The group travels south through the city towards Kyver's Islet, where Zoli claims she remembers this sawmill is located. Throughout the city, murmured conversations can be heard, still discussing the string of murders in the city.
Once you cross the northern bridge onto the islet, the smell of sawdust and the sound of grinding and wood splitting assails your senses. Soon enough, built over the mouth of the Yondabakari River, the Seven's Sawmill sits on massive wooden pilings driven into the riverbed below. A wooden boardwalk wraps around the northern rim of the building, and a flight of stairs leads down to a door on the east side just above the water level. The churning of four large waterwheels under the mill fills the air with sound and mist.
"Should we stake out the place for a few hours, see if anyone's coming or going?" suggests Morythine.
"I'd rather just go in and shoot everything to be honest," Eugeni says. "The more time we waste the more time they have to figure out the other two didn't report back. Which gives them time to escape through the secrete tunnel or teleportal they undoubtedly have hidden in their lair."
At least...that's what happens a lot in the Pathfinder Chronicles.
Setsuna bites her lip in thought. As she utters a sigh a moment later, the shadows begin to wrap around her body and protectively cloak her once more.
"Normally, I would be more cautious, but Eugeni raises a good point. I'd rather not leave any loose ends with these cultists."
Riley crouches and looks underneath the sawmill. "I don't know about a teleportal, but a tunnel would be very difficult to build for a structure set above a running river. So I think that's one concern we don't have."
"We may as well go in, although I wouldn't be averse to someone doing a quick reconnoiter around the place to see if there are any other, less obvious, means of entry. A secret tunnel, a large window, even a weak wooden wall might do."
"Zoli and I are good at sneaking, and it looks like Setsuna might have some skills in that area."
Morythine gives the half-elf a bashful smile.
"Wanna come creep with us?"
As Morythine, Setsuna, and Zoli slip off and scout out the perimeter of the building as best they can, Eugeni, Riley, and Tzefira move to a less conspicuous location across the street and observe the mill from afar. Nothing seems amiss with the business, with deliveries of new lumber arriving in a holding pond near the mill and are pulled up through two chutes into a level on the second floor of the building. The men delivering the wood attach the ropes and hooks to the logs and signal up when the cargo is secure, at which point it is hoisted up.
The scouting party does not notice any other exits to the building, unless someone was willing to try to dive through the area dominated by the water wheels, but that looks like it would be a dangerous means of escape. There are no windows, save for small slats in a small room atop the building that appears to serve as a rookery.
Eugeni turns to the newcomers to the group. "Can either of you create magical illusions? We could pretend to be a shipment of logs, hid in a cart and cast an illusion over it. Then we could get ourselves hauled up into the log chutes. Have to be careful not to get sliced up, but it'd be an easy way in."
Riley holds up his finger and looks about to say something, but then pauses for some length. He slowly lowers his hand. "Not... as such. No. Though I am familiar with a spell that would let me disguise myself as a living tree. But then felling me would likely be... fatal."
Tzefira shakes her head. "My abilities are more in line with the wind and sky. I could mask our presence with a thick mist, but I would probably be the only one who could see further than the ends of her arms. We may need to try a more direct approach."
"Either all those men are working for the Brothers, or they are unaware. The second seems more likely. Since this is a working mill, perhaps we should just return after dark and climb up the saw chutes," Eugeni suggests.
"Coming back after dark would probably be better than storming in right now. Fewer people would notice us," Setsuna says thoughtfully.
"That's probably for the best," Riley agrees.
"Zoly, Mory? You two are our creeping experts....what do you think?" Eugeni asks the two scouts.
Zoli mutters under her breath about ancient tales of stoutish halflings who could see in the dark, and then says, "I'm afraid I creep best when the sun is up. That said, I certainly wouldn't want to endanger workers here who're merely ignorant of their employers' evil ways.
"Why don't Mory, Setsuna, and I find a comfortable and inconspicuous place to watch comings and goings? The rest of you can return two hours past sunset and we'll go in."
"Okay," Eugeni agrees. "Wanna go get a drink Tzefira? Riley?"
"So it's a stakeout after all. You take your time, but catch up with the genius in the group eventually."
"My only concern is that neither I nor Olympus can see in the dark. I don't know about the rest of you, but it would seem some of you have that advantage." He looks at Eugeni. If you plan on using it, keep in mind that I'll be stumbling about in the dark.
"We can work around that," Eugeni says.
Sighing, Zoli says "Yes, we'll need some light which may well alert our foes. We'd be more likely to successfully surprise whoever's in there without it...but I think the plan of avoiding catching innocents in the crossfire is the right thing to do.
Perhaps we'll have sections where those of us who can see in the dark lead the way, with concealed light ready to unveil."
Tzefira nods. "That seems the best plan. I have no trouble in the dark, so I should be able to help somewhat, when the time comes," she said. "We could also merely consider making our incursion after the work detail leaves. Presumably it wouldn't be much later than dusk as the workers would need to return home safely. That way there would still be a little light for you to work by."
Zoli nods. "Good plan. Why don't y'all wander by again a bit past dusk, and if we give you a thumbs down you can wander by again an hour later."
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As the group back at the sawmill set up for watch, they are greeted with only the passage of time as they scope out the building. With sunset rapidly approaching, it is a bit odd to not see any of the workers leave the establishment.
Before long, the others make it back...
__________
Riley has Olympus flying much lower so he'll be ready to swoop in if there's trouble. He moves to the stakeout spot.
"Well? We ready?" he says, keeping his voice low.
Setsuna reforms her cloak of shadows and nods.
"We didn't see anything, which is odd. I mean, we didn't see any workers leave..."
"So the workers are those shapeshifter things, or thralls, or something else horrible. Sounds like another shoot first ask questions later scenario. Let's move," Eugeni says testily. He begins walking towards the log chutes, his bow out and an arrow knocked. He sticks to the shadows and moves silently.
Morythine follows Eugeni, binding the withered flesh of the Stalker's Mask over his face as he does so . When the half-orc scrambles up the log chute, he waits a little.
Zoli edges to the front as they attempt to enter, weaving in front of Eugeni with her scimitar and buckler out.
Before doing so she casts Light on a pebble that (for the moment) she's concealing entirely within the grip of her shield hand.
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Tzefira pales a moment as Morythine dawns a mask seemingly made of flesh. "What...?" she begins before noticing none of the others reacting, as if used to it. So not a Brother or one of their allies... But to put that on your face? Ugh... The sylph then quietly moves with the others.
Riley makes a face of disgust at the mask, but otherwise says nothing. He focuses on the sawmill, and readies his spells and scimitar.
The approach to the chutes requires the group to enter the water and swim to the ropes hanging down. Without too much trouble, they all manage to make it there in time, though Eugeni and Tzefira struggled at first. Once to the ropes, Eugeni and Morythine begin climbing up, each to a chute. Olympus takes roost on the decking above the water, looking into the water for any fish near the surface.
As Eugeni and Morythine climb higher, Zoli and Riley follow right behind, though Tzefira and Setsuna seem to be struggling to make any progress up the ropes behind the other adventurers.
You can hear a conversation going on within.There are four men, all dressed in strange leather garments and masks, lavishly colored in bright oranges, reds, and yellows. You hear one of them ask, "So, who's the mark this time?"
"Some dumb ass gambler," another one answers. "Picked him up buying rounds at a tavern after his 'lucky streak.'"
This elicits a small round of laughter from the group, but then one laugh cuts off short as another voice speaks up, "Ey, what's shakin' the ropes so much?"
The others snap their heads around and one calls out, "HEY! WE GOT SOME EAVESDROPPERS!"
__________
Eugeni steps into the room, and starts feathering cultists.
28 to hit
Suddenly wishing that she had instead taken the front door, Setsuna calls upon a Blessing for the group. Once finished, she starts climbing up as quickly as she can.
Zoli says a little prayer to Chaldira Zuzaristan for luck and then tries to follow Eugeni up...but her feet start to slip and she can't quite make it over the lip.
Turning with embarrassment toward Tzefira below her she asks, "Hey, can you give me a boost?"
Channelling his ki, Morythine leaps off the rope in a flurry of fists and feet, his barrage of blows leaving the nearest cultist a broken form on the floor.
Spell prepared: 1st level:
Orisons: bleed, detect poison, guidance, virtue
Ki Pool: 3
At the sounds of combat inside, Riley whistles a command to get Olympus into the fight. Then he tries pulling himself up the rope to get inside and lend his own steel to the effort.
The heroes begin slowly filtering into the room, with Zoli getting the ever needed boost from below from Tzefira, as they continue to scale the ropes. As one of their number falls, the one nearest Eugeni calls out, "These ain't no eavesdroppers, they are adventurer's or somethin'! Warn the others!"
At that, the rest bolt out of the room and through the door in the northern wall, revealing a small staircase. One of the cultists darts down the flight of stairs, while the other turns to go up. All the while they are screaming at the top of their lungs, "Intruders! We are bein' attacked!"
The one remaining, seeing himself pinned in with more heroes appearing by the second, calls out "Father Skinsaw, shield me so that I may continue your harvest!"
A shimmering, magical field covers his entire body.
__________
With a much appreciated boost from Tzefira, Zoli pops over the lip in time to slice her scimitar through the cultist's intestines and watch him crumple, dead, on the floor.
She hollers "OK ladies and gents: Time for a chase!" and with that she runs through the door, slicing into the next cultist from behind while wondering, Father Skinsaw? Who on Golarion are these madmen worshipping?!?
HP 44/44
Luck 6/7
Panache 3/3 (-1 if attacked)
Charmed Life 3/3
Buffs luck (round 2/3): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws;
Worshipers of Norgorber are considered cultists by nearly all inhabitants of the Inner Sea. The cult is forbidden in nearly every nation except Absalom, where it is tolerated. The cult is split into four parts, each one focusing on a specific aspect and paying little attention to others.
Morythine dashes after Zoli, hurling a shuriken over her head to strike one of the fleeing cultists.
Eugeni moves after the cultist and shoots him.
Riley moves after the group, pausing to cast a spell. He switches his scimitar to his off hand and a ball of flame erupts in the other. He holds it out looking for a clear shot. Olympus hops after him.
Fueled by raw adrenaline, Setsuna continues to scurry up the rope like spider and moves as much into the building if she can.
Tzefira concentrates, bringing forth the innate power of her school and blood, and begins to slowly rise. She leaves a hand on the rope to use as a guide, but doesn't need it to climb.
"YA HEAR ME!? I SAID WE ARE UNDER ATT-" the man continues to scream up until the point he is brought down by the heroes. As the group crams its way into the stairwell behind Zoli, the sound of rushed footsteps can be heard on the floor above...
"So much for sneaking," observes Morythine. "This corridor's too cramped for a stand, let's retreat into the bigger room."