The thugs have nothing special on them, but Panivenn had more than a few things on him. First, his sword breaker dagger pings as magical and Eltran and Golthwur both recognize the enchantment enough to know it's a basic +1 weapon. The sorcerer also had two potions and two scrolls on him. All four are tagged with, Property of Josaih, If found please return to the Ivy District's Church of Shelyn.
Syrdathiel's face falls as he realizes that he might not be able to steal Hon Rach and seel him for coin.
The other prisoner gives a small groan of pain in his unconscious state and starts softly whimpering. "Please don't beat me. Please."
The cleric awakes with a gasp and quickly tries to scramble back. "Who are you? Are you with the Crownsworn?" He pauses for a moment and takes in the paladin. "If you're with the Crownsworn you'd already know my name is Josiah Colourborn. Now who are you?"
Josiah gives a small sigh of relief at the mention that the group aren7t with the Crownsworn. "They didn't kidnap me, I came here ttrying to figure out why there was such a presence of evil here and they took me prisoner. I'm not sure where my things are, but they've likely been fenced on the black markets ages ago. Not sure how many men are here. Most of them look the same and related in some way... But the mistress of this place is an evil evil being, and I'm not entirely sure she's human. If you find any of my potions or scrolls, please use them. I can buy new ones."
After a moment to breathe and relax, he starts to gather supplies for a holy symbol. "You haven't completely explored this den of evil have you? You're moving on soon. Right, I'll stay here with that elf who keeps eyeing your horse with avarice and pray for Shelyn to bless me with spells again. We can lock and brace the doors and wait for you to come back."
Eltran doesn't find any traps on the door and opening the door doesn't trigger any traps. Beyond the door lies a large, unoccupied octagonal room.
The floor of the room is separated into three descending tiers. The middle floor is ten feet below the top, and the bottom is fifteen feet lower yet. Sets of double doors face north and east on the top tier, while similar doors face west and south on the middle tier. Stairs on the west end of the room connect the top and middle tiers, as does a mounted ladder to the southwest. Nothing connects to bottom floor, but a solitary ladder lies on the floor of the middle tier. A hinged ten-foot-by-ten-foot iron grate sits at the very bottom, from which comes the sound of running water. A comfortable chair is perched in the southeast corner of the upper tier, affording a bird’s-eye view of the whole chamber.
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"Can you describe what this 'presence of evil' was that brought you here?" inquires Golthwur. "And what you have seen of the mistress of this place to make you conclude that she is not entirely human?"
"Does she sport a set of horns, perhaps? Or a pattern to any rituals or magic she may have employed? An acrid smell or some other notable scent?" he probes further, trying to determine that nature of creature the "mistress" may be and what her capabilities or magical propensities may entail.
"As for your potions or scrolls, be assured that I have no about qualms of employing them should I find it useful to do so," he notes. "Are you able to provide us with a list of such items, so we know what to look out for?"
"It would seem that we need to descend," Golthwur declares. "I would prefer to take the steps, of course, not presently having a fly spell prepared. I would also suggest probing the doors before plunging the depths."
Josiah gives a shudder at the mention of the Mistress of the Crownsworn. "Well, I was running a ritual to detect evil in the area and this place stunk of it like a dung pile in the summer sun."
"As for the Mistress... Well, she is a level of evil I don't want to believe is human. She is also inordinately interested in information and pain... And I swear i sometimes saw a flicker of a snake tongue or scales, but I was also delirious."
"As for my gear, there were a few potions of Moderate Cure Wounds and a few scrolls of Align Weapon. Please use them, especially if the mistress isn't human."
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Later in the octagonal room, after leaving Josiah, Sydrethiel, Hon Rach and the surrendered thug in the prison room, you look over the place, but there proves to be little here but a few barrels of smuggled goods and blood stains from what might be small gladiatorial combats. The grate looks like it can be moved with some strength .
Trying the doors to the south first leads to a set of double doors that open to another room.
This spacious room is bare except for a polished wooden desk at its north end. A comfortable padded chair sits behind the desk, while two less luxurious chairs flank either side of it. A banner of a flying crow hangs on the wall behind the desk. Two tables abut either wall. Each table has heavy gouges in its surface, as if blades have been embedded in it temporarily. The double doors to the east are partially ajar. While the doors to the south are locked.
Moving through is a room unlit, but Eltran pulls out one of the non-burning torches from the first hallway. The doors to the room are the only stone doors you've seen in the place and have the words 'Cenotaphs to the Fallen' engraved on them.
Eight large vertical standing crypts form a semicircle around the room. The covers face the exterior wall and most have a name and date engraved on the surface. The floor is polished white marble in the center, and lack marble along an exterior circle. The area is clean and free of dust.
It's easy for everyone but tath to notice a clever dwarven pressure plate in the center of the room. A common enough trap and one a trained eye can spot readily.
Moving around the trap isn't too hard and it takes a little bit of searching, but you readily find that four of the cenotaphs in the room are marked with names, Most of them have been picked clean of anything that might have been useful but the unmarked one to the left of the room when entering is filled with a few items.
There are two potions, both also marked with the Property of Josiah labels , a vacumn sealed scroll case, and about 200 gp in a pouch.
A quick magic check on the scroll case shows that it isn't magically trapped and opening it reveals a recent deed to the Glass Menagerie, the property above the hideout.
Leaving the trap and the other locked room behind, you move back into area B. Trying the eastern doors, you find that they lead to a large open space that is unlit. Bringing in a light reveals three different rooms. The first space is a small dining area, two long tables occupy the space. To the east further is a small kitchen and pantry, with enough supplies to make simple meals in a rush. The northern room is a small barracks with nine bunks, but the lack of personal items and people suggest no one really stays here.
There's little here of value or interest, minus a sketch of a young man with a fairly handsome face and a warning underneath that explains he recently betrayed the Crownsworn by sleeping with the Mistress to steal information and that he should be killed if ever found. There's a signature at the bottom from Mistress Marta.
There is one last set of unlocked doors in the facility, leading north of the big gladiator-like ring. The doors open with a creak, revealing another unlit room. The light from the ever-burning torch Eltran holds lights up another octagonal room lavishly decorated with fine carpets, wall hangings, and two comfortable beds. Each bed is paired with its own table and chest, while a single basin and mirror sits on another table against the center of the north wall.
Sitting in the middle of the room, playing with a set of blocks are two halflings, they glance up at the party and the light source as they break into large, diabolical, eerie, toothsome, and unwholesome grins. The two look nearly identical except for clothes, one dressed in a dress and the other in a shirt and trousers. One of them looks at the other and comments, “Oooh! Look new playthings!”
“I wonder if the Mistress got them for us?”
“We did do a good job robbing”
“...that bank last week!”
They look at the party with avarice in their unsettling eyes and comment at the same time, “We do love surprises! Come play with us!”
They then reveal sets of wicked looking claws.
The creepy halfling/not halflings act first, springing into combat before anyone can react.
The first one with a yellow ribbon around his(?) hair moves into the center of the group and up behind Tath. He looks up at the larger man with wide eyes “You look tasty? Can I try a bite? YES?! Then I guess I will!” The halfling then leans out and tries to bite him with a mouth full of teeth that shouldn’t be as pointy or plentiful.
He misses and pouts for a second. “Ah, why’d you dodge?”
The one with a purple ribbon steps into flanking with the cavalier, smiling brightly. “No fair! I want a taste too!” She leans over and tries to tear a hunk of flesh out as well.
She fails to catch a hold of flesh as well, before she raises both claws, “Bad toy! Bad toys get shredded!” With a cackle she then reaches out and tries to scratch the communist with both sets of claws.
She only gets one set of claws into the man, but they slice painfully.
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Come play with us!
General active conditions None
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Creepy Halfling Purple
Creepy Halfling Yellow
★ Tath: -5
★ Golthwur
★ Eltran
★ Hayden
Bolded may act.
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There are two potions, both also marked with the Property of Josiah labels , a vacumn sealed scroll case, and about 200 gp in a pouch.
There's a signature at the bottom from Mistress Marta.
"We have a name for our inhuman mistress, it would seem," notes Golthwur.
When the halfling's attack, Golthwur instinctively recoils.
He then unleashes his staff from afar.
Only then, does the wizard pause to try and ascertain the nature of his target.
Gothwur recognizes the potions as potions of Cure Moderate Wounds.
Golthwur tries to recall anything about the name Marta, and can’t think of anyone in relation to the Crownsworn. It's a name from a generation or two before Golthwur and feels like a false name someone took on instead of their real name.
He sends his staff flying at the closer ‘halfling’ bonking it over the head as he realizes that these halflings have the teeth and claws of a dandasuka rakshasa, a lesser form of rakshasa with the ability to read minds and cast clairvoyance spells.
Hayden brings down blessings of the Dawnflower on the group as he gets into position to fight as well.
Eltran recognizes the outsiders for what they truly are as well as he starts an oratory that further empowers the fighting abilities of his companions.
Tath takes a swing at the rakshasa with the purple ribbon, cutting into her once. Her features flicker as her mouth breaks into an even larger frown of hate. “BAD TOY!”
In retaliation, she moves up next to the cavalier, eating the AoO as she goes, before trying to bite him again
She only gets armor with her teeth.
Her male compatriot steps up to the man as well, using his companion as a flanking partner and taking three attacks at Tath.
Trying to shake the female thing off his armor, Tath leaves his inner arm open to an attack from the other one, he bites through the thin chainmail there and tears a small chuck free, the wound bleeding profusely.
The small extraplanar being then tries to tear open the opening even larger, his first set of claws dig deep, but the second clatter across the man’s armor.
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Extraplanar Creepy halflings Rakshasa!
General active conditions Bless, Inspire Courage, (+3 to hit, +2 to damage and saves vs. fear)
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Rakshasa Purple -24
Rakshasa Yellow -3
★ Tath: -20, 1d4 bleed (AoO chance)
★ Golthwur
★ Eltran
★ Hayden
Bolded may act.
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He sends his staff flying at the closer ‘halfling’ bonking it over the head as he realizes that these halflings have the teeth and claws of a dandasuka rakshasa, a lesser form of rakshasa with the ability to read minds and cast clairvoyance spells.
"Clearly more bonking is needed," declares Golthwur as he hurls his staff again.
Golthwur recalls that the things don't have an special weaknesses, but they do have a resistance to everything but good aligned weapons or piercing their skin. He also knows that they have a special ability to detect thoughts at will, are proficient with attacking prime spots like a rogue and have a nasty bite that can leave people bleeding.
The wizard bonks his staff on the yellow ribboned one but it only seems slightly painful.
Hayden heals up Tath some, stopping his bleeding as he does. The paladin then fires an arrow but it flies a little too high and misses the rakshasa.
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Extraplanar Creepy halflings Rakshasa!
General active conditions Bless, Inspire Courage, (+3 to hit, +2 to damage and saves vs. fear)
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Rakshasa Purple -19
Rakshasa Yellow -2
★ Tath: -20, 1d4 bleed (AoO chance)
Golthwur
★ Eltran
Hayden
Bolded may act.
>>>Maps<<<
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Golthwur recalls that the things don't have an special weaknesses, but they do have a resistance to everything but good aligned weapons or piercing their skin. He also knows that they have a special ability to detect thoughts at will, are proficient with attacking prime spots like a rogue and have a nasty bite that can leave people bleeding.
The wizard bonks his staff on the yellow ribboned one but it only seems slightly painful.
"Ahem. Clearly something more effective than bonking is needed!"
The girl gives the bard a flat look. "Was that supposed to be... funny?"
With one clean swipe of his naginata, Tath takes the head of the purple ribboned outsider clean off, blood sprays everywhere.
Without a flanking partner, the other one can’t get sneak attacks in.
The other one takes a massive slash to the chest and starts bleeding profusely.
It raises its hands in surrender and reverts to its normal form. “I surrender! I’ll do anything want me to as long as you let me live! I'll even tell you all about the Mistress!”
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Eltran looks at the crew curiously.
“Giving up is the first step. You have to talk to gain our trust and even then it is not clear if you won’t be sent to the lady of graves nonetheless… just a fact … all depends on how much you tell us… about yourself and your overall operations as well as about your master!“ he says calmly.
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In light of the messy results from the swipe of the naginata, Golthwur releases a breathy sigh through nearly pursed lips. Not without some difficult, he barely mumbles ancient words, keeping his mouth as still as possible so not to get any bits in his mouth.
In an instant, his beard is back to its nearly pristine white with hints of silvery gray.
"There are cleaner ways of dealing with opposition," he mutters as he presently does nothing more to advance the mission.
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"What the deuce is that thing?!" Muy Tath yells as the creature shape shifts.
"Obviously, these were darndest rakshasa, a lesser form of rakshasa with the ability to read minds and cast clairvoyance spells, as one could plainly see," lectures Golthwur as he expounds upon the deceptive nature of the deceptive shape-shifters' less visible abilities.
The small Rakshasa pauses for a long moment and holds out his wrists to be bound. "Bind me if you want, I promise I won't try to escape unless you try to hurt me. I'm not... sure if I can 'redeem' myself. I'm not sure if I'm willing to be redeemed, you can try convincing me. However, I can promise that I will leave this city and never return. I will tell you all about what I and my companion was doing here... and I can tell you all I know about the Mistress. She doesn't deserve the cushy spot she's built here!"
There's a good deal of vehemence in his words, but he pauses for a moment, and then adds, "Well do we have a deal? Or are you going to negotiate?"
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Hayden nods. "At least you are honest with yourself about it." He goes to bind the Rakshasa's wrists and then quickly searches it for any hidden items.
"You will live to flee the city. I hope you consider the fate of your companion if you ever think of harming anyone again. Perhaps a different path still lies open to you. But now, it's your turn. What can you tell us about the 'Mistress'? Where is she?"
The rahshasa looks at the bindings and gives a small nod, "You aren't terrible at this, but you certainly used more rope than needed and a figure eight pattern would work better with a proper square knot at the end."
After a moment he looks up at Hayden and nods, "I appreciate not being proselytized at. But yes the 'Mistress.' For starters her real name is Maelpheta and she's another rakshasa, if you haven't figured that out yet. A marai in fact. If you don't know think snakes, lots of snakes. You don't want to get biut by her, she can confuse mortals with her toxins. She worked her way up the leadership chain as some human woman and made this place a cushy place to get all the information she could get from Absalom's underbelly."
He pauses for a moment and then looks at everyone. "Well that good enough? Or is there something else you want to know?"
The small bound form gives Muy Tath a look, "She's supposedly here to gain knowledge, master magics and enjoy feasting on people, as most Rakshasa are wont to do. If she has any actual end goal, she probably has it in her diary. However, she never told us. I really don't see what she sees in this city."
He then fixes his slightly unsettling gaze on Golthwur. "She's got more than a few. But few worth using in a fight. Her Cape of the Mountebank is troublesome if she tries to flee and she's got another rakshasa, a Raktavarna, disguised as a sword... Otherwise their own magical abilities will be more of a problem oh, and her 6 snake arms. Try not to stand next to her. Or be an easy target."
"Well, we just going to sit here and talk for ever or can I leave this place finally?"
"Like many outsiders, she's pretty resistant to the spells of you mortals, and it can also be hard to get through her evil scales. You need something holy and point to get through those."
He gives a smile at Sir Hayden, the effect of which is a bit more than unsettling but it doesn't seem like he has any special ill intent. "Rather nice of you to ask, I'm Narius and the other one you just killed was Noys. As for the snake herself, she's due south of here probably behind a locked door. I don't have a key though. I think she has the only ones."
He gives a wide toothy yawn and then looks extremely bored, "We finally done here? You can have the pittance of gold and the few magic items we gathered and kept hidden from Maelpheta in the chests under our beds. Jsut don't give them to the greedy woman, please?"