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The vivisected human is Zelius Jagrah, a slave from Cheliax. He is currently unconscious
Apon reviving him, “Thank you, I think. I was bought by the Blakros family and sent here three months ago. They performed a ritual that put this rune on my forehead.” He points to said rune. “Mostly I have been used for manual labor, but last night I was selected to test something called liquid night. I am not sure what has been done to me since I was knocked out.”
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Everbloom leans against a nearby table and crosses her arms impatiently as everyone gets healing.
"I killed it." she tells Boomer with a wide grin.
Turning to look at the half-dead guy, Everbloom lets out a surprised snort. She sniffs at him a few times, then smiles, revealing her sharp, white teeth.
"The Blakros' family performed a ritual to put that mark on your head? Or the people they gave you to?"
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The healing form Mira revives Boomer, who sits up with a start "Wha...t happened. Where's the fetchling?" He looks around and sees the specimen on the table and forgets his momentary pain. He stands and says to the man, "Do you have an....ny idea what liquid night is? Do you know how the...ey were going to test it on you?"
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Zelius responds. "The Blakros sent me here, and it was the fetchlings that did the experiments. I only caught the name, but was never really told what is should to"
Boomer's quick review of what is available shows that the substance does something to twist the subject and bind it to the shadow realm. However, it would take a good couple of hours, or even days, going over the notes in the room to fully decipher what and how it worked.
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The Fetchling has a key to the cabinets.
Searching the room, the party finds among the rows of artifacts and stacks of paper records of recent acquisitions, including the Tian exhibit, apparently gifted to the museum by a donor named Amara Li on behalf of the Lantern Lodge of Goka. The alchemical apparatuses and medical implements are largely old and poorly cared for, and little among Mazzel Gol’s gear is worth anything on the Material Plane. You also locate Mazzel Gol’s finely bound copy of Umbral Leaves buried under a pile of bloody rags.
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The book itself is an estoric tome of the nature of the Shadow plane from an alchemical view point. There is a little bit about the conjunction and its effects, but nothing that you have not figured out so far.
For the most part this would be useful for those that like to collect such named esoteric tomes.
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Opening the door to the last wing.
This room is filled with ancient tapestries of chromatic dragons besieging castles and battles between Dahak and Apsu at the dawn of time. An alabaster obelisk covered in Draconic runes occupies the far corner, surrounded by a spread of various dragonhides of all colors and thickness, and a taxidermied wyvern hangs from the ceiling above, its stinger flexed above its head. Umbral chains drop from the same ceiling on the Shadow Plane; gruesome hooks at the chains’ ends hold long dead skeletons. The southern wall sports a massive wheel with shackles along its edge, apparently for holding writhing subjects in place during tests.
This chamber is the home of the perennial dragon exhibition at Blakros Museum, a collection of artifacts from across the world related to dragonkind. The Onyx Alliance uses this same space in Wightir House to conduct less precise experiments.
The dim light in this room makes the creatures especially hard to see clearly.
Everbloom can act before the fetchling guards react.
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Once Everbloom lights the room up, Boomer sees the fetchlings. Having already underestimated these beings, he is not going to do it again. Boomer grabs a flask from his waist, pops the top and downs it. "Let's see ho...w you like me now." As the mutagen courses through him, Boomer grows larger and bulkier; his muscles starting to bulge.
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Maleks arrow pierces the closest assailant in the throat, downing him in one shot.
Razka's Magic Missile softens ups the second one while Everybloom finishes off the guard with barrage of razor petals.
You quickly secure the room. And examine the bodies. Aside from their weapons they each have 2 alchemist fires. In addition to their gear, one of the guards has a key on their belt.
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This simple room of unadorned stone is piled from floor to ceiling with boxes and crates, with barely enough room left to allow the staff to squeeze between the towers of dusty, mothballed exhibits.
Inside the room, a hound made of shadows looks at you and snarls. You do notice that it is chained to the wall (Blue Triangle). Though it looks like there is enough slack in the chain for the beast to cover the whole room.
It lunges at you.
The hound approaches the door and lets out a eerie Bay
Everyone make a Will Save
You are Panicked for rounds
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.
Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than shaken or frightened.
Make you will saves and you are all up.
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"Awww...look at you, you adorable little thing! You remind me of Marauder. Down! Sit! Stay!" Razka's cooing changes to ever more frustrated shouts as the creature refuses to obey his commands.
"I guess you have to learn your place, then," he says, flinging a bolt of magical energy at it out of his wand.
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"Come on, guys! It's just a dog!" Razka exclaims as half his party bolts from the beast.
When he realizes that the thing can't get out, he stays outside the room. He sees no reason to give it a fighting chance. That would just be stupid. Nor does he see any point wasting his wand.
Instead, he just steps up next to Mira, so she's not in his way, gathers his arcane abilities into a glob of acid and flings it at the hound.
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Malek easily shots the hound and falls.
A survey of the room shows it to be a store room of mundane supplies. Nothing of value in here.
After a few moments everyone returns and you open the bottom door.
Several stalls stand against the east wall of this dank, stone room. A large grate in the floor collects a steady stream of water coming from one of the stalls. The rattle of chains echoes through the chamber and the stench of frightened, unwashed bodies fills the air.
While visitors to Blakros Museum use this room on the Material Plane as a public restroom, the Onyx Alliance uses the similarly shaped stalls as holding cells for the many slaves that cycle through its doors.
There are currently seven slaves here, spread between the four stalls on the eastern wall. All are chained to the wall with masterwork manacles. Two of the slaves have been here for weeks and display the same rune on their foreheads.
One of the unmarked prisoners speaks. “We were just brought here tonight along with those two well dressed women." He points to two catatonic women who are the Blakros daughters. "They were taken elsewhere then some strange rippling of reality and things got dark. Then they were brought back like they are. Those two.” pointing at the marked prisoners, “were already here. I have no idea how long they have been waiting. ”
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Razka waits for the rest of the party to overcome their fear, not least because he is cautious enough to not want to go forward without some sturdier people in front of him to take any attacks that might come at them.
The final room is not one he knows personally but is of a type he's familiar with from his childhood. From that experience, he knows there's no point in dealing with anyone he's not here for.
"Thanks," he says tot he informant, but does nothing to assist him. Instead, he goes right for the two unconscious girls.
He bends to examine them closely, looking for any signs of magic that might be causing their catatonia.