"I think so," Emerion quickly searches the fallen.
Perception:
"Only for now..." Istas' voice cuts through the smoke from the far side of the room. "This is only the beginning. We have yet to find the one responsible for this cult. And I sincerely doubt these simple skeletons represent their only handiwork here."
"Let's get a move on then," Keliwyn says as he nods to Emerion and points to the eastern of the two doors on the south wall. At the same time, he moves toward the westerly door, giving a listen before searching it for traps.
Perception (listen)
Perception (traps)
"I suspect we are going to find Rolth down here and he and this Lady Andasin will be a far tougher prospect."
Aside from the one who initially stepped free of the web, the Urgathoans are hot, bloody messes. It would be more comfortable and hygienic to wait a while before searching them.
The doctors have the usual gear, heavy leather coat, healing kit, masterwork club-like diagnostic staff, healer's kit and their mask.
The unburnt Urgathoan has his breastplate, scythe, a potion, a dagger, and a key. Likely his gear is common to the others.
Heather:
Keliwyn hears no sound beyond the door and finds no trap on it.
"I don't hear anything and this door seems fine," Keliwyn volunteers. "Are we done here? We should probably press on."
"Make certain there's nothing here we might need...either in knowledge, or something we should take with us to ensure our success," Istas directs, "The Lady of Graves provides to those who look for the ripples she stirs upon the waters of fate."
"That breastplate is Magical.."Heather points to the Urgathoan Priest who fell outside the web.."and there's something in the chest under that bed..be a dear Emerion and fetch it out will you..I need to concentrate"
"Softly, my friend. If anyone heard that fracas, they aren't coming running, and making them wait will make them sweat."
Emerion opens the chest to find minor personal belongings, a pouch of coins, and a grey robe. The robe has two loose-hanging patches. One is a skeletal wolf; the other, a rotting human.
There are a number of other chests and boxes under the beds.
Heather:
Heather's nose wrinkles in disgust.."A robe of Bones...somehow I don't see us using it but we might as well dispose off it so it can't be used against us..Istas, I suppose just burning this would be enough?"
Heather's nose wrinkles in disgust.."A robe of Bones...somehow I don't see us using it but we might as well dispose off it so it can't be used against us..Istas, I suppose just burning this would be enough?"
"We'll take it with us," the priestess returns, "The Pharamin may reward us for turning it over to them for a proper disposal..."
Fina looks at the other two women. "A robe of bones? What's that?"
"Whatever it is, it comes from the lair of a cult dedicated to a goddess who willfully spreads disease and undeath," Istas replies, "If Heather says it's a robe of bones, that doesn't bode well. And we'll take it to the Pharasmin so they can assess it and dispose of it, if necessary...which I suspect they will."
Heather nods.."It's pretty much used up only two patches left on it but I'm sure we'll get some sort of recompense for turning it in.." she says..
"Right then, where next?" She asks getting very business like.
Emerion goes to the other door and listens, then checks it for traps.
Perception: +1 for trapfinding.
The second door is quiet and trap-free too.
"This door seems clear also, I suspect they have the same destination."
"Your door, Kewlwin?" Emerion suggests, taking up position as before.
Istas gestures at the corpse of the doctor that almost escaped before Fina ran him through. "This one seemed intent on escaping our wrath by fleeing through this door. Perhaps that's where we should venture next?"
Heather nods and stands ready a wand in each hand.
Wands of Grease and Hideous Laughter ready
Emerion dons a disguise again as a doctor, holding his sword back out of sight before opening the door ...
Keliwyn follows behing Emerion, similarly holding his rapier out of sight.
Emerion opens the door upon a dark room. His sunrod beams through the doorway across the floor revealing a layer of rotting bodies lining the floor, the shattered forms twitching in vain, bones and splintered appendages grasping hopelessly. Stepping into the room the light shows dozens of the living dead along the walls of this chamber, their rotting faces sneering and broken fingers clawing at each other. Yet, rather than some massive, nightmare grave, this horror-show seems instead to be a stomach-churning attempt at art, as the mangled living dead lie trapped behind walls and beneath a floor of thick glass.
"Oh Desna," Emerion gasps stepping back from the room. "One well-placed blow could release them ... Istas, perhaps you had best deal with this, or else we should leave it for later."
I should mention the other door from your room also enters this new one, as do the double doors from the first basement room. Leaving this room are two single doors directly across from each of yours, and a double door across from the first room's double door.
Heathers face sets like stone as she sees what lies beyond the doors..
"No quarter." she states simply.."I will give them no quarter for this....abomination"
Stepping into the grotesque room, Keliwyn's arms drop to his side as she stares around him, Salvatore Scream suddenly coming to mind.
Istas lips tighten into a grim line upon viewing the scene. When she speaks, it's with a flat, even tone filled with barely restrained anger.
"Now you know the true horror that is Urgathoa," she explains, "It isn't enough to spread disease among the living. She goes that much further in her blasphemy by creating the walking dead...all the better to spread her taint across the world. This is but a small example of how she would remake all that we know. And that's why every Pharasmin opposes her to the bitter end."
"These cultists would corrupt everything in this city. They're already doing it. And that's why I've said all along, there will be no redemption for their actions. We send them all to the Boneyard. My Lady shall pass judgement upon them for their crimes. And...it will be terrible indeed."
"As for me," she adds, "I intend to visit my own judgement upon them while they're still clinging to their miserable lives in this world. And I intend to make it just as terrible for them."
"No quarter," she asserts, completely agreeing with Heather. The priestess looks around at everyone else, making sure to include Fina in her gaze, "They'd offer none to us. Instead, they'd seek to add us to this menagerie. So, even if just in the sense of self-preservation, we must slay them all. It's the only way."
Fina nods. It's hard to read what she's thinking through the eyeslits of her helmet.
"Which way?" Keliwyn asks to no one in particular before crossing to the right hand of the two doors on the opposite wall. Kneeling down, he examines the door before carefully pressing his ear to it.
Perception (listen)
Perception (traps)
"Keliwyn, this room feels like a trap - one smart blow, one spell, and these are released."
Keliwyn:
Keliwyn turns and gestures for everyone to be quiet, holding one finger to his lip while pointing at the door with the other hand.
Fina hesitates before stepping onto the glass floor. Once she discovers that it easily supports her weight, she stands quietly, sword ready.
Heather gathers her thoughts together and stands ready to aid the others as required.
Keliwyn motions Fina over to watch the one door while he checks the next. "Emerion," he whispers, pointing to the unchecked double doors.
Perception (listen)
Perception (traps)
Keliwyn motions Fina over to watch the one door while he checks the next. "Emerion," he whispers, pointing to the unchecked double doors.
Perception (listen) 1d20 + 8
Perception (traps) 1d20 + 10
Keliwyn:
No traps. Through the heavy door you hear a faint cry of pain.
Moving as lightly as he can on the glass floor, Emerion glides over to the double doors,
Perception (listen):
Perception (trapfinding):
Emerion:
Emerion points at his doors and shakes his head.
Trying to ignore the bodies behind the glass, Keliwyn gestures everyone to the middle of the room. "There's some cries of pain behind those two doors," he says, "and I'm guessing they both go into the same room. I'd suggest we move in there next before going deeper into this complex."
"Agreed. If there's fighting from where there are already cries, it won't arouse suspicion as easily," Emerion says. "I keep thinking this room is some kind of trap, though. Let's stay aware of it."
Disguise ready, Emerion takes position next to Keliwyn's door, ready to move in as they have done previously.
"Just be sure and steel yourselves to whatever we find here," Istas says, "The horrors of Urgathoa will be beyond imagining. And we won't have time to rescue everyone from their individual fate at the cultists' hands. We'll come back and do that if we can...but we have to survive and put an end to things first. Down here, it's more important to find the source of the bloodveil and those who traffic in it. Only then, will we save the lives of the entire city rather than a select few."
Any plan on how to treat this door? Sneak in? Kick it in? Knock politely?
Any plan on how to treat this door? Sneak in? Kick it in? Knock politely?
Emerion and Kelliwyn will saunter in casually in our disguises.
Heather will join the gentlemen in their deception.
Bluff