Ascaria nods to Todrik by way of thanks for the information, and the warning (though he immediately ignores the warning, Mort's no dog!). He nods to Rastophan as they exit, and he smiles as the group walks down the street.
”I think the observatory is this way, on the north side of town. Well, just outside anyway. So if this guy is buying bones, I doubt he’s gonna want to sell them. Not sure how we’re gonna get the family back. Anyone have any ideas? From what Todrik said, the guy’s a little creepy - not likely to warm to the plight of a ghost.”
”Still, if this stops the children from getting sucked into that place, maybe that’ll appeal to him. huh?”
He walks on with the group searching for just the right thing to say to get the family back in the ground.
Sol leaves, sucking on her meats, contented. Gone is her worry over the ghost, her hopes for the iron balls, for Rae's job.
She walks in the sun next to her sister, alive and at peace.
Tynan slows his pace to walk beside Ascaria.
"Did he give you a name for this creepy buyer of bodies, Ascaria? If it wasn't Filge, like Kullen said, he might be trying to lead us astray..."
As they walk, Tynan keeps watch behind them to see if Rastophan, Kullen or any of the others might be following them.
Ascaria responds to Tynan, "Yeah, it was Filge. He might still be leading us astray, but he seemed honest enough os I doubt it. Might be a really good guy under different circumstances. He seems to enjoy pain though, which is weird." he grins.
"What do you know about this Filge guy? I'm not familiar with him, or the observatory. I had thought it abandoned I guess."
"I'd never heard the name before, I'm certain of that. He must be from somewhere outside of Diamond Lake. Did he tell you anything else about Filge, other than his creepiness?"
The name Filge has no familiarity whatsoever, which leads you to believe someone named Filge is likely a new arrival to Diamond Lake. The observatory is well known as an abandoned structure. Current ownership is unknown, but it had once been a thing of wonder, replete with an order of monks who studied celestial bodies.
"No, and the creepiness was all my own. It's just unnatural wanting dead bodies."
Ascaria, uncharacteristically, frowns. His mood brightens a little as they walk on in silence.
As the group gets closer he says, "I guess I'll just knock on the door and see what I can do, shall I?"
Ascaria will just walk up the hill, along the road, and knock on the front door, presumably with the party close behind.
Solrisa walks up with Ascaria.
"Did you want me to do the talking, Ascaria? It might be nice to find out why they took the bones," Sol asks cheerily as she marches, then pauses as she looks at the building.
She turns to Rae.
"Rae, look! It's a great view from up here!"
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
As they walk toward the observatory, Mortimer breaks from the group momentarily to retrieve a large ladle from a nearby community well. He then fills it with water that he dumps over his head in an effort to rid himself of the stench of the Feral Dog.
Dingy Theives' Den...
He listens to Tynan and Ascaria discuss the information given to Ascaria by Todrik.
"Might be a really good guy under different circumstances. He seems to enjoy pain though, which is weird."
"Not necessarily a bad guy so to speak, just opportunistic? Don't be fooled. Given the company he chooses to keep Todrik would just as soon take you for everything you've got and leave you in a ditch. Interesting to note what he does find distasteful, though."
"I guess I'll just knock on the door and see what I can do, shall I?"
No. It's super-not natural to want to aquire or otherwise collect dead ... anythings.
"I'll go up there with you," he says, sticking close to the gnome knocking at the door.
"Did you want me to do the talking, Ascaria? It might be nice to find out why they took the bones," Sol asks cheerily as she marches, then pauses as she looks at the building.
Ascaria nods, "Good question - but that might just complicate things at the outset. Best to get the bones back, and then find out what creepy ideas the guy had." he shudders a bit imagining all sorts of things. He promises himself not to draw any of them.
"I was gonna do the talking, but if you'd prefer to give it a crack, by all means go for it." Ascaria grins. "Let's see what you've got!"
As the party closes in, Ascaria steps just behind Mort, safe enough but close to the action so he can see.
"Did you want me to do the talking, Ascaria?"
I certainly hope this works out better than it did with the ghost... but I doubt it.
Tynan scans the area as they arrive to spot anything out of the ordinary.
Sol squeals...and knocks. She sends 3 loud booms on the front door with her mailed fist.
"What is they aren't home? What if they are out gathering more bones? It might be rude to intrude," Sol says.
"Rae, listen! Did you catch that? I rhymed!"
"He seems to enjoy pain though, which is weird... It's just unnatural wanting dead bodies."
Ahhh... no wonder he is so cheerful much of the time. It seems the Gnome may be as innocent as the exuberant swordswoman in the grittier ways of those who seek power in this world... and the next.
"Rae, listen! Did you catch that? I rhymed!"
The halfling can't help a little eye-roll, but Sol's enthusiasm even affects Pillette and her lips almost unwillingly curl into a slight, bemused smile. Good thing this one has her sister. And her sword. There's only so much even a diligent slip can do to keep the likes of these out of trouble.
"Given the company he chooses to keep Todrik would just as soon take you for everything you've got and leave you in a ditch."
At least Mort and Tynan seem to understand some of the realities of life. And they don't even have to face it from the bottom looking up.
Letting the others approach the door, Pillette joins Tynan in his wariness, looking for any who might be following, watching or otherwise out of place.
Sol squeals...and knocks. She sends 3 loud booms on the front door with her mailed fist.
"What is they aren't home? What if they are out gathering more bones? It might be rude to intrude," Sol says.
"Rae, listen! Did you catch that? I rhymed!"
"So you did, so you did. It was very lyrical. Maybe you should let the canary do the talking, and you can compose some fine poem about how the dealings go?" Rae grins in spite of herself. Her sister's eternally sunny disposition brightening her mood.
She moves up closer towards the door. In case a more physical conversation happens to ensue.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
"What is they aren't home?"
Mortimer looks up at the observatory to see if it is at all maintained.
"Maybe you didn't knock hard enough, Solrisa. Try knocking even harder!"
Five minutes north of Diamond Lake, on a bluff overlooking an abandoned mine, the crumbling old observatory casts its gaze to both the heavens, and the town below.
A wide slit bisects its domed tower, where surely a great telescope once peered into eternity. Now the place bears a dark character, like a sagging tenement broken under the weight of decades of inhabitants.
A slim stairway cut into the steep hillside leads to the structure’s only door, on the side of the tower’s attached one-story outbuilding. Along the steep path ending at the foot of the stairs, a lone wheelbarrow lies on its side, the ground flat enough for its resting position. Flickering light filters through the observatory’s only windows, along the tower’s second and third floors.
The stairway rises to a wide landing and two huge wooden doors. Shot through with dark blue mold, the doors' surface area allows an enormous round moon carved with a theatrical face of awe.
As Mortimer raises a hand to pound on the door, Solrisa seizes the moment, and the door's knocking echoes hollowly on the first floor of the building.
There are your wheelbarrow tracks, at least.
You are aware of a creaking of wood somewhere beyond the door, possibly the shifting of furniture.
There is no answer at the door. Repeated knocking yields the same result.
Tynan kneels to examine the wheelbarrow's wheel, then stands.
"Well, Todrik wasn't playing us about bringing the bodies here. This looks to be the wheelbarrow from the tracks I found in the graveyard. These two notches in the wheel made a fairly distinctive mark. It looks like Filge has already moved the remains inside the observatory."
"Well, Todrik wasn't playing us about bringing the bodies here. This looks to be the wheelbarrow from the tracks I found in the graveyard. These two notches in the wheel made a fairly distinctive mark. It looks like Filge has already moved the remains inside the observatory."
"Well, then. We may have to move ourselves inside, as no one seems to be coming to open the door."
Sol will try the handle to see if the door is unlocked.
If it is unlocked, she will open it with a cheery "Helll-OO?!"
If it is locked, she will turn to her sister. "Rae! Can I help break it down?"
Pillette's ears perk up as Sol's armored fist booms on the door. Her voice is quiet but steady as she softly informs the assembled crew. "I'm fairly certain I heard someone moving inside."
She peers ahead, trying to see if there is any mechanism on the door, keeping it locked or perhaps something more sinister.
She'll use her small size to try and slip in front of the taller folk, retrieving a pick or two from the pouch tucked inside her cape. She looks at the lock with a bit of trepidation. "I could try to open that."
Sol seems surprised when the shorter Pillette appears between the her and her sister.
"Oh Pillette! You came too!? Goodie!"
Sol will make room for Pillette's inspections.
"Ah, er, so we're just going in? I mean we did knock, but still. Seems a bit rude. Maybe they're gardening out back or something. Maybe you just heard a servant or something Pillette - or a child."
"Before we go kicking in the door, shouldn't we at least check? I mean, this might be someone's home after all."
Ascaira peeks around the edge of the building, but really can't see much with his vision being what it is.
Solrisa finds the door to be locked, and solidly so. As Pillette moves to inspect the door, she finds nothing trap-worthy. Her first attempt at picking the lock fails.
The door has a Simple Lock.
Your sense of movement behind the door seems to mirror the sounds of your lock-picking. Each time your metal misses the pin, the scraping is followed by a distant scraping of wood, somewhere beyond the door, almost in reaction to your attempt.
Seeing as the observatory is the sole edifice on this hilltop, the little you can see from your position on the stairs would indicate that there is no place on this hilltop for much else but a light walkway around the walls of the building.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round , Init
Mortimer sighs, sizes up the door, and tries to side kick it in.
He takes a step back.
Damned Oak.
He turns to Sol and Rae.
"Feel free to jump in at any time!"
The strong, wooden doors buckle under the blows of Mortimer's feet. They take a bit of damage, but still remain quite unbroken.
Watching Mort's strong blows buckle but not break, Pillette waves him off. "Let me try once more. I know I can get this." Eventually
Crap. Almost had it. I think. "Something's in there, paying attention to..." ...me.
Frustrated, and perhaps a bit afraid, she pulls back, not about to get in the way of Mort and Sol trying to beat they're way in.
Ascaria looks a little nervous at this home invasion - particularly as Mort tries to kick in the door. Pillette's claims that someone's listening though, but not talking back, makes him even more uneasy.
It's unnatural. Why don't they talk? Maybe they're gagged... maybe tongue's been cut out...
He begins to spook himself. To relax, he takes out his pipe and loads it with tobacco. A quick hand gesture and he lights it with magic and takes a long draw.
"Try again Pillette. Better to leave the door intact in case this is just some misunderstanding." He casts light on a small nearby rock and holds it up for Pillette to see better as he puffs on his pipe, calming his nerves.
Sol will make room for Pillette's inspections.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
"Try again Pillette."
Huh?
Mortimer looks at the door then back at the party, and sees Solrisa stand down.
"Sorry, Pillette," he says, slightly embarrassed. "Did you say something was paying attention to you?"
An unmistakable look of confoundment possesses his countenance.
"How?"
He shakes his head apologetically.
"Am I in your way?" He steps back making room for Pillette to try the lock again.
I'll just stand over here in case someone needs me to do something...
Realizing Mort and Sol are eager to move ahead with fist and sword if necessary, Ascaria's encouragement has Pillette quickly poking, prodding and working at the lock again.
The agitation of the tall folk - and the visceral memory of just how hard Mort's boot crashed into the door - apparently is making her a bit nervous, and she all but drops the little metal sticks and wires jumbling in her little fingers.
Taking a deep calming breath, she tries one the locks more time. Focus, Pillette, focus. You need to prove your worth, lest they tell Lazare they are dissatisfied with even what little a slip can contribute.
"I think I've got it." Yeah, only I took so long I gave the inhabitants a chance to get prepared.
"And whatever I heard inside knows we are here."
The delicate hands of the halfling find their way round the pins of the doorlock, and a light scraping of metal indicates her success. The door is now unlocked, as well as visibly damaged.
"Oh good work, Pillette! You're good at this!" Sol cheers, and waits for Pillette to move before she opens the door and looks inside.
"HAAAALLLLLL-OOOO!?" Sol bellows into the building. "Anyone home!? We're coming in!"
With a satisfied click, Pillette sports a brief smile before reminding herself there is something beyond the door. Sol's cheerfulness in the face of Mort's stomping and whatever bones-hungry fiend lies beyond the door is more than enough to convince the halfling to return to the back.
As she moves away from the door, she grins sheepishly at Mort - "Perhaps that's a little more quiet than kickin-" - before Sol's bellowing banishes any remaining form of "quiet" from the area.
Pillette will slip back behind the big folk who seem so eager to meet whatever is inside.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 Reflex+4 Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
"And whatever I heard inside knows we are here."
"Nice job Pillette! If it's any consolation, from this vantage point they probably saw us coming for miles anyway. We did knock first."
He adds addressing more or less everyone, "This place hasn't been maintained for years -- watch your step. Anything or anyone we might find in here probably shouldn't be in here either."
As the door swings open, and Solrisa announces the group's intent to break and enter, three crossbows sound off, as three skeletons unload their first barrage of bolts. All bolts target Solrisa. The skeletons appear to be sized as two adult frames, and one child-like frame.
Slight deformities about one of the adult skeleton, and the child-like skeleton show signs of the Red Death, the plague that swept through Diamond Lake roughly 19 years ago.
All three skeletons toss aside their first crossbows, and appear to be reaching for something below your line-of-sight, behind the barricade.
Furniture fragments, smashed planks, broken glass, and other detritus cram this large antechamber. At the north end of the room, several upended tables form a crude barricade. A closed door marks the north wall.
Round: 1, Initiative: 19
Weapon Equipped = None
Cold Iron Bullets (6/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = None
Channel Energy (5/5) (1d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +1, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 2, Concentration +6)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (2/5) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Liberating Command
Ascaria moves in to try and see what lies within, but sadly, he cannot see the opponents, just the debris on the floor.
”Hey now! Cut that out! We’re just looking for some dead bodies we want to return to the grave. We have no interest in fighting you - so please just lay down your arms and let’s talk. What do you say?”
Ascaria hopes he can convince the opponents to chat, not fight.
Round 1, Initiative 22
The halfling retrieves a flask from her bandolier and moves cautiously ahead.
Spying the trio, and the bolts sticking in the doorjam around Sol, Pillette remembers the tracing, mimicking sounds. Holding her hands up, one hand still grasping the flask, she follows Ascaria's lead.
"You protect your family well, but all will go better if you do not fight but let us try to put things right."
The skeletons don't seem to pay much attention to the words being uttered by the gnome and the slip. They do, however, shift their next wave of attacks to the last person having spoke- Pillette. They retrieve pre-loaded heavy crossbows, and fire thrice at the halfling hoping to engage them in counseling.
Two bolts strike true at the more vulnerable of the targets.
You realize quickly that the bolts are tinged with some foul substance, a substance that has found the flow of blood beneath your skin, and is now seeking to slow your pulse.
Round 1, Init 18
"Pillette! Why did you go in there, you big silly!" Sol says.
She moves forward, drawing her shield as she moves and attaches it to her arm .
Round 1, Init 15
Tynan rapidly unsheathes his short sword, and moves next to Raella, giving the raging twin ample room to move into the observatory.
Round 1 - Target Phase
AC 16 HP 7/15
Fort +1 Ref +6 Will +0
Perception +5 / Sense Motive +4
Watching the skeletons cast aside her favorite weapon, the halfling enters the room chiding their foolishness. Her jaw drops in surprise as they retrieve pre-loaded crossbows, and her small form is big enough to "absorb" two of the quarrels shot in her direction. Clever skeletons? Or cleverer necromancer?
The first bolt is sufficiently deep to lace the wound with enough poison to weaken you. Your eyelids start to feel heavy, as you fight off the blackness narrowing your sight.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 (+4 vs inhaled and contact poisons, +2 vs. disease)
Reflex+4
Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round 1, Init 12
"You protect your family well, but all will go better if you do not fight but let us try to put things right."
"I think too, these are the bones we're after, but I think their souls are at rest. These are now just someone's puppets," Mortimer says, clambering into the building.
But if we're right, there's still one missing.
round 1, Init 9
"I don't care what they are, they're going to stop moving, now!"
Rae moves forward as quickly as possible, her sword in hand swinging at the closest skeleton.
Pillette kindly offers herself for martyrdom as Ascaria diplomacies the darkness. Solrisa steels herself against further projectiles. Tynan chooses something with a little more mass. Mortimer closes the distance, careful to avoid twisting his ankle across the debris-strewn floor. Raella deftly closes the distance, shattering the smaller skeleton in one swipe of her large blade.
Round 2 - Init 22
Staggering on her feet, Pillette glances at the two quarrels sticking out of her body and looks longingly out the door. Good thing I purchased the healing vial. I should be able to apply if if I just make it outside to...
Before she has a chance to finish the thought, she collapses.
Round: 2, Initiative: 19
Weapon Equipped = None
Cold Iron Bullets (6/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = None
Channel Energy (5/5) (1d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +1, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 2, Concentration +6)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (1/5) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Liberating Command
Ascaria moves into the room so he can more clearly see the foe. ”Oh, hey guys, these are skeletons!”
"Oh, hey, that's kinda cool. You see those deformities? That's where they had the plague I think. It messes with the bones. Wow, never saw it so clearly like this before."
He looks next to him, "Hey, Pillette, isn't that cool? Oh. Pillette?! Pillette!!"
Fearing for her life, Ascaria reaches down and heals the halfling.
Pillette almost launches the vial in her hand, but instead slips to the floor, drawing Ascaria's concern. The vial manages to meet the floor unbroken, for such a little ways to fall.
The skeletons, in the meantime, drop their second wave of crossbows, and close distance. One of them begins to cross the room, heading directly at Pillette. The other steps up on Mortimer, and swings its claws at the giant, twice.
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 19/19 HP
BAB = +3 (level 2)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2
LHit = 1d20+7-2
Fort+3 (+4 vs inhaled and contact poisons, +2 vs. disease)
Reflex+4
Will+1
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 17 if flat footed
Round 2, Init 12
Mort has nothing on his mind right now other than smashing in some animated skulls.
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