DM Brainiac's Blood Lords

Game Master Brainiac

Maps on Google Slides

Reputation: Builders League 15, Carters Consortium 7, Celebrants 12, Export Guild 21, Reanimators 11, Tax Collectors Union 3


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NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

"I promise you, Smoke is very well-behaved. In your current state, you barely smell of blood at all, so he will have little interest in bothering you." The dog, now sitting behind Telvir, tilts his head and licks his chops, calling his master's reassurance into question.


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

Humerus looks dubious. "If you say so, boss, though I'm pretty sure he's slavering there. Looks like he might be rabid even? Is that foam on his mouth? I don't think I can get rabies -- don't really care about water, boss, though I don't know if that matters -- but I don't want you or the boss lady here to get it."


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NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

"No, I'm sure he'd never bother the help," Telvir dismisses the thought, and carefully avoids stepping in the small puddle of drool that has formed near his faithful canine companion.

"Speaking of which, I do hope you'll stay on, Aily." He nods appreciatively at the maid. "Lady Cort was an imperious bully, and every moment spent with her was an agonizing ordeal, but you are very competent. Too few people appreciate efficiency of a quick kill or a straightforward solution." To Telvir, these are the highest compliments.

"No doubt the Blood Lords will have more chores for us. And we are becoming well enough known in Geb that we'll start attracting enemies presently, I'm sure. A steady hand with a sharp knife is often helpful in such situations."


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

"If you got chores, boss, you just let me know. I'll take care of em for you, licky-split!"


Chapter 3: Field of Maidens

Several weeks pass. Messages of gratitude and thank-you trinkets pour in from across northern Geb. Removing the hags of the Graveclaw coven has done a great service to many people. Your renown in Graydirge has grown considerably since your victory, and now you enjoy lives as full of social calls and public appearances as you wish. No tears are shed for Mithralline, as the vampire goes largely unmourned.

One gray morning following a week of torrential rainfall, a graveknight arrives at your manor. He wears a black great cloak and charred crusader’s armor that has fused to his rotting skin. The decaying knight strides into the room without bothering to remove his cloak and boots, tracking mud across the carpets. Dull red lights smolder like twin coals in his bruised face. Without a word, he produces a parchment bearing the royal seals of Geb and the court at Mechitar.

“I am Seldeg Bhedlis, knight of Geb turned hunter at his majesty’s behest. I come bearing news, and an obligation. The news is this: A few of Geb’s food exports, vital to our nation’s economy, have been discovered tainted with the alchemical poison you exposed. The potential damage to Geb’s reputation has been minimized, for now. We don’t know whether the poison was introduced before or after you vanquished the hags, but as none of them were connected with food exports, it’s clear they were working with someone else. I believe they were working for someone else—someone with the ability and desire to damage Geb’s international standing. The Graveclaw can’t make more of the poison, but any conspirator powerful enough to have the right connections is certain to have contingencies.

“One of these contingencies may have already appeared. The hag Iron Taviah, whose alchemical expertise in combining tremor paste and braingrit was so vital, has arisen. She now travels south, almost certainly to rendezvous with her mysterious master. She can lead to more information about the poisoning plot.

“The obligation is this: You have battled the hag before and triumphed. You are directed to accompany me south to find and question Iron Taviah, to discover who awoke her from death and why. I have horses outside. We ride tomorrow at dawn.”


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |
Telvir Stanton wrote:


"Speaking of which, I do hope you'll stay on, Aily." He nods appreciatively at the maid. "Lady Cort was an imperious bully, and every moment spent with her was an agonizing ordeal, but you are very competent. Too few people appreciate efficiency of a quick kill or a straightforward solution." To Telvir, these are the highest compliments.

"Thank you, Mr. Stanton." Aily gives one of her deepest curtseys "Your praise as well as your apt description of my former mistress is much appreciated." sensing the conversation is over (cause someone failed to notice it was happening at all), the maid ushers the footman out and finds him a suitable room, which is easy since so many has become mysteriously vacant lately.

------------------

The weeks that follow, almost have Aily deciding to fulfill her original mandate. A slipping into a room in the dead of morning, considering the best way to cut a throat, only to decide a scream might wake the others. A meal expertly poisoned, then swept into the garbage, just in case the dosage was not great enough to put down their warrior, so on. Each time some detail is just not right.

The indecision does seem to have an effect on the dhampir, leading to a habit she didn't know she possessed. Stress eating. The head maid always seems to be munching on something, unless she is serving at the moment. And her belly seems to be getting annoyingly plumper.

-----------------

Then there is this knight spreading MUD in her FOYER. "Sir 'Bedless', the dedication of the knights is known far and wide, a dread inspiration to us all. Would we be blessed with a display of that single-minded focus, with you monitoring your charges all night in the stable, or do you require a 'comfortable' room? The staff and people of Graydirge would not think any less of you for the luxury, of course." She just wants him out of the house. There is a thread of annoyance in her voice, disrupting the normal smoothness of her lies.

Or maybe she is just out of practice without Lady Cort around.

deception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (8) + 20 = 28


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

Earlier
"Oh wow, boss lady, I get my own room. I usually just stand outside, and hope it doesn't rain ... or get too sunny. Or ooblek. Ooblek's the worst, though I don't want to complain none. Not me," Humerus says.

After that, he sets to doing whatever he's told for the next few weeks, though if it involves anything much more than fetching, or placing, or picking up and putting down, or pushing or pulling ... well, he's not very great at it.

Later
Humerus stands around, listening as the graveknight tells the bosses what they're going to do. He smiles mindlessly.

"Who's Iron Taviah, boss lady?" he asks.


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

Telvir leaves Aily to fill in the new doorman while he questions the visitor.

"What was she raised as? Revenant seems possible, considering how we dispatched her. It would be a waste to use her for a zombie, and insufficient time has passed for proper mummification." The specialist reflects. "The literature on undead hags is rather slim, I believe. Tackling her will be an interesting experiment."


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

"The Iten Taviah was the leader of a powerful coven of hags, before the lords and former lady of this house brought her to heel. As Mr. Stanton is saying, she was killed in the battle." Aily answers the mindless one, mostly to keep him from repeating the question over and over.


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

After a few moments of thought, Aily simplifies "She's an enemy."


Seldeg's expression does not change as he regards Aily. "I have made arrangements for my own accommodations elsewhere. I will return in the morning to set out with you."

he then turns to Telvir. "I do not know what type of undead she has become, only that she has risen from the grave, and that she travels south. Why or at whose bidding is yet a mystery, one I intend to solve with your help. She’s likely to be far more dangerous now than she was in life, but with our combined strength and wit, we can handle her. We’ll follow her trail, seeking clues about the nature of her new unlife and how we might best confront her."


NE | Male Human Fighter 10 | HP: 173/173| AC: 28 | F: +21; R: +15 (+18); W: +19 | Perception +20 | Initiative +22 | Hero Points: 1/1 | Exploration:

When Ceceka steps into the foyer, the physical manifestation of a luxurious life dangles over the warrior's struggling belt. With no armor to keep his mass in check, it's becoming more and more apparent that Ceceka is starting to let himself go - just as Urgothoa wants him to.

First, he eyes the trail of mud that the messenger brought with him and only then does he care to check out who Aily is conversing with. A graveknight? How interesting! Remaining silent, but with a noisy face that betrays his excitement at the prospect of trouble and violence, he lets the graveknight explain why he was sent to them.

"I look forward to joining you in battle against Iron Taviah. When we kill her a second time, I'll make sure to let the taste of it linger longer than it did the first time around."


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

Humerus thinks a bit, trying to remember taste back when he had a tongue.

"Huh, what did she taste like, boss?"


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

"like old shoes" Aily offers, quietly, to subtly inform him of etiquette "bitter and tough" and "Her house tried to eat us, which is why her body wasn't burned, salted, and spread to the five winds. Always make sure, their enemies won't return."


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

Humerus thinks hard.

"Huh. Her house tried to eat you, lady boss? What do you taste like?"


Seldeg smiles grimly as he regards you. "You are rising swiftly in renown in Geb. It won’t be long before his majesty’s eye falls upon you. I want the ones who killed Iron Taviah at my side when I encounter whatever she’s become. Remember, we ride at dawn." He then turns and departs.

It isn't long after the spymaster's visit that message arrive for you. Both Berline Haldoli and the Kuthonite priest Ortagar Stitch-Skull wish to meet with you.


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

Aily has the messages delivered to the lords then goes to the stables to make sure stop the horses from having the tack removed.


|HP: 164/164| AC: 24 | F: +18, R: +15, W: +21+ | Dec +22, Dip/Itm+20, Med +21, Perc +19, Rel +17, Lor/Occ/Soc +15 | Lvl 1: 3/3, 2: 3/3, 3: 3/3, 4: 3/3, 5: 2/3, 6: 1/2, Focus: 3/3 | HeP 2/3 | Active conditions:

"Really? Dawn?" Caraid asks, clearly annoyed. "Just because grave knights don't sleep doesn't mean the rest of us should have to miss out!"

He plans to retire early and then messages come in from important people who can't be ignored and the oracle's mood sinks to a new low.

"I will visit the Blood Lady." He offers. "I have no desire to see the Priest though."


NE | Male Human Fighter 10 | HP: 173/173| AC: 28 | F: +21; R: +15 (+18); W: +19 | Perception +20 | Initiative +22 | Hero Points: 1/1 | Exploration:

Ceceka's eyes simmer with fury when Caraid complains about having to get up early. "Suffering gives meaning to what we do."

He won't start lecturing the man on how suffering helps to shape a person, makes them stronger, more resilient, and also wiser, but something tells Ceceka that Caraid isn't eager to discuss the teachings of Zon-Kuthon.

I take it that they're not together, and we have to choose who to visit first? If so, I say we visit Ortagar first. We got a better rapport with Berline, and it's easier to lean into that if we hear out Ortagar first.


|HP: 164/164| AC: 24 | F: +18, R: +15, W: +21+ | Dec +22, Dip/Itm+20, Med +21, Perc +19, Rel +17, Lor/Occ/Soc +15 | Lvl 1: 3/3, 2: 3/3, 3: 3/3, 4: 3/3, 5: 2/3, 6: 1/2, Focus: 3/3 | HeP 2/3 | Active conditions:
Ceceka wrote:
Ceceka's eyes simmer with fury when Caraid complains about having to get up early. "Suffering gives meaning to what we do."

"I'll remember that next time then." Caraid replies sharply. "Clearly you'd enjoy a little more suffering rather than my medical skills closing your wounds for you?"

He is not in a good mood.


The wet fog that clung to Graydirge’s bleached buildings like a burial shroud recedes as a sickly patch of sun breaks through the clouds. The sodden air carries the scents of fresh-tilled earth and spices, and underneath it all, the cloying odor of dead flesh. Passersby bustle through the streets, some of the living inhabitants complaining as they slosh through the standing water that forms miniature lakes in front of doorsteps

Ortagar Stitch-Skull meets you in the entry vestibule of the Empty Threshold; he explains with some embarrassment that he can’t let you in at the moment because there are some important, private rituals occurring in the temple at the moment. The screams emanating from within are hoarse and hollow.

"At any rate, my network of shadowy informants supplied me with information I think might be of interest to you," Ortagar says. "I heard you had a visit from our nation's august spymaster this morning. Something involving Iron Taviah? Do not be surprised--shadows see much.

"You may recall how Iron Taviah's body was swallowed by shadows upon her death. Those shadowy tendrils were actually a supernatural transit mechanism. Her body was transported somewhere else on the Material Plane, likely by shadowcasters or other specialists in shadow magic. These same shadows recently returned Iron Taviah to the place of her death. My contacts glimpsed her at her cottage in Axan Wood as recently as a fortnight past. You would do well to investigate the location again if your journey takes you that way."


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

"Drat. Shadowcasters meddling in Geb's business? I hope we're not on the verge of starting an international incident." Telvir responds to Ortagar. "Did you spies discern anything about the origin of the magic? We're looking for the source of this disruption, and it seems to be beyond any contingency Iron Taviah had the power to put in place."


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

Humerus, having not realized he wasn't actually invited, tags along, continuing to pepper his bosses with questions and other largely irrelevant anecdotes.

"So then I was supposed to be moving this box, but there was someone else trying to take it, so the boss said I should just grab them too, so I did that, but then I accidentally squeezed him too hard."

He flexes -- showing a truly impressive lack of any muscle definition. "Sometimes I don't realize just how strong I am."

After the priest's declaration, he asks, "Hey, boss, if you have contacts already keeping an eye on her in her cottage, how come they don't just investigate? Sounds like they're already there, and my bosses are all the way over here."


”They are not certain of the magic’s source,” Ortagar answers before turning to regard Humerus. ”My contacts are merely observers, not warriors. They would be ill-equipped to handle any dangerous creatures or hazards that may be lurking within the cottage.”


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

"We'll need your strength soon, Humerus. Last time we were there, the house attempted to collapse on us."

"Thank you, Ortagar. We'll pack our things presently."


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

"Oh yeah, sure thing, boss, I can hold it up no problem while you all get out. One time, I was holding up a line, back when I was in Yled. They were all trying to get some stock and said they needed some bones, but apparently mine weren't good enough. I tell you, boss, my boss wasn't happy with me. But I can do much better than that, I promise!"


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

Unlike their new footman, Aily stands silently behind the others. Watching for anything out of the ordinary. Screams from the temple is far from out of the ordinary.


Later that evening, you arrive at Berline's manner for an extravagant dinner. The halfling Blood Lord is eager to guide your meteoric rise through the upper echelons of Geb society, and she makes it clear your growing reputation among the Blood Lords is beneficial to your standing and personal well-being.

As you eat, Berline eagerly engages in local gossip, enthusiastically telling the tale of a foreign noble who willingly pledged life service to the Reanimators to treat her husband’s terminal illness—which turned out to be the effects of vampiric feeding by his own undead lover.

Eventually, the talk turns to your current situation. "You would further improve your reputation by working with Seldeg Bhedlis. His hunches are mostly correct," she states, sipping piping-hot tea from a porcelain cup, "though he’s a miserable old thing."

Seldeg was formerly a member of a faction at court called the Council Libertine, and he dutifully served Arazni, the former queen of Geb. She confides that beneath his proud and resolute demeanor, he hates undeath, his own transformation most of all. But graveknights, like liches, are nearly impossible to destroy, trapping Seldeg in his immortal state. She believes his hatred of the undead makes him especially skilled at tracking and eliminating undead threats to the nation—there’s a reason he’s Geb’s spymaster, after all.

Berline can’t imagine what drives Seldeg now that the queen has fled, suggesting that he’s “entirely animated by his own spite.” Despite this unpleasantness, Berline confirms Seldeg is in favor at court and can help you make important connections in Mechitar and, indeed, all across Geb. She assures you the graveknight is a capable warrior with experience both in war and hunting intelligent quarry.


NE | Male Human Fighter 10 | HP: 173/173| AC: 28 | F: +21; R: +15 (+18); W: +19 | Perception +20 | Initiative +22 | Hero Points: 1/1 | Exploration:

Berline's words give Ceceka a newfound admiration and respect for Seldeg. In a way, the graveknight's tale feels very relatable. How can one savor existence when there's no taste or texture to it? Pain and pleasure, the two pillars on which existence is built, must be nothing but an echo of the past once death has claimed you.

He then blinks and violently shakes his head to force himself out of his thoughts. Though for once, the thoughts were genuinely exquisite. Oh, how being on the road invigorates his soul, doubly so when the destination is a blessed moment of ultra-violence. "Thank you, your words put what doubts we might have had six feet under, Berline."

Ceceka would like to ask Berline about Arazni, and Seldeg's relation to her, but deems it unwise. Perhaps there will come a moment when Seldeg will confide in them.


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

thievery: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Since she is serving no one in particular, Aily swipes a bit sized tasty something now and then, popping it in her mouth and chewing slowly. All while recording mentally everything she is hearing.

Seldeg sounds like a worthy ally, despite his lack of etiquette.


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

"Sure, lady boss, we'll trust him," Humerus declares from Aily's side, even though absolutely no one was talking to him at all. Or probably even thinking about him, except maybe Aily, who was probably a bit annoyed at his lack of decorum.


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

Telvir nods at the gossip. "Spite is a workable motivation. Hopefully he will see us as reliable and serve as a partisan for us in the capital. We've been attracting plenty of attention, lately."


Berline nods. "Indeed, you are attracting attention, including among my colleagues in the Reanimators. Speaking of which, I'm sure they would be interested to know what, precisely, Seldeg's mission entails. I will not press you for details, but if you're willing to share them...?" The halfling sips her tea again.


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

"Oh yeah, boss, I did hear about how you were partying with Lord Zthni. That's very party-san!" Humerus helpfully adds.

He happily informs Berline of what he knows about Seldeg's mission, which isn't a lot as he was only partially paying attention.

"Oh, apparently some hag named Iron Taffy came back from the dead, and we're going to find out what she's doing now!"


|HP: 164/164| AC: 24 | F: +18, R: +15, W: +21+ | Dec +22, Dip/Itm+20, Med +21, Perc +19, Rel +17, Lor/Occ/Soc +15 | Lvl 1: 3/3, 2: 3/3, 3: 3/3, 4: 3/3, 5: 2/3, 6: 1/2, Focus: 3/3 | HeP 2/3 | Active conditions:

Caraid has recovered enough that he can be his usual charming self for Berline, but he remains chatty and somewhat scatterbrained at dinner - talking a lot and saying very little.

Humerus is, shockingly, of more use in terms of giving away Seldig's plans.


"Iron Taviah? Fascinating..." Berline murmurs. She politely listens to any further information you wish to relay to her as the dinner wraps up.

For being forthcoming with Berline, you have gained 1 Reputation Point with the Reanimators.

***

The next morning, at dawn, Seldeg arrives at your manor with skeletal horses and saddles for everyone. He conjures his own skeletal mount and climbs into the saddle.

"My first solid lead on Iron Taviah's wherabouts puts her in the isolated and inconsequential village of Thornhearth, just inside the southern reaches of Axan Wood. It may be worth starting our investigation though at the hag's cottage, which is not too far from there."

When Seldeg hears what Ortagar Stitch-Skull told you about her cottage, he nods. "Very well. That is our best first step. Now, we ride!"

***

The ride from Graydirge takes a few days. Fortunately, nobody is foolish or desperate enough to attack your group, especially with the powerful and intimidating graveknight in your midst. Soon enough, you reach Axan Wood and make your way to the site of Taviah's cottage.

A shadowy approximation of Iron Taviah’s cottage stands at the edge of a gray meadow full of dead flowers. Thick brambles and twisting ivy crowd the overgrown yard and snake up the sides of the cottage, partially covering the windows. The front window is shattered, the shards of glass glinting like a broken tooth. The shadows cast by the cottage have grown long and unnatural, and a deep murk seems to diffuse from the front door.

Seldeg looks over the cottage carefully. "This place is cursed by shadows, but it might hold some valuable information. You are familiar with the place's layout. You should investigate. I am going to check with some fey contacts in the surrounding forest who might know more. I will return in a day or two, and we can compare notes about what we discover."

The graveknight spurs his mount and rides off into the woods...


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

"Lovely. Well, let's get to it." Telvir opens himself to the magic of the place and cautiously approaches, Smoke at his side.

Detect Magic


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

Aily dismounted the skeleton horse, smoothed down her skirts, which were split unlike her normal set.

"Humerus, please see to your duties and open the door."


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

"Sure, lady boss," Humerus agrees, and heads for the door, which he opens, before peering inside.


|HP: 164/164| AC: 24 | F: +18, R: +15, W: +21+ | Dec +22, Dip/Itm+20, Med +21, Perc +19, Rel +17, Lor/Occ/Soc +15 | Lvl 1: 3/3, 2: 3/3, 3: 3/3, 4: 3/3, 5: 2/3, 6: 1/2, Focus: 3/3 | HeP 2/3 | Active conditions:

Having an obedient fighter who will open doors and generally get in the way of things is a very refreshing change and Caraid congratulates himself on how well everything has worked out.

Still he is not going to be the first one into the cottage.


The yard has turned wild with neglect and looks more like tangled underbrush than a lawn. The low stone fence is nearly invisible thanks to tall weeds and brambles choking the yard, and an overgrown path leads to the cottage doorstep.

The once well-stocked cupboards in the cottage's kitchen are bare, and various food items and containers lay scattered across the stone floor as though recently ransacked. Broken shards of pottery lend further evidence that the kitchen was recently searched for anything edible or useful. Humanoid footprints track through the deep layer of dust in multiple places, crossing each other in nonsensical ways leading to the living room and bedrooms.

A thick layer of dust covers the living room like gray snow, and a canopy of cobwebs hangs from the rafters. More footprints are visible here and there on the floor. Most of the furniture has been removed from the room or broken into kindling, but the fireplace is cold. An ebony writing desk conspicuously absent of writing implements or parchments stands in one corner.

Dried blood drops cover the desk. A well-used kitchen knife, also bloodstained, lies atop it. The desk has a single drawer that seems to be magically sealed.

A few doors lead away from the living room into bedrooms. You do not see the trapdoors that once lead to the basement and the attic.


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

Humerus looks around.

"This place is a mess, lady boss, way worse than your other home back in Graydirge," he tells Aily. "Looks like someone maybe what got stabbed here."

He begins opening drawers at random, peering inside.

"This one's stuck," he says, pulling harder. "You want I should smash it open, bosses?"


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

"Maybe let Aily open that one, Humerus. She has a a more delicate touch with the furnishings." Telvir peers around while Smoke tries to make sense of the tracks. The dog sneezes loudly after getting a snoutful of cobweb.

"Did this place get pulled to the Plane of Shadows or the Plane of Dust?" The elf runs a finger along the filthy mantle as he examines the fireplace for signs of use.


HP 175, AC 30/31/33, F+20, R+20, W+18 Skeleton monk 11

"You got it, boss! Whatever you say!"


|HP: 164/164| AC: 24 | F: +18, R: +15, W: +21+ | Dec +22, Dip/Itm+20, Med +21, Perc +19, Rel +17, Lor/Occ/Soc +15 | Lvl 1: 3/3, 2: 3/3, 3: 3/3, 4: 3/3, 5: 2/3, 6: 1/2, Focus: 3/3 | HeP 2/3 | Active conditions:

Caraid waits by the door and examines the room with mundane and magical sight in an attempt to answer Telvir's question.

Perc: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

thievery: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24
thievery: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29

"The respect and understandable fear people had for her habitate disappeared quickly." Aily notes as she looks disdainfully at the mess. She moves to the drawer, her needles and picks appearing in her hand, then kneels down in front of it.


Telvir can detect abjuration magic in the area. Indeed, the desk drawer is magically sealed, and no amount of finagling from Aily's tools manages to get it open.

The fireplace is unused and swept clean. Caraid doesn't notice anything during his search of the room.


LE elf dhampir rogue/alter ego/shadowdancer 11 HP: 115/116 | AC: 29 (nimble dodge) | F: +17; R: +22(success is crt); W: +18 | Perception +20 greater darkvision, low-light vision| dagger +22 2d4+7 +3d6 sneak | hero points: 0 |

The maid frowns at the drawer "Mr Stanton, Lord Caraid, there are magics that allow one to dispell other magics, do either of you possess such?"


NE male dhampir elf psychic 11 HP 66/83 | AC 27 | F +15 R +19 W +21 (R)| Perc +19 | 1: 2/2, 2: 2/2, 3: 2/2, 4: 2/2, 5: 1/2, 6: 1/1 DC 30 Speed 30 ft | focus 1/3| Hero 3 | Active Conditions: Smoke 103/103 (AC 28)

Telvir frowns. "My talents lie in other directions" If they are going to be dealing with powerful spellcasters, perhaps he should dedicate some of his meditations to learning unraveling magic.


Leaving the desk alone for now, you head into the bedrooms. The first one is completely looted. Broken furniture pieces, some charred as though used in a fire, lie forgotten on the floor within a mixture of ashes and dust.

The next cluttered room reveals the missing furniture from elsewhere in the cottage. Chairs, tables, shelves, and curio cabinets form a mountain of junk in the center of the room, crowned by a single wooden chair. Small bones, apple cores, and other detritus litter the floor beneath this makeshift throne. Sweet-smelling smoke rises from an incense burner, and garlands of dried flowers hang from the rafters.

For a moment, the room seems to waver and appears as an extravagant throne room far larger than the modest bedroom you currently inhabit. A towering throne of gold rests atop a marble dais, and damask hangings and rich tapestries cover the walls. The rich decor of the room is bright and colorful.

Then the chamber wavers again, returning to its original appearance. Seated on the wooden chair (or is it a thone?) is a delicate-featured male human with dusky-blue skin, dressed in gaudy fabrics and jewelry featuring every color of the rainbow except for red. A trio of shadows resembling gaunt courtiers float nearby.

"Welcome to my demesne," the man says. "I am Yshula. Why have you come here?"

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