Gavril sneaked back to the barricade aware that the canines had probably notice him.
"We should wait here and make them come to us one at a time," he declared.
"You mean we aren't going to go in a fight whatever is in there?" queried Erevel completely confused.
"If we make them fight us one at a time it will be easier," answered Gavril.
Armania began a summon monster spell. Suddenly the air was full of a spore cloud that hung in the air. Some of the party felt a little weak and fatigued. Then a second cloud filled the air also and a yellow eyed canine was visible in the distance. Gavril, Paullus, Ciprian and Armania moved backwards from the cloud of spores. Erevel charged into the chamber to engage one of the canine like creature and found herself next to two of them. Paullus fired arrows into the fray.
Armania's eagle flew toward the woman and successfully attacked but was killed quickly as it took damage from the thorns that covered her body.
Surprisingly Paullus suddenly felt a bit attack from behind, which was the smaller chamber. Looking around he saw a fleeting image of a three-stalked fungoid body. A large maw gaped along its entire front. The creature then faded out of sight.
Fighting her fatigue Erevel attacked a canine creature which fell to the floor but the spore cloud stayed in the air. Ursina charged into the chamber and attacked another of the canine creatures. Paullus then also moved speedily into the chamber facing two more canines and the robed female. The woman created fire in her hand and threw it at Paullus inflicting fire damage.
Gavril waited for the fungoid creature to appear which it did behind Ursina. Gavril and Armania hit the creature as it was shimmering after attacking Ursina. Armania then moved into the chamber, Erevel killed the second canine, and then moved toward the other two as did Ursina. Paullus moved to a position to fire arrows at the woman.
The Phantom Fungus appeared again behind Armania and opened its mouth wide for maximum effect. Ciprian reacted with his readied spell unleashing an insulting tirade, so vicious and spiteful that the Fungus immediately started smoking as it took fire damage. It did not appear to catch fire as it disappeared again.
Gavril continued to try and catch his breath outside the fog of spores. Armania withdrew next to Gavril as she couldn't find a way past the Fungus. The canines attacked at will and the woman threw another handful of fire at Paullus, who sank to the floor. Erevel wishing to confront the woman raged and shifted to face her. Swinging her greatsword she inflicted major damage but simultaneously Erevel took damage from the Bramble Armor surrounding the woman. Ursina moved around to attack one of the canines and with a mighty blow felled the monster in one shot.
Ciprian ran at full steam into the chamber, through the fog of spores and ended just behind Paullus, who looked stable but unconscious on the floor of the chamber. No evidence of the Phantom Fungus was seen, so Armania turned invisible and moved up into the chamber again. Gavril finally felt his lungs clear and was ready to move if he saw that monster again.
The woman, using her spear, did grave damage to Erevel who continued her on ministrations, but also taking damage, and shifted slowly around the woman. The lone canine moved up to Ursina and failed to damage her. Ursina then slew that final canine and shifted closer to the female. Ciprian knelt over Paullus and applied healing to revive him. Then he moved to attack the lone left enemy he could see, still wary of the Fungus. Gavril finally charged into the fray and Armania moved in also after contacting the spore effect once again. The woman attacked Erevel again, who feeling faint and knowing if her rage stopped she could be in trouble, applied some healing to herself. Paullus stood and moved to get a good arrow shot at the woman on his next turn.
The fog of spores melted away just as Ursina took down the woman but took damage herself from the Bramble Armor. Ciprian looked around quickly for the Fungus. He saw some tracks in the floor that ended five feet behind him. Yelling out a warning he tried to indicate the position of the creature. Now the crew slowly surrounded the monster whacking away at its supposed position. With excellent aim most of the attacks hit home. The creature only got one final attack in on Ciprian before Erevel again moved in for the kill.
Drawing their breath the group stood for a few minutes before looking around. Ursina immediately detected magic, noting the woman's armor and some items in her cloak. Ciprian note that their was magic emanating from a crate on the floor, which was between the smoky remnants of a fire and a table littered with cooking pots, glass flasks and other tools. There was a folded paper sitting on the table next to some beakers.
Opening the crate first Ciprian saw 11 potions and 21 vials stored inside. The potions were the only magic. Ursina stripped the armor from the woman and reached in a pocket to find a key, another potion and a scroll.
Meanwhile Gavril was scouting around the room. In the northwest corner was another barricade, smaller but fashioned out the same logs and leather lashes as the barricade that blocked entry to this chamber. He also pointed toward a section of the wall where a spiraling mass of tendrils with two long, descending tails was painted. Finding no interpretation, Gavril moved to the barricade.
Ursina tried to recall the meaning of the painting and determined it was the symbol for the Great Old One Xhamen-Dor, the Inmost Blot, Lord of decay, parasites and transformation. Shuddering, Ursina said a little prayer to Irori and touched her holy book.
Paullus was interested in the tools on the table and after studying them for a moment realized that the tools could be used as an alchemist's Lab. He started looking around for a way to pack and carry them.
Ciprian finally took the folded paper and read:
Daridela,
Please deliver more of your dream-inducing brews, as well as more of that oil.
Melisenn
Recognizing the name Armania noted that they should ask Cesadia about the Melisenn at their next meeting. At this the whole crew moved to the small barricade, which was pivoted to the north revealing a smaller cave, twenty feet across at its widest. The rounded cave contained a scattered pallet of blankets, a wooden washbasin of clean water and a sturdy chest. This chamber was less muddy and the pallet was raised on a bed of straw. No magic was detected in the room but Ciprian saw a lock on the chest.
"Who has the key?" he bellowed.
"Right here," said Ursina ambling over to unlock the chest.
"Maybe Gavril should look for traps? We already were surprised by one such thing today." announced Ciprian.
Gavril moved over and detected that there indeed was a needle trap which he then disabled allowing the chest to be opened. Inside were a few changes of clothes, a clay jar and a a leather pouch. Ciprian took the pouch first and found it contained several gold coins. The jar was not hermetically sealed so Ciprian opened it revealing four small mushrooms, with red caps dotted with white spots.
Paullus came over to take a look and determined that these were Muscaria, able to induce strong hallucinogenic states. The state lasts for 3 or so hours with improved Knowledge, Perception and Sense Motive checks. Unfortunately it also came with Charisma Damage.
After packing up the Alchemist's Lab into the large chest, collecting all the magic plus Daridela's body, the crew took one last look into the Phantom Fungus chamber and noted humanoid bones among the animal bones on the floor. It seemed as though there had been a steadily growing collection of bones over several months time. At last the group got back on Toli's boat and he rowed them back to Thrushmoor. Ciprian suggested that they land near the Sleepless Detective building instead of the piers. Hauling a dead body across town might not be a good idea.
At the Sleepless Agency the group was led in by Meg, who continued to glare at Paullus. Winter greeted them and suggested taking the body around to the back door and then they all met with Cesadia. During discussion all were sure that this body Daridela was certainly not the Briarstone Witch, but it was clear that she had been having some interactions in Thrushmoor.
Armania then brought up the name Melisenn and asked if Cesadia knew who that was.
"Melisenn Kororo is Count Lowls assistant. She is in charge of the staff at Iris Hill. Probably she is looking for new help or is enlisting the aid of some minor nobles. The request for the drugs is unusual though and concerns me." replied Cesadia.
"Do you know what she looks like and what she wears?" queried Armania.
"She is a short woman with long, dark smooth hair and deep dark eyes. She usually wears her hair in a ponytail and sports a ferroniere with a large, teardrop-shaped topaz on her forehead. Her apparel is modest and monotonous, for she invariably wears a corset top, a yellow silk blouse, and a long skirt, adding a woolen cloak when the weather is inclement," explained Cesadia.
Armania wanted to get some rest, while the rest of the party was intent on stopping The Doomsayer from frightening the populace. Gavril was keen on slitting the man's throat, but Ciprian was more practical, maybe we can just get him to stop talking for a while. So the party minus Armania headed out toward the Silver Wagon.
Along the way they came upon a group of people surrounding Elgrior, who was still clad in shoddy clothes and wearing a signboard across his shoulders.
"Doom is coming! The second vanishing is upon us! Pray for your salvation that the Briarstone Witch doesn't take you!"
Gavril started to rush the man but Ciprian held him back and moved up speaking with authority but found that his attempt to fascinate Elgrior had failed Paullus moved to have a clear shot at the
Doomsayer in case it was needed. Ursina and Erevel just stood at the back of the crowd amazed at how easy it was to scare the populace. Disinformation was easily repeated and found just by listening to Elgrior each day. His pronouncements just assuring them that they were correct, the second vanishing was coming.
Ursina finally moved up and suggested to Ciprian that Diplomacy might work best with the Doomsayer. Together they each tried to sway Elgrior to listen more closely to what they had to offer. He lessened his screed step by step and finally was convinced to talk with them more privately. They offered him a job at the temple, being a gopher or just sweeping up. Erevel thought this was quite apt as he would be among his own kind.
Off to the temple the group headed with Elgrior in tow. They sought out Naysa and Wren and explained the situation. The crew at the temple was glad to accept him in to help out. They certainly were stretched thin at the moment.
The group stopped at the Smokehouse to buy some fish and headed back to the Sleepless Agency to report to Cesadia. She was happy to hear of the success, hopeful it would last, with Elgrior.
"I'll let Dena at the Silver Wagon and Emman at the Stain know of your exploits. I'll suggest that Dena accept payment from Gavril and allow the group of you use of the inn once again." Cesadia said with confidence.
Once the whole party had taken some rest to recover spells, a short rest not a complete recovery, they all headed out for a night's patrol. The evening was moving along well. No incidents occurred in the first few hours. That all changed shortly after the Dark of the Moon as they were walking down a narrow street near Binter's Smithy. Erevel was in front as usual, when she looked down an alley and was confronted by a corpse, twisted and mutilated. Fingers of sharpened bone reaching out toward her.
The air was filled with a Baleful Shriek and Paullus, Gavril and Armania cowered in fear. Erevel was it by a claw for significant damage. In response, she of course advanced and attack with her Greatsword
but was dismayed as it was less effective than usual. Both Ursina and Ciprian were attempting to recall what this creature could be, certainly undead but probably a Revenant. Neither had any more recollection of its powers or weaknesses.
Ursina attempted a Disrupt Undead but the spell fell flat as she finished the incantation. "Damn it must have Spell Resistance!" she shouted. Ciprian began an Naturalist Oration to help his comrades. Gavril, Paullus and Armania stood transfixed as the creature attacked Erevel once again with two claws, luckily only one hit.
This time Ursina's spell was successful and the Revenant staggered back from the ray of positive energy. Erevel attacked again with less effect than expected and shifted to try and move for flanking. Ciprian's Blistering Invective delivered fire damage but no lasting fire on the creature.
As she was battling with the creature, Erevel had flashed of memory where she saw herself beating this man senseless with a club and her fists. She continued to beat the man after he lay on the ground, bleeding and unconscious.
DM's Notes: The party earned 2,133 XP for the night's work. They now have 12,030 XP and need 2,970 to reach 5th level.
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