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Aram Zey mutters to himself for a while before returning to the problems at hand. "Well, at least this mess is partially dealt with. There's still the matter with the other half of the agents at the camp that haven't turned up, and I'm sure The Decemvirate wishes to debrief you as well, Nikolai... The rest of you preformed adequately, so you can leave now." The Master of Spells looks expectantly at you, the mountains of paperwork in his office looming ominously behind him.
After rounding up the rest of the wayward Pathfinders, you exit through your dimensional eddies, and the halfling Bambang saw in his vision preforms the ritual to allow Zey and Li to exit the tapestry as well. After some glares from the perpetually cantankerous Master of Spells, you are all teleported back to The Grand Lodge for your debriefing. In Zey's cluttered office, he has words with Nikolai, and he refers to you for clarification on what happened up north.
Nikolai gives Periel a solemn nod. "You speak the truth, brother, I see that now. When this mess has been handled, I'll travel to the Temple of the Shining Star and present myself to Scion Lady Xerashir. I can only hope that she is as forgiving as you..."
A glimmer of hope emerges in Nikolai as Bambang brings him up to speed. "All is not lost, then! If you have secured the focusing crystals, Eviolan back in that other clearing can reopen the portal through which Zey and Li can exit the Tapestry. After that, we must make haste back to the camp and find out what happened to the rest of the agents."
Nikolai gives Bambang a distraught look. "My memory is hazy, but I remember that thing coming to the camp... What happened to Master Zey and Venture-Captain Li !?" The remaining color drains from his already pale face. "And the rest of the agents in the base camp..?"
Darcassan dodges Periel's first blow, but his backhand swing hews the plant-beast in two.
With the heady scent dissipating, you, Nikolai and and the enthralled agents' minds clear and you can all take stock of the situation.
Nikolai looks at Bambang, and for the first time since you met him he seems to truly listen. He takes in his surroundings, and a dawning realization morphs into pure horror. He drops to his knees and prays to Sarenrae once more. "Blessed Dawnflower, I have strayed from your light..."
Periel lands a single grievous blow on Darcassan, and it returns the favor while continuing to waft out the thought-muddling scent.
In the midst of the tranquil pause in combat, Zeno reflects over the myriad ways divine beings bless their followers.
Bambang stitches up Periel's bleeding wounds while Nikolai drops to his knees and starts praying to Sarenrae.
Mavarion covers Fahd's movement, but the cramped melee around Darcassan throws his aim off.
The fragrant scent continues to cloud your minds. Only Periel manages to keep his wits with him. Darcassan sees this and starts to lay into the holy warrior with its thorny vines.
The Dawnflower's light must shine on the Venture-Captain, as Zeno's barbed arrow is deflected off its otherwise true path.
Periel dodges a thorny tendril as he moves in to deliver a mighty blow.
Bambang enhances Periel's weapon as Nikolai circles around the conjured pit. "You need to stand down!", he shouts as he attempts to deliver his spell to Zeno again.
Luckily, the elf manages to resist yet another magical malaise.
The arcane winds favor Zeno and Bambang, and Darcassan's influence doesn't take hold in either of them.
The Venture-Captain jumps back in the nick of time and avoids tumbling into Zeno's extradimensional hole. Mavarion shreds the stunted kapre to pieces, and Darcassan advances on you, bringing the sweat scent with it.
Fahd's mind continues to be clouded by tranquil thoughts, but Periel manages to snap out of it. Unfortunately, Zeno takes his place as he too becomes unnaturally calm. Zeno and Fahd:
Darcassan then stares intently at Bambang,
and the already malady-laden Minatan's body goes entirely stiff. Spellcraft DC 20:
Fahd and and Periel are stumped by the all that's happening around them. The kapre takes a step towards you and rams its knotted fists into Bambang.
Zeno realizes that the thing that calls itself Darcassan is merely a part of the huge flower and is in fact a rare creature called a sarkorian alraune. Faced with what is quickly breaking down into an outright brawl, Niklolai stutters out a warning. "What? No! You all need to stand down!" He then draws his scimitar, casts a spell and steps up to Zeno to deliver it. Spellcraft DC 18:
Zeno's quick reflexes save him for now at least.
Bambang an Zeno recognize the newcomer as a kapre, albeit a small one. Mavarion opts to fight fire with fire, so to speak, and shreds the kapre's torso. The huge, thorny flower Darcassan stads on shudders, and a supernaturally sweet perfume wafts out from it. GM secrets:
The scent has a worrying calming effect on Fahd and Periel. Periel & Fahd:
GM secrets:
In response to Fahd and Periel's righteous charge, one of the palm trees morphs into a plant creature with an oddly humanoid face. It's mere presence throws Mavarion's focus, and it billows forth a plume of noxious smoke that engulfs Fahd and Periel. Fahd has breathed in worse in his desert homeland, but Periel stops dead in his tracks, coughing up a lung. Mavarion:
Darcassan's face contorts into demonic snarl for a mere moment. "If I have to force you to stay, then so be it..." Initiative:
GM secrets:
Bambang:
A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus.
The beautiful woman smiles at you as you introduce yourselves. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name name is Darcassan, and I'm simply here to help fulfill Nikolai's greatest dream." Bambang feels exceptionally amicable towards her, while Fahd knows that she hasn't spoken a single true word since you reached the clearing.
The half-elf agrees to to take you to his newfound friend and leads you to a placid lake. A broad, slow-moving waterfall feeds the clear water, and the area is somewhat cooler and more pleasant than its oppressively hot surrounding. To the south are several pits and piles of soil where two Pathfinders are digging what looks decidedly like shallow graves. At the edge of the water, a beautiful woman stands atop a massive amaranth flower growing out of a mass of thorny vines. Her golden hair stretches the length of her body and elongated pointy ears hint at a
“Agents, welcome to your new home. I was curious if any of Nikolai’s friends would be joining us.” She smiles at the half-elf and continues. “You've preformed your duties beyond my expectations, Nikolai. Even now more and more Pathfinders flock to your lodge.” The half-elf beams with pride at this compliment.
Perhaps another aid, but I'll move us along tomorrow if no one else helps Bambang.
Fahd's suggestion causes the half-elf to hesitate.
The half-elf smiles at Bambang and addresses him as would an inquisitive child. "Ah, more sheep to my flock! The stodgy old priests in Qadira were wrong to dismiss my interpretations of The Birth of Light and Truth, but I see that you are pure of soul." He fidgets absentmindedly with his holy symbol as he continues. "We were visited by a rather charming woman in the camp up north, and she informed us that we were to establish a lodge here, in the Mwangi Expanse, with me as its tenurered Venture-Captain. She seemed trustworthy, and such a position had been held beyond my grasp for long enough, so I, and my loyal companions, agreed to travel with her. She wove a spell and poof, we found ourselves in this sweltering jungle. She then retreated to her own abode, giving us time to construct the lodge itself."
The half-elf gives Zeno and Bambang a baffled look. "Zey and Li are in the Hao Jin Tapestry. This is the Mwangi Expanse... The jungle flora and oppressive heat do give it away. Dawnflower have mercy on me, the entry requirements for initiates must have dropped to an abysmal level in my absence!"
The half-elf claps his hands together and beams. "Splendid! Your help will get things moving along much more hastily, I'm sure! The Decemvirate's descision to give me free reign in establishing a permanent lodge here in the Mwangi Expanse is surely the best move they've made in years." Bambang senses that the aura on the half-elf is gone, though the ones on the halfling and gnome persist. Recap for Zeno:
The half-elf's eyes go blank for a moment, but he regains his cheery disposition quickly. "That's strange... It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders... Nevertheless, either you can report my grand succes back to the Ten, or you can help us build the lodge. Which will it be?"
Bambang senses auras on the three Pathfinders. Knowledge (arcana) DC 19: The auras are moderate enchantment magic.
While Zeno is baffled by this development, he nonetheless trusts the Venture-Captain. Fahd, however, feels that something is amiss. The half-elf is not lying, but he seems to be under some sort of influence. Bambang: The half-elf radiates a strong good aura, while the gnome and halfling both radiate faint chaos.
You make your way up hill, following the tracks. Kenji suffers the full brunt of the oppressive heat and volunteers to secure the party's escape route instead of continuing onward. Roughly on and a half miles into the jungle you start to hear what sounds like someone praising the location of a new lodge mixed in with a few complaints about the weather. Moving closer, you see a half-elf bedecked in Sarenite symbols, a rough-and-tumble gnome and a halfling Bambang recognizes from his vision. The hlaf-elf turns to you and greets you with a warm smile. “Friends! Welcome! I was wondering if they’d send agents to find us. I’m glad to see they wasted no expense in sending some of the very best. Rest assured that all is well and your services are no longer needed. The crew and I will be settling here within the Expanse to open a new lodge. Isn’t that wonderful?
You arrive in Hao Jin’s demiplane instantaneously upon uttering the command word while touching the tapestry, your destination a hot and muggy jungle. A 2-foot-diameter sphere of pulsing blue light forms nearby each of you, and the sphere is both stationary and visible only to yourself. The weather is swelteringly hot, as one would expect of a real jungle on Golarion. A single path leads away from the clearing, taking would-be travelers deeper into the unknown. Five sets of booted humanoid footprints and an unnerving set of spiky tracks lead down the path.
Knowledge (arcana) DC 25: You manage to decipher Zey's not entirely helpful note and feel confident that you can acces the tapestry without damaging it, hopefully.
Bambang experiences a vision of a male halfling in slightly mud and blood spattered clothing activating the tapestry at the simian rune. He seems to be overcome by love and devotion.
With the knowledge of the fake wall in hand, Bambang and Mavarion can both manage to see through the illusion. In the small cave beyond it, they can see The Hao Jin Tapestry, though it has seen better days and has a cluster of dried blood around one of its woven sigils. In a neat pile beside the tapestry lies a small pile of fist-sized crystals. Alongside the crystals lies a handwritten note in the telltale cramped style you recognize as belonging to Aram Zey.
Knowledge (planes or religion) on the blood-smeared rune:
The symbol, a demonic ape face, represents Angazhan, the demon lord of apes and jungles. The note: In it Zey provides simplified instructions for how to operate the Hao Jin Tapestry in case of an emergency using the crystals. Following the basic ritual, one can identify a symbol on the cloth and travel to that location, though he notes that regular use of the procedure may destabilize the tapestry. Zey also notes that one can leave the tapestry by stepping into a glowing eddy that forms near where it enters the demiplane.
While you're all a loss concerning how to proceed, Bambang senses a magical aura around the northeast wall of the cave.
Detect Magic + Knowledge (arcana) DC 19: The wall emanates a moderate illusion aura.
You splatter the ooze across the ceiling before it even has a chance to descend upon you.
The cavern beyond the oozing trap seems to have been the dead bear's lair.
Survival DC 25: The floor of this cave is covered with multiple sets of booted footprints that move in every direction about the room, but you can discern that some of the footprints move directly into the northeast wall. No tracks lead down any of the other tunnel exiting the cave.
Kenji slips into one of the side tunnels and readies for the ooze's assault.
Fahd and Periel's projectiles fly true, while Bambang still feels the locust demon's influence and strikes the ceiling instead.
Initiative:
Mavarion and Zeno pelt the ooze from a safe distance, and it starts lurching into motion.
The bear's attackers are nowhere to be seen, but Kenji and Mavarion both spot a falling block trap over the narrower passage into the larger cavern to the east.
Knowledge (dungeoneering) DC 19: It's not a trap, but rather a deathtrap ooze.
The entrance tunnel descends and widens into a subterranean grotto. A massive bear lies motionless in the center of the cavern, its flesh exposed by several deep gashes. A half-dozen arrows stand clustered in its chest.
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