Please make your introductions here (or simply "Dot and Delete")
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Brother Nyoka bows gently their face obscured by an iron mask, and their body by a white cloak with silver and blue inlays. A porcelain mask hangs from an iron chain around their neck.
"I am Sir Nyoka Iomadar, holder of the rank of Knight of Lastwall and Acolyte of the First Step of Razmir, the Living God."
The mask remains static but a smile almost radiates from behind it "Among friends here though please just call me Brother Nyoka, Sir Iomedar is far too formal."
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A tall android woman with short hair and a stare that regularly looks flat and incomprehensible makes her way nods mechanically to the group.
"I am Pallas Defender of the 6th Generation of my design. I have been trained as an anti-robot weapon in Numeria, but surely with my time working with the Pathfinder Society I may learn much about how to destroy all threats to Golarion society."
An uncomfortable field of static electricity seems to follow her as she moves.
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A figure eclipses the light from the sun above casting a massive shadow on the ground. The figure resolves into a draconic shape as its massive wings beat powerfully. The leaves and dust on the ground begins to stir as the figure gets closer. Beams of light begin to speckle the ground as the light from the sun glints off the metal that the figure seems to be wearing.
Finally as the figure gets very close it becomes clear that the figure is a dragonkin with a kobold riding atop, both in metal armor, sporting shields, and wielding tridents. With a thunderous thud, the pair lands and pose regally.
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The kobold dismounts approaches the others. Carrying a javelin with a banner attached. He carries himself with obvious pride. “Hello, I am Rorlu, and this,” He waves his banner at the dragonkin behind him. “is my DRAGON! His name is Velokraxis. We are looking forward to working with you all. This will be our first mission with the pathfinder society.” Rorlu stows his shield to offer his hand in greeting. The kobold is obviously very excited about “having a dragon.”
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A figure in a dragon jumpsuit approaches. She gapes at the dragon and unconsciously looks down at her own 'costume'. She walks up to it and pets it in awe, though she realizes belatedly that the creature can eat her with one bite. Realizing that everyone else is staring at her, she blushes and says, "Oh hullo! Yous must be the Paffinders I's being sent to meet. I's SiaoSiao! I's healer!" She rummages in her pack and pulls out something green and dripping with liquid. She casually takes a bite, before remembering that she's has companions.
"Oh! Sorry! Piffckle?" she asks, with her mouth full, bits of cucumber spraying everywhere.
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A rhythmic rumble comes from within Velokraxis's midsection. "So we are clear," the dragonkin's voice comes out a deep baritone and sounding amused, "I do not belong to Rorlu."
He then looks down to the small goblin carefully, "You need not fear me little one, we are on the same side." He transfers his trident to hold with his shield hand as well and pats the goblin gently on the head with a clawed finger.
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Brother Nyoka bows gently to SiaoSiao "Always a pleasure to meet another ecclesiastical Pathfinder. Will you do me the honor of being the first among us to accept Razmir's Benevolence. It is a shame how much stigma there is against the Living God and his teachings in an organization dedicated to cooperation."
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Brother Nyoka looks to Velokraxis.
"Have you not heard of the the glory of Razmir, the Living God?"
Turning to SiaoSiao "Forgive me brother, let me give Velokraxis the first anointing."
Turning back to Velokraxis "Razmir, the Living God, was once a mighty wizard. After passing the test of the Starstone and rising to Divinity like Cayden Caliean and Iomedae before him. Those that follow his teachings are due great wealth, but one need only hear the fear that trembles in the voices of those who have witnessed the wrath of the Living God and his priests to know that there is no greater god on Golarion."
"These days Razmir lends great effort to the containment of Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant. Without Razmir's efforts and indeed the efforts of all of Razmiran, things would be much worse for all in the Inner Sea and likely much beyond."
"All that said, Razmir's benevolence overflows, allow me to anoint you with his blessing, for I believe it will bolster us against the dangers ahead and assist int he success of our mission."
Each of you have arrived in Minkai within the past few months. Since then, you have been working with Venture-Captain Amara Li to help lay the groundwork for a lodge in Minkai, performing a variety of tasks that are well-suited to your individual skills.
You know that Amara Li has been collecting relics from across the world to house in a new museum with a focus on relics from Minkaian history that have been kept in other nations. To this end, she has been traveling all over the nation to pursue leads. These relics have come from a combination of purchases and donations, and she has occasionally called on local Pathfinders to guard the relics. You are currently working in Sakakabe, a prosperous city famous for its trade in silver and pearls.
Venture-Captain Li summons you to meet with her in one of the gardens of the Kiniro Kyomai teahouse, a famous teahouse run by geisha. The quality of the Kiniro Kyomai’s tea, food, and samisen music make it a popular destination for locals and travelers alike. She waits for you to enjoy your tea before turning your attention to more serious matters.
“I fear that misfortune may have struck some of your fellow agents. I hope that you can help them return here to safety, but I fear the task I have to request of you may instead center around recovering what you can from your fallen allies and, if it is safe to do so, completing the mission in their stead.”
After a brief pause to ensure you do not balk at the idea of a recovery mission, the venture-captain continues.
“Last year, I received a donation of relics from Taldor. The route is lengthy and complicated, so I will spare you unnecessary details. A caravan carrying the relics safely arrived in Hongal to the north, where it met up with a pair of Pathfinder agents, Lin Po and Ti Lan. These agents inspected the cargo, sent me a missive indicating that all was in order, and joined a second caravan to take the Spirit Road through the Forest of Spirits. The journey is understandably long, taking over two months to complete. Still, the caravan is late, and I fear that they may have run into trouble along the way. They were supposed to reach Sakakabe two weeks ago."
“While it’s possible that they were waylaid in the northernmost parts of Minkai, I believe it’s far more likely that they ran into trouble in the Forest of Spirits, a mystical place that shelters departed souls and most of the world’s kami. Kami are spiritual guardians with a deep connection to certain living locations or living things. The locals pay great respect to the kami, never intruding further into the forest than their one coastal road, the Spirit Road, and a number of small settlements built around shrines. This should make tracking the caravan simple, since there’s only a single road along which they should have had to rest or resupply at some point. I need you to check each of the roadside settlements until you find the last one to have seen the caravan, then track it from there and figure out what happened.”
“Be sure to respect the kami and the local traditions honoring them. I don’t want you to come to harm in your journey. The kami are mostly benevolent, so long as they receive the proper respect, but there are some dangers that might have harried the caravan. Bandits, hobgoblins, and giants, among other creatures, dwell within the forest. The forest also hosts some aggressive plants and animals, not to mention malign spirits such as the oni, the sworn enemies of the kami. The locals will know more than I of what perils to expect.”
"Do you have any questions for me?"
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Do we have a catalog or inventory of the cargo that Lin Po and Ti Lan were delivering? To try and ensure we recover it all.
Also do you have any reason to believe either of them would have run afoul of the Kami?
Do you have any specific suggestions or best practices to use to in honoring and respecting the Kami?
Amara Li responds "Honoring the Kami is less important than simple respect and responding with a pure heart."
"It is more important to locate it and recover what you can and determine why it has gone missing. It is unlikely they would have run afoul of the Kami unless they were particularly disrespectful of the Kami. Which is unlikely."
Discussing amongst yourselves, several of you recall the Forest of Spirits has a dense populations of kami and mostly benign spirits that can possess living creatures to share memories, but exert little control over their hosts.
You recall several details about villages bordering the Forest of Spirits, as well as the kitsune that populate the region.
Amara Li provides you with a pair of horses and a sturdy wagon stocked with basic provisions, including food, water, a repair kit, and a map of Minkai and the Forest of Spirits. The map of the Forest of Spirits indicates that the only settlements within the woodland are along the Spirit Road.
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Pallas nods in the most matter of fact kind of way. "I am good at tracking, less so at handling locals. But if you say these spirits are good I will do my best to stay my hands."
She does, however, somewhat uncharacteristically take and accept one of the goblin's pickles and immediately crunch it in her mouth before stepping into Rorlu's combat circle with a fire in her eyes.
Although Sakakabe is the closest city to the forest of Spirits, it still takes several weeks of travel on a road that winds through the Osogen Grasslands to reach the Forest of Spirits. Along the way, you cross paths with travelers heading south into Minkai, as well as the nomadic herders who call the rolling plains home. No one you meet in the grasslands has seen the caravan you are looking for.
When you enter the Forest of Spirits, the atmosphere changes. The forest is cool and damp, and profoundly alive. Snow blankets the ground and clings to branches of towering pine and spruce trees. Birds, rodents, foxes, deer, bears, and numerous other creatures roam through the woods, keeping their distance from the road. The density of the trees suggests that logging is almost unheard of in this forest. Animals are not the only creatures moving out in the woods; you occasionally see unexplained movement in the trees and rocks or feel like someone is watching them.
As you progress through the forest, you visit several small villages, none of which have seen the caravan you are looking for. You do find signs of passage from several caravans and groups that travelled on foot, and the remains of campsites right next to the trail. However, there are no indications that any of these groups came to harm.
Eventually, you arrive at a village nestled deeper in the forest’s outskirts. This is the village of Tano. Even entering the outskirts of the village, it becomes clear this is a village that subsists on hunting the wild game of the forest. The smells of freshly butchered meat and of tanning hides come to you on the chill breeze.
What do you intend to do?
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To Loompecker, and the others while training, "When I signal any of my tactics, you can still decide whether it is a benefit to act or not, but training enables the option of responding. There is no requirement to respond, and I trust you to make the decisions that work best for you."
To Velokraxis, "I think anyone living in this forest likely knows about the kami. I think we should ask around and find out if anyone has seen the caravan, or perhaps look around for tracks or clues. I'll see if I can remember anything about who we might check in with."
When you ask about the caravan, the villagers tell you several caravans from Avistan have passed along the Spirit Road in recent months. The villagers ask you for more details about when the caravan was expected to pass through the village.
With a discussion of how long ago the caravan should have passed through, the villagers are more able to help to determine what has happened.
A thorough discussion ensues. Attempting, during the discussion, to impress or earn the trust of the villagers is done through checks in Nature, Hunting Lore, and Survival. You may aid another, or you can make your own check. Each of you can make one check in each skill.
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"I am well equipped in the arts of animal husbandry as it is one primary means of supporting a society cut off from the outside via siege. Let me see if I can lend any aid in keeping them calm against the noises and startling spirits of the forest."
She makes it a point to herd every bird and chicken in town with air currents as she does so.
You've seemed to get the villagers willing to talk to you. They tell you this village was the last place the caravan stopped to rest before continuing on the eastward branch of the Spirit Road, a branch that leads toward Minkai but forks in a few locations. The road’s exact path varies over time, with detours and new paths forming to more easily avoid disturbing the wildlife. Strangely, despite warnings from the villagers, the caravan chose to take an older path toward Minkai, which veers into thicker woodland for several days’ journey before rejoining the main road. The caravan’s members were determined to take this alternate path, but they did not share their reasoning with the villagers.
Just as you conclude your investigation, villagers on the perimeter sound the alarm, causing townsfolk to scatter. The village is under attack!
Place yourselves in the box on the Encounter Map
The brutes move in, attacking people, animals, and destroying property.
Pine Brute A
Pine Brute B
Pine Brute C
➤ Loompecker AC 21 │
➤ SiaoSiao AC 16/17/18 │
➤ Pallas AC17 │
➤ Rorlu AC17/19 │
➤ Velokraxis AC 18/20 │
➤ Brother Nyoka, AC 16 │
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And signal his squad-mates to Gather to Me! (1 action)
This will grant everyone one the ability to take a stride (or climb,fly, or swim) action as a reaction, as long as that movement ends within Rorlu's commander's banner aura (30ft emanation) or as close to it as possible.
Rorlu will grant Velokraxis a free reaction to use to respond to this tactic (via Drilled Reactions)
Rorlu will then strike with his trident (1 action)
Piercing