Blondie opened the door the the west and saw a room filled with iron boilers, pipes piercing the walls and ceiling. Shadows and rust filled the narrow gaps between the tanks. The room did not feel hot or steamy. Blondie notices a faint glow from under the far boiler and moved into the room, laying down to peer under the tank. She was met by a glimpse of glowing eyes and writhing face tendrils as the creature and its compatriots move to attack.
Laughing man entered the room looking to attack something. As a large rat skittered out to bite Blondie, Wanda fired her wand of magic missiles at it and it fell dead. Orator identified the small dog sized rats as Dire Rats and warned that they could have a disease. As further rats entered the fray a rat like creature with glowing eyes and writhing face tendrils moved out to attack Blondie as she stood up. The bite gave her a bleeding wound. Bowman move to fire arrows as three additional Dire Rats moved into the room.
Newt entered the fray and attacked with her iron bound book. This surprised the group, they hadn't seen someone use a book as a weapon. Orator moved in and mashed a rat with his mace. One rat then bit Blondie, who hit the floor once again. Newt used her book once more and quickly all the Rats and the strange creature were dead.
Newt knelt over Blondie and recited Rebuke Death again. Blondie came back from unconscious and received some healing also. Laughing man examined one of the boilers whose door was hanging open. Inside it appeared that heat may have come from below. He speculated that it may have come from that iron furnace in the cell area. The duct appeared that a small creature could clamber through but the group would have to squeeze to fit. Orator took a look at the pipes and found a set that exited a large water tank in the rear of the room. The tank appeared to be half filled with water, which appeared to be potable from 5 feet distance anyway.
After Blondie recovered the group decided to move back to the room where they had seen the Doppelganger shadow on the curtain. As they entered the room where the pipes held a man in yellow sheets he started calling out "praise", "words fail", and "Zandalus sees!" over and over. Looking at his manacles and the group, asking with his eyes for help.
The group ignored him once again and Blondie opened the door to the large Doppelganger room. Laughing man suggested that Bowman shoot a flaming arrow into the sheet to expose what was beyond. Behind the curtain a light was showing the Doppelganger moving across the curtain, there were a couple of tables beyond the curtain also and possibly another tub like the two in the northern part of the room.
Bowman used some rags and a spark from Laughing man to fire a burning arrow into the curtain, which caught fire and burned revealing a doppelganger, a ghoul in the large tub and a inert woman laying on a table. At the far end of the room another smaller table held the lantern.
The group now knew they were in for a battle, but steeled their wills to finish off this last shapeshifter, hoping that they could find a way out. Wanda fired a magic missile at the doppelganger, which didn't even react to the hit. It made its way forward toward Blondie who had entered the room. Blondie charged raging toward the monster, her attack merely passed right through the creature. It occurred to her that the monster made no noise and didn't have its characteristic smell. Laughing man entered the room around the table laden with body parts, both human and doppelganger. Orator moved all the way into the chamber next to the female body on the south table. Newt determined that there were magic auras in the room. Just as Bowman was ready to fire the Doppelganger and the woman on the table disappeared. Laughing man wondered where the damn magic user was "Kill the user of that foul magic, maybe its the ghoul!!"
Wand fired her wand at the ghoul, who collapsed into the tub. Just then a female in a white doctors coat, hefting a gleaming dagger appeared next to the northern table. She stared down Blondie who felt her will weaken as the monster approached and missed with her dagger. Multiple attacks now reigned on the creature, magic missiles, Blondie's sword but not Laughing man's dagger even flanking.
Newt found that there were 5 magical auras, more than one on the farthest table and two directly on the woman with the dagger. Blondie felt the dagger's pinch and her eyes burned from the stare of the woman as she once again fell unconscious. It seemed as though none of the party could now hit the woman Bowman missed with his bow and with his dagger. Laughing man still couldn't touch flesh(?). Orator moved to the battle and greased the woman's dagger which she fumbled onto the floor. In a rage she stared the Orator down and attacked him with her claws. Now it was Orator's turn to hit the floor unconscious once again.
The group was in dire straits once again, two members on the floor, Newt attempting to Rebuke Death on Blondie once again. Laughing man was sure that they group was going to die as he once again attacked, finally hitting the monster. Newt attacked and hit with her mace did but took some damage from a claw.
Wanda fired once again from her wand and the woman fell to the floor in the shape of a Doppelganger. The group let out a great sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. Newt was providing Orator with a Rebuke Death spell, restoring him to life and Blondie sat up also. Newt headed for the south end of the room and what ever magic was there.
Breathing deeply, Laughing man searched the body of the creature and found a potion and then scooped up the dagger she had dropped, wiping the grease away. Newt found a bag on the table next to the lantern, which had two side pockets and a larger middle pouch. She dumped it out on the table and a pouch, a pearl, and a tiny wooden box with leather straps fell out. She examined the pearl and put the backpack on. The pouch contained 3 platinum pieces. Orator picked up the tiny wooden box and studied it.
Wanda toured the room and noticed a 6 foot mirror hung on the wall between two of the tubs. Each tub held two 6 foot poles and there was a ladder next to each tub. Bowman noted that the south wall had three rings on chains hanging from the ceiling. Laughing man climbed the ladder a peered into the rub which held the ghoul. The body was slumped on the bottom of the empty tub. Orator looked in the other tubs which were also empty. Noting the pipes feeding into the tubs, Laughing man determined that this was a laundry, now converted to surgical lab of some sort. As Orator picked up the lantern he noticed a reasonably well kept set of surgeon's tools resting on the table.
As a last resort Laughing man searched the pile of bodies and found a silver fine looking dagger. The party dragged the third Doppelganger body out into the hall, passing by the manacled man. "Praise", "words fail", "Zandalus sees!" Down the hall to the barricade the group moved once again.
Approaching the barricade they were challenged again, "Stay behind that doorway. Do you have another shapeshifter?"
Orator pointed at the body they were dragging, "Here is a third one. Now can you help us out of this nightmare?"
"Captain, they have returned with the third body." was heard from behind the barricade. After a short interval the authoritative voice returned, "Alright open the passage and I will escort this group in."
The last door in the hall opened and a man moved through the door, "Come on in. I will take you to safety."
Orator was suspicious but was assured by the man's demeanor. As the group moved toward the door, the Captain responded again, "Please, you must surrender your weapons before you can enter."
The Orator pleaded that the group just wanted out and would need their weapons upon leaving. After a little discussion, the Captain said "Fine, you are welcome with your weapons."
The door led to a small office, partially collapsed, which once held some shelves and possibly some cleaning supplies. The southern wall was clearly smashed open leading into another small office with a desk. There were guards in each room. The second room led back into the hallway south of the barricade. The hallway extended south and then east. To the east there were several bedsheets hung blocking whatever was behind. There were doors to the south and a set of double doors to the west.
The Captain led the group through these doors into a large chapel. Improvised pallets were clustered beneath sculpted divinities, and cooking fires burn beneath cracked windows in the interior. Panes of violet and blue stained glass formed spiraling patterns between prisonlike bars, while dozens of candles
flickered from modest alcove shrines.
A prominent statue of the goddess Pharasma stood before the sanctuary’s westernmost wall and depicted
on the spiral stained glass windows. However, there were smaller, candlelit shrines to other deities, including Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Gozreh, Iomedae, Irori, Sarenrae, Shelyn, and even a modest donation box beneath the symbols of Asmodeus and Zon-Kuthon. Several lesser deities also had ledges with symbols and candles here. There were 15 or so people standing, sitting or laying on cots in the chapel. They were mostly dressed in gowns, white outfits or simply rags. Some were children, others much older.
The Captain led the group to a young woman dressed in black, "This is Winter Klaczka, the leader of our group of survivors. Winter this group has brought us the bodies of three shapeshifters. They are all new kills."
Winter was a little cool toward the group, "I accept Captain York's belief that you are probably not Doppelgangers, but if you are to share our space and resources, you will have to work for it. We have some task that maybe you could help with."
"Where are we? What happened here? Who are you and these people? How do we get out of here?" the queries came fast and furious from the group.
"I am willing to answer your questions and concerns if you can help out with some tasks that this beleaguered set of survivors could use help with." said Winter.
After some discussion the group agreed to help if they could.
There are three areas in which we need some immediate help, plus the endless work of breaking up furniture for the fires. Two survivors, Airwynn Savoia and Bates Yopchick, are suffering from wounds. They are both currently resting on pallets near the altar. Airwynn suffered a broken arm
and several broken ribs when she was almost crushed by a falling wall. Bates was set upon by dangerous patients whipped into an animalistic fury. He was barely rescued by another survivor, Mura, but suffered vicious bites all over his body. The boy is still scared and hurting.
Second, Loic Ulsohnen, a patient, has frequent auditory hallucinations of his sister calling
for him. His twin sister died when they were eight; Loic is now 27. His hallucinations are usually managed with tinctures, which the community currently has in good supply. It’s just a matter of convincing a currently quite agitated Loic to calm down and take his medicine. Loic is currently
being hedged into a corner by Naysa Walika, a nurse. It’s taking all of her attention to keep Loic
from running off into the hall, where he might be hurt. If the group can help relax Loic so that he can take his medicine would help greatly.
Third, help prepare some food. There are several small fires set up about
the chapel with cooking implements, collected water, and basic foodstuffs. Some of the survivors are trying to prepare meals, but their methods are amateurish and wasteful. If the group could help with preparing a meal that would be appreciated.
"If you help out with these areas I will be willing to answer any questions you may have." finished Winter as she moved off to keep a young woman from wandering into the hallway. "Baisily, you know you are not supposed to wander off into the hall. It could be dangerous."
The group discussed who could help out in which areas. Newt volunteered to help the wounded, obviously. Laughing man and Blondie went to help make firewood. Orator moved toward Loic starting a fascinating performance on his lute. The music was soothing to all in the chapel. Finally Bowman and Wanda went to help with the cooking.
Bates Yopchick was a young child who broke into a seizure just as Newt approached his pallet. Newt applied her healing skill to soothe the child to provide some long term care. As she finished a thin, teen aged girl approached and pointed at Bates while implying a question on how he was. She did not speak only used her hands to point and indicate. Newt assured her that Bates would heal overnight as long as he slept well.
Naysa still cornered Loic as Orator strummed his lute. She relaxed slightly as over the next hour Loic slowly calmed and sat on his pallet. She then persuaded him to take his medicine as he laid down to sleep.
As Laugh man broke up firewood, Baisily moved over and started to talk with him. "Where are you from? Were you patients?" she asked while smiling coyly.
"What happened here?" queried Laughing man.
"There was a riot, then some kind of earthquake. We ran toward the doors but escape was blocked. Several people died horribly." she replied, tears brimming her eyes. "Tolman led me here to the chapel, where several of us gathered."
"So how can we get out of here?" asked Laughing man.
"I don't think there is a way out." she replied darkly as she wandered away toward the hallway.
Wanda and Bowman helped with the food preparation and managed to create an adequate broth with vegetables. They ladled the broth out as the mute girl, Mura, and others handed it out to the other survivors. All the survivors were happy to receive the food and some came by to thank the two preparers.
As the group was finishing up their work, Winter came by and asked that they meet together in the entrance. She had a guard, Denman, move the other survivors back into the interior of the chapel as the group talked. "What can I answer for you?" she queried.
"Where are we, what is this place?"
“Briarstone Asylum. It’s a hospice stuck on a rock sitting in the Danver River—a convenient place to forget inconvenient people.”
"Why don't you leave?"
“It’s as if the outside world has turned against us. I don’t know if it’s just Briarstone Isle, or if it’s the whole world, but the hospice is surrounded by some repulsive vapor. Worse, the weather beyond is like nothing I’ve ever seen—thunder like laughter, rain like blood. And that’s to say nothing of the shapes that scamper and flap within, vague forms that know when we sleep. Things are terrible here, but at least here we can see doom coming.”
"Why are there Doppelgangers in the asylum?"
“I don’t know. Wherever they came from, they emerged soon after the revolt. What’s strange is that some of the patients and asylum staff say that, in the nights before the uprising, they had nightmares of exactly the sorts of things that stalk the halls now.”
"What revolt?"
“I’m not entirely sure, but a patient led an uprising. It wasn’t like any riot I’ve ever heard of,
though. It was more like a religious movement. Most of the northern halls are now held by robed patients who call themselves Apostles in Orpiment. Those we’ve encountered are fanatically devoted to a patient named Ulver Zandalus.”
"Who is Ulver Zandalus?"
“I’ve never laid eyes on him, but some of the other survivors worked here before the uprising. They say Zandalus was a quiet man who suffered from horrible nightmares—a poet and artist whose art was disturbing, but who always seemed peaceful enough himself. All of that apparently
changed, though.”
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
“I’m a sister of Maiden’s Choir Cathedral in Caliphas. My associates and I were helping a Royal Accuser investigate strangeness in Thrushmoor.”
"What strangeness?"
“Haserton Lowls IV, the count of Versex, appears to have abandoned his duties as one of the nation’s rulers. Accuser Omari had reason to believe that Lowls had regular business here at Briarstone. She sent me to investigate the asylum while she and other associates went on to Thrushmoor.”
"What God does the Maiden's Choir Cathedral worship?"
"Why of course, her lady the Goddess Pharasma."
As the group discussed the situation with Winter, loud peals of thunder exploded and lightning lit the yellow fog outside the windows. Rain poured down, flowing in through cracks in the windows.
DM's Notes: The party earned 807 XP for the evening and need only 54 additional to reach 2nd level. The group were again challenged in collecting the third Doppelganger. Also the lack of recovery during sleep worried them.
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