Your night goes peacefully, though in the morning you can sense a tension in the people of Ptolus as they go about their business. It's a hunch in the shoulders and nervous glances towards the city walls.
You make your way towards the townhouse you had long suspected of Cult activities but never had the chance to follow up. It looks completely ordinary and sits on an ordinary street (Crossing Street in Oldtown - see map). A wide covered porch leads to the only apparent entrance.
"Magill, why don't you have a look around for us. We'll keep walking.". Magill sprints across the street towards the townhouse (headed for he space under the porch), while Dain chants a spell that strengthens their bond.
He speaks to the others with a glassy look in his eyes. "Let's find a nice shop, or a...uhhh...cafe', and give her a little time to prowl around."
"I recall a small coffee spot nearby the Clock Tower." Nigel says as he begin walking south along the Crossing Street toward the iconic abandoned tower.
Silas shrugs and continues on to get something with the others while Dain scouts the place.
Dain, tell me about this scouting you plan to do!
After Magill looks around under the porch, Dain directs her to make a circuit of the townhouse. Looking through her eyes, he looks for any potential entrances (doors or windows) other than the obvious front door. If they find something open that Magill can climb up to, he will then direct her to climb in and have a look and smell.
Tilver walks with the others to the nearby coffee shop. He orders a frothy drink with a pastry as they wait for Magill to scout.
Magill and Dain learn that every window of the building has been bricked up. The work is not old but not very recent, either. There is only one entrance and no one is seen to go in or out in the hours that you watch the entrance. Magill can smell something he associates with insects, but the poisonous kind he doesn't like to eat.
Magill returns to the space under the porch to watch and wait, and Dain lets their bond return to normal. He takes a sip of the now luke-warm beverage he had been ignoring, and looks around to make sure no one is likely to overhear them. "They've...mmm...sealed up all the windows. With bricks. Front door is the only way in. Magill thinks she smells bugs...and not the tasty kind."
"Well, we can make a new door in the back or just go through the front door. I think just going through the front door is probably the easier and less noticeable route." Silas says after hearing what Dain reports.
"I would agree that the front door is a sound plan." Nigel agrees.
"It seems strange that a bunch of chaos cultists would use this place for their...ummm...criminal activities, and have to go in and out the front door. There must be a secret entrance, or maybe an underground tunnel."
"Maybe, or they just don't dress in bloody robes when they come and go." Silas says as he heads towards the front door.
"Is he always so direct to action? It surprisingly refreshing compared to the studious planning I'm used to." Nigel chimes in as Silas walks away from the group.
He'll follow along with the group.
Tilver considers how cults might hide how they come and go, whether they would use a separate entrance or simply try to blend in. When he realizes Silas is moving up, he steps out after him.
So, Chaos cults are unsurprisingly diverse in their methods, means, goals and appearance. They worship chaos, after all. Most Ptolus cults disguise themselves as something legitimate and often are completely legitimate businesses, families, churches or communities that do all the usual things, but also scheme to release the Galchutt and remake the universe.
Which is to say, there's no standard way to go about things.
The team approaches the apartment complex and nothing untoward happens. If the cult is aware of your approach, they don't react. You are at the door. It looks like any one of a hundred thousand others in the city.
Dain follows along behind Silas and the others. As they pause at the front door he says, "Should we...ummm...knock?"
Tilver moves up to the door, examining the door and edge, without being overly suspicious. Then, if he does find anything, he simply tries the door.
The door is unlocked and opens easily for Tilver. Beyond is a foyer with a few chairs, a divan and a small table. The corner is occupied by a strange mass of papery material that resembles a huge wasps nest, but broken open from the inside and now abandoned.
Tilver hesitates, bothered by instinct. Glancing up, he notices a glistening lavender-colored slime hanging loosely from the ceiling just inside the doorway!
"Whoa!" Tilver steps back out of the doorway. "Something up on the ceiling ready to drop on us!" He glances back up at the loose-hanging slime.
"I could try just breathing a blast of cold at it." Silas says as he tries to peek up at it without going under it.
Tilver looks up at the slime. "Dain, any way you can help here?"
Dain carefully peers up at the slime. "Purple slime. Hmmmm...that's....ummm..."
"Please step aside." Nigel says as he steps away from the door.
Once they clear the way, Nigel will stand 20ft back from the door and begin gesturing.
Nigel magically yanks a huge chunk of purple slime from the ceiling. There is still a little bit up there, but you think with shields raise or cloaks over your head you can make it in safely.
Tilver nods appreciatively at Nigel. "Not a bad trick." He pulls up his cloak and enters into the building.
Nigel returns the nod before following Tilver in. An opaque bubble surrounds the wizard as he crosses the threshold.
He turns just inside the door and waits for the others to enter.
------------------------------------
After all the companions enter, Nigel shuts the door and touches the frame of it with his staff.
Turning to the group, he says "If any of you leave this place, simply state my name as you cross the threshold. I have set an Alarm here so we will know if we're pursued."
"That seems prudent." Silas agrees as he covers his head with his cloak and quickly moves in.
So whaddya do now that you're in?
Tilver looks around the room for any sign of recent activity. "Take a look around. I doubt that slime was there by coincidence."
"We should clear this level and then pick up or down and take it easily." Silas says.
Dain & Magill enter behind Tilver and look around, before approaching the mass of papery material. Dain pokes it a few times with his spear, and if nothing jumps out, Magill starts clawing into the paper.
Silas moves to the southwest door and says, "Shall we start here and go clockwise around the floor?"
Nigel walks up next to Dain to investigate the papery material.
The object only appears to be papery around the edges. It turns out be hard as oak otherwise, and reminds Nigel of nothing so much as a giant wasp's nest. When Dain pokes it, hideous insects pour forth and begin biting!
INITIATIVE
+2 Initiative if Perception, wins ties regardless of which skill is used.
+2 Initiative
STATUS
Dain
Skarvek
Tilver
Nigel
SWARM
Silas
"What did you do, Dain! What did you do?!" Tilver grabs a vial of alchemist's fire from his pack and hurls it at the swarm.
Nigel takes careful steps away from the nest while uttering something arcane. The opaque bubble appears around him as he wracks his brain as to what these things are.
Dain dives and rolls away from the swarm, landing on his feet. He calls to a dark spirit and urges it to attack the swarm.
Nigel takes careful steps away from the nest while uttering something arcane. The opaque bubble appears around him as he wracks his brain as to what these things are.
Arcana +18, Nature +10, Occultism +14, Religion +14, Society +14
The combination of Tilver's alchemist's fire and Dain's dark spirits of the city destroys the disgusting vermin before any real harm is done.
COMBAT OVER
Nigel watches the final creature wither from the negative energy and brushes his cloak off before saying "I think those tiny vermin are the least of our concerns. If you look at the structure of the nest, there was clearly something larger that birthed from it."
He turns to Tilver, and says "Good thinking on using the alchemist fire, an area of effect against swarms is always the most efficient. I'm happy to be in competent company."
He then waits patiently for the martially minded companions to lead the way.
"Something bigger?" Tilver looks at Nigel and then back at the nest. He takes a deep breath. "OK...I guess let's pick a door, I guess."
Tilver joins Silas by a door to the west and examines the door before opening it.
The door to the west opens to reveal a squalid apartment full of junk and wafting with the stench of urine and stranger chemicals. To the north a hole has been cut (or chewed) in the wall.
You have only a moment to contemplate this before the door to the east bursts open and two hideous creature emerge. Part human and part insect, they seem alien and horrifying. With a shriek, they both attack!
+2 Initiative if Perception, wins ties regardless of which skill is used.
+2 Initiative
STATUS
Dain
Tilver
RED
ORANGE
Skarvek
Nigel
Silas
Hello? Operator!
Dain chants a rhythmic chant that he's found effective at drawing out spirits. The first spirits to respond he urges to attack the bug-men and they respond by hurling debris at the many-legged creature. Then he asks another more peaceful seeming spirit for protection.
Telekinetic Projectile Shield.
Tilver turns to see the creatures burst open the door. He doesn't have time to form a clear plan of attack, so he simply bum-rushes the lead creature. He tries to shove it back against the door to block the other one from coming out.
Dain's spirits hurl a chair at the leading bug-man, rapping it sharply across the shins.
STATUS
Dain
Tilver
RED
ORANGE - 16 damage
Skarvek
Nigel
Silas