Book 3: Dreamers of the Nameless Spires

Chapter 1: A Most Unwelcome Truth

Or, Dr. Ritalson in the Billiard Room with the Lead Pipe.

loreify.ai session notes

Session Summary

The party, now level 8, travels two weeks south to Lepidstadt at Dr. Ritalson’s invitation. They discuss new feats en route. Upon arriving at Ritalson Manor, majordomo Ulwin greets them by name and assigns dusty rooms. They meet fellow gatewalkers: astronomer Lunja, ghost-hunting gnome Vaxdervin, half-elf cartographer Iasanden, and librarian Takuzo. Over five days, the group talks with the other Gatewalkers and the household staff (which consists only of Ulwin, a maid, and a cook). They investigate suspicious circumstances, detect and eventually dispel an inveigle ritual on Ulwin, uncover clues about missing prior Gatewalkers, strange dreams, Dr. Ritalson’s trips to Lichgate, and a restricted basement. They shop in town, selling items like demon horns and spears to buy a flaming rune and potions, and steal some auric noodles from the noodle shop. They find a hidden key in the lounge fireplace and a hidden door in the Billiard Room, however the key does not open the door. Hector smashes open the reinforced door with his maul revealing stairs to a brick-lined tunnel.

Timeline

1. Feat selection and level-up discussions during two-week travel to Lepidstadt.
2. Arrival at Ritalson Manor; Ulwin greets the party and Snowy Owl, assigns rooms.
3. Perception check reveals a layer of dust and lax upkeep; dinner introduces gatewalkers Lunja, Vaxdervin, Iasanden, and Takuzo.
4. Interrogate Ulwin, detect effects of inveigle ritual, failed dispel attempt causes him to flee for the night.
5. Converse with cook in the kitchen revealing restricted basement areas.
6. Talk to Vaxdervin in the conservatory about ghosts and prior gatewalkers acting oddly.
7. Chat with Lunja in the lounge, uncovering key hidden in fireplace mantle.
8. Takuzo in library shares dreams of horned furred figure; Yoi-ko attempts but fails to pick the lock on the locked door.
9. Dinner diplomacy yields no new info; Sammakko reads Ulwin’s mind which reveals family fire suspicions and a subterranean workshop.
10. Snowy Owl successfully dispels inveigle on Ulwin; he then aids investigation and tells the group about a hidden door in the billiard room.
11. Talk with Iasanden reveals Ritalson’s Lichgate map interest.
12. Town shopping: sell horns/spears, buy flaming rune/potions, steal auric noodles.
13. Overhear staff and Gatewalker gossip on guards, family fire, Dr. Ritalson’s missing moment.
14. Lockpick fails; maul attacks break reinforced door, revealing basement tunnel stairs.

Significant Clues

Etward Ritalson has been working on an off-site project for some time. Every week or so, he returns to interview a small group of Gatewalkers in private, after which they leave the manor and do not return—presumably because their missions ended and they’re returning to their previous lives.

Strange Gatewalkers: Vaxtervin notes that when he watched the previous group of Gatewalkers leave the manor after their meeting with Dr. Ritalson, they seemed to be acting strangely and out of character. Vaxtervin suspects they’re possessed by ghosts, but also notes that they’ve been gone for days and has no idea of where or how to track them down.

Mysterious Key: Lunja knows there’s a mysterious key hidden in the lounge. She’s seen Dr. Ritalson replace the key in a nook in a fireplace mantle on a previous visit, but isn’t sure what door the key opens (the key opens the locked door in the library).

Weird Dream: Takuzo confides in the player characters about the weird dreams he’s been having—dreams in which he is stalked through a vast frozen library by a furry, horned monster. His description of this beast is identical to the figure the PCs saw in their own dreams in previous volumes. Takuzo claims that, in his last of these dreams a few weeks ago, he got a good look at the creature, and woke with the conviction that it wasn’t a monster but, in fact, a person dressed in a costume.

Lichgate: Iasanden reveals to the characters that he suspects Dr. Ritalson has been coming and going from Lichgate several times recently, after he caught a glimpse of a map the doctor spent a few moments looking over on his last visit to the manor.

Ulwin is Acting Strange: The player characters learn that the manor’s majordomo has been acting strange lately—he’s been uncharacteristically quiet, reserved, and strict to the other servants. They are successful in counteracting the effects of an inveigle ritual. Ulwin thanks the party and confesses that Dr. Ritalson put the spell on him against his will to ensure he remained quiet and kept things in place. Once freed of the effects, Ulwin confesses he fears for the staff and hopes that the group can find out what the doctor is up to. Ulwin suspects his employer is up to no good, but isn’t sure what. He then does what he can to help further investigations, revealing the Hidden Door to the party.

Hidden Door: The player characters discover a reinforced wood door hidden behind a curtain in the billiard room. This door is locked. Beyond the door is a flight of stairs that leads down a brick-lined tunnel.

Dr. Ritalson retains a group of four personal guards. No one knows who they are, but the four human guards accompany Etward on his journeys, and also down into the library basement with the other Gatewalkers. No one’s seen the four guards come back up though—they might still be downstairs!

Treasure

• 2 Auric Noodles, 2 Moderate Healing Potions, Flaming Rune