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Round 2
Cats fires again at the jerky monster.
to hit; (+PBS, deadly aim, +smite)
damage.
damage.
to hit; (+PBS, deadly aim)
damage.
to hit; (+PBS, deadly aim)
damage.
[ dice]1d20+18[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+15[/dice] slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+3[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+15[/dice] slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+18[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+15[/dice] damage.
AC: 24
HP: 66/66
LoH: 0/4 used (2d6)
0/1 used Hero's Defiance
[ dice]1d20+12+1 damage.
[ dice]1d20+12+1 damage.
[ dice]1d8+8+1[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+12+1[/dice] to hit; (PBS)
[ dice]1d8+8+1[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+7+1[/dice] to hit; (PBS)
[ dice]1d8+8+1[/dice] damage.
Catrenrae’s Gift: 0/2 used.
Mini Smite: 0/1 used: Once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
+8 Bab +7 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid= +13/+13 to hit
+3 Str +1 magic +4 DA +1 PBS = +9 damage
Cats fires another hail of arrows and the dorvae falls to the floor looking like a monstrous pincushion.
After it falls you get another chance to look around the room, this time avoiding eye contact with the paintings. The books here are quite valuable and could fetch a few thousand gold if sold to the right collector.
The only way forward is up another flight of stairs.
"We will gather the books on the boat later," Fearless points to the stairs. "Let's keep moving."
Cats makes a mental note to steal liberate the paintings for future sale as he waits for others to heal.
”Wow, where did that thing come from? And why? I cat figure it out how these weird things keep finding us.”
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The Mariner barely had time to eek out a girly squeal at the painted horror, before getting eviscerated or even feeling pain. The next moment, Brother is wiping him off the floor with a sanitary wipe and some healing.
"Gád dámn", the Mariner says impressively at the arrowed corpse, suddenly reminded of how a surprised cat will shred your hand to pieces.
"Let's get up out of here", leading the way upstairs with watchful eyes.
"YACHT SEA"!!"The Mariner bolts upright from the healing stroke.
The chamber above is a veritable museum. The dozens of books, jars, and glass containers of various sizes placed on nearly every horizontal surface in this lab contain chemicals, unidentifiable sludge, the dissected bodies and alien-looking parts of creatures, and a rainbow of various slimes, molds, and fungi. Some of the largest containers are draped with a thick brown cloth. The overpowering stench of bleach, ammonia, and other unidentifiable chemicals fills the air.
Another jar contains the upper torso and head of a ghoul.
A third jar has the spine, head, and one wing of a mi-go.
The last jar is labeled “Number 61” and contains flensed skin that was once perhaps humanoid, but now resembles a strange, amorphous sea creature. A humanoid face appears within the gracefully roiling folds, it’s lips moving, silently mouthing words.
"Twain? Is that you?", the Mariner waves Fearless over, '"Wud's he mouthing?"
Fearless lifts the lids on a few of the jars and quickly tosses them back on as he dry heaves. "Oh, that smell alone!" He hacks into the corner. "Don't open that one, I think it was body parts, definitely body parts..."
Perception
"Hey, is that one seeming to speak? It looks like it's making googy eyes at Fearless, I think," Cats asks, trying to get a good look at the last jar. "What do you think it is? Some sort of brain-fish-mold-ghoul?"
Cat will try to listen for words if it is speaking.
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The Mariner looks up at the ceiling, turns back to Fish Face, "Is that what you're trying to tell us little buddy?". Squinting further, "I'm probably miss reading lips but thinks it's saying Luck True."
The unfortunate creature seems to be pleading with them before folding in on itself once again. The next time the face comes around in its constant swirl you can hear a faint, burbling voice coming from the fluid within.
"The master has gone, and his dark allies lurk above, close to the monster locked away there. Flee this place or risk being flayed alive as I have been. Cursed with the endless horror of this form, or worse, stretched upon a humanoid frame like one of his children..." The skin roils again, it's face collapsing. When it returns, it whispers a curse upon the man responsible. "The agony.. the agony... damn you Miacknian Mun... may your twisted noble friend doom you as you have doomed me."
"Yea, that's good enough reason for me. I mean obviously someone would want to flay and wear luscious skin such as mine but Shapeshifter's there is just too smooth, a razor just slips right off of it. I have seen it happen." Fearless points to him. "Can we get the f#$$ out of her now before someone takes my skin!?" His voice is shrill in fear.
"What the cat did I just hear?" Cats shakes his head and looks at the voice-gurgler. "So...you cat, can you? And you mean to tell us that Miackcatian Cat did this to you? And he's gone, right? And you...uhm...what are you? What did MmmCat do to you?"
Cats will pause between questions, listening for answers.
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Brother stares at the contents of the jar. His own skin crawling as *THIS IS CREEPY*. He looks a long time at the flayed speaker. Trying to piece together who this could have originally been? A friend of Mun, a kidnapped victim? How is this burbling voice and fleshy face still existing?
Religion.
You look in a bad way. Would a few drips of holy water help you out a bit? Maybe help alleviate some of the endless horror?
Jasper looks up at the trap door. Where enemies, sounds like a few of them, are.
I'll buff us up for the obvious fight upstairs. Tell me when you are ready guys.
"If there is a layer of hell inside a layer of hell - this might be it", the Mariner shows pity at the veneer of a man trapped inside a preservative glass jar. It might be better to be an undead like a ghoul or ghost, at least roaming free in torment. "Do you seek mercy?", he plainly asks, ready to put it out of misery.
"We should leave this madness be and keep after Lowls. We have been on his trail for far too long and are so close to catching him." Fearless makes sure the lid is tightly back on all of the jars.
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But Fearless, I don't think we really know where Mun has actually gone. If he has allies, we might glean the exact location from them. Doesn't that sound right?
If we know where to go, I'll follow you onto the Sullen Starling and we shall leave the city. We can avoid the fight above.
I'm never one to do more than what is absolutely required.
Jasper waits for others to pipe in. He thought there was only going aloft above. But Fearless does bring a "lets get out of dodge" option to the table.
"Not leaving just yet. We need money lest we not afford our passage," Cats says, thinking that there might be more worth scavenging for their efforts.
"Hard to worry about passage when the skin is going to be stripped from my body." He mumbles.
The folds of skin that makes up the creature called Number 61 moan in despair, but when it hears that you are after Mun and Lowls it struggles to make itself heard, it’s face pushing to the surface over and over to tell you all that it was able to overhear of their plans.
It knows that Lowls and Mun were heading to the Mysterium in Katheer, and that they were concerned about the guards there. Lowls eventually decided that bribery would be the best method to get in. Their goal was to steal a book called the Necronomicon from a part of the library called the Soul. Lowls greatly desired the book and the secrets within, claiming it would restore his reputation in Ustalav and bring him unspeakable success and fame. He kept talking about the library and the dangerous wards in the Soul of the Mysterium. He also spoke fearfully of the Mysterium’s guardian, a being known only as the Keeper. Although he didn’t know what the guardian is, he was very worried that he might end up meeting it and not be able to complete his mission in the library.
Lowls also spoke about contacting an old friend named Biting Lash, a gnoll slaver in Okeno. He wanted Biting Lash to help organize a trip to find a hidden city and acquire slaves and hirelings to serve as porters and guards, but seemed to regard the slaver with some amount of fear and trepidation. The pair then gathered a number of objects here and from other places in the infirmary before leaving the hollow ones in charge of the place.
Number 61 knows about the derros in the room above and overheard them plotting to steal Mun’s treasures, but are terrified of the creature in the attic. Number 61 doesn’t know what the creature in the attic is, but knows that Mun calls it his “anomalous friend.”
Number 61 confirms that Mun kept much of his wealth in the attic, but that he also hid some away behind one of the paintings in the room below, though he doesn’t know which one.
Once it has told you all it knows, Number 61 begs the Watchmen to end its misery and instructs you to get a blue glass bottle from the nearby workbench and pour it in the top of its jar, insisting that the chemical will give it a peaceful death.
The room is a hive of curious objects, an extended masterwork alchemist’s laboratory, and a large selection of alchemical items including:
20 acid vials
12 flasks of alchemist’s fire
6 elixirs of fire breath in clay amphorae
a box of 22 vials of alkali flasks
3 green glass bottles of bladeguard
There are also a number of discarded objects, including a leather pamphlet written in Kelish by a traveler to Katheer a dozen or so years ago. Anyone who takes a day to read the contents can learn info about the Mysterium
Lurking in a recessed cupboard is an odd object—a sealed brass and translucent green glass bottle that contains what appears to be a human brain. A curved horn made from metal and ivory sprouts from the
top of the bottle, and a brass nameplate is stamped onto its base that reads “A. Weigs.”
Periodically, the horn emits the quiet sound of whispered lullabies, but efforts to communicate with the brain are fruitless. This bizarre specimen, which seems to be a nonfunctional attempt to recreate a mi-go brain cylinder, could be worth a couple thousand gold to an eccentric or unscrupulous collector, while the remaining books and other grotesque objects in this room are worth 5,000 gp in all.
Cats will happily offer Catrenrae’s mercy to the disgusting blob (in the jar, not in the religious smock) when the party is done asking for things.
And he will help loot the area, putting things in a pile to take back to town to sell, which is totally normal and not weird.
”So what do you think is in the attic,” Cats says, filling his pockets with alchemist’s flasks. ”Might be some nice loot up there as well, right?”
Cats would move to explore the attic, mostly because it would be fun.
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”So what do you think is in the attic,”
"An early death," Fearless says morbidly, though he is willing to follow as the melting skin-face-brain permeates the air, making a sickening smell.
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Let us go back downstairs and open up the secret compartment behind the painting first. We never know what will be discovered.
After that, I will prepare us for our assent to the upper floor. Do we negotiate with the Derro for a quarter of the gold found? If they help defeat the anomalous friend? I'm good with garnering help in exchange for some funds. Seems like that will help satisfy Fearless. What do you think?
Jasper will cast some spells (I'll dot hat tonight in a post) and prep to assault the upper floor and attic.
"Alright, so we stow these pickled heads next to the bagels, and head down stairs first", the Mariner wraps up some of the jars and gives the aquariumed faces a last pitiful look. Then for a moment imagining a hell worse than hell - his own head in a jar between three other jars..., listening to them talk for an eternity without escape. With shudder, he heads out.
After ending the miserable existence of the skin-thing, the Watchmen go back down to look for Mun’s secret stash. Behind one of the paintings they find a safe fabricated with a complex lock.
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”Oh it’s catted, huh?” Cats looks at the lock, then takes a very long long look at the lock.
”Oh yeah, I bet I can pop this sucker right open, like the eyes on a Fearless,” Cats notes, pulling out his fancy tools. He will go to work with tinkering if it looks safe.
Disable Device
Disable Device
Disable Device
Disable Device
Disable Device’
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I'm very interested in seeing how you use these tools to... as you said it, " pop the eyes on a Fearless.".
Jasper looks on at the masterful work Cats does. He prepares to pray to Desna for the ability to see magical auras so he can then discern their value.
Freely telling the others what he finds as magical, and what he finds as valuable.
Cats carefully examines the locking mechanism and notices a tiny needle next to one of the tumblers. Taking out his tools, he tries to bend it out of the way but triggers the trap causing the the needle to jump.
But desna must be watching, because the pointy end stops just short of his hand!
The lock is very complex, but with the trap disabled Cats is eventually able to crack it. Inside are 2,400 gp split between four thin leather bags, and a treatise on cabal magic (worth 750 gp to the right buyer).
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”HA! Would you look at cat!” Cats points out the needle that almost got him. ”Better to be catty than good, that’s what I always say,” Cats never says. ”Looks like we got some good loot here. That’s nice. Might be even more in the attic. Let’s go to the attic, right?”
Fearless leaps into the air, nearly out of his own skin even, as the needle pops. "You guys think they want eyes too?" Though he seems more interested in the pile of books rather than the small fortune laying in the chest.
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Yes, Yes. the blessings of Desna shine on Her chaplain and those that protect Her chaplain. Good things go to those that have the right deity!
And yes- Fearless- they certainly want your eyes. but, you are safe... and your eyes are safe... because you are with me!
Jasper bags the loot and heads up stairs to the attic. Sharing spells in preparation for battle.
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Everyone = Hide from Undead, Magic Circle of Protection from Evil. Bless Spell (from wand, so it'll end soon).
Mariner = Shield of Faith, Shield Other.
Fearless = Shield of Faith, bears endurance, aid
Cats = Protection from Energy - Fire.
Brother = Drinks Antitoxin, bears endurance, expeditious retreat. aid from Pearl of Power
He also hands out an antitoxin to whomever wants it.
The last thing he does is give the blessing.
we know there's Derro and they like poison. i suggest someone take this or use one of their supply.
::whistle:: "That's a whole lot of wampum", the Mariner looks into the chest. "Sure, I'll take one of them medicines", he pockets the antidote vials, "Let's get into that attic."
Ascending once again and moving to investigate the concealed trapdoor, the Watchmen bump into a ladder, seemingly hidden with an invisibility spell, in the corner beneath it. Climbing to the next floor they emerge into a room that smells of chemicals and rot. What first appear to be curtains hanging throughout the room turn out to be scores of skins, taken in unimaginable agony judging by the looks on the faces that waft eerily in an unseen breeze.
This ceiling of this room is 10 feet high, and a ladder next to the trap door rises to another trap door above. Another one of Mun’s hollow ones sits sobbing on the ladder, a scrap of paper in his hand.
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Fearless immediately turns waving his hands of the situation. "Yup, I'm out. That s&!~ is too much." He draws his agger to protect his suple hairy skin.
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Cats waits for Brother to clear the hollow man away.
”Yeah, and why are you crying? Do you have feelings? What is on that paper? Is it a note sad note?” Cats asks, trying to make nice.
Diplomacy to aid.
"Hey bud, why the hollow face?", the Mariner doubles up on the questions, looking at the macabre tapestry, "Shouldn't be hanging out with these characters."
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Seeing the sobbing sack of skin doesn't cause any harm Fearless slows down. He drops low and looks around. "Is there a Sad Rock around here too?"
”I am nothing…” The Hollow One responds. ”A cast off wretch. A fingernail bitten off and tossed aside.” He looks at Brother Butterfly, his sunken eyes rising to look at the big cleric’s gleaming shaved head. ”Shorn away with shears… and now abandoned to watch over the monster they left behind.” His eyes rise again, up to another trapdoor at the top of the steps. A red liquid drips from the seams, rivulets oozing down a few steps.
The Hollow Man breaks down and begins sobbing, falling to the floor and tearing at its skin as though trying to unravel itself.
As it tears itself apart it drops the papers, scattering them at your feet. They seem to be remnants of some scribbles Lowls made about the Mysterium. Among the scrawls is a sentence fragment about the otherworldly protector of the library and the Soul within an iron puzzle box; a note reads, “Afterward, equip in Okeno—meet with Biting Lash. A ship has been arranged.” In the margins, there are a number of pictures of angels and the note, “Swivel heads in the right direction to delve deeper.”
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Cats sits down next to the sobbing simulacrum.
”A cat-off wretch? Yeah, I know that feeling,” Cats sympathizes. ”Did I ever tell you about the time I woke up in an insane asylum surrounded by crazy people? I mean, the worst of the worst of crazy, too…and cat me, I’m completely normal, so you can imagine what cat of shock that was. They were absolutely murders and polygamists and paranoids.” He pauses, hoping to help the poor sobbing creature.
”But sometimes you need to pull yourself up by your catstraps. Sometimes you need to atone for the mistakes you’ve made and do better. Cats probably what you need to do.”
Cats looks up to the ceiling.
”You mentioned a thing in the attic? What kind of thing is it?”
"There were polygamists there!?" fearless stands shocked as he never knew. "I mean , I just thought they liked being tied up." He calls from the back of the room going no where near the skinned man-thing. "Must we really find out in this house of horrors. Let's just burn it to the ground or call in the authorities or something."
He follows along to the attic, stepping over the sobbing sack of skin.