Each of you received summons to report to Diya Akan in the Twisting Garden Lodge in Merab.
You made your way to that coastal city in Thuvia, and when you arrived at the appointed location, you discovered an expansive garden maze surrounded by a few small buildings that house caretakers, residents, and visitors. You gather near the entrance to the maze, where a guide awaits you...along with 5 other pathfinder agents.
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The blue-skinned half-orc enters the gardens with a raucous laugh behind a half-elf and halfling.
”...and the goblin slammed its face into the anvil!” the large toothy warrior hits the punchline of the story to a wave of laughter, the loudest of which is his own. ”I thought Lia was going to pass out from laughing so hard - we were lucky that the dwarf kept his wits and finished the job.”
He looks around abruptly at the serene scene and the three other figures tranquilly gathered.
”Eh,” he starts, absently scratching at the beautiful dark wooden shield strapped to his back, ”I’m Craggark. Uh, of the Miusunnit. Yup.”
He trails off, looking uncomfortable.
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The tanned Garundi woman dressed in worn but sturdy traveler's garb and a well polished breastplate waves one hand in greeting as the trio enters. A warm smile spreads across her face, dark eyes sparkling with happiness behind her silver spectacles. "Welcome, Craggark! It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Katswiri, and I am looking forward to working with all of you."
Her brow furrows in concentration as she fails to place the name. "I don't think I am familiar with the Miusunnit. Are they a tribe, or a nation?"
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Craggark smiles.
"Both!" he offers with a smile. "We are Erutaki - from the Spine of the World. Well, my people are. I am the son of the keeper of the ice peppers. Have you ever tried an ice pepper, Katswiri, is it?" The half-orc begins rummaging in his satchel, producing a small silver cylinder after a brief search.
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From the shadows, a voice speaks out. "That story gets funnier every time you tell it...too bad it's the only story you know..."
A mid-sized cloaked figure steps from the shadows, pulls back his hood to reveal wavy black hair and a face with soft Elven features. He walks up to Craggark with a mischievous grin and clasps arms with the half-Orc. "Well met old friend! You get uglier every time we meet... where's your better half? She always did make you easier to look at..."
Turning to the other two, the rogue bows. "Forgive my manners. Myth, at your service...and I'd stay away from Craggark's ice peppers if I were you...let's just say they're bad for your digestion..."
With decorum served, Myth nods back to Craggark. "So, what's it to be this time, my friend? More freezing cold? Or perhaps more mummies?"
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Katswiri doesn't seem to notice Myth until he steps out of the shadows, whereafter she gives him a smile and a nod in response to his greeting. "Interestingly enough, I have! The society once sent me on a mission to Irrisen, and I ended up encountering ice peppers in my travels. I will say, they were an interesting culinary experience."
"We might be in for a bit of freezing cold, if we need to travel for this mission. Away from the sea, the desert is blazing hot during the day, and icy cold at night." She gazes wistfully around the surroundings. "I've missed it dearly."
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"Ah, but Mythryndyr my friend, Craggark tells the story with such style! And every time he tells it, it is a different part of the poor goblin that collides with the anvil. Although I believe," the halfling, colorfully dressed over a shirt of mithral chain, with a sword dangling from his hip, turns to the half-orc and wags a scolding finger at him, "you have told it as the goblin's face once already. Last Lamashtan, I believe, in Osirion, when we were celebrating you getting rid of that cursed necklace or bracelet, was it not?"
The halfling bows deeply to Katswiri and smiles. "My lady, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Jamir Montajay, of the Cassomir Montajays, the finest swordsman of the Inner Sea, and I am at your service." At her mention of Irrisen, Jamir's smile fades, and he glances quickly at Craggark and Myth. "You have spent time in the land of the ice witches as well? Ah, but I am sorry for you. Although our own missions there were largely successful, some of us still bear scars from that interminable journey." With a shake of his head, Jamir's smile returns, although it may appear a bit forced. "And there was hardly a decent mug of ale in the entire frozen country!"
Jamir bows again when introduced to Aroden. "Ah, believe me, my new friend, I understand well the powerful example a name can provide. Why, in the shipyards of Cassomir, the mere mention of the name of Montajay will send many lumbering, work-hardened shipwright into shivering paroxysms of fear, and that even when my mother - the chief foreman of the yards - is nowhere in sight!"
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”Hee-HAW!”
From outside, the group hears the sound of a donkey braying.
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Jamir strides to the window, throws open the shutters, and looks outside.
"Now that won't do at all! Let go of that poor man's cloak! No, that is not food! NOT FOOD!"
Without so much as a glance back into the room, Jamir leaps out the window and lands with a thud and a groan, although from the sound of it, the groan did not come from Jamir.
"Oh, excuse me, my good man!" Jamir's voice drifts up from the alley beneath the window. "That is a lovely cloak. Well, it was, anyway. My new friends upstairs, I don't suppose either of you knows the very useful spell for mending things? Ah, where are you going? So soon? Pleasant journeys!"
After a moment, Jamir returns to the room through the door, shaking his head. "I really should hire someone to train the Nag a little better."
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Craggark's eyes go misty for a bit as Lia's name is mentioned.
"Ah, no. She took a society job in Cassomir. She has....cousins there."
Shaking his head briefly, Craggark launches back into his sales pitch. "Digestive woes? You blame my ice peppers? These are the finest digestive aids on this side of the Starstone Cathedral!" He turns back to Katswiri. "If you've tried ice peppers, then you know of their potency. Let me brew you a tea sometime - I'll make you a believer in their extraordinary powers yet!" He shakes the silver cylinder in his hand for punctuation, the fine clattering indicating a dried foodstuff therein.
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Seeing Craggark's reaction to his inquiry on Lia, Myth is instantly sorry he brought her name up; while he can sense something must've went awry between the two, he'd rather face the mummies again than bring her up any further...
He puts a hand on the half-Orc's shoulder. "Sorry my friend, I hadn't heard..." He then decides to change subjects swiftly, "...but as far as your ice peppers go, I guess the digestive woes only afflict those of us with less refined palates. My...stomach...wasn't right for many days after that culinary experience..."
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Katswiri sends a worried look in the direction of the window when Jamir takes his leap, and raises her voice to make sure she can be heard by all. "Apologies, but when the gods gave me my second sight, they took my hearing. The glasses I wear allow me to easily see the mouth shapes of your words, but I may sometimes may miss things that happen out of sight, or from things that speak without lips and require some assistance repeating information. Is....someone being eaten out there? Do we need to help?"
"I would love to try Ice Pepper tea, Craggark. If we have time to eat lunch at some point during our mission, you should brew a pot. Or if it turns out to be urgent, we can go out for food after we finish our tasks and have a celebratory pot."
Katswiri's eyes flick over to Aroden, taking in the robed appearance and sword. "I'm looking forward to working with you as well, Aroden." She follows the statement with a few rapid sentences of Ancient Azlanti.
As the party is enjoying their multilingual discussion, a neatly dressed guide walks up and offers a courteous nod of his head and click of his heels. "I have been instructed to lead you to Diya Akan. Those new to the Twisting Garden Lodge can find it a bit...misleading. If you would follow me." And with barely a pause, he then heads into the maze.
It takes nearly five full minutes, even with a guide, to traverse the maze of hedges and sandstone walls leading to the center of the Twisting Garden Lodge in Merab. The path eventually opens onto a spacious courtyard with a large pavilion at the center. A voice calls out from the pavilion, “Please, join me, before the food grows stale!”
The guide gestures to the pavilion, where cushioned benches line the edges of the shaded area and surround a large table covered in delicacies. There Diya Akan awaits, wearing a loosely wrapped red and white headscarf affixed at her shoulder with a scarab pin. Her eyes, clouded with blindness, also betray her elven heritage. A dog with sand-colored fur snoozes at the venture-captain’s feet, his ears giving the occasional twitch when someone speaks.
At the sound of your approaching footsteps, she says "And please, introduce yourselves. I would know with whom I speak."
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Katswiri bows her head slightly in respect and speaks up. "I am Katswiri, a seer, a painter and a scholar of magic and history. I hail from the Osiriani deserts and have been a member of the scarab sages in the pathfinder society for the last two years, when I was recruited to assist in the Sky Key incident. It is a pleasure to meet you, Diya Akan."
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The half-orc speaks loudly in a misguided fashion as if the Venture-Captain is deaf as well as blind.
Craggark takes a quick surprise fist from the halfling in the gut, momentarily halting his introduction.
"What did you hit me for?" Craggark whispers furiously at Jamir. Realisation hits him suddenly and the blue-skinned orc's cheeks turn purple as he sees Jamir miming visual impairment.
"oh."
Craggark finishes lamely, closing his eyes in exasperation.
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Thuvia... one of the places that claims the secret of Immortality. After a fashion.
Aroden bows.
"Greetings, Venture-Captain Akan. I am called Aroden, in honor of the Last Azlanti. I am a wizard of some skill, and a scholar of many topics, though I can also use a sword if need be. This is a fascinating lodge. I do not recall being here before. I have undertaken many missions for the Society, and I imagine I have many more ahead of me."
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Jamir bows deeply, out of habit. "Good morning, Captain Akan! I am Jamir Montajay, of the Cassomir Montajays, the finest swordsman in, on, and around the Inner Sea! I am delighted to be here in your fair city! I, too, have been a member of the Society for the past two years. Craggark and I joined at nearly the same time and were assigned our first missions together, and it was during those early days in Irrisen and the lands of the Kellid tribes that we were joined by Mythryndyr, although we have not had the pleasure of working together in some months. I would continue, but -" he eyes the meal waiting before them "- your point about the risk of the food getting cold is well taken!"
You can almost see her checking off a mental list as each of you speaks. The occasional smile peeks out from the corners of her mouth at various times during your introductions, and with the halfling's words, she nods, and says, “I am Venture-Captain Diya Akan. Indeed, my good halfling, please, sit and eat. Then we shall talk.” At the sound of the word “eat,” the dog’s ears perk up and it raises its snout a few inches off the ground, nuzzling its master’s ankle. While the party gets settled, she pats the dog’s head, then grabs a small piece of meat from the plate in front of her and drops it next to her foot…the meat disappears before it touches the ground.
After a long enough pause for the sounds of everyone enjoying the refreshments to wash over her, Diya continues. “If you have spent any time in Merab these past few weeks, you have no doubt witnessed the ongoing construction as this city expands to meet its fast-growing demand for housing. You may have also heard that an archaeological dig team accidentally loosed an angry spirit on the city when they broke into an ancient section of the undercity. Rumors are swirling, and the creature is causing serious harm. Usually this would be left to the city watch, not the Pathfinder Society, but— well, this letter from the Sapphire Sage explains.” She hands the letter to whoever is nearest. “Read it aloud, would you?”
The letter (Player’s Handout #1) reads
What should have been a routine survey expedition in Merab recently unleashed an evil being of unknown nature upon the city. I have since felt the creature pulling at me and my sapphire jewel, as if yearning—nay, hungering—for its powers. I believe that this creature can sense relics of great import to the Jeweled Sages, and it is searching for something with great intensity. I dare not approach the city myself lest it turn its search on me. I entrust you with the task of tracing its path, determining its destination, and acquiring whatever objects it seeks.
. . --Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage
After the letter is read out loud, Diya continues: “Merab’s officials have requested that your first order of business be to inspect and clear the ruin. You may learn something of the creature’s purpose in the process. I suggest you interview the dig team and speak with the scholar Obahar, who is probably already nosing about the site. You can trust his assistance. After investigating the ruin, follow up on these leads,” she holds out another piece of paper, pausing until one of you grabs it, then finishes with ”and any other leads you uncover. We must discover what this creature wants, as Amenopheus asked.”
The Note (Player’s Handout #2) reads
—A woman under the care of Sarenites at the Temple of the Redeeming Sun started raving in Ancient Osiriani, and no one can cure her. The creature could be responsible. See what she has to say.
—A young alchemist is suspected of poisoning his customers. Official reports state he blubbered about a “demonic face.” Insufficient evidence for an arrest, so they closed his shop. Talk to him—get more details. Could be related.
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Katswiri eats a few choice pieces of food as she watches the letters being read aloud, then briefly skims both before responding. "I can speak Ancient Osiriani. It was the first dead tongue I learned, before joining the society. Though we must of course investigate the excavation, I think we should start with the woman and the alchemist. Their condition may hold clues that will help us safely examine the site."
Katswiri returns the pages to the table. "Before we begin, I will also wish to read the signs of the natural world for insight into our task. It should be no more than half an hour at the most, and the knowledge may prove invaluable."
Daya politely, but distinctly clears her throat. Ahem "I'll repeat that the local Merab authorities have requested that your first order of business be inspecting and clearing the ruin, presumably so that work may resume on the site, which in turn will help restore a sense of normalcy during this time of unrest. As for the other leads, follow them as you will, but it would probably be best to stay in the good graces of the local authorities...oh and before you go, if I could have a private word with Aroden and Katswiri? It'll only take a moment. And for the rest of you, good luck!"
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"Ah." Katswiri looks momentarily embarrassed. "My apologies for misreading the request. We can of course address the ruin itself with urgency."
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"To the ruin!"
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At the sound of your approaching footsteps, she says "And please, introduce yourselves. I would know with whom I speak."
"My name is Robyyn." The ancient sylph finally speaks, after having quietly observed the various antics of the others along the long walk here. "My companion Ayrii travels with me everywhere," he notes as he inserts a pointed finger into the tangled hair and beard cascading over his shoulders and down his chest. He withdraws a small bat that hangs upside down. The bat quickly flits up into the air, flying a small circle before landing on the back of his head and crawling back into its nest.
Robyyn sits and joins the others at the meal. He eats quietly and quickly. Light winds seem to constantly swirl around the sylph, sometimes moving a pea across the plate or lifting a corner of his napkin.
After finishing his meal, he stands, and look ready to proceed. "To the dig site, then?"
On your way out of the maze, those of you more knowledgeable types wrack your brains, trying to recall any information you may have heard over the years about the history of Merab. Most of you are aware that Merab is one of the more prosperous cities in Thuvia in recent years, its population growing.
As you make your way toward the excavation site, you note that Merab is an eclectic mix of the old and the new. You spot multiple sites where ancient buildings beyond repair are being demolished and replaced with new construction. It's easy to pick up snippets from the crowds as you travel to the site.
Daya's directions lead you to a small courtyard where the worksite is quite obvious:
Nearly a dozen workers mill about the area as a wide array of excavation tools gather dust in the corners. A bearded man busily examines charts and objects laid out on a wooden table shaded by temporary awnings.
A muscular young Garundi man in his late teens spots your arrival and immediately walks up and says, “I am Anaref. If you’ve come to cleanse the ruins of evil, I’ll tell you all you need to know!” He grows very excited as he continues to chatter. “I saw the creature with my own eyes! A floating head, with a tongue as long as my arm and eyes like ice. It tried to lick me! I asked my gran, and she says it was a vargywheel.”
Aroden and Craggark listen with abject fascination. Aroden starts to say, "I think he means a Vargouille...a particularly nasty evil outsider that--" His words are cut off by the snickering of the other four traveling companions, who quickly realized this youth is clearly just trying to be the center of attention; there's little chance he was actually present when the creature emerged, and what he is saying right now is utter nonsense.
You can talk to the work crew, the bearded man, or just head down into the site...
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Before reaching the worksite, Myth tells the others what he found out by mixing with the locals...
"These folk are not only very religious, they're very superstitious to boot...may be hard to get them to open up about any evil creatures that might be around..."
Once there, Myth approaches the bearded fellow and bows. "Myth, at your service. Are you in charge here?"
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As the group begins to travel towards the site, Katswiri provides a brief history lesson on the area. "Merab is an ancient city. People have been living here for thousands and thousands of years, back to the time of Ancient Osirion and the Tekritanin League. As the buildings have fallen to the ravages of time, new construction has been built on top of old, and then in turn fallen to be built upon once more, creating layers generally referred to as the undercity."
"As the city has expanded and contracted through the millenia, the tendency has been to clear and rebuild on the outer regions, where there is more room from fewer cycles of construction. In this case, the site is being cleared near the city center, and is multiple layers deep. The site found here is likely to be truly ancient, predating anything still standing on the surface."
""These folk are not only very religious, they're very superstitious to boot...may be hard to get them to open up about any evil creatures that might be around..."
Katswiri nods at Myth's statement. "Agreed. I believe they have some cause, as well. If I recall correctly..." Katswiri pulls a book from her backpack, flipping through several pages and nodding to herself before replacing it. "Yes. There is a type of fiend that is common here, the Div. They are evil outsiders formed from corrupted genies, that seek the corruption of all things."
At the site, Katswiri will gesture to cast a spell, and her features seem to be somehow subtly enhanced, her beauty magnified by an inner glow. "Anaref, is it? My name is Katswiri. I am one of the pathfinders that will be investigating the opened ruins here." She gives him a warm smile and gestures to the side, slightly away from everyone to give him a space where might admit he's lying without losing face. "Why don't the two of us talk for a bit about what you saw, and anything you know about what happened here? Every piece as truthfully recounted as you can. I am one of the scholars on the team responsible for identifying and preparing us for the dangers inherent in an expedition like this, and if I had us prepare to face a Vargouille when it was some other sort of fiend." She pauses a moment for emphasis. "Well, we could end up getting seriously hurt."
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Aroden nods with appreciation as Katswiri lays out what she knows. He glances at her books with some interest. Maybe I should get some of those.
He makes sure to be facing her as he speaks, so she can read his lips.
"I concur. Older than anything else known... Tekritanin, perhaps? Fascinating. I haven't explored any of their sites."
Anaref starts looking down at the ground, avoiding Katswiri's gaze. "I didn't really see much, just thought I saw a small thing flying off into the city--more just a glimpse of movement. I wasn't trying to cause no trouble." Finally he raises his eyes and looks Katswiri in the face. "You aren't going to tell my grandma, are you?"
Aroden is aware of many different kinds of Div, but without actually seeing a Vargouille, nor an actual Div, trying to come up with an obvious comparison would be difficult. That being said, he is aware that divs strive to ruin and despoil all things created by mortals. Spawned from corrupted genies exiled to the accursed depths of Abaddon, divs harbor an ancient hatred against all mortalkind, doing all in their power not simply to destroy but also to torment all that lives. Patient and vicious, divs seek to spoil all things beautiful and joyous, dooming their victims to existences full of frustration and suffering before succumbing to lengthy, painful deaths.
The bearded man looks up distractedly from the blueprints. "What's that, lad? No, I'm not in charge, per se. That would be Kehl. She's in charge of the laborers." He points to a nearby local woman who's chatting with a few of the workers. I'm Obahar. And you must be the Pathfinders. I am a local expert on archeology and ancient history, and I’m so glad you’re here! With our combined expertise, we’ll have this all figured out soon enough! While I am eager to learn more about the ruins, I am afraid my adventuring days are long behind me. Please go inside and take careful note of what you discover. This is possibly the most important find in Merab’s history—aside from the sun orchid elixir, of course! Where was I? Ah yes. The ruins spat out one fiend already, so there’s no telling what awaits you. Whatever you find, return it as-is. When you report back, we can find out where this monster is from and what it might be up to.”
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Except for the sounds of chewing and swallowing, Jamir is quiet throughout the meal. When Aroden and Katswiri stay behind for a moment to speak with the venture captain, the halfling nudges Craggark again.
"That's a relief," Jamir says with a smile. "Katswiri must have been speaking Ancient Osiriani earlier."
During the walk, Jamir listens to Katswiri's explanation of the history of the area with half an ear, but is shocked into full attention when she gets to the part about the trouble the area has with Div.
"I actually knew that! They may not be devils, or Chelaxians, but they're almost as bad!" He smacks a fist into the palm of his other hand. "We must put a stop to this fiend's malevolent rampage!"
Once they arrive and introduce themselves to Obahar, Jamir takes the archaeologist's warning seriously. He checks the strap on his buckler and draws his rapier. "I take it that whatever we find will not enjoy being poked full of holes, eh?"
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Katswiri gives the young man a reassuring smile an claps her hand on his shoulder. "Of course not. Thank you for being honest with me, Anaref. I have to go and talk to the others to see what they might have seen come out, but we'll keep this between us. Go ahead and run on home."
Going over to the Obahar with the rest of the group, Katswiri waits for the introductions to finish. "It has generally been my experience that few things like being poked full of holes, though Divs and fiends will like it less than any less corporeal entities we might find in a ruin this old. Obahar, we will take careful note of everything we find inside. We'll try not to damage anything that can be avoided, and we will go slowly and conduct a meticulous investigation, so as to avoid missing any crucial details."
"Before we enter, do you know anything about this site or the creature that came out? What was the building that was being excavated as part of this project?"
"I was not here when it was freed--I'm usually brought in for my expertise after a ruin is discovered. Kehl and her workers should be able to tell you something." As you turn away, Obahar says, "Katswiri, Aroden, if I may have a moment of your time."
so on. Just don’t taste anything—could be dangerous!” Katswiri gets the sense that Obahar believes he could impress Diya with such information. Of course, Obahar is probably correct: that type of information could be valuable, regardless of who's the messenger.
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She glances over to her fellow scarab sages. "I will need rely on you to make note of any sounds of importance."
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