Session 35: Gryphon HQ Report
General Summary
The First of Rising Autumn was upon Eraneth, the leaves of the surrounding forest of the Great Mountain which Amarantine was built upon began to shift from green to a mix of yellows and reds. Ismaril when not busy at the libraries doing research was decorating the Scales Headquarters with gourds, apples, and other items of the season. Indalell and A'lars operations were beginning to bear fruit, identifying the security leak seemed to originate within the city guard, and the Cockatrice cell was hard at work building some sort of ritual. Ayrien had departed into the wilds to catch the Bronze Wheel family that was on the run, having succeeded she was set to arrive later that day with the prisoners, Adalon rode out to meet her. The third interrogation of Hrungul by Longwei yielded the location of the Gryphon sell headquarters, the Bank of the Wings Walk, a Temple of Roulon, god of Commerce, Banking, and Greed. Having taken near a week to get this information the scales wasted little time preparing to raid the Temple. Indalell went to the bank to pose as a customer, getting tours of the conference rooms, temple and vault. The bank also had a monastery behind it which extended into the subterranean portion of the city, the scales decided it best to enter from there. The temple had a Paladin and his guard, as well as likely a wide array of complex traps and locks to secure the vast wealth it stored.
In the early hours of the 2nd of Rising Autumn, the Scales moved into place, Indalell picking the lock to the monastery door and gaining them entry. A squadron of Draconiens were waiting near by, as was Neia and other Lieutenants of the Scales in the front watching the bank. As they checked for magicl traps, A'lar noted the magical Aura of the temples Consecration seemed off, Adalon would confirm but they could not tell how or why, just that it did not seem to emanate with the splendor and grandeur Roulon would project. Entering an antechamber, the floor was made of gilded tiles, great pillars reaching up to the ceiling, a great door with an impressive lock stood before them, and the room held 4 objects, 1 upon each wall. An amoire, presumably for cloaks, a gilded chest, for donations, a taxidermy lions head, Roulons sigil, and a painting of the formal crest of Roulon. As Indalell set to investigating the locks, finding them perhaps beyond him, the others moved to investigate the room. A'lar used his magic to Telekinetically open the chest, finding it unlocked, it would sparkle with many coins and treasure. A'lar would look around stepping closer, "Perhaps a donation opens the door," placing 50 gold to the chest, he would look down as it seemed the cloth of his flowing pants was sticking to the chest, and the sleeves of his tunic, the chest then burst forward with gnashing teeth and a grotesque spiked tongue lashing at A'lar.
The Scales would spring to action as the 4 objects in the room came alive, the armoires doors opening as a massive maw, a similar tongue lashing out to pull Adalon in. As the Lions head lept from the wall at Indalell and Ismaril, his blade would stab true impaling the creature as it let out guttural scream. Adalons Scythe cut into his, tho finding him soon stuck to the creatures adhesive flesh. A'lar would break himself free, inspring his comrades with a mighty tale and flinging debris with his magic at the creatures. Aryien would mark her prey and move forward her Elven Warspear flaring with magic as she thrust it into her foe. Ismaril would be rushed by a mimic becoming stuck upon its sticky hide as her rapier pierced the mimic in response to its tongue lashing barbs. Longwei would rush to action his fist smashing down into the mimics form but also finding himself ensnared in its mire. The mimics proved short work for the scales, who then found themselves stuck to various parts of the room. Freeing themselves a set of keys would be found and the door forward open.
Thru a long hall way they would find a living room, warm fire, several sitting couches, a piano, and a Skull seated on said couch. As they came into the room, the skulls eyes would flare to life spinning in a wheel of color as the piano suddenly rolled thru several notes in order, ending on C the Skulls eyes would turn grey, Adalon would find himself suddenly paralyzed, frozen in place. Indalell would move over and throw his cloak over the skull in hopes to disrupt its gaze with no effect. Ayrien would scan the room in hopes of a clue, but only find some curious fern leaves sticking under a wall. A'lar would take a seat at the Piano and play the counter notes to what the Piano had played, a burst of light would explode from within the cloak. The roulette wheel of color would spin and now Ayrien would find herself frozen in place as the grey eyes looked thru the fabric covering. Ismaril would join A'lar and play a round of counter notes, another light bursting. Longwei would take the skull bundled in the cloak and smash it upon the floor, another burst of light from within. Indalell would tinker in the piano disabling the strings of the notes, and more light would burst. Finally a freed Adalon would smash the skull one last time, the last light bursting, and the skull slowly dissolving to acid as it fell out of the cloak. With this curious defense mechanism defeated, Indalell would look to the strange wall with ferns poking beneath it, Ayrien had noted. As he fiddled with the wall, Ismaril and A'lar would play a small duet on the piano. Indallel would grin to himself as the door slid open to a hidden hall way.
As they moved inside, a still somewhat sticky Vaera hair would bristle as she made a deep low meowling growl. Ayrien would link her senses to her companions to find it staring intently and nervously to a painting behind them in the dimly lit hall way. A'lar would hear the faintest ringing of a bell, "OH fuck no...not these bastards again," casting a spell his eyes would shimmer as that which was invisible would be seen, he took stock of what was around him to find in this hidden hall way a redcap to the north and west of them. And to their east, a Ghostly figure, its head sitting far to high above its shoulders to be humanoid, and a cowl extending into a tall pointed cap only made it seem more otherworldly. Its spindly arms clung to a small cauldron that bubbled with ethereal power and its eyes glowed orange in darkness. A Sluagh of Autumn, a member of the Autumns Courts Wild Hunt, fallen in battle but not reborn in the fae realm. A strange spirit both undead and fae, collecting souls to appease their queen and perhaps be released of this terrible fate began to move towards the Scales.