Kalistrine does some serious damage to the big ogre but he is still up.
The Ogre swings his great club again , missing.
Ahiko Jorland
Ahiko steps forward just within reach of Kali and touches her with her wand.
Jorland
I five foot and attempt to thwak it again.
Thwak!: For:
Jorland smites the extremely large ogre and it collapses to the ground.
Upon killing the ogre it becomes apparent that there are three other people locked up in the cells, two being of recogniseably Ulfen nature and a halfling. In addition there is a pile of gear in the southwest corner of the floor.
"I don't suppose I can talk you lot into letting us out", the young northman says weakly.
Vermundr is a tall (6'4") fair-skinned youth, with an appearance typical of the Ulfen people. Although powerfully built with long strong limbs, his strength is well proportioned and he carries himself with a grace and agility rarely seen among his more musclebound kin. His mid length hair and short seal-brown beard are clean and well cared for. Tattooed across his thickly muscled chest is the visage of a fearsome sea hawk, talons outstretched and poised to strike.
"Of course they'll let us out. See? See? I told you Desna would eventually bless our escape! But Nooo. The humans don't listen to the crazy halfling. That makes me the winner of our bet Vermundr! You owe me a drink at the nearest tavern!"
Tribble Padfoot is a halfling well into his middle age, though he still maintains a handsome face. He is still quite tall for a halfling at 3' 2", but most of his muscles has atrophied, making him look somewhat frail. He tends to wear baggy clothes that blend into the background, which hides his weak body.
"Yes, of course, you'll have your drink half-man", the ulfen growls.
Kelda, who is a 6-foot, blonde Ulfan woman with green eyes, stares with clenched fists in the cell next to Vermundr in quiet dignity in spite of her tatters, squints in solemn stoic silence at the four individuals who just slew their overseer and gazes once more in longing for her things in the corner.
She nods a brief salute to them and then throws a look to Vermundr as if to say, 'do not encourage him'
Ahiko searches around for a key to the cells.
Kelda coughs and nudges her forehead in the direction of the Ogre and says softly "Slugwort has the key on his belt"
Vermundr mirrors the woman's longing expression and waits to be released.
Wouldn't expect to find a pretty one in a place like this...
When the ogre is dead I let out a mighty. "Woooo!" I then look at the prisoners.
I move over to the ogre and take the key. I then look at the cells with a smile. "Heh, some of ma kinsmen I see. Hold on, I get ye outta dere in a bit." I proceed to let each prisoner out of their cages.
Once everyone is out I look to each of them. "Aye be Jorland da Shuhitd, Ogre slayer. At yer service. When we be done ere I can preper us a feast when we get back to da caravan."
My appearance is a tough and agile looking Ulfen warrior who also displays a good bit of charm in spite of my speech. I have rich red hair and beard but the most unusual thing about me is my height. I am five foot four inches and look more like a tall dwarf than a human man.
I look over at the lady ulfem and smile offering her a hand with her stuff if she needs it. "Been eh long time since I seen a lady from ma homeland." I glance at Vernmudr and back at Kelda. "What brings ye out dis far?"
Vermundr gives a nod of thanks and beelines for the pile of gear where he quickly finds his own and begins to equip himself.
"Well met Jorland. I'm Vermundr son of Hakon and that's Kelda", he explains.
"And I wouldn't call her a lady", he finishes as he tosses the woman her weapon.
"Hello all. I am Ahiko," says the slight woman with black hair and blue skin. A small fox peeks out from behind her, then ducks back out of sight. "Ah, and that was Miso, my companion. It is a pleasure to meet you all, and see you freed from this prison."
When the cell is open, Tribble says, "Woot! Finally free from that cell. I knew Spivey underestimated how dangerous this place was. I'm Tribble Padfoot by the way. Nice to meet you."
Tribble hobbles over to each of the party members with a slight limp, and shakes their hands, before moving to his equipment.
"Hmmmmm." Tribble says staring at a gift wrapped box. "I was supposed to hand this over to Spivey as a gift, but I think I need it more now."
Tribble tears open the package and removes the bubblewrap from the wand of CLW, and begins using it on himself, Vermundr, and Kelda.
Tribble
Vermundr
Kelda
"So, did Spivey send you? Or was it through Desna's blessing that we were rescued?"
"Who or what is a SPivey?" Ahiko asks, turning her pupil-less eyes toward Tribble.
"Desna does seem to have her hand in things it seems. A friend of ours back in town was a follower of hers," Takeshi says, standing away from the others, crackling energy still flowing along his blade and his hands. "Can't say as I know this Spivy, though."
Kelda looks at the Ulfen and says, Salve, I's Kelda Oxgutter, bizness woman and sea kapitan
She looks at Vermundr in a somewhat disapproving way, and continues "We's heard sum thet Briney is haunted buts figurd un goins herr after mah pa's Valenhall trip...
She then licks her pointer finger sticks it up in the air and smells it and uncannily is able to ascertain where the ocean is and then bows in traditional Ulfen custom of mourning.
Than youse fur free'ng us this fin day!
"Spivey is zis tiny faerie who takes care of the graveyard of Brinewall up top. Well, I call her a faerie. She says that she is a lyrakien azata, but I can't tell what the difference is . Sweet little girl. Practically never plays pranks like most other faeries I met. Makes really nice cup Jasmine tea too. Anyways, I was supposed to bring her some creature comforts that I got from Sandpoint, but I got caught."
"Hmmm. Looks like the food I brought along was eaten by the guards. Anyone have something to eat? I'm starving."
"Ah yes, Spivey. We met her on our way in this place. She was kind enough to give us information on how to enter this place without encountering those who guard the main entrance. Very nice little lady. I have a little food. It's only dry trail rations, but you're welcome to it." She digs in her small pack and pulls out a wrapped portion of rations, hands them to Tribble.
"Oh, thank you for the food."
"Desna, I thank you for the food I'm about to eat. May you bless us with your divine luck now and in the future."
Tribble devours the food quickly, and says, "Here, let me take a look at those wounds of yours."
Ahiko
Kali
"So, what brings you all into a haunted and cursed ruined castle filled with evil monsters? Pretty sure it wasn't originally to rescue us."
"THank you for the healing, Tribble. And no, we did not come with the intention of rescuing anyone, as we didn't know anyone was being held here. We came to recover someone's legacy which we have been led to believe is hidden in this castle."
"Afraid I don't know much about that. Vermundr? Miss Oxgutter? You two been here longer than I have. Heard anything about a legacy from that dim witted ogre?"
”Not much came from the beast other than grunts and gas”, Vermundr says with a shake his head.
”But if you lot mean to search this place, let me lend my strength to your cause. It’s the least I can do for you saving my life.”
Kelda shakes her head and says, Wes was assaulted byse dese Corbies and brought here with da ogre, his boss wuz called "Lil Birdface" who wuz nuttin ize eveer scene....
"Right..."
Tribble finishes grabbing the rest of his gear, then picks up his worn cane.
"Well then, I suppose za best way to stay alive is with you guys then. So, which way?"
Kalistrine slumps as the adrenaline of battle fades. She retrieves her Ranseur and leans on it as she eyes the prisoners.
"Kalistrine is my name." she says, her voice somewhat husky.
Kalistrine is a tall woman, unusually so, matching or even exceeding Vermundr. She is attired in a well-made but gore spattered Breastplate and work-stained travelling clothes, with a veritable armory of weapons strung from her belt and bandolier. Her hair is long and dirty, black in colour, and dangles before her face - which might have been pretty if not for the obvious neglect with which she treats her appearance. Her gaze is not friendly, and may even be unsettling for the fact that her left eye is a sea green and the right is brown. The left side of her face is also marred by nasty-looking scars that look like someone took a red-hot hook to her flesh at some time in the past. She grips the haft of her Ranseur with hands that end in black claws where a normal person's nails should be.
The healing from the Halfling elicits a nod that must be interpreted as thanks.
In answer to Tribble's question, Kelda says "Trough the double doors to the west is the zistern and beyond that iz da methinks kitchen and the first door to the left brings you upstairs"
Ahiko finishes searching the ogre, then casts detect magic, to make sure she didn't miss something important.
Ahiko finds a small, ratty pouch made out of a cow’s stomach
in which she finds a collection of shiny river rocks, a few
dead turtles, 77 gp,a filthy dagger and a big rock.
Casting Detect magic she can tell the big light brown colored rock is magical and has conjuration on it.
Concentrating on the rock for a little bit, Ahiko tries to identify the type of magic on it, and eventually, identify the item completely
Seeing Ahiko's depressed state, Tribble says "Well, you got plenty of time to figure out what it is when we get to safety."
[ooc]Seriously people, don't post so much. I haven't been able to get on most of the day and it is a pain to wade through 20 posts of jibber looking for important content."[/b]
At Kelda I chuckle.
"Sea kapin! Aye a woman after me own heart fur sure. I be nothin mer dan a humble cook maself. Nottin more at all."
I retrieve my shield. I look back to Kelda.
"Yer welcome fer da save an I do agree it be a good day fer rustlin up cookin supplies. So, was dat yur ship out dere? Must've been quite da scrap if'n it took ye an yer crew. Was it em ogres or ye got hit by somethin worse? What else we got in dese ruins ta fight?"
I look over at Vermundr.
"And are ye pert of her crew or was ya on yer own."
I seem uncharacteristically excited by the presence of more Ulfen fellows. I am all smiles, much like a person meeting beloved family members he has not seen in years.
"Ain't got much of a story. Beat up too many folks an got maself kicked out of our lands. Dats what ems get fer makin fun of ma height, an don't ye be gettin any funny ideas about makin any cracks on dat neider. I may be short but ye ask anyone in dis party an day tell ya I'm da killer in dis group."
I lean in closer to Vermundr, I point at Kalistrine and whisper in Ulfen.
"Don't let dat blood drenched lady over dere fool ya. She ain't killin much. She only tears em apart afta em all dead. I do da real hittin round here. Oh, an I'm da cook. Dat's what I do. Killin stuff is jest a hobby."
She responds to Jorland, Seadrake twas...
She then during the above conversations, kits up and says I's gotts me a score to settle wit Bird Face, wese be dining on corby shashlik dis nite, as she kicks in the door to the cistern.
A pool of dark water lies in the center of this domed room,
surrounded by four stone pillars. You can see a thick layer of dust on the floors except for the path going to cells and to the door located to the north.
Ahiko looks from one to another blankly, not understanding any of their speech. Finally when Kelda speaks common again, she understands most of what she says. "What lies beyond that door, if you know?"
All I know is there is a staircase that goes upstairs first door on the left. But thers be more doorz there to xplors,
"We don't know where whatever is affecting Ameiko is located, so we should search everywhere," Takeshi says, his face grim as he speaks of his sister, the crackling energy continuing to flow over his blade and hands.
As Kelda kicks down the door, Vermundr grunts and notches an arrow.
"Let's see what other surprises this place holds."
"Yeah, let's dig into all the dirty corners. No telling where the princess' thingamajig is." Kali mutters, picking up her Ranseur. "Everyone feeling better? Let's go murder some Corbies."
Vermundr nods and takes up a place near the rear of the group with bow in hand, arrow notched.
"Lead the way mighty Kalistrine."
As you walk into the next room, you see stone pillars supporting the ceiling over this large kitchen— although the fire pits, tables, and pantries here look like they haven’t been used in decades. Thick layers of dust cover everything in the room. There is an entrance to the left(due south), southwest, due west, one north and then another due east.
There is very thick dust on the ground here and you can see where tracks split to the left and due south and lesser tracks going to that door and the door to the southwest, however the other doors seem to have no tracks going to them but the door to east doesn't look to be abandoned for as long as the northern and far western doors.
" As Vermundr and Is cum in we cum from the stairs to firs dohr to the left." says Kelda matter of factly.
I pull my Javelin out of the ogre and move over to join the others. I attempt to take lead if possible but look back at Ahiko first. "If'n wese gonna be fight'n mer of em big'uns I'm gonna need ma wound patched up a bit mer. One of em tings actually hits me an I think I'm goin down."
I then look to the stairs. "So no need te go dat way. Come on den. Further in." I march on shield at the ready.
Tribble goes and finishes patching up the party.
"Sorry Jorland, I didn't realize you were still wounded. Of course I will heal you as best I can."
"I can heal you further if you need more... just let me know."
While we are walking around, Tribble will keep an eye out for traps and hidden monsters.
Vermundr gives Ahiko a curious glance when he sees her healing powers.
"You some sort of priestess or druid?"