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

[lostsole31]

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 [Bruiser]	Giant Slayer
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.

Spoiler

Show

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.

Spoiler

Show

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

[lostsole31]

[QUOTE=Qazgir;25924104]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.

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?”

Spoiler: Crunch

Show

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."

Spoiler: Action!

Show

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.

Spoiler: Crunch

Show

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."

Spoiler

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

[lostsole31]

Evaro's Team

Spoiler: Evaro's Team

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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.

Spoiler: Spoilers

Show

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

Spoiler: Aubine's Team

Show

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.

Spoiler: Crunch

Show

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.

Spoiler: Action!

Show

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.