Aibek glanced at the armour and weapons that were tossed aside in quick escalation of Yarl's body's destruction. Aibek pondered on whether the armour would be of any use - after a very thorough wash - and how much the swords could be sold for before looking to the others as they spoke...
"Yarl was possessed by a being who we've met before and will likely again. I would suggest being even more wary of outsiders especially of oddly aggressive acting ones in this area for a while. It seems determined to prevent us from moving forward with restoring Khalhaum smoothly and quite skilled at what it does and very happy to destroy. We've yet a way to properly stop or contain it beyond this which is temporary" Aibek commented with a sigh to the kobolds, running a hand over the forehead before dropping the shadowblade crossbow back into shadow.
"Gather things, give the kobolds what is theirs and then talk to Yarl's people if we can find them? We may need to return to town for supplies before we head to the temple - especially if that is awaiting us there" Aibek said while glancing to the others, rubbing the back of the right arm...
"I believe stopping for rest and supplies before we even consider braving the temple would be a wise course of action. I can't say I'm feeling too good after taking such a beating," Mihara agrees. Despite the administered healing, her wound remains, though shallower, and the lingering effects of the negative energy still darken her traits.
[b]"Navnik? What might that be?"
"I guess that we'll have to rest before going into the temple, yes." Selena points to the armory "Yarls said there wesere something in there, remember? I don't think we'll just be able to waltz in and get the egg. Let's get this over with as soon as possible: I need a bath."
"Navnik is..." Ixis looked over Irsa and conversed briefly in Draconic. "Spirit? Devil. Sounds like it."
"The thing possessing Yarls was a devil, yes. It probably was already possessed when he stole from you." Selena explains "He's part of a group that's trying to prevent us from getting the city. They...even poisoned someone dear to us. We've already kicked his @ss once, but I swear, once I get my hands on his boss..." the half-fiend grows silent, while the symbol on her hand starts to buzz, and her eyes fill with malice for a moment.
"But let's go now! Let's get what they took from you back to safety!" the half-succubus giggles, snapping back to her usual self, and starting to open the door to the armory.
"Let's see if they've been hoarding anything else of interest, too." Mihara smirks, standing a little straighter.
Beyond the ruined doors the same chamber you met Yarls in last time is desolate and empty. Camp fires have been buried and refuse piles neatly taken care of. A door leads out of each of the four walls, although what was once a stair case has been shattered and collapsed.
"All right, time to look this place over." Azri mused as she made her way forward. She peeked around as she did so, on the lookout for the mentioned troubles here. The part of her devoted to the city wanted to return the Kobolds' item as soon as possible. To put it simply, she wanted to establish - and maintain - a reputation for bring both good to her word and capable of getting things done promptly. A good reputation would be invaluable in the years to come.
Selena, too, walks in and looks around. "Hhhm, where we should start..."
Unlike the others, the western door is open. Beyond that the area seems to have been cleared out.
"Now, now, what else was our friend hiding from us, I wonder?"
Mihara joins the room search, opting for a bird's eye approach, floating near the ceiling.
Aibek walked warily after the others, peering around them while moving to follow...
Azri made her way over to the western doors, joining the others in the search of the area and trying to figure out where Yarls and his men had gone earlier. Sadly, for all of her keen eyesight, she wasn't actually very good at following tracks... but she could at least remain on the lookout for traps.
Following after Azri, Selena looks at the western doors. If the lich makes sure that there is no trap or similar, the half-succubus moves to open the door, but stops shortly before pushing it "Oh, right!".
Moving behind one of the rubble piles, the half-fiend disappears for a minute or so. After that, she rejoins the group, her skin slightly reflecting the sunlight.
"Everyone ready?"
Nigrum looked over the place for any signs that would help him track where Yarls had gone to hide the egg.
The massive western room was once the main forge. Now cold and covered in sand and dust, the room is still surprisingly intact. Rows of furnaces bank against one wall, and a dozen anvils with only light corrosion cluster together. A massive drop hammer sits idle.
Paths have cut by busy feet, with no effort to hide them. One set heads for the doors to the north, with a handful detouring to the set just east of them.
"A pair of feet went into the machinery there. Someone tried to cover their tracks. I would suggest that be the first place we look, carefully I would add."
He points to where the trial ends.
"Uh, really?" Selena walks over to where Nigrum is pointing, examining the machines to see if there is anything weird about them.
Selena discovers a small stash - a pair of sword you recognize as the ones Yarls was using earlier, a small leather bag containing an assortment of coins totally 312gp and 1029sp and a book of some kind bound and sealed with a small, fragile looking lock.
Azri glanced over at the book. "Careful with that." she advised. "Could be a trap. Best to open it in a safe zone."
"Mind if I take a look?" Mihara asks, borrowing the book.
"Ooh, what does it says, Foxy? Can you open the lock?" Selena asks excited, more interested to pry into people's affairs rather than learn some useful information from the book.
"I could probably open this in my sleep, but I agree with Azri. It might be a trap. I'd rather wait until we're in safer territory before opening it."
"Ok, fine! You're no fun, girls." Selena pouts "I really doubt it's anything dangerous, if you ask me: it's probably something the a+~~#*$ ghost hid after taking control of Yarls, for some reason."
If the party doesn't have anything else to examine in the room, Selena moves for the north-most door and opens it.
Aibek chuckled, commenting towards Selena, "It'll likely be just as interesting and juicy read later as it would be now...the wait'll either make it better or, if dull, more annoying. With what was in Yarl, I wouldn't be surprised if it's rather dangerous unfun that needs the experts touch..." glancing towards Mihara before looking around, "Maybe something more fun'll be further in..." said with a small smile while looking around, heading towards the doors near Selena, listening for a moment before opening...
The door to the north is closed, and there is no sound of movement. There is, however, an odd smell...
"Hold on a minute..." Mihara says, still checking the book.
"This isn't even a real lock. See these creases over here with the little symbols? That's a magical trap. I'm sure of it. I'll disarm this thing when we're back at the inn, just in case I accidentally set it off."
"Hah." Azri said, vaguely pleased at having guessed that it wasn't safe without even seriously examining it. She stood by the northeast door a moment later, checking it over before putting her ear close and trying to listen through it.
"Uuuh..." Selena mumbles, slightly embarrassed to have been proved wrong on the harmlessness of the book.
"Guys, there's a weird smell coming from behind this door. It's closed, though." the half-fiend says, both to change the subject and to call Foxy to help pick the lock. In the meantime, she examines the door herself, trying to see if there was anything dangerous on it or if she could discern the smell.
Mihara approaches and gives the door's area a careful sniff. "Ick. I'll say."
With a snap of her fingers, she triggers the hidden lockpick of her ring, and gets to work on the door.
The room beyond is another large room. This time it appears it was a store room. Bunkers full of what is likely some kind of fuel or metal sit along the still remaining walls. The corner of one wall has collapsed, possibly from a siege weapon hit, and take a corner of the floor with it.
The source of the stench is immediately and brutally obvious. A Ghast has literally been nailed to the door to the east, it's skin mottled where what appears to be blessed silver nails have been driven through it's arms and legs. It's impossible to tell, by smell or sight, whether the thing is still undead or true dead, but it's certainly unable to do you any harm.
"Quite the welcoming party party," Mihara quips, hiding her discomfort behind an attempt at humor.
"I'm not entirely sure if that... thing is alive or not."
Mihara draws her bow and aims it directly for the Ghast's head.
"I think it might be best not to take a chance, do you folk agree? Don't get too close."
"What, no interrogations?" Azri asked. "Well, if you say so." She lowered her hand - and dismissed the negative energy that had surrounded it. She wasn't too concerned either way, so if the others didn't want to see if they could revive and interrogate it, that was fine with her.
Mihara becomes pensive at Azri's proposal and lowers her bow.
"If you were to reanimate this... creature, would we be able to gather information from it at all? With one very obvious exception, I'm not very familliar with the undead. Would that one not merely flail ferally at us?"
"Assuming it COULD be reanimated - and I guarantee nothing, I've never tried it before - it probably would at least flail... which is why we'd keep it impaled for now so it wouldn't be a threat. Ghasts are intelligent, at least, and can talk. We might be able to get information from it, or we might not. Either way, you could let me handle it - I'm not especially frightened of anything it might do." Worst-case scenario, she killed herself (or had her family kill her) and popped up in a new body a few days later, good as new. This undead thing was handy that way.
"I'd make sure it was dead afterwards." Azri added, noticing Ayreth's expression. "Think of it as just another way of doing a Speak With Dead spell. Though, if this DOES work, it's because it's not completely dead-dead yet. I'm pretty sure I can't revive things just by hitting them with negative energy." In other words, it wouldn't be reanimation, but rather healing something that was only mostly dead. And then putting it down after talking to it for a few minutes.
Nigrum looks at the dead thing.
"Not as bad as a sweaty orge but I understand. If a second, true death is needed I will be ready to administer it."
"Ugh." Selena coughs as she enters the room, discomforted by the stench of the creature (and the undead itself, of course).
"Are you really sure about doing that, Az?" the half-fiend asks the lich, furrowing her brow "I don't think it has any reason to tell us anything, and the fact its nailed like that looks odd. I'm not an expert on undead, but isn't it usually enough to hit them really hard? Why would they have took time to prop it like that, if they could have just stabbed it? I say we just press on and open that door, possibly prodding stinky guy over there with a stick to see if it bites back."
Azri shrugged. "I don't really care either way." she explained. "Just noting it was an option. If we don't want to try it, though..." she waved a hand towards the Ghast's body, and a bolt of lightning shot out of her fingers and towards the body. Why get into melee range when she could be sure it was dead from here?
Aibek winced at the sight of the Ghast - the silver nails, the position...
Listening to the others, Aibek stepped back as Azri zapped the Ghast. "Probably a safer tactic than bringing them back. I was going to comment that we have no idea if it knows why it's been put like this. Some groups put their targets like this as trophies... Aibek ended with a sneer before shaking their head.
"Is there any way we can how long they've been there like that -- from a safe distance with the lightning in mind -- it is likely nothing of use to us though I wonder if the one who possessed Yarl did this or his group or others before them? As well a trophies, such things as disturbingly used as message...or territorial markings...or the possessor trying to slow us down... " Aibek said warily while looking over the Ghast again...
The Ghast hissed as it awoke from the stupor it had been in. Semi-feral eyes took in the sight of fresh flesh with glee as it lunged forwards and tried to feast, only to be held back by the nails in it's limbs. Unable to move it glared hungrily at you all.
"So... Can you understand what I'm saying? Do you have a name we can call you by? I'm quite sorry about your current circumbstances, but I hope you understand we don't have much of a choice." Mihara asks, treating the undead being with all the same respect she would have given any other prisoner.
Serena hangs in the back with her arm crossed, observing the situation.
It doesn't seem very talkative...I still think this is a terrible idea.
Aibek took a few step back, dark eyes wide, instinctively pulling shadows to hand...
Azri was just about to fire out another bolt of electricity when Mihara started talking - and with a shrug, she dismissed the power, shaking her hand slightly to get rid of the tingles. She could always kill the ting later, but stepped forward to be between the undead and her family.
"I understand perfectly well," the creature replied in a voice liked whispering silk, a faint hiss on every word. "Do you understand would be the better question. But you are polite, as beffiting one still tied to mortality. So I grant you the gift of my name. I am...I am Armiharkep." He watches you, obviously expecting a reaction.