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"Caution, lest a western kyonshī* jumps out."
Jiangshi/Kyonshi
Also, i recommend an english subbed version of the (Mr. Vampire) movie.
Chinese vampire comedy.
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The wooden lid to the full-sounding coffin creaks opens with the combined efforts of nearly everyone. Inside are the years old remains of a human, likely adolescent in age as the bones are sized too small for a fully grown adult and there are no wisdom teeth to be found.
The corpse is still clutching an old journal, whose dedication reads "to Luca." Divided into three parts, the journal is soaked in moisture, rendering it mostly illegible, but the more linguistic among you get the sense you could probably piece together its meaning if you spent some time analyzing the few words that were still intact.
Other than the journal, the coffin contains a palm-sized golden disk with a winged eye carved into it.
You recall the name Luca from your studies at the archives - the adolescent ward of half-mwangi descent who died of accidental poisoning, according to one document.
The other three coffins are completely empty. The two black coffins the dais are particularly regal in appearance, lined with velvety red fabric and scarlet embroidery, yet it looks as if no one was ever interred within.
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Cup runs up and casts Kreighton's Perusal, speed reading the entire journal as if she spent an hour studying it thoroughly. Languages are her thing... She's a magical linguist gnome. No language can hide its secrets from her very long!
Then she snaps her fingers. "Unseen Servant, Volume 29 of the Pathfinder Chronicles, please!"
"Oh, that's a holy symbol of Aroden! See, it matches this entry!" She's so excited by all this research, she's bouncing.
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Cup speed reads through the journal, piecing together what words she can, and learns all about the adventures of Marcius Sarini in Sargava as a young officer. The journal narrates interactions with Sargavans and bloody skirmishes with monsters. During his time abroad, Marcius befriended many locals and learned much about the traps and poisonous plants they used for hunting. He also met a brilliant woman named Eshebe, who had a son not quite a year after she and Marcius became acquainted.
The final part of the book discusses hunting trips, including a successful manticore hunt and a plan to kill a chimera, but the ending of the story is mysteriously missing.
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"Four coffins. Only one full. Made to appear they passed beyond this world to the next. If the Lord and his consort never passed what has given them the reason to reveal themselves now?"
Uesugi helps reseal the coffin with small skeleton and then waits for the others.
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"Rest, Luca. Although they made it to hide you, may you rest in this coffin." Sirettis helps the party close it. "Mister Hideyoshi is correct. The Lord and consort hid their death. Perhaps something else is interfering."
"We will find out more in the mansion proper." She stands up. "Let us advance."
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Gallix exits the mausoleum with more questions than he had when he entered it. Why did they kill him? He was the man's son it should seem. What kind of people would do this? Poor kid.
Despite his many questions, Gallix's attention is drawn back into focus as the Red Arms approach the looming front door of the Sarini manor. He looks at the others, then turns back and, with determination in his eyes, reaches for the door handle. He turns it and, despite some initial resistance from the rusted mechanisms, opens the door wide.
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The doors swing open to reveal a once-grand entrance hall. Paintings of people and landscapes adorn the walls. A few small vases, most of them cracked or broken altogether, sit on semi-circular tables set against the west wall. A faint smell of mildew hangs in the air.
Examining the paintings, you immediately recognize some of the locations.
The portraits depict two proud-looking noblemen with prominent chins and a beautiful noble lady.
From here, there are a set of double doors straight ahead, and two smaller doors to the west of you. To the east is another wooden door. Using Nolaria's map and details, you're sure that the Ballroom is straight ahead and that the first door to the southwest leads to a Cloakroom. The second door to the west leads to the Drawing Room, and the door the east opens up to the Dining Room.
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Gallix, not being much for art, hardly notices the paintings adorning the walls, much less their subjects. Instead, he is looking around and mentally matching up the doors to Nolaria's map. "What do you all think? Should we sweep the whole level first, or maybe go straight to checking for passages downstairs?" His voice comes as a harsh whisper, almost as if by instinct. Something about the house makes him feel like he should be quiet, even if it weren't an ancient, ruined, demon-infested house of horrors.
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"Oh, I know all those places! That's the Aspodell mountains in Isger!" Then she runs to the next painting, all excited. "And that's a garden in Remesiana, Cheliax! One thing that I find interesting about Cheliaxians is that the Diabolism has not interfered with their love of art and gardening. Aren't those the best flowers?" Then she pauses. "Those are the shipyards in Eleder, Saragarva. They were a rather well-traveled family, weren't they? Do you think that any of those ships might have belonged to them? I wonder who painted these?"
Cup looks at the paintings more closely. Is there any indication that they might all be by the same artist? Any signatures?
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Mr Peppers heads into the estate behind the others, his eyes glowing blue as he looks around at the entry way followed by the paintings, nodding in agreement as the others describe the who's who. He's got two wands out, one 'ole reliable Master Blaster and the other the stalk of garlic, still with the tag on it.
He nods in agreement with Uesugi on clearing the top floors first.
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Whoever created the paintings must have wished to remain anonymous, although the overall style of the brush strokes and the consistent colours used would have Cup believe that they were all painted by the same person. Mr. Peppers determines that they aren't magical.
The door to the Drawing Room opens and no traps go off! Once-fine furniture, now ripped and faded from neglect, adorns the chamber. Two large mirrors have been set on the north wall here, but cracks and dark stains mar their silvery surface, and many pieces are missing. A lute rests against the back of a stained red velvet sofa.
A voice suddenly echoes in your mind. Looking around the room, you don't see anyone who might be speaking. "Who are you, trespasser?", the harsh, burping voice asks.
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The lute appears to be a masterwork instrument, but two of the strings are broken. It floats harmlessly in the air as Cup's servant picks it up.
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Mr Peppers shakes his head and turns his attention towards Uesugi's question "There's a voice speaking with me in my mind, we were having a conversation but I'm done answering its questions. I suggested it speak with Miss Cup instead. Its watching us and wishes for our help but is being vague and nosey. I suggest we keep on our toes."
He goes back to scanning for magic, especially the mirrors as they are known to be tools for spying magic.
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"Fool, you've told me all I need to know!" The voice begins to cackle and fades out quickly, and soon, Mr. Peppers hears no more.
Mr. Peppers is able to sense a fading divination aura, likely as a result of the telepathic voice he'd heard. The mirrors are ordinary deep oak-framed nonmagical ones. Another fine wooden door is to your north, and referencing Nolaria's map, you determine it must lead to the Library.
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"And... its gone. Definitely didn't sound too friendly, cackling madly, and apparently I told it all it needed to know. Perhaps he was Wormgnash as I mentioned we were here to find him and the bile. I suppose I should be a bit more guarded against the voices in my head. The first time is always a learning experience right? I did see some divination, or 'seeing' magic fade away at the end."
He goes back about his business of looking around.
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Cup looks to her friend with concern. "Voices in your head are no good, Pep. Not even for gnomes. That thing you saw..."
"...was it a scrying sensor? A lot of divination spells have effects that allow you to detect when someone is watching you." She's still studying the lute that she realizes she cannot repair yet. What kind of a gnome is she without crafting skills or the ability to mend simple things like broken strings? Sadly, she packs the lute away. "However, there's a bright side to all this. First, it knows we're here so we don't have to waste our time being stealthy. It's probably horribly dangerous. No bleaching!"
Then she gives Gallix a conspiratorial glance. "Secondly..." She sends the Unseen Servant off ahead, still covered in its blanket, to a chorus of ghostly Booooooooo wooooooooo woooooooo sounds. She smiles with satisfaction as she looks up at the sour expression on tall dark and mystic's face. "...that became a lot funnier!"
"Oooh! A library!"
There could have been a dozen gnome-eating monsters in that room, but Cup only has eyes for the books. She grabs Sirettis's hand and looks to the others. "Come on! Let's go!"
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"Voices in your head, Peppers-san?
That's no good, maybe this place is getting to you."
At Cup dragging Sirettis off....D. watches the silly scene.
"Uesugi-san, chibi-chan somehow reminds me of a clockwork wind up toy, you see the similarity, yes? Hyperactive & small."
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"Voices?" Sirettis turns, alarmed to Mr. Peppers. "Oh. How odd. Be careful about them. How did you silence the voice? By answering it?" Sirettis is surprisingly inquisitive, but Miss Poshkettle drags her into the library like a kid in a candy store.
You can never silence me. And he'll never understand. So stop asking. Now.
"Isa, do you see anything?" Sirettis asks her bird.
"Um, books?" The bird tweets back.
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Mr Peppers pauses at host of inquiries that vary wildly in seriousness, answering them in order of importance "I don't believe I noticed any sensors but considering I can't cast those spells yet I can't be 100% sure, there was just some fading magic that showed up."
He then turns to Sirettis and her odd but not out of the ordinary question "It stopped speaking with me once I told it I was done speaking and it cackled and left..." He pauses and ponders her oddish question as Cup drags her off. He doesn't answer D.
He follows along to the library, with a bit of a quickness to his step, Cup isn't the only one that enjoys library time. He makes sure to have a light going on the tip of his blaster wand and concentrates on looking for magic as they go. An old spellbook sure would be nice in here.. maybe even a scroll or two!
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As Peppers makes his way into the library, Gallix quietly walks up behind him and whispers in his ear, "PEPPERS! ARE YOU GOING MAD, PEPPERS?" He chuckles a bit, then pats the elf reassuringly on the back. "Don't worry, Peppers. We'll handle whatever that voice was together." He enters the library with the others and looks around.
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Cup and Sirettis lead the way into the library. Inside are a series of long bookshelves inside dusty alcoves. The smell of mildewed paper hangs in the air, quite similar in nature to the smell of emanating from the paintings near the entrance. There are hundreds of books lining the shelves, but most are far past the point of being legible.
Mr. Peppers immediately detects not one, but eight faint magical auras from his vantage point at the entrance of the library. The source feels as if it's within the bookshelf to the west of the library, or perhaps it's coming from a book itself, but he can't quite pinpoint where.
Most of the books are tattered and mildewed over, but with enough determination and perhaps some unbelievably fast reading, you may just be able to find some diamonds in the rough.
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Mr Peppers starts to walk into the room, his eyes glowing blue, as they have been most of the time within the estate. He suddenly stops short and holds up his hands "DON'T ANYBODY MOVE!" He says with conviction in his voice as he stuffs the two wands into his belt at the same time, then takes another few steps forward and peers into the library.
"This room is LOADED with magic, and I don't want anyone to disturb a THING until I can tell what exactly it is first." Its all mine my precious... MINE! muhuahahhaa!
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Mr. Peppers senses two auras of abjuration, one aura of enchantment, one aura of divination, one aura of illusion, one aura of transmutation, and two auras of conjuration.
If Mr. Peppers approaches the bookshelf, he's able to determine that all of the auras emanate from one book in particular, its spine glowing brightly to his eyes only.