When the Jeweled Sages, an ancient order of Osirian scholars, fled Qadiran invaders millennia ago, some perished, and others disappeared deep into territories once held by the pharaohs of old. With the help of the Jeweled Sages' long-abandoned tools, the eminent Tahonikepsu has discovered one of the sages' last known whereabouts in the wilds of Nex. What secrets lie within these inhospitable ruins that date back to the Age of Darkness, and what fate did the so-called Amethyst Sage meet within?
Each of you receive a letter from Venture-Captain Roderus, asking you to meet with Tahonikepsu the Diamond Sage at the Winding Road Lodge just outside Katapesh. He has secured you passage aboard a ship from Absalom, which is now pulling into the docks at Katapesh.
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The lively elf jump down from the ship, her alchemical-item-stuffed backpack bounce up and down as she move. "Finally, some land! Elu is tired of getting Elu's shoes wet."
For those who happens to board the same ship as Elu, you would get to know her as Elu the Elf.
"Greetings, the name is Elu. Elu is an elven alchemist. Elu knows how to infuse Elu's bullets with special explosives and use cognatogen to empower Elu's mind. Elu has a wide range of knowledge and consider herself monster identification expert. Elu is skilled in disarming traps, healing, using magic items, surviving in the wild and identifying spells."
This is as much as you could remember from her self-introduction after she bombards you with her full name, Snow White Paradise El Santo Flow Wasurena Pure Princess Livre Love Heidern Dokodoko Yattaze Valkyria Passion Alfr Noel Chakoboshi Eluaria Frosia Made-in Bloom
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”Ugh, it’s so dry here. I’m going to whither away to nothing,” the male undine grumbles as he takes a scarf and wipes at his forehead. ”Of all places, Katapesh! Why won’t Lady Zarta write a letter letting me stay in the library,” he complains to no one in particular.
He resembled the typical undine, with his pale blue skin. He didn’t carry much in the line of armor or weapons, clearly relying on something else to make himself useful in a mission. He nods at the elf, clearly more concerned with his current circumstances than giving introductions.
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Mostly being on his own during most of the time, the man dressed in leathers with the long coat, more fit to sustain concotions and reagenats than practical combat, but reinforced enough to have combat, the mask its amixure of leather and cloth with metallic frame and googles, with the shape of a Goblin, some may have hard of him, moving thru Oppara's nights, known as "El Duende Muerde" or "The Bitting goblin" , when in public he seems pleaseant enough to talk, unless he seems to be on his monologues, although converstaion would lead to understand he knows about alchemy, and many other sciences and topics
Greetings Fellow agents, I am .. or you may call me rather, The Bitting goblin, or "El duende Muerde" Which ever strikes your fancy, Duende is enough if too many suylabes are bothersome
I am glad to be here with you, I've come to help out during this specific endeavour, that promisses to be quite developing to intellect endeavours, and i believe so far i believe already has been so enligthening
He nods at Elu once, as he speaks to this
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A young female human with full plate takes off her helmet and nods to everyone.
"Nice to meet you fellows. I am Elise, the holy warrier of the Dawn Flower. I am her mercy blade and I am willing to give second chance to those who truly repent their sins, except fiends.
For my friends, I will try my best cover you and save you. I don't have a mount so my problem in battle will be the mobility. I am able to cast some divine spells and I am willing to help if you need me.
She ends up with smile on her face.
The boat pulls into the docks, and a teenage errand-runner is waiting to lead the pathfinder to the combination inn and chapterhouse on the city’s outskirts. There, the aging Venture Captain Roderus welcomes the pathfinders to the lodge. "Come, I have footbaths and a meal of lamb and honeyed bread prepared to refresh you from your journey. Once we finish, we will get to business."
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Ash followed the group into the lodge. Despite feeling glum, he couldn’t resist the tasty foodstuffs laid out before him. His eyes lit up when he saw the footbath. ”Ah, much better,” he sighed as he sunk his feet into the cool fresh water. The undine closed his eyes and relaxed until the others indicated they were ready to proceed onto the mission briefing.
Blarg goes and pokes all his brand new friends in the leg or tummy with his head, requesting pats and scratches.
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After greeting the other Pathfinders, Blarg goes over to the Venture Captain requesting pats or scratches.
"She'll be meeting you after the meal. She can give you more details then."
Venture-Captrain Roderus scritches behind Blarg's ears and makes smalltalk during the meal. Once everyone is done eating, he leads the pathfinders to down into a secret basement, where Tahonikepsu is standing and waiting. She smiles at Andirke when she sees him walk in.
"Welcome everone. It is good to see you again Andirke. I think you will find this mission intriguing, and look forward to seeing the results."
She turns to face the rest of the group. "Pathfinders, you have my thanks for agreeing to aid us. I am Tahonikepsu, the bearer of the diamond sage jewel. I am also the leader of the Jeweled Sages, an ancient order of scholars. Together with my colleague Amenopheus, I strive to restore lost secrets of the past for the benefit of the present."
"To this end, I seek the missing sage jewels, each of which contains the memories of the sages who bore that gem before and the lost lore of the ancients. Last year—thanks to the efforts of brave Pathfinder Society agents—we secured a way to track these jewels, and I have since used that beacon to find the missing amethyst sage jewel. The gem lies in Nex’s northern desert, where magical interference has obstructed my attempts to divine the sage jewel’s location more accurately. Remote divination can do no more, and the Pathfinder Society has offered its assistance."
"While I can point you in the right direction, you must find the exact location of the gem yourself. To aid you in this task, I will give you a magical crystal that is infused with the beacon’s power. I ask that you explore the area and, most importantly, retrieve the gem. Anything you can learn of what befell Amethyst Sage would also assist my order. Take care while searching the desert, though; while using the beacon, I could feel a strange resonance, as if something was not right with the sage jewel."
Tahonikepsu looks toward the ceiling as if watching something beyond. "This coincides with the appearance of a strange visitor in our skies, and I must attend to it and confirm its intentions. I wish you fortune in your travels and offer my thanks for your contributions. I must go, but I have brought a companion who knew the Amethyst Sage well to help answer any questions you might have before you leave."
"Badru, come out please."
A door opens, and a stone man walks through. In his chest, a large amethyst pulses with power, and he wears a funerary mask for a face. "Greetings. I am Badru, loyal servant of the Amethyst sage, gifted by him with immortality in ages past. I welcome your questions regarding my mentor."
Tahonikepsu looks to the cieling, and takes out a fist sized gem and hands it to Andirke. "This is the artifact that will lead you to the Sage Jewel. It will brighten as you approach the location, though the effect is gradual it should help guide you. Badru, help answer any of their questions as well as you can. I must go. Pathfinders, good luck in your journeys."
With that, she leaves the room.
"Begin heading south, to the Northern Deserts of Nex, and follow the direction that strengthens the crystal's light. I believe the Venture Captain will assist with the logistics of the travel." Tahonikepsu mentions before she leaves.
Bardru speaks up. "Wherever the Amethyst Sage Jewel lies will be heavily warded. The difficulty in divining its precise location is evidence of this. If my master succeeded in his great work, he may still persist and guard it personally, or he may have placed protections on it before his death. I dearly hope he has survived and that this will lead you to him."
Based on the results of a Diplomacy, Knowledge (geography), or Knowledge (history) check, the PCs might know more about the dangers in Katapesh’s southern desert. Each PC recalls all of the information whose DC is less than or equal to the result of her check.
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Andike made the proper forms of respect for the leader of his faction when he was received, as the Tengu pondered what the mission portended.
"Looks like we will have our work cut out for us in our travels, but that bit of magic sounds like it might be necessary, along with something to protect the eyes from the sand and glare. " Andirke said, holding out a wand to Eluaria and taking in the information that was given.
"Let me make sure I have a good idea on our task. he said. "Use the crystal to find the location, but use our eyes as it seems to be acting up. With luck find the Amethyst sage alive, and bring them back If not, bring the gem back. " he said "Can you describe him and something that only he would know and not an imposter, to make sure we have the right person?
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Pondering about the information given
AS usual with the Nexian landscape, and to add to that the dessert, we might also find guardians, if we are going to a place of knowlege i would not be surprised to find old guardians, but feel relieved that when try to kill us, it would be for duty, not due malice
With this said, i do hope that if they are bound to knowledge an arrangement would be possible, Although i won't bet my mask on it
*Nods at Ashwell remark
Bardu nods. “The Amethyst Sage—his name was Sinuhotep—was a most noble soul and peerless scholar! His quest was one for the greater good—to preserve the secrets of the old."
"He fled the Sanctum of the Sages over 3000 years ago, when servents of the Padishah invaded the Sanctum. He took with him a number of instruments focused on the immortality rites of the great Pharoahs. Ask him about the notes he took with him regarding his research; he was particularly invested in the works of An-Hepsu XI, the infamous Pharoah of No Rain, including preservation utilizing canopic jars."
After discussion with Badru, the Pathfinders meet with the Venture-Captain, who has assembled necessary supplies for a lengthy trek through the desert. Each of you has a Camel to ride, with two additional donkeys to carry tents, maps, food, water, drid dung for making fires, and other supplies.
Well equipped for the journey, the Pathfinders begin their expedition through the desert, heading towards Nex along the plotted course. The seeker stone provided by Tahonikepsu starts to glow as the group heads south, first barely flickering, then intensifying to the brightness of a candle. After a week of travel, the group crosses the Elemion River, then continues southwest as the signal grows stronger. Near the end of the eigth day, trouble strikes.
The wind begins to pick up, sending dust flying in the air, and oppressive clouds gather in the sky. The sun darkens as if a heavy veil had been pulled in front of it; only a gleaming crescent remains visible. The wind grows into a howling gale, and soon after, a massive wall of sand starts rising in the distance and approaching at a high speed.
It is readily apparent to many of you that staying out in a sandstorm as fierce as this one would be disastrous. There are nearby hills that would provide cover from the storm, if you can reach them.
Sandstorm, Round 1: A Rising Storm
A whistling wind and darkening sky herald the arrival of the storm, but do the pathfinders notice it before it’s too late?
You can make a Survival check to Predict the Storm, or a Perception check to See it Coming.
Thanks to Elu's sharp eyes and quick reactions, the group spots the storm forming early and is able to get a head start on running to safety. Now begins a mad dash to the hills, driving the camels and mules to run to safety.
As the sun eclipses, the animals realize something is terribly wrong, and begin to buck and rear in terror.
Sandstorm Round 2:
Move It!: Startled by the eclipsed sun and rising winds, the Pathfinder's mounts start acting up and attempt to throw off their riders.
The group finds it difficult to get their animals to stay moving in the face of the rising storm, but are eventually able to make progress. As the sand sweeps forward, a wall of locusts rise from the sands, fleeing the storm.
Sandstorm, Round 3: Locusts
A huge swarm of locusts flees from the approaching storm, massing in front of the pathfinders and madly attacking anything that crosses their path.