"Seems that the wizard's book and the The Syrpents Tane: Fairy Tales of the Eldest may be related"
Kizzy and Zherxikas each recognize some of the letters used. Elven, Draconic, and Infernal. Even then it is encrypted. Zherxikas is unable to get a good grasp of the cypher but Kizzy seems to figure it out though she still needs Zherxikas to identify letters for her. Even so it is painstaking and will require a lot of cross referencing to actually work it out. The two of them guess it is a week's worth of work.
The Fairy Tales of the Eldest is a very rare book and would likely fetch a good price at market but not particularly tied to magic. The book on alchymyc, a theoretically lost magic that would blend alchemy and spellcasting into one, is just a book of theory. Most don't see it as practical, while the two disciplines are complementary they are not the same.
Kizzy will happily work with Zherxikas to translate the pages as they can find time to work together. She will also try to read through the The Fairy Tales of the Eldest tome; always on the lookout for a good story!
Those reading the stories find:
The book presents tales of the Tane—goliaths of war and madness dreamt and stitched into being by the Eldest, the most feared of a group of notorious fey known as the Twisted. The Tane are said to be terrible to behold, and the stories speak of them stumbling into mortal lands, where they ravage kingdoms by creating firestorms, crushing keeps with their feet, and eating dragons. Specific Tane described include monstrous creatures like the Jabberwok (a thing of thorns and fire and crushing fury the size of a castle), the Thrasfyr (also known as the Dreaming Hill of the Dark, a barbed thing of iron and hooks and blades that the book claims took part in the Three-Thousand-Year War of the Eldest), and the Sard (the Storm of Insanities, a thing of boughs and briars and misery, an ancient Wychwood Elm given life and hate by the Eldest, a mad creature apt to pull a roc in two or fell a castle at a blow.
"Quite the tales these stories tell. Doesn't sound like anything connected directly to this judge or at least I hope not because if so it does not bode well."
'Yea... Probably not," Runt says hesitantly."But the thing is these types of guys are always up to something like summoning one horror or another. Sometimes it works, but more often than not they blunder and summon something they didn't intend to or whatever they summon just slaughters them all and returns home with a full belly. Could be they want to try and summon some nightmare, or just drain a little power off of one or something. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Like I said, I'm betting it will backfire if they do."
She shrugs as if to say that is her two cents, but that is about all her opinion is worth.
The tied and gagged Ironbriar looks on the conversation with what appears to be bored disinterest.
Now we head on down and explore the last area of the floor beneath us, then the first story and do the same, then ground floor, and then head towards the basement. Well, unless something happens or we fins something other than things like brooms or cheese.
Usual listen and open routine.
Camil follows along, not being one for code-breaking, but takes notes along with the others before heading back down the stairs with the group.
Everyone moves to the lower floor. It is full of machinery driven by the water and they in turn drive the saws above. The coupling which engages the saws is detached for the moment so that the drive wheels just spin with the water. There are two men downstairs. When confronted, they initially make as to attack until they see Ironbriar. Realizing it is a hopeless cause, they too surrender.
Tied and gagged, you now have a trio of prisoners.
"So what were these folks doing here? Doesn't seem to be workers are they?
A better question - what do we do with them until you can try to dispel the charm on Ironbriar. Dragging a judge and two others through the streets as prisoners may attract unwanted attention - especially with his get-up... and ours, Kizzy adds looking at their own Norgorber robes. We really need to finish searching this place and get ourselves gone. Perhaps a nice wagon to move our captives covertly?
It is night and you do have a wagon on the ground level. Understand the two downstairs were not in Norgorber robes.
How do you travel? Where do you go?
We were going to check out the unexplored areas on each level and then descend into the Undermill before we left.
Everyone moves to the lower floor. It is full of machinery driven by the water and they in turn drive the saws above. The coupling which engages the saws is detached for the moment so that the drive wheels just spin with the water. There are two men downstairs. When confronted, they initially make as to attack until they see Ironbriar. Realizing it is a hopeless cause, they too surrender.
Tied and gagged, you now have a trio of prisoners.
@all: This is what happened when you checked the rest of the place.
I suggest we clean up the blood and take any bodies with us, hopefully leaving a mystery, and find a place to hide until we can disenchant the man.
Kizzy laughs, Lets still call them prisoners, we can refer to them as bodies if something unfortunate happens, like your pet needing a snack. Until then, we have a wagon to move them, but walking into the inn, with them is out... soooooo, where to? She pulls off the Norgorber robes and stuffs them in a bag to take along.
There is the one body in front of Ironbriar's office. You get him stuffed in a grain sack and scrub the floor with saw dust but the blood is still noticeable. You could try to mop it out if you so chose. Then there is of course the question of where to go.
Well, we could camp out. Between me and Forest I think we could find somewhere private and comfortable, though I have no camping gear.
"Its a big city, many things go on without much in the ways of prying eyes"
Okay, we need to rest to disenchant whatever's on the Magistrate, and then we'll let them go? I feel bad for the workers, couldn't we just pay them to keep quiet since they don't seem to be problematic? Camil adds.
The auras were the items held by each of the men in the building. You find a Norgorber mask and a large straight razor known as a war razor on each of the workers.
@Zher: The inn you originally stayed at and the Pathfinder Society Lodge are the main ones. There are seedier places you have heard of but not visited.
Ropes provide less chance we are double crossed. Besides, if one us were captive and we were offered money to keep quiet, who among us wouldn't agree then go get help?
Off to Foxglove manor with a trio of prisoners in tow we go.
Conveniently, you make it back to the manor with little trouble. Since it is night, there are far fewer people out on the streets and those that are have no desire to mess with a relatively large group of well armed people. Arriving at the townhouse, you find you can just fit the wagon through the front gate. You get it stored off to the side and then hustle your prisoners inside. The building seems to not have been disturbed since you were last here until you reach the study. You find that the body of slain faceless stalker is missing.
Everyone going to sleep? :)
"I can take the first watch. We should camp out in the same room rather than take beds and get comfortable."
Agreed. Kizzy nods at Runt's suggestion. She set out a bullseye lantern, the hood closed. It has Continual Flame cast upon it, if you need light. Wake me for my watch. She then unrolls a sleeping bag and tries to get comfortable.
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Camil settles into the corner of the chamber, resting and waiting to take a watch....
I moved the others into the bedroom. Spread them out as you will. If you are keeping a watch through the night I need times and order. The incident, which there is one, will be posted tomorrow evening.
Runt takes watch from sundown to 4 hours afterwards, holding vigil with a torch for light plus a light spell at the bottom of the stairs.
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Note that it was just past sundown (about 5:30) so about 6pm when you first entered the sawmill. Between the methodical search, short fight, debriefing of Ironbriar, and then the follow on thorough search of the building it is about 7:30 when you leave. Runt could possibly have summoned a creature to help pull the wagon but it is unlikely as you seem to suspect trouble and would probably have reserved the ability. Also, even with some sort of beast of burden you would take about half an hour to cross the city. As it is, you drew the wagon yourselves causing it to take about an hour. That puts you at the house by 8:30, messing about, putting the wagon in place, searching the house, and picking your location probably took you to 9.
With Lavanor and Scout as a team that gives you four two-man teams. Runt mentioned taking watch until four hours after dark but you are practically at that point by the time you get to the house. If you have four teams that allows for a 2.5 hour watch and everyone gets 7.5 hours of rest (yes, this is sufficient to recover spells). Does that sound fair? A suggestion of watches, change as you see fit.
2100-2330 Runt + Camil
2330-0200 Isabella + Kizzy
0200-0430 Lavanor + Scout
0430-0700 Forest + Zherxikas
Runt will use her breastplate as a blanket, but not wear it. Padded armor equivalent sounds fair and the watches seem good to me too.
It turns out the majority of the evening is uneventful. Zherxikas and Forest have been up for about an hour. Around six in the morning you hear a crash from down below (Perception DC 10 to hear it, -10 if you are sleeping or DC20 however you want to look at it).
Round 1 actions
Those sleeping should roll to see if you wake. If you are awakened you get a single action. If you remain asleep, enjoy your dreams.
Let me clarify: Those awake obviously get a full round action, if you wake with the Perception check you get a full round action but you start prone, if someone must do something to awaken you then you get a single standard action. If you remain asleep, enjoy your dreams.