With a grunt, the Mariner pulls himself together and leads the attic storming. It's going to be close quarters, so he leads with the shield and recovered sword.
Fearless nearly drowns in slumber as his head nods during Brother Butterfly's story of the situation. He just realized as his body started relaxing that he had very little sleep and had overexerted both his mind and body.
Grabbing the railing he pulls himself up towards the attic. "Sure why not. Let's go take a nap in the middle of the lion's den. Not only that but lets pick the creepiest spot possible. May even be a ghost up here for all we know." Fearless begins making feeble spooky sounds.
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The staircase that leads to the attic is dirty, dusty, and draped in thick cobwebs. The large attic area above has a slanted ceiling supported by wooden trusses, beams, and rafters. The ceiling slopes down from the highest beams in the middle to the lowest on the perimeter, where several ugly, fibrous plants sprout from clay pots, barely illuminated by a few dormer windows. The air smells of dust, mold, and decay.
”OooOOOOohhhhhHhh!” A wretched gravely female voice moans in the dark. The sound of feet shuffling across the floorboards retreat further into the northern section of the attic. ”Stay back.. come no closer! Don’t look at me!!”
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Stay back.. come no closer! Don’t look at me!!”
slightly under his breath, BB whispers. Dang it, I was hoping for some sleep soon. Guys, use your potions, this could be bad.
Okay, Okay. Just as you wish, we are The Watchmen and we need to know if you are friend or foe. Thrushmoor is in danger by a Cult to Hestur, kidnappings, and terrors that walk the night. Explain yourself well, we want you to be a friend of the citizens of Thrushmoor..
Brother prepares the shield potion to down. Putting away his own shield and having his mace at the ready in one hand. The potion to drink already at his lips.
”Okay okay! We’ll try not to look...cat me a moment!”
Cats doesn’t look. But he does ask Sarenrae to help him feel around for the presence of evil in the attic.
The Mariner takes the fore, ready to cut down anything that doesn't feel human.
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"We promise not to look, but this one has a habit of looking where he shouldn't." Fearless points to BB. All joking aside Fearless cocks his head "You some captive up here or something?"
The wretched old voice replies. The shuffling sound of footsteps pacing. And another sound, like flesh dragged across the floorboards. The voice wails in anguish, madness, and despair.
”Watchmen? What do you watch? Have you seen the signs? Yellow... the King’s color. He and his cult watch, yes. But so too do others. The Old Ones cast a sleepy eye upon Thrushmoor. The King in Yellow, and the Unspeakable... don’t say it’s name! Ooooohhh! We made that mistake, once we did... the ritual was performed, the name was invoked... just a whisper.. so softly was the curse cast forth. But the cost, the cost!! Oh, my love, the cost!! Never can I leave this place! In my dreams I wander free, but almost always do my dreams become nightmares, and my shame revealed... and then.. then... ooohhh!! But someday... someday I will dream myself away from here forever! Leave me be!! Leave me be so that I can sleep... and dream...
Cats continues to not look, but focusing on detecting evil.
You sense an evil presence in the direction of the voice.
Cats continues to concentrate on the aura, but still not looking directly.
”Catiner, something ain’t right with her. Catrenrae shows she might not be right...something ain’t right here,” Cats alerts Mariner and the others with whispered breath.
He readies his bow, just waiting to see who is going to make the first move or offer the first look.
Cats pads into position.
Stealth
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Oh, my love, the cost!!
You mention.. a love.. and never leaving this place. Are you bound here because it is your home?
Are you the original Briarstone Witch that abducted the population? Or, Was *the love* you reference named Clymes Preet? Because we need an item from the lady of the house to put his spirit and bones to rest.He is a restless spirit and needs closure so he can pass onto the spirit realms.
............ or, did your ritual with the Unspoken curse him too?
I don't like this... not one bit... The Mariner scurries over hugging the corner wall.
"She is crazier that all three of you guys" Fearless whispers to Cats and Mariner as Brother Butterfly tries to deescalate the situation with his words.
Fearless visibly draws both his dagger and his wand, making enough motion for Cats and Mariner to see.
If the woman makes any threatening move towards the Watchmen then Fearless will release the magic from the wand.
"Was his name actually Ooooohhh?"
The voice cuts off mid-ramble at the mention of Clymes Prett.
”Clymes? I dreamed of him the other night...”
The voice goes quiet for a moment before howling in rage. ”Murdered! His bones dragged through the streets of Thrushmoor!”
A dark form approaches from the shadows of the attic. Adorned in a black dress and veil, like a widow in mourning. Human in basic form, but with limbs that are too long, and bending unnaturally. One eye, large and yellow. When last the Watchmen saw her, Nemira Lowls haunted the streets as an insubstantial creature of psychic energy. Here she is fully realized, solid and whole, and twisted by the eldritch powers of the Old Ones.
She glares across the chamber at the Watchmen. ”Murderers...”
Fearless, having drawn his new wand and kept a finger and the command word on the tip of his tongue, blasts her with magic!
INITIATIVE
INITIATIVE
Cats (35/35) -2 negative levels
Butterfly (47/47 -4 nonlethal) -1 negative level
Nemira (-7)
Mariner (88/88 -5 nonlethal)
Fearless (40/40) *filth fever
Round 1, Init 25
Oh man, another catting nutter!
Cats moves up 25’ and fires once at the woman before she can react.
Cats
to hit vs FF;
damage.
[ dice]1d20+10+2-2[/dice] to hit; (flank,-neg)
[ dice]1d10+6[/dice] slashing damage.
[ dice=high is good]1d100[/dice]
AC: 19
HP: 35/35 (45/45) - 2 neg level
LoH: 3/3 used
[ dice]1d20+10 damage.
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+8[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+10[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+6+2d6[/dice] slashing damage.
Mini Smite: 1/1: 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.
+5 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid=+7/+7 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
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Murderers? yeah, that's us. Or at least that was the old us.
Oh Lady Lowls, you are UGLY! Like Hideously U-G-L-Y... you aint got no ali-bi! With a face like that, you can't possibly be able to see straight, is one of your eyeballs actually pointed to the ceiling?!
Ready action to spider climb up the vaulted ceiling.
Cats closes distance and fires an arrow into Nemira’s chest. A normal person would be coughing up blood from such a wound, but Nemira yanks out the shaft with a tentacle.
Brother Butterfly taunts her from a distance, but her attention has already found a focus on Cats.
Nemira rushes forward, arcane words passing her lips and a sparking light begins to glow on a tentacle reaching out from her arm.
Sparks shower over Cats, but he manages to avoid her touch.
INITIATIVE
Nemira (-17)
Mariner (88/88 -5 nonlethal)
Fearless (40/40) *filth fever
Cats (35/35) -2 negative levels
Butterfly (47/47 -4 nonlethal) -1 negative level
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Seeing that his gambit to lure her past all the front line sword wielders to then escape up the walls to the slanted ceilings. Doing something cool and hip and shocking. But, those words don't really define Brother Butterfly. Lazy, self absorbed, neat-freak - those are words in the dictionary that carry his picture right next to them.
So, it's really no wonder his taunt didn't work.
Time to revert back to the basics, pathetically swing his mace and somehow be a target for the monster's ire.
With that Brother yells, UNTO THE BREACH! and charges walks to Nemira with Mace in his left hand and taking out his shield and strapping it to his right forearm.
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Son of a ditch digger - not this thing again. The Mariner recalls how horrible it went for him against it in the Thrushmoore streets. Seeing the other Watchmen dash into action, he realizes the only contribution he might be able to make while others throw magic at her from a distance. "YO! She-B!~%+, ...Let's go."
The Mariner drops the shield and throws himself into melee, making himself her target.
Round 3, Init 19
Seeing the close combat now in his face, Cats drops his bow and draws his elven curveblade as he steps into flank with BB.
”Not sure even Catrenrae can save you. Instead, I offer the mercy of the sword.”
to hit; (flank,-neg)
slashing damage.
to hit; (flank,-neg)
slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+10+2-2[/dice] to hit; (flank,-neg)
[ dice]1d10+6[/dice] slashing damage.
[ dice=high is good]1d100[/dice]
AC: 19
HP: 35/35 (45/45) - 2 neg level
LoH: 3/3 used
[ dice]1d20+10 damage.
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+8[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+10[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+6+2d6[/dice] slashing damage.
Mini Smite: 1/1: 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.
+5 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid=+7/+7 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
Fearless moves in a little ways, not wanting to get too close to the crazy woman. He releases more magic from the wand. "I'll ugh... cover back here in case anyone else decides to show up."
HP 40/40
AC 18 (22 w/ covering fire; 22 w/ mental barrier)
Spells: 1st 0/5 | 2nd 0/3
Inspiration 4/6
Tactician 0/1 (Rounds 0/3)
Challenge 0/1
Phrenic Pool 0/2
Wand of Magic Missile (3rd) 19 charges remaining
As Brother Butterfly and the Mariner advance on the creature that was once Nemira Lowls she lashes out with her tentacled arm...
..a sharp zzzzappp! and flash of sparks burns the Mariner.
Brother Butterfly’s armor takes the impact.
The Watchmen’s attacks cut into Nemira, and even though her inhuman anatomy is tougher than normal she is left badly injured in the exchange. She begins an arcane phrase, but loses her patience with a howling scream of madness.
INITIATIVE
Nemira (-52)
Mariner (66/88 -5 nonlethal)
Fearless (40/40) *filth fever
Cats (35/35) -2 negative levels
Butterfly (47/47 -4 nonlethal) -1 negative level
Fearless watches in horror as this woman's tentacled arm swings around. "She another of your girls Cats?" he sends more missiles at the woman's gut.
HP 40/40
AC 18 (22 w/ covering fire; 22 w/ mental barrier)
Spells: 1st 0/5 | 2nd 0/3
Inspiration 4/6
Tactician 0/1 (Rounds 0/3)
Challenge 0/1
Phrenic Pool 0/2
Wand of Magic Missile (3rd) 18 charges remaining
Round 4, Init 19
Cats slashes again.
to hit; (flank,-neg)
slashing damage.
"Another of my cats!? Uhm...maybe?" Cats looks at the monstrosity and tries to think if he recognizes her. Know (Local)
Oh, I might have been quite the player.
[ dice]1d20+10+2-2[/dice] to hit; (flank,-neg)
[ dice]1d10+6[/dice] slashing damage.
[ dice=high is good]1d100[/dice]
AC: 19
HP: 35/35 (45/45) - 2 neg level
LoH: 3/3 used
[ dice]1d20+10 damage.
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+8[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+10[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d10+6+2d6[/dice] slashing damage.
Mini Smite: 1/1: 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.
+5 Bab +4 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS -2 DA -2 Rapid=+7/+7 to hit
+2 Str +1 magic +4 DA+1 PBS = +8 damage
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Fearless blasts Nemira again, leaving her staggered and open to a viscous slash from Cats’ blade. Girlfriend or not, he won’t need to cut off her head after she’s dead because it’s already been done.
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Cats looks down upon the lopped head and quirks as he looks down.
Seems like I'm beheading a lot of people recently. Cats wipes his blade down, then looks around.
"Brother...who was this again?" Cats tries to put pieces together. "I don't catting remember her, does anycat?"
I think we have another body to burn.
Cats will search the rest of the attic for clues, loot, and things of interest.
The Mariner nearly vomits from the electric jolt, feeling like he just got violated by an giant electric eel. Cats puts her down quickly and he is thankful, "You seem to be beheading a lot of people recently. This - she was the Thing in the streets a few nights ago, chasing after her lover's bones. Nearly did us in the last time. She seemed to be weaker in this form." The Mariner jabs at the body for good measure.
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Brother Butterfly, looking after the wounds sustained by Mariner replies as others ask , " Who was this opponent?".
Looking around this expansive space and seeing the potted plants, I would guess that this is the mother of our former employer and betrayer- Count Lowls the Fourth.
Reports of her death two decades ago appear to have been made up. She has been alive, in this disgusting “state” and Attic for the past 20ish years.
I am putting the pieces together, especially after she mentioned performing a “rite” and being cursed.
A score of years ago, in a calmer and sleepy Thrushmoor, Lady Nemira dabbled in dark rituals with her lover- an Occult bookseller names Clymes Preet. They plotted ways to secretly kill The original Count Lowls III so that they could continue their romance full time and raise the son. Be it curse or poison, they caused The Count’s (III) doom. But, before his death, The Count found out, maybe it was the affliction or the backlash of trying to invoke the powers of “The Un-named” or Hastur. The Cursed Count Lowls III took Preet and buried him alive inside the Garrison.
Then the Cursed Count died. Leaving the young son, Count Lowls IV to deal with a cursed and disfigured mom, a possible family scandal, and a city to run. Somehow, the young child or man kept all this under wraps. Maybe invoking The Witch of BriarStone legends to cover his path.
The Lady , sequested to The Attic , still had influence on the Count and taught him the ways of Cults, Hastur, and mysticism. All was okay and secret, until something…. Something that eludes me…. Connected Count Lowls with Zandalus at Briarstone. Maybe it was the art, but Hasserton found both a lock and a key. He then made his pact with the Demon Mad Blabbering Poet to unlock the “door”, sacrifice our minds and souls, and get the Necronomicon.
Whew.
BB exhales as he wasn’t aware of the huge scope of the story, but he is quite satisfied at how he will get to tell this to The Sleepless Agency and to congregations of Desna followers and sycophants someday in the future as they clamor to hear him speak of The Lancing of the Thrushmoor Boil.
NAH, that name is too long and not fancy enough. Kinda gross even. Very unclean. BB nixes the name almost as soon as he came up with it.
Biter, and Biter
Heal Mariner
Heal Mariner
"Oooooh," Cats nods as if he understands, but he clearly doesn't get it all. It's pretty crazy, even by his standards. "I don't cat any better ideas, so that's probably cat."
"So...we've fixed the town now, right? And we have some prisoners who have cat off and are running around someplace? We just need to clean up a few things and we'll be done."
Cats thinks about the bed downstairs.
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I am glad that you agree Cats! It's creepy family history, but makes all the sense in the world when you think long and hard about it.
Lets head to the trapdoor in the Library. But first spend a moment and check out the rest of this Attic.
BB will check the attic area and then move towards the trap door under the carpet in the library.
"Whoa that is a lot to process Shapeshifter." Fearless listens to their plight intently. "So where does that put us next? And where are the prisoners being held?"
"I have no idea what you just said, Brother, please don't repeat it" the Mariner goes to the much simpler task of rummaging the room.
Hidden among one of the potted plants in the attic, the Mariner finds a folding leather pouch. Inside is a wealth of jewelry - a finely cut emerald (worth 1,000 gp), a silver necklace set with garnets (worth 400 gp), a pair of black pearl earrings (worth 150 gp), a gold ring set with a large diamond (worth 2,500 gp), 13 freshwater pearls (worth 10 gp each), a jade comb (worth 100 gp), and a silver-and-amber bracelet (worth 120 gp).
Heading back down to the library, the Watchmen investigate the hatch. Here Brother Butterfly notices traces if mud and dust, and clear boot prints on the floor under the rug. This is a high traffic area.
STATUS
Mariner (86/88)
Fearless (40/40) *filth fever
Cats (35/35) -2 negative levels
Butterfly (47/47 -4 nonlethal) -1 negative level
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Brother starts to lay into the others about facts like, Ignorance is NOT bliss or if you don't learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it. but then Mariner reaches his hand into the potted plant and pulls out item after item.
Even in the dim light, the sparkles that emerge from the Emerald and the Silver necklace with blood red garnets strike BB with awe.
Whistling sound. Those are things of beauty. Lady must have stored the whole family jewels up here!
He whistles again, impressed.
They head downstairs and Brother knows that THIS is where the kidnapped have been taken.
We should have seen this earlier. Okay, drink potions that you will need, we are going downstairs. Who wants to take the lead?
Brother downs the potion of shield that Cresendia gave to the party for protection. He will take second if Mariner or Cats volunteers to go first. He's basically a meat shield from this moment onward, and he knows it.
Cats puts his hand over Brother's potion before anyone drinks any potions.
"Nah, cat. We should talk about this. I think we should rest...a good 4 hours even, until the sun rises. We can cat our prayers and feel a bit better going down the hatch once we have catted a bit," Cats explains. "If you're worried about the hatch, we'll just block it up with a bunch of furniture. But I need some catting sleep."
After going and fighting and possibly killing murderous ex-lovers in self defense, Cats is beat.
"We won't be saving anyone if we go down there just to get ourselves killed."
The Mariner can't remember the last time he slept. The nightmares of reality is worse than the recurring dreams in banana yellow. This is what hell must be like, yellow and smells of pi$$ all the time. His mind wanders at the thought of sleep, dwelling on the silly unanswerable question of which layer exactly is that plane in the Abyss. Sailing on an infinite sea of cheese.
Cats yawns, stretches. He eyes a warm bed.
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Fearless thinks for a moment. "While I don't want to agree with this one I have to. People lives are on the line. Not just our own, and they might not last a few more hours." While the halfling didn't trust many folks he was beginning to finally place a little bit of trust into the Asylum survivors.
"Though this is probably the single most f$##ed up day I can remember and this could all be due to lack of sleep."
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Yes, it is one incredibly long day. Like The Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the Summer and a special holiday to Desna. A day where butterflies seem to spring up from the hills.
But, more to the point -- Kast, you were the main person pressing for the saving of the hostages. There's this feeling in my bones that should they die, Desna will cut me off from the source they are already in dire peril.
Let us press onto just one more room and see if we can find their trail.
If we find the hostages and can free them, I promise we leave right then.
BB downs the potion of shield and moves to open the door for Mariner to go through.
Brother Butterfly grabs a ring set into the hatch and pulls, but it doesn’t open. Then he notices it has been secured with an inset lock.
Cats will try to unlock the portal...
Disable Device
His usually steady hands are all over the place, slipping and sliding up and down his tools. He is unable to focus. He shakes his head...his attempt was a massive failure.
”Sorry...maybe I can do better in the morning,” Cats steps away from the portal worried about doing damage to the lock if he tries and fails badly again.
As Cats steps away Fearless moves up and takes a look at the lock. "You must be getting as tired as I am? This goes here."
Cats gives a half-hearted attempt at the lock before giving up. Fearless takes over and feels the tumbler almost catch, but doesn’t quite get it.
Feeling the tumbler almost catch he holds his hand out for the nicer tools and picks. "Let me give it a go with those."
Giving the lock a second try, Fearless soon has the hatch open. Below, stairs descend into what appears to be a wine cellar. Shelves are neatly stacked with glass and clay bottles, tiny kegs, decanters, mugs, and crystal goblets. Most are untouched, and likely worth a few hundred gold to a collector of fine spirits.
Set between shelves in the northern wall is a sturdy wood door.
"At least we can get drunk after all this...if we survive." Fearless taps through a few of the bottles, glancing about the room as he opens the northern door.
Giving the lock a second try, Fearless soon has the hatch open.
”Oh. good. nice. work,” Cats monotones with all the enthusiasm as a old married wife for sex. He had been hoping for a nice rest, but instead will ready himself to follow Mariner down into the pit of despair. ”good. work. catless.”