Candlekeep Mysteries Group 2

The two maids are unable to tell Emporious anything other than he probably shouldn't be back here in such attire and that he should go report to Saeth at the front desk. 

Emporious thanks the women and departs with a curt bow. Not wanting to push his intrusion much farther he heads back the way he came. Once inside the lounge area he decides that instead of going back to the front he will head out the double doors to the north.

WIS ST: 23

"A friend you say? Hm. Three months ago, I received a haunting vision of my old friend Sylvarie, who appeared to be in a suffering state, and appearing as though her face was being reflected in a broken mirror." he looks around to see if anyone is listening. "I decided to look into my friend’s activities since we parted ways, and my search led me here. I instinctively suspect that the goings-ons here at the bathhouse are hiding some dark secret and I decided to investigate by posing as an aesthetician seeking employment. My name is Dusk. I'm with the Harpers."

"Oh no, how long has your friend been missing?"  she asks with a concerned look.  She continues to listen carefully as Llmar reveals the fact that he's actually investigating the place as well "The Harpers?  I'm really sorry, I'm not familiar with them."

"Dusk, I like that name, it remind me of a beautiful sunset - a perfect end to an amazing day."

Llmar looks around, redressing. "This place is run by a trio of hags. I have seen through the illusions covering their appearance and their minions. I suspect that information about Sylvarie’s fate can be found in the shrine or the tower, but has so far been unable to investigate those areas because the coven’s minions keep a close eye on me."

"Hags?!" she responds quietly in surprise "I have so many questions now... Which of the people are actually her minions, I would hate to unjustly accuse someone if they are not directly working for these Hags.  Where do these Hags hide out and do they appear as anyone in particular?"

Isa notices that he is genuinely concerned for his friend.  She gets up, her robe falling open a bit and walks over to Dusk, reaches out with both hands and places them on either side of his face and then looks him directly in the eyes and with utmost sincerity "I will help you find Sylvarie.... I promise.... I will do everything I possibly can to help you."  

 She pulls back and looks at him as if a lightbulb just went on "You should join us!  We could work together to find Sylvarie as well as Falthrax"  it's hard for her to contain the excited expectation on her face.

after wandering for some time, hearing this and that come from inside as he walks, also tries to find Orvok. Perception 8

Orvok? Can you hear me??

Emporious sees Saeth trying to get Orvok back into the bathhouse. 

"Please return to the bathhouse now. This area is off limits."

"Oh no, how long has your friend been missing?"  she asks with a concerned look.  She continues to listen carefully as Llmar reveals the fact that he's actually investigating the place as well "The Harpers?  I'm really sorry, I'm not familiar with them."

"We are a covert operation, basically. My friend has been missing for over a month. Will you help me find her?"

"Dusk, I like that name, it remind me of a beautiful sunset - a perfect end to an amazing day."

He pulls you passionately in closer by the shoulders. "Why does it have to end?"

"Hags?!" she responds quietly in surprise.
"Yes, hags. Three of them."
"I have so many questions now... Which of the people are actually her minions, I would hate to unjustly accuse someone if they are not directly working for these Hags.  Where do these Hags hide out and do they appear as anyone in particular?"
"The hags dwell in the tower. Saeth prevents anyone from entering. He is a tricky one, indeed. So far, he is the only one I know who is in league with them."

He embraces you, kissing you back with equal passion. 

She pulls back and looks at him as if a lightbulb just went on "You should join us!  We could work together to find Sylvarie as well as Falthrax"  it's hard for her to contain the excited expectation on her face.

"I would like that. Being away from you is the last thing I wish to do. Never in my life have I see, or touched, such beauty."

He pulls you passionately in closer by the shoulders. "Why does it have to end?"

"Oh no, I don't mean like it has to end.... no, no, no... just that is a beautiful completion to an amazing day!  I mean, how else would you want to end your day?" she asks in a flirtatious voice.

"I would like that. Being away from you is the last thing I wish to do. Never in my life have I see, or touched, such beauty."

"Come, with me, we need to go find the rest of my friends.... I'm SURE they are going to love you." she grabs his hand but suddenly stops "Oh, I'll just send them a message... I almost forgot" she says with a bit of a giggle.  

She uses her Message ability to send a quick message to each of the group members letting them know that she has found some important information regarding this place and that everything is not as it seems as there are three hags that are in control... she finishes with 'come to the massage area (T7) one at a time, we can regroup in here to figure out what our next move is'

Looking back at Dusk "they should all be here soon" she looks down and notices they are still holding hands... she once again pulls him close and gives him a kiss.

Hino shakes her head in amazement, hearing Isa's voice inside her head.  Breaking her out of her catatonic state, she none the less finishes up with the dryad, exits the pool (but not after giving the dryad a looooonnnnnnnnng, passionate kiss), returns to the changing area to put her clothing back on, and returns to area T7 to meet up with Isa.

"Ooooh, am I interrupting something...scandalous...going on here?!" Hino deadpans through a growing smirk, noticing the blushed faces on both Isa and the masseuse.

Mav had dozed off in the warm waters of the pool when he was suddenly awakened by Isa's voice in his head and looks around almost forgetting where he was.

"Hino, did you get that too?" Mav looks around for the tiny warforged with the large libido and stands up and steps out of the pool, grabbing his robe and his cane.

"Oh no, I don't mean like it has to end.... no, no, no... just that is a beautiful completion to an amazing day!  I mean, how else would you want to end your day?" she asks in a flirtatious voice.

Ilmar leans into your ear, whispering naughty things that make you blush.

"Come, with me, we need to go find the rest of my friends.... I'm SURE they are going to love you." she grabs his hand but suddenly stops "Oh, I'll just send them a message... I almost forgot" she says with a bit of a giggle. 

Ilmar follows.

Hearing Isa's whispered message Emporious responds, "Already here." 

When the pair emerge from behind the massage room they find the wizard holding his spell book as he cranes his neck around as if looking at or for something.

Emporious stops the motion after seemingly finding what he was looking for. Tapping into the magical energies of his awakened spell book he calls forth the mind of the spell book manifesting it into a tiny shimmering image of a human male. A closer inspection would reveal a man that resembles Emporious but much older. The manifested mind appears just inside the doorway of the square building. Emporious sees througj its eyes.

Perception: 18

Barbär clutches his weapon an turns hearing the voice, not expecting any voices to come through so clearly, and so closely, but recognizes the voice and the spell involved,

Dear, we need a plan. Im not doffing this armor, or my weapons! I knew something was off...

Abandoning his search for the Axebrother, he does re-enter the building.

Hello again. Ill just wait here if they are finished, then? He says questioning the status

Hearing Isa’s voice Orvok whispers a reply ‘Get dressed and meet in the foyer. I’m not losing my weapons and armour…’

He nods to Saeth. ‘I’ll head back for now, but we have much to talk about, I’m certain.’

Walking back he maintains his concentration on the Detect spell…

Otherwise distracted, Hino is quite confused at the recall of the team.  "Awwww, it was just gettin' good!  I like this place!"

"Wuzzup, home skillet?" Hino queries Isa.

As the party arrives at T7, she introduces each of them to Llmar "Llmar dear, these are some of the team I am working with to find Falthrax and now also Sylvarie."

Knowing that the two dwarves would not enter due to their armor issue, she starts with the group that's there.

"Three months ago, Llmar received a haunting vision of his old friend Sylvarie, who appeared to be in a suffering state, and appearing as though her face was being reflected in a broken mirror.  He decided to look into his friend’s activities since they parted ways, and his search led him here. He instinctively suspected that the goings-ons here at the bathhouse are hiding some dark secret and he decided to investigate by posing as an aesthetician seeking employment.  This place is run by a trio of hags. He has seen through the illusions covering their appearance and their minions. He suspects that information about Sylvarie’s and Falthrax's fate can be found in the shrine or the tower, but has so far been unable to investigate those areas because the coven’s minions keep a close eye on him." 

She looks at Llmar "Did I miss anything?"  Looking back at the team "So now we need a plan - thoughts?"

Isa proceeds to Message Orvok and Barbar "Stay together and stay were you are for a moment" she then continues and relays all the additional information she aquired from Llmar to them.  "We need a plan - thoughts?"

Emporious ignores the gathering adventurers as his senses focus on what his spellbook's manifested mind is seeing inside the shrine. He commands the apparition to move forward to the center of the room and slowly rotate thus giving the wizard a full view of the rooms contents. 

Knowing others may be listening,

Ill just stay here in the lobby then. Waiting room. And gives saeth a nod of compliance with the previous rules

Hino thinks for a minute (using her two brain cells to their maximum extent), and proposes a tentative plan.  "It would appear that Saeth and the others are quite pernickety about us wandering off.  I think we need a distraction.  Perhaps one or two of us could have a medical emergency <wink wink>, draw their attention, while the rest of you quickly go off elsewhere?"

"If you give me a moment I may have a course of action for us. I'm searchung the shrine now." Says Emporious in response to Hino's suggestion.

T11 - THE SHRINE

This crumbling stone building must once have been a beautiful shrine. Engraved images of Sune are still visible on the moss-covered stones, her face gazing down on the path by which the faithful would have approached. Stone doors at the front of the shrine appear to be sealed shut by some sort of thick, clear resin. A faint inscription is still visible above them:

“Welcome, dearest ones. Come find the beauty within you.”

The door is sealed firmly, as are the shrine’s four windows, and all are coated by an unnaturally resilient resin.

The interior of the shrine has the appearance of having been abandoned after some sort of terrible confrontation years ago. Broken benches with shredded cushions are overgrown by thick fungi, and four large mirrors hanging on the walls have been shattered, leaving the stone floor covered in shards of broken glass.

A grime-encrusted statue of Sune stands against the far wall. The statue’s expression might once have suggested smiling laughter, but streaks of dirt now make it appear as though she is weeping. Behind the statue, a staircase descends into darkness.

Emporious tells the rest what he is seeing through the mind of his book. When finished he turns to those present and says, "Shall we travel through to the depths below or shall we go look in the tower?"

Noting the state of undress of those assembled he comments, "Perhaps you all should retrieve your gear so we can get on with putting this to rest. I think its safe to say the rules no longer apply. I'll go inform Barbär of the situation." He strides past the group on his way back into the lounge room. Just before exiting the double doors he turns to look back over his shoulder. "Llmar now we'll see whose side you're truly on." He leaves the heavy handed comment and all its implications hanging in the air as he proceeds out into the salon. Soon he is standing next to Barbär in the entrance way telling him and Orvok all that has been learned.