ttrpg-compendium/journals/seventh/_posts/2024-02-12-tugger_5.md

layout	title
journal	Cult Hunters, S2E2

Events

• The party begins asking around the neighborhood, looking for cultists.
  • Sheila G quaffs the aura-sight potion
    • Chuck and Gartug have brown auras, Randy has a green and blue roiling aura with thunderbolts, and Mike has no aura but a cloud around his head.
  • The second house, nobody answers
  • The third house, a human with a green and yellow aura answers.
    • He reported of spotting a man covered in ashes wandering around the neighborhood
    • He offered to tell his master they visited, and send an invitation for a proper time
    • The house is owned by Master Sisyphus. Evidently he was a famous adventurer, and a collector of oddities.
  • The fourth house, an old lady with a parchment-covered aura answers.
    • She is a char-lady: she cleans out old ashes and coals from furnaces
    • The party pushes past the lady to investigate further. They come across a younger lady (tan aura), who approaches them.
      • She tells them the Lady of the house is eating, and asks us to return in an hour. Despite certain noises, the party obliges
  • The fifth house, a 12-year old boy answers the door. He has a blue aura. After a brief exchange, the boy closes the door on the party.
  • The sixth house, a human opens the door. He has leather armor and a short sword. Their aura is grey, red, and white.
    • A second human, similarly dressed, is within.
    • This home is one of Lord Woolsey. He is the master librarian of public library number 2. He will be returning at lunch.
  • We circle round to the first house, of the Lars family. An old man answers with a brown and pink aura.
    • After brief discussion, the old man encourages us to test the lock, and closes the door.
    • We knock again, and learn that the Mr. Lars is at a floutist sympozium. We then learn the history of the flute gang.
    • Learn that the second house is empty, and has been for the past 2 years. It was apparently recently bought by one of the money-changing houses.
  • Heading back to the second house, after a brief discussion about how getting into the house now would be illegal, Sheila G and Randy Dimension Door'd into the house, and Gartug and Chuck waited outside. The constable went to look for the key to the house.
    • All rooms are empty, the fireplace is unused, and a stack of fire wood waits nearby.
    • Sheila G finds footsteps with eyeball-auras leading into a back, roughly-hewn room.
    • Randy uses his Door-Knocker, and finds a carved ladder hidden behind the wall, descending about 5 feet into a little cubby, with a peep-hole drilled into the wall.
      • Sheila G casts light on a cigarrette, and pushes it through the hole. Beyond, they now see what looks like a study with a table, an alchemy set, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, and a woven rug on the ground. Sheila G teleports them into the room.
        • Investigating now in person, they see many vials of powders and liquids, with many books in Abyssal and referencing dark magics and regions in the abyss. Several books in common about medicine and poison. Inside the wardrobe is a big golden mask, a few holy symbols of Aldinach, and a magical kukri.
        • At the desk is a locked drawer, with writing materials on top. Popping open the drawer with a crowbar, they find 3 books.
          • Randy checks one: Financial records of ocean voyages.
          • Sheila G checks another: also financial records of ocean voyages.
          • They take all three books
        • After Dimension Door'ing out, the group agrees to raid the third house.
  • Raid on House three
    • After no one answers the door, Sheila G Dimension Door's us into the house.
    • The party investigates the first room, a kitchen
      • We find the servant making soup. Gartug stays to watch the servant.
    • The part investigates the second room, a room of curiousities
      • They a magic staff, a pyramid with a plaque (which says, "The Temple of Hos-Tith"), rug on the ceiling, and a model of a ship.
        • Randy uses the staff to knock down the rug, which spills golden dust of everyone. Chuck fails his save, sneezes, and falls to the ground, seemingly effected by a Command spell.
          • Chuck gets attacked by an unseen assailant!
            • It was a zombie! Apparently constructed to protect the stuff. Gartug punches it apart.
            • Randy threatens the servant, who responds by smacking Randy in the face. They fight a bit.
          • The cult leader runs out the front door. Sheila G takes chase!
            • Sheila G captures the cult leader!
          • Randy continues exploring, and gets attacked by hidden cultists! Gartug and Chuck join in the combat, taking down one and subduing the second.

Locations

• A neighborhood in Rhyme

NPCs and Notable Characters

• A constable, accompanying the party

Other Notes

• We're all really bad at talking with people.