The key is a large, ornate, silver and mithral key. It is very cold to the touch and always gives off a faint vapor of condensation. It feels much heavier than it should and seems to tug at your mind, begging to be investigated.
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"This key definitely feels very ...weighty. You said the tome could open the portal, but also that your associates stole it and went into hiding. So we need to find the tome, with some people not here, in order to reach the heretics no the other side of the portal and stop the nightmares plaguing everyone indiscriminately?"
Myra nods, "That is the gist of this, yes."
"The book is full of rituals, one of which will open a portal to the dream dimension wherever you perform it."
The t rex gives a call as the group prepares to move on
Dissa nods, "May be able to figure something out about this key too..."
Getting to the Madame's parlor you realize that things have gotten worse in town. There are many more staying here than when you saw her earlier, everyone looking frightened. As soon as the her butler realizes you're here he sends you into the parlor itself.
"My, my, what brings you back to me so quickly?" she asks from her couch.
"Oh dear, is that what the rumors are about? The Paginarum Lethargica has come up in conversation in my circles since you've started your investigation. I'll send some feelers out, but we'll have to wait for the information to come back to us. Have you found anything that might be linked to the band? I can try to do a reading on it and see if that information helps you."
Dissa shrugs, "The only thing the band may have touched is that key..."
"That it can. Please place the object in my hand, then make a circle so we all can see what has happened with this key..." Once you do so Madame Carrington begins intoning under her breath, causing steam to start leaking from the Clavis Somnus. The world shifts and you get stuck in your mind's eye, watching as the key's important moments start flashing by.
The first vision is of Myra Lombroso within the domed presbytery being handed the key by Moses Greeley, who seems to be offering a sneering apology to both her and Mog-Lathar.
The second vision reveals Frell Tann (before he was a gray corpse) pillaging the destroyed ritual chamber and snatching up both the smoking mithral key and a battered tome from among the wreckage as several other rogues stand nearby.
The third vision shows a bald, deeply wrinkled man and others in the ritual chamber before its destruction, dressed in ceremonial robes and desperately clawing away from a dark portal that drags them ever closer while warping and distorting their forms. The key drops from the bald man's grasp and bounces on the sigil-riddled floor as the glow of a strange burning stone illuminates the room.
As this vision fades, the psychic impressions show the same man and several cultists uncapping the seal in the catacombs of the cult house as fiery phantasmal forces wash over them.
Finally, the visions reveal the same man in deep contemplation in the cult library , poring over a large tome with a gleeful look of discovery.
Madame Carrington says, "The visions are not always logical. That is why our job is so hard when things get this confusing..."
Dissa shakes his head, "I don't think we've ever seen the man. We may want to go back to the house on hook street, but we could also go where we found Greeley's gang and see if there are any clues about where the band has gone into hiding."
Returning to Greeley's hideout, not much has changed since the early afternoon. The local police force has been around, mostly to clear the bodies and confiscate cult memorabilia.
"Could be the guard found something. I still don't like that magistrate, something about him rubs me the wrong way. But let's try to dig around here for a while, see if we can't find something..."
Searching the premises takes a few hours, but eventually you stumble upon a list of information and deal brokers written in Greeley's stumbling broken common. The most likely candidate among the list is someone named Weatherley. It appears she may be able to point you out to the hiding place of the band.
Dissa begins canvasing the area, looking for information on Weatherly.
It takes a long time, but the team finally manages to scrounge up the information and locate Weatherley. She resides in the south end of the district, but her shop is closed by the time you get there. With no other leads to go on you'll have to wait until morning to see her.
You make your way back to Madame Carrington's to avoid being sucked into the dreamworld once more. The issues is that more people have come to understand her place of residence as a safe haven. More people than you remember now hang out there, hoping for her protection.
As the night passes you do end up in the dreamworld again, but under Carrington's roof, and with her Baku friend watching over you, you manage to weather the night peacefully. Still, in the morning more information comes out about other deaths, more ash gray corpses found. Some mauled, some squished, others drained.
Weatherley is a no non-sense woman, interested in gold and information to trade. "What do you four want? I'm a very busy woman, especially with all these mysterious deaths happening."
Weatherley's eyes get wide, but that doesn't stop her from scribbling down everything Marina says. "Well, I take it you lot have been on some adventure already. Let me dig through my informants and see what can be figure out from the band's last whereabouts."
Weatherley comes back after a few hours with the news. "That band you're chasing went deep underground. Establishing contact with any of them involves putting the word out in the Bridgefront occult underground, which will not come cheap. 100 gold will get you a meeting with them, though it will take a day to establish contact. Is that alright with you?"
"Listen. I know you're on a mission, but these things take time, especially with the slaughter that was brought down on these guys. Something close to 85% of their organization was cut down in one of their home bases. You're lucky I found any survivors at all! Let me do my job and I'll give you the information on where to go from here."
Returning to the house it is clear the remainder of the cult has not left the drowned presbytery as it remains in shambles from your earlier assault. Heading there rumors of a massive spider eater fleeing the house could be heard, and is evidenced by the front door having been shattered open.
It is clear the house is still wracked by the dream haunts, all of which try to take hold of you. Some you push away, others you suffer from, but without enemies to take advantage of your discombobulation are little more than minor nuisances and disturbing imagery.
Tearing this place apart room by room reveals multiple things you missed on your rampage through the first time. They include potions, gold, art objects, talismans, and most interestingly, a locket. Inside is a picture of Myra and the old man seen in the visions with the mithral key. Inside is a little letter saying, To my love, Myra - Nahum. The second most interesting thing is a sack of gold with a note, Withhold Josef Barvasi's payment until the book of dreaming is returned.
Dissa shakes his head, "No, we haven't. I figure he might be the leader of the band. He'll likely be the most hidden..."
Kontha will sniff what they have found.
The half orc agrees with the paladin.