"Oh, do let's. I've been learning to go shopping ever since my lady's maid was accidentally stabbed. Can't find anyone to replace her, and the unseen servant can't bargain."
She looks at the others after finishing her cup of tea. "Anything else you picked up about the area the slaughterhouse is in? Who might we encounter? What did that chap at the tavern say about neighborhoods here..."
Naliah hasn't picked up much information about the slaughterhouse. She has heard that it's located in the Bountiful district on the south side of the city, and that it was operated by a pair of halfling brothers until they died about a generation back, leaving no business partners or family members to take over the business.
She did hear the fellow in the tavern talk about how the Coinside district, on the north side of the river, opposite the Bountiful district, has some of the best, classiest shopping in the city.
Dro'gan snaps his fingers, stands suddenly, and speaks as if a decision has been reached.
"So let's hit the Coinside district and make a few purchases, then meet up across the river after sundown near the slaughterhouse to scope it out from a distance. Agreed?"
"Lovely! Anyone want to join me at the apothecary's?
Vyranos stands, reaching his hand out for Kirby to jump and scale up his arm to settle in a pocket. “I shall tag along.”
"Doing the shopping ourselves? How awfully proletarian..." Hasimir says, getting up from his comfy chair.
"But some acquisitions are better not left for the servants. Lead the way."
”I will tag along as well. Peruse the goods available.”
See how you three handle yourselves…”
Amandine opens a leather satchel and rummages a bit; from the sound it seems quite full of containers and packages.
"If we come up short on coin, I have some things I could sell or barter if I must."
She doesn't sound happy about parting with pieces of her kit, but willing.
"Oh, the lady does speak!" Naliah replies to Amandine. "Oh good. I was worried you might be giving us the silent treatment. That is kind, but I think I can cover what I might need, at least. Perhaps later, if we decide to investigate those men turning to stone, we might need some preventives... or curatives... I haven't much liquidity, but I can contribute if need be, then. But I think we should see what we find first at the slaughterhouse. Do divs carry valuables, I wonder...?" Her blouse changes color as they go out the door.
As they go through town, Naliah occasionally chatters aimlessly, commenting on this or that passersby's outfit or speculating as to whether a nearby lodging serves a certain fish. She either is this vapid, or is attempting to put off those who might suspect them of being more than a party of refugees from the recent political chaos.
At the apothecary, she chats quietly with the proprietor about what initially seems to be suggestions for her beauty regimen, but as she drops a few words and offers a vial of something she pulls from the shawl over her shoulders which the apothecary almost looks surprised to see, but nods and trades her her goods, and distributes her new vials of cold iron blanch and one of holy water in a pouch or pocket.
She will accompany the others as they complete their purchases, and help them haggle if needed (and if they accept her help).
When time comes to go to the slaughterhouse, her outfit changes to slightly more muted colors, but typical to the style of the town.
The neighborhood around the old slaughterhouse primarily holds warehouses and tenements.
Residents in the neighborhood suspect that once-abandoned slaughterhouse is now occupied, as they hear occasional howls or cries from the building, but they are too fearful to investigate.
Residents have also seen strange animals in the area, including large rams, dogs, and ravens with unusual black eyes.
.....
This large building is made of brick and wood, both faded to the same drab shade of brown from years of neglect. The front of the building bears the words "SANGUINE BROTHERS FINE MEATS" in large, rust-red letters beneath the enormous painted faces of two halfling men with bushy sideburns. The eyes of the halflings are large, round windows, giving them vacant, surprised expressions.
Three squat towers rise up from the rear of the building, and the building's massive doors are chained shut. An aura of long neglect hangs over the slaughterhouse.
Naliah, still new in town, hasn't mastered the local banter yet, though if Dro'gan shares what he learns from his easier manner with the locals, she will keep an eye out for strange animals and/or signs of their passing.
As they get closer to the building, she eyes the location. She speaks quietly to her companions. "Such a charming edifice... Anyway, I'm not keen on knocking or breaking the chain in broad daylight if we don't have to... Don't such places usually have multiple entrances? I'd scarcely think the workers would go through the same door as the livestock to the slaughter."
"I'll say... The building has seen better days." Hasimir observes, shaking his head.
"And yes, let us hope for multiple entrances. I for one would rather not enter as livestock to the slaughter."
But before moving any further, Hasimir takes a elaborate mahogany wand from his bag. He presents it to Vyranos, handle first.
"Vyranos, dear. As you happen to be so magically enabled, would you mind using a charge of this wand of Mage Armor on me. Best be prepared for anything. Use it on yourself as well, if you please."
Dro'gan will share what he learns with the others.
"We need to stick together. If things get dicey, run away. If we get separated, meet back over here at this bridge that crosses the river to the Coinside district. Agreed?"
He then looks over the slaughterhouse from a builder's perspective...
"So...its an old building."
Vyranos looks at the building with a slight shudder; something doesn’t seem right here…
But before moving any further, Hasimir takes a elaborate mahogany wand from his bag. He presents it to Vyranos, handle first.
"Vyranos, dear. As you happen to be so magically enabled, would you mind using a charge of this wand of Mage Armor on me. Best be prepared for anything. Use it on yourself as well, if you please."
His anxiety disappears in a flash when Hasimir asks for assistance. “O-Oh. No problem.” The half-elf grabs the wand and casts the spell on him before returning the wand. “No need for that. I have something else for myself.” Vyranos pulls out a finely detailed wand, chants his arcane words, and blesses himself.
A quick reconnoiter of the building exterior reveals two sets of double doors - the main entrance on the southern side of the slaughterhouse, and a side entrance on the western side. Both sets of doors are secured with chains and heavy padlocks, but when Naliah tests the doors she also finds that they seem to be barred from the inside as one more impediment.
Nearly all the rooms within the slaughterhouse contain high, narrow windows 3 feet wide but only 6 inches tall. They are covered with grime and offer no insight to the inner layout of the building.
Naliah also notices a pervasive odor of rotten flesh wafting out from some parts of the building. This wouldn't be so unusual if not for the fact that the slaughterhouse hasn't been in operation for nearly two decades.
Dro’gan smiles.
”There is at least one more entrance! How else could the doors be locked from the outside and barred from the inside! Look for secret entrances…maybe a sewer entrance. A slaughterhouse must have drainage of some sort. Right? So our only other bet is the roof possibly. A skylight? Anyone able to fly?”
He then begins to look for a nearby sewer entrance or grate.
Amandine seems disappointed, or maybe resigned to the filth to come as she looks at the building. She does throw out one last suggestion before they start mucking about in a sewer or walking around on what could be a rotten roof.
"I could probably just pick the lock if it isn't too rusted up. I'd only need some cover to work behind so it's not to obvious for a minute."
Amandine seems disappointed, or maybe resigned to the filth to come as she looks at the building. She does throw out one last suggestion before they start mucking about in a sewer or walking around on what could be a rotten roof.
"I could probably just pick the lock if it isn't too rusted up. I'd only need some cover to work behind so it's not to obvious for a minute."
"The smell in here does not bode well.." Hasimir covers his nose with an embroidered handkerchief. He looks around while Amandine and Naliah study the doors.
"The windows are too small to fit through. With some magic to make us small we could do it. Also, did I hear someone mentioning potions of gaseous form earlier? That would get one of us through to unbar the door."
He leans closer to see if there's enough of a gap of cracks around the doors.
"If the potion is an option, I can go in. Invisible, of course."
Naliah converses, keeping half an eye toward being sure their position is not where they'd be easily observed or overheard.
"As the doors are barred, and none of us have a battering ram... I could probably squeeze through a window. I've a knack for fitting in small spaces when needed. I've a flying potion, but I think we should save our mobility and escape potions for a more intimidating opponent than a door. Could you make me invisible, Brother Hasimir?"
As Dro'gan conducts another circuit around the slaughterhouse, he discovers a potential alternate entrance into the building.
A narrow alcove cleft into the eastern side of the building has been disguised with boards, ragged sheets, and other detritus. A door, unlocked and unbarred, seems to lead into the old business' office.
Poking around this hidden entrance, a new foul smell joins the melange upon the air. It smells like the odor of some kind of animal.
"Well, if we can simply enter through that other small door, we should do it."
Before actually entering the building, Amandine takes a few moments to prepare herself in case the time isn't available once inside. She concentrates, psychically augmenting her senses and body.
She draws no weapon although she is carrying both of her rapiers. She doesn't know which of them might be needed first.
"Well spotted, Dro'gan. Truly, I'm embarrassed I didn't see it. Still, they hid the door, so let's be sure there are no traps before we pop it open."
She quietly approaches the door and checks it for traps.
If she does not spot any traps, she will quietly open the door a crack and peer inside (and move aside for Amandine and anyone else who wants to do the same).
While the others are opening and exploring the entrance he found, Dro'gan activates his innate ability to cloak himself in illusions. After a few seconds he looks like an older heavily bearded Taldane man in plain clothes.
He then loads Dignity's Barb, and stand near Amandine to cover the entrance as Naliah looks inside.
By the entrance, Hasimir casts shield of faith so Abadar would protect him against dangers to come.
Then, should the others declare the way in to be clear, he steps in to the slaughterhouse.
You must squeeze through the narrow alcove and door to gain access to the office from where the halfling brothers once operated this business.
This large office has two short desks at the south end of the room and a series of cabinets along the east wall. Narrow wooden doors stand in the north and west walls. The desks and floor are strewn with discarded scraps of flesh and cracked bones, giving the room a ghastly smell.
Naliah also detects the unmistakable odor of some kind of furred creature that was inhabiting this office very recently.
She also spots a set of tattered, bloody pants on the floor near one of the desks that seems to have a pearl tucked in one of the pockets. Perched atop one of the filing cabinets is a small figure carved from greenish stone that depicts some kind of spiny demon or devil.
Moving in to the area softly, Dro'gan looks around carefully for clues to what is feeding here.
Skill Flurry!
If nothing comes of these...
If the statue is small and light enough to grab using Mage Hand, Dro'gan will pull it into his free hand to look at it more closely once the group enters.
"Interesting...nest? I wonder what is living here."
Naliah wrinkles her nose at the stench. "Some sort of guard creature was here... I wonder where it's gone...?" She whispers to the others. She's not much of a hunter in the traditional sense, but she tries to look for signs of where something might have trotted off to.
As she looks around, she spots the blood-stained pants. Pulling out her hanbo from her quiver she uses its tip to pick up the trousers and look it over, remarking, "Odd thing to leave behind...." She spots the small bulge in the pocket and produces the pearl. After viewing it a moment, she holds it out to Vyranos. "Don't suppose you can tell if it's magic? Or that little fiend over on the cabinet?"
Once Amandine has squeezed through she takes in the room without saying anything. She does cock an eyebrow toward Dro'gan showing him her curiosity at the animal signs.
She also gives the small green figure a good look.
After her scan of the room, Amandine mentally reaches out to all the others in the room, setting up a communication link. She criticizes herself internally for her sloppiness in not thinking to do it earlier.
"Pardon my intrusion, but this should make things easier for us. Just the slightest whisper under your breath will be sufficient for us to speak with each other."
Naliah smiles in delight at Amandine's use of message. "Brilliant! What a clever spell..."
Vyranos will inspect the pearl to see if it’s of any magical quality.
Neither the figurine, nor the pearl, nor the tattered pants emit any sort of magical aura - and that goes for the other inanimate objects in the old office.
Amandine recognizes that the figurine is a carving of a hamatula, a kind of barbed devil. Despite its grim appearance, Dro'gan reckons it could be worth a couple hundred gold to the right buyer. Similarly, he appraises the pearl as worth about 75 gold.
The nature - and location - of whatever guard creature once lurked within this office presents a different mystery, though.
Dro'gan hasn't the faintest idea what animal this could be; the tracks and fur are nothing like a hound or even a wolf. What's more, Naliah traces the tracks and can find no evidence that the creature actually walked out of this room.
However, those of you who attune your senses to magical auras can feel the radiations of illusion magic here in the room among you.
On top of that, Amandine can feel an evil presence nearby.
Naliah mutters through gritted teeth and the message spell. "The guard creature is still here."
They are in cramped quarters, which is not ideal for her preferred form of attack. But fortunately her hanbo is still in hand from using it to prod at the trousers. She holds it in one hand and her seemingly empty hand upward as she looks around. (The empty hand would be the arm with the sleeve holding a tube arrow shooter.)
Putting the statue down safely, and Grimacing at the circumstances, Dro’gan immediately casts ‘Detect Thoughts’ and scans the area.
Naliah's soundless message alerts Hasimir from his study of the objects around him. He casts see invisibility, and takes a new look around him.
"Yes, we're no alone. Be on your guard."
Amandine continues to concentrate, trying to hone in on the location of the evil aura.
When it realizes that you can see it, the creature snarls and prepares to attack.
The creature shimmers back into view as it drops its invisible protection to call some sort of magic down upon you. This snarling, canine beast shuffles forward on all fours, its slender front limbs looking more like hands than a wolf’s paws. Countless tiny barbs bristle along its furred body.
Snarling back, Dro’gan states the obvious…
”Kill it!”
He then moves to get a clear shot.
"What on earth-?!"
Naliah seems quite perplexed as the horrible beast appears out of nowhere. The sight of its horrific visage washes over her, and she finds herself grasping for the confidence she usually wields. She nonetheless tries to focus, studying its physique and way of moving to better respond to it.
Unsure it will even harm the thing, she takes a step back and points her empty hand at the creature, flexes her wrist, and an arrow flies toward it.
Vyranos’s eyes widen, not just as the creature, but what it’s doing.
“It’s a Greater Barghest! Kill it as fast as you can, it’s using magic to make us feel hopeless!” Vyranos then shouts an Elven incantation, firing four orbs of arcane force at the beast.
With the revelation of the barghest, a sudden despair hits Hasimir. Trapped in a room with such a beast - can they survive!? A primitive fight-or-flee reaction is about to surface, but Hasimir chooses to fight.
He puts his faith in Abadar, casting a spell to gain His favor, and prepares himself to fight the creature.
Amandine recognizes what the thing is and successfully pushes back its magic. She draws her magical rapier and and takes stock of it as she moves closer. Vyranos has already said everything there is to say, so Amandine remains silent.
As it weathers the opening volley of shots from the party, the barghest surmounts one of the desks with its forelimbs, using the vantage point to snap and swipe at Hasimir with fang and claw.
Noticing the poison Naliah used seems to have some effect on the barghest, Amandine decides to help it along if she can. Instead of moving in to attack with her rapier, she holds her position and catches the beast's eyes with a concentrated and unnerving glare.
Deciding that incapacitation might be a better choice here, Dro'gan decides to move in that direction and uses one of his more esoteric abilities...pulling pure ectoplasm from the Astral Plane and launching it at the monster!
Hit= DC 15 Reflex save (See spoiler for all details!)
At 1st level, you can create a ball of ectoplasm and hurl it at targets within 30 feet. This ectoplasm acts as a tanglefoot bag that can also entangle incorporeal creatures.The ectoplasm dissipates within 1d3 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed.
Huge or larger creatures are unaffected by a tanglefoot bag. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor, but it must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and fall to the ground. A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell’s level or be unable to cast the spell.
"Bad doggy..." Hasimir looks at his arm where the barghest's claw had torn flesh and clothing.
"Bad, bad doggy..." He stares at the beast with menace in his eyes, and his fan takes on an unnatural glow. Then, without losing eye contact, the fan moves lighting-fast, making two quick strokes at the creature.
AC vs first attack:
Naliah is not certain what a greater barghest is, but it is clearly something deeply smelly and frightening and she does not like this feeling of certain impending doom. So she decides getting closer to it with the hanbo is not a great idea. She thus drops the walking stick, and with fluid movement produces both handcrossbow and bolt from the embroidered case at her hip and loads it, all faster than one can quite process.
She pulls the trigger at the beast, aiming at the areas already wounded by Hasimir.
But as swiftly as she produced the weapon, accuracy is not on her side. The bolt skims past one of the creature's ears. Naliah curses under her breath.
She reloads and tries again.
Vyranos’s brows furrow, and with a deep breath and a small incantation, he delivers a powerful, banshee like shriek.
= Fail!
= Success!
Dro'gan's burst of ectoplasm leaves the outsider entangled, holding him in place for Hasimir to slice up while Vyranos wracks the creature with a magical scream.
Although Naliah's own shots miss the mark, her previous poisoned attack takes its full effect - and the creature collapses, unconscious!