Logan's eyes flutter open, and he wakes up, hands immediately going to his neck.  He grimaces, still feeling the after-effects of the zombie's terrible bite and gags, thinking about the decaying flesh and teeth tearing into his throat again.  Slowly, the rogue gets to his feat.  "Ugh...thanks, Celene.  I would have been history without your help.  Maybe your Vorsh really knew what he was doing."

"Uhm, no, actually I don't think he did." Celene distratedly replies, as if contemplating something.

"But NOR DID YOU!" she then suddenly adds, sparked into a fury.

"LISTEN, you street urchin, you might think lightly of this, but this is NO LAUGHING MATTER! You could have gotten yourself killed down here! And, and.. leave me to deal with this matter alone!

So, when you get the chance to get back up safely, as I told you, you TAKE it! Remember that? Good, okay..."

Logan likely notices how Celene is shaking and quite wound up.

"And, he is not 'my' Vorsh. Not in a lifetime", she lightly adds. "Maybe he's your style, but not mine."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:18, Tue 03 Feb 2015.

Calming down  somewhat, Celene asks, "now, lie back and rest awhile. Do you have a torch in your bag i can take?"

Expecting it to be alright, she pulls out a torch. Holding her hand around the top end, she whispers a short incantation. A ball of fire glows within, igniting the torch instantly. Holding it high, she surveys their surroundings.

Logan blanches at Celene's outburst and recoils, resting against the cold stone in the secret cellar.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult."  He cocks an eye at her comment about Vorsh, but chooses to say nothing else, settling for raising an eyebrow instead.  Given her leave, he relaxes to the floor again, not caring about the damp seeping through his pants.  He is about to nod at her request for a torch, but doesn't manage before Celene acts.  Logan manages one more pained grin.  "I hope I'm not rubbing off on you, Celene.  That was most...roguish."  Logan coughs once more and is quiet, watching Celene light the torch and inspect the room.

Celene lights a torch and the shadows are pushed back to reveal a room 40' long and 15' wide. The basement is walled with large blocks of grey stone with a white mortar in-between that is riddled with mould and moss, it seems that keeping the surrounding moisture out of the basement was beyond the abilities of EE Inc. There is a distinct smell in the basement - beyond the smell and dampness and moisture - that is hard to place... The closest match would perhaps be salted pork...

At the other end of the room is a peanut shaped wooden table with some sort of small tool or weapon on it. Beyond this is a statue of an imposing looking lady in a dark granite stone. The lady has her arms folded across her rather stout chest and is wearing a strange looking fur hat - not something that a Sasserine native would ever wear.

There is a door in the north wall, and the door the zombie used in the east wall. The eastern door is now busted and hanging off its hinges, revealing a corridor on the other side that stretches to the east. Open doors open off the corridor to the north and south, and it is possible to see from the first couple that the doors lead to small storage rooms or cells. Logan can just make out the last door to the north in the dim light, and notes that it is closed.

The basement is now still and silent. The zombie lies at the foot of the rungs leading up the well, and both the novice and the thief can confirm that it is definitely wearing a floral dress. Logan also notices from this angle that it is has some sort of necklace on.

Updated map

Celene bends down to take a closer look at the hopefully now completely dead zombie. She tries to think if that kind of dress looks familiar - could this be someone recognisable? Did the two of them see any similar dresses upstairs? Are all her features erased or charred, or can any distinctive marks be seen? How long has she been dead? And what of that necklace, has she seen or heard of that before? She quietly confers her thoughts and observations to Logan. "Do you make anything of this - or that strange smell, is that just from this corpse?". <Snif>.

"Besides her, we have to think of our next step. Should we press forward as soon as possible, or cover our backs by checking those cells behind us first, if any more surprises remain?"

Celenes smiles almost apologetically, when adding "I'm the cautious type, as you now might gather, so i'd vote for covering our backs."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:44, Wed 04 Feb 2015.

OOC: Woah! I think someone watched a bit too much CSI Copenhagen tonight!

Celene studies the dress but it is just an average dress with polka dots on it, the sort of thing that was in fashion a few years ago in Sasserine if she remembers rightly. The zombies face is bloated and decayed, but even so she is sure it is not a face she has seen before, but there aren't any distinctive marks to help her recognise the person.

The novice is no expert, but this person has been dead... or rather, been a zombie for a while. More than a couple of days at least. The necklace looks nice enough, it is a series of white beads set on a simple cord. The sort of thing that city women wear if they can't afford pearls. Might be worth a few coins.


Ugh! The zombie stinks intensely of death and rotting meat! But no, it is not the source of the strange smell.

OOC: Hmm. In all of my years of D&D nobody has ever wanted to sniff a zombie before. Geez, are you going to lick it next Johannes?

OOC: Well excuuuuse me, (her) for being very observant! :-)

A chill of dread goes down Celene's neck as she realises who this lady might actually have been, but she has no sure way of knowing, yet...

The necklace may give a confirmation later, so she should take it along. The thought of taking it is just so revolting...

That smell... where's it coming from, she wonders.

OOC: Well, you ain't seen nothin' yet, then :-)

Logan's first awful thought at seeing the zombie was that perhaps it was Mrs. Aubreck.  But the fake pearls made that seem unlikely.  "Who do you suppose she was?  That necklace marks her as someone from the poorer end of town, I think.  But where'd she come from?  I hope the Aubrecks aren't abducting people and sacrificing them in a foul ritual..."  What had started as a jest became a serious possibility, Logan realized halfway through his vocal ramblings.  Slowly, the rogue got to his feet, staring around the chamber.  "I think we should see what's in this room first, then head to the east and investigate those cells.  If anything's down here, the noise from the zombie smashing in the door would have alerted them anyway."  He points to the object lying on the wooden table.  "Maybe that's what we're here to get.  Then we can just get out of here."  Logan stumbles over, keeping a wary out for traps as he goes.

16:46, Today: Logan rolled 10 using 1d20+9. Perception (For Traps).
Hmmm...well that won't be good.

"Yes, you're right... I just had the dreadful thought that it was his wife. And Vorsh said that Aubreck had fallen on hard times...." Celene shivers again, but moves on.



"Okay, let's check it out. But you're still badly hurt, and almost toppling over. Let me go at the front, but you guide me. How about having one of those useless holy water flasks ready?" Celene smiles mischeviously again, taking forth a dagger and a flask of her own. "Oh, and remember, if trouble comes, be ready to fall back. What I just did to get you back, I can't do again!"

"Okay, does it look safe? Can I approach the table and have a look at the thing?"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:11, Thu 05 Feb 2015.

Logan slowly advanced, letting Celene take the lead, accepting a vial of holy water.  He stowed it, sheathed his swords, and drew his shortbow.  "I don't know if this is going to be any good against whatever else we find down here, but at least it'll let me keep my distance."  Logan absent-mindedly began to rub his neck, then stopped and, with an effort, lowered his hand to tap on his bow.  "I don't see anything up there, so it looks like we might be safe...for now, at least."

OOC: Actually, detect traps is something that I need to roll in secret since you aren't allowed to know if you succeed or fail... I will put the results in a private line to myself so you can see the results after the thread is archived - if you want to.

[Private to GM: 21:11, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master rolled 11 using 1d20+9. Secret roll for detect traps.
Too low to be useful, but there are no traps anyway.]

Trying to ignore the pain emanating from the still open wound on his neck, Logan does his best to scout out the area around the table for traps or anything else suspicious. Everything looks fine, so Celene moves in to take a closer look, with the thief following.

On top of the table is a rapier encrusted with dirt and a small amount of what looks like blood. It is difficult to see because the weapon is so dirty, but judging from the craftsmanship of the guard and pommel it is a valuable weapon. That said, the blade is definitely not made of mithral, and the pommel is plain steel with no ruby set in it.

The stone lady seems to stare down at you as you examine the blade, her unfriendly stern gaze not appearing very welcome.


The hilt is cleaner than the rest of the weapon...

"That's odd. It definately does not fit the description Vorsh gave - which he was very specifik about. But it's a rapier, just as what we're looking for, right? So, is it simply a decoy? No, they can't think a thief who has found his way down here that inept. But then what? Should we just leave it for now?"

Celene takes the opportunity to check both the rapier, statue and the table for any poison present - if that's possible with her detect poison? She casts multiple spells, checking all over. She saves her one detect magic for a while, yet.

Celene casts detect magic several times in order to check the rapier, the entire table on top and below, the statue and the surrounding area. Nothing shines with the tell-tail indication that poison is present.

OOC: I see that spell getting used a lot :P

After assuring no immediate poison present, Celene slowly reaches forward... then abruptly stops.

"Wait! Could this be another kind of ruse. I wonder if such a powerful weapon could not by itself change its appearance? Or Aubreck himself could! In order to lure us to touch it, thinking it harmless? Or else simply make us leave it be?"

While saying that, Celene fixes a stare at the statue, and raises her dagger, prepared if it should be Aubreck hiding under an illusion.

OOC: it was detect poison she cast earlier, not detect magic (I think it was just a typo by you, as you wrote poison later, but just making sure we're straight).

How do illusions work here? Can they be 'disbelieved', or...?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:58, Fri 06 Feb 2015.

Opps, yes that was meant to be detect poison.

Pathfinder rules about illusions:

- if you don’t make an effort to study or disbelieve and illusions, then you don’t get a chance to save
- if you do study it, then the save is the normal spell save. i.e. DC = 10 + spell level + ability modifier. Your casting ability is charisma BTW.
- you get bonuses to the save if there is evidence that the illusion is not real for some reason

I’ll go ahead and make the rolls for both of you in secret.

Celene, and then a second later, also Logan, focus on the rapier and statue and watch them closely. There are no signs of shimmering or a haze that might indicate that what they see is an illusion.

Unable to contain his inner thief, Logan steps forward and grabs the rapier from it's resting place.  He closes his eyes and tenses for a possible trap.

Logan lifts the rapier from the table and... nothing happens. The thief tests the blade for balance and weight and quickly realises that it is a fine weapon despite the poor condition it is currently in.

OOC: Unless of course the evil sword has already possessed you and just wants you to think that you are fine...

Feeling a sense of relief wash over him, Logan smiles and swishes the blade around in the air, practicing a few quick feints and parries.  "Well, even if we can't find the blade Vorsh wants, this'll make a fine payment for the job."  He looks around the chamber and sighs.  "I suppose that means its time to explore the rest of these sodden chambers, though."

"Wha... Why, you just.. "

Finally finishing a sentence she wraps it up through clenched teeth: "how can you just DO that!?!"

"You had no IDEA what could happen! What are you going to do about the statue? Pilfer that too, huh?"

Remembering the statue, Celene glances towards it again, to see if any response to Logans action if forthcoming?

If not, she turns with a 'hrmf', and goes towards the cells in the east. "Alright, let's go check out these cells. Want to go first, you seem to be fine now?"

Despite her last comment, she takes the lead down the cell aisle, looking in the various cells or storages.


OOC: they make a fine couple, heh?

Logan sheathes his old rapier and holds the new one in his hand as they advance into the eastern end of the basement. The pass through the door that the zombie used, and explore the corridor and the rooms that branch from it. It doesn't take much time as the first five doors are open and just lead to small, empty rooms. Logan searches each of them but there are no secret doors or hidden treasures that he can find.

At the very end of the corridor the door to the north is closed. The unpleasant smell which they noticed earlier is very strong here.

They keep still, and listen for any sounds from within. Celene checks for any keyholes or other holes they can peer through, and whetherit opens inwards or out towards them.


"Do you want to check this one for signs of traps, Logan?"

Logan nods, and bends down in front of the door, inspecting it for hidden traps and trip wires.

Perception check, please?

OOC: Logan's perception check:

[Private to GM: 15:32, Today: Secret Roll: Dungeon Master rolled 20 using 1d20+8. Logan perception check smelly door. Door is not trapped...]

Celene inspects the door and sees that it does have a keyhole and that it opens inwards. She can't make out anything of the room inside because it is dark. When Logan does the same and tries to use his dark vision, he isn't able to make out anything inside either.

Logan also checks the door and isn't able to find any traps. The thief carefully tries the door handle and finds that the door is not locked. With a gentle movement he opens the door.

Behind the door is another small 5' square room, but this one is not empty. Inside are half a dozen fine hams strung from the ceiling, each bearing the mark of Sasserine's finest butcher. This is apparently the source of the strange salted meat smell.

OOC: They could be worth a few silver coins, although they are going to heavy to carry out...