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

[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]

Spoiler: Action!

Show

Will Save: (1d20+13)[33]
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?"

Spoiler: Action!

Show

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.

Spoiler: Action!

Show

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.

Spoiler: Aubrine, Azel, Evaro, Torviruv, Dgia, Padrig

Show

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."