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"Ah, I'm happy to provide for you. No thanks is necessary," Terpsime gives you all a friendly nod of the head. "I trust that you are full and rested now? I have heard that you are all people of promise, but I would love to hear more about you--and I do have an opportunity in mind, if you would be interested." Terpsime makes sure everyone's drink is full and invites each of you to talk about where you are from and why you have come to Bailax.
"A leshy assassin? I've met some evil weeds in my day, but that plant sounds like a really bad seed," the fiend laughs, loudly, at his own joke. "Fair is fair. I have a rumor about a wasp for you jolly little bugs: Calistria meet with Achaekek recently, and shortly after this meeting, the Mantis God left his divine domain. What could she have said that spooked him so?" the nikaramsas wonder aloud.
"Welcome home, Klio! I am sure your name will soon be known throughout the polis," Terpsime replies, genuinely. "It is no wonder you have not heard of Dintolneon. Though we had such high hopes for him--He was quite the dashing hero decades ago. He could run without tiring, outsang a naiad quartet, and most famously bested a manticore bare-handed—had all the makings of a hero-god. Bailax adored him, and deservedly so.”
"A conspirator dragon? How delicious!" one of the fiends practically slavers over that secret. "Those are my favorite type of dragon," another agrees. "An excellent secret. Here is another: Achaekek has left the Blood Vale, his divine domain at the root of the Boneyard’s spire; he typically does so only when he’s on the hunt and preparing to assassinate someone significant."
Tell me about their complicated plans.
Summer winds propel ships east from the Inner Sea to the lucrative markets dotting southern Casmaron and ultimately to the riches of Vudra. For over 4,000 years, Iblydos has provided the optimal stopover for these ships—not just those seeking a chance to restock provisions, but also for merchants off-loading their cargo before tacking west, rather than sailing the whole Obari Crossing. Those same ships often carry passengers seeking adventure in far-off lands. You find yourself in Bailax, an eminent Iblydan city, on the evening of beautiful day. Bailaxians are generally eager to meet strangers and demonstrate Iblydans’ sacred duty of hospitality. At her estate, the retired duelist and current member of Bailax’s Philosopher Council Terpsime (bold female human warrior-sage 8) invited an assortment of travelers to enjoy her hospitality and Bailax’s wonders for a week, no matter where their travels might take them afterward. Unfortunately, your host has been preoccupied since your arrival--you have barely spoken to here, though the servants in her estate have done their best to make you feel welcome. You have cleaned and refreshed yourself, and had the chance to rest in a comfortable bed. This evening, the household has prepared a sumptuous feast for you, as you eat with the three other strangers that currently share your host's estate. Terpsime enters with an uncharacteristic grimace just as the second course is being served, muttering, “Felt sure I was going to use these today.” She forces a smile and checks the long, sharp pins in her gray hair before addressing her guests. “We knew it was only a matter of time before Dintolneon passed,” she sighs. “Even so, it seems to have shocked some of my colleagues to the point that they couldn’t help but deliver hour-long eulogies.” She takes a few bites of fish before continuing. “I suppose I can’t blame them; Dintolneon had such promise.” She sighs, then turns her full attention to you, "Come, I speak too much of my troubles before me guests. Enjoy dinner. Is there anything you need?" From Ilbydos, or Society DC 10: The customs of hospitality would deter Terpsime from asking any questions about you, even your names, before sharing a meal with you. It is considered polite to volunteer your name and business to your host without them asking. Additionally, good guests have a reciprocal relationship with their hosts. It would be proper to offer Terpsime assistance in thanks for her hospitality.
"Well, we don't usually give something for nothing, but just meeting all of you is a bit of a treat. So, here is our first secret: Blood Mistress Jakalyn is fully human, yet she has lived for hundreds of years by siphoning the life from an unknown donor." One of the jaguar-headed creatures hisses. They all watch eagerly to see your reaction, and in anticipation of your secrets to share.
"What's in the other room?! Come on, give us the good stuff," the fiends press. "You strike us as more interesting than a tour around the library."
"Ha, we like your style, little mantis," the asuras compliment Dianora. "You have a way with words!" "We aren't leading people into any heresy this time, but it sure seems like something interesting is going on. We've managed to find out a few things, if you would want to trade secrets."
You enter a cozy chamber featuring a blazing fireplace in the northwest corner and a comfortable sofa with velvet throw pillows and a blanket draped over the back. A short table provides a place for books waiting to be read, or to place a refreshing beverage. The walls are lined with bookshelves and a writing desk stacked with tomes. Two wooden doors exit the room in the southwest and southeast corners. Inside the room, four large, two-headed creatures with the bodies of humanoid leopards lounge about. They don't seem initially hostile to you. "Oh, hello! My, there is a lot of traffic here for a secret library. Welcome! This is definitely the coziest room in this section," one of the creatures offers. "What brings you down here?" Religion DC 32: The creatures are nikaramsas, a type of asura. Lies, knowledge, and deception are a nikaramsa's stock and trade. They are outstanding scholars, with deep and nuanced understanding of religion, philosophy, astrology, and similar subjects. They take particular delight in exploiting the greed and hubris of gullible worshippers, using them to desecrate and destroy their own faith. Even in their goal of undermining the holy, nikaramsas' twisted humor knows few bounds, and they prefer to take on the guise of divine messengers with boons to share. Once they find a likely victim or set of victims, they use their vast knowledge of religion to impart contradictory wisdom, leading to the eventual implosion of the faith from heresies of the clergy and congregation themselves.
Exploring the hallway that leaves the eastern side of the room, you find yourselves in a hallway that is a maze of tall, winding bookshelves. Words and runes have been embossed, scratched, and painted on a variety of surfaces, as if a calligraphy lesson exploded all over the room, while small bloodstains splatter the floor here and there. It looks like there were some traps rigged here, but whomever came through here dealt with them--though not without some scrapes and burns. You can image that the library would be very useful for research (in fact, you can use the Research exploration activity if you wish), but exploring it for 10 minutes reveals several magical scrolls, (all of 8th-rank) a scroll of bone flense, a scroll of crimson breath, a scroll of mantis’s grasp, a scroll of mark of blood, a scroll of mirror mantis, and a scroll of sawtooth terrain. The northern side of the room opens into the main corridor of the library. There are doors to the east and west to unexplored areas.
Yuki's spell drills into the peri's body, and he's unable to resist it. Crystal slashes the angel once, then follows up when Dianora hits. The cleric hits twice with her swords, boosting her own health and harming the foe. Kimmi9sh swoops in to viciously finish off the celestial. Seconds later, the phoenix bursts back to life in a gout of flame! It lets out a mournful cry and flaps over to pick up the fallen peri, then carries him through the portal.
~+~Combat Round 5~+~
The portal in the center of the room beckons, though there is still the body of the other assassin to investigate. Investigate & DC 30 Society:
“When you’ve found what we need, come through the portal and join us; we’ll leave it open for you. You should be able to locate our current camp at the azata’s lighthouse. Look for us by the usual signs.” He was also carrying or wearing: belt of long life, eye of the mantis, +2 greater striking corrosive wounding sawtooth sabers (2), Vernai shell
Yuki heals everyone up a bit, Dianora flies across the room and slices the peri, Crystal stands back from the peri, her knife flies through the air, cutting deeply into the peri and stinging him with poison. Kimmich threatens the knight, but doesn't land a hit. The peri attacks Dianora twice and then flies over to the other side of the balcony.
~+~Combat Round 4~+~
Before Your Turn:
~+~Combat Round 5~+~
Crystal slices into the phoenix and knicks the peri with a clever hit.
Dianora drains the bird's energy. Kimmich is slightly scorched by slashing at the bird, but he continues his onslaught.
Bird Fire
His final hit slits the bird's throat, and it falls in a heap of bloody, steaming feathers!
"Oh no! My heart!" the peri cries out. "What have you done?!" There's a smug curl to his lip, though his words are distressed. The knight flies away from you, then levels his sword at Kimmich, the phoenix slayer, and shots a beam of flame at him. for
~+~Combat Round 3~+~
Before Your Turn:
Sister Dianora knocks the bird out of the air with her spell! The fiery knight leaps off the phoenix as it falls to the ground.
A place to discuss.
The port of Bailax hosts lavish funeral games for a recently deceased hero, inviting all to compete for prizes and glory.
"Well, unusual experiences are why we chartered this trip. I would have taken you down to the Grand Bazaar again if we wanted something ordinary," the students groan a little bit. As wonderous as the Grand Bazaar is, they have been there many times. "Our homework was completed, by the way!" Hari waves a neatly-printed page from her notes, practically in J's face. "Well, that calls for a celebration. Official Academy party day on Fireday!" Students cheer as J congratulates them, "You're all invited, of course," J smiles at you. Professor Krelson is also greatful. He presents you with an autographed copy of a Pathfinder Chronicle that deals with Pathfinder Society
Two days later, you also receive thank you gift baskets containing notes and small presents from the students. It includes freshly baked cookies! You fulfilled your primary success conditions by resolving the situation with the Woodsedge Lodge, and your secondary success condition by helping the students finish their homework. Your little gifts constitute the bulk of the treasure bundles.
Yuki's spell robs both enemies of their speed.
Yuki's magic slams into the squad, quickening everyone's reflexes. Dianora calls on Achaekek's divine blessing and ducks under the swirling portal to close with the enemy. Kimmish launches a series of attacks at the phoenix. With the bird distracted by Crystal's threatening posture, several of them hit!
Crystal deftly doges the peri's flames while taunting the celestial. Her first attack with a frosty, poisoned blade nicks the creature, which squawks in pain from the chilly contact. She twists the knife in the wound.
Her attacks against the peri miss, but she looks for another opportunity to strike. The peri responds by raising his wings, unleashing a whirlwind of flame, then squares off against crystal once more.
for and
The bird pecks and claws at Kimmich. for and plus 2d10 persistent fire
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Before Your Turn:
Your practiced coomunications guide the children toward the items the need to conduct the ritual: some water from the kitchen, a steel shield from the armory, and the lodestone in the Venture-Captain's office. Carefully coordinated, the children chant "Narven." Each time they do, a disorienting shimmer wavers across the room and passes through the walls. On the third repetition, the room shivers and seems to *click* into place. "Hey, it's the Pathfinders!" Vim shouts, triumphantly. All of the children crowd around, talking at once about how brave they were and what a great field trip this has been. The din rouses Professor Thranmere Krelson, who stirs uneasily on the bed: "Eh, what's that?" the old dwarf moans. "Why am I in bed? Oh, my aching head. Help me downstairs, please." Upon returning to the main hall, you discover that the lodge’s staff have reappeared. Many of them are chatting with the students who stayed behind in the hall while you were dealing with the planar abnormality. Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau greets you warmly, "Oh, well done, both agents and students! We were able to observe you the whole time from the phase of reality that we were trapped in, but we couldn't do a thing to help you. Luckily, you showed excellent teamwork and initiative." She beams at Geltra, Hari, Tels, and Vim. When her gaze reaches Alec, her look turns more stern. An angelic look of innocence is fixed on the young man's face. Thandmere abashedly explains that he had made a deal with a pelagastr protean to try to liven up his teaching, but realized that he had gotten more than he bargained for when reality fractured around Woodsedge Lodge. "I thought it would just spice things up a bit," the professor says, "But I realized things were out of hand when its magic overwhelmed me; the protean kept me unconscious so it could experience the chaos that it had caused." Thandmere senses that beating back its tail and activating the Material Failsafe has shunted the creature back to the Maelstrom, and he doesn’t think it will be much of a problem in the future—returning to pester the Society wouldn’t be much of a new experience, after all. After making sure everyone is safe, Armeline packs the group back off to Absalom so her staff can deal with the aftermath of the incident. The Maze of the Open Road transports everyone safely. When you arrive back at the Grand Lodge, J greets you at the Maze's exit: "Well, how did the field trip go, Pathfinders? And, students: Is your assignment done?"asks you how the mission went and asks to check the students’ assignments.
Hey folks. Still around? I was hoping to have you roleplay the wrap-up of the adventure, but I can summarize through it if people are busy.
"Your unrighteous taunts will not avail you, varlets!" The peri shouts what suffices as a battle cry. He urges the phoenix to swoop toward Kimmich and Crystal. Once the celestials close, they divide their attention.
for plus and 2d10 persistent fire for and
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Before Your Turn: Crystal needs to save vs the peri's aura. DC 37 Basic Reflex for 8d6 fire
Luck is on Na'ilath's side! He gets in two strong swings with his spirit-charged hatchet, the second one sheers right through the end of the tail, which disappears through a tiny hole in reality with a *pop*! The warping in reality continues, but now there is little to keep you from fixing it.
Griphook's needles fly across the room and nick the tail, then Jackie follows up with a powerful swing. The tail is looking pretty ragged! Don't forget Courageous Anthem! (3/4)
Ma'elo slips out of the tail's grasp, but misses his strikes at the creature. The tail lashes out at Na'lath, who hit it the hardest! for
While the magus dodges, the tail sways in his direction and he can feel a strange wave of sensation sweep over him. Na-ilath: Fortitude DC 20:
On failure: You are Flat-footed and gain 1d6 temporary Hit Points for 1 round Don't forget Courageous Anthem! (3/4)
The rest of the group rallies to attack the tail and help Ma'elo. Griphook's song lingers in the air, Alexandros heals, and Jackie and Na'ilath attack, both striking the tail. Don't forget Courageous Anthem! (3/4)
The burning bird ignores Dianora's spell with a dismissive 'squawk.'
"What, weigh the oaths of murderers against the sanctity of Elysium? The greater good is to wipe all of you out." The creature raises his sword with a showy, and frankly unnecessary, flourish. Initiative:
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Ma'elo slices at the tail with shadowy daggers, scoring one good hit. The tail lashes out at the rogue in retaliation. for It tries to wrap around him...but fails.
So it tries again, and just getts ahold of him.
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Sorry for the recent delays. I'm traveling and the wifi has not been as reliable as I predicted.
When Ma'elo tries to grab the tail, it reacts violently, rearing back to swing at the Pathfinder. Initiative:
The rogue is too fast, however, and get the jump on the tail! ~+~Combat Round 1~+~
"Typical villains, always sniping at each other and stabbing each other in the back. This whole place is a vile nest of betrayal," the peri offers. "You're no doubt caught up in the plans to invade Elysium, no matter what sweet words you offer me. I encountered a powerful group of your kind on the other side of the portal, and I won't chance that you are reinforcements to those invaders."
You ease open the secret door, which swings back silently. Beyond it is a 40-foot-long corridor that dumps onto a balcony above a large chamber. This immense circular chamber sits under a looming domed ceiling that peaks at a height of sixty feet above the floor, which sits twenty feet below a pair of circular balconies flanked by steep flights of stairs that provide access from the eastern and western entrances. The floor is polished gray stone, but the most commanding feature of the chamber is the whirling vortex of energy that hovers in the center of the room. Dozens of motes of light orbit around a central sphere of teal radiance, filling the room with flickering illumination and a low droning hum that can be felt in the bones. The entire light show is contained by a fifty-foot-diameter ring of glowing red metal floating about twenty feet off the floor below. A five-foot-square platform of black metal balances atop this ring near the room’s eastern balcony, with a two-foot gap separating the two. The crumpled, scorched body of the red assassin leader lays on the floor in the north side of the room. The east side of the room is dominated by a gargantuan bird with flaming feathers! Perched on the bird's back is an angelic being clad in shining armor. His wings and hair are both tipped with flame. “Greetings, mortal assassins. I am Sir Rhysaphine and this is my faithful companion, Soleil. We encountered one of your kin despoiling the sanctity of Elysium—an intruder who has murdered, caused destruction, and dispatched several of my kin. I can only assume you are his reinforcements, come to slay more of us. For that I say, ‘Nay.’ You shall not enter Elysium. You shall not cross that threshold. I grant you your lives, but first I must destroy this chamber and your access to other realms. I have already dealt with one unrepentant villain unwilling to take advantage of my mercy." He points a sword at the dead assassin. "Now, step aside!” He waits for your reply.
The students easily understand Ma'elo. Tels leads a group of them (Hari, Geltra, and Vim) to open the venture captain's door. The area outside the door shows signs of what can only be called "extreme planar weirdness", so much so that the students comment on the bouncy carpets and moving wallpaper. Once the door is open, you see a large bed covered in fine linens is the centerpiece of this well-furnished room, and a sturdy table surrounded by three chairs sits in its northeast corner. Several eye-catching curios rest on top of the room’s chest of draws, including a mirror with a gilded frame, a mother-of-pearl box holding talcum powder, and a polished lodestone more than a foot in diameter. Two lamps in wall sconces light the room and a thick carpet woven with a wayfinder pattern lays on the floor. Looking at the room for long is disorienting: Shimmering images of the bed dance across the floor, loose papers float through the air in slow processions, and the walls ripple like a pond’s surface each time someone in the room takes a step. The pile of the carpet grows six inches deep in the course of a second, and then subsides back to normal. Occultism DC 15:
This room is the center of the chaotic forces that have plagued this field trip. They also realize that they’ll be unable to interact with whatever is inside the room unless they enter the room themselves, due to these powerful reality-warping effects. Professor Thandmere Krelsun lies on the bed, unconscious. Both you and the students can see the professor--you can tell as the students gasp in recognitrion--as well as a ghostly, serpentine creature wrapped tightly around his body. Disturbingly, the creature’s head appears plunged into Krelsun’s temple. DC 24 Religion:
The creature is a pelagastr protean. The creature's long tail hangs down over the side of the bed. The end of its tail is entirely on the same phase as you, appearing to emerge from a “ripple” in reality. It sways back and forth in your general direction.
Your slashes and slices make quick work of the remaining assassin. With more time to look at the room, you see that it is a section of the library dedicated to ancient history. A half-dozen rows of twenty-foot-high bookshelves run east to west in this thirty-foot-tall library. Each shelf is filled with a combination of ancient tomes and newer texts. The center of the room has three broad wooden tables, each with four chairs and book stands ready to hold books open without straining the volume. Narrow ladders on wheels allow access to the highest shelves. This wing contains books pertaining to the history of Golarion, with a focus on lore predating the Age of Enthronement. Most of the books focus on the Inner Sea region, but there’s a fair amount about Azlant kept
The door in the southeast corner of the room is locked. Yuki spots a secret door in the southwest corner. GM:
The red dwarf jabs at Kimmich, then...disappears! (In a pop of magic.) for plus and 1d6 bleed
~+~Combat Round 4~+~
When Griphook walks into the door of the Venture Captain's room, he appears outside the door on the other side of the balcony.
The doors in the upstairs portion of the lodge are too heavy for you to open them from your current phase of reality. When you try to pass through a closed door, they appear in the hallway outside one of the other bedrooms doors. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to which door you appear outside of! You do notice that the door in the far corner of the second story has a bronze plaque that reads "Venture Captain." There must be some way you could get inside.
Sister Dianora nicks the dwarf with her saber, empowering herself with the mantis' blessing. Crystal finishes off the blue assassin with a off-hand slash. She gracefully leaps into a flank on the remaining henchmen, but her attacks miss. Kimmich is having the time of his life, taking large chunks out of the assassin leader. He shrugs off the poison as well. The gray assassin seems curiously unconcerned about his own mortality, and spends his few remaining moments on Golarion vainly trying to kill Yuki.
~+~Combat Round 4~+~
The tricky rogues avoid Yuki's spells, but she stabs the gray one. Red takes a deep breath and breaths a red mist over Kimmich, then slashes at him.
~+~Combat Round 4~+~
The red assassin may be reckless, but he's also slippery. He dodges Dianora's first attack, but the distraction from Kimmich is enough to let her catch him on the second strike. Meanwhile, the gray henchman closes in and slices at Yuki and the blue slashes away at Crystal.
Yuki dodges adroitly, but Crystal gets caught by two lucky swings! ~+~Combat Round 4~+~
The environment upstairs in the lodge is decidedly more chaotic, with shifting patterns in the carpet that change color; strange smells of the ocean, swamp, and desert wafting through the level; and odd noises of all
The balcony is lined with eight closed doors.
Like the rest of the building, the conference room is deserted. Sheets of notes litter the table, one of which seems very interesting to Ma'elo. In Case of Planar Emergency
To achieve maximum ritual potency, bring the focus items as close as possible to the center of any extraplanar disturbance. Grasping the focus item firmly, speak the activation word, “Narven.” To avoid accidental triggering of the ritual, simultaneous activation of all three focus items is required, so please coordinate carefully with fellow staff members. Focus items may need to be activated as many as three times to firmly re-anchor the area to the Material Plane. A handwritten scrawl in the margin notes: “I have stored the lodestone in my quarters so it will not be misplaced. ~A.J.”
No, and there is one room on the first floor that you only poked your head into (the conference room next to the kitchen).
"Oh, wow!" Tels comments. "From what we could see, that was quite the battle. Wait until we tell everyone else about your moves!" Vim is speechless with admiration, but Tels tries to hand your reflection a fancy and expensive looking sword through the mirror, and it actually works! He lets go of the sword with a gasp, and it falls into your phase of reality. When Tels presses his hand against the mirror, it seems to have returned to solid glass. "Thanks again, Pathfinders," Vim finally finds her voice. "We're going back to the main hall."
With the backlash of the dwarf's spell, the line of negative energy bounces hungrily back through you--and through him! He hisses in frustration. Yellow, meanwhile, falls lifeless to the ground, not even twitching! ~+~Combat Round 3~+~
Yuki drinks grey's essence and he momentarily sways on his feet. The red dwarf, leaps over to the southern bookshelf and, with flagrant disregard for safe working conditions, sends a line of crackling black energy surging through Kimmich, yellow, Crystal, and blue.
~+~Combat Round 3~+~
Griphook heals his friend and sends a bolstering song lingering in the air (Crit Success). With the worm hovering next to his brother, Ma'elo is able to get a slash into it. Na'ilith strikes down the blue worm after channeling his magic.
Alexandrios gets the fallen Ka'elen a bit more healing before the fighter gets up and ...
Before Your Turn: Jackie: Shield Block? Remember Rallying Anthem! (4/4)
~+~Combat Round 3~+~
Bold may act
Dianora flies to the top of the bookshelf and stops dripping blood everywhere. Crystal reminds two of the assassins why she was sent on elite missions, slicing into each of them. Kimmich rises up to attack on top of the bookshelves, slicing deeply into the yellow assassin. Slowed by Yuki's magic, the assassins struggle to strike back. Gray rushes up to Yuki to strike her.
The blue and yellow assassins continue to concentrate on Crystal, knowing it's their best hope for survival.
~+~Combat Round 3~+~
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