Una nods.
"My sentiments exactly. We don't really need to know what it is. The fact that it is evil and doing something down here to someone or something else is enough for me."
Let us question it about this place first, though I am inclinded to agree, Ashe. We tried it the legal way with the spider king and despite the weight of evidence against the man, he still lives. I'll not suffer the guilty to go unpunished. If this thing is evil and.....what's that beneath him?
Eyeing the stirges, Varrel quickly explains, The creature is a Derro, a Montrous Humaniod descended from fey. They are an insane and evil race who are known for kidnapping surfacers and performing tortureous experiments on them. They can create darkness and sounds through will alone. I would not let it live.
Having checked the hall, Varrel moves in a wide circuit so to not disturb the stirges and get his friends behind him, keeping his distance so they continue thier feast, he quickly launches into his spellcasting and unleashes a at the trio, hoping to knock them out or at least blind them all.
He listens to Shakhan and Una, grimaces, "Killing is a permanent answer that leads to no other alternative... subdued and non-threatening we have options... including killing. And contrary to popular belief... it is NOT a paladin's job to go out into the world slaying everything that radiates evil! It's not a 'carte-blanche' license to kill."
Ashe steps back at Varrel's warning of incoming spellfire, letting him subdue the striges hungrily draining the corpse on the table with his spell...
When Varrel identifies the creature, Derro, Evil, Insane, tortures innocents with bazaar experiments, creates darkness at will..., "...Ok, this ones' a moral gimme. Insane - so not much we might glean from it if questioned. Capable of doing spell-like powers at will - that can hinder our actions; bound and gagged or not! Plus evil... Yeah. It dies... for public safety and our own."
Ashe walks back over hefting 'Dauntless Heart', raising his vizor and carefully Coup De Grace's the Derro with these gentle words, "...I forgive you. May you find peace in death that was denied you in life. Until all are one..."
One straight stab through the heart and the deed is done...
His expression is sad and regretful... but determined. As he lowers his vizor again and hefts his sword ready to end the Stirges as well.
"Varrel Shakhan make sure none of the stirges live either... they are dangerous disease-carrying vermin."
"So, this derro and probably others like it, are cultivating stirges." Una looks around the room once more, to see if she can see anything else interesting.
"I say, let's continue down the secret passage."
[/b]Of course. Just a moment though.[/b]
Not wanting to leave the dangerous creatures to possibly find thier way out or become a threat later, Varrels steps up and Spell Combat Full Attacks the Stirge that is still conscious on top the table.
Casts Brand Fort DC 14 or Take 1 damage and be marked
If that is enough to kill it Varrel will Coupe de Grace the unconscoius stirges as well
Shakhan swings at the third (unconscious) stirge. "More pathetic little blue men? What is this world coming to," he grumbles.
Varrel smiles at the ease with which they dispatched the derro and the stirges (leaving Ashe to kill the one feasting on the Derro), the Gift from his Patron was indeed potent and his magic was getting stronger. Maybe, with that and friends such as these he would one day let go of his doubts and be free to chart a course for himself. But he was not ready to leave yet, far from it. Here, in Korvosa were a thousand wrongs being commited upon a whole city. One at a time he would help them find vengence. This necromancer was only the beginning.
Let's go find you a more worthy opponent, Shaktan.
He moves over to search the Derro, once Ashe has dispatched the last stirge
Ashe dispatches the Stirge feasting upon the Derro with one swift thrust of his longsword.
He nods to everyone,"Thoroughly now, let's search the room for anything of note or value. We need not take it, as once we have swept the lair... we can make a concerted effort to remove anything of value, but anything readily portable we can take now... lets do so! Then, as Una wisely suggested we return the secret passages and continue to infiltrate this lair."
"I don't think we should be taking long to search, not right now. Look swiftly and then let us return to our primary mission. We must find the remains of the Shoanti. Preferably before they are desecrated beyond all recognition. After that, then we can remove any evil presences here, and search more emphatically."
"Nasty creatures both". "Still let me quickly see if there are any magical aura's about".
Hytogg casts detect magic and looks around, careful to keep the hem of his robes out of the blood.
Ashe shrugs, "Makes sense... we can come back..."
He hastens his search to cursory...
...making his way back to the secret door entrance.
Agreed. We will be quick. Chatterbeak come here and help me have a quick glance
Majenko hisses aggressively at the Stirge corpses then flutters cheerily around the chamber,
Around the room rapidly looking in all the nooks and crannies he can spot... Majenko also lends his keen senses to the effort. But his rapid movement and cheery disposition make his searches only cursory...
Shakhan, too, helps out - if only to get out of the room sooner.
Una, perhaps you would like this? Or would you prefer your current one? Careful with tue bolts, they are covered in something. We can come back for the rest on our way out. Shall we continue then?
Ashe ponders aloud, "It seems the secret passages lead off to the east but there are apparently two passages, north and south in this chamber that go west. I do not like leaving areas behind us unexplored. Perhaps we should consider taking the small south western passage and clear what is behind us before returning to the secret passages?"
Una looks over the find.
"Not for me, thank you. Perhaps a merchant would care to buy it."
She looks up as Ashe speaks, considers the areas where they have been mentally, and nods.
"Well, when you sense evil, is there any to the east?"
Ashe considers it, "I can try... stone thicker than a foot thick will block my detection of evil, but it is a cone effect. I'll try."
Ashe moves over to just south of the middle examination table {first square south at the end of the table but not past the tables end} and panning it across the western wall.
Then Majenko goes fluttering overhead down the passageways before Ashe...
"Majenko...? What... no, hey Wait!!!"
Majenko ever-exuberent flutters up to the roof going into stealth movement heads down the southern passage that Ashe is scanning.
His thoughts projecting back to the party,
Majenko will stick to the shadows and move closer keeping near the ceiling and try to get a look at whatever the 'alive' thing is.
Asherick's expression cannot be seen under his full helm... but his huff of exasperation is heard by all.
Setting his shoulders he hefts , readies his Heavy Steel Shield and muttering in frustration, "...can't let him get hurt, its dangerous down here...", moves as if to follow Majenko down the passage...
Una thinks to Majenko.
{'Don't get too far ahead, we don't know what's down here, and we should stay together as a group until we do.'}
Ashe, wait, let's stick to the marching order. Varrel quicksteps to get ahead of Ashe. He moves at normal speed, counting on the Psudeo-dragon's senses to have been sufficient to looking for enemies.
"Finally, let's hope there's actually something a little dangerous for a change." Shakhan takes the rear again, but he's brimming with barely suppressed action.
Una follows the light, trying to adjust her eyesight to the dimness as they travel deeper into the caverns.
Una braces herself against the odor.
And attempts to peer into the gloom to find any body parts that might be of the kind they are looking for.
(From a distance. I'm not looking to start a fight, yet. Just seeing if what we're looking for is in here.)
Varrel, first to spot the creture as in comes into range of his low light vision, tries to identify the thing.
"Issit eating our Shoanti?" Shakhan lumbers up from the rear.
"That's what I'm trying to determine, without suggesting that I wish to deprive it of its meal." Una murmurs quietly.
"hrmph."
Varrel, out in front of the others, holds his palm up behind him towards his comrades to halt, still waiting to see if he remembered anything about a creature such as this before deciding to destroy an obviously dangerous monster or a quiet retreat.
Una jerks her head back towards the passage, indicating its time to depart.
"I don't think what we're looking for is in here." She says quietly... At Shakhan's eager expression, she continues. "And I don't wish to raise the alarm by fighting the creature."
"Might I point out, that while that things current morsel doesn't appear to be what we are after, there is a whole pile of other discarded limbs which might give us a clue".
perception
Seeing the disgusting thing hungrily devouring the bodies, Varrel struggles to contain his anger at the awful picture. He was torn between his own desire to end this wretched things existance and Una's prudent suggestion. Hytogg made up his mind, they WERE here to retrieve any of the Shaonti's remains.
Hope your keen for a fight if this doesn't work, Shaktan.
Varrel moves to the end of the tunnel, just before it opens out and uses his gift
If req:
Majenko flutters almost silently up into the dark recesses of the roof of the chamber 'hearing' Una's words he replies Telepathicly,
Watching the creature Majenko telepathiclly reports to everyone,
His mental grumbling reveals his disgust of the creature...
Ashe pauses at Varrel's admonition and seems ill at ease letting his dragon friend take such a risk... but he ponders that they all have skills that will be useful and and nods in agreement taking his position behind Varrel without a word.
His old sword master trainer's words coming to his recollection, "You can't save everyone Ashe! And someday you will realize you shouldn't try to either...!"
when the party make its way down to the chamber Ashe listens to the banter and Majenko's mental description pondering his response.
"I think it may be a Otyug... perhaps... Korvosa uses quite a few of the beasts as waste disposers secured in our city sewers. The eat all manner of offal, but I could be wrong... I don't believe they can talk! This may be some other monster or an 'advanced' one... who knows, doesn't matter - we need to check those body parts for our Shoanti Warriors remains. But besides all that Majenko may be right about the tentacles having a significant reach be careful Varrel."
Ashe steps the the elf magus' side shield held high for maximum protection and at the ready to sever any accosting tentacles...
"Actually, noble sir , we were looking for a friend of ours who might have been fed to you."
Una says sheepishly as she steps forward, but tries to stay out of range.
"Wait, I believe we have a small blue one and some stirges, if you should like to munch on those. I'm not sure how you feel about exoskeletons though."
And the body on the table as well. The creature must not have realised the attack happend. He silently thanked Ragathiel that the Hex (for that was what they were called, He discoverd his abilities were not unique, but it was usually Witches which recieved them.) was a power that required no hand gestures or spoken words, merely concentration.