Torgue will hurry down to the floor and use his vast knowledge of brewing to find key valves.
Torgue, after overconfidently inhaling, blows chunks.
Chell backs away enough to draw her new shield and send a mini storm at the half-orc. He apparently did not appreciate being healed earlier.
While snooping around the distillery you understand the layout better. Barrett runs a grisly side business; namely, the discreet disposal of corpses for persons who don’t want their victims washing up on shore. One of the three vats contains an acid which dissolves the evidence. You do feel fortunate that nobody used any firespells in this room, as Torgue mentions the entire room would have exploded.
You do find two keys on both Blister and Barrett, presumably for the padlocks on the doors.
Chell discovers the white gold and sapphire Ring of Quell jammed in the gaps of the walkway. In side the band is described A.N.. You figure the wearer was not quite dead when he arrived int this room.
Torgue and Bri search Blister and find masterwork short sword, light crossbow, 5 +1 flaming bolts, masterwork studded leather armor, thick leather gloves, a pouch filled with gold teeth taken from the corpses brought to the Barnacle (55 teeth, each worth 1 gp).
Sorrin searches the Barrett and finds 2 flasks of acid, +1 keen greataxe, +2 chain shirt, black leather breeches and a heavy leather smock with burn marks and chemical stains. 5 scrolls, (2 purify food and water, 2 CLW, 1 protection from good)
Bri keeps her mask on for now, she doesn't know how long the fumes take to disperse.
"Like, seriously eeewwww. It's not bad enough they are dissolving bodies, they also pull out some teeth to keep?"
"Alright, so what do we do now? Sadly we don't have anyone to interrogate. Shall we go over the other room again too, just in case we missed anything?"
Astrianna is quite glad none of them had any torches out- her Dancing Lights certainly proved their usefulness today.
She has mixed feelings at the moment. While they just acquired a massive haul of expensive magical items, she had no intention of killing Barret and disrupting both the status quo and information flow of Shaw's underbelly. On top of that, a major source of information for them was dead.
The half-elf suggests the following course of action. "We might as well go all-out on this. We can break into the Barnacle and try to find Barret's records. If he kept many. I suggest when we finish we remove the chain and locks we broke, then detonate the still and make Barret's death appear to be a tragic brewing accident."
She regards Chell, who is probably taking this entire matter rather hard. Astrianna lays a hand on her shoulder. "Chell, do you have any blessings that can allow us to speak with the dead? Barret's soul will probably not be receptive, but it could be better than nothing."
Astrianna also casts detect magic on the other items they did not directly identify as magical, such as the gloves, breeches, and smock.
Torgue spits on the ground. I dunno about blowing the building. Fire is a pretty darn serious matter with these rickety buildings. Could sweep across town.
"Smelling the burning fumes could also make folks ill. How about we just toss the bodies into the vat? Surely it is no less than he deserves for all the time he's done it to others."
Between the fall and the AOO he is dead. when you strip Barrett you see a scar on his chest that looks like a tentacle sucker has torn away his flesh. Blister does not have this scarring.
There is nothing else magical in the still or the cellar. You don't not find any log or record keeping journal of the events that take place in this room.
Note: time wise it's dawn.
Astrianna chuckles at Embrianna's suggestion. "I was considering that if we didn't want to blaze the place. The irony is delicious. Though, this place will probably just be used again be someone else." Before they toss Blister and Barret into the acid, she takes a moment to inspect the scarring on the dwarf's chest.
"This is a strange mark... What kind of creature could have done this?"
The scar is fully healed, it looks like it is less than year in age though. Looks like some sort of tentacle had attached to his chest before it released it's grip. Definitely a sea creature or some sort of mind flayer of some sort.
There is nothing magical about the scar.
Torgue, shall we? We don't want them washing up on shore, after all... And they went through the trouble of setting this all up.
Shame to let it all go to waste. Sorrin walks over to retrieve the severed head.
Don't leave any traces, pick up arrows and the like or anything we may have dropped. That scar, it could be... The Ring.
On the bright side, Torgue... We can probably pick the place up for a pittance. Refit it as a proper inn and distillery.
Astrianna studies the scar for a few moments, contemplating. "The scar is less than a year old. Some kind of tentacle latched on and then released him. Some kind of sea creature, or perhaps a mind flayer?"
She lets Sorrin and Torgue take away the body, and sits in thought. "I don't believe the Ring would be marking each other with debilitating tentacles. I wouldn't expect them to mark one another at all, for secrecy. He was probably attacked by a be-tentacled monster some time in the past. A mind-flayer attack would explain his strangely emotionless demeanor."
Shrugging, the bard goes about picking up the stray arrow she fired.
She sighs, as it is broken clean in two. The half-elf busies herself shoveling loot into her haversack, looking at Sorrin strangely. "You want to purchase a well-known den of debauchery and villainy then operate a respectable business out of the seediest part of Shaw?"
The bard decides the bag full of gold teeth and the Protection from Good scroll are too risky to sell. She suggests to everyone they toss both items, as well as the dragonsmoke they took off of Garreg, into the vat of acid.
You could melt the teeth down into a few coins. Wouldn't be surprised if there are some rotters who would like the scroll. Torgue humphs and swills some of his good ale to gett he taste of bile out of his mouth as he hefts the bodies.
Sorrin tosses the half-breed head into the acid vat.
Gentrification has to start somewhere.
And, that's a ring. Representing, The Ring. Uncle used to warn about not being able to see the forest through the trees. Luckily, we were mostly surrounded by desert, he'd laugh.
Sorrin chuckles, at some memory.
Whose handwriting?
Chell reaches up to grab the ring with shaking hands. Archibald was here. And he wasn't dead when he arrived. What had happened? Did they throw him in alive? The priestess starts to feel queasy when Astrianna breaks her out of her thoughts. "What?" she asks, wiping away a tear and sniffling. Neither of which had anything to do with the poison n the air.
"Yes. I can prepare a few spells to speak with him. With our luck though I might just run out before his spirit gives in. We will have to wait until tomorrow." As she bends down to check Barret's body she notices the scar. Her eyes go wide.
"Harthogoa?" she whispers in surprise. "This looks like what Archibald described in that letter I found in his room. He was one of them," she says looking at Astrianna worriedly. "We need to search this place more. Maybe there is something here about the cult."
Astrianna furrows her brows as Chell points out that the scar was the Mark of the Kraken. "That's the mark? Well, no doubt about it then. Barret was a member of the cult. This certainly confirms that the cult is after priests of Quell."
She shrugs at the priestess. "There was nothing else to be found in here. We'd have to break into and ransack the Barnacle if you want to look for more information. Considering it's dawn, I don't know how good of an idea that is. I could impersonate Barret for a while but I don't know how long I'll be able to keep it up. I've only had an hour or sleep, maybe, and all of you have had less."
Yawning loudly, she turns to Sorrin. "Whose handwriting on what? The scrolls? I have no idea, but I doubt it's anyone important. These are quite basic spells."
Bri snorts. "Dawn is actually best time to break into any bar. Anyone still in it will be passed out in a drunken stupor and no one comes into one this early in the morning."
Precisely the scrolls, Astrianna. Are they arcane or divine? Is it your friend Sam, the Dragoons' high arcanist Chambers?
If we study the handwriting and match it later... We connect more dots. Information, knowledge is power. This dark power that threatens the citizens of Port Shaw, relies on obfuscation. We shall unravel them and lay them out plainly.
Astrianna sighs. "I just want to get some sleep... Fine, fine, dump the bodies and let's go ransack the bar. I don't think Barret's soul would do much talking to us anyhow."
She waves a hand at Sorrin. "Well, the cure light wounds are definitely divine scrolls. Sam is a wizard and Chambers is a sorcerer, and they're both far above this magnitude of scroll writing. Really, any hedge wizard or adept could make these. I'll hang on to them and study them later, but I would need another sample of magical writing from the individuals that penned this to be sure."
When they are ready to go, Astrianna will take the keys they collected from Barret and Blister, tap her Hat of Disguise and take on the form of the dwarf Barret. Unlocking the padlock on the front of the still, she ushers them out. Meanwhile, she removes a scroll to recite musical arcane words from it, and as the parchment turns to ash her voice becomes deep and accented until it is a near perfect match for Barret's.
The dwarf clears his throat and nods. "Get moving." He takes the lead and heads towards the bar.
Bri snickers and casts a hex to try to resemble the Half-Orc lackey.
With Torgue's help, Sorrin dumps the bodies. He follows.
Torgue and Sorrin toss the head and bodies into the acid vat.
Astri and Bri lead the way towards the bar. You see a serving wench/manager at the back door opening, she is quite surprised to see you. She shacks her head in disbelief, "Ain't seen yous 'ere at this our like e'ver...whats wrong?"
She frowns at the half-orc, Blister. "Why aint you brewing yer swill" She looks a bit worried that both Barrett and Blister are up this early and out of the still.
Bri remains quiet for the moment to give Astri a chance to talk first.
Torgue of course takes up his expert surveillance location as a drunk in the alley.
Barret grumbles loudly and gestures to the others behind him. "We're closed t'day. Building's rented out. Got major plans." He gestures wide and dismissively. "Get 'vryone out and lock up. Then get on home." The dwarf levels a look at the manager and anyone else paying attention, beginning to seem impatient if they don't hop to it. "No questions an' yer quick, yer pay'll be doublefer 'tday."
She scratches her head, "Ain't nobody 'ere, but custom'rs and whores be angry wit you. But I do what I'm told, but I be gathering my pay first." She looks at Barrett and Blister.
Barret nods and digs out a sack of coin, picking through it. "'Course... 'course... It'll all be worth it."
The dwarf drops four gold pieces into her palm, and waves her off. "Now git."
She takes the coin and leaves.
Once the manager has cleared out, Astrianna looks over to "Blister" and grins. "Well, got the place to ourselves now..." Barret sticks his head outside and gets Torgue to come inside, locking up after him.
She keeps her disguise on just in case, but starts to search the place. "I'll search the bar. You know, we should do this more often. This is great!" The dwarf announces to the group, her voice having returned to normal by now.
Astrianna picks around the bar for... the most expensive or interesting liquor, and stuffs it in her haversack. She whistles a lively dwarven tune as she works.
Once that task is complete, she looks for anything of importance around the bar.
Torgue keeps an eye out in case anyone moseys by.
This is a single floor establishment. Astri is not overly impressed by the liquor items in the bar, all very pedestrian. You do recognize a semi-descent bottle of red wine. Torgue moves to the front door and windows to keep an eye out for morning traffic.
You all entered through the back door that is behind the bar, and you have located two other doors in the establishment. The first is to a small toilet room and the second leads to a cramped office. Inside the office it is packed with full casks of grog, two half casts of cheap wine (one white, one red) a few shelves of unlabelled cheap wines, and bar-ware. There are an assortment of wine labels printed with different varieties. There is cash box that has 13 GP, 13 SP, 13 CP in it. There is small sack that has 13 CPs in it. On the desk is an old worn journal which you soon realize contains nothing more than supplies orders, which itemize purchases like: empty casts, bar-ware, wine bottles (empty), cheap wine, cigars. It does has a column labelled Garreg and daily payments from the girls he runs out of the establishment. On average you see Barrett collects about 20 gold a day as his fee. On close review you don't see anything that would link him to the slave trade, or disposal of bodies. There isn't even order sheets for the acid that he uses. Obviously, he keeps that off the books.
You do find one more small loose board and it contains another small coin box: 113 GP, 213 SP 313 CP.
After about 30 minutes of looking inside the tavern Torgue will mention company is arriving...the first customers of the day. One working girl and four deck hands approach. A bit farther down the dirt road Torgue can see some blue from a couple uniforms.
Time to go.
Astrianna is quite disappointed by the selection of alcohol, but doesn't complain too much about it. She does, however, complain about everything else. "Look at this chump change! He had to be making more than this. Body disposal is a lucrative business. Unless he was doing a lot of favors for the cult..."
The coin boxes and journals get taken. She wanted to make it appear as if Garreg took everything and ran. The broken lock outside would make that suspect, but who would be able to guess what really happened...?
As the first customers of the day approach Astrianna nods, and ushers everyone out the back door. "Let's get out of here."
She locks the door behind them, and starts off down the back way. The half-elf looks back and sighs. "I still think blowing the place would have made some beautiful fireworks."
Astrianna starts off towards the Silk District. Even though she was tired, she wanted to liquidate their gains as soon as possible.
No sooner than you exit the rear door when customers rattle the front door trying to enter the watering hole. You can hear voices outside they seem quite confused.
The group only knows of the one dirt road that heads back into town but there are some nearby trees where you can take cover.
Astrianna curses low under her breath- she is out of Illusions for the day. Damn Garreg and his thick skull.
She immediately casts Invisibility on herself, winking out of sight. The bard is torn on who to cast the other invisibility on, and chooses from the least stealthy of the group...
The lumbering battering ram seems an obvious choice, in hindsight. Astiranna quickly weaves a spell around the ox and makes him vanish.
Chell skims through the journal, hoping to find something on the goings on in the distillery but slams it shut when nothing is found. There wasn't even any suspicious expenditures. Everything was kept off the books, or at least the books that could be easily found. Did the cult really do this or were they just getting rid of the bodies? Were the Dragoons rounding up anyone that got suspicious and sending them here? Archibald's note mentioned some of them having a similar mark. And how long has this been going on? Barret's scar was old. At least a year. How deep was Port Shaw buried in darkness?
Astri and Torgue blink out of sight, then Astri heads off into the woods.
Chell spots a small trail to follow, it appears to loop around towards the coast line.
Chell's pants snag on a nearby branch as they make their way between the trees. As it snaps back it makes a terrible amount of noise. She curses under breath but notices a trail just beyond the offending branch. She grabs whoever is nearby and begins bragging them down the path. It should be easier to navigate and it looks like it might loop around to the coast. "This way."
Astrianna invisibly cringes as Chell displays the grace of a baleen whale. I must study group invisibility spells...
She follows the priestess, taking up the rear of the group so no one runs into her.