Kyra throws her last enchanted card and completely misses her target. "Bah!"

13:55, Today: Kyra rolled 10,8 using 1d20+8,1d6+5 with rolls of 2,3.  Frostbite (Ranged touch attack, Damage).

Despite her best efforts the jester is unable to escape Ayeesha's grasp. She seems shocked and surprised that she could be captured so easily as the others begin to beat her down, slowly but surely.

I just simulated the next 3 turns and didn't get above a 10 so we'll just speed things along...

While the woman shows no sign of offering up surrender eventually she is knocked unconscious. It is easy enough to strip her of her weapons, secure her, and clear the rest of the house of zombies. There are a few more scattered here and there but without the threat of the jester either directing them or using them, the mindless undead are swiftly dispatched.

Investigating the rest of the house reveals more of what they saw above, the house must have been packed full of the city's elite and staff and entourage to serve them and they were all slaughtered. Most of the bodies have blistered pox underneath their skin while a few seem to have been ripped apart by the zombies that were then animated.

A thorough investigation doesn't show anyone matching Ruan's description among the dead however Kraw does discover a hatchway, presumably to a wine cellar.

As the group opens up the cellar and peers down they hear a shaky voice call out at them.

"Stay back! I'm warning you! Don't make me hurt you!"

The ladder goes down into a wine cellar and between the racks standing in front of a pile of empty wine bottles and what looks to be a couple of half-eaten rats is a man in his 50s holding a dull butter knife. He has the knife in one hand but as his hand begins to shake he brings his other hand in to help steady his "blade".

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 102):

Ayeesha drops her rage after they drop the Jester. She will not be distracted until after the Jester is secured and helpless.

To Tie Up while pinned is 20 + CMB (+16) while still enlarged from what I understand under grappling rules, so DC 36 to escape which should be greater than 20 + her CMB in her helpless state; making it impossible?

"Lets tie her up before we do anything else! I have some rope,it's silk, I'll tie her up unless one of you would rather do it?"


"Sir, we are agents of the Korvosan Guard and we are here to help. Are you injured? It's safe; come on out.  Can you tell us what happened here?"

After helping out with clearing the place, Kyra takes a look at whatever items they took from their prisoner before turning her attention to the survivor in the cellar.

Anything interesting and/or magical?

Also, I assume that the spell Kyra was hit with was Ray of Enfeeblement, so it should have expired by now?

Kraw pulls out a set of manacles and proceeds to clamp them on the jester, after Detecting Magic and removing any little aids she might have on her. After securing the prisoner, Kraw leads the search, eventually finding the wine cellar. Leading the way down, he is confronted by the man with the butter knife. Twirling a Dagger in one hand, he says "put that thing down before you strain yourself. We're the handsome Prince, and you're the Lady in Distress. We're rescuing you, so come on out of this hole."

After the woman is secured, Figus proceeds to help the others in searching the mansion and getting rid of the remaining zombies. With the grounds secured he will search the house for anything, he may consider as the source of the contagion specifically any silver coins or boxes similar to the group recovered from the sunken ship. He will use his ability to discern magical auras (Detect magic at will) to help him spot anything unusual.

Loot is listed in the Loot thread

Ayeesha ties up the jester as thoroughly and tightly as she can. In her mind at least it should be impossible for the woman to escape. It was kind of a moot point given that the woman had just been beaten unconscious and would likely be out for several hours.

Kyra finds her strength slowly returning to her as the jester's spell fades.

"You won't take me so easily! I saw how you took the others!"

The man was scared out of his mind and represented no threat but he also didn't seem likely to come easily or quietly. Perhaps a tengu covered in blood and ichor from carving through a dozen zombies wasn't the best foot forward for a scared nobleman.

Ausio is currently Unfriendly and unlikely to come along. Diplomacy or Intimidation checks can be made to shift him into becoming more agreeable.

As an alternative anyone can just go up and knock him out without any resistance and you can let someone else deal with him.

Or just leave him... that is an option too.

In reply to Ausio Carowyn (msg # 108):

Ayeesha will attempt to Intimidate to Influence Opponent’s Attitude with a little coercion.

"No! you did not see how easily we dispatched the zombies or you would not threaten us. We are here for a welfare check on the Carowyns and their party guests.  Come out here and behave yourself or I will come in an carry you out.  You will be tied up and arrested before we take you into headquarters for questioning. Or you can cooperate and be left on your cognizance if we are satisfied with your answers."

Intimidate +10, large size +4 for +14

18:00, Today: Ayeesha rolled 26 using 1d20+14 with rolls of 12.  Intimidate using coercion +14.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:15, Thu 07 Oct 2021.

The bloody Kraw adds "we also carved up that jester lady who seemed to control the undead, so you have nothing to worry about on that Score. I was told that Ruan had attended this party, but I haven't seen him. Have you?"


23:23, Today: Kraw rolled 26 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 19.  And another in Intimidate, DC 10.

By the time the group had searched through the manor Ayeesha's magical spell had worn off however she was still a large, muscle-bound and imposing barbarian and in the wake of her anger Lord Carowyn cried out in fear and dropped the dagger to his ground and became a whimpering puddle. At their command he came out and nearly fainted again when he saw the jester woman but he caught himself when he realized she was tied up.

"Oh...oh you really are here to save me? Oh...oh wonderful!"

The man is clearly shaken up but once calmed down a bit he explains what happened.

“We were greeting the Westerkiers when a stranger burst in, quite uninvited, dressed as something of a harlot-harlequin. She opened fire on my guests with her crossbow, laughing all the while in the most frightful, shrill way. They sickened and collapsed with shocking rapidity—whatever venom she coated those bolts with can only be blood veil!"

Although he doesn't say it, judging by the way he is looking around it seems likely that Ausio fled rather quickly and holed himself inside the locked cellar. He did not witness the subsequent necromancy and grotesque display of having the dead bodies resume the party although even just the site of the gore and viscera, the smell of the rotting flesh and the thought of being in a house with dozens of dead bodies are threatening to break his already traumatized mind.

"My wife! Olauren! Did you rescue her too? She was dressed as a Galtan queen. You would probably recognize her by the large wig she was wearing..."

He goes on to describe her dress and the group realizes that she was one of the first zombies they killed, the one in the upstairs master bedroom that Ayeesha had cut down before it had even had a chance to react to the group's presence.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:09, Wed 13 Oct 2021.

Kraw searches the jester more thoroughly (take 20), looking for an antidote to the blood veil in poison form.

Perception 32.

In reply to Kraw (msg # 112):

Ayeesha bites her lip in a pensive manner looking for the right words to break the news to Ausio.

"Ausio, I am sorry to have to tell you that you are the only survivor that we have found.  This maniac has murdered everyone else that we have encountered in your home; and yes your wife was one of the dead.  My condolences for your loss in this terrible crime.  We will take this criminal in custody and turn her over to the korvosan guard for some Varisian justice.  She will be questioned and we will get to the bottom of this madness. Ausio if you ever need anything, Iam Ayeesha, you can get word to me through the guard at Citadel Voyshyenek."

We insure that the jester will live so we can extract justice for the victims.

"Perhaps we can respectfully remove most of the bodies to an outside location as Ausio wishes?"

Kraw says while searching "did you hear what he said? The crossbow Bolts left people infected with Blood Veil. That means the tips of her remaining Bolts have an Alchemical compound that delivers it. And where one Alchemist can create Blood Veil in Alchemical form, another can develop an antidote.....an antidote to Blood Veil!!"

Kyra shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe? Or maybe our witness is wrong and the lunatic just poisoned her bolts with something. Even blood veil does not kill that quickly."

She adds her own question for the witness. "Some guests seem to be missing. Did you see what happened to a bard, Ruan? We did not find him among the dead."

The group already recovered several vials identified as Remove Disease.

Hearing that his wife is dead causes Ausio to break down into tears. He slumps down to his knees surrounded by the bodies of his dead friends and servants and guests and begins to weep uncontrollably.

He doesn't respond to Kyra's question but she recalls that he did say he fled almost immediately so if other people escaped or were taken away for some reason he probably wouldn't know about  it having locked himself in his wine cellar days ago. Likely the unconscious jester is the one to interrogate about what happened at the party.

In reply to Ausio Carowyn (msg # 117):

Ayeesha seeing Ausio's grief stricken state of being, and perhaps questioning her own contribution to it starts thinking of what she can do to help him.

"I think we need to get Ausio some support, maybe some family members or clergy that could minister to him and help him deal with his grief?  We obviously are not equipped for such a need but maybe we can find him someone to who is? Anyone have any idea of whom we could contact?"

"We could also escort him to the guard HQ, and let he guard get him somewhere safe. Staying here is not really an option." Kyra says as she looks over all the dead bodies.

Kraw inspects the magical crossbow bolts but doesn't see any kind of strange substances smeared on them. Looking around the scene of the crime several bodies still have crossbow bolts stuck into them but it looks to be that she used mundane bolts to attack the guests and reserved the much more powerful magical bolts to handle unexpected visitors.

As the party prepares to interrogate their prisoner, Kyra plans on using her new spell to push the odds in their favor.

Once we start, Kyra will cast Paragon Surge. This has several effect, but the important one is being able to pick one feat. It will be Extra Hex -> Fortune Hex. And as the party makes their rolls, Kyra will help them out with the Fortune Hex.

There is an issue that once used, this Hex only has a duration of one round. DM, if you think this should not work, let me know.

In reply to Kyra (msg # 121):

"Good, I see that you are conscious now, if you do not want your host Ausio to be left alone with you then you better start talking."

06:26, Today: Ayeesha rolled 18 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 8.  Intimidate the Jester +10 reroll.

06:25, Today: Ayeesha rolled 21 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 11.  Intimidate the Jester +10.

OCC: Fortune allows reroll taking best result of the two. 21 plus any Aid Another.

Ayeesha grabs her by the jaw and directs here to a restrained Ausio who eyes her insanely.

What's your name?

Why kill all these people then stay here?

Who do you work for?

Where are the missing party guests?

OCC Any one else have some questions?

Kraw stands to the side. The knife master twirls a dagger, a silent reminder of how much pain it was capable of dealing. He watches, acting as a Humanoid lie detector.

08:18, Today: Kraw rolled 12 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 5.  Intimidate , Aid another. DC 10.


08:20, Today: Kraw rolled 21 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 11.  Sense Motive.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Tue 26 Oct 2021.

The jester laughs maniacally as Ayeesha bombards her with questions.

"You're going to leave me alone with him? He he he oh what fun. I bet I can have lots of fun alone with a man like that. Do you see the stain in his breeches? I betcha I can make that twice as big by the end, he he he. Oh yes, leave me alone with him. I'm sure we will have great fun! AH HA HA HA HA HA"

Kraw realizes that the woman isn't afraid of death, which would make sense if she is related to a death cult like the Urgathoa worshippers that seem to be at the heart of the plague. There are probably things she is afraid of but pain and death aren't it.