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Welcome! This is a thread for game play for a rendition of “The Pact Stone Pyramid”, a Pathfinder Module.
Here is a link to the game discussion thread. The adventure takes place in Osirion. In case it helps, here is a link to the initial player recruitment thread and the information found there on topics such as character creation and some of the initial character concept brainstorms..
Lurkers (non-participating observers) are quite welcome here. You are even encouraged to post comments with your thoughts. If you read entertaining in-character posts by our players, for example, please don’t hesitate to encourage them by letting them know. But I would ask that you please take care to avoid posting plot spoilers or derailing the game flow with lengthier exchanges on mechanical rulings.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
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Our PC Roster consists of (or is supposed to consist of!):
Alright! let’s get this going. I apologize for the heavy reading as we open.
It’s hot.
Really hot. The sun’s punishment has been relentless for weeks.
But what else do you expect of Sothis, the capital city of Golarion’s greatest desert nation?
The locals of course don’t seem to even notice the heat.
Thank the gods (or whomever it is that you choose to thank) that for the moment you are indoors.
Welcome to the Kothi, Sothis’ gorgeous Pathfinder Lodge.
As you travel this world, you’ve come to learn that no two Pathfinder lodges are identical and the Kothi is no exception.
On it’s ground level the Kothi looks and feels like a museum – part library, part exhibitory of a private collection of astounding relics.
On the lower levels, it’s a merciful retreat from the heat. Here you can find comfortable lounges, a gymnasium, meditation rooms and even cool bathing pools. (It’s really too bad you won’t be staying. . .)
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Currently you find yourself in a lobby outside Venture Captain Krenshar’s office. The lobby is smartly decorated with what appear to be artifacts from Osirion’s ancient age of pharaohs: hand-made tools, vases, and even a few hieroglyphic scrolls encased in containers made from blown glass.
If your PC can make a successful DC 15 Appraise check as he or she views the items, feel free to view the spoiler box.
Lead Up Posts
The cats already out of the bag on this one, but as an option, if anyone wants to post some cool flavor text on what their PC was doing before they accepted Venture Captain Krenshar’s invitation, or on their travel to Sothis, please do so. Just title the post as “Lead-Up Post” so we all know what you are describing happened before the game started. As of right now you are already in VC Krenshar’s lobby.
A deeply Sun-darkened man moves around the room studying the artifacts with interest. His movements are conspicuously slow and cautious around the delicate displays, and he carefully avoids touching anything. A magnifying glass is in his hand, and he uses it to study a hieroglyph here, a decorative flourish there.
If he makes eye contact with anyone in the room, they will receive from him a friendly smile and a nod of greeting, but the balance of his attention is kept on the items.
He's an attractive man in his thirties, marginally above the average in size, with dark hair and eyes to match his skin. Obviously a follower of Pharasma, he proudly wears Her holy symbol.
His clothes are black and flowing, with silver symbols and patterns in the shapes of swirls, scarabs, and many beetles. Lastly, he is quite obviously decked out in adventurer's gear, with pouches, sacks, a morningstar, and all of the expected parapharnalia of the breed.
Thalia's hand moved toward her her brilliant necklace of fiery red globes, absent mindedly running her fingers along the perfectly round surface, feeling the power trapped within.
"I feel no guilt for the way it turned out," She said to the table she was sitting at. "They always act the same, getting angry, trying to hit me, intimidation. But in the end, it always ends the same, they get burned."
Thalia drained her glass of water and reclined back into her chair, observing the room around her. A dwarf with one eye, not a particularly enticing prospect. An elf with near to nothing on, Maybe, although Thalia had no idea if the elf was a male or female, and that may cause her some trouble. A halfling, never had and most definitely never will.
Thalia then spotted her mark, a tall statuesque man wearing a leather overcoat and a large brimmed hat, dust covered and weather worn. His boot had seen better days, but the bulge of his coin purse told her everything she had to know. This man was some sort of treasure hunter, and he had found some treasure by the looks of him, his smile wide, and his gold flowing endlessly from his hand to the inn keeper's.
"Time to work, have fun boys!"
Thalia stood up from the table she was sitting at, seeing the disappointed faces of the men she was playing cards with. Thalia waved them off, waling away without even looking back at the table of large, intimidating men. One of them in particualr must have been feeling a little sore after losing his day's worth of pay to the group, and decided to take this opportunity to vent his anger.
"Hey, I wasn't finished with that hand! Get back here you thieving little charlatan and give me back my winnings!"
The inn keeper gasped and called to the man. "Neighbour, I wouldn't do that if I were you..."
The inn keeper's voice was cut off by the man picking up and smashing the wooden chair he was sitting at.
Thalia smiled, and weaved her fingers quickly before turning to face them man.
"You know the funny thing about men?" Thalia smiled turned cool and calculating. "No matter how big and strong they are, they all turn tail and run when things start to burn!"
With that word, the handful of cards the man was holding burst into flames, startling the man and making him drop them onto the floor. Thalia stepped forward and stepped onto the burning cards, putting them out beneath her boot, and taking one of the globes from her necklace. She held the globe close to the man's face, allowing him to see the glow and feel the heat of something much more than just a pretty gem.
"I did not cheat, nor did I steal from you, you lost, friend, now go back to your table and sit down. While you are here, you can pay for the chair you just broke, if not, I will find you and take the money from you by force. Do you understand me?"
Thalia's smile wore off, but the fire in her eyes still burned as fiercely as ever, intimidating the man, and making him back down, throwing a gold piece to the inn keeper, and sitting down, eyes trained to the floor.
Thalia's smile resumed, as she walked up to the man she had her eyes set on before. After a few hours and a few drinks, mainly water on her part, she had found out that this man, Sarakus, was a low ranking Pathfinder, and a fellow Pathfinder, his Venture Captain to be exact, and he would be more than willing to put in her name for consideration.
Quite unexpectedly, Thalia's fun was interrupted by a large crash coming from outside the inn, and a large feminine voice screaming from outside.
"Where is she, I know she's here, damned flame harlot, get out here and face me."
Thalia knew what was happening, even if the rest of the inn, not counting the inn keeper who knew everything in town, had no idea who the obviously large and very angry woman outside was screaming about. Thalia turned to her current comapnion, her face filled with worry and tears almost leaping out of her eyes.
"Seems I'm in a sort of predicament, do you have anywhere we could go where I could be safe from that large woman, she has been chasing me over a small matter all day, claiming untrue things and attacking twice this morning alone."
"Of course young lady, follow me, I shall assure your safety, if only for one small request." Said Sarakus, his chivalrous nature almost oozing out of his body. "My venture captain has requested me to meet him and a few select others, but a few freinds and I have just discovered some Thalessian ruins of a small town, and if I were to leave, I would not get a mention in the chronicles, and I would get no prestige for being the initial one to find it. Can you take the job instead of me?"
Another deafening war cry sounded from outside, and a large water trough flew through the window into the inn.
"Dear Gods, Marice's in a state of rage, nobody can calm her down now. Thalia, make haste, use the trapdoor in the cellar!"
After a few seconds of consideration, and the prospect of being crushed into a fine dust by a large barbaric woman if she said no, Thalia quickly responded to Sarakus, saying yes, and letting him lead her out of the building and into a nearby home.
A few hours later Sarakus returned with news that she was to meet the Venture Captain in two days time, at the Pathfinder lodge in Sothis.
Despite not really wishing to do this, this was the only way to get away from the large woman whose brother she seduced and swindled a fortune out of.
Relocating almost immediately to an inn near the Sothis Pathfinder Lodge, Thalia arrived shortly before her meeting with the Venture Captain was scheduled.
Thus a woman who uses her skills to making stupid people sign over their fortunes to currently sits in a waiting room to go on a grand adventure.
This is Thalia's predicament.
"Does this man honestly expect us to wait with no water?" Thalia asks incredulously, "You all need water to survive, and a lot of you are bigger and muscular, making you less water efficient than the rest of us, we cant have you dehydrating and turning into dust can we?"
Thalia looked around and surveyed the others here, taking in their measure, and picking the ones that would be most useful to her, the ones she should try and get to defend her should things go sour.
A deeply Sun-darkened man moves around the room studying the artifacts with interest. His movements are conspicuously slow and cautious around the delicate displays, and he carefully avoids touching anything. A magnifying glass is in his hand, and he uses it to study a hieroglyph here, a decorative flourish there. . .
Go ahead and have Donkor Sooron make his Appraise check. He can attempt it untrained. Though now that I think on it, I would also accept a Knowledge (history) check instead given Donkor's familiarity with the academic subject of Ancient Osirion. I'll also throw on a +1 circumstance bonus for the use of the magnifying glass.
Thalia's Predicament ** spoiler omitted **...
Love it - thank you. I'm very tempted to make sure we see Marice again, though for the immediate future I don't see how, so you should be very safe. : )
"Does this man honestly expect us to wait with no water?" Thalia asks incredulously, "You all need water to survive, and a lot of you are bigger and muscular, making you less water efficient than the rest of us, we cant have you dehydrating and turning into dust can we?"
Now that her analytical mind drills down on it, Thalia does note to herself that the Kothi is normally quite well staffed - and today is no exception. However, none of the servants appear to be going anywhere near VC Krenshar's lobby. You've all been left alone in here.
Despite his intent interest in all of the items, Donkor does not show any signs of enthusiasm, or focus on anything in particular.
Lead Up Post
Moonpate has been ensconced in the lodge for a month now, utilizing its resources to further his research into the history of dealings with genie-kind throughout the different lands. As such, he has become well known by the lodge staff, especially given that he has rarely ventured outside into the infernal heat. Even in the relative cool of the lodge, he seems to be perpetually beet red, his pate covered in a light sheen of sweat, and his intricately carved dragon bone stein ever full with a cool honeyed cider or ale. Still, as his old master once said, "One cannot jest with djinn whilst your camel spits into the wind." Moonpate scratched his prodigious head many a time after such a pronouncement, but he always seemed to grasp that it was generally a call to action. So, when the invitation from Captain Krenshar arrived with a mug refill, Moonpate pushed aside the scrolls he was reading and muttered another of his master's proverbs, "Make your own history, or history will make nothing of you".
Appraise Check:
A dwarf, short even by their standards, stands off to one side. He came in with the other dwarves in the room, but doesn't appear to be otherwise connected to them. He is wearing full plate mail, and is glancing about as though he expects a fight to break out at any moment. This possibility is emphasized by the massive hammer he carries on his back. He smells as if he hasn’t had a bath in some time, which is probably an accurate assumption.
His oversized eyeglasses jut out at an awkward angle from his head as he wanders the room as well. He doesn’t appear to be examining the artifacts in the room so much as the room itself, occasionally tapping the walls or stopping to examine the construction of a doorway.
Halstadt walks into the lobby with Karek and Breach. He grabs a chair and sets it against the wall, placing his axe with its head resting on the floor and the handle leaning against the arm ready for quick use. He observes the other people in the room taking them in with long stares. Though not unfriendly his stare is intense. He then scrutinizes the artifacts for about the same length of time, each in turn.
Hal is a sturdy young dwarf. Broad of chest and back with thick legs. He is also very tall for a dwarf almost 5'. Drab green and grey breeches and shirt peek out from under his long chain shirt. His boots and cloak are both of fine quality and clearly not of dwarven cloth. Prominently displayed around his neck is a silver holy symbol of Angradd. His hair and beard are both long and blonde.
The sun burned fiercely in a cloudless sky above the Parched Dunes. Atop his camel, Professor Hoffenburrow was utterly miserable and sweating profusely. "I certainly hope the relics these hoodlums are selling are worth this cursed heat," he thought to himself. He glanced down at his hired half-orc bodyguard. Despite keeping pace with the camel on foot, the heat did not seem to bother Hurgah the Reaver even the slightest. On the contrary, the serene expression on his face reminded Hoffenburrow of a lizard soaking up sun on a hot rock. As the Al Harim Oasis appeared on the horizon, he shot the thoughts from his mind and focused on the business at hand.
Six men were waiting for them in the shade of the tall palms. Four were clearly common warriors, while the fifth had the look of a mage. And then there was Khelid, easily recognized by the description Hoffenburrow had been given by his contact in Eto. The tall, bearded desert nomad looked all business in his armor and with the coiled scorpion whip hanging from his belt. And Hoffenburrow had no doubt that Khelid's business often entailed the use of that very whip. "Perhaps hiring only one bodyguard was a mistake," the Pathfinder scholar thought briefly, but he pointedly ignored his apprehension and smiled down at the men.
"Greetings, my good fellows! The blessing of the Dawnflower upon you this fine day. You are Khelid, I take it." Hoffenburrow called out in the most cheerful manner he could muster.
The tall man with the whip nodded. "You brought the money?" All business, indeed. Hoffenburrow extracted a heavy purse from the folds of his clothes and tossed it down to Khelid. "Platinum, as agreed. And the artifacts?" Khelid motioned to his men, and two of them came running up with a couple of burlap sacks. Hurgah took them, and hoisted them up to the professor with ease.
With hands trembling slightly with excitement, Hoffenburrow lifted a bronze statue from the sack, and turned it over to let the sunlight reflect in the shiny surface. As he squinted to examine the details of the markings along the base, his heart sank. The forgery was very good, but this was definitely a fake. He looked up at the six men, then down at his lone bodyguard. Perhaps it was best to simply walk away. Live to fight another day and all that. But the money he had handed over to Khelid represented a significant portion of the funds of the Pathfinder lodge in Sothis - and then there was his professional pride. He simply refused to let common bandits swindle him. He cleared his throat. "It appears there has been some mistake. These objects cannot possibly be from the fifth dynasty. They are far to new for that."
Khelid slowly turned. He tugged the purse into his belt and regarded Hoffenburrow and his bodyguard through narrow eyelids. "Your knowledge of ancient artifacts is impressive, professor. That is unfortunate. But then, the hyenas and buzzards have to eat too. As one, the four warriors drew their scimitars and advanced slowly.
Silently, Hurgah stepped between the professor and the warriors. However, he made no move to draw the massive greataxe slung across his back. Instead, he began muttering in a voice that sounded like stone grating together. Hoffenburrow recognized the language as draconic, but could not make out the words.
Just as the quartet of bandits rushed forwards, Hurgah completed his spell. In the blink of an eye, his already impressive frame increased in size. He parted his lips to reveal razor sharp fangs, and claws sprouted from his fingers. Quicksilver flashes of eldritch energy sparked across the natural weapons. The half-orc's eyes turned bright red, as if flames of fury could not be contained within him.
A taloned hand flashed out and caught one of the warriors under the chin. The man gurgled as Hurgah hoisted him off his feet and casually tossed him aside. He did not get up again. His companions struck as one, their blades drawing bright crimson lines across Hurgah's skin. Ignoring the injuries, Hurgah struck with both claws, each of them tearing through armor and flesh with immense force, dropping two more of the warriors. The last one looked like he considered retreat, but he never got the chance before inch-long tusks tore out his throat.
The magic-user stepped up, careful to keep out of Hurgah's extended reach. He screamed magic words, and flames spewed forth from his outstretched hands. Hurgah smiled a grim smile as the flames licked harmlessly over his tough, scaly skin, and then proceeded to present the wizard with a close look of his entrails.
The scorpion lash flashed outward and wrapped around Hurgah's left leg. With a sharp tug, Khelid attempted to bring down the ferocious terror before him. But he might as well have been trying to trip a boulder. With a deft sidestep, he dodged Hurgah's furious counterattack. He drew back the whip again, keeping a close look at the deadly claws. A shimmer in the air beside him caused his veteran fighting instinct to cry out in alarm, but too late. An intangible force slammed into him, and he screamed as negative energy raked his life force. Then he screamed again, as Hurgah came rushing in, bloody fangs first.
Hoffenburrow did his best not to flinch when Hurgah handed him back the purse of platinum pieces. He turned his camel, and the pair began their journey back to Eto. "Impressive, my dear boy...most impressive. Should you ever find yourself in Sothis, be sure to drop by the Kothi Lodge. I'm quite certain that Venture Captain Krenshar would find your special talents as useful as I do," the professor remarked, thanking every god he knew that the half-orc was on his side. One bodyguard was apparently all it took, when that bodyguard was Hurgah the Reaver.
In a corner of the lobby, a massive half-orc stands silently. His pale grey skin has a subtle red hue, and seems to be unnaturally thick and tough, with corded muscles running underneath, showing off his enormous strength. He is clad in an armored kilt, and his naked upper torso is covered in a variety of strange tribal tattoos as well as scars that are too numerous to count. He seems oblivious to the other occupants of the room, ignoring any stares that his half-naked, scarred and tattooed body might draw.
Arms laden with numerous scrolls and parchments, Gandel hurries through the hallways of the Kothi toward the lobby outside the Venture Captain's office. "It's great to be back in the Kothi!" the newly-inducted Pathfinder thinks to himself. "The Grand Lodge is nice, and Absalom IS the center of the world, but Sothis is where I feel most at home."
"So I wonder what new expedition ol' Krenshar has planned. Interesting that he's calling that Jason fellow back in after his long sabbatical. And all of these unknown adventurers...Must be pretty dangerous. Oh well, 'the greater the risk, the bigger the reward,' as Master Dimble always says. I'm just excited to be a part of it!"
The blond-haired suntanned halfling, arms laden with numerous scrolls and parchments, enters the lobby outside Venture Captain Krenshar's office. The newcomer spares a cursory glance for the various historical artifacts scattered about the room.
"Some very nice pieces," the halfling comments to no one in particular. "Genuine items from various tombs, but common enough that they're not worth much. A shrewd decision on Captain Krenshar's part."
The halfling pauses and looks around the room, observing all of the people waiting patiently to meet with the Venture Captain. "A good day to you all," he greets in a friendly tone. "My name is Gandelplot Trapspringer, but most people just call me Gandel. Welcome to the Kothi. I take it that you are all the adventurers that Venture Captain Krenshar contacted to take part of his latest expedition?"
He couldn’t wait for the ship to dock. It was a nice ship and the weather was fair all the way from Absalom, but he hated being cooped up on the boat after a while. He longed to visit his favorite haunts in Sothis and perhaps explore the country for a while.
…
Jason stired his coffee slowly as he watched the crowds ebb and flow along the road. He was sitting in a small café. It was family-run and discrete. The dry air blew gently…bringing the smells of the city all around.
A boy caught his eye in the crowd as he weaved in and out of the crowd. The boy approached him cautiously and said, “Mr. Belleson?” He was clutching a letter in one hand. Jason saw a seal associated with the Pathfinders in Sothis.
“That’s me.” He said…handing the boy a few coins. The boy scurried off as if he thought Jason would change his mind about the coins.
Jason scanned over the letter, then sat back with a sigh…
Jason leans against a wall as he casually looks around at the others in the room. Looks like this “vacation” isn’t going to be as relaxing as I thought. He wonders if he’ll find himself accompanying any of these adventures in the near future. This reminds of his most recent mission and the losses. He grimaces for a moment and looks up at the ceiling…avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room.
His eyes pass over the various objects in the room.
Quite a collection…, he thinks. I wonder if our Venture Captain is keeping the good stuff out of plain sight.
He had been planning not to say anything. A quick glance around the room revealed several other people that appeared far more qualified to reply first. But none of them were speaking up. Even Breach and Halstadt were far, far more capable at this kind of thing than Karek was. But this Gandel had been so earnest, and Karek had never been one to let such a greeting hang in the air, even from somebody who looked like a spellcaster and a… he paused, and peered over his spectacles. Halfling? He always got them mixed up with Gnomes.
Karek speaks quietly; loud enough that you know he’s speaking, but quiet enough that you can’t hear what he says. This may be partly due to the heavy Dwarven accent that obscures his language. You may have to lean forward to hear him, at which point you smell something that may or may not be weasel musk.
Gudday, lad. I figgered dese were nice dings, but dey sure look big enuff to hurl! I s’pose we all be dogedder for de same dask. Howr you? Karek Kogan.
He holds out his hand, which looks as if it hadn’t been washed since Karek had, perhaps, dug a hole with his bare hands and then filled it with coal, also using his bare hands. And he looks strong enough to have done so.
Ending his examination of the items, Donkor pockets his magnifying glass and heads toward the conversation. As he catches a whiff of the dwarf, he wrinkles his nose briefly but offers his hand nonethless for a shaking, "Good day to you both. May Her plan for your final days be without undue discomfort. I am Donkor Soroon."
He then extends his newly grubby hand to Gandel, "I suspect you are both right. The Venture Captain contacted me as well, so we're likely all here for the same reason. Although this is quite a crowd, and we may all have difficulty fitting inside a typical tomb or pyramid at the same time. I wonder if we're going to be auditioning."
For Halstadt Morgrym only:
Halstadt's detect evil has not uncovered any auras thus far. Perhaps there is no evil here, perhaps it is too faint. Thus far he has done a brief cone to 'sweep' the room. He hasn't 'drilled down' on anything yet with additional rounds of concentration.
Halstadt's in pretty close quarters here and If you want him to continue to concentrate on the spell it will become harder to conceal and I'll have to start making some Spellcraft or Perception checks to see if anyone picks up that you are casting or that something's not right - particularly if he begins to participate in conversation at the same time.
His {Karek's] oversized eyeglasses jut out at an awkward angle from his head as he wanders the room as well. He doesn’t appear to be examining the artifacts in the room so much as the room itself, occasionally tapping the walls or stopping to examine the construction of a doorway.
Karek notes that the walls are all thick enough as to muffle the sound from the outside and vice versa - probably not enough to fully conceal a shout though. The walls are all internal walls. Each one has a hollow space behind it, presumably another room in the Kothi.
There are two entrances to this room. The double-doors you entered which lead to this lobby and a smaller side door on the opposite side of the room which presumably leads to Venture-Captain Krenshar's office.
If you'd Karek to get really hardcore and start checking for secret passageways, give me a Perception check. If you'd like to be subtle about it though, take a -5.
Nodding as if satisfied by something he has seen or heard Hal looks at Gandel and smiles, "Well met friend. Indeed the fires of Angradd have been sought by the Venture Captain to light the way for this group in paths long swallowed by darkness".
"Audition? I have come here by request, I will audition for nothing, my services are needed or they are not" Hal says in response to Donkor.
With a genuine grin and chuckle: "Greetings Gandel. My arse is sore from all the sitting lately and so here I find myself in such fine company, trusting that there will be food and drink provided for this meeting. For why else would the two of us be here, eh little one?"
Lead Up Post
Moonpate has been ensconced in the lodge for a month now, utilizing its resources to further his research into the history of dealings with genie-kind throughout the different lands. As such, he has become well known by the lodge staff, especially given that he has rarely ventured outside into the infernal heat. Even in the relative cool of the lodge, he seems to be perpetually beet red, his pate covered in a light sheen of sweat, and his intricately carved dragon bone stein ever full with a cool honeyed cider or ale. Still, as his old master once said, "One cannot jest with djinn whilst your camel spits into the wind." Moonpate scratched his prodigious head many a time after such a pronouncement, but he always seemed to grasp that it was generally a call to action. So, when the invitation from Captain Krenshar arrived with a mug refill, Moonpate pushed aside the scrolls he was reading and muttered another of his master's proverbs, "Make your own history, or history will make nothing of you".
Oh interesting. Let's say while he's been researching at the Kothi he's been getting visits from a Tiny-sized Gen. It pops up from behind cupboards or perhaps out of candle smoke. Moonpate hasn't been able to befriend him to the level where the creature is yet willing to fetch him spells from the ether, but occasionally he brings him tid-bits of information. Work for you?
Work for you?
Sounds good to me.
Gudday, lad. I figgered dese were nice dings, but dey sure look big enuff to hurl! I s’pose we all be dogedder for de same dask. Howr you? Karek Kogan.
He holds out his hand, which looks as if it hadn’t been washed since Karek had, perhaps, dug a hole with his bare hands and then filled it with coal, also using his bare hands. And he looks strong enough to have done so.
"Pleased to meet you, Master Kogan!" Gandel says, shaking the dwarf's hand enthusiastically. "I'm quite well, thank you. And how are you? I take it by your accent that you're from a land far to the north from here, yes? I imagine you have some exciting tales regarding your journey south!"
"Good day to you both. May Her plan for your final days be without undue discomfort. I am Donkor Soroon."
He then extends his newly grubby hand to Gandel, "I suspect you are both right. The Venture Captain contacted me as well, so we're likely all here for the same reason. Although this is quite a crowd, and we may all have difficulty fitting inside a typical tomb or pyramid at the same time. I wonder if we're going to be auditioning."
"And good day to you, Master Soroon," Gandel says, offering Donkor an equally grubby hand. "May the fate She foresees for you be favorable. No, by my understanding no auditioning will be required. I don't want to spoil Venture Captain Krenshar's surprise, but suffice it to say that this expedition promises to be of great historical significance."
Nodding as if satisfied by something he has seen or heard Hal looks at Gandel and smiles, "Well met friend. Indeed the fires of Angradd have been sought by the Venture Captain to light the way for this group in paths long swallowed by darkness".
"Well met Master Cleric. May the Forge-Fire smile favorably on all your battles," Gandel says with a smile, bowing his head toward Halstadt. "His light will surely be welcome in illuminating the path we are about to travel."
With a genuine grin and chuckle: "Greetings Gandel. My arse is sore from all the sitting lately and so here I find myself in such fine company, trusting that there will be food and drink provided for this meeting. For why else would the two of us be here, eh little one?"
"Ah, Master Moonpate! I didn't realize you would be joining us, but I must say that I am very happy that you're here! Yes, Captain Krenshar is known for providing only the best in the way of refreshment. I trust your research has been going well?" Gandel asks with and expression of sincere interest.
Fine, danky. Kalsgard, I am from. Lods of dales, if we be habin' de dime. Yer Capden could dell ye all 'boud id, I dink.
After shaking hands and greeting everyone who will talk to him, Karek seems to remember himself and lapse into silence once again, turning back to the wall.
No, Karek is not looking for secret doors. (Though he does get a free check if the room happens to be made of stone.) He's just suddenly feeling embarrassed, and turning to his hobby of architecture.
Quiet to this point, Breach pats Halstadt on the shoulder saying,"Easy young one, I'm sure the shorter lived one's meant no slight to your abilities." Nodding in acknowledgment of the other's greetings he continues,"The name 's Breach Shattershield an' we're more or less pleased t' be in most of your company.", emphasis being placed on most with a half glance in Huragh's direction.
Jason could not help but smile at the halfling's introduction. His good humor seemed infectious. How bowed slightly at the halfling and said, "Well met, Master Gandel. My name is Jason."
Very astute of you to make such an observation about our appointment with the Venture Captain.", he continued with a grin.
"We Pathfinders excel at observation, don't we Master Belleson?" Gandel replies to Jason with a bow and a welcoming grin. "It's good to see you at the Kothi again."
Thalia again surveys all in the room, not finding a suitable mark among them, each one looking worse for wear after their adventures required them to use their "hard earned gold" to buy new equipment.
"I'm Thalia, if any of you cares, just don't get in my way, and I won't get in your's," Thalia says calmly, as if she had said this line a million times over. "I'm only here to get this done, and get back to finding a suitable house to prepare for the dry season."
Thalia absent mindedly plays with the globes in her exquisite necklace, her current "clothing" being a thin red silk dress, making her look like a performer rather than a seasoned adventurer.
"If this takes any longer, I may have to wither and die of old age."
the wait, even if being only brief, starting to bore her already, showing that patience is obviously not her strong suit.
"Hrmph.",grumbles Breach under his breath. "Humans are so impatient.", he whispers into Hal's ear. "Not a dwarven virtue to be sure.",he finishes trying to sound sagely to the younger dwarf.
Turning and calling out to Gandel,"What was the family name you called yourself by, son? I know a Trapspringer by the name of Ian. Any relation?" Breach seems to be rather amiable with the small folk having befriended many over his years of adventuring.
Looking to quell possible tensions between his kind and the orcish member of the group, Breach pushes his chair back walks over toward Hurgah. "Havin'known a couple ah your kind I'll be puttin' some ah my base assumptions 'bout you aside. You look strong and of solid stock.", Breach finishes the last bit with a bit of equality not often extended by dwarves to those outside of their own kind.
As Breach pats Halstadt on the back he looks up and smiles. "If we are all here the wait should not be much longer my lady. I trust this IS all of us".
Hal grabs his axe and pulls a cloth out of his haversack, wiping it down. He eyes the meeting between Breach and the half-orc closely just in case the creature becomes unruly.
Hurgah does not move, but his half closed eyes open slightly as he looks down to evaluate the dwarf before him.
After a long moment, he looks back up, and once again assumes his tranquil state. He then speaks, in a low voice that sound like stone grating agains stone. "I doubt that you have known anyone quite like me, Master dwarf. Your eyes do not decieve you. I am indeed strong. And if the job that awaits us is anything like the ones I have taken for the Pathfinders in the past, you may yet come to value the company of Hurgah the Reaver."
Hurgah does not look at Breach while talking, but seems to stare into oblivion. His voice holds an almost hypnotic quality, and his whole being radiates sense of inner balance that is completely at odds with his savage appearance.
"Ah, Master Moonpate! I didn't realize you would be joining us, but I must say that I am very happy that you're here! Yes, Captain Krenshar is known for providing only the best in the way of refreshment. I trust your research has been going well?" Gandel asks with and expression of sincere interest.
"Indeed, Master Gandel, the Kothi has produced some enlightenment and even a wee surprise", Moonpate responds with a roving eyed glance and small chuckle to seemingly no one in particular. He then picks up the ornate stein clipped to his belt and looks longingly into its emptiness.
"We Pathfinders excel at observation, don't we Master Belleson?" Gandel replies to Jason with a bow and a welcoming grin. "It's good to see you at the Kothi again."
"It's good to be back. The desert has been calling to me. I find its barren wastes....comforting.", he replies. "I thought I might find a bit of relaxation here in the city, but an expedition to the desert with an old friend my do just as well."
"The orc has the stink of dragons upon him boys. Be wary of those types. Orcs mean and stupid. Dragons and those they have touched are worse. I doubt we have anything to worry about if he has worked for the Pathfinders, but we have not lived as long as we have by trusting the unproven.", Breach says in dwarf to his kinsman as reaches were they are gathered. "I suggest you take inventory of your gear and provide it with its daily maintainence while we wait. That gear is all that stands between you and death when the cards are down.", his gnarled fingers tracing a line along the scratches in his magical shield.
Please continue to take advantage of this time for introductions and opening banter. But before things really get underway, I want to take this moment to present. . .
No Knowledge checks are required for the basic info set out below. You may choose to have your PC know or not know some or all of this information as you see fit.
(Because knowing is half the battle, we only tell you enough to get by initiative count 17 of round 1. . .)
"I'm Thalia, if any of you cares, just don't get in my way, and I won't get in your's," Thalia says calmly, as if she had said this line a million times over. "I'm only here to get this done, and get back to finding a suitable house to prepare for the dry season."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mistress Thalia," Gandel greets the beautiful lady with a polite bow. "I know a few brokers of real estate here in Sothis. Are you looking to rent or to buy?"
Turning and calling out to Gandel, "What was the family name you called yourself by, son? I know a Trapspringer by the name of Ian. Any relation?"
"Why yes, Master Shattershield. I have an uncle named Ian Trapspringer," Gandel says with surprise. "Well, actually he married my mother's cousin's step-brother's aunt after her third husband was eaten by a barghest. But kin is kin, you know."
"I doubt that you have known anyone quite like me, Master dwarf. Your eyes do not decieve you. I am indeed strong. And if the job that awaits us is anything like the ones I have taken for the Pathfinders in the past, you may yet come to value the company of Hurgah the Reaver."
"Hurgah the Reaver?! THE Hurgah the Reaver?" Gandel exclaims in awe as he turns toward the half-orc. "Professor Hoffenburrow wrote to me about you - he spoke most highly of you, as a matter of fact. I must say it is a great honor to meet you! I daresay with you as part of our company we will be very safe indeed!"
Donkor waits for Gandel to finish speaking, and looks around again at the assemblage, "Well, uh, it appears that the Venture Captain has been delayed. There does seem to be quite a lot of variety in here, and undoubtedly Pharasma has ensured that all of us will be able to get along, and contribute to any endeavours that may be in our future."
With a little smile, "So what brings a nice-looking group of adventurers like you to a place like this? For my part, I was born and trained in Osirion. I do have some experience exploring the local ruins, and a little bit of knowledge regarding the ancients. Also, an' it please Her, my Lady occasionally does grant me abilities to further Her plans. If She wishes some of these ancient secrets to be uncovered, I will likely be of some assistance as we proceed."
"So what brings a nice-looking group of adventurers like you to a place like this? For my part, I was born and trained in Osirion. I do have some experience exploring the local ruins, and a little bit of knowledge regarding the ancients. Also, an' it please Her, my Lady occasionally does grant me abilities to further Her plans. If She wishes some of these ancient secrets to be uncovered, I will likely be of some assistance as we proceed."
"I do not know how well you know the desert, but if you get into trouble, just ask, I've walked the deserts of Osirion for several years, so I know about many of the towns and creatures here, so I can aid greatly, I just wish to be properly compensated by our employer is all."
**snip
"A pleasure to meet you, Mistress Thalia," Gandel greets the beautiful lady with a polite bow. "I know a few brokers of real estate here in Sothis. Are you looking to rent or to buy?"
**snip
"You misunderstand me, what was your name? Grendel? I did not say anything about buying a house, only that I am on the look out for one, my last one was ravaged by a very large and very angry woman. Needless to say, the house was meant to bers, it wasn't my fault that her brother named me the inheritor, and wrote her out of the will. Love is fickle sometimes.
Despite the charm on this halfling, Thalia could see her breaking her vow of no persons taller than her mid drift but the halfling in question would have to be incredibly wealthy to make her even consider the idea.
"It would be like babysitting a small child with too much money." Thalia thought to herself, chuckling slightly.
Thalia turns her attention to the dwarf who remarked on her impatience.
"By the way, Dwarf, I'm not human, well at not least completely, and no matter the race or deity worshipped, each is has able heroes and villains who we revere and fear."
Thalia turns her attention to Jason, thinking she may have finally found her mark. She walks up to him and starts an innocent conversation about what the pathfinder here cold possibly want, focusing her attention solely on the man, using all her charm and diplomacy at her disposal.
With the typical stoic stone solid face nearly all dwarves possess,Breach simply replies to Thalia's words by saying,"Humph.", returning to his work without another word.
No Knowledge check is required for the following basic info:
(And you’ve probably figured out Sothis is where you find the Kothi.)
"Hurgah the Reaver?! THE Hurgah the Reaver?" Gandel exclaims in awe as he turns toward the half-orc. "Professor Hoffenburrow wrote to me about you - he spoke most highly of you, as a matter of fact. I must say it is a great honor to meet you! I daresay with you as part of our company we will be very safe indeed!"
"Ah yes....the professor. Good employer. I would not mind working for him again. I do not know if he is to join us or not, though. I was only told that the Pathfinders could use my services. But if that means that we shall go together into danger, then you can be certain that any enemies we face will meet a swift and gruesome death," Hurgah replies in the same slow and measured voice he used with Breach.
If he understood the remarks Breach made to his dwarven kin, he does not show the slightest sign.
The reddish, scaly skin and other changes in Hurgah's appearance and manner are consistent with that of a Dragon Disciple, most likely of the Red Dragon variety. This means that Hurgah is capable of casting arcane spells and probably has some resistance to fire.
@ Thalia - "My Lady, I apologize if I offended you. I certainly would not want someone taking me for a bearded Gnome!"
@ the Group in General. "As some of you have clearly worked for these Pathfinder's before, what do you expect we will encounter in this place? The gifts granted by Angradd will be more effective if I know what hardships we may endure".
"Ah yes....the professor. Good employer. I would not mind working for him again. I do not know if he is to join us or not, though. I was only told that the Pathfinders could use my services. But if that means that we shall go together into danger, then you can be certain that any enemies we face will meet a swift and gruesome death," Hurgah replies in the same slow and measured voice he used with Breach.
"I don't know if the professor will be joining us on this expedition," Gandel replies as he studies the half-orc, his face expressing even more astonishment as he begins to realize just how fearsome the half-orc may be. "But with as diverse and experienced a group as the Venture Captain has assembled, I imagine there will be no short of excitement."
The far smaller door quietly opens and a moment later Venture Captain Krenshar swoops out of his office. He sits right down amongst you and immediately starts talking. To some, his lack of formality is a tad disconcerting. On the one-hand, he seems to treat you all as equals or perhaps even old friends. At the same time, he seems to act as though he has little time for you, or perhaps too little time for niceties in general. The Venture Captain is strange man indeed.
The Venture-Captain Krenshar is direct: “They say adventurers excel at two things: finding things and wrecking things. I need you to do both.”
The Venture Captain continues:
“An obsessive Osirian noblewoman named Khymrasa claims to have discovered the location of Ahn’Selota, the fabled Pact Stone Pyramid, and we’re sufficiently persauded that her discovery just might be legit. She’s got an army set up near the ruins of Tumen, digging for the buried pyramid right now. I need you to infiltrate her slave army and find a way to slow down the excavation. We’ve got a top sage named Hoffenburrow coming down and we want to sneak him inside. He’s got a lead on an item I’m told the Decemvirate really wants to get its hands on; they haven’t even told me what it is, so it’s got to be important. What I don’t want is Khymrasa’s people mucking about in there and grabbing stuff until we’re ready to go. For now, let’s just keep everything nice and buried.”
“We have to be careful. Khymrasa’s an Exemplar—think of her as an important duchess. She’s got a lawful permit for her dig, along with the support of Osirion’s Council of Sun & Sky. I’ve already got a spy at the site, but she needs help. Get down there and find a way to delay the dig for another week or two until the sage gets here. Once Hoffenburrow gets back from his expedition to the Crown of the World, find a way to get him inside. You’ll be in charge, but help him get his hands on whatever it is that he’s looking for.
Anything else that you can find inside is yours and, if necessary, we’ll help you liberate it across Osirion’s borders— that, and we’ll publish any worthy maps or journals inspired by your trip. You can imagine we’ve got journal readers—and relic buyers—who are going to be very interested in whatever you can find down there.”
“So,” he claps his hands together, “who wants to sign-on and who will be ready to leave this evening?”
Hal frowns and looks at the Venture Captain. "Looking at our gathering I am not sure we are all well suited for infiltration. Moreover, if they have a lawful right to dig why are you interfering with what they are doing? What is it that you want so badly that we should break Osirion's laws to help you obtain it?"
Knowledge: Nature
Knowledge: Local