Arc gives Clarius an exaggerated frown that then turns into a smile. "ANYWAY," he also says with exaggeration, "I'm headed out. I think I'm going to go for some fancy robes. I am a wizard after all."
At the theater, the play The Weight of Time follows Eleanor, a widowed mill worker, as she confronts the closure of the town’s only mill and the ghosts of her past. The play delves into themes of loss, resilience, and community fracture, with Eleanor's stoic determination anchoring the narrative.
Her estranged brother, Tommy, a drifter with a penchant for ill-timed jokes and absurd schemes, arrives unexpectedly, stirring tension and unexpected laughter. The ensemble cast, including a weary government bureaucrat and a young dreamer obsessed with bard stories, navigates betrayal and hope against a backdrop of stark, shadowy sets and haunting violin melodies. Comic moments—like Tommy’s botched attempt to “fix” a broken loom or the dreamer’s exaggerated reenactments of well-known heroes — punctuate the somber mood, offering bittersweet relief. Directed with precision, the production uses dim lighting and sparse staging to mirror the town’s decay, while quick, bright interludes highlight the humor, creating a poignant reflection on human endurance.
After the play, your backstage pass allows you into the after party.
After a bit of drinking and eating (and some remarkably good choruses of popular songs), a middle-aged man (See here) approaches you. "Thank you for coming. I'm Alban. Because of the political situation here between the Lion Blades and The Brotherhood of Silence, the Pathfinder Society cannot have a lodge here. And, we cannot be seen as favoring one 'secret' society over the other. We have to 'help' both sides equally. So, if you're ready, we'd like you to do a 'favor' for the Brotherhood."
Grunyer takes time to appreciate the detail of the set pieces being both background and mood indicators. Quality workmanship went in to making a place look so empty. Maybe those folks at the Sarenrae temple know what they are talking about.
At the party, he engages with Alban's request, "Hmmm, interesting. Won't there be some tensions between the organization that was trying to kill us the other day then all of a sudden we're supposed to be working with them? I mean, a job's a job I guess."
"I don't need the details if you say we have a mission. Pneuferro looks to the others. I can't speak for them, but what do you need me to do?"
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"How much does it pay exactly, to betray the Lion Blades and work for the people who tried to kill us yesterday?" Clarius is usually pretty quiet with his voice betraying little emotion, but he's definitely sounding sarcastic now.
He looks at the rest of the party. "We should discuss whether we are willing and happy to take this job or not. Obviously we're able."
Arc takes in the performance and appreciates the talent therein. But, as he was born and raised in Absalom, he has a higher bar for what he deems as quality. If asked, he expresses as much very matter-of-factly, but will not express it otherwise.
Later...
Arc reacts to the mans words seriously, "I am willing under two conditions. First, it must be what the Pathfinder Society wants us to do. And two, I will not kill innocents."
"I have no duties requiring my immediate attention. I agree we shouldn't choose sizes but should follow our conscious's" .
"Well, that's all good then. You aren't going to be sent on assassinations, but, know, both the Lion Blades and the Brotherhood of Silence play hard with each other. The Brotherhood has assured me that you shouldn't be bothered by the Lion Blades. At least not directly. They might try keeping an eye on you, though they shouldn't interfere."
"There is a relic that was 'lost' a half century ago. Their diviners have located where it might be. All things point to a set of ruins about a day's ride from here. They would send their own people, but, as you've seen, they need to hire mercenaries to fight for them. The Brotherhood is more into breaking-and-entering and mugging than outright street fighting."
He will continue to give you a general description of the ruins and how to find them, and a more detailed description of the relic. It is a wooden staff, a little over a foot long. It is inscribed with certain runes, which they will give you a parchment copy of.
"Also, they are willing to part with 900 gold upon delivery."
"I see no issues with this," Arc shrugs. "But would it be possible to know who you are in this whole Lion Blades and Brotherhood thing?"
Grunyer shrugs, "Just business then. I would feel less ok if we were being pitted against the lions directly. Just so you know."
"Remember, the Lion Blades didn't hire you, and the Brotherhood of Silence isn't hiring you. The Pathfinder Society is hiring you. The Society is just doing favors for both sides in a social-political struggle. The Society is looking to set up an official lodge here, and, we can't do that without the tacit approval of both sides."
Alban goes on to talk with other folk at the party, and, after a while the party breaks up. You return to you inn and, after setting up watches through the night, there is a knock at the door. Upon opening it, you see a teenager dressed as a knight. Upon closer inspection, the armor is very thin where it is metal, and some other material painted as metal. The teen hands you a package. "Here. This is for you. The Director of the play said you might make use of it."
After the teen leaves, you see the package contains vials of Holy Water.
You traipse along the roadway toward the ruin. After breaking for a midday meal, it takes you another two hours to find the ruin. It appears it was a fairly nice attempt to set up a tavern on the outskirts of the city, but, it obviously went into disrepair quite a while ago. The walls are stone, and, there used to be a front door, but, being wooden, it has completely withered away.
When the party steps into the first room, you disturb a cockroach the size of a cat, which scurries across the room. This, in turn, provokes a swarm of cockroaches.
➤ Arc │
➤ Clarius │
➤ Khajuna │
[color=Blue]Giant Cockroach[/color]
[color=Red]Cockroach Swarm[/color]
Grunyer │
D'osh Kala │
Pneuferro │
- Retrieve Artifact from ruins
- Tall Tail Tavern
- Tavern of Last Resort
- Gorgeous Tulip Inn
- The Unlucky Crate Knives & Bows warehouse
- Silver Dragon Theatre
- Tamir (PFS contact)
- Alexander (Lion Blades contact)
- Alban Sandes (Master Designer)
Arc points one end of his staff at a space near both and shouts, "Oxý!" He then twists and spins around, launching his staff at the large bug while shouting, "Volí!"
Arc blasts the roaches. It appears the swarm took more than expected. Then, his staff cracks open the carapace of the cat-sized bug.
Arc │
➤ Clarius │
➤ Khajuna │
[color=Blue]Giant Cockroach[/color] │
[color=Red]Cockroach Swarm[/color]
Grunyer │
D'osh Kala │
Pneuferro │
- Retrieve Artifact from ruins
- Tall Tail Tavern
- Tavern of Last Resort
- Gorgeous Tulip Inn
- The Unlucky Crate Knives & Bows warehouse
- Silver Dragon Theatre
- Tamir (PFS contact)
- Alexander (Lion Blades contact)
- Alban Sandes (Master Designer)
Khajuna slides into the corner of the room... then begins a terrible screech at the swarm of bugs.
◆ Move
◆◆ CAST: Concordant Choir (Basic FORT Save DC 16)
Sonic Damage
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With his remaining two actions, Clarius pulls his shortbow ◆ and then fires off an arrow. ◆
The cockroach is -2 to its AC because it's off-guard to me.
Surprise Attack
You act before foes can react. On the first round of combat, if you roll Deception or Stealth for initiative, creatures that haven't acted are off-guard to you.
With its -2 AC, is my 24 now a crit?
If so, add this damage:
Khajuna blasts the vermin with sound. This kills the giant cockroach, and seems to do extra damage to the swarm.
Clarius realizes that the best way to attack the swarm is with Area damage or Splash damage.
Before the swarm can react, Clarius fires an arrow right into the heart of the swarm. The remains of the swarm dissipate under the debris in this room.
This room is weather-beaten and the threadbare debris of a rug and broken furniture are all that remain.
You proceed into a hallway to the north. To the east are two doorways on the south side and one on the north side. To the west, the hallway turns south where there are two doorways to the west.
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"Remember, the Lion Blades didn't hire you, and the Brotherhood of Silence isn't hiring you. The Pathfinder Society is hiring you. The Society is just doing favors for both sides in a social-political struggle. The Society is looking to set up an official lodge here, and, we can't do that without the tacit approval of both sides."
"I think I may have misunderstood our purpose here and the situation then. That makes more sense that the society might need the support of both organizations. Tensions for us might not be that high, especially if both sides are hiring mercenaries to do their fighting instead of actual members of the groups."
At the ruin, Grunyer takes the lead with his shield raised. Ready to confront the vermin, he is surprised when they scatter with a few shots and spells. "Well done! I wasn't sure how I would have been able to combat that swarm..."
Looking at their options to progress, he points at the western hallway, and the doors there. "One direction is as good as another right now? Might as well get to the interior side of an exterior wall."
"Sounds good to me."
Grunyer leads the way down the western hallway.
As you pass one doorway (sans door, Room 7), you see a room that is empty, except for a chest. The next doorway leads into a room (Room 8) that has a pile of bones in one corner.
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Upon seeing the giant pile of bones, Clarius remembers that five vials of holy water were given. He gets one of them now and puts it somewhere easy to reach.
"That chest in the other seems suspicious, just left lying there. But perhaps it contains the staff we seek. Should we try to open it?"
The rogue points at the giant pile of bones. "I do not like the looks of THAT at all."
Pneuferro looks suspiciously at the chest. "I think not mate, but look at it if you want to."
Arc takes a hand off of his staff and rubs his chin. "This feels like a puzzle of sorts," he says ponderously in the hallway looking between the two rooms. "And it seems that the answer is to have one person try that chest while everyone else is in this other room, ready for a fight."
Neither room, nor chest, nor pile of bones appear to be a trap.
"Hmmm, good theory but lets not over think things yet. Lets see what's in the box yeah?" I'll keep a look out for the bones to rise up. Grunyer's tone makes it clear he doesn't think that's going to happen.
Arc moves up and the attempts to open the chest.
Arc moves up to the chest. As he leans over it to get a good look at the chest, the window just behind the chest cracks all over and shattered glass explodes all over him.
slashing damage.
"What the-!?"
Looking at the window, Arc sees that it is not broken. And, he can't find the shards of glass that cut him. But, the cuts are truly real.
21 gold
Handwraps of Mighty Blows (+1)
Arsenic
Primal Scroll of Water Breathing worth 12 gold
At the sound of shattering glass, Grunyer rushes to Arc's side. Looking around not seeing anything that would cause such a commotion, he nevertheless sees slashes on his face and arms. Channeling Torag's blessing, he does his best to heal some of the wounds. "What the hells was that?"
With the description that Arc gives to Clarius, Clarius realizes that the window shattering was a Haunt. And, that, after a day it will regain its spiritual energy, and, effectively, reset.
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"It sounds like a Haunt. This place may be cursed with bad energy from ... a terrible death that happened here, or some sort of dark, unfinished business. It's like an echo of a serious tragedy that occurred here."
Clarius frowns, checking to see how badly Arc is wounded. "We should be careful. Some of these Haunts can be ... very dangerous. Mess with your mind, make you see things, or do things. We should keep tabs on one another regularly. Make sure no one's behaving strangely, or suddenly in emotional turmoil."
He frowns after realizing he's spoken so much. "That sort o' thing," he finishes gruffly.
"I see some of your wounds are still oozing blood. If you give me a few minutes I can bandage them".
"That is a difficult place to bandage. Perhaps I can try again in an hour or so to see if it becomes easier".
As Khajuna works on treating the remaining cuts on Arc, Grunyer takes out his repair kit and focuses on touching up his shield. Reciting litanies to Torag as he pulls the cloth across the surface, he renews some favor of the forge god.
Coming back to reality, he sees the medical attention wasn't as effective as they were hoping. "Here lad, let me help a little more."
"Ugh," is all Arc manages as he hobbles out of the room into the hallway to get treated.
"The target is then temporarily immune to Treat Wounds actions for 1 hour, but this interval overlaps with the time you spent treating (so a patient can be treated once per hour, not once per 70 minutes)."
" The target is then immune to your Battle Medicine for 1 day. This does not make them immune to, or otherwise count as, Treat Wounds."
"When you Treat Wounds, your patient becomes immune for only 10 minutes instead of 1 hour."
Pneuferro looks around at all the activity wondering just how long she's been... unaware.
"No staff then eh? It would have been pretty small to fit in there mate. I think I will name that chest 'Mira'," she says looking at the much patched wizard.
She wonders if there is anything we can do for the aggrieved spirit. +??