Open Decemvirate member Eliza Petulengro is looking for a handful of intrepid Pathfinders to accompany her on an interdimensional journey throught the Maze of the Open Road! Eliza is traveling from the Grand Lodge in Absalom to the Woodsedge Lodge in Galt, but the Maze of the Open Road has become unstable and unpredictable in recent years. Eliza hopes that with help of her fellow Pathfinders, she can secure the road and prepare it for regular use by the Society once more.
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"Hmp." A hunched dromaar leans heavily on her cane, radiating grouchiness from every pore. She eases herself into the nearest seat, groaning slightly as she settles herself. After sitting in stillness for a minute or so, her jaw begins to work as if she's chewing cud, though otherwise her expression does not change.
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A female gnome with a red rat’s nest of hair runs into the room. She wears leather armor, which is festooned with all sorts of tools and weapons.
”Am I late?”, she asks breathlessly. ”It wasn’t my fault! There was a seagull in my foot locker!”
She looks around. ”Oh, plat!”, she adds, looking relieved. ”Marigold Longfoot, lovable rogue!”
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A tall elf wearing a wizard robes with breastplate on top of it and a large falchion at his side walks towards Itka, Marigold and Rannarix.
"My name is Aerin, Aerin Airendill. It is pleasure to meet you"
From his bag you can see a wizard book of spells, despite his fair complexion, and long blonde hair his eyes betrays that he have seen a lot, and lived through a lot.
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A voice pipes up from the altitude of your knees. "I'm Rannarix. I...well, I guess I bite stuff. But I'm good at it!" He smiles reveals a double row of razor-sharp serrated teeth.
He indicates a golden-colored scorpion the size of a large dog that none of you could possibly have missed. "Ooh! And this is Mister Snappers. We're a team." He holds out a hand toward the scorpion, clearly expecting a high-five, but the arachnid just regards him passively. Slowly, Rannarix lowers the un-slapped hand.
"He, um, he doesn't talk. But he pinches stuff. And stings it."
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A goblin, in a draconic jump-suit approaches.
Hey! I'm Arfsnarf! Fortune-teller extraordinaire! My clacky rock can tell us what may become of this mission. But... it has been misbehaving lately.
He looks at the polyhedral object in his little hands dubiously.
Looking around he sees an old friend.
Heyo Itka!
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Khunbish the elven druid stands quietly in one corner of the room, just as silent as the wolf resting at his side. Khunbish is tall as most elves are, packed with lean muscles. His long black hair falls down his back, and he is dressed quite simply, as one who spends most of his time outdoors then in cities. Although ageless in appearance as most elves, you can tell from his eyes that he has seen the passing of many years. He looks at the rest of the short-lived humanoids, not with disdain, but certainly with some distance.
He does find an opportune time to introduce himself, somewhat belated. "I'm Khunbish," he speaks in his low soft voice. Gesturing to the wolf lounging at this feet, he adds, "And this is Shayan." And says nothing more.
The wolf, which seemed to have been napping at Khunbish's feet, raises his head sleepily when he heard his name. He looks around at the rest of the Pathfinders, eyes the giant scorpion a bit longer than normal, then rest his head back on his paws and seems to go back asleep.
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"Hmp. Arfsnarf." Itka grunts.
She turns to Marigold. "Hmp. A seagull in your foot locker? Hmp. That's nothing. I knew someone who had a whole flock destroy his room at an inn. The innkeeper banned him for life. Hmp. He deserved it. Idiot."
Inside the foyer of Skyreach at the Grand Lodge, a masked servitor awaits. A specter in white, save for the ribbon of scarlet around their neck, the servant bows and gestures to the central staircase, silently leading the way upstairs to a large study. Eliza Petulengro, the unmasked member of the Decemvirate, sits behind a wooden desk covered in neatly arrayed stacks of books and hand-written reports. She gazes quietly across the edge of her teacup. Setting the tea down, she glances to the side at a rune-etched sphere studded with strange metal canisters.
“I expect you know who I am," she begins, , "so I shall dispense with unnecessary formalities. Mostly, I deal in two things—truth and potential. I haven’t the time to shield the first, but I see the second in you. I need you to join me in traveling the Maze of the Open Road. It was once a great asset to the Society. For many years, the Decemvirate and trusted agents could travel all of Golarion in moments. A gift from an ancient druid king, the maze lent us power, discretion, and speed. In time, it also allowed for a terrible betrayal."
“The current Master of Spells, Sorrina Westyr, elected to seal the maze despite its advantages. And for some time I agreed with that wisdom. However, fate has forced our hand. The maze has grown dangerously unstable and we need its abilities now more than ever. With Sorrina currently traveling to the Mwangi Expanse, it falls to us to collect the necessary samples required to diagnose the maze and make it safe and reliable once more."
“Regrettably, this stabilization device,” Eliza indicates a hovering sphere honeycombed with canisters, “will require almost all of my concentration. I will need you ready to protect me as we gather samples along the path through the maze to the Woodsedge Lodge in Galt. Thankfully, Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau is sending an agent to meet us, who should smooth our progress considerably. You have my trust in this. Any questions before we begin?"
"Any idea what we can expect in the maze?"
“At a glance it looks like any common hedge maze, if a living structure 300 feet to the side can be considered common. Its 20-foot-tall walls always appear perfectly manicured. From the air, the maze looks simple. A series of turns and short dead ends eventually lead to a wide central courtyard bedecked with statues, small stone buildings, and marble arches."
"Fliers cannot lower themselves into the maze, stopping at an invisible plane of force that covers the entire maze like a lid. This barrier obscures the true multi-dimensional maze below, which is much more complicated and impossibly larger than it appears from the sky. Flying observers watching an ally enter the maze see their companion vanish upon crossing the threshold. Similarly, fliers within the maze cannot rise above the top of the walls. From above, the walls of the maze look about a foot thick, but in practice they appear to go on forever. No matter how deeply one digs into the foliage, there’s always more. It’s impossible to make any progress through the walls.”
"What symptoms has this instability manifested thus far? Is there anything that specifically concerns you?"
"The passages have become unpredictable, including the shifting of passageways, and growing new connections to dangerous planes and planets beyond Golarion."
”Anything we should know about the stable-device-thingy?”, asks Marigold.
“It’s an ancient device made of the skymetal noqual, a powerful magical insulating material. It’s fairly difficult to operate while it’s actively collecting magical samples, requiring complete care and focus, so you’ll need to guard my back while I collect the samples.”
Who is Armeline sending to meet us? Are they good?
"I'm not sure, but they'll be bearing a Letter of Introduction from Armaline so we will recognize them."
"What was this betrayal?" Khunbish asks rather brusquely.
“An unfortunate series of events a decade ago that cost the lives of several members of the Decemvirate. I’d prefer not to dwell on it.”
"Are you Barbar's girl?" Aerin looks at Decemvirate probably mistaking her with someone else
"What does that even mean? Not to my knowledge."
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"Hmp. So we'll be ready for everything. Whatever is causing these anomalies will figure out what you're doing quickly enough and send everything it can to thwart you." Itka doesn't believe this is all a coincidence. There is bound to be some powerful hand at work behind all this, manipulating it in ways that go far deeper than anyone knows.
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Hopping from foot to foot, Rannarix is already bored by the discussion. He eyes Mister Snappers, considering whether to wrestle the scorpion here and now. Familiar with his master's moods, the giant arachnid backs away, its tail and claws raised.
"Come on, you know you want to," whispers Rannarix. "You can't still be sore about last time. I said I was sorry."
"Who else can access the Maze?" Again, a short and abrupt question from Khunbish.
"Literally anyone near a portal that has appeared, intentionally or unintentionally. The Maze of the Open Road is an immense network of portals, monster lairs, and gateways to sites of high adventure. Exploring every corner of its vast pathways could take a lifetime."
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Eliza leads the Pathfinders into the Maze.
A single step somehow stretches across the length of timeless moments until a strange sky snaps into place above you. Eliza winces a bit and gives the stabilization sphere a look of concern. Blue sky has been replaced by pale lavender with a fringe of starry indigo. The orderly emerald walls of the maze are spotted with irregularities as ragged branches tear at the open air like talons and sections of new growth swell like verdant tumors.
“It’s worse than I feared,” Eliza continues, “Take some earth and clippings next to the portal threshold as a baseline. Keep your eyes out for other deviations.” She frowns and looks to the sphere as it obediently hovers to her side and eldritch bands of energy begin stretching from its protrusions to follow her commands.
As Eliza finishes her instructions, a cheerful if somewhat road-worn halfling crawls from between wild and unruly plant growth. He spends a second brushing stray twigs from his curly hair before giving up on appearing presentable. Picking up his satchel and an unusually large, chittering squirrel, he addresses Eliza.
“You aren’t monsters! Could it be? Eliza, your picture does not do you credit! I am so glad I found you. The way to the Woodsedge Portal is particularly plagued by planar anomalies. We considered the Edme cavern portal instead, but as you know overland travel in Galt is nearly as troublesome. That device is fascinating! But since time is of essence, you can explain how it works as we travel.” He offers a letter marked with the seal of the Woodsedge Lodge, “My credentials.”
Eliza,
I am sending this letter in response to your request for an agent to aid you in exploring and mapping recent changes to the Maze of the Open Road. Rindle Rainfickle is possibly the most capable halfling I have ever known. Like you, he too is a Galtan patriot though he spent time far and wide on the business of the Society. Particularly, he served for years freeing his distant kin from Chelaxian bondage. A number of the refugees have even become part of the community here in Woodsedge. I was a bit surprised to find that the two of you had not yet met. He is one of my most reliable scouts and explorers, and has already taken the initiative to begin mapping the changes to the maze. Hopefully you and Sorrina will find him as indispensable as I have.
Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau
”Hi!”, says Marigold. ”What sort of wackiness have you run into out here? And who’s your buddy?”
“Ah, this is Mr. Chitters, my trusted companion!”
The squirrel cocks its head and smiles.
"What planar anomalies?"
"The passages have become unpredictable, including the shifting of passageways, and growing new connections to dangerous planes and planets beyond Golarion."
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Rindle leads the group into the first part of the Maze. Around this particular corner of the maze, a statue of a robed spellcaster rendered in the act of drawing forth a wand stands in a readied pose. Some of the statue’s fingers have been snapped off. Lichens spot its stone body here and there. Glinting sparkles shift in the topiary walls and a soft breeze comes from some unknown place, bearing clashing scents of cinnamon and tar.
Eliza asks, "Help me find a suitable sample of the maze for the stabilization device."
Within the branches of the rose bushes lining the walls of the maze, there are clusters of crystallized sap resembling emerald-hued amber growing directly from the limbs of the plants. The crystals, also known as phytoliths, exhibit a strange humming sound and grow out from the branches in rigid angles.
Khunbish, Itka, and Aerin all examine the right angles and straight edges of crystal, and conclude the influence of some greater force weighs on the ecosystem of the maze. Energies consistent with Axis, the Plane of Law, might explain the changes to the local flora.
Rannarix and Arfsnarf, however, realize that the humming is symptomatic of resonance between the phytoliths. Taking one as a sample might cause a disruption that will likely be harmless here but could cause a cascade of planar energies with unforeseeable effects further along the pathway. Instead, they suggest collecting the soil at the base of the plants should provide a safe sample without exacerbating the energy imbalances affecting the maze.
Eliza collects a soil sample, and gestures for the group to move on.
However, Khunbish and Aerin notice that Rindle looks a little disappointed, as if he had wanted the group to collect the phytoliths instead.
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With a single step, the world explodes into darkness and light. Walls of green become swirls of verdant light. A dizzying array of symbols and runes swims through the air, accompanied by the aromas of dried spice and
parchment.
Even the bodies of the Pathfinders and Rindle are now made up of these symbols. Even basic movement and difficult until they reconcile their relationship with the esoteric symbols. Thanks to the magic of the stabilization device, Eliza is protected from the transformative effects.
Rindle says that the maze didn’t look like this when he came this way before. Petulengro informs the Pathfinders that there is no other way forward; they will need to reshape the plane to overcome the transformation.
The hallway appears in the shape of an Elysian field with a large stone archway at the far end, flanked by the area’s guardians.
Itka: Arcana Success
Marigold: Will Success
Arfsnarf: Arcana Success
Rannarix: Will Critical Failure
Khunbish
Aerin
Itka: Arcana Success
Marigold: Will Success
Arfsnarf: Arcana Success
Rannarix: Will Critical Failure
Khunbish: Will Success
Aerin: Arcana Failure
Itka and Arfsnarf manage to warp the reality around the party, guiding it back to their original state. The guardians do not seem to pay any attention to them. ()
Aerin attempts to warp reality are reckless, and the nearby guardians take notice of a potential threat. (
Rannarix's body fails to resist the changes, causing him to become clumsy 2 for the following encounter. But strangely enough, the guardians do not seem any more alarmed. ()
Marigold and Khunbish resist the changes through sheer force of will. Although they are successful, the guardians seem particularly annoyed. ()
The guardians appear on the verge of attack, and perhaps they would have let the intrusion slide, except that Rindle's clumsy attempt at reshaping the magic fails spectacularly.
Elven Instinct
Pilgrim’s Token
--Round 1
Itka (80/80)
Arfsnarf (69/69)
Marigold (62/62)
Red
Yellow
Green
Blue
Khunbish (83/83) / Saiyan (69/69)
Aerin (61/61)
Rannarix (71/71, clumsy 2) / Mr. Snappers (34/34)
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"Hmp! Were you born yesterday?!" Itka gives Rindle the stink eye. The thought occurs to her that any troublemaker could have intercepted Rindle and taken on a guise close enough to his to fool a bunch of people who've never met him. She'd like to give him a bigger, more vicious piece of her mind, but that will have to wait until the guardians are handled.
She casts Bane, then casts Guidance on Arfsnarf.
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M͓̭͗̿͘ͅi̪̥͛̉̏͢s͈̤̏̋ţ̐͆͜ȩ̳̔̉ř̛̦̭̆͟ ̜̎͗͟S̏ͅn̫̘͐͡app̛̳͍̀̓͜e̻͎̙͒̉̊r̓̄͜ͅş̗̞͛̄̍!̰̦̓̍̚͢ ͓̝̏͆I̗͆ ̡̰̭̍̓́d͍̑̊͜ó̘̪̋̀ͅn̝̮͂̃'͕͎̍̈̽͢t̬̅ ̛̺͔̙̈͘f̪͙͋̎eě̛͎̮͈̑l̻͊ ̠̿w̙͖̩̽̐̽e̖͒l̯̯͖̎͌͑ļ̻̜̆͗͡.̭͓̋̓ ͖̫͐̾ says Rannarix, struggling with being, you know, a mere mass of glyphs.
I ͕͌̀͢t̟͘h̭͊in̫̜͌͌k̜͈̦̈́̚ ̝̣̓͝I̱̼͉̋͊̄'̛̮̤̞̿̈m̠͔̎͛ ̗̭͉́́͘g̲̐o̗̚i͍͔̾̇ṇ̩̏̉g̛̟͚͐ ͎̩̦̅̇̀t͔̰̒̈o̯͞ ͖͐h̗̓u̢͎͎̓̾̕r̙͚̻̐͐͞l̨̓.̺̓.͓̱͐̕͟͡.͉͈́̀
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Arfsnarf groans in frustration, but he has no further jabs to articulate right now to his teammate.
Right now, it's time for fire!
Fiiiiiireball!
At first, as it leaves his being it looks like a small fiery clacky rock. It speeds to the back of the chamber, exploding back towards the party and enveloping all of the guardians. Aerin and Marigold surely feel the heat in their faces.
Then, muttering some draconic his fingers grow into long claws.
Itka casts two spells, as does Arfsnarf. But Arfsnarf's spell is a little more visible.
vs DC 25
vs DC 25
vs DC 25
vs DC 25
The fireball engulfs all four to some degree, but Green and Blue seem to take less damage than Red and Yellow. As a matter of fact, Blue doesn't take any damage at all.
Marigold tries to add to the flames, but shoots wide.
Red and Yellow move up, drawing scimitars and slashing at Aerin and Marigold, respectively, from 10 feet away.
They prove to be extremely adept in combat.
Green and Blue also draw scimitars, but do not appear to have reach. They get up close and Strike.
--Round 1
Khunbish (83/83) / Saiyan (69/69)
Aerin (27/61)
Rannarix (71/71, clumsy 2) / Mr. Snappers (34/34)
--Round 2
Itka (80/80, bane 10')
Arfsnarf (69/69, dragon claws, guidance)
Marigold (4/62)
Red (-5)
Yellow (-10)
Green (-5, resist fire 5)
Blue (-0, resist fire 5)