Megan's Carrion Crown

Game Master Megan Robertson

You make your way along the hall to Vorkstag's room. The door is unlocked and untrapped. This room appears to be the study of a scholar. A roll-top desk with a leather chair stands against one wall, holding a variety of alchemical equipment and surrounded by hundreds of books piled on every available surface. A narrow cot is crushed into one corner behind a wall of books. A door stands in the north wall.

"We could spend weeks searching through here. Let's just take a look to see if we can find anything about his skin-stealing or evidence that we could use to help clear the Beast."
Take 10 for 14 to assist Dillan.

"Agreed." The rogue sets about, with assistance, searching the room for any clues...

Perception
1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
with Assistance (+2)= 23
vs Traps (+6)= 29
vs concealed or secret objects (+4)= 27

Amelia follows the others but keeps her eyes on the door instead of searching the room.

A combination alchemy lab, library, and bedchamber, this room is almost fastidiously clean except for the heaps of books everywhere. A large bell jar atop the desk contains the alchemically preserved head and shoulders of a human man. The door to the north is locked.

The collection of books (mainly dealing with anatomy and surgery) would be worth a fair bit - 500 gp or so, you reckon - to the right scholar or a university. In addition, a complete alchemist's lab sits on the desk, along with three packets of flash powder and five pots of alchemical grease.

Sorin detects magic while suggesting, "Another locked door Dillan. Let's see what he's hiding."

Sorry for my absence, work and school got the best of me.

Dillan looks over the alchemical bottles, clearly confused as to their purpose, and hearing/noticing the other door he moves to a task he does understand...

Checking for Traps 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21
Disable if needed 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37
Unlock the door if needed 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

The door does not appear to be trapped, but it is locked... and despite your kind attentions, remains that way!

"Let me try." Barret will 'unlock' the door his way.

Rage Strength check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

The rogue moves away from the door allowing Barret to make his attempt. In the meantime Dillan will search the room for any keys or anything hidden...

Perception 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24

Sorin steps back as Barret throws his full strength at the door, "Impressive. Hope that does it."

Sorry, Barret bounces off of the door!

"Maybe we should wait for him to come back and just take the key from him?"

"Sounds like the only way we're getting in there. Shall we see if there is anything else here while we wait?"

"As in this entire place? I'm sure there are more of those goons around here and we'll have to deal with them." Dillan pauses before continuing, "Or maybe we should take our current prisoner to the authorities?"

OK, what do you want to do?

Sorry about the tough door. It's got a ridiculous unlock DC.

If there is another room on this floor, let's go explore that. Then we can start looking for a way up or go back down to the floor and see what we can find down there.

I'm all for exploring, but we have the other guy tied up in the other room right? Currently left alone and he is the ONLY lead we have to save the beast from being hung. Maybe we should just take him back so we don't lose that. The only other option I see is waiting for the other guy to come back and ambush him, again hoping he doesn't find the tied up guy first.

We could take him in. Another option we have in the immediate area would be to forget about the lock and just beat down the door. Not with a Break check, but by smashing it until we can get through.

I'm okay with that.

Lets break the door down then :D

I'm also okay with that.

Barret starts punching the door down.

Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Rage, Power Attack: 1d3 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

And in my mind I'm picturing the little child having a tantrum pounding on the wall. lol.

A very big child.

Very well, a violent frontal attack proves too much for the door, eventually. The mongrelmen leave off tending their vats and come up to have a look however... but when they see the ferocity, they decide discretion is the better part of valour and flee the building altogether!

The door eventually succumbs to Barret's onslaught, revealing the room beyond. This room appears to be the study of a scholar. A roll-top desk with a leather chair stands against one wall, holding a variety of alchemical equipment and surrounded by hundreds of books piled on every available surface. A narrow cot is crushed into one corner behind a wall of books. A door stands in the north wall.

A combination alchemy lab, library, and bedchamber, this room is almost fastidiously clean except for the heaps of books everywhere. A large bell jar atop the desk contains the alchemically preserved head and shoulders of a human man. Apart from him, there's nobody here.

"That did the trick! Remind me to stay on your good side. Who do you think the creepy keepsake is?" Sorin casts detect undead and focuses on the bell jar, then switches to detect magic to check the rest of the room before anyone enters.
Unless of course anyone wants to enter before I check those things out :)

"Assuming there is a good side. I don't know what it is." Barret will walk in unafraid.

The head in the bell jar is dead. There's something... not quite undead but unwholesome... beyond the far door. You also sense that there is something undead somewhere below you, Sorin, quite a long way down. A cellar, perhaps?

"The head seems ok, but there is something strange behind the door. Also, I sense undead deep below us. There may be a basement in here." Sorin holds by the door while Barret goes in to look around.

Dillan pauses at the door, "How do you mean unwholesome?" he asks as he looks at the jar containing human remains.

Vorkstag's collection of books (mainly dealing with anatomy and surgery) would be worth 500 gp to the right scholar or a university. In addition, a complete alchemist's lab sits on the desk, along with three packets of flash powder and five pots of alchemical grease Vorkstag had recently created.

Going to try the far door?

"Some good things. Clearly these guys are villains of some sort. Let's take these things back to the University, but let's look at the far door first."

The door is locked. Get those picks out...

"Lets just see if I can figure this one out." Dillan removes his tools from their comfortable resting place, a pouch (of sorts), on his belt. "But first we must always be cautious."

Traps 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
Disarm if needed 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33
Unlocking lock 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27

No traps, but you manage to unlock the door. Beyond it, a tiny room holds a single object — a large oak cabinet.

Nearly a score of flayed skins hang within the cabinet like empty sacks of flesh. It's all really rather disgusting...

"Trophy's?"

"Probably. That is disgusting and good evidence that there is something very dark and evil going on here. Let us see if they are more than just skins." Sorin detects magic.

Do any of the skins look like the Beast...or anyone else we know for that matter?

Dillan looks at Sorin, a look of apprehension, "You mean we are going to need to bring these with us?"

It appears that someone's been here before you. There is a blood-smeared coat hanger with no skin on it. The other skins are mostly humanoid.

Dillan points at the hanger, "Ok so someone...er...something is walking around wearing one of these things. Perhaps we should alert the constable's about this?"

"Or we take care of it."

Somewhere downstairs you hear a distant shout...

"What the heck* has been going on here?" and some high-pitched screaming.

* Well, the word used wasn't "heck" but some words ought not to be repeated in polite company.

"I think the owner might be home now."

So what do you intend to do about it?

Recapping real quick: so we are in a room, the room we assume belongs to this dude bellowing outside? If so...

Dillan motions to the door, "Perhaps we should close the door and lay a trap for this monster?"

You are correct...

The rogue unsheathes his Short sword, "I think a trap would be our best bet." Then he moves to a position to gain an advantage on whomever would open the door...

Stealth 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

What are the rest of you doing?

Barret will move in front of the door ready to "greet" this person.