Vincent pulls out his rapier and lunges at the man.
Vincent stabs the robed cultists in the thigh, and he starts limping.
Dakash slams his staff from around the doorway.
Dakash clubs a stubborn cultist head! He sways a bit but still remains standing.
Howard delays.
The cultist tries to smack Vincent, but hits the wall instead.
Seamus, with no room to attack continues singing.
Vincent parries and thrusts with his rapier.
He then steps into the room to make way (5ft).
Dakash attacks from around the doorway again.
"Quite inspiring, Seamus."
Dakash crushes the cultist's ribcage and he gasps out, "The Apostles will avenge me!" before going down.
Searching his body, the party finds a club, a sap and padded armor.
Searching among records scattered among the room, they find the following.
Patient Record DaNae Foulkes
Female Human Age 50
Committed 23 Neth 4715
Circumstances Transferred from Caliphas
Attending Doctor Adalgar
She was sent here due to a stress-induced nervous breakdown after her employer’s company was audited by the priests of Abadar. She seems to be recovering well and will be ready for discharge soon.
Treatment Therapy, Observation
Patient Record Loic Ulsohnen
Male human age 42
Committed 11 Sareninth 4717
Circumstances Transferred from Carrion Hill
Attending Doctor Oathday
He was sent here after the earthquake in Carrion Hill wrecked many buildings in town. His sister was one of the victims. He claims to be able to hear her voice in his head. He is extremely excitable and detests taking his medication – which he requires to keep his auditory hallucinations in control.
Treatment Anti psychotic medication, Therapy, Observation
Patient Record Maeve Kostenbau
Female Human age 6
Committed 4 Arodus 4717
Circumstances Transferred from Carrion Hill
Attending Doctor Latschke
Maeve lost her parents in the Carrion Hill earthquake and has been severely traumatized by the incident. She has problems with anger management and often throws temper tantrums if she is not kept occupied.
Treatment Therapy, Observation
Patient Record Mura Yopchick
Male human age 21
Committed 11 Calistril 4705
Circumstances Transferred from Barstoi
Attending Doctor Scaen
Mura has been sent here after she lost her speech after a high fever. She is distrustful of most people but has grown protective of her half sibling, Bates Yopchick.
Treatment Therapy, Observation
Patient Record Brin Cerznalo
Male Human Age 22
Committed 17 Neth 4712
Circumstances Transferred from Caliphas
Attending Doctor Losandro
He was sent here because of anorexia. I have been explaining to him that his distorted beliefs and thoughts that maintain the restrictive eating are incorrect, and we can provide him with meals that will help maintain his weight goals. He finds respite in his dreams of serene forest and storybook creatures, silver voiced dryads and proud unicorns, which he often shares with us, much to our delight.
Treatment Therapy, Nutritional Education, Observation
Patient Record Juglan Rivercane
Male Human Age 34
Committed 15 Lamashan 4710
Circumstances Transferred from Ravengro
Attending Doctor Oathsday
He suffers from aphasia after his near drowning and we have been giving him speech and language therapy but his condition does not seem to be improving.
Treatment Therapy, Observation
Patient Record Wren Elbourne
Male Human Age 30
Committed 14 Abadius 4720
Circumstances Transferred from Ardeal
Attending Doctor Scaen
He has been sent for his self-abuse and refusal to wed –as his defiant bachelorhood is threatening to bring embarrassment upon his family. His family has offered us a generous donations to keep him here.
Treatment Therapy
Patient Record: Sarah Freeling
Female, Varisian descent, age 60
Committed: 7 Sarenith 4710
Circumstance: Transferred from Barstoi
Attending Doctor Adalgar
Mrs Freeling was transferred by her family as there is no one to take care of her at home as the entire family is out in the fields. They are worried that she will wander into the woods while unsupervised. She requires a delicate daily cocktail of medication to fight back the effects of age and dementia. We may need to include more exercise in her therapy as she has been gaining weight.
Treatment Therapy, Anti-dementia medication, observation
Using the keys they picked up from the woman , they open the door at the end of the room.
The walls of this crowded room are covered by filing cabinets, except for one space where a battered old painting of a sober, towering structure hangs. The records inside this room are of a more disturbing and sometimes supernatural nature.
Vincent finds a small brass latch at the back of the painting and uses it, revealing a hollow within the wall, with Administrator's Losandro's extensive records on a variety of interesting psychological cases she has treated over the years, with the case of Ulver Zandalus being most extensive and they also find their own personal records.
They also find their own personal records.
Patient Record Vincent Arazeiros
Male, Half Elven, approximate age 33
Committed 7 Erastus 4720
Circumstances Transferred from by Count Hasteron Lowls
Attending Doctor Eliege Losandro
Vincent has one blue eye and one amber eye is unresponsive to most external stimuli and has to be fed and washed regularly. When he is awake, he stares off blankly into space, and occasionally grinds his teeth and moans for no apparent reason. The cause of his condition is unknown.
Treatment Sensory Stimulation, Therapy, observation
Patient Record Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Male, Human of Ustalavian descent, approximate age 34
Committed 7 Erastus 4720
Circumstances Transferred from by Count Hasteron Lowls
Attending Doctor Eliege Losandro
Howard is unresponsive to most external stimuli except taking of his belt pouch, in which he reacts in a violent manner. He has to be fed and washed regularly. When he is awake, he stares off blankly into space, speaking nonsensical syllables repeatedly. The cause of his condition is unknown.
Treatment Sensory Stimulation, Therapy, observation
Patient Record Seamus Passeri
Male, Human of Ustalavian descent, approximate age 25
Committed 7 Erastus 4720
Circumstances Transferred from by Count Hasteron Lowls
Attending Doctor Eliege Losandro
Seamus is unresponsive to most external stimuli and has to be fed and washed regularly. When he is awake, he stares off blankly into space, but will occasionally repeat what the people around him say, or hum to himself. The cause of his condition is unknown.
Treatment Sensory Stimulation, Therapy, observation
Patient Record Dakash Rami Mindu
Male, Samsaran, unknown age
Committed 7 Erastus 4720
Circumstances Transferred from by Count Hasteron Lowls
Attending Doctor Eliege Losandro
Dakash is unresponsive to most external stimuli except taking of his belt pouch, in which he reacts in a violent manner and is quite strong. When he is awake, he stares off blankly into space and occasionally starts screaming. Putting his hands over a wooden stick seems to calm him down during those episodes. The cause of his condition is unknown.
Treatment Sensory Stimulation, Therapy, observation
Patient Record: Ulver Zandalus
Male, Varisian descent, age 47
Home suspected to be Rozenport, Versex County
Committed: 2 Sarenith 4685
Circumstance: Transferred from Pharasmin lamentations in Rozenport (see Annex 1 on Background)
Attending Doctor Eliege Losandro
Zandalus exhibits complete withdrawl from society and an inability to care for himself in any but the most basic modes. The symptoms of his passive antisociality chronically present as mutism and blankness. Frequent night terrors result in brief but dramatic nocturnal outbursts – shouting, shaking, fear responses. Zandalus grasps the difference between sleep and wakefulness and typically recovers from nightmares quickly.
Treatment Therapy, antipsychotic regimen, observation
Development:2/ 4687 – Zandalus proves to be a gifted and profilic artist. He has enthusiastically taken to using a charcoal drawing set to create dramatic but fanciful works of art typically of surreal architecture and skyscapes. Art calms him in the wake of nightmare. He will be afforded basic supplies to continue such art therapy
Development:11/4702 – A shift has occurred in Zandalus’ art. He has repeatedly almost perfectly illustrated one of the ancient standing stones situated at the north western corner of the asylum grounds. As the isle’s shores are off-limits to patients, I do not believe he has ever seen the subject of his work. The significance or coincidence of this brooks further study.
Development: 3/4715 – Count Haserton Lowls has taken an interest in Zandalus: first his art, and now the artist. Lowls has become a repeat visitor, spending hours with my patient but refuses to explain his interest
Ulver Zandalus was once a bright, sensitive student at Rozenport’s Sincomakti School of Sciences. He applied himself to learning the mysteries of the world. He was a talented writer, researcher, and artist, and bent his fascination and talent toward studying the ancient empires of Osirion, Kelesh, and Ninshabur. Despite his relative inexperience, his enthusiasm and faithful, detailed renderings of those civilizations’ most sacred places won him a spot on an expedition led by the famed scholar Doctor Henri Meirtmane. Along with Meirtmane and several veteran researchers, Zandalus journeyed to Katheer, capital of Qadira.
During the expedition—one aimed at exploring freshly unearthed ruins outside of Katheer—Doctor Meirtmane discovered the location of a copy of a fantastically rare tome called The Chain of Nights. Because he was seen publicly helping the doctor, Zandalus was targeted and captured by the book’s owners, a drug cult sworn to a mysterious entity they called the King in Yellow. What tortures and horrors he was subject to before his rescue 3 days later remain unknown, but it left him as a wreck, unable to speak and haunted yellow-tinged and empty cities and crumbling skies.
Upon returning to Rozenport, Zandalus received considerable counseling, but he never recovered his speech. Unable to study, he abandoned his classes and, for a time, joined the beggars and unfortunates inhabiting the local Pharasmin lamentation, a type of religious hospice. When Meirtmane learned of this, he saw to Zandalus’s placement in Briarstone asylum, in hope that we could help him, entirely at the expense of the Sincomakti School.
Vincent searches the alcove and finds a tiny lockbox, which he opens up with the key he used on Losandro's desk, Inside is 40 gp, 6 pearls worth 15 gp each, a calling card for the Sleepless Detective Agency that prominently bears an accusatory eye, and a sword in a crimson scabbard. The pommel is sculpted in the shape of a cardinal and an etched gold band bears the name of Red Destiny.
Howard identifies the sword as a +2 shortsword.
Vincent gives a low whistle, "Nice weapon."
He helps gather up the loot and tosses it in pouch or pack as necessary.
"So. This count brought us here in a catatonic state in exchange for a book of the chains of night. The same book Zandalus discovered and was attacked by a cult for. The same cult he apparently now leads and which is related to the nightmares and fog. I think we need to find this Zandalus character."
He says the last while examining the eye they found earlier. He offers it to Howard to see if he can identify it.
Howard realizes the eye is some kind of recording device. Probably made by the Sleepless Detective Agency.
Seeing Dakash smite the yellow robed nut-job, Seamus gives a deep bow, "It was my pleasure Dakash, Now what was this fellow so interested in?" Stepping into the room Seamus begins looking through the papers, quickly becoming bored with the records he asks, "Can we go to the next room, maybe it won't be so boring."
Smiling as Vincent leads the way into the next room, Seamus is disappointed to find it filled with filing cabinets as well. As Vincent moves the painting revealing the hidden area the bard perks back up, "Well that's interesting."
Following the investigator like a lost puppy, Seamus ooh's and ah's at the items. "Yes a nice sword indeed." He then helps Vincent shovel all the items into the haversack they had found earlier.
Realizing that Vincent wants to pursue the leader of the yellow robed killers, Seamus frowns, and raising his hand asks, "So who is this count? And instead, why don't we find a way out of here, and then let this count come back and talk to Zandalus." He looks from Dakash to Howard, "They obviously have a lot to talk about."
Vincent frowns hearing that the eye is a scrying device.
He wraps it in a ton piece of the cultists robe and shoves it in the hidden compartment behind the picture, locking it again and then leading the way out.
"Best not to carry around a device like that. We can come back for it if needed. Let's go check that area we passed over."
Seamus nods his head in agreement with Vincent and begins walking back to the door north of the entryway leading out to what appears to be a courtyard. Opening the door he steps into the courtyard.
High asylum walls hedge in this spacious courtyard garden. Only thin breaths of sickly fog seep in from overheard, though beyond it’s just as thick as ever. Misty wisps slip between leafless trees and simple benches, giving the impression of silent beasts prowling through the garden. It is raining yellow bile.
Howard, Vincent and Dakash hears a creepy giggle, and the flapping of wings from the mist.
Then a lanky ebon humanoid has batlike wings and a long prehensile tail, with no face swoops out of the fog, its claws outstretched to rend Dakash.
Vincent has no idea what the heck it is.
It does not manage to hit Dakash as the claw goes above his head.
Vincent moves around (flank if possible) and stabs at the flying thing with his spear.
Vincent's longspear does not penetrate its surprisingly tough hide. It seems to be gifted with some uncanny sense to know where Vincent has just moved to.
'I hate the fog, at least it's higher here...' "What the heck is that?" Seamus blurts out when he sees the faceless attacker. His hand shaking he quickly draws two arrows and fires.
Howard gives Dakash a whole lot of maddening voices in his head.
The first arrow barely misses and the second arrow strikes it in the shoulder and it glares at Seamus.
Dakash steps to the side and swings at the thing.
The creature ducks under Dakash's swing, then glares at Seamus, as it stalks implacably towards him, and rakes him with its claw, raking him down from cheek to throat.
Vincent stabs at it as it goes by. It looks injured
It then grabs hold of Seamus and starts tickling him with its tail.
Seamus is absolutely disgusted by getting tickled by the horror.
Then it releases Seamus.
Howard steps back and gives Vincent the maddening voices.
Vincent stabs the thing again as it releases Seamus, "Did that thing just poison Seamus? It kind of looked like he was being tickled..." He then tries not to think about it.
Its tough hide defeats Vincent's attempt to spear it.
Dakash casts touch of fatigue, then moves in to slam it again.
Seamus picks up the sword and looks at it, "I like that sword, it will match the red boots!" he then tucks it in his belt.
Seamus tries to duck out of the way of the flying creature but fails to avoid it's claws, which tear into his now bloodier parade armor. That doesn't tick.... he then vomits in the general direction of the thing backing up away from it.
The creature steps out of the way of Dakash's staff blow.
As Seamus gets out of its range, it steps towards Vincent, its claws outstretched.
Its claws rake across Vincent's chest and throat and Vincent collapses unconscious onto the ground.
You find yourself in a familiar deserted alleys, wandering an endless, alien city pursued by the yellow fog. Soon, a wall collapses, revealing a disproportionately small room. Inside, an ancient Keleshite woman sits on a stool at a simple table. She looks up at you and offers a simple piece of advice, "Your past was sacrifice."
Howard puts himself as far away from the creature as possible.
The pool of blood around Vincent seems to be getting bigger...
'No! not again! are we asleep and going to die in our dreams?' Seeing his friend drop, he moves to the other side of Vincent and shoots a couple of arrows at the creature again,
The first arrow hits its in its chest and badly wounds the creature. The party can see yellow ichor oozing out of the arrow wound.
Forewarned by the first arrow, it barely manages to pull out of the way of the second.
The scene fades and then you find yourself with an entirely different perspective. You find yourself looking at a black leather boot, and you crane your neck up to find you’re looking at Winter, except that she looks a LOT bigger. Or maybe you’ve gotten a lot smaller.You look yourself over and find that instead of two feet, you have 4 paws. And a tail. And you’re a cat.
Stay away from this thing's claws
Then Dakash steps back. "I can't do a thing to it.
The thing in Vincent's coat peeks out tentacles, attempting to help stop the bleeding.
Dakash's blows are absorbed harmlessly by its thick hide. It then turns to Seamus, ichor dripping out of its many wounds.
The first claw is turned away by his parade armor, then it casually backhands Seamus, knocking him to the ground, where his head strikes a rock with a sickening clack, knocking him unconscious.
Howard tries desperately to grease the ground the creature is on.
It slips on the grease and falls over prone.
The pool of blood around Vincent stops growing bigger and Seamus seems to be breathing steadily, even if he has been knocked out cold.
"Yeow!" Winter yelps in pain as Fluffy scratches her leg. "What are you up to now,"She asks Fluffy, then she thinks better of it when Fluffy runs off and expects her to follow.
Winter yells for 3 of her guards to follow and tells Captain Vasutin to handle affairs around the barricade.
Here goes something
Dakash steps closer to the prone creature, casting a spell to strike twice in quick succession.
And with that, Dakash smashes the creature on the head twice, sending yellow brain matter splattering all over the place. It falls to the ground dead, it's skull crushed.
At this point, Fluffy leads Winter and her guards to the party through the open door.
She stares at the carnage with her jaw dropping open. "What just happened?"
"That thing attacked us" Dakash says, nodding toward the corpse as he wipes brain matter from his staff.
"Do you have some healing to spare?" he asks as he rummages around for the wand of cure light wounds.
You feel yourself falling as the creature backhand you and your head hits something hard on the ground, and you know nothing more.
You finds yourself back in the same endless, alien city in the nightmare flight from the horror in grey rags. When the mists pull back to reveal the gaunt monster, it seems surprised to see you. It cocks its head and floats forward and caresses your face.
Then you awaken to a pair of hands being laid to your temple , your head throbbing.
You see Winter approach your body then lay a glowing grey hand on your wounds. Then the connection breaks, and you wake up with a headache and see Fluffy collapse on the ground.
Winter eyes both Vincent and Semus lying unconscious on the floor, then judging that Vincent is in worse shape, touches him with a hand glowing with grey energy and his wounds heal.
Once Vincent awakens, she moves on to Seamus.
Then she holds her holy symbol, praying to Pharasma, and a wave of grey healing energy spreads forth from her.
"Are you guys feeling all right now?" She asks the party.
The whatever winged-clawed-tickle critter has nothing on it!
Searching the area, the party finds a door at the northern end, and a collapsed passageway in the eastern section.
Winter notices Fluffy collapsed in a corner and quickly cradles Fluffy in her arms. He shudders, then wakes up and starts meowing.
Vincent realizes the door is neither locked nor trapped, but somehow he feels a strong sensation of dread as he approaches the door.
Vincent shakes away the fog from his head and thanks winter, and thanks Fluffy too.
"Something not right about this door... Anyway I am beat. Maybe we could rest in the chapel? Or we could keep searching a little longer."
"Well, what have you found out about this place? Have you managed to find a way out?" Winter asks Vincent.
Fluffy nuzzles Vincent to check he's all right, then returns to Winter's side.
Winter raises her eyebrow when Vincent starts commenting about the door, "That's the door to the morgue. I'm not surprised you think there's something not right with it. I don't think you'd find anything you'd care to meet down there."
"Should you require sanctuary, the chapel is always open."
'Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods,' Seamus gets up shaking, "This can't be! a nightmare inside of a nightmare!" When the creature touches his face he turns wanting to run.
As Winter removes her hand from Seamus' temple he awakens kicking and screaming. 'So is this the dream?' Realizing it's winter, not the gaunt monster touching him. He attempts a smile, running his shaking hand through his hair. He looks down at his gore-covered armor and his smile wans. "Thank you, I'm feeling better now."
Seamus stands up straightening himself as best he can with his hands shaking, looking at Vincent. "I'm good if we want to rest for a while." he looks from Vincent back to the door, "What do you mean "not right"?"