After a couple of attempts Locke unlocks the frotn door and you enter the mansion. You search the mansion for Skelg, who you eventually find inside the master bedroom.
You open the door to the master bedroom and are greeted by a blast of heat. A roaring fire blazes in the fireplace even though the day is swelteringly hot. A huge bearded man shivers under his blankets, his bed pushed dangerously close to the fire. A thin servant sits in the far corner by a window, fanning himself with a handkerchief. The bearded man looks at you and blinks a few times, then speaks through chattering teeth. "Are y-you P-path-f-finders?"
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Yes sir we are. As you know, we will always help out a fellow member of your standing.
Although I must say your Guards outside were not too anxious to let us in.
As she says this she watches closely to see if either Skelg or the servant reacts to these statements.
But she has a hard time focusing due to the blast of heat comming from the fireplace.
"N-not my g-g-guards," Skelg replies to Tereze. She and Eryzule sense he's speaking the truth.
The servant gets up. "Allow me to explain what happened..."
"Great Skelg came to Absalom from our homeland five weeks ago. He came to take service as an officer with the Taldan Longaxes. He pulled up roots and brought all his possessions with him. As such famous warriors do, Skelg had a lot of enemies back in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Some of them followed him here. Their leader’s name is Bengeirr. Skelg plundered a ship belonging to a petty jarl named Haldyr Bjornson before he accepted the offer with the Longaxes. Bengeirr is apparently one of Haldyr’s sons. That business all started about four days ago. Skelg had several retainers serving him. I’m all that’s left."
"We were still moving in. One night we heard people in the basement. We grabbed our weapons and Skelg led the men down to surprise the thieves. They were in the vault where he kept the trophies from his reaving days. The intruders were speaking our tongue, which was not what we expected. It was Bengeirr and some other Northmen. Skelg is not called “the Ripper” for naught. He set upon them like a ravenous wolf. The lanterns were accidentally knocked out in the confusion. Someone called for light, and one of the thieves managed to light a ship’s beacon. It was a prize from Irrisen called The Beacon of the North. It shines light through a lens, like a focused beam to guide a ship through foul weather. We never knew it had magical properties; our inattention may have doomed our master. When its cold light shined forth, the beam first fell on Skelg. It was like it struck him a physical blow, he was brought to his knees—but by what we knew not. Something else significant had happened. After Skelg fell, it shone upon a tapestry hung on the wall outside of the vault. A shimmering doorway opened up. The thieves took the opportunity to escape, taking the beacon with them."
"We counted our dead and tried to get help for Skelg. He said it felt like the frozen fingers of midnight were clutching his heart. His skin was as cold as ice, like he was freezing from the inside out. He sent one of the men through the portal, believing perhaps some cure lay beyond. After about half an hour poor Tirfyr hadn’t returned and the portal closed. Now the tapestry on which it shone is frost burned with the image of a longship trapped in an iceberg. We had no time to investigate further, as Skelg’s condition worsened. The clerics were able to grant him respite, but it never lasted long. They said he was cursed and the beacon was the key somehow."
"To make matters worse Bengeirr must have learned about Skelg’s condition. He raided in the middle of the night again. This time, without Skelg to lead us, we were slaughtered. Bengeirr might have killed Skelg then and there but when he beheld the state that Skelg was in he changed his mind. He told Skelg that he would spare him, only so that Skelg would die in his bed like an old woman. His vengeance nearly complete, he looted the vault and set the guards outside to prevent help from reaching Skelg. They were to return to Bengeirr with word of Skelg’s demise."
"I used an animal messenger to reach out to the Pathfinder Society since I could see the Grand Lodge from the rooftop. Skelg does not have long to live, I fear. His wealth is gone, we can purchase no respite from the freezing curse. Will you aid him in his time of need?"
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Seeing that the clothes from the guards are no longer necessary Urbar removes them.
"Those guards outside were the real deal. They managed to hold us off for about a minute, by locking the gate."
He snorts in reply to the story. He looks at Skelg and sees the strong person he was some time ago.
"We will help. A waste if a mighty warrior dies like this."
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Well it sounds like we have two possible paths forward if we are to help Master Skelg. We could investigate ze vault and see what we can see, or interrogate ze guards we left tied up.
Ze first may allow us to open ze portal and the second may give us some idea of how ze guards planned to get home.
Zoughts?
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"Hmm...well this strikes as peculiar.
Wasn't this Skelg person supposed to be a successful raider?
I mean, then where's the loot?"
Taking a look at the tapestry, "Not too bad quality, it looks fancy.
Yet, that ring up the front....wouldn't something hang there, like a sign, a lantern maybe? There's nothing on it."
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Urbar joins everyone in the basement and takes a good look around.
"No clue what he's talking about. See nothing either."
When Locke points at the spot it takes a moment but he sees it.
"That probably is the artifact that was stolen. Seems a bit odd since it a painting but you never know..."
He touches the painting to see if anything happens.
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Tereze reaches out to feel the ring... If she feels that you could actually hang something here she says:
Do any of you have a lantern on you? I left mine in my room.
If you do we can hang ze lantern on ze hook and light it. Maybe ze tapestry is magic not the lantern.
Actually let me check.
She casts Detect Magic and looks around the vault and at the tapestry.
The guard isn't the least bit impressed and stays quiet.
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She continues as if thinking out loud
But.... I do not zink it is ze source of ze magic..... I zink we should try to hang a lantern zere but... we should be careful not to get caught in ze light when we do... we do not want a repeat of what happened to Skelg...
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Having been following as directed, Ery finally shakes his head, clearing his mind of clutter.
" I have a spell... It may be useful for a light source."
The elf chuckle slightly, holding a finger up. "Where do you want it?"
He does glance about the area, also using detect magic as Tereze explains what he sees.
Fiona doesn't have any luck with the guard, who keeps glaring at her with hostile eyes and doesn't speak.
You drag the unconscious guard to one of the mansion's rooms and, after tying him up, heal him back to consciousness with a healing hex. He gives you the same cold stare and silent treatment, but maybe intimidating him will yield a better result.
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Whilst Tereze is fiddling with spells and magic to try and get the thing working Urbar starts digging through his pack. He fishes out a hooded lantern and fills it with oil before he lights it with his flint and steel.
"Here, always got a lantern with me just in case."
He holds the lantern forward to Ery and Tereze.
"You know what you are doing?"
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If he lets her, Tereze grabs the lantern from Urbar.
Trying to help one in need. she says as she walks over to the tapestry.
She looks back over her shoulder and motions for the group to move to the sides of the room.
I am guessing zat you may want to stay out of ze light. she says and then hangs the lantern on the ring while trying to stay out of the light herself.
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He nods as nothing happens.
"Better nothing than the disease."
He douses the lantern before returning it to his pack again. He joins the others outside who are interrogating the guards. He steps outside and finds a large Wren about to engage one of the guards, with a very intimidating Fiona next to her. He takes a few steps closer but stops as his curiosity takes over. He remains at a distance and watches what's happening.
The guard then points you in the direction of Bengeirr's warehouse, which is the best lead you've got.
The search of the vault turns out fruitless, but Gwendallyn and Fiona were successful in extracting a location from the guards. With no other leads, you head there.
The warehouse across from The Rosy Fingers Tavern is built right on the docks, part of it extending over the water. The building is thirty feet tall with no visible windows. On the landward side is a pair of large cargo doors with a smaller door built into the right one. Piers run along either side of the building and on the seaward side is a massive set of doors able to accommodate a small ship.
The street is busy, with several taverns among the warehouses. Most of the warehouses have sentries in front of them, and the ships at the docks are similarly guarded. A northlander warrior with an axe resting in his lap sits on a small pile of crates across from the warehouse, obviously keeping watch on the main door.
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Urbar looks askance at Ery.
"Yes of course. That is a great plan..."
He says sarcastically.
"We take him to the warehouse as a hostage and threaten to cut off his cock... Are you going to strip him down? I'd rather just chop off his head if they dare threaten us."
He shakes his head at the man/woman.
-----At the warehouse-----
Urbar, having the bound man over his shoulder, makes his way to the warehouse. Once he reaches the main door he throws down the man next to it, ignoring the warrior, and tries the door.
"Let's see what's inside."
The warrior's eyes widen and he jumps up. "What the heck are you doing with him?!"
You are then reminded that you're in the most cosmopolitan city on Golarion, as some random passersby that were headed for the nearby tavern start screaming and running away from you. "Guards! Guards!"
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Gwen sighs as people scatter, screaming for guards... "This is not going to work out well. We should have left him back at the mansion. Ery, Tereze, you two are best with words. Perhaps you can explain what's happening to the guards when they arrive?"
She then approaches the warrior. "Stand down, warrior. The city guard will be here soon, and I daresay you do not want to explain why you are sitting in front of this warehouse with a naked weapon or why you attacked someone with it."
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Standing by Urbar, Tereze calmly looks at the rest of the group and smiles.
Then she turns to the warrior.
Oh yes, the guards are coming! Zat sounds excellent!
I am sure zat you and your boss will be happy to give the guards a full explanation why you:
Attacked and slaughtered citizens of this city,
Unlawfully restrained other citizens of this city.
Have a warehouse full of pilfered goods
And are currently torturing a man to death with a magical lamp in your possession.
She calmly counts off the violations on her fingers as she enumerates the charges above.
I on the other hand can easily explain why we legally restrained a pair of home invaders on private property and at the invitation of the owner.
Further I know of no crime to have assisted the guards in tracking back the illegally obtained merchandise for the owner so that the guards can assist us in returning it to the rightful owner.
Zat we have executed a citizens arrest of zis hostage taker, and brought him as evidence to zis location, so they have proof of a crime, and will be able to enter the premises without undue legal pre-work, should be self apparent to any guardsman.
So by all means, please wait with us for ze guards. I am sure you will greatly enjoy this interview.
If you think not, I suggest you run off and forget you were ever here.
She calmly looks at the people calling for the guards.
I zink you have a few moments to decide before ze guards obtain for us exactly what we came for.
With that she stops and looks calmly at the warrior.
The warrior obviously has a hard time deciding how to react. "You... we... what...?"
He shakes his head and points at the tied up guard. "Release him, at once!"
Grabbing his greataxe tightly with both hands, the warrior takes a step closer to Tereze. "Who are you anyway?!"
It's clear to you that the warrior's assuming total defense.
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Gwen steps in between the warrior and Tereze . "Stay where you are, warrior. The city guard are going to be here. So if you continue this aggressive behavior we will subdue you and turn you over to them for your participation in the murder of several citizens of this city. Lower your weapon and allow us to pass."