The Red Arm of Absalom - Ongoing Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master GM Red

Off to the kitchen!

"I think...we can go to the kitchen now." Sirettis turns away from the heads. "I-I'm not going to clean this dining room."

Yup, onward! He'll continue his same thing into the kitchen, detecting and 22 Perception

"Its a shame we can't take that table, very impressive!"

With a quick check for traps on the door, the group advances north into the kitchen. Two large tables flank an oven built into the west wall the room. Jars of different sizes sit on the two tables in uneven rows. The room is void of anything edible and contains only dirty jars, shelves, and barrels. One of the barrels is filled entirely with salt.

A narrow set of stairs leads down to a dark, musty basement.

Again, there aren't any magical auras or super secret doors in this room.

"This estate is pretty impressive. I can't imagine though that the town would allow someone like myself to resettle here... not that I've got the capital to revive it." I wonder if we're due for a raise once we finish out here...

Mr Peppers looks around quickly and just sees the stairs down. "Shall we check out the root cellar? I'm assuming that's what it is anyhow." If so he'll continue detecting and percepting as before

"I'd be more inclined to clear the upper floors first," Gallix says, peering over Peppers's shoulder down into the darkness. "Something gives me the feeling the worst of what we'll face is down there, so we should make sure things up here are settled first."

Uesugi nods in agreement. "Upstairs first."

Rule of two says we're going upstairs!

You make your way back through the hallway and into the ballroom, climbing up the marble stairs and past the Erinyes devil statue before you arrive at the upstairs landing. There are a series of five doors visible from the top of the landing, one being a set of double doors. Referencing Nolaria's map, you're able to determine that the rooms are the Nursery, Servant's Quarters, Bathroom, Master Bedroom, and Spare Bedroom when read counterclockwise.

Gallix immediately moves toward the spare bedroom. "I'm dying to know more about this 'ward' of theirs. Makes sense that he might've stayed in the spare bedroom while he was here, right?" He approaches the door and, as is his new practice, checks for traps.

Perception (traps): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Mr Peppers nods along "Fair enough, there could be more down there than just moldy carrots."

As they climb up the stairs Mr Peppers admires the craftsmanship of the stairway and bannisters and landings. "Quite a lot of money went into this place, its a shame its going to waste. I wonder if there's a way we can convince the town to make use of it after we explore it fully."

Take 10 on perception for a 22 and detecting magics

Gallix checks the door for anything dangerous, and once he's sure that it's clear, he pushes open the door to the spare room. It contains what one would expect - a queen-sized bed, cabinet, and a small fireplace. There's a set of large windows that offers a magnificent view of the hills to the northeast, and the top of the gazebo is plainly visible from up here. This would have been where you saw the key.

Near the bed, Mr. Peppers finds that the hardwood floor has a distinct carving etched in a dark substance. The words "Help me" have been carved into it, but are now thoroughly covered in a thick layer of dust.

Can I tell what the substance is or what was used to carve the words? And is there any evidence the room was used to restrain someone? Does the door have a lock or ?

Mr Peppers kneels down to look at a spot on the floor "Hrm, something odd here, "Help Me" written in this stuff on the floor. Look around for anything else interesting in here and lets see if we can't figure out this stuff its written in."

Sirettis takes a look around.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

"Help me...unfortunate."

The substance is very dried and old, lacking any texture or colour. Unless you're a crime scene investigator, it's impossible to determine what it was, but the position of the letters would have you believe that whoever wrote it was under the bed while doing so. All that's left under the bed now is a musty odor and a nest of dust.

The door does have a functioning lock, but there's an absence of ropes, chains, or anything that may have been used to restrain someone. It seems like an ordinary guest room, so there just might be more to find out as you continue to explore the abandoned estate. How do you want to proceed?

"Help me....perhaps whoever was in here was taken, after trying to either hide or escape."

"Perhaps we'll find more answers in the rooms on the other side."

I'm thinking the one directly opposite this one.

"Let us move to the next room and see if other messages were left there. This room may have been child's."

To the opposite one (Nursery) we'll go!

After carefully checking for traps, Gallix presses the door to the nursery open. The creaking sound of a rocking cradle echoes in the room, and indeed, the cradle in the corner of the room rocks back and forth. Dolls, wooden figurines, and clockwork toys lie abandoned on a table. There's also a silver music box clasped shut in the center of it.

Inside the cradle is something either horrific or cute - whatever it is stuck underneath a blanket, frantically squirming to escape. Its body has a stubby, cylindrical shape.

Mr Peppers peers into the room, hoping to detect some delicious magical aura, but instead he sees and hears what can only be something creepy and gross in the crib "Ummm, I don't want to sound like a softy, but no way am I the one who's pulling that blanket off of there. Only bad things are to follow!"

He clears the way for someone else to expose what hides beneath. Instead he checks out the room for anything else. 22 Perception and Detecting Magic.

Darn! Did anyone bring a 10ft pole? Haha!

Gallix cautiously approaches the rocking cradle, his left arm extended to grab at the nearest edge of the blanket while his right arm remains in a position ready to strike in case he uncovers something threatening.

Could I move action to pull the blanket and prepare a standard to attack if whatever this is turns out to be some kind of nasty giant larva or something?

Sirettis's natural curiosity drives her towards the cradle. Maybe due to the number of children she's taken care of before. Or maybe she wants to taunt Mr. Peppers.

She walks up to the blanket and speaks in common. "Shhh, shhh. We are friendly here. Do not worry."

I'll attempt the Charm Hex when Gallix lifts the blanket. Will Save DC 15.

This is the perfect scene for Chucky to be underneath the blanket, or a toy army attacking us, or a living doll rogue. :)

D. puts his hand on Gallix's arm.
"I can lift it without having to go over there. I just need to see the bundle."

Basic telekinesis works like mage hand, so i can lift up to 15 lbs currently. 5lbs per kineticist lvl.

Haha, these ideas are all great!

D telekinetically pulls the corner of the blanket back. What's underneath is a juvenile giant centipede, its black egg still nearby, suggesting it hatched right here in the cradle not very long ago. The creature squirms about wildly as light hits it, but Sirettis' hex doesn't seem to affect it at all. The centipede looks far too young to be of any threat to you.

Mr. Peppers pops open the music box and a cheerful melody begins to play. Tucked into the back of the box is a folded sheet of paper. Neither the box nor the paper seem magical, but the phrase "play to access the secrets below" is written on the back of the sheet.

"Take a look at this! Play to access the secrets below." He reads aloud to the group. "Think it opens up some sort of secret tunnel or something? Maybe we should check the other rooms up here first though."

He glances into the cradle and wrinkles his nose "Nasty, whats up with these things and their love of centipedes? Someone squish that thing!"

"Another centipede..." Sirettis looks for marks of bile. "If it's not infected we should leave it alone. Attacking a baby in its cradle is very concerning..."

Knowledge(History): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

"That's a sea chanty from...Remesiana. That melody was very popular there." Sirettis remembers her time on the sea. "Despite my poor health it was fun to play the flute and accompany their music."

Sirettis notices that the black egg resembles the bile-infested ones from the stables, and the young centipede has a distinct purplish hue to its body similar to the earlier encountered bile-pedes.

"A shame..." Sirettis pulls her mace. "Let us kill this, quickly."

D. lifts the crib into the air, and topples it, maybe dropping the centipede down 10 feet?

After it falls, D. dismisses his telekinesis, causing the crib to fall down onto the centipede.

The crib rises into the air with D's palm, still rocking back and forth as the creature worms its way around the blanket frantically. Then, with a flick of the wrist, D inverts the crate, sending the confused centipede to the ground and the crib crashing down upon its frail body with a splat.

Does Mr. Peppers take the sheet music/secret note from the music box? And with it, did you want to head to the adjacent room - the Servants' Room?

Sirettis frowns as the crib is ruined.

"Let us go to the Servants' Room."

Yup, snag that and move along to the next room

"Wonder if we need to play this downstairs on one of those instruments? But until then lets clear the upstairs here."

Mr Peppers continues his search and scan of the next room Detect Magic and 22 PerceptionHrm it would be nice to keep this place in good condition, as much as possible anyhow...

Quick note before going on the road again.

"I'd be happy to play the music on the instruments, but yes... let's keep clearing the rooms." Cup looks around. "Once we clean this place of its current infestation, do you think anyone will want to live here again? It's a pity that such a beautiful building isn't being used."

"It is tainted. Better to be burnt to the ground and sanctified by a shugenja practitioner."

"I don't know what that shoe-gen-jer person is, but I'd agree with the first part, Uesugi. I'd say burn this place. Let the forest take back the land. Better yet, let the people take back the land. Make it a good part of their community again instead of the dark place it's been all these years." Gallix follows alongside the others, continuing to check for traps at each door.

Perception (traps): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

"Burning it down would be such a waste. Bring in your holy men and cleanse the place but to just burn it down is a waste. People committed those crimes not the building. Its a valuable piece of history for the town, a reminder even that too much power can corrupt." Did I just say too much power? I wonder what that'd be like...

a reminder even that too much power can corrupt

*Blinks*

Nonsense.

"Shugenja practitioners are a spiritual people. A rough comparing, a monk with the spiritual powers of a priest."

"Saringallow will decide the fate of this estate, but I am certain they will demolish this place. Especially when we report what happened here, and the spread of the bile."

"Gellion already feels like an outcast, even though it wasn't his fault. If they react so harshly to that, they'll conclude this estate was the source."

"Outcast...I have always felt that way, in one way or another. It was only after joining the Society that I didn't feel so...unique." Sirettis catches herself rambling and slows down.

While considering the fate of the Sarini Estate, the team makes their way south towards the next room. Gallix runs through the usual routine of inspecting the door for traps, and then opens it. The dormitory-style bedroom looks tidier than other rooms in the building. A hunched figure wearing a maid's uniform is sitting on a small bed in the northwest corner of the room.

The Ring girl's head jolts as she looks over at Gallix and she speaks with a soft, monotonous voice.

"Oh. Hello. I don't know you. Why are you here?" She's holding a pair of scissors that she snips the air with nervously as she speaks.

"Hello," Cup says cheerily as she stares at the creepy doll covered in blood before her. "We don't know you either! I'm Cup. Maybe we can chat, and find out more about each other?"

___
(Waiting for kid's portfolio review... so time for a quick post. Is there a knowledge check that can be made here?)

Nature would do it!

Can I roll Knowledge (Things that haunt my nightmares)?

Gallix stands in stunned silence for a moment before replying to the odd girl's question. "Ah...I'm Gallix. We're here to...help make this a happy place again? Who are you?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

An automated servant? Would we need living servants if automata were used? And yet, what if they are alive, not cognizant.

Sirettis is caught in an internal monologue when Isa flies in front of her to get her attention. "Yes, we are new here. How long have you been here? What is your name?"

Sirettis lets the wind blow from her to the doll, unaware if it will work.
Charm Hex, DC 15

Knowledge(Nature): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Sirettis continues to concern herself with the figurine's intelligence.

Mr Peppers stares ahead, his blue eyes probing and his mind ticking about the strange and creepy 'girl?' thing ahead of them, but he stays quiet for now.

Knowledge: Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

The waxen-skinned creature looks more at ease as Sirettis hexes her. "A chat? Sure..." The creature stares idly into space as she snips it with her scissors, again and again. "I'm Anilda. I've been here a few months. I couldn't find a way back. How will you make this a happy place again? Oh, and have you seen my baby? Is she safe?" She taps the wall next to her bed as she says this.

Mr. Peppers recognizes Anilda as a Nukkefeen, a fey creature posited to have originated as an experiment of a powerful First World creature. They have a peculiar sense of morality, and most loathe weapons and violence, but they think harming unpleasant people with scissors or similar objects is a way to "fix" them. They aren't inherently malicious, but they are obsessed with old, abandoned buildings where great tragedies have occurred.

"Oh yes, you're baby is happy as can be," Gallix says, beads of sweat beginning to gather at his temples. "As far as making this a happy place...we're looking for someone. Someone called Wormgnash. Do you know where to find Wormgnash, Anilda?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Gallix, give me a Bluff check for that mistruth ;)

Whaaaaatttt??? I don't know what you're referring to! *Wink*
Autosucceed Bluff: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

"Oh. Good. She's fine. And Wormgnash..." She snips and snips again, her eyes focusing on nothing but the air in front of her. "I don't trust you enough yet. Hmm, you know what, your eyes are pretty." She looks in Sirettis' direction. "May I borrow them?"

Specifically, she wants to use her Steal Eyesight ability. You can willingly fail the save, but you'll be blinded for 1d4 hours. Or you can tell her to shove it.

And thereby -cut- short the conversation. :)

Crazy FEY!

Bad news about charming people: their definition of friendly may not be your definition of friendly.
Sirettis considers the words of her statement, and whether this fey is friendly or not when Mr. Peppers informs her of the what "borrowing eyes" means.

"Anilda. We may be able to help you find your way back. This place is very dangerous. You never know what kind of accidents may happen here." Sirettis sits down next to Anilda. Curious, she's like a lost child.

"I would offer you my sight, but after we have found Wormgnash. He has made this building very dangerous, even for someone as sweet as you. I can agree to those terms. Is that satisfactory with you?"

Sirettis extends her hand for a shake, even as Isa flies around her head, clearly nervous.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Anilda sits expressionless on the bed as Sirettis reasons with her, ignoring her extended hand as she snips the air. "Okay. No eyes for Anilda. But if you're going to leave me here blind, at least give me something sharper to use. These scissors are dull. Do any of you have anything sharper?"