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Anya's confusion still manages to bring her towards Student #19, although she does not hit while disoriented.
Dyesebel patches up her faithful companion. Lolong has done good work today and must be protected.
Brandy fortifies herself (temporarily) before striding back out to carry on the fight.
Dawnfriend tries to daze the Student with divine power...
Marius brings doom with electricity and other, stranger witch magic...
Perhaps Student #19 thinks it has gotten away with it. It's been so clever with the way it's been tormenting the children and teachers at this Academy. It has observed you throughout tonight stumbling across its handiwork. And maybe it would have gotten away with it... if it wasn't for the bladed scarf.
They thought they were safe. They thought the minotaur couldn't chase them if they blocked the hallway. They were wrong. Esmarelda's scarf slashed across the akizendri as it moved towards the intersection, leaving it barely clinging to life. Then Esmarelda's charge into the hallway and another slash of the scarf and down it went. No threats, no clever quips, just silence.
The school grows quiet. The lights return to a normal color. It's almost as if none of this had ever happened. Well, except for all of the wounds that you've taken, and for the singing of the walls that happened when Brine was sacrificed and exploded. Seagull feathers are still floating through the air, and there's a faint smell of the sea. The janitor may have their work cut out for them.
You have done it. Perhaps you were skeptical, when you first heard the students, that there was really anything weird going on in this school. Yet as you doggedly pursued each of the supposed mysteries, you found so many instances of extraplanar meddling, and in the end, this protean, this creature from the Maelstrom, was waiting for you. The Academy was never cursed! But it was on the wrong end of a very malicious and violent prankster.
You got to the bottom of it. J Dacilane will certainly want to hear about it. That, however, is a task for the morning. It is after midnight now and Dacilane wasn't waiting up for you anyway. He will be there to meet you at the Grand Lodge for your report the next morning.
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Anya comes to her senses to see the light come back on and the strange halfling (which she would later identify as a Protean) dead on the floor.
She collapses onto the floor, exhausted. "By Nethys' noisome nostrils. That was a horrific fight..." It takes her a while to recover from both the stupification and her wounds. "Thanks Esmarelda, I doubt we'd have survived without your strong hits." Anya says through a weary grin.
The next morning when they report to J Dacilane, Anya summarises her report by saying drily;
"Your school was haunted by an extraplanar protean. We nearly died. I think you should shut this place down ASAP."
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As Student #19 finally falls, Dyesebel lets out a sigh of relief. She immediately turns to Lolong, gently stroking his head and checking for any remaining injuries. "You did well, Lolong. Rest now. You have fought enough for today."
She looks toward her companions, grateful that they have survived the encounter, before turning her attention to the fallen Scholar of Sorts.
She thinks to herself, "I am saddened that it had to end this way, but I cannot deny the suffering it brought upon the academy. May the knowledge it corrupted be restored and may those who seek the truth find their way again."
During their reporting to J.Dacilane, Dyesebel agrees with Anya. "Anya is right. This creature twisted knowledge and brought danger to everyone within these walls. We were fortunate to survive, but others may not be so lucky."
After not hearing the sound of combat for a several seconds, Brad gets quietly opens the front door and is relieved to hear the voices of the pathfinders, including Brandy J.
Brad reenters the school, goes over and scoops Brandy J. up in his arms, "Are you okay? Don't scare me like that again, babe."
Brandy J. smiles and gently places a hand on his face, "I'm fine, luv."
Brad looks at the others, "Anyone up for heading to the 'Wisp? First round is on me."
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You are very lucky that the troublemaker was being content with just being mischievously up to last night. He could have massacred the entire faculty and all the students."
After the others discuss what they want to with the headmaster, Brandy J. tells him, "Brad is working at the docks today. He wanted me to tell you if you are interested, he is up to volunteering to organize some sports in the yard for the students a few times a week."
After taking the rest of the night to rest and collect themselves, the Pathfinders return to the Grand Lodge the next morning to deliver the report. J Dacilane is waiting for them in a well-appointed tea room within the lodge. He listens to your explanations of what happened through the night with a particular interest in figuring out whether there was any kind of supernatural curse explanation.
"Hmm, I see, I see," J replies to the reports, nodding along. "What strange luck. At least the pupils are safe now."
Though there is a collective level of concern from your group about the possibility of follow-up incursions after this situation has been dealt with, Dacilane is unperturbed. "You have ably found and handled the intruder. We will enhance our defenses and keep any further mischief makers out!"
Dacilane seems confident in the people he may be able to call on to handle this task. Whether you are confident is for you to decide. The school is not going to shut down, so you can only hope for the best.
With that business addressed, he is able to turn to lighter topics, such as Brandy's suggestion of Brad organizing some sports. This gets Dacilane's attention. "Ah! We do have a couple of club teams. Does Brad play any ruk? Perhaps he could give the team some pointers on how to play as they grow into their full strength?"
Some time goes by. Perhaps you have put the Dacilane Academy out of your mind entirely in the meantime, or perhaps you've been thinking about that place a lot since your little adventure there. Whether fresh on your mind or not, an assignment arrives that puts it back front and center, as you are assigned to chaperone a field trip being arranged for students of the Dacilane Academy that will travel the Maze of the Open Road to Woodsedge Lodge.
On the appointed day and time, you are waiting around in the Grand Lodge in Absalom. A gaggle of young people enter and crowd into the lobby. After stopping to gawk for more than a few moments, they part and clear a path for a man in an Eagle Knight’s uniform. Those of you who have met J Dacilane before recognize him right away. "Pathfinders! So good to see you again today. Thank you so much for taking some more time out of your busy schedules to assist with our little educational venture. Allow me to present some of the students of Dacilane Academy!"
Dacilane raises his voice and sweeps his gaze over the students, who all finally fall silent, giving either friendly nods or shy half-bows.
"And this is their history teacher, Professor Thandmere Krelsun." J gestures to a gray-bearded dwarf with spectacles perched on the end of his nose. The teacher struggles with a stack of papers as J continues, "As you’ve been told, the class is traveling to Woodsedge Lodge today to explore" - here he emphasizes the first word in the Pathfinder motto - "life in the Pathfinder Society and to cooperate in a series of small tasks at the Lodge. They’ll report back to me at the end of the day." With each emphasized word, he casts a glance at the students. Some nod eagerly. Others roll their eyes.
"Many of you have met a few of these students already during our little... experience with the mysteries a while back." There are three familiar faces in the pack of 15 students. They smile at the reference. "Why don’t you introduce yourselves to the whole group, and tell them a little bit about your adventures in the Society so far?"
As you introduce or reintroduce yourselves, one student, a goblin girl who none of you have encountered before, pulls a small notebook from her sleeve and scratches notes about your adventures. Most of the other students listen politely. One troublemaker - familiar to many of you - looks rather bored. Professor Krelsun also looks... not bored, exactly, but impatient, shuffling from foot to foot.
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Anya sighs deeply. First she's sent back to this horrible, cursed place. Now she has to chaperone some kids! "Let's get this over with quickly." She thinks to herself. "I'm Anya, I'm a reporter. I'm also a Magus and I hit things really hard with my sword. Stay close to me at all times in case something apparates out of the wall to hurt you." She glares pointedly at J Dacilane.
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A tall, dark-skinned man with a red beard steps forward. He wears a long brown overcoat on top of compact leather armor, and a tricorn hat. The clothing, to those who note such things, is a mix of the Alkenstar gunfighter style and the Andoran clothing styles. At his hip is a curious blade, with a firearm built into the handle.
As he walks forward, you hear the clanking of metal. Though it's hard to tell with his pants and boots, you realize he is walking on two mechanized prosthetic lets. As he brings his hand up to tip his hat, you realize that one of his hands is also a clockwork prosthetic. He glances slowly between each child, as if sizing them up.
When he finally speaks, his voice is soft and slow, as if not accustomed or comfortable speaking in front of a group. "Howdy, y'all. I'm Clancy Greeves, an' I reckon folks 'round these parts might call me a gunslinger. Also know a bit o' alchemy, and mix my own ammunition. And this here..." He whistles.
In response to the whistle, a mechanized dog - stylized to look like a golden retriever - prances forward and emits a sound that sounds about 80% like an enthusiastic bark.
"This here is my dog, Hummer."
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Dyesebel greets the students with a calm voice and a gentle smile.
"I'm Dyesebel, a druid from the depths of Arcadian Ocean.". She gently pats Lolong on the head. "This is Lolong. He may look frightening, but he is usually gentle as long as he's not hungry. We're glad to be joining you on this trip. There’s still so much we don’t know about the world above the waves, and we're looking forward to learning something new alongside you all!"
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A tall, cadaverously-thin elf with piercing, sea-blue eyes, nods politely.
"Greetings. I am Marius. Marius Kinkade. Think of me as an emissary from elven lands. I can provide advice on a wide range of topics."
An echoing bark resonates through the area, and then a spectral hound bounds out of Marius' body, only to leap playfully around the students, dripping ectoplasmic drool which quickly evaporates.
Marius smiles fondly.
"That is Archibald. He is... an old friend, whom I could never be parted from."
It must be said that the animal companions have gotten the students attention much more than Dacilane's earnest, corny attempts to slip the Pathfinders motto into the description of the field trip. Between the spectral dog, the mechanical dog, and the crocodile, they are collectively buzzing with excitement. You hear one of the girls say, "I hope I can get one of those when I'm a Pathfinder!" It's not clear which of them she means.
After the introductions, Thandmere Krelsun passes over several carefully-written pages. "Yes, yes! Thank you for joining us. Here are the rules for the field trip, and a list for you of the tasks that the students are expected to accomplish today. Please remember that accomplishing these tasks is the point of this trip. If you need to know anything, please ask me now. We hope to leave in a few moments."
On the paper are several ground rules for the field trip, the four parts of the assignment that the students are expected to complete, and a list of several reliable students. The Pathfinders who were involved in the seven secrets remember three of these students: Alec, Geltra, and Hari. They might find it curious that Alec is being labeled as a reliable student.
"You shouldn’t need any special equipment, adds J, "but feel free to bring what you normally would on an assignment. It will be interesting for the students to see fully equipped Pathfinders. I hope that you enjoy getting a chance to influence the next generation." Here, J lowers his voice and leans closer to you so the students will not overhear. "Also, do be on your best behavior, they ARE children and they’re as likely to pick up bad habits as good."
Professor Krelsun takes on a certain pose and several students groan in response. They've seen this before and they know what it means. "Ah, the Maze of the Open Road, of course. If you will forgive me, I am going to have one of the students answer this one. That is, if any of them have been paying attention in class?"
Fourteen of the students look in some way to the fifteenth. The Pathfinders who were part of the seven secrets mission may recognize an aiuvarin named Hari.
As if reciting right out of a textbook, Hari says, "The Maze of the Open Road is a living, magical, extradimensional hedge-maze demiplane of portals. These portals lead to destinations across Golarion, to distant planets, and even to other planes."
Krelsun turns back to Clancy, smiling. "Well, there you go. Excellent recollection, Miss Hari." They acknowledge the praise with a nod and a smile of their own.
You may have some knowledge yourselves about the Maze and your destination, Woodsedge Lodge...
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"Woodsedge Lodge is ... run by Venture-Captain Jirneau, right? She's from Galt?"
As he talks, a rustic looking halfling stumbles into the room. He carries a somewhat beaten up hunting rifle. "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Greeves, but I was trying to catch some dinner."
Clancy glances over at the halfling's weapon. "You clean your gun this morning? That old thing looks like it's a misfire waitin' to happen." He turns to the others, "Oh, yeah, this is my assistant, Glickinspurn, but you can jus' call him Hunter Glick. He ... helps out occasionally." Quieter he says, [b]"Be careful wehre you're pointin' that thing ..."
The halfling smiles and waves to everyone, awkwardly shifting his hunting rifle around.
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Esmarelda runs in late. "Ah, did I make it?" she asks, panting a bit.
Seeing J Dacilane still here, she stiffens up a bit and turns to the students. "As a previously considered Student #19, I believe that I am well-positioned to assist you with this..." she says confidently.
She takes the piece of paper from Anya and quickly skims it. "Ah yes, some pigeon pie and battle-training! Great ideas!" she says confidently as she tosses the paper back to Anya. Seeing Geltra's pigeon, she nods sagely. "I see you have come prepared, young one! Bonus marks for the kobold girl, Professor!"
Geltra laughs at Esmarelda's comment about being prepared as if it was a joke. "He's my familiar!" Ruffles coos in response to having been acknowledged.
On the task at hand, Professor Krelsun adds to the Pathfinders, "You may offer the students some assistance with their assignments as you see fit. Just don't do everything for them! They'll never learn that way. You could build the Bridge of the Gods, but they need to walk over it."
Though you have not interacted with the professor for long, you realize that he frequently peppers his speech with references to random places and events in Golarion's present and history. Through this introductory period, you might hear him grumbling about how "Pathfinders have more children than Grand Prince Goscelyn II" or lecturing a bored-looking student about the Maze's role in the Red Revolution.
**
While last-minute arrangements are being put into place, you have the opportunity to interact with the students, especially the ones that your chaperone handout indicated were the "particularly responsible" ones. You might consider asking them about the Academy, or about their hopes for after they graduate. You might want to show them that you're not going to be just another "boring" adult around here.
Hari: Described by your handout as a studious aiuvarin from Osirian. The Professor said "they'll be full of questions about the trip and about you!" As you saw demonstrated with their knowledge about the Maze of the Open Road, Hari is very focused on their academics and usually the first to volunteer for class discussions.
Alec: Five of you have met Alec Gracekin before, and you are surprised at his being included on any list about the responsible or reliable students. He is a tall, dark-haired human from Ustalav, and apparently, he volunteers to run errands for the Professor.
Geltra: A kobold from the Sewer Dragon Tribe, described as quiet, but dependable. Has received special permission for her pigeon familiar, Ruffles, to be included on this trip.
Tels: A sturdy, redheaded changeling human. The captain of the ruk team, the handout describes him as "a quiet leader, who watches out for the younger students and often gives them good advice."
Vim: The goblin girl who you saw excitedly taking notes as you were introducing yourselves. Vim is a talkative Katapeshi; she frequently mentions her uncle, Yig, who told her about the Pathfinder Society. Vim writes a letter to Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin every week, asking when she can start her "real" training.
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Esmarelda runs in late. "Ah, did I make it?" she asks, panting a bit.
...
She takes the piece of paper from Anya and quickly skims it. "Ah yes, some pigeon pie and battle-training! Great ideas!" she says confidently as she tosses the paper back to Anya.
Anya sighs. "You know, Esmeralda my dear, if you read the briefings you'd be more likely to know what's happening. Namely, who we are chaperoning, why we are chaperoning them and in what Nethys-forsaken place we are entering into with a bunch of children." She chastises the impetuous Minotaur.
"Professor Krelsun, that's an unusual colloquialism. Have you been to Alkenstar before?" Anya remarks, raising an eyebrow.
Upon noticing how nervous the Professor seems to be, Anya makes a mental note to buy the Professor a drink after all this is said and done.
Anya crouches down and whispers into Tels' ear. "Psst. Hey, kid. You didn't hear this from me, but I've got tickets to the Absalom Avengers' Ruk match versus the Chelaxian Chuds on the 21st of Rova. If you can help me wrangle your fellow students and make sure they're behaving well, I'll give you a ticket. Front row and everything."
The intrepid reporter Anya approaches the games enthusiast Tels with an offer that he certainly can't refuse - though he also can't tell anyone about it. His face breaks into a grin at the idea of seeing ruk professionals in action.
"I told everybody that we'd be in good hands today with the Pathfinders!" the young man exclaims with delight. "You're the greatest heroes around!"
Having gotten closer to Tels, Anya notices that one of his eyes is green and one of his eyes is blue.
Catching sight of Krelsun's anxiety, Clancy wanders over. The professor chuckles in response to the question. "Oh, no need to worry about the troubles of an old man. Truth be told," Krelsun replies, "this is going to be my first time leading students on a field trip, and I just want to know that everything will go smoothly."
The dwarf fields Anya's question about the bridge with a wistful look. "I've been lucky enough to go many places on Golarion. Others, like that bridge, I've just had to read about in books. They're such great learning tools." He pauses, tapping his forehead. "Well, we did have that business a while back with the textbooks... you helped us with that, didn't you?"
**
Clancy and Glick walk up to Vim. Although Clancy tries to get in a word edgewise, what actually happens is that Vim barrages him with so many questions that he is not able to make much of an impression. In seemingly one long breath, "Hi, I'm Vim Moneymaker, it's so great to meet a real Pathfinder! Do you know my uncle Yigrig, in Katapesh? He's worked with so many Pathfinders, he told me all about you!"
Without waiting for an answer, the girl continues on, "I've read about so many adventures in the chronicles, too! Have you ever been to the Gravelands? Did you find the Lost Maid of Anactoria? Or did you meet the Arclord Alyreha? Maybe you've seen Queen Anastasia's, what does she call them, trains? Were you there for the Battle of Hellknight Hill? What about the kaiju? Have you seen the kaiju?"
**
Marius takes a different approach with the kobold, Geltra. She looks delighted to have been asked about the pigeon. "You remember how we would take walks in the yard, right? With the statues that were moving around? There were always these pigeons around, and I would feed him bread, and after I while I noticed one pigeon in particular who seemed smarter than all the others. Well, since we were already friends, it just seemed perfect for him to be my familiar, and the teachers taught me how to do it, so now we're connected!"
Ruffles coos in what seems to be happy agreement.
**