The halfling waltzes into the building, but stops dead in her tracks when she sees the woman. She tries to think of something to say, when an idea pops up.
Diplomacy:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
"You are Chrysalis Black's mother, I presume? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's been a terrible accident and he perished in his workshop today."
As Rocky whispers to Mutahir then moves in, Jaelle's hands move underneath her apron. Nergi an Marduk don't notice, but everyone else does. It appears to be the motion of wiping something across a small blade.
Jaelle calls out (in a voice that sounds much younger than she appears), "We've got trouble boys, looks like the competition took out Black!"
One of the doors opens to reveal two men carrying greataxes; the one who didn't open the door steps out to menace Mutahir.
Since Antonella and Marduk haven't had a chance to post since we got here, I am moving them in pre-combat. The enemies have taken their surprise round; everyone except Nergi and Marduk can also take surprise round actions.
Riddywhipple technically rolled higher initiative than one of the mooks, but for convenience I am going to delay him to Kel's initiative. That makes it a simple "I go / you go" affair.
Fort save vs Stunning Fist:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
The party appears to be much less surprised than Jaelle had hoped. Just as the man walks through the door, Antonella and Mutahir double-team him, with a stab to his arm and a fist to the head. The man drops his axe as his eyes glaze over.
Meanwhile, Rocky moves swiftly up and menaces Jaelle, daring her to try something.
Black is stunned and pretty savagely beaten. Kel and Riddywhipple can take their surprise round actions.
No response from Kel, so he's going to miss the surprise round. If he doesn't post in other day, I'll bot him.
With much more speed and grace that one would expect from a "plump, elderly woman", Jaelle whips out a pair of kukri and stabs at Rocky. Unfortunately, as she draws the weapons out from under the large frock she's wearing, they get tangled up and her attack misses wildly.
Jaelle (kukri):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
The man in the door wobbles a bit, his bell clearly having been rung hard by Antonella. His partner grabs hold of him and pulls him back, then uses his foot to nudge the dropped axe over, finally stepping into the doorway himself to cover while his friend recovers.
Standard action from Red to perform a reposition maneuver on Black, a move action to kick the dropped axe into the room. then a 5' step into the spot his friend vacated.
If she is still conscious he will spend a ki point for another attack.
flurry of blows attack ki strike:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 for blugoning/cold iron/silver/magic dmg:1d10 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Riddywhipple flies over Jaelle and breathes a cone of euphoria breath over her. dc 12 fort save or she's staggered, sickened and immune to fear for 1d6 ⇒ 1 rounds
He can use his breath weapon again in 1d4 ⇒ 4 rounds.
Mutahir steps to one side and skewers the man in the door, first in the shoulder, then through the gut. Nergi steps up and joins in, adding another hole to the already well-ventilated man. He falls to the ground, bleeding.
Antonella steps up and continues her assault on the first one, who has not yet had time to re-arm himself. She smacks him on either side, hoping to quickly knock him out, but he manages to hang on.
Kel fires off a magical blob of acid at Jaelle, but only succeeds in destroying a doll on the shelf behind her. The flying acid distracts her enough that Rocky lands three solid punches, dropping her like a sack of potatoes.
Seeing both of his comrades felled so quickly, the barely standing thug says. "That's it, I give ... this ain't worth it!"
Combat is over! Jaelle is out from nonlethal damage, red is bleeding from several vicious stab wounds. and black has surrendered. You can now see the room black and red had been in.
Two crates full of cotton batting sit near a table, and a large locker of empty dolls rests against the western wall. Thick drapes cover the windows, preventing anyone from seeing in. On the table are ten strange relics: 1 miniature pewter whip and quill, 6 gilded wings, 1 seven pointed star encircled within a marble ring, and 1 silver scaled snake torso.
DC 17 Appraise or Knowledge (history):
The items date back to ancient Thassilon.
DC 17 Knowledge (engineering) or Craft (sculpture):
These relics can be pieced together to form a single statuette.
Female LG Halfling Bluejacket 7.1 | Init 0 | Perc: +11, SM: +3 | Wounds L 0; NL 0 / 50 | AC 22 (20 /w bow); T 15; FF 18 (16) | CMB +5 | CMD +19 | Fort +11 (+2 vs Death Effects); Ref +13; Will +10 | Speed: 30 ft | LoH 7/7 | Panache 4/4 |
Nergi leans over the bleeding man, performs a quick set of movements with her hands.
Spellcraft 15:
Casting stabilise on this misguided soul.
When that is done, she peeks into the newly discovered room, then turns to Mrs. Doubtfire in the corner: "Right. Now that that's out of the way - explain yourselves. Who are you and what do you know about Black?"
"These items all look like parts to a whole... I'm not entirely sure what they'd combine to make, but they make something... only one way to find out I guess, but not sure if we want to go that route."
The one conscious man says, "I think that's the name of the guy we rent this place from. Ophetta there ..." (he points to "Jaelle") "... she knows more about it. We just take apart the baubles they bring us, and ship them out in the bottoms of crates with dolls."
Swashbuckler 5/Pure Legion Enforcer 4| AC 23 T 16 FF 16 | CMD 21| hp 51| F +5 (D+10) R +12 (D+20) W +6 (D+14) | Spd 30' | Init +6 | SR 18 Vs. Divine
Mutahir Looks at the woman and scowls.
Then we'll just have to wake her up and ask then won't we?
He walks over to the woman and kneels down next to her, his sword drawn as he pulls a small stoppered vial out of one of his pockets. He flips the stopper off and waves it under her nose before recapping it.
Let's see if this will do the trick. No sense in wasting a perfectly good spell or potion on scum.
He keeps the sword at the ready, waiting to see if she wakes up.
I know, weirdly, that smelling salts don't technically wake someone up from nonleathal, only lethal damage, but I was hoping you might allow it from a sensibility standpoint?
Rocky checks the unconscious woman's body. Besides two kukri (one covered in a slimy substance that he carefully avoids touching), she turns out to be carrying two vials marked with a symbol of a sword and a vial of what appears to be the same substance found on the on kukri. In addition, she wears a chain shirt under her disguise, and pinned to her shirt but facing inward you find a bronze circle stamped with a coiled snake.
Mutahir comes over and waves a small pot of a foul-smelling substance under her nose. She coughs, and opens her eyes. Seeing the man holding a blade to her throat, she says quietly, "Well, then. What happens now?"
Opening the other door out of the shop floor you find an L-shaped hallway with a number of closed doors. Map updated.
Swashbuckler 5/Pure Legion Enforcer 4| AC 23 T 16 FF 16 | CMD 21| hp 51| F +5 (D+10) R +12 (D+20) W +6 (D+14) | Spd 30' | Init +6 | SR 18 Vs. Divine
Mutahir stoppers the vial and puts it away, and begins counting.
Let's see... Option 1. You tell us everything we want to know. Fast. Where are is Black and his mother? Option 2, you lie to me, I pronounce the sentence for your various crimes, including attacking us, smuggling, attempted poisoning of officers of the law, which, all added together, I can comfortably say would be a death sentence, and I execute you.
He gives a rakish grin.
Granted, the paladin might be upset with me, and I'd really rather not have to listen to her lecture me about my stance on the death penalty for violent criminals for the next week, so do us both a favor and tell us everything.
Antonella gazes Axis-ward and shakes her head. “And I think you are very wise not wanting to upset her.”
“Kel, can you ID the vials bearing the ⚔ symbol?”
Big Guy in Black wrote:
“We just take apart the baubles they bring us, and ship them out in the bottoms of crates with dolls.”
“Ship them where? And the baubles who brings you? Black and other Aspis agents?”
Antonella pauses to think. “Maybe this is an Aspis collection center, for smuggling Thassilonian artefacts out of the country. Wouldn’t it be great if VC Heidmarch secretly took this facility over and had Aspis agents bringing stuff directly to her!”
She smiles at the big man. “You might get to keep your job.”
“What else is in the Doll House rooms we haven’t checked yet?”
“I suggest we return with Ophetta to Heidmarch Manor. The Venture-Captain will be able to coerce the information we need out of her magically, before handing her over to the authorities.”
“Magnimar may be a corrupt city, but I imagine local politicians and judges take a dim view of business rivals ordering hits on each other.”
Female LG Halfling Bluejacket 7.1 | Init 0 | Perc: +11, SM: +3 | Wounds L 0; NL 0 / 50 | AC 22 (20 /w bow); T 15; FF 18 (16) | CMB +5 | CMD +19 | Fort +11 (+2 vs Death Effects); Ref +13; Will +10 | Speed: 30 ft | LoH 7/7 | Panache 4/4 |
Nergi coughs. "Oh you're talking about me? I wouldn't worry about that. Someone rigged several golems to kill members of an organization I am loyal to. A low blow for anyone involved. Why would we need to be merciful towards the saboteurs?"
The vials contain a poison known as sassone leaf residue, which is extremely painful when it enters a wound, and for several minutes thereafter continues to weaken the victim's constitution.
Ophetta is quite forthcoming. "Hey, I'm just a minor player here. The Consortium rents the back room from Black and leaves me here acting as the shopkeeper to receive valuables and prepare them for delivery out of the country. I know he keeps a lab downstairs. I'm pretty sure the entrance is hidden in a storage room back there..." (she motions through the door Rocky opened)"... but I've never been there. I don't know anything about his mother, I've never seen her. Black talks about her a lot. Doesn't seem to like her much. Did you say he got killed? Were you coming to tell his mother?"
“So you’re a minor player with a bronze Aspis badge, are you?”
Sarcastic Antonella is sarcastic. “Chrysalis Black had one as well.”
“I think we should tie them up, gag them with doll’s clothes and take Ophetta back to Lady Heidmarch when we’re done with Black.”
The priestess makes a sympathetic face at the thugs. “I believe you guys are just employees, but I don’t think we can risk letting you go until after we’ve checked out Black’s rooms below.”
“Once that’s sorted I have no problem with freeing you. Maybe you could apply for a job at Heidmarch Manor? I’d be happy to put a good word in for you.”
Swashbuckler 5/Pure Legion Enforcer 4| AC 23 T 16 FF 16 | CMD 21| hp 51| F +5 (D+10) R +12 (D+20) W +6 (D+14) | Spd 30' | Init +6 | SR 18 Vs. Divine
Mutahir stands.
I agree, binding them and taking them back with us may be the best plan.
He pulls out some rope and gives Ophetta a look that says "Just try something" as he sets about binding her and her cohorts in some very professional, very tight, knots.
The defeated Aspis agent and her cronies do not resist as you bind them and set them in the back room to retrieve later.
You find a sign for the door that reads "So sorry we missed you! Please come again!" with dolls cavorting around the letters, and place it outside.
With that, you set out to search the rest of the building.
None of the doors are locked, so I'm going to give you basic descriptions for all of the rooms, then let you tell me where you give extra attention searching or doing anything else. Having four characters who can take 10 for 20+ perception speeds things up quite a bit!
The southern hall has two doors, both of which lead into nearly identical bedrooms. These twin rooms are modestly furnished and provide a comfortable respite from the rest of the building. The west room is stocked with clothing befitting an elderly woman, while the east room contains the fine clothing of a well-groomed male merchant. In each room you find a journal; the journal from the east room is that of Chrysalis Black, and has entries every other day detailing mundane goings on at the Doll House, including production of dolls, genuine sales, and the activities of the smugglers; there are also notes about the unreasonable demands Mother makes, and how all he wants to do is to please her but never seems to be able to. The journal from the west room is that of Entrichtica Black, apparently Chrysalis’ mother. It details many of the same activities, but from her perspective, mostly pointing out what a miserable failure Chrysalis is, how he can’t do anything as well as his lovely sisters, and how much she despises him. Her entries also alternate days, on the days Black's journal lacks entries.
DC 12 Linguistics:
The two journals are written by the same hand, just with a slight shift to the angle. They also both appear to match the writing on the notes you found in Black's meeting room.
The kitchen is well stocked and impeccably clean. Flanks of meat, kegs of wine, and other perishables fill the cold pantry. Rocky easily notes a large loose tile in the pantry that could be pulled up.
Two chests and a stack of three crates fill the storeroom. Sewing supplies and doll parts fill the chests, but upon inspection the crates are fakes, and fastened together into a single unit. Near the ground by the door, Nergi locates a small hidden switch.
”Kel” | Male NG half-elf investigator 1/Wizard 4/Pathfinder Savant 10 | HP 104/104 | AC 23, T 14, FF 19 | CMD 21| F +10 R +14 W +16; +2 vs. ench/cold +10 vs written traps | Init +4/8/13 | Perc +25/27 (+1 traps) | Speed 30ft | Spells 1st 6/7 2nd 7/7 3rd 4/7 4th 6/7 5th 4/5 6th 3/4 7th 3/3 | Active Conditions: heroe's feast, mage armor
"The journal dates and handwritings seem suspicious.... I have a feeling Black and his 'mother' are actually one person... he may not even know himself the depths of his psychosis." Kel waits with Bated breath for the insights of the others.
Male Oread Unchained Monk 10 | AC 24 (33)| T 23 (24)| FF 21 (29)| HP: 84/84 (104)| CMD 39+ | Fort +12 (14)| Ref +13 (14)| Will +13 | Init +2 | Perception +24 | Ki 7/11 SF 6/10
Removed Shield buff.
"None of this explains why Black melted."
Rocky does a quick search around the crates for traps. (take 10) If he finds one he'll try to disable it.
disable device:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34
If there are no traps he'll hit the switch.
Please put your tokens in the building where you are when Rocky lifts up the loose tiles. Post here to let me know you did so and to say what you are doing.
Male Oread Unchained Monk 10 | AC 24 (33)| T 23 (24)| FF 21 (29)| HP: 84/84 (104)| CMD 39+ | Fort +12 (14)| Ref +13 (14)| Will +13 | Init +2 | Perception +24 | Ki 7/11 SF 6/10
Could you describe the loose tiles in better detail? And show where they are in the room. I clearly misunderstood what happened. Though Rocky would still lift them he would look for traps with a take 10 if they were large enough to walk through.
Female Human (Garundi) Wildling 7 | Diehard! | HP: 81/81 [95/95] | DR 1/- | AC: 20 [18] | T: 13 [11] | FF: 17 [15] | CMD: 25 [27] | Fort: +12 [14] | Ref: +9 | Will: +7 [9] (+1 vs fear and confusion) | Init: +3 (+5 in forest) | Perc: +12 (+14 in forest, +14 vs Humans+Aberrations) | SM: +2 (+4 Humans+Aberrations) | Spd: 40 ft.
Tracked Resources:
Spells: 1 - 2/2 ; Rage: 67/9
Marduk blinks her eyes several times.
"How can Black and his mother be the same person? Maybe the one melting wasn't real. Or a butter elemental. YES! Black is a butter elemental." concludes proudly Marduk.
She stands close to Rocky when he hits the switch.
