Curse of the Crimson Throne: Seven Days to the Grave [IC]

[lostsole31]

Does Beta open the door and Kaul get ready to move in, or vice-versa?

[PSinger]

Phi, taking cover with his tower shield, opens the door, so that the other two warriors may press in.

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There. Done.

[meemaas]

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Impatient little bugger. He posted while I was already in bed, and you posted before I got home, lol.

Beta will head in first, and Kaul will come in after Beta has given a quick all-clear.

[lostsole31]

A zombie-woman stands in the middle of the room, looking like a Galtan queen, her sprawling pearl-studded gown flowing around her and her elaborate, powdered wig nearly brushing the ceiling. A second zombie-woman - dressed as a Qadiran princess - attends her.

They do not immediately attack.

What do Beta and Kaul do?

[meemaas]

Kaul will start to go in, but Beta stops him, heading forward a few steps to be between Kaul and the zombies. He prepares himself to strike if one of them attacks, but otherwise doesn't act aggressively.

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Ready an action to Fading Strike if one of them attacks him. After the attack, he'll teleport back behind Kaul

Feel free to roll the attack and damage. I'm time limited for posting before work.

[lostsole31]

After a full round, the zombies finally attack ... and Beta and Kaul obliterate them. There is nothing apparently of interest in this room. A search of the rest of the upper floor reveals nothing interesting.

[PSinger]

If I remember correctly, we passed right by stairs going down to what might be a basement back when we were on the ground floor, right? I think they were right before we got into the dining room with zombies seated around a table. Let's head back downstairs, form up, and head to the basement/ cellar/ pantry/ whatever.

[lostsole31]

What's your marching order?

[PSinger]

What we had before seems to be effective as a marching order ...

Kaul
Beta
Phi
[5' gap]
Eta
Zeta
Ruor
[5' gap]
Bur

[lostsole31]

There is NOT a lot of room heading down to the cellar. It goes down only 10' and with a 5-foot-square landing at the bottom there is a door to the west. What do you do?

[PSinger]

Phi's recommendations:
Kaul checks door, Beta backs him up. Everyone else pulls up for now so Bur might have a shot at anything as possible overwatch.

[lostsole31]

Looks good.

Kaul/ Beta?

[meemaas]

As suggested, Kaul will head down first. Beta follows behind, but he's prepared to Fading Strike if he feels it would be an intelligent move.

[lostsole31]

The door opens easily enough and you look in. A well-stocked wine rack and several large casks line the walls of this stuffy cellar. A small wooden door squats in the southeastern corner.

[PSinger]

Once the report comes back to Phi, he has the group move into the cellar. Bur will stay upstairs as sentry. Otherwise, he'll cover the door with a possible thrown spear while Kaul and Beta check the door.

[meemaas]

Kaul will wait to be sure that Phi is ready before he goes to check the door.

[PSinger]

Phi is ready, and the girls are hanging back.

[lostsole31]

Kaul checks the door ... which is locked.

[PSinger]

"Break it down," says Phi.

[meemaas]

Kaul will start at the door with his Greatsword to break it down in as few hits as necessary.

[lostsole31]

It takes a bit of time, but Kaul will eventually smash the door down. Within, among painting supplies, is a tawdry-looking divan, a small shrine to Shelyn, several scandalous portraits of Mrs. Carowyn, and a man who brandishes a small paint knife at Kaul. He tries his best not to shake too obviously.

Kaul, what do you do?

[meemaas]

"Drop your weapon and put your hands where I can see them. We are not hostile."

If the man listens, he continues. "I am Sergeant Kaul Plaut, and myself and the others with me are here investigating this household, and eliminating the undead creatures that had taken residence in here. Who are you and what can you tell us about what has happened here?"

If the man does not listen, he will brandish his weapon and repeat himself more forcefully (Insert Intimidate check).

[lostsole31]

The man drops the knife and falls against the cupboard, haggard. "Please, please ... I am Lord Ausio Caryowyn. We were greeting the Westerkiers when a stranger burst in, quite uninvited, dressed as something of a harlot-harlequin. She opened fire on my guests with her crossbow, laughing all the while in the most frightful, shrill way. They sickened and collapsed with shocking rapidity—whatever venom she coated those bolts with can only be blood veil!”

[PSinger]

(Likely hearing speech...), Phi comes around carefully at first. When he sees that Kaul is in a position of strength. He looks to the good doctor. "Report?"

[meemaas]

Kaul will sheath his weapon and turn to Phi. "One survivor. You should deal with him. People don't usually like me, and you have a better way with words than I do." He then turns to the Lord and speaks calmly. "My companion will come in to speak with you. We are here to help though."

[PSinger]

"Lord Carowyn, my condolences for what has happened at your home," says Phi as reassuringly as he can, putting away his weapons and removing his helm. "Tell me, there was a musician at your party that was skilled at an odd instrument - the ocarina. Do you know what happened to him?"

[lostsole31]

"I remember the youth," he says, trying to think, "I last saw him in the gallery on the second floor."

He has nothing else useful to offer. What now?

[PSinger]

I say we escort Lord Carowyn out of there and alert the watch.

[meemaas]

Agreed. A room by room sweep has shown nothing but easily dispatched zombies, so it should be safe to leave the rest of the cleanup to the watch.

[lostsole31]

The watch is procured and Lord Carowyn is set in their care as the group heads back to House Fathi.

After exploring Carowyn Manor, the PCs have a goodnews/ bad-news situation to report to Deyanira Mirukova. Although the manor was filled with the dead and undead, her brother was not among their horrors. Unsurprisingly, the news does little to relieve the young woman’s concerns. For now, Ruan is out of the PCs’ reach. Deyanira tries to pay the PCs what she promised, basically family heirlooms to hoc (see below), entreating them to keep an eye out for her brother and to come to her with any rumor of him they might hear. Still distraught, she solemnly excuses herself from the PCs’ company.

Before she does, do you actually accept the 100 gp value worth of heirloom goods that looks like she really has to really pawn off .... or are you merciful and take less or none of what she offers?