Shol'a'saul returns to the healing house where she takes care of those too poor and destitute for clerical healing. She puts out several requests to talk with several minor sages who have studied the history of the Empire and Ptolus in particular.
Her efforts seem to have borne fruit...
Ludo chats with a few strangers on the way to the meeting location, completely failing to have any luck.
Rain, Aurora and Timmins
You ask around the Ministrel and later in the morning around in the nearby shops in Delver's Sqaure. After quite a bit of goading the three of you are able to get it out of three separate individuals information about the Neverin's Key
Rain, The guy you talk to tells you about a cult he heard that had the Key last, they resided in a brothel somewhere in Old Town.
Aurora, an delver you talk to tells you that he had heard that the likely place to look is Pythoness House, but was not quite sure where it was. He also had heard it got raid several years ago.
Timmins, the shop keeper you got your information from tells you that Pythoness House was a brothel and they had heard it was mixed up with some sort of cult but got shut down sometime ago.
Separate from all this Shol, you go to a nearby library in Oldtown where you dig into some old records. You come across a mention of a cult known as The Crimson Coil, in a City Watch report. According to the report their hideout which was a brothel of some sort, got raided by the Knights of the Pale about 4 years ago. There was a brief mention in the record that there was likely quite a bit of loot to be had after the raid as the Knights sealed the place but never really completely explored it. Instead they went after some fleeing cultist.
Know-Local:
Timmins you sure its in Old Town but not sure its exact location
"Well I can narrow our search to Old Town, but beyond that I'm not too sure. We might have to go about and canvass the neighbourhoods, unless someone else might have a notion to the houses' location?"
"Good work, gang, I love a good ruin."
I try to find out where the brothel is/was...
Rain, you ask around and are told that it is off of Emperor's Road in Oldtown just inside the Old City Gate on a small hill.
I spend some time chatting with my informants but eventually get back to our meet-up.
"So, apparently there's this new centaur place in Narred that does super-hot pastries and..." I gather myself, "Right, sorry, down to business. off Emperor's Road in Oldtown just inside the Old City Gate on a small hill: that's where we'll find Pythoness House. Anyone need time or should we go now?"
"Great work Rain! Now, about those pastries...."
We will meet the others as planned and outline what we have gathered and, unless anyone has any objections, head off towards Pythoness House.
"A Brothel??" Shol'a'saul sniffs her nose in disgust. "I have had to treat many prostitutes with various diseases before. I am glad it was closed down!" She hoists up her healing bag and stands to her feet. "I am ready to depart now."
Seeing the group get back together , Morsai looks up from his pile of books...I got noth...
...shutting up as he hears the reports ..Damn. Impressive. Remind me to ask for help when you all have time.
During her journey across the city to Pythoness House in Oldtown,
Aurora considers if she has heard of the House or the Crimson Coil.
"You all had much more luck than I did. I agree with Morsai, next time I need information, I'm asking the rest of you. I'm ready." He joins the rest of the group heading to Oldtown. "Shol, you say the place was shut down by the Knights of the Pale? I wish I'd thought to ask them before coming. I might have learned a little more about the place."
Shol'a'saul nods in reply, "Yes according to the records the Knights sealed the place but never really completely explored it. Instead they went after some fleeing cultist. I suspect there are unanswered questions there the Knights would like answers for."
So...if we go in there...we aren't going to have the knights coming down on us? If that's the case, let's get going.
Pulling his cloak tight, Morsai prepares to head out.
The rest we can worry about when we get there.
"They probably hoped to come back and finish things. Unfortunately, the Knights are few and Ptolus has many dangers. Perhaps we can be the ones to finish it and find the key while we're at it."
The trip to Pythoness takes almost and hour. When you arrive you are greet by this site. Pythoness House is a square keep with a tall western tower, an exterior walkway connecting keep and tower, and an impressive gatehouse with twin guard towers. The entire structure sits atop a hill overgrown with weeds and shrubs amid the tall, unkempt grass. The hill is surrounded by a wrought iron fence in poor repair. In the front, a gate in the fence swings in the wind. Behind the house sit piles of rotted wood debris, the remains of a balcony that collapsed long ago. There is no door or gate on the keep between the two guard towers which strikes you all as odd but as old as portions of this building looks the wood could have rotted and been drug away for all you know. There certainly is something eerie about this place that you seem to sense, a chill goes through you all despite the fact that it is broad daylight and warm.
Aurora the only thing you remember about either the House or the Crimson Coil is that, no one knew for sure who they worshiped, there were rumors but nothing ever clearly determined, some said they were a chaos cult others said they worshiped a many gods of luck. This would not be a far stretch as you know the Pythoness was known for providing fortune telling services in addition to other services...
"That's not a house; that's a fort!"
I look the place up and down from the outside.
Shol'a'saul shivers, "It is easy to see why the Knights left this place alone. This place is giving me a bad...feeling."
'House' certainly conjures up a different image...
Let's go in while we have plenty of sunlight. For some reason, I don't relish the thought of spending the night here.
Morsai heads for the entrance.
"Yeah, its pretty eerie. I'm with all of you. Let's get inside now since we have the whole day ahead of us." Ludo joins Morsai heading for the entrance.
As the group approaches the empty archway where the gate doors should be you all get your first glance of the interior, before you is a empty courtyard. You see rats and mice scurry away into hiding places among loose stones as you look into the overgrown courtyard. The walls are so high that it almost seems like an interior chamber, except that it lacks a roof. Mosses and fungi cover the stones more so than weeds or grass. Everything feels damp, and there is a palpable chill. An open archway ahead and to the left leads into the inside of the house, its door long gone.
Rain while you walk toward the courtyard with the rest of the group you look he building up and down. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. You can tell the building has gone through some renovations over its long history as there are parts of the house that look newer than other parts.
Figuring that any traps should be long gone (up here, at least), Morsai strides right in, looking for a door. Just in case, he draws his scimitar.
"I find it hard to believe no squatters have taken residence here. Still, it does not hurt to be cautious here." Shol'a'saul whispers under her breath.
As Morsai advances into the courtyard, Shol'a'saul hangs back and casts a couple of defensive magicks.
Timmins will search the outside for any recent tracks.
Survival (Tracking): (tracking/Fav.Terr/Fav.Enemy (if Human)
Timmins you find no track outside of the front gates, you suspect no one has been this way in some time.
Morsai you march on in and find yourself in the courtyard that was previously described it is grimy and rats and mice and all manner of bugs scurry away from your presence.
Morsai...at this point seeing nothing more threatening than a largish rat...looks around...then heads for the door.
I think we could use someone with sharp senses over here.
"It does not look like anyone has been here for some time....no tracks leading into the courtyard anyway."
Timmins will search the courtyard now that the party has moved in to the area.
Timmins you begin to search the courtyard. Nothing of real interest initially peeks your interest. There are a set of stone stairs leading up to the next level on the north side of the courtyard. You do however notice a strange shimmering in the air between the gate houses after Morsai moves towards the opening and the rest of the group comes fully into the courtyard. You are not sure what it might be.
"Hold up there is something...strange here."
Timmins moves over to the area of strange shimmering with Shadow at his heels.
"I wonder what the heck this is?"
He picks up a small stone and gently lobs it towards the shimmering space.
"This is...quite odd... Shol'a'saul mutters to herself as she gazes at the shimmering field. "Be careful Timmins!"
You throw a rock at the shimmering, it bounces off and lands at your feet. As you take a look at the shimmering you realize it extends from the top of the archway between the gatehouses to the ground and from one gatehouse to the other.
"Ummm...that's not good! I think we may be trapped here."
"If we find a window then we can climb down, or go from those battlements. Anybody bring any rope?"
Pythoness House does not seem to be any worse than crypts of the Necropolis.
Given the situation, it seems to be prudent to take the same sort of precaution.
Agreed...but...who goes to a crypt for a whore?
Morsai looks around again, shaking his head.
"I think we've found the wards left by the Knights. I'm sorry, but I did not think to bring rope. Perhaps we'll find something inside to help if none of the rest of you have any either." Ludo sniffs the air by the stairs to see if he picks up the scent of anything Timmins has missed. "Time to try the stairs?"
Ludo you do not smell anything on the stairs beyond the mold ever present. Nor do you spot anything unusual on the stairs or the landing above as you casually glance over the area.
Well...sunlight is wasting.
Sword in one hand and wand in the other, Morsai boldly strides through the front...doorway.
Ludo follows behind the rest of group after agreeing to be the rearguard. "Just make way quickly if we come upon something."
Timmins follows with Shadow close behind
Shol'a'saul follows along silently behind the others, senses alert for ambush or anything else out of the ordinary.
Aurora follows along with the rest of the group.
Everyone, watch out for any traps or pits!
At Aurora's warning, Timmins scans the ares in front of him of anything out of the ordinary.
Perception:
I hang back outside, fearing some further trap and wanting to watch our collective backs.
I slip my blade from its scabbard and peer about.
Ludo joins the others making their way up the steps. He looks forward into the building, sniffing the air for any intrusion or threat.