Ironguard: Seeking the Nergal Sanctum (Expedition thread).

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

Golgarth: Wisdom check vs 15: [4d6]=13

Will confess to the Sheriff we are still probing cult links, suggesting that the Impurax takeover if the Silvanus faith might be working in tandem with a Nergal plan to target other spheres of influence; from market place to place of worship and into places of authority.

somehow I think we more natural lean in to trust a Peter Cushing sheriff image or Sean Connery duke than we might with a Christopher Lee inquisitor.

I will add we think sudden occurrences of bizarre or strange incidents and behaviours might be cult related and ask not only about these 'Green Flame' apothecary prisoners but also regarding other prisoners and absent guards such as Norbert.

We should speak in confidence and also try to observe his office and listen to any concerns he might entrust us with.

[Spearmint]

Apologies for the very late responses here.

Green Flame cottage.

"I'm going to go ask a few questions of the beggar. Watching folks come and go is all he has to do all day. Could be he might have seen something."

Selina goes to bribe information from the nearby beggar, hoping that he might prove to be an able witness. She turns on the Charm, helped by a silver piece. The beggar replies, "Kindly young Miss. To feed me another day. To keep the wolves from my door." A silver piece gets a base meal, cheese & bread or an ale, but not both. To loosen his lips you might have to loosen a purse. -1gp. You give him you own last gold piece, technically making the beggar wealthier than you but your needs are covered.

"Few come by here by choice, least not to these quarters. Harkers came, baton beating and probing. They had a creature, leashed, like a long armed primate that exuded oil from its rubbery skin. It sniffed around the door and windows before they went in. Dragged one of the alchemists out, beat him and took his satchel."

The Harkers relate to the militia Night Watchmen. The creature described seems unusual, certainly not a guard dog or a humanoid person.

"That was a couple of nights before. Then 'whoosh'. An explosion. Almost took the roof off. Made a noise, fire crackling and snapping. Neighbours here ran with pails of water from the standpipes but out of the fires came a devilish flock. Little imps that seared everyone with steamy breath. They fled across the rooftops, shrilling calls and in fear."

He concludes the Mephits written about in the news column may just be by products rather than the cause of the Green Flame.

actions, any more interaction with the beggar?

Inside the derelict house, Dadely & Sidkrake carefully explore. The locked cellar door seems purposed to keep folk out (or in) as well as warning of further structural demise. The upper rooms already looked well ransacked for useable or sellable trinkets and pillaged goods. So going below seems the next logical choice.

Sidkrake thieves skills [1d100]=76

No delicate twisting of lockpicks can unsecured the door but taking a risk, a few hefty barges and you can both access the cellar.

Unstable wall vs 1-2 [1d6]=2.

Dexterity checks: Dadely [4d6]=16 Sidkrake [4d6]=17

Ceiling rafters collapse: [1d6]=1

The warnings are given for a reason. After breaching the barred doorway, timber joist above gives way, clouting both Dadely & Sidkrake upon the heads. It knocks each prone, -1hp and hopefully some sense into them too.

The dark cellar beckons. A firebrand torch is struck to illuminate the steps that descend only a short distance. The smell from below is of charred and burnt wood, plinking drops of water patter somewhere, perhaps from a burst cistern or kitchen pipe. It is silent. Interestingly the walls are marked with soot and sticky globules of a green gel. Not acidic like an ooze or slime, but highly flammable as the flaming tongues of torch fire suddenly ignite each in little fiery bursts, sparking hit scorch marks on the wall and staircase risers.

actions for investigations please.

[Spearmint]

Sheriff Longstaff.

If the Sheriff is amenable he and Golgarth would like to question them as well.

The two investigators meet with the Duke's Marshall, the overseer of the Law seems to have a favourable response to your request

Sheriff Longstaff: [1d100]=78

taking you to the holding cells where the two bedraggled apothecaries are being held. "Perhaps you have a finer wit and wisdom to get sny sense from these fools." he says and signals a guard to bring them to sit at a table before you.

One taps his ear and mouth indicating his deafness and present muteness. The other holds his hands out, reaching to feel the way, his eyes staring wide and blankly. Blinded.

You begin to question them. It seems the pair were involved in some black-market pharmaceuticals, producing various addictive powders and steroids. Giving temporary 'highs' or augments to physiques, the contraband is outlawed. "Some of the Watch are
involved, taking a cut of proceeds or using it to coerce others. But there is a strangeness to them both."

The blinded one confesses that certain guards 'turned a blind eye' to their activity, ironic now he feels. But their experiments with compounds and materials led to some potion miscibility, causing an explosion and opening a rift into some spatial dimension. Deaf-man taps his comrade on the shoulder signing to him, appearing to frantically indicate a book or some notes before he repeats the gesture to yourselves and in a game of charades, interpret his actions to the blinded man.

"The scripts were given to us. We transposed them and thought our exposition and experiments were good." he drifts into a pleading monologue, saying they were just trying to get by and make ends meet. They didn't mean to cause any issue. But then they talk of 'their shadows' moving, independent of themselves.

Indeed the deaf-mute and the blind man do not have any shadow! You raise a lantern light and make them stand. Neither has a physical shadow and no amount of light causes one to project from them.

"We are cursed. They will come for us." he says.

Strange, you have never seen a shadowless person before, it feels like part of their soul stripped away.

"I keep them here. Under lock and key, as much for their own safety as any remand period. " Longstaff says. He dismisses the guard, asking you what you think and if it ties in with any cult activity.

actions Golgarth & Gunter

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

I will use my holy symbol to bless them, perhaps they are just cursed or it is illusory. I am assuming the drug dealer issue is clamped down upon by the Sheriff but their dealing is a sideline to other interests. The comment

"The scripts were given to us. We transposed them and thought our exposition and experiments were good."

is the focus of my interest.

Who gave them 'scripts' and what sort of writing was it. Similar to the ribbons on Norbert? It might be worthwhile telling the Sheriff we found Norbert, dead as a zombie wrapped in linens that had enchantments upon. Don't have to tell him about Ness Costner.

Who is the 'They'? The Mephit creatures, the cultists? The Shadows?

I would recommend to the Sheriff that rather than a jail cell, they might be best restrained but in a sacred place? The Silvanus Temple or within the Cathedral of St Ygg?

I will ask the Sheriff if we can take a look through their belongings, any books, scrolls, strange items they carried.Golgarth: Wisdom check vs 15: [4d6]=12

[archolewa]

Apologies for the very late responses here.

Green Flame cottage.

"I'm going to go ask a few questions of the beggar. Watching folks come and go is all he has to do all day. Could be he might have seen something."

Selina goes to bribe information from the nearby beggar, hoping that he might prove to be an able witness. She turns on the Charm, helped by a silver piece. The beggar replies, "Kindly young Miss. To feed me another day. To keep the wolves from my door." A silver piece gets a base meal, cheese & bread or an ale, but not both. To loosen his lips you might have to loosen a purse. -1gp. You give him you own last gold piece, technically making the beggar wealthier than you but your needs are covered.

"Few come by here by choice, least not to these quarters. Harkers came, baton beating and probing. They had a creature, leashed, like a long armed primate that exuded oil from its rubbery skin. It sniffed around the door and windows before they went in. Dragged one of the alchemists out, beat him and took his satchel."

The Harkers relate to the militia Night Watchmen. The creature described seems unusual, certainly not a guard dog or a humanoid person.

"That was a couple of nights before. Then 'whoosh'. An explosion. Almost took the roof off. Made a noise, fire crackling and snapping. Neighbours here ran with pails of water from the standpipes but out of the fires came a devilish flock. Little imps that seared everyone with steamy breath. They fled across the rooftops, shrilling calls and in fear."

He concludes the Mephits written about in the news column may just be by products rather than the cause of the Green Flame.

actions, any more interaction with the beggar?

Selina

Selina frowns. "You're sure they were Harkers? In my experience, watchmen use dogs, not...long armed primates with rubbery skin, or whatever. Did the Harkers say anything to the alchemist? Make any accusations? Ask any questions? Demand anything? And how do you know the mephits weren't the cause?"

[tristenc]

No worries, bud. Glad things have calmed down for you slightly.

Apologies for the very late responses here.

Green Flame cottage.


Inside the derelict house, Dadely & Sidkrake carefully explore. The locked cellar door seems purposed to keep folk out (or in) as well as warning of further structural demise. The upper rooms already looked well ransacked for useable or sellable trinkets and pillaged goods. So going below seems the next logical choice.

Sidkrake thieves skills [1d100]=76

No delicate twisting of lockpicks can unsecured the door but taking a risk, a few hefty barges and you can both access the cellar.

Unstable wall vs 1-2 [1d6]=2.

Dexterity checks: Dadely [4d6]=16 Sidkrake [4d6]=17

Ceiling rafters collapse: [1d6]=1

The warnings are given for a reason. After breaching the barred doorway, timber joist above gives way, clouting both Dadely & Sidkrake upon the heads. It knocks each prone, -1hp and hopefully some sense into them too.

The dark cellar beckons. A firebrand torch is struck to illuminate the steps that descend only a short distance. The smell from below is of charred and burnt wood, plinking drops of water patter somewhere, perhaps from a burst cistern or kitchen pipe. It is silent. Interestingly the walls are marked with soot and sticky globules of a green gel. Not acidic like an ooze or slime, but highly flammable as the flaming tongues of torch fire suddenly ignite each in little fiery bursts, sparking hit scorch marks on the wall and staircase risers.

actions for investigations please.

Dadely grunts as the beam catches him. "Oof... this is probably ill advised, but we have little more we can learn here above. The torches, however, will have to be eschewed for now. That fluid will light us up like a bonfire if we are not careful. The heritage behind my eyes will allow me to see somewhat without it. Sadly I do not have a prayer prepared for illumination today..."

Dadely will reluctantly proceed sans torch and move as cautiously as possible down. He searches inside for anything of use or a clue as to the reason for the destruction.
=====
does it seem to be there was a search then destruction to cover the tracks? An accident? Simple intentional destruction?
he will also keep an eye out for any strange sigils or occulty or arcane markings

Investigations from the book of bad decisions. Int 17: [4d6]=17. wis 17: [4d6]=11

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UYh4lXYakDU

[Hvalreki]

Gunter

Sheriff Longstaff.

If the Sheriff is amenable he and Golgarth would like to question them as well.

"The scripts were given to us. We transposed them and thought our exposition and experiments were good." he drifts into a pleading monologue, saying they were just trying to get by and make ends meet. They didn't mean to cause any issue. But then they talk of 'their shadows' moving, independent of themselves.

Indeed the deaf-mute and the blind man do not have any shadow! You raise a lantern light and make them stand. Neither has a physical shadow and no amount of light causes one to project from them.

"We are cursed. They will come for us." he says.

Strange, you have never seen a shadowless person before, it feels like part of their soul stripped away.

"I keep them here. Under lock and key, as much for their own safety as any remand period. " Longstaff says. He dismisses the guard, asking you what you think and if it ties in with any cult activity.

actions Golgarth & Gunter

Gunter spits and makes the warding sign against evil when it's clear the men have no shadows.

"That's..that..not possible~ may Cromm Cruach protect and ward us!"

Shadowless men being far, far outside his perview, Gunter follows Golgarth's lead in gathering clues.

[Spearmint]

'Green Flame' house:

Selina

"You're sure they were Harkers? In my experience, watchmen use dogs, not...long armed primates with rubbery skin, or whatever. Did the Harkers say anything to the alchemist? Make any accusations? Ask any questions? Demand anything? And how do you know the mephits weren't the cause?"

Selina presses the beggar. He is sure the heavies were Citadel militia, they wore the uniform at least. As to the strange creature, unusual indeed. The beggar suggests they use it because of some innate traits to 'dimension' parts of its body. He gestures putting a fist into his mouth and then mimics a hand exiting his backside. The Watch has a barracks near to the Sheriff's office.

He is not sure what the Harkers wanted with the alchemists but after the incident, they were taken into custody. He concludes this group of Watchmen were doing ex-judicial activities, otherwise they would not beat and harass the men. They took a satchel which must contain something of interest, but he doesn't know what.

As far as the Mephits, he says they are smaller impish creatures and had returned one night to search the ruin but left quickly afterwards.

Dadely & Sidkrake
The pair cautiously descend the dark steps, going by infravision and dimmed candle light rather than flaming torch lest any residue flammable gel blobs burst into explosive Napalm like effects.

does it seem to be there was a search then destruction to cover the tracks? An accident? Simple intentional destruction?
he will also keep an eye out for any strange sigils or occulty or arcane markings

The cellar below is burned, the surviving timbers charcoal like and liable to further collapse. Half the risers on the steps missing, rubble portions from the caved in sections sprawl over an unevenly floor.

Rubble rousing the centipedes vs 1 [1d6]=6 unstable wall vs 1-2 [1d6]=4

You navigate around bent beams and crisped furnishings. Surprisingly one corner of the cellar remains untouched by the immolation, you go over to inspect it.

Secret Doors checking: [1d100]=89 [1d100]=87

Neither yourself or Sidkrake can locate any niches or latches which might indicate a secret door however with one person standing in that location and another looking about, the latter can discern a vaguely humanoid shape traced on the wall, like a silhouette of soot as if someone had stood here when the explosion ignited and an outline of their figure was imprinted upon the wall. Only this has a not just the depiction of legs and arms but spreading wings, outstretched bat-like rather than eagled or angelic.

It certainly gives vampiric or diabolic vibes.

A work bench nearby has a few disturbed drawers and a shelf unit has several bottles of embalming fluids, tipped up and scattered. But these thick glass flasks, grimy with soot are still intact. You can sort through the jars and find one that is very similar to something mentioned earlier by Ness Costner, a pickle jar that contains a living eyeball! The eyeball blinks at Dadely who must be as equally if not more surprised to see it as the wide eyed organ is to see him.

Sidkrake pokes around, pulling drawers apart and searching for niches, notebooks and any information. Any tools in the place have already gone to previous looters but he finds that under the rubble strewn floor, runes and patterns of some magic circle have been inscribed on the cellar floor. Brushing the rubble away, you can make out a circular design with arcane markings, surely some kind of summoning circle.

In some empty ceramic flasks, you could spoon in the globules of gel to create an improvised explosive, enough to add one each. add +1, 'Green Flame' flask.

actions Selina & Dadely please

[Spearmint]

Sheriff's office.


Golgarth & Gunter investigate with Sheriff Longstaff.

the transcript is the focus of my interest.

Who gave them 'scripts' and what sort of writing was it. Similar to the ribbons on Norbert? It might be worthwhile telling the Sheriff we found Norbert, dead as a zombie wrapped in linens that had enchantments upon. Don't have to tell him about Ness Costner.

Who is the 'They'? The Mephit creatures, the cultists? The Shadows?

Golgarth: Turn Undead / Compel Truth [1d20]=1 [1d12]=8 [3d4]=9
Golgarth: Turn Undead / Compel Truth [1d20]=17 [1d12]=4 [3d4]=11

Golgarth blesses each of the men in turn and using his inspiration, tries to coerce the men into speaking the truth under his holy ire in like manner to rebuking the unholy. The first man remains ignorant of any conviction beyond his sorrow at being caught but the second takes the admonition and begins to confess a little more detail. He gives a name, "Hexton, a scribe in the Arcanum. He passes us scrolls and texts and we supply his habitual." He goes on to share more and supplied with quill and vellum and write out a few runes and arcane algebra that he remembers. His hands trembling as he does so. Dadely might be able to verify their authenticity or similarity to those on the zombie.

The 'They' is more geared towards underworld figures, which the pair might assume are rogues and smugglers with cultist associations. The loss of their shadows is a very strange phenomenon and the idea to restrain them in more sacred surrounds seems a good one.

Sheriff Longstaff concedes the Green Flame affair is not his usual forte, more at home putting down quarrelling factions of gangs, security and regulating the militia. He will investigate his own militia and fill you in on any relevant progress he makes in uncovering corruption among the Duchy forces.

He gives you access to the pair's personal belongings, no books or surviving literature but one had a bone bracelet, a snake design that coils several turns around a wrist to form a bracer type device.

any further actions here: Golgarth & Gunter?

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

Glad to see he can compel confessions with his godly Cromm Cruach influence. I am not sure we can gain further information. We have a name to follow up on and some scribbled transcripts to study.

I think the loss of their shadows significant, especially as the Nergal Sanctum is found 'only by shadows'. Maybe they got detached and went there, wherever that is. Shadow magic? Is that a thing? Or a specialist area of necromancy?

I will thank the Sheriff for his time and confidence and suggest we go find the others.

[Hvalreki]

Gunter

"Stonefather can you detect evil influence on the snake bracer? If not perhaps one of us should put it on and see if it gives any insight. It might have this Shadow Majic? Mayhaps we can borrow it and show the scribe if the Sheriff will allow it?"

[tristenc]

Sweet ^_^ GREEN FLAME!

Dadely deftly wraps and packs the eyeball before making notations about the shadow and attempting a sketch. He also scribbles down some details about the summoning circle and tries to sketch it as well. Finally he gingerly scoops up the explosive glue and packs it carefully. Grinning widely he nods, "Let's go."

====
can recognize any more specific details about the circle or the shadowy outline?

[archolewa]

Selina


Selina nods to the beggar. "Thank you for your time."

She returns to the collapsed alchemical shop. She will step gingerly inside, and pause at the top of the stairs, one hand curling warily over the hilt of her sheathed blade. "Oye, Dadely, Sidrake, you two down there? I thought I heard crash. I think I have a lead to follow up on with the watchmen. The less-than-honest watchmen."

[tristenc]

Dadely calls back up when he hears Selina. Not dead yet! He chuckles. We're coming back up. He says, suiting his own words he returns to the surface.


Let me know if you want rolls re the shadow/ summoning circle

[archolewa]

Selina


Selina lets out a sigh of relief, and relaxes her grip on her blade. "Always good to hear. It would seem that the local watchmen showed unusual interest in the alchemist who resided here. Not long before the accident, several of them came here with some sort of humanoid...thing being used as a bloodhound. Some sort of rubbery-skinned primate that could, I don't know, have parts of its body appear out of other parts of its body? Like swallow its own fist and have it come out of its backside? I didn't fully understand what the beggar was trying to describe, but it sounded like the product of some dark magic to me. Anyway, the 'watchmen' beat the alchemist and took some sort of pouch of his. It sounded like a corrupt, extra judicial shakedown to me, and may be worth following up on. Anything of interest downstairs?"

[Spearmint]

I will get to this update this evening.

[Spearmint]

Continuing investigations:

Sincere apologies for almost grinding this to a halt.

"Stonefather can you detect evil influence on the snake bracer? If not perhaps one of us should put it on and see if it gives any insight. It might have this Shadow Magic? Mayhaps we can borrow it and show the scribe if the Sheriff will allow it?"

Gunter offers the bracer for inspection, which under Golgarth's gaze doesn't radiate any evil aura but a minor enchanted one. "It may offer some boon, perhaps a ward against poisons or a greater immunity?" It will be a trial & error action to wear it but doing so does not afflict you with any handicap or penalty. That it is made of bone rather than crafted metal might just add to an overall 'cult' appeal to any involved in underworld sects.

Shadow magic? Is that a thing? Or a specialist area of necromancy?

perhaps this could be the focus of any Collegiate library research?

Thanking Sheriff Longstaff for his time and confidence, the pair navigate their way over to the Green Flame cottage.

As they trek to meet up with the others, that trio are inspecting their own findings.

Dadely

can recognize any more specific details about the circle or the shadowy outline?

It may give the impression of an outline of a 'bat winged' person which could provoke thoughts of a vampire just by mythological reasoning but could also be the silhouette left by a Mephit type creature being caught in the explosion.

"Thank you for your time."

Selina thanks the beggar. He spits on his hands, offering it out to shake, thanking you again for your small mercies.

Citadel beggar : reactions: [1d100]=62

He has a generally favourable attitude towards the warrior maiden, offering to watch the cottage the next night, "For another coin or two." and let you know of any further comings and goings.

Unstable wall vs 1-2 [1d6]=5.

Navigating out the derelict and unsafe structure, the group can meet up and plan next steps.

actions any comments or more questions? I will update again next with a prologue of some research at the library and follow up of any leads.

[archolewa]

"Thank you for your time."

Selina thanks the beggar. He spits on his hands, offering it out to shake, thanking you again for your small mercies.

Citadel beggar : reactions: [1d100]=62

Selina


Selina hesitates a moment, then spits in her hand and shakes, silently vowing to herself to scrub her hands *very* thoroughly as soon as she gets a chance.

He has a generally favourable attitude towards the warrior maiden, offering to watch the cottage the next night, "For another coin or two." and let you know of any further comings and goings.

Selina chuckles. "So long as you're willing to settle for a couple of *silver* coins. At this point, I think you might be richer than I am! However, I have some connections with the sheriff. In addition to the two silver, I'd be willing to inform him that you have been *very* helpful to me, and if he could perhaps give you a little extra breathing room, I would be grateful. He might even be willing to use you as some eyes and ears, if you're willing. It'd mean something approximating income if nothing else."

[tristenc]

No worries, SM. Real life takes precedence. We've all been there, bud.
====

Dadely finds the others nearby. Well, we found a little, not a lot, but it certainly seems like some summonings did in the old Green Flame! He coughs and clears his throat. That and some high explosives we have acquired some small samples of... He grins downright Deviously

[Hvalreki]

Gunter

When they are back together, Guntershows the "serpent bracelet" to Dadely to see if he can interpret or get any clues from the runes carved onto it.