Back at Torchbearers HQ (), Sabinus tries to piece apart the important points in the new parchment. "There is so much information in these parchments. This confirms that Ilnerik ran off with the relic and has perhaps become a vampire. But it does not seem he lurks within Delvehaven. Something has been secured deep within Delvehaven, although I'm not sure how it is connected to Ilnerik. But I'm having trouble reading part of this..."
Sabinus flips between the parchments uncovered in the crux and the cache. Holding up the one from the crux, "And remember that this parchment suggested other lines of investigation. Only Pathfinders Bisby and Liriam are suggested to lie within Delvehaven, and Ilnerik is suggested to have fled towards Nidal. But Coriana's remains may be with the Sisters of Eiseth (whoever they are), and Ghaelfin's remains may be with the Luccas family. We'll certainly need to get to Delvehaven eventually, but should we first check out the Sisters of Eiseth and Luccas Family leads? Viscount, I think you were saying that one of the members of the Luccas family runs some sort of fighting ring in the Rego Cader? Something like the Devildrome? But we still don't know anything about the Sisters."
Sabinus asks any of the other Torchbearers around (other than the party itself): "Were any of you able to find out any more information about the Sisters of Eiseth and Luccas Family leads while we were out at the cove? Anything more about this fight club?"
Other than a dotarri marine patrol that had to be avoided, the return to the Torchbearer HQ is uneventful. The shadow creatures do not attack, despite the group moving through the darkness, perhaps aware of what happened to the last shadows who crossed paths with the group of heroes.
The torchbearers who don't have specific tasks gather around to see how the latest foray went, with congratulatory pats and smiles when they see all that you brought back.
Surprisingly, the motherly Fiosa steps forward when asks about the Sisters of Eiseth, "I have heard something actually. A widow friend of mine heard from her sisters cousins niece over tea..." and gives some possible clues about the Sisters of Eisith, perhaps enough for one of the group to connect the dots.
Ailyn shudders as the conversation goes on about Corianna's possible fate, [b["Poor Corianna. Languishing in a jar in the basement of an Asmodean nunnery is no fate I would wish on anyone! If you were to locate my Pathfinder sisters' ashes and returned them to me, there would be an extra reward for you. Plus I'd consider it a personal favor."[/b] She says, obviously perturbed by Corianna's likely demise and resting place.
The large Ermolos steps forward, a tad sheepishly, I've been to the devildrome a time or two, merely satisfying my curiosity you understand, but it's a rough place to be, sure's anything." and he gives you some interesting details about the place.
The Devildrome is an immense two-story cage inside the shell of a block of apartment buildings. Because of the curfew, Signore Lucca (as Ermolos calls him) operates his tournament during daylight hours, with fights generally scheduled from noon to 5:00. His loyal fans continue to return week after week to watch their favorite summoned creatures tear each other apart—and on special days, to see "real" people test their mettle against these summoned monsters. Signore Lucca maintains an office near the front of the crumbling stone buildings he’s claimed, and can be found there every day from the hour of 11:00 to noon. "There always seems to be a relatively healthy staff of mercenaries... errr --guards, about the place. Probably as much to protect his lordship from the ruins’ wild folk as from drunk and disorderly customers."
"That sounds like the Massacre House," Caladius offers in response to Fiosa's description. "It's up in the northern edge of the city. Maybe that's where these 'sisters' are holed up."
"Interesting, Caladius. It seems like exploring the Massacre House may be less likely to bring attention to us than exploring the Devildrome, and it seems like recovering Corianna's remains may be slightly more pressing, so I wonder if we should pay the Sisters a visit first. Do we really know nothing about them? Are they still functioning? If not, were they a religious order and of what nature?"
"The Upper Reach would be very interested to know more about these Sisters," says Enko. "If they are like those of the Golden Erinyes, they are a threat, and should be dealt with."
Sabinus's mind delves deep into past readings and knowledge thought forgotten, until now, and he shares as much as he can remember with you.
The Sisterhood of Eiseth existed in the time before Aroden’s death as a convent of female monks who hoped to become erinyes after their deaths. By worshiping the first erinyes, Eiseth, and leading a life of fury, they hoped to train for this role in the afterlife, and frequently hired out as assassins. Their work was particularly valued by some for their convention of claiming the remains of their victims, cremating them, and securing the ashes below one of their convents in order to prevent the slain victim from being brought back to life or receiving the honor of a proper burial. In the time before Aroden’s death, the Sisterhood was forced to operate with a cover—most of their convents posed as mausoleums or funeral houses. It is indeed ironic that in modern Cheliax, where they could act relatively openly, the Sisterhood has languished. In neighboring Isger, their order has prospered and evolved, becoming the better-known Sisters of the Golden Erinyes. Here in Cheliax, though, most of their monasteries are now abandoned, and those that remain are, like Westcrown’s Massacre House, run by relatively small numbers of low-level monks.
Before Aroden’s death, the Sisters of Eiseth operated under the cover of a crematorium. Today, this chapter of the Sisterhood stubbornly maintains its convent in the ruined section of the city, refusing to relocate their traditional home to safer areas. Of course, the order’s relatively notorious reputation does much to keep the lowlifes and thugs who live in the ruins from bothering the building, known locally as “Massacre House,” but never in a Sister’s presence. Devout worshipers of Eiseth, the Sisters are staunch supporters of House Thrune and make it their business to keep a watchful eye over Westcrown’s piety, and while they are unofficially custodians of Rego Cader’s ruins, in practice they rarely leave their convent at all. They still carry out assassinations now and then, but at
much reduced prices with much lower-profile and less important targets—this particular Sisterhood is on the cusp of transforming into little more than an organized group of street thugs as a result. One thing Sabinus seems certain of, is that due to their Sisters solitary nature, what happens in the Massacre House stays there, and retaliation from the Church of Asmodeus itself is highly unlikely.
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It is a rare sight indeed to see Enko frown and clench his fists.
He releases them to open hands and speaks plainly.
"The Sisters of the Golden Erinyes practice hamatulatsu, an unarmed style designed to cause pain in addition to injury--to cripple, and to scar. It is not a style of...integrity. My order, the Children of The Upper Reach, practice melekatha, handed down in ages past by an empyreal opponent of the hamatula. To my knowledge, the styles have not been tested against each other."
His eyes flash in a manner highly unlike that of a peaceful monastic.
"Whether we go to the Devildrome or the Massacre House first does not matter to me. For both, we should be ready for combat that knows no honor nor restraint."
"That sounds fine to me." Ava says, nodding. "Though perhaps Signore Lucca would be willing to grant us access to the Venture-Captain's stony remains without a fight. I doubt he'd realize the significance."
"If what we need to save Westcrown is in this Delvehaven, do we really need to spend our time uncovering old bones?" the carpenter suggests, timidly. "I'm all for honoring the dead, but perhaps that's a job for another day. He's a poor craftsman that doesn't focus on the job at hand." In the face of Ailyn's plea, however, Lucon's conscience gets the better of him. "I suppose we do need all the clues we can. Don't you worry, miss. We'll get your friends back."
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As he spots the fire in Enko's eyes he can't help but grin. [b]"That's the spirit!" he says, clapping his friend on the back. "Let's pay them a visit
[b]"The sisters give me the creeps." he shudders. "I was sent to learn my letters at a monastery like that. Ran away after three weeks and never looked back. My father was furious..." he says, shuddering at the memory. He rolls up his shirt-sleeves and points out several scars. "Can still see where they beat me. Weren't natural how much they liked that cane..."
Sabinus' eyebrows raise at Enko's fire: "I'm glad you have some familiarity with our apparent next foes." In response to Lucon: "I agree we eventually need to go to Delvehaven, but everything indicates it will be extremely hazardous. There may be more useful information to be gathered from these other leads first." Also: "I'm glad I didn't share your experience of being sent to a monastery for my education. It was difficult bearing the abuse of the fellow students of my tutor in Egorian, but at least I could retreat to the lost corners of the city after lessons.
To the group: "I assume we need to approach the Sisters during daytime. Should we go in disguise? Any other special preparations? Are we going to try sneaking in? Do I dare trying to size up the Massacre House from the air before we attempt to enter? Perhaps I can make such an aerial investigation now, and we can then plan our assault? But I probably should have some escort into that part of the City..."
As Sabinus suggests disguises, Caladius glowers darkly at the man. "I'm done with costumes." There is the steely ring of finality in his voice, the indignities of their time on stage still apparently too near in the tiefling's mind.
Enko arches an eyebrow at Sabinus. "Monastery life is not abusive, friend Sabinus. However, we can discuss the life at the Upper Reach another time. I agree with Caladius. A direct approach is necessary. Aerial reconnaissance is an excellent idea; after that we either break in quietly or break in loudly."
It sounds as if Enko prefers the latter.
"Suit yourselves, but I'm going in disguise. Let me know whether you want me to go check it out in advance and who is willing to come along. Or, if you all prefer, we can all just leave as soon as we are ready and make up a plan on the spot based on what I can see. Seems like you fighting types are kind of impatient."
Sabinus will ask Yako to help him with a very simple disguise, maybe a black wig and black hooded robes.
Assuming we've had time to rest (and commune with animal friends) since the cove, Sabinus is ready to leave whenever.
Yakopulio is gone for about fifteen minutes before returning with the disguise pieces Sabinus requested. She holds up a small, gnome-sized dress and asks "Anyone else need a disguise? Caladius?" and holds the tiny dress out towards him, tilting it side to side and shimmying her smooth shoulders in time with it.
"What is that? A dust rag?"
Lucon grimaces at the skimpy dress, seeming to shrink away behind his gorget. "My helm should keep my face hidden. I'll accompany you, Sabinus. It's a bad neighbourhood, but I don't know if anybody is fool enough to attack an armoured man..."
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@Sabinus and Lucon Beatings? snicker At the Academae, failure meant being torn asunder by bearded devils or having your liver eaten alive by lemures. I survived 4 of my classmates. Still, those scars look deep. We shall have to repay the Sisters with kindness.
The Viscount votes sisters, thunderdome, and then lodge.
He does his best to dress down, despite his foppish fashion sense. He covers himself with a long, dark green, hooded cloak.
Enko prays, meditates, and attacks his training arena with an unbridled vigor after their morning repast.
After sufficient rest, the group moves northward through Westcrown, it's streets becoming more an more familiar. Occasionally, people look your way with a nod or a wink or a quick smile, but no words are exchanged. There are town criers sharing tasty morsels of gossip about the party going on at the mayors home, who is there and who isn't, among other things. It seems an alarm has not been raised, or possibly any abnormalities have yet to be discovered, either way no one seems to reporting any alarm or panic to the general public.
Coming close to the known location of the Massacre House, everyone slows down to make sure caution is observed. Looking around a corner it comes into view, the Massacre House is a hexagonal stone building whose slate shingled roof comes to a sharp triangular peak. You can see a stout, plain door near you. All but the most drunk or weasel-like or unsavory looking passerby's are about now, and those are few and far between, eying the group with greedy, hungry eyes.
Sabinus waits to don his disguise until out of the normal part of town and into the ruins. No point in being in disguise around people who could recognize us if the others aren't in disguise too. Once near the Massacre House, he dons his disguise and waits until no one is around before flying to the roof of the nearest building and then doing a quick circular aerial recon of the Massacre House, trying to fly high enough to avoid attracting attention. He's looking for possible access points, to get a sense of the layout, and any other interesting details (and anything else anyone else suggests he looks for).
Sabinus notes there are four doors, two on the south side and two on the north. Several woman enter the northwest door, which is opposite the area where the rest of the group is hiding, none of the women looking up. They pause at the door for several seconds, appear to have some sort of conversation through the door, and then are admitted into the dark confines of the building. Other than those few women, all the rest of the people in the area seem to avoid the building like it contains some deadly disease. There is a large single chimney, angled to match the room, from which a constant trickle of smoke billows.
Sabinus returns and, of course, fills everyone in. "I didn't see any other obvious approaches. Ava, do you think you can get this door open? I assume we're not planning on knocking?"
Ava gives the witch a nod. "As long as you can keep anybody from making a scene, it should be no problem. Two minutes."
She pulls her hood of disguise up, her form quickly changing to match those of the sisters they just saw.
"And be ready - if we can catch these sisters off-guard, all the better." With that, she slinks to whichever door is most out-of-sight, quietly unfurling her tools to begin working on the lock.
As Sabinus slips into the sky, Caladius readies his bow and keeps an arrow knocked just in case an unexpected airborne foe presents itself. He covers Ava similarly from a distance as she works on the locked door.
Ava moves slowly but silently to the door when she sees a clear opening. It takes a few minutes, and for a bit there seems to be some doubt if she's up to the task, but then there's a small and satisfying *snick* from the lock and it sits there ready to be opened.
Sabinus stands ready to follow the others in.
Caladius waits until he is the last before approaching the door, ensuring he and his bow are available to cover his allies should anything happen as they move toward the building.
Lucon swallows hard before entering the monastery, ready to take point if necessary.
Enko enters the monastery, just after Lucon. His brows are furrowed with concentration, but his breathing remains even and his step remains light and fluid as ever.
Ava enters the building as quietly as she can, taking care to keep an eye out for any sisters as she enters.