It takes most of an hour for Druamin to help some of the others collect the items from the fallen fanatics. They assemble a small pile on the ground outside the mill. [b]"Well now, I don't need any of the stuff here and if none of you need it, I think we should take it into town and sell it. We can probably get something useful with the cash. Except for these masks, of course. I think those should just be tossed in the river."
Finally on the third day of trying and with René and Reynard's help, Cordwin is able to crack the code!
"The city may be interested in this justice's...collection," Faywen suggests. "They're certain to come investigating his death or disappearance, at least."
The masks are magical, but not as strong as many items - a faint evil, necromatic aura. While Cordwin is working on deciphering, Reynard spends some time researching the properties of these masks.
This hideous mask resembles a patchwork deformed face, with one bulbous eye, a grimacing mouth with long teeth, and a flat nose. When worn, the mask fills the wearer's mind with hideous whispers and images of murder and violence. It heightens the wearer's ability to sense fear. He can smell the cold sweat brought on by terror and hear the thundering beating of a frightened heart. Further, fresh blood glows brightly to him, to the extent that he can see the shimmering traceries of living circulatory systems pumping away in the bodies of those around him. These enhancements grant +2 competence bonuses on Perception checks made against creatures that aren't immune to fear. Further, the ability to plainly see the map of targets' arteries and veins grants the wearer a +1 profane bonus on damage with slashing weapons made against living creatures.
Wearing a skinsaw mask leaves hideous mental scars; when the mask is donned, the wearer takes 1 point of Charisma damage as his thoughts become tangled with images of murder.
The whole process takes 17 days, so you are certainly welcome to sell off stuff like Druamin suggests, as well as craft plenty of scrolls.
Faywen leads the investigation regarding the Justibar. Eventually, she ends up in front of Lord-Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras himself. A corpulent man, Grobaras is also exceptionally quick-witted, and as Faywen explains things, he's equally quick to pick up on the threads
of the entire conspiracy.
With the journal decoded, Cordwin finds enough evidence in the book to put Ironbriar in the gallows - had he lived. However, it seems Ironbriar wasn't the mastermind behind the murders. The journal goes on to reveal that someone Ironbriar refers to as "Lovely Xanesha" has stolen his heart and provided him with a new method of murder. There's not much information about Xanesha in the journal, but the book does reveal that he's visited her dozens of times at a site in
northern Magnimar called the Shadow Clock.
The ledger also indicates that Ironbriar has received payment from the Red Mantis for delivery of "Vorel's Legacy."
The Lord-Mayor thanks you for solving the mystery and stopping the notorious murder cult which has plagued Magnimar for these past few months. He also suggests strongly that you wouyld be a great group to follow up on this Xanesha and find out how far this conspiracy goes.
While he doesn't do it publicly, he does also transfer 8000 gold through a money lender for your use.
Unfortunately, Xenesha is new to you. Given the descriptions in the journal, and the nature of the conspiracy you are uncovering, you can guess she has probably taken great pains to remain concealed.
Reynard stares at the mask he's been investigating for a long time. This is a terrible thing. But, at the same time, it could be useful. after another couple of minutes of internal wrangling, he takes one of the masks and puts it in his backpack.
Enlarge Person, DC 15: X
Cat's Grace, DC 16:
Fox's Cunning, DC 16:
Spider Climb, DC 16: X
Haste, DC 17:
Next week:
Enlarge Person, DC 15:
Spider Climb, DC 16: X
Next Week:
Spider Climb, DC 16:
Sure.
Hidden beneath the grimy, blackened goliath that is the Irespan, the lesser works of men huddle like weeds at the foot of the great trees that are the ruined bridge's stone supports. Near one of these supports leans a decrepit and sagging clock tower, a dying structure of weathered stone, wood, and rusted metal supports that teeters to an unlikely height of over 180 feet. High above, near the tower's roof and barely 5 feet from the Irespan's stony belly, a tangle of scaffolding sits near a section of the structure that has fallen away. The tower's clock face is frozen in time, defiantly (and falsely) proclaiming it to be 3 o'clock, while above, a stone statue of an angel, her wings crumbling, leans precariously, almost as if she were preparing a final leap from her decaying perch.
The Shadow Clock is a minor marvel of engineering. The locals in the region half expect it to collapse any day, and several Underbridge taverns have longstanding betting pools on how many structures the clock tower will crush and how many people it will kill when it finally falls. The tower itself is made mostly of limestone, with a tangled skeleton of wooden supports buttressed here and there by iron bands.
The stone walls are etched by wind, rain, and grime. While this pitted surface might seem to make for a relatively easy climb, the fact that so many of the stones are loose makes such a stunt dangerous-a DC 25 Climb check is required to scale the tower's outer walls. Inside, it's not much safer; the crumbling wooden steps are known as the "Terrible Stairs" to the locals. After the tenth unfortunate death when someone tried to climb these stairs several years ago, the city ordered the tower closed. Yet the locals of Underbridge know better. They whisper stories that someone has moved into the clock tower. Many claim to have seen a serpentine shape slithering out of the gap near the roof, slinking through the night sky into regions unknown, while others tell of a shadowy bulk twice the size of a human sometimes seen lurking in the darkness at the clock's base. No one has dared enter the tower to confirm these rumors, yet most who live in Underbridge do not doubt their veracity.
Is this tower a modern construct, or one of the ancient marvels in the city?
Skarn will gladly assist anyone with building, or researching, or whatever is needed. If there are spells of his that would make good scrolls, or scrolls you can make that are utility and maybe I should have them, I'll help pitch in for them.
The tower is old.
"Secluded, creepy, and no foot traffic. Seems like just the sort of place a cult might set up shop in."
René spent their free time mostly just gathering a few extra coin by telling fortunes. He supposed he could've helped Cordwin decipher the tome, but it'd had been a while since he had seen the dwarf so occupied. Plus this was less work.
"Y'know, I'm pretty lightfooted. I suppose I could always go check out th'inside of that there tower. I bet I could make it up to th' top without havin' the whole place collapse on me. Though admittedly, I ain't the most sneaky sort, so I'd have to run right quick if its potential occupant was of a stabby mindset."
"If that thing has been there for ten thousand years, the odds of our being so luck as it falls today are pretty slim."
"Given how close the top of it is to the big bridge up there, we might could climb down from above. Give me a few days and I can whip up some things to help with that. Or we could climb the tower itself, I guess. But as rickety as it is that may not be too easy."
|
While his bird checks the tower Erond says, "I made some scrolls to help us out. Take a look and pick what you can use in battle."
Scroll of Comprehend Languages
Magic weapon 2
Protection from evil 2
Scroll of Align Weapon 2
Instant Weapon 2 (creates a force weapon for ghosts)
Restoration, Lesser
Dispel magic,
Invisibility purge
Daylight
"I can hold a lot of the contingency spells, but instant weapon, align weapon and the like will be good for some of you."
Faywen snorts in response to Skarn's comment. "Our luck's never been that great."
Skarn gladly accepts one of the scrolls of align weapon
The smoky, filthy rooftops of Underbridge sprawl below this dizzying perch. The conical roof supports an onyx statue of an angel. Towering like a god, her weathered features are caked with grime, making her seem almost demonic in countenance. At the far end of the hollow space under the roof, in the angel's shadow, is a nest of cushions, silk sheets, and a line of several small chests.
Cordwin will go up to the door and take a listen and check for traps.
Reynard drinks an extract.
"So question: did we ever decide how we wanted ta git up there? I mean, I kin make it no trouble, but I'm just thinkin' of the rest of y'all."
"It's just a good stretch of the legs."
The tower is 9 stories, and each is 20' above the last, so almost 200 feet in all.
Cordwin does not hear anything or find anything trapwise on the door.
The outer climb is DC 25. The rope will help, but it is by no means a given for all.
Skarn points inside, "but there are steps!"
"I'm not much of a climber," Faywen says, "and it's one hell of a drop if you lose your grip. If these stairs are like other ones I've used, you just spread out, take it slow and steady, and you'll be okay. It hasn't fallen over yet, and I doubt today's the day."
Cordwin looks skeptically at the wall to climb. I agree. I'll take the stairs. I can go first and check their stability.
"If we all fall, I'm going to expect the rest of you to catch me."
The air inside the clock tower is dusty and dry. Swaths of rubble and mounds of plaster lie in heaps on the stone floor, particularly in the southwest corner. A single wagon sits to the northeast, and six partially collapsed offices line the northern and eastern walls, their doors hanging askew and their ceilings caved in. A wooden staircase winds up into the cavernous space above. High overhead, four immense bronze bells hang from sturdy crossbeams.
This stairwell looks treacherous-and it most certainly is. The rotting wood can support no more than one Medium creature in any pair of adjacent squares for very long.
You find a moldy leather sack filled with coins, a tarnished silver ring, and a mirror.
"Looks like pretty much every other abandoned building I've ever been in. Piles of debris and random bits of junk. It always looks like something half done. Like this stuff here." Druamin kicks at the pile of debris in the southwest corner. His boot reveals a flash of silver. "Oh! What do we have here?" He squats down and shuffles through the pile. "Look. A ring, a mirror, and a sack of coins." He holds the sack gingerly. It is so moldy that he is afraid it might break open.
"Probably been here a while."
He focuses a small bit of magic on the ring and mirror trying to detect if they have any magical abilities.
Faywen methodically and wordlessly checks in each of the rooms for any nasty surprises that might be waiting for them.
+1 to track, +2 vs giants
Skarn nods at Erond's comments. He casts detect magic and will be scanning the place as we move through it. The spell will see through differing amounts of wood, rock, etc.
I would recommend we spread out on the stairs. I don't think it will hold if we bunch up together. Cordwin observes.