Day 31.1: Sneaking & Entering

30.2

Interrogating the watcher, he claims he was due to us disrupting of black sand trade. “Just business, ya know.” She – the night vixen – not happy. Kiren tried to intimidate him with black sand, but actually only throws a gossamer vial. Not effective other than she knows he feels it, but his shudder disclosed a bade of Nordoberger – deity of thieves and assassins, the only true evil deity. Mutu & Kiren recognize badge. Kiren has no issues with thieving (obviously), but despises assassins. Kiren does notice a secret pouch used to store dangerous items. Using dirty tricks to trip him, Kiren tries to snatch the pouch. He notices, but the party doesn’t, only seeing him draw a weapon and immediately attacks Kiren (according to her plan – well, ok, next best plan – as she can’t let him live). Mutu steps in to protecter her and the party dogpiles on him. (Assassin must die). The party destroys him with Charles getting the killing blow. Suggest retire to the Library instead of any place else we would frequent due to its neutrality to get some rest.

31.1

After resting the party looks over notes to figure out where to go next. It’s decided we should check out Dr. Ritalin’s house. Reaching it, the opulence is unusually for someone who up until recently was ostracized for his theories. Seems Dr. Ritalsin wasted no time in “upgrading” his look, living seemingly above his means, with the front of his house on one side showing off glass walls – something unheard of in a place renowned for its security. Either very stupid or something protects this house that deters invaders. Guess the group is about to find out which one.

As we are scoping out the house a butler looking person comes out to check the mailbox. Diana, thinking quickly, turns both her and the Eidolon invisible and sneaks inside before the butler can close the door. Thankfully she sends us a message that she will try to find an open window upstairs to open for the rest of us. Struggling with the window, Kiren smokes in to assist, snicking open the unusually difficult new lock. Maybe the security wasn’t as lacking as it looked from the outside.

Getting the rest of the party upstairs (Mutu his normally loud self) we manage not to alert the butler to our presence and start to explore. A normal looking bathroom and a bedroom that seemed to belong to a servant – except it was in pristine condition. Either the butler is majorly OCD or something isn’t right. Kiren notices burn splatters towards the back wall and that the length of the room doesn’t match the length of the bathroom next to it. With a quick search, she finds a secret door. She didn’t expect what was behind it. A dead body – the butler we just saw – and a lot of ritual items. Charles notes that the body hadn’t been dead long enough to be a desiccated as it was. We do find notes that Kiren was able to decipher [Lang Acklo – writing Charles and Kiren remembered from on Zonthar’s robes] that seemed to be a disturbing conversation with some entity about Dr. Ritalsin’s manipulation.

While searching the room, Him warns Diana that the butler was returning and seemed to be headed right for us. As he opens the door, Him shoves him inside. Surprised, the party attacks as we know he isn’t the real butler. Muto battle cries and scares the creature even more. When Diana’s diplomacy fails the creature starts muttering in a language Kiren remembered from their encounter with Zonthar. Surprised and with the party ready for him, the creature doesn’t last long. Detecting void magic, Kiren finally recognizes the creature as a [FACELESS Stalker] – infiltrators assassins’ resistance to bludgeon damage.

Checking out the other rooms, we find a scholar’s bedroom on the east side, decorated to impress and a master bedroom on the south over the glass first floor, probably Ritalsin’s, adorned with countless maps and notes all repeating the thing [Nameless Spires], must get to the nameless spires, I remember…will be done. It seems the dr. was planning some expedition to the Nameless Spires. Unfortunately, we also find numerous items belonging to other gate walkers. Either used to track the others – or kill them.

Finally, we reach the southern most door and of course Charles starts to glow. Using the keys we took from the not-butler, Kiren opens the door. Charles gets an impression of some incorporeal creature and its pissed!