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Aaqir al’Hakam requests the guests return to their rooms while the household staff cleans up the temple.
He pulls you four aside and quietly whispers, "Master Thoradin, thank you ever so much for your care and sympathy for my aunt and our family. Please, would you all assist me in checking the manor for any other suspicious activity."
He quickly works his way among the servants, whispering intently to each one.
Vandranell, you carefully pick your way through the chapel to no avail. As you begin moving your way throughout the estate, one of the servants hurriedly approaches you with a missive.
{Please see the letter from Doritannia on the Roll 20 site}
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While you're huddled up discussing the not from Doritannia, a second servant delivers another note to you; this one from Jakti.
{Please see the letter from Jakti on the Roll 20 site}
Thoradin, if you could please link this note also, I would appreciate it. Otherwise, I'll try to get it linked tonight.
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When you return to the temple, Jakti and his two bodyguards are waiting for you. The servants have since cleaned up the worst of the mess from the earlier combat, and Jakti is now wearing a scimitar at his side. He regards the four of you with a smile and waves for his guards to stand outside the door to ensure a measure of privacy.
“I was uncertain if you were trustworthy enough to share this information with, but now I see that you are most competent individuals and I believe you can help.
“Some days ago I received information from...a trusted source...that someone has hired several assassins in Katheer for a job this very night. This manor has one of the greatest gatherings of powerful people in the entire city, so I can only conclude that these assassins are meant to strike here. With that knowledge, I hired a few bodyguards for myself, but it would allay my fears if I were to have your protection as well."
He pauses briefly before hurriedly adding, "Of course, you may seek to protect everyone in the manor, and I would applaud you for such commitment to righteousness! I will be satisfied if no harm comes to my person before this night is over, whatever the circumstances. Do this for me, and I would greatly consider dealing with such competent individuals in the near future."
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Jayriann's tail twitches in a rhythmic pulse as the merchant begins to speak, then reflexively reaches up to retrieve a journal and pen from his backpack, then realizes that he is not wearing such. Lacking the means to make proper documentation, the Tiefling mouths the words as the Qadiran speaks them, committing them to memory as well as possible.
When Jakti finishes, the time witch concentrates for a moment, then asks, "Very well, but we should have some more information before proceeding. Who might have motive to employ an assassin against you? Or, against anyone else assembled here? In what manner might we expect them to strike? Do you believe that the attack by the animated body of the Trade Princess was directed towards you? If so, why? If not, then towards whom?"
As he finishes, the Time witch realizes by the expressions of those around him that he just rattled off a series of questions at blinding speed, so he takes a breath and motions for the Merchant to proceed.
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Before Jakti can reply to Jayriann's series of inquiries, a series of loud crashes echoes through the house, followed by screaming.
The merchant’s eyes widen in alarm as he rushes to the temple’s doors. After the briefest of looks, he throws the doors wide open as he draws his scimitar and howls at the horde of undead, "Back to the ground, you damned abominations!"
He rushes forth, joining his guardsmen in attempting to fight back the animated dead.
Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the zombies are pouring into the chapel like a swarm.
Almost simultaneously, Aaqir al’Hakam emerges from one of the upstairs hallways and calls to you four.
“Protect the guests,” he beseeches, though he stresses the last word as if to imply one of the other critical guests.
The breaking of glass elsewhere in the manor suggests there are far more zombies than just those in the entry hall. Unfortunately, Temel’s and Metella’s animosity toward each other led them to take rooms at opposite ends of the manor’s ground floor, so a decision must be made...
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Aaqir yells after you, "Don't split yourselves! Even able Pathfinders such as yourselves might be overrun. I'll not lose two guests and four agents this day!"
Thoradin, as you reach the stairs and cleave cleanly through the first undead abomination, it is clear to you that this tide of rot might only be overcome as a team.
{Essentially, this section works somewhat chase-like. There are obstacles with two possible checks. Everyone attempts one of the checks, then the highest roll is your group's check, with all other 10s or better acting as the Aid Another action for the highest result}
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As Thoradin charges headlong into the writhing mass of undead on the stairs, seemingly out of nowhere Jayriann dives headlong from the top balcony, laying his body out parallel to the descent of the staircase. One after another, the animated corpses reach out, grasping uselessly at the tiefling flying above them.
The shift of ther balance provides Thoradin with enough leverage to finish sending the rest of them cascading down the stairs into a piled, writhing mass of broken off limbs and caved-in skulls. As he steps over the last of them, he sees Jayriann standing up from the tucked roll into a crouch he executed nearly flawlessly; not a scratch on his person.
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Before anyone can even offer assistance, the paladin steps forward, Iomedae's blessing clearly on him. He twists and turns, a blinding flurry of steel. Before long, the piles of rotted flesh and black ichor are all that remain for the rest of you to easily step through.
The paladin confidently advances, before something out of place gives him pause. Something seems out of place here, and though he's not practiced on such things, he identifies a trap ahead.
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Jayriann attempts to gingerly spring the trap and then leap out of the way, but the rigged tanglefoot bag seems to burst at the merest touch and coats his feet and the hallway in the sticky substance, blocking all passage. It only take around thirty seconds or so until he finally scrapes it off himself and the rest of you can pick your way through the mess, but it feels like an eternity with the urgency of the situation.
Barricaded Door
Batter it down = Strength Check
Take off the hinge = Knowledge [engineering] Check
Everyone make a decision and roll me a check (this is back to everyone contributing).
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After Jayriann bounces off the door with no visible effect to the wood, Thoradin lays a shoulder into it. The door gives, but doesn't break; that is until Charles comes flying out of nowhere into Thoradin's back, at which point the door gives way, the two of them stumbling forward into the room.
The scene before you is chaos. Metella stands, back to the wall, trying to defend herself from the approaching figure clad in dark colors. A throwing dart is already lodged deeply in her sternum.
Just as the door splinters to the floor alongside the broken chair that was barricading it, a loud shattering of glass reveals two zombies crashing into the room from the exterior windows.
Everyone can move to the roll20 site to roll init and we'll begin combat!