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A young, but weathered Keleshite clad in explorer's clothing and wearing a scimitar by his side stands to the side of the door. He continuously glances around, gently rubbing his silver holy symbol of Sarenrae without seeming to realize he's doing it.
"Greetings to all. I am Ahzeem Kazzahd. It pleases me to be of service once again."
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"Gwen?! I thought I recognized your voice!" A tall slender woman with a longbow slung over her back hurries to join the group. "It appears we are indeed together my friend! So how's your "dragon" friend? Last I heard from Jinlong is that he needs to do some sort of purification ritual in Abadar's temple... he's probably trying to add to his legend again!" she finishes with a laugh.
Noticing the other Pathfinders, she bows "Maneki Pemanah. I hope we have a good adventure together."
Maneki is simply dressed with homespun robes. Apart from the longbow and quiver of arrows, she does not appear to be armed.
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"Maneki!!!" The petite girl nearly loses her drink as she squeals and hugs her friend. A pop of glitter appears from nowhere and surrounds them for a moment. "Oh, you look so good!"
Gwen settles them down, taking a drink from Jeeves to hand to Maneki. "Oh, Rhaegal? I don't know. Something of an existential crisis, I think. Trying to rediscover his dragonness, not that he let us ever forget it." She rolls her eyes.
[b]"But how posh is this mission, eh? I've never had them serve drinks to us before. Maybe I should have worn something more fancy?"[/b[
The PCs make their way through bustling Segadan streets, heading towards the gateway to the interior. Venture-Captain Rahaksenwe waves in the Pathfinders' direction and beckons for them to follow her into a quiet side street, away from prying eyes and ears.
Rahaksenwe glances at both ends of the street, then peers upward at the surrounding rooftops for several seconds before speaking. “First, let me welcome you to Segada. I apologize for the informal meeting spot; your guide requested it specifically. She should arrive shortly, but until then, I’ll go ahead and brief you on your task.
“The Pathfinder Society has recovered what we believe is a broken star gun—specifically one that was stolen by Chelaxians who broke the Segada Protocol. The star gun is called Hatahasi, and we need you to return it to its home: Niishan, a town near Lake Starfall. However, it would be deeply inappropriate to return Hatahasi in its current state. After significant research from Zarta, we have located a talented gunsmith who resides close to Niishan and is said to have the necessary skill set to repair Hatahasi. Your task is to find this gunsmith, repair Hatahasi, and then repatriate it to the mayor of Niishan.”
Rahaksenwe pauses to let the information sink in. “Here’s where it gets a bit complicated. There’s a night hag, Aslynn, who covets Hatahasi. She’s sent forces along with her daughter, Suhko, to attack us once already, during our negotiations with the Segadan government. Though we managed to secure their permission for you to travel beyond Segada, we expect Aslynn’s daughter to pursue you. Stay alert during your travels, especially since this is a new environment for you. Aslynn and her forces aren’t the only threat present in the interior.
“Finally, the Envoy’s Alliance and the Verdant Wheel have requests for you.” She pulls out a pair of fliers and hands them over. “The Envoy’s Alliance is particularly interested in this mysterious gunsmith and has asked that you convince them to come out of hiding and work with the Society. The gunsmith’s knowledge is vast and deep, and the Grand Lodge in Absalom would benefit greatly from their cooperation. The Envoy’s Alliance is hoping to set up a Pathfinder Lodge in Niishan as well, so you should try to negotiate with the mayor on that. Also, the Verdant Wheel wants you to collect plants or animals endemic to Arcadia—toxic plants or animals, specifically. Your guide will be able to assist in this. Both factions have provided some supplies to aid in your efforts.”
Rahaksenwe withdraws a cloth sack and several odd glass cylinders from her belongings. “I feel I should say this: your most important task is getting Hatahasi repaired and repatriated. Don’t forget that Aslynn will go to extremes in order to steal it, and that more lives than just your own are at risk here. Be careful. When you’re ready, I will give you Hatahasi and you can be on your way. Now, any questions?”
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"Very good Miss Pamanah." nods Jeeves.
He turns to Rahaksenwe."Do we know any of the powers that Aslynn or her daughter possess?" he asks.
"Likewise do we know why Aslynn wants it? Might the folk of Chelax also be trying to recover this Hatahasi. Do we know what Hatahasi even means? Why does the government of Segada care about people moving beyond it?" continues the flood.
Finally he clarifies "Perhaps least important, but of interest is the request about toxic animals. Do you really mean the animals are toxic or eat, or are they more interested in animals that are of themselves venomous?"
“We don't know much about Aslynn's capabilities yet, other than those common to night hags. She has a child named Suhko. Suhko is a witch and gaining power, and we believe she’ll be leading the incursion and coming after you. She has a penchant for cruelty and likes to bully and abuse those she deems inferior.”
“According to the legends, Star Guns are powerful weapons created by a mysterious group called the Crowned Regents. Some think that the Regents were the only creators, and others disagree. We do know that the Rowan Riflewas created by fey bowyers, and I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t call that a star gun. The legends have changed over time and vary depending on who tells them and in what language they’re told, so determining the truth on our own is next to impossible. We’re hoping this gunsmith can shed more light on the matter.”
"I think the Verdant Wheel would be more interested in animals that are venomous rather than poisonous and just used 'toxic' as a catch-all for 'living things that can kill you'."
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"A hag? Oh..." For once, Gwen is quiet and a look of worry is plain on her face. She barely seems to hear much until Rahaksenwe describes Suhko being cruel and abusive. Then a shudder goes through her body, followed by a deep sigh.
She looks at Rahaksenwe. "You know, right? I mean, it's hard to hide, but I'm sure you have files on everyone? Maybe it's why I got redirected to come here?" She nods to herself and takes a another deep breath before turning to the others.
"You might have noticed my eyes." As she speaks, one of her eyes flashes a vibrant green, while the others is a soft brown. "I'm like Suhko, the daughter of a hag. And perhaps cruel in my own way. Sometimes at night, I can feel the Call."
"So I'm in. I want to face this b+#@+."
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A male Fetchling with chalk-white skin listens to the briefing. His eyes and shoulder-length hair are black, and he has several black piercings in his face and ears. A small silver skull hangs around his neck, the black chain looped through the eye sockets. He wears studded leather armor, but his forearms are bare. Stylized chains are branded around both wrists, with circular scars on the backs. There’s something unpleasant about the way he’s grinning.
”I’m Shalosar, acolyte of the Midnight Lord, and metal kineticist”, he says in a gravelly voice. ”I rip people open, and sometimes close them up”
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"A hag? Oh..." For once, Gwen is quiet and a look of worry is plain on her face. She barely seems to hear much until Rahaksenwe describes Suhko being cruel and abusive. Then a shudder goes through her body, followed by a deep sigh.
She looks at Rahaksenwe. "You know, right? I mean, it's hard to hide, but I'm sure you have files on everyone? Maybe it's why I got redirected to come here?" She nods to herself and takes a another deep breath before turning to the others.
"You might have noticed my eyes." As she speaks, one of her eyes flashes a vibrant green, while the others is a soft brown. "I'm like Suhko, the daughter of a hag. And perhaps cruel in my own way. Sometimes at night, I can feel the Call."
"So I'm in. I want to face this b*#%&."
Shalosar raises an eyebrow in interest.
"We have no reason to believe the star gun is sentient."
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"Hmm. I read somewhere that Star guns are legendary weapons unique to Arcadia. They are said to have been crafted from skymetal by an isolated society called the Crowned Regents, and allegedly fire brilliant bolts of light. The Crowned Regents haven’t been seen in thousands of years, and very few star guns still exist."
"It will take you about a week to get there, but don't worry about the journey. Your guide will make sure you stay on the correct path. And we will make sure you have enough provisions for the journey there and back.
[b]"Any other questions? Or anything you need to pick up before you go? Your guide will be here shortly, and I'd rather not delay this trip any more than necessary."
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Ahzeem starts to speak, hesitates, then speaks nonetheless: "Please excuse my ignorance, my time is usually spent in the temple more than the library. What are the general abilities/characteristics of Hags? Are they prone to certain types of magic? Are they vulnerable to anything in general? Things of that nature."
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Gwen sighs. "I mean, it depends on the kind of Hag you're facing. Some can peel their skin off, lots have razor sharp nails like claws and can change shape, some let the wind carry their threats, and some can haunt your dreams. They can form covens with controlling magic and usually look like hideous old women." She rolls her eyes, but pulls out a mirror to check her own shape. "Bottom line is they're usually the stuff to scare little children, because they steal them and replace them with their own."
She lowers the mirror. "Luckily, I take after my dad's side."
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[dice=Hag Lore]1d20+7
Gwen sighs. "I mean, it depends on the kind of Hag you're facing. Some can peel their skin off, lots have razor sharp nails like claws and can change shape, some let the wind carry their threats, and some can haunt your dreams. They can form covens with controlling magic and usually look like hideous old women." She rolls her eyes, but pulls out a mirror to check her own shape. "Bottom line is they're usually the stuff to scare little children, because they steal them and replace them with their own."
She lowers the mirror. "Luckily, I take after my dad's side."
Shalosar nods in response. ”I can be a bit of a nightmare myself”, he says. ”There’s that dance of embracing who you are, without being consumed by it”
When the Pathfinders finish their preparations, Rahaksenwe presents the group with a cloth sack of Segadan-spiced Arcadian bison jerky, its cerulean color bright even under the spices, and a set of three glass cylinders with screw tops. “There’s enough jerky to be an appropriate gift for either the gunsmith or the mayor of Niishan, but not both. It’s an expensive delicacy, particularly out on the prairies, so I advise against keeping it for yourselves. The cylinders are preservation chambers. They’ll alchemically preserve any organic material placed inside for a maximum of eight days without needing air or other sustenance,” Rahaksenwe says. “Also verycexpensive, so the Verdant Wheel will be expecting all three of them to be returned.”
She then introduces their guide, a female elf by the name of Tsimaan Ayika. The venture-captain hands over Hatahasi and the team departs.
The road from Segada into the interior begins as a well-maintained cobblestone walkway before quickly turning into gravel. From there it merges slowly with the winding bed of a dried-up creek; the path stretches about ten miles before it disappears into the swaying tall grasses representative of Arcadia’s prairies. Gusts of wind buffet travelers making their way through the interior, occasionally with enough force to stagger the unprepared. In the distance, a north-flowing river curves slowly across the land.
The prairies are much quieter compared to the bustling city streets they just left, and despite (or perhaps because of) the wind, the weather is mild. The agents aren’t the only travelers departing Segada; other Arcadians, mostly Mahwek, converse among themselves as they head north along a main road leading toward Port Valen. Tsimaan marches ahead of the group, and her excited, confident grin is visible every time she looks back to make sure the Pathfinders are keeping pace.
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As the team packs the supplies and prepares to depart, Ahzeem says, "Pardon me a moment. I usually do this every morning when traveling." as he takes a slender box out of his pack, withdraws the wand inside, and casts Mystic Armor on himself.
As the group travels, concerned with the warnings of possible attack, Ahzeem plays close attention to his surroundings...
At the mention of smoke, Tsimaan chimes in “Some Mahwek are doing prescribed burns this time of year. It’s nothing to be worried about,” she says. “They know what they’re doing, and they’re doing it way away from here.”
With nothing more to do here, the pathfinders proceed.
The bank of the river Ikhanak rises slowly across the clearing. Here the river bends with the land, wide but shallow enough for most humanoids to cross on foot. The water is clear and flows slowly, and the few fish that dart below the surface are small and harmless. Before she crosses, Tsimaan takes out a small pouch and sprinkles tiny seeds across the surface of the river, which are quickly devoured by fish. She peers into the water, then states that there is nothing particularly unique about the flora or fauna at this location.
At this point,t he guide asks you to make a decision - do you want to explore the berry thicket or the flower-covered hill? Both have interesting, unique flora, but there is only time enough to visit one.
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”What’s with the seeds?”, asks Shalosar.
Tsimaan informs you that Ikhanak is the name of both the river and the spirit inhabiting it, and that the seeds she has dispersed are an offering. Though the spirit hasn’t been seen in several generations, an offering is customary to avoid angering Ikhanak and to ask for protection while traveling near or through it. ”The fish are part of Ikhanak,” Tsimaan says, “and maintaining a relationship with Ikhanak is important for everyone who passes through here. Most of us in this group are just guests on this land, and the last thing we’d want to do is disrespect our hosts—Mahwek or otherwise.”
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"Yes, I remember the ritual. It is important to remember those who protect us from beyond, whether we they are readily apparent or not."
Ahzeem ponders the choice and suggests..."I think more creatures would be interested in the berries that feed them than the flowers. They would be a better choice for finding anything interesting. However, I'm not much of an outdoor person, so I defer to anyone who is."
A bountiful yet strange-looking berry thicket flourishes in a forest clearing. As she approaches, Tsimaan comments that the gem-like berries are edible when fully ripened. She weaves her way through the bushes, pausing every now and then to pluck a berry and pop it in her mouth. “My wives love these berries,” she says, collecting many in a preservation chamber she carries. “They glow in the dark, too. Good for fancy ink. Feel free to eat what you want. If you like them, take some with you! We’ll keep moving when everyone’s ready.”