Bruin smiled at the surly Sheriff, and said his good mornings to all around.
"Desna bless you," he said softly to Bethany once he spied the coffee. He had grown a liking to the Sargavan drink back in Magnimar.
He also helped himself to a plate of sausages.
"Halfling don't slink," he joked to the Sheriff. "We skulk."
Once he heard the Sheriff mention the defiled crypts, Bruin grew angry.
"Of course we'll accompany you to the cathedral. This needs to be investigated right away."
Viro lets out a loud groan and tries to throw the sheet over himself before Bethany yanks it off.
"I dun' wanna..."
Eventually he stumbles down the stairs, hanging onto the railing for dear life. He leans heavily on the bar.
"help me..."
After some food, more water, and a shot of whiskey, Viro is more or less human and he intently watches the Sheriff through one bloodshot eye.
"I don't suppose another five hours of sleep is in order. That symbol is... weird. Maybe they're the pointy star tribe or something. Let's go to the Cathedral anyways."
Bruin shrugged.
"We can ask those goblins about the symbol after we've been to the cathedral," Bruin said sounding nonplussed.
"It's probably nothing though. Varisia is lousy with Thassilonian ruins. They probably just saw it somewhere and thought it looked like a blade."
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Pfah talkin to goblins...all ye gonna hear is brainfarts!] Beromar grumbles as he tags along to the Cathedral.
The Sheriff gets up and leads you through town to the gate of the boneyard behind the new Cathedral. There, Father Zantus the chief priest and a withered old fellow with a crooked back stand waiting your arrival.
"This is Noffer Vosk, the sextant, and a brother of our order." says the priest by way of introduction. "NOffer, tell the Sheriff and our heroes what you saw this morning."
"Aye, Father, an' thankee. I were doin' me regular morning chores here in the boneyard. I be caretaker, ye ken, an' I seen something amiss at the old Father's crypt there." He points to an above ground crypt back in the far corner of the yard, near the wall. "I wen't closer to take me a look-see, and that' when I seen the door was open. I din't get to close, ye ken, but it sounded like sometin movin' 'round inside. That's when I hopped to grabbin' the Father, an' he sent fer the Sheriff."
"I been keepin' an eye on that spot ever since like, and there's been nothin' comin' er goin' from that crypt since, but as you can see very well, the door be still open."
Vosk bows low and steps back to stand behind the chief priest again.
"Thank you, Father, Vosk. It appears you have done the wise thing. These men and I will take it from here. Please stand back safely out of the way, while we investigate."
He leads you forward toward the indicated crypt and you can indeed see that the door is open a bit, perhaps 6-7 inches inwards.
As you approach it is easy to see the ground is churned up a bit around the crypt.
As you finish looking at the ground, the Sheriff calls you over. Standing near the crypt steps, he asks "So what's your plan? Someone has to open that door and see what's what..."
"Blessed be the road, Father. It's good to see you again."
He then drew his crossbow and followed the Sheriff.
Bruin frowns at the tracks.
"Goblins for sure. Six, I think. But it looks like something human-sized disturbed the ground as well. And they were dragging something heavy, too."
Bruin thinks for a moment, and then says, "I can open the door quickly while you all take a look. But first receive the guidance of the Starsong."
Viro leans down and peers at the goblin footprints, delighted to have noticed them.
"Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait - there are human footprints here too. Wonder why? Could explain why they had such a nicely organized attack. Hey Beromar, want to take a look inside first? Your uh, dwarfy eyes will be useful."
Vero draws his weapons and stands to the side while Bruin opens the door.
Beromar eyes Viroleth warily. any race that alligns itself with Goblinkind instantly becomes suspect. He decides that this one while possibly not trustworthy is too dimwitted to pull something like that off and makes his way into the crypt with his keen Dwarven vision.
Bruin steels himself as Beromar opens the door. He follows closely behind.
Beromar approaches the door carefully. He notices the door has several marks on it, as if pry bars were used, but the marks are at or below his waist so obviously smaller creatures were involved.
The door stands open only about 6-7 inches and a small sliver of light falls inside. Even with darkvision, the view from the partially open door isn't enough to see much of the interior of the crypt. The floor is dusty as if undisturbed for years.
Pushing open the iron door, Beromar is stunned to see two living skeletons in the room, each wielding a rusty scimitar in its fleshless hands. The undead monsters move to engage the living dwarf uttering a wordless scream.
Desecrated Vault - Surprise Round
25 Viroleth
21 Beromar
20 Red Skeleton
12 Loges
12 Blue Skeleton
5 Bruin
"There's something in there," Bruin whispers.
Bruin prays for a bit of luck from his goddess.
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Loges--and Harvey--let out a Something! Something in there!
and he points at Beromar, sprinkling some powered dust at him, speaking arcane words of power.
School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, magus 1, sorcerer/wizard 1, summoner 1, witch 1; Domain growth 1, strength 1; Bloodline aberrant 1, boreal 1
CASTING
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (powdered iron)
EFFECT
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
Table: Size Modifiers
Size Size Modifier
Colossal –8
Gargantuan –4
Huge –2
Large –1
Medium +0
Small +1
Tiny +2
Diminutive +4
Fine +8
Table: Medium/Large Weapon Damage
Medium Weapon Damage Large Weapon Damage
1d2 1d3
1d3 1d4
1d4 1d6
1d6 1d8
1d8 2d6
1d10 2d8
1d12 3d6
2d4 2d6
2d6 3d6
2d8 3d8
2d10 4d8
This spell causes instant growth of a humanoid creature, doubling its height and multiplying its weight by 8. This increase changes the creature's size category to the next larger one. The target gains a +2 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity (to a minimum of 1), and a -1 penalty on attack rolls and AC due to its increased size.
A humanoid creature whose size increases to Large has a space of 10 feet and a natural reach of 10 feet. This spell does not change the target's speed.
If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it--the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.
All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly enlarged by the spell. Melee weapons affected by this spell deal more damage (see Table: Medium/Large Weapon Damage). Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any enlarged item that leaves an enlarged creature's possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown and projectile weapons deal their normal damage. Magical properties of enlarged items are not increased by this spell.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack.
Enlarge person counters and dispels reduce person .
Enlarge person can be made permanent with a permanency spell.
"GAH! What the hell are those things?!"
Viro moves up, a step back from Beromar, watching for a good opportunity to slip behind the advancing skeletons.
Perception
Beromar pushes open the door. Facing what look to be walking skeletons the Dwarf curses under his breath.
Hexerei... as he draws forth the massive axe slung over his shoulder to show these foes that they are messing with the wrong Dwarf.
Desecrated Crypt - Surprise Round - concluded
As Viroleth moves up to support him, Beromar draws his greataxe then whistles to himself as he sees the walking skeletons.
As the door opens, both the skeleton move to attack the creature of living flesh in the doorway.
Bruin prays for the luck of Desna to aid him again, and Loges begins casting a spell that will enlarge someone when it goes off.
End of Surprise Round
Desecrated Crypt - Round 1
25 Viroleth
21 Beromar
20 Red Skeleton
12 Loges
12 Blue Skeleton
5 Bruin
Viro tries to dance past the skeletons and come up behind them to flank Beromar.
He then looks down at his rapier, sighs, and tries to use it like a lever to snap off a rib with no luck whatsoever.
Desecrated Vault - Round 1 - continued
Viroleth surprises everyone by vaulting into the room, dancing between both skeletons with surprising nimbleness and stabbing at one in the "back" with his rapier. Unfortunately, the rapier passes into the empty space below the ribs of the skeleton, instead of sinking into a vital organ like it might with a human enemy.
Beromar quicker than you'd expect a dimwitted Dwarf to be hacks at both skeletons with his axe as they approach and then swiftly switches over to close combat aiming a few kicks at the shambling skeletons.
AoO for skeleton 1 Damage
AoO for skeleton 1 Damage
Flurry Damage
Flurry Damage
Desecrated Vault - Round 1 - concluded
As the skeletons advance, Beromar opens up on each in turn with his axe. The first is hit, but the bony structure of the undead turns aside the blade causing minimal damage. The second attack is a miss. Once the monstrosities are closer, the dwarven monk eschews the axe, kicking at the creatures with his feet.
The first kick shatters the first skeleton, and the second kick in the flurry destroys the second, ending the threat from inside.
End of Combat
Viro pokes the fallen skeleton and then shrugs.
"Not too menacing when they're just dusty bones. What happened here?"
Viro inspects the crypt, looking for signs of other strangeness.
After the sudden violent outburst from the skeletons, the silence in the crypt seems eerie. With the doors open, the crypt is revealed to have two burial sarcophagi inside. One appears whole and undisturbed. The other, however, appears to have had the lid pried off by a number of metal bars, which litter the ground inside. The stone lid has fallen to the ground and broken into several large pieces. Of more concern however, is the interior --where the wooden coffin should lie inside the stone tomb, there is only empty space! The interior coffin is missing! A jumble of discarded rags lies in one corner of the crypt and a thick layer of dust covers all the surfaces.
"Someone stole a coffin!"
Viro pauses, looking down at the coffin incredulously in the dim light.
"Who would do that? Who was buried here?"
Beromar grows large and bumps his head on the crypt the sturdy Dwarf eyes Loges warily and instantly grows smaller again as he begins to curse the Mage first in his native tongue then in the common tongue so that hee can understand the Dwarves discontent.
Wil save to resist spell effect
What is wrong wit ye witcher? Ye think ye can turn me into a Giant? the Dwarf shouts as he raises a fist at Loges.
Dwarves is made of tougher stuff than that!
Bruin stifles a giggle at Beromar's predicament.
"Oh, come now, Beromar. He meant well."
Bruin investigated the rags first.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Upon closer examination, the rags in the corner turn out be a robe of some kind. Several holes are ripped in the fabric, and the outline of some vaguely humanoid patches are seen in two places on the remaining material.
Crowding into the now-safe vault, Sheriff Hemlock looks incredulous. "Why would someone want to steal the coffin of old Father Tobyn? The goblins did this? Why?"
"This looks interesting."
"Hey, Loges, you're like a mage, right? Is this thing magical? It's got a weird design."
***
When the Sheriff steps in Bruin looks pensive and then says, "I don't know. I don't think that Goblins would have animated skeletons. Or take an entire coffin for that manner."
Bruin frowned.
"Hey, was the Father buried with anything valuable? Maybe someone opportunistic wanted to cover a grave robbing by using the Goblins."
Viro bites his lip as he stares thoughtfully at the crypt.
"I guess, the question is with whoever the goblins are working for. They seemed to just run around and kill stuff. Unless we can find something else I don't think more answers are down here though."
Bruin scans the robe for magical dweomer and isn't exactly surprised to find that it does have faint magical properties.
When Bruin asks about valuables buried with the old father, Hemlock shakes his head. "No his will was very clear about that. Since his only living relative also died in the blaze, the church was to sell off all his valuables and donate the proceeds to the church here. It was how the Cathedral fund got started..."
"I watched his scorched bones go into the box myself, I can tell you there was nothing valuable put in there at that time. Nothing in poor Nualia's crypt either." he says indicating the other, undisturbed crypt. "The girl's coffin is completely empty, as her remains were never found after the fire."
Viro listens aptly to the Sheriff's story. "That's.. that's awful! That poor family. What caused the fire?"
"That was five years ago, about the time of the Chopper murders, you ken? The fire burnt down the old church, and we just now got the new Cathedral open and Tobyn's corpse disappears...No one knows how the fire started, an unattended candle maybe, there'd have been plenty in that old church. But Tobyn died, and his adopted daughter perished also. We found his remains in what was left of his bedroom, but her's...we never found, burnt up in the fire's my guess." the Sheriff says these things with an air of reminiscence and his eyes get a far-away look as he recalls the unpleasant past.
Viro tries to recall what he knows about the fire and the Chopper murders.
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Loges wrinkles his nose as he enters the dusty tomb.
He peers around the small interior. His eyes crinkle a bit as Bruin begins pointing out the robe.
With a wave and a murmured arcane word, Loges inspects the robes.
Yes, I have studied these while we were schooled in Necromancy one semester.
This is a--now used up--Robe of Bones. The patches are pulled off and thrown,
manifesting into a Skeletal warrior. Evil stuff!
So we dealin wit evil necromancers Beromar surmizes. I says sometin worth dealin wit. How old was da girl Sherif? And was you leadin the investigations back then?
"Well if what Loges said is right, anyone could use that robe. But that may mean there are more skeletons regardless of who made 'em. I think I should get a mace," says Viro unhappily. "So somebody came in here, stole the body, and left a couple of skeletons behind for us. Bizarre. "
"Not just anyone. It was goblins!" says Hemlock, reminding you of the footprints that went over the wall toward Northgate. "Makes me wonder if the whole attack weren't a distraction from this body-stealing?"
He tells Beromar that Nualia, the adopted daughter of Father Tobyn would've been in her late teen years, maybe twenty, when she died in the fire. "She was a right beauty too, she was. Some say she had blood of angels in here, and that her touch could heal warts and her voice could dispel evil spirits. I don't go in for that nonsense, but yes, I investigated the fire. It wasn't long after I became Sheriff, after the Chopper..."
He goes onto relate, and Viroleth can back up, the story of the Chopper. When Jervis Stoot made clear his intentions to build a home on the island just north of the Old Light, locals paid him no mind. Jervis had already garnered something of a reputation for eccentricity when he began his one-man crusade to carve depictions of birds on every building in town. Stoot never made a carving without securing permission, but his incredible skill at woodcarving made it a given that, if Stoot picked your building as the site of his latest project, you seized the opportunity. "Sporting a Stoot" soon grew to be something of a bragging point, and Jervis eventually extended his gift to include ship figureheads and carriages. Those who asked or tried to pay him for his skill were rebuffed — Stoot told them, "There ain’t no birds in that wood for me t’set free," and went on his way, often wandering the streets for days before noticing a hidden bird in a fencepost, lintel, steeple, or doorframe, which he’d then secure permission to "release" with his trusty hatchets and carving knives.
Stoot’s excuse for wanting to move onto the isle seemed innocent enough — the place was a haven for local birdlife, and his claim of "Wantin’ ta be with th’ birds" seemed to make sense. So much so, in fact, that the guild of carpenters (with whom Stoot had maintained a friendly competition for several years) volunteered to build a staircase, free of charge, along the southern cliff face so that Stoot could come and go from his new home with ease. For 15 years, Stoot lived on the island. His trips into town grew less and less frequent, making it something of an event when he chose a building to host a new Stoot.
Sandpoint was no stranger to crime, or even to murder. Once or twice a year, passions flared, robberies went bad, jealousy grew too much to bear, or one too many drinks were drunk, and someone would end up dead. But when the bodies began to mount five years ago, the town initially had no idea how to react. Sandpoint’s sheriff at the time was a no-nonsense man named Casp Avertin, a retired city watch officer from Magnimar. Yet even he was ill-prepared for the murderer who came to be known as Chopper. Over the course of one long winter month, it seemed that every day brought a new victim to light. Each was found in the same terrible state: bodies bearing deep cuts to the neck and torso, hands and feet severed and stacked nearby, and the eyes and tongue plucked crudely from the head and missing entirely.
Over the course of that terrible month, Chopper claimed 25 victims. His uncanny knack at eluding traps and pursuit quickly wore on the town guard, taking particular toll on Sherrif Avertin, who increasingly took to drinking. In any event, Sherrif Avertin himself became Chopper’s last victim, slain upon catching the murderer in a narrow lane — still known now as Chopper’s Alley — as he was mutilating his latest victim. Yet in the battle that followed, Avertin managed a telling blow against the killer. When the town guard found both bodies several minutes later, they were able to follow the killer’s bloody trail.
A trail that led straight to the stairs of Stoot’s Rock.
At first, the town guard refused to believe the implications, and feared that Chopper had come to claim poor Jervis Stoot as his 26th victim. Yet what the guards found in the modest home atop the isle, and in the larger complex of rooms that had been carved into the bedrock below, left no room for doubt. Jervis Stoot and Chopper were the same, and the eyes and tongues of all 25 victims were found upon a horrific altar to a birdlike demon whose name none dared speak aloud. Stoot himself was found dead at the base of the altar, having plucked his own eyes and tongue loose in a final offering. The guards collapsed the entrance to the chambers, burned Stoot’s house, tore down the stairs, and did their best to forget. Stoot himself was burned on the beach in a pyre, his ashes blessed and then scattered in an attempt to stave off an unholy
return of his evil spirit.
But as fate would have it, the people of Sandpoint would soon have a new tragedy to bear, one that almost eclipsed Chopper’s rampage. A month after the murderer was slain, a terrible fire struck Sandpoint. The fire started in the Sandpoint Chapel and spread quickly. As the town rallied to save the church, the fire spread, consuming the North Coast Stables, the White Deer Inn, and three homes. In the end, the church burnt to the ground, leaving the town’s beloved priest Ezakien Tobyn,and his beautiful daughter, dead.
All that remains today of the once-loved Stoot carvings are ragged scars on buildings and figureheads where owners used hatchets to remove what had become a haunting reminder of a wolf in their fold. The homes and businesses ravaged by the fire have been reconstructed, and the Sandpoint Chapel has finally been rebuilt as well. With the consecration of this new cathedral, Sandpoint can finally put the dark times of the Late Unpleasantness in the past.
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Loges listens intently to the sheriff as he tells his tale.
He cringes--a bit--as the description of the Chopper incident is related.
He nods his head in respect as the terrible fire is announced, along with the deaths of the poor Priest and his daughter.
This is a terrible history! And now when a happy moment has arrived for this town, these pesty Goblins attack!
Bermoar listens silently to the Sheriff's account merely rumbling from time to time.
Hmmpf...ugly story...well let us finish this here ordeal.
Bruin looks pale as the Sheriff tells his tale. "Sad business."
"Is there more we can do here? The only thing I can think of is to check the beach where this Chopper was burned. Or perhaps Stoot's Rock?."
Bruin's hand suddenly flies to his face as he remembers something.
"Damn. We were supposed to meet with that fellow from last night. Er, Foxglove, I believe. Well, I suppose he wouldn't mind if we were a little late."
"So what do you think, gents? Beach? Rock?
"That's all ancient history now." says the Sheriff. "Jervis Stoot, the Chopper, ain't mixed up in this business no how. I finished and burned that demon-lover myself. Ain't enough of him left to fill up a salt shaker I'll warrant. What I can't fathom is why a group of goblins would want old Father Tobyn's body. I'll cogitate on that while you fellows go on your hunt. Maybe when you get back, we can question the prisoners we have, and then tomorrow when Shalelu arrives, she can fill in the gaps for us. Thanks for your help here with the skeleton, and I hope it's not a cult of necromancers or something we're dealing with here."
The Sheriff stomps off towards the Watch office, leaving you to go on your hunt if you choose.