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William reveals a devilish smile as the last fiend falls. "A battle well fought my comrades!"
He walks back and forth looking over each of his party members in turn. "Quiella, you seem to have a natural expertise in the strategy of the Broken Wing Gambit. Most excellent use of the opportunity! Halkale, I strive to one day be a marksman as yourself.... Melufiuos... I certainly hope never to be on the receiving end of that electrifying thrust of yours. It appears most painful. Valik, your resolve is admirable... Able to protect our rearguard single handedly! Ophilia, your blessings are certainly well suited for a group such as ours. And Frostfur..."
He bends down to scratch his head. "Good doggy!"
He takes a brief peek around the stables and then follows Mel up to the stairs on the east side.
Valik succeeds in pulling his quill free without further injury.
In the fetid straw that formerly housed a howler, Valik finds some bones and a little gore, but also a pair of magical earplugs.
These work as normal earplugs, but also give you immunity to the howler's howl special attack for 1 hour/day.
Halkale removes Melufiuos' quill, and the elf goes bounding up the stairs. The stairs are slick from the leaking ceiling and difficult to maneuver up, which Melufiuos learns as he slips and falls down them.
In the stable boxes, William finds a silver pommel cover from an ornate saddle, resting in the dirt as if it had been knocked there by accident.
The insignia etched on the saddle decoration is a sigil of the Desimires, a noble Chelish family.
William then manages to make it up the stairs to find three rooms above the stables. Looking through them reveal they are mostly full of mundane trinkets and clothing.
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Willaim hands the silver pommel cover to Ophelia. "This is made of silver... not a practical material for a weapon of war. Steel or cold iron would make a more effective tool. It must be of some other significance... any idea?"
After ascending to the upper level he offers his hand out to Mel to help him up. "Take care friend, a quick ascent may result in a much quicker descent..."
Valik also slips on the slick stairs as he tries to move up them, but his monk training allows him to the use the side walls to slow his descent enough to avoid any injury.
Searching the rooms, William finds 12 diaries written by different people. These memoirs all have similar last entries (from various times over the last few months) describing their incredible “good fortune” at stumbling upon the isolated manor during cruel weather, and their intent to wait the storm out within its walls. The most recent entry, only 2 days old, belongs to Benn Anders. The text of that entry can be found here.
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"Excellent shot," Ophelia murmurs approvingly to Halkale, before kneeling next to Quiella. "You have been generous in your aid. Allow me to repay the favour," she murmurs, removing the two quills stuck through the gnome's armour with quick, practiced ease.
That done, she pulls a wand from her belt. The silver leaf on the tip glows with a pale blue light as she rests her free hand on the gnome's small shoulder.
Tucking the wand back into her belt, she takes the silver pommel cover from William, inspecting it as he rummages through the rooms above the stables. When he returns, she shakes her head. "It's the Desimere family sigil," she says, frowning. "You said you found it in the stables?"
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"careful, those are slippery" he warns as William and Valik tackle the stairs. He takes on a short, quick breath when Valik falls and sighs with relief when he safely reaches the ground. He eagerly watches William ascend, expecting to see him fall too. To his chagrin, the space Marine makes it all the way up. Who is this guy? Is there anything he cannot do?
Seeing the earrings, he tries again to make himself useful.
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"Go figure. We could have used these a few moments ago. They provide immunity to that howling." After a pause, he adds, "Although I guess they weren't enough to save the previous owner." He stands there for a few moments in distracted thought.
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"This is most worrisome... If a man would prefer to wait out in horrid conditions facing poor health rather than enter the building it must have quite a grim reputation."
William grimaces as he looks around at what may have been the last resting place of the family. "We should look for signs of the family within... Or the family themselves.... If we find them though do not expect them in their right minds."
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Quiella gives Ophelia a grateful smile. "Thank you, sister." She cleans her blade and sheathes it.
"I surely know less about this than you would, William."
Her face turns down as she reads the note. "Poor man... What a fate." Her face hardens. "I want to get in there and cleanse this place."
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After some healing and investigation of the stables, the group moves back into the rain to move up to the front door of the manor. The iron door is decorated with a sneering devil’s visage. A brass ring protruding from the devil’s pierced nose serves as a knocker.
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"I know we need to speak a pass phrase, but let's check for traps anyway. Valik, let's not touch anything yet."
Mel will stand before the knocker and loudly speak the words exactly as he remembers them.
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"I know nothing of the Desimere family. But if a mark of that family was left in the stables it means only one of two things. They too have succumbed to this threat, or they revel in it. Either way we must keep our eyes sharp."
He retrieves and reloads his musket, then checks the charge on his stun gun. Once he's content, he holsters the stun gun and moves forward with the musket in hand. "As the lady said. Let us cleanse this place."
He moves up towards the gate. "I suppose this is where the 'oath' is to be given. We should be ready for more company. If nobody else requires the earplugs, I would make use of them. My old commandant wrote me up for being 'prone to fits of madness' so anything to guard my disposition would be appreciated."
Melufiuos finds no traps on the door.
After speaking the pass phrase disguised or otherwise, nothing appears to happen.
William folllows up Melufiuos' recitation of the pass phrase by banging the knocker and reciting a disguised oath of his own, but the group still receives no response at all.
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Mel is miffed that William tried knocking before he did..dammed show off! yet somehow he controls himself enough to not throw himself at the door to open it first. Instead here adopts a condescending air, like a parent talking to a disobedient child.
"Now, now, my hasty friend, let's not get you killed before your time." He then holds his hand out to his porter."Scroll." Naturally, there porter does not know what he wants and so just stares back at Mel. Whispering urgently, "The scroll of open. A simple cantrip. They're all labeled"
Standing before the door, he reads the scroll which will open a standard, unlocked door. Nothing special. He just wants to prove that touching the door was a bad idea and look cool doing it. :)
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Quiella shakes her head at Mel and William's antics and waits for Valik to check the door for traps.
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Melufiuos uses a scroll to magically open the door, but it does not respond to the spell. If not magically sealed, it probably just weighs too much. The elf then uses a pearl of power to recharge his rapier.
Valik also find no traps and nothing happens when the pass phrase is uttered. The monk then opens the door.
As you move inside you see two circular chambers on either side of the door, and they both appear to be empty. Straight ahead of you a stone fountain that showcases Ostergarde’s entrance hall. Water streams from the mouths of several sculpted stone imps skirting the fountain’s edge. At the fountain’s center, an immense four-armed devil bellows in a silent scream while two erinyes concubines kneel at his feet. Above the room is a balcony that encircles the entry, with a larger area to the northeast. You see stairs to the left that appear to lead up to the balcony.
Neither William nor Melufiuos observe any hidden dangers in the fiendish fountain, although Quiella does detect some evil in the area just as the four-armed devil statue begins to come to life, surprising everyone except Valik and Ophelia!
Surprise Round
William [Surprised]
Ophelia <= Up
Melufiuos [Surprised]
Quiella [Surprised]
Halkale/Frostfur [Surprised]
Statue
Valik
Ophelia recognizes the 'statue' as a gargoyle, albeit a four-armed version of one. She distantly recalls that magical weapons are the most effective physical attack against these creatures.
The cleric moves up 5 feet and places herself in a defensive posture.
The large sized gargoyle moves up 5 feet as well and attempts to sink its teeth into the oblivious William. It bites him critically in the shoulder, causing some serious injury.
Valik steps back 5 feet to the east and begins to dispense inspirational advice to his companions.
Round 2
William [24 damage; will heal 5 damage on Quiella's turn from Life Link] <= Up
Ophelia <= Up
Melufiuos [1 damage; life link with Quiella]<= Up
Quiella [6 damage; will take 5 damage from life link on turn] <= Up
Halkale/Frostfur <= Up
Gargoyle with 4 arms
Valik [3 damage]
Group Effects
Advice (Inspire Courage): +2 attack/damage and saves vs. fear and charm.
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William grimaces as the gargoyle tears a chunk out of his arm and lets his musket clatter to the ground. "Magic weapons you say..." He quickly delivers 2 rapid blows to the creature with the enchanted spikes on his chain armor.
He seems a bit angry and somewhat irrational about this whole thing... "YOU THINK I FEAR YOU?"
"I CAN TAKE ALL YOU CAN GIVE!"
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After offering some advice, Valik then says, "O, cleansing fires of the Prince of Darkness, wash me in your burning might. Purify me as I enter your house of cloven hooves.” He then waits to see if the creature reacts to it.
William smacks the creature twice with his magical armor spikes and does some minor damage to the gargoyle, although it does not seem intimidated by him at all.
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Quiella grimaces at the gargoyle, draws her greatsword, and slashes at it. "Get around it, Will!" She shouts.
for
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Mel does not even have time for an 'uh oh' before people are moving and William is hit. Glee, horror, respect, duty, all swirl in his head before he finally gets hold of himself. The young magus leaps into spell combat, firing off his wand of shield, stepping forward, and stabbing at the creature with his rapier, the humm of an arcane charge on his lips.
Quiella attacks the gargoyle with her greatsword, but her sword blow misses.
Melufiuos uses a wand to create a magical shield around himself, then stabs the gargoyle with his Shocking Grasp infused rapier.
Frostfur moves towards the gargoyle in a manner that provokes an opportunity attack, but the creature does not take it. The wolf then tries to bite, but fails to make it past the gargoyle's natural armor.
Ophelia's morningstar attack is also deflected by the gargoyle's hard exterior.
As Valik finishes speaking the pass phrase, the gargoyle returns to its original position and pose on the fountain.
Round 3 in case we aren't done
William [19 damage; will heal 5 damage on Quiella's turn from Life Link] <= Up
Ophelia <= Up
Melufiuos [1 damage; life link with Quiella]<= Up
Quiella [11 damage; will take 5 damage from life link on turn] <= Up
Halkale/Frostfur <= Up
Gargoyle with 4 arms
Valik [3 damage]
Group Effects
?Advice (Inspire Courage)?: +2 attack/damage and saves vs. fear and charm.
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"Woah! And here I was worried about the door!" The young magus looks down at his wand and rapier and feels his face grow flush for wasting his resources needlessly. He faces his elder and bows his head, "I still have much to learn about when to strike and when to wait." A bit deflated, he seems to forget about William for the moment. He sighs, burns an arcane charge to recall shocking grasp and casts it into his rapier. "So what now?" he asks, halfheartedly.
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William stands panting with his fists raised. "You %$&*ing deaf chunk of rock! We said your ^&#!ing oath at the front door!"
He slowly calms down and adopts a more... professional demeanor. "Right... right. Asmodeus is about order and procedure. A good reason you see no followers of the Master of Witches working among the artisans of Brigh. But yes... I must remember that when in the Devil's country you must learn how his followers think."
He retrieves his firearm, checks it for damage and then prepares to move forward, inspecting the rest of the fountain.
Progressing past the fountain and further into the house, to the east you see an open dining hall and to the northwest you spot an open sitting room.
Checking the closer dining area first, it consists of stone fireplaces flanking an oval table surrounded by upholstered chairs. A large mural on the eastern wall depicts the founding members of the Kastner family wearing robes and standing around an open black double door. Eldritch light floods out of the painted door, casting the staring faces in a sinister glow. Perhaps somewhat disconcerting, the eyes of the family members appear to follow you wherever you walk in the room.
Moving over to the sitting room, it contains an ornate fireplace, plush chairs, and thick rugs that offer the veneer of comfort within the otherwise cold manor. Two doors exit the room.