This is the beginning...the beginning...the beginning of our story!
The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: “Start where it all 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 of 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 hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born." Excitement oozes from the elf.
“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 our 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.
Janira's peppy smile looks from each one of the faces in the group, "Master Shaine already introduced me. I'm Janira, Janira Gavix, story teller and seeker of brilliant tales extraordinaire! Please, introduce yourselves!"
Janira looks at Matsu, "You are an interesting one aren't you. I would like to talk to you later about where you are from...and what you are!"
Looking over to Chyras, "Does your friend wish to join the Pathfinders as well? Has he or she been studying at the Grand Lodge? Why aren't they here?" Clearly the curious halfling wishing to learn as much as possible about the group.
The female coming from the runed circle is blue skinned with greenish hair. Wearing a simple outfit, but equipped with sharply clawed hands.
"Well, took you long enough since last time.", she said with a slight mocking smile.
The little halfling's eyes light up at the spectacle and her eyes are drawn to the woman, then those bright eyes turn to Chyras and the light seems to fade from them slightly, "You are not binding things are you? Is she a slave? I am not keen on slavery...," then back to Alanya her eyes go. "Does he harm you? Do I need to find someone that will free you from him?"
Looking at the upset halfling woman, Alanya shows a smirk.
"Ah Chyras, you've got yourself a fretter on your hands.
......
No he doesn't harm me. I sometimes do to him if he spends long periods of time without calling me over."
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An unkempt woman in tattered clothing clears her throat without making a move towards Master Shane or the halfling. Clawed hands, a serpentine tail, and patches of glittering scales are all evidence of a taint in her blood.
"Desiree. I'm Desiree Deathrage, lately from Misarias. I'm hoping that my --" she scowls "--affliction, will be of some use to the Society. My last chance, I'm sure."
A small alligator uncoils from around her feet and creeps towards Janira. "No!" Desiree calls out, drawing what looks like the splintered head of a lance. "No, Miss Britches. Friend!
Desiree cracks the alligator on the snout three times with the butt of her weapon. "Friend. Friend. Friend. Friend. Friend." She points at each of the Pathfinders in turn, including Janira and Master Shane, and even the strange blue-skinned Alanya. "Friend. Not food, you stupid lizard."
She looks back around the group with an embarrassed smile. "My apologies. I tried killing her, but she just comes back stupider. I promise I'll keep her in line."
The alligator slinks back to Desiree, curling up around her feet. Soon she begins idly chewing on the tiefling's ankle.
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Peran is an older Vudrani man.
"Greetings fellow initiates. Words cannot express the joy I feel at being allowed my confirmation. I have come to understand some of the society's greatest strengths come from its diversity, and I see we are well represented."
Janira looks at the alligator with a small bit of concern. "My oh my, that is a big, hungry creature. Let's keep it away from me. Why don't we all list some of our capabilities before we head out. And by all means as me some questions. Oh and make sure you are taking notes, you want to make sure you have good notes!"
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"Well, of course I have supplies. I even have this flag, embroidered with the Glyph of the Open Road. I have been told its quite inspiring."
As long as you hold your clan, house, or party’s flag, members of that allegiance within 30 feet who can see the flag (including yourself ) gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects. You must hold the flag in one hand in order to grant this bonus. If the standard is taken by the enemy or destroyed, this bonus becomes a penalty, affecting all creatures that the bonus previously affected for 1 hour (or until you reclaim the lost flag).
"Anything you can't handle with talking that gets aggressive i get to sink my claws in.", she adds with a modest smile.
Nodding, Janira climbs up on the table that Shaine had been on before, sitting on it cross-legged. She is still below eye level for most. "Good, good. Someone who comes prepared, a warrior, and a historian with his bodyguard. Lovely! Anyone else like to help us prepare, by knowing what we can count on from our allies?"
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"I've seen the end of everything -- I hope none of you have long-term plans. And drawn the attention of He Who Will End It."
"Now I have Li'l Miss Smiley-Britches to vex me and can Heal or Wound with a touch. Rip things apart with my bare hands. And then of course, there's always this."
Desiree picks up a mug of ale from the table and drinks from it. By the time it reaches her lips, it has sprung a half dozen leaks, and more ale sprays on Desiree then she is able to drink. When she puts it back on the table, it is whole again.
"Just my own personal reminder of the destruction that is to come. If you need something broken, there's a good chance I can break it."
"Legerdemain! Very nice! But there is no need to be so dour, even if the world as we know it ends, we can take notes for the next to come along to read them!"
"Archers are always very nice to have. Are you a follower of Erastil? Or do you follow one of the more obscure gods? Or do you just like to shoot things?"
The halfling is practically bouncing where she sits.
"Draxen, what do you bring to the table? Also, did anyone have any further questions about your Confirmation or are you about ready to head out? We do have a bit of a time crunch, as it were."
Janira sees the gun and marvels over it, "That is one of those guns I hear people talking about! Wow!!!"
With a shake of her head, as if shaking off the excitement, she turns to Peran, "“The gillmen are a humanoid race much like humans save for the three piscine gills on both sides of their necks. They’re a little secretive but not outright hostile. Most live in or near the water.”"
Turning back to Desiree, "The Kortos Foothills are actually not that far away. We will be able to travel there today, in fact. The Kortos Mountains take up much of the center of this island. They are filled with harpies, centaurs, and minotaurs who vie for control. As far as the cave goes, it was not part of my Confirmation, so I walked in and saw a large pit, so I stopped there."
Looking at the Tien man, Janira smile and nods, "That's right, we need to be prepared for such issues! Good planning. Also, always remember 'Explore, Report, and Cooperate' because our three duties need to be second nature to you by the time you finish your Confirmation."
The halfling stands up and adjusts the straps on her backpack, tightening them on. "We can grab those things on the way out of the city and we can be on our way. We need to get to the cave by tomorrow or you are going to have to wait a month to finish your Confirmation, so there is no time to dilly dally."
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"It's fine with me if we go straightaway. I have everything I need, such as it is."
Desiree follows the others outside. When Matsu's steed arrives, she turns pale, and absently scratches at her left wrist with her claws. Two rows of scales flake off, leaving smooth, unblemished skin behind.
"I used to have a mount." she says, taking a hesitant step towards the magnificent horse. "His name was Chainy. Smiley-Britches ate him. I don't ride any more." Desiree reaches a hand out, then turns to the samurai.
"May I -- I won't hurt him."
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Desiree holds her hand in front of the horse's nose, so it can nuzzle. "Who's a pretty horse? That's right, you're a pretty horse." She smiles, her first genuine smile of the day.
She turns to Anfial. "Thank you. A fine steed indeed. But you don't want to eat Miss Smiley-Britches -- she's stringy and doesn't taste anything like chicken."
“On to the details of the mission at hand,” Janira says with an eager grin. “After reviewing my mission 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.
“We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might
hint at the caves’ significance, too.”
She says this as she walks with the group, bouncing along.
"Oh yes, Master Shaine is a brilliant man," it sounds as if she has a touch of hero worship where it comes to her teacher. [b]"The significance is that there is a pattern. Patterns, Master Shaine says, are there for a reason. If you can discover why, you can report it and a great story for your Confirmation you will have!"