Cashel thinks that these are otherwise-normal (albeit old) physical items animated by a malign force of necromantic magic; they can be treated as undead.
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Paloma appeals to the crowd with a more casual tone. "It seems even lion prides have the occasional black sheep. No need to worry, good people, just give us some room to clean up this mess."
She steps toward the action and motions to Jack to move through the parting crowd and signals Cheeper to move ahead and defend Cortina as she moves into position.
Round 1 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Ryul-acted
Cortina-acted
Paloma-acted
Cashel-acted
Gauntlets-acted
Helms-acted
Jack
Cashel and Paloma manage to calm the crowd enough that several party members can slip through. Ryul and Cortina take advantage of that and move up quickly, along with Paloma's companion cheetah.
The cursed objects move towards the door, encountering Paloma .
Paloma gets grabbed and rammed by the gauntlets and one helm
Jack moves up. The crowd starts to flee, leaving the space in front of the museum doors largely clear--the only people left surrounded are Cashel and Paloma.
Round 2:
Initiative order
Ryul
Cortina
Paloma
Cashel
Gauntlets
Helms
Jack
Round 2 (ongoing):
Cortina tears the gauntlet loose from her neck.
Ryul closes and cuts at one of the helms, hitting it solidly.
Round 2 (ongoing):
Cashel's force missile blasts the damaged helm out of the air.
Round 2 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Ryul-acted
Cortina-acted
Paloma
Cashel-acted
Gauntlets
Helm
Jack
Cortina steps back, clearing the lane for Cheeper.
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Still following her order to defend Cortina, Cheeper steps into the fray, unleashing feline ferocity on the phantom foe.
Paloma continues to try and soothe the masses as she takes another step toward the combat. "There we are, you see? This won't take long at all. Slow and easy toward the exits now, we have everything in hand."
Round 2 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Ryul-acted
Cortina-acted
Paloma-acted
Cashel-acted
Gauntlets-acted
Jack
Joleana calls on Iomedae's grace to damage two of the malevolent items.
The gauntlet feels the full weight of divine power; the helm resists some of it, but that doesn't keep it going when Cheeper shreds the helm in short order, dispelling the force that animated it.
Paloma continues to keep the crowd calm as they flee.
Both gauntlets attempt to grab the cat, but neither one can manage to get a grip on her.
Jack cleaves through one of the gauntlets, and it falls to the floor twitching a little.
More of the people flee the scene.
Round 3:
Initiative order
Ryul
Cortina
Paloma
Cashel
Gauntlet
Jack
Even with assistance, Ryul is unable to hit the tiny terror, but Cashel's attack has no such issue with accuracy. The final enemy falls to the floor.
Joleana smoothly takes charge of the situation in Vernisant's continued absence, aided by Neffery and Rasvelg. Cincia enlists the assistance of various townsfolk in cleaning up the museum.
Rasvelg gets a big laugh when he comments, "I feel sorry for Vernisant's guards, having to be rescued from a pair of gloves!" Neffery is positively beaming with pride at his minor role in the melee. "It was the first time I've been glad my parents made me take all those fencing lessons." Finally, Joleana remarks during a lull, "I thought I was too old for this sort of thing, but as long as the people of Ridonport need me I'll continue to serve."
Once the immediate issues have been addressed and the wounded tended to, Cincia approaches the party. "Thank you so much, Pathfinders, and I think I'll need your organization's help. I don't know where Earl Vernisant got that chest--it worries me that I may have other things like it lurking in the collections here, so I'd like to have a Pathfinder scholar come here and help me look for them."
Everyone seems to be gravely disappointed in the Earl, and the next day (without any prompting from you or the leading citizens you worked with) a crowd of hundreds of Ridonporters surround the Earl's manor and demand answers. You figure it's best to keep your distance from the developing situation. For a while, the rumor is that he's trying to negotiate some sort of truce. However, a wainwright spots the earl trying to sneak out of his estate by climbing down a chimney, only for the nobleman to slip and tear his jacket. In the weeks that follow, the Tandak prefecture is ablaze with gleeful stories about how a soot-smeared Vernisant fled with only one boot astride a stolen draft horse. Vernisant made his way to Oppara, where he sought refuge among Grand Prince Stavian III’s loyalists. Even there, he was followed by questions of why he allowed piracy in his region and why he was soliciting bribes from navy officers, leading to a formal censure issued by the senate and barring him from voting in the upcoming primogeniture decision.
In Oppara, Venture-Captain Muesello listens to your verbal report with interest. "I have two letters here regarding your mission. The first is from Cincia Reviamo, formally requesting assistance with the collection in her museum. You must have impressed her--she's apparently commissioning a brass plaque commemorating your role in defending Ridonport and General Arnisant's true legacy. Oh, and there's a postscript about 'burning a painting.' The other letter is from Count Orlundo Zespire, expressing his gratitude for both resolving the canal piracy problem and humbling Earl Vernisant. Finally, Lady Morilla and her allies are already acting on your accomplishments. There may be some changes coming to Taldor...but don't spread that around. Well done, Pathfinders!"
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The adventure begins in Starrise Spire, the shining fortress that serves as the Pathfinder Society’s lodge in Nerosyan.
“Greetings Pathfinders!” This salutation comes from Venture Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury, a powerfully built Garundi man with keen eyes and a calming demeanor. “Over the last several months, I have been working on the Society’s behalf to assist a group of Sarkorian refugees in preparing for the long trek from Iobaria back to their homeland. With the Worldwound closed, these Sarkorians may just be able to make a new life for themselves in the lands of their ancestors.”
Jorsal bites his lip for a moment as he mulls something over in his head before speaking once more. “I’ve just received a letter from a young woman named Nelket, the leader and god caller of the Sarkorians in Mishkar. She’s a capable woman, particularly with that god of hers, a massive, feathered bear called Dolok Darkfur, at her side. The letter is badly smudged and damaged. Unfortunately, a bird delivered the message, so there was no one to ask for further details. As far as I can tell, it sounds like they’re having some kind of problem with forest goblins from the Iobarian woodlands trying to burn the town down. But there’s only so much I can tell from this blackened paper. Once you’ve read Nelket’s letter, I’ll be sending you on to Mishkar with all haste. We’ve made a promise to see these people back to their homeland, and I don’t intend to break it.”
"Do you have any questions?"
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I'll just hit those that the others tell me to hit.
Paloma smiles as she pats Jack on the shoulder. "You always do well playing to your strengths."
Her eyes widen at the Venture Captain's description. "Feathered... bear?" She asks while wracking her brain for some creature matching that description.
"I have never heard of such... you said it is a god?"
A crease appears between her brows as she looks over the letter. "This looks less like accidental damage and more like it was... edited or..." She ponders her word choice for a moment, "...redacted. Do you think it is likely this letter was intercepted and altered?"
She considers what she knows of the area.
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The town of Mishkar is surrounded on three sides by the Finadar Forest. The Finadar Forest in Iobaria is known for its bruorsivi, or “blood pines,” a highly flammable breed of pine tree with scarlet needles.
While the Finadar Forest’s blood pines make it highly susceptible to sudden and intense forest fires, the many druids and centaur shamans who occupy the forest typically keep these fires from growing out of control.
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Jorsal of Lauterbury shakes his head.
"I do not believe that it was intercepted. I suspect the bird that delivered it was a common magical trinket, a feather that can take the shape of a bird and carry a written message. It vanished as soon as the letter reached my hands."
He then smiles wryly at Jack's comment.
"Definitely *not* an owlbear, although I can understand your confusion. Dolok Darkfur is the god of the Farheavens clan. Perhaps not a god as they’re most commonly thought of; Dolok Darkfur walks among his people at the behest of the god caller Nelket. He takes the form of a massive feathered bear and I’m given to understand he’s quite formidable. He gave a few of your fellow Pathfinders some trouble about a year back, but he’s become a fast ally of the Society in the time since. His knowledge of the history of Sarkoris is unrivaled by any other creature I know of."
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Paul arrives at the briefing, dressed more richly than he's been in previous adventures and seeming more relaxed. "It's good to see you all again! Alas, I've forgotten most of my lessons regarding the history of Sarkoris, and I believe they were rather cursory at best--the lore of the place was rather dominated by the Worldwound. I'm with Jack on this, though I don't hit as hard."
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Ryul takes notes, as little as there are for the mission. He greets the group, ”Well met again. It seems the society has solid trust in us.”
He tries to recall anything about the area.
And then asks the VC, ”How far is the travel and if significant, will we be getting magical assistance to get there ‘with haste’ as you mentioned?”
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When the Worldwound erupted in old Sarkoris, many Sarkorian tribes and families were driven from their homes and forced to seek refuge or build new lives in neighboring countries and territories.
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Jorsal of Lauterbury smiles.
"I am glad that you asked! You will be arriving at your approximate destination by Teleport. That said, the only wizard I was able to procure on short notice with knowledge of Mishkar *and* the ability to reliably activate a scroll of teleport is too old and frail to spend long in smoky air. As a result, he will not be able to remain and assist you against the flames. Once you get there, you will be on your own."
He the opens a Bag of Holding.
"That said, I will not be sending you there *completely* unprepared."
So saying, he distributes two weeks' worth of trail rations, as well as a Potion of Resist Energy(Fire), to each of you.
"If it takes longer than a fortnight, I trust in your ability as Pathfinders to find supplementary victuals."
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Jorsal of Lauterbury arches an eyebrow.
"You have feet, yes? We are rushing you there because of the urgency of the mission, but your return is not quite as urgent. Take some time to explore the area, and report back to us with what you find."
He then nods to Ryul.
"Yes, I remember a package being delivered with your name on it."
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Jorsal of Lauterbury rings a bell, and an *exceedingly* geriatric wizard with a bundle of scrolls in his hand shuffles into the room.
Although he appears to be only a hair's breadth away from the grave himself, his memory is still good, for the wizard spell deposits you a few hundred feet outside of Mishkar, next to a large sign bearing the city’s name. A smoky, orange-tinted haze fills the air, dimming the sun and scattering its rays into an orange halo.
The wizard's lungs are immediately irritated by the smoke, and he starts wheezing.
"Sorry. I am not as spry as I used to be. I leave the rest up to you young'uns!"
He then teleports away.
Roiling clouds of smoke from a massive forest fire darken the sky and dim the sun’s light. Utter chaos reigns as humans and goblins dart back and forth between the fire and a town, carrying buckets of water to douse buildings or stoking fire breaks to keep the massive conflagration from spreading into town. The signs of recent battle mar the buildings and many of those fighting the conflagration bear the marks of conflict in the form of bloody bandages or pained limps. Across a large field from the village’s southern edge, a hastily erected encampment bustles with the clopping hooves of numerous centaurs.
In fact, a patrol of the aforementioned equine hybrids is startled by your sudden arrival, and hurriedly brandish their spears at you, despite obviously already being injured.
"More allies of those goblin forest burners! We won't let you drive us from our homes!"