Zokama keeps the stone wing.
When they get to the moathouse, Zokama gathers the group together and sings a special Flan blessing song over them .
Careful Teamwork (Su): A detective uses performance to keep allies coordinated, alert, and ready for action. All allies within 30 feet gain a +1 bonus on Initiative checks, Perception, and Disable Device checks for 1 hour. They also gain a +1 insight bonus on Reflex saves and to AC against traps and when they are flat-footed. These bonuses increase by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. Using this ability requires 3 rounds of continuous performance, and the targets must be able to see and hear the bard throughout the performance. This ability is language-dependent and requires visual and audible components. This performance replaces inspire courage.
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The ruined serpent nest did not have any intact eggs at the surface, though some may have survived beneath the collapsed back of the nest.
Navith manages a weak smile as Zokama creates the benison for the group.
"My thanks Zokama. Mine own blessings will be applied as necessary, however most of them are either immediate or of much shorter duration than your song..."
How does the party wish to proceed? Your investigation shows that someone was moving about the ground floor of the moat house but do not appear to have located the secret stairs and exit, nor did more than look around. The room previously used as a safe harbor is still accessible and, if necessary, defensible though somewhat filthy and dank.
The rat infested stairs down to the dungeon are quiet and open, no sounds of movement, no evidence of light coming from below. There is however a stronger odor of rot and decay, likely from the battered and decomposing zombies or dead gnolls you faced last visit.
If memory serves you have a set of doors to the right of the stairs, a doorway to the left, a torture chamber and of course the cells yet to be fully explored.
Musami cautiously advances down the stairs looking for the source of the smell and keeping an eye out for anything moving.
The dwarf moves down the stairs and below the stone ceiling, gazing out across the room, trying to locate anything threatening or likely to cause the stench. The bodies of the gnolls are missing, but the shambling corpses which attacked the group previously remain. Those that can be seen, if remembered correctly, lay very much where they died the second time.
The twin doors to the right of the stairs remain closed, the scorch marks on the floor where the strange ooze was burnt are present, everything else out of view of the warrior's gaze. By his ears a faint buzzing can be heard, originating from the other room, the sound of flies. From the sounds volume and pitch, it is likely a small swarm is active, feasting, nesting, and laying yet more eggs to continue devouring the zombie bodies hacked, battered, and blasted during his previous rescue attempt.
Wary of the other creatures which escaped before, Musami reaches the floor of the chambers...
Musami stands at the foot of the stairs, shield raised, hammer in hand and awaits the rest of the party. He signals back up the stairs for them to follow him down.
Once Musami has inspected downstairs and approves, Braggi follows, very careful to not make clanky noises with his armor or big weapon.
He stands alongside Musami, waiting for a sign to spearhead into the danger zone.
Filnefillan follows behind Braggi, bringing the light of his bow along to aid the others in the group without the dwarf's excellent deep vision. His own eyes reach further beyond the light, allowing him to point out the cell doors appear open, and more of the bodies lay scattered across the floor. The archway to what the prisoners called the torture room is shadowed in darkness, and the door to the deeper dungeon is closed.
The corpse eating creatures came and went from the torture room, while the prisoners mentioned the two priests came and went from the door on our left. They didn't know what was in the doors to our right. Should we investigate the bodies or cells, we hadn't the time before to do either?
Not sure whether they should clear this floor first, Zokama is relieved when the group that had been here before moves forward, looking like they recognize the area. She makes sure that her bow is ready, and follows them down the stairs.
She then moves past the dwarf, trying to be alert to any danger.
"We shouldn't leave anything without checking. Let's check that" he says, waving his hand to point everywhere.
Agreed, we should. Let us ensure that no further horrors await those in the cells, and no further travelers have been waylaid.
Fil agrees woth Braggi. He casts Mage Armor from the wand before proceeding with the group into this room of nightmares. He otherwise keeps hospital bow readied.
From the stairs you can see the two closed doors to the west, side by side, each fitted with a lock. Moving forward you see the door to the east has an inset bolt closure that needs pulled back before opening but does not have a visible lock. The large room to the south has five barred cells with matching doors on the western wall, the eastern wall opens into another long torture chamber via a wide arch.
The cell doors appear to be hanging open, several bodies torn and scattered around the large room, roughly in the same positions remembered from the prior battle. The last cell appears to hold a shadowed form sprawled out on the floor, but the cell is currently in shadow from your vantage point.
A sputtering torch is burning somewhere within the archway accessed chamber, and it is casting elongated, flickering shadows back into and around the prison area.
At the moment you are all within 20' of the stairs, ready to commence.
Bump post, for reasons...
Before searching, Fil will cast Detect Magic, looking for active Necromantic or Tranmutational auras. He will scan each pile individually from far enough away the not be a threat (30').
We have had grave errors before, and the torch indicates that there are occupants here. This very well could be a trap. Please hold for a few moments while I look for magical auras vefore we search them
. Pile 1
. pile 2
. pile 3
No magical auras jump out from the pile of bodies. Searching among them Filnefillan finds 13 commons, crusted with decayed blood, bile, and other bodily fluids. None of the bodies are armed and bear the wounds inflicted by your band, as well as those which first took their lives.
The torch in the other room does radiate magic, likely an everburning torch.
There appears to be a body badly mauled and cannibalized in the last cell. If memory serves it was indicated it was one of the caravan guards who made a failed attempt to stop the brutalization of the female prisoner, as well as protect the kidnapped girls before they were sent away with the other group of bandits.
Seeing that the rest of the group has been here already as well, Zokama drops back, waiting for them to retrace their steps, but keeping her bow ready in case something unexpected pops up.
Navith stares at the undead, then at the fallen caravan guard.
Pelor protect us.
Not willing to draw on Pelor's power just yet, Navith likewise waits, near to Zokama, certain that Fil, Braggi and Musami will direct them.
"And what of Toruk?" Navith finds himself murmuring aloud.
Zokama repeats what she told them earlier about Toruk's probable demise in the grove.
Navith nods somewhat absentmindedly. He eyes the zombies and juts his chin by way of indicating them.
"Let us hope he avoids a second existence as a foul undead..."
While Navith and Zokama cover the group, and Filnefillan sorts through the clothing and gear of the fallen zombies, Braggi looks briefly into the torture chamber as Musami gives the cells a once over.
At first glance the torture room appears long abandoned. Dust, dirt, and cobwebs abound in the corners, along the ceiling, and covering some of the larger set pieces. A few skeletons hang from the southern wall, shackled and chained to hooks set a foot from the 12' ceiling. Another sits forlornly in a spiked and barbed cage, roughly shaped like a narrow humanoid. It reaches out at the barbarian, clawing meekly at the air, unable to leave it's eternal punishment.
A long table stands in the middle of the room, covered with a series of leather straps, iron clasps, and flexible metal bands. A few smears of blood cover it's surface, days old, a few other droplets track across the dusty floor.
Two shelves line the wall along the western wall, covered with an assortment of small knives, hooks, prods, probes and worse instruments designed to subject the human body to all manner of pains and discomforts. Picking up a strange pear shaped device with a hand crank and turning dial Braggi feels a sudden surge of revulsion mixed with terror washing over him.
Musami finds nothing of note or interest in most of the cells, only the refuse left by the decaying protectors of this vile place, and the offal deposited by the unfortunate prisoners and slaves once held here.
The last cell holds a body badly mutilated by the strange undead which had been feasting on his living body moments before the party previously arrived. It appears they returned after the group fled with the fallen Cedryk, finishing the consumption of his internals and making a grotesque mockery of his rent and twisted frame. Ahh they even consumed his manhood, foul beasts.
The only other thing of note is a small stone protruding from just above head height along the back wall, discolored and loose.
Musami looks at the stone. There is something odd here. This stone looks strange.
Musami can tell the stone was roughly chipped and loosened long ago, then set back in place. The mortar and paste which once held it are gone. It wouldn't take much work or effort to pry the stone free of the wall.
Braggi drops the item, shaking. "What the..." He quickly exits the room. "This place... agh! It seems the resonance of what happened is still here. I'm telling you, guys. I just picked something and images came to my mind..."
He centers his attention on the stone, if only to drive away the image from his head. If no one opposes, he tries to remove the stone from the wall.
Distracting himself from his own thoughts, and to drive away the vision from the torture chamber, Braggi moves over and pulls Musami's strange stone from the wall. He finds inside a small recess hollowed out of the dirt beyond, a small pale green gemstone roughly the size of a baby's fist and a silvery looking signet ring resting within. The ring is carved such that it's face presents a left reaching fist holding a long bolt of lightning onto which three pointed crowns rest, smallest to largest, top downward.
Be careful, Braggi. That may be a trick of the horrors that await us further in.
Fil frowns. He grasps his bow a little tighter knowing what is happening to his friend.
Navith steels himself, and goes no closer to the chained undead wretch than he has to. Dearly he would love to ease the creature's suffering, but the benison of Pelor's light must wait. The battles of Emridy left him with little by their end, and Navith would see this day out better equipped.
Filnefillan completes his search of the dead zombie bodies, finding nothing else of interest. He does note, and show to the group, that while most of the dead were average folk, a few did wear articles which identified them as belonging to the Cuthbertine Church of Veluna City or Ducal guards of Devarnish, bearing the crest of Lord High Abbot Duke Severt Mori.
This discovery would point to a confirmation the girls taken were potentially virgins of the Church of Rao. Devarn is known to have a significant nunnery which raises vestial virgins for the faith of Rao. What purpose the bandits and their cult leaders have for such virgins is unknown.
Musami and Braggi collect the gem and ring from the last cell, showing them to the group.
Options, you may explore and examine the torture chamber more thoroughly, including the imprisoned dead, investigate the two locked doors near the stairs, or check the other door which the prisoners indicated led deeper into the place and was from which the brigands and priests came and went.
"I've seen enough, I don't feel like checking the torture chamber. If any of you wants, though..." Braggi then goes and checks the closed doors. "Anyone here is good looking for traps?"
Musami will trail Braggi ready to raise his shield should any dangers arise.
Fil will attempt to recall anything of import about Duke Mori or anyone with him. He will share what he recognizes with the group.
If that doesn't work
The locked door looks like the best route, it is newer, Musami? We could try just breaking it down, or perhaps I could melt the lock? Unless Zokama or Navith have better options.
If need be I will take my hammer to the door. I am sure Braggi will help me, won't you?
Filnefillan's knowledge of the religious leadership of Devarnish is limited. He does recall the current Lord High Abbot is also the hereditary duke of the city. The Mori family received the title of Duke long ago for services rendered to the Archclericy of Veluna. Severt Mori serves as high priest of the Church of Saint Cuthbert, despite the faith having fewer faithful in eastern Veluna. He enrolled his daughter Heira in the Convent of Rao, partly to appease a significant portion of the city's people, the majority of which are Raoans by name if not service. His named heir Westin however refused to serve in a clerical order, instead becoming a mercantile power broker, banking in no small part on the weight of his family name and joint holdings with the Cuthbertines.
"Okay, anyone here can open this" says Braggi pointing at the two locks "without making much noise?"
Navith shakes his head.
"Pelor affords light, but is less able to force portals..."
Musami jerks a thumb at his earthbreaker. We can knock?
Peace. Let me try.
Zokama tries to unlock the padlocked doors.
After a few short moments Zokama hears a faint click within the lock, and the hasp snaps up and free of the housing. She removes the lock, then stands aside to allow the others to access the door. She sets the lock on the stairs and readies her weapon, waiting for one of the others to open the portal wide.
Fil readies his bow. Getting into position to fire on to anything that comes out threatening the party.
Braggi holds his sword in one hand and uses the other arm to open the door, ready for almost anything.
The sailor deftly catches a long, rag ended mop leaning in a wooden bucket as it falls when the door swings open. The cluttered room beyond the heavy door appears to be a store room. It, and particularly the mop and bucket, smells of stale urine and vinegar.
Beyond the doorway the room extends nearly 20' deep and reaches to the north another 15'. The walls are covered in shelving, rough and clapped together wooden frames. A plethora of jars, jugs, ceramic casks and bottles are lined up along them, appearing to be items of basic provisioning. Several crates and bales are stacked in the center of the room, smaller bundles and sacks atop stronger chests and barrels. A narrow path winds from the door, along the shelves, and down the middle of the tall stacks. Markings among the stores indicate items such as preserved meats, base wines, milled wheat, rolled oats, and dried vegetables.
In broad strokes it seems likely the fare, if somewhat bland and age-stale, might serve to feed a good score of individuals for a month or two, maybe three if not particularly picky.