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I've got two dotted in, two in RPG Chronicles but four in the Recruitment Thread, so I guess we have a go.
Eliza Petulengro welcomes you to Woodsedge Lodge’s meeting room, still undergoing repairs after the Red Raven’s assault. She motions for you to have a seat. The red-haired woman mutters an arcane incantation under her breath and gestures deliberately at the doors and windows, then sighs heavily, nods to herself, and looks up at you. She addresses you all by name and thanks you for what you have done so far.
As you know, the very fabric of the Pathfinder Society is under attack. Though your efforts were instrumental in protecting this lodge and a member of the Decemvirate, our task is far from done. You are already intimately involved in this affair, so it falls to you to see it through. Secrecy is of the upmost importance in this regard, so rather than involve more people in this embarrassing debacle, we trust you to take care of everything. These are among the most momentous events in our organization’s long history, and our very survival depends on your success.
What I ask of you now is even more dangerous than your previous involvement, but I trust that you will not let the Society down. I need you to return to the Maze of the Open Road and discover what you can about Adril’s use of the portals within to further his devious plans. Find Condria, the Maze’s medusa guardian, and gather from her any information you can on Hestram’s recent comings and goings in the Maze. While we have a general idea of who his targets are, we don’t yet know how or when he plans to assassinate them.
Should you discover any hints as to the identity or location of his next target, do not delay in travelling there and ensuring his or her safety. May the gods be with you; if they don’t favor your efforts, the Pathfinder Society is doomed.
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Tess sighed a deep breath as she received instructions for the next mission. If this group succeeded, there would be entire Chronicles written about each of them. It was slightly nerve wracking but she figured she was up to the job. ”Can you tell us more about this Condria? I’ve never dealt with a Medusa before…”
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Mörök absent-mindedly surveys repair work while thinking of Adril's betrayal. When Eliza addresses him, he finally sits down and focuses on briefing. "He has likely planted false leads in the maze. Can we rely just on our own wisdom or should we consult with you first if we find suspicious hints." he asks
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Did you not end up fighting her the last time you were in the Maze? Eliza replied. [b]She is immortal and regenerates every time she is killed. Presumably she was placed there to guard the Maze and neither her body or soul can leave it.
There may not be time to return and consult. I trust you to rely on your own instincts.
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Lucija seems even more imposing now than before, though you cannot put your finger on why. She steeples her fingers as she leans back in her floating, otherworldly seat, which coils sideways in midair to accommodate her; Condria has just become interesting.
For a while she says nothing, merely stares at Eliza with eyes so intense one might worry she had a gaze-attack of her own; finally, though she pulls out her golden triclops idol again, which she casually hands off to Naghamadi, who sets it down on the corner of Eliza's desk.
She turns her gaze to it, and after a moment's simmering (probably due to what happened the last time she tried to use it), she addresses it in a formal tone.
"Whom does Adril Hestram plan to kill next, where, and how?"
"Immortal you say, that is quite a trick, and a curse. I hope we can convince her to be a little more helpful this time around. I am ready to head out. "
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Nope, no other surprises.
You have little trouble traversing the Maze of the Open Road; the high hedge’s twists and turns are familiar to you after your previous foray into its passages. It doesn't take you long to find Condria who raises her hands in surrender.
I'm tired of fighting then regenerating she explains. Maybe I should help you instead.
Imagine an excitable young halfling woman, in a hurry.
"Well thanks for being reasonable! We are in a hurry to catch up with Adril, can you tell us where he went? We suspect Cheliax. Where is that portal?"
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Well, what good would it do anyone for me to die at your hands again?You have proven yourselves my betters, and I would rather not suffer another pointless death.
Adril did go through the Chelish gate three nights ago and has yet to reemerge. It connects to Habermorrow, Venture-Captain Eddington Keel’s manor in Corentyn. I have never been through this or any other portal, mind you, as attempting to do so simply brings me back to the center
of the Maze. I can never leave through any means.
She gives you directions to the Gate.
Unless anyone else has questions... TO THE GATE!
" I wonder if we brought her body through a gate if she would regenerate on the other side. Or if we could even bring it. Something to try after we catch Adril."
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Lucija looks down from her lofty Protean perch with an expression that, while cryptic, is unlike any you have seen on her before.
"Intriguing. How did you come to meet such a fate?"
She tries scrutinizing Condria (from the back, of course) in a more refined manner that she naturally did not have time for before....
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Naghamadi is using its tail to scribble notes in mid-air.
"Uh-huh, yes, hss, interesting...all that and no visible scars? Very interesting, very well puzzling, I am certain I've heard of such a case before, but what ever was his name...?" Seemingly at a loss, it returns to a vigorous discussion with its other head about "what can change the nature of a clam".
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You hurry off to the portal. Stepping through the portal in the Maze of the Open Road, you feel a light tugging on your entire body, as if you are
being pulled in every direction at once. Whether in limbo for only moments or an eternity you can not tell, but you step unscathed from the portal’s mate, finding yourself in the shadow of a red and black marble gazebo before the ominous shape of the portal behind you. A traditional Chelish garden surrounds the structure, and the form of a sizable manor house rises from behind a row of topiary bushes. The grounds appear to be completely enclosed by a high, granite wall.
Half a dozen slaves—four halflings, one human, and one tiefling—occupy the garden, rigorously tending the landscape. They exhibit signs of shock when
they notice you exit the gazebo.
Shau waiting to aid another on diplo- auto aiding
" We are looking for the fat ugly one known as Adril Hestram. Have any of you seen the beast of a man come through here?
"
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Habermorrow’s large double doors are unlocked. Inside, you find a marble-tiled entryway under an elaborate, flameless chandelier. A massive painting on the north wall depicts a host of devils bowing before a towering aspect of Asmodeus, while the southern wall features a portrait of famed Pathfinder Durvin Gest aboard The Silken Purse. Two sets of wooden double doors flank a wide stairway leading up to the second floor.
A weary halfling slave in red livery kneels at the foot of the stairs, polishing the floor with a small brush.
Shau is happy to see a fellow Halfling, but sad to see them in servitude.
"Hiya! We have some business with the VC, but maybe after we could share a meal and some stories, if the boss man allows. I hope he will be a good host. Could you take us to him? "
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You follow the halfling.
Ceiling-high bookshelves line the walls of Habermorrow’s library and several rows of lower shelves take up half of the center of the room. Lush couches provide a comfortable place for readers to lounge, while several reading tables stand empty but inviting for eager researchers. Lamps employ flameless torches, illuminating the room in bright, even light. Unlocked doors lead to the foyer, kitchen, and parlor. A stylized portrait of Keel—a tall, dark-haired man with thick, slanted eyebrows and a slightly crooked nose—hangs on the wall over an unlit fireplace. The library’s books cover a plethora of subjects and date back millennia in some cases, but none radiate magic or seem particularly valuable.
The man in the portrait, Venture-Captain Eddington Keel reclines on one of the library’s couches looking through lascivious lithographs of various women, fey, and extraplanar creatures in ever increasing states of undress, which he quickly hides when you enter. He wears a thin circlet on his head.
This is most unexpected Pathfinders. How can I help you?
"More like how can we help you! You are being targeted for assassination! We are also looking for Adril Hestram for the crime of murder. Lunch would also be nice. Also free that halfling slave too.
Shau is a bit flustered at seeing a halfling slave. She knows it is a thing but really doesn't like it.
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Assassination? Me? Aw. Don't worry about me. I can look after myself. And Adril is accused of murder. No no. That cannot be. He's my best friend. He'd never do that.
And as for the slaves. Why should I pay for servants when I can own slaves huh? Remember your place Pathfinders.
Shau is shocked that Keel has been replaced by a duplicate, then happy she can free the slaves, then shocked again, realizing that if he was replaced, he is likely already dead.
longarm incase we are about to be jumped.
"Good idea! To the Halfing. "
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That halfling doesn't know anything but suggests you ask the kitchen staff.
This large kitchen looks as though it was built to feed an army amid an ongoing siege. Several closets and a well stocked larder adjoin the kitchen proper, but contain little of value aside from linens, scullery supplies, and other household miscellany. The larder also contains two halfling-sized cots with threadbare blankets and stained, limp pillows where two house slaves spend each night.
Three halfling slaves peel potatoes and scrub pots in scalding water, and one stands on her toes, stirring a pot on a stove clearly not designed for cooks of her height.
When questioned she answers nervously. She says that Keel has been acting strangely since his dinner guests came three nights ago, and she believes he’s made a pact with a powerful devil. She also describes the strange cold that has been emanating from the second floor and notes that both Keel’s strange behavior and the cold began around the same time.