The Faceless Menace

Saraphina, Artemis and Oorr head off to investigate the upper city of Baldur's Gate while Yeava and Azalea stay behind to question their captive in the inn's basement. First though Yeava heads back to the stone building which she had seen their captive about to enter before his capture. Yeava crouches across the street, for all appearances, a homeless woman down on her luck. She watches as several sick and injured people enter and leave the building. She watches until the shop owner that Yeava crouches by brings her food and asks if she needs help. Yeava asks about the doctor across the way and the store owner tells her off the great doctor who is such a boon to the area as he has healed and mended many people over the years.

The group heading off to the upper city soon are amidst the rich and the privileged. Stately manors, well groomed properties and  finely dressed nobles. There they ask around regarding some of the more prominent manor houses. They ask about a tall spiraling tower which seems to defy physics with it's near toppling appearance. They are told it is an old wizard's tower. Ramazith's Tower should not be approached. The old wizard himself hasn't been seen in decades but wizards being wizards his tower still is dangerous.

The other manor which they ask about is a large gleaming stone building with silver accents. It looks to be of recent construction and bustles with activity. The group is told that it is the noble manor of Stehlen. A woman of great riches and of great respect. She is fairly new to the city but has already gained much respect and influence. She is said to be wise and just. Wise well beyond her young years.

The group investigates further into The Order's upper keep but fail to do much other than to annoy officers and pick fights with other soldiers. They decide to turn back to see what the others have learned from their hostage but not before showing off Artemis and Saraphina's new trick to some of the locals which results in Saraphina crashing to the ground and smashing her face upon the stones.

Faceless Ambush
5,400 XP

As they walk back through the lower city, a rag tag group of street children bustle around them cheering, laughing and shoving, some with their hands outstretched asking for money. Saraphina notices something is not right and her hand goes to where her mace is. She finds it missing. Sure enough she spots off to one side of the street, heading down an alleyway, a small child clumsily dragging her heavy mace. The others quickly check their belongings as Saraphina rushes off and gives chase after her mace. Artemis quickly follows.

Saraphina rushes through the narrowing alleyway filled with stalls and the encroaching awnings darken then alleyway. Suddenly a net is thrown over the halfling and Saraphina finds herself being dragged into a darkened building. Artemis is soon netted as well but Artemis is able to magically teleport out of the net while Oorr claws his way out. They duck into the building where Saraphina was taken.

Inside is pitch black, but it is soon lit brightly with Artemis's daylight spell. Standing in the far corner are three hooded figures, one of which is holding Saraphina down with his foot. The battle is fast and furious and when over the group investigates the dead bodies. When their hoods are withdrawn the group sees each of the figures had a metal mask. When Ooor removes one of the masks he finds that the mysterious figures have no faces behind the metal masks. Only their musculature is visible without their faces. Oorr flies back to help the others.

An Armful Of Questions
1,800 + 500 XP

Back in the inn, Yeava walks down the stairs to the Nolan's room where they have left their hostage tied. Oorr has taken up his place in the inn and begins to get the crowd into a loud sing along, in order to cover up any potential sounds from the interrogation below. Yeava walks into the room and sees that there is no hostage. Quickly she looks around, just in time to avoid a dagger in the back. She moves quickly and soon has the hostage around the neck from behind. She knows she had tied this man  well enough that he should not have escape on his own. As she is thinking this, a dagger comes at her from behind the hooded figure.

It is then that Yeava receives a sending from Artemis. They have just been ambushed by a group of assassins that have metal masks for faces.  Artemis advises caution. Thanks.

They fight with the hooded figure slashing at Yeava from puzzling angles. Soon enough Yeava is able to subdue her enemy and brings it to the brink of death. She with the aid of Azalea is able to tie the man to a chair and revive him with the use of a spellgem....smashed against his forhead. They question him harshly and find that he is indeed one of the 'Children Of Gwynt'.

He has been given the gift of extra grafted arms and eyes from a genius doctor, Doctor Modar. The Doctor is in the employ of 'The Children'. He can make any one of 'The Children' look like anyone they want.....provided they have stolen their face. They have been doing this for years. The number of their infiltrations is beyond knowing. They have people in powerful places.  They inspect this creatures face and find that there are subtle marks which show that his face has been grafted on. Yeava picks at it then pulls it off completely. After realizing they have what they can get from this creature they debate on what to do with him. Oorr solves that with an arrow through the creature's eye.

The group is finally making headway.

They leave Azalea and Artemis to hack up the body, bag it and clean up the room. They do not do a great job cleaning up the bloody mess as Nolan later complains that his room is in a horrible state and demands they do a better job at cleaning it up. They don't.

They load up the dismembered body into the back of Yeava's cart and head off to The Order's keep to meet with Onthar. They meet with him and let him know what they have learned. Does he suspect anyone in particular now, knowing that the disappearances and then reappearances may have to do with 'The Children Of Gwynt's ability to steal people's faces. He suspects many, even the head of The Order itself, Ondine, but he must know for sure.

They ask him for his assistance in disposing of the body they have. As he is helping them, they are approached by several soldiers and they are informed that Yeava is wanted for questioning. It has to do with a cloak of displacement being stolen from a local merchant. Yeava holds out her cloak to show them a dirty and worn cloak with a questioning look but it does not dissuade the soldiers. They escort the group to a large tower near the back of the keep. Ondine's Tower.

There they are questioned by Ondine, the leader of The Order. He is dressed finely and seems disinterested at best.  A menial task that he is being forced to do. He gets one of his mages to cast zone of truth around Yeava. He asks Yeava if she has stolen the cloak. Yeava answers "No, the merchant gave it to me". She does not add the fact that Oorr had used magic to dominate the merchant into giving it to her. The mage nods to Ondine and Ondine dismisses them.

On their way out Onthar cautions them to not make an enemy out of Ondine or The Order as he may not be able to help them if they do. The group collectively shrugs and heads out. They head towards the stone building which they have learned is Doctor Modar's residence.

Doctor Modar
9, 000 XP

They scout the building until confident enough they enter. Inside they find an attractive, if odd, woman behind a desk with her feet upon it. She is heavily made up with exaggerated features and bosom. She speaks highly of the doctor and sees that Saraphina is a halfling. An injured halfling at that and seems very excited. She tells the others to sit in the waiting room while she takes the halfling downstairs to see the doctor.  Saraphina looks to the others a little worried but goes along. Oorr turning invisible, follows behind.

The others waiting on the main floor are watched by a great black bird up on a shelf. They look around at each other but Yeava cautions against speaking in front of the bird. Artemis goes to pet the bird but the bird simply pecks at her hand. Artemis glares at the bird clutching her hand back to herself.

Downstairs, Saraphina is brought into a room filled with medical equipment and steel tables. She is brought a potion to drink by the doctor's assistant, Eryinna. Saraphina is reluctant, procrastinating with such excuses as she has to go to the bathroom but eventually she drinks it. And falls asleep.

Oorr, still invisible, watches as Eryinna lifts the halfling and carries it off to the fireplace, move something on the mantle and goes into the fireplace as it turns into a revolving hidden door. Oorr tries to follow but is not quick enough. Soon the others are downstairs trying to find a way to follow their companion.

On the mantle are several odds and ends. Candlesticks, statuettes and a chess set. They move each piece over and over and even play the game of chess but no door opens. Eventually someone notices the mirror over the mantle reflects everything but the chessboard is different. They move the chess pieces to match the mirror and the fireplace door opens. One by one they enter and descend the stairs beyond it.

Once they have descended the stairs, they enter a vast room lit by torchlight. At the far end is a tall dark human figure and the girl, Eryinna. The group demands their companion's return. Their answer is a yell from Eryinna as she attacks. She is quickly felled which doesn't seem to affect Doctor Modar. He moves quickly among them and the group notices that their damage doesn't seem to affect the doctor much. Slashes and arrow wounds quickly heal.

Meanwhile, Saraphina awakens in a large darkened room. Naked. She can barely make our anything except for multiple bodies covered in sheet scattered throughout the room. She eventually makes her way to a set of stairs, from which above she can hear the sounds of fighting. She also finds a large pile of belongings, on top of which, she finds her own weapons, clothing and armor. She dons her clothes and climbs the stairs to join the battle.

At different times, the doctor stares at Artemis, Azalea and Yeava and the adventurers turn on their companions fighting to protect the doctor. Soon Oorr tries to charge his attacks with radiant power and the enemies ability to regenerate is hampered. Finally, the enemy is vanquished and the individuals who were under the doctor's influence regain their senses.

The  doctor is dead.