Ang hears a lot of chatter around the fire at the Temple and the death of the high priest. As well, there appears to be some rumblings of dark happenings and disappearances over the last week or so since you have been gone.
Does Ang know of anyone or group that might want to help fight back?
You didn't spend much time in town previously before heading out. Clear choices are the town guard or city hall.
Head to City Hall.
You make your way to City Hall without incident and without seeing anything unusual.
Try to find the sour clerk previously dealt with.
After a brief look about of the building you find said clerk. He looks down his nose at you and with a slight note of condescension and disdain-Oh, it's you. Welcome back I suppose. What can I do for you today?
“You sent me out to find marauders. Based on my recent experience I would say you don’t have a goblin problem. There are worgs but the main problem is Armas and his undead servants. He has killed Ildris, captured Nolaria, and left me for dead. Does the village have any plans to deal with him? I am more than willing to help but I think on my own that I will fail since Armas has already defeated me once and he seems well guarded.”
The clerk looks at you with apparent confusion-I'm sorry sir, but I'm not sure what you are on about. Certainly the entire town is aware of the passing of noble Ildris and the fire that claimed his temple. Of Nolaria there has been no word, but riders have been sent out to tell her of the passing of her father and bring her back to Saringallow. As to this Armas fellow, I'm not sure who you are referring to but there has been no sighting of undead in the area for quite some time.
“Armas has Nolaria in the large manor across from the burned temple. I also heard word of recent dark happenings and disappearances. Do you deny this? Bury your head in the sand if you wish but when things continue to get worse don’t pretend that you weren’t warned.”
Wait for any response then back to the Witch.
For a brief moment a look of compassion washes over the clerk's face-Sir, believe it or not, I am sorry at your distress. You seem quite sincere and I know Ildris was quite complimentary about you before he passed. There have been a few disappearances reported recently, but nothing to be alarmed about I'm sure. As for this Amras fellow I have never heard the name before today; I'm sure I'd remember it. As for the large manor across from the temple it is owned by a well-to-do merchant who has lived there for the past several years. In fact, I do believe he is here in the business conducting some business. I saw him earlier filing some forms.
“Show him to me if you will.”
The man thinks for a moment before getting up from behind his desk and leading you into a different room where another clerk sifts through some papers while a man, whose back is to you, looks on. The first clerk calls out-Excuse me, Mr. Porias but there is someone that would like to make your acquaintance. The man's voice rumbles out with a thick Varisian accent-Indeed? Well I should like to meet him as well. He turns to face you and you immediately recognize the familiar face or Armas who gives you a warm and glowing smile-Well met fellow, I am Karthas Porias; once of Korvasa, but now happy to call Isger home. He extends his hand out to you.
Detect evil on the man. Is the gem present?
"That isn't the name you used the last time we met."
The man detects as evil and while you can't see any gem, you can definitely feel its familiar evil taint.
Karthas congenially-Indeed? I don't seem to recall you at all. Do you dabble in trade? A man of your appearance strikes me more as a mercenary or military man. Maybe you were a guard for one of my trade caravans once upon a time. In any case, I have given you my name stranger do you have one for me in return and how may I be of service to you?
“Well then perhaps I was mistaken, sorry to bother you.”
Leave the premises, back to the Witch.
Karthas harumphs a little indignantly as you leave-The nerve of the man; troubles me for an introduction but doesn't leave the courtesy of his name. Some people! The clerk splutters an apology and looks at you crossly as you leave.
You return back to the Witch without further incident.
Ang ponders the situation over an ale at the Witch.
Torag please see fit to provide me some guidance, I am uncertain on how I should proceed. Armas is here but disguised as a merchant in good standing with the town, if I attack him I am likely to be perceived as breaking the law. And I’m not even sure if I can get to him without having to harm the men that guard him and they do not appear to be evil in nature.
That night while you sleep you have a sequence of dreams where you recall fights from your past where you battled foes that remained unseen either through invisibility or other means.
Does Ang know of any place in the area where he might purchase the means to become invisible?
The town is large enough to support a potion maker as well as a few stores that deal in rare or magical items.
Head to the magic item store.
You make your way to the closest purveyor of such items.
You make your way to the closest purveyor of such items. It's a well appointed building with a very stout front door. A few obvious guards watch you suspiciously as you enter the shop and a clerk bustles out to greet you-How may I be of service to today sir knight?
“Do you have anything that would make one invisible?”
Oh indeed sir; how much would you like to spend? We have several potions that would do just the trick. Unless you are looking to spend a bit more, then we could discuss certain other items that we might be able to offer. I never can tell how much treasure adventurers might be carrying with them.
“Hmmm, actually I have no coin, but this cloak is quite nice if you would consider purchasing it from me or as trade.”
+2 cloak of resistance
Oooh, that is quite fine indeed. Certainly worth more than just a potion. I have an extra large helping of dust of disappearance that might interest you? With some coin to spare I might add.
“How long does each use of the dust last and how many applications does it include?”
The dust lasts about five minutes and acts as a greater invisibility spell, but you can't be detected by anything unless you get dosed with some dust of appearance. You can still be heard and smelled and there is only one application worth of dust.
How much is it and how much are the potions?
The dust costs 3,500 gold and an individual potion of invisibility would cost 300 gold.
“Then I’ll take one of each.”
The clerk transacts your purchase and hands you a pouch full of dust, a potion vial, and 200 gold.
Pleasure doing business with you sir; please make sure to tell your friends!
Use hat of disguise and go by the manor again. Try to get an idea of the routine there. When do servants come and go through the entrances. When do deliveries arrive? When do the guards outside get relieved?
You watch the manor for the better part of a day. There appears to be only two different rotation of guards: one running from 5AM to 1PM and one from 1PM to 10PM. You don't observe any servants or deliveries coming or going during your watch
So no one on guard after 10PM?
During the one day period that you observe, the men that you see diligently watching over the building leave their posts at 10PM with no one replacing them until 5AM the next morning.
Cast keep watch and continue observing through the night.
After the guards leave a thick (and now familiar) fog rolls over the area. You sense things in the air, but don't see anything distinct. You feel observed, but are left alone (for now).
Ang continues watching the manor, using the hat of disguise to vary his appearance. Watching for any routine where someone is coming or going during the day where any of the doors are opened.
You watch the manor for a few days and only see one delivery being made through the back. One of the guards escorts the delivery in and out of manor and the entire process takes less than thirty minutes. There doesn't seem to be much in the delivery and it looks mostly like some foodstuffs.
Hmmm, seems I have no choice but to enter at night if I want to avoid confrontation with the guards.
Wait until guards leave for the night then try the doors, if all locked try to break down the least stout one.
After dark has fallen and the last guard has left his post you make your way to the rear door of the manor in as stealthy a fashion as one can so equipped. The sounds of a town falling into its nightly rhythm surround you and your movement is partially concealed by the thick incoming mists which also serve to mute sounds and warp your sense of distance. Reaching the rear door, you try the handle and find that the door is....unlocked.
Open the door.
The open doorway reveals a small mud room about 5x5, beyond which can be seen a good sized kitchen.
Drink invisibility potion. Detect evil, then move into kitchen.
You don't see anything out of the ordinary, so you quaff your potion, detect for evil (finding none), and move into the kitchen. The room is well appointed and stocked with equipment and high-quality goods. It's quite warm, with a pleasant heat radiating from the fire pit where meats are roasted and the nearby brick oven. There are two doors in the room.
Open door the left door.
Beyond the left door is a formal dining room that has two doors lead out from it.