The letter that arrives bears Venture-Captain Heidmarch’s seal, and seems to contain an enclosure.
I have new information for you about our agents’ discoveries regarding the cult of Lissala. When the Ten learned of the cult’s active existence, they sent a team to infiltrate a cell in the industrial town of Palin’s Cove. During that mission we learned that the cult intends to bring back the ancient Thassilonian Runelord Krune to rule Varisia. Pathfinder agents next encountered Lissalans here in the City of Strangers and discovered that the cultists aim to return the runelord by using refuge tokens that he created for his followers to reach his hidden location.
Our Pathfinders also uncovered the location of an ancient Lissalan shrine, documented to hold a cache of these refuge tokens. The enclosed map shows the location where the shrine is said to be—the fastest way there is from Kaer Maga west into the Wyvern Mountains.
Find the shrine and recover the refuge tokens so that we may use them to access Krune’s lair, thus preventing the Lissalans from raising their runelord. Don’t attempt to use the tokens yet—we also need to uncover the proper command words. And hurry, please! A group bearing the Sihedron—Lissala’s holy rune—was seen leaving the city two days ago. They must seek the shrine as well.
Should you have additional questions about your mission, seek out a trusted informant in the Downmarket District, a textile merchant named Allira Vandane. She will aid you as much as she can. May Desna smile upon you, Pathfinders.
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A gnome woman with bluish-purple hair sits in a chair in an apartment in Absalom. She is nursing a child, perhaps six months of age, who has similar hair, except for a shock of auburn at the front. Although much of the furniture is rustic, the glass window overlooking the Ivy District demonstrates that she can no longer call herself a country bumpkin. With her unoccupied hand, she sets a letter down on a small table next to the remains of a fruit pie. "I hoped they would never call you back," she says with a frown. "The caravan is dangerous enough, Sunny, but this!"
A small bird, uncaged and clearly tame, chirps softly from the rafters.
A kitsune woman, slim and short enough to deflect some questions about the couple's relative height, opens a closet and withdraws a well-worn rapier along with an assortment of adventuring gear. "It wasn't my first choice either, Lumi," she answers neutrally. She is a master of neutrally, which can be either helpful or infuriating.
"Runelords!" Lumi shouts, startling the child for just a moment before she resumes her contented suckling.
"'Runelords' is why I need to do this, my love," Sunny answers as she arranges a number of tools in her pack. "If the Lissalans can do what Venture-Captain Heidmarch suspects, sitting in our comfortable home enjoying each other's company is not going to be an option. Better to stop it before it starts."
"I know, I know," Lumi sighs. "I just feel like I have to change my name to Crazyknot every time you go on one of your trips; doubly so, when it's for the Pathfinders."
The kitsune gently sets down her gear and walks across the room to the chair. "You are always filled with reason, Mrs. Reasonknot - and are always my reason as well." They share a gentle kiss before Sunny resumes her packing. "I won't be that long, and I'll be sure to bring you both back something nice. I've never been to Kaer Maga, though, so you'll just have to wait to find out what it is."
The child, sated, drifts to sleep in her mother's arms. Lumi rises and gently walks towards the child's crib. "I don't suppose..."
"Sadly, no," Sunny answers, finally allowing her voice to break a bit. "I need to meet our contact as soon as possible. That will have to be another treat for my return." She brings the gmone's hand to her mouth, kissing just above a silver ring, twin to one on her own finger. "And you will know I am well while I am gone, so make sure to give plenty of smiles to Daena."
They kiss again, this one lingering a bit longer, before Sunny lifts her pack, kisses Daena and whispers, "Goodbye, my tiny love," and heads out the door, followed by the bird.
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A lean and agile man with red hair is with you.
”Hey everyone, I am Suussmaar! Glad to meet out all!”
He has a bastard sword at his hip and a longbow on his back.
He wears a mithral chainshirt that looks like it has not seen much battle.
Resting on top of his chest is an amulet showing the holy symbol of Ragathiel which looks like a bastard sword crossed with a crimson wing.
“Well, a small task ... recover the refuge tokens … but dangers await!? Hmm ... I don’t know a much about the background of this man ... and the history of this forgotten age ... so I hope the others can chip in. Well, there are more specific information about this mission ... so let us seek out Allira Vandane!?“
You assembled in the Varisian city of Kaer Maga per VC Sheila's instruction. You can easily locate your contact Allira She can answer some of your questions.
Don’t the Lissalans have too much of a head start if they were seen leaving two days ago?
“Perhaps they will arrive ahead of you. Perhaps they have been mired with obstacles. Who knows?”
How far is it to the shrine?
“According to our sources, the shrine lies about 100 miles west of Kaer Maga in the Wyvern Mountains, through the Ash-Blown lands.”
How many tokens are there?
“The research indicates that several dozen are stored in the shrine. We don’t know how many are hidden elsewhere.”
We break the tokens, and they transport us to Krune, right?
“No, weren’t you listening? Sheila will break you! We also need to learn the words that must be spoken when rending a token. Otherwise a broken token is worthless.”
Those of you who are knowledgable about history might recall a thing or two about Thassilon's past, with a Knowledge(History) check:
There might be rumors on the street that could prove helpful to the knowledgable or personable people, with a Diplomacy(gather info) or Knowledge(local) check:
Those of you who have made a study of religion may recall more information about Lissala, with a Knowledge(religion) check:
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A petite redhead dressed in silk and leather listens intently to the VC's words. She carries a charred staff with fiery emblems and runes on it.
I'm Carlin...nice to meet you all... she says happily.
Her nose wrinkles at the mention of Lissala.
I'm no religious scholar, but even I know that name means trouble...
She passes on the info she gathered.
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An elegant kitsune woman greets the other Pathfinders, wearing a formal white dress that looks much more suited to finding a husband at the prince's ball than adventuring in damp caverns. Judging by the new-looking ring on her finger, she may have. She sips tea and munches on a slice of sweet bread that seems out of place in Kaer Maga. "Please, try some," she says, gesturing at a sliced loaf to her side.
It seems to be pumpkin bread with honey. It's... fine.
"I know it needs work. I'm not used to getting my hands dirty - or floury - but I promised I'd learn."
To any new faces, she continues. "My name is Sunny Reasonknot, née Alemnin. I am one of the Society's negotiators, when one is needed."
During a moment when the team is alone during the journey, she calls the Pathfinders together to make an announcement. "Before we go further, there is something I need all of you to see."
To the faint sound of heroic, upbeat music with no apparent source, Sunny's gown seems to unravel into a shower of white rose petals, trailing into the distance leaving only a silhouette, glowing brightly in a rainbow of colors as her muzzle shortens. The rapier at her hip, which seemed a dandy's weapon before, flies into the air above her as ribbons of silvery-blue cloth circle her limbs and torso, wrapping her now-human form in a short dress, gloves and boots. The raven-haired woman she has become reaches her arm to the sky and grasps her blade, which now appears wickedly sharp. In a flash of light, a golden tiara appears on her brow and a silvery shield with a white rose blossom device appears on her other arm. She slashes the blade through the air in front of her, cutting through the rain of petals and revealing her full vigilante identity as the music crescendos, then stops.
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"My normal profession is as a diplomat," the changed kitsune says, "and that is likely the reason the Society has assigned me to this group. However, I also seek justice in this form, in which I am called the White Rose Duelist. Whichever face I wear at the moment is the true me.
"Because this change is not particularly subtle, I will not be able to switch forms during a fight or in the presence of witnesses. I am not an incompetent fighter when I wear the fox's face, nor am I useless as a diplomat in this form, but I will be most effective if I enter each situation knowing which will be more appropriate."
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In a voice that seems surprisingly melodious, the cat-creature speaks. "I am known as Her Royal Highness Channdryvonne, first of her name, Queen of Somal. There are other guises I may present myself in, though this one is clearly superior."
She then flicks her tail. "Though I think everyone in the Pathfinder Society has seen this transformation a dozen times by now. Perhaps instead of reusing the same one, we could find a way to change it up sometime?"
RawkNRole eyes brighten at the prospect of a new adventure. He smiles at the group.
You may purchase supplies in Kaer Maga before you head out. You are expecting about 2 weeks of travelling before you can reach the cultists' shrine. The weather is temperate in Varisia, so no need to worry about cold or heat.
In the mountain valley, sparse trees sprout from cracks in the steep cliffs, bending in the direction of the constant, howling wind. Piles of scree litter the ground at the base of the cliffs. In a hollow with a muddied brook, a hole in the mountainside opens up. It was clearly excavated recently—piles of soil and rock flank the opening. A perfectly square tunnel the height of an ogre cuts through worked stone, leading to a chamber beyond. Light from within reveals muddy tracks in the dust that coats the floor of the tunnel.
A winged golden figure guards the entrance.
Patrick realized that this is a particularly stronger Monadic Deva, NG Medium outsider of angel, aquatic, extraplanar, and good subtypes. He knows that it has many immunities (acid, cold, electricity, fire, death effects, energy drain, petrification), even more spell-like abilities (At-Will discern lies, invisibility, plane shift, dispel magic, etc...), and has damage reduction that can only be bypassed by evil weapons.
“Halt, tomb robbers! You shall not enter this sacred site. One more step and you will be destroyed.” The angel's warning echoes in the cave.
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The kitsune raises her empty hands before the creature.
"Honored deva, we know you are a servant of the light, as are we. Use any means at your disposal to discern the truth of our words and the values of our hearts; we will not resist
"A cult of followers of Lissala race to this site, though it is our sincere hope that we have reached it before them. They seek to plunder the tomb and use tokens located within to raise a Runelord, which would bring a great evil back to this world. We Pathfinders seek only to remove the tokens within which would allow them to carry out this deed; all else we find will remain as we found it."
The deva regards kitsune for several long moments. Its weapon lowers slightly, though it does not step aside.
“You speak eloquently, Pathfinder. But do not mistake eloquence for righteousness.”
Its eyes narrow.
“This is a sacred place of Lissala. Those who keep her faith come to a sanctuary raised by their own religion, seeking relics left here for their use. You come as outsiders, without invitation, and by your own admission intend to enter this shrine and carry away what was placed within.”
“You call them plunderers. What, then, would you call yourselves?”
The angel pauses, then lowers its weapon another fraction.
“Yet your claim is not that these things belong to you. You claim that you would take them to prevent a greater evil. That is a matter of intent—and intent may be tested. You have asked me to discern the truth of your words. I accept.”
“Remove every magical item from your persons. Dismiss every spell and magical aura upon you; where necessary, I shall remove them myself. Then each of you will willingly submit to my power to discern falsehood. You will resist neither it nor me.”
“Then you may tell me, plainly and without artifice, why you have come, what you intend to take from this place, and what you intend to do with it.”
The deva fixes the group with an unwavering stare.
“If your cause is truly what you claim it to be, you need fear nothing from the truth.”
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White Rose drops her weapons and shield and removes all her gear except her clothing. She has no spells to dismiss at the moment, but one item is a bit unusual...
She pulls her hair up, revealing a small rectangular hole in the back of her skull. She reaches up and presses something, and a metal square with etched lines comes out. "My apologies - I cannot remove the Numerian device that reads this without harming myself, but it has no function without this inserted."
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Patrick sighs but complies. He's still not trusting this deva though, especially when they state that this is a sacred place of Lissala. He also hopes that none of his companions end up taking all their clothes off. His familiar is thinking that is highly amusing. The only member he has met before is Shadra.
Before leaving, he had purchased a Scroll of Fly and six potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
Why are you - a creature presumably of Good, guarding a place dedicated to an evil goddess?
The deva listens your responses without interruption. Under the uncompromising scrutiny of its magic, each answer rings true. At last, the celestial inclines its head. The tension finally leaves its stance, and it lowers its weapon.
“You have submitted yourselves to truth when deception would have served you better. I find no falsehood in what you have told me. Then I shall not bar your passage. Go, and may your deeds prove as worthy as your words.”
......
The impossibly large blocks of the shrine’s walls are in such good condition that they seem to have been laid only decades ago. Carved into the stone, spiky script is clearly visible throughout the room. Stone double doors stand in the east and west walls. Each is decorated with a seven-pointed star, and each blade of a star displays a spiky rune. One rune per star glows with an amber light that illuminates the room. Also in the western wall, a short square tunnel leads back outside, with a score of muddy footprints showing the way. A passageway to the south leads to another lit room. The air inside the shrine is cool and fresh.
The chamber is not unoccupied. Five people are scattered along its northern side, though they make for three rather different sights:
Three bald Shoanti sit quietly against the northern wall. All three are thoroughly dirt-covered, looking very much like people who have recently spent considerable time digging through earth and stone. Despite the arrival of an armed band of strangers, none makes any immediate move to rise or approach you.
Nearby is a man whose clothes seem determined to maintain an air of aristocratic dignity despite everything that has happened to them. He wears a deep-blue waistcoat trimmed in gold with once-matching trousers, but dried mud covers his calf-high boots and much of his breeches. In striking contrast, his moustache and goatee remain meticulously groomed. Even now, he busies himself picking bits of dried mud from his clothing.
The last is a relatively slender dwarf woman, with little of the heavy build one might associate with a life at the forge. Long black hair is braided with several gold rings. Rather than watching the newcomers with the same attention one might expect of a prisoner, she repeatedly purses her lips and rubs the rings in her braids as her eyes wander over the enormous stone blocks surrounding her.
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"We thank you for the trust you put in us," the kitsune says as she gathers her belongings. "We shall endeavor to live up to the faith you placed in us."
She looks for an opportunity to transform, but immediately spots other adventurers once within the tomb. Hoping to head off any unpleasantness, she approaches the others with empty hands and says, "Greetings, friends. My name is Sunny Reasonknot, and I and my companions represent the Pathfinder Society. Since you have preceded us here, you must also have the blessings of the good protector of this place. perhaps we could discuss our objectives and find a way to help each other?"
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Patrick side eyes the deva as the party enters, slightly annoyed he had to renew his magical protections.
Something's not quite right here Dao. I'm sure of it he mutters to his nightmare dragonet.
He then turns to Carlin. Excuse me Ms Ember. What do you think? Did that Guardian seem .... trustworthy?
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Suussmaar bows to the angel and picks up all his gear and clothes himself again.
"Thank you for your service!" he says to the angel and moves on with the group.
He waits to see how the Shoanti and the man and female dwarf react after the others have spoken to them, but he is respectful.
He also casts defending bone on himself.
Suussmaar bows to the angel and picks up all his gear and clothes himself again.
[dice=sense motive]1d20+2
I don't know...maybe he is being compelled or under enchantment...way above my capabilities...
Carlin think the angel is not charmed or anything. He's simply doing his job.
the kitsune says as she gathers her belongings.
Suussmaar bows to the angel and picks up all his gear and clothes himself again.
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Rogarch sees the futility of advancing further with so little gear and no armor to speak of.
"We will find another way in that the angel is not aware of or call this adventure off completely. We should go back to get our gear and leave. We can return when we have a plan. For now we don't have a plan other than securing our valuable equipment and leaving. We can honestly tell the angel that with no fear of falsehood."
The Bloodrager and RawkNRole start heading towards the entrance which is now her exit.
RawkNRole has a look around just in case he will need to Earth Glide in latter.
Earth Glide (Ex)
Source Bestiary 6 pg. 292, Bestiary 2 pg. 296, Bestiary 3 pg. 294, Bestiary 5 pg. 292
When the creature burrows, it can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other nonmetal earth as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing the burrowing creature flings it back 30 feet, stunning it for 1 round unless it succeeds at a DC 15 Fortitude save.
@GM Colin - Earth Elementals can Earth Glide but they also have a burrow speed so they can create tunnels as well.