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Our manuscripts are sacrosanct! You must make an example of this thief!
The voice echoes off walls where packed bookshelves compete for space with religious icons and statues. You have come to the Pathfinder Lodge in the Andoran city of Almas, a former cathedral of Aroden, now one of the Society’s foremost libraries. Wystorn Telfyr, librarian of the lodge, continues to rage. I don’t expect you field agent types to grasp the gravity of such a theft.
Behind Telfyr, Venture-Captain Brackett winces and tries to smile apologetically.
Somehow a thief sneaked past the wards of our reliquary, continues the librarian, and stole the Fleshforge Manuscript, a priceless example of the illuminator’s art, embellished in rare inks and exquisite gilt. Certain scholars of the arcane arts—myself excluded, of course—might also perhaps covet it for its content. The Fleshforge Manuscript details how Nex’s fleshforges in Ecanus supplied monstrous beasts for its ancient war with Geb. I myself have a modicum of talent for constructs. Telfyr gestures immodestly toward several homunculi shelving books around the library. Yet I freely admit this manuscript
has proven beyond even my comprehension.
Venture-Captain Brackett unfurls a map on a table. Thank you for favoring us with your presence so swiftly, fellow Pathfinders. Divination pinpoints the manuscript on a tiny island off Nex’s barren coast—the Monastery of the Unremitting Tide—here. The mission is twofold. Return the Fleshforge Manuscript safely back to the Society, and ensure this thief will never try to steal it again. Questions?
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An unassuming man dressed drably uncertainly responds. "Well, the society sent us to fix the problem and they are usually pretty good at picking trouble shooters. At least I hope so. "
The small statured man sports a silver holy symbol or Sarenrae dangling from his neck along with three other amulets, and a series of 4 wands loosely hooked to his side. He touches his holy symbol and his hand starts to glow.
"I agree that this is an outrage and I take it personally that some low browed thug might have desecrated your collection. Considering the nature of what was stolen, however, I strongly suspect they had particular interest in flesh crafting. Can you tell us anything about the contents of the book and what we might expect when confronting a master in the arts?"
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"Is this a go-fetch-kill mission or an investigation mission? As in, what would you define as the focus of this mission?"
The question comes from the Osirian archer that leans against the door. "Different goals warrant different approaches, if you know what I mean." he says, "And if you happen to have any other information about that island in Nex, it would be beneficial to disclose them."
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"That's not nice, taking without asking" says a female gnome in a dragonscale armor that is for some reason pink. She has a pink bow in her white hair over her left ear. "Maybe Mimi can smell the thief? She has a big nose", she pushes with her foot a white tiger sleeping next to her, "but she's a bit lazy to use it. I am Anne Catherine White, but my friends call me Kiti. What is it like, how do we know it's the one, right book?", she chatters, jumping freely from topic to topic. "Don't worry, it's not the whity thing, look, it's pink at the root", she lifts her white hair a bit to show it's pink below.
"But I know you! It was the test thingy!" she says as she looks at Wyrgan. "I still have the board here", she pulls two halves of a board from her bag and puts them together, "Kitiyaah and it just snapped in half!", she says and demonstrates by striking the board halves apart again.
She goes over to see the homonculi. "You made these? Nice! I can't do that. So we go to tide temple, and get the book. How do we know who is the thief if there is lot of people there?"
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This human lady with mithral full-plate and flame wings would like to step into this library. Once she noticed where she is at, she embrassingly extiguishes the fire and steps in.
After listening to the briefing, and her teammates' opinion, Tippa speaks up: "A thief? In the name of Ragatheil, justice will be served. And that crime will be judged."
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It was one of several documents I moved down from the West Chapel into the reliquaries fifteen days ago. I noticed the scroll was missing four days ago.
It is a scroll made from three sheets of paper sewn together, scribed
in Osirian hieroglyphs around 150 years ago, illuminated with gold leaf, and bound to two scrimshawed rollers each carved from a human rib
A talented, evil mage might decipher the manuscript and recreate these nightmare creatures. I doubt the document alone would suffice though.
In addition, you may recall information about Nex, its fleshforges, and its monastery, or may wish to investigate the thefts in more detail, asking about rumors and evidence collected by Pathfinders in the lodge.
Please make knowledge history or religion checks, followed by Diplomacy to Gather information of Knowledge Local.
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Kiti tries to think about the area. "I have been at a monastery, but not that one. Maybe it's like the others?"
When VSBR Rosenthal goes to ask around, Kiti goes along. "I like to talk to people, but some say that I'm hard to follow. What do you think there is in the monastery? The scroll sounds like it's a bit scary. How did the thief learn to thieve there? You can't pickpocket a monk, those robes have no pockets. My ring helps me talk a bit, when I'm birdy or catty", she chatters and tries to help by bringing people that look like they know something to VSRB Rosenthal.
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Echoes of an ancient war with its undead neighbor Geb define Nex’s wilderness. Plant life still refuses to grow on land touched by Geb’s necromantic blight, and Nex’s own fleshforges were responsible for many of the beasts that still roam its wastelands.
The Monastery of the Unremitting Tide is a peaceful order of Vudrani monks dedicated to Irori. The order left Jalmeray for Nex 200 years ago. They revere Irori’s aspects of history and knowledge, focusing less on self-perfection and martial prowess.
The door to the reliquary was locked the morning after the theft.
The reliquary houses artifacts worth much more than the manuscript. Strangely, the thief ignored them.
Until shortly before the theft, the West Chapel had housed the manuscript. Compared to the reliquary, the chapel is virtually unwarded except for, notably, an ancient hallow spell, cast shortly after Aroden’s death by clergy of Iomedae.
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You can travel from Almas to the Monastery of the Unremitting Tide however ypu wish. The sea journey across the Obari Ocean is pleasant and allows you to drift silently up to the island’s beach unseen and under cover of darkness.
The island where the Monastery of the Unremitting Tide stands is only a quarter-mile across, and holds little else to interest you. The monks own a simple ship, hove up on the island’s only sheltered shore. The monks’ crops, invasive plants they brought from Jalmeray, have long grown wild across the rest of the island, choking out native underbrush that was better suited to life in the shade of a pine forest.
The monks built the monastery 200 years ago from wood felled on the island, sealing it with pitch. They have replaced the timber many times since due to the warm rains that sweep in off the Obari Ocean. In the last year, the monks have not kept up with repairs due to lack of lumber
When you reach the gates ...
The monastery’s wooden gates stand tightly sealed. Hundreds of carvings cover the gates, no two of which appear alike. The wood is badly weather-worn in places—split or crumbling. To either side of the gates, wooden walls rise fifteen feet to a peaked terra-cotta roof. Inside, several buildings rise above the wall, including two towers nearly one-hundred feet tall. A nearby crop garden appears overgrown and untended. The plants’ lush growth contrasts starkly with the lifeless waste a stone’s throw away on Nex’s mainland.
The gates are unguarded but locked.
((Map on slides. You are at M1))
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VSBR Will put up Voluminous Vocabulary for Vudrani language on himself, and Greater Magic Weapon with anointing oil on VSBR and Tippa, all with lesser extend metamagic rod, the night before arriving at the monastery, so it last through the better part of today.
Upon arrival, he will casts Heroism, Bloodhound, all extended via rod, and have Carlin use his wand of Mage Armor on F91.
Then he and F91 will circles 30ft above ground for overwatch and scout.
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Kiti notices VSBR casting the spells. "Oh, it's cast time now? I have some nice spells. I hope we are fast, some are not all day. Does the thief also get to do casts? Mimi, come here!" she says. Her tiger slowly walks to her, and she starts waving her juniper twig around as she casts several spells on herself and the tiger. "Big tooth, fast foot, plim! Bark and light step, plom! And the no grab for you, bad guy, plam! Oh and the see things better for me!"
"I have three barks still, but it's not enough for everyone. Who will stay back and not be hit?" she asks.
After her spellcasting, she touches her ring and turns into a pink songbird. "Chirp! I have seven of birdies every day from this ring. The other ring lets me speak as birdy. The third is from the grand prince, it says I'm the vicecountess of Whistledown. Not from the princess, I haven't yet seen her. I don't know how they can give the title in Taldor when the town is in Varisia, but he said all lands are really Taldor so it's fine. I'll follow you up to see around. There must be a countess I'm vicing, but they never told me who or how I know I have to start countessing if she can't.", she continues her chatter as she also flies up to scout the area.
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Tippa appreciates all spells she got from her teammates.
And casts defending bone onherself.
"May I have a BarkSkin and a Herosim? I have some scrolls of Channel the Gift for you to re-cast them."
And she will use a dose of Clear ear.
Then Tippa tries to help the team figure out what might be missing.
She will keep flying in 10 ft air
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Knowing that others in the party are better at detecting dangers and curiosities than he can Wyrgan waits for the someone to let him know it is safe to knock on the door and attempt to get permission to enter and failing that to then open the door to investigate for any wrong doings. He keeps his hand on his sword hilt.
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The gates are locked but Kiti, the pink songbird can fly over them. Knocking on the gate brings one of the monks from the quadrangle. He seems shocked to see visitors and meekly agrees to escort them to the master.
Inside the Quadrangle (M2), two towering edifices face each other across this meadow, one reverently decorated as a temple, the other austere as a library. Overgrown wildflowers choke former pathways between the buildings. At the center lies a sunken pool teeming with lotus flowers. An elegant tiger statue crouches, preparing to pounce, beside the pool. Several doors line the courtyard—one on the south side is slightly ajar. An alcove on the western side contains a plinth holding a wooden bust. In the northeast corner, steel glints from two weapon racks.
The statue is sculpted from a single mass of banded rhyolite.
The Vudrani word for “thief ” is clearly visible on the bust’s base, recognizable to anyone who speaks Vudrani or decipherable with a DC 20 Linguistics check. Surprisingly, the bust is a representation of Carlin.
The monastery’s white-haired master sits on a chair beside the weapon racks, observing two students sparring. He occasionally winces.
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As the group walks through the entrance Wyrgan looks around and says to the others quietly as possible...
"Do you hear that.. sounds like a fight... somewhere."
"I think those represent celestial tigers, one of Irori's servants... I could be wrong though... reading books isn't my specialty"
"Hmmm... that says thief"
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Guy breathes a sigh of relief when they are not attacked, particularly after Wyrgan's notification that there was a fight in progress. He really hates being attacked, which begs the question, as it always does in his head, why would he ever join the Pathfinder Society. The the right side of his brain, as usual, quickly answers 'for the glory priest of Sarenrae'.
Guy joins the onlookers and also winces, but probably for a different reason as his winces seem to be only at the times whenever a blow hits. About to introduce himself, he decides to keep quiet. Monks are kind of weird about interruptions, or at least that's the way they are in all the plays. Instead, he just stands there awkwardly wincing.
He also notices the celestial white tiger but, since it was already mentioned, does not comment. Nothing strange about a temple of Irori having one.
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"Hi! I am Anne Catherine White, but my friends call me Kiti. I'm really a gnome but it's easier to look around as a birdy. Here I would be Hannah something I think, but I haven't yet got the whole name in local. That's Mimi, she's really a tiger and currently a tiger", Kiti introduces herself and her companion.
She flies inside and first notices the tiger statue, and lands on its head. "Wow! This is great! Mimi, come in, you have to see this, it's a white one just like you!", she says and the tiger slowly follows in. "Carlin, you don't know why they have that statue? Why does the monastery have a statue of her? Should we go stop the fight? You said about the master, do we need to meet before even fight-stopping?" she asks a bunch of questions.
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Joining the ranks of the confused, Guy mutters "No magic, but how then?"
These folks are probably complicit in the theft. I doubt we should just announce out intents.
"We are tourists and wanted to visit a temple of Irori and someone mentioned this one. So here we are. Any chance we could get a tour?"
He backs his claim off with a little buttering up.
"I'm not much of a fighter myself, but your skills at unarmed combat are legendary. And healing too. Now that is something I am skilled at, though I will admit I do use a little divine help to so the heavy duty healing. Any obscure mystical healing lore would be fascinating," he gushes.