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A set of cells line the northern wall, iron bars enclosing them from the long hallway. None of them appear locked as the bars hang open. The wooden beds lack straw or any type of sleeping mat and would be terrible places to sleep. A complete suit of full plate tin armor with a wind-up key in their back stands guard in the hall.
Sweeper points out the wind-up knight, That is Full-Plate, one of the guards. They, of all of us, feel the most lost without purpose... They don't talk to anyone, they just seem to mope...
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"Oh no! Don't dethpair, Full-Plate. Thith prithon hath been decomissioned by the current monarch of Irrithen. We're on our way to petition the warden to let uth out. You could come with uth. I'll bet you anything that Zarta could uthe thomeone with your ecthperienthe to guard all the nathty magicth locked away in the Dark Archive."
"You can join uth and learn tho many thingth outthide thith dollhouthe. Jutht like I how learned to uthe gunth." Bun Helsing then shows off skills with his arquebus, twirling it and throwing it up in the air and catching the same.
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Guiseppino tries to cheer up the tin knight, but does not seem as convincing as he had hoped...
But Bun Helsing chiming in with a twirl of his boom stick seems to cheer up the depressed tin poppet!
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As you finish up, Sweeper looks into a nearby door, checking to see if anyone is in there closing the door with a shrug, Nope, just the store room.
The poppet continues and leads you to an open office. While the usual peeling paint and musty smell of the dollhouse is still present in this room, it is more meticulously cared for. Cabinets with stacks of neatly filed papers line the walls. In the center sits a spartan desk currently occupied by a cloth poppet dressed in simple, yet well groomed, merchants’ clothes.
This is Seamless. He is our administrator. Seamless, these are new guests from the outside.
Seamless bows his head, What can I do for you, Guests from Beyond?
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"As I'm sure you've noticed Theamlethth, the magicth thuthtaining the dollhouthe are dwindling. The aetheric strands are unraveling and allowing entropy to take hold. It ith imperative that we convinthe the Warden to let uth all leave tho that we may utilithe the rethourceth of the Pathfinder Thociety to repair the houthe before it collapseth entirely. We could thertainly uthe your aththithtanthe in this matter."
"What Profeththor Bun Bun here ith thaying ith true. Moreover, it ith not healthy to overwork yourthelf, ethpethially the environment you are working in. The theiling ith full of athbethoth." Bun tells Seamless after checking the wall, instead of the ceiling because he has no way to check it but assumes they are of the same material.
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Really?!? I have been doing this way for all my life! You will have to show me your methods! Seamless excitedly replies to Guiseppino.
Then as Bun Helsing chimes in, the administrator relents, I see the truth of it, but nothing goes without Warden's consent. Please, please do your best to convince her as you did me! It will not be easy! She is stubborn... I love her, but she is so... stubborn.
Seamless slumps in his chair and looks at you all pleadingly...
Sweeper nods and turns to you all, That should be everyone. Shall we see the Warden?
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Sweeper nods, This way...
She leads you through large room. Miniaturized statues of dinosaurs, winter wolves, dire bears, and other large predators from the land of Irrisen are displayed here. They are each in menacing poses, fierce snarls of teeth and claws protruding at any visitors. What might have once been an impressive display is now rundown and pitiful. A century of dust and cobwebs has matted fur and clogged open maws. Painted eyes have dulled and peeled to make them look comical and lifeless. This once grand display room is now indicative of the failing of this former prison.
A sweeping staircase follow the opposing curved wall. At the top stands a door that seems to be magically locked... Warden? We have guests...
The retort is sharp, Go AWAY!!!
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Professor Bun Bun is taken aback by the Warden's abrupt rebuke.
"How very rude. That'th not a nithe way to treat guethtth." He ascends the stairs and addresses the Warden through the door. "We're here to help, Thir. You might not know thith but there ith a new ruler in Irrithen and ath thuch thith prithon hath been decommissioned. To be honetht the whole plathe ith in poor condition. If you will let uth out we can uthe the rethourtheth of the Pathfinder Thothiety to enact repairth and find new dutieth for your thtaff."
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In contrast to the rest of the dollhouse, this room is well taken care of. The paint is fresh and bright, plush velvet cushions line the sofas and chairs, and the opulent carpets are clean and free of dust. Sitting in the nicest overstuffed chair is a doll wearing a fine silk dress and a coronet of ice. Her head is pressed to the desk and her body is wracked with sobs...
Just go... leave me here alone... Warden waves her hand and you can see through the window that the shimmering wall around the dollhouse first becomes visible, shimmers, then shatters!
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Warden is the only poppet that refuses to leave the dollhouse, and seems inconsolable.
When you all and the poppets step out the doors of the house, the curse is broken and you regrow back to your full size. It seems unsettling for the poppet servants of the dollhouse, but after a few minutes they grow hopeful and follow you to meet with Eando Kline.
The Pathfinder is incredibly surprised to see you accompanied by your new allies, spending the next few days speaking with them each individually. One by one, they each leave to find their way, or in Sweeper's case, join the Society.
They each thank you all, and Sweeper seems excited to have learned that Queen Anastasia has more of these dollhouses and is driven to help free other imprisoned poppets...
Fin.
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A small, nervous looking, fruit leshy comes carefully towards the group.
Um ..... I was told to find you all, seems you needed a ... replacement. I'm Flutters Shyly in a Light Breeze ... but I usually go by Flutters Shyly, or Fluttershy, although one group kept calling me Squishy ... and I'm a plant druid
They looks to have a leafy growth on one shoulder
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A massive Minotaur with heavy armor and a huge great axe clops in behind Flutters.
They pull out a gnarly looking case and open it up, to reveal a fairly thick pair of spectables.
In a paradoxidly deep yet timid voice they introduce themselves and then ramble a bit. "Mr. Gruff here. I'm a monsterologist. Pathfinder Society seemed like a good way to learn more. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about my promotion to field agent, I mean I didn't even know how to properly wield a sword before I joined, but Mr. Farabellus put an axe in my hands and told me I was a natural."
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You see a halfling-sized scarecrow, dressed in worn, mismatched leathers. He has a Jack o’ lantern for a head. A crow looks around from his shoulder; at second glance, it appears to be made of blackened wicker.
”Ah, new friends!” He removes the top of his head, and tips it like a hat. ”Blackfeather Jack, at your service!”
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You have all spent the last few days on a river boat heading toward the city of Nantambu in the Mwangi Expanse. Kreighton Shaine, the ever-inscrutable Elvish Scrollmaster informed you that you would be accompanying him in a Student Exchange program, to learn under the tutelage of Master Takulu, as Shaine, himself will teach and learn from Master Takulu's students.
The boat pulls into dock on the western edge of the Magaambya, and the Scrollmaster ushers you along to meet with a similarly sized group awaiting. Scrollmaster Shaine excuses himself for a moment as he speaks with his counterpart.
The Mwangi students stand together regarding you, and occasionally looking back at their teacher...
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Professor Bun Bun nervously plays with the tassel on his cap as her regards the students. "Well thith ith awkward. I wath under the impression that I wath invited here ath a guetht lecturer and not atn a thtudent but erm..." The poppet smooths some imaginary wrinkles from his robes. "At any rate I am Profeththor Bun Bun, Q.T.E. It ith good to be here. Tho what are you all thtudying at the moment?"
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One of the students steps forward and welcomes you, I am Okoro Obiyo, I am very pleased to be meeting you! These are my fellow classmates, Anchor, Esi, Mariama, Noxolo, and Strands-of-Glowing-Dawn!
After a brief chat, Scrollmaster Shaine wastes no time gathering the Magaambyan students and head toward the direction of the school's center, while Teacher Ot stands before you.
Thank you all for being ambassadors for the Pathfinder Society. You can call me Teacher Ot. I have been long at work with your Master of Scrolls to have this exchange. While I believe the Pathfinder Society can and have helped many, I know there is always more that we all could do. There are many wonderful values in exploration, reporting, and cooperation, but to take these all further, the Magaambya and myself look toward acts of service. Takulu briefly looks over at his group of students departing with Shaine—more out of habit than anything—before focusing back on the agents.
Please, walk with me through Nantambu and let us chat before we begin. I would love to get to know you all better and give you time to better know me. My students will be left in the care of your Master Shaine, so let us waste no time in beginning. He then follows Kreighton Shaine across a bridge back toward the center of campus, only to turn off onto another path that will lead into the city proper.
Takulu Ot waves to the Scrollmaster and his students as they depart for a day of lessons before leading you through the edge of the Magaambya campus out to the streets of Natambu. He points out various businesses, buildings, and people that make the city and the school so vibrant.
He offers to buy various regional foods and drink from street vendors as you walk along, but seems to be primarily interested in learning about you... He spends time asking questions about each of you. Professor, when did you first find yourself aware? How did you come to be? Guiseppino, were the two of you from the same toymaker?
Mr. Gruff, are you from Iblydos? That is the only place that I am aware of native tribes of the Minotaur...
Flutters Shyly and Blackfeather Jack, we have a few of the Leshykind here. Where would the two of you be from?
Bramblespine, while I have some experience with your little friends, I have not have the pleasure of meeting your kind before. Where are your people from?
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Mr Gruff adjuts their glasses and shakes their head. "I'm sure my ancestors came from the labyrinths beneath Iblydos, but I come from the Isle of Kortos. I know the harpies and centaurs are more famous, but I assure you there's no shortage of Minotaurs as well."