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It is the start of a new year and for reasons known only to yourself, you are travelling the Lost Coast Road, a twisting track that winds along the edge of the Varisian Gulf. You find yourself in the quaint, coastal town of Sandpoint. The townsfolk are preparing for the annual Swallowtail Festival, but none are too preoccupied to offer you a warm welcome to their community. It seems that wanderers and adventurers are a common sight around these parts.
You have taken lodgings at the Rusty Dragon inn, an old, comfortable building near the centre of the town. The innkeeper, Ameiko Kaijitsu is an attractive young woman with Tian blood and an unlikely hairstyle. A former adventurer herself, Ameiko recognises you for kindred spirits and extends a discount on the cost of your rooms in exchange for livening up the busy taproom with tales of your past heroism.
An old fisherman, his grey beard dripping with ale rises unsteadily from his stool to address the crowd.
"Oive got a tale that will chill your bones and turn your bowels to water," the drunkard claims, "It was several years back, when I set out to explore the old Foxglove manor...."
"Not this tired old story again!" someone yelled from the back of the room.
"Still your tongue! the fisherman snapped, before glancing over towards your table, "There are fresh faces in the Dragon tonight who won't have heard my tale.
I entered the old place via the back door. Lead straight into the kitchen, it did. Rats the size of dogs sat watching me, bold as you like, till I chased 'em orf. I saw a set of stairs leading down into the cellar and thinking there might be treasure down there...."
"Looking for wine, more like," someone sniggered.
" ... I started down the creaky steps to have a poke about. Suddenly, a horrible scream - the most awful thing oive ever heard - sounded from below and a fearsome apparition chased me from the house, all the way back to me boat. Oive never run so hard in all my loife, for I can only imagine what horrid tortures that spectre might have visited upon me had it got its way."
"A good tale and worth another drink!" Ameiko said, passing a bottle across the bar, "But make this the last one and then take yourself home to your wife!"
When next Ameiko stops at your table to refill your tankards, she pauses to consider your weapons and apparel.
"Old Jervis might be a poor husband and poorer fisherman, but he's no liar. I believe he encountered something strange at the old Foxglove manor, out on the bluffs south of town. Other folk have reported seeing strange lights at night, but nobody will go near for fear of disturbing whatever spirits occupy the place. I heard from Mayor Deverin that some nobleman from Magnimar is planning to renovate and move in with his young wife. This might be the last chance we have to find out what is really going on - that's if any of you are interested in a little adventure?"
Abraham sat back, as he once again has spilled some gravy on his best shirt. He thought for a moment of which of his daring deeds he should share with the crowd. He didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the old mans story until he heard the word "treasure" then he honed in like an eagle.
When the innkeeper shared her thoughts on the old mans story, he almost rubbed his hands in anticipation. He took a look around the room to see if any others seemed interested.
NOTICE
X1
Total of 8... so one raise
"Well I just arrived in town, but have a little free time before the festival. Abadar would be very disappointed in me... his humble servent... if I didn't at least attempt to verify any lost treasure that might be shared in his name".
"So there I was, wand in hand!" Reiko says with a grin. The dazzling young Tien woman brandishes her magical implement, carved from white yew, for emphasis. "Goblins to the left of me, goblins to the right, the speeding wagon tore through a sea of murderous menaces. A pair of warriors rose up at me, but *PEW*! *PEW*! I sent them flying like two green footballs! A third came screaming at me, 'Grar! Rarr! Rarr!'" She pauses for emphasis, eyes twinkling. "And that's when I got mad..."
She concludes her tale and bows to the crowd before skipping back to her seat to down another ale.
When Ameiko comes over, she nods eagerly. "Oh, that sort of thing sounds right up my alley. A haunted mansion in the moors... A mystery begging to be solved!"
Abraham took a look around the room to see if any others seemed interested.
Reiko concludes her tale and bows to the crowd before skipping back to her seat to down another ale.
"Impressive!" Ameiko says, as she places another frothing tankard in front of Reiko, "This one's on the house. We know all about goblins in Sandpoint! Vile creatures! There are five different tribes living in the hinterlands, but fortunately they spend so much time fighting each other that they rarely bother us. You do hear about the occasional missing traveller though."
"Thanks!" Reiko appreciatively sips the beverage. "Well, if any of those goblins try to mess with me, I'll give them the business!"
A solid young Tian woman comes down the stairs and moves up to Toyama, She waits for the other woman to finish. before leaning in for a whisper
"Reiko-sama, The rooms are satisfactory, solid locks on the door and a good bar for the window, a dedicated attempt could foil either, but not quickly and quietly
"did I hear talk of an adventure?
Reiko nods in satisfaction at her bodyguard's assessment. Then she grins. "Hai, Reifuyu-chan!" she says, using the term of endearment. "Paranormal activity at the old Foxglove Manor. Are you up for a little ghostbusting?"
"The last time we went hunting ghosts I broke three ribs, I can't wait.
She does make a subtle look to the weapons rack by the door to confirm her spear is still there.
"Satisfactory?" Ameiko pouts, throwing Reifuyu a scandalized look, "The Rusty Dragon boasts the most comfortable rooms this side of the City of Monuments. Admittedly, there's not much else south of Magnimar, besides the Brinestump Marsh, but still.... "
Ameiko marks the location of the abandoned house on your map of the Lost Coast region. She explains that it is an hours walk, or about twenty minutes if you were to ride.
It is midday. The weather is cold, but clear and adventure beckons!
Gynnie sat cross-legged on a human-sized barstool drinking an ale as the ghost stories were being told. She had plenty of scary stories she could recount, but none of them featured anything more paranormal than an angry drunk or a vicious, slobbering dog.
On another night, she might have considered making something up just for the fun of it. But she was new in town, friendless, and worst of all almost penniless. And to top things off, she really needed to stay low until the heat died down in Magnimar. Just her luck that she would get caught robbing from a rich merchant's son with some pull with the Council of Ushers.
But the more the humans talked, the more she had to admit that she really wanted to check out that mansion. Even if there wasn't a ghost, it was still a mansion! It was bound to have something valuable she could sell.
Feeling bold, she walked up to the humans and introduced herself with a wide smile.
"Well met, travelers. My name's Gynnie. If you wouldn't mind the company, I would love to see this ghost for myself."
Reiko smiles at the halfling. "Nice to meet you, Gynnie. Of course, we'd be honored to have you along with us. The more, the merrier!"
"Great! Just one thing, though. Does anyone have a lantern we can use? It'll get dark soon, and we wouldn't want to stumble head first into a ditch."
Not to mention, it would make looking for valuables around the mansion so much easier.
As the others talk amongst themselves a half-elf that had been sitting in the corner walks over and falls heavily into a nearby seat. The young man appears quite roughed up with both sides of his head shaved and the center grown out to the small of his back and tied with a piece of leather. His body bares a wide variety of scars and an even wider variety of tribal tattoo's featuring predominantly predatory birds and firepelts along with a few other designs woven in, his eyes almost glow with an emerald light and his hair is dyed a light blue.
"I hope you don't mind me, butting in, but I heard some... interesting things. I been looking for another adventure, may I join? I am a good hunter and tracker."
From his speech it's clear that while the man can speak common he isn't that comfortable with it as he pauses occasionally to try and remember certain words.
Reiko sizes up the tough-looking half-elf before nodding. "Sure thing! It seems everybody wants to come along with us, Reifuyu-chan!"
She stands up in her chair, swaying slightly from her mild inebriation. "Attention, everybody! We're going to head out to discover the secret of Foxglove Manor! If anybody else wants to join the party, now's your chance to do so!"
"Great! Just one thing, though. Does anyone have a lantern we can use? It'll get dark soon, and we wouldn't want to stumble head first into a ditch."
Ameiko rummages behind the bar and reappears holding a battered lantern and a flask of oil.
“I have these left over from my own adventuring days,” she says, handing the items over to Gynnie, “I wish I could come with you but someone has to look after the Dragon and stop these crusty old seadogs drinking themselves into a watery grave.”
--
The cold sea wind rises to a keening shriek as Foxglove Manor comes into view. You heard from Ameiko that the locals have taken to calling this old, crooked house ‘Misgivings’. The name suits the building well, as it teeters on the edge of the cliff as though preparing for a suicidal leap into the abyss. The roof sags in several places and thorny vines strangle the crumbling walls. The front entrance yawns like a hungry mouth and seems to exhale a rank, rotten breath as you climb the creaky wooden steps up to the porch. Mounted on the wall beside the door is a brass monkey’s head with a tarnished chain dangling from its grinning maw.
Anyone stepping across the threshold finds themselves standing in a long entrance hall. Wind howls through broken windows at the far end of the hallway, carrying with it the salty stench of the sea. The whole house creaks and groans constantly, and you are reminded of how precariously it is balanced on the edge of the cliff. Hunting trophies mounted upon the walls stare down at you with glassy eyes and a stuffed manticore takes pride of place on a raised plinth in the centre of the room, damp stuffing spilling from the seams in its ragged hide. A flight of stairs leads up to a balcony overlooking the entrance hall. Beneath the balcony, the hallway you are standing in continues further into the house, you can see what looks like a dining area at the far end of the hall. There are two doors leading off this long hallway, one to the left and a second to the right.
Reiko holds the lantern high as the group steps into the ruined manor. Despite her own--well, misgivings, about the safety of the structure, she looks around the foyer with determination. "Well, it's a bit of a fixer-upper, isn't it? Let's stay together and mind our steps."
The wizard whispers words of power to try to detect the supernatural, focusing particularly on the ominous stuffed manticore.
The interior of the manor is dimly lit by natural light seeping in through dirty, broken windows at the far end of the hallway. As Reiko casts her spell, she does detect the familiar sensation of magic in the vicinity, but it is not originating from the stuffed monster in the middle of the foyer.
Instead, the bright glow of magic pulses from beyond the left-hand door in the long hallway.
Reiko points to the door. "Something magic's behind that one." She lets the others lead the way, staying behind Reifuyu.
"Neat trick."
Remembering her training, Gynnie walked up to the door and checked it for traps.
; 1 success
Remembering her training, Gynnie walked up to the door and checked it for traps.
The door is not trapped and opens into a dusty lounge. A long couch has been pushed up against the wall, cushions caked with white streaks of fungus. A ring of stubby red mushrooms have sprouted from the damp floorboards in the centre of the room. The wind howls down a stone fireplace in the far wall.
Rei moves behind Gynnie waiting for the nod that the door is safe.
Rei delivers a solid kick to the door near the handle to spring it open.
The bodyguard moves into the room spear at the ready
Gynnie nods to Asa, and walks into the room.
"I don't know about ghosts, but it certainly smells like something died in here."
Gynnie looks around for anything dangerous or valuable.
; 1 success
"There it is!" Reiko directs Gynnie to the chimney breast where she detected the object. "I think it's a protective amulet or the like."
At Reiko's positive response the Half-elf smiles slightly and nods his appreciation. "My thanks. My name is Rain Iyavak, son of Summer Shower, shaman of the Hawk Tribe."
Once they arrive at the manor Rain strings his bow and keeps it at the ready. On entering the building he does a quick circle of the first room.
Total 12
Gynnie looks around for anything dangerous or valuable.
Reaching down the back of the mouldy couch, Gynnie disturbs a few large spiders that scuttle toward the gaping fireplace. She finds a handful of loose copper pieces and a scrap of torn parchment.
The parchment reads: ‘… beyond skeletons… ’
Once they arrive at the manor Rain strings his bow and keeps it at the ready. On entering the building he does a quick circle of the first room.
While Gynnie is rummaging in the disgusting sofa, Rain checks the room for danger. As he passes the fireplace, he hears something moving in the flue. A bird perhaps, trapped inside the chimney breast?
Total 12 That's two raises I think
Rain pauses at the fireplace before motioning to the other to be quiet. ”Movement in the flue, sounds like flapping, could be bird. Or something less... pleasant.” Quickly pulling a torch from his bag, Rain lights it and moves to toss it into the fireplace.
There is now a flaming torch in the fireplace. Smoke begins to fill the chimney and after a few moments the party hear the sound of frantic scrabbling from the flue as something retreats further up the chimney, away from the flame.
Gynnie shows the rest her findings from the couch. "I'm a little unsure about this parchment. It says something about '...beyond skeletons...'. What goes beyond a skeleton? Or do they mean they found something other than skeletons?
But then she hears the eerie noise coming from the chimney.
"That's probably not a bird."
Gynnie picks up the torch, stands inside the fireplace, and looks up.
Gynnie picks up the torch, stands inside the fireplace, and looks up.
Whatever is above dislodges a few loose stones as it scrambles up and over the lip of the chimney, escaping across the roof of the dilapidated manor. Gynnie raises her arms to protect her head from the sooty debris. When she looks up, the creature is gone.
The sides of the chimney are blackened from the smoke of many fires, although it seems like a long time has passed since a flame was last kindled in this cold and unwelcoming hearth.
Reiko looks around inside the chimney, but can't seem to find the right hiding spot. "Kuyashii! I know it's here somewhere."
Reiko bangs the wall in frustration, incidentally jostling the loose stone free. "Aha! Found it!"
She studies the ring. "Arcane Protection! It will keep you safe from magic spells, but it interferes with defensive wards, too. Would one of you non-spellcasters like it?"
"I would not mind having protection against magics and such. I have had bad... experiences, with such magic." Rain shivers as he mutters under his breath, you can make out the words "too many teeth", and "why was it purple" but any thing else is to garbled or in a dialect of shoanti.
The sagging ceiling above you groans ominously.
"Hmm, that sounds ominous..." Reiko murmurs.
; Total = 8, 1 raise
"We're not alone. There's someone walking around up there."
Abraham took a look around the room to see if any others seemed interested.** spoiler omitted **
Abraham would have walked over to the stranger and offered to buy him another of whatever he's having. He would have then used his charm to try to extract from the man what he is smirking about. When talk of the adventure begins he would certainly be in for the trip... especially since he had to go there anyway. He would even offer his brand new lantern which he took from the church stores along with his store of oil.
Persuasion
And Re-roll using Charismatic Edge
Persuasion (Re-roll)
X1
11 Success and a raise
”Good day to you, brother,” the merchant says, placing his unfinished coffee down on the table to cool, ”What an outlandish yarn that old man was spinning! I don’t believe a word of it, but it was still amusing to imagine such a thing! My name is Sanbalat, by the way. I am a traveller and a tradesman in no particular order. Quite often I find myself drawn back in this lovely little town. Are you and your friends here for the festival – or perhaps some other purpose has bought you to Sandpoint?”
Abraham had been making notes and sketches of both the interior and exterior of the house as they went, carefully treading to make sure the floor is sufficiently sturdy to support his weight as he goes.
Hmmm the place seems to be sturdier than it looks. I'll have to maybe upgrade my estimates a bit.
He finally joins the others at the fireplace, eyes widening at the ring. "That might have some value. As a representative of the Church of Abadar, I'll have to note that as belonging to the house. Please feel free to use it until ownership can be verified however".
”Good day to you, brother,” the merchant says, placing his unfinished coffee down on the table to cool, ”What an outlandish yarn that old man was spinning! I don’t believe a word of it, but it was still amusing to imagine such a thing! My name is Sanbalat, by the way. I am a traveller and a tradesman in no particular order. Quite often I find myself drawn back in this lovely little town. Are you and your friends here for the festival – or perhaps some other purpose has bought you to Sandpoint?”
"Well met. I am Brother Silver of the Church of Abadar". The Cleric presents his holy symbol by rote as he smiles and extends his hand. "The Church of Abadar is always officially doing business, however hopefully there will be opportunity to enjoy the festivities while conducting business. What is your specialty in trading... and to whom do you tithe"?
"Well met. I am Brother Silver of the Church of Abadar". The Cleric presents his holy symbol by rote as he smiles and extends his hand. "The Church of Abadar is always officially doing business, however hopefully there will be opportunity to enjoy the festivities while conducting business. What is your specialty in trading... and to whom do you tithe"?
Sanbalat returns your handshake. His fingers are long and effeminate yet his grip on your hand is firm. He smiles wildly and you notice his teeth are unnaturally white.
"Aha, you honor Abadar, Master of the First Vault, god of merchants and wealth? Put in a good word for me the next time you pray, Brother Silver, times are hard and I could do with all the help I can get.
"I would not say I have a specialty," the merchant continues, "I buy whatever people are selling and sell whatever they will buy!"
At the mention of tithes, Sanbalat laughs and leans back in his chair.
"Are you worried I might be dodging my taxes, Brother Silver? Fret not, I make recompense to the Temple of Abadar every time I pass through the City of Monuments. I would be a great fool indeed to tempt fate when the roads so fraught with vagrancy.
"It has been a delight conversing, but time is passing and I have business to attend to. I have a feeling our paths will cross again!"
The sound of movement in the room above ceases abruptly. Moments later, you hear a loud thud as something heavy lands on the floor, followed by a startled yelp of surprise and/or fear. The sounds of movement resume, louder than before, it now sounds like there are two creatures stamping around in the room above yours.
Reiko grimaces up to the ceiling. "That doesn't sound good. Should we check it out?"
"It's worth mentioning that this place might have a new owner according to the tavernkeep. So, let's try to make sure we don't accidentally murder someone by jumping at shadows. I could go have a quick look, and report back. I'm pretty quiet when I want to be. Anyone object?"
"Well not a new owner yet. The Church of Abadar is doing a complete inspection of the available property, which is why I'm here. Keep in mind I must log everything we find, and have it's value determined by the Master of the First Vault".
"I guess we're not going to surprise whatever is up there, so we might as well know what it is... and as you can tell from looking at me I'm far from stealthy".
"Go ahead and sneak up there, Gynnie. But be careful! And yell if you need help!"
Gynnie nods at the good advice. She then draws a single dagger, and heads up the stairs as quietly as possible.
; total = 8; 1 raise
; success
Gynnie nods at the good advice. She then draws a single dagger, and heads up the stairs as quietly as possible.
Gynnie creeps to the top of the staircase, timing the sound of her ascent to be drowned out by the groaning of the old house. The bannister is brittle with age and rattles alarmingly as the sea wind howls through the foyer. At the top of the stairs, the landing forks in three directions.
To your left, the landing crosses over the foyer to a closed door. You hear the sounds of a scuffle from the other side. You hear a muffled curse, then something collides with the other side of the door with a loud bang that rattles the portal in its frame.
To your right, the passage ends at an open door that leads into what looks to be an abandoned music room.
Straight ahead, a corridor continues deeper into the house. Long dead patriarchs of the Foxglove family look down at you disapprovingly from faded canvases along the wall. There is a third door at the end of the long gallery.