While examining the room, Fillia notes that despite the lack of dust on many surfaces, no one has been here for years. The carpet and sofa show virtually no wear and coupled with the plethora of papers on the front stoop, it is somewhat easily deduced.
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Ēoswulf turns his back as the elf picks the lock, apparently uncomfortable with breaking and entering in broad daylight in the middle of town.
Once the door is unlocked, he follows Fillia inside.
-Posted with Wayfinder
As Fillia and Eoswulf step into the living-room, a summoning circle just beneath the sofa activates. A loud clap of thunder slams your eardrums and three large housecat-sized beetles, dull brown in color yet brightened by two glowing green-yellow spots on their carapaces, appear and start scurrying towards the front door.
Round 1
Enith & Wolfie
Geo
Hinkle
Ezren
Filla
Eoswulf
Beetles
Round 1 Cont.
Enith & Wolfie
Geo - throws knife (M)
Hinkle - Acid vs blue (H) -4
Ezren
Filla
Eoswulf
Beetles
R=
Y=
B= -4
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Ēoswulf let's out a battle cry as he makes his way towards the blue beetle and attempts to slice it in two.
for
-Posted with Wayfinder
Round 1 Cont.
Enith & Wolfie -TBD
Geo - throws knife (M)
Hinkle - Acid vs blue (H) -4
Ezren -TBD
Filla - arrow vs red (H) -7
Eoswulf - sword (H) splat blue
Beetles - TBD
Enith and Ezren to end the round.
R= -7
Y=
B= dead
With Ezren's staff strike, the red beetle enters the afterlife. All that remains is the yellow.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The combined attack of the halfling and her wolf ends the existence of the final beetle.
Will Save vs 15
(no Character Data on Profile)
The Gnome simply tips his hat to Ezren, smiles and continues to read his book. Ezren's anger boils as he lambasts Fimbrick in the study. Meanwhile the wisdom of Hinkle, the untrusting nature of Eoswulf and the clear vision of Fillia start to unravel the clever and powerful illusions that have been cast here.
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Ēoswulf shakes his head at the yelling wizard and then takes a peek in each room.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The Main Floor:
D1. Living Room (already described)
D2. Meeting Room
This chamber contains enough chairs, pillows, and desks to accommodate at least six visitors. There is a small bed, a desk with papers and several chests scattered about.
D3. Bedroom
A bed and desk occupy this room. A telescope is positioned by one window, a table and two chairs by the other.
D4. Study (already described)
Geo's examination of the table in the southwest corner of the meeting room reveals a neatly penned letter:
Underneath the letter is a hastily scrawled note in similar handwriting, which contains the name:
In the chest at the foot of the small guest bed in he meeting room, Fillia finds many potion bottles and stoppers... most are cracked or empty except for 2 which still contain their precious liquids.
A long-forgotten potion of cure moderate wounds and potion of lesser restoration sit at the bottom of the chest.
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"Let's leave this place now. I'd rather not have time explain why we're here to the town guard."
-Posted with Wayfinder
The exploration of the rest of the house turns up nothing of note, the basement is full of years of unread, neatly stacked newspapers and the upstairs is unfinished and empty. You are not noticed leaving the residence and you draw no special attention whatsoever.
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"Hmm, well let's look over what we have here, shall we? Looks like we need to look for a Hollis “Evil Grin” Thorne at the Wall of Names at the Society Grand Lodge. I don't know this Wall of Names, but we all know where the lodge is, so let's head back there."
Geo leads the way, hoping someone is following...
Created in 4330 ar, the Wall of Names resides on the grounds of the Grand Lodge in Absalom. The monument is a curving wall of black glass that stands atop a small hill at the western edge of the lodge’s grounds. Trees surround the hill, providing ample shade and privacy for those visiting the wall to remember fallen comrades. Carved into the wall are the name and date of death of every Pathfinder killed in the course of duty since the wall’s construction, and most entries also include a sentence or two summarizing either the agent’s greatest accomplishments or how they died.
You recall reading from Adolphus' Addendum you found in the hidden chamber under the Wisp:
I have watched Elysia for many months since my return, and I have caught her making additions to the Wall of Names - the memorial built in honor of my departed mentor. She has added three names, none of which are true Pathfinders and are likely worth investigating. Their names are:
~ Doulgonlir Caskmail
~ Hollis 'Evil Grin' Thorne
~ Karina Clamp
You soon find the epitaphs in question (pictured on the Maps & Handouts). They read as follows:
Doulgonlir Caskmail - Deceased 4332 ar
Fought up all but one step of the Storval Stairs.
Blade shattered at an inopportune moment.
Hollis “Evil Grin” Thorne - Deceased 4331 ar
Survived the horrors of Nemret Noktoria.
Returned to rot from the inside.
Karina Clamp - Deceased 4330 ar
Enjoyed the many excesses of Katapesh.
Ended by a drug-induced hallucination.
Everyone, please roll a Knowledge (history, local, or religion) Dice Check.
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Hinkle takes a moment to take in the wall of names. "So many willing to die for the discovery and preservation of knowledge. Hopefully none of us are asked to make such a sacrifice one day." He then takes a look at the name they were given in Frimbriks notes. "Can't say I know anything about this, but I'm willing to ask around if no one else has any ideas."
Geo and Ezren look at each other and at the same time, they both say, "Shrine of the Failed!"
You recognize that the underlined portions of each inscription refer to failed aspirants of the Test of the Starstone and the monument dedicated to those who have failed the test.
Erected centuries ago by an unknown organization, the Shrine of the Failed is a dour complex that pays homage to those who failed in their attempts to overcome the Test of the Starstone. The building houses numerous altars, each dedicated to a specific failed aspirant. Black-robed acolytes protect, clean, and maintain the halls as well as the few trinkets left behind by the aspirants.
Your party arrives at the Shrine at the exact moment Sir Reinhart, the Mendevian crusader intent on becoming a god, attempts the Test of the Starstone. As the valiant knight prepares to charge his steed across the chasm outside Starstone Cathedral, you have unrestricted access to the Shrine of the Failed. The city guard and what few caretakers the shrine has have left to watch Sir Reinhart’s attempt.The rest of the shrine is closed because the caretakers have left to witness Sir Reinhart’s feat.
This monumental chamber stretches eighty feet from end to end, with a ceiling suspended thirty feet from the floor by great pillars. Seven arched passages lead to humble rooms, each of which contains a polished stone altar dedicated to one of the failed aspirants who attempted
the Test of the Starstone.
Each of these chambers contains a small stone altar to one of the failed aspirants. Each altar stands upon a raised dais and bears a small brass nameplate identifying the aspirant and the would-be-god’s areas of interest.
Demuren:(E2a) Sought the jade idol of ten thousand faces.
Now but another sacrifice to the charau-ka of the Mwangi.
Gobru:(E2d) Respectfully resigned after losing a friend.
Lost to a life among the fish and bountiful sea.
Mellag:(E2f) Survived the horrors of Nemret Noktoria.
Returned to rot from the inside.
Oggo:(E2b) Traveled to distant Jalmeray.
Failed to maintain the necessary Sixteen Poses.
Plokkis:(E2g) Sought to brave the Path of Aganhei.
Spoiled rations and wastefulness ended that dream.
Silmor:(E2c) Fought up all but one step of the Storval Stairs.
Blade shattered at an inopportune moment.
Spuchasta:(E2e) Enjoyed the many excesses of Katapesh.
Ended by a drug-induced hallucination.
As Fillia is looking around the small stone altar to Mellag, she runs her finger across the nameplate and it slides just a small bit to the side... upon further inspection and manipulation, altar’s nameplate slides all the way to one side, revealing a miniature chalkboard and a thin piece of chalk.