Dot here.
Dot, dot, dot!
Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus stands on a low platform in front of the assembly. “Pathfinders, our beloved Absalom faces the threat of invasion and needs our help. Just as Absalom has been our Society’s home for centuries, so does it fall to us to aid in its defense. Find the group to which you’ve been assigned, lend a hand as the city prepares for the siege, and be ready for more instructions.”
Heavy clouds are gathering above Absalom, and the city is tense with anticipation of the coming battle. Suddenly, bright light patterns flash from atop Skyreach. A few minutes later, the sound of an explosion rumbles through the city as an old wooden granary erupts in flames. A little farther away, a stone bridge collapses, dropping a group of soldiers to their deaths. Soon the air is alive with frightened screams, the sound of hurried footsteps, and moments later, the booming blare of a brass horn that rises above the din of a city in chaos. A messenger runs past, shouting: “The horn! Everyone, gather at the Grand Lodge! Let’s go!”
Several agents assist in marshaling Pathfinders as Marcos Farabellus unfurls several maps of Absalom’s districts. Once a crowd has gathered, he straightens to address the assembled Society. “Pathfinders, Absalom is under attack. We have received many reports of undead saboteurs attacking armories, granaries, water supplies, and guard outposts—targeted strikes to undermine our city’s infrastructure. Absalom is losing key resources, and enough people are panicking that it’s difficult to organize an effective defense.”
Zarta Dralneen, head of the Dark Archive faction, steps forward and interjects. “I have learned someone—someone who knows our home well—has stolen the Black Echelon codebook from our archives. A force of Taldan agents attacked Absalom long ago while following those encoded orders, and with the right combination of illuminated signals, one could draw these oathsworn operatives from beyond the grave to continue their attack.”
Farabellus narrows his eyes. “That explains the acts of sabotage. Absalom’s First Guard is struggling to restore order, and they need our help. Pathfinders, stand by for instructions!”
Ollysta Zadrian of the Silver Crusade raises her sword high, announcing, “We must not wait—Absalom needs us now!”
Clasping the paladin’s other hand with her own and raising it, Lady Gloriana Morilla adds, “Each of us has accumulated considerable influence and resources in recent years, and now is the time for us to lend Absalom our strength in its hour of need. We may call ourselves factions, but today we act as one!”
Nodding with approval, Marcos Farabellus calls out to the assembled Pathfinders. “It’s decided. Pathfinders, we’re deferring to the specialized expertise of these seven organizations to rally Absalom. Seek out the leaders for instructions, and make the city proud.”
With a cacophonous roar of stone on stone, a huge cloud of debris and dust rises from the Precipice Quarter following the Scarab Sages’ activation ritual. An immense suit of animated plate armor rises from the wreckage, towering over the surrounding buildings, and declares in a metallic voice, “Gulgamodh stands ready.”
The Scarab Sages special condition is in effect.
Warriors wearing the colors of a dozen or more noble houses course through Absalom’s streets, lending their strength directly to the First Guard. Numerous well-known aristocrats—previously thought to have fled before someone convinced them otherwise—appear at major sites and intersections to help coordinate the war effort and rally the citizens.
The Sovereign Court faction’s special condition is in effect.
The Exchange has secured and distributed a fresh supply of weapons and armor, including highly valuable gear for the Pathfinders’ use.
The Exchange faction’s special condition is in effect.
The Dark Archive has recovered the missing codebook, allowing Zarta Dralneen and her agents to create contradictory signals that confuse the Black Echelon undead.
The Dark Archive faction’s special condition is in effect.
The gathering clouds momentarily part as a beam of sunlight shines upon the Ascendant Court, heralding the return of Sarenrae’s holy warriors and the arrival of a small host of celestial guardians. These reinforcements rally alongside the paladin Ollysta Zadrian before dispersing to aid Absalom.
The Silver Crusade faction’s special condition is in effect.
Led from Misery Row by agents of Liberty’s Edge, most of Absalom’s slaves have cast off their chains to contribute to Absalom’s defense.
The Liberty’s Edge faction’s special condition is in effect.
The combined strength of the Muckruckers and the Grand Lodge have broken through the Black Echelon’s defenses and retaken Fort Tempest. Absalom’s flag flies over the fortress once more, encouraging the city’s defenders.
The Grand Lodge faction’s special condition is in effect.
Having dealt with the chaos that ensued from the Black Echelon’s attack, the Pathfinders return to the Grand Lodge.
The sound of brass signal horns echoes across Absalom from the northern walls, warning the city that the enemy onslaught has begun. Sergeants of the First Guard shout warnings to attend the walls, when suddenly another warning sounds from the area of the docks. A messenger brings news of a second attack: “An enemy fleet is approaching from the south!” The messenger tells of a strange mist rising in the Flotsam Graveyard, and dozens of ships with tattered sails approaching Absalom’s harbor with long-dead marines on board.
Back at the Grand Lodge, Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus addresses the Pathfinders: “You and the factions you represent have greatly helped our city; however, the worst is still to come, and Absalom needs our help! We must fight the enemy on land and at sea. Those of you who choose to bolster Absalom’s defenses against the demon-flesh army attacking from the Cairnlands to the north, report to Captain of the First Guard, Rothos of House Vastille. Those of you who choose to fight the undead armada, report to Captain Sevana Kinhan of the Wave Riders.”
Fighting alongside the First Guard forces, Pathfinders have defeated many of the invading army’s commanders. Without their minotaur overseers to direct their wrath, many of the demon-flesh constructs slow—or even begin fighting one another. The victory is short-lived. Bellowing with Abyssal rage, a massive construct takes to the sky, for a moment blotting out the sun before landing messily atop a squad of the First Guard. The brute is shaped almost like a dragon, but its elongated body, misshapen limbs, bulbous head, and grotesque wings are all stitched together from demonic skin and flesh. It easily swats a dozen soldiers into the sky with one of its immense claws before roaring a second challenge.
As if sensing a worthy rival, the statuesque Gulgamodh flares with angry light and thunders before leaping Absalom’s walls and lumbering to stand beside the ones who hold its key: the Pathfinders. Who among you is prepared to guide Gulgamodh’s hand?
The Broken Horns condition is now in effect.
Pathfinders and Wave Riders board the last of the Silent Tide’s command ships. Only a moment later, the ship veers, crashes, and begins to sink, joining the Flotsam Graveyard’s wreckage.
The Sunken Ships condition is now in effect.
An elite team of Pathfinders pins down one of the draconic monstrosity Atalazorn’s limbs, giving Gulgamodh an opportunity to grab the beast’s head. After a brief struggle, Gulgamodh decapitates the abomination, which falls to the battlefield with a shuddering crash. With the giant construct leading the way, formations of the First Guard and Pathfinders converge on the siege castle.
Gulgamodh bulldozes down the outer gate headfirst. Waiting inside is a battalion of demons led by a minotaur champion with metal plates bolted to its body and wielding an overlarge sword. It sweeps the sword at Gulgamodh, tearing open a terrible gash that nearly splits the giant construct in two. Gulgamodh lets out a drawn-out, metallic wail before collapsing in the gateway. The ancient guardian may have fallen, but the path into the castle is open. Don’t waste this opportunity!
The Siege Castle condition is now in effect.
Teams of Pathfinders wielding battering rams crash against the inner gates again and again until, with a decisive crack, the doors shatter inward. The Pathfinders can now enter the castle’s inner reaches.
The Open Gates condition is in effect.
A party of experienced Pathfinders rushes the wicked glabrezu Katazuul and cuts her down summarily while other teams strike against the lesser demons who supported her conjurations or guard the gate against counterattacks. Before the portal she created can close, another glabrezu demon forces its way through, only to meet with the same end. Just before the portal closes, a third demon appears, but the doughty Pathfinders are too much for it as well. With the disappearance of the portal and the defeat of not only their leader but also two other potent demons, the lesser demons flee. A moment later, a brass horn sounds a triumphant fanfare to announce that the fiend-flesh army has been routed. The march back to Absalom is a jubilant one, though rumors are running wild through the streets as to exactly who the invaders were, what they wanted, and why undead spies sprang to life shortly after beacons appeared around Skyreach. Despite rampant speculation about the Grand Lodge’s involvement in the invasion, the citizens as a whole recognize the heroism with which Pathfinder agents personally averted disaster and rode at the vanguard of the city’s victorious forces. Absalom’s primarch Lord Gyr—whom few remember seeing during the attack—remains silent on the matter, though Siege Lord Wynsal Starborn delivers a speech within the hour personally recognizing the Society’s key role in protecting the City at the Center of the World.
At the Grand Lodge, Ollysta Zadrian recounts news of the victory. “Soon after we stormed the siege castle and slew Katazuul, Absalom’s navy from Escadar arrived and sank what remained of the undead armada. Once again, Absalom has prevailed in the face of adversity!” Raising her armored fist in celebration, Zadrian shouts: “For Absalom! Absalom! Absalom!”
In contrast to the paladin’s unabashed enthusiasm, Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus seems only to have grown more concerned since the siege began, and he confirms what many agents had discovered earlier. “Based on many reports from Pathfinders, we have a reason to believe the attack was a concerted effort driven by several enemies of the Pathfinder Society. We now know that it was Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri—once a respected leader of many Pathfinders—who used the Black Echelon codebook to summon the undead saboteurs. We have reason to believe Grandmaster Torch was involved, at least enough that his minions attempted to usurp Gulgamodh to turn against Absalom. Finally, we learned the demons in the siege castle were vassals of a powerful demon that’s no stranger to the Society, and it is not difficult to deduce that ex-venture-captain Thurl had a hand in creating the fiend-flesh army. Today, though, we emerged victorious, and I assure you that we shall ascertain these villains’ true motives and put a stop to them.”