2.1 Chapter 1: Into the Stolen Lands

Like the other windows in the manor, this one sports an solid iron bars. The weather outside is dark and rainy.

The door is now guarded

I'll cast detect magic to look for invisible assholes.

For a moment Silene is connected to the unfathomable senses of a entity of great natural power, her spirit spreads seeking sources of magic. She scourers the room to find ... nothing. Nothing but the mundane material objects.

No magic detected.

Given the lack of invisible jerks, I say we move onwards. But go with caution because obviously anyone associated with Betrayius is going to be a bunch of sneaky fuckers.

If you would be so kind Octavious.

Octavius burst into the trophy room. This large room has a floor of polished white tiles. Hanging from the walls are various trophy heads: a stag with an impressive set of antlers, a large tusked boar, a cranky‑looking oversized owl, a snarling wolf, and two different reptilian monsters.

The fancy gnome that lead Octavius and crew to the manor, Tartuccio, lies sprawled on the floor near one of the statues. Unmoving.

Two large doors lead onward.

I'll go over to the gnome very carefully and give him a gentle poke with my stick. He might be booby trapped and he was kinda a jerk so I'll be gentle, but I'm not going to rush in all save him without caution. The lack of enemies in this room makes me extra suspicious and paranoid.

Tartuccio is breathing shallowly and sports a broken nose and two black eyes. Something large punched him in the face. He does not react when you poke him.

You can hear yelling on the other side of the double doors.

Quickly Octavious, some one needs our help, let us give them the enjoyment of a swift punishment.

"Dibs on the gnomes stuff" Tassle says "You lead I will loot behind you ... I mean follow"

He's not dead. We can leave him on the ground for now. He probably won't get crushed by a statue or anything. Let's go.

Time to head to the next source of noise.

The door burst open to the dueling room.

Lady Jamandi uses this room to practice her swordplay and host sporting duels with local officers and nobility. Racks containing practice blades and stands holding suits of padded armor line the north and south walls. There is a recessed area that serves as the dueling court—a 2-foot-deep rectangular arena with steps at its north and south ends. Now, though, bodies litter the floor. Eight of Lady Jamandi’s guards lay dead among the cloaked corpses of 11 Black Tears cutthroats and two dead ogres

The party observes Lady Jamandi facing off against a pair of frost giants in the open area to the northwest of the dueling pit.

At the same time, five more Black Tear cutthroats enter the room from the door to the southwest. One dressed with authority and power.

Lady Jamandi spots the party and points out the powerful cuttroart, yelling, "Just in time! That’s their leader; take her out while I deal with these oafs!"