Session 22: Investigating the Lochburns Report

General Summary

Our heroes started the session stood outside the doors of Lochburn manor, figuring out what to do. Angelo begins by going to scout around, checking out the air-tight outhouse, the church with an old man, 5 doghouses and a big ass house. After a while, the PCs decide to sneak in and make their way over to the church. Orion disguises as an orc brute.
They decide the best course of action is to write a letter to the "High Priest" asking him to examine a black rock, from Lady Bonnellon, with 1gp. He's curious, they take it to him, then ask them to leave. They do, with no alternative plan.
Back outside, they slowly sneak around the church, and Hank gets Angelo to go into each door that they're able to and he finds a bathroom that hurts (smell), a room full of huge rats, a kitchen with meat, a storeroom with a note saying "TING WARMER" with an arrow, and a lady reading a book.
The noise of barking startles them, so they hide, then a stout dwarven lady with a limp comes from the manor to feed the beasts behind the church, then retreats. Slowly, our heroes creep closer to the house, until they're in the courtyard. James takes a peek in the greenhouse and sees the body through all the vines. Angelo is not able to get close, so they try some other doors.
The only one they're able to get into is the ladder room in the corner, in which they spend an insane amount of time not wanting to put their hands on the blood of the ladder, resulting in a few people falling and James using his grappling hook. Hank uses Prestidigitation (after ages) and it's a clean ladder now. Yay. They climb.
Upstairs, there's a small trail of blood heading down the corridor, and Hank sends Angelo, in which he stumbles upon a little girl having a tea party with her china dolls. The rest creep down a corridor and all fall over each other while trying to sneak. Joe finds a mirror that makes people horrible versions of themselves. 
In a bedroom, Joe and James start looting, which triggers a fight with a dust wight! It gives as good as it gets and Joe almost turns into stone. After that fight, a few bits are discovered, especially in the study next door. Orion begins casting detect magic on a burnt box, while Hank finds a note to Patty and Joe finds records of expenses. Angelo goes for a little journey down a lady's top, but can't get the diamond key. It's definitely there though.
The next part of the house is a balcony overlooking a dining room, which is covered in rotten food, and someone has hand written a message "YOU'RE GET". A ha! They run back for Angelo to get the note from the storeroom and James lines the note up with the table, and an arrow points to a droopy part of the curtain. James abseils down, climbs a chair and finds a ring! Woohoo! 
However, he also finds a blackboard with a riddle... Everyone climbs down and tries figuring it out. After a LONG time deliberating, James puts the token on the 4th head, laughter fills their ears, James feels the head move and takes an iron key, and the lady looks up from her book with "Let's play a real game, shall we?"

Rewards Granted

• Some gold in one of the rooms
• A cool ring! Yet to be examined.

Missions/Quests Completed

Well, there's surely something up with this house.

Character(s) interacted with

The players met the priest at the Lochburn church, but that's almost just about it.

Campaign

Guardians of the Last Age

Protagonists

James Grom Jr.

Joe Smith

Reginald Jones

Hank Strongsoul

Orion De'Mac

Report Date

20 Jun 2020

Primary Location

Pendle