Ceceka finds his mind slipping away into thoughts not wholly his own as their foe slithers toward Telvir. Sluggishly so, Ceceka steps forward and strikes.
Aily's stunned behavior only lasts a moment, before she gets it together and attacks.
Telvir shoves the construct away from him, giving Smoke an opportunity to rush in and bite the creature. Mithralline misses the thing, but Cecceka and Aily both land good hits. Caraid strikes the construct with a divine lance, but the mindless thing has no alignment, and as such is immune to the divine energy.
The serpentine construct rears up and lashes out at Aily. She nimbly dodges its strikes!
Aily pivots, feeling the bones that want to break her slice narrowly into the arrow beside her. Then lashes out with her daggers.
With nothing better to do Caraid offers Cecka a little magical assistance.
"Shut your insufferable snake-mouth!" Mithralline screams at the snake corpse, slashing into its vertebrae with her blade.
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Aily and Mithralline team up and finish off the damaged construct!
Copious haphazard scribblings cover nearly every piece of parchment in the room. A closer reading of the notes reveals a great deal of surface-level information about the Great Factions: their interests, goals, rivalries, and the like. Most of the notes pertain to the Tax Collectors Union, the Builders League, and the Celebrants. Beyond this basic information, though, little of what is recorded her is accurate. You quickly realize that these are the vague, disorganized, contradictory writings of a self-absorbed conspiracy theorist. The author rambles about unproven links between the Great Factions: that the Builder’s League is connected with strange insectile creatures from deep below the surface, that multiple factions are secretly controlled by Pharasmin dissidents, and more. They state facts and assumptions that are obviously inaccurate and draws conclusions that prove their other theories wrong.
Among the documents, you also discover a recent journal detailing the bank manager, a woman named Tylegmut, and her plans to take advantage of what she’d ascertained with her research. She was obsessed with finding out some sort of secret contract from the bank’s founding. Tylegmut contacted the Builders League, carefully concealing her efforts from the Tax Collectors Union (though she was certain they were onto her by the end). The Builders League rejected her offer to spy for it in exchange for secrets. She tried the Celebrants next—she even pretended to worship Urgathoa—and they accepted. She helped them arrange to close the bank. She looked forward to working with a new Great Faction, one that would be interested in secrets around the bank’s founding.
"I'd feel sorry for her if she wasn't so obviously deranged." Caraid says, flicking through the papers. "Interesting, but its not a cohesive whole or anything like it. Oh well. At least we know there's something about the building's origins. That might be worth looking into."
"Hold onto these notes," Mithralline orders Adoowop, annoyed that the woman had hesitated against the snake thing and Mithralline had to handle it herself. At least she didn't let herself get bitten.
She lets Telvir take some time to heal up, then heads to the next area of the bank, hoping to find something more. Whatever this Tylegmut was interested in, it seemed different than what the hag is here for.
You head to the nearest door to the east, which hangs open. Heavy wooden chests and lockboxes line the walls of this room. Most of the lids hang open, revealing the chests to all be empty. A corpse lies near a chest with a torn label in the far corner.
The corpse is that of a middle-aged male human. Investigating the body reveals no indication of the cause of the man's death. However, you discover a small journal in the corpse's vest pocket. Most of the entries describe the mundane details of the man’s life: the weather, people to avoid, shopping lists of cheap goods, and the like. It’s clear the man was down on his luck and desperate for some lucrative opportunity to improve his fortunes. A more recent entry has the heading “New Job” and a simple sketch of several complicated street intersections. You recognize the area as a small portion of the Court of Ghouls district between the city's east gate and the Crooked Coffin Brewery and Tavern, both of which are marked.
Investigating the chest uncovers some residue at its bottom. It seems to be the same gray paste that you found traces of at Old Ergagh's Farm. A torn label on the chest indicates it was shipped from someplace called “Sallows.”
"If that paste is gone, they're probably gone too," Mithralline hisses, furious that Adiddly's diddling and time wasting has caused her to miss her nemesis. "Well, at least we know where we can find them, but we might as well finish exploring down here first!"
The door across the way is locked, but the key you recovered from the dead Kuthite in your manor's basement fits into the lock. The lock is set into the mouth of a skull adorning the door. When you When the key is inserted into the skull, the skull’s eyes glow with faint green light, and itspeaks in a disembodied, gravelly voice to the person holding the key, asking, “On what is greatness built?”
Mithralline recalls that the key had a strip of preserved flesh wrapped around its handle with the phrase "Death and Secrets" tattooed on it...
Aily wants to answer 'On the backs of the working class' but she assumes that is not the answer a bank vault would want to hear. So she keeps her mouth shut and waits to be attacked again.
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Caraid, who has had the key in his position for some time and actually paid attention to the flayed skin it came with, answers in a languid tone.
"Death and secrets."
Those who were exceptionally perceptive would notice that he's currently got Mithralline between him and the door, pure chance no doubt.
The skull replies, “The work is never done,” and the door briefly glows with the same eerie green light before opening. The room appears to be empty, but a few moments later, a low humming energy permeates the vault, and a faint outline of green flames appears around a 2-foot-by-2-foot segment of the floor in the center of the room. This segment of stone slowly sinks a few inches into the floor and slides aside to reveal a small cubic compartment containing a single iron tube with silver skulls on either end: a scroll case. Inside the case, which opens by twisting off either one of the skulls, is a brief document.
The document is an official government contract between the Builders League and the Tax Collectors Union. Where it would normally indicate a date, it simply states, “Upon the Momentous Occasion of the Foundation of Graydirge Bank.” The contract is a legally binding agreement stipulating the Builders League agrees to grant full rights and ownership to the bank, upon completion of the site, to the Tax Collectors Union, and that its authority regarding all matters concerning the bank is second to the union’s authority. However, there is a final clause in which parties from both Great Factions agreed that full authority over the structure and its operation would revert to the Builders League if the Tax Collectors Union fails to continuously operate the bank for a period of a year and a day. The condition has come to pass, as the bank has been abandoned for 2 years.
"A valuable document, indeed." Aily notes "The ownership of this building is decided by the discovery or destruction of this document."
"Yes. For the moment, we will hold onto it," Mithralline decides, "until it becomes clear how we can use it my best advantage!"
She glares for a moment at Aily.
"Keep it safe, Avalt. I will be most upset if it's damaged!"
Once she's seen it's secured, she turns her attention to the next door
Caraid reseals the scroll tube and then tucks the document away - Mithralline can say what she wants but he appreciates both the value of the document and the importance of being the one who actually has it. If Aily wants it then she can 'negotiate' for it. That thought brings a smile to his face and he follows the rest of the group into the next room in a surprisingly good mood.
Mithralline gives a small smile to herself as Caraid tucks the scroll away. Yes, Adidas will be able to snatch that whenever Mithralline tells her to. She was glad she had her maidservant start up a "relationship" with the light-fingered thief. She makes him so easy to manipulate. Plans upon plans, and a contingency for every circumstance.
"Curious. This is an impressive building, but why the smoke and mirrors about its ownership? I hope we aren't getting ensnared too deeply in Blood Lords' business. They have little care for what happens to their tools."
The discovery is exciting, but also disturbing.
"Perhaps the other rooms hold some clue about the other intruders."
Aily crosses her arms, giving Cariad a firm but amused look. After a moment, she says to her mistress "With the importance of the document, it will probably be better in the hands of someone that stays behind the fighters." a light tease. "Way behind."
Moving on with Mr. Stanton, she suggests "If one must be a tool, being irreplaceable is the key. Believe me, sir, in this I am an expert." Aily nods with a slight smile.
Mithralline snickers. She called herself a tool! What a tool...
"In Osirion, we would say that the necropolis is full of irreplaceable men." Telvir gives a wry smirk. "Of course here, the necropolis rarely stays full for long."
This byplay is the closest the group has come to actually getting along in... ever. Caraid finds himself enjoying it, smirking along with Telvir as the group continues their exploration.
The vault across the way is lined with heavy lockboxes, but all of them are open and empty. Nothing valuable remains.
As you approach the next door, you can hear numerous faint moans. Bone chips and bits of rotten flesh are smeared on the door frame and the floor nearby. You are fairly certain that this vault is full of zombies! Whether or not you want to open it is up to you...
"We don't care about zombies I take it?" Caraid says, about eighty percent certain that Mithralline is going to demand that they open the door so that she can slaughter the mindless undead to 'prove herself' or something similar.
"Seems Odd" Aily points out. "Zombies do not seem like a priceless something you would collect in a vault like this."
Mithralline shakes her head.
"Let the zombies rot here," she decides. "We can free or destroy them later if we must."
The last vault on the western part of the area is full of open and empty lockboxes, so Mithralline leads the way to the northeast vault. This is the area where the vulture spirits told you a robber went in and didn't come out, and where something that likes to hiss and snarl a lot dwells. Deep scratches mar the floor and walls of this vault. Aside from a corpse with a red cloak lying in the center of the room, the vault is empty.
Caraid hears a low growl coming from the vault, and the sound of claws scraping on stone...
The oracle promptly steps out of the vault again, and resists the urge to close the door with certain people still inside.
"There's something there." He says grimly, casting guidance on Cecka.
"Something" is there indeed, and it reveals itself as it pounces upon Mithralline! The air ripples as the formerly invisible creature appears--a squat, powerful quadruped with a frill of dark feathers around a distinctive head which resembles a crocodile skull.
Luckily, Mithralline had her shield up, as the creatures jaws scrape against the metal instead of closing around the sprite!
"Thats an esobok!" Caraid calls, "It's a psychopomp!"
Which means its bad news here...
"Negative energy won't achieve much. You'll have to kill it the old fashioned way!" He sets a good example by firing chaotic energy into its skull.
"How did one of Hers get locked in here?" not many of the undead or partially undead like the lady of graves. Aily's knife is in her hand immediately, flanking the creature on the other side of her mistress to stab and slice.
Smoke's hackles rise and Telvir gestures for the dog to attack, then he unleashes a spell on the creature.
"No telling how it got here. The blood lords aren't going to like this!"
for
and
HP 28/28
AC 18 (20 with shield raised)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +7
Hero points: 2
Effects:
"You DARE assault Mithralline Cort?! You will learn the errors of your ways!" the sprite shouts as she leaps onto the esobok and brings her scythe to bear, driving it deep into the psychopomp.
The esobok completely resists Telvir's spell. Aily and Smoke move in to flank the esobok. The rogue stabs it with her dagger, while the hound rips off bits of flesh with his teeth. Mithralline slice the psychopomp with her scythe and Ceceka lands a powerful blow! Caraid follows up with a lance of divine energy.
The being is badly wounded, but it continues to fight, lashing out at Ceceka. It grabs a hold of the fighter and tries to wrench his spirit out of his body!
Success: The target is stunned 1.
Failure: The esobok wrenches the target's soul from its body into its jaws. Mindless undead creatures of level 2 or lower are destroyed, other undead creatures are stunned for 1 round, and all other creatures are paralyzed. At the end of each of its turns, a creature paralyzed by this effect can attempt a new save to end the effect. The paralysis ends automatically if the esobok attempts a jaws Strike or speaks.
Critical Failure: As failure, but as long as a creature is stunned or paralyzed, it is also stupefied 2.
HP 28/28
AC 18 (20 with shield raised)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +7
Hero points: 2
Effects:
"No! Bad dog! DROP!" Mithralline commands as she continues to slash at the monstrosity.
Though Mithralline does not intimidate the esobok, she lands a good hit, the potency crystal gleaming brightly to empower the blow! The psychopomp whimpers as the scythe slices open its body, and it falls to the floor and lies still!
Investigating the corpse in the room, you discover a small hip flask containing an infiltrator’s elixir affixed to its belt. More importantly, there is an insignia on the flask: a coffin with its lid askew. The dead robber also wears +1 handwraps of mighty blows.
Society - Success! Caraid recognizes the insignia as the logo of a local brewery, the Crooked Coffin.
"So he either bought from or was sent by the Crooked Coffin, that brewery on the far side of town." Caraid says with a frown, tossing the flask up and down in his hand. "Sounds like the perfect place to brew up a large amount of poison, doesn't it? We should investigate."
"Hmmm..." Aily hums a bit as she watches the flask bobbing up and down. "If nothing else, we could have lunch." turning to the soul-wrenched Ceceka "Did the lady of graves steel any parts of you?" her voice curious, not concerned.
Ceceka waves away Aily's suggestion. The man has a tormented look to him, as whatever the beast did when it bit him still is something he is yet to process. "Not hungry. A rest would do."
After a short rest, you explore the last two rooms in the vault. Another security checkpoint leads into a room with another slab of unadorned iron embedded in the stone floor. Cramped writing covers the north and east walls.
The writing on the walls is a list consisting of thousands of items, ranging from things like “gold key,” “bone key,” “knife,” and “copper coin,” to random items like “rusty flute,” “rye muffin,” and “brass button.” Each entry is crossed off. It would seem there have been numerous attempts to determine the key to unlock this slab to access what might lie below, but all have ended in failure.
There's not much more to be done here, so you head upstairs to check out the last few room son the upper level. The first room contains mostly bare bookshelves. A few shelves contain dusty tomes, scrolls, and other records primarily pertaining to Graydirge’s people, history, establishments, government, and so on. They don't seem very interesting.
The adjoining room contains crowded bookshelves and two cushioned chairs. The books here all have titles suggesting grim and esoteric subject matter, such as Delusions of the Boiled Rat and In Service to the Flagellating Fang. Most of the books are filled with gibberish and meaningless diagrams, nonsense deliberately fashioned to resemble occult lore. Closer examination reveals a hidden switch behind one of the books that causes the shelves to swivel open, revealing a secret door to the manager's office.
The book that conceals the switch to the secret door, as well as a handful of others on the same shelf, are the former bank manager’s personal collection of cookbooks from distant lands. They include recipes from nearby nations such as Osirion and Katapesh, as well as more far-flung nations such as Galt and Ustalav. These books collectively fetch 10 gp from someone with an interest in food for living people, such as Berline or Ortagar.
A large desk takes up the southern portion of the manager's office. A gray-robed corpse with an elaborate headdress sits in an ornate chair, hunched over plates and bowls filled with chips of bone and insect husks. A pair of folded notes are stabbed to the table with a starknife.
Two brief letters lie on Tylegmut’s desk. One is written in crisp and meticulous Common and says, “With the shuttering of Graydirge Bank, your position with the Tax Collectors Union is hereby terminated. Besides, I know you’ve been working with the Celebrants for years, you traitorous filth. You probably orchestrated all this yourself. Remember, the Tax Collectors always come calling. Watch your back.—VQ.” The note is dated just over two years ago, on the day the bank closed. The second note is written in overly elaborate Common and reads, “Regretfully, though the church appreciates your devotion and the many services you’ve performed in the name of Geb and the Pallid Princess, your petition to join the Celebrants is denied.” The note is neither signed nor dated.
The corpse's headdress is made of silk fabric on a wire frame and resembles an insect shaped like a skull. The fabric is dusty and torn, and some of the wires are bent; the headdress has the broken condition. It’s worth 10 gp in its original condition. The starknife is a +1 returning starknife with the initials “VQ” engraved on the center handle.
You have finished exploring Graydirge Bank. You feel stronger for your recent experiences and ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.
Aily pockets the two letters, stating handwritting examples might prove important. Otherwise she tidies up the place lightly as she searches.
Caraid meanwhile collects the books, both because he enjoys good food and because they will certainly be a useful gift to one of the significant figures in town, both gourmands.
"Anyone want this?" He asks, holding up the starknife. "I believe the rune here means that it will always return to the person who threw it. Potentially very useful."
"We should gather what is useful and deliver the bodies here to the Reanimators. They're the property of the state now."
Telvir examines the starknife with interest. An unusual weapon for a banker.
"Desnan filth," Mithralline dismisses the weapon with a sneer. "Though the runes might be worth something!"
She considers.
"It's almost daytime. We should rest -- Amuley can go sell the items we recovered that we don't want and buy supplies -- and then go to this crooked tavern."
She turns her attention to her mule maid.
"While you're out, see if you can determine what this Sallows place is."
The prospect of getting away for her Most Annoying brings a smile to the maid's lips. Even better is that the Great Horriblness might go hungry waiting for her dinner to arrive since she is most likely too addled brained to remember that Aily had been sent on another task and can't be in two places.
"Yes my lady" she says with the proper amount of dead-panned weariness, while imagining sipping on something murky while asking about things, or maybe even entertaining the notion of a quick a dirty something with... her mind goes deep into the gutter for a moment, so instead we'll replace the sentences about what she is thinking about with a blurb about food. Sandwiches in particular. Something delectable smashed between two something's rather forgettable.
With an almost inaudible hum, Aily starts to collect the unwanted loot for market.
Ceceka can't help but feel for the bugger. One way or another, they're all busy trying to outrun their mortality on a daily basis. But sometimes, mortality wins the race. Maybe Ceceka mostly feels for himself, knowing that one misstep can net him the same fate.
"I will accompany Aily." It's not that the gruff-voiced warrior doesn't trust Aily, it's that he trusts himself to do a better job at getting the right price for the enchanted weapon.
Aily looks over with a hint of suspicion in her eyes, before she blanks it away. "Of course, Mr. Ceceka. Your assistance is welcome." her mind goes from looking forward to enjoying the ease of picking through rumors to quiet study of the member of the party she still does not have the measure of.
Once all that shall be sold is gathered, Aily gives the others a proper curtsey and follows behind the thick set man dutifully.
"Did you have a merchant in mind, sir?" the elf asks after a few moments of travel.
"I'll come too." Caraid says, stepping up to link his arm through Aily's and merrily ignoring the look she gives him.
As the others set to work on selling things Caraid flits around like a literal ray of sunshine, bringing smiles and good cheer to everyone at the market. He asks questions guilelessly and by the time the shopping is done has heard one or two things of interest...