ear as possible. "You know, Zarta's ropevork is pure artistry. I tsink even you might learn a few tsings," she adds teasingly.
And with that, she turns and gives a tinkling laugh before proceeding to join the crowds and hunt out the best gossip. While there's plenty to hear, she doesn't really care about the politics and activities of the Society and focuses more on who's wearing whom and who's doing whom. That's where the power lies, anyway.
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In that case, I suspect she's been learning from the Tien folk. I've heard they've turned ropework into a real artform which I'm rather curious about
But yeah, Prilla didn't come home one night after a mission, but she did turn up the next morning looking a mixture of abashed and happy. She told me at the time, she had been escorting something for Zarta but managed to lose it to some cleric of Nurgalor. So she went to Zarta's mansion to confess and apologise and ended up spending the night there. It was right after that she switched factions from Liberty's Edge, which the rest of us belong to, to Dark Archive
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Upon reaching the dwarf and his companions, she gives him an air-kiss, breezily introduces him to her entourage, and then politely dismisses them to catch up with her friend. ”Dahling, how have you been? Spica sends her love, but she couldn’t make it zhis year. She’s … tied up … at zhe moment.” The playful smile and Grunjar’s blush let everyone know that, yes, what they’re thinking is exactly what she’s talking about.
Grunjar blushed indeed. He bows and answers;
”Lady Vanessa! I am fine. Just finished another mission together with Countess Ingrid... no, wait...Inga! Inga Blee... ahem... Blücher. Yes, Countess Inga Blücher, her entourage and her phantom Claws... I mean, Klaus. Do you know her? If not, you should definitely meet her some day - I think you might find her... interesting.”
The dwarf turns to the halfling.
”Well met, Rani. It's really nice to meet another follower of our Goddess of the North Star. Be careful what you wish for, though - you might find a challenge that you can escape only with her blessing of luck...”
Grunjar enjoys a interesting conversation in the Quadrangles about what happens if a deity like Pharasma, Urgathoa, or Erastil dies. His hypothesis is well received.
On the Sleuthing challenge, Grunjar unfortunately missed a single crucial details that made him reach the wrong conclusion for the fake crime scene. Bad luck this time.
You overheard that the Master of Spells, Aram Zey was originally said to deliver the keynote address but begged out of the privilege, citing his general dislike and disdain for the Grand Convocation as a colossal waste of time and expense. Marcos Farabellus, Master of Swords, volunteered to take his place.
Turns out Grunjar still has it! He successfully lifted the required weight for his pathinder seniority group, but his score is a little bit behind Bon Jon.
A loud voice blares through the din of the assembly. “Pathfinders, please get settled. All campus-wide events are closing. All venture-captains and field agents are invited to gather on the north lawn for refreshments and the keynote address in several minutes.”
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Lady Vanessa follows the crowd to the north lawn and easily finds a table with enough seats for the whole party. She gestures for the others to join her and sets her lovely high-brand handbag atop it. She reaches in and pulls out a parasol from it even though there's no way such an item could normally fit in such a small bag. She pops the parasol open to protect her fine alabaster complexion from the mid-day Absalom sun. Though she appears to be listening to the speech ({yawn}), in fact, she's watching all the gathered people as they're just soooo much more interesting.
"Rani, dahling, vhy don't you sit here next to me under zhe shade," she offers with a pat on the chair pulled up close to her side.
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Ash basically had to be dragged from the Quadrangle, wanting to continue his discussions about the theories of magic. maybe the rest of them are just too simple to follow, the undine thought, as the other began to file out one by one. He caught sight of the others and moved to join them at their table.
“Greetings! Once again, I am Marcos Farabellus, Master of Swords, and it is my distinct privilege to welcome you all to the annual Grand Convocation of the Pathfinder Society! We have sent expeditions throughout the Inner Sea and beyond—from Tian Xia to Jalmeray to Irrisen, we have explored, worked together, and uncovered more mysteries about our world than ever before. It has been an incredibly successful year for the Society, and the ones responsible stand before me today: each and every one of you who continues to make the Society great. On behalf of the Decemvirate and your venture-captains, you have our sincerest thanks.
“As most of you know, one of our greatest triumphs of the decade has been the location and exploration of the lost sky citadel, Jormurdun. Those of you who joined the Jormurdun expedition may recall the unusual artifact that we discovered on that mission: the Sky Key. The key gave us a momentary glimpse of the past—an unparalleled opportunity to meet and interact with a lost civilization. Unfortunately, the key was not whole. So, for the past year, teams have scoured Golarion in search of its missing components. I’m pleased to announce today, the Sky Key is whole! Soon we will again bridge the divide to ages past and…”
The Master of Swords pauses for a brief, questioning second as he peers into the air above the gathered crowd. There, an immense Glyph of the Open Road hangs in midair before booming an angry retort. “You’ll do what? Steal the past? Like you steal everything else?!”
Farabellus’s eyes narrow as he stares at the symbol. “Who are you and who put you up to this?”
“The better question is, ‘What am I?’” the voice retorts. “I’m not a liar, and I’m not a hypocrite. Nor do I rob captives of their livelihood, claiming the moral high ground of historical preservation!” With each accusation, cracks appear in the Glyph of the Open Road before the whole symbol ignites and drips flaming tears upon the crowd below. “But the Pathfinder Society is that and more, and today it shall answer for its countless crimes!”
Screeches from above announce scores of winged humanoids launching themselves from Skyreach’s many roofs, just as howls from the menagerie accompanied by explosions from the outbuildings that send painful reverberations through the Grand Lodge. The Pathfinder Society is under attack!
VC Colin Rosenthal takes out his bow as he looks at the winged creatures on the rooftop, "Take cover and regroup in front of the Skyreach! I'll be on Anti-Air duty. There will be other captains coordinates the defense, so listen to them!" He takes off to the sky and turns invisible.
You guys rush to the front entrace of Skyreach as arrows flying. There, some Pathfinders has already set up some makeshift barricade as a line of defense. Sir Laribold Croome, an immaculately dressed Taldan nobleman scrambles for cover behind a table, which his halfling manservant helpfully flips onto its side. Catching his breath, the Taldan fumbles for his monocle before addressing the nearby Pathfinders. “Monsters and villains are attacking all over the grounds,” he states with perfect articulation, punctuated by a crossbow bolt that embeds itself in his makeshift barricade.
“Spread out, patrol the grounds, and snuff out trouble as you find it. If you should discover any clues about what the devil is going on, report back here at the base of Skyreach.” He pulls his sword cane free from its sheath and raises it overhead. “Look alive, and show initiative,” he shouts before performing an elaborate dueling salute in the direction of an elephant and setting off after it.