Zurnzal surveys the layout of the facility. "If the secret facility is below ground, the entrance could be in any of these buildings, but 3 stick out to me - the warehouse, the manor, and the temple. I'll go search the warehouse to see what I find and then take a peak at the temple to see if there is more activity there than I would think normal. Do we want to pair up or go separately?" he says looking at the others for a response.
Thestil looks around. "Those look like some likely candidates for the entrance. I think we should stick together, though. Perhaps we could disguise ourselves as workers," she says.
Her form abruptly changes to that of a male dwarf, then a female elf, then back to her normal form. "I just need to see what the workers look like," she says.
"I'll check out the warehouse. I think that it is need on an inspection anyway, and I think that I remember that one was due in the near future." He slyly smiles.
Falth heads off towards the barracks...
But changes direction to head towards the greenhouses. I sure hope no accidents happen in there...
While out he keeps his eyes open for useful information
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Shohiraj hunkers down quietly along the edge of the clearing to get a good view of the area, listening intently as the group expresses their ideas. She however frowns at the thoughts of everyone going their own separate ways. Seeing Falth in action though helps put her mind at ease somewhat as he is obviously very stealthy.
"Considering we had planned on scouting the place as government officials that would be a good idea. But I guess we could save that angle for gaining entrance into the manor? Either way we should at least try to group up for safety and meet back here in say 20 minutes? We should stay away from the manor and church for now. Does someone want to check out the worker's huts with me?" She looks around at the group trying to judge their reactions.
"Needless to say we should be stealthy. I can disguise you to look like a worker but you need to be able to act the part. Your weapons need to be hidden!"
With that she will disguise herself as a female farm worker (Assuming women seem present) using some false hair and makeup from her disguise kit and offer to do the same to others.
I wonder where the Tiefling went...
"Either way we should at least try to group up for safety..."
"I concur. Though I've never been one much for makeup. If you can do something to hide my ears, I think we'd do well together. I can talk, and I know the faith around here in case anyone asks any questions. Let's do this."
Zurnzal considers Shohiraj's offer for disguises. "I can help with that too if we need to save time. Rataji, do you want a disguise?"
He pulls out his disguise kit in order to make himself look like a worker.
"Rataji, while you see what you can find in the warehouse, I'll stand guard outside and inspect the perimeter."
"Yes, a disguise might be of great help. How about an inspector?
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The group gathers for a few minutes and applies disguises cooperatively to appear as workers and inspectors. Falth simply disappears into the shadows.
When you are ready, you take turns entering the plantation, meandering toward your ultimate destinations.
A few workers wander by as you approach, they head straight for the warehouse. It doesn't seem that they pay much attention to you, although a few hold their glances a beat longer than usual, as if to recognize new faces to the operation.
The three of you move to the worker's huts. Essentially, three barracks house the field hands and skilled laborers. A kitchen house stands to the southwest. A dozen other houses are scattered throughout the plantation, but the most important workers reside here. As you enter through unlocked doors, you are unimpressed by the furnishings. Simple cots and footlockers adorn the buildings, with nothing of value in sight. There does seem to be space for new arrivals though, as a half-dozen cots lie tucked in and undisturbed.
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Making your way to the processing facilities across the way, you can spot activity even from outside. A couple of studious men examine a set of pots boiling over an open flame. Eventually, a third man will stop by and carry on a conversation with them as he carefully wafts some steam from the boiling concoction to his nose for analysis. Surrounding them (indeed filling both of these buildings) are implements such as millstones, cauldrons, pestles, and loads of delicate glassware.
Falth moves through the shadows to a trio of greenhouses made of wood and glass. A few hundred saplings are arranged on wooden tables inside, arrayed to receive maximum sunlight exposure. There seems to be no one around and the doors appear to be unlocked.
Rataji and Zurnzal follow the men toward the warehouse. The northern wing serves as an impromptu barn for the few horses and livestock. They bleat nervously as you approach.
When Rataji enters the warehouse proper, there are a few more workers arranging boxes near the back. This is obviously the principle storage site for the plantation’s tools, its food supply, baled leaves, and refined products. The men you followed pick up pitchforks and begin moving hunks of leaves into bins on the western wall.
One of them turns to you. "Looks like we got some help. You new then?"
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Meanwhile, Zurnzal stands outside, somewhat in the shadows. He watches a man walk from the fields toward the Kuthite shrine. A metal and bone rendition of the dark god’s unholy symbol adorns the front entrance. Leaning his shoulder against the heavy door, the man pushes it open with great effort and steps inside. A thick curtain inside further insulates the building so that sound does not easily escape, and light does not easily enter. Even still, after a few moments, a muffled scream is heard. Then another. And a third. After a few tense moments, the door opens again and the man exits, his face flushed and bloodstains slowly soaking through on the back of his tunic. He looks up at the sky for a long pause and then double-steps back to the fields.
Thestil sighs and sits down on one of the empty bunks, trying to look the part of a new worker.
She takes a moment and then says to Eramay and Shohiraj, "I don't think the entrance will be in these worker huts. Look around, but I don't think a place this unsecured would be where they would put it."
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"I agree, this isn't the sort of place, but maybe we can find some sort of clue while we're here. Help us out somehow."
After we search the place over, unless something of note is found, its off to the processing facility. "We should probably find some materials to bring over there with us so we blend in better, have a reason for being there. Hopefully the others are doing ok, I haven't heard any alarms sounded yet at least." She'll observe some of the other workers to see what it is they bring over.. if anything.
Falth smiles to himself at the scene before his eyes. His horns all but twitch. So much glass, so many ways that an accident might happen.
Look, over there a ladder. And here a bucket. and there... why there a loose screw. Could that pane of glass be flawed? Surely not. But alas and alack, a carless person wandering in might suffer all kinds of calamities...
While there he looks around to see if there is anything of note. Notes, potions. Secret trapdoors.
Eramay will use the cover of her disguise and the plausibility of being new to question the workers about the plantation (especially any gossip!):
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Thestil and Shohiraj search for an entrance below the barracks but find none. After moving to the processing facility, it seems like it is a bit of an autonomous unit. No other workers visit in the short time you watch.
The man continues to lecture Rataji as he works.
"So let's get you to work then. It's all so simple, don't you know. The Rictus specializes in five cash crops: harrowleaf, saw-edge heather, pathos berries, night nettle tea, and somnus root—all of them medicinal plants. Most of the crop is processed in the two central buildings, where it is turned into pain-inducing chemicals in high demand in Nisroch, Pangolais, and Ridwan. Because it is hard to judge the potency of a fresh batch, we often conscripted to test the products, whose purity is measured in part by the pitch of the subject’s screams."
"Now, causing trouble is a sure way to become the next guinea pig, and Halvair keeps all the records of the grisly side effects in his lab. I'm sure it'd be lovely reading, but don't you go sneaking around. Keep you eyes in the fields, your heart in the temple, and your mind wiped of any other thoughts other than service."
Not sure if you went into the lab to talk to them and gather info, either way you can have this conversation with a worker.
"New here, huh? Yeah, I didn't think you were a merchant, like most of our visitors. Actually, you look creepy enough, I'm surprised the field hands didn't assume you were from the Umbral Court, and that’s always reason to keep one’s head down and not get too curious."
He takes another look at you.
"Well, rules here are simple. Do your job and do it well. Visit the shrine for meditation at least once a week. Stick to your assigned work area. Few laborers ever enter the manor compound, which Temarra (she's the owner, mind you) keeps locked except when there are visitors. Only she and the chief pharmacist Halvair carry the keys, and the former often makes a trip to the Kuthite shrine before returning to the manor. Whenever someone enters without permission, Temarra is quick to arrive, almost as though she could sense when someone goes where he’s not welcome."
Falth is quite satisfied with his handiwork, but unfortunately spots no items or secret entrances in the greenhouse area.
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The door opens much easier for Zurnzal than the previous fellow. Pushing back the curtain, the darkened room of hand worked stone reveals itself to your trained eyes, albeit in various shades of gray. Dozens of limestone benches circle the outer wall, a few stone tables break up the interior as well, with several tools for inflicting pain laid upon them. A quick inventory counts five daggers, a silver light mace, and a silver-tipped cat o’ nine tails.
Drops and splatters of blood cake the floor, in various shades of decay, primarily in the center portion of the vast chamber. It is here that several large torture devices (benches and racks) dominate the room.
This room is clearly set up for pain, torture, and spectacle. No priests today, thank the gods. Best be time to get back to Rataji, he thinks.
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Shohiraj will make her way back to the starting point with Eramay and Thestil and wait for the others to join them. She moves quickly and stealthily
She keeps an eye on the compound for any signs of distress as she goes
"I hope the others had more luck that we did at our locations, I don't think failure is an option on this mission.."
Disappointed that there is nothing here, Zurnzal lets out a few screams to pretend he is "praying" as the previous worker did. He then returns to the warehouse to see if Rataji found anything.
Traps set Falth returns to the others.
"I found no clues to the glasshouses. I suggest avoiding them in the future. They felt.. unlucky.. to me."
"I found very little in the warehouse with the exception of the manufacture of drugs to cause pain. Could come in handy in the case that we need a distraction, or might do well for sale on the black market. We probably need to check the manor in some way."
"I was able to glean some information from the workers. They try to stay out of others' business, but they see a lot as well. Apparently the plantation usually receives travelling merchants as visitors. If we need to come up with an alias on the spot, that would be a good suggestion. If we play up that we're newly hired workers, we shouldn't act too curious. Be quick and to the point."
"Rules for the workers are simple. Do your job and do it well. They visit the shrine for meditation at least once a week, so it's got some traffic to it. Other than that, they stick to their assigned work area. Few laborers ever enter the manor compound itself. "Temarra" is the owner. She keeps it heavily locked, except when there are visitors. Only she and the chief pharmacist "Halvair" carry keys."
"Curiously, Temarra often makes a trip to the Kuthite shrine before returning to the manor. Also, whenever someone enters the manor without permission, Temarra is quick to arrive, so she must have some sense when someone's trespassing."
"Maybe we should arrange an accident for anyone leaving the shrine. Well.. anyone called Temarra anyway." offers Falth.
"I was thinking the same thing. Or maybe coerce her to serve us instead?"
"The shrine looks like a good place to visit next," Thestil agrees.
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Shohiraj looks up from her seat leaning against a tree, as the rest of the group gathers and begins sharing their gathered information. Her false eyebrows and darkened skin aging her considerably.
"So it sounds like there isn't much going on outside the manor then? Did we check all the other buildings? An ambush on this Temarra character at the Shrine might be a good idea. She must have some sort of detection set up at the manor to respond to visitors so quickly. I'm sure I can find it given some time. Lets check out this shrine as a group and maybe we can further the plan afterwards to involve the manor."
Falth nods.
"I think paying a visit to this shrine sounds like an excellent idea."
Zurnzal shakes his head "no". "I already visited the shrine. It's a simple building. We would have to observe her entering and then follow her in." He tells the group what he observed.
Falth is happy enough to slip towards the shrine with the rest of the group. To him it appears an exceedingly unlucky place. And from the sounds of it, somewhere that all kinds of accidents might happen...
Thestil joins Falth as they move toward the shrine.
Rataji doesn't believe a lot in stealth and will just trust his social skills to talk his way out of anything that they come across.
Zurnzal follows the group over to the shrine.
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The group moves toward the temple, most of you hiding rather well in the bushes and shadows. As you near the front of it, the gates of the manor open and you all see an armed dark-haired halfling woman emerge and walk towards the barracks. The gates shut quickly behind her.
Rataji, Shohiraj, and Zurnzal will all recognize her as Joliryn, a co-conspirator during the raid on the Grand Lodge last year. She doesn't notice most of you, and she pays no attention to the disguised Rataji as she moves.
A Pity, but if the barracks had an accident, it might have blown the mission to early.
Falth shrugs within the shadows and continues on to the shrine.
Eramay allows the group to lead, relying on her disguise and knowledge of the local behaviors to not draw attention to herself.
"Perhaps we could 'plant' one of us here, and send a signal when someone other than a worker arrives. Is anyone capable of sending a magical message? Whether it's Halvair or Temarra, either way we could recover their keys."
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Shohiraj looks over and her face betrays a slight look of hurt as her large fake hairy eyebrows raise. "A lack of a key is not hindering us getting inside. I can get us inside whenever we're ready to enter. My only two concerns are finding the likely magical sensor alerting Temarra of a break in, and Temarra herself being inside when we do enter. These sensors can be quite tricky to locate, any help detecting it with magic would be helpful"
She takes a deep breath and continues, her eyebrows returning to a more neutral position. "I think it would be safer to time our exploration of the manor while she's distracted elsewhere's, like this temple here, or maybe somewhere else." Her eyes glance towards Falth. "Her regular religious service would be less suspicious but we also don't have all week to wait."
Spottin Joliryn, Zurnzal casts a quick glance at Rataji to see if he is noticed. Relieved that their cover is not blown, he finds a position to see where Joliryn is going. "Hmm, did she know of the rogue faction from the beginning or did she just feel staying was more lucrative?" he wonders to himself.
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Thestil studies the woman intently as she passes. Once she is gone, the doppelganger's form begins to contort, and suddenly, Joliryn stands in Thestil's place.
"I think I forgot something back there," she says.
"I will go in. It may be that an accidents happen within this temple more frequently than others think. At the least, a lone cry of pain might not go...noticed... if coming from here."
Falth will approach and then enter the temple. While there he arranges the various items of pain to provide a little more pain than perhaps they were expecting.
"Well... actually I'm not sure there is a lot I can do to improve on that depressing setup" he sadly admits.