You make your way without incident through the thick jungle, which eventually opens into a clearing with a single tent and a burnt-out campfire. In the center of the clearing, a 10-foot-tall pillar crowned with the head of a black dragon rises!
A shooting pain pierces Ardoinel's head--this foul monument is clearly dedicated to Dahak!
From behind the pillar, a strange figure emerges. It appears to have the body of a charau-ka, but the horns, wings, and tail of a dragon! She shouts at you in Mwangi:
The dragon statue seems oddly drawn to Ardoinel, and black beams shoot from it's eyes, targeting him!
DC 24 Fortitude save:
Crit Success: No effect
Success: Blinded 1 Round
Failure: Blinded 1 hour
Crit Failure: Blinded 24 hours
Before You Act: Ardoinel, DC 24 Fort save
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Pillar
Netkin
Ardoinel
Ellaeaanda
Resa
Vitus
Vrosi
Black
Markus
Map The pillar is a hazard. It can be disabled with Athletics (expert) to push the pillar over, or Thievery DC 26 on the pillar to erase the magic runes that power it, or dispel magic to dispel the pillar’s magic.
Those items are fine. They are coming from pretty far afield though!
Once you make your way into the jungle, and are about an hour east of the Ekujae settlement, a familiar figure scrambles down a tree next to the path and steps up in front of you:
"Well, that looked like fun!" Renali says, cheerfully. "I'm not one for crowds myself, but I promised to help guide you through the jungle, so here I am. This should be interesting, too."
"Do you have any idea what you're looking for, now?"
Each day she’s traveling with you, you can ask her to aid you in one of the following ways:
• Gather Supplies: As she is familiar with the area, Renali can automatically scavenge enough fruit and fresh water to feed and hydrate the PCs for a day.
• Construct Shelter: Renali can use her skill at weaving to craft an excellent shelter for the PCs to spend the night in. Each day she uses this action, she attempts a Crafting check (her modifier is +14) to determine the effectiveness of the woven shelter when using the Camp in the Mwangi Jungle downtime activity (she still gains a +2 circumstance bonus if she uses Ekujae mosquito netting).
• Scout: She can independently scout an adjacent hex to the PCs, reporting back in the evening to let them know if a site of interest lies within the area.
• Encounter Support: While Renali doesn’t enjoy combat, she’ll certainly aid the PCs in battle as best she can. When providing encounter support, Renali can also serve as a translator for the PCs. If the PCs ask her to help create a camp after a day in which she’s provided encounter support, she doesn’t have time to spin silk to augment the shelter and thus uses her basic Crafting modifier of +10 to resolve the activity
Camping in the Mwangi:
EXPLORATION SECRET
Setting up a camp in the Mwangi Jungle takes about an hour and requires one PC to attempt a secret DC 22 Survival check to determine the quality f the campsite. Utilizing Ekujae mosquito netting they provide grants the PC a +2 circumstance bonus to this Survival check. At your option, other precautions taken by the PCs can instead grant this bonus, but multiple tactics are not cumulative. Certain magic spells like magnificent mansion or rope trick, or magic items like an instant fortress, can create shelters that result in an automatic success at camping in dangerous terrain like the Mwangi Jungle, but at this point in their adventuring careers, the PCs are unlikely to have access to this type of magic. This activity assumes the PCs are resting for 8 hours.
Critical Success The camp serves the PCs well, allowing them to rest and make their daily preparations upon waking without difficulty. The camp is also camouflaged or protected, and as a result, there is no chance of a random encounter while the PCs rest.
Success The camp serves the PCs well, allowing them to rest and make their daily preparations upon waking without difficulty.
Failure The camp doesn’t effectively prevent insects, rain, and other unpleasant jungle elements from reaching the PCs. The PCs can still rest and make their daily preparations, but each PC is also exposed to dysentery (see sidebar).
Critical Failure The camp is an utter mess. The PCs are exposed to both dysentery
and malaria (see sidebar). In addition, they gain no benefit from rest during
the time spent camping, and they instead become fatigued.
If you only travel, you can cover 2 hexes in a day. If you do stuff in a square, that takes the rest of the day. I'm not going to make you explore every hex. If there's something in it, you'll find it. If it's hidden, I'll do secret Perception checks for you.
The transparent figure of a muscular human woman, clad in linothorax armor, strides across the crater. Her sandaled feet don’t touch the ground, but bursts of dust and grass rise where she walks. She hefts her gladius high, pointing it warningly at the newcomers. “I am Sophreista of Eupherae,” she declares. “Slayer of the Chimera of Aevelos, scourge of the armies of Pol-Sylirica, she who held back the tide at Melekei. Who are you?”
As she waits for an answer, her outline briefly shimmers crimson, but the aura dissipates as she shakes her head. “I rage at my own behest, fury-star,” she grumbles under her breath. “No one else’s.”
Iannos takes down the griffon with a perfectly-placed attack! The creature's blood splashes across its feathers, one of which glows with magical power.
Investigation of the crater reveals that a small object, about the size of a human head, fell from the sky here, though no trace of it remains.
DC 14 Survival or DC 16 Perception:
You spot some humanoid footprints around the crater, though these are at least several days old, and their trail is soon lost in the scuffling left by the hippogriffs.
Sorry for the delay! Last week of school for me just ended. Off for summer!
So, I've never really had a good experience with the hexporation in PBP. I think that if you guys pick a direction to travel, I'll get you to the important sites in that direction. Otherwise it just draaaaaaaags.
(Also, I don't think a newer AP would have this big an area for hexploration. Too many hexes!)
After a night of rest, Nketiah provides you with some supplies and wishes you well: Two pup tents, five full waterskins, 4 weeks’ worth of rations, mosquito netting, healer’s tools, 6 vials of lesser antiplague, 3 lesser elixirs of life, and 5 vine arrows.
Nketiah also enjoyed your efforts to impress her people. She gifts each of you with a 6th-level worn or held magic item of your choice. (As long as it makes sense to be in the Mwangi!)
"We can't come with you because of the curse, but feel free to return here if you need to!" Nketiah outlines an area of the jungle and marks the village [A] and the ruined temple [B]. She also sketches out the course of the major river that runs through the region.
Come see me in Discussion. This is the tough part of the adventure to run in PBP.
On the cusp of completing a grand project that would wow audiences and build solidarity between the five squabbling cities of the desert nation of Thuvia, a trio of renowned artists suddenly go missing, putting their plans on an indefinite hold.
Who could be behind such treachery—and why would such a villain desire an end to art?
Rohirron positions himself to protect against the griffons, while Acantheus' magic crackles across the battlefield. Siara heals the centaur and empowers his lance while Iannos distracts the beasts.
"The gold of our lands is the blood of the Destroyer, spilled by our ancestors," Nketiah answers. "It's dangerous to even touch it, much less wear it. It is the curse of Dahak that prompts even the kindest of dragons and the noblest of humans to covet gold, and it is the curse of Dahak that ensures blood will always be spilled over the greed that gold inspires. No Ekujae ever willingly wears gold, with a single exception: the
keledi, like my father."
"They are elves who have sworn to sacrifice their lives to fight against Dahak should the Great Darkness ever return. They wear ritually purified gold as a sign that they are worthy enough that their souls could cut the very flesh of a god, and to mark them as a living sacrifice to the fight against their ancestral foe."
To Netkin, she says, "The barrier should not harm you. Our priests have examined it and determined that it is keyed against the Ekujae in particular."
"We'll provision you as we can to trek through the jungle. That you have made it this far tells me that you are very resourceful. I'm sure you'll be able to make headway."
Nketiah bows to Ardoinel after his outburst and story: "We know all about containing the shadow. Do you see my father there?"
The storyteller points to where Jahsi sits in the circle. "Notice how he is the only one among us who wears gold. He alone of the tribe can bear to contain the curse of that metal, and so he wears it with honor and virtue."
"All of you are able and generous storytellers, and clearly care for each other. Those are also virtues that we greatly value."
You early 2 Influence Points for excellent roleplaying during story time.
"Let's walk together, and enjoy the night air," Nketaih says as the gathering starts to break up. She leads you to a comfortably breezy platform that enjoys some privacy.
"To speak plainly of the story I told earlier, in days long ago, our tribe battled Dahak to a standstill, and many of our people sacrificed their souls to empower weapons strong enough to piece the scales of a god. His avatar has been trapped in a...between place...since then," Nketiah is an excellent translator, but you can tell that the Taldane words she uses here are imprecise. "The Cinderclaw cultists seem determined to bring the Destroyer to Golarion. You are trying to track down the cultists who invaded your lands, yes? They’ve tormented us as well, and if you can find them and defeat them, we will all prosper. I think I can give you a place to start.
"Shortly after we drove the cultists away from the temple of Ketephys, we sent scouts east to track them as they fled. Yet these scouts swiftly came to a spot in the forest they could not enter without being struck blind. They said it was as if the air had turned to embers and ashes, and they could not breathe or see—as if they were somehow caught in that terrible battle our people fought against the Darkness, thousands of years ago.
“When I studied the broken pillar that the Cinderclaws left behind in the temple after we drove them off, I could tell that some of it was meant to channel power against my people in particular. The Darkness has a grudge against us, and I think the Cinderclaws are using the power of that grudge to keep the Ekujae from striking back against them where it matters most: at the seat of their power. So, what would you say if I asked you to investigate the jungle to the east? If I am wrong and you end up blind, I promise to heal you—free of charge!”
Sounds like you folks are reasonably cautious about messing with the lives of people you just met! Just remember that it's on the table as you get to know the Ekujae better.
Once everyone has had plenty of time to eat, drink, socialize, and listen to music, Nketiah interrupts the festivities by striking her staff against the floor.
You know that, as part of their tradition for welcoming guests, the Ekujae swap stories with their visitors in a storyteller’s circle. Nketiah intends to speak first.
“Come, children of the Leopard Clan!” Nketiah’s voice calls out, clear and strong above the sounds of the festivities. “Dusk has fallen! Let us call a moth to tell us a story!” As one, the Ekujae stand and hold their hands cupped in front of them, each conjuring a ball of light into their palms.
“I have caught a little moth!” Nketiah says, dramatically clutching the air in front of her. “It has a story to tell. It is a story of a Great Darkness.”
“We will listen,” the others reply.
“There was once a time of anguish. A time of destruction. A time of night so dark that even moths refused to fly. From a hole in this night came a Great Darkness, who saw the world suffer, and thought only that it wanted to see more suffering. The Darkness sought to burn all that remained, until there was nothing left but ashes.
“The first people that the Darkness found were a brave people, who stood before the Darkness with their weapons and did not run. The Darkness sought to destroy them, saying, ‘You shall fall before me, for I am Death and I am Fire.’ But the people were not afraid, and replied, ‘You shall not break us, for we are the guardians of this land, who stayed to defend it when all others fled.’
“Oh, what a terrible battle it was! The people shattered their spears gainst the Darkness again and again, but no living being could pierce its hide. At last, the greatest among the people, the kindest, the most righteous, gave their lives to forge their souls into weapons for the people to wield. Oh, how their souls burned, like bright coals in the night! The people took up the souls of those they had most loved, and in wrath split the skin of the Darkness. They spilled the blood of the Darkness across the whole of their lands. They broke the horn and teeth from the Darkness and flung them into the sea. Yet still the Darkness would not die!
“The people forced the Darkness back into the place from whence it had emerged. The people trapped it in the space between spaces. The people swore they would stand guard so that the Darkness could never escape to threaten the land again.
“Could the people imprison the Darkness forever, when even the best among them could not defeat it? Was it foolish to expect them to try?” Nketiah pauses, then says, “That is the story that we have been given.”
“We will remember,” the other Ekujae reply.
Once Nketiah has finished, she asks you to share some of their own stories. The elves have no preference regarding the kind of story you might tell, as long as the story is not offensive and is told well.
Vrosi sizes up Akosa, carefully observing a conversation that reveals that the elf still has emotional turmoil from his capture by Aspis League agents that leaves him reluctant to pursue happiness, and that he is convinced Jahsi sees them only as friends due to the difference in how Jahsi treats Akosa compared to how he treated Hiruth.
Ellaeanda realizes that Jahsi is uncertain of his current feelings due to his long friendship with Akosa and still has reservations due to feeling unfaithful to his deceased wife Hiruth.
Nketiah replies to Ardoinel: "Oh, you met Harriet! We named her after the explorer who brought her to us. This poor woman had rescued a baby lion from a smuggler, and she was convinced the cub needed to go back to the jungle where it belonged! Oh, we laughed at her for weeks afterward! But Harriet had the last laugh on us—we found that lion a pride that would accept her and left her out on the plains to live with her people, only to find six months later that the lion had come back to the jungle! Shows what we know! I’m not sure how Harriet eats without any spots to hide her hide in the forest, but she’s certainly fat enough for a lion, so who am I to argue?”
With your appetites whetted and everyone having a nice time at the dinner, main dishes are passed around. People still circulate throughout the feast, chatting with friends and discussing recent events as they eat.
Nketiah approaches you over your dishes and says:
"See my father and his friend Akosa over there?” Nketiah gestures her staff toward where the two elves are speaking quietly to each other.
“They’re both clueless. They have been friends since childhood and been n love for the past ten years, ever since my father helped Akosa recover from his time with the Aspis Consortium and Akosa helped my father recover from my mother’s death. And neither of them will do anything about it! They both have too many concerns invented in their own minds, and they both worry what my mother would think. I know precisely what my mother would think, she would also think they are both being clueless!”
“I have let them dance around each other for years, but today I have decided that life is too short, even for elves. Maybe even especially for elves.” Nketiah seems pensive for a moment, before she shakes her head and scoffs slightly. “The elders here always say it isn’t our place to interfere in other people’s personal lives, but I am a half-elf, so I don’t care about that! Why don’t you help me turn this festive atmosphere into a romantic one to see if those two can catch a hint?”
If you want to do a bit of match-making, this is an open-ended social encounter where you can propose any strategy you like for getting the prospective couple together. You can make checks to Sense Motive (Feel free to roll your own) if you want some clues about the elves' dispositions.
All of the elves have a good time at the pepper eating contest, laughing as each of you tries the peppers. Vrosi manages to outlast all of the children, only being momentarily inconvenienced by the hottest peppers. "Wow, you have a tongue of cast iron!" the kids laugh with Vrosi, when they recover their own composure.
The young elves offer you four bottles of hot pepper oil that have been specially distilled from their garden. Each bottle of this substance acts as salve of antiparalysis, though the creature the salve is used on experiences some blazingly spicy aftereffects in addition to its magical effects.
Your good nature (and heartiness) also impresses the elves. You gain 2 Reputation.
Iannos misses, Rohirron taunts one of the griffons, Acantheus splashes acid on the creatures, and Siara surrounds Rohirron and herself with their magic.
Reflex:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 Reflex:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Both of the creatures seem preternaturally quick, but they still take a bit of damage. (These guys have mythic reflexes.)
Both griffons swoop in on Rohirron, the biggest target.
For those in the group with adventurous palettes, the youngsters offer brightly colored peppers—they brag that they’ve been growing some of the best, most delicious, and spiciest peppers in the city, and challenge you to compete to see who among them can eat the hottest one.
Nketiah grins at the prospect of the harmless fun.
The children set out the peppers in order of mildest to spiciest. Anyone who eats a pepper must attempt a Fortitude save; on a failure, the character is sickened 1, and on a critical failure, they are sickened 4.
If you attempt to recover from being sickened, they must attempt a Deception check at the same DC to keep your composure. A character who can’t recover fully from being sickened within 5 rounds is out of the contest. Losing your composure doesn’t eliminate them, but does draw laughs from the crowd.
The first pepper the children offer requires a DC 15 check; the second DC 19; the third DC 22; the fourth DC 24; and the fifth DC 28.
Who's up for some spice? Feel free to roll all of your checks in one post.
Netkin is able to put together the comments of the people since he arrived with what he already knew of the Ekujae to construct a very complete understanding of their society.
Ekujae Society:
Ekujae organize themselves into distinct social groups known as clans, which in turn create their own villages and towns. These clans are so self-sufficient that many outsiders who encounter them assume that they are entirely separate political entities from one another. The Ekujae clans constitute a united nation, however; the clans maintain strong relationships with one another, though these ties may not be easily evident to people with shorter life spans than the elves. While this nation technically has a king or queen who is chosen from the leaders of he clans, that position exists mainly in case a central authority is needed to take charge during a time of emergency, rather than to dictate nationwide laws.
Though an Ekujae’s immediate relatives are of great importance, most Ekujae believe that clan members should be considered as close as family, and a child of one clan member is treated as a child of the whole clan. An Ekujae’s clan also tends to influence their vocation. Though clans happily support their members’ individual aspirations, certain ones are known for specializing in various trades or skilled work, either through geographical advantage or long tradition—a clan near ancient ruins, for example, might be famous for their warriors and protective magic, while those close to the Magaambya in Nantambu typically educate diplomats and mages. Ekujae are not born into their clans, though they always consider the clan of their mother to be family as well; they instead choose to join a clan after they have reached adulthood. Ekujae are expected to remain a part of their chosen clan for the entirety of their lives, meaning that joining or leaving a clan is a very serious matter, though few clans will refuse a request for either. Banishment from a clan is a shame reserved for heinous social crimes that Ekujae feel do not warrant capital punishment, such as child abandonment or reckless behavior that results in the death of another person, and is a punishment only slightly less severe than a death sentence.
Ekujae clans nominate and elect rulers and their advisers democratically, with all adults having a say in the final outcome. In particularly contentious elections, clan members may demand a task from the potential ruler to prove their worth. Once a ruler is accepted, the ruler and the clan jointly choose the ruler’s advisers. In addition to magical, military, and spiritual advisers, Ekujae highly value advisers known as linguists, who serve simultaneously as diplomats, translators, storytellers, and historians. These linguists are almost always half- lves, who, with their shorter life spans, tend to adapt more easily to changing times and situations that require an immediate solution.
After a couple hours of preparation following the return of the hunting party, the Ekujae bring out food and palm wine for the celebration, including the small game you caught with the hunting party.
Early in the feast, the starting courses are circulating around the table when three grinning youths approach the group. They have heard that northerners "can't hold their spice" and want to ask you if that rumor is true. (A smiling Nketiah stands behind them, curious to see what you will say.)
The Ekujae hunters flinch at your clumsy woodcraft, and Akosa audibly sighs as a flock of bats startles out of a tree and flaps away.
You've lost 2 Influence with the tribe
After you have picked your hunting blind, it's time to try to capture some of the animals. Luckily, the remaining animals tend to be pretty slow and unobservant. With your help, the Ekujae hunters gather several turtles and bats to bring back for the feast.
You automatically succeed on hunting
While the hunters quietly spread word that you are not naturally skilled in game hunting, the community does appreciate your effort to help out.
You gain 2 Influence for bringing back the bats and turtles, so the hunting trip is a wash. Akosa seems particularly unimpressed with you, though, and avoids you as soon as you return to the settlement.
When you reenter the settlement, you notice a slightly unusual sight: a slightly pudgy lioness lying on one of the higher branches and watching you intently.
Nature DC 15:
Lions are not usually jungle animals, nor are they
known for living in trees.
"Ah...you have...flushed out the game," Akosa notes with disappointment. "I hope you like bats and turtles. Some people consider them a delicacy."
Not the best hunting trip, but there is still plenty of game out here. The next step is to get into position to capture some game.
Position the Hunters
With the target game animals located, you must move to an advantageous position without startling the prey. Attempt a Stealth check.
Rohirron intercepts the attacks against Iannos and charges after the attacker. Siara shapes Iannos' flesh and raises a magical barrier while the rogue fires his sling at the blue griffon, critically hitting the creature, who was taken by surprise. Both attempt to siphon mythic power from the creatures.
Some of the red glow surrounding the creatures cracks around the battlefield, forked bolts of power that respond to the heroes' calls.
You gain 1 Mythic Point and the ability to Rewrite Fate!
Rewrite Fate ◇
Uncommon Fortune Mythic
Trigger You roll a skill check or saving throw and don’t like the result.
Destiny, fate, or some other force bends around you as your mythic power swells, manifesting in a flash of light or visible surge of energy emanating from your body as you cast aside the chains of fate. You expend a Mythic Point and reroll the check or save with mythic proficiency (Your level +10), taking the new result.
Acantheus weaves magical protections around the party, though he is unable to make progress unraveling the magic leaking from the crater.
The other griffon swoops in on the centaur, then safely wings out of easy range of the guardian.
This one is going to make sure he's far enough away that one Stride will not reach him.
From the crater, a surge of crimson power blasts across the field, filling you with sudden feelings of wrath!
An infectious battle frenzy threatens to overtake you. Attempt a DC
18 Will save with the following results:
Critical Success You are unaffected.
Success You resist the battle frenzy, but takes 1d6 ⇒ 5 fire damage from the roiling fury coursing through its blood.
Failure As success, and the creature is slowed 1 as it fights off the frenzy.
Critical Failure The creature is confused for 1 round.
The other griffon flies across the field, attacking Rohirron and Iannos with sharp talons on its way.
Before Your Turn: Everyone DC 18 Will vs the hazard ~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Red
Rohirron (-4, -9?)(Let me know if you are Shield Blocking)
Iannos
Siara
Acantheus
Blue (-22)
Akosa pointedly ignores anyone who greets him in Taldane, and nods at those who greet him in Elven.
"If you want a say in what we have for dinner tonight, you can come along with us," Akosa offers. "There's red river hogs and waterbucks. Otherwise, there’s river turtles and bats, if you like to work for your food. Or crocodiles, if you like fighting to see who gets to bite first."
Whomever wants to can join the hunt, although its possible that those who aren't skilled in woodcraft might scare off game. During the hunt, participants can decide whether to roll for themselves or Aid. The hunt consists of three phases: Seeking the Animals, Positioning the Hunters, and Hunting the Game. The hunt will take 3 hours, so there will not be too much time before dinner when you return.
Seeking the Animals
You help the elven hunters look for signs of animals. Attempt a Nature or Perception check.
All of the participants have a thoroughly good time, and Resa is declared the winner, as she got to 5 points the fastest. Your good sportsmanship has definitely impressed the tribe.
Vitus lands good hits, but messes up the beat so much that he loses all of his points! Vrosi continues to score points, and Resa critically hits her opponent.
"I'd be most honored by the ride," Merosyne gives Rohirron a slight bow. "We should head to the north side of the island to see if we can find my lost love."
Following the awoken acolyte's directions, you make your way to the northeastern tip of the island (E11).
A jagged crater sits at the center of a small clearing, the trees surrounding it snapped and blackened as if by an immense explosion, although the center of the crater contains only a hollow depression in the earth. The acrid tang of smoke hangs in the air.
"No, no!" Merosyne gasps. "This isn't right at all! There should be a peaceful glade here!"
The rush of flapping wings stirs the air above, and a pair of creatures with the hindquarters of a horse and the head of a hawk alight near the crater. They rear up on their hind legs, wings spreading wide, as they shriek at the intruders in their domain. A swirling red miasma emanates from their bodies, and their eyes have an unearthly glow.
"What's wrong with those hippogriffs?!" Merosyne gasps as she slips off Rohirron's back and takes cover.
Something about the creatures calls out to you. You feel like, if you tried, you could siphon off some of the strange power glowing around them! The crater pulses with the same energy.
◆ ABSORB POWER:
DIVINE CONCENTRATE
Requirements You are not mythic.
You attempt to momentarily siphon energy from a mythic creature, drawing its power into yourself. Choose a mythic creature within 60 feet; it must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher.
Success The creature is unaffected.
Failure You siphon some mythic power from the target, granting you the Rewrite Fate free action (War of Immortals 78) until the end of your next turn. You gain 1 Mythic Point that you can only use for this free action; this doesn’t affect your Hero Points. If not used before the duration expires, you lose this Mythic Point.
Critical Failure As failure, and the creature loses access to
its mythic abilities until the end of its next turn.
One of the hippogriffs makes a flying attack against Rohirron and Iannos, flapping away to a safe distance after strafing by to attack them.
beak vs Rohirron:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 for piercing:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 plus precision:1d6 ⇒ 4 beak vs Iannos:1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 9 - 4 = 24 for piercing:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Red
Rohirron
Iannos (-6)
Siara
Acantheus
Blue
Hazard
SHARD’S FURY HAZARD:
Description Wisps of red energy and violent urges emanate from the crater.
Disable DC 18 Intimidation to overpower the hazard's will, DC 18 Religion to calm the belligerent miasma flowing from the crater.
"Excellent. We will make arrangements quickly," the Blood Mistress bobs her head. "I dislike the counsel being down so many members. Rejoin me here in two days time."
At some unseen signal, the door into the chamber opens, and two silent servants enter to collect the body of Kimmich. (They step gingerly around all of the sabers on the ground.)
You are given private chambers within the Citadel to refresh yourselves and prepare for the ceremony.
At the appointed time, you find yourselves back in the chamber. The weapons you claimed from your foes are artfully arranged on the floor in a pattern most pleasing to Achaekek. On three plinths stand mantis masks like those you have seen the Vernai wear. From her throne above, Jakalyn addresses you:
"Unfortunately, the soul of Kimmich did not answer our call. He serves now in the court of He Who Walks in Blood. May he reap the souls of those our master deems necessary."
"Take up your masks, and your places among the Vernai. Know that your loyalty will be rewarded here, and hereafter."
When you put on the helmets, you feel the grace of He Who Walks in Blood wash over you like a torrent of warm viscera.
You all gain Achaekek's major boon: 3d6 sneak attack, or increase your sneak attack by 3d6.
There is much to do on Mediogalti, as usual. While the conspirators have been unmasked and killed on the field of Elysium, things are very much not normal on Golarion. Gorum’s death resulted in a rain of deific fragments that crashed down upon all the worlds on which Gorum was worshipped. Upstart "heroes" charged with mythic power pretend to be gods, and your sword hands itch to teach them important lessons. War breaks out across the globe, and efficient assassins are sought by factions from all over Golarion. Those your position among the Vernei earns you some rest, your hands (and blades) will not stay clean for long.
Vrosi is all set. Vitus and Ardoinel: Make your Acrobatics or Performance checks for Phase 2, and everyone except Vitus can make your attack rolls and checks for Round 2!
"Oh, I have only awoken, and feel so weak," Merosyne answers. A resolute look comes over her face. "I don't know how much help I can be, but I will accompany you, and at least give advice where I can."
No strenuous help from her, but she does want to aid you.
"Sophreista's battle was at the north end of the island. I can tell you of it on our way."
Between one blink and the next, Jakalyn disappears from the balcony and appears on the floor of the chamber. She quickly, efficiently, and silently arranges Kimmich's body with a bit more dignity, laying two of his many sawtooth sabers across his breast.
"I never sacrifice a loyal ally," Jakalyn assures Crystal. "And this miss was far more than a prank."
"The former high priestess, Saviya, had plotted her treachery for years. She couldn't move against me directly, so she recruited almost a third of the Vernai--Can you immagine?" Jakalyn's gaze rakes across the figures on the chamber balcony.
"When she arranged to send you on that wild goose chase after Ordulf, she finally showed her hand. She knew I would be away for an extended period, doing a bit of research of my own, so she wanted to discredit you, my loyal agents."
"When that failed, the fool determined to try to directly petition He Who Walks in Blood for the position of Blood Mistress. She snooped through my research and saw the portents that I had recorded indicating that Divine Achaekek would soon appear on the Clashing Shore," Jakalyn explains.
"I had arranged my absence purposely to flush out potential traitors, and I'm pleased that you were able to deal with her and her accomplices. Speaking of wich," she gestures to several empty balconies around the room, "There are vacancies on the Vernai that I would see you fill. And, of course, we will return Kimmich to life to serve, should he soul deign to return to this plane."
"Oh, wonderful! Yes, of course it's just for fun," the girls laugh.
They call out to some of their friends to join them so that there will be even teams. A group of youths nearby grabs some drums and woodwind instruments to play for the contest, inviting anyone who wants to play with them.
If you are playing along, feel free to make a Performance check, or just describe your contribution for fun.
Daikda
Dancers square off against each other in a 1-on-1 dance contest. Run the game of daikada in two phases, continuing until at least one player has 5 points, at which time the game ends and the player with the most points is declared the winner.
Phase 1. Each dancer makes an unarmed attack roll against their opponent’s AC with a –4 circumstance penalty (due to aiming only for the opponent’s anklets). A successful hit gains the dancer 1 point, a critical hit allows the dancer to strike both anklets for 2 points, and a critical failure applies a –2 penalty to that dancer’s roll in the second phase of the game.
Phase 2: Each dancer must succeed at a DC 15 Acrobatics or Performance check to keep up with the beat of the music. A critical success here grants a +2 circumstance bonus to the dancer’s AC for the next round, failure removes 1 point from the dancer’s total, and a critical failure removes 3 points. A player who critically fails and has fewer than 3 total points is disqualified from the game. A dancer can also accept a –4 penalty to their Acrobatics or Performance check to gain a +2 circumstance bonus to her next attack roll while playing the game.
Vitus, Ardoinel, Resa, Burnis: Please make unarmed attack rolls (at -4 penalty) for the first round.
You tumble through the shattered remains of the Crashing shore as waves of the Maelstrom batter you with weightless waves.
A glowing rift opens and you propel yourselves through it with nothing more than the strength of your mythic will.
You find yourselves in a familiar fourteen-sided stone chamber with floors and twenty-foot-tall walls of polished crimson porphyry.
The Chamber of the Vernai
Unlike the last time you were here, several of the stone thrones are empty, draped only with crimson silk. The occupants of the chairs jump to their feet at your arrival, which sends and odd ringing through the echo haunted chamber. It seems you interrupted them in the middle of a heated discussion.
The only person who doesn't seem surprised to see you is also the only one unmasked: The Blood Mistress Jakalyn!
"Ah, so you've returned! Tell me, did you enjoy visiting my library?" the Blood Mistress smiles. "And Saviya. Did she find her research there...fruitful?"
"I fear that this cave has been my home for too long, based on the dire portents you bring," Merosyne answers. "But if I have awakened, perhaps you are destined to help me: I asked the naiads to help me slumber until Sophreista's spirit could be put to rest. Would you help her?"
Assuming you agree, Merosyne tells you that she thinks the only way to put Sophreista's spirit is to find her ghost and reinact her last battle, allowing her to find triumph and peace.
She does not know where Sophreista's ghost wanders, but warns you that Ekleios, Sophreista's betayer, is still trapped within the hero-god's shrine.
As you triumph over the reshaping of reality, tears through the fabric of the Great Beyond give you a singular opportunity to plunge through an opening and emerge anywhere you wish that they’ve previously visited. (You can use this to quickly and safely return to the Crimson Citadel or Ilizmagorti, for example.)
We'll explore the village first, then join the hunt.
As you set off into the village, you are approached by two tall Ekujae girls, who seem eager to make your acquaintance (or at least get out of helping with food preparation.
"We are Mauuko and Senyo, our mothers were of the Leopard Clan," they greet you, in Elven. "Come, you must play daikada with us!"
With your Elven-speaking groupmates acting as translators, the girls explain daikada to you. The game involves each player wearing a pair of copper anklets; each set of anklets is designed to make chimes that are
distinct from the other pairs when struck. The goal of the game is to dance along with the beat of a song, while at the same time using fancy footwork to strike the opposing player’s anklets and make them chime. The player that makes her opponent’s anklets chime the most is the winner, but stumbling and missing the beat results in losing points or even outright losing the game.
"Come, who will play with us? If you are old or clumsy, you can clap along or play an instrument!" The girls excitedly offer.
The markings of the runic circle fade away under the influence of Acantheus' incantation.
The woman’s eyes open, and she blinks blearily at those who awakened her, tightening her grasp on her lyre. Slowly, she shifts to sit up.
“Who are you?” she asks, her voice melodic even while raspy from slumber. “How long has it been? If you undid the naiads’ spell, it must be time…” She stops, shaking her head. “I apologize. You are strangers, and you may not know of what I speak. It is rude of me to make assumptions before even introducing myself.”
She waves one hand and then the other in a complex greeting. “I am Merosyne. Welcome to Eupherae, my home for… likely more years than I realize. But I must ask, what brings you here?”
You sail through the eruption of the ground beneath you, but the very fabric of the plane is rupturing!
Jagged mountains rise up and form a defensive bulwark against the devastation still being unleashed by Gorum’s death, as scabs would form over wounded flesh. The vast ocean at the edge of the Crashing Shore surges into the subduction zones left by the retreating earth.
THE MOUNTAINS RISE Key Checks Athletics (to Climb or Leap over mountains, to smash them apart, or to Swim through the ocean gulfs between them); Cast a Spell to blast a path through the mountains (using any spell that causes damage or manipulates stone or objects); Fortitude (to endure being smashed by a mountain)
Not only does the land revolt, the forces of chaos are quick to take advantage of the death of the boundary's guardian. As Crashing Shore continues to transform, the raw entropic chaos of the Maelstrom takes notice and moves in, forming creeping tendrils of matter and energy that writhe like an immense organism feeding on a dying coastline.
CHAOS TAKES NOTE Key Checks Stealth (to Hide or Sneak and avoid being noticed by the encroaching chaos); Cast a Spell to fight back against the planar intrusion (using any spell that counteracts magic, banishes planar effects, or draws upon order to fight entropy); Will (to resist the overwhelming mental trauma caused by the truths laid bare by the Maelstrom’s touch).
One check for each obstacle! Same DCs and rules as before
Nketiah laughs at Netkin's comment, "It is very warm, but I revel in it! When I was young, I traveled all over Garund with my mother and father. I certainly prefer this heat to the winds off the Barrier Peaks."
"As for the Cinderclaws, I will tell the full story of their history and our struggle against them at the feast tonight," Nketiah grins. "You wouldn't want to spoil a good tale, would you?"
"Speaking of the feast, it's to be held in your honor, and I really must go help with the preparations. Please, make yourselves at home in our village."
There are a few different things to pursue, here. Please say what you'd like to do first, and we'll go from there.
Options:
1) Meet more of the tribe
2) Explore the village
3) Find a game to play with the villagers
4) Help hunt for game for the feast
5) Meet the village leaders
With the advice of the naiads, you head off to awaken Merosyne, the hero goddess' disciple and lover.
Traveling to E6
A fissure in the rock, nearly invisible behind hanging greenery, leads to a small cave within the mountain. Inside, the stone walls are overgrown with moss and vegetation; dappled sunlight shines through cracks in the ceiling. At the far end of the cave, a white-robed woman sleeps upon a stone altar, dark hair fanned beneath her, motionless save for the faint rise and fall of her breath. Her arms are folded over a golden lyre upon her chest.
It’s apparent from her position and the spell circles around her that she’s in some sort of magical stasis.
Perception DC 17:
Dust motes slow stranging as they enter the encircled area. The magic of the lingering enchantment might ensnare the unwary. Disable: DC 16 Hero-God Lore or Occultism to convince the magic that it’s fulfilled its objective; DC 18 Arcana, Nature, or Religion short-circuit the stasis magic; or DC 20 Thievery to disable the ritual circles.
This climactic escape plays out using Victory Points (GM Core 184), with the PCs facing three end-of-the-world disasters that they must survive long enough to ride out the devastation caused by Gorum’s death. At the same time, though, each PC is infused with mythic power, as Gorum’s divine essence bolsters them beyond the limits of mere mortals, if only for a moment. In other worlds throughout reality, these shards bring mythic power to many new heroes and villains, but for the context of this climactic encounter, they grant the PCs the chance to accomplish things they could only dream about.
I'll present each of the following obstacles in order, describing the devastation the party faces, then asking each player how their character intends to overcome the obstacle. I encourage each of you to draw upon their surge of deific power to do things like perform astounding physical stunts, cast supercharged spells, or simply shrug off the chaos and move onward. This will amount to three choices each round, and each skill check or saving throw made gains a +15 untyped bonus to the check to represent the sudden infusion of divine power.
Each round you can attempt:
• A DC 50 Acrobatics, Athletics, or Stealth check (as determined by the GM) to perform an astounding physical stunt. If the stunt performed uses a skill listed in the obstacle as being a key check, reduce the DC to 46.
• A DC 50 Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion check to resolve the casting of a supercharged spell. If the PC casts an appropriate spell to solve the situation at hand and create an effect listed in that obstacle’s Key Checks, reduce the DC to 46.
• A DC 50 saving throw (the GM chooses which one makes most sense based on how the player chooses to try to avoid the disaster). If the saving throw being made is one that’s specifically mentioned in the obstacle as being well-suited for avoiding it, reduce the DC to 46.
Obstacle 1: The Land Erupts
Reality shatters, and Clashing Shore, as far as the eye can see, breaks apart into countless islands that begin to drift into the ocean or blast shards of shrapnel into the air.
Key Checks Acrobatics (to Balance atop an unstable island or to Maneuver in Flight to avoid shards of reality); Cast a Spell to grant superior mobility (such as flight or teleportation); Reflex (to avoid explosions)
You patch yourselves up and collect Kimmich's remains, and none-to-soon: The walls of the demi-plane shimmer and shake, eventually bursting with a cascade of scarlet sparks.
You find yourselves on the island above the end of the Clashing Coast, where Elysium brushes against the Maelstrom. Below, the twinned protean still curls around the rift tree that marks the planar boundary.
In the distance, but all too close now, the monumental figure of Gorum classes with unseen enemies. The giant iron god pauses and turns his full attention on you; there is a peel of thunder that shakes the entire area. Blood red storm clouds boil up around Gorum and his gaze falls upon the full group, rather than just Crystal.
He takes a step, and the world trembles. He takes another and another, building speed as his walk turns to a stride and then a run. Immense waves spread forward as each footfall crashes down into the ocean, and the clouds themselves seem to twist and tear. You stand frozen for a moment in the face of such overwhelming deific doom. Gorum has decided to take their fates into his own hands; despite your power, certain death is only moments away.
And then the ocean explodes behind Gorum, a foaming wall of water rising up behind him. From this unimaginably vast plume, a crimson blade scythes out and plunges through Gorum’s back, piercing him through the chest to emerge in a spray of metallic shrapnel. Time seems to stand still apart from the falling cascade of water, which reveals the towering form of Achaekek standing beyond Gorum, one of his blade-like arms plunged through the god of war’s torso.
There’s a moment of profound stillness as He Who Walks In Blood stands behind his prey. Gorum is still and silent, while Achaekek turns to face you. He clicks his mandibles, gives the slightest of nods, and the feeling of religious awe washes outward over you. You have witnessed what few mortals ever shall: the execution of a god.
A moment later, Achaekek rips his arm to the side, and the upper third of Gorum’s body is torn away with a single tremendous strike that rends reality. Cracks radiate out from the killing blow, red light shining out
from within the god of war’s body. As his body begins to topple to the ground, his armor rips open, revealing what many have long suspected—nothing is within. And then, his remains explode!
The sight of this divine explosion is silent, for despite the size and spectacle, Gorum’s body is many miles away. From their perches, you bear witness as tsunamis are pushed forward and blasts of blood-red shrapnel radiate outward as Gorum’s armor explodes from within. Yet your view is momentarily eclipsed by a sudden beam of red light, one that blasts outward from the core of Gorum’s armor and lances backward toward the unseen heart of the Maelstrom. Even Achaekek is startled by this display of power and staggers back from the kill.
Achaekek vanishes in a cloud of blood, abandoning the site of the execution, but you are on your own. You regain control of your faculties and realize that raw reality is crumbling around you, leaving little time to react.
What you are witnessing is an immense abscess triggered by the death of a god. You'll have to endure the cataclysms rolling across the plane to escape back to the Universe, and relative safety.
