You pass the evening unmolested. In the morning, Laurentiu fetches you to the dining room for breakfast. A massive table of dark cherry wood set with exquisite silver utensils and fine Tian porcelain dominates this formal dining room. This breakfast is the best meal you've eaten in literally weeks, and you each eat more than your fill (except maybe Rogan). Anya and Marek are here but Anya tells you that Stepan takes his meals in his study.
In the morning, it is not the Nightshade that shuffles blearily into the dining hall, but Rogan. He looks deeply unsettled by something, but if pressed, refuses to talk about it. He eats sparingly during breakfast, apparently having no appetite. It's nothing to do with his condition; his companions have seen him eat food before, though never particularly indulgently. Whatever has him picking at his plate is the result of something else.
After breakfast, Rogan pulls Lefdam aside. "You're a scholar, Master Ore. You ever heard of these shae before? Do you know if... if they cast a shadow?" He looks nervous as he asks it.
Speck eats up the food greedily. About half way through the meal he reaches into his belt and pulls out the glass shard that Stepan presented to the group. He doesn't remember how he come to hold it, but that is usually the case with most of the items he procures. The balance of the glass is passable and could probably be used as a dagger in a pinch.
"Lady Anya, what do you and young Marek have planned for today?"
Anya looks at Speck sadly. "Not much, I'm afraid. Until all this mess is over, Stepan doesn't want us leaving the manor. And though it's dreadfully boring, I must say that I agree with him. We seem to have been fortunate to avoid tallowthroat infection, but it is running rampant in town. Do you all have any ideas on how to stop all of this?" She pulls Marek closer in an instinctual protective gesture.
Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Lefdam indulges in the food. He learned long ago that when a good meal is presented to him, he should partake. Food was scarce for him growing up.
After eating he allows himself to be pulled to the side with Rogan.
"Yes, I do actually know some useful tidbits about these infernal Shae creatures. First, asking if they "cast a shadow" is a bit of an odd statement when it comes to these creatures. They are native to the shadow plane and thus are MADE of shadow.
They are also very hard to hit. They have a constant blur to their form that makes them incredibly difficult to make contact with.
Lastly, probably also related to their existence in the shadow plane, their touch will chill you to the bone.
He thinks about this for a moment. "Much like the creatures that we fought in the chanderly. This makes me even more confident that destroying this mirror will take care of the tallowthroat issue in this town. It is far too coincidental. I do not believe in coincidence.
Rogan mulls over the monk's words. It wasn't quite what he was looking for, but he doubts the information will end up being useless. Finally he sighs and nods. "Very well. I'll gather my things and meet the rest of you at the mirror. The sooner we're done with this, the better."
Rogan slips out of the dining hall to make ready.
"Lady Anya, we believe we have an idea on how to stop this, but it is not without its own dangers. perhaps it would be best for you and young Marek to secure yourselves in a safe place within the manor while we take care of this business this morning."
Speck look to Rogan and nods, letting him know that he agrees that the sooner we finish this the better.
I am ready whenever everyone else is. Only so much preparation we can do for this fight. Whatever it is we end up facing will be tough...but I think we can handle it... Lefdams face of worry betrays his words a bit. He feels confident...but after the last battle with shadow creatures...he is finding it hard to show that confidence outwardly.
Ready to head into the midnight mirror, you go find Stepan in his study. "It is time then. Very well." With a grim face, Stepan leads you down to the cellar. You descend the stairs and emerge into a dark chamber. It is lined with hooks, knives, and other instruments of pain. A steel altar, encrusted with dried blood and graven runes, sits in the room’s center. Behind the altar stands an iron maiden, whose cover depicts a woman in a bridal veil and dress.
Stepan leads you through the northern door and down a hallway, to the northernmost vault. Here sits the midnight mirror, in a ritual circle of silver runes, with an everburning torch at each cardinal direction. The five of you surround the mirror, with Stepan in the middle. He looks at each of you in turn. "Are you ready?" You each indicate that you are and he nods. "Okay. Good luck."
He takes a step back and says "Azarath metrion zinthos!" In an instant, the room you are in vanishes. Your vision is dark and clouded for a short time, and then a longer time, and then finally your eyes adjust and you realize that it is nearly pitch black here. Those of you with darkvision realize that you can only see about half as far as you normally can. The next thing you notice is that it is absolutely frigid here, maybe a few degrees above freezing.
Once your eyes adjust, you are able to see the room you are in. It resembles the room the midnight mirror was in in the material plane, and in fact there is a chain-bound mirror, identical to that in the basement vault of the Boroi Manor, standing unsupported in the middle of the room. The mirror in this room does not reflect the room itself, instead showing the room you just left, and the Baron looking through at you. The only source of light comes from within the mirror itself, the flickering flames from the ring of torches on the other side pale silver, as though the illumination had to strain the color from itself to penetrate the darkness here.
The walls are made of an unidentifiable black woodlike substance, and they are blurry and slowly undulate as if they were breathing. There is a short hallway to the south that ends in a closed door.
Rogan absently pulls the hat and scarf from his bag, draws Damocles from its hidden location, and holsters it. A little smear under the eyes, which steadily deaden more and more...
... and the Crimson Nightshade stands with the others. His normally darkness-attuned eyes feel weak in this place. He draws his pistol and steps forward slowly, eyeing the pulsating walls with curiosity.
Speck starts to shiver and looks around, not feeling at home in the cold. Even his darkvision seems to be failing him. He moves up to the door and look for traps, and stealthily opens the door.
The door does not appear to be trapped or locked and Speck is able to open it quietly. The shelves of this disused room are full of empty bottles, bones, and implements of torture. Two doors stand in the center of the north and west walls, the former adjacent to a set of stairs leading up. An iron maiden stands in the eastern corner of the chamber.
Lefdam moves into the room and takes a look around to see if Speck missed anything.
"Well...should we go up...or through the door? Lefdam asks his companions.
Goggles high on his forehead (he doubts he will need them here) the Nightshade steps into the room and looks around.
He glances to the door, then at the stairs... then at the iron maiden. He narrows his gaze and studies it carefully from a distance.
There doesn't seem to be anything else of note in this room. However, Lefdam and Rogan are fairly certain that the western door and the iron maiden are neither trapped nor locked.
After looking in both directions, the Nightshade shakes his head, then nods toward the west door. [color=red]"I say we clear out this floor first."[/color]
Lefdam nods to Nightshade and makes his way over to the door. He attempts to open it a very, very stealthy manner.
Lefdam opens the door. Within, six five-foot-square alcoves branch off a thirty-foot hallway. Within each stands a six-foot tall sarcophagus of the same shadowy substance as the walls and floors of the chamber. On the floor just inside the door are around two dozen small bones.
Lefdam walks to the bones and examines them.
Lefdam turns to his companions and reports his findings. "These are the fingers and toe bones of humanoid"
The Nightshade frowns, remembering Anya's missing fingers. [color=red]"How long have they been here? Any idea?"[/color]
“Why would these be here I wonder?”
Rupert shivers a little as he inspects the bones, his knuckles pale around the hilt of his sword. Damn cold. Best to be in and out of here quickly.
“Where to next, gentlemen?”
The Nightshade steps into the room to give a closer examination of the sarcophagi.
As Nightshade walks into the room, both Lefdam and Speck notice movement coming from the shadows in the back. They try to warn Nightshade, but the creatures got the jump on him.
The creatures hiss at Nightshade and move to attack.
Surprise Round:
Creature 1
Creature 2
Lefdam
Speck
All may act.
The creature adjacent to Nightshade uncoils and strikes with an impossibly fast bite attack.
Nightshade feels the fangs enter his arm. His sleeve protected him from the worst of the damage, but his arm immediately starts to tingle and he knows something is wrong.
He squeezes his fist tight, grits his teeth, and is able to fight off the effects of whatever additional damage the bite would have done.
The creature at the back of the room strangely doesn't do anything.
Surprise Round:
Creature 1
Creature 2
Lefdam
Speck
Bold may act.
Speck moves to position himself for the battle, and attempts to take a closer look at the creatures to determine what they may be ...
... and can't quite figure it out. He then calls out to Nightshade "Fall back and draw them to us!"
Lefdam studies the target to try and figure out what this thing is.
Lefdam shouts out to everyone what he knows about these creatures and then, not having much he can do with Rogan in the way, grabs a potion of bull strength from his pack and drinks it.
Round 1:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade
Speck
The necrophidius next to Nightshade continues to take advantage of the surprise and lashes out at Nightshade again.
Nightshade is still reeling from the speed and ferocity of the first attack, and the second lands in the exact same spot, doing more damage to the weakened area. Again, Nightshade feels his arm start to tingle.
And again, he is able to resist the effects, though this time he senses it was a much closer thing.
Round 1:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade
Speck
Bold may act.
Rupert sees the construct bite out at Nightshade and moves to better position himself for the kill. The cold he's felt since entering this plane seems to dull as his blood begins to boil with combat. What are you bastards protecting?
As Rupert approaches, he is unable to squeeze around the corner into the alcove without incurring an attack from the necrophidius.
The creature is able to find a weakness in Rupert's armor as he moves himself into position. At the last instant, Rupert is able to twist his body away and avoid a catastrophic injury. However, he also feels the telling tingle, threatening to inflict Sarenrae knows what upon him.
Rupert's resistances granted to him by his deity allow him to shake off the venom's effects.
As Rupert positions himself to attack, the necrophidius at the rear of the chamber begins to sway and undulate entrancingly, almost sexually. It continues to dance like this while the rest of the party takes their actions.
Round 1:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade
Speck
Bold may act.
Lefdam moves up to the other side of Nightshade and takes a swing at the first Necrophidius.
Despite the horrific wound, the Nightshade makes no sound as the creature tears into his flesh. He simply steps back, loads Damocles, takes aim, and fires.
Round 2:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade
Speck
Necrophidius #1 turns his attention to Lefdam, who hurt it pretty bad. It lashes out with a bite.
The construct is able to find a hole in Lefdam's defenses and punctures his side with its fangs.
Lefdam is also able to fend off the effects of the creature's venom.
Round 2:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade
Speck
Rupert's up.
Rupert yells out, “Enough of you, filth!” and takes a swing with his great sword at the creature in the lead.
Rupert’s sword meets the wall before making his full swing, and he chokes up on the blade for the next attack.
The second necrophidius completes its dance, and all four of you feel a bit of lightheadedness which is threatening to become more serious.
Lefdam closes his eyes and shakes his head and is able to resist the entrancing performance. Everyone else stops what they are doing and stares, slack-jawed, at the necrophidius.
Dance complete, the rear necrophidius passes its partner to get in position to attack the mostly disabled party. It bites out at Lefdam, who is the only threat remaining for the moment.
Lefdam is too quick for it, though, and dodges out of the way.
Round 2:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert (dazed 6 rounds)
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade (dazed 3 rounds)
Speck (dazed 8 rounds)
Lefdam is up, and Nightshade and Speck can't do anything.
Lefdam takes a shot at the Necrophidius that is moving into Position.
He then continues his assault with 3 rapid punches to the same enemy.
Round 3:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert (dazed 5 rounds)
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade (dazed 2 rounds)
Speck (dazed 7 rounds)
Necro #1 bites at Lefdam again.
Lefdam is just a split second too slow, and the necrophidius makes contact.
Miraculously, Lefdam again resists the effects of the venom, giving him the opening he needs to finish this fight.
Round 3:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert (dazed 5 rounds)
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade (dazed 2 rounds)
Speck (dazed 7 rounds)
Lefdam up.
Lefdam watches as the creature falls from his onslaught of attacks.
Emboldened by his kill, Lefdam looks at the other creature and smiles as he throws another flurry of attacks at it.
Round 4:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert (dazed 4 rounds)
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade (dazed 1 round)
Speck (dazed 6 rounds)
Necro #1 takes a desperate bite at Lefdam (if a construct could be desperate).
Lefdam gets hit again, and is on his last legs.
Round 3:
Necrophidius 1
Rupert (dazed 4 rounds)
Necrophidius 2
Lefdam
Nightshade (dazed 1 round)
Speck (dazed 6 rounds)
Lefdam up.
Lefdam winces at the bite but lets the pain add fuel to his anger.
He lets out a deep growl and attacks once again.
Lefdam's first punch knocks the remaining necrophidius's head clean off, and it collapses to the ground.
As Lefdam catches his breath over the next minute, his companions regain their wits one by one. You look around the room, and discover that two of the sarcophagi are empty and the other four contain the bones of humanoid creatures. Strewn amongst the bones, you find some stuff:
- Brooch of Shielding
- Cloak of Resistance +1
- Silver Dagger
- Silver Longsword