“What are these things?” Elisile wonders out loud, looking with fascinated revulsion at the nearest monster from behind the relative safety of Alwyn. “They remind me of something …”
Upon seeing the creatures’ transformation, Illes launches into the tale of ‘The Downfall of the Doppelgangers of Deepwood,’ which includes a few useful pointers on fighting shapechangers.
Dravite: 27
Vethran: 22
Foxglove Family Fortunes: 21
Hudak: 21
Elisile: 17
Illes: 3+
Alwyn: 3
1d20 4=19 Nature.
I been hearin' o' rumours o' strange shapeshiftin' critters what be dwellin' in de Mushfen swamps to da south - mayhap dese be de fabled faceless shifters? Gnnnahhhh!
1d20 8=24 grapple check , 1d3 3=4 damage(guantlet).
He'll be mush-faced wit' me fists in 'is grill anyway!
Dravite punches the thing in the area where its face would be, gouging it but not drawing blood. It doesn't seem to have skin as such - its whole body seems to be made of some flesh-like material with the consistency of very hard cheese.
"I've got friends,
with no faces,
where th' whiskey drowns,
and th' beer chases them
blues away..."
Vethran aims a finger at the one Alwyn has hacked into, conjuring up a blazing meteor and sending it streaking forth at his target.
Vethran aims a finger at the one Alwyn has hacked into, conjuring up a blazing meteor and sending it streaking forth at his target.
"Don't look at me bum you cheeky monkey!"
The creature's flesh sizzles but it continues to lash out. It slams Alwyn again The one in Dravite's grip continues to thrash .
To hit; pow attack4
roll 11+7=18,
damage 17 h.p. same one.
1d20 8=28 Grapple.
Quit yer durned thrashin' aboot ye slipp'ry bast'rd!
Hudak shears off the head of the creature held by Dravite. The decapitated body flops down while the severed head hits the wall, leaving a noisome damp patch of slime, before rolling to a halt in the corner.
MNAAAAAAAAAR!
Heh-hee! I hold 'im up, ye knock 'im doon!
Elisile slides forward (5 foot step to C4) and stabs at the monster assailing Alwyn with her now magical rapier.
Elisile impales the creature. As it bends over her blade, Alwyn hacks a huge chunks out of its torso. Leaking a greasy, pale fluid from its wounds, it slumps motionless.
"Well, that was... unpleasant. What were those things? And more importantly, why were they impersonating the Foxgloves?"
"Let's have a look about."
“Perhaps to provide the ghoul with an alibi, whilst he was back at Sandpoint murdering people,” suggests Elisile, wiping her blade clean on the dead monster’s gown. “No doubt the false magistrate, or this Xanesha is behind this. I do not know for certain what manner of creatures these are, although Dravite seemed to recognize them. Something akin to doppelgangers perhaps?”
I rolled a 1+9=10 for elly; then a 12 for dravvy; 12+9=21...
elly can help dravvy by staying out the way I reckon....or not.
In the room the floor above the mantle piece has a stylised figurine of a roaring lion built into it. After peering at it, the shape of a keyhole can be discerned in its mouth. Taking the lion key found with Foxglove-the-ghoul, it fits in the lion's mouth and, with a click, opens a small secret compartment opens above the fireplace. Inside is a small stack of papers and a ledger, and a bag with 200 platinum pieces in it.
The papers comprise the deeds to Foxglove Manor. The land and the house was owned by Vorel Foxglove, but it is fairly clear that a lot of the finance was provided by a group called the Brothers of the Seven. In addition, after 100 years the ownership of the manor "and all lands within one mile around and below" were to lapse to the Brothers (the deeds are dated 80 years ago).
In addition, in the ledger, Aldern's expediture and income are recorded. most of it is pretty mundane, but towards the end there are several entries labelled "Iesha's trip to Absalom", with each indicating that Aldern payed 200gp a week. These payments are made to a certain "B7" at an address in Magnimar - 3 Sugar Row.
Yoink the 200 pp ducats...
"Let's head for Sugar Row, guys."
"Sugar Row it is. Just let me take care of something first..."
Sugar Row is not far from the townhouse, in a similarly nice part of town not far from the Justice Court. The road has the homes of prosperous merchants and businesses such as confectioners, patisseries and so on. It is fairly quiet, being wide enough only for a single wagon, and the good burghers seem to mostly be away at their trades rather than in their homes at this point in the late morning. From the outside, No. 3 looks like a pleasant house, though relatively modest, which has been split into apartments for rent.
I'm headin over there. Let's roll, dogs.
“We are quite exposed here,” murmurs Elisile, looking about at the quiet street and the many watching windows. “While I do not fear it, I feel it would be foolish to risk falling victim to what passes for law and justice in this place. Perhaps the best course of action would be to watch and wait, try to ascertain who lives here, or else knock and see who answers.”
"You want me around, I'm not so good at hiding or watching. It's boring. Should I go wait somewhere's?"
If the others agree to watching and waiting, Elisile is happy to hide and keep watch along with whoever else wants to join her, whilst the others loiter about in a busier nearby street.
"We certainly can't hang around in the street like this. Perhaps Dravite can find a good vantage point while we move to a more unobtrusive spot?"
Elisile tries to find an out of the way spot – behind a shade tree, the mouth of a dark alley, the shadow of a wall – and loiters, throwing glances at the entrance(s) to the house in question.
Aubrey:
Elisile returns to find the others several hours later (mid afternoon).
“I observed Verne – Ironbriar’s secretary – enter the house,” she tells them. “He stayed for a short while then left again.”
"Let's set up a stakeout. Next time he comes by, we'll ambush him and take his keys. Or, better yet, can we find out where he lives and get to him that way?"