Piper moves to retreat a moment too soon and it affects her aim.
Round 1:
Bullwhip: Move
Baddies: move and attack
Piper: Miss
Auriferous: Go!
Hunwald: Go!
Dupine: Miss
Thiera: If needed: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Red: 0
Blue: 0 (Sleep)
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Hun steps up, masterwork shortswords drawn and attacks the offending ulfen guard not sleeping!
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Hun actually nicks the northerner. Doesn't make him any less angry, but he is bleeding a bit.
Round 1:
Bullwhip: Move
Baddies: move and attack
Piper: Miss
Auriferous: Go!
Hunwald: a hit
Dupine: Miss
Thiera: If needed: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Red: 2
Blue: 0 (Sleep)
The men have nothing beyond mundane equipment. One has a key to the manor proper, and no one else seems to be accosting you... for now.
Skelg is easy to locate inside the mansion. He is in the master bedroom on the upper floor.
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?”
Skelg does his best, “It is as if the frozen fingers of winter’s blackest midnight clutch at my heart. I’m freezing from the inside out.”
His attendant introduces himself as Tyros, tries to give you the complete story. Occasionally Skelg interjects, but it doesn't add much. A week ago, Skelg caught Bengeirr’s men in his basement vault, mistaking them for common thieves. One of the intruders had lit a lantern he found in the vault. When the light from the lantern struck Skelg, he began to freeze. When the light shone on a tapestry hanging on a wall in the hallway outside of the vault, a shimmering doorway appeared, frightening the intruders enough to flee the manor. With Skelg in a weakened state from the immediate effect of the cold, the thieves easily escaped him and fled with the lantern and other valuables from inside the vault.
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Thiera takes a moment and considers what she knows of magical items, artifacts and their consequences.
"Is there anything about the thieves that might help us identify them? Or anyone you know that might be after that lantern in particular? And what can you tell us of the origin of this tapestry?
It's a barrage of questions, to be sure, but time is of the essence and she seeks as much information as possible.
Yes, come with me, let me show you the tapestry." The tapestry in the hall now depicts an Ulfen longship on a rolling sea, mostly encased in an iceberg "it was a meadow scene with shepherd and flock before the lantern shown on it."
Perception checks for more details on the tapestry.
He continues, "After Bengeirr’s raid, one of Skelg’s men named Tirfyr walked into the portal on the tapestry to investigate. He returned a moment later saying that it led to a ship encased in ice. He went back to investigate further, but after half an hour, the portal disappeared, trapping poor Tirfyr in the frigged landscape. Skelg recognized the ship in the tapestry as the funerary ship of his old enemy, Haldyr. He believes Tirfyr traveled to the ship and that the cure to his curse lies there."
With a heavy sigh he concludes, "Two days ago, Bengeirr’s men returned with Bengeirr himself and killed my Leder’s guards. Bengeirr spat on Skelg, snarling, “Now you’ll die in bed like an old woman.” He left his guards to prevent anyone from saving Skelg and tossed the corpses of Skelg’s men into the vault in the basement. Skelg, in his weakened state, was unable to do anything to defend himself and hurriedly wrote a cryptic letter to his friend Adril, hoping his sparing partner would send help immediately. Then he had me smuggle the letter into the city. I came back here and haven't left his side."
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The Rogue looks intently at the tapestry, looking for any clues or portal remnants.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The portal is no longer active. examining the picture closely you all notice that a large lantern ring hangs from the mouth of the dragon figurehead, but no lantern hangs there. The aide adds, "He's somewhere around here. If those guards are still alive, you can ask them where their dastardly leader went."
The tapestry doesn't radiate as magic, but there's a lingering aura of Conjuration (Teleportation) in the vicinity. You're confident between your detection and
Bullwhip doesn't do much to scare the man, but something in the tone of August's voice is well, august. The man breaks without much of a fight after that, "Bengeirr... Wants revenge on Skelg. Skelg raided Bengeirr’s father's funerary ship. Bengeirr’s father, known as Haldyr died. On the ship as is the old way was Bengeirr's mother. That bastard Skelg looted the ship and set his mother free. Bengeirr is now disgraced and seeks revenge. He's in his warehouse at the docks. He's hiding there until Skelg dies. He's got the lantern. I assume that's what you want..."
"It's true..." You turn to see Skelg's manservant. "We did raid the ship as is our right too. The cure to the curse is known by Haldyr's wife, but without the beacon we cannot get to her."
Piper is confident she knows which one based on the additional information the erstwhile thug provides.
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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Thiera casts charm person on the warrior across the street.
Should it work, she suggests that he and his friends (the warehouse sentries) have worked hard, and he should take them to a tavern to enjoy some well-deserved refreshment (additionally suggesting one of the taverns a few streets over may have better ale and prettier barmaids).
Thiera walks up calmly to the ulfen man. He gives her a toothy smile that cracks his beard. After her suggestion, he couldn't agree more, "Aye lass. The boys inside can't sneak out with the boss there, but I think you're right. I shouldn't do it though unless you promise to keep my watch. Yeah, the girls in the Rosy Fingers have taken a down turn. Thanks friend." With that he walks off...
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"I promise we'll keep a good watch on the warehouse while you're gone. Make sure you and your friends have a good time."
When the guards have departed, Thiera looks to her companions. "Anyone have a way to get the inner guards out? Tell them the others are chasing a thief? That they've been called away by a big boss for an important meeting? Someone good at selling a story might give it a try."
The other guards outside are for other ships and warehouses. He was the only eyes on this one.
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"Nicely done."
Says Auriferous.
"Again, lets see if we can do this without too much bloodshed. We are in the midst of a city and killing folk will not win our cause any new friends."
She thinks, looks around and then if everyone appears ready, opens the door the guard was next to.
"Let me try and talk them into giving the lantern first."
The door is locked but you could conceivably get in other ways (or pick the lock.)
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Hun eerily feels confined yet right at home here in the hustle and bustle of the docks. As the son of seafaring parents, the docks are a part of his being and where he lerned the magical language of mathematics and the art of the grift. He will walk down the pier on the west side of the warehouse to see if he could possibly enter from the seaward side of building from under the ship entry doors.
Even though he grew up on the sea, one thing Hun never found the time to do is learn how to swim. But he knows that the sea doors merely go into the water, but not all the way to the bay floor. The rogue believes that he can easily swim under these doors and gain entry quietly from a direction the guards would not expect, then he may be able to aid his companions' plan to enter the front door of the warehouse. He explains his plan to the team and takes off...
Dupine's attempt doesn't work, but before Auriferous calls Hun back a voice form inside calls out, "What in Gorum's gullet are you doing? Get back across the street you oaf."
The sound of a lock unlocking sounds. You've each got ONE round of actions before the door opens...