The adventure begins with the Pathfinders arriving and meeting up in the town of Pimatsih, located deep in Sarkoris.
The adventure begins with the Pathfinder field team arriving and meeting up in the town of Pimatsih, located deep in Sarkoris. While it’s not particularly close to the Worldwound, no part of this country went unscathed during the century of demonic activity. The town is charming enough and clearly in the middle of a significant rebuilding effort; the streets echo with the ring of hammers. Guards staff the city walls around the clock, and new constructions outnumber older buildings.
A sign outside the humble home advertises the medical services available within. Two women—a dromaar who paces anxiously before the comfortable hearth, and a human in simple healer’s clothes who sits patiently behind a table—wait inside. The dromaar, Khione Thidos, perks up at her new audience and breaks into a smile.
But before we get to that, why don't you introduce yourselves?
|
A small canine humanoid, clad in plate mail and using a traveler's chair with a rose emblazoned on the spiked wheels, with a large axe that glows faintly strapped to the back, wheels into the meeting room.
He cheerfully offers a paw to each of the others and says, "Hello, I'm Ra'uf. Been mostly out on the sea for the Society recently - and on top of a giant enemy crab, if you can believe it - so expecting more sea-based trouble. In any case, I can provide some extra muscle and patch people up if things get rough."
|
A quiet female android stands with the patience of the constructed. Her pale skin is so white that it looks almost silvery in the firelight and the thin blue tattoos on her face and upper arms even glow softly.
She wears no armor, only a long deep-green robe slit up the sides with sensible pants beneath She holds a staff and has a basic pack and a few small items on her person. Iron strips line the body of the staff, capping the bottom and folding into an intricate knot at the top, and it seems to give off dark and eerie vibes.
"Locus-22, or simply Locus," she introduces herself in a soft voice when asked.
In contrast to her calm demeanor, the gnome and huge locust accompanying her have energy and impatience to spare.
"Hey, got anything to eat? Been a long trip," the gnome cheerfully but obliviously asks their hosts. "Locus is shy and eats like a bird," she says as she thrusts a business card into the dromaar's hand. "And one for you, and you," she continues around the room.
"Minzy, please, let them be. They're clearly worried about our mission," Locus chides her agent and lawyer, while the locust the size of a cat chuckles from the android's shoulder.
|
|
Celestia is an aasimar or a nephilum of azata descent. She is dressed in the flowing robes of a Desnian priestess even though she is an angelic sorcerer.
Hello everyone. I guess I am your designated healer for this mission. Celestia Sol at your service.
Her voice is also slightly musical with a celestial accent.
|
A young goblin wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo complete with top hat staggers into the room struggling to carry an enormous sealed jar. His hat and spectacles are far too small for his oversized goblin head and require the assistance of lengths of string. It takes a couple of attempts but he eventually manages to place the jar atop the table in front of the human woman. He take a moment to catch his breath before introducing himself.
"Salutations gentlebeings. Permit me to introduce myself. My name is Hobbs Picklesmith. I am an academic and practitioner of the the esoteric disciplines. The unfettered among you might call me a wizard. Now if you will excuse me for A moment, I have not eaten in nearly two hours and I am quite beside myself in hunger. "
He turns and opens the jar smiling broadly as he pulls out a large pickle. He opens his mouth to devour his prize but manages to remember his manners just in time. He turns and offers the pickle to the group.
"Oh dear. Mama would be quite cross at my poor etiquette. Would anyone care for A pickle?"
A sign outside the humble home advertises the medical services available within. Two women—a dromaar who paces anxiously before the comfortable hearth, and a human in simple healer’s clothes who sits patiently behind a table—wait inside. The dromaar, Khione Thidos, perks up at her new audience and breaks into a smile.
“Hey, Pathfinders! Welcome to Pimatsih. I’m sorry you won’t be staying very long. I know venture-captains usually give the briefings, but I’m a venture-something, so I’m the closest you’re gonna get today. Say, did you happen to bring any sweets with you? I know we didn’t ask, but it’s been ages since—”
The human, Kishna Meltcaller, clears her throat with practiced grace. “Khione, please. They’ve come a long way. Let’s not waste their time?”
Khione accepts the correction with an easy smile. “Sure! Okay, so. After that carnival back in Absalom, Zarta put me on a top-secret mission to figure out what Hesla’s been up to. Luckily, I had a friend who knew a friend who had a cousin whose seamstress heard—sorry, doesn’t matter. Point is, I ended up meeting my new bestie, Kishna!” She looks at the healer expectantly.
“A good bedside manner means you learn plenty of gossip,” Kishna picks up. “Some tall tales, too. Word on what’s left of the street is that Hesla and her people have holed up in a cave system to the south known as Deskari’s Gullet. Unfortunately, nobody seems to know exactly where it is.”
Unable to contain herself much longer, Khione jumps back in. “Luckily, we’re Pathfinders! Finding a path is literally in our name, right? Kishna’s got a map, and we’ve marked some local landmarks to scout out. Simple mission: find the caves, poke around, and see if we can figure out what Hesla’s up to. Any questions?”
|
|
Locus avails herself of a pickle, but tells Minzy and Toop to share it instead. The pair of ravenous locust and energetic gnome polish it off in no time as Locus watches without comment. She makes a few notes in a small notebook using a very nice but slightly thick pen. Her handwriting is meticulous and perfect.
"Deskari's Gullet," she says sounding it out. "A possessive of a name, and a term that evokes the throat while also meaning a geological passageway for water. So who is 'Deskari'? And what do we know of their gullet?"
Khione is momentarily distracted by sweets, but eventually remembers that Ra'uf asked her some questions.
“Oh. my. gosh., have you not kept up with my—I mean, with the broadsheets from Venture-Gossip? Hesla is only the hottest new socialite on the Absalom scene! She’s been raising money to help out the Knights of Lastwall—or so she claims. We’re pretty sure she’s got something else going on. Most socialites don’t spend a lot of time skulking around Sarkoris. Actually, that’s a pretty good title, hang on.” Khione pulls out a journal and jots down the phrase “Skulking Around Sarkoris.” If asked for an explanation, she will only wink.
Kishna chuckles quietly. “Tough to say about local dangers, really. Thanks to the Worldwound, Sarkoris spent about a century bathed in demonic energy. As a result, you’ll see all kinds out there; plenty of normal wildlife, sure, but also plenty of abnormal wildlife, too. Lingering spirits. You’d do well to prepare for anything. Gods know I’ve seen it all on my table.”
“But fun stuff too!” Khione cuts in. “Plenty of folks have started to resettle the area and come home, so be open to new connections as well!”
“You don’t know?” Kishna pauses in thought as she faces Locus. “Well, it’s a long story, but here’s a quick rundown. The Worldwound was a portal to the Abyss that spilled out demons until some adventurers finally sealed it up. It’s nowhere near here, but Sarkoris spent all that time being raided by demons, then went through the Shining Crusades, while playing host to all manner of other conflicts. Her people are resilient, and we’re trying to rebuild now.”
Once all questions have been answered, Kishna offers the Pathfinders assistance in procuring any last-minute supplies in town. Before they leave, Khione smacks her forehead and says, “Wait! I almost forgot; these letters are for you. Don’t worry—I didn’t sneak a peek!”
Greetings, Pathfinders. I know you’ve traveled a great distance and have farther still to go, so I’ll keep this brief.
We have reason to believe that Hesla’s plans involve acquiring an artifact of great power that is likely tied to the Abyss or other demonic forces. Naturally, as the leader of the Vigilant Seal, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to take it from her and lock it away in the strongest sealing chest we can find.
The best-case scenario is that you can stop her from securing the artifact in the first place. Should you find yourselves unable to do so, please relieve it from her custody. Failing those options, please bring us as much information as you can on whatever the artifact is and what it’s capable of, that we might then conduct further research and study.
Thank you, Pathfinders. Look out for each other out there.
—Eando Kline
Glad tidings, Pathfinders!
I trust you are well and that Kishna Meltcaller has made you comfortable. I understand that you have an important mission to complete, and I don’t wish to distract you from it; goodness knows that Hesla’s been quite a thorn in our side of late. However, we don’t often send Pathfinders into what’s left of Sarkoris, so I wanted to ask for your assistance.
Many travelers wander these lands now that the Worldwound has been sealed. Some are travelers from other places, and others are Sarkorians returning home after years, decades, or even centuries away. I’d like to ensure these good people see the Pathfinders as reliable individuals from whom they can seek help, should they need any.
Please ensure that any civilians you meet know our doors are always open, not just for new recruits but also so we can assist them. I’d greatly appreciate cultivating new allies in the area!
All the best,
Valais Durant
Some of the description here might imply that you might want to search for your target as efficiently as possible, but Khione and Valais do both advise that you explore around some and try to talk to people... and be advised that you might want to follow that suggestion.
I've marked your current location on the map with a wayfinder token. Feel free to add marks to the map.
"Deskari was the demon lord responsible for the Worldwound, but he's long dead. Deskari's Gullet is a cavern complex... I don't think it has any actual connection to him, just named after him."
Khione and Kishna have marked some landmarks they're aware of on the map they give the field team, but that doesn't mean there aren't more things out there to find--Deskari's Gullet, for one.
|
|
"Hmm...That is indeed a must useful incantation. Unfortunately with flight times of roughly five minutes per casting it does not provide a meaningful means of transportation."
He carefully studies the map for a moment before pulling out his writing set and placing a few marks.
"It looks like there are three prominent locales to investigate. I suggest we visit each in turn. I have taken the liberty of marking a course for us to follow."
"If we can secure a means to travel quickly we can expedite our search efforts. To that means I suggest we procure some camels or indeed some..." He shudders at the thought "horses. This would enhance our search efforts significantly."
"We should also probably ask around town about Deskari's Gullet before we leave."
|
|
"Thank you for the clarification," Locus replies as she writes notes about Deskari in her small notebook. She then joins the others at the table and admires Hobbs' writing set.
"Your route does seem logical," the android girl remarks, "and horses would be a good option."
While they procure horses, she will also pick up 5 more scrolls of foraging friends, 1 extra scroll of Rank 2 helpful steps, and 3 scrolls of sonata span. One can never be too prepared for taking horses through this kind of terrain.
There are no unicorns available for purchase, but more mundane mounts are available--though a bit scarce.
After two days of traveling and searching, during which the party doesn't find anything notable, they reach the area marked "lookout point" on the map on the third day. After most of a day of searching and an exhausting climb, the lookout point offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. From this height, creatures below can barely be seen, but Sarkoris’s landscape gleams beneath the light of the setting sun.
Soaring over a nearby ridge to the southwest, a huge, white-winged beast catches the last rays of sunset as it soars over the vantage point, its horn glinting as it surveys the land below. The beast’s legs pump as if its hooves were running across the ground. A sense of calm descends over the area as the noble creature makes its way to friendlier pastures. It is a majestic creature, though Hobbs notices an unfortunate resemblance to a horse.
It notices their attention, and veers to pass close by. As it soars overhead, it drops a small object near them.
The object is a tarnished necklace, a pendant bearing a depiction of an owl talon clutching a skein of yarn.
|
|
Locus watches from the back of her horse as Toop flits about playing tag with some smaller bugs.
The large flying creature's movements mean nothing to her, but then she thinks about what she knows of these animals
"Did you see that? I think it dropped something. Toop, would you fetch that for us, please?" she asks her familiar.
As she examines the small tarnished necklace with its depiction of an owl talon clutching a skein of yarn, she realizes that Celestia said something that confused her. "Celestia Sol. These are terms for Sky and Sun," the translator android muses. "How do you derive that you were named for an alicorn?" she asks the beautiful sorceress.
|
|
Well that's what I was told. It was from a children's story book apparently Celestia replies with a shrug. The Celestia part was from the alicorn .. the Sol ... that's well... she then blushed then said bashfully ... when I signed up for the Pathfinders, there was a spot on the form for family name, but, we didn't have one since Luna and I came from some sort of commune so, it was all a bit mixed up, so I wrote down Sol cause people said I could shine like the sun when I was happy.
Apparently the clerk who took my application had an aversion to blank spaces on the form so I've been Celestia Sol ever since
It also explains why I have a tiefling as a sister.
It's currently in the shape of the symbol of Alglenweis, the Princess of Rime. She was once a very popular deity in Sarkoris, but her worship waned due to associations with demonic entities--notably her father. Alglenweis encourages her devotees to create and protect works of art, especially those with cultural significance. Her followers cherish winter as a time to work on projects and spend hours with friends and relatives out of the cold.
Otherwise, the party's visit to the peak is uneventful, and soon the fall of darkness encourages them to make camp for the night.
|
|
After examining the item, Hobbs enters lecture mode.
"Hmm...It appears a greater symbol of conflict.
It's currently in the shape of the symbol of Alglenweis, the Princess of Rime. She was once a very popular deity in Sarkoris, but her worship waned due to associations with demonic entities--notably her father. Alglenweis encourages her devotees to create and protect works of art, especially those with cultural significance. Her followers cherish winter as a time to work on projects and spend hours with friends and relatives out of the cold."
The party travels uneventfully for another two days. On the third day, the find the handy oasis marked on the map. Unfortunately, it seems
Khione’s map is out of date and the pool is full of fetid water.
But as they approach, Locus detects magic in the area, and Kat notices something disturb the surface of the pool. It almost looks like a hand, reaching up from under the water.
The horrible pond seems haunted. It is likely that maps haven't been updated because people who've come this way haven't made it back to town to report the problem...
It can probably be defeated by calming the spirits by talking to them, or with the proper ritual prayer.
The surface of the pond begins to roil as if it was boiling, and the hands beneath the surface beckon.
You know, maybe it isn't such a horrible pond. The cool, refreshing water seems so enticing...
Celestia begins the work of soothing the spirits. She seems to be having some effect, and the water seems a little calmer--but it will take more.
Locus and Hobbs's turns.
Initiative:
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Stupefied 1, must spend 1st action approaching Horrible Pond)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP, Stupefied 1, must spend 1st action approaching Horrible Pond)
Handy Oasis (Disabled 1)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP, Controlled, must spend all actions moving toward/entering/Swimming in Horrible Pond)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP, Stupefied 1, must spend 1st action approaching Horrible Pond)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, Stupefied 1, must spend 1st action approaching Horrible Pond)