Skinning the Skinshaw (The Catacombs of Ascendent Court, Part VII)

Pumpellio scouted ahead, and we saw down the hallway three Excorsions... and the Skinner, Wrent Dicaspiron!

Jorin summoned a Living Wildfire Fire Elemental as the four Excorsions charged forward, their tentacle-like veins moving them forward. Several spewed blood at Mr. Gone. while the others missed their attacks. The Skinner, dripping blood from her fountain bath, and entangled Mr. Gone with her spiked chain. Simimel stepped forward and cast Litany Against Wrath, causing an enfeeblement and damage.

Mr. Gone comes out swinging, punching the Excorsion in front of him. The Wildfire sends a stream of flame to Mr. Gone's opponent, lighting him aflame. The Excorsion in front of Simi spews blood at her but misses. Skinner tries to yank Mr. Gone to her, but Simi blocks and Mr. Gone exerts himself, breaking free of the chain. Skinner snares Mr. Gone again, and pulls him forward, next to her. Simi casts  Litany Against Wrath again as Valcos fires arrows into the Excorsions.

Mr. Gone gets free of his chains. and while standing and punches the Skinner. The Wildfire incinerates the previously-aflame Excorsion, and turns his flame on another. Pumpellio begins the Hymn of Healing to support Mr. Gone. Skinner attacks with her cleaver, and takes the damage from the Litany Against Wrath. Grimwald moves to attack Wrent. Sim slashes an Excorsion while Valcos sinks sever arrows into it as well.

One of the Excorsions self-destructs, and its essence flows into the Skinner, healing her. The Wildfire tries to set Skinner on fire, but fails. Pumpellio inspires courage as he continues the Hymn of Healing. Jorin shields Mr. Gone while Skinner attacks, absorbing some of the damage. Grimwald continues to attack the Skinner. Simi strikes Skinner with her rapier, while another Excorsion explodes to heal his boss. Valcos fires arrows into the last Excorsion, hoping to kill him before he can also heal the boss.

Jorin drank another Elixir of Life as the Wildfire singes the Skinner with several fire motes. The last Excorsion tries to vomit blood onto Mr. Gone, but only manages to throw a punch. Pumpellio inspires courage as he continues the Hymn of Healing.

The last Excorsion explodes to keep the Skinner alive. Everyone piles on the Skinner, and Simi blocks her attempt to suicide before Valcos' arrow puts her down. They drag her into her lair. bubbling, miasmic pool of thick, half-coagulated blood takes up the center of this rectangular, twenty-foot-tall chamber. The pool is set into the floor tiles, and the faint outline of shallow stairs can be seen through its murky contents, though the blood’s depth is indiscernible. The ceiling features a bloodstained iron grate, which allows views of the pool below. Dozens of long chains hang from this iron grate, each one tipped in a serrated iron hook the size of a human’s hand.

They unlock the door to a prison. Blood, filthy rags, and smeared excrement fill the corners of this rectangular chamber where the flagstone floor tiles meet the wall. Chained to the walls in varying states of duress are ten naked humanoid captives, some forced to stand with their hands shackled above their heads, others down low with all four limbs chained to the walls’ bottommost bricks.

There are ten prisoners. The squad takes the Skinner and the prisoners to the surface, and return to further explore. 

Jinby the Prisoner

Heading back in, they find a vault. Boxes, bags, and stacks of coins from all over the Inner Sea region cover a low stone table in the center of this long chamber. Shelves built into the underside of the table are likewise filled with valuable coinage. Dozens of stacks of expensive clothing lie clumsily folded on the floor like an afterthought, with bits of jewelry here and there showing that whoever organized this room did so with little care.

This long stone chamber is so unnaturally cold that breath condenses in midair, and the air itself seems to swirl and refresh at a steady rate, despite no apparent means of ventilation. Filling the room is a gut-churning vision: the flayed hides of all kinds of people - humans especially - hang in varying states of tanning from hooks all along a rack fastened to the ceiling, creating a maze of macabre leather and braided hair. The stench of chemicals is overwhelming; the fumes seem to be emanating from the various four-foot-tall wooden and stone vats of assorted fluids that line the walls.

Mobana

Further investigation discovers the workshop for four necromancy sewing from which music is playing, like a music box on replay. Valcos checks for traps and tells the squad that the door has a lot of soundproofing. The squad puts in earplugs and Pumpellio casts a counterspell. They enter the chamber to find a halfling seamstress named Mobana and a pair of stuffed flayed Skinstiches. 

Pumpellio casts a sound burst to announce our presence. The skinstiches attack, and Mobana arms herself with a shortbow. Mr. Gone flies into combat as Jorin casts Protect Idolon. Mr. Gone casts Idolon's Wrath, spewing acid onto Mobana and the skinstiches. Grimwald and Simi attacks skinstichs. Valcos comes in to finish off one skinstich, then moves to block Mobana.

Mobana attacks Mr. Gone. Mr Gone attacks Mobana. Grimwald attacks the last skinstich. Pumpellio inspires courage and sings a Hymn of Healing over Grimwald. Once the last Skinstich is destroyed, Mobana surrenders.

Mobana says "She knows that the Skinner has been hoarding gold for some unknown purpose, and she was laundering the possessions of the cult’s victims through the Copper Hand and another gang called the Washboard Dogs based out of the Docks." Mobana expounds upon her 

theory and says it might have something to do with the Skinner’s mysterious associates: three other powerful worshippers of Norgorber who, with the Skinner, call themselves the Twilight Four."

Another room was Wrent's quarters. These simple living quarters sport a bed, an empty bookshelf, and a low table with a chair. A thin layer of loose brown hair coats the tiles around the bed. North of the bed, various iron and stone tools of unknown purpose—small anvils, stone crushing balls, iron bars fitted with stones on either end—lie in a scattered heap around a low stone bench.

They found the Nave of Norgorber. Thick rivulets of sticky dried blood coat every inch of the twisted altar at the head of this diamond-shaped worship chamber. The altar itself consists of a large humanoid statue of stone cloaked in flowing robes and wearing a one-eyed mask. In one hand, the figure wields a short sword; in its other, incongruously, is a wicked shaving razor, which is made of metal and ivory and looks to have been placed in the statue’s otherwise empty hand.

When the agents report back to Lieutenant Lavarsus, he commends them for following through on their ongoing case and making the city safer (and, of course, making the Edgewatch look good in the process). He suggests that, since the other Edgewatch officers have been able to hold down the Precipice Quarter without the aid of the party, they should continue their investigation and check in with the district guards of the Docks to learn more about the so‑called Washboard Dogs.