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The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: “Start where it ll began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.”
The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign f a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table. “Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!” With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder. “Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born.
“But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,” he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying, “Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice, “Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet. “Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.” With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself.
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A halfling girl walks in, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and dressed in a leather skirt and a sheepskin vest.
"How do, all? I'm Willow Berrythwaite, but my friends call me Pepper." She seems to fill more of the room than her small frame would suggest is possible.
"I'm real excited to go on this here adventure. A girl can't just sit around doin' nothin'. For me, sittin’ still is harder’n any kind of work. The gods intended womenfolk to be outside as well as the menfolk, and they don’t know what’n they’re missin’ when they stay’n all cooped up in the house."
She shouts. She spits the tobacco she's been chewing out onto the floor of the bar. "Who needs a drink?"
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"Already taken care of." the black-haired Ustalvan replies to Pepper, slightly lifting his mug to her with a nod. He takes a sip from it before he sets it down, then inclines his head to Janira.
"So, the final is to be a spelunking expedition, is it?" he muses. "Well I suppose they can't waste all the glamorous assignments on new agents."
"So miss J: I take it that gillmen are rare around these mountains? Do you suspect they may be massing, planning a raid of some sort?"
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A taller Tien tiefling strides into the room, clad in typical explorers garb with a large resting on the top of his head but with a large scythe strapped to his back, it looks as though a small creature may be hiding behind his legs, small translucent hands are perceptible but they are odd.
"We are here, ready for our chance to prove ourselves," looking around at the group gathered, "I'm Kuuma, a man far from his home," motioning to the small creature hiding behind his legs "This is Kira, she can be a bit shy at first but she is surprisingly strong".
After listening to the mission briefing, "This sounds like it'll be a worthy test of our skill," Kuuma will think for a couple seconds about what he knows about Gillman, "Is there anything we know about this lone Gillman, did it attack you, Janira, when you encountered it?"
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A small girl with hints of tiefling heritage about her and an eerie glow can be easily seen hiding behind Kuuma's legs but she'll poke her head out after the mission briefing, she looks like she may have been crying recently and sniffles "It might be a good test of our skill but we might just all DIE!" shouting that last word she'll start crying again and sink into the floor.
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Stepping off an Albino wolf almost as tall as he is, the door opens to admit a small gray skinned humanoid creature with raised, white spirals on his cheek. He wears a well made breastplate and carries a sword at his hip. Following on his heels, the Wolf has a riding saddle cinched round its waist and a lance balanced upon it.
He slowly makes his way to a chair and hops in, absent mindedly scratching behind his ear as he listens to the esteemed master of scrolls and his assistant.
After everyone is done, he hops of the chair and gives a formal bow before speaking in halting taldane.
"Hello. This ones name is Hatori Senketsu, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My friend is called Yurei."
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Looking around after her outburst and responding to Zyx, "Yeah, we try not to say the D-word is all, she can be a little...irrational," Kuuma will dig around in his bag for what looks like a stuffed black and white bear and play around a little bit, coaxing Kira back outta of the floor. After a few short seconds, she floats up to play, "Ahah! Gotcha," Kuuma will grab her and hug her, and appears to absorb her into him for the time being.
"She'll be safe with me but I'll need at least a minute to Manifest her again when it's time to fight,"
@ Pepper, it´s ok for me
Hi Zyx, there´s no expected gold in the caves but who knows?
Hi Kuuma, she continues smiling at the tiefling, there´s nothing I know about any of the gillmen I saw, no one attacked me and I was busy with my own confirmation, so I didn´t have time to interact with them.
Janira looks at Kira for a moment before realizing what it is, [b]wow, I´ve heard stories of this kind of “manifestations”, even I know a wizard wich went with two of this. But it’s the first I see! Can I touch her!?
At the center of the Isle of Kortos stand the Kortos Mounts, the points on the island.
Entire tribes of centaurs, harpies, and minotaurs constantly vie for territory up and around the Mounts, with harpies being the most common at higher altitudes and centaurs controlling the lower slopes and foothills.
[spoiler=History DC 15]
Also known as the Low Azlanti, the gillmen are an amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people.
During Earthfall, the Starstone struck Golarion and destroyed the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant. It is said that gillmen’s ancestors survived the cataclysmic event because they received the blessing of an aquatic entity that allowed them to breath underwater.
Most scholars believe the terrifying aboleths were responsible for the gillmen’s transformation. Any alliance between them appears to have fallen apart over the millennia, however, and the gillmen are now an independent people.
Before we set out, we should all get to know each other and review our plan. After all, the most important factors that determine whether an expedition will be a success are cooperation and preparation!I´ll go first. The she unpacks her backpack showing what she has. have two potions of cure light wounds, so if I fall unconscious you can cure me, a potion of barkskin, and a wand of cure light wounds to use in anyone who need it. A potion of feather step and potion of vanish because sometimetimes exploration is dangerous, scroll of entangle, scroll of gust of wind, scrolls of mage armor, identify, obscuring mist. Wand of burning hands, acid, alchemist’s fire, holy water, to be prepared against swarms and undeads. Smokestick, tanglefoot bags and a thunderstone because always are fun to use. Sunroods to be able to see, antitoxin in case I´m poisoned. An of course, my armor, a hand to hand weapon, my whip, and a distance weapon, my light crossbow.
"BY THE STARS! Where did she go?"
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As the form of Kira fades into Kuuma, Kyllian arches an eyebrow. "So, you're a spirit catcher then? Wonderful: it's always a good omen to start a mission already bringing a corpse."
Swiveling in his his seat to face Janira again, the Ustalvan takes one more sip from his tankard and begins loudly answering from his seat.
"Well, the name is Kyllian. Fire is a...specialty of mine, so I for one shouldn't be needing any vials or rods." He snaps his fingers to emphasize his point and a glowing flame appears hovering above his hand. "A month ago I was involved in clearing up some strange goings-on in Ustalav. Apparently that caught one of this Society's Captains eye enough that he recommended me straight to here for an accelerated commission. And I'm not one to pass up the favor of any man of influence, so I'm hear to give this a go."
Kyllian turns to drink some more, then looks back at the group. "In terms of this here, I'm not yet familiar with Kortos itself, so I would hope you brought yourself a good enough map. But I doubt anything we could come across will be worse than what you find in the Immortal Principality, and if it is, well," Kyllian smugly grins. "Then our rations can get helped out with some cooked meat."
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Senketsu marvels at the spirit girl Kira and Janira's thorough preparation as she pulls a veritable bag of tricks from her pack. Noticing the Ustalavian introduce himself and a neat trick with flame, the small pale creature clears their throat.
"Senketsu is Cavalier, I feel wind rushing past as I strike with my Lance, I ride Yurei. I am happy to meet new people and will gladly speak with these Gillman to try and build a good relation."
Senketsu then looks rather sheepish,
"I have helped a Venture Captain with Aspis deserter, but I have no Potions or wand I am afraid, Armour is expensive"
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Pepper gulps down her whiskey and slams the glass on the table, "Whoohee! I'll be a wildcat in heat if that isn't good!"
Pepper draws forth a wand. "I just got this brand spankin' new wand o' cure light wounds. I bet you dollars to doughnuts that it comes in handy."
"I also got me 'Annie,' my trusty long arm." She then produces her masterwork musket and kisses it.
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Kuuma, looking around at the group rather sheepishly, "I wouldn't call myself a spirit catcher, when we were attacked and chased out of our home, I couldn't leave her behind, that's when my powers first manifested."
Swinging his pack around and putting the stuffed animal gently tucked away, "I have a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, a few alchemist fires, an oil of bless weapon and a potion of remove fear,"
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Later while out walking he'll ask the group to hold-up for a minute and he'll once again draw out the stuffed panda-bear and play around in the dirt for a bit, around a minute, until Kira wispily emerges from him, however unlike before she is considerable more substantial this time around, her dress(Kimono) is rather tattered in places and her tiefling features are more accentuated, additionally her hands end in rather sharp claw-like nails. "Alright Kira, ready to have fun? We are out here explorin' for caves!"
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"I wouldn't call myself a spirit catcher, when we were attacked and chased out of our home, I couldn't leave her behind, that's when my powers first manifested."
"Didn't mean offense," Kyllian raises his hands to the air in mock surrender. "Haven't met any of your sort before. Guess I don't know the nomenclature."
Janira leads you out of Absalom passing by the coins district, thus letting Pepper, and whoever wants to make last minute purchases. As you walk she talks about the mission at hand; Is I told you I did my own confirmation and, after reviewing my reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing in there.
The first day going throught the Cairnlands go uneventuful, Janira uses the travel time to instructs you a little about the the good stories placed in the Cairnlands she knows geography ... There you can see the Redbout of Karamoss, place of one of the thoughtests fights for Absalom, and today a Pathfinder training ground! Oh, and there is the fortress where one of my friends was took captive for a few hours! She looks excited with every piece of information she tells you, as if all and everything she talks about is the most interesting thing she ever heard.
As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser. Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road. I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well. She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. L. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid. After studying the compass inside for a moment, she remarks, We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.
Suddenly you hear a noise, look around and see three giant bugs, almost as big as Snektsu, preparing to jump over you.
Combat round 1
Everybody can act before Janira and the bugs
Pepper
Snektsu
Kuuma
Kyllian
Nerfwin
Zyxtyvia
Janira
Giant bugs
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As they press on through the wilderness of Kortos, Senketsu marvels at the tales and information spun by Janira, riding expertly atop his Albino Wolf companion, the Wayang regales any who would listen with tales of their homestead in Tian Xia and of a mysterious Knight-Pathfinder they met sometime ago. After a day of travel Senketsu is getting restless, eager to feel the wind rush through their hair in the thrill of the charge and to feel the impact of pointed lance and foe.
Hearing a rustling through the bushes, Senketsu places himself infront of his companions, facing down the giant insects. Moving to his left, he steers Yurei around a tree stump and heads straight up to one of the attacking foes, after seeing Pepper's crackshot.
Steadying himself on the saddle he thrusts forwards with his lance.
Pepper moves foward picking her trust "Annie", then a "boom" can be heard and the bug falls to the ground. Snektsu moves to attack his own target, but his attack fails by a little
Combat round 1
Bold can act
Pepper shots and kills one bug
Snektsu fails his attack
Kuuma
Kyllian
Nerfwin
Zyxtyvia
Janira
Giant bugs
Zyx moves toward the blue bug to suport the cavalier. Kuuma and Kira moves against the blue bug just to see a a gout of flame overtaking them to burn a bug to the dead.
Nerfin, for his part fires his crossbow against the remaining bug, but the bolt flies wild.
The bug jumps against Zyxtyvia and starts bitting her leather armor.
Combat tab
Bold can act
Pepper
Snektsu
Kuuma
Kyllian
Nerfwin
Zyxtyvia
Janira is declaiming
Giant bugs
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Seeing his ally threatened by the remaining bug, Senketsu leans back in his saddle before thrusting forwards with his hardned lance, feeling the encouraging words of Janira wash over him.
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Feeling his lance slam home he whoops in delight. Should this fell the foul beast he will regroup with Janira, if not, Yurei will step in and bite the creature.
The bug is lanced, slashed and burned in a rapid succesion, dien before it can realize what´s happeining.
That was a great fight! You know how to fight as a group, they not have even a chance. And without any wounds for your part!
Now pack quickly, we need to reach the cave before the night!
The travel throught the wilderness is difficult due to the overgrown plants, fallen trees blocking paths and similar natural problems. If any of you can´t find a better route than Janira this will be a long and extenuating journey.
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With the bug falling beneath their onslaught, Senketsu gives out a woop before regrouping with Janira and the others. "Well done all, if we keep like that, no for can stop us." At Janira's suggestion to move on to the cave, the Wayang checks Yurei for wounds quickly before getting readh to head off. Just before he does however, he hears Kuuma's warning about thorns and immediately halts Yureo from stalking off.
"Ahh yes, less thorns are good, not hurt Yurei's feet."