"Your kind calls us mimics," the creature says. ""My companion--whom you have slain, no hard feelings, of course--and I were first befriended by the goblins who previously dwelled down here. We came to an arrangement in which they would provide us with food and amusement in exchange for us protecting the entrance to their temple. When the humans came and drove the goblins out, they made a similar arrangement with us.
"We quite enjoyed being those statues," it goes on to say. "The humans here venerate the Sandpoint Devil, and they would often praise us and give worship in passing.
"The cultists' main living quarters are to the north, while their temple is to the south and west. There's an extra big cultist with a large hook that stands guard beyond the southern doors, so be careful!"
By the end of the day, you've learned more about the Hellstorm Focus located in the ruins beneath Sadnpoint Cathedral. The strange stones there are magically linked to the Hellstorm Flume still, despite the tower’s ruined state—it appears that the stones were used to activate, focus, and aim the Flume’s fires, but the magic remaining within the stones today is barely enough to maintain the link to the Old Light... as long as they remain in their current, decrepit state.
The Hellstorm Focus once controlled the Hellstorm Flume, but it also served as a teleportation circle. The other end of its portal is either destroyed or inactive, but if one could adjust the Hellstorm Focus toward conjuration magic and away from evocation, it could theoretically be linked to other inactive teleportation circles.
With a bit more research, you feel like you could unlock that potential...
***
The Feathered Serpent is a cramped and cluttered shop that smells of a strange mixture of incense, spice, and dust. Not everything in the shop is for sale, rendering the shop’s eclectic collection of strange relics, statues, and monument fragments part museum, in addition to being Sandpoint’s most likely place to find a strange magic item for sale. Adventurers seeking magic items and other tools of the trade can find what they’re looking for here more often than not.
Its sole proprietor, Vorvashali Voon, is an exotic-looking man with bright blue eyes, long, red hair, and almost bronze-colored skin. It seems he has prepared for your arrival with a delicious tray of baked goods and candies from Sandpoint Savories. He invites Nadja to have a seat at the least-cluttered table in the shop.
"Come in, come in! So nice to finally put a face to the name of one of Sandpoint's newest adventurers.
"The Pit, yes, of course! I've heard all sorts of stories." Vovrashali tells Nadja some of the tales he's heard, though it's nothing particularly new to her.
You gain 1 RP towards the Pit.
"Ah, but you've already been there, haven't you? Tell me about your adventures! I'd love to hear about them!"
Vesi's lightning damages one of the shadows but the other one evades. The rest of the group focuses their attacks and destroys the last original shadow. Only the spawn pulled from Ankra's shadow remains, reaching for Russ. It misses at first but then recovers with a critical hit!
Your departure goes unnoticed, as most of the attendees remain occupied either by jubilantly celebrating Ruzadoya’s unexpected ascension or sitting in stunned silence. You find Alyce and Tanasha waiting for you. "This is a rather unfortunate turn of events," Tanasha says.
Alyce scoffs. "That's an understatement. I saw the way that Ruzadoya was looking at us. The forest is no longer safe. We intend to depart by boat shortly before sunrise. But before we leave, we'd like to meet with you at midnight near the piers, away from prying ears. We'll see you then."
Everybody gains a Hero Point. You have about three hours to prepare before meeting with Alyce and Tanasha.
You move on from the watchpost. After several more days, you reach a crossroads. This is where you must decide if you're returning to Highhelm or following Narseigus to Hagegraf. The route to Highhelm turns southeast, leading upward and eastward to connect to the same tunnel you left by. The road to Hagegraf requires a diversion straight north to the legendary Long Walk just a few miles west of the city gates.
Once you are ready, you move on to the next room. This chamber looks like a museum, complete with cabinets and cases containing dozens, perhaps even hundreds of items. The theme here seems to be the mundane, including countless odd shoes, a child’s hobbyhorse, a pipe, a dog collar, the pages of a burnt book—an almost countless catalog of the drab. Green curtains cover three objects about the size of cupboards. Chairs and round tables furnish the seating area at the center of the room.
A group of four living Graverobbers are here, the hellspawn lounging about, drinking, and grousing. When they spot you, they leap to their feet and draw light picks from their belt scabbards, but they do not immediately attack. One of them calls out, "Hey, you're not supposed to be here! So, you have a grudge or something against Wormwood?"
Pagma hurls acid at the governor, hitting him with the first vial but only splashing him with the other ones. The acid swiftly melts away his flesh, which scatters into a cloud of red butterflies that swiftly fade into red mist! The hollow shell that looked like Heh Shan-Bao is gone, and the true monster emerges in a grisly display: a skin-covered skeleton with sharp talons on its fingers and tears of blood dripping from its lidless eyes. Its skull appears open like a bowl, and inside nest handfuls of crimson butterflies!
Thrown off, Sakura misses with her attack. Kamo slips around to flank the fiend, though, landing a hit, his silver sword exploiting its weakness!
Damage Fiend Bane:1d6 ⇒ 3
The nindoru unleashes several overwhelming sobs of despair as it lashes out at Kamo with its claws! The acid stops burning it.
23 slashing and 4 mental damage to Kamo. Everybody must attempt a DC 29 Will save to avoid becoming stunned 1 (stunned 3 on a critical failure). This is an auditory, enchantment, incapacitation, mental, and occult effect.
Snowy Owl soothes Zienvus' injuries as Batman and Sylva move to flank. Zienvus enchants Sylva's fists with flames as she attacks, the fire exploiting Ilakni's weakness and causing him to roar in agony!
Ilakni lashes out with a black tentacle, scoring a critical hit as he grabs and restrains Sylva, squeezing her!
"You may cry foul, but the Forest has spoken by bringing me back," Ruzadoya says, unfazed by your words. "It is not corruption that flows through my new form, but pure, primal power! I am not outside the cycle of nature. I am nature's fury incarnate!"
As the cacophony begins to die down, the voting representatives assemble near the pots to cast their votes. They hesitate for a moment before Khasprickle kicks over his own pot to signal he’s no longer a candidate, then he proudly drops his acorn into Ruzadoya’s pot.
One by one, the representatives step up. Alyce Quinley, Tanasha Starborne, and Glitterbeak all cast votes for Emorga, but Alacreon and the unicorn Clydane vote for Ruzadoya, intrigued by her bold promises more than your efforts to convince them to vote for peace. Even before Ambrosia and Oakadence drop their acorns, it's clear who the winner is. Xivaga the wood giant dutifully counts the votes and announces the outcome, his voice shaking with trepidation.
“The will of the wood is clear, and the Wildwood Lodge has its leader for the next year. May her wisdom and dedication inspire us all to serve the forest and all its denizens with honor and integrity. Arise, Ruzadoya Swiftmane, and accept your charge.”
Moving slowly but decisively, Ruzadoya takes her place at the leshy’s side. “I accept this honor, and I swear this to you: the Wildwood Lodge will serve the Verduran Forest, not surrender it. We need no permission from outsiders to protect our lands, and we will no longer suffer their presence here. I hereby declare the Treaty of the Wildwood invalid. Those it once shielded from justice will be held accountable. We will not forgive the countless crimes committed against us, nor will we forget the complicity of those who allowed them to happen. We will take our vengeance, and those we leave alive will either be driven from the forest, or die screaming.”
Raucous applause erupts across the amphitheater, but it is ugly and tinged with bloodlust, so different from the cheers of delight that filled it just a few short weeks ago.
Alyce and Tanasha catch your gaze and subtly gesture to meet with them outside of the amphitheater, their expressions grim...
Qisik burns the ghoul with his magic, then Skaytar's healing washes over it, destroying it and damaging the mage. Though Melor misses with his shots, Njinga moves up to the mage and delivers a powerful shield bash! It's enough to finish off the final foe!
You gain 4 Escape Points. The mage has a waterlogged leather sack that contains a pair of obsidian goggles and 42 gp.
"Well done," Ardax says. "Now let's gather up all we can. We haven't a moment to waste!"
You have gained a Hero Point. You end the pursuit with 1 Escape Points, which means you have about 1 hour to get ready and the caravan begins with 13 Caravan Points. (More on that later.)
***
Torrentmoot is abuzz as the attendees prepare to leave. Some work with practiced, grim efficiency, while others seem to be near panic. Davorr crams writing implements into his bags as Grothlyn Zor barks orders at frazzled attendees, directing them to load supplies. Kestrel Windstrike paces the perimeter, her eyes sharp and wary as she grasps a holy symbol tightly in her hand. Everywhere one looks, there are items to be packed, mounts to saddle or hitch to wagons, and supplies to be loaded.
Unless the PCs brought equipment that needs lots of time to prepare, it takes them only about 10 minutes to get ready to leave. If there is time left after the PCs have packed their items, they can help others to increase their total Caravan Points at the start of the journey. Below are a few ways they can provide assistance. You can use these as guidelines for other ideas the PCs might have. Each PC may attempt two of these activities. A PC who succeeds at one of these activities earns 1 CP, and one who critically succeeds earns 2 CP; a critical failure subtracts 1 CP.
Quick Preparations:
Calming and Managing Animals: The animals at camp sense both the tension of the attendees and the growing feeling of wrongness in the air. They act out in various ways that slow down the preparations, from refusing to be saddled to throwing off harnesses or deciding it’s a good time to hide. A PC can attempt a DC 18 Nature or Stabling Lore check to calm the animals down.
Loading and Moving Equipment: Some of the attendees of the camp were less than practical about what equipment to bring along, and there are boxes and barrels with food and drink that need to get loaded. With everyone worried about gathering up their individual camps, it’s easy for some important supplies to get missed. A PC can attempt either a DC 18 Athletics check to help load wagons or a DC 18 Perception check to locate important supplies.
Repairing Rigging Equipment: Ropes are tangled, minor repairs that were supposed to be done later need to happen now, and other unforeseen problems slow down the preparations. The PCs can jump in and lend their expertise so that this work is done more quickly by attempting a DC 18 Crafting check to provide repairs.
Managing and Prioritizing: No one had planned on the camp turning into a caravan, so there are tempers and egos to manage as well as practical considerations to account for. A PC can step in and attempt a DC 18 Diplomacy or Mercantile Lore check to streamline the process by mediating or helping to prioritize supplies.
Planning a Route: Ardax has had several conversations with his scouts about the best route to take so that the dignitaries reach Cleft Head Hold safely. A PC can contribute, using their knowledge of the landscape and trade routes with a DC 18 Belkzen Lore, Mercantile Lore, or Nature check.
Although today Greengold is an important trade hub, it was founded as an elven outpost a long time ago by a legendary elven hero named Kyloss Syndar. Every year, Greengold holds a celebration in honor of this hero and the founding of the town. Everyone is invited, but for the safety of the council, each delegate who chooses to do so is asked to come up with a cover story for why they’re in town. Aromina and Gorion both decide to sit this event out (citing being nervous about their enemies learning about their presence), while Clavance sits it out because the last two nights have taken their toll and he prefers to spend this evening relaxing with close companions in his lodge.
After the final small council meetings conclude in the late afternoon, the delegates who wish to attend the festival are free to wander th
town of Greengold and enjoy the local celebration. Chalzo’s cover is that she’s here to scout out new mercantile opportunities (not so much a cover, in fact, but a side goal she’s always pursuing). Walder’s cover is that he’s a simple mercenary on his way to look for work in the River Kingdoms and stopped here for a last chance to relax. And Alzarius dresses in civilian clothing and leaves his mask behind, claiming a cover story of a half-elven man here to enjoy a festival that honors one of his ancestors. You are alreadyknown in Greengold as the heroes of Lantana Beach, so you don’t need a cover story.
As you head towards the Festival, you walk past the Founder's Statue, which stands directly across from the Tmeple of Calistria. The statue depicts an elven man wearing gleaming silver chainmail, holding aloft a long, slender sword in one hand and a bow in the other. A podium has been erected in front of the statue and, as you walk by, Mayor Selwyn Vanaidori takes the stage to address the gathered crowd.
“Beautiful and glorious people of Greengold! Today is a special day in our history, for it’s the day we honor a man who symbolizes the spirit of our town. Kyloss Syndar carved this place from the wilderness, using courage and tenacity to do what everyone thought was impossible. And that’s what we’ve done here every day since. We became the first city in Kyonin to welcome everyone. To this day, this a place where all ancestries can live and work, side by side, for a better tomorrow! Please, enjoy the festival!”
The primary celebration happens at a sprawling pavilion at the center of Founder’s Square, surrounded by old inns, shops, and taverns. There’s plenty of song, dance, and drink to be had. Everyone is in good spirits, for it’s tradition in Greengold for locals to use today to end old grudges, forgive debts, and otherwise make amends. As a result, folks randomly come up to you and apologize for things they had nothing to do with, just to clear their conscience.
Just off the main square is a raised stage for performances. A storyteller on the stage has just begun telling the tale of how Kyloss Syndar was given a mandate from Kyonin’s ruler to reclaim these lands from demons who served Treerazer—a mandate most thought impossible. Alzarius and Chalzo stop to listen to the tale.
Meanwhile, opposite the stage is an area with various carnival games. While most of these are simple gambling games for small prizes or sweets, one massive game has drawn a large crowd. Called Hydra Chop, this game invites participants to swing an axe at one of a dozen “hydra heads” which are made from a series of two-foot-long carved logs, connected by ropes, then suspended to a scaffolding above, allowing them to sway back and forth. The trick to cutting them is to hit the rope between the logs as they swing about.
Walder Resket seems taken by the challenge, though he is wary about the optics of a "grand general" taking part in a children's game.
The PCs can attempt to convince him to cast aside his concerns with a DC 28 Diplomacy check or a DC 26 Deception or Intimidation check.
The PCs can try their hand at Hydra Chop as well for the entry fee of 1 gp, but the line is such that they won’t each have time to play more than once. Up to four participants enter at once, and they’re on a timer, having a total of 20 seconds (3 rounds) to attempt to sever all the hydra heads using the provided battle axes. The ropes are AC 25, but the logs are only AC 15. A hit on the rope destroys it and severs that head. Hitting a log deals damage as normal (the logs have a hardness of 5 and 20 hit points) but trying to hit the same log again causes the PC to take a -4 circumstance penalty on their attack roll as the previous blow sent the log into a particularly violent swaying. If the PCs manage to destroy all 12 hydra heads in 3 rounds, they win a silver hydra statue worth 10 gp. If they do it in 2 rounds, they win a gold hydra statue worth 50 gp and if they do it in a single round (somehow), they win a platinum hydra statue worth 200 gp.
Cerulean only splashes the monster with acid, but Esirelle hits with her divine lance. The spirit damage prevents the monster from regenerating, and both Kharya and Timdok capitalize on its momentary vulnerability. Kharya delivers a powerful punch before Timdok unleashes his flurry, a devastating combo that ends in a critical hit!
The strange being's despairing scream fades away swiftly as the body crumples lifeless to hte floor. Each of you feels as if a sudden weight you hadn’t known you'd been carrying has been lifted from your shoulders. This last remnant of your old foe—Akhenaten's anguish personified—has been defeated.
With the defeat of the anguish siktempora, a sudden feeling of elation, hope, and energy infuses the PCs, as if they’d just woken from a glorious night of restful sleep. They automatically regain Hit Points as if they’d rested and can immediately perform their daily preparations. Rather than taking an hour to perform, these preparations happen in an instant, but the PCs still experience this time as an hour, realizing that only a moment has passed when they finish.
Zathra swings wildly again, her eyes wide and her teeth bared. Degan moves to defend Istevan as the warrior gets to his feet, slicing the cultist that tripped him. Mirinde fires a weak magic missile at the same man.
Your foes grin savagely as they raise their spears again. But then, a voice calls out. "Hold! We need not shed more blood this day!" The cultists take a few steps back as a handsome man in heavy armor and carrying a two-handed morningstar over her his shoulder walks towards you from the far end of the hall. The vines seem to wriggle and writhe around him as he approaches.
"I am Azazel of the Light. Will you parlay with me? I believe we all fight for the same cause."
Russ and Blaze team up to slice and burn another shadow out of existence. The remaining shadow and the spawn created from Ankra's shadow attack Russ, weakening him as they tug at his shadow!
Wherby gives the false statue the evil eye before breaking its grasp and retreating. The rest of you assault it, Tekmin delivering the killing blow with Monarch! The thing groans and collapses into a shapeless mass of quivering flesh!
Shocked by the quick demise of its companion, the other shapechanging aberration sloughs off to the far corner of the room! Its mouth opens as it speaks in Common. "Please, have mercy on me! I'll turn into a statue to celebrate your glory if you just spare my life," it whimpers.
"You foul-mouthed goose! I'll pluck your feathers out, one by one!" Hobnail shrieks, Wispil's taunts driving her into a frenzy! She hefts her scythe and attacks. Wispil honks and dodges her blows for a bit until the other guards arrive and demand an investigation. A brief investigation leads to Hobnail's expulsion from the conclave!
Meanwhile, the rest of you do your best to convince Oakadence to shift his vote. The wizened arboreal is usually patient, but he's waited long enough. He's eager to raid Taldan communities, crush houses, and punt livestock in retaliation for centuries of injustices that he remembers with granular detail. While Gentle Storm makes some progress in getting through to him, it's not enough, and you're out of time to do any more convincing as the voting is about to get under way!
***
As the sun sets, attendees converge on the amphitheater to nominate leaders, confer among themselves, and cast their votes to determine the Wildwood Lodge’s leadership for the next year. Half of the seats filled by hundreds of cheering spectators a month ago are now occupied by solemn Wildwood Lodge druids, worry and concern clearly etched on their faces. Fey, intelligent animals, and other Verduran residents fill the remaining space.
Over the next hour as the sky darkens, roughly a dozen candidates introduce themselves from the amphitheater’s simple wooden stage to make a case for their leading the Wildwood Lodge. Underwhelmed by the less belligerent candidates, Emorga All-Seer reluctantly nominates herself. She receives vocal support from many, especially those who you have managed to influence. The more hawkish candidates (including Khasprickle) seem likely to split the vote, with each espousing war for different reasons and with different objectives. Khasprickle’s speech earns little applause, which he interprets as a personal insult; he’s dragged from the stage after retaliating with vengeful verbal abuse.
As the voting representatives confer among themselves, a leaf leshy attendant dutifully trundles around the center of the amphitheater setting up a circle of clay pots filled with earth, one for each candidate.As per tradition, each representative receives a shiny acorn, which they deposit in their favorite candidate’s pot to cast their vote. Lodge officials will relocate the winner’s pot to a special grove on the Isle of Arenway afterward.
Yet just before voting begins, the various discussions end abruptly as a new contender arrives, striding confidently to the stage. It is Ruzadoya Swiftmane—the centaur who perished in the Greenwood Gala attack—or rather, what remains of her. Her body has partly healed but is sickly, seemingly held together as much by her wooden armor as by her willpower. Her sister Vandalya gasps in horrified shock!
Ruzadoya Swiftmane slowly trots in a circle, her cold and unblinking gaze commanding everyone’s silent attention. Plates of greenwood grow from and twist about her body, encasing her in living armor that covers sickly flesh. She calls out in a clear voice:
“Cowards! Bootlickers!” Her voice constricts into a dry, rattling hiss. “The Wildwood Lodge has failed you. It has failed all of us. For nearly a thousand years, we have watched as the humans of Andoran and Taldor devoured our forest alive with axe and flame—humans the druids invited into our lands. The elves of Kyonin do nothing, content to stand aside so long as their forests remain untouched. And despite proclaiming themselves patrons of nature, the gods themselves have abandoned us.
“But I have not!” Ruzadoya gestures to her transformed body. “When I would have died, the Verduran Forest itself restored me and called me back, giving me a sacred charge and a precious truth: only we can protect ourselves. It is time we drove these parasites from our forest forever. We shall cut them down as they felled our trees! We shall cast down their bodies to nourish the soil! We shall strike so ferociously that for generations, our foes won’t dare set foot anywhere a tree casts shade!
“And when we have reclaimed our forest and my charge is fulfilled, I shall destroy this transient vessel that stands before you tonight. I shall return to the earth to become part of the land once more.”
She places a clay pot among the others, concluding, “If you’ll have me, of course.”
The audience’s shocked silence soon erupts into outrage and disbelief. Elders of the Wildwood Lodge (including Emorga) appear disgusted and terrified, fully cognizant that Ruzadoya’s fiery introduction could unite their divided political opponents.
Gentle Storm realizes that Ruzadoya appears to be a graveknight, a powerful undead creature that can form when a spiteful warrior dies a violent death. A graveknight becomes permanently fused to their armor, which is almost always metal. Ruzadoya’s wooden armor is very unusual. Despite her undead nature, she seems entirely sincere in her zealous intent to punish the forest's enemies and then destroy herself.
"I doubt anything will stop Molthune completely. They are too dead-set on their supposed superiority. But it may at least give them pause, allowing us some breathing room," Aromina says.
By the end of the small council, you have fully won the Speaker over to your cause. She signs the Conquest Accord, but with the condition that at least three of the other delegates promise to send aid as part of the Self Defense Agreement (leaving Molthune aggression a silent part of this condition).
"Please, take this gift," Aromina says before you leave, offering you a skirmisher's coat."It has has been in my family for three generations—and I could conceive of no greater honor than to know a true hero now wears it."
You have reached maximum Influence with Aromina. Everybody gains a Hero Point!
"It was abandoned when I got here," the naga hisses. "I've made it my nest for the past several years. But now I suppose I'll need to find a new lair." She slithers off, leaving you to dig through her sizable hoard.
Piled haphazardly in the southern corner of the room are 123 gp worth of loose coins (copper, silver, and gold), a suit of +1 low-grade cold iron splint mail with a ready rune etched into the gorget, a spellguard shield, and assorted gems, jewelry, weapons, and art objects worth a total of 200 gp. She also has multiple pages of Kalmaug’s Journal scattered around her hoard. Combined with the pages you've recovered, you are able to complete the first chapter, transforming it into a powerful relic!
Kalmaug's Journal:
This grimoire is constructed from individual tarnished silver plates, bound together to form a fine book. Each page contains engraved maps, accounts of sites in Nar-Voth, and daily journals. Throughout the journal, spells and notes are inscribed on the margins and within the text. When Chapter One is completed, this grimoire contains the following spells: allfood, deep sight, fate’s travels, glowing trail, know location, stonesense, wanderer’s guide.
If you use the grimoire during your daily preparations and are capable of preparing spells of the appropriate level, when you cast a non-damaging spell prepared from this grimoire, you can Step or Stride up to half your Speed after Casting the Spell. To scribe additional spells into the grimoire, you must provide additional silver plates at the cost of 10 gp per spell when Learning the Spell.
Forming the Bond: The PCs locate and bind together the silver plates for Chapter One.
Advancing the Bond: Locate additional chapters of the journal and bind them together.
Minor Gifts ease burden, word of faith
Major Gifts underground bounty
"Of course Molthune would seek to deny us the basic protections of this alliance," Aromina says bitterly. "You must do what is best for all of the nations gathered here. If it is absolutely necessary, we will agree not to be represented in Article I. But as long as Molthune continues its aggression, Nirmathas's ability to aid against the Whispering Tyrant will be compromised."
Takarias Warfare Lore:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (18) + 22 = 40
You make some progress negotiating with Aromina. She pledges to sign the Self Defense Agreement, but still needs more convincing regarding the Conquest Accord.
Yes, standing up from prone is an action. You could also attack from prone, at a -2 to hit. Melee attacks against you while you are prone gain a +2 bonus to hit you.
"She is waiting for me at the monastery," Yeri says to Hooli.
Li Jie can smell a strong scent of earth and loam around the girl, but other than that, he doesn't notice anything unusual.
Xiung-Lau's spell reveals that the prayer beads Yeri clutches are magical, but she doesn't seem to have any magical auras on her. However, with his mastery of occultism, he is able to piece some clues together. The fact that she hasn't aged, the scar on her neck, the smell of loam... It is very likely that Yeri is, in fact, a monster known as a penanggalan.
Penanggalans feed on the blood and entrails of the young. When hunger strikes, their neck rips from side to side, allowing their head to float upward and pull out their lungs, stomach, and intestines. They leave their bodies much like a molting crab leaves its old shell, then fly off to find a victim filled with blood and guts...
Mal mauls the naga while Brijetta slashes her with shards and Uhe fires an arrow into her body. Gig grazes the wight while Brijetta delivers a critical hit, badly damaging it.
Hissing in pain, the naga lets the summoning spell go, the wight crumbling to dust. She casts a spell to give herself sanctuary and try to ward off further harm. "Enough!" she calls. "You are obviously more formidable than I had anticipated. I propose a cease to hostilities. I will offer you all the treasures I have gathered here in exchange for my life!"
Qisik moves to flank a ghoul with Njinga, stabbing it in the back. Njinga destroys one ghoul with her shield bash then hits the other one thanks to the flank, crushing its skull as well. Only one ghoul remains. Melor blasts the sodden mage, getting one good shot in but missing with his follow-up.
The mage moves within 15 feet of Melor and Skaytar before vomiting a blast of flotsam at them! The last ghoul attacks Njinga again.
Needing to rest and recover, you return to the Harrow Court. After recovering in your quarters in Harrowheart, your new Harrow cards epitomize in the demiplane.
The Hidden Truth: A group of mysterious scholars establishes libraries and study halls in the village surrounding Harrowheart. A PC who spends Downtime training with these scholars can Retrain feats, skills, and class features, provided the new feat, skill, or class feature is magic-themed. Feats and skill increases retrained here take only 5 days, while class features retrained here take only 3 weeks.
The Forge: One of Harrowheart’s workshops transforms into a forge. The quality of the tools now found here increase that workshop’s item bonus to Crafting checks made within to a +2. When The Forge is first epitomized, 10,000 gp of raw materials suitable for use in crafting metal items manifests in the workshop. These raw materials can be used to create items or even simply harvested and sold for a profit, as they do not vanish if taken out of the Harrow Court. Once these raw materials are used or sold, they do not replenish.
However, additional materials do manifest periodically within the workshop. Their appearances are linked to the party’s level, manifesting as soon as The Forge is epitomized or (if The Forge is already epitomized) as soon as the PCs attain the respective level. 17th-level: 13,500 gp of cold iron; 18th-level: 18,000 gp of mithral; 19th-level: 18,000 gp of adamantine; 20th-level: 30,000 gp of orichalcum
Istevan slices into one of the cultists, and Mirinde finishes them off with a well-placed arrow. But Zathra's wild swing misses her foe. The cultists retaliate, stabbing Istevan in the leg and sweeping him off his feet and grazing Zathra in the arm!
Blaze disrupts the shadows' forms with healing magic while mending Ankra's wounds. Russ misses with his attack, but Ankra's critical strike annihilates the most wounded of the shadows.
Still regarding the kineticist as the biggest threat, the remaining shadows continue to attack him! They relentlessly drain him and tug at his shadow, which finally rips free to become a spawn under the shadows' control!
"What kind of work were we doing. Oh, noneya. That's none ya business!" Adimar says with a snicker. He seems unmoved by both Vyana and Siobhan's efforts to win him over, holding tightly to the Scarnetti family grudge against you.
***
Kaleb clinks his glass against Helmut's, but it seems that the goblin's shtick is starting to wear a little thin.
***
Arika manages a chuckle. "I'll keep you in mind, should the need arise. Thanks, Viv."
You have gained 1 Influence Point with Arika (3 total now).
***
As the lunch comes to an end late, Kaleb stands and spreads his arms. "My friends, this has been an enjoyable afternoon. We shall take our leave now, but I'm sure we will see each other again in the future. Until then!" His companions rise and follow him out of the tavern.
Fortitude vs Blindness:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29 Fortitude vs Bone Warp:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32
The naga cries out as Brijetta scorches it and impales it with metal shards, leaving bleeding wounds behind. It resists Gig's blindness spell, only becoming momentarily blinded, and it ignores Mal's void spell.
"Curse you!" the naga hisses, casting a powerful spell. She summons a dwarven wight which appears behind Brijetta, slashing at the kineticist!
18 slashing damage to Brijetta. She must attempt a DC 17 Fortitude save against Corrupting Spite.
Corrupting Spite (curse, divine, void):
The wight's unarmed attacks and bound weapons inflict a curse that makes a creature grow weak and spiteful. If a wight inflicts corrupting spite on a creature already afflicted by it, the victim attempts a new save, ignoring the result if it's better than a failure. A living humanoid that dies while under the curse rises as a wight after 1d4 rounds, controlled by the wight that killed it. The wight spawn can't inflict corrupting spite and is clumsy 2. If its creator dies or after roughly a month of existence, the new wight becomes autonomous and turns into a normal wight; Saving Throw DC 17 Fortitude; Stage 1 drained 1 (1 round); Stage 2 drained 2 and doesn't treat any creatures as allies (1 round); Stage 3 As stage 2, except drained 3 (1 round); Stage 4 As stage 2, except drained 4 (1 round).
Qisik burns the nearest ghoul with his fire magic, then Njinga takes it down with a lash of vitality! Skaytar zaps the mage and a ghoul with lightning before burning the mage, though the sodden undead seems to resist some of the fire damage. Melor's shots go wide of his target.
The mage moves closer and uses his magic to attempt to paralyze Skaytar. The ghouls leap into melee with Njinga, biting and clawing at her.
"Mmm hmm, mm hmm. I see," Glitterbeak says, bobbing his head as Wispil and Kilitsi impart the potential consequences of violence. "Very well. I hereby proclaim that all the Verduran Forest's flying creatures shall vote for peace!" This causes a cacophonous chorus of cawing from his corvid coterie!
You have reached maximum Influence with Glitterbeak.
***
Gentle Storm creeps up on Hobnail and steals the blackguard's cap! The redcap shrieks with rage and raises her scythe. "Hey! What's the big idea! Give that back, you overgrown furball!"
You have gained 1 Influence Point with Hobnail. She's angry now...
***
"Cousin," Vandalya returns Alessandria's greeting. "I do not claim to know all that is going on behind the scenes, but I cannot stand by and allow my sister's death to go unavenged. For that and countless other slights, the centaurs of the woods must vote for a candidate who will do more than just try to appease the humans. I am not unsympathetic to your words, though. I will listen carefully during the conclave before making a final decision."
Everybody may roll for the final influence round now.
Both Sariana and Floare land good hits on Vordakai. Floare and Dante drag Deregar further away from the battle. The lich commands Tandri to repair some of the damage, after which the cleric finally breaks free of his control. Snarling, he sustains the entropy field, intensifying it even more. He reaches out to try to grasp Sariana by the head but the monk manages to block with her shield!
"I... I can't remember," Yeri says, her voice distraught. She clutches the prayer beads tighter. "Please, I just... I need you to help me find my big sister. Please..."
Both Raneshi and Takarias succeed at scoring higher than the current record! Lithlania is impressed. "Well done! You've earned a prize!" She offers you a greater potency crystal talisman.
You notice Aromina has been watching the archery contest, studying you more than the correspondence she was working on. Once the contest is complete, the Speaker invites you inside so that you might speak. She then walks you to the sitting room and begins to make a pot of tea with leaves from her garden at home. While doing so, she asks you how you meetings have been going and what you think of the other delegates. She is just making small talk, though, and doesn't press you for information.
Once the tea is ready, Aromina serves it herself before getting down to business. "Allow me to speak frankly. Nirmathas isn’t in much of a position to help anyone at the moment, what with all of its struggles at home. Our border with the Gravelands is little more than a river, with few fortifications, meaning that the undead can wander south at will. Worse for us is the southern border, where Molthune has stepped up its attacks and now has fearsome new allies bent on conquest. Although Nirmathas’s conflict along oue western border with Oprak a few years ago has settled into an uneasy peace, it also cost us dearly. And now, finally, we struggle to find safe harbor on the lake due to the Whispering Tyrant’s plague barges.
"So, surrounded, Nirmathas is more likely to need help than to be able to grant it, although we nation are not without our resources, including one of the largest untamed forests in the region that could supply valuable materials for the construction of ships. We also have a vast treasure of herbal medicines and natural cures that might prove pivotal in the coming struggles. And, of course, our rangers and other militia groups are incredibly skilled and battle hardened—if only they were not otherwise fully engaged.
"In our current state, we are willing to sign the Writ of Nonaggression, as well as the Mutual Aid Alliance. We are likely to trigger that clause immediately to help the Knights of the Everflame on our northern border."
You gain 2 Influence Points from being good-natured about the archery contest. You are at 4 total right now.
Discover: Perception, Society, Warfare Lore Influence: Diplomacy (concerning the delicate situation with Molthune here at the conference). Nature (complimenting Aromina on the tea), Society (discussing the precarious situation of Nirmathas), Survival, Warfare Lore (to carefully broach the subject of the ongoing struggle with Molthune)
Timdok delivers a critical strike on the strange creature. Esirelle blasts it with divine power, but it completely ignores the spell. Kharya delivers a powerful punch but fails to grab it.
The monster's wounds rapidly regenerate as it bites Timdok again, then its scream intensifies into a terrible shriek!
The shadows quickly scatter and evade Russ'ruk's cold blast, save for one who is slightly affected by it. Blaze and Vesi try to zap them with lightning but they prove quite nimble and aren't very badly hurt. Blaze has more luck with a direct blast of fire, and Ankra's water spear proves effective.
The shadows converge on Ankra, draining his life force and tugging on his shadow, weakening him as they work to pull it free completely!
Clydane regards Alessandria. "I, too, worship a god of the elves. But my patron is Calistria, for I seek vengeance against those who would despoil the Verduran Forest and its inhabitants. We must constantly be vigilant against humanoid poachers and ne'er-do-wells."
Though resistant at first, the proud unicorn eventually allows Genelte Storm to tend to his broken horn. He sighs as the druid provides his old injury some relief. "Thank you. You are true friends of the forest. I shall vote in whichever way you deem is best for the future of our home."
You have reached maximum Influence with Clydance.
***
"Hey there, fellow avian!" Glitterbeak says, preening his feathers. "I happy to hear the opinion of another winged creature such as myself. Peace, you say, is best? You have my attention. Tell me more!"
"Tell me more! Tell me more!" echo the flock of corvids perched in the tree alongside their sparkling leader!
Floare continues to flail at Vordakai ineffectively. Tyr scores one hit, but the lich commands Tandri to restore the damage done. "Pathetic. Is this the best this world has to offer?" He sustains the aura of entropy, which intensifies, as he reaches out for Tyr with a bony hand, scoring two critical hits!
Everybody within 20 feet of Vordakai must attempt a DC 35 basic Fortitude save against awaken entropy (37 negative or force damage). Tyr takes 66 negative damage. Assuming he's alive after that, he must succeed at a DC 32 Fortitude save. The creature becomes paralyzed for 1 round on a failure. On a critical failure, the creature is paralyzed permanently, falls prone, and seems dead.
As Zienvus reels, Ilakni sighs in delight. "Ah. Congratulations, Zienvus. You haven take your first steps toward awakening."
He turns to the two sprites. "Oh, but Sylva! I do not wish to leave. A glorious future awaits me. When Osoyo awakens, my mind and soul will be consumed and transformed into the first of the Blackfrost Whale’s harbingers on Golarion. You can share in this glory! Let me into your minds to open you to the Blackfrost Whale, and join me in being the vanguard of harbingers for the new world to come!"
The woman sniffles. "My name is Yeri. My big sister is Yuni. She looks like me, but older. She convinced me to sneak out of town to walk along the Pilgrim's Path on a dare to check out the abandoned monastery. But we got separated, and now I don't know where I am! Please, can you help me reach the monastery? I'm sure Yuni is waiting for me there!"
Yeri shivers and pulls her high-collared jacket tightly around her body, but not before you catch a glimpse of a faint scar that curls all the way around her neck.
Willowshore Lore DC 20 or Society DC 25:
You recognize Yeri as somebody who went missing from Willowshore 10 years ago. It looks like she hasn't aged a day since then...
The naga evades Brijetta's shard strike. Uhe devises an excellent stratagem, scoring a critical hit with Skysunder and distracting the creature so that Mal's fiery attack strikes true!
The naga casts a fear spell and sinks its fangs into Uhe!
Everybody must attempt a DC 26 Will save against fear (3rd level). Uhe takes 18 piercing damage and must attempt a DC 28 Fortitude save against Dark Naga Venom.
Dark Naga Venom (incapacitation, poison) Saving Throw DC 27 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 5 minutes; Stage 1 slowed 1 (1 round); Stage 2 slowed 2 (1 round); Stage 3 unconscious with no Perception check to wake up (1d4+1 minutes)
With Razmiran in compliance, you head to the final delegation, the one from Nirmathas. Aromina Yasgon came to the council with a minimal staff, hoping to avoid drawing too much attention, and those she did bring are hardened travelers, members of the Forest Marshall’s militia. When you arrive at their dwelling, your are escorted to the small, private garden behind the lodge where the militia are practicing their forms and doing a bit of archery. Aromina greets you and suggests you make yourselves comfortable while she finishes up some correspondence with one of her superiors back home.
While you are writing, one of the soldiers approaches you. "Pardon the interruption," the elven woman says, "I'm Sergeant Lithlania. I was wondering if any of you would like to get in a little target shooting while you wait?"
If you're interested, she escorts you over to the target range where they have a variety of small sandbag targets set up throughout the yard. There are 5 nearby blue bags, 3 small green bags a bit further away, 2 yellow bags hidden in some bushes, and 1 red bag at the other end of the yard that swings back and forth from a pulley. Blue targets are worth 1 point, green are worth 2, yellow are worth 3, and the red target is worth 5. Each archer has 5 arrows, and each target can only be hit once by an individual archer. She proclaims that the best score of the day so far is 9.
Each PC may try their hand a the contest by making five attacks using a ranged weapon of their choice. The blue targets are AC 15, the green are AC 20, the yellow bags are AC 25 and are concealed, and the red bag is AC 30 and is also concealed for part of its journey along the track (an observant PC can try to time their shot by making a DC 30 Perception check to figure out the right time to fire, removing the concealed condition).
Esirelle blasts the wight, then Kharya delivers a devastating punch combo, crushing the undead and easily avoiding its last futile dagger strike.
The room falls quiet for a few moments. However, it doesn't last long, as the sound of someone screaming in anguish across a vast distance quickly evolves into a shrill howl of pain as it fills the room. A moment later, an unsettlingly familiar shape manifests, floating 5 feet above the pool.
Akhenaten! The Mind Thief, the Forgotten Pharoah! He points a bandaged finger at you and cries out. "I have found you! I am Pain. I am Torment. I am the Fulcrum of Blissful Suffering. I am also your legacy—born from the anguish caused by your conflict with your great enemy. I felt you as you struck down my shadow in that dusty old cavern, but now I stand before you in the tormented flesh, and now you will taste the fruits of that torment!"
The creature’s shape distorts and transforms into a massive, malformed head from which sickly hooked limbs dangle!
Even as you prepare the fight, the thing seems to skitter forward out of sync with time's flow, biting at Timdok! Its teeth tear at him as it continues screaming, battering him with the sound!
Both wights dodge some of Kharya's detonation. The rest of you focus down one wight, overwhelming its necromantic energies. It stabs Timdok one final time before falling.
Wherby doesn't notice anything unusual about the statues. As he reaches out to try to open one of them, though, he finds it to have a strange, adhesive texture. His hand gets stuck fast, and a moment later, a rubbery pseudopod extends from the statue and bashes him!
Degan hides in the shadows as Istevan and Zathra stumble forward to get into melee range. Clancy's spells falters, and he feels Justicia's disapproval.
The cultists lash out at Istevan and Zathra, some getting in some good blows!
Ilakni betrays no emotion, the black tendrils writhing around him. "Etward's death is irrelevant. He was but one pawn of many." He cocks his head. "You don't remember the last time you were here, do you? How you captured me and my fellow elves at Etward's command, bound us and lead us to this place? Once we arrived, the Blackfrost Whale granted you a sliver of its power, and you were sent off to capture the last saumen kar. I will admit, I am eager to know exactly how that mission played out..."
As Ilakni speaks, fragments of memory come flooding back to you. Each of you must attempt a DC 25 Will saving throw to resist becoming stupefied 1 (or stupefied 2 on a critical failure).
