Greetings, my esteemed colleagues of the Palatine Eye.
I would like to acquaint you with my team’s experience at Sombrefell Hall. I have encrypted large sections of this report as I am certain none of us wish this information to fall into the wrong hands.
First, permit me introduce myself and my companions. My name is Autumn Thornheart. I am a sorceress. Generations ago, an ancestor entered into a vile pact with demonic forces that taints my bloodline to this day. I was accompanied on this venture by stalwart companions with whom I have shared many an adventure, and mayhap even an escapade or two: Kyra and Brother Maynard, both acolytes of Sarenrae, and Jarvis, a Holy Warrior of Shelyn. I tell this tale from my point of view, but I must insist that my compatriots are recognized for their contribution to our mission’s success. Indeed, had I been alone, or with a lesser team, I would have surely perished.
Wherein we learn of our mission and destination
Encrypted:
We were recruited by an unknown, but presumably highly ranked, member of our organization. Our mission was to travel to Sombrefell Hall and convince Doctor Verid Oscilar, professor at the Sincomakti School of Sciences, and the foremost authority on the Dominion of the Black, to return with us to Rozenport.
Upon our arrival at Sombrefell Hall, we were greeted by a quite pleasant lady. She provided a warm greeting and introduced us to our host. They offered us the run of his mansion, save for one room in which they and their associates spent most of their time.
Wherein our mission takes a detour
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Unfortunately for our retrieval mission, Dr. Oscilar made it abundantly clear that he was dead-set (if you will pardon the pun) against leaving his manor until his current research was complete.
Wherein it is revealed that something is afoot
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We immediately sensed that the doctor and Lucvi seemed to be hiding something, perhaps, we thought, some information of critical import to our investigation. While we were unable to tease the information from the doctor, his lead research assistant Lucvi confided to us that she thought he was suffering from a more formidable condition than simple mental exhaustion although she was unable to provide us with further details.
Wherein we explore the mansion
We made good on our host’s offer to fully explore the manor. While we found the usual mundane items (foodstuffs, furniture, crates, and the like), we likewise made some rather startling discoveries.
Encrypted:
To backtrack slightly, my companions and I decided that we would hunt for further clues within the manor that might explain the doctor’s reticence, or at least provide some clue as to the subject of his research. We discovered several such items: a puzzling note in the library and the good doctor’s journal containing yet another enigmatic entry. Though we did not know it at the time, we found items that became useful later in our stay: silver kitchen knives, garlic cloves, and oil flasks. Our last find though, was the most macabre. We discovered an attic with a padlocked door. After our noble Paladin was unable to open the lock with his skeleton key, we gained entrance to the attic by way of the window. We discovered therein a corpse-a newly slain zombie with a most intriguing condition: a silver letter opener with the doctor’s monogram embedded in its head.
We knew that we could only explore the mansion’s salon between the hours of 1 am to 8 am, when our hosts were asleep. Lest you imagine we decided to burgle the room, rest assured that our hosts gave us explicit consent to search during that time. Therefore, we decided to conserve our energies with sleep. Being ever prudent, we quartered ourselves in a single empty upstairs bedroom and set a watch. Jarvis drew the short straw and got the first watch. I asked him to awaken me after approximately three hours so that I could stand watch. I say approximately as we had no ready method of telling time in a more accurate fashion. As his watch was winding down, he instead awoke us all as he discerned a rhythmic knocking upon the front door and suspected something was amiss.
Wherein things begin to go wrong
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As it transpired, none of the research team were expecting company, and who would reasonably expect such at this late hour, especially in Ustalaav? We rushed down to ensure that the research team were unaffected by whatever was trying to break down the front door
Wherein we discover what is knocking on our door
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No sooner had we reached the ground floor than we observed Lucvi open the door. We hastily arranged ourselves in a loose battle formation, and prepared to repel boarders, so to speak. Our fears were realized when no fewer than 5 ghasts pushed the doors aside and began their assault on our forces. We managed to get Lucvi out of the foyer without incident, then got down to the serious business of undead pestilence control. Owing to our long-standing battle habits, we downed to foul creatures with a minimum of damage to ourselves.
Wherein much is made clear
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We entered the salon to assess how the research team was responding to the undead threat. When we entered, Dr. Oscilar finally revealed the secrets he had been keeping, not just from us, but from his entire team. Rather unfortunately for him, recently became affected by frequent periods of dissociation that render his conscious mind insensate He believed his condition stemmed from a Night Heralds’ ritual; however, we later discovered that was not the case. As he has no idea what he has, or could do, during these episodes, he has taken to locking himself in the manor’s bedroom. He was determined to do so on this night as well, for fear he might suffer an exercise and cause harm to one of us or his team.
Spoiler:
Wherein we formulate a plan of action[spoiler=Encrypted] Discovering that the doctor had a trapdoor hidden in his closet which lead to the basement, we devised a plan to outlast the undead hordes we were certain would follow the ghasts. Being, as I mentioned, ever prudent and blessed by our gods with a fair modicum of tactical savvy, we realized that any attempt to successfully fight our foes in any of the manor’s larger rooms, we decided that the best place to make our stand was the doctor’s bedroom. There were only four options for entering the room: from the basement, from the main hall, through the small window, and via the recreation room. We instructed the research team to remain in the closet until and unless we asked them to come into the main room. They were further instructed that in the unfortunate event of our demise to flee to the basement and barricade themselves in until morning. Lucvi, being a plucky sort, volunteered to help us to the best of her ability. Setting thought into action, we devised makeshift barricades against the principle entrance and the window. We were barely able to construct these barricades when the next wave attacked.
Wherein our plan is put to the test[spoiler=Encrypted] This time, our attackers were more powerful undead, specifically 4 ghasts and 2 vampire spawn. Much to our grim amusement, they were unable to break through the barricade at first. Indeed, one of them had the remarkably bright idea to attempt entry by destroying a section of wall into the recreation room. When they finally made ingress, we were prepared for them. Again, we made short work of the minions from beyond the grave without an over-abundance of effort. Worthy of note is that a paladin of Shelyn wielding a magical silver glaive with a disrupting effect against undead foes is something one must absolutely see before they shuffle of this mortal coil. We did expend some of our resources during and after this fight, but we felt confident we were rationing our spells adequately for what we expected to be forthcoming.
Wherein we are beset by foes most foul
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We were able to complete the task of rebuilding the door barricade and building a new barricade at the recreation room door before the next foes were upon us. Our endeavors were greatly assisted by our choice of locale. It seemed that our enemies believed we were in the main hall, thus they entered the manor from areas closer to the foyer than to us. While we failed to understand their tactics, we appreciated the extra time which allowed us to make suitable preparations. The next fell creatures seeking our demise were a quartet of especially powerful wights. We met them blade against claw, forcing them to acknowledge our superior skills in steel and spell. We had returned two of them to their graves when we were set upon by an invisible enemy. I was the first to notice this foe’s appearance, as his first attack threw a door splinter into my side. Realizing that neither of the two remaining animated corpses had thrown the splinter at me, I advised my companions that there was an unseen presence of some kind in our area. Reticent at first to believe me, they concentrated their efforts toward the end of destroying the remaining wights while I attempted to suss out the creature’s location. No sooner had the remaining wights hit the floor than the room was filled with a malevolent maelstrom of debris. This sufficiently convinced the others that we were, indeed, facing another foe. As an aside, we realized we were ill-equipped to battle this creature, having neither glitterdust nor fairie fire available. At this juncture, I deployed one of the beads upon my necklace creating a large globe of fire which engulfed the creature. Thus rallied, our team threw area of effect spells and spells which did not require us to attack the creature. I found the disrupt undead spell particularly apt in dealing with this foe.
Wherein our fortunes take a turn for the worse and we believe all may be lost
Encyrpted:
Some of us, particularly Brother Maynard and Jarvis, were rather heavily wounded in the preceding battle. We undertook first to tend our wounds by means both magical and mundane. Next, we made haste to rebuild our barricade at the main door. We discerned our next targets easily enough, or so we thought. We heard some sort of enemy enter the manor by way of the second-floor balconies. Assuming we would have ample time to finish the barricade I made the ill-advised choice to continue rather than retreat to the far side of the room. To my abject surprise and detriment, we were attacked before I could finish. Our attackers were not corporeal foes as we expected. Rather they were shadows, a particularly insidious type of undead menace. Believe me when I say that standing in a doorway through which they attempt ingress should be quite at the bottom of anyone’s list of pleasant pastimes. It certainly ranks were low on my list. Grievously wounded, I hastily retreated to the far end of the bedroom, allowing my compatriots. Upon healing my injuries at least enough to prevent my demise, I returned to the fray, using spells to blast at the shadows. It was in this battle that Jarvis fell. We were able to revive him, but that was by far the moment of our greatest despair.
Wherein we change tactics
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Although we were able to again heal ourselves we felt we were critically low on resources, although both Brother Maynard and I each had a staff of healing and several curative potions which we held in reserve. We could only hope that our next battle would conclude the undead threat. We realized that the front half of the bedroom was littered with undead corpses. In a practical but morbid fashion, we decided to pile said corpse in front of the door with the intent to hinder our foes.
Wherein we emerge victorious
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Predictably, our next adversaries appeared as we were finishing our preparations. An unusual creature known as a brain collector, accompanied by two vampire spawn entered our area of operations. We dispatched the vampires with expeditious haste and turned our attention to the brain collector. Kyra, Brother Maynard, and I alternated between attacking the creature and healing each other and Jarvis. Jarvis was the principle focus of our healing efforts, as he repeatedly interposed himself between the monster and ourselves. This way far and away our most difficult encounter, nevertheless, we emerged victorious.
Wherein we end our mission
Encrypted:
. Upon the creature’s demise, Doctor Oscilar realized that it, not the Night Heralds, was responsible for his discomfort. Freed from the necessity of attempting to resolve his infirmity, he acquiesced to our request to return with us to Rozenport.
In conclusion, we acquitted ourselves with honor and grace in a potentially deadly situation. I and my associates will be happy to work with the Palatine Eye again should such a need arise.
I really like how this is done up! Sounds like a great adventure too. And it's nice to see someone's experience on this before I GM isn't on Sunday.
(BTW just a heads up; one of the spoiler tags, err, encryptions, didn't work right).
I really like how this is done up! Sounds like a great adventure too. And it's nice to see someone's experience on this before I GM isn't on Sunday.
(BTW just a heads up; one of the spoiler tags, err, encryptions, didn't work right).
Thanks! I spent a couple hours writing it and trying to get just the right tone. I wish I knew why the spoiler didn't work right. I previewed like 6 times to try and get them all working. Ah, well.
