"If there is an opportunity, it would be wise to invest in some weapons more optimal for combat with Vulnadaemons but for now, I agree that it is best to see where these tracks lead. Pharasma will preserve us or not," Her fingers absently brush the holy symbol that hangs about her neck as she speaks and she shrugs slightly, "Her will is not ours to know."
Shang cracked a wry grin. "I thought her will was that we were properly sorted upon our passing. I'm trying to remember what it was like the last time around? 'Yes, I think living halfway around the world would be a fine idea for you. That time as a Yamatsumi nun didn't suit you at all.' At least, I think it was a nun..."
He looks around to the group, and checks his various pouches and reagents. "No, perhaps it is best we press on right now, see what we can stop. Let's just be prepared to flee if we need to. No shame in being a coward."
He stops at his last sentence. "No, that's not right. That must have been that nun."
Seeing as at least some of her companions are armed against the monster, either by forethought or luck, Ophelia felt confident the odds was one more in their favour. And she knew enough about the creature to weave a proper ward should they find it. "Let us start then!"
The tracks continue on for about ten minutes, the blood-soaked killer leaving fewer and fewer droplets as they walk, but Tieszla's [s]f~!&ing double nat 20s[/i] honed tracking skills and keen eyes allow her to keep on the trail, finding little droplets in the cobblestone of the docks district until coming to a stop before a fairly large house on the edge of the district and bleeding over into a residential area, past all the taverns, apothecaries, inns, and merchants' warehouses.
"This is where the trail stops. Seems rather innocuous but then that's the kind of place that is perfect for a secret evil cult, right?" Tieszla regards the house speculatively. "Perhaps we should look around the back? How do you all feel about splitting up?"
"Keep moving" mutters Laznist, hustling the group into continuing.
A few doors down he pulls out his book and starts sketching.
Okay to have the Homonculus eye-in-the-sky a rough layout for us? I'd like him at least a hundred feet up, so I doubt he's going to get a lot of detail, but he might be able to get us outline/layout of the building.
The building has two above-ground floors and is decently big enough, but is a fairly box-shaped, dull looking house. Big, but nothing lavish from the outside.
Ophelia jerks to a halt as Tieszla calls out their destination. She just has time to give it one good look before Laznist ushers them forward and she follows with a puzzled expression on her smooth face. "But Tieszla is right - shouldn't we look around?" clearly not understanding Laznist hint, but from the hushed tone it is clear that she understands that some sort of deception is going on. When the party stops again she curiously looks over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what he is drawing. "I'm not sure about splitting up. But if we do, let us have one silver wielder in each group - should we come face to face with the daemon." she continues, getting right back on track.
Laznist finishes sketching out a rough outline of the house
"If someone's got a way to help us keep in intact then I think splitting up is a great idea. There's a spell that can do it, but I'd have to go home and study up on how to get it working and I just din't think we have the time."
"I think there' a good chance the daemon won't be here, but the guys who summoned it might be, and there might well be prisoners. If these guys do worship 'accidents' then they sound like the sort who might have set up 'traps' - you know, marbles on the stairs and stuff."
"I might be able to be of assistance - but this is merely a cantrip. Too much stone or wood could block it. If the house have a cellar, you will loose communications." She finishes the sentence by casting Message on Laznist to demonstrate. The clockwork chimes on. "I'll have to recast it once I know the groups. It only lets me keep contact with three ... But I have a scroll of Clarion Call should the oil hit the pendulum."
She pauses and lets Laznist continue. At the mention of marbles she shines up. "I like marbles. Such wonderful organized chaos! And I'm pretty handy at disassembling other things too. We ought to have one decent trap-smith in both groups as well."
Shang shrugs. "I haven't yet mastered the telepathy extract, I can't establish the connection if we split up. However, I do have my keen senses, that's pretty much what I can offer."
"Alright, anyone else good with traps except Ophelia? Probably worth having a spread of everything in the groups."
"How about Walther, Shang and Tieszla in the back and Ophelia, Navia and me in the front."
"Walther, you want some warding before you go in?"
Tieszla tucks the silvery spiral about her neck deep into her shirt and spends a moment ensuring that all her buckles, straps and pouches are secure. "Does anyone recognize the house or the neighbourhood, any of the businesses around here?" she asks as she bounces up and down slightly to test her preparations. The breastplate was carefully fitted to her. It also had the advantage of some additional padding and articulation but she frowns a little at the small, unavoidable noises it makes with movement; hopefully it doesn't make her into a liability out back.
"What do you want to know?"
It's a residential area sitting just outside of the docks district, a neighborhood devoid of note or places of interest. It's close enough to the sometimes unsavoury part of town that is the docks that even the larger houses, like the one before you, tend to be relatively on the cheap. It's quiet and generally residential, home to a lot of people looking to retire comfortably, but lacking the fortune to settle in a more upstanding part of town.
Laznist happily relays the information, adding.
"... When all this is over and we start talking about housing, this is one of the areas I was thinking would be okay. If we get this house confiscated by the government we might be able to get it for cheap."
Note to self: try not to burn it down.
"Alright, anyone else good with traps except Ophelia? Probably worth having a spread of everything in the groups."
"How about Walther, Shang and Tieszla in the back and Ophelia, Navia and me in the front."
"Walther, you want some warding before you go in?"
That sounds like a workable plan Laznist. The warding would be appreciated as well.
Even with Ophelia and I keeping us in contact of a sort, it would be best if join back up as soon as possible once we're inside.
Ophelia, still peeking over Laznist shoulder, nods in agreement with Walter. "The plan contains few flaws. But we should not remain split for long, for the deamon will be our match - even if we are all gathered since it no doubt will have the support of the cult or atleast their mischief. Should it still remain ..." She looks down at what Laznist wrote and laughs.
Shang cracks his knuckles. "I should be able to find a way to bypass a few tricks, traps, or locks. As long as Walther can make sure our two groups remain in contact, I believe we should be able to handle the challenges ahead. Be careful, everyone."
"Okay - they may have seen us, let's be quick."
Laznist takes off his coat, pulls out two scrolls and wards Walther and himself.
Laznist's time in the guard comes out in a giant rush of instructions. the familiar feel of adrenaline rushes through his system.
"Ophelia; do you want to try to pick the lock, or should we ask Navia to kick it down while you and I ready? Soon as the door's down, we go in. Everyone keep out of my line of fire. Stay together. The password is 'Muttonchops', anyone you lose sight of you check they're not this vulnerdemon in disguise. Ophelia - try messaging people who might be this thing, it probably can't fool that. Call 'Abort' if we need to run, 'Down' if someone is out of the fight, 'Combat' if you're fighting someone. Watch out for traps. Good luck!"
Once the plan is clearly settled, Walther will review it with everyone; especially Laznist's code words.
Remember, taking down the entire cult and their demon is the goal people. We can't be certain we get them all unless we have someone left to question; try to leave some alive - but not by risking the lives of our companions, or the lives of innocents.
Shang opens up a porcelain snuff box and sticks a smelly powder up his nose. He shakes his head rapidly, and it is clear that it is some kind of stimulant.
"Ready!"
"I will reserve calling upon Pharasma's aid for when battle is imminent. Now, how do we get around to back of the house without looking too suspicious?" she asks Shang and Walther while surveying the area for possible routes.
There is an alley space on the side of the house leading to a small yard. The plain house has a door on the back presumably bringing people into the back end of the house. The alley continues further down beyond the house. Mounds of dirt are strewn across the yard, piled up as though wheelbarrowed out from the door, which has some dried earth littered on the stone step, implying whatever happened took place a while ago.
Ophelia tilts her head to the side, indicating that she is thinking, before responding to Laznist. "I can either attempt to hide our approach - but I will not be able to maintain the illusion if I am to open the door. Maintaining uttermost discreetness will be hard without major expenditure of power."
Shang heads into the back, looking over the mounds. He shakes his head. "Such a senseless waste. People will pay good money for a good gall bladder."
He carefully looks around for traps or sleeping zombies.
"I'm with Navia. I'd like them all clustered near the door when we come in."
Shang finds several traps rigged up in the backyard. A few bear traps like beneath the dirt and a trip wire sits just before the stone block in front of the door, betrayed by the thin veneer of earthen dust coating it.
Navia hears nothing when she presses her ear to the door.
Tieszla keeps an eye out for anything noteworthy but doesn't enter the yard until Shang indicates a safe route to the back door. She is noisy and the possibility of traps had been mentioned. Standing in the alley, she tries to seem nonchalant but realizes she probably only looks pretty conspicuous instead.
Walther heads around the back of the house, via the alley. Watching all the windows to try and spot anyone who might see us approach the back door before moving up quickly to it.
Assuming that doesn't draw any attention, he'll then listen at the door and check it for traps before moving aside for one of his companions to either unlock, or take down forcefully.
Walther observes the windows, and his scrutiny reveals that they are in fact not real windows at all. They're realistic paintings behind glass, tinted enough to hide their contents except from up close, where it's evident that there is no depth to them, and that whatever is in the house is likely not what is presented. Moving in to listen behind the door allows him to hear muffled, angry words, but he's unable to make out what is being said.
Ophelia follows her companions to the front door, and attempts to sneak a peek into a window while she is at it. "A distraction? I can do that!" She chimes. With a quick incantation, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard. It quickly grows louder, and the party at the front door quickly finds themselves surrounded by the noise of men marching and the clatter of their armours and weapons. At the door the noises halt and a harsh voice starts to bellow out orders of indistinct nature, accompanied by the compliant grunts of the men. Meanwhile, Ophelia leans in close to the door, examining it for traps and other nastiness before retrieving her kit of tools and quickly starting to open the lock. Seeing as her initial effort to unlock the door seemed in vain, the clockwork merely started to hum a soft tune and redid the work, this time taking proper time!
In the meantime, Shang focuses on the back door, checking it for traps and chekcing the lock before attempting to pick it.
Ophelia's observation of the windows reveals the same thing that Walther's did in the back.
Shang finds no traps on the door, and manages to unlock it. Ophelia does the same.
Ophelia clicks in satisfaction as the lock slides open. She puts a hand at the handle and turns to her companions. "Are you prepared? Give the command and I open" she whispers and her other hand retrieves her coiled wire from her belt, ready to lacerate flesh.
We're ready back here Ophelia. On your count.
"On my count. Five. she replies trough the magic, whispering back to the entire other team. "Four." She raises her hand with the whip, four fingers pointed up. "Three." One of the fingers descends and once more grasp the weapon. "Two" Another follows its suit. She glances back at her team to make sure they are ready. The eyes of glass reflects ... excitement? "One. It is time." She steps aside and tears open the door!
As the countdown commences, Shang pulls out a bit of blue rock candy, grinds it between his teeth, and starts shivering slightly as he loads his crossbow.