After a relatively easygoing evening and night, the rebels wake to the familiar scent of coffee and fresh bread. Laria asks the group what they have planned, while Rexus works frantically in the back. No one can remember him going to bed last night, and now he's practically chanting 'almost... almost'.
"Mmmmmm bread."
Bazzle chomps on a hunk of warm bread. "Whell" chews, "We meet with the brother of the leader of the talons he runs a weapon shop." Chews more. "We are helping him deal with his brother." Bazzle stops chewing. "Say is there a really secure room down in the sewers that if you put someone who might scream uncontrollably people would not hear it street level."
Tarnagius sips his coffee and looks at the table.
I doubt there's such a room down there, but there is room to fit him, and the sewers are a large place. If we restrained him he could just ride it out under supervision.
"EUREKA!!!" Screams Rexus as he nearly flips the table from his sudden jump. He quickly scribbles a few things down before racing to the group. Likely the first time he's smiled in days, Rexus ecstatically explains. "I've got it. Everything. Everything's been translated. I found where my parents worked, the Sacred Order of Archivists. Oh and a few other things that I think are important. Listen to this."
Without waiting for anyone's approval or even interest, Rexus begins to explain his findings. "The sacred order of archivists have been around for centuries in one place or another. Their duty was to record all information and preserve it in case a tyrannical leader (such as Thrune) were to destroy books and rewrite the past. Just before the old Silver Ravens were beaten, they had recently made contact with the order, who were looking for a new hideout in Kintargo. They introduced the order to one of their allies, a stage magician named Braedan Hocum Azperex, who was about to build a sort of museum of oddities. However, things weren't looking good for the Ravens, and they used some sort of 'Song of Silver' to defend Kintargo from Thrune, but it didn't work out for some reason. Thrune's armies entered the city, and began burning it to the ground. They placed a little time capsule in the fair fortune livery, and then promptly surrendered in hopes that it would stop the razing."
He takes a moment to catch his breath.
A moment of silence passes before Laria exclaims. "The Fantasmogorium! Hocum's Fantasmogorium."
"Yes." Says Rexus. "It's possible that the sacred order still built their hideout with Hocum. My parents could be there, lying low for things to blow over."
Bazzle once had a conversation with a man who's father worked as a performer and presenter in Hocum's Fantasmogorium. Hocum made a museum of oddities from troll skulls, to live exotic animals, to strange magical items. For the first decade or so, it was a huge success as people from across the country flocked to witness such strange things. Unfortunately, it was later revealed in a long running scandal that most of the items on display were nought but fakes, and the fantasmogorium fell into decline from bad reputation. Though it struggled to hold on for another couple decades, it never recovered. Hocum died at the end from disease, and the place has been shut down, boarded up, and completely abandoned ever since.
Kethaera smiled and hugged Rexus.
"See I knew you could do it! And now we know a great deal about the Silver Ravens. We still need to figure out about this Song of Silver. A shame we don't have the notes I would have loved to have sung it!"
Kethaera then asked what they should do first. She suggested that they go to Hocum's Fantasmogorium first and that it would be best if Rexus came with them because it was his right to go being that he is probably the last surviving member of the Sacred Order of Archivists.
Bazzle waves a finger, "'A sucker's born every minute.' Well ! had a friend whose dad I think knew Hocum. Apparently that was this Hocum's motto. Must have worked for awhile. True showman this Hocum must have been. He staged a sideshow of sorts strange creatures, or monsters and such many of which were fakes. The taxidermist place over near the tanners has a few Jacalopes. Literally rabbits with deer antlers stuck on their heads. Hocum had a few. I think his place has been boarded up for years."
Well that's clearly our first priority. We can't risk the secrets there being compromised as we dilly-dally with the bird men. We'll eat our other base anyway from the sound of it.
"Oh! That... if any of the old artifacts are still there, it sounds like it would be marvelous to see," says Rexandi. "I mean, even shut down and covered and dust and full of fakery... it's just such an amazing artifact of history."
The group heads out immediately for the abandoned Fantasmagorium, with a hastily disguised Rexus alongside. Rexus REALLY does not like looking like a commoner, and insisted that he wear his fine noble clothes underneath. However, the chance to finally breathe fresh air does wonders for his mood.
This sprawling, single-story structure has certainly seen better days. The building's stone facade stands out amid the brick-lined walls of its neighboring structures, and numerous windows to the left and right are boarded up. Signs advertise rates and incredible exhibits within, and above everything a crimson sign announces "Hocum's Fantasmagorium!" A large lock hangs from the front door. Rexus throws off his ghastly cloak and draws a mithril key from his pocket. "One of the last mementos I received from my mother. I'm certain it's for this place."
Sure enough, the mithril key fits right in and unlocks the large double doors.
Rexandi asks, "Shall I give us a little light?"
"How long has this place been empty? Let me check something before we open the door. Squatters or even the old owner might have additional security."
"Hmm looks clear." Bazzle opens the door carefully. Looking in from the doorway. "You got that light?"
At Bazzle's request, Rexandi speaks a simple arcane syllable and sends a dancing light flitting off into the room beyond.
Tarnagius looks about outside the door, making sure nobody is following them or gaining too much interest before following Basel inside.
This sprawling, single-story structure has certainly seen better days. The building's stone facade stands out amid the bricklined walls of its neighbouring structures, and numerous windows to the left and right are boarded up. Signs advertise rates and incredible exhibits within, and above everything a crimson sign announces "Hocum's Fantasmagorium!" A large lock hangs from the front door.
The room to the left side (E2) holds various theatrical costumes, ropes, posts, blank signs and banners, paints, and some well-worn musical instruments, as well as an open cashbox for the daily ticket receipts.
Macabre taxidermy and menacing skeletons line the walls of this fifty-foot circular chamber. A middling-quality fresco of terrifying and fantastic beasts lines the domed ceiling overhead. Large double doors lie to the northeast, southeast, and northwest; the northwest doors hang wide open.
"So ummm.... who's good with locks?"
Bazzle lets out a whistle barely audible. "Weren't we looking for new diggs. We could do a lot with this."
Bazzle looks about the entrance, for traps, hidden things and stagecraft workmanship. Quiet, strange for him Bazzle looks about amused.
He steps into the room to the left after checking for things to keep the unwelcome out. Then looks about the room.
Bazzle doesn't notice anything hidden or dangerous. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, the cashbox is empty.
"Well at least we're disguised."
Looking around, Kethaera is a bit surprised by the former Fantasmagorium's decor...or more accurately lack of decor.
"Someone really needed to work on their interior designing," she sarcastically said.
"Sure its maccabe and dusty but . . ." He trails off gesturing to the sights.
He moves into the larger circular room.
Rexandi moves slowly through the area, taking in the costumes and props with a sense of innocent glee that manifests as a widening smile across her face. "It's wonderful!" she says. "This is so vintage. These were all... these were all someone's dreams. All of this was to fire the imagination."
Tarnagius moves into the building after Bazzle.
Rexus, do we have any idea what we should be looking for? I doubt your folks are just going to jump out and tell us everything. Nice as that's be...
"Let's also remember that we're supposed to act like we're in the employ of Barzillai and the Asmodean church. Let's just hope we find something," Kethaera said, reminding everyone to be careful.
Bazzle makes the goat head devil symbol when Kethaera admonishes them.
"I have to agree with you, Bazzle, this place would be... um... fascinating."
Rexus is about to reply to Tarnagius when all of a sudden two large ape skeletons fall down from the ceiling! One of them smashes Rexandi as it crashes to the ground.
Tarnagius pulls out his longsword and runs up to and attacks the skeleton on Rexandi, both hands on the sword.
Rexandi lets out a yelp as the skeleton crashes down atop her!
"So much for entering here quietly. Luckily, we're disguised as Asmodean mercenaries."
Kethaera casts a healing spell from her wand hoping to save the tiefling from death.
A disguise is useless if you SAY WE ARE DISGUISED DIVA.
Even in the heat of battle Tarnagius finds ways to grouch internally.
Fortunately skeletal apes aren't very good at understanding speech. They don't scream, but instead clank upon the ground with their skeletal frames. Speaking of which, Tarnagius swings his sword against the first ape and though the strength behind his attack is certainly powerful, he feels as though the slicing edge of his sword isn't particularly effective against bone. Meanwhile, Kethaera takes out her wand and patches up Rexandi in a heartbeat.
Just a moment later while Bazzle and Rexandi are still a bit stunned, the first ape slams down on Rexandi again. Tarnagius tries to get in the way, but the ape still manages to connect. The second ape also manages to slam down of poor Bazzle.
Rexandi backs up slightly to let Tarnagius handle the skeleton, then lobs a web bolt at the one threatening Bazzle in hopes of buying him some room to escape.
Bazzle tumbles away from the creature after a high pitched squeal drwing his dagger as he maneuvers.
Tarnagius glances at his sword, sighs, drops it to the ground and instead punches out with his gauntleted fist.
Despite Bazzle's size and nimbleness, the skeletal ape slaps the poor Gnome, which sends him flying right into the other ape, dagger first. With the skeleton being made of bones, Bazzle notices that his blade doesn't really do much when it pierces. Rexandi shoots out a web at the previous ape, but it breaks the strings apart with ease. Tarnagius slams down on the ape and smashes through some of its ribs. Kethaera taps Rexandi with the wand once more, then bites her lip as she notices the blood dripping from Bazzle. Rexus magically conjures a jar of green liquid which he tries to throw at the far ape, but he misses completely. Finally, Vendalfek bursts a light in the ape's eye, making him slightly blinded.
Rexandi repeats the cadence of her spell more forcefully and propels another web bolt at the skeleton just a short distance away from her, next to Tarnagius.
Bazzle switches to a defensive footing, "Not sure I am helping much here. Don't think I can take another hit."Bazzle withdraws to where he can be healed. "Zap me with the good stuff so I can get in there and help Tarn."
Tarnagius steps between Rexandi and the nearest skeleton.
Do we know what's animating them? That'd be useful.
He then punches it again.
A swing and a miss from Tarn, right into a terrible slap from the skeletal ape. Bazzle withdraws to be healed by Kethaera, while Rexandi snares the other ape in a web. Unfortunately, the ape rips out, but it did buy them a small amount of time. Rexus lops an orb of acid onto the nearby ape's face, while Vendalfek conjures an illusionary dragon behind the furthest ape.
nopes
Since Kethaera has Bazzle's healing handled for the moment, Rexandi also casts a healing spell and steps up and to Tarnagius' right to deliver it as a touch to the skeletal ape, in hopes that the positive energy will damage the undead.
In a daring act, Rexandi races up to the skeletal ape and uses nought but her hand to cast a spell upon the hulking undead. Instead of healing wounds as is normal for this spell, Rexandi watches as the bones and flesh rapidly decay until the skeleton collapses into a motionless pile of rubbish.
Tarnagius charges at the remaining ape and punches it again.
I should get a morningstar for these situations.
Bazzle shadows Tarns movements but moves to flank and harries the Ape aiding Tarnagius.
With the help of Bazzle, Tarnagius bashes the skeletal ape in the rib cage. The skeleton seems to sense no life coming from the dragon, and therefore turns to deal with the pesky gnome. Fortunately, Vendalfek temporarily blinds the skeleton, so it misses Bazzle. Kethaera begins dashing forwards with her longsword. Rexus dares not throw his orb of acid into a melee, so he decides to hold back.
[spoiler=Dice Rolls]