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Post by Richard Loh on May 9, 2013 17:24:45 GMT 8
Venture-Captain Brackett stands in the opulent Grand Cathedral of Aroden in Almas, the intricate stained glass window onto Andoran’s bustling capital speckling his thin, hawk-nosed face with colored light as he presents you with your orders.
"The Society has been granted a unique opportunity, and I hope you are up to the task. Last week I received a missive from the nymph queen Syntira of Darkmoon Wood to the north. It seems a deadly plague afflicts the fey of the Wood and they are desperate to find its source and a cure. While we would not normally waste our time and resources on this sort of endeavor, this particular situation presents us several potential boons we can not pass up.
“Syntira has long attempted to improve relations between her fey subjects and the human inhabitants of nearby Falcon’s Hollow. Sadly, the Lumber Consortium agents who run the town are not open to a diplomatic solution, and tensions remain high. The Society stands to learn much from the fey, both about their magical nature and the elusive First World, and we could certainly benefit from a powerful ally in Darkmoon Vale. Do whatever you can to get the bottom of this plague and find a solution. We must show Syntira that the Pathfinder Society deserves her trust.
“We believe the strange disease may originate from a cursed relic known as Isandrea’s Basin rumored hidden deep within Darkmoon Wood. If this theory proves accurate, I want you to obtain the basin and bring it to me for study. I imagine an external force harnessed the artifact’s power and guards it heavily—so be prepared.
“One Lumber Consortium logging camp in particular was involved in several conflicts with the forest’s resident fey over the last year, and both Syntira and I believe that starting your investigation at this cutyard will prove most productive. I will provide you a map to this location as it’s a good place to start your investigation. Once you have located and identified the disease, seek Syntira herself and aid her in any way possible. Stock up on provisions here in Almas before heading up-river, as you may find Falcon’s Hollow too small and provincial for many of your needs. Don’t dally too long, however, because the disease is quickly spreading, and we want to stop it before it gets out of hand.”
GM: Richard Loh
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Post by Daryl Kong on May 13, 2013 13:38:32 GMT 8
The tiefling with the fancy cowboy hat, duster coat and fiendish charming +5 charisma grin, sits in the corner, polishing his shining black pepperbox with red and gold metal strips. He gazes up as VC Bracky finishes his long boring briefing.
"Recover cursed relic within Darkmoon Wood and save those crazy Fey?", he laughs.
"Sure. And about this Lumber Consortium...who owns or runs it? If they are a legal enterprise, I do not wish to destroy their business... In fact I may like to get share of it!"
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Post by Richard Loh on May 13, 2013 15:29:58 GMT 8
Venture-Captain Brackett sighs and shakes his head at the bored expression of the tiefling's face. (Sense motive DC 20 to detect that he is dismayed at the attitude of the latest Pathfinders the Society has trained.)
"The Lumber Consortium is controlled by a board of directors in Oregent, and the gavel is Thuldrin Kreed who personally oversees the operations of the Darkmoon Vale itself. He is based in Falcon's Hollow and as such, when you are there, do not aggravate him as he can make your life miserable as it is a logging village and the villagers cannot afford to offend someone as powerful as Thuldrin and I think it is wise not to tangle with him, good tiefling, for your own benefit. If you still want to work with him, don't say I didn't warn you!"
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secane
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by secane on May 14, 2013 1:00:36 GMT 8
A six-foot tall lady, in bright multi-coloured robes stops her admiration of the Cathedral's stain glass windows and turns towards Brackett.
"Ah yo..., a plague! How terrrible!" said, Aunty Mei, as she hides her look of disguise behind a long sleeve of her robe. In worried tones she asked, "This plague, is it only affecting the feys? Or has the folks of Falcon’s Hollow been affected too? Can we make it in time to help?"
Aunty Mei's brow narrowed further as she files further questions, "You also mentioned a cursed relic? This Isandrea’s Basin...?" Aunty Mei arched an eyebrow, "How you expecting to us to bring it back to you? When this basin is the possible source of the plague? You think we undead huh? What if we get cursed and catch this plague also?"
Folding her hands into her wide sleeves, Aunty Mei, takes a sit on one of the pew directly in front of Venture-Captain Brackett and smooths out her robe, before looking up to address him with a respectful look. "Brackett-San, the fact that you are confident to send us Pathfinders on this mission, clearly means you have the answers to these concerns." Aunty Mei, gestures to the other Pathfinder members in attendance with a sweep of one of her sleeves, before giving Brackett a low and respectful bow, "Please, Brackett-San, forgive us for our lack of insight and enlighten us with your wisdom."
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Post by Richard Loh on May 14, 2013 1:09:00 GMT 8
"I thank you for raising such questions, err... Pathfinder. This shows that indeed you are listening to my briefing." Brackett continues, "We have not heard of any reports of afflicted humanoids in the area, only fey, but you should use caution as humanoids can catch the disease. It may be in your best interests to prepare for dealing with the disease before heading to Falcon's Hallow.
In regards to the Basin itself, locals say that it curses any water it holds and that anyone who drinks from it will succumb to a deadly wasting disease. So, regardless of how thirsty you may be, please don't drink from the Basin."
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secane
Junior Member
Posts: 54
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Post by secane on May 14, 2013 1:50:34 GMT 8
Aunty Mei looks at Brackett in alarm, "This plague... it can affect humanoids too?!? And here I was about to suggest that the Lumber Consortium agents might be involved, somehow. This is alarming news!"
Quickly calming down from her shock, Aunty Mei inquires, "Well... so this disease, does it have a name and do you know what does it do to its victims? Does it affect Fey and Humanoids differently?... ... Brackett-san, as you request that we find a solution to this.... plague... are we to assume that no cure for this disease that is currently at hand?"
Aunty Mei gives her fellow Pathfinders a glance, before turning back to address Brackett in a worried tone, "Pardon my concern, Brackett-san, and in no way am I looking down on our skills as pathfinders, but if a nymph queen like Syntira, is helpless before such a plague... diseases... especially a cure for a plague... seems beyond our capabilities... Is there any known cure or someone that you know, that could help us with this....?"
"It would not do for us to dive into a situation without knowing all the facts. Error, due to lack of understanding, could be harmful not just to us Pathfinders, but to the society as well."
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Post by Richard Loh on May 14, 2013 12:31:57 GMT 8
"The plague affects fey more keenly than humanoids, hence the request for help from us." Stroking his stubble on his chin, Brackett continues "I called you here today, because I know that you are capable, and that, you will know how to prepare any equipment that might help you in your mission. I believe that is the meaning of a brief, so that you know what to bring and prepare in the course of your duty."
Standing up, and strolling amongst the seated Pathfinders, with his hands clasped behind his back, he stopped after pacing for two circuits.
"We do suspect that the Lumber Consortium might be involved in this somehow. As mentioned, there have been no reports of plague in Falcon's Hollow itself, and we KNOW that the Lumber Consortium has Falcon's Hollow in its grasp. As a side note, but don't quote me, " he leans over conspiratorially and whispers "The Consortium's greed and disregard for others places them in direct opposition to Syntira's subjects and has for many years. They have a long history of conflict with the fey regarding the many darkwood cutyards they operate in Darkmoon Wood. They stand to gain much by eliminating or weakening the fey who protect the valuable supply of lumber."
Rising to his height, he ambled back to the front of the Cathedral. "As for helping Queen Syntira, it will give us a chance to work with Queen Syntira and get us into her good books. Given our society's mission, having more friends would aid us in the future should we need to venture into Darkmoon Wood in the future."
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Post by Richard Loh on May 17, 2013 16:06:28 GMT 8
SUMMARY
At Syntira and Venture-Captain Brackett’s suggestion, the PCs investigate a lumber camp in the Darkmoon Wood suspected of involvement in the palepox epidemic. They arrive to find the camp besieged by undead animals, the former companions of the ex-druid gardeners tending the flamebloom fields. Each is stuffed like a rag doll with bright red, orange, and yellow flowers. These variant plague zombies carry palepox instead of zombie rot, providing the PCs with their first exposure to the disease.
The ungrateful, suspicious, and palepox-infected lumberjacks offer little cooperation when the PCs interrogate them. If the PCs persuade them, the workers divulge that they saw the flowers stuffed in the plague zombies in a nearby deep-woods farm tended by known ex-druids. One survivor is sick enough to offer to escort the PCs there if they agree to help him get to town to see Laurel, Falcon’s Hollow’s herbalist, for a cure.
At the flamebloom field, the Pathfinders uncover a team of palepox-infected ex-druids tending the flowers. These cultists sacrificed their animal companions to Urgathoa and abandoned their call to revere nature, choosing instead to relish in the death and decay that comes at the end of the life cycle. The cultists are alert and ready for a second wave of invaders after the lumberjacks stumbled upon their secret farm earlier. They know that they are not effective in combat and choose instead to lure the Pathfinders into the center of the field to expose them to the flowers’ contagious pollen. Investigation reveals that the druids and the flowers carry palepox, and interrogation exposes the Fiendblood Covenant’s plot to spread the plague through the flowers.
Safely back in Falcon’s Hollow, the PCs consult Laurel, the town’s resident healer. Through the use of skill checks, the Pathfinders can piece together enough information to delay the effects of the disease or even cure it through nonmagical means. They must gain access to Laurel’s workshop and recipe books, decipher the ancient tomes, formulate an herbal cure, find ingredients, and brew the remedy.
With the newfound cure, the Pathfinders head back to the Wood to present it to Syntira. Leaving town, they glimpse several Urgathoan beggars bringing wagons of flamebloom flowers into Falcon’s Hollow. Upon further investigation, the Pathfinders discover that the Fiendblood Covenant plan a gluttonous feast that night in a grove outside town celebrating the plague’s release on the unsuspecting population.
As the PCs make their way into the woods toward the feast, one of Syntira’s satyr patrols stops them. The PCs need to convince the suspicious and fear-addled fey of their alliance with the nymph queen or that they found a cure to the disease. If the Pathfinders provoke them or fail to prove their friendliness, the satyrs do not hesitate to defend their forest.
A short distance outside the city, the Pathfinders disrupt a great banquet thrown by cultists both living and undead. Mounds of tainted flamebloom blossoms form piles atop a bone table as the revelers gorge themselves with the raw flowers, drinking from human skull goblets of moldy wine. Startled by the interruption, many of the cultists flee into the woods, but Vondrella, overseeing the ritual, remains with several flower-stuffed, maggotridden plague zombie minions. She vows to continue the feast even without revelers, dining not on flowers but on the bodies of the interlopers.
Pathfinders:
Lv 3 Human Shielded Fighter - Seina Escudo
Lv 4 Human Cleric of Sarenrae - Kyra
Lv 4 Human Zen Archer - Rei Takenaka
Lv 3 Aasimar Oracle - Sarvin
Lv 5 Tiefling Gunslinger - Anfernal
Lv 3 Aasimar Barbarian - Aunty Mei
Actions of note:
Anfernal the Intimidator: Successfully snapped a cultist's sanity as his intimidation broke what tenuous hold of sanity she had. Proceeded to interrogated her but managed to hold off the worst of the palepox virus.
Sarvin the Researcher: Assisted Laurel in manufacturing a cure for the palepox virus by researching the various herbs and ingredients and aiding in its distillation.
Seina Escudo the Quick: Set fire to a cart full of flamebloom flowers to prevent the beggars from giving out the flowers, unfortunately also burnt some scrolls and destroyed a potion which was contained hidden beneath the flowers.
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