PRP: Investigating Charneth Investigators

SUMMARY: The Slavers Inquisition breaks into the building they tracked the Charneth to, and find an altar to Thul.

Surveillance and tracking has led suspicions to a building in the plaza, not far from the Charneth Embassy. This may or may not be any surprise. Thus follows more surveillance on the three level structure that is, at least by appearances, a warehouse and merchant offices for Seas North of Inmost Trading Company & Holdings. Workers can be seen entering and exiting during daylight hours, as well as the occassional visitor. Fewer come and go after dark, which is not unusual nor conspicuous.

There is, however, one that is a fair amount of both: an individual who has repeatedly, and somewhat regulary, traversed the plaza from the Embassy to the trading company. A comparatively tall mul'niessa man dressed in finery that includes a maroon silk cape and a sky blue hat complete with a very large ostrich plume. It's possible that someone's blind or even deceased great-great grandmother would notice his passage.

On this evening, the man makes his somewhat predictable travel to the building. Shortly after this, is a much more intriguing and inconspicuous arrival: one so inconspicuous, in fact, that there is only enough darting movement in the shadowed alleys behind the building to confirm that someone or something likely entered from the rear. Someone or something that had not been noticed or even hinted at previously.

Yelrona asks the mages: "Have you been able to observe anything inside the building yet?"

Amaya wanders up along with Yelrona, tying up her buckler to her arm and strapping it in tight as she looks across to the building and then back. "Anyone knows the fop?"

If not, Rona suggests that we start by checking out the alleyway behind the building, and see what's going on back there. With Luck we may find a less carefully observed entrance. "Unless someone has useful concealment magic, I'd suggest giving the stealthier party members a few minutes to check the alley out, before going in together and seeing what we see."

Morgan comes in with a meatpie in her hand waiting if any one have a plan.

Vaalyun is famously not one of the stealthier party members, but he moves along with the others, and when it is suggested that someone scout ahead, he nods, and says, "I don't have any invisibility prayers on hand, so if you want to scout ahead, just make sure you don't forget about me." He grins in the darkness.

Amaya hmms at the question for stealthing, "I am more o' a talker, not the stealthy kind, Rona." she replies and rests her hand easily upon the hilt of her scimitar, eyeing the alleyway.

"A moment," Says the masked Witch hovering behind the party. "And I shall be prepared to scout ahead." And.... then her hair just wraps around herself, forming a squat coccoon on the rooftop.

A few moments later, it cracks and crumbles away... Leaving a tiny centipede, bearing Alba's mask as a marking on its head, that begins to scuttle over the edge of the roof and down, to see what can be seen.

GAME: Alba casts Vermin Shape II. Caster Level: 10 DC: 19

Morgan thinks "I can change my self in to a mouse for a few minutes, I will do that."

Yelrona smiles back. "I couldn't possibly forget you, Vaalyun," she says, with an over-acted eye-batting worthy of cut-rate melodrama. "You still owe me lunch." She finds a private spot and assumes a very familiar disguise, that of Galen the warehouse laborer. Then she heads off into the crowd, approaching the alley from another direction, moving as discreetly as she can to avoid catching attention.

Morgan looks a little iffy doing this as she holds both arms out saying a word in arcane shifting to a white and black mouse. She scampers off as fast as she can to look for something to slip in to the werehouse.

GAME: Yelrona rolls disguise+20: (17)+11+20: 48

GAME: Yelrona rolls stealth: (19)+9: 28

Amaya wrinkles her nose at the forming of a centipede nearby, then shakes her head. ".. hate bugs.." she remains back near Valyuun, wrapping her arms together while she waits, whistling a little tune to herself while she eyes the morphing Morgan and Yelrona heading off.

Vaalyun just shakes his head as he finds a dark bit of wall to lean against, hopefully out of the way. He looks over at Amaya, and says, "I just hope they don't get into any trouble while we're out here. Ah, well... Just listen for the sound of the explosions."

Skittering along a various multitude or legs, or simply walking upon two, into the alley reveals several details.

It is dark. You may be eaten by a Grue.

Also, there is indeed a door at ground level from the alleyway into the building. None other than Galen the worker and a few vermin appear to be present in the alley.

Yelrona listens at the door for a little while, then checks to see if it's locked. If not, she opens it, prepared to be a lost worker who came to the wrong door if challenged.

Finding the door locked, Rona whispers to the vermin "Either of you equipped to get through a locked door quietly?"

GAME: Morgan refreshes spells.

"Explosions? Well, let's hope not. At least without me there, ah!" Amaya smirks at Vaalyun and paces around a bit, continuing to eye the alleyway and the main entrance, hands on her hips. "Of course that if they do start we will have to move fast."

GAME: Morgan rolls excape artist +2: (10)+excape artist+2: 12

GAME: Alba rolls escape artist+2: (13)+4+2: 19

GAME: Morgan rolls escape artist+2: (11)+2+2: 15

GAME: Morgan rolls stealth+8: (17)+2+8: 27

Alba raises her head, looking left and right... Then skitters along the floor toward the staircase, feeling out the door at the top of the stairs, to see whether it's locked as well.

Vaalyun is still holding up a wall. Of course, he's keeping a weather eye out for any sort of trouble, but he sees... Nothing. It's a dark nighttime street. So far, he has no need to signal that the cavalry is coming.

With the bottom story deemed clear, Alba sheds her disguise, floating to the door to the alley and unlatching it with a pulsing, twitching lock of hair. "Signal the others," she whispers, "there is aught down here but barrels and crates, some which.... mmmm.... would be exciting... if touch fire, they. Safe to enter, otherwise."

Yelrona discreetly signals Vaalyun and Amaya to join them. "Anything interesting in the basement?"

Morgan comes out a few minutes "We have a few workers in there, and there is a upstairs."said as she is coming from her small form to her normal form.

Amaya glances over at Rona and nods at her. "Seems like we are on." she says to Vaalyun with a nod and begins to walk across to join the others. "Only workers and crates? What's in the crates?" she inquires, taptapping fingertips on her scimitar's hilt.

Yelrona nods. "Then let's check out upstairs." She picks up one of the smaller crates and takes the lead, figuring she can try to bluff her way past any challenge in her warehouse-worker disguise. Then Amaya asks a question she feels stupid for not having thought of herself, and she nods. "Probably just normal shipped goods, covering for whatever else they're doing, but it's worth confirming that," she agrees, and pries open the crate she has to inspect its contents.

"Come inside to see," Alba says, moving away from the door. "Better than to crowd this alley like geese, this." With that, she clings to the ceiling, forehead pressed to the wood as she murmurs a low incantation to herself.

GAME: Alba casts Detect Thoughts. Caster Level: 10 DC: 17

Vaalyun walks with Amaya as they are summoned, nodding when she points out that it's their turn. He approaches the door, and waits for the others. He doesn't want to just charge in, and hangs back to let the stealthier members of the party go first. It's hard for an Althean priest in armor to claim that he just took a wrong turn at the Temple District.

GAME: Yelrona rolls 1d6: (4): 4

Yelrona nods as she inspects the crate. "Yup. As expected." She heads up the stairs, crate in hands.

Morgan looks at the crate and gives Rona big puppy dog eyes hoping she can get one.

GAME: Aya rolls 1d20+15: (9)+15: 24

"You know..., if I wanted to smuggle people out o' the city stuffing them in crates wouldn't be a bad idea.." Amaya says quietly back to the others still around. She remains near the stairs, quiet, waiting for any signs of danger upstairs.

Morgan says "Hope there are good enough cracks in the side for air.

"Or skilled necromancers on the receiving end," Rona chimes in, then sighs. She can't believe she said that.

The stairs creak softly as members ascend. Not surprising for a wooden staircase, but nothing exceptionally loud. One stair near the top is a rebel, though: rather than creak, it clicks. This is immediately followed by a soft SPROING and a whistle of air as a sharpened projectile is launched from the wall.

The good news? The Crimson Pen's works are missed.

The bad news? Galen now has a javelin-sized splinter in her side.

GAME: Aya rolls 1d6+6: (6)+6: 12

Yelrona hisses, and puts down the crate. "OK. So much for preserving a cover," she says, as she pulls the weapon out of her side. "Also, ow."

Morgan did not wait untill she got permsion but nods

Yelrona continues, albeit more carefully this time, checking the hall for additional traps.

GAME: Yelrona rolls perception: (10)+20: 30

GAME: Vaalyun refreshes spells.

Amaya lifts a brow and immediately draws out her scimitar as well, glaring down at the splinter and speaking in a low tone. "Ain't that hurtin'?" she swishes her blade about and also keeps an eye out to the surroundings, accompanying along gracefully.

Yelrona nods, continuing to check in front of her as she advances. "Yup."

"Do you need a hand with that?" Vaalyun asks, wincing as a trap goes off. He pulls his shield from his back and into a ready position and takes his mace to hand, then quietly calls the blessings of Althea down on the members of the party.

The door at the top has only a simple latch and isn't locked.

Now that Yelrona served as kebab for the trap hopefully there won't be more at the door, so Amaya steps up to slide the latch and open the door to reveal what may be on the other side.

Morgan waits untill the door is unlocked and opened before she walks close.

Doors are dangerous. Vaalyun has been around long enough to know this. But since the others seem to want to take the lead, he lets them, standing back with his sheild and mace at the ready. What will they find?

The door opens into a hallway that looks to run the entire length of the building, front to rear. Several doorways can be seen to either side, as well as a cross hallway near the center of the run that looks to extend across the building from one side to the other. The hall is well-lit, well-maintained, and well-decorated. A long crimson rug with golden pattern runs the length, with a matching one down the cross-corridor. The doors in the immediate vicinity bear placards with titles such as 'Shipping Director' and 'Personnel Manager.' Muffled, indistinct voices can be heard from further down the hall, and there are thinking thoughts at the edge of Alba's detection in that same direction.

"Hold," Alba whispers, crawling to the hallway ceiling and moving a fair ways down. The moment the minds are centered more squarely in her range, she settles in to glean what she can from the unsuspecting minds.

Amaya stops at the .., centipede's words, stepping to one side of the hallway and remaining quiet for now in wait, scimitar pointed down, eyes roaming the surroundings and then the others nearby.

Vaalyun holds when he is told to hold, and then closes his eyes and listens as carefully as he can, though at this range it may just be the muttered rumble of voices.

Alba carefully reverses her pace until she comes to rest above the heads of the party. "Armored, moving, they," she whispers. "A patrol, to guard these halls. Move with caution, keep their voices at the edge of your hearing."

Amaya gestures to one of the nearby rooms, the one stating 'Personnel Manager', "Shall we wait for them to pass while hiding in there?" she suggests, walking there to attempt to open the door. Regardless if they want to do that or not she will want to check what is in there.

Morgan nods "Wait." is all she says as she is thinking of plans.

Amaya mutters at the door being locked.

Morgan looks to the people here hoping some one can pick locks.

"They're moving away from us." Vaalyun says, "Or at least that's what it sounds like. Where are we going? We can probably just carry on." Of course, he has to keep his voice down, because the guards will hear any shouting.

Amaya nods at the mention of the voices moving away from them. "It's locked anyway." she starts to walk forward again across the hall, taking note of the names on the various doors. "And I have no idea where to go, just going randomly unless someone has a better idea."

"It was not well mentioned to me," Alba says quietly, crabbing along the ceiling. "Why do we come here? For what do we search?"

"Yelrona mentioned there might be slaves in here. Investigating the place." Amaya says over her shoulder and looking up at the creepy Alba.

Morgan waits for Rona call as this is her mission.

Morgan says as she looks to the others "we need to get in to the office and look for something to use against them, any one pick locks here?"

Aside from side doors (all of which so far have proven locked), there is only one way to go aside from the door the group entered from. As the intersection of the cross hallway approaches, more of that hall becomes visible. Further down it, and the center of the building, a large double door is visible, and numerous thoughts are detected at the fringe of range beyond.

In an alcove in the hallway wall at the intersection there is a large statue and shrine to Thul. A larger than human statue stands on a pedestal, wearing heavy black silk robe, its visible ivory (at least one hopes it is) skeletal hand holds an authentic-looking scythe. Tapestries flanking it depict servitors kneeling in respect.

Amaya points at the shrine of Thul with her scimitar. "That ain't a good omen.." she then shaking her head at Morgan. "Not a lockpicker."

GAME: Vaalyun rolls knowledge/religion+2: (13)+11+2: 26

Vaalyun looks at the statue, and then at the surrounding iconography. "This isn't right." he says, suddenly, "This isn't right at all. Thul sees mortals as utterly worthless. Genuflection wouldn't be enough. He would expect groveling, and would be served by undead. The kneeling servants don't make any sense either." That causes him to take a closer inspection of the altar, no matter how much it makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Amaya wrinkles her nose at that clearly evil statue, moving closer alongside Vaalyun. "Whatever it is seems like we are right in the middle o' the hornet's nest." she murmurs, taking a look around quietly with attention for any traps or ambushes.

"Of course we are," Alba mutters from the ceiling. "That is why we have come here, is it not? One moment." And a faint, pale-blue radiance shines from behind the curving eyeholes of her mask. The light sweeps around the statue, concentrating on the floor beneath and around the shrine.

GAME: Alba casts See Invisibility. Caster Level: 10 DC: 17

GAME: Vaalyun rolls perception: (2)+4: 6

GAME: Aya rolls 1d20+20: (6)+20: 26

GAME: Aya rolls 2d4+6: (7)+6: 13

Nothing hidden reveals itself to Alba's senses. Vaalyun does not notice anything further amiss, either.

That is, until the wielding arm snaps down, slashing across the top edge of Vaalyun's shield, his cuirass, and finding flesh. If only her were a foot or two shorter, it would have passed over his head.

The arm slowly begins to retract with a ratcheting noise. What is more concerning is the immediate shift of the hall lighting from warm and bright to a garish red, along with a deep, mechanical 'voice' loudly proclaiming:

BLASPHEMER!

BLASPHEMER!

BLASPHEMER!

...in endless repetition.

"Well, yes we are..." Amaya says in return to the loud blasphemer accusation and looks around, scimitar held up. "Time to fight then." she shifts over to one side of the cleric.

Vaalyun jumps back far too late, and blood stains his robes, "Star Mother!" he calls out, and then reaches for his belt pouch. Pulling out a phial of holy water, he smashes it at the foot of the statue, and calls out, "In the name of Althea Telementar, the Compassionate One, the Queen of Heaven, you have no power here, dark one! Stay from this world, and in the stinking hells where you belong!" For whatever it's worth, his consecration will cut off and de-sanctify the fixture of Thul.

GAME: Vaalyun casts Consecrate. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

Black lamps about the dais sizzle and wink out, and the cloak on the statue rapidly fades to a dull, bland gray. The weapon arm continues to ratchet its way back to ready, however. Further investigation, if desired, may be best done from a distance.

Shouts come from down the hall and a pair of guards can be heard, then seen (as they round the corner) hustling down the hall towards the intersection the group stands in. The large double doors in the hall open inward.

"Bad place to fight, in the hall of our enemy," Alba says from the ceiling. "Retreat we may still, and a good place, this, for cover." With that, she fishes a vial of murky liquid from her satchel, and hurls it to the ground. As the glass shatters, a thick, billowing mist erupts from the point of impact, completely obscuring the party. "We go!" she says, urgently.

GAME: Alba casts Obscuring Mist. Caster Level: 10 DC: 16

Amaya watches the cleric dull out the statue, nodding approvingly and glancing up at Alba with an arched brow. "Hmph, it's just a few guards." it doesn't seem like she was going back, but at the mist being formed she backs off to follow Alba out of the place.

"Where's a mad goblin artificer with explosives when you need one. I hate to leave that thing in one piece." Vaalyun says, as he steps back in time with the others. Fortunately, the mist will probably conceal even the trail of blood his leg is leaving, but he'll have to do something about that soon. "If you're going to blaspheme, might as well own it, you know?" he observes.

The hustling guards shout. "Halt! Stay where-" The rapid appearance of the mist makes their hustling slow to confused steps and their voices echo it with a stammered. "-where you are!" They are still closing, just much less rapidly.

Amaya doesn't really run away from the guards, even if she walks fast to keep her pace up with the other two, smiking at Vaalyun. "Right on. They seem mad." she takes a look back to see if any continues after them more quickly and goes to wherever the others may want to retreat to.

"Hurry hurry hurry," Alba urges.... and slows her own progress, enough that she falls to the back of the party. Extracting a blackened, twisted knot of octopus tentacle, she pulls on one end, untying the knot and straightening the rubbery mass.... then drops it behind the retreating party. The tentacle burrows into the floorboards...

Which then erupt with a host of larger tentacles just like it, black and rubbery and flailing and squeezing and not at all what anyone ever wants to push out of a fog bank to find in front of their face. Nope nope nope.

GAME: Alba casts Black Tentacles. Caster Level: 10 DC: 19

"Just a little further! I think it's clearing. Yes, I can see-AHHHHH!"

Yep, that would be a nope.

The group appears to have no pursures as they move back down the hall and the stairs. Once back in the first floro storeroom, it is obvious that there is no surprise party waiting for them.

"I suppose they think we've overstayed our welcome." Vaalyun says, as he tries to keep up with the others, but his leg isn't that great in the best of times, and his wound makes him slowers still. Nevertheless, the tentacles and fog make life unpleasant for the guards, and they return down to the storeroom. "Please tell me we're going back by the streets and not the sewers or something."

"Why should we go out through the sewers?" Amaya sounds a touch amused and then looks around at the crates. She tries to notice if any of them have any holes where people could be stored in to be smuggled.

"Scatter, only," Alba says, swinging up and plastering herself back to the ceiling, as they get into the storeroom. "Meet again tomorrow, or the next day, and discuss our findings."

The sewers probably aren't necessary. There is a door at the bottom of the stairs, that leads to the alley. The one they unlocked. It is still unlocked. The alley allows for scattering in two directions. From there, the plaza is an easy space to vanish elsewhere, blend in, or otherwise disappear.