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Karg is a well built half-orc, seemingly more well suited for heavy labor rather than the responsbilities of a scribe. Still, alongside his falchion he has quill, charcoal, and parchment as he follows the four legged outsider Shear. Both have a glowing symbol on their head denoting their link.
He has no love for being dragged across half way across the world to respond to Shear's duties to the Pathfinder Society, but in the indeterminate time since they have killed the pair of deamons has found ample time to learn enough Tien to carry a conversation and has been using such knowledge to spread Andoran ideals typically over a bottle of whatever he can afford.
Shear is still no less unusual than he was weeks past, but has seen more significant changes in that time.
The eidolon appears to be composed of black volcanic rock with cracks in the shell revealing glowing red heat from his bodies interior. The heat offers no danger and at worse makes Shear uncomfortable for a typical person to remain in contact with even though the heat isn't strong enough to burn.
He wears a treated tabard with the symbol of the Open Road along with the wayfinder hanging from his side and an ioun stone floated above his head.
The most significant change has been in the way he speaks. His voice sounds more human without the rough crashing of rock and flame within his throat before. He has spent most of the free time he has had practicing speech, understanding humanoid cues and acting less alien within conversations.
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Since the death of Venture-Captain Bakten Shengrah, New Oppara has been in mourning. The heavens echo the city’s grief, bestowing shrouds of inky storm clouds on the city, rolling down from the Zi Ha Mountains to the north. On orders from the Lantern Lodge, all local Pathfinders have cloistered themselves within the samsaran guru’s sanctuary, combing his libraries for clues that might explain the strange resuscitation of Bakten’s candle of conveyance, for none of the sages of Amanandar can explain how the candle still burns when Bakten’s soul has departed.
As the black clouds hurl blizzards from above, an unlikely source of aid appears at the sanctuary’s gates: an elderly elven noblewoman stumbles in, frostbitten and half-delirious. “I came to atone,” she cries, “Bakten was once Malash—a hero. But what was Malash next? That evil woman! I loathed her so. I thought she stole my love’s heart, and blamed her next life, Bakten, too! But if he knew nothing of his own veiled life?” Her ancient hands clutch a weather-beaten scroll case, as if it were a lifeline. “Tell me he is not dead, please!” She begs, “If Bakten is fallen, I fear the shrouded one may rise and doom us all!”
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"Jujanil, the evil creature who stole my love's heart. I was certain that she was one of Bakten's past lives, a being of the same soul, but now I am not so sure. I made a terrible mistake, and now we may be doomed. After you Pathfinders visited Jinin, I realized if Bakten himself recalled nothing of the shrouded one,t hen perhaps she was a separate soul entirely. I sent one of my daughters to ransack Ryuu's chambers. I had to know what creature had ensnared him centuries ago. She brought me this scroll."
Trembling, Shiori proffers a letter from Jujanil to Mata Ryuu. The letter reads as follows:
Your Love and Sovereign,
Jujanil
Shear clearly doesn't show clear comprehension of the letter as he asks various questions.
"So the missing life has been alive this whole time? Does that mean Bakten was split into two souls? Do you know what the Black Grave Tower or Lord of Envy are?"
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She nods gravely at each of your questions and attempts to respond, although she seems rather upset and prone to babble a bit. "Samsarans are rare in Jinin, and in my centuries I have known truly only one despite its many shells. As you know, Lord Mata Ryuu and I were devoted to one another, but one day I saw him dallying with a samsaran woman whose hair was a black shroud. He swiftly rejected me, and he was never the same man after that. When I learned that Bakten was nearing the end of his cycle of reincarnation, I sought to fulfill an old oath - to kill the woman who stole my one true love. I arranged for some assassins to visit Bakten, as I believed he was once that same woman. But the truth is more horrible. I am here to atone for my shame, if there is any trickery within that letter it is not of my doing."
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Reavis, you know that The Black Grave Tower is a secluded pagoda of black basalt high atop the Wild Peaks of Zi Ha. Locals shun the tower, believing it to be haunted.
Lars, with some prompting from Enora, is able to expand on this information.
When the pagoda was built, a pilgrimage of crimson-clad priests traveled the lone mountain pass to christen the tower in the name of the Lord of Envy, the god Fumeiyoshi.
The funds for the pagoda’s construction came from the Mata house in Jinin, although a raven-haired samsaran supposedly oversaw its completion.
Lars, again with a few details filled in by Enora, also has some information about Fumeiyoshi.
Fumeiyoshi, Lord of Envy, is one of the 20 prominent deities of Tian Xia. He was once known as the God of Night. However, he grew jealous of his brother Tsukiyo’s love for the goddess Shizuru. This envy led him to fratricide, and he became the patron of dishonor, envy, graves, and undead.
Fumeiyoshi often manifests to his worshipers as a nearly skeletal crimson humanoid with three eyes, jagged tusks, and twisted claws. His unholy symbol is a red demonic face, and his sacred animal is a wolf, sometimes shown devouring a freshly killed hare, the sacred animal of his brother Tsukiyo. His favored weapon is the naginata.
The eidolon eyes her warily, but doesn't seem to inherently distrust her. "I think we can trust that. Is there anything you know about the woman? Anything you else you or your daughters have found?"
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She appears to be truthful. In fact she seems really honestly shaken up, and the fact that she even mentioned her daughters at all is a good sign that she is laying all cards out on the table.
"No, I'm afraid that's the only information I gathered. I pulled in some favors, and I'll get you a detailed map that will get you to the tower, along with cold weather outfits for the trek. The map should be detailed enough to prevent you from getting lost. The journey through the Wild Peaks will be a arduous hike through frigid weather and high peaks, but I'm sure resourceful Pathfinders such as you are able to withstand the elements. Additionally..."
She gulps, shudders, and then hands a single bone-white arrow to Reavis.
"...No such creature hails from the realm of the living. With this arrow's purity, may you fell the best that has vexed me for so long. Do this for me and help free my love from this monster's thrall."
She continues: "The map should be here in an hour or so, if there is any additional equipment you need to procure, I will have a translator accompany you to speak with the merchants."
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"For once I'm fine with this even without Shear telling me where to go. I would ask for more of a reason for me to go risk my life for you or a man you couldn't keep his own lives straight, but I'm not to leave someone as a puppet for some monster if I don't think I'm going to get killed in the process."
Conferring with Karg, the pair do make some purchases to assist during the trip.
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Twig looks, cocks her head, and thinks for a moment. "Bakten friend still walk-looker. Candle give hope. Twig want to make mad new walk-looker.
After stammering for a bit, Twig hops forward and puts her hand on yours, creating a telepathic link. The thoughts projected seem to indicate that while Bakten was well respected, Twig was one of few creatures who could actually get a rise out of him, and Twig enjoyed his companionship.
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The journey takes 10 days on foot through the lowlands of northern Amanandar. While there are small groups of yak herders along the way, everyone seems put off as soon as anyone indicates your destination. The Black Grave Tower is fairly well known to be a place of terrible horrors, although nobody can seem to give any specifics.
The last leg of the trek brings you to the base of the Wild Peaks in southern Zi Hi. The only trail leads through a 3-mile-long pass surrounded by steep cliffs. The high altitude, combined with punishing cold, fierce winds, and constant snowfall, make this region exceedingly hostile to travelers and you see nobody else on the trail at this point. The final 3 miles is a tough hike and seems as though it will take several hours in this extremely harsh environment to reach the summit.
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"This is nothing? I hate to see what sort of hellish blizzard you wouldn't be able to shrug off." The half-orc is well bundled up and not appreciating the cold weather as he trudges up the mountain, hitting himself at times to get his blood pumping.
The eidolon is also covered in fur, but still shows significant discomfort in the weather. He refuses to turn back though and moves forward through the mountain.
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"Dang, I think someone was trying to scry on me. Now who would want to do that...I don't think I owe anyone any money." Reavis quickly considers the number of spellcasters he has angered over the years, but fortunately none of the ones still alive would be that powerful, "I wonder if the arrow that elf woman gave me is some kind of focus."
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"I'm not sure she would do that, if the Shiori is plotting something I'm more worried for my grandchildren's grandchildren in a couple hundred years when she decides to throw assassins around."
"There is the undead monster we are heading up to bury in the ground. She might be able to scry on us. Also Mata Ryu is controlled by her and he is a wizard of some sort. He can at least teleport, and probably can scry as well." Karg looks around to try to find a clear view of the path ahead clearly unsatisfied with the number of things that might want to kill him.
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On the 6th and 7th days of the trek, Enora and Lars shrug off some sort of divination spell as well but aren't sure exactly what it is. It is probably safe to assume it's the same scrying as discovered by Reavis though. The remainder of the trip is seemingly uneventful.
The harsh weather makes it difficult to move with any alacrity through the outdoors and the strong winds affect your vision . With the horrid snow and freezing weather, you suspect things would be a lot worse if Malikeen were not protecting you.
As you near the top of the beaks, you see a crude wooden sign that juts from the ice at the foot of a natural stair formation. Beyond, the mountain's ridge drops away suddenly. Vash notices three sets of large humanoid footprints leading deeper towards the tower.
The signpost has something written on it in bold lettering, however none of you know the language.
A sudden drop signals the end of one range and the beginning of another. Far below, the cracking squawk of shifting ice answers the thunder in the sky above. A rope bridge extends across the gap, flapping like a flag in the relentless winds. The far end is shrouded in spirals of snow.
"I think Karg can let me fly over, but it would only last a short time. If I can walk across that is better, but I will fly if the bridge might break."
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The sign is in Aklo, and it says "Turn back, for the world as you know it ends here.
The bridge is 30 ft above the ground below. The issue with the bridge seems to be its construction more than anything. If you don't stop to test your footing and let the swaying die down after every step, it will be up to your reflexes to keep you on it. While a climb speed won't help for the bridge itself, the chasm walls aren't too difficult to scale.