Nimble despite his years, Dom easily skirts the edge of the pit, arriving on the far side without any trouble.
Siann sizes up the pit, and watches as Dom makes his leap.
With an eyebrow raise in surprise at the older man's agility, she takes a few steps back and makes her own attempt...
Jed steps back for a minute, then takes a running start and leaps straight over the trap.
Drake waits for the others to make the jump across, before he takes a few steps back and takes a running start to jump over it himself.
Whether by agile footsteps or powerful bounds, the posse makes it across the dangerous section of floor. Having reached the far side, they dust off their hands and clothes from what's raised by their motion, and head through the doorway at the other end.
The room beyond looks like the average cellar you might find in any older house of sufficient size. The exception is a pair of stone stairways, heading up in two short flights each to a landing above, which probably ascends to the surface. The other side of the room is mostly occupied by a large stone cistern, filled with clean, clear water. Beside it are large wooden barrels of the type you'd stock with provisions. One door rests in the wall beside the cistern.
Drake checks out the barrels and the stairways, just to make sure they aren't harboring any nasty surprises. Assuming they aren't, he heads again to the door to see if it's unlocked. "Damn crypt's got trap doors and skeletons; they had a hideout just waitin' for 'em when they showed up, looks like. Ain't that a pisser for the locals..."
"At least it provided us with a way to get inside. And they won't be causing trouble for much longer anyway." He follows Drake up to the door, provided the steps aren't going to try to kill them for stepping on them.
Dom follows as well. He puts away his saber, leaving only his dagger in his offhand. He motions to the others to be ready and then moves to open the door.
The posse squares up to the door by the cistern, weapons at the ready, and then Dom pushes it open. To their small surprise, there are three Redbrands on the other side, likewise with weapons drawn, although equally startled to see an actual threat. The room itself looks like it was probably a storage closet, but it's been pressed into service as a cramped bunkroom, with a pair of double bunk sets on one side and several crates and barrels on the other.
Everyone stares at each other for a moment, but somebody's going to shoot first...
Drake, gun already in hand before the doors open, reacts quickly as the Redbrands are startled by their presence. He lines up a shot on the closest bandit before they can react.
Dom curses, then makes his way to the nearest enemy while drawing his saber.
His arms are a blur as he tears into his foe.
"Well alright then..." Jed raises his pistol, aims, and fires in one smooth motion.
Dom winces when the guns go off.
"Guessin' stealth is out the window. Hit 'em hard!"
Siann leaps forward alongside Domingo, sword and fist a blur...
Dom is the first to react, driving in with saber and dagger. The sword cuts across a Redbrand's hastily raised arm, but the knife plunges in under his ribs, and he collapses to the floor, his shirt darkening with blood. Drake brings up his pistol in a quick shot that grazes a Redbrand's thigh, and his howl is not quite lost in the echo of the blast. Jed raises his own pistol and fires it at the same bandit, high in the shoulder, and Siann steps in and strikes the same place with an open-palm strike. The bandit's eyes roll back as he slumps to the ground, unconscious and bleeding from the wound.
The final bandit's eyes widen, but he doesn't back down. He draws a long, rusty blade from a sheath on his belt and stabs forward at Siann. She dodges the sharp point, and manages to keep the worst of the edge from slicing her, but it requires some exertion, and it still scrapes across her arm.
Dom moves in behind the man still facing Simon. And while he hates the idea of stabbing a man in the back. The wound on Simon's arm hardens him to do what must be done.
<--
<--
Jed keeps doing what he's good at and loads and fires a second shot at the nearest bandit that doesn't have one of his allies between them.
Between Dom's flashing dagger and Jed's keen shooting, the final bandit goes down, blood seeping out of his wounds.
Dom notices that the stoic Simon is more hurt than he's letting on. "Hold still, son. It's been a long time since I've done this."
He then places his hand on Simon's shoulder and mutters some words of power, and his hand glows green with healing energy.
"Looks like we're headed up," Drake says, looking into the cramped storage room. "You alright to keep moving?" he asks Siann, offering a hand when they get to the stairs.
Siann takes a breath as the others take down the remaining bandit, then feels Dom's hand on her shoulder.
A warm tingling passes down her arm, the wound there closing.
Looking up at Dom, she says "Thank you, Dom" then, moving her arms around responds to Drake, "Yes, let's." but she gives him a little frown when he offers his hand to help her, mounting the steps by herself.
The latest group of bandits finished, the posse decides to ascend the stairs and see what lies above. The answer is dust and not much else, though: the stairs come out in what may have been a pantry, since the room beyond looks like the ruins of a kitchen. Thick dust is all about the place, and while the party is able to uncover a few footprints that aren't quite dusted over--booted human feet judging by the size and shape, all headed between a side door and the stairs to the cellar--there isn't anything else of interest in the ruins of the manor's ground floor. The stairs leading up long ago rotted away. Only a fool would even try climbing higher, and it's doubtful they'd explore much before crashing back down in a shower of rotting splinters.
If the party wants to keep looking for the rest of the Redbrands and their mysterious leader, it looks like they'll have to head back down--and probably face the eye creature they've heard lives in the large cavern they first spotted.
"Well, no point in sittin' around." Drake heads back downstairs with his gun still drawn, making sure it's fully loaded before heading back down toward the cavern. "I don't know what this weird-ass eye thing is, but we're gonna have to kill it before we're done here. We might as well do it now."
"Agreed. Let's clear this place out already." Jed stops to make sure his guns are loaded before they head down to deal with whatever it is.
"I've seen a lot of weird things out in the frontier. But that eye creature is a new one on me. Wish we knew what we were getting into. But I guess it can't be helped."
Finding nothing of interest up top, the party loads their weapons and heads back down. Traversing the trapped hall again is easy enough with knowledge of the pit's location, and soon enough the four are back at the cavern, proceeding with caution. A cold breeze fills the area, the faint scent of decaying flesh wafting out of the crevasse that splits the room. A pair of rough stone columns help to support the ceiling twenty feet above. A pair of wooden bridges match the columns, allowing passage across the fissure in the stone floor. Everything seems still, almost eerily so, as the posse first enters.
Jed's eyes narrow as he scans the room. "Doesn't look like there's much here to be worried about. But there's somethin' dead up ahead."
Dom notices a brief flicker of movement by the far pillar across the fissure. It looked unnatural--or at least, not humanoid. And it set the hairs on the back of his neck to stand straight. The ranger drew his revolver, ready to unleash a storm of lead if needs be.
"We got company, compadres," he said outloud. "Over yonder by the pillar."
Siann peers at the pillar, but shakes her head, "I don't see anything..." but she settles into a comfortable stance and advances with the others...
Jed points his pistol in the direction Domingo pointed out. "I don't either, but that don't mean it isn't there."
The posse, disturbed by what Dom saw, moves forward with caution, weapons at the ready. As they near the stone column, though, a strange voice suddenly echoes through the cavern... or seems to. For all the volume of the voice, it's more like a breathy whisper in their ears than a shout, and though they can make out the words, the voice is eerie. A senseless gibbering lingers just under its message.
Śt̶o̴p, ̴w̷ait͘! ̛Yo͜ù,̕ ́w͢h͏o̵ called,͠ ͡wh͠o͟ ͠s͏a͡w̷.̛ ͢Y͏ou͏ ̶the ̶tow̵n̵ ͟a͜r͢e̡ pro̡te͜ctor.͞ Yòu͘ we̕re͘.͞ Y̧ơų ̀he͡re͢ c͞ome.̨..҉ You ̕s͠e͝e͏k th͝e ̴b̴lo̷o͟d͢ ͜men͢ ̧to ͘ki̷l̀l̡.̵ ͠I ̢mean͞ hąr͝m̶ ̢noņe. ͡N͟ot͟ ̴yo͘u. ͜Fo̵od.̴ ͘Gi͡v̡e. ͜F̸ight͟in͜g͏ ͝nońe̡. ́K̕iļl͢i̷n̸g yo͡u n̕o̷n͜e.̷
"Yeah, I'm not believin' that for a second. All it wants is food, huh? I have a feeling we might be food under the right circumstances." Drake levels his revolver at the pillar, ready to shoot. "If you don't mean us no harm, how about you step out so we can talk face-to-face? Or are you too chickensh*t for that?"
When the creature doesn't step forward, Dom draws his second pistol.
"You heard the man. Step out. Or we start spitting lead. We can be civil, or we can be efficient. Choice is yours."
There's long silence for several seconds after Drake and Dom's pronouncements, and finally a creature steps from behind the column. Its appearanceis bizarre, almost alien--certainly not human or even close to it. Its hide is a sickly purple, and at the top of its squatted, bony form, a single eye peers out, nearly the full size of its head, over a grin filled with small, sharp teeth.
Se͏e̢?̕ I̴ h͝ąrmi̕n͠g̸ y҉o̵u non̷e. ̧Ma͘yb͘e ͞y͠ou f̛ood ͜g͜ivi̛ng ̨me̷.̢ ̢I͞ ͠hu̢ng̡e͞r̸ àlwa͝ys͟ ̵f̕oo͏d̸ f͟o͏r.̴ Giving m̕e҉ you, ͘k͘illing̕ n̷o͡n̢e.҉ Ỳo͜u ̀kiĺli҉ng ̀b͏lo͜od̸ m͜en̡ ́wa̛nt.̛ Is͝ f͘įn͝e.̀ ̛I͡s ̵fi͜ne҉.̶ It takes a pair of ginger steps forward, hunching low to the ground--you get the sense it's trying to present itself as anything but a threat. Its eye turns to Drake and lingers for a moment, and then it chitters and recoils; the whisperings that echo its voice in your mind take on an almost angry tone. Y͜ou w͠ho̵ cal̵l̨ w҉it̸h҉ ̷th͏re҉a͏t̴. W͜i͜th͏ ͏gu̡n҉. ̧Y͟o̧u ba̡d̵ ̕s͝p͏i̴ri͟ţ i̴n͝ m̕a͜n̕.͠ I͘ ͢l͞iki͜n͝g͟ y̸o͡u͝ ̸nǫne.͏ ̕Yoú ̀g̢ǫin̸g.͠ ҉Gi̸v́e̡ f҉oo͝d̶ and̕ g̵o̡in̶g ̵you ̵no̸w.͠
The creature slinks back from the bridge and nods its head toward the passage on the other side. It gives its only vocalization aloud, a sort of helpless whining pant, and squats low, awaiting the party's response.
"Seems it wants to grant us passage in exchange for food" Siann says softly, glancing at Drake for a moment, then she reaching into her pack for some jerky, holding it out to the beast, "Here you go....what should we call you? Do you know aught else of the 'blood men' ?"
L̴oo̢k̸s̷ li͢k͏è ̸it͢'̶s͡ ̸g̸ot ͡ùs̛ ͟p͘eg͞gèd, ҉Drake̶. It́'͏s͏ g͟o̸t ͜m̛y sc͜ent̡..̴. a̷n̢d̢ tḩa̛t̷'͏s ẁo͡r̢ríso̢m̢e. ̛T͜r҉ead carefu͞l͢l̢y͝, b̧o̵y.̕'
"Shut the hell up," Drake mutters. He shakes his head slowly, clearing out the voice of his eldritch host. Drake lowers his pistol slowly and takes a step back. He looks the creature in its one huge eye, and scowls. "I don't know what you're talking about with that spirit nonsense, but I'm not likin' you much either. If we were gonna give you food, what d'you even eat? If we... left the bodies, would that be enough food for you?" Drake keeps his gun down at his hip and glances to the others. "What else would it even eat? I don't know what else to offer."
S͘o y̢oų ͢of͘fęr̷ ͝i̛t ̵m͏y̨ ̷foo͢d? ͡Yơur̡ ҉kil̕l̕s ͢are ҉mi͡ne ͜f͝or̛ ͏th̷ę ̨ta҉k̡i̷n͝g,̢ ҉D͜r̢a͝k͠e..̴. ͝tha͝t͠ wa̸s̨ ͝the de̢al̵. Unle̴s̡s ̶y̕où'͏d͜ ͡ra͢t̸her go͡ b͘àck̨ o͝n͜ ͡i̸t.
"F*ck off. You can finish them off... there's no way it eats as much as you." Drake keeps his voice quiet, trying to keep the others from hearing. "You need me as much as I need you. Remember?"
Dom puts away his pistols as he tries to get a bead on what this creature wants.
"What the hell is that..." Jed mutters, looking at the creature curiously. "Feeding it might work, assuming it doesn't eat flesh or something like that."
The creature eagerly snaps up the jerky that Siann tosses over, and as it devours the dried meat it looks back up, its 'voice' echoing in the posse's minds again. Fles͞h͘ ye͞s eatin̡g͏.̷ ̡Body ͞y͟es̷ e̵átįng. ̡M̷an mea̸t̢ ̷eat҉in̡g go̵o̢d. B̶ĺòod͘ m͟en͠ ̷bo͢d̶y g̢i͢ving m̶e̴. ̨T͞o͘wn b̨ody̧ giv̡inǵ ̴m͘e o̵n̢ȩ,̶ ̶m̛a͝n bod̕y̴.̀ ҉Yo̵u͝ b͠o̕d͜ìe̷s ͢g͘ivi̛ng͝ me mor̛e.͏ B͝lo͞o̷d́ m͠en b҉o̶d̀ie͞s?̡ The whispers become excited, agitated, and you get the sense that the creature is laughing.
The thing quickly finishes its jerky and looks up at the posse, squatted down low to the floor, its clawed fingers scraping lightly across the stone. It doesn't make any motion to attack, and it seems that it's true to its 'word'--it just seems to want food, not trouble.
Dom gets a sick feeling in his stomach, but he knows the value of an ally--even one as odd as this one.
"Well, if you help us, we can make sure you have plenty of meat. We're here to clear out the gang here. So what do you say, wanna help us?"
Jed's eyes harden and his fingers tighten around the grip of his pistol. "You might want to rethink that plan," he says quietly, still aiming directly at the monster. It's fairly obvious that he's trying very hard not to open fire and be done with this thing.
"We're outnumbered, Jed," Dom says simply.
"I already offered to let it eat the bodies. What do we care if some of 'em might still be kickin' when it gets started?" Drake winces for a second as he watches the monster eat, but just shrugs. "It's not like it matters much t'us either way."
"For the record, Drake, it matters to me if they're still kicking. I want to emphasize, only the dead."
Dom sighs, and holsters his pistols. He draws his saber and dagger instead.
"Let's get moving."
"Well, if it bugs you that much, I suppose you can just look the other way. Out of sight, out of mind." Drake just shrugs and checks his revolver, before snapping the cylinder back into place.
"Well, if it bugs you that much, I suppose you can just look the other way. Out of sight, out of mind." Drake just shrugs and checks his revolver, before snapping the cylinder back into place.
Dom sighs but otherwise doesn't say anything else on the subject.
The creature nods eagerly and skitters back to watch the group pass by. As they reach the exit of the cavern, they might glance back to see it clambering back down into the crevasse, and the whispers fade as it does so. The thing seems sated, at least for now.
The passage from the large cavern quickly turns into rough-hewn stairs leading down a short way, before reaching a dead end hallway with two doors.