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Tuesday/Thursdays - all day, as they are the 2 busiest days of my work week
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8) Let's have some fun and tell a great story together! After all, that's what we are here for.
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Your adventure begins at the Open Road Lodge located in northern Mwangi Expanse. As you enter a meeting room, Venture-Captain Sigvard Tornkvist peers at you through her eyeglasses and greets with a stoic nod, introducing herself. There’s a large table in the center of the room, and along the walls are several bookshelves and a few display cases with maps and other items of archaeological significance. As you get settled in, you get to know your travel companions.
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"Rickle of Sarenrae!" says a goblin with a big grin.
Rickle carries traditional goblin weapons, but his shield is painted with the symbol of Sarenrae, and he also has a silver pendant bearing her symbol.
He's accompanied by a halfling wearing outdoorsy clothing--but it's certainly not armor, nor is he armed with more than a knife.
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Walking in the room with the others is a halfling with messy brown hair, wearing a brown tunic. A small owl, white with brown striping, sits perched on his shoulder, trying to take a nap.
"I'm Flynric Bandlefoot, pleasure to meet you all. It's good to be back in this part of the world - I grew up not far from here. Pearl here may have even hunted in the forests nearby!" he says, gesturing to the owl.
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Valeshi enters in haste with her hair unkempt, breathing heavily.
Hi, I'm here! I'm so sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything? Please don't be mad at me!
Behind her enters a bear which looks rather peculiar unless you're familiar with Tian Xia. He is mostly white save for the black around his eyes, black ears, and black limbs.
Oh, and this is Mochi! He's my super awesome Attack Panda! Don't worry, he's really nice unless you're a bad guy. He really likes tummy rubs!
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The steady blue skinned hobgoblin with bold head and beady eyes uses this ones to inspect his troops for the new mission. Wearing a chain mail with a buckler strapped on his arm he carries a weird weapon being a breaching pike with a weapon siphon.
Good morning soldiers. My name's Horul. Listen to the mission and be prepared.
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Venture Captain Tornkvist begins the briefing:
"You’re all here. Very good, let us begin. What I’m about to tell you concerns the Maze of the Open Road. Some of you may have already traveled through it, but for those who don’t know, it’s a network of magical portals, which Pathfinder agents use to quickly reach lodges and other sites across Golarion.
"[b]Recently, our field agents assigned to missions through the Maze have started reporting strange happenings. On many occasions, Pathfinders using well-known routes and portals have exited the Maze in completely different locations than they expected. What’s more, several Pathfinders have encountered traps and other dangers that certainly were not there before."
She sighs, removes her glasses and places them on the table, pinching her brow in an attempt to avoid a headache, then continues, "Thankfully, there have been no serious injuries yet, but many missions have been delayed or gone wrong. I’ve collated the reports, and it seems obvious all these incidents are connected. I don’t know what is causing it, but I’ve come to the conclusion that something or someone is altering the landmarks our agents use for navigation."
Sigvard opens a scroll, which seems to contain a list. "I need you to enter the Maze and study at least three of the landmarks in this report. Find out what the source of these issues is and, if possible, put an end to it. Any questions?"
LANDMARKS
Challenge Style: Combat
Sigvard’s Report: Something sinister is lurking in this area, scaring off travelers.
Challenge Style: Combat, Outdoors Skills
Sigvard’s Report: Something is interfering with the magic of these standing stones in a dangerous way.
Challenge Style: Combat, Obstacles
Sigvard’s Report: Someone has been digging holes and building barricades in this area.
Challenge Style: Puzzle, Knowledge Skills
Sigvard’s Report: Someone has moved the four druid statues, which were used for navigation.
Challenge Style: Physical Skills, Social Skills
Sigvard’s Report: Elemental energies have taken over this area, causing a feud between two factions.
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"Very well. If you need anything else, feel free to visit the Quartermaster before you leave."
Sigvard shows you to the portal at the lodge. She suggests that you first head toward the maze’s central courtyard and gives directions on how to find it. "Good luck!" she bids you farewell.
Beyond the portal’s threshold, the sounds and sights of the Open Road Lodge quickly fade into a muted darkness, but just as suddenly, the darkness unravels as the twisted branches of a hedge wall rustle and uncurl to create a round entrance into a hedge maze. The air carries the scent of freshly cut grass, mixed with the sweet aroma of bright red roses that sporadically dot the lush, green maze walls.
The hedge maze’s manicured plant walls stand 20 feet tall, though near any places on Sigvard’s report, the walls look overgrown.
You soon discover that the the walls are impenetrable. This includes overgrown areas and clusters of trees
After a few minutes’ walk and a series of turns and short dead ends, you eventually arrive in a wide central courtyard. The twisting path of the hedge maze widens to a long stone causeway roofed by marble arches. The causeway leads to a courtyard surrounded by ancient stone structures, the largest of which must have been a palace. An enormous marble statue of a robed figure stands on a pedestal at the center of the courtyard, and a garland of red flowers adorns the statue’s brow.
If you critically succeed the check
The large statue depicts a bearded, balding man in a rustic, voluminous robe. He carries a staff made from a gnarled oak branch in his right hand and has a sparrow sitting on the left hand’s palm.
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Rickle's halfling companion points out something to him.
"Brod says these flowers should be extinct--lemme climb up to see if I can find something."
Since the Venture-Captain said something might be dangerous in the Maze, Rickle had held his shield and dogslicer at the ready. But now he sheathes the weapon to climb.
"That's surprisingly hard to climb--and I can't get over if I try. Guess that makes sense. There's magic capping the top."
As they reach the courtyard, Rickle looks around in wonder and apprehension at the large buildings contained within the Maze. "Dunno what that is, but that guy--" he points at the statue "--is Narven, who built the maze. Are those the same flowers? Fresh? I'm gonna check!"
Rickle climbs up close to examine (or collect?) the roses on the garland.
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Valeshi approaches the hedges. Hmmm, maybe this maze isn't so scary afterall. As long as we don't get lost, that is!
Valeshi looks at the wall and considers getting a better vantage point.
She moves toward the statue. Well, hello, handsome!
She gasps in delight. A BIRDIE!
After seeing Rickle climb the statue, he seems to have it under control and opts not to climb herself.
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As soon as Rickle touches the garland, it suddenly explodes into a flock of sparrows that take off in all directions...
With nothing left to do here, you head towards the first clearing.
In this clearing, vines cover an ancient shrine built from stone. Four stone pedestals surrounding the temple stand empty, while four stone statues depicting humanoid creatures are lying in the grass and leaning against the temple’s pillars. Inside the temple is a large bell, and a text on the wall above it reads: "Sound the bell to greet the pilgrims standing tall and proud and be greeted by four echoes." A faint scent of incense emanates from the shrine.
Each of the four pedestals has a plaque that describes the pilgrim.
Top-left "Sunsear, the Healer"
Top-right "Green Ghost, the Traveler"
Bottom-right "Midwinter, the Hunter"
Bottom-left "Stoneroot, the Gardener"
Statues:
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Human - The robe looks similar to what many in farming communities wear.
Donkey - Except for the donkey’s head, everything else about the statue—the scales, its proportions, and the bone armor worn—seems to indicate this creature was an iruxi, a reptilian humanoid.
Dwarf - She looks to be wearing clothes and accessories typical for desert peoples, suggesting she might have been an Ergaksen surface dwarf, and upon closer inspection, her satchel might be one traditionally used by those people to store poultices.
Donkey - The clothes and equipment look like they can withstand a variety of conditions and weather.
Human - The style and size of his pouch are such that he most likely carried seeds or herbs in it.
Dwarf - The baton is certainly a wand of some sort, its design suited to a primal spell dealing with life. The dwarf statue is also definitely not in the bottom left.
Human - The style and size of his pouch are such that he most likely carried seeds or herbs in it.
Donkey - The clothes and equipment look like they can withstand a variety of conditions and weather. Donkey is definitely not in the Top Left.
Elf - Her pendant depicts a canine paw print, which suggests she belonged to a druidic order of shapeshifters.
Dwarf (Perception) - Her head and eyes are slightly turned to the right, and there’s a hint of a bashful smile on her face. The Dwarf is definitely not in the Top Right
Human - The statue’s equipment includes a set of lovingly detailed stone working tools, indicating he may have been a sculptor or stonemason. His sickle is clearly not suited for combat, but herb gathering.
Dwarf - The robe is practical, and its design is often seen on field medics.
Human - The style and size of his pouch are such that he most likely carried seeds or herbs in it.
Dwarf - The baton is certainly a wand of some sort, its design suited to a primal spell dealing with life. The Dwarf statue is definitely not in the top right pedestal.
Donkey (Nature) - The clothes and equipment look like they can withstand a variety of conditions and weather.
Donkey (Religion) - The amulet and trident suggest this pilgrim followed Gozreh, deity of nature, the sea, and weather.
Elf - Her clothes and items bear no religious symbols. She may have been a follower of the Green Faith, who venerate the natural world rather than a deity.
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"She doesn't go in the bottom left, either," says Rickle, pointing at the dwarf. He indicates her baton. "That's a wand, and the decoration tells me it's primal life magic! I'm sure she's not the Gardener, so she must be the Healer."
"The Donkey is prepared for all kinds of conditions and weather. Traveler, maybe?"
"The Human's pouch is for seeds or herbs. Gardener?"
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Mahatma notes outloud "The human's clothes are those of a farmer. Gardener makes sense. Isn't that one of Aroden's guises?."
"The donkey head doesn't go with the rest of the statue, pretty sure the rest of the statue is an Iruxi. I wonder who would do such a thing?"
"The Dwarf is from Ergaksen and carries a healer's pouch, healer seems certain."
"I think that means Dwarf in healer in top left, The Donkey/Iruxi is traveler in top right. Human as gardener in the bottom left. Leaving us Elf as the hunter in the bottom right?"
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"Human might be a sculptor or stonemason. His sickle is clearly not suited for combat, but herb gathering." Vamir shares what he knows. "Possible that the human is a gardener?"
"Dwarf wears a practical robe, and looks like its design is often seen on field medics." he adds about the dwarf. "The dwarf might be the healer."
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NO WAIT!
Valeshi looks over the statues again muttering to herself, recapping what she knows.
Okay, the human is the herbalist. Donkey is good at withstanding weather. He doesn't go up on the left...okay, good., The elf is a shapeshifter, probably a druid. Then there's the dwarf. His head turns that way, so he wouldn't be up there on the right.
She looks up and smiles.
Oh, okay. I think we're good!
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Mahatma and Rickle arrange the statues. Rickle heads to the temple to ring the bell. While there, he notices an exquisite silver incense box is still sitting in the shrine, its intricately carved lid featuring a stunning image of an imperial dragon.
The bell tolls with a loud You wait for the echoes and hear BONG BONG BONG BONG! Suddenly, the grass and the walls revert back to its manicured state and the donkey head reverts back to that of an Iruxi.
In this labyrinth of crisscrossing corridors, the air smells of damp earth and fresh foliage. Heaps of branches, rocks, and other junk block some of the corridors, and trinkets hanging from the hedge walls are swaying in the breeze.
Crit Success
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As soon as Vamir approaches the barrier, the ground suddenly gives way beneath him!
Vamir also feels a bit odd. As if he's just been jinxed.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
Terrain: Trees are difficult terrain
Before Your Turn:
DC 16 Will Save (Roll Twice and take the worse result):
Special Conditions:
* Immune to Unluck aura:
* Unlucky - Roll twice and use the worse result (all checks/attack rolls/etc)
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Those with ** may go
**Valeshi - AC 21, 42/42
GM
Vamir Zylven - AC 18 (20 w/shield), 26/26 (Unlucky)
Flynric - AC 18, 16/16
GM
Rickle - AC 22 (24 w/shield), 54/54
Horul - AC 20 (21 w/shield), 38/38
GM
Mahatma, the Desert Sage - AC 17, 28/28