Vyshael is able to determine the properties of the items belonging to the Doctor, but the one marked as the elixir of healing is actually an odd container known as an eversmoking bottle. The Rapier is especially potent against humans, the chain shirt bears just a simple protection enchantment, the amulet slightly increases the toughness of one's skin, and the vial can be used to remove disease.
Neva sat down with the Doctor's notes, and began to go through them in detail, hoping to find more information.
Vyshael whistles, "A very useful blade, considering.... And the smoke bottle it's likely to come in handy, too." He looks around, then sighs, "I must confess that I'm getting a mite nervous being here too long -- it may be time to get back to a safehouse, with our guest in tow."
Neva looks up from her notes and calls the others around.
"He keeps mentioning discoveries being made 'down in the basement' or else 'down in the temple'. Where do you think that is? At the Hospice?"
The Physician's have only really been seen at the hospice, beyond any time they are seen out conducting rounds with the Gray Maidens. In fact, Rutter's stakeout of the place saw a distinct lack of coming and going of them outside of the official rounds, yet there was no sign of living quarters to support them while you were in the Hospice itself.
Raliscar frowns as the others wave him and Feldivar back in rather than coming out to load the bound doctor in the cart. Throwing his hands up with a sigh, he grumbles something into his beard as he leads his horse and the cart into the building through the loading bay door.
With another harumpf, he hauls the door shut behind him and turns back to the group. "Alright, stop wavin' those papers at me. What's this about a basement? We think this snake has another den? Here somewhere?" He waves his hands around to indicate the so-called hospice.
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Rutter begins relieving the unconscious doctor of his belongings, except for the chain shirt, which would require untying him. "Well, you've all heard Vyshael identify this stuff. What do y'all want? The rapier's pretty nice, but too big for me."
Rutter carries the doctor downstairs, and then sets him down.
"Keep an eye on him. I'll start searching for the basement."
Rutter starts to head toward the loading area, and then stops. Then he heads toward the elevator. He steps in and looks at the controls.
Vyshael says, "I'm rather fond of my own blade, but I do recommend someone use it."
He then nods,"A good plan, Rutter."
"Plan? I love good plans!"
He doesn't remember to follow up with the natural question as, "Oh! Did we ever check that room upstairs? The little one in the corner? It could have stairs!"
Rutter was so focused on disabling the lift on his first foray into it that he almost kicks himself for missing the odd empty space barely noticeable in the underside of the single control lever for the lift. With a fair assumption on his part, he retrieves the odd solitary button they found on Dr. Davaulus, and tests it against the space. The thing seems to be a perfect fit.
"Rutter!" Raliscar shoots the halfling a wide-eyed look of admiration. "You sure you're in the right line of work, lad? That was brilliant!" The dwarf claps Rutter on the back and gives him an approving nod.
His demeanor then darkens as he considers the device. "Now, if these inhuman devils thought all of that was suitable for keeping in plain view," he nods to the gurneys and strapped down figures, "then there's no telling what kind of nastiness we're about to stumble into." He frowns at the thought as his gaze bounces across the group.
Even Feldivarxon's brow creases at that implication. "If someone awaits, there's little chance the elevator would move unnoticed. And it sounds like you have had a very long day - would be best to let them stew in their own juices overnight while you rest and prepare?"
Rutter grins, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Rutter leaves the lift to drag the bound doctor back to the lift with him. "Nobody wants any of this stuff? Someone's got to take the amulet! Neva?" He weighs the rapier in his hand. "It's big, but I can try it out if no one else can use it here." He sheathes it if no one else volunteers to make use of it. "And I'm already carrying one of these eversmoking bottles. Here, gnome, maybe you can tie it to the dog, take the stopper off, and send him after someone. His sense of smell will give him an advantage in the smoke." He tries to hand the new bottle to Feldivarxon.
With the doctor at his feet, he returns his attention to the lift controls. "Hopefully, I ain't broke it too well."
After handing off the doctor's stuff to the others, Rutter examines his handiwork on the lift from before. With a more focused look at it, he realizes that the efforts he made earlier in jamming it were for naught. All the same, it saves him time, as the thing remains operational.
Neva looks very tired and she seems conflicted about waiting.
Vyshael says, "Someone should use these things -- if only for now -- they might be useful depending on what we find in the basement. We can divvy up for real later."
Rutter grins, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Rutter leaves the lift to drag the bound doctor back to the lift with him. "Nobody wants any of this stuff? Someone's got to take the amulet! Neva?" He weighs the rapier in his hand. "It's big, but I can try it out if no one else can use it here." He sheathes it if no one else volunteers to make use of it. "And I'm already carrying one of these eversmoking bottles. Here, gnome, maybe you can tie it to the dog, take the stopper off, and send him after someone. His sense of smell will give him an advantage in the smoke." He tries to hand the new bottle to Feldivarxon.
Feldivar tips his hat and accepts the item. "'Eversmoking', you say? That had potential to disrupt one's foe's plans, if used well."
"A wise gnome once said, if you want your warriors to stay on their feet, your healer must stay on theirs. Lady Vallastoi, if any of these items would keep you from harm, you should have it."
Raliscar shoots Feldivarxon a wry look. "A wise gnome, you say? And did this 'wise gnome' also happen ta be a healer? Ha!" The dwarf shakes his head and checks his crossbow as he waits for the others to finish readying themselves.
A feigned look of shock is the only response the dwarf gets.
Neva listened to Feldivarxon's words, and then reluctantly plucked the amulet from the pile and placed it around her neck.
"It'd be nice to rest, but I think someone would notice this place got robbed if we left it for half a day. I think this is our only chance to finish it."
"Everyone ready?"
When everyone is ready, Rutter puts the missing button in its place and then pushes it to activate the lift.
"Let's go", Neva agreed.
She added with a smile, "You first."
Vyshael stretches, then nods, "Ready. Let's go."
"Right!" Raliscar clambers into the metal lift and lets the bound doctor drop to floor at his feet with a dull thud. "Down we go then!"
As everyone crams into the space of the elevator, Dr. Davalaus dropped on the floor in a bundle, with Feldivar astride his dog crammed in the middle, Rutter replaces the missing button and presses it. The thing rattles to life, churning and creaking as it slowly descends below the level of the hospice floor. The measure of distance is hard to calculate, but it takes about half a minute for the cage-like lift to reach the bottom with a soft thunk. A single door rests in front of you.
"Ooof! Somebody open th' door already! I'd reach for it but I'm afraid I'd owe Vyshael dinner after. Oi! Hey! Stop pinchin' whoever's doing that!"
Neva grasped to open the door with an arm pinned to her side by the crush of bodies. Memories of her many deliveries came to mind.
Ok, it's time to bear down and push she mused as she tried to squeeze out the door.
Rutter had less trouble squeezing to reach the door, though he couldn't manage to draw a weapon in preparation. "Here goes," he helps Neva push the door open and stumbles out on the other side.
The lift opens into darkness that only a few of you can pierce, but as soon as the light is introduced the scene within almost comes to life. The scuffed stone walls of this chamber have been plastered over and then decorated with lurid murals of skeletons cavorting among the dead of a Korvosa completely succumbed to blood veil. Simple wooden doors lead to the north, south, and west, each bearing a painting of a scythe-wielding skeleton. A sizable double door stands on the east wall, appearing in the mural as a massive set of double doors opening into the pyramid foundation of Castle Korvosa. Two more scythe-wielding skeletons decorate these large doors.
The gnome casts a simple spell and reaches down to touch the dog's harness on its chest so the animal can see. He looks around and sniffs disdainfully, "Oh, please. Haven't we seen enough dancing skeletons to fill an elf's lifetime? I mean, really, doesn't anyone even try for originality anymore?"
"What is it with these people and the dancing undead? I don't know about the rest of you, but I had my fill of it back at that gods-forsaken manor." The dwarf, suddenly more dour than he had been all night, steps forward and starts looking around, though he keeps his crossbow ready. "I'm thinkin' fire is the answer here. Burn this whole wretched place to th' ground and be done wi' it!"
Both Feldivar and Raliscar hear the muffled sounds of movement from behind the door to the south. Beyond that, there is nothing else of note in the roon beyond the macabre decor of the walls themselves.
Vyshael pulls out a small stone from his bag and casts light upon it, then closes his hand around it, allowing the light to spill out from between his fingers. "I was going to say that it never hurts to have a second light to see better, but that was before I noted the decor."
Rutter draws a kukri as he steps out, but waits for the light before moving out of the doorway of the elevator to let the others exit.
"I didn't even make that connection, Raliscar, about the dancing skeletons and the dancing zombies at the manor."
He looks to Feldivar and Raliscar to verify the sound he hears from the southern room. "Let me borrow some light to check the door."
He then checks whether the door is unlocked.
Despite his certainty that anyone down here would have heard the elevator, he still tries to be a quiet as he can.
As Rutter steps out it takes just a brief second to get his eyes to adjust to the room deep below the hospice. As he does, he picks up on details that might go missed by the naked eye. There was some outline around the doors to the north and east that was connected to the skeletons along the walls. It looks like, if someone doesn't open them the right way, that the skeletons themselves react in some way. The door to the south, however, appears to be neither trapped, nor locked.
Neva watched nervously as Rutter worked.
Feldivarxon moves his riding dog over to where Rutter is working so the light on the harness illuminates his work. He watches the halfling's skillful fingers do their work. "Very nice. I'm sure my uncle would approve of your technique. Well done."
Vyshael draws his heavy blade, keeping himself ready for what may lay behind the door Rutter is working on.
"Someone drag the doc off the elevator before we go further. Don't want him getting too far from us."
Neva did her best to drag the doctor off the elevator. She thought about propping him up on the walls Rutter suggested were trapped, but decided against it.