In Service to Lore GM Turn Post 9

Roll initiative. Begin combat round 1.

Starting positions for Turn 9 are displayed on the Combat Map.

What do you do?

Please submit your turn instructions using the Player Action Response - Turn Post Template.

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Conditions

Fergus – Divine Favor - +1 on attack and weapon damage rolls (1 minute)

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Party Health:

Fergus 9/9, Jerry 14/14, Noc Stonepriest 11/12, Ronan Hex 9/9, Korg the Mighty 8/8

In Service to Lore Turn Results 8

In preparation of entering the next room, Fergus casts Divine Favor on himself.

With a sign from Jerry, Noc opened the doors to the room beyond.

Zarta’s bedroom is decorated in the colors of Cheliax— ebon black and crimson red. Silk, rare woods, and carefully carved marble compose every bit of furniture in the room. Goose down now litters the room, covering almost every surface and the silken shreds of the cushions that contained it lie about like flayed skin. A post on the massive screened bed is snapped in half, collapsed on the bed and drawing the screened curtains into a ripped slope of formerly fine cloth. Vials of perfume and crystal jars of other cosmetics sit smashed on the marble floor around the dresser. A prominent fixture in the room, a large “X” made of stout wood sits along the west wall, complete with leather shackles and chains. A table sits to its left strewn with various items intended for pleasure, but outwardly resembling implements of pain.

Inside the room, an enraged imp is totally out of control. The creature desperately wants inside the box, presumably the one the party was sent to retrieve, and throws it around the room hoping to smash the thing open. Though dented, the case doesn’t look like it will be opening anytime soon.

In Service to Lore GM Turn Post 8

Arriving at Paracountess Zarta Dralneen’s townhouse in the Ivy District, the party comes upon a magnificent gothic structure three stories in height. The ebon lacquered double doors wrought with gleaming silver fixtures greet the characters, a prickly brass cone hanging from a chain serving as the door chime. Moments after ringing it, a servant in loose casual attire opens the door, greeting the party as if you were expected.

The servant leads the group through well-appointed sitting rooms, ballrooms, and a grand stairway granting a view of an elaborate study, before the party finally arrives on the third floor of the house, at the door of Zarta’s personal study. Knocking upon the door and announcing his presence, the servant opens the darkly stained wooden door. He indicates that they should enter.

A large intricate carpet dominates the marble floor in this sitting room. A chaise sits along the north wall and a desk spans the southeast corner, its chair positioned with its back to the southwest corner of the room. Three comfortable chairs are positioned around a small, low circular table.

Sitting in the chair behind the desk, Paracountess Zarta Dralneen regards the party with a wry smile, putting away a few papers before standing to address the group.

“Aldor, you are dismissed. Close the door behind you and attend to your other tasks.” She then turns her attention to the group. “It’s always so incredibly adorable when I see a fresh-faced batch of Pathfinders. I mean, look at you scrumptious little teacakes. I could eat each and every one of you up. Well, maybe not you.” Zarta points. “I assume this isn’t a pleasure visit since most of you are terribly overdressed for that manner of occasion, so that must mean you are here for that trinket Valsin has been nagging me about. Seems I can’t get that man around these parts anymore,” she gestures, sliding her hand down her body and widening the gesture to sweep out and across the room as if her home were a secondary thought. “On the good side, he always sends me all the precious new recruits.

“Many think we in Cheliax serve and worship devils, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, we use the creatures for their power. They serve us and we sculpt their power in our own interests. The world must come to terms with the order of things. People need to know their place and operate accordingly. It is the only way to make order from this world. Too many people stretch too far beyond their station, making waves and eroding the true order.”

The “trinket” Ambrus Valsin has sent the group to retrieve is a seven-lock iron case. Zarta tells the party about the box and its locks and seals, explaining she was trying to bypass the protections. She advises that they not try to tamper with the case when bringing it back to the Grand Lodge, but never admits to what the case might contain. She tells them the box is magically warded with abjuration magic intermingled with strong evocation magic, in addition to the seven masterwork locks.

As the paracountess talks, a cacophony of booms and crashes sounds from beyond the room’s west door. She sometimes pauses at an extended eruption of these noises before continuing with the conversation. When asked about the neighboring ruckus, Zarta explains, “A servant is greatly misbehaving. You’re going to have to deal with it in order to get the trinket.” She goes over to the desk in her study, opening a drawer and drawing out an exquisite silver letter opener shaped like a dagger. “You might need this to get it to submit,” she offers with a sly grin.

What do you do?

Please submit your turn instructions using the Player Action Response - Turn Post Template.

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Conditions

None

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Party Health:

Fergus 9/9, Jerry 14/14, Noc Stonepriest 11/12, Ronan Hex 9/9, Korg the Mighty 8/8

In Service to Lore Turn Results 7

With map in hand, Jerry opened the door to the room allowing the party to exit. The servant that lead the party to the vault was waiting outside. He allowed you to to keep the map and the wand but collects any keys that had been gathered by the party.

The servant advised, “Amenopheus has left for the day. If you wish to speak to him again, perhaps you should try back tomorrow.”

Having completed the task, the party moved on to the next one.

In Service to Lore GM Turn Post 7

You find yourself in a plain stone room that contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket.

Written on the back of the locked door is a message: “Within these cases lies your quest and your way out.”

What do you do?

Please submit your turn instructions using the Player Action Response - Turn Post Template.

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Conditions

None

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Party Health:

Fergus 9/9, Jerry 14/14, Noc Stonepriest 12/12, Ronan Hex 9/9, Korg the Mighty 8/8

In Service to Lore Turn Results 6

Since intimidation tactics did not bear fruit and staking out the house would take up too much time, the group decided that they had discovered all they are likely to find. Believing the children to be in reasonable care, the group returned to the Temple of the Shining Star, and informed Ollysta Zadrian of the successful delivery. They also informed her of Auntie Baltwin’s drinking and the stashed curatives found within the house.

Zadrian thanks the characters for their service and states that she will look further into the matter.

The characters next make their way to the rich estate of Grand Councilmember Dremdhet Salhar. They are greeted by a guard who is expecting them as they reach the tall, wrought-iron gate of the estate. He lets them inside and points them toward the door of the manor where a servant greets them and informed them that Salhar was not present, called away on important Council business, but his most trusted advisor was available to negotiate any business they required. The servant explained this while leading the group through the manor, down well decorated hallways and past expansive rooms.

After a few minutes, the group arrived at a simple study near the end of a long hallway. Inside Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, a tan-skinned old man sat behind a desk flipping through pages in a large tome. Scraps of paper jutted from the book marking over two dozen different places. As the characters approached the open door, the wise sage silently gestured them to enter the study with one thin hand, while closing the tome with the other after finishing what he was reading. Once all are were inside the study, he addressed the group.

“Good day to you, Pathfinders. I am Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, advisor to Master Salhar. I understand you were sent here to discuss archaeological permissions. Knowing this was coming, I spoke with Master Salhar at length on the subject and have this to say.”

“Since Osirion was reopened to exploration a decade ago, adventurers, historians, and treasure-seekers flock to my country by the hundreds, perhaps thousands. While most families with ancestral burial vaults maintain guards and keep their sites out of the hands of casual thieves, not all families have the wealth or power to restrict everyone, and as we all know, not every defense is perfectly secure. Unscrupulous tomb robbers and maligned merchant organizations cause Osirion to bleed relics into the Inner Sea—something the descendents of Ancient Osirion cannot afford. We Osiriani have thousands of years of rich history coursing through our veins, and while that power has been out of focus in recent years, we are content to wait, knowing our enemies will wear themselves down. As they fall into arrogance, folly, or greed, we wait for our return to power, knowing we bear the riches of our ancestors at our feet.”

“Master Salhar remains impressed by the Pathfinder Society, orating in their favor a handful of times in front of Absalom’s Grand Council, in fact. Due to previous relationships between him and the Society, Master Salhar has agreed to grant permission to the Pathfinder Society to explore his family’s vaults below Sothis. The only thing he requires is that you retrieve the map of the vaults from his own vault here. The servant will lead you to the basement and show you the room.”

The Sapphire Sage’s eyes twinkled as he smirked knowingly, then he turned back to reading his book as though he had never been disturbed.

After leaving Amenopheus’ study, the servant escorted the characters back through the spacious estate, leading them down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple turns, the party ended up at a plain wooden door. The servant opened the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waited silently for the characters to enter. Once all were inside, he locked the door behind them.

In Service to Lore GM Turn Post 6

What do you do now?

Please submit your turn instructions using the Player Action Response - Turn Post Template.

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Conditions

None

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Party Health:

Fergus 9/9, Jerry 14/14, Noc Stonepriest 12/12, Ronan Hex 9/9, Korg the Mighty 8/8

In Service to Lore Turn Results 5

Auntie Baltwin gets furious with Ronan and stands shouting in his face. “You have no right to judge me! You are nothing but a bully!” Turning her back on the Magus she appeals to Fergus, “What am I to do? So I drink to get through the day. Is that so bad? It helps me manage.” She looks to Jerry and to Korg, seeking their understanding. She pointedly ignores the presence of Noc.

To all parties concerned, Auntie Baltwin seems sincere.