NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep

[Dr._Bob]

Led by Elthan, Kazz and Kavri, a small group of you climb the spiral stairs and emerge on another floor. The air carries a faintly metallic chemical smell that is hard to identify.

This floor appears to be equivalent to the "ground floor" of Fizahn's keep and is mainly comprised of a greatroom. The entire floor appears to be windowless.

By torchlight, you see a large unlit fireplace at the back of the greatroom. A half dozen large tables are arranged in two neat rows. On five of the tables lie dessicated corpses - one per table. On three tables, the bodies appear to be humanoid. Upon closer inspection, however, you find limp tentacles where their mouths should be. Kazz shudders involuntarily. "Mind flayers," Elthan reminds her.

On two tables lie what appear to be black panthers. They remind you of Ginevra in her transformed shape, though they are a but larger and much more gaunt. Once again, though, a close look reveals that they are more alien than they first appeared. Each has a pair of long whip-like appendages that sprout from their backs and now lie flaccid on the oak tables.

All five of the bodies appear to be partially mummified and are surprisingly free of decay. Several porcelain jars lie empty on the floor beneath the tables. One or two still contain some powdery residue of what appears to be some type of alchemical salt.

[shaddy_24]

Evendur

Evendur had spent too much time with his own thoughts. He had nothing to do. No quest to complete, noone needed protection. Was he even necessary anymore? He wasn't even a paladin now, he didn't have any power...

As the others moved up the stairs, Evendur followed quietly. Even if he didn't have any power, he could at least use his sword and try to protect the others. At the sight of the dead creatures, Evendur sighs and moves through, looking for any other doors. He takes a brief glance over them as he passes, but didn't stop to examine them too closely. Unless they stood up to attack them, the others could handle this better than him.

[Koji]

Kazz

A bitter expression comes over Kazz's face when Elthan calls her by her predecessor's name.

"Please, I...I posess neither that name, nor the magic that went with it," she says in a reedy whisper.

...

Men came to the city once. Khazrael thought at first that they were guardsmen, or worse, one of the big guilds. He leapt like a grasshopper from rooftop to rooftop, but was captured in the jaws of an alley and pulled into the night below.

Down there, the glamer was released. In the sun, a man is feared and respected, but out of sight of that glowing eye, there is almost nothing worse than a flayer. They marched unmolested with their captive in tow.

Nightmares given flesh. The past and the future.

...

Kazz stumbles back, away from the bodies. Flickers of horrifying memory spark in the back of her mind, half-formed.

"What killed them?" She says, at length.

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan hovers around the bodies, examining them for traces of surgery and vivisection. "No doubt our journalist did the deed," he states calmly, "Though I wonder where he could be now. We're nearing a day here now, and have yet to spy our lone writer. I do worry who it might be though... What if it is Sethra? Perhaps he was sent further away then us, and traveled with the keep until now? Unlikely, but still...

Elthan picks up a limp tentacle and lets it fall back on top the table with an unsettling "plop". He puts his hand to his chin for a moment in ponderance before turning to Kazz. "I should mean to clear something up Kazz, if you are not Khazrael. Just who are you in relation to our sorcerer?"

[Koji]

Kazz

"I've been asking myself that same question since I woke up in the field," comes Kazz's reply. "He's my only concrete memory, but even then there's not much. I feel like I knew him, but I haven't got any idea of what happened to him, or who I am."

Nevermind the fact that some of those present for the explosion didn't come with us, and we've got new allies that were never there in the first place.

"Maybe my best bet is to learn what I can about him from you all, and work backwards from there."

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

Fizahn follows the group up the stairs, his new kerambit in his hand. He shudders as he sees the corpses on the table. "Wonderful. A burial ground for his enemies. At least he wasn't dissecting them, I guess." If they get up, I swear to whatever Gods inhabit this new plane, I will... Kill them again, I guess. "I think whoever has a big sword should dismember the bodies. I'm sorry, but I've just spent a little too much time around necromancers."

[Knubs]

Kavri

Kavri is initially horrified by the tentacled humanoid, but quickly regains his composure. "Never seen anything like this before where I'm from, but then again, I should probably expect that in a place like this." He walks over to one of the corpses and briefly considers fulfilling Fizahn's request. His stomach gets the better of him. "Hmmm, I'd rather keep my sword out of these things if at all possible."

[Rodrick_the_Red]

Patash (Dragonborn Cleric)

Patash follows the group up the hidden stairs. Seeing the strange bodies he pauses and mutters a prayer to under his breath, Bahamut lead me your wisdom and courage as I confront your eneimes."

"Perhaps we should search the room for a hidden door, the other keep had one." Patash says as he begins to search.

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Perception check: (1d20+3)[10]

[blackfox]

Ginevra

Ginevra sneezes several times upon walking into the embalming room. "Gah... what is that stuff made of?" She looks up and observes the preserved corpses. She is familiar with the panther-like creatures, having seen quite a few displacer beasts in Faerûn, and although she has never come face-to-face with a mind flayer, several of her friends had. "It worries me that whoever lived here last was able to kill an illithid in the first place... much less embalm it."

[Dr._Bob]

The large dragonborn cleric begins to check the chamber for any secret passages, paying special attention to the back of the hearth. He finds no hidden exits here however.

Patash sighs, turning his gaze back towards his thinskinned companions. He attention lingers on the human called Evendur. Evendur fumbles with the package found in Fizahn's keep, unwrapping an iron disc with a small gnomon attached to it. "A sundial!" comments Addis brightly.

Evendur looks it over without much enthusiasm. Unable to contact his goddess since awakening outside the temple complex, the paladin appears to be lost. His shoulders sag and furrows crease his comely brow and the corners of his mouth.

Patash wonders what the paladin will do now.

...

Mazom turns away from the preserved bodies on the tables. "Maybe these were supposed to be trophies?" he suggests. He joins Patash in his fruitless search of the greatroom.

The next level of Callos' keep appears to be identical to the equivalent level in Fizahn's keep. Four doors presumably lead to four bedrooms, but one of the doors is locked from the inside.

The other three open rooms are empty, except for the same basic furniture found in the bedrooms in Fizahn's keep, though in one of the rooms, there appears to have been some sort of explosion. The furniture in that room has been smashed and charred.

Ginevra places an ear against the locked door and waits immobile for what seems like an hour. Eventually she stands back up, silently, and shrugs. There are no noises within.

[Dr._Bob]

Leaving the locked door for the moment, you explore the next level above. As in Fizahn's keep, the topmost level of Callos' keep is another greatroom, this one, unlike the lower one, perforated all around by arrow slits.

Peeking out the slits toward the south, you can see Fizahn's keep nestled into the mountain side.

The small, flickering lights of the village of Vale's End can be seen down below in the valley through the arrow slits to the north.

The full moon is rising quickly from the east. Suddenly, Ginevra shivers. The moon is full!

[Nahal]

Davek

While the others explore the upper level of Callos' keep, Davek remains in the room with the mummified corpses. While he has never seen either of the types of creature before, the tentacled humanoids provoke a faint tint of familiarity he cannot quite place.

He next reasons that the Hunter (as he mentally refers to the author of the journals the party found earlier) was likely not merely after trophies, but he checks the bodies to be sure. Davek got the sense from the journal entries that the author was a) not human, and in fact likely not humanoid b) either a scholar or fancied himself one, c) a skilled hunter who apparently took no small amount of pleasure in bringing down dangerous game, and d) a ruthless individual bordering on callous. These impressions worry him, and he hopes to divine some further insight into the individual's character by examining what he did to the bodies.

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Perception - (1d20+3)[12] - Checking the bodies to see if anything obvious has been removed, what would I roll if they've been opened up? Sorry if this is bringing us off track, but this hunter seems like a future BBEG to my overdeveloped sense of RPG paranoia

[Koji]

Kazz

"Well I'd wager our journalist is...or was...holed up in the locked room," Kazz says, "Can we get that door open anytime soon?"

Kazz realizes she posesses neither the skill nor the strength to do anything about a simple lock, and so investigates the adjoining rooms on either side, trying to discern whether there might be a side door, dumbwaiter, window, shared chimney flue, or anything else that might connect the locked room to the world around it. She also spends a good deal of time pacing the site of the explosion, checking for anything that might signify why or how it happened.

Midway through her exploration, she notes that several people seem to be milling about, unsure of what to do with themselves.

"We seem to be lacking a few basic necessities, such as enough food to last the length of our stay here. We do, however, have a dearth of magic and muscle at our disposal. Why don't some of you check the garden for food, and maybe try to chase away the creature that is hiding out there? It sounds to me like a productive way to spend an afternoon."

She looks about, making eye contact with a few of the more well-armed people in the hall, then returns to her investigation.

((Perception roll: 1d20+1=4.

That sucks, but Kazz is pretty sure that SOMETHING has to connect the room to the outside world, so she'll keep looking if need be.))

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan wanders away from the bodies, considering Khaz and her questions. I will deal with his memory later. It may still be recoverable, but there are more pressing matters. "I think eliminating our wandering foliage might be in our best interest. Even if the garden does not posses any food, perhaps we could accelerate the growth of some? Maybe it even has some nutritional value."

[Naleh]

Retay

The barbarian is quick to arrive to see what the commotion is. As soon as he sees the bodies, he stops dead.*

What godsforsaken abomination is he making now?

With a low growl, he draws his greataxe and moves forward to behead the creatures.

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What does one roll to behead an inanimate object?

* Har har har.

[Nahal]

Davek

Stop! Davek shouts at Retay as his intentions become obvious. Please let me finish my examination of these bodies. The way they were treated by our hunter friend may provide some insight into his personality and intentions. After I am finished, you may conclude whatever... he pauses and pointedly glances at the axe blade respects you intend to pay to the dead.

He looks at Kazz next and continues. Should it prove necessary and if Callos approves, I might be able to do something about that door. I should be able to break it down with enough effort.

[blackfox]

Ginevra

Ginevra glances towards the arrow slits and stops dead in her tracks, rooted by a sudden bolt of fear. Dammit, not now! Not with everyone around! She licks her lips, takes a deep breath, and slips away, down the stairs and into the greatroom, trying to get as far away as possible before her inevitable transformation.

(OOC: Whoops. Didn't expect this this soon. )

[Rodrick_the_Red]

Patash (Dragonborn Cleric)

Patash after hearing Kazz's sujestions he says, "I will gladly help hunt down the plant creature, who is with me?"

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel

Tiriel also takes one of the wrapped packages and opens it, not expecting much but curious as to why they are only allowed to open one. Maybe they're like the rings, and not everyone can handle them safely? she thinks.
- - - - - - - - - -
Tiriel follows the group up stairs and almost joins Retay in beheading the mummified monsters but she hesitates and decides that Davek is right, they might as well try to learn what they can before they destroy them.

Tiriel moves on to the next level confident that Retay will handle the dead bodies just fine without her. "I can help break down the door or help someone in the garden but I don't think it's a good idea to splinter off into too many groups. If anyone wants to stay in this part of the keep it makes sense to check the locked room. I'd rather not have to worry about what's in there personally."

[Naleh]

Retay

"There are necromancers among us," the barbarian snarls at Davek. "Callos is a lich, and Sethra -- you haven't met Sethra. I don't know where he is. But he deals with dark gods as equals."

Retay nods towards the strange corpses. "As long as those are intact, they are just weapons for them. They're probably already weapons, if those disfigurations are anything to judge by. In any other circumstance I would not pay this disrespect, but now I am saving them from a greater one, and saving us from danger. The sooner we destroy them, the better."

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan limply handwaves in Retays direction. "Oh stuff it," he says without an ounce of the understanding of the difference in their sizes, "Your paranoia is commendable; I had almost forgotten to think where Sethra may have pranced off to. However, your judgment of intent is off the mark. Dissection is a means of studying the body by analyzing that which is within, not that of bringing things to life. In fact, trying to raise the corpse would not only make it harder to study, but probably ruin most organs and tissue in the process."

The elf sighs and shakes his head at the barbarian. "You have no concept of what Necromancy really is do you? You're blinded by stereotype."

He turns away and ignores Retay, having said his peace. He addresses Patash amiably. "I believe you and I make two. Once we help Tiriel break down the door we can count three, and with Kazz we shall make four. While I don't know what's come over Khazrael, helping him restore his magic is bound to do some good."

[Rodrick_the_Red]

Patash (Dragonborn Cleric)

Patash replies to Elthan, "I believe your math is correct, however we should ask Callo before we start breaking down his doors. Or maybe someone knows how to pick locks?"

[Naleh]

Retay

Retay glares back, but does not address Elthan's points. "It's natural that he says this," he adds to Davek, "as he's one of them too..."

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

"There's never a need to break down a door when I'm here." The gnome walks up to the door and begins using what's available to try to pick the lock.

Thievery: - (1d20+8)[16]
OOC: I don't know if I have lockpicks yet, and my computer doesn't feel like letting me look up the rules for picking locks without lockpicks.

[Nahal]

Davek

I must admit I've never witnessed necromancy first hand, Davek says to Retay, but I understand your concern. As I said, once I'm finished you may do as you wish with them. But if he was able to bring down these creatures on his own, it might be in our interest to see whether he claimed any trophies from them. If he's simply preserved them for study that's one thing, but if he's taking trophies I'd be more worried about running into him.

[Knubs]

Kavri

Kavri, after ambling about the room for a bit, is attracted to the large group gathering in front of the door. The elf goes over and waits for the gnome to work his magic.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"This is far to familiar for my tastes." comes the dry words from Callos as he stares at the mummified bodies laid out on the tables and suppresses a shudder at the sight of them. He had remained silent when the stairs had been found and they had begun to investigate, preferring sullen silence to speaking up un-helpfully about the matters at hand when he didn't know enough to make a difference. But these...things.

Mummified mind flayers and...something else. He hadn't seen them before and didn't bother searching his mind to find out what they were.

"Retay, keep your prejudice to yourself please. We have no idea where we are, Elthan and I might not even be necromancers anymore with the differences between this place and our home." He says sternly, eyes narrowing at the barbarian like a teacher who has become fed up with a troublesome student. "Besides, those corpses are only coming back in one of two ways. In one, we will likely prevail. In the other...well...you views necromancy will become pointless unless we flee. And quickly. If you really are that insecure about test specimens though, by all means dismember them but nothing more."

[Dr._Bob]

Without warning, Ginevra flees from the upper level. Finding the greatroom below occupied by Retay, Davek, Callos and the others still gathered around the mummified bodies on the tables, she rushes headlong down the stairs back into the basement level.

Shivering in the darkness, she crouches in a corner and waits ... To her surprise, nothing happens.

...

Kavri and Evendur peer over Fizahn's shoulder as the gnome examines the door's lock. The gnome clears his throat in irritation and both lean back slightly.

Kazz joins them outside the door after having poked around the other three rooms, especially the room with the charred contents. As best she can tell, something or someone appears to have triggered an explosion in center of the scorched bedroom. All of the furniture appears to have been blown toward the walls. Dark stains, that Kazz assumes must be blood, spatter the floor and one wall, though there is no body.

Elthan climbs up from the greatroom level, shaking his head after his argument with Retay. Patash follows, the dragonborn cleric's wide shoulders looming over the slight half-elf sorceror.

Fizahn borrows a dagger and slides it cautiously along all four seams around the door. Finding only a simple latch, he works the blade between the door and its frame, lifting the latch and unlocking the door.

Grinning, he places a hand against the door and pushes it open. The door doesn't budge. With a frown, Fizahn put a little more muscle into it, but the door stays shut.

Tiriel steps forward putting away the three silver bells she had found in her small gift package. She uses her great strength to start to force open the door. Furniture has been piled up behind it. The furniture groans and shrieks as she forces the door open a foot or two.

(Only those that know Tiriel well notice the distracted expression on her face. What happened to my strength? Why do my arms feel so heavy and clumsy?)

Fizahn slips in through the crack Tiriel has made. The room is dark, but enough moonlight spills in through the arrow slits for his large eyes to make out the makeshift barricade and a bed overturned against the far corner to form a desperate shelter. Beside and partially under the bed, sitting half-propped up against the wall, is a dark figure, immobile. A sword, of unusually intricate design lies just inches from his open hand, catching a few glints of moonlight.

...

Down below, in the greatroom, Retay fingers his axe uneasily as Davek and Callos examine the bodies closely.

The illithids appear to have been killed both by bludgeoning and deep thrusts made by some sort of sword or spear. Their heads appear to have been taken off cleanly, suggesting that they were taken after the illithids were dead.

The "displacer beasts" as the journal calls them appear to have been both killed by explosions of some kind, though additional sword wounds suggest some type of coup de grace had been applied expertly at the base of their spines.

Mazom and Addis add their observations as well.

"Necromancy is not my strong suit, but this looks more to me like taxidermy than anything else."

"Do you think that perhaps our friend was trying to preserve these bodies as trophies?"

"Oh, please!" Atoly rolls his eyes. "Who would want to mount these squid-headed abominations and these ... these ... alley-cats on a wall?"

The young noble shoves one of the displacer beasts with the point of his scabbard. There is a soft click and the boy, displacer beast and table vanish in a bright flash of light. BOOM!!!

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

Hmmm... Fancy sword. Possibly dangerous retrieving it... I'm going for it. Not like I could do much about the barricade anyway. Fizahn cautiously creeps forward, his kerambit at the ready. Once he gets to the man, he examines what he assumes is a corpse for anything unusual. If he doesn't see anything odd, he picks up the sword before going to work on removing the barricade.

Stealth: - (1d20+10)[22]
Perception: - (1d20+5)[14]

[Nahal]

Davek

Void beyond! Davek shouts as the fool noble vanishes. Well that's a bit of a twist. Guess our hunter didn't want anybody messing about with his prizes. Davek surveys the scene, attempting to discern whether a) the vanishing act is an illusion and b) the table and noble have vanished cleanly (thus implying teleportation) or if there was an actual (and potentially damaging) explosion.

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Insight - (1d20+6)[21], Perception - (1d20+3)[20]