Day 14.2: Star Pointed Bethlen Workshop

Since half the day is gone, we decide investigating the Glade should wait until tomorrow (and hopefully clear, bright skies) and we would tackle investigating the Bethlen Workshop to the south. I decided to check the area out first to know what we are walking into.

A squat building attached to a large warehouse, with smoke stacks breaching the sky. Except no smoke filtered out of the stacks. Using some of my underground contacts and surveillance beforehand, I got the layout of the of the place; small front office, research area, and warehouse on the surface, with additional space below, supposedly designing tech mysteries using a mix of Electricity /Clockwork /Alchemical combinations. The whole building had unusually thick walls compared to the rest of the building in the area. Wondered if that was to keep people out…or keep something in?

According to my sources, there had been some sort of accident in the lab creating hazardous materials. The students and workers avoided the area from fear of contamination. They might believe the story, but I don’t. Too convenient and a possible ambush.

With the whole party together and ignoring the sign on the front door, we enter directly (door not locked? – Rather strange for someplace that just had a hazardous accident) and meet [DRAGO], the “receptionist”. Charles immediately started to glow. Oh goody. Mutu moves in quickly not giving Drago time to react or prepare, while I slip away to explore the next room to investigate. Mutu meanwhile has decided to intimidate Drago to get some information. (I’m kinda liking this new Mutu! Chatty and Bold!) Turns out Drago was undead (thus why priest boy became a spotlight). I watch from the sidelines as Diana & Charles disrupt undead and Mutu & the Eidolon beat him into submission. Not to miss out on the fun, I chuck a dagger with satisfactory thunk. Turns out to be a Icor Slinger (Snake Oils Salesman). I call him an unrepentant undead who reaped his reward. I mean Mutu did give him a chance to surrender. It’s not our fault Drago made poor unlife choices.

We found a journal and a carved, ebony quill. Quickly scanning the journal [glean contents] I find 2 distinct thought processes, although in the same handwriting. We collected several magical tomes, looked though paperwork and clockwork specimens.

[Need to see if the magical tomes reveal any connection to the magical connections we have seen]

Drago also had a nice ring on him (Stalwarts Ring), which Mutu took. The Eidolon left to ferry Dragos to the other side. According to what the Eidolon learned (nifty talent), Dragos wasn’t dead until after the explosion. He was bribed with the pen to stay quiet and keep others out (ooops). The ebony quill is made of the damn black sand (Great more nightmares) that grants brilliance but at the cost of your life energy (Possessed).

Moving to the workshop, a basic setup, although a set of tools we found seem almost alive. We decided to wait until not in a potentially dangerous place to investigate the tools. (Nothing like mind possession to dampen a good monster hunting session). Charles also found some discarded pieces of metal Silver /Cold Iron /Adamantium which Diana/Charles/ I took for future uses. Nothing special in the warehouse either. Down to the basement we go.

Sigils of protection carved into the doors we opened and an eerie green glow greeted us from below. A massive grate superimposed with a 10-sided star, surrounded by a ring of protection sigils. We try the stair to the right(east) and find a table with three severed hands with black inky veins pinned to the table. Guess who starts to glow again. Guess what came back to life again!

Charles and Diana make quick work of them. On the desk we find a Battle Medics baton, Elixir of Life (lessor), Numbing Toxin (lessor), and a Mistform potion.

[Want to read through notes we found later to see if there is connection between these hands and the toymaker dolls – for now using glean contents skill to look for relevant info that might help us deal with whatever is down here]

 Head back to the left (west) and up some stairs only to be jumped by two small grotesque clockwork creatures yelling “Master back Alive!” (Did they mean Mutu?)  I electrify the one I see and find the other one as a bonus. Charles needles one while the Eidolon destroys creature #1. Mutu following up by deconstructing creature #2. Diana collects pieces parts, as do I. (Never know what they might tells us – or sells these days). [CLOCKWORK PARTS]

Sneaking through the next room we find two things. 1) a new abomination. A construct with a skull encased in a globe filled with green liquid(?) much like the specimens in the tanks and 2) an area of explosion that broke the ward sigils that were probably keeping this creature contained. I also see another of the globed figures and 2 more of the smaller constructs up to the left. Something jogs my memory about the globed creature. A golem/construct, resistant to magic, yet weak to metals. Decide we should sneak back south so to only have to fight one of them at a time. Unfortunately, the Eidolon and Charles are not the quietest people.

The creature immediately sees Charles and moves to attack. Charles needle darts seem very effective. I protect Charles as best as I can and slide to a more advantageous attack/protection space, while Mutu engages the creature head on. The creature hits Mutu and tried to inject some kind of green liquid into him, thankfully ineffective. Eidolon hits while Diana protects her companion.

I can tell this is going to be a toxic situation…