Before the party departs, Rissi attempts to research two things: the nature of the "harvest" from the cavern, and the magical nature of the ritual symbols placed on the bodies of the victims. She uses whatever local lore she can to research this, hoping to make some headway as the others train and recuperate.
[dice=on "harvest", arcana?]1d20+18[/dice]
[dice=on "harvest", dungeoneering?]1d20+16[/dice]
[dice=on "harvest", nature?]1d20+10[/dice]
[dice=on "harvest", religion?]1d20+10[/dice]
As for the symbols on the victims, you've already discovered that it was a Sihedron rune. But you got a pretty good arcana roll so I'll give you a little bit:
The Sihedron, or Shattered Star, is a magical artifact of incredible power created by the archmage Xin himself. It is sundered into seven shards, each made of a different skymetal. If these shards are rebuilt, its full abilities may be discovered.[1] Each shard, however, carries a curse related to its associated sin. The curse may be suppressed by placing a specific type of ioun stone in the appropriate spot of the shard. Additionally, the magic effects of each shard are so strong that carrying more than two causes problems such as becoming nauseated.
You know that the seven points of the Sihedron represent the seven sins of ancient Thassilon: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath.
Since you still have the key that you surmised likely fits Aldern's Magnimarian townhouse, the party makes their way there....
Aldern's townhouse is located in the Grand Arch District, not far from the famous Starsilver Plaza. The building itself is three stories tall. Boards have been nailed over the windows on the ground floor. The back door is likewise boarded up and the front door is locked.
The letter specifically mentions harvest from a cavern - so I'm assuming it's some sort of fungus or underground critter; there's only so much that can grow underground. Did we see anything during our exploration that would fit the bill?
Lucian ohhs and ahhhs at every turn in Magnimar, amazed by the grandiose monuments found everywhere in the city. As he and his companions arrive at Aldern's townhouse his mood grows more somber, as if it reminded him of the horrors lived in Misgivings.
"Did we find a key on the Skinsaw man?" he simply asks, unsure how to proceed.
"Both a key and a key ring. Perhaps we could ask after the particular key; perhaps the symbol of the lion means something. Some of them rather distinctive." Rissi pulls out the collection of keys. "Maybe we could start by going to a locksmith?"
One Key: Plain Key
One Keyring with two keys: The larger of these two is a tarnished iron key set with a round opal worth 100 gp. The smaller key is made of bronze and has an unusually long tang ending in a set of three notched blades. The head of this key resembles a roaring lion.
Kufieno listens to the converstation between Rissi and Lucian. "Should we try to key here at the townhouse?"
No one seems to pay you any mind when you try the key in the front door and, miraculously, it seems to fit! You are able to enter the townhouse but are met by a strange sight: Aldern and his wife Iesha enter the foyer through another connecting door and smile as they see you standing upon the threshold to the house. "Ah!" Aldern says as if nothing is amiss, "well if it isn't the heroes of Sandpoint! Rissi, Miana, Seal, how are you? Kufieno and Lucian, are you well? Have you met my wife, Iesha?" Iesha bows her head in greeting and says, "Welcome to the city, Aldern has told me all about your adventures. We just finished cooking supper, would you care to join us?"
Lucian looks at the couple suspiciously, and speaks to Aldern to try and disbelieve an illusion that might be there. "Oh, hey Aldern. Didn't we slay you at the Misgivings? Iesha was looking for revenge, but it seems we released her soul."
"Slay me?" Aldern looks both confused and concerned, "I should hope not! You were at the Misgivings? Foul place, I'm sorry you couldn't have waited until after the renovations. And why would my lovely wife want revenge on me? Is this some sort of test or joke?"
"You and I know full well you're lying. What's the point in doing so?"
Seal looks just as confused as Aldern.
"Actually its Saviors of Sandpoint. Just so you know, sir, I never harmed you. I just wanted to get the weird blade away from you. And yes . . . I would love to have some supper."
Seal walks into the place and starts serving himself. He begins to eat while the grown-ups talk.
Rissi shakes her head in disbelief at the dwarf. She simply turns and begins a spell.
"The truth will *chhh* come out eventually. Might as well save us all some time."
Kufieno looks around in confusion. "B..but...you...she....what?" Kufieno stammers as he squints at the couple.
As Lucian makes accusations and Rissi begins casting a spell, Aldern's face turns sour, "Very well then." His face continues to turn even more sour-in fact, it seems to be melting away. Iesha's face likewise morphs and seconds later two hairless, leathery bipeds with faces dominated by grotesque and unsettling whorls instead of actual facial features stand before you!
"*sssss* Faceless stalker; blood-drainer and eyeless ones! Don't bother with the light magic, Lucian."
Rissi conjures a ball of flame underneath the closer of the two.
Kufieno casts a spell and moves past Miana toward the stair entrance, then reaches out to touch the eastern stalker.
---
The faceless stalker doesn't see Rissi's flame coming and gets burned! Kufieno then moves up and shocks the other one! The ugothols leap into action!
red: 15 dmg
blue: 32 dmg
Lucian calls Desna's blessing upon his companions.
Miana takes out one of the stalkers.
red: 15 dmg
Seal spits out his half chewed food onto the Stalker. The dwarf quickly looses his appetite after seeing the human's faces melt away into a dripping wax before hime. He still holds onto his supper plate as he ducks and dodges the stalkers feints.
The warriors eyes narrow as the plate releases from his hands. Before the dish can crash on the hardwood floor, a bastard sword is double fisted in Seal's meaty palms. Its blade singing arc soon follows and Seal side steps between the creature and the stairs.
Rissi moves her ball of flame under the remaining stalker and then puts her back to as many walls as possible.
Seal whiffs but Rissi continues to melt faces. . . err, non-faces.
red: 29 dmg
Kufieno steps closer and attack with his blade!
Kufieno hacks into the faceless stalker, which responds by moving closer to the suli-jann and swinging its paws at Kuf!
red: 33 dmg
Rissi merely holds the fibber to the flame, waiting for the fire to consume it.
If the aberration is still standing, Seal will try to drop it in two swings.
Seeing that his companions have the situation well in hand, Lucian simply taps Kufieno with the curative wand.
The combined attacks of the party bring the faceless stalker down!
Scouring Aldern's luxurious townhouse you find that anything of interest has clearly been removed already; the desk and dresser drawers have been swiped clean and no clues can be found.
That is, until you notice a hidden cache in the fireplace mantel on the third floor. The mantel is decorated with two roaring lion heads at either end which match the mysterious bronze key you found earlier. Placing the key in a tiny keyhold deep in the back of the left lion's throat, you are able to access the cache.
It contains a bag of 200 pp along with a shallow wooden case containing a number of legal papers pertaining to the townhouse, as well as the deed to Foxglove Manor. The deed indicates that the Foxglove family only financed two-thirds of the manor's construction 80 years ago; the remainder was financed by a group called the Brothers of the Seven. The deed also bears an unusual clause near the ed that indicates that after 100 years, ownership of Foxglove Manor and the lands within a mile "around and below" reverts to the brothers:
Know all men and women present and future that we, the members of the Brothers of the Seven, upon this day the 6th Abadius in the year 4624, Absalom Reckoning, hereby concede and by this deed confirm upon Vorel Foxglove provisional ownership of the holding to be known here and henceforth as Foxglove Manor, located north of Magnimar on the Lost Coast Road due west of Bleaklow Moor upon the promontory, for so long as he, Vorel Foxglove, shall live, or so long as his direct descendants shall live, to a period not to exceed one hundred years. Construction of Foxglove Manor, having been financed partially on the holdings and coin of Vorel Foxglove to the amount of six and sixty percent, and partially upon the coffers of the Brothers of the Seven to the amount of the remainder, four and thirty percent, backed by collateral in the form of the Seven's Sawmill, located itself upon Kyver's Islet of Magnimar, shall ensure only the physical and initial construction of the aforementioned manor, with any subsequent repair and maintenance to be the sole responsibility of Vorel Foxglove or his descendants for the aforementioned period of one hundred years. Upon the passing of this time, on the date of 6th Abadius of 4724, Absalom Reckoning, ownership of Foxglove Manor, to include all lands within a mile around and below, immediately and forevermore reverts to the Brothers of the Seven, with the employment of the manor, its grounds, and all improvements place upon it by any prior inhabitants to be subject to the Brotherhood's discretion. And so that our gift, concession, warranty, acquittance, and defense have the best perpetual strength and security, we have affixed Magnimar's seal to the present charter, which shall serve in lieu of signatures, the names of the Brotherhood to remain apart from this or any other document.
Under the case is a thin ledger-the majority of the entries are mundane, but several near the end catch your attention. These are nearly a dozen entries from over the past 3 months labeled as "Iesha's Trip to Absalom," each indicating Foxglove was paying someone referred to as "B-7" 200 gp a week for her "trip," dropping off the payment every Oathday at midnight at a place called the "Seven's Sawmill."
"Ah yes... a sawmill. Lumber is one of the larger industries of this land; I was reading about it when my *chhh* caravan was originally. Really, my sisters are more of a mind for business, but it is good to know these things. I could probably lead us to the location."
She looks over the deed again. "Thirty-four percent for 100 year deed. Vorel must not have intended for his children to own the estate." Rissi muses. Curious, she attempts to sniff at the ink and check the paper aging for signs of forgery; being a bit bibliophile, she is fairly cognizant of how the materials age.
"Also, I wonder if the sawmill death in Sandpoint was related. Perhaps this Brotherhood of the Seven was using Aldern to eliminate a business rival."
"Now it all makes sense. Aldern was really embarked into this against his will. Sins of the father... I almost pity him. Though I do not pity what he became when he chose unlife. A sawmill, you say? I do know where it is located-it's along the shores of Kyver's Islet."
"Why would giants care about legal stuff and business stuff? If they are going to randomly kill people when they want, why worry if they go to court over a piece of swampland on paper? Unless they want something in the swamp ... or below."
The Seven’s Sawmill is one of several mills that operate along the shores of Kyver’s Islet. Built over the mouth of the Yondabakari River, this wood building sits on massive wooden pilings driven into the riverbed below. A wooden boardwalk wraps around the northern rim of the building, and a flight of stairs leads down to a door on the east side just above the water level. The churning of four large waterwheels under the mill fills the air with sound and mist.
The mill’s walls are made of wood, and all doors are standard unlocked wooden affairs, with the exception of the actual entrances to the building, both of which are locked.
Rissi secures Miana's pearl of power to cast mage armor on both herself and the warrior.
"I only can assume we are expected. News travels on the wings of little birds exceptionally fast."
"Speaking of birds, I'll ask Evanya to do a little reconnaissance for us."
Stroking his bird, Lucian whispers to her "I need you to go in there and see what you can spot. However, I don't want you to take inconsiderate risks. If you feel danger, retreat and report back to me at once."
Evanya flies up tho the and around the building but finds no windows on the entire structure.
Seeing Evanya return, Lucian pets it gently, but shakes his head. "We have to find our own way in. Shall we attempt to do it stealthily, or just barge in?"
"Stealth certainly seems *chhh* preferable."
Seal takes the keys that they found and tries them on the locked doors. If neither work, he allows Kufieno to work some 'pick magic before busting the door down.
None of the keys you have found work on the doors but Kufieno is able to open the lock easily enough with a few seconds of work.
Inside, the entirety of the first floor consists of a loading area. An opening in the ceiling into the floor above is filled with a tangle of ropes and slings for lowering timber. Nearby, stairs ascend to the next floor. Two sturdy wagon sit to the south, next to a bank of machinery accessed by four low doors; the grinding and creaking of the machinery fills the room.
Seal will search the grounds. He is interested in any trapdoors that will lead into the earth below.
If he doesn't find anything, he makes the following suggestion.
"There are two ways up. Should we all go up the same staircase or split up?"
"Whatever would make the most sense; splitting up *chhh* goes against grain, however." Rissi suggests.