"Oh heavens! Splendid! Splendid! I'm so glad you are here! I've been so worried that..."
Morythine is confused. ”I’m sorry, do we know this weirdo?” he asks.
"Aldern is still in there, somewhere."
“Oh yeah. Aldern Foxglove as in Foxglove Manor. High-bred weirdo.”
"Morythene, if you strike to subdue perhaps we can capture rather than kill--but this 'Skinsaw Man' is clearly deadly and I'm going to use everything I've got to stop him!"
“I don’t see why you have to get all the fun?” retorts Morythine as the halfling once again mangles pronunciation of his name. He grabs the brim of his newfound hat. “His mind’s clearly porridge, let’s see what happens if we stir it a little?”
Whispering the command word Darius taught him, magic ripples over Morythine’s features, chocolate-coloured hair appearing to burst out from his skin, his ears elongating (one is torn and raggedy), his eyes turning yellow, with neither pupil or iris, and the general set of his features turning bestial and canine.
A third Eugeni now stands in the fight!
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
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Destrina steps away from the skinsaw man for a moment, holds her hammer up with one hand while drawing Ragathiel's symbol in the air with her other hand and reciting a prayer. "General of Vengeance, bless this hammer to crush those who work evil. Bless it that I may bring vengeance for those they have killed. Bless it that your will may be done." A flash of white light accompanies the end of the prayer and afterward the hammer glows faintly.
The paladin turns her attention to the cleaver wielding Eugeni doppelganger, and says, "Feel the wrath of vengeance, of my god, Ragathiel, beast."
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Morythine is confused. "I’m sorry, do we know this weirdo?” he asks.
"Oh sweet Gods!" Zoli gasps. "Aldern is still in there, somewhere."
“Oh yeah. Aldern Foxglove as in Foxglove Manor. High-bred weirdo.”
"Morythene, if you strike to subdue perhaps we can capture rather than kill--but this 'Skinsaw Man' is clearly deadly and I'm going to use everything I've got to stop him!"
“I don’t see why you have to get all the fun?” retorts Morythine as the halfling once again mangles pronunciation of his name. He grabs the brim of his newfound hat. “His mind’s clearly porridge, let’s see what happens if we stir it a little?”
Whispering the command word Darius taught him, magic ripples over Morythine’s features, chocolate-coloured hair appearing to burst out from his skin, his ears elongating (one is torn and raggedy), his eyes turning yellow, with neither pupil or iris, and the general set of his features turning bestial and canine.
A third Eugeni now stands in the fight!
Taking a step in toward him, Zoli swings but her blade only hits Aldren's stained and tattered coat.
"Get outta my skin, freak!" Eugeni shouts at his insane undead doppelganger. He uses his incredible skill with the bow to fire off three arrows at once point blank into the ghast's face. Unfortunately the short draw doesn't give the arrows enough umpf to penetrate the Skinsaw Man's unnaturally hardened hide. F!$!!
Destrina steps away from the skinsaw man for a moment, holds her hammer up with one hand while drawing Ragathiel's symbol in the air with her other hand and reciting a prayer. "General of Vengeance, bless this hammer to crush those who work evil. Bless it that I may bring vengeance for those they have killed. Bless it that your will may be done." A flash of white light accompanies the end of the prayer and afterward the hammer glows faintly.
The paladin turns her attention to the cleaver wielding Eugeni doppelganger, and says, "Feel the wrath of vengeance, of my god, Ragathiel, beast."
Darius fights through the nausea he is experiencing, and lets forth a gout of flame that burns the decaying flesh of Aldern, or The Skinsaw Man, or His Lordship, or whatever he is going by at the moment, eliciting a pained scream from the creature.
However, it does not deter him from his current course, which seems to be to destroy Eugeni. He opens up a vicious gash in Eugeni's side, as well as a nasty bite in the canine aasimar's shoulder that leaves the man frozen in place!
Darius lets loose another gout of flame, causing even further damage to the undead monstrosity, as well as filling the room with the thick, heavy musk of burned, decaying flesh.
__________
"That's the wrong one!" cries Morythine/Eugeni as Eugeni/Eugeni is paralyzed by Aldern/Eugeni's fell touch.
The monk falls on his enemy, furred arms outstretched in a grapple. The pair begin to wrestle.
"Now I've got him, what do you want me to do with him?" he asks his companions.
"Wow! Nice grab, Mo--err, Eugeni! If you can pin him we can tie him up. In the meantime, I'll see if I can't pin him my own way!"
With that Zoli ducks behind the-thing-that-was-once-Aldern's back and cuts a long clean gash. "You felt that one, didn't ya Skinsaw? I'm the one you oughta be worried about. You think you're tough enough to take a bite outa me?!?"
Zoli gets into a defensive stance, ready to parry the first attack to come her way.
________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 2/8
Panache 3/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 2/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
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Destrina steps back into the fight and swings her massive hammer at the Eugeni with a cleaver/razor in its hand. He nearly dodges the blow, but hat-wearing Eugeni's grip on him prevents it, and the hammer hits the Skinsaw Man with a sickening crack.
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The ravenous being in Morythine/Eugeni's arms continues to lash out at the real Eugeni, snapping his arm between his jaws for another vicious bite!
__________
Zoli gives a "Yelp!" as she sees another bloody bite out of Eugeni's hide.
"Oh...no...you...don't" she shouts as she slashes another gash into the Skinsaw Man's back.
_________________
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 2/8
Panache 3/4 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs luck (round 3/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
10 THP for 5 hrs
Eugeni screams silently in his mind, trapped and fighting off madness in the face of his immanent death being eaten alive while his friends watch.
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The undead man screams in rage and frustration at the continued onslaught before falling limp in Morythine's clutches, his tortured existence finally brought to an end.
__________
Zoli gasps with relief to see the real Eugeni still (barely) standing. "Phew!! It's OK now, Eugeni. It's over! He's dead."
Turning to face the rest of the crew, she says, "We did it! Do you think the nightmare is over in this house? Have the haunt--and that revenant--been put to rest?
"Let's see what else there is to find down here...maybe clues to help us better understand why he's been doing this, why he was obsessed with Eugeni...and why he was carving the sihedron into his victims' flesh" She shudders involuntarily as she thinks again of the mutilated victims. "And then lets get as far away from this accursed house as we can!"
HP 39/39 +10 THP
Luck 2/8
Panache
4/4
Charmed Life 1/3
Buffs
10 THP for 5 hrs
Eugeni/Morythine emits little grunts and gasps as Zoli and Destrina’s blows rain down on the body he is grappling. It might appear that the dhampir is wincing at how close these strikes are too his own flesh, but in fact he whimpers with delight to experience Aldern’s bloody end at such intimate quarters.
When it is done, he lets Aldern’s corpse flop to the floor and ends his magical disguise as Eugeni. Back in his own gaunt skin, and remarks “So much for capture, then,” personally not in the least concerned for Aldern’s demise.
Zoli nods to Destrina's counsel...but with this Skinsaw Man defeated her curiosity begins to take hold and she starts to poke around, looking for clues that might help her put this puzzle together.
Whilst Zoli puts her thinking cap on, Morythine investigates Aldern's corpse, passing anything of note to Darius for magical inspection.
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As the dust settles after the fight, and the heroes of Sandpoint can take the time to really take in their surroundings, things grow even more disturbing. On the table, there is a collection of seemingly random objects: a lock of reddish brown hair, the fletching of a broken arrow, a stack of charcoal drawings that look like Eugeni (in various states of being murdered in different ways), a letter addressed to Aldern at a location in Magnimar, a small silver key ring with two keys (one of which is a tarnished iron key with a round opal, the other made of bronze has an unusually long tang ending in a set of three notched blades, and the head of the key resembles a roaring lion), and a vial of dried blood.
The portrait that leans against the far side of the table is of the same raven haired woman you've seen repeatedly depicted throughout the manner (and the creature in the attic), though it has been clumsily repainted with blood and bits of rotten flesh into a caricature of Eugeni.
On the body of what was once Aldern, you can find a suit of leather armor*, a large war razor*, two rings*, the strange mask* he donned, his stained and tattered (but repairable) noble's outfit, a key, and a small cameo of high quality that, when opened, contains a portrait of Eugeni.
Darius studies the strangely humanoid patch of fungus, as well as the broken box at its "feet" before speaking up, "This would appear to be the sight of a failed transformation into a lich! Remarkable! Though, a uniquely strange side effect. It would appear that this site is the source of all the strange hauntings going on within the manor itself. It will take some potent magics to undo the necromantic energies flowing here. The site needs to be consecrated, or some other strong form of positive energy that, I am afraid, is beyond us currently, to remove the curse fully."
Eugeni looks over the room with a good deal of horror. "Why me? What do I have to do with all this?"
[dice=Fort save]1d20+4+4
Zoli shakes her head at Eugeni's question. "I was hoping you'd have some idea. He was so, so obsessed...
"Hearing what he said though, I wonder if it wasn't just some hallucination of his--if he couldn't have just as easily fixated on Father Zantus, or Ameiko or...anyone, really. That said, this letter is what's disturbing me most right now.
"Who are 'the Brothers'? And this 'Xanesha, Mistress of the Seven'? She's talking about the Sihedron and the Seven and then mentioning not wanting 'the greed in their souls to go to waste'--all quite creepy and mysterious and fascinating!"
Taking a breath, she adds "Clearly we need to get home now. Maybe Father Zantus can send someone to help us deal with this lich-mold that Darius thinks is behind the haunt. After that though..." she glances at the keys they recovered from Aldern's corpse, and the address written on the letter. "I wonder if it isn't time for another jaunt over to Magnimar!"
"I wouldn't mind another trip to the big city. Sandpoint is feeling less like home lately and more like hell. It's one disaster after another around here lately..." Eugeni grouses. "Wonder what we did to piss off the gods?"
Zoli reaches over to ruffle Eugeni's fur. "Awww, don't think that way! Did you see how many calamities we threw ourselves into today? And Chaldira Zuzaristan saw us clear out of each one. Heck, I was sure Darius there was a goner but even he made it."
Running her finger over the Sihedron medalion she won from Nualia, she adds, "I mean, I think Desna and all the gods are looking out for us...but ever since I got this...I don't know, it's like Chaldira Zuzaristan has had a direct line to me. Thassilonian artifacts are amazing!"
Turning to Eugeni, Morythine shows him the vial of dried blood . “Do you think this is your blood?” he asks blithely. “Do you mind if I keep it as a momento of my brief time wearing your face … and fur.”
With his quarterstaff, Morythine flicks a chime from its crusting of fungi. Giving it a cursory clean with the edge of his cloak, he passes it to Darius for identification, along with various items found of Aldern’s (deceased) person.
Maybe Father Zantus can send someone to help us deal with this lich-mold that Darius thinks is behind the haunt.
“What if we just burn the place down?” asks Morythine. He hasn’t completely abandoned his idle dreams of renovating* Foxglove Manor, but equally, the notion torching the great pile to its foundations also has a certain appeal.
*Perhaps renovating is the wrong word – it might detract from the place’s current gloomy charm. But getting rid of the haunts would be nice.
Punishing kick 2/3
Spell cast: detect undead
"I wonder if it isn't time for another jaunt over to Magnimar!"
Morythine plucks the letter from Zoli’s hand and reads it himself, his black-brown eyes scanning over the spidery writing. He’s too engrossed to pay much mind to her blithering about Thassilonian relics. However, he did catch her earlier remark.
“Yes, if we’re sure we’re finished here, let’s head towards Magnimar.”
By what she writes, this Xanesha has some intriguing passions. I’d rather like to meet her.
Eugeni just shrugs in response to his two friends. He nods at Morythine's suggestion.
As the group makes there way out of the tunnel, Zoli asks everyone to wait a moment as she checks out the moldy tunnel that had been passed up before. She comes back covered in strange yellow spores, carrying a blue glowing heavy pick, a silly smile plastered on her halfling face.
You exit the manor, a huge swarm of undead crows begins to descend upon you. Darius steps forward and says, "Leave this to me," before hitting the creatures with a massive fireball that causes the massive swarm to dissipate and disperse almost instantly.
The group travels about a mile away from the haunted mansion before reuniting with their horses and making camp. The next morning and day is spent returning to Sandpoint, where Father Zantus is shocked to learn of the fate of the Misgivings. He agrees to return personally to the manor and attempt to put the spirits to rest.
Another day's travel returning to the haunted sight, the group manages to, with some surprising recurrences of the hauntings, lead Father Zantus into the depths of the manor and back to the fungus that Darius claims is the source of the whole problem. As Father Zantus completes the spell, the man-shaped fungus patch on the wall tears itself free and shrieks in a sloshy, barely human voice before crumbling to dust, as does the rest of the dust in the home. And while this does nothing to remove the unwelcoming aura about the house, the evil is removed from the structure.
After bidding a farewell to the priest the following morning, the group turns south towards Magnimar as Father Zantus rides north back to Sandpoint. By dusk, the group returns to the gates of the city.
"Let's seek lodgings and sell some of this treasure in the morning," Eugeni suggests.
Zoli nods, saddle-sore after two long days of riding. "I do want to check out this apartment soon...but agreed, not while I'm this tired."
Seeing Eugeni still looking down in the dumps after the business in the Manor, Zoli goes over to him and puts a hand on his furry shoulder. To think, back before the ugliness of the Swallowtail Festival this was that weirdo in the woods that my friends and I called 'The Talking Dog'. So much has happened in such a short time. Now he's...a good friend. I hope he gets out of this funk soon. What can I do?
Late that night, after he believes everyone is asleep, Eugeni sneaks out of his room at the inn.
Once outside, he begins to wander the streets. He heads towards whatever passes for a magical marketplace in the city, and begins seeking out information about where he might find a powerful witch or druid to help him with a problem.
Her mind racing with thoughts of Aldren and "the Brothers" and "the Seven" and how they related to Ancient Thassilon, Zoli finds herself lying in bed awake well before sunrise. She's just thinking of going to find some fresh fruit and bread when she hears a slight creak of the floorboard outside her door.
Opening it, she says "Eugeni? Where are you headed? I was just thinking of finding something to break my fast with if you want to come."
"I'm just going for a walk to clear my head. It's been a while since I was outside a town or city by myself. You go ahead, I'll be back in while," Eugeni responds.
Zoli smiles at her friend, thinking That's nice. I guess a walk to clear your head might be exactly what you need.
With that she ambles down the cobbled street to a market she remembered seeing. She buys some dark rye bread, some crisp pears, and several creamy, well-bletted medlars--enough to share--and returns to their shared suite to break her fast with anyone interested.
"You're late," a somber voice calls out. As you look around, you see a bird fly down from a nearby branch, and as it lands, it begins to take the shape of the elf you met the night before. Several more birds land around you and the clearing, all taking humanoid forms wearing robes similar to the elf.
"If you are certain you want to do this, provide me the diamonds and lie down on the table," he says, gesturing to the table with his hand, removing a wavy dagger covered in runes from the sleeve of his robe with the other.
Eugeni nods. He approaches, "I'm sure. I've just gone through too much lately. I need a new start." He fishes the required diamonds out of the pouch where he'd purchased them earlier.
He hesitates for a moment, and then strips down until he's nude. Taking a deep swallow, he resists the urge to pray to Erastil. Whoever's out there, give me a little luck. Make me normal...hell, make me handsome!
He lays down on the table and closes his eyes.
Eugeni convulses and his bodies instincts kick in in a vain attempt to remain alive, clutching at his throat. Suddenly hands are upon him from all sides, holding his arms and legs down firmly against the table as the man quickly feels the life ebb from his body.
Soon enough, he lies still. "It is done, master," one of the gathered men says to the elf.
The elf, having remained emotionless the whole time, says calmly with a large smile forming on his face, "Yes. I see that. Gather it all. Every last drop. We will need it."
Blackness.
Light.
Searing bright light burning your eyes.
You slowly raise a hand to cover your sensitive eyes as you begin to come to. Gathered around you are a number of strange men and women dressed in brown, earthy robes. The light of the sky burns like nothing you have ever experienced before. In fact, you've never experienced anything like this before.
"Easy, friend," a tall elf says as some of the robed figures help you slowly sit up on the table. "You've been through quite a lot in the last few hours. Tell me, what do you remember?"
Suddenly, you remember that this man helped you. You paid this man to unmake you, and then make you again. You are from Sandpoint. You are a hero. You've saved lives, fought monsters. There are holes here and there, but you remember bits and pieces, enough to put together the big picture...
As morning rolls on and becomes noon, Eugeni still has not returned. The sun has reached its peak and slowly begin its downward march through the sky, and no word or sign of him has reached you.
Waiting for him, though, allows you to overhear several people talking nervously as the go about their day to day lives here in the City of Monuments. Piecing the stories together, it is clear that a disturbingly familiar spate of murders is plaguing Magnimar. Stories of merchants, politicians, crooked guards, and moneylenders showing up dead - their bodies mutilated, faces missing, and chests carved with seven-pointed stars - seem to be on everyone's lips.
This time Morythine opts to stay in the same inn as his companions when they arrive in Magnimar; perhaps a sign of his increasing faith in them – although he makes sure his quarters are as far away from Destrina’s as possible.
By the time he has risen the sun has already risen to a discomforting height, and he’s grateful to discover Zoli has already ventured out for breakfast. Picking thoughtfully through a handful of medlars, he listens to people in the tavern discuss the news of the city, whilst keeping a watchful eye on their sacks of loot yet to be sold.
He raises his eyebrows at hearing the Skinsaw Murders have spread to Magnimar.
Spell prepared: 1st level: magic stone, obscuring mist (domain), protection from evil, remove fear
Orisons: bleed, detect poison, guidance, virtue
Eugeni looks down and examines his new body. His skin is smooth and hairless, a light green color. He feels stronger than before too. Holy s&@%, it worked! I'm not the dog man anymore!
He tries to focus to answer the elven man's question, but it takes longer than normal. "Just pieces. I'm from Sandpoint, I'm a hero there. Me and my friends came here to investigate a serial killer we stopped in the town..." he trails off, realizing he feels mentally lighter. There are large gaps in his memory, but somehow it leaves him feeling relieved rather than confused. He looks up at the sun. "Oh s*#*! I've been here all day. Thank you so much, but I have to go. My friends will be worried about me!"
The archer quickly gathers his gear and puts it back on. I don't seem to have changed in size too much, that's good. With one last smile for the elves, and a deep bow for their leader, Eugeni hustles back to the inn.
As the companions share the bread and fruit, Zoli makes sure to save one Medlar back for Eugeni. They're so good, and you can't get them anywhere in Sandpoint.
As the morning winds on though and he's not yet back from his walk, she thinks, Well, maybe he's having his own breakfast then. I hope the walk does help him clear his mind anyway!
She notices that as she's musing she's cut the last medlar in half. Shrugging, she eats one half and saves the last for Eugeni.
Where is he, anyway? What on earth is taking him so long?
Her fingers absentmindedly bring the last half a medlar up to her lips. Oh shoot! Can't very well save it for him now, can I?
She shrugs and pops the last bite into her mouth. As she does so she sees a half-orc walk in wearing what looks like Eugeni's clothes, and with Eugeni's enchanted bow on his back. Thoroughly confused she stands up (lip still dripping with medlar) and says, "Who are you? Where did you get that stuff, that's not yours!"
Her hand goes to the hilt of the scimitar Baern made her, but she doesn't draw it yet.