lostsole31
  This is the continuation of Thrushmoor Terror, but with a new roster ...  
     DRAMATIS PERSONAE     
     Character
[Player]
  
  Speech
Color  
  AL
  
  Faith  
  Race [Ethnicity]
(Gender ID)
  
  Side #1
  
  Side #2
  
  Campaign Trait  
 
    Chaplain Andru Ioveanu
[NPC]
   
   Purple
   
 N 
 Pharasma 
 Human 
 Prayers-y
Part 1 
 Prayers-y ...
Part 2? 
 Sensitive Mind 
 
    Ryado Erudyta
[NPC]
   
   Golden Rod
   
 LN 
 Pharasma 
 Human [Varisian]
(m) 
 Pathfinder Field Agent 2 
 Research-y? 
 Ritualistic 
 
    Strahlender
[NPC]
   
   Dark Orange
   
 N 
 ??? 
 Um ... wut.
(Agender) 
 No, really .... wut? 
 Crystal Whatsit 
 Pugnacious 
 
    Terzo
[BlackHawk101]
   
   Green 
  
 LN 
 Sarenrae 
 Old Dhampir
(m) 
 Medic 6
[Sanguinist] 
 Soulknife 6
[Deadly Fist] 
 Twitchy 
 
    Victorine Gwenaëlle Jacquet
[NPC]
   
   Saddle Brown
   
 N (CN) 
 Pharasma 
 Ratfolk
(f) 
 Inquisitor 1/
Rogue 4 
 Witch 6 
 Foe of the Strange 
 
    Viktorescu Hutov
[Silphael]
   
   Teal 
  
 CG 
 Valani 
 Forgeborn
(m) 
 Egoist 6 
 Promethean 6 
 Enduring Stoicism 
 
  
lostsole31
    Moonday, 16 Lamashan 4716 AR (Hunter's Moon) 
50/ 30 F. Wind WNW 5 mph. Wind Chill: 45/ 25 F.   

Vonrak Vilk's rampage is stopped and he is cured (see previous adventure).

 

    17-19 Lamashan 4716 AR (Waning Gibbous)    

Three days of rest and discovery is made of  Ardis .

At the end of that time, Kokoro and Kuniyuki - who each have spent their time these three days furiously writing up their report - wish their best and leave. Also during that time, Ryado Erudyta receives a dispatch from his old mentor, the founder of the Sleepless Agency in Thrushmoor, County Versex, Ms. Cesadia Wrentz. Ryado mentions the issue at the last night's dinner to Terzo, Victorine, and Viktorescu. As the latter three have nowhere else to go (and can't stay at the Pathfinder safe house), they offer to accompany the Erudyta to Thrushmoor.


    20-22 Lamashan 4716 AR     

The group fits in Ryado's carriage, and he hires an itinerant driver to take them to Thrushmoor. It takes 2-1/2 days for the carriage to get to Hyannis (100 miles of travel), the northernmost settlement of County Versex. Hyannis is an Ustalavic coal-mining settlement in the county of Versex; the forlorn shacks of the villagers are set on the edge of the Hungry Mountains near to the source of the Danver River. The village and the mines are still haunted by the greenish spectre of the witch called Black Aggie,  whom the villagers rose up against nearly forty years ago; they ripped  the monster to pieces then burnt her before casting her remains into an  abandoned mine. Worse than the hauntings, though, are the miners who  become possessed by what is considered Black Aggie's suffocating breath.

    Moonday, 23 Lamashan 4716 AR (Last Quarter)    
  35 / 15 F. Winds WNW 20 mph. Dry. Wind Chill: 10/ -10 F.  

It takes a little over a half day to get from the village of Hyannis to the larger town of Rozenport. Rozenport is a bustling town located in the south-west of the county of Versex in Ustalav perched high on the steep cliffs above the Danver River. The town is most famous as the seat of the Sincomakti School of Sciences founded in 4570 AR. Many of the buildings of the town mirror the archaic architectural  style of the world-renowned school, for instance, pointed steeples and  manor houses topped with flat roofs. The town hall boasts a dome shaped  like a bubble. All this is set within a veritable maze of roads and  thoroughfares.

So as not to get to see the sights during the day, before securing lodging Ryado shows the city to the group, focusing on touring the Sincomakti School of Sciences, where Ryado matriculated. The university campus is located within the town itself and consists of Bhaltvrest Hall, Gray Tower, and the Hermitage. The university also has a library which is known to house some dangerous volumes.

The current Dean of Expeditions is Dr. Henri Meirtmane, a mentor of Ryado's. Dr. Meirmane's work has upset the ruler of Versex, Count Haserton Lowls IV, causing Lowls and the School to end their relationship. The current student and tutor population are generally dedicated, hard-working scholars.


    Toilday, 24 Lamashan 4716 AR (Waning Crescent) 
40 / 20 F. Winds WNW 5 mph. Dry. Wind Chill: 35/ 15 F.  
 
The group rides another half-day to Thrushmoor. Ryado tells you that the settlement of Thrushmoor can be found in the Ustalavic county of Versex.  A fishing community on Lake Encarthan's Avalon Bay, the town is known to harbor a significant number of followers of the unsavory Old Cults, and the equally unsavory Night Heralds.

Ryado gets the group set up at the Silver Wagon. The Silver Wagon is Thrushmoor’s only inn, and as a result, one of the town’s most prosperous businesses. It offers comfortable beds in secure rooms, and the taproom downstairs often features live music. The innkeeper,  Dena Gallegos  (female human), is a boisterous and brash woman who is just as prone to knock you off your stool for telling a bawdy joke as she is to tell one herself.

Once the horses and carriage are stabled and the driver is paid off and released from service, Ryado guides you to the Sleepless Agency.

It is here that you meet Ms. Cesadia Wrentz, who is pleased to see Ryado and offers the group to stay for dinner.
lostsole31
    Wealday, 17 Lamashan 4716 AR (Waning Crescent) 
60/ 40 F. Heavy rain (1-1/2").    

That next morning, what changes do you make to your lineup, if any?
Blackhawk101
Terzo will perform his morning katas and the swap Environment Shield power for Vigor power.
silphael
Viktorescu offers fleshcrafting to the whole party (well, up to 4 creatures), granting them darkvision and acute senses. He changes his elixirs appropriately, and alters his shape for investigation.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Fleshcrafting : Granting to 4 of us 1) Darkvision and low light vision and 2) +4 racial bonus to perception.

Elixirs : Borruwing Claws, Wings, and Antennae.

Veils for today : Warsculpter's Armaments is replaced with Loreseeker's Gloves (bound to Hands).
 
lostsole31
Viktorescu has no time to conduct fleshcrafting at the same time as his daily maintenance. 
 Spoiler: OOC 
It does NOT and will NOT be part of daily updates, but like mutagens for alchemists and seances for mediums be conducted on a separate time. I just dealt with this in Council of Thieves ... and I am pretty sure you were witness to my decision in that game as well.

Also, please make a link to your 3 elixirs so that I have a fixed and indelibly mechanical way to refer to them. If you can't link them, please do a "show all work."  ..... ALL work. I've looked and I can't find what I need outside of  Darksight Eyes  and  Wings of Flying .
 
That said, it only takes Viktorescu and Terzo an hour to do morning preparations, where it takes Victorine 90 minutes, and Ryado takes a full two hours. This means that Vik could actually sculpt Terzo's flesh if he wanted.

 Terzo , Viktorescu is able to offer you a one hour-long surgery that can make your overall senses more sensitive. Do you let him put you under the knife?
Blackhawk101
Terzo will thank Viktorescu kindly for his offer of modification. He will decline as his eyes can already see well in the absence of light.
lostsole31
With morning routine done, and Viktorescu's offer of guinea pigdom in his mad science denied, Ryado leads the group through the chilly morning and driving rain to Iris Hill, the ancestral home of the county of Versex County of Ustalav.

The PCs find a massive hedge surrounding the grounds and a squat gatehouse standing as the only passage through it. The exterior double door of the gatehouse has a small hatch that the guard stationed here can open in order to speak with visitors. When the PCs knock on the gate, an impassive guard slides open the hatch and mutters,   "State your business."  
  "Ryado Erudyta, and company, sent to investigate the grounds and manor as a favor by Ms. Wrentz to the new constable."  
  "Well, come inside out of the rain, sir,"   says the voice, shutting the panel and opening the gatehouse door. Two Ustalavan soldiers are inside, in addition to two persons who are definitely not ordinary soldiers. Or in one case, even a ... person?

  "Chaplain Ioveanu at your service, Erudyta, but you can call me Andru,"   says your contact. A typical Ustalavic Varisian of taller-average height and thicker build (6', 205 lbs). He wears the classic colors of a Pharasmin chaplain in concert with a fine breastplate and light shield, and the weapon at his side is a morning star. His hair is dark blonde, though a little darker from its own wetness from when he was also recently in the rain, and he has a very curly, long, full beard framing a face with searching hazel eyes.   "I appreciate the help. The residents say that the count abandoned his manor because of a madness that inflicted him, and that same madness - or curse - haunts these grounds yet."  

He then introduces the very strange creature towering over him, and he notes the stares from the party and address both at once.   "This is my bodyguard, Strahlender. They are not the mystery. Iris Hill is, so please don't stare or pepper either of us with questions about them. Any suppositions you may have, please be discrete and private, rather than openly speculating, as such would be rude."  

This Strahlender is now the tallest in the party, despite Terzo and Vik's already significant statures. They stand at 7'2" and seem to be made almost entirely of a rocky crystal, likely making them the heaviest in the party as well. A rich orange glow lights their entire body from within; and yet, on the surface of their body - rather than from within like the orange glow - there is an ever-shifting incandescence to them that slowly shifts every few seconds to a different hue, sometimes mixing hues, and then going back to a primary hue ... all of the major colors of the rainbow are seen in a minute of being near it, and yet in no discernible pattern (at this time). Having no apparent sexual organs, they are completely unclothed, but do have a belt with several pouches on it, leather bracers, a ring, and a backpack.

  "So, how would you like to begin, Erudyta?"  
Blackhawk101
Terzo works to remain innocuous by keeping his hood pulled low and staying in the shadows as he listens to the conversation. He is curious about the strange bodyguard but he tries not to stare.
silphael
Vik gives Strahlender a gaze, not exactly of curiosity, but more of surprise at not being the crystallest around for once. Still, since Erudyta has been sollicited, he waits to ask any question he might have.
lostsole31
The Erudyta gets a report of where bodies were moved from before speaking and what buildings are what.   "We'll start even in the places that have already been checked. Starting with the guest house on the northeastern section. We have no time constraints, so let's not operate like we do. We will consider the entire grounds as a crime scene, so complete searches in all spaces, regardless of how they seem. Expect this evolution to take many days. If we find anything that looks like the count's correspondence or journal other than simple items in any book collections, we take the time then to begin looking through them. Ms. Wrentz is paying for our room and board, and I show she appreciates completeness ... not expediency. Sound good?"  
Blackhawk101
Terzo nods eagerly.   “Let us begin to ssolve thiss mystery!”  
silphael
Viktorescu nods as well.

"  And if we suspect any form of illusion or similar things, I have a way to check for those, even if short lived.  "
lostsole31
The chaplain says,   "If you need light, bring it up. A dark rainy day like today ... not much light coming in through the windows, and without habitation all lights are dark lights."  

He casts  light  on his shield, creating a dark blue glow that fills the room. For its part, Strahlender averages a faint orange glow, like a candle.

The group moves out onto the rain-slicked, broken-stone style walkway to the first building as mentioned.  Within the surrounding hedge, the garden of Iris Hill appears eerily shrouded in a thin mist that lingers over the grass despite the driving rain. All the buildings appear dark and quiet, and the odor of heather and ivy seems mixed with some sweetly sour, unwholesome essence. Evidence of neglect lies strewn across this once-magnificent garden. The grass grows tall and yellowed, and weeds choke flowerbeds along the sides of the estate’s buildings, leaving only a smattering of color from the few flowers that survive. A gravel path leads from the gatehouse and circles the well before branching off to each of the estate’s buildings.

Ryado and Victorine (at the former's behest) lead the way to the first building, the guesthouse. The door is safety-checked and opened. This well-appointed lounge includes a brick fireplace, a mahogany table with three matching chairs, and an antique sideboard near the foot of the stairs.

It takes 26 minutes to do a complete and thorough search here (30 min total elapsed time).

Up the stairs, with searching along the way. A small landing atop the stairs in the guesthouse has two doors to the building’s other rooms. The first room appears to be the guesthouse bedroom. Overnight guests to Iris Hill would stay in this apartment. This lavish bedroom contains a plush, four-poster bed draped with lacy netting. There is a cold ceramic stove in the western corner of the room.

  "This was the room of one Dailene Spence,"   reports the chaplain.   "She was a cultist, presumably staying here at Count Lowls request - along with many other cultists throughout - and after the last group killed her and this section checked, her trunk and valuables was sent to family for probate."  

The next room is a solarium. Large windows span two of the walls of this whitewashed room, allowing in warm sunlight ... if such a thing were to ever appear. This chamber was specially built into the guesthouse to provide luxurious amenities to Iris Hill’s guests.

The total check of upstairs and the stairs itself takes 42 minutes (now at 1 (hour): 12 (min)) elapsed time total.

The guest house is left behind for the next building....
lostsole31
The group moves over to what is known to be the carriage house and stables. Over the noise of the rain, Ryado says,   "This building was never checked. So we change our pattern. This time we look carefully at every square inch, but we take less time and with less physical contact. I doubt any type of traps are left behind, but this faster initial look is to be aware of any type of traps. We'll check the stable first, then the carriage house itself."  

At the stable, blood stains the damp, musty hay scattered across the floor of this stable. Victorine (w/ Ryado's assistance) leads the quick search as the others stand in the rain.

(Player private prompt)
Blackhawk101
  “I thought I heard a horse just now.”   states Terzo looking around.
lostsole31
Victorine, the chaplain, and his strange friend nod in agreement, looking around curiously.

 Begin Round One ...

R1T30:   Ryado concentrates briefly, a single lens forming around one of this  eyes - a monocle made of energy. He then steps out of the stable, but  turning to look back in.   "Horses  were butchered here for their meat, and the spirit of those horses are  angry. Victorine, step out of there. Andru, if you are like a classic  cleric, be ready to hammer the haunt with positive energy once it forms."  
 R1T26:   Terzo , what do you do?
Blackhawk101
Terzo readies himself for combat.   “I can harm incorporeal creaturess with my attacksss.”
   
 Spoiler: crunch 


SwA: Pugilist Stance (+1d6 to each unarmed attack) Note: Remove AC bonus from Steel Coil stance.

FRA: Total Defense +11 AC (+4 dodge bonus plus +7 dodge bonus from Focused Defense Blade skill). No Inertial armor and no Mind shield.
 
lostsole31
 R1T26:  Terzo readies himself for combat.   “I can harm incorporeal creaturess with my attacksss.”  
 R1T22-21:   There is a chirp of apprehension from Victorine's rat even as Sigo  touches Viktorescu's mind, curious about the group's sudden  apprehension.

 R1T19:   Viktorescu , what do you do?
silphael
Unsure if his options will work on uncorporeal entities, Vik nonetheless manifests Intertial Armor, and shifts his essence around.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Standard action to manifest Inertial Armor at 5 PP. Swift action to put 3E in Maw and 2 in Scales (those 5E were uninvested so far).
 
lostsole31
 R1T19:  Unsure if his options will work on incorporeal entities, Vik nonetheless  manifests  inertial armor  - the very air crackling around him  with raw psionic force before his teal glow, even as his teeth seem to  lengthen and scales appears on his skin.

 R1T15:  Victorine squeaks and runs out into the rain behind the others, casting  mage armor  on herself.

 R1T12:  Andru breathes, running his hand along his Pharasmin holy symbol, ready for a visible emanation or activity.

 R1T8:    Strahlender holds out its lanky, crystal arms. Thrumming deep and then  growing loud enough is a powerful grinding noise. Appearing in a great  ring around him and swirling around is what starts out as rock but then  compresses with mighty grinding and cracking into various jagged  crystals floating in the air in a large swirl around the group, but also  warping and curling around the outer limits, rather than burrowing  through walls.

 R1T6: A spectral figure of a horse appears and seems terrified, spinning around and bucking wildly.

Andru lets loose with a blast of positive energy that burns through the horse for   8 PE  .

It  kicks at Ryado, who intuitively puts up his arm protectively. The back  hooves slam into his arm with incredible force and there is the sound of  something powerful being stopped cold by his arm with a loud metallic  clang as if a horse kicked a steel girder. Ryado's whole body slides  back a few inches on the muddy ground, but otherwise his body doesn't  splay or sprawl from the impact, his arm still up in its defensive pose,  a faint after-ringing dimming out under the sound of grinding crystals  and rain.

 End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T30:  Ryado steps away from the horse, using his cane to help him with his other arm.

 R2T26:   Terzo , what do you do?

Vik on deck, Vic in the hole ...
Blackhawk101
Terzo eyes the haunt and the spinning crystal rings.   
“What sshould I do?”  asks Terzo. He tries to assess the haunt while staying in a defensive posture.

 
 Spoiler: crunch 

FRA: total Defense
FA: assessment
 
lostsole31
 R2T26:  Terzo eyes the haunt and the spinning crystal rings, asking,   “What sshould I do?”   while trying to assess the haunt and staying in a defensive posture.

  "You're doing it,"   says Ryado reassuringly, backed up by a focused nod from Andru.

 R2T19:   Vik , what do you do?

Vic on deck, Strahlender in the hole ...
silphael
Viktorescu tries to figure out what else he could do besides waiting for positive energy to end it, but goes on the defensive nonetheless.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Not sure if I even have an appropriate knowledge to try to determine an alternate way of solving it.

FRA : full defense.
 
lostsole31
 R2T19:  Viktorescu tries to figure out what else he could do besides waiting for  positive energy to end it, but goes on the defensive nonetheless.

 R2T15:  Vic takes out her crossbow while repositioning and then spends a second focusing on that weapon.

 R2T8:   Strahlender gives a mighty groan of effort and a feral cry as the  crystalline matter rushes towards him before collecting in front of him  and being sent at the apparition. The shards of crystal completely tear  apart the apparition, even as a doleful whinny is heard.

 Combat Over! 

Strahlender looks to his new friends with a big, crystal-toothy grin, looking for approval.
Blackhawk101
Terzo claps his hand appreciatively,   "Nice work Strahlender!"    He gives the big crystal guy a grin.
lostsole31
Ryado has the group search in the stable, and a bloodied cleaver is found underneath some hay, but after a 13-minute deep search, nothing else is found here of value.

Ryado forms a monocle around his eye and looks at the cleaver, then tosses it outside.   "That was the instrument that killed the horses, slaughtered for food. Removed from the stable, the spirit of those horses should now be at rest."  

Opening the long sliding panel on the western wall reveals the carriage house main floor. The smell of freshly turned earth fills the carriage house. Behind the a large black carriage that nearly fills this space, near a wall hung with tools and various pieces of tack, is a hole nearly 5 feet wide. Light cast downwards (and darkvision) notes that the hole is 30' deep, but little else is seen from this angle.

It takes 22 minutes to search the main floor of the carriage house (there are stairs going above as well as the pit). Total elapsed time: 35 minutes in this building so far (1:47 from beginning).

Ryado says,   "That .... is ominous. Do we want to try to descend right away?"  
Blackhawk101
Terzo nods to Ryado.   "I agree. Ominouss ..and unnatural. Definitely needs to be checked out."
"I volunteer to climb down as I can move quietly and sssee in the dark."  
silphael
"  If we need to fight, I am not at my best, but I should still be able to hold my own, so going down there first should work just fine.  "
lostsole31
Ryado nods to Terzo and Viktorescu.
Blackhawk101
Terzo will retrieve his 50' hemp rope from his haversack and look for a secure object to tie it off to. He will manifest a power and a brief glow will surround him before dissipating.
  "We will just take a quick look around and climb back up."  
After checking with Vik to confirm he is ready, Terzo will begin to climb down the rope into the pit.

 
 Spoiler: crunch 

Manifest psionic power Inertial Armor. Spend a total of 5 PP (1 initial buy plus Augmenting +2 AC for 4 PP) Total AC=+6 . Duration 6 hrs.
 
lostsole31
Terzo ties off his rope to the carriage axle. He is confident enough of an aided climber to make it down to the bottom no problem. There is actually a light below as he exits a hole in the ceiling above a natural cavern and makes it to the floor. This natural cave, illuminated by large floor lanterns, extends from east to west, slightly ascending from a pool of water to a raised shelf.
Blackhawk101
Terzo will hold the rope until Vik makes it down to him. He will put a finger to his own lips and then point to Vik and then to the spot on which Vik is standing.
Terzo will then move stealthily to the NE, sticking close to the cavern wall.
He tries to see or hear anything he can.

 
 Spoiler: crunch 

SwA: enter stance of Body of the Night (+6 ranks in Heal added to his stealth check for a total of +17 stealth bonus)

MA: Use stealth to move quietly 10' (15' in diagonal movement cost) to the NE (+/-) sticking close to the wall.

SA: Listen for any sounds or see anything out of the ordinary (perception check)
 
silphael
Vik descends, and follows Terzo's indication, sticking in place... after stepping aside to let the others climb down.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Climbing down, then moving aside to let the others climb down, as stealthily as possible.
 
lostsole31
Vik is not a confident climber, but the rope and his own brute strength only has a few stalls, but not falls, and he makes it to the bottom, shooing Terzo out of the way and stepping aside himself.

Victorine is next, and is as good at climbing with skill as Vik is through brute strength.

Strahlender is next, but instead of climbing the rope, it simply climbs the rough rock down, and circles around to finish the climb on the southern wall.

Andru isn't so lucky. He is barely on the rope before he falls, bouncing against the sides until he lands hard for  11 . Embarrassed, he stands up with Strahlender's help. He casts a spell on himself for   10 healing  . He then readies his quickdraw light steel shield again with a shrug.   "Grew up in the city, not in a tree."  

He then looks to the others.   "Hey, so, I knew I couldn't climb, but I came anyway. But you're erudyta is having some type of existential crisis up there."  
Blackhawk101
Terzo will walk over to Vik.   “Can you climb back up and lower him down?”  
silphael
He nods, climbing back up the rope.

"  I can do that. In a hurry, I can give him a flight elixir or burrowing claws. But attaching him to the rope then carrying him down is fine too.  "
lostsole31
Viktorescu stalls out several times, and Ryado looks down, seeing his less-than-stellar effort.

Still, Viktorescu finally makes it to the top.  Now what?
silphael
"  So. What do you prefer, should I tie the rope around your waist, then help you descend, or do you want to try to have some weird mutation for some time ?  "
lostsole31
  "Neither,"   says Ryado.   "I shall keep the watch up here."  
silphael
Vik sighs, then returns toward the rope.

"  I see.  "

He then climbs down the rope, back with the others.
Blackhawk101
When Terzo sees Vik returning empty handed, he asks   "What Happened?"  
silphael
Vik answers in a low voice.

"  He'll keep watch up there. Let's go.  "
Blackhawk101
  “Maybe we should leave the exploration of this excavation until later? I am worried that Ryado is in danger by himsself.”  
silphael
"  Obviously, if this excavation exists, it means the place is not as secured as we initially thought, so I agree.  "
Blackhawk101
Terzo will climb back up the rope.
lostsole31
Terzo makes it back up the rope to rendezvous with Ryado, who has since turned on the light from his  wayfinder .
Blackhawk101
Terzo hauls himself up into the carriage house and stands up, brushing off the dirt from his clothing.  
“Ryado, if you won’t or can’t climb down the rope, we will explore the excavation when it is safer to leave you alone up here.”  
silphael
Vik climbs up as well.
lostsole31
Ryado, hearing the effort, waits for Viktorescu to appear.

  "I will be your lookout up here,"   says Ryado.   "I am no climber, and that which ..."    and here he knocks his leg,    "caused that, also ruined my arms. I am no climber, and am not going to intentionally take a 30' nose dive. If something happens up here, I will cry for alarum for the soldiers at the gatehouse."  
Blackhawk101
  “We could make a loop and lower you down.”   suggests Terzo.
  “But if you insist on remaining, please be careful.”  
lostsole31
  "I insist,"   he replies.
Blackhawk101
Terzo will grab Vik (figuratively) and climb back down the rope.
lostsole31
Both are back down below with the others.
silphael
Vik nods and advances, looking around for potential traps and clues.

"  Let's go, then.  "