Rise of the Runelords: The Skinsaw Murders, Part II [IC]

[lostsole31]

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Rescue Our Heroes!

Two nights ago, an investigation into a string of killings that appeared to be related to ghouls brought Sandpoints' favored batch of heroes - no less than Norton Dabney and Draegra and their new friends - to the dilapidated ruin of the Foxglove noble family, following strange scrawlings that seemed to call out Draegra.

That was the last Sheriff Hemlock heard of them, and he was given consistent updates from the group. Though the killings have stopped for now since the heroes cleared out a group of ghouls and a ghast from a local farm, who knows how long it will be before trouble rears its head.

Desperate to keep the populace calm, Mayor Deverin had Sheriff Hemlock contact every conceivable sellsword walking in the Sandpoint area and bring them to a dinner at the Rusty Dragon to discuss making a rescue attempt, or failing that, to put to rest whatever evil might have stilled our brave heroes.

The clock is against Sandpoint, should the killings begin again.
Will Evaro Teodor and Aubrine Udara and their new acquaintances be up to the challenge of protecting the town?
Or, will they fall as well, and let panic run through the streets of Sandpoint?


DRAMATIS PERSONAE




Character
[Player]

Speech Color
AL

Faith
Race [Ethnicity]
(Gender ID)

Side #1

Side #2

Campaign Trait


Aubrine Udara
[Clasy Crow]

Teal

NG

Agnostic

Half-Elf (m)
[Shoreborn, Taldan]

Eclipse 7

Investigator 7
[Empiricist]/
Swashbuckler 1
[Inspired Blade]

Scholar of the Ancients



Azel the Vibrant
[NPC]

Dark Orange

N

Gozreh

Human? (f)

Nature-Something?

??? ?

Sandpoint Faithful



Balazar
[NPC]

Purple

N

Agnostic

Gnome (m)

Bard 5/
Pathfinder Chronicler 2

Summoner 7

Outlander
[Lore Seeker]



Evaro Teodor
[qazgir]

Blue

NG

Erastil

Half-Giant (m)

Fighter 7
[Myrmidon]

Guru 6/
Rogue 1


Giant Slayer



[B]Huseina ("Deadeye") Tyrer
[NPC]

Violet

LG

Kelinahat

Human (f)
[Mwangi: Bonuwat]

Gunslinger 7

Rogue 7
[Scout]

Outlander [Exile]



Torviruv the Torch
[NPC]

Saddle Brown

LN

Pharasma

??? (m)

???/
Sleepless Detective 2

???

Merchant Family



Dgia Bazkrak
[NPC, Balazar's Cohort]

Golden Rod

N (LN)

Abadar

Gold Dwarf? (f)


???

???

Monster Hunter



Padrig
[NPC, Balazar's Eidolon]

Indigo

CN

Unknown

Serpentine Eidolon (m)
[Protean]

N/A

N/A

N/A

[lostsole31]

Fireday, 30 Neth 4707 AR
Weather: 18/ 10 F. Light snow (1/2"). Winds WNW 20 mph. Medium humidity. Wind Chill: -7/ -15 F.

One thing you are going to have to do in Sandpoint before heading out to Aldern Manor (called "Misgivings" by the locals) is deal with the freezing cold weather (see above).

Evaro and Aubrine .... will you purchase cold weather gear, or handle yourselves more supernaturally with your abilities?

With the intent today to deal with the cold and travel the 3-mile hike to the reputedly haunted manor, do either of you change anything on your daily lineup?

[Qazgir]

Evaro

Evaro will purchase a cold weather outfit and keep his daily preparations the same. He will also take three minutes to meditate under the snowy sky, focusing and storing the sun's power within himself, before spreading it into his veils.


Absorb Radiance: Meditate for 3 minutes to gain a pool of three temporary essence. Invest 2 temp essence into Sprinter's Boots and 1 temp essence into Hardlight Reinforcements.

[ClassyCrow]

After spending their usual time in the morning shaping their veils and preparing their extracts, Aubrine will look out the window and come to a similar conclusion as Evaro. Aubrine will go buy some winter weather gear. After purchasing some winter clothes, they will spend whatever time they have left researching the Foxglove Family. If Aubrine cannot find any information, due to either lack of time or resources, they will meet up with Evaro and begin their journey.

If there is an applicable roll for doing research, Aubrine will use a point of inspiration.

[lostsole31]

Evaro will purchase a cold weather outfit and keep his daily preparations the same. He will also take three minutes to meditate under the snowy sky, focusing and storing the sun's power within himself, before spreading it into his veils.

Evaro will spend 8 gold and trade out wear for the cold weather outfit while tightly rolling and stowing his explorer's outfit in his backpack. That nearly wiped out his funds.
[QUOTE=Clasy_Crow;25924755]After spending their usual time in the morning shaping their veils and preparing their extracts, Aubrine will look out the window and come to a similar conclusion as Evaro. Aubrine will go buy some winter weather gear. After purchasing some winter clothes, they will spend whatever time they have left researching the Foxglove Family. If Aubrine cannot find any information, due to either lack of time or resources, they will meet up with Evaro and begin their journey.
Aubrine likewise pays the 8 gold but his purse is much heavier than Evaro's own. Because things have to happen right away (rescue mission, remember) there is no time to hem and haw in town for research. Once they meet up with the others, the pair finds that Balazar is already ahead of them. He spent the latter part of the night drinking and asking around - knowing there would be no time for a library foray in the morning - and it was late enough and the right people were drunk enough (including one Brodert Quink) that Balazar was able to piece together a lot of information, as follows ...

Foxglove Manor is over 80 years old, and has been the seat of the Foxglove family the whole time. Some sort of tragedy struck the family a few decades ago, and no one’s lived there since. Common rumor holds that the place is haunted.
Foxglove Manor is known as the “Misgivings” by some locals, particularly by Varisians. It certainly has a bad reputation—sightings of strange lights in the attic windows, muffled sounds of screaming from above and below, and even rumors of a huge bat-winged devil living in the caves below the manor are but a few of the tales told about the place. The Foxglove family lived there as recently as 2 decades ago, but then a fire burned down the servants’ building, Cyralie Foxglove was found dead—burnt and dashed on the rocks below the cliffs behind the house—and Traver Foxglove was found in his bedroom, dead by his own hand. The children, including young Aldern Foxglove, were sent away to be raised in Korvosa by distant relations.
Aldern Foxglove recently returned to live in the manor, but he had a hell of a time hiring locals to aid him in the reconstruction and repair of the old building. Until Aldern moved back in, the place was cared for by a man named Rogors Craesby (a retired innkeeper who lost an ear in a bar fight many years ago) who came in 3 days a week from Sandpoint to air the place out, check for squatters, and make minor repairs.
Foxglove Manor was built decades ago by Vorel Foxglove, a merchant prince from Magnimar. He and his family lived there for 20 years before the entire family perished from disease. The surviving Foxgloves of Magnimar shunned the place for 40 years, until Traver Foxglove moved back in.
The Foxgloves have traditionally been associated with the Brothers of the Seven, a secretive gentlemen’s club based in Magnimar and consisting of merchants or thieves, depending on whom you talk to. Members of the society periodically visited Foxglove Manor at night during the years the manor went unlived-in, perhaps to check up on the building and make minor repairs—or perhaps for more sinister pursuits.


Everyone is likewise bundled and packed up, and likewise several gold lighter.

It soon becomes apparent that Huseina is the most practiced at this type of travel - hostile environments and the deep wilderness. Once she gets a sense of everyone's overall skill, she is rather depressed to find out that very few are trained survivalists. She had hoped to move half-speed, with more practiced survivalists helping a buddy who is less able, but as limited as the group is, it is just better to get as much speed as the group can without hustling (which has its own problems in cold weather survival).

The party begins their journey, as protected from the cold as the North Face (TM) can allow them to be.

As you go, Balazar says, "Sheriff Hemlock told me that as we get to Misgivings, we will be met by a woman who prefers to go into town as little as possible. Some type of wilderness ...er, type. They call her Azel the Vibrant, which I understand is a an appellation of irony. He warned me that while she has agreed to help and she has many powers that might be useful, still she does not take kindly to chatty folk who want to get to know her under any pretense - not personal, not professional, and she is even proof against the 'but if we work together...' rhetoric. She says what she says when she says it, and will say no more. He also told me that those who tried her patience just saw her walk right off of a job without a kernel of guilt. So, the 'tl;dr' .... I think that's what the kids are saying these days ... is to just let her be and let her help as will, but leave her alone otherwise."

The 3-mile hike actually takes an hour-and-a-half what with Balazar's small frame and Evaro's heavily-armored one. To her credit the heavily armored Dgia moves as quickly as a normal human. The hike ends with everyone's cold weather gear having protected them well, though Evaros was just beginning to feel that spidery tingle.

Though the manor looms through the gray not far off, a very tall (6'4"), very stocky muscular woman (235 lbs) and of a savage mien with wolf-pelt headress, some furs, but NOT dressed for the weather awaits you by a much smaller wreck. She waves you into the dilapidated structure. It provides meager protection from the wind, but that is better than none. It’s impossible to tell how many floors the outbuilding that stood here once had, for all that remains are the sooty, scorched stones of its foundation. To the east, a four-foot-wide stone well sits, partially collapsed, in the corner of the ruins.

The woman with brown eyes and gray hair - but seeming to have the presence of both youth and experience - and possessed of strange, non-Varisian paints on her face, says, "I am Azel. This is the old servant's quarters. I shut one of the doors to the manor that the last group must have used to enter. Our first order of business is our own survival. There will be a fireplace, we must make a fire with what is available. This is no scientific exploration to save papers, Pathfinder," she says, looking at Balazar, "we must save your own skins. Gozreh protects me, but your chattering teeth tell me you are not so blessed. You will also need light sources. I suggest lighting them now."

Do either of you have any type of light you want to begin lighting? Now that you are just about to enter Misgivings, is there any type of change or buff or the like you wish to make? And when all done, what do you have in hand?

[lostsole31]

Balazar spends a minute in concentration, performing an arcane ritual, at the end of which a terrifying/comical (you tell me) rooster-snake from parts unknown appears. When it does so, a rune forms on Balazar's forehead that appears on the rooster-snake's head as well. You also note there is an exotic riding rig meant for a Small creature on this Medium-sized monster. "This here's Padrig, my friend and eidolon."

Balazar then wears his wayfinder about his neck, activating the light before mounting Padrig. He then ties his quarterstaff to his mount and equips his gnome-sized light crossbow. As he does so, Dgia readies her shield, but takes out no weapon.

Torviruv takes out a torch, and without equipment or a spell but concentrating on it the torch comes to fiery light. He then equips his shield.

There are two entrances, apparently. The proper double doors to the manor to the northeast, and the servant's entrance to the southeast. Which entrance do you take?

[Qazgir]

Evaro

Evaro speaks a command word, and a directed light will shine from his Ioun gauntlet. Drawing his sword, he will address the group, "unless we know that either entrance is more dangerous than the other, I suggest we take the main entrance, and avoid getting caught up in tight servant's passageways."

[lostsole31]

The party enters the manor's main doors (the southern set, sorry), coming into the Entrance Hall. The sound of the house straining and creaking gives this long, high-ceilinged room an additional sense of age and decay. The place smells damp, the unpleasant tinge of mold lacing the air as surely as it stains the wooden floor, walls, and furniture in pallid patches. Moldering trophies hang on the wall to the northeast: a boar, a bear, a firepelt cougar, and a stag, yet they pale in comparison to the monster on display in the center of the room. Here crouches a twelve-foot-long creature with the body of a lion, a scorpion’s tail fitted with dozens of razor barbs, huge batlike wings, and a deformed humanoid face.

Everybody (except the eidolon) hears a woman's sobbing from ... somewhere ... deeper in the manor, but you can't quite pin it down.

What do you do?

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine will look at Evaro and say quietly, “I assume I am not the only one hearing that?” Aubrine will turn to the rest of the group and still quietly say “Well, give me just a second before we move forward.” After a brief moment of contemplation Aubrine will hand Evaro a potion and alchemical vial, “Remember to drink, then drink, then spit, not: drink, spit, drink, that is just wasteful.”


Aubrine will then take a moment to focus, close their eyes and breath deeply. After Aubrine opens their eyes again, they seem calmer with pupils dilated. Then Aubrine will start drinking a variety of different vials from their pouch. After drinking the final vial, their skin smooths to almost a scale-like quality, their neck slits open slightly and they gain a more intensely fish-like quality in their appearance.


Aubrine will then quietly ask the group, “We going in loud and proud, or do we want to have the quieter of us scout ahead?”


Hand Evaro Alchemical Allocation & Barkskin Potion


Use Extracts: Barkskin (+3 Enhancement Natural Armor at 10 min./level) & Heightened Awareness (+2 perception and trained knowledge, can be consumed for +4 ini bonus. 10 min./level)


Consume Mutagen (+4 Dex -2 Wis +2 Natural Armor. 80 Mins)


Essence Investment:


Darkvision = 2E

Gloves of Master Thief = 1E
Pooling Black = 2E

Superior Reflexes = 2E
Cufflinks of Telekinetic = 1E

[Qazgir]

Evaro

Evaro will take the potion and vial, and say "yes, yes, I've got it". He then drinks the extract, and quickly drinks from the potion before spitting the liquid back into its container. He rubs his hands together, and his leather boots seem somehow more leathery. After Aubrine has finished drinking, Evaro answers their question, "I could use a free minute or two if someone wants to scout, but it might be in our best interest to stick together."


Essence Investment:

Unicorn Feathering -> 0E
Sprinter's Boots -> 3E

[lostsole31]

Aubrine looks at Evaro and say quietly, “I assume I am not the only one hearing that?” Aubrine will turn to the rest of the group and still quietly say, “Well, give me just a second before we move forward.”

Round Tracker ... Off-Round 2 ...

OR2T23: Deadeye (Huseina) takes out a pepper box.

OR2T22: Evaro delays, listening to Aubrine.

OR2T21: After a brief moment, Aubrine will take out a potion and then do final mixing on a chemical vial before inserting a bit of their supernatural selves into that vial for its readiness, and holds it out to Evaro and says, “Remember to drink, then drink, then spit, not: drink, spit, drink, that is just wasteful.”

OR2T20: Evaro will take the potion and vial, and say, "Yes, yes, I've got it."

OR2T19: Torviruv puts his torch in Deadeye's off-hand, before casting a protective spell upon himself. He then moves forward quietly while taking out a strange blade, something like a fancy short sword that you may have seen wielded by foreigners from Tian Xia.

OR2T12: "Padrig, forward. Let's take a look," says Balazar, and astride Padrig the two slither along the opposite side of the large trophy from Torviruv, getting to the far end of the entrance hall. The rooster-snake whispers something and Balazar calls out, "There's a dining room to the east. Looks like a window was left open for some fool reason."

OR2T11: Azel steps forward and spins her quarterstaff in readiness. You hadn't really gotten a good look at her armament, as she cut quite a figure herself when you first saw her, but her staff i s a beautifully ornate darkwood staff. Her left hand is sheathed in a cestus with beautiful embroidery and stitching. There is a an equally ornate tribal club at her side, and a bow that looks like it was strung with such tension as to have what more likes a bow cable than a bowstring. She seems to concentrate, obviously listening past the babbling of the party for the source of the noise.

OR2T10: Torviruv stops in his tracks and sniffs and says, "I smell ... burning."

OR2T1: Dgia moves forward to Balazar, and then takes a listen.

End Off-Round 2, Begin Off-Round 3 ...

OR3T23: Deadeye moves to the other end of the entrance hall so the torchlight has greater reach.

OR3T21: Aubrine then takes a moment to focus, close their eyes and breath deeply. After Aubrine opens their eyes again, they seem calmer with pupils dilated. At the same time, dark, supple, magic gloves appear on their hands; they seem to wear a magical mantle; their footwear now seems to have a darker shadow around them, and even cufflinks appear on their chemise. The darkness from the boots glow, until a much larger area all around Aubrine now seems to be dim light, instead of the normal torchlight, which actually plunges the western 10' area of the entrance hall into actual darkness now that the torch is on the far side of the hall, at least for those that don't have low-light vision.

Aubrine then drinks from a vial they take from their pouch. Their skin takes on a deeper, rougher hue as they quietly ask the group, “We going in loud and proud, or do we want to have the quieter of us scout ahead?”

OR3T20: Evaro then drinks the extract, and quickly drinks from the potion before spitting the liquid back into its container. He rubs his hands together, and his leather boots seem somehow more leathery while the thick fur that had coated his armor and arms seems to disappear. After Aubrine has finished drinking, Evaro answers their question, "I could use a free minute or two if someone wants to scout, but it might be in our best interest to stick together."

OR3T19: Torviruv shouts in alarm, "Everyone! a great darkness has swallowed up the half-giant and his friend!"

All eyes suddenly snap to where Aubrine and Evaro are ... and either they look directly at the two, or in their general direction because they can no longer see them.

OR3T12: "It's okay!" calls out Balazar with a surprisingly commanding and calming voice. He speeds along on Padrig to get closer to the Aubrine and Evaro, and in so doing the light from his wayfinder increases the darkened area back to dim light from darkness. "See? It's not a ghostly force. Maestre Aubrine decided to use a power of darkness without warning anyone else and with no regard for the visual acuity of the rest of their team. Please diminish that darkness from your Pooling Darkness, Maestre Aubrine."

OR3T11: Azel doesn't do anything, but looks at Aubrine, annoyed, shaking her head.

Initiative Counter Ends ...

[ClassyCrow]

"My sincerest Apologies." Aubrine states through the dark, while suppressing their veil. "I am unused to traveling with those who I have not warned about my abilities. I suppose my mistake has probably cost us any aspect of subtlety, given how I surprised Torviruv." As Aubrine finishes talking, they continue to drink from their various vials.


Suppresses Pooling Black (Whoops)

Attempts to drink Other extract and mutagen

[lostsole31]

Aubrine's form grows lean, monstrous and inhuman even as their pupils dilate to take in more light and detail.

"There are enough of us here, and I fear that even were there trouble that no other room connection will be as big as this entryway to the dining hall," says Balazar. "I recommend we split up to cover more ground and to not step on each other's toes. What do you think?"

[Qazgir]

Evaro will nod in agreement, "I think that is a worthy idea. I say we split into two groups. Your point about fewer toes is a good one, but we don't want so few toes as to be ambushed one by one. I suggest that I go with Huseina and Toviruv, while you and yours go with Azel and Aubrine. Does anyone have any complains with that arrangement, or have other suggestions?"

[lostsole31]

All the NPCs seem fine with that. Aubrine, how about you?

[ClassyCrow]

"That sounds like a good plan." Aubrine nods to Evaro, and looks to their group, "I'll try and be a bit more useful from this point."

[lostsole31]

[For ease of play, and because PCs should make major decisions ...]

Evaro, in what direction/ door/ room will you have your team begin moving?

Aubrine, same question.

[Qazgir]

Gesturing at the door next to him, Evaro speaks up "well then, let's head this direction."



Evaro's group will head into the door going North, located 5' East of Evaro.

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team

Huseina shoos Torviruv away from the door. "I've never met your equal in senses EXCEPT when it comes to traps, my love."

She checks the door carefully, and then opens it, revealing the western extent of an east-west hallway, and a door facing immediately north. She calls back so that both teams hear: "All non-external doors stay open so we can hear each other!"

Moving into the hallway, she checks and listens at the next door before opening that as well. Torviruv follows in behind her as he has her torchlight, leaving Edaro at the back of the trio. She then checks carefully and then steps into that space beyond, and narrates what she sees there initially.

This oak-paneled chamber must have once been breathtaking, but is a sad sight now—the floorboards are warped with moisture and the paneling scratched and spotted with mold. A grand piano, its surface splotchy and keys warped, leans tiredly in the southeast corner.

Evaro, since this isn't about deep exploration, but is about a hopeful rescue - exploration can come later if necessary - Huseina only wants to do a quick check in here. It will end up taking 2 minutes for a quick search in here. Do you wish to do anything in here?

Team Elapsed Time (2:18 min.)

[ClassyCrow]

"I think trying to leave no stone unturned would be best, so let's do this sequentially." Aubrine says while gesturing to the other door in the same room. While Aubrine walks to the door, they will examine the door, going through a checklist in their head. First, does the door have anything obviously wrong with it like traps, spikes, scratch marks, blood, etc.? Second, does the door have any unusual features, like being particularly ornate or reinforced. Third and final, they put their head up against the door to see if there are any obvious noises from the other side. If there isn't anything particularly out of place or worrying, Aubrine will open the door.

Aubrine will go to the door 10' south of him.
Will not use inspiration for any perception rolls. If Aubrine discovers any traps, they will use a point of inspiration on a roll of 7-11 to deal with any traps.

[lostsole31]

Aubrine's Team

This cozy-looking drawing room is marred by the unnatural dampness and the thick sheets of mold that cling to the curtains closed over the southern window. There is a door to the east.

What do you do in here?

[Qazgir]

Evaro will watch as Huseina searches the room. When she is finished, he will survey the room once before speaking, "you've got a better eye for hidden and notable things than I do, so if you two are satisfied we can move forward, let's continue through those doors". He gestures towards the double doors as he finishes.

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team

Huseina scratches her head and says, "It's the outside doors, but okay for completeness." She knows they are exterior doors, but just in case she checks everything safe before they are opened. Sure enough, it is snowing outside and there is snow in the ground.

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine conjures a small shadowy hand in the air. The hand floats gently towards the mold, poking it delicately and then removing a piece of it. While keeping the sample at a safe distance, Aubrine examines it attempting visually identify any properties it might possess. "It's weird it's only over the windows right? This dampness as well... it's quite unusual." Aubrine half mutters half says to the others in the room.

Aubrine will summon a telekinetic hand using the Cufflinks of the Telekinetic. Aubrine will stay at least a foot away from the mold while examining, especially if there are any obvious spores. Aubrine will pause this process at any point if the mold seems dangerous.

[lostsole31]

Aubrine's Team

Nothing happens when Aubrine's telekinetic hand doesn't poke the mold so much as softly press against it to try to pick up mold ... which it cannot do. It has no ability to exert "poking" pressure, only the ability to lift singular objects up to a certain weight. That said, the mold seems ... like mold. One of many varieties of normal forms of mold that grows from rotting materials as can be expected.

[Qazgir]

Evaro chuckles and pulls the doors closed, "that they are. I guess this place has me a bit more jumpy that I thought. Oh well, there's only one door left, so let's proceed when you're ready."

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine, realizing the failure of their magic hand, draws their rapier and use the tip of it lift the curtain in order to gain better understanding of the source of the moistness and mold. "The water can't be coming from the outside, it's too cold outside for mold to grow if the window's open." Aubrine mumbles under their breath.

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team

Huseina scratches her head and says, "It's the outside doors, but okay for completeness." She knows they are exterior doors, but just in case she checks everything safe before they are opened. Sure enough, it is snowing outside and there is snow in the ground.

Evaro chuckles and pulls the doors closed, "that they are. I guess this place has me a bit more jumpy that I thought. Oh well, there's only one door left, so let's proceed when you're ready."

The outer doors are shut to keep the cold out, and Huseina moves to the door to the east, doing a full safety check and then opens the door. This is a simple washroom. An ancient metal washtub stands to the north, a ring of mildew crusting its inner surface. There is the smell of very new death in here, along with a sour smell on top of that. There is a diseased rat in the washtub. After carefully looking at it but not touching it, the mini-party determines that this rat was actually killed by violence in the past couple days ... so, possible signs of passage of the last group. There is only one door from here, leading to the hallway.

Huseina moves out to the hallway and to the door at the end of the hall. Huseina does all safety checks and opens the door. This dusty room features a long couch caked with white sheets of wispy fungus. Eddies of dust skitter along the warped floorboards as if caught up by a slight breeze, yet no wind is noticeable in the air.

Evaro, you don't know why, but Huseina and Torviruv both seem transfixed by the eddies of dust. What do you do?


Aubrine's Team


Nothing happens when Aubrine's telekinetic hand doesn't poke the mold so much as softly press against it to try to pick up mold ... which it cannot do. It has no ability to exert "poking" pressure, only the ability to lift singular objects up to a certain weight. That said, the mold seems ... like mold. One of many varieties of normal forms of mold that grows from rotting materials as can be expected.

Aubrine, realizing the failure of their magic hand, draws their rapier and use the tip of it lift the curtain in order to gain better understanding of the source of the moistness and mold. "The water can't be coming from the outside, it's too cold outside for mold to grow if the window's open." Aubrine mumbles under their breath.

When Aubrine uses their rapier to lift the tip of the curtain, they see a brief glimpse of a forlorn woman's face reflected in the window beyond. The reflection vanishes an instant later.

Aubrine, what do you do?

[Qazgir]

Pushing up his visor, Evaro will peer through his spectacles, searching for any magical effect which might have ensnared his companions and for any other potential traps. Should he detect some magic ensnaring them, he will call out to the others. "Beware, there are magical traps about. Huseina and Torviruv have both been caught, I am going to attempt to remove them from it." He will then sheath his sword, grab Torviruv's arm, and pull him from the room.


Use the Eyeglasses of Magic Sight for three rounds.

If Evaro detects a magical aura he doesn't expect, i.e one that doesn't seem to be the aura of a magic item he/his companions are carrying or something similar, he will warn the others. He will then attempt to pull Torviruv out of the room, regardless of whether he detect any unexpected auras or not.
,

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team

While Evaro is doing this, Huseina says, "Evaro, don't you see it? The swirling eddies aren't random. It looks like ... dust kicking up as if a person were pacing back and forth in front of the fire."

Torviruv briefly looks to Evaro to nod his agreement.

Evaro's magic specs don't reveal anything, but now that they've pointed it out, they're right. The dust moving about is exactly as if someone were pacing frantically back and forth in front of the fireplace.

[Qazgir]

Glancing at Huseina briefly before turning to reexamine the dust, Evaro speaks, "You two had me worried there, next time you decide to become transfixed by mysterious eddies of dust, please let me know why you're staring, at least until we're out of this damn house. But, you are right, that does look exactly as if someone were pacing back and forth. Yet it doesn't appear to have a magic aura, how strange." Evaro sighs, and looks towards the door behind Huseina "Regardless, unless you think it's worth examining further, and have a suggestion for how to do so, let us move onward."

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine's head turns around and looks up and down the room to make sure there isn't a forlorn woman in the room with them, "Did any of you happen to see the reflection of the woman in the window just now?" While looking around the room Aubrine checks if anything within the room has changed since they last looked.

[lostsole31]

Aubrine's Team

Everyone looks at Aubrine, shaking their head. It seems they were the only one to see that.

What now?

Evaro's Team

"Um, yeah," says Torviruv. "That is definitely not right. And whatever it is, may provide a clue - however tiny - to whatever is happening overall."

Torviruv moves forward carefully and stands in the pathway of the dust, which seems to drift to quietude now that he stands there with the torch.

Now, he seems actually transfixed - or at least affected by some stimulus. A second later he says, "Hey, I just had a flash. I think it was a memory, from a woman's perspective? She is filled with worry about what her husband might be doing on those late nights in the basement."

Just then, as if in Evaro's ear, he hears something whispered .... "Lorey..."

[Qazgir]

Evaro whips his head around, looking for the source of the voice, then turns back to the others. "I head a voice, whispering in my ear, it said 'Lorey....' Not a name that I recognize, but possibly related to your 'flash.' I think we should consider looking for the basement."

[lostsole31]

Evaro, roll a Will save.

[Qazgir]

Will Save: [roll0]
Bravery Gives +2 to Will Saves vs. Fear Effects.
Ready for Anything Gives a +2 to Will Saves vs. Compulsion and Fear Effects.

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team

For a brief flicker, Evaro felt a fleeting alien presence at his mind which he rebuffed easily, but the urge was to drag Huseina out of the house for safety, though he doesn't understand why.

Huseina says, "A basement, huh? Well, we'll get there. But if we just start ping-ponging everywhere, something might get missed. Also, we need to find the way to the basement as we continue."

It only takes a little over a minute to do a quick search in here, finding nothing else. Since there is only one place to go (through the door to the south, Huseina checks and listens before opening the door ...


Aubrine's Team

It takes less than a minute to do a quick search of this room before then checking the door to the east. Aubrine carefully checks the door and opens it, and then carefully moves in.

This library features two chairs, one of which lies on its side, before a stone fireplace. A scarf, its reds and golds contrasting with the drab palette of the room, is draped over the side of the fallen chair. A book sits face down on the floor between the chairs. A stone bookend, carved to look like a praying angel with butterfly wings, lies on its side in the fireplace itself.

A quick search of this room begins. Aubrine, Azel, and Padrig the eidolon both notice the scarf moving on its own). As they mention this to the others, the scarf moves lightning-fast to unerringly wrap around Dgia's throat and she is suddenly transfixed and paralyzed by something truly fearful that she alone can ken. She takes 9 NL as she fights off being suffocated, and just as quickly the scarf falls to the floor, unmoving.

Dgia, rubbing her throat, relates that she felt like she was a different woman - someone who once was alive - and that a man she loved came at her and strangled her to death. She holds onto the scarf for now, though it might be useful for sale as it is a fine scarf.

It takes three minutes for a quick search in here, and then Aubrine checks and opens the door leading to the north ...


Both Teams

.... come together.

A mahogany table surrounded by chairs sits in this room. Twin fireplaces loom to the west, while to the east, stained-glass windows obscure what could have been a breathtaking view of the Lost Coast. Each window depicts a monster rising out of smoke pouring from a seven-sided box. From north to south are depicted a gnarled tree with an enraged face, an immense hook-beaked bird with sky-blue and gold plumage, a winged centaur-like creature with a lion’s lower body and a snarling woman’s upper torso, and a deep blue squid-like creature with evil red eyes.

Both parties relate to each other the haunts they encountered, and they begin to do a quick search in this room.

One of the windows is open, and Torviruv is able to tell that the window has only been open for a day or two ... more evidence of the actions of those who have come before you.

The stained glass windows are indeed exceptional as they look out over the Varisian Gulf. Still, Aubrine and Balazar both note that it was an unusual design choice to fit the rooms with arguably the best view of the Lost Coast with windows one cannot see through.

With help from Balazar, Aubrine informs everyone that the runes on the box indicated on the stained glass art are necromancy-related, that the monster seem not to be emerging from the boxes but rather being drawn in, and that their snarling visages express not rage, but fear.

The main passageway connecting the entry hall was not checked, nor the two facing doors their. In addition, there was a spiraling staircase going up in the entry hall.

Evaro, what is your suggestion?

[Qazgir]

Looking at the passageway separating the group from the entrance hall, Evaro speaks, "let's quickly make sure our quickest way back out is safe before anything else. Once that's clear, and we know where those doors go, we can decide where to go next, I'd suggest the basement as the next place we check out."

[lostsole31]

A rather gruesome antique—what appears to be a mummified monkey head—hangs on the northern wall here, its tiny mouth gaping. A bell pull extends from the monkey’s gaping mouth. A ratty throw rug partially obscures a foul stain of dark-colored mold on the floor.

[Qazgir]

Evaro turns and looks to the door behind him, "okay, lets go through here, and when we hit a dead end or decide to turn back, we can head up the stairs."

[lostsole31]

"Not so quickly, my friend," says Aubrine. "I saw mold in the other room which, when interacted with the environment it was in, revealed something spooky. I would study this mold here ... why is it here in the center of the floor and nowhere else? No, it bears investigation."

With Aubrine and the druid Azel studying the mold, the mold itself - much like what Aubrine saw in the other room - is completely unexceptional. The stain under the rug is about 10 feet across, a swirling pattern of dark blue, sickly green, and black mold that grows in a spiral. It looks almost like a bird’s eye view of a spiraling staircase descending downward, with each step littered with skulls and bones.

"An omen of death," says Azel.

Opening the doors, it becomes apparent that the northern set goes downwards as the southern door leads to stairs heading upwards.

Evaro, what is your recommendation of how to descend, remembering limitations on lighting and likely cramped spaces?

[Qazgir]

Shaking his head at the revealed stain, Evaro frowns for a moment before speaking, "if we were in different circumstances I'd laugh, but as it is, that is an entirely unwelcome omen. As it is, we will be cautious as we descend. Huseina, if I go just ahead of you, will you be able to make sure I don't walk into any traps? I'll go first regardless, but it would be reassuring to know that you were looking out for me. Azel, why don't you follow Huseina, with Torviruv, and Diga following you."

Evaro turns to Balazar, "Balazar, if Padrig can fit down the stairs, you take the last spot, with Aubrine in front of you, otherwise Aubrine should take the final spot behind you."

[lostsole31]

Balazar's serpentine can easily fit down the stairs, but Dgia wants to be in front of her charge, so Aubrine will be in the very back.

Evaro leads the way down the stairs. A large oaken table, its surface covered with moldy stains and rat droppings, sits in the center of this large kitchen. Shelves line the walls, and an oversized fireplace dominates the northeast portion of the room. The shelves in the southwest wall are in a much greater state of disarray, and two one-footwide cracks in the wall near the floor lead south into the earth beyond the basement walls.

There appears to be a number of dead rats scattered about.

[Qazgir]

Evaro moves further into the room to allow the others to follow. Turning to survey the room with his glasses, once everyone has entered, Evaro lets the group know about anything he saw. He then speaks, "there are at least two ways to go, shall we split again?"



Use the Eyeglasses of Magic Sight for three rounds. He will inform the party of anything unexpected he sees.

[lostsole31]

Evaro doesn't see anything special, but everyone agrees to split up as the basement seems larger than expected.

Evaro, which way will you begin taking your team?

[Qazgir]

As everyone splits into their groups, Evaro will look towards the door just north of the stairs, "lets start there, shall we."

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team ...

Looking east into the northernmost door's room ... two bunks stand in this room, relatively free of dust and mold. A single chair lies on its side between them.

Evaro, what do you do?


Aubrine's Team ...

Aubrine's team looks west into the westernmost door ... Once a pantry, this room has become a filthy, reeking lair of what must be hundreds, if not thousands, of rats. Swaths of fur cling to everything, and mounds of rat droppings cover the floor. A quick search of the room reveals nothing.

They then move to the door nearby that faces south. Two wine racks line the walls here, their shelves empty and dusty. Mounds of broken glass bottles clutter the floor. A quick search is performed, and a concealed compartment that is currently opened and easily visible shows a hiding spot that was kept for high-quality vintage wines, though currently empty.

[Qazgir]

Evaro steps to the side to let Huseina and Torviruv pass, then surveys the room with his glasses.


Use the Eyeglasses of Magic Sight for three rounds. He will inform the party of anything unexpected he sees.

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team ...

It takes two minutes for a quick search, and their search and Evaro's magic survey finds nothing.

[ClassyCrow]

As Aubrine examines the inside of the hidden compartment, they say "Well this has clearly been ransacked at some point." After the examination of the wine cellar, Aubrine steps out into the main room in the basement and waits for the other group to finish their examination of the other room before heading to the south hall.

[lostsole31]

The two groups reconnect in the southern hallway and move to the door facing east at the far south.

Checks are made and the door is opened, revealing a passage that goes down 30' before turning to the left/north.

The party moves there and the passage is only 5' to the north before an open door, and the party enters that room. It does appear that the door - which is made of stout iron - had been opened and left open fairly recently. This room looks to have once been some sort of arcane workshop, although it now lies in ruin. A row of soggy books sits on the northern end of a workbench along the western wall. At the other end of the workbench, what looks like three iron birdcages sit, each containing a dead diseased rat. To the east, two stained-glass windows loom. The northern window depicts a thin man with gaunt features drinking a foul-looking brew of green fluid, while the southern one shows the same man but in an advanced state of decay, as if he had been dead for several weeks. His arms raised and head thrown back in triumph, his rotting body turns to smoke and spirals into a seven-sided box.

[Qazgir]

His eyes moving from the windows to the caged rat corpses, Evaro frowns, "what an unpleasant room. Unless we feel the need to linger here, let's move back to the main floor and begin moving upward."

[lostsole31]

Balazar says, "Yes, but there is that door there to the south, adjacent to the doorway we came in...."

[Qazgir]

Evaro turns around, looking for the door. When he sees it, he shakes his head, "that there is, I was perhaps too focused on, well..." Evaro trails off and indicates the rest of the room with a sweep of his hand.

[lostsole31]

The rest of the party filters into the room and about.Each of you turn your heads and notice subtle movements in the stained-glass windows, as if the man depicted there were sneering at you.

[Qazgir]

Evaro's frown grows more severe, "if we were in another house, I'd say that was a trick of the light, but not here. So, let's examine the room behind us and get out from under the gaze of the glass."

[ClassyCrow]

"I believe Evaro is right as to what our next move should be. Although I might suggest someone examines the windows with more care before we completely move ahead." Aubrine says while walking towards the door on the south wall. They stand and do their usual checks on the door, while keeping an eye on the windows and the rest of the party. There have been too many surprises already.

[lostsole31]

Meanwhile, Huseina sees all the books on the western wall and heads over there, getting Torviruv to follow her as he carries the torch. As soon as she touche the books, she freezes in place. She doubles over as if in agony!

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine stops what they're doing and rushes over to Huseina and Torviruv to try and figure out what's happening and try to help in any way they can. "Everyone, keep watch and don't touch anything else!"

[lostsole31]

Huseina recovers as quickly as she doubles over, the ordeal lasting only a few seconds. She explains herself after catching her breath, "I felt ... a strange desires to look through the books. A flood of information overwhelmed me when I touched them. I experienced a series of visions chronicling the various stages a man named Vorel went through in his quest to become something called a 'lich,' from researching the works of previous liches, to gathering the components for the lich transformation potion, to building his ... 'phylactery,' am I saying that right? ... and finally culminating in a vision of Vorel taking his potion and doubling over in agony as his body began to rot away. All of these visions took place in a realm of animated stained glass windows, and I doubled over in pain when I had the vision that Vorel did. As I did so, I was filled with blinding shame that a loved one - because I was looking from the point-of-view of a woman - would do this to himself, followed by a burning rage that he was stopped before he finished his ritual. More tried to do something to me, to get me to do I don't-know-what, but I fought off the mental energy of a truly wrathful spirit."

"However unpleasant these things may be or seem, we cannot avoid them," says Balazar. "Let us not run away, but study deeper the mysteries we find that may help us overcome whatever master spirit or spirits have a hold on this place, and most assuredly doomed the adventurers who came before us."

[ClassyCrow]

"I agree Balazar, knowledge forges a path through the unknown, and we have certainly come across the unknown today." Aubrine nods to Balazar, then faces the bookshelf. "Someone catch me if I feint please." Aubrine reaches their hand to touch one of the tomes, bracing for whatever visions may occur.

[Qazgir]

Evaro wrinkles his nose at Huseina's words, and, once Aubrine has touched the tome, speaks up, "it sounds as if the man depicted on the window is this Vorel. I do wonder who made the windows, but that is not important now. We should search the room behind us, and make our way upstairs. While we should not be overly hasty, neither should we dawdle."

[lostsole31]

"Looks like a passage and not a room to the south," says Torviruv of the door.

Meanwhile, absolutely nothing interesting happens when Aubrine touches the books.

[Qazgir]

"Fair enough" Evaro says, then gestures towards the door, "shall we?"

[lostsole31]

Assuming Aubrine steps past the door, it is only 10' long before a door that is opened and continues to a set of stairs heading downwards.

[Qazgir]

Looking past Aubrine and seeing the stairs, Evaro turns towards Huseina and Torviruv and speaks, "well, would the two of you like to do the honors of going down first?"

[lostsole31]

They nod, and she goes in the lead with Torviruv behind her, and Aubrine, Edaro, and the rest filling in.

Piles of broken stone, dirt, and a few ruined pickaxes line the edges of this room. The floor in the middle of the room has been torn up to reveal an ancient set of stone spiral stairs, obviously of much older construction than the surrounding basement, winding deep into the bedrock below. A foul stink, like that of rotten meat, wafts up on a cold breeze from the darkness.

Now what?

[Qazgir]

Surveying the scene with his eyeglasses, Evaro speaks up, "that certainly defies any expectations I may have had about this place. I'd rather head back up to finish exploring the rest of the house before descending down into whatever that is. What do the rest of you think?" If he detect any magic, he will let the party know.


Evaro will use the Eyeglasses of Magic Sight to search for unexpected magic auras.

[lostsole31]

The only NPC with a (dissenting) opinion is Balazar. "The door to the stairwell here was open. I think the rest of Misgivings is haunts and lore, but what we really seek - the fate of the last team - is down yonder terrifying and yawning portal."

Evaro gets too many "false" positives (meaning, not useful)from all of the magic owned, held, and worn by the group clumped in here.

[Qazgir]

Evaro will nod, "a fair point, perhaps I am too wary of being ambushed from behind." He turns, addressing Aubrine, "well, what do you think?"

[ClassyCrow]

"I would tend to agree with Balazar." Aubrine thinks for a moment. "There is no indication of any significant conflict before this point. There is a high likelihood that whatever sealed the fate of the previous party is beyond this door."

[lostsole31]

It is assumed, then, that the party begins to descend the spiral staircase.

In the lead, Huseina notices a significant and sudden increase in the stink of rotten flesh.

[lostsole31]

The party begins their descent down the spiral ladder and into the yawning darkness below ...

Aubrine, about 20' down the long set of spiral stairs, that smell of rotten, stinking flesh reaches a crescendo in your nostrils. Roll a Will save!

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine breaths in the stench and...

Will save [roll0]
Use a point of inspiration on a die roll between 8 and 12: [roll1]
If an enchantment spell or affect (unlikely) a plus +2

[lostsole31]

Aubrine experiences a sudden vision of Aldern Foxglove, sweaty, filthy, and wild-eyed, digging away at the stone floor of the room you just left with a pickaxe. With each swing, he grunts out two words: “For you.”

The PC knows that Aldern is speaking of her. As the vision ends, Aldern breaks through into the room beyond, and a horde of shrieking ghouls rises up to pull him into the darkness below before they turn their lambent eyes to Aubrine.

At that point, Aubrine's mighty mind kicks in and she resists the attempt of the haunt to do more to her, and with that ...the haunt ends.

[ClassyCrow]

"For me..." Aubrine says under their breath.With an upward glance to Evaro, "I just had a vision of Aldern Foxglove. I think, while I am not particularly familiar with the hauntings, Aldern was trying to tell me something." Aubrine does their best to explain the vision they had while halting the march down the stairs. "In the room upstairs I saw Aldern, he was hitting the floor in the room with a pick axe as if trying to get to something. He was repeating the words 'for you' as if directed at me. Soon after he was absorbed by ghouls who crawled from the floor from below, quite possibly where we're going. After Aldern was grasped by the ghouls, they turned to me." Aubrine readies their blade. "While I don't know if we're walking into a trap exactly, we definitely seem to be walking into danger. At the end of this staircase may erupt in violence, so now would be the time to change our marching order and make any final preparations."

[lostsole31]

Mind you, this is 20' down on the long spiral staircase.

"We've all signed onto danger," says Deadeye (Huseina). "There's little room above to move about, and none on the stairs, let's keep going."

And to to force the issue, she and Torviruv do just that. At that point, there is little left but to follow them.

The stairs end in a limestone cavern. The walls drip with moisture, and swaths of black and dark blue mold grow in spiraling, tangled patterns on the floor, ceiling, and walls. Rubble and broken bones clutter the floor, and a rhythmic sound—like the breathing of some immense creature—echoes through the cave from three tunnels, one to the north and two to the west. Of the two western tunnels, the southernmost one seems to be a relatively new creation.

[Qazgir]

Taking in the surrounding cavern, Evaro addresses the group, "yet another set of branching paths. Perhaps that tunnel," he indicates the southern most tunnel, "was built by the subject of your vision Aubrine. I say we investigate that one first." Evaro then draws his sword.


If there are no objections from the party, Evaro will begin to advance down the southernmost passage.

[lostsole31]

With Evaro advancing in the front, Torviruv gets behind him, and Huseina behind him before everyone else falls in behind, so as to provide light to the half-giant.

No sooner do you get into the tunnel than there is a patch of scorched ground by an alcove. Some 30-35' farther in, there is is a much larger area of scorched ground in the cave. The group discusses what this could mean with each other, and given that the scorch marks are relatively fresh, it seems that a medium-sized undead was destroyed on the first spot, and a larger undead was destroyed farther in.

Finally, the narrow, natural passageway opens up to a cavern. This long cave stinks of rotten meat. The source of the horrific smell is readily apparent—a swath of carcasses is strewn about the floor of this place.

A two-minute search of this area doesn't reveal anything here, other than the fact - a clue itself, perhaps - that the bones were recently overturned and picked through in the past few days themselves.

There is no apparent egress other than an extremely tight well shaft.

[Qazgir]

Evaro will shake his head at the pile of carcasses, "well, since I doubt any of us are making it through that, let us examine the next tunnel."

[lostsole31]

Of the two tunnels from the first hub, the larger tunnel is the "next" tunnel which wraps around and goes to the west. Only 15' in, there is a fork. Do you take the south or north fork?

[Qazgir]

Taking in the two paths, Evaro ponders the forked path before speaking, "lets take the southern fork first."

[lostsole31]

As Torviruv passes, since he is holding the torch, he has a better angle and says, "I guess it didn't matter. This is less of a fork but more of a massive column split in the same larger passage."

As Aubrine passes, they see what Torviruv meant (see map).

They move a little more, and Torviruv calls out, "I got a body here!"

No sooner does Evaro get to the first party, then Torviruv calls out, "I see another!"

The closer corpse you gather around belonged to a shoanti trans-male shaman named Zada of the Stone Tales.

[Qazgir]

Sighting the bodies Evaro will curse under his breath. Turning to the rest of the party, he speaks, "that is not a good sign. We should check the body in case we can quickly discern anything useful. We should be ready for a fight, should whatever slew them still remain in these tunnels."

[lostsole31]

You quickly find that Azel and Huseina are your most knowledgeable in matters of medicine. It turns out that Zada was killed by having been savaged by multiple bites and claw marks.

[Qazgir]

Evaro warily scans his surroundings, "we should check the last tunnel. Hopefully whatever caused this," he gestures to the bodies, "is long gone."

[lostsole31]

Evaro, guided by Torviruv's torch, lights up a small passage to the southeast, though you know that is just a secondary path to where you came from around a large column of some sort. It's the larger passage to the east that is of interest. After only a few feet of movement, the tunnel opens up some. The mold seems to grow particularly thick in this portion of the tunnel. Several pickaxes have been tossed into the corner of the room—one of them looks particularly well made.

Evaro, what do you do?

[Qazgir]

Evaro looks around, searching for any signs of mining, as well as using his eyeglasses to check for magic auras.


Evaro will use the Eyeglasses of Magic Sight to search for unexpected magic auras.

[lostsole31]

Evaro's magic sight detects nothing of the sort, and in fact, these seem like they were naturally formed caves.

[Qazgir]

Seeing nothing, Evaro moves to pick up the particularly well made pickaxe. As he moves, he speaks, "well, it looks like whatever killed those two isn't here. I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or worried by that, after all I'd hate for whatever did that to be roaming around outside, possibly lying in wait to ambush us when we leave."

[lostsole31]

Torviruv follows him as they go into the little nook, and in this particular spot, it does seem like maybe there was an attempt to widen the passage before that attempt was aborted.

As they both kick around there, they find the body of a dwarf who couldn't have been killed but very recently by the wet look of him, and yet yellow mold has quickly grown over him. The second thing is that their passage and Evaro picking up the axe puffs up a lot of yellow, now-aerated spores.

Evaro, roll a Fort save! What do you do?

[Qazgir]

Covering his mouth with his hand, Evaro will try and move quickly out of the tunnel.


Fort Save: [roll0]

[lostsole31]

Covering his mouth with his hand, Evaro will moves quickly out of the tunnel, but the mold sticks to him and he breathes it in. He breathes raggedly as he takes 3 CON. Torviruv also moved out, but seems to be doing better than Evaro.

Begin Round One...

R1T26: Azel the Vibrant moves forward quickly to try to help Evaro, performing first aid on him.

R1T25: "Yellow mold!" Deadeye says, crossing the hall to the east. "Torviruv, give me your torch. Fire destroys it. Everyone else, stay back."

R1T18: Aubrine, what do you do?

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine draws their sword and takes a moment to make sure they are nothing is hiding for them in the shadows.

Move Action: Aubrine takes a looks around the room using a Perception check (Ideally)
+21 bonus Perception Skill

+2 from Heightened Awareness
-1 from -2 Wisdom from Mutagen


Standard Action: Convert down to draw Sword if not already Drawn

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Aubrine draws their sword and takes a moment to make sure they are nothing is hiding for them in the shadows. They see nothing, though the strange, sussurant sound like something breathing is louder than it was when you first came into the lower caverns.

R1T17: Evaro, roll a Fort save. What do you do?

[Qazgir]

Gritting his teeth, Evaro cough, trying to breath normally. He digs around in his bag and pulls out a flask of oil and addresses Huseina, "any use for this?"


Spend 1 Grit as an immediate action to get +4 to the following save:
Fort Save: 1d20+7+4

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Gritting his teeth, Evaro coughs, trying to breath normally. He digs around in his bag and pulls out a flask of oil and addresses Huseina, "Any use for this?"

R1T15: Balazar casts mage armor on himself, despite wearing leather armor.

R1T0: Dgia delays ...

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T26: Azel delays ...

R2T25: "Take the flask," Huseina says to Torviruv while taking the torch herself.

R2T22: Torviruv takes the flask of oil and heads to the opening of the eastern passage.

R2T21: Huseina had readied an action and tosses the torch into the passage.

R2T18: Aubrine, what do you do?

Evaro on deck (roll a Fort save), Balazar on deck ...

[ClassyCrow]

"I'm gonna going to send some eyes down that hall. Poke me if something bad happens." Aubrine says to the group, but mainly Evaro and Azel due to proximity. A shodowy copy of Aubrine will appear and start to drift the hallway.

Standard Action: Summon occultation.

Occultation Move: Moves past Torviruv and looks down the hall.

Aubrine will look through the occultation with occasional switching perspective back to Aubrine to make sure they don't get surprised.

[lostsole31]

R2T18:"I'm gonna going to send some eyes down that hall. Poke me if something bad happens." Aubrine says to the group, but mainly Evaro and Azel due to proximity. A shadowy copy of Aubrine will appear and start to drift into the hallway.

R2T17: Evaro, what do you do?

Balazar on deck, Torviruv in the hole ...

[Qazgir]

As Evaro continues trying to clear his airways, he addresses Aubrine, "see anything other than that damned mold?"


Fort Save: [roll0]

[lostsole31]

R2T17: As Evaro continues trying to clear his airways, he addresses Aubrine, "see anything other than that damned mold?"

R2T15: Balazar delays ...

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22: Aubrine tosses the flask right onto the wall over the flask, and there is a mighty flash and searing sound.

Azel will help with Edaro to fight off the remaining bit of the yellow mold, and Aubrine will be able to tell that the mold burned off.

Initiative Ended ...

Evaro, make three more Fort save rolls ...

Aubrine, your occultation sees a lot of seared and blackened fungus and a lot of carbon soot floating around the air. There is also a body of a dwarf, with seared mold all over it.

[Qazgir]

Evaro moves to lean against the wall, breathing in deeply and breathing out slowly.


Fort Save 1: [roll0]
Fort Save 2: [roll1]
Fort Save 3: [roll2]

[lostsole31]

He almost gets overwhelmed by the spores in his lungs and system, were it not for Azel's first aid.

Now what?

[Qazgir]

Evaro smiles weakly, "thank you Azel, I'm okay now. See anything back there Aubrine?"

[lostsole31]

Aubrine returns from around the corner. "Dwarf with some wounds, likely from whatever killed those two, but was killed when his lungs and body were overcome by yellow mold."

Once Torviruv is confident that the torch and splashed oil have burned off the aerosolized spores, he puts water on a rag over his mouth and holds his breath ... goes in and picks up the torch ... and returns.

The torch, which was forced to burn hotter when the oil flashed over, is nearly expended. Torv shrugs and drops it while the rest of the party studies a blue-skinned man with white eyes that died of the same "mauling" wounds as the androgynous bald Shoanti. The blue-skinned man must be the body of Draegra, a local Sandpoint scholar and one of the earlier survivor-heroes from original issues in this area. He was a samsaran, a curious race of reincarnated people.

The only way from here is north. There is a congested passage with many scorch marks on the ground. Aubrine figures that they must have fought undead ... and given the wounds ... they likely fought ghouls or their ghast-like cousins. The scorch marks are all that remain once an undead is killed.

[lostsole31]

Realizing now what possibly killed two of the three dead members of the party they were sent to find, Aubrine and Balazar confer before Balazar speaks up. "The dwarf - Steingott - fell afoul of yellow mold on a side passage while running from ghouls, as wounds on his body that Aubrine saw reveal. Ghouls also killed these two here. The warrior Alvor, and the hero Norton Dabney, their bodies are still not found.

"Assume that ghouls can get the drop on us. Be prepared, they have a bite and two claws, and a hit from each strike an paralyze, though the bite can also transmit ghoul fever. One hit and an inability fight off the seizing muscles is all it takes to stop the hardiest warrior. Add to that it appears like congested fighting areas, so those in the front have the hardest time. Do we have a volunteer to go first?"

Torviruv says, "I won't go first, but only because I will go second to make sure the one in front has good light."

Azel, the druid, speaks up. "If nobody else takes on this dire position, then I volunteer."

Evaro, do you let the unarmored druid take point, or do you volunteer to go in her place?

[Qazgir]

Evaro shakes his head, pushes himself away from the wall, and speaks, "I will take point, I have strength enough for that." Evaro draws his sword and moves to the front of the group. Once the group is ready, he will move forward into the cave.

[lostsole31]

Aubrine says, "Hold up, Evaro. I know you have the armor, but you are wounded in a way that we can't heal easily. Your system - while still strong - appears to be compromised. Are you sure you want to take the front?"
You have CON damage, which affects your Fort saves.

[Qazgir]

Evaro smiles and addresses Aubrine, "is that an offer to take the front? Be my guest, but if you do, I'm taking the second position."

[lostsole31]

Aubrine shakes their head almost violently. "Nope, just thinking that the druid is a good call. Her senses are almost primal. I wouldn't judge her defense on a lack of armor."

[Qazgir]

Evaro considers for a moment before speaking, "perhaps, but I have strength enough for this." Having spoken, Evaro will nod to the rest of the group, move to the front, and begin advancing into the cave.

[lostsole31]

Evaro moves 10-15' to the northwest in the congested choke point to stand over a scorch mark, but then it opens out quite a bit. There are three things of interest here:

There is a tight passage heading to the west, though hard to see because Torviruv is at an angle behind him as the torchbearer.
The strange "breathing" sound that has been getting louder finally becomes evident as the passage to the north opens into a vast chamber with a hole, from which there are the distinct sounds of a sea chimney where the water rushes in and out, creating that breathing-sound effect when at a distance.
Another body this time of a male human.

[Qazgir]

Sisir will take in he new chamber before calling out to his companions, "the cave open up quite a bit over here, and there's another body." Having spoken, he will continue to advance forward into the cave, looking around for any signs of ghouls or other dangers.

[lostsole31]

As soon as Edaro calls back, but before he's had a chance to move forward, there is a horrific screeching noise echoing from the north!

Begin Round One ...

R1T24: Aubrine moves forward to straddle the dead body, calling out, "Passage to the west. Large chamber has two bogeys well up to the north - hunched, smaller creatures."

They then concentrate, and the shadows around them coalesce into Dark-Aubrine next to them, which then flies north into the darkness.

R1T23: Deadeye takes the torch from Torviruv and then moves into the larger cavern.

R1T18: Evaro, what do you do?

[Qazgir]

Evaro's body seems to shatter like glass before reforming into a number of copies of himself. He advances towards the ghouls, and readies himself to strike should they approach.


Swift action: Adopt Infinity Mirror Stance, creating [roll0] images.

Move: Move 35' NE, to end 15' S of the occultation.

Standard: Ready an action to initiate Flurry Strike on the first enemy to enter Evaro's reach.

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Evaro's body seems to shatter like glass before reforming into a number of copies of himself. He advances towards the ghouls, and readies himself to strike should they approach.

R1T14: The one farther back (Red) scrambles around the western edge - giving a good birth to the chimney - to then close on Huseina with an angry screech.

R1T12: Azel the Vibrant moves up just past Torviruv before suddenly vanishing from sight.

R1T10: Green slashes apart the occultation, with that shadow dissipating and reforming around Aubrine. It takes a few guarded steps towards Evaro.

R1T9: Some scrambling sounds behind Evaro, followed by Azel's voice calling out, "I've stopped a...."

R1T7: Balazar astride Padrig rides into the southern part of the cavern.

"... a fell looking..."

R1T5: A taller (size Medium) ghoul appears out of a thin aperture to the west before rushing forth into the heroes' jumble.

"...man from continuing..."

R1T0: Dgia finally moves in to take a protective stance for her master, coughing some from the foul air. She gets into a fighting stance while creating a trident of electricity very quickly. She stabs the man's (Pink's) hand with her trident for 8 electricity.

"I'm fighting a creature that was once a man," she reports, for whatever good that means.

"...into your path."

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T24: Their occultation gone, Aubrine has much concerns much closer to their own body, as they now appear to be partly overcome. "What ... the smell is ... *gack* ... unbelievable! I don't understand ... this is a ghoul, not a ghast, it's cousin. Bite deals paralysis and ghoul fever as claws also paralyze."

They study the target and then attack, pushing Fusion Sword through a defensive arm and into its chest. The man-turned-ghoul turns to black ash even as it seems like there is combustion from within its body before the body falls apart, leaving a scorch mark behind. They then step away, off of the corpse's body

R2T23: "It's the little ones that smell so badly," says Deadeye. "I don't know what they are, but I know what they were ... goblins. You did just kill a former man, though."

She steps down the slight lip to the northeast and shoots at the stinky former-goblin (Red) with her pepperbox, a bullet ripping through its shin for 18, nearly taking its leg off.

R2T20: Torviruv moves up to Red and casts a spell using strange and ancient, guttural noises instead of the more rarified chanting you sometimes hear from modern mages. His hand glowing with radiance he reaches forward to grasp Red's lower arm. The radiance leaves Torviruv's hand and burns into the goblin, the hand and arm blackening first before the internal combustion carries through the rest of the creature and it, too, falls to ashes.

Looking smug, he says, "That's because the humans are ghouls, but the goblins are the more powerful ghasts. Stay away from them if you have a weak stomach like our poor aiuvaran."

R2T18: Evaro, what do you do?

Azel on deck, Green in the hole ...

[Qazgir]

Hearing Torviruv's warning, Evaro will gird himself against the smell, dash towards the Ghoul above him, and makes a fast rising slash before a stronger descending slash.


Move: Move 5' NE and 5' N to end directly under the Ghoul.

Standard: Flurry Strike against Green.

Attack 1:
Attack 2 (Power Attack): [roll1]

Damage 1: [roll]3d6+13+3d4+6
Damage 2: 3d6+19+3d4+6

[lostsole31]

R2T18: Hearing Torviruv's warning, Evaro girds himself well against the smell, dash towards the Ghoul above him, and makes a fast rising slash before a stronger descending slash, both attempts being deflected by surprisingly thick hide.

R2T12: The lone human-ghoul explodes into combustion, with Azel now appearing on the western side of it. Azel is also doing some dance-like moves in a stylized way with her quarterstaff.

R2T10: Only the goblin-ghast survives, attacking Evaro. The bite completely misses, while both claws only catch an image for its troubles.

R2T7: Balazar rides Padrig closer, and begins telling a stirring story of Durvin Ghest the Pathfinder against the ghouls of a place called Nemret-Noktoria.

R2T0: Dgia clomps at her normal speed to Balazar, and then with an incredible second burst of speed is next to Evaro, though she does poorly against the stench. As a result she stabs the wall with her trident of electricity against the wall. The interaction sparks with minerals to blind Dgia.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T24: Aubrine moves in and reforms the occultation north of the ghast.

R3T23: Deadeye changes tacks and heads around from the west, shooting off her pepperbox at the ghast. It hits the ghast in the right lower abdomen for 8.

R3T20: Torviruv, just leading Deadeye, holds the torch in his buckler hand and casts a spell. A bright flash of light lances across the wide pit to obliterate the ghast!

Combat Ends!

Azel ends her dance, Aubrine their occultation, and Balazar his oration.

[Qazgir]

Evaro surveys the cavern, and walks over to Huseina, "well, I suppose that," he waves to the opening behind her, "is where we're heading next. Hopefully any further resistance goes down as quickly. When everyone has caught their breath, let's continue forward."

[lostsole31]

Balazar calls out over the sound of the surf below, "Not just 'catch breath,' but let's wait for your friend Aubrine and my bodyguard Dgia the time they need to feel better after the stench of the ghasts. While we're doing that, it won't hurt us to take a quick look in here ... 'quick' being relative as this cavern is huge. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a gnome."

The cramped tunnel you were previously in opens into a vertiginous gulf here, a cathedral-like cavern with a roof arching thirty feet overhead and dropping into a sloshing pool of foamy seawater fifty feet below. A steep stone ledge winds down to these surging depths, its slope glistening with moisture and mold. A stone door stands in the northwestern wall about halfway down the slope. There is also the slender passage which Torviruv and Huseina guard.

Dgia and Aubrine together take some eight minutes to finally clear themselves of the dead ghast's stench ... which also gives enough time to search this area and the connecting point that led here. There is nothing of interest in this cavern, though the dead body in the bottleneck shows the same wounds consistent with a pitched battle against the creatures you fought, and was likely a man named Alvor. The two ghasts and two ghouls you fought must surely have belonged to a much larger number to have felled these heroes, so it is safe to say that while you found four of the five bodies you expected to find .... with all of the scorch marks at the bottleneck, they must have given one hell of a fight.

The only body missing at this time was a human warrior-mage named Norton Dabney. He and the dead samsaran here - Draegra - were one of the "original" heroes of Sandpoint.

[Qazgir]

Evaro will offer to heal any injuries the party sustained in the fighting. Once the party has rested and searched the cavern Evaro will move towards the opening in the western wall and address the group, "does anyone need to make any last preparations? If not, let's move forward once more."



If anyone wants healing, Evaro will shift 3 Essence from the Sprinter's Boots into Unicorn Feathering and use it to provide Fast Healing 14 (5+3*3) for 4 rounds for a total of 56 HP. Once everyone who wants healing has been healed, he will shift his essence back out of Unicorn Feathering into the Sprinter's Boots.

[lostsole31]

Nobody was actually wounded - beyond Evaro's current issues which his veil won't heal - and everyone just needed the time it took to search the massive sea chimney room to recover from any queasiness they had felt.

It's a very tight fit, but Evaro gets through the extremely tight wall to the west, while half of the party enters from the wider intersection to the south.

The western half of this foul-smelling cavern is heaped with bones, each scarred by the scraping of teeth. Most of the bones have been cracked open for the marrow within.

The party takes three minutes of searching in here with just a quick search, but finds nothing of interest.

What now?

[Qazgir]

Evaro wrinkles his nose at the smell, before gesturing that the party should continue forward through the western passage.

[lostsole31]

Azel corrects the half-giant. "Do you mean the door on the western wall in the bigger cavern outside this one?"

She guides the party out of that rocky smaller cave back into the cave where the sea chimney is. She and Aubrine both carefully check that curious door, the one piece of artifice in most of this place (despite artificially widened passages and a broken pickaxe where lay the yellow mold), though even then it is strange for it is a stone door. The two As do not sense any danger, so Azel backs out while Huseina comes up with torch in hand to assist Aubrine. Good thing, too, for it is a high-quality lock, and Aubrine appreciates the help Huseina gives to spring it successfully. They open the door carefully, though just beyond the door is a curving passage heading west.

Evaro, do you take point again, with Torviruv as your light-bearer behind you?

[Qazgir]

Evaro moves to the head of the group, and move forward once everyone appears ready.

[lostsole31]

The air in this damp cavern reeks of a horrific stench—a foul combination of decay, brine, and mold. The cave contains a rickety table, its damp surface cluttered with all manner of what appears to be garbage: empty bottles, bits of clothing, crumpled bits of paper, and more, lying in neatly organized rows. A painting leans against the far side of the table, facing a large leather chair that sits nearby. This chair’s high back and cushion are horribly stained by smears of rotten meat and its arms are sticky with blood. A smaller table sits against the southern wall, its surface heaped with plates and platters of rotten, maggot-infested meat. The horrific stench of the room seems strongest to the west, where the cave’s wall has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi. At the center, a patch of black tumescent fungus grows, its horny ridges and tumor-like bulbs forming what could almost be taken to be a humanoid outline. What appears to have once been an exquisite puzzle box the size of a man’s fist lies smashed on the ground at the fungoid shape’s feet.

There is a man sitting in the chair - a once-handsome and cultured nobleman - whose form is ruined by a wasting effect. He sits in control as the party starts to pile in, his eyes wide in a mixture of fear and delight, but when he sees Huseina, he staggers to his feet and hisses to her, “You live! Well and good, for now I shall have the reward of tasting your heart while it is yet warm…”

Begin Round One ...

R1T26: Evaro, you were prepared for violence seconds before the seeming change to this man's demeanor. You are still suffering the 3 CON damage, but barkskin is still active on you. What do you do? Before anything else, though, roll a Fort save, then declare your intended actions.

[Qazgir]

Evaro steels himself against any lingering weakness, recreates his doubles, and drawing on the magic of his boots, dashes behind the figure and strikes three times with supernatural speed.


Fort Save: spending 1 grit for +4, included in the roll.

Swift Action: Activate Infinity Mirror Stance generating [roll1] images.

Free Action: Activate the Sprinter's Boots to move 15' W and 10' S, to end up on the opposite side of the enemy.

Full Round Action: Full attack the enemy with the Haste from the Sprinter's Boots.

Attack 1: [roll2]
Trip Attempt: [roll3] (I think I've tallied the bonuses correctly here: +3 hardlight, +4 deft + greater trip, +1 haste)
Attack 3: [roll4]

If the Trip is Successful, it provokes an AoO: [roll5]

Damage 1: [roll]3d6+3d4+19
Damage 2: 3d6+3d4+19
AoO Damage 3: 3d6+3d4+19

On the first attack that hits, if any do, activate Stunning Fist to force a DC 19 Fort Save vs Stunned for 1 round.

[lostsole31]

R1T26: Evaro steels himself against any lingering weakness, but finds that even bringing his focus to bear the stench is overbearing (sickened). Drawing on the magic of his boots, he dashes over the couch - as the man snaps at him with a distending jaw and nasty bite - and gets behind the figure. Continuing with supernatural speed, Evaro strikes three times. His first attack catches the man on the upper left arm for 32, but doesn't appear to stun him. As the force of the blow throws him forward, Evaro uses that motion to trip the noble and slams Peacekeeper into his left hand for 31. He then gets a powerful draw cut on the undead's back left knee for 44.

R1T21: Torviruv steps down a few feet so that furniture doesn't block his sight line. He says a quiet prayer to himself and then thrusts out the torch's end like stabbing with a sword, and a blast of flame lances out to strike the noble in the lower arm and chest ... causing the noble to spontaneously combust and turn to ash like previous undead.

Combat Ends!

[Qazgir]

Evaro will grimace and retch, before taking a deep breath and speaking, "Huseina, if you're comfortable answering, was this man someone who knew you, or was he merely rambling?"

[lostsole31]

"He was looking all wratched," says Huseina. "But he looks really similar to a living man I met in Magnimar once ... Aldern, something. I didn't really interact with him much. He seemed charming, but he was some out-of-town noble-OHHHH, crap. His name was Aldern Foxglove," she suddenly remembers. "Wait, what?! Why was he ... I barely even remembered him."

[Qazgir]

"Well, you must have made quite the impression, for him to remember you in that state," Evaro says, "let's hope it was an unfortunate coincidence and continue forward."

[lostsole31]

"This appears to have been the leader and this his study," says Balazar. "I say we carefully take our time going over everything."

Since that makes perfect sense, the party does a deep search in here.

A closer inspection of the collection on the table should be enough to worry Huseina, for this is Aldern’s collection of relics from her life. Various things are here with which the ghast was obsessed, ranging from mundane things like used potion bottles and scrolls on up to objects as personal as a lock of hai, even small personal objects that have gone missing over time! The only objects here that weren’t taken from her are a stack of charcoal drawings on water-damaged parchment depicting her, drawn by the hand of the artist, signed "Aldern." The nature of the drawings varies (erotica), but the subject remains the same throughout the collection of several dozen pages. Mixed in with these drawings is a letter written in a graceful hand. Addressed to Aldern at his Magnimar townhouse address, the letter is presented in the Discord handouts channel, and provides the PCs with a very strong link to Magnimar found here in Foxglove Manor.

The portrait that leans against the table’s far side is of Iesha Foxglove (Aldern's late wife), but Aldern has used his own waning artistic skills in a clumsy attempt to repaint the portrait with blood and bits of runny rotten flesh into a caricature of Huseina.

Dgia, herself a painter, says it would take her a day of work to reveal the original subject.

Aubrine and Balazar recognize that the shattered box on the ground is not only related to necromancy, but appears to have been intended for use as a phylactery, but is incomplete and ruined.

Where the scorch mark of Aldern's body is, some of his equipment was left behind:

Masterwork Leather Armor
Masterwork War Razor
Ring of Jumping
Stalker's Mask
Extravagant Noble's Outfit worth 200 gp
Cameo worth 100 gp containing tiny pic of Huseina
A sturdy iron key


Other treasure exists in the room. A small silver key ring worth 10 gp sits on the table amid the rotten meat, with two keys on the ring. The larger of these two is a tarnished iron key set with a round opal worth 100 gp—it is unknown what this key unlocks. The smaller key is made of bronze and has an unusually long tang ending in a set of three notched blades. The head of this key resembles a roaring lion. Also unknown what this key unlocks.

Do you mess with the fungus on the wall in any way, or leave it alone?

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine decides to examine the fungus on the wall, and compare it with the previous mold/fungus found in the house previously.

Aubrine will use a point of inspiration on a roll between 8 and 12 (assuming the skill is not a knowledge skill and therefore free).

[lostsole31]

Aubrine, roll a Will save!

[ClassyCrow]

Aubrine rolls a will save of [roll]1d20 + 6[\roll] and if the die roll is between 6 and 10 use two points of inspiration to add [roll]1d6[\roll]

[lostsole31]

Aubrine, you suddenly experience a sensation of vertigo as you feel compelled to feed on the fungus to reclaim a dead man's stolen shadow.
There is a frantic grunt-slurping sound, and the party turns to see Aubrine pressed up against the fungus on the wall, licking and nibbling and swallowing and taking as much into themself as possible.

Aubrine, roll a Fort save!

[ClassyCrow]

*Eating noises*

[roll0] and again use two points of inspiration to add [roll1] if the die roll is between 7 and 11.

[lostsole31]

Just the act of eating the fungus and the revulsion is enough to snap Aubrine out of the strange reverie, and their friends pull Aubrin away.

Aubrine doesn't feel good, having taken in some real unwholesomeness.

That said, what does the party do now?

[Qazgir]

"Aubrine, what was that? Are you ok?" Evaro asks once they pull them away from the fungus. Evaro takes a moment to examine Aubrine with the magic of their earrings, and informs the party of what they find.


Evaro will get close enough to Aubrine to detect poison and disease with Earrings of Safe Health. Unfortunately, Evaro is not trained in either Heal or Craft:Alchemy, so no identifying what any potential diseases or poisons might be.

[lostsole31]

Evaro, it seems Aubrine has contracted .... something.

[ClassyCrow]

"I don't fully know. I was trying to examine the fungus and compare it with what we saw upstairs, then all of a sudden I felt incredibly lightheaded and weak, and the only cure was for me to start eating the fungus." Aubrine takes second to sit and breath before checking their pulse. "Thank you Evaro, for checking on me. Hopefully once we get out of here I can take some more time to figure out exactly what is wrong and maybe prepare some medicine for myself."

[lostsole31]

"Speaking of," clears Balazars throat, "are we done here? We killed the source of the ghasts .... locally, it seems ... and the fate of the group we were sent to find. I think we have enough to go back to the Sheriff. Legally, I am uncomfortable now that we have what we were deputized to find ... to go 'exploring' (i.e., looting) from the noble Foxglove estate."