Alset checks out the room.
Alset finds nothing of interest.
Inside the room Odie sees that the tables and benches are sized for a smaller person. One of the jars has the head of some creature preserved in it, eyes intact. All of the equipment in the room is geared toward medical professino, save for one thing; on the lower shelf of one of the shelves is a pair of boots too big for whoever is using this room, but would fit just right on any of you four.
Stonewall knows that the surrounding instruments are very recently in use. There is no dust and, despite the stench of death, little has molded or gone rotten.
Alset finds nothing of interest.
As Stonewall peeks through the doors, he sees another, slightly bigger room. Chained to one wall is a man with pale, pale skin, his flesh leathery and tight against his bones. His clothes are old and falling apart, and his head hangs on his chest, yellow-white hair covering his face. Another set of stairs leads to the north on the other side of the room.
As soon as Alset hears about the dude chained to the wall from Stony, which is of high interest, he will rush in and attempt to speak with him. He will be intent on rescuing him assuming he's not some evil necromancer or villain or general all-around bad guy. Alset's instinct to aid and assist is strong here.
Stonewall swings the door open and charges into the room, looking for any other occupants.
Stonewall says, "Hang on, we're here to rescue you!"
Stonewall says, "In here boys, we got something here!"
Stonewall knows the priest was male and human but dark-skinned.
As Stonewall bursts in, unsure if this is the priest or not, the thin figure hears Stonewall's shouts and turns his head toward the door. His face is stretched paper-thin over his skull, and two hollow eye sockets stare out blankly. It moans wordlessly upon hearing Stonewall's voice and pulls at the chains on the wall. They shake and rattle, and Stonewall notices they are not locked and secured.
Alset bursts in behind him. He sees the chained man and starts toward him, eager to help and free him from his shackles. But the hollow eyes and dried face give him pause. The low moan is not a response to his question, but a foul cry from something unnatural. Alset feels a wave of cold pass through him as the creature "looks" at him. A sense that this presence before him is some form of abomination, something that must be destroyed, something that is... Evil.
"My boots are getting a bit thin..."
Odie goes over to the boots, sits down, and begins trying them on. Ignoring the pale prisoner and the others trying to help him.
Odie goes over to the boots, sits down, and begins trying them on. Ignoring the pale prisoner and the others trying to help him.
Odie, caught unaware and mid-shoe change, and asks "What's going on in there?" as he takes his last shoe off.
Round 1 | HP 30/30 | AC 19 (16+3) | Smite Evil 1/1 | Arrows 18/20
Alset senses the strong Evil in this creature. He calls on Iomedae and sings to the creature still chained to the wall,
"Get out, you old Wight! Vanish in the sunlight!
Shrivel like the cold mist, like the winds go wailing,
Out into the barren lands far beyond the mountains!
Come never here again! Leave your barrow empty!
Lost and forgotten be, darker than the darkness,
Where gates stand for ever shut, till the world is mended."
With his Smite Evil invoked, he quickly draws his bow, aims, and releases the arrow.
The swift arrow finds its mark with an odd "thunk" into the undead creature's dead flesh.
(Bypass all DR)
Round 1
"Wait, what's going on why are we shooting this guy?
Oh this guy looks evil, he's probably evil
Ood walks up to the Barrow and attempts to strike with non lethal damage.
Round 1, AC 17, HP 30/37
The boots feel particularly dry, as if they have never felt moisture since their creation.
Alset's arrow is aimed accurately, but faltering Ood flubs his fists.
Round 1
HP 28/28
Stonewall closes in on the Wight and comes up next to Ood. He swings his flail with all his might.
Round 1, AC 17, HP 30/37
The barrow wight pulls the loose chains from the wall and grabs at Ood and Stonewall, but missing both.
Round 2, AC 17, HP 30/37
Round 2 | HP 30/30 | AC 19 (16+3) | Smite Evil 1/1 | Arrows 17/20
Alset looses another arrow with Iomedae's blessing at the wight.
The arrow's quick and violent hiss on its flight to the wight results in a miss as the wight dodges the arrow by lunging at the dwarves.
Round 2
HP 28/28
Stonewall sees the grasping claws and jerks back just in time then swings his mighty flail again!
Round 1
Odie spends the round figuring out that we're in a battle and standing up.
Alset senses that there is a more to this subterranean room and this terrible creature. But what is it? His mind races as he reaches for another arrow.
Alset suddenly remembers, "Muddy Marines, this is a barrow wight. It has a gaze attack that causes insanity. Becareful of its eyes. It will drain your energy and create spawn from its claws mere seconds after you are slain. So, DON'T die!"
Round 2, Ood
Ood punches him.
One punch lands.
Round 2, Barrow Wight HP 25/37
The monster claws at the nearest enemy that hurt him: Ood.
One sickly claw sinks into Ood's bicep, and black energy begins to flow from the monk into the Barrow Wight. The wight stands taller, stronger, and Ood feels more feeble after the wight releases his arm.
Ood, HP 16/28, 1 negative level
Round 3, AC 17, HP (5 Temp) 25/37
Round 3 | HP 30/30 | AC 19 (16+3) | Smite Evil 1/1 | Arrows 16/20 |
Lay On Hands 4/4
Alset takes a 5 foot step and fires another arrow with full Smiting and with Iomedae's blessing.
The arrow hits home with moderate damage.
Round 3
HP 16/28
Ood strikes with knee and elbow to reduce the strain on his leaking bicep.
Round 3
HP 28/28
!
!
!
Flailed into a pancake, the barrow wight collapsed into a pile of old bones and tattered rags.
The barrow wight's remains are piled on the floor, a few dull pieces of metal in the heap. There are stairs northward that go up twenty feet before disappearing from view.
"Fantastic, Stony! That hit was more than powerful. It was stone shattering!"
"Odie, come check out the remains in here, since you missed the fun of dispatching a wight."
Alset moves to heal Ood's injured arm with the wand of CLW.
"Ood, let me heal you up. I don't have any restoration spells to remove the wight's Energy Drain effects. I have a potion of lesser restoration, but it can have odd side-effects on occasion."
Alset heals Ood completely and gives him the restoration potion.
"Drink it all, you'll know quickly if you have any of the side-effects."
"Thank you Alset, still a little sore but that feels much better.
Ood rubs the sore spot on his arm looking around the room...
Alset wrinkles his brow and says to Ood, "It shouldn't be sore at all. Let me see." Alset lays his hands on Oods arm.
"There that should relieve the soreness."
"Oh man, did I miss a fight? Ugh, I hope these boots are worth it!"
Stonewall hefts his shield and flail, ”Let’s go check that other door in the last room before we go up.”. He lets the others search as he heads heads back.
Everyone notices that the walls are decorated with more nautical frescoes, similar to the ones in the hallway outside. One particularly large scene displays the wizard captain with a treasure chest overflowing with gold coins, a shovel stuck in the palm-lined beach.
Ood spies among the dead wight's clothes a few items of interest. The first is a plain gray cloak of elven design. There is also a sheathed knife, made of bronze, used for skinning. On the blade is etched a stylized bow and arrow, the bow made of antlers. The knife is too small to be used as a weapon. And lastly, among the dry bones and tatters of flesh and leather, is a ring carved from a single, thick antler and fashioned into the shape of a regal elk's head.
Odie notices a slight change in tone of their echoing voices against the stone walls to the east. This is the same wall as the treasure chest scene. He sees a thin line in the wall, separating a section of the wall from the rest: a secret door leading east.
Alset will defer to the others for which treasure he will benefit from, but will most likely give his treasure to Mud anyway. The knife has value for Alset and Mud because of the +2 to Perception and Survival, which are Alset's weak areas. The elven cloak is also very appealing, especially since Alset's character image shows him already wearing it!
Alset checks out the room for religious significance.
The structure itself has nothing of religious significance to it, but the marks on the wight's possessions are clearly tied to Erastil.
Stonewall displays no interest in the items except the ring. "These others would better serve on one of you but that Ring would be nice to have." If no one says otherwise, Stonewall claims the ring.
Stonewall investigates the metal door in the first room.
Alset considers the gear. "It makes sense that Odie our speediest party member keep the boots. We don't want anything to slow him down. Stony gets the ring, though the fact that it isn't made of metal or stone and he still wants it surprises me. That leaves the the knife and the cloak for Ood and myself."
Alset continues, "As an archer, I would prefer to remain hidden while I attack from a distance so the cloak makes sense for me. And, I look good in hooded cloaks. But, the knife has advantages for foraging and fortitude. One of the strengths of the dwarves is there stoutness and fortitude. I'm guessing that Ood may want the knife, especially since weapons are not his thing. If not, I'm more than happy to receive it. What do you say, Ood?"
The metal door is shut tight, but is obviously not a part of the original construction. The hinges and locking mechanism are not quite sturdily attached to the walls. Three strong whacks should break the hinges off.
I have little need for food, with the ring of my own, but I have some fair skill in stealth without the cloak. Why don't you hold on to them?
"Ood, you are kind. I will hold on to them. If you change your mind or have a need for either. I am ready to return either or both to you."
Alset puts on the elven cloak and places the knife in his belt.
Ood sits down briefly and looks through his bag, finding a headband.
Huh, where did that come from? Looks nice enough, I'll put that on
Ood puts on the headband of inspired wisdom
Ah, that is a good fit.
"Now that you're all done playing dress-up. Can we get moving? This door looks pretty easy to knock down."
Odie moves over to the door and starts prying the hinges off with his crowbar.
The door pops off the hinges and clangs to the floor. Inside the room is a bookshelf with scrolls and a few old tomes beside a small-sized writing desk. Rushes cover the floor. An iron candle holder coated with hard wax sits near the desk. A stained wardrobe rests against the opposite wall.
Most strikingly, however, is the greenskinned woman in a cage in the center of the room. She sits up at the crash and cowers in the cage. Her thick emerald-colored hair covers her face, but you can still see she has a blindfold over her eyes.
Alset upon seeing the eco-friendly woman immediately detects evil on the woman having learned from the wight that things are not always as they appear.
She does not register as evil.
Stonewall says, ”Do you understand Polyglot?”
Stonewall attempts to open the cage and/or look for a key if necessary while he speaks with the woman, ”Who did this to you? We will keep you safe!”
Alset speaks quickly,"Stony, wait! I don't sense evil, but something warns me to show more caution. The wight was chained, but it was an illusion. This may be the same. Let's question her before we open the cage."
Alset searches his knowledge of people concerning the green lady and can't think of much. Alset readies his bow for attack.
The woman turns her ear to Stonewall. "Yes, I speak it..." she says cautiously, her voice ragged from lack of use.
Stonewall notices that her hair is moving erratically, as if it had a life of its own. Then one of the thick strands looks at Stonewall in the eyes. Her hair is made of snakes, the slithering serpents all turn and look at the newcomers standing in the doorway. Her cage and starved condition do not seem to be illusions to you.
"Please put the bow down, sir. Are you here to release me to some new torture? But then again, you don't look like you work for Wymackie."
Ood steps into the corner of the room outside of the snake haired lady watching, thinking the wight may not be the only threat.
Ood also listens to the result of the conversation inside the room.
Stonewall ponders the name Wymackie to see if he can tell the nationality/race/gender of the person.
Stonewall flinches away from the cage at the sight of the writhing hair and says ”It’s a Medusa! Don’t make eye contact!”. When he realizes the condition the Medusa is in, he says, “We are not with Wymackie, we don’t even know who that is. Perhaps we can help each other?”
Wymackie is a common enough name for Taldans, and would not be unusual a name from Eleder, the capital of Sargava, the nation that Pridon's Hearth is a colony of. What strikes Stonewall more, however, is where else he has heard that name in town before. He may have heard it... Locally.
"Praise the gods," she says. She stands up and points to the wardrobe. "I think the key is in there. My name is Typhlothrix. If your goal is bring this Wymackie couple to justice, then I will do everything in my power to help you kill the two that did this to me. The Wymackies have kept me in here for... what year is it?"
Stonewall recognizes the Wymackie name and shares his revelation with the others .
Is that where we ended up? Are we under the lumber mill? Stonewall pulls out his compass and does some figuring, estimating distances.
Stonewall, using his dwarfy-sense, realizes they are directly under the lumber mill outside of the city gates. And, by their depth, if they continue up the stairs north of the room that held the wight, they will likely be at basement level to the lumbermill itself.
"Let's find out what TieFlowTricks the medusa's story is, and if we can or should help her and if she can or should help us. Then, it might be good if one or two of us went back the way we came and created a bit of a distraction at the lumber mill while the rest enter the basement. Or, we could just send Odie through and follow him! Why wait?"
"I sense some trepidation," Typhlothrix says. "I know my kind are not always benevolent to yours. But if those medallions of Iomedae you wear are not for show, I will appeal to you for mercy. And Erastil too I see... wait... are those the robes of the priest?" she stops herself and makes a sign to bless the dead. "May his soul be at peace now," she says, before continuing.
"I have been imprisoned here for three months. The lighthouse I was working at in Desperation Bay was raided by slavers. My coworkers were sold in the nearest port city, but I was sold specifically to Wymackie, as if she had requested a medusa herself. Shackled here below, her husband cut out my eyes for two of his vile experiments; after, they had me pushing the wheel in the basement of the lumbermill to run their saws, along with the dead priest and the monsters themselves."
"Please, I beg you, free me. I am no condition to fight four of you, let alone hardly stand. I can tell you that the necromancer wife is not in; she is making a trek into the jungle with her newest creation to test out its eyes. Only the husband, lumberjacks and carpenters will be upstairs. We must pray that their first creation is locked away upstairs and not at the wheel, or there will be trouble, even for you four."