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It looks like Mercra is dead, via garrote. Based upon the fact that the blood is pooled around the body, and not smeared on the ground, you can surmise that he was killed in this closet, and not dragged here.
The bloody tracks seem to lead to the only door down here that you haven't opened yet, to the West.
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This chamber overflows with dusty relics of the past, some prominently displayed on shelves and pedestals, others piled haphazardly in crates, jars, and scroll cases. A massive stone idol looms in the corner, its fiendish eyes sparkling with crimson beryls. An intricately woven Kellish rug, carefully rolled, leans against a shelf displaying ancient weapons from throughout Golarion. A somber pipe organ rests against the northern wall, its keys and pedals wet with fresh blood. Past a small Foyer(10 feet by 15 feet), the room extends 30 feet to the North, and 25 feet East.
This room serves as the lodge’s reliquary and houses most of its amassed collection of artifacts from various delves. A lifeless body lies crumpled on the floor, riddled with dozens of stab wounds. A pile of rags rests on the organ bench.
As you walk in, you begin to hear a scratching sound, coming from the Southeast corner.
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Battle Order
- Tambric
- Marianna
- Levistus
- Thovar
- ???
- Olo
- Shalla
Thovar, Marianna, Olo, & Levistus can tell that the sound is magical in nature, and is not real, and so can act in the surprise round. Both Marianna & Thovar peer in to the room, trying to divine the source of the spell, to no avail.
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Finally you spot what Shalla is talking about. A small doll-like figure begins to rise into the air from near the organ. She is wearing a little red dress, has a pretty little red bow in her hair, and is clutching a small teddy bear in one arm. She claps her hands in glee as Levistus prepares to play, ignoring the rest of the group for now.
As you move into the room, you spot a crate that has been knocked over in the southwest corner. A dozen dolls similar to The Diva are scattered and shattered on the ground. A lifeless body lies crumpled on the floor nearby, riddled with dozens of stab wounds. In addition, you notice an incongruous pile of rags that rest on the organ bench.
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Shalla pounces on Levistus, knocking him forward and in to the Organ with a loud *thunk*.
Marianna and Thovar both draw their weapons, readying for any aggressive actions.
The doll screeches as its new thrall is disturbed, dire intent is clearly on its mind.
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Glaring at the griffon, "Are you usually this rude when someone is about to play a masterpi...." Shaking his head he suddenly becomes aware of the incongruous nature of his actions and chuckles, "Seems that someone else is versed in the school of enchantment." The screech from the doll getting his attention as he struggles to free himself from the large avian Levistus takes a bead on it with his crossbow.
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With a silent prayer to the Everbloom, and a wave of his hand, Tambric sends out a call to the celestial planes for aid.
In a burst of rose-petals, which float to the ground around the doll to disappear once more into the aether, a magnificent bird of prey emerges and flaps it powerful wings to stay aloft over the wooden fiend.
Failing to keep it's altitude, it descends clumsily to the ground before lashing out at the doll with it's beak, which begins to glow with holy light,
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Shalla connects with a bite and a claw tearing wooden splinters off of the doll, as she screams defiance. Thovar and Marianna crowd in, hoping for a strike of their own at the doll...
Both Thovar and Marianna's attacks connect, striking splinters from the body of the doll. The light in the doll's eyes flicker and go out...
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"That was unpleasant," Shalla says, looking down at the remains of the doll before turning her head to Levistus. "Are you alright?" She asks the sorcerer in an embarrassed tone, "I didn't mean to be so rough, but I didn't want to find out what would happen if you played that organ."
With that, she sniffs at the pile of rags on the bench, poking at them gingerly with a claw.
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Un-ruffling himself, Levistus manages a thin smile, "I doubt you could call what I would do with the organ....playing." He reaches over and hits one of the keys, "That's about the limit of my ability." Looking over at the pile of rags, "Perhaps they were once worn by someone who changed into a maniacal doll. Who was cursed by an evil organ to remain in that wooden form until it could convince some fool to come around and replace it by playing the organ in it's place." His sarcastic tone tells those he thinks himself witty and doesn't believe a word of it. Well, until he seems to reconsider at the end of his yarn and quickly pulls his hand from the key on the organ.
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Levisus presses the key and a deep sonorous note sounds, but nothing else happens. Tambric flips the body but does not recognize the face. A quick search of his body reveals his membership in the pathfinders(a wayfinder), and a letter tucked into his pocket from a girlfriend(an assumption based on the profligate repetitions of "I will always love thee"s and "my true heart's desire"s) to a one Gilrad Penderay(a name you shouldn't recognize).
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"This seems to be more your speed," Tambric says lightly, handing the note over to Levistus, then intones the words of a spell and looks about the room intensely.
Meanwhile, Shalla moves over to the unopened door in the corner and tilts her head to listen for any activity beyond while inspecting the door itself for danger.
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The door bursts open with a *CRACK* and Olo lands on the seat of his pants, 5 feet into the room.
Well-stocked bookshelves line the perimeter of the room, surrounding a small, central area with four reading desks. A low partition separates two more desks, which face away from the center of the room, toward the shelves.
A small swarthy man dressed in rags emerges from a pile of books and scrolls, seemingly startled by Olo's entrance. He moves into the room screaming at you unintelligibly while making wild gestures.
Marianna pipes up from the back, "It looks like he wants to bargain!"