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Nicky finds the door and the dark hallway behind. He quietly closes the door to report it quickly to his friends.
As soon as the door clicks back into place and the curtains are returned, he does a victory dance.
***************
He also thinks about how Ulrich has been acting strange.
DC 28
Giving Daelhaya a bonus to follow a lead +1 for her roll.
Takuzo's voice is a bit raspy as it has a small quiver to it. He leans in a little closer. "I have been having strange dreams since that moment. Dreams in which I am stalked through a vast frozen library by a furry, horned monster." He describes the monster in detail and it sounds identical to the figure you saw in your own dreams previously watching you from afar. "The last of these dreams was a few weeks ago. I got a good look at the creature. It wasn't a monster at all, but rather a person dressed in some costume."
Onye continues speaking with Lunja as they stare up at the skylight. "When shadows stretch and sunlight fades, the whisper of the unseen begins—seek the key where dusk and dawn embrace." Lunja smiles briefly. "Loved reading books on mysteries growing up. This place seems just as mysterious." She pours a glass of wine and takes a small sip before pointing the edge of the twisted glass towards the mantle. "Last night I saw Dr. Ritalson replace a strange looking key in a nook in a fireplace. Not sure what it opens but he seems to make sure noone was around when he put it back."
Ulwin been acting strange lately. He's not normally this quiet or strict.
A secret door in the lounge!
"Dr. Ritalson has been coming and going from Lichgate several times recently. I caught a glimpse of a map the Doctor was working on last time he was here."
"It is not so much that I am warm, but that I am used to the cold. I don't feel it so much, like snow off a kokogiak's back."
"Perhaps we should explore what's behind this hidden door, my friends? Rarely are things that are kept secret of little or no concern."
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Daehalya, you bring up a good point. Let's do that soon. I do have two things that I'd like the group to do first.
Number one, let us search all the fireplaces. There was mention of a "secret nook" that held a key. Let us work as a group and search that out. I think the correct quote and reference was, "Last night I saw Dr. Ritalson replace a strange looking key in a nook in a fireplace. Not sure what it opens but he seems to make sure no one was around when he put it back."
. Then after that, can we chat with Ulrich, I was going to ask him the following very pointed question.
" Master Butler Ulrich, What are you hiding from us? We know something is wrong and amiss. The absent Professor, the guests that are here, the whole house. There is an air of great mystery here- and it is obvious *you* know what it is. We are allies of The Professor - so I ask you plain as day - What are you hiding from us?".If you all are satisfied, let's walk as a group to ask him plainly.
Master + PaL
You ask a question that charms or needles someone in just the right way. Ask a question of a non-allied creature that you can see. Attempt a Diplomacy check against the creature’s Will DC. The creature is then temporarily immune for 1 hour.
Critical Success The target must directly answer your question. It doesn’t have to answer truthfully, but you gain a +4 circumstance bonus to your Perception DC if the creature attempts to Lie to you. Whether it answers truthfully or not, you glean something from its body language, and it is off-guard to the Strike you make using Devise a Stratagem against it before the end of your turn.
Success As critical success, but the circumstance bonus to your Perception DC is +2.
Failure The target can refuse to answer you as normal.
Critical Failure The target can refuse to answer you as normal, and its attitude toward you decreases by one step due to your aggravating attention.
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The manor sleeps, but the unease has kept the party awake. Lanterns cast long shadows on the stone walls as they wind their way through narrow servant corridors toward the Majordomo's room. A draft follows them, despite no windows being open.
Ulwin’s door is closed, but not locked. The handle is cold to the touch. Inside, the room is dim, the air thick with the scent of dried lavender and something faintly metallic. Candles flicker low, their flames leaning slightly to one side though there's no breeze.
Ulwin sits at the edge of his bed, already awake, hands resting loosely on his knees. His eyes are bloodshot, a slight sheen of sweat on his brow. He looks up at the party with a polite smile, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“You’re early,” he says, voice calm but distant. “Or... is it late? I suppose time gets a bit tangled in dreams.”
His speech is precise, practiced—but every so often, there’s a pause too long, or a word choice that feels wrong, like he's echoing someone else’s thoughts. He listens to the party’s questions about the strange occurrences with interest, nodding, responding—but his answers are circular, oddly dismissive, or strangely insightful in ways that don’t quite make sense.
Alvarius understands a bit more clearly now as it seems Ulwin is under the effects of an inveigle ritual.
"Ulwin, you might find this to be a strange question, but who would you consider to be your very best friend? Someone who you might feel has only been that for... less than a year, let's say?"
"Early or late for what, exactly?" Daehalya asks.
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Ulwin's brow creases as he seems a bit confused. "Apologies for the confusion. What is it I can help you with?" He listens intently as Alvarius asks his questions. "Can't say I have much time for friends but I guess I would consider most here to be friends. Dr Ritalson sees to take care of me very well. But, no more of a work relationship I assure you."
"I ask because, and I don't mean to cause any alarm, but I believe there might be a magical effect upon you. Nothing harmful, but something that might be skewing your perceptions. Here, let me see if I can help."
Alvarius then proceeds to cast Dispel Magic on Ulwin.
Grundle will provide an Amped Guidance as a reaction if (when) Alvarius fails.
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Ulwin absolutely panics at the mention of him being under some sort of magical effect and Alvarius beginning to cast a spell on him. He shoves past as he flees in terror down the hallway.
The grand hall echoed with the hurried clatter of boots on marble as Majordomo Ulwin fled through the arched doorway, his silk-lined robes flaring behind him like a panicked banner. His eyes, wide and unfocused, shimmered with the unnatural gleam of enchantment. Fear twisted his features—not the fear of danger, but the irrational, desperate terror conjured by a subtle magic that tugged at his thoughts like invisible strings.
Behind him, Alvarius raises a steady hand, arcane syllables spilling from his hollow mouth like threads of unraveling fate. With a sharp gesture and a flicker of blue light, the charm was sundered—dispelled mid-flight with a crackle of arcane force.
Ulwin staggered mid-step, stumbling to a halt. His breath caught in his throat as confusion flooded in, replacing the false panic that had gripped his mind. He turned, blinking rapidly, the world coming back into cruel, clear focus. A shudder ran through him as the realization dawned: his will had not been his own.
He looked back toward Alvarius, horror and embarrassment warring across his pale face. “Gods,” he murmured, voice barely a whisper, “I… I was running. But from what?” His hands visibly shake as walks back towards you all. "Dr. Ritalson put that spell on me to keep me quiet and things in place. Please, whatever teh Doctor is up to can't be good. You must find out what it is."
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Clearly upset by this relevation.
WHAT?! Our ally has actually been using us for nefarious deeds? We've been betrayed by our trust in him?
DAMN HIM! That Dr Ritalson can stick a doctor's stethescope right up his own keester! I'm going to make him focus on something else that's missing, besides a missing moment! Like a missing arm, a missing leg, a missing tongue.
Turning to Ulwin.
You task us with finding out what DR. Ritalson is up to- Maybe you can give us information on a fireplace that has a hidden pocket, or the secret door in the Lounge behind the felt curtains? What do you know about those things?
"Ritalson cast the spell on you?!" Daehalya asks, shocked . She'd assumed it was the Blackfrost Whale directly imposing its will ... but perhaps it was working through Ritalson?
"Do you know what he wished to keep you quiet about?" she asks.
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So the majordomo was under a spell—how surprising, and yet... how utterly expected. We recoil at the idea of enchantment, but is it not merely a crude metaphor for what we all do, constantly? We persuade, we coerce, we withhold affection or approval, all in the service of bending others toward our designs. Magic only makes visible what is already deeply human.
If the master used a spell to command loyalty, was it so different from the promises and threats that govern every household, every nation? Perhaps the only real crime is being too transparent in one’s manipulations.
Grundle wanders off to talk to Gatewalker Vaxtervin once more.
As Grundle opens his mouth to speak, an unnaturally loud sound echoes screams from his undercarriage.
"It must be something I ate. Excuse me. I need to go investigate whether those winds brought with them any unexpected passengers."
Grundle goes off to check his pants
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Ulwin shakes his head. "Probably whatever he was working on below. I'm not sure." Ulwin seems more panicked that his employer was messing around with his memory and mind but is unsure what exactly what he forgot.
Grundle wanders aware to speak with the Ghost hunter, though his internal gut noises do give both a fright as Gatewalker Vaxtervin rushes off quickly to investigate the ghostly sounds. "Surely that is a Myling"
"Once Grundle returns, let's get the key and see what other secrets Ritalson is keeping," Daehalya suggests.
Grundle returns wearing different pants.
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Good! Grundle, you are back. And is that cologne I am smelling? A new change of clothes?
Aaawwwweee.....you sly dog... you are trying to impress Vaxtervin or one of the other Gatewalkers? Setting up a "post quest For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"?
WELL, that will have to wait. We must go to the fireplace and then the secret door!
ONWARD HO!
Nicky starts moving the party to the fireplace, then the secret door he found.
It seems even now, in the company of those who have walked the edges of reality, the body betrays us with its humiliations. We cross planes, we confront gods, and yet we remain prisoners of flesh—fragile, imperfect, prone to failure at the most inopportune moments.
In the grand tapestry of existence, this moment of shame is but a single, meaningless stain. Far greater beings than we have collapsed under far less. Let us move forward, with dignity reclaimed not by denial, but by the quiet, grim acceptance of our own ridiculous condition.
"We know the key works; best to not risk the other way," Daehalya decide.
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Deciding to waste no more time and get to the root cause of the strangeness NIcholo uses the key to enter Dr Ritalson's laboratory below the Manor.
The spiral staircase winds down into a damp landing. The walls are set with red bricks, and there’s a door to the north. Opening the door at the bottom of the stairwell reveals a decent sized lecture hall. This immense lecture hall would look more at home in a university than a basement. Several large, wooden timbers reinforce the red brick walls. To the south, five tiers of stadium seating support two rows of wooden benches, all facing a large stage, atop which sits two metal operating tables and four free-standing chalkboards, all backed by a large purple curtain that fully obscures the north wall.
Daehalya pauses. "I don't know what I was expecting down here ... but this was not it. Ritalson's secret is he is giving lectures?"
She pads forward toward the curtain, wanting to make sure it's not concealing a threat before checking what might be written on the chalk boards.
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Nicholo does indeed notice something odd about the seating area. A series of hidden nozzles are spotted throughout the seating area. They appear to be rigged via a small pressure plate in the floor between the two tables on the stage.
Daehalya pads up to the curtain pulling it to the sides slightly to peek around it. He swift eyes quickly spot something that should not be there but is quick enough to not trigger them. She spots a pair of demons whose appearance is that of a brown, shaggy-furred beast that stands on slate grey hooves. Their head resembles that of a maniacal horned ape. They appear to be waiting patiently in hiding.
"This is definitely not what I expected either. Maybe there's some magic that'll explain things."
The skeletal man waves his bony fingers through the gestures of a divinatory cantrip, looking to reveal the presence of hidden magic.
Daehalya turns and lifts her staff, mouthing -- but not speaking out loud -- back to the others: TWO DEMONS!
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Upon seeing the nozzles and the trap, Nicky uses some of his patented doublespeak to warn the others.
It smells like someone farted. That's a full 9 on the powerful scale, and it smells the worst near these stands. I bet there's a better spot to be on the stage.
Then upon seeing Daehalya raise her staff and mouth the words, he connects the dots. We are in an ambush! He tries sneaking his way closer to the combat, silently pulling out his rapier.
Deception
Flexible Studies Thievery
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Daehalya recognizes these demons specifically as Ceustodaemons. Ceustodaemons are formed from the souls of vile mortals, particularly those who took efforts to hasten their own death, their willingness shaping them into daemonic servants. Their otherworldly senses make them useful for protecting vaults and similar locations on the Material Plane. Ceustodaemons are created to serve, but always seek ways to subvert their bindings, so they can rend their mortal summoners’ flesh. The worst type of conjurer calls upon ceustodaemons merely to set them free into the world in hopes of currying favor with the powers of Abaddon. Being Demons they are quite weak against good effects.
Alvarius mentally scans the room for magical auras and finds none in the area.
Nicholo makes everyone well aware of the pressure plate and gas nozzles locations as he points them out to avoid.
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Signalling the group plans to get the leap on the demons as much as they can. Nicholo quietly draws his blade as he makes the group sound as if they are investigating and preparing for a lesson.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Alvarius
Cuestodaemon (Red)
Cuestodaemon (Blue)
➤ Daehalya
➤ Onye
⠀⠀➤ Uhu
➤ Nicholo
➤ Grundle
"Unravelers of the weave must be dealt with," the catfolk growls quietly behind his wooden leopard mask before chanting the words that summon the amurrun spirits of creation. His form glows, melts, and expands into the shape of a giant leopard. He then hastily moves past the columns toward the stage.
"Quickly now!"
Alvarius moves closer to the danger, hands performing the necessary gestures as he magically hastens Onye Dinta. "Don't let me slow you down!"
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I love it when a plan comes together! Especially when that plan involves a supernaturally fast Onye.
Represent the weave of the world Onye. Kick their thread cutting asses.
They just want to snip, snip, snip - so you just gotta slash, slash, slash!
Nicky tries to give encouragement to the group's best fighter, as he looks to see what *HE* can actually do to help against these things. Thinking of what is in their group inventory.
Nicky pulls out a potion of quickness from Daelhaya's pack, and downs it.
◆ Grab potion.
◆◆ manipulate - down the potion.
◆◆◆ stride.
HP 83/83
AC 25 (+1 vs. traps), deny advantage, cold resistance 3
Fort +11, Ref +17, Will +12 (+1 vs. traps)
Hero Points: 1
Deviant backlash DC: 5
Effects:
Daehalya moves in, swinging her staff. She nearly slips on the curtain, but catches herself at the last minute, though it throws off her follow-up strike.
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Daehalya rushes the stage as she sees the signal. She rips open the curtain with her staff to reveal the Daemons positions. The curtain very nearly gets caught and wrapped around her staff and she only manages to free it at the last possible moment before dropping the Cuestodaemon to its knees. Unfortunatly just before her strike hits that would have broken several bones the curtain falls across the spot cushioning the blow.
Onye turns into a sleeker and more powerful cat. Nicholo downs a magical postion to hasten his movements as he watches ALvarius give a similar effect.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Alvarius
Cuestodaemon (Red)
Cuestodaemon (Blue)
Daehalya
➤ Onye 1 Hasted Action remains
⠀⠀Uhu
Nicholo
➤ Grundle
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Grundle scuttles up the stairs, spots the demons and tries to hasten the death the creature so desires.
Demon... I see the swagger in your form, the heat of your breath, the arrogance etched into every cruel line of your being. But beneath all that—there is fear. Ancient, buried deep. You try to forget it, but it has never forgotten you.
You fear the silence. The moment when the screams stop, when the fires dim, and you are left alone with nothing—no blood, no conquest, no one to witness your power. Only stillness. Only the cold, eternal quiet. You fear being forgotten. You fear being nothing.
Look now. Feel it settle around you—the silence growing louder, swallowing every sound. Your claws touch only air. Your shadow fades. There is no audience. No adversary. No self.
This is your end. Not in battle. Not in glory. But in stillness, where even the gods no longer bother to remember your name.
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Onye leaps on top of the stage as his cat-like reflexes keep him well positioned even in the most precarious of ledges.
Grundle begins to bring up some emotions from deep within the demon. Emotions that were pushed down and buried deep, deep down. Feelings of abandonment and loneliness. The silence is deafening as the demon grabs its ringing ears. "Make it stop!"
The demon then begins to chortle and smirk a little as it looks to grundle. "That may affect your lesser demons little one. The Cuestodaemon vanishes from sight and appears behind Grundle as it speaks close to his ear. The hot breath mists on his neck. [b]"You speak of fear. Let's see fear together." The cuestodaemon raises a big fist and slams it down at the gnome.
The claw misses as the demon seems to be toying iwth its prey.
The second cuestodaemon rolls to its side as it stands back up. It takes a small breath and breaths fire all over Daehalya and Onye. The effect is so fierce it catches the demon on fire as well.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Alvarius
Cuestodaemon (Red)
Cuestodaemon (Blue)
➤ Daehalya
➤ Onye
➤ Nicholo
➤ Grundle
The giant leopard rolls part of the way out of the flames with a yowl. He turns his attention to the daemon and stares at it with gleaming, golden eyes. The powerful cat jukes one way and then another, trying to throw the daemon off balance before lunging for a bite.
Taking a small step back, the leopard swipes at the daemon's legs.
HP 83/83
AC 25 (+1 vs. traps), deny advantage, cold resistance 3
Fort +11, Ref +17, Will +12 (+1 vs. traps)
Hero Points: 1
Deviant backlash DC: 5
Effects:
Daehalya nimbly avoids the flaming breath as she moves easily around the daemon, feet barely seeming to find the floor before they move again. Again, though, the curtain continues to foul her aim, and she gives a quick frown in frustration as she tries to shake her staff free of the encumbrances.
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When the Red Demon vanishes, Nicky lets out a capuchin monkey style,
OH, OH!
I sure hope that vanishing demon isn't rending our dear friend to pieces.
But, he has to help deal with what is on his side of the curtain.
◆ Devise a Stratagem.
Seeing that he is flanking with Daehalya, he thinks his strategy might be sound enough to go with.
He pokes at the creature again.
◆◆ Hasted Strike Attack.
D8 for Critical Deadly.
◆◆◆ - Raise Shield
◆◆◆◆ - Dazzling Feint from Glamorous Buckler
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Daehalya avoids the flames as she moves around the demon but continues to miss in such tight quarters with the curtains. Onye's eyes flare at the demon as his jaws sink deep into its neck and his back legs begin to rake across the side of it ribs stripping layers of flesh off. Nicholo suspects the demon has a weak point in those areas and swiftly dispatches the demon with his rapier.
Grundle quickly backpedals to get out of the demons grasp as he tries to enter teh demons mind and shatter it piece by piece.
Alvarius reaches across the pews magically causing the air to rapidly chill as the demons feet freeze to the floor.
The demon groans in pain as it rips its feet free from the blocks of ice, leavinga trail of fresh blood in the slush as it breathes flames across Alvarius and Grundle.
DC 24 Basic Reflex. Each failure causes the creature to catch fire for 2d6 persistent fire damage
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Alvarius
Cuestodaemon (Red)
➤ Daehalya
➤ Onye
➤ Nicholo
➤ Grundle
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On his side of the curtain, Nicky doesn't see anymore enemies. Just a lump of demon that Onye did a fabulous job of thumping.
But his ears hear another story happening on the other side of the curtain. He can not see, but his mind generates images not suitable for those under a standard marrying age.
The sounds of a demon song/groan
The sounds of Ice both forming and cracking
The sounds of a whooshing flame.
I gotta see what is making this song of ice and fire!
With that, he moves - even jumping and climbing over pews to get into position.
◆ Stride - Haste Stride
◆ Stride - regular stride- difficult terrain
◆◆stride
◆◆◆ - strike