|
The iron gates of Dacilane Academy shut the school away from the bustle of Absalom’s Foreign Quarter. J Dacilane stands with the military posture of an Eagle Knight by the gate, checking the time and fiddling with a key on a red ribbon.
“Welcome,” J says with a warm smile. “I appreciate that you took the time out of your schedule to meet me. This may seem like a strange request for field-trained agents, but I need you to investigate the school. There’s a rumor that Dacilane Academy is haunted.” He winces as he adds, “Or cursed..."
After the requisite pause, he continues. “The pupils assembled a list of legends about the school for you. Apparently, there are seven secrets of Dacilane Academy. Honestly, most sound like urban legends that the students have picked up from their parents. But, when someone says that they’re in danger, it should be investigated. And a more formal report from the Society would be a great opportunity for the students to see Pathfinder skills in action!"
"These hauntings began long before the supposed cursed, so I’m sure they’re mostly mundane occurrences. You’ll probably find the foundation settling, old drafts, and the like. If there’s something more to it, try to excise any spirits or other beasts that stalk the halls. In addition to the transcribed legends, the pupils provided a ghost-hunting kit for your investigation.” J shakes his head as he hands over a leather bag and a thin folder.
“You’ll have this evening to do as you please. The school grounds are in use until sunset for extracurricular activities. I don’t want to incite more rumors or scare any of our more promising pupils with armored agents in the halls."
He catches himself before turning it over to questions. “Oh, and one final thing—please try to limit any damage to the facilities. Be careful.”
|
Red Roy has a real nervous energy to him. When J says the school might be haunted or cursed, he lets out a high pitched whine. Red Roy is about 3 feet 7 inches tall, and resembles a short-faced dog.
"Is there any unsavory history to the school? Did you or any of your predecessors kill someone on school grounds? Someone who might have unfinished business and grudge?" Red Roy asks, nervously.
|
A tiny human woman, her complexion and golden hieroglyphs on her red-and-black dress telling of Osirian origin, stands and listens to the mission briefing. She's holding a closed fan in both of her hands.
"If truly is a malicious curse, of course it needs to be lifted. I have just seen too many of these problems caused by utter incompetence, or worse, supposedly funny jokes gone wrong," she says. She puts her fans to her belt to examine the bag and folder. "And how is this supposed to work? I swear if this is some prank I will teach them a lesson."
As she examines the kit, she gives a minimal introduction of herself: "Zenobia Arsinoe Thea. Yes, that girl from the circus."
|
|
Jozan seems quite large next to these companions, despite his only above average height. Clad in armor, the exposed skin of his face and hands are bronzed by the sun, and his symbol of Sarenrae hangs proudly by a leather thong around his neck.
"We will do everything we can to shed light on the situation. Who exactly was it that said they were in danger? Perhaps we should talk with them briefly about what they experienced."
He offers a respectful nod to the rest of his companions, "Please, just call me Jozan. It will be a pleasure working with more experienced field agents."
|
|
To the initial questions, J’s face contorts into a grimace. “Murders? Pranks? Well, there’s a rumor that the school is cursed. But if it is a curse... I believe it is upon the students rather than by them. Perhaps, that is why they sought to investigate themselves, before we decided to bring you all in. I myself have lived through some hard times and rumors do get around, so I know how quickly misinformation spreads. When the academy was renamed in honor of my family, some people said that the name itself was cursed.” He sighs. “I would be much obliged if you could clear my family’s otherwise pristine name.”
J then turns to Jozan. "The Headmaster wishes to gather some facts tonight before we even think about interviewing the children again. So here... perhaps this will help..."
He points to the folder containing the short list of the Seven Secrets.
▫ The Walking Statues: Every Wealday morning, we run in the yard. The next morning, the statues stand in different spots and in different poses—almost like they’re trying to get in our way.
▫ The Blank Books: Watch out if you ever leave your projects until the night before—the books in the library sneak around! They like to move between shelves or hide under the desks. When you do find the right one, the insides are blank!
▫ The Wailing Bathroom: Did you hear? Decades ago, a boy died at the school! His ghost is bound to the northeast bathroom. If you find the door locked and press your ear against it, you can hear him crying for help. Knock three times and promise to help him, then he’ll grant you a wish.
▫ The Haunted Shack: Just past the main building is a shack that no one ever enters or leaves. Despite this, you can hear someone moving inside and see the flicker of candlelight.
▫ The Cheater’s Whisper: If you can’t figure out what to do in lab, just whisper a question under your breath! You’ll hear the answer in your ear. Be careful, though; a lot the answers are wrong.
▫ The Disappearing Door: If you’re walking alone to the lab, a door appears just before it. If you’re walking with anyone else, though, the door doesn’t exist!
▫ Student #19: Have you ever noticed how there’s no student #19? The roster skips straight over them. I hear they only appear to someone who’s seen all six mysteries, but once you see their face, they scare you to death and take you away!
Collected by Sab, Ayen, and Voxi, students of Dacilane Academy, 4720 AR
|
A stuffed toy rabbit wearing academic robes hurries up to the school gates breathing heavily. He bends over and takes a moment to catch his breath then stands fully upright and attempts to adjust the mortarboard cap atop his head only to be thwarted by the stiches holding it onto his cloth head. He gives the tassel a brief tug before speaking, his protruding front teeth causing him to lisp.
"Thorry I'm late. I only jutht got word that I am needed here."
After another attempt to adjust his cap fails. The poppet introduces himself properly.
"Allow me to introduthe mythelf. I am Profeththor Bun Bun, Q.T.E.. Clearly my credintialth ath an educator are eththential to thith mission. Tho what'th thith I hear about urban legendth?" He takes a peek at the contents of the folder.
|
|
"Certainly." He explains the layout of the school with reasonable detail.
"And you are free to use the items the students gathered for their foray..."
"As you can see, the students are quite resourceful, no doubt a tribute to their lineage. If there are no further questions, here is the key to the Academy. Please return it after your investigations tonight." He holds out the key on the red ribbon for you.
|
|
Zenobia looks at the options in the folder. She taps the cases of The Walking Status and The Blank Books with her closed fan. "If we go in these and make some markings where things are now, we might get some more information about their movements while we examine the other areas. I have some chalk, it's good in that if someone walks over it, it brushes away. So we might get footprints in addition to seeing what items moved", she gives her suggestion.
|
|
Dacilane Academy sits in the Foreign Quarter of Absalom, only a short walk from the Grand Lodge, nestled behind an ivy-draped stone wall with iron gates. The exterior walls of the academy are made of masonry and exterior doors seem to be made of reinforced wood. It is eerily dark as you approach the back gate.
Prying open the gate, you see hard-packed dirt marked with chalk lines creates a small track around most of this open yard. Within the loop of the track, a cleared oval provides a space for other types of exercise. Outside the track, statues stand on opposite sides of the yard, each posed in mid-stride, as though about to reach the finish line of a footrace. In the corner of the schoolyard grows a picturesque maple tree.
|
|
Jozan murmurs a quick prayer, "Sarenrae, grant us your light." A yellow orb springs into existence, hovering just above Jozan's shoulder. "Let's get to work, shall we?" He begins moving in towards the closest statue, bringing out some chalk from his kit to mark its location, and seeing if there is anything peculiar about it.
|
|
Jozan turns his head as the statue rushes him down, taking its shoulder in full and a knee to the chest as it moves past him. "Agh! Sarenrae's brilliance, that smarts!"
He winces and gives a rueful grin to Zenobia, "I should probably heed the advice of more experienced agents." He attempts to catch his breath as the combat truly begins around him.
|
|
With the statue animated as feared, Zenobia slides around and finds the best place to debilitate the wayward decoration. But it simply returns to the schoolyard via trudging over Bun Bun and Red Roy's feet. The other statue remains motionless, except for some twitching.
Red Statue -18 damage
Orange Statue
Bun Bun -9 damage?
Red Roy -9 damage?
Jozan -13 damage
--------------------------
Zenobia
|
|
Professor Bun Bun inspects the statue carefully as he moves around it.
"Interethting. Thethe thtatueth are reminithent of thothe found in Taldor prior to Grand Printhe Thtavian'th tho-called Great Purge of 4528 AR." He points out some stylistic similarities in the artwork and goes on to lecture about the purge itself and its origins in the Taldor/Qadira conflicts of the time.
He settles into position and prepares to aid the Shoony in his attack on the red statue. "If you would be tho kind ath to launch an attack Red Roy. I shall aththitht your effortth to dithpatch thith rogue thtatuary."
|
|
Bun Bun's musings spark the shooney's attack, which seems to break through the statue's defenses enough to topple it in its tracks, although its legs still flail wildly.
Jozan's divine blast strikes true enough, but for some reason seems not to harm the statue in the least.
Red Statue -25 damage
Orange Statue
Bun Bun -4 damage
Red Roy -9 damage
Jozan -13 damage
--------------------------
Zenobia
|
|
Professor Bun Bun searches his memory for any useful information about these creatures.
Arcana +8
Crafting +8
Nature +7
Occultism +8
Religion +7
Society +8
Bardic Lore +8
Academia Lore+8
Pathfinder Society Lore +10
Dubious Knowledge
|
|
Jozan, seeing how long it took Professor Bun Bun to disable the statue, is wary as the armor he wears makes him too slow to move. I'll just wait for the statue to come my way before attempting to disable it.
Crafting +4
Nature +7
Occultism +1
Religion +7
Society +1
Lore: Scribing +4
Lore: Pathfinder Society +4
|
|
Red Roy crushes what remains of the fallen statue. As Jozan ambles forward, Zenobia races to deactivate the other guardian. It scrambles over her just as she can reach it, then across another as it pivots around once again - just in front of the Academy. Her magic seems a bit subpar.
Orange Statue
Bun Bun -4 damage
Red Roy -17 damage
Jozan -13 damage
--------------------------
Zenobia
|
|
Zenobia barely manages to dodge the full impact of the statue, still getting nastily bruised from a lesser hit. Luckily, Jozan's healing get mostly takes the pain away.
Zenobia runs after the statue. "If it just wouldn't dash around so much", she complains.
Using Red Roy's distraction to help her strike, Zenobia slices the stone statue with her fan.
◆
◆
◆
|
|
The bard is able to freeze the remaining statue in place with the proper chant and Jozan does his duty to heal.
Orange Statue <disabled>
Bun Bun
Red Roy -9 damage
Jozan -5 damage
Zenobia
The fullness of night fills the courtyard, barely illuminating the now lifeless statues before you. Only the ominous tree looms in the distance and the cold walls of the Academy rise above you on two sides.
|
|
As the group prepares to enter the Academy, the Professor notices a slight haze upon the ground by the downed statue. It appears that the statues left a bizarre trail of gold dust in the ground as chaotic planar energy of some sort has seemed to have spontaneously transformed the dirt of the schoolyard in some way.