Into the Gray

Session Summary

We hatch a plan to lure the Slaad out of a house by locking ourselves in a room and using Mage Hand to open the door, then Wash's bird leads them away. Once the coast is clear, we shut the front door and explore the house. Arachne casts Detect Magic and sees magical figurines and a pooled magic essence in the next room. I investigate the Records Room and find a barrel with transmutation magic that Arachne warns could turn people into Slaad. After marking the barrel, we collect papers with Wash and find some tax documentation with the name New Dawn, which has a missing address. Wash finds a love letter signed by someone named Marvin, a skeleton with a knife, and little trinket toys. We plan to investigate the New Dawn building next.

Log

We make a plan:

1. Hide in a room with the door closed
2. Star uses mage hand to unlock the door with the Slaad
3. Wash’s bird leads them out of the house
4. We close the front door
5. ???
6. Profit

There are bookshelves in all the empty rooms. There are figurines. There’s a lot of stuff moved in. It looks like makeshift storage.

We go to enact the plan. We shut ourselves in a room. 

Arachne gives Star the blessing of the Trickster.

He picks the lock flawlessly and then uses mage hand to open it. He hides back in with us. Elzara holds it closed. Wash the bird goes to get the Slaad to leave!

The Slaad seem to fall over themselves leaving.

Wash tells us when they’re out and away, and Star uses Mage Hand to close the front door. 

Arachne casts Detect Magic. She sees some magic on some of the figurines, similar to before. “A general magic essence, but not a specific school of magic.” There is magic in the next room and it seems pooled.

I look but don’t see any traps before stepping into the Records Room. Underneath the Slaad excrement, it appears there are a distressing number of human remains. They seem old, not super recent. #clues

I look to see if I can figure out how the Slaad were locked in there. 

Arachne can see there is transmutation magic on a barrel in the back. There is water in it. She tells me there is some wack-ass magic. It’s transmutation magic. She thinks that the water might turn people into Slaad. #clues ^2a7858

• Ask April about any known incidences of infections.

I write “Do not drink” on the side of the barrel with charcoal. 

Arachne and I warn everyone about the water.

Twinkletoes and I search the records room. There are a lot of boring documents, a registry of corporations, and tax information. While walking through, we also realize that there is some paperwork that’s on the floor. 

I work out a system with Elzira to pick up the gross dirty paper on the floor and clean it, then hand it to Wash. Arachne and Twinkletoes collect papers with me. I also use Mending to repair any papers in poor repair. I make sure to mention all the names to Wash. 

Twinkletoes and I grab the same paper at the same time, both noticing a familiar name. It’s a piece of tax documentation and we can see the oh-so-familiar name New Dawn. On this, we can see it’s missing some of the information, there would be a couple more pages of what was purchased and sent. There is a note of the address in the city. #clues

At this point it’s been another hour. So it’s only 8am.

Note for Star: looking for things he thinks are valuable. 

Wash is looking through the notes on the desks. There are a bunch of different names. #clues

In the back, there’s a check-in formatted paper and mostly the “Infected” checkbox isn’t marked. In the front, there are no notes. #clues

Wash goes to look upstairs. He finds a poop barrel. He also finds a skeleton with a knife and a note. He picks it up. What he can read is: “My dearest love. One day you told me if I was the only person left you would consider me. I’ve done what I can to make this true, so at this point I’d ask you to…” then there is “Love you more than life itself. And I ask you once again to change your mind. With love, Marvin.” #clues ^8d697d

Wash tries to figure out if this body is male or female but cannot really tell. While inspecting, it does look like there is some scraping on the rib cage that matches with the knife that is there. 

Marvin was on the list of check-ins Wash was looking through. He never had an infected check. 

He keeps looking around and finds little trinket toys. There are some cards Star will want to keep. #items

When I got to look for the company, it’s not by name, but by registration date. I use the file date from the papers we found as a starting point. I am able to find it. 

Notes:

1. List of trinkets/items we find while searching #clues
2. Registry information for New Dawn

We will start the next session at New Dawn! Me, Arachne, and Twinkletoes recognize the building as the warehouse from the dream!! #clues