Deep beneath the Blakros Museum lies a copper gate that no key could open—at least, not from the outside. To the horror of museum curator Nigel Aldain, the gate has begun to writhe and buckle. Whatever lurks beyond it will not remain contained for much longer. Aldain sent an urgent request for aid to Zarta Dralneen, leader of the Dark Archive faction. Dralneen quickly realized that protection would require a divided approach, with some remaining behind to guard Absalom from what pours out and others charging in to deal with the source. With the support of Aldain, Dralneen, and Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin on guard behind them, the PCs rush beyond the twisted portal. Within, they uncover the true reason why the ancient mage Ralzeros made the place beyond the gate so hard to reach.
Each pathfinder recieves an urgent and hastily scrawled message signed by Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin instructing them to travel to the Blakros Museum basement immediately.
Upon arrival, the group enters the basement. Massive taxidermy creatures, replica bridges, and other sizable displays tower over the Blakros Museum’s storage hall for oversized exhibits. In the far corner, a flight of broad stone stairs leads up to a circular copper gate. The gate writhes, twists, and buckles, folding in on itself yet somehow remaining intact.
Three people linger in front of the gate. One of them, a nervous-looking elven man with wire-frame glasses, paces anxiously while jotting down notes. A pale, dark-haired woman in fine clothes sits inside a complex ritual circle drawn around a trio of glowing golden beacons, holding a copper-covered scroll case covered in intricate designs. Meanwhile, a broad man with a thick mustache watches the gate closely, weapon in hand.
The elven man stops pacing and exclaims, “Good, you’re finally here. In case you don’t know who I am, I’m Nigel Aldain, Blakros Museum curator. It’s not an easy job on the best of days, and today isn’t one of them.” Gesturing toward the woman in the ritual circle, he continues, “That’s why I asked Zarta Dralneen to send assistance. She’s proved invaluable in my efforts to catalog and secure the most dangerous items, and we’ve recently been working together to make sense of this gate. The way it’s moving now is a new and unsettling development.”
Zarta Dralneen nods to Aldain, “Although Nigel reached out to me directly, given the severity of the situation, I sent word to the Grand Lodge for help. I’m quite pleased to see that Ambrus himself answered my call as well.”
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin grunts in acknowledgment, keeping his eyes fixed vigilantly on the portal as he speaks. “Zarta’s been studying this portal for the last few months, ever since a team of Pathfinders helped resolve an incident connected to the portal and the beacons you see around her now. She’s more familiar with the portal’s nature, so it’s better for you to hear the details from her.”
|
"Greetings, associates. My signifier is PumpkinCorp DivinoBot RNG-31029003," an orange-skinned android says flatly to those nearby. "For ease, you may refer to me as Orenjii. My function is to utilize my malevolent ocular implant to reduce the effectiveness of our opponents, then to provide fortune-telling services to them at high velocity."
If no one questions them, they will wait motionless for further information.
|
|
A wispy humanoid figure decked out with adventuring gear floats in. He is followed by a juvenile dinosaur who is eagerly looking at the new people and the strange gate.
"Interesting. I wonder where this gate leads? Another plane of existence, another location or perhaps just a gate that leads into the next room."
"With all the fuss I doubt the last option but time will tell."
"This is Ginger by the way. She is quite friendly but sometimes she does not know her own strength so be mindful of that."
@Orenjii- This adventure is a 5-9 so your character will need to be levelled up to 5 or replaced by a more experienced adventurer. :)
Ginger zooms in and starts looking around. She is trained well enough to not touch anything but the exuberance of youth is apparent in the young dinosaur who is eager to experience new adventures.
She sniffs the air and her eyes glisten with excitement.
Triix recognizes the copper gate, though when she saw it last, it was at the end of a long hall in place of a storage room and was not writhing with the same intensity. She also recognizes the copper scroll case in Zarta's hands; it was determined to be a key of some sort, but it was unclear how it could be used.
Zarta looks up from the ritual circle, and nods at Triix. "Your druid companion is correct in his musings. It is indeed connected to another plane, of sorts."
"With these ritual foci and the gate’s weakened state, I’ve been able to reach beyond the gate and interact with the other side. What I found is a demiplane built in complex layers, and the tatters of wards that once protected it from external threats. There is a force within the demiplane that is actively trying to open the door while simultaneously tearing gateways to faraway realms. Based upon the information we’ve gathered from the group of Pathfinders who recovered these beacons and my analysis of the gateways, what we are most likely facing is a direct connection between the Dark Tapestry and Absalom, and with it the threat of invasion from unspeakable horrors.”
Zarta pauses for a moment to let her words sink in. “We can end this threat now. I’ve been calibrating these beacons to temporarily open the gate before resealing it securely, allowing a group to enter and stop the threat at its source.”
“That’s where you come in,” Venture-Captain Valsin adds. “I’ve called you here to be the group that finally sees what’s beyond that gate.”
Zarta continues, “While you are there, do what you can to study your surroundings and learn about the threats you face, but be careful. The demiplane is the creation of Ralzeros the Overwatched, a famous wizard whose studies of the stars and what lies beyond them led him down dark paths.” She holds out a small glowing orb, a miniature replica of the beacons before her. “When you are ready to leave, use this orb to signal to me. It will take me about an hour to recharge these beacons, but after that, I can quickly open another gateway. Don’t send the signal until you are finished with your work. I may be able to send you in a second time, but there is a significant chance I wouldn’t be able to bring you back, and that is not a risk I’m willing to take.
“It is almost certain,” Zarta adds, “that while you are inside, creatures from the Dark Tapestry will escape into this room. Nigel, Ambrus, and I will handle those. The more you can avoid destabilizing the demiplane while you are there, and the more you can repair it if you find an opportunity, the better. Any questions?”
|
Omar smiles at the professional efficiency of Lady Zarta.
So basically recon mission, record what we find and then call home? Or should we also try to stop anything if we can?
He ponders a moment.
Any idea on what types of creatures are from the Dark Tapestry? Either within or jumping through when we enter? I am not familiar with the tapestry. It sounds glorious.
Zarta shakes her head. "Unlikely that it is connected to Aucturn or Castrovel, but possible. Ralzeros was interested in the spaces between stars, but he may have had interests in the other worlds connected by the Tapestry. With regards to creatures, the Dark Tapestry is home to eldritch horrors. They are rarely pleasant to encounter, and tend to stress the mind as well as endanger the body. Be careful."
Zarta hands the orb to Triix while addressing Omar. "We don't know what, exactly, you'll find in there. But we need to you find out what is making the connection to the Dark Tapestry, and stop it if you can. Anything you can do to help repair the demiplane or weaken the connection while you're investigating would be extremely helpful. And try to keep an eye out for anything else interesting. It is an ancient wizard's private demiplane, and could contain anything."
|
|
Rogarch smiles ready to get on with the adventure.
"So, are we going to be entering soon? If so I would like a minute to prepare myself and Ginger before we enter the gate."
@GM 7thGate - I am assuming that the Dark Tapestry would be considered its own plane (or demi-plane actually) in regards to the Hunter's Blessing spell and the corresponding Ranger's favored terrains.
The Rock
-Blood Boiling Pill consumed, 8 hours.
-Mage Armor (Wand), 1 hour, activated by Triix or Orenjii.
Ginger
-Magic Fang, Greater(extended) 18 hours.
-Longstrider 9 hours.
-Barkskin (extended), 3 hours.
-Mage Armor (Wand), 1 hour, activated by Triix or Orenjii.
Ginger gives Triix an enormous lick in response to the petting. Clearly the dinosaur is accustomed to being around people and is not reacting as a feral T-Rex would.
Zarta responds. "Time is pressing, but not critical. We have at most a day, I think, before the situation becomes untenable, so you should go in soon to address the problem well before that time. If you need a short time for spellcasting or last minute preparations, however, there should not be any immediate danger."
|
|
Omar nods and casts heroism and heighten awareness upon himself.
”Oh, and I probably should warn you.., I tend to get a bit zealous in combat and my frenzy can be contagious. Feel free to join the battle song. But…I will not be put off if you don’t participate. It’s not for the more bookish types.“
He smiles at the Dino
”I can’t wait to hear your song, Ginger!!! “
|
The group hears the very faint very mild cursing from the stairwell, "Oh shoot oh shoot oh shoot we are late Salazar, stop sniffing that!"
The soft patter of a small humanoid is drowned out by the clipping of a four legged cloven-hooved medium sized creature galloping down the stairs.
Popping through the doorway (into the room, not the evil gate) is a young gnome. The gnome wears a basic brown and grey explorer’s outfit and carries a backpack. The boar seems prepared for combat and exploration, armored in studded leather with a loaded pack saddle strapped to his back.
"Sorry sorry, no excuses, I know I'm late."
After getting a very brief summary of the mission he nods, "Alright, stop the evil wizard's plans, repair the demiplane and/or weaken the connection to the dark tapestry. Got it. I have some buffs to activate, but otherwise I'm ready to go. My buddy here is Salazar. Do we want to go in with Daylight up?"
He adds one last tidbit of information before they head in, "Not that I expect to encounter an animal inside there, but if we do, give me a brief chance to calm it down."
Ginger looks at Omar not understanding his words at all but hearing the friendly and curious tone of his voice. She responds with a smile.
With everyone prepared, Zarta encants a spell and a glowing yellow portal opens in the center of the room. "Good luck pathfinders." she says, as Ambrus and Nigel look on.
After stepping into the portal, each Pathfinder experiences a rushing sensation as layers of space spin and churn chaotically, before twisting and forming into a small entrance corridor leading to a vast chamber.
This chamber is approximately 60 feet high, and is lined with bookshelves, with chaotically arranged stairs and platforms offering access. The room’s shape is not constant; platforms shift and stretch to their own rhythms, while bookshelves’ contents shuffle and rearrange themselves of their own volition. The chamber’s walls and floor are formed from black stone shot through with pale blue veins; these veins occasionally crackle with energy, as if transmitting strange impulses. Identical statues stand in alcoves throughout the chamber: the left half of each depicts a robed human, while the right half depicts an alien being with numerous arms protruding at unusual angles.
A number of identical copies of the same robed human wander through the library, muttering to themselves as they pick up books, leaf through them, then reshelve them or reorganize the area. Each is a tall, bronze-skinned man with an elegantly trimmed beard .
Though the layout continually twists, there appear to be paths from the floor leading to 6 distinct sections containing different types of books and lore.
1. The first section of the library is visibly chaotic, containing a motley assortment of documents, scrolls and loose notes.
2. The second section of the library is highly regimented, laid out in a kaliedoscopic pattern of shelves with tomes that appear to twist and fold in on themselves continuously in a complex pattern.
3. The third section of the library looks almost normal, and contains a collection of dark colored tomes.
4. The fourth section of the library feels wrong, even at a casual visual inspection. The shelves there seem to bend away from visual inspection, warping and slipping into the shadows to hide their contents.
5. The fifth section of the library appears to be dark and shaded, but otherwise normal.
6. The sixth section of the library appears utterly mundane. It could be a series of shelves found in any well stocked library in the world.
Orenjii goes to the darkened section and examines a book with a jet black cover. Inside, it appears to contain anatomical diagrams of a creature with many tentacles, eyes and mouths.
Ginger stays put on guard duty while his master flies around the last section of the library.
The Pathfinders split up and begin investigating the various sections.
Triix starts searching through the chaotic jumble of manuscripts, and finds that this section’s books deal largely with Ralzeros’s personal theories, realizations, and uncovered lore; unfortunately, the section also hosts numerous ramblings about the wizard’s feuds, grudges, paranoia, and other matters of concern to Ralzeros alone. Sifting through the mess requires a keen mind for history, noble drama, and an understanding of human nature.
Knowledge (history or nobility) or Sense Motive can be used to help search this section for valuable knowledge.
Jaakko begins searching through the tomes in the highly regimented section. This section holds Ralzeros’s knowledge of several of his great passions; numerology, sacred geometry, architecture, and related disciplines, as well as their connections to ancient Osirion. While the knowledge itself is notably better organized and free of misinformation, it represents particularly obscure fields of study. Complicating matters, the knowledge itself twists space around according to its principles; nimbleness and flexibility are of great use when weaving through the section’s gnarled geometry.
Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Knowledge (engineering), or Profession (architect) can be used to help search this section for valuable knowledge.
Dexter and Salazar begin searching the third section of the library, an almost normal selection of dark colored tomes. The books in this section detail the wizard’s deepening obsession with the light of distant stars and its magical potential. Astrology, Ralzeros’s theory of pastlight, and study of the outsiders known as shining children are among the numerous obscure subjects discussed at length in these books. Knowledge of magical disciplines is useful here, as is an understanding of the night sky and its mysteries.
Knowledge (arcana or planes) or Surviva can be used to help search this section for valuable knowledge; worshipers of Desna, Pulura, or Black Butterfly gain a +4 bonus on these checks.
Omar begins searching the fourth section of the library, and quickly finds that the main impediment here is getting a hand on any of the books, not in understanding them. As Ralzeros began his studies into the Dark Tapestry, he grew increasingly paranoid that either his mortal enemies or beings from the Dark Tapestry would subject him to a terrible fate. As such, the section is badly scrambled, while the shelves stretch and warp to keep useful books out of reach. Sorting through the books for cohesive thought requires an intimate understanding of the written word or a good eye for cataloguing, while more athletic researchers or those skilled at passing unnoticed can stymie the shelves’ attempts to deny them research material.
Climb, Profession (librarian), or Stealth can be used to help search this section for valuable knowledge.
Orenjii begins searching the fifth section of the library and finds that it contains details descriptions of beings from beyond the stars. When other avenues of research into pastlight failed, and fueled by his interest in Ancient Osirion and the need for esoteric components found only in the Dark Tapestry, Ralzeros delved deeply into the lore of the Dominion of the Black. It was at this time that he set aside his former caution and forged an alliance with Corners of Spheres.
Heal or Knowledge (dungeoneering or history) can be used to help search this section for valuable knowledge.
The Rock begins searching through the sixth section as Ginger stands guard. Though it appears to be full of mundane books of stories and lore from around Golarion, occasionally there seems to be commentary written from a somewhat alien point of view. As he fell further into the clutches of Corners of Spheres, Ralzeros became unhinged from reality, losing his ability to comprehend mortal life. Instead of continuing his research into pastlight, he took up Corners of Spheres’s interest in studying mortalkind.
Knowledge (local), Linguistics, or Perception can be used to help search this section for valuable knowledge.