Ansgar looks at Habe, "I've never met him before, but plenty of people change once they meet me."
Thinking over Cael's statement, "I think that's a good idea. I suggest we head there now, no point in giving the place more time to prepare for us."
Cael nods in agreement.
"Sounds like a good plan
"I'm so very sorry for what happened here.", Habe says. "I've had no idea the patient would react like that, he's been so docile up to this point. D-don't take it personally, right? If word got around this happened it would damage the reputation of this sanctuary. And I can't stand imagining what would happen to the ill without a place to care for them."
"I wouldn't do anything to take away from the care you can give to people here." Ulfric says to Habe.
Zelinda watches as the tielfing guards take the unconscious Grayst back out of the room, still shaking a little from the recent skirmish. "Whatever happened to that man, it sounds self-inflicted. We need to get to the bottom of whatever in the hells is going on."
Norm looks at Zelinda
"What do you mean with self-inflicted? How should he have done that to himself?"
"I mean that he seems to be making the choice to follow whatever it is that he seems to be so infatuated with," she responds. "There could certainly be other forces at work, but that kind of zealotry is very hard to force on someone."
Norm thinks about it a little
"You could be right, he did call who ever is behind this for "Master" and would like to d as he said, but I got the feeling that he was more scared or freightened of this "Skinsaw man". Not a nice name, for sure"
Habe looks very relieved as you head out from the Sanatorium towards Foxglove Manor.
The route leading out to Foxglove Manor is a 3-mile hike along a narrow path that follows the Foxglove River from the covered bridge where it flows under the Lost Coast Road to the dark sea cliffs overlooking the Varisian Gulf. Here, wild sea birds call out to a roaring ocean that churns hundreds of feet below.
As the PCs near Foxglove Manor, it almost seems as if nature herself has become sick and twisted. Nettles and thorns grow more prominent, trees are leafless and bent, and the wind seems unnaturally cold and shrill as it whistles through the cliffside crags. The path slowly rises, bending around a steep corner in the cliffs, and then Foxglove Manor looms at the edge of the world.
The strangely cold sea wind rises to a keening shriek as Foxglove Manor comes into view. The place has earned its local nickname of the “Misgivings” well, for it almost appears to loathe its perch high above the ocean, as if the entire house were poised for a suicide leap. The roof sags in many places, and mold and mildew cake the crumbling walls. Vines of diseased-looking gray wisteria strangle the structure in several places, hanging down over the precipitous cliff edge almost like tangled braids of hair. The house is crooked, its gables angling sharply and breached in at least three places, hastily repaired by planks of sodden wood. Chimneys rise from various points among the rooftops, leaning like old men in a storm, and grinning gargoyle faces leer from under the eaves.
As you get closer, you can also see a ruined outbuilding near the manor, it’s impossible to tell how many floors the outbuilding that stood here once had, for all that remains are the sooty, scorched stones of its foundation. To the east, a four-foot-wide stone well sits, partially collapsed, in the corner of the ruins.
The elven sensibilities of Zelinda's heritage cause her to involuntarily shiver at the change in the local fauna, but her training helps to keep her from acting on the feeling as the approach the manor.
"This place is not right, and it seems to be more than just neglect. We need to stay alert." As she says this, she tightens the straps of her shield to her arm and draws her sword smoothly from it's sheath at her hip.
Norm feels the depressing feeling of the place affect him. He puts his hand on Cliff as they walk and moves a little closer to him.
Even Cliff obvious don't like this place, and is looking around, trying to see everything at once.
At Zelinda's word, Norm grabs his dagger, just for good measure.
"Straight to the main house or should we check out that ruined outbuilding first?"
Cael draws his sword, "Let's check the outbuilding first. This place is creepy and it's probably a trap. Every reason not to be lazy."
Readying his shield and blade, Ansgar nods at Cael's words. "Yes, lets go to the outbuilding. I'll take point, follow behind me ten or so feet."
Ansgar will begin moving toward the out building, watching for any signs of movement or possible threats.
Let's see what kind of fight we're going to get into today...
"Oh no, old man. You aren't going in without me to cover you," Zelinda says with a twinkle in her eye, despite the atmosphere around them.
As you get closer to the outbuilding you can see a few sickly-looking ravens perched atop the foundation stones. They fly clumsily away as they notice you're getting closer. Other than that, the outbuilding itself seems completely ruined and empty.
Keeping the ten feet distance, Norm and Cliff follow Ansgar and Zelinda towards the outbuilding, while Norm casts Mage armor on Cliff.
Zelinda will make a cursory examination of the building without dropping her guard.
Zelinda is confident that there is nothing in the outbuilding besides rubble and black feathers.
Looking the area over Ansgar sighs, "Onto the main building? Did we want to try the front door or another entrance?"
Zelinda nods in agreement, "But let's take a quick look at that well, first. I'd rather cover our bases."
"This place sure look like it could have some nasty surpises, so covering all the bases sounds like common sense. Let's take a look at the well"
Ansgar nods and leads the way to the well.
Cael follows sword in hand.
The well has partially collapsed but it looks like it's still capable of storing rainwater. Even with her low-light vision, Zelinda can't see the bottom of the well, but she spots a passageway on the well's southeastern wall, about 90 feet below.
"Hey!" she says, as she maneuvers to try and get a better angle. "I think that there's a tunnel down there!"
"I have a length of rope, if we had another one we could lower norm down to check it out." Ansgar says
"I've got a hundred feet of rope we could use."
Norm looks a little uncomfortable with the idea of him going in to the well. He walks over an look down to the well.....that doesn't help.
"I got rope too. And a grappling hook, if we should need that. But, erhm, you're sure? about me, I mean?....I...I would need some kind of light."
Norm nervously let Ansgar tie the rope around him and get ready to go down. He ties the other end to Cliff and says to him
"If I yell, you run that way" He points away from the well "As fast as you can!"
He walks to the wall and sit on the edge
"Now, don't drop me. And go slow! And be ready to pull me up! and...and....Well, I don't have anything else, let's get this over with!
He closes his eyes as he starts the decent, slowly opening them again. looking around.
Giving Normornigan a torch, you tie him with a rope and slowly lower the halfling down the well. About ninety feet down Norm already feels the unmistakable scent of rotten meat, and as he finally becomes level with the tunnel his torch illuminates the obvious source of the stench - a swatch of carcasses is strewn about the floor of this long cave.
Unfortunately for Norm, his torch also casts its bright light straight into the eyes of the cave's denizen, a huge undead bat nearly the size of a horse. The creature opens its wings exposing its bare ribcage and its green glowing eyes, it looks ready to pounce!
Norm has been keeping everyone up to date with a running commentary while being lowered down in the well.
A little lower, a little more, more, more…Still nothing. Lower….In the name of the gods, it smells down here! It..it must be something else than just stall water. It smells like….rotten meat….”
*Sounds of Norm gagging and when he starts to speak again, it’s clearly that he is holding something in front of his mouth*
”Almost there now. A little more….Oh my gods, I can taste it in the air now!I…I can see….a little now. Slowly. There is a cave down here. Something on the floor. Cant' quite see yet....There is dead animals down here!! Oh, this is not good, this is not good!! Be ready to pull me up! A little more, a little more, a litt….OH F*@!! UP! UP! UP! RUN, CLIFF, RUN!!!!”
Norm starts to scream as loud as he can
” پوشي !!“
Zelinda helps with the rope to let Norm down the well. As soon as the little sorcerer starts to freak out, she starts hauling on the rope! "Pull!" she yells out.
Cael hauls on the rope with all his strength, but in his haste his feet slip and he flails this arms uselessly.
That went wrong rather... quickly...
Ansgar heaves on the rope. "Cliff! Run!"
The group tries to pull Norm up as fast as possible while the halfling casts invisibility on himself. The giant bat charges at Norm and bites where the halfling was just a second ago. It then squeezes into the well and starts slowly climbing upwards.
"Go! Go! Go!" Zelinda continues to put her back into the effort of getting Norm to safety.
Getting his feet under him Cael starts contributing. "What is it Norm?! What's going on?"
Ansgar continues to pull.
I hope whatever is down there stays there for now...
Cliff keeps running as fast as he can, pulling Norm up
Norm does not answer, not wanting to give away his position more than he has two
Cliff puts all his strength into running away from the well and does it so quickly that the rope almost burns everyone else's hands as they're helping hoist Norm out of the well.
You finish pulling the rope, which seems tied to empty air, and can all hear a guttural sound echoing in the well as the bat keeps pushing his massive body upwards on the well. The creature is still obscured by darkness although Zelinda can start to make up some of its hideous features.
Relieved that they got him out, though a little confused at not actually seeing the halfling, Zelinda takes a step back from the well, strapping her shield in place and drawing her sword. "Whatever that thing is, it's coming up!"
"Well let's not make it easy for the thing! Come on!" Cael yells as he pulls and alchemist fire out if his backpack and throws it down the well at the monster.
Ansgar gets his blade ready for if the creature comes out the top of the well. "Norm, what was it?"
"Bat...Giant Bat....Giant undead Bat....at...at least I think it's undead. All skeleton-like. Be ready! I think it is about 50 ft down. If you got anything you can throw at it, might be a good idea to use it, I'll try to hold it in there!"
داخلا!
"Cliff, come here!
Cliff runs to Norm and he cuts the rope, so Cliff is free to move.
Cliff ready an attack at the bat when it pops out of the well
Caeldren drops a flask of alchemist's fire on the well and you hear the sound of glass breaking as flames erupt and cast light on the giant bat's decayed body.
You can smell the burnt rotten flash as the creature keeps climbing the well.