Clebsch GM Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path (Inactive)

Game Master Clebsch73

Knowledge (engineering) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Tauni struggled to find anything useful to contribute. She finally said "We should help. I can keep a watch to make sure the kobold doesn't bring friends to ambush us."

Ellena nodded at the strange creatures. While Franti spent time talking, she used her Detect Evil ability and checked them out. Assuming no evil was found, the paladin sheathed her blade and stowed her shield on her back. She stepped up to the rubble and tried to lift with all her might. "Greeting, I'm Ellena, holy warrior of Iomedae. It would be my honor to assist you with this problem."

Strength check 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

"Perhaps Terendelev can help us twice today." Anarya smiled. "If this works, get ready to catch any debris that may shift, and help him out," she addressed the others.

This boulder is a lot heavier than Karas, Anarya thought. I hope Terendelev's gift is strong enough. Bracing herself, Anarya reached out with the silver scale's power for a second time, hands outstretched as if she were lifting the boulder herself. "Iomedae, let this work," she whispered to herself, and willed the rock to move.

If the boulder is 1,900 lbs or less, the scale should be able to handle it. Anarya will lift it gradually, trying to avoid causing any shifts in the rest of the rubble.

Avelina shrugged her mouth to the side in annoyance at the mere suggestion that she would have anything but the best of intentions.

"'Ill intentions?!' How ludicrous! I am Avelina, Favored Soul of the Inheritor; my intentions are always as pure as She!"

Avelina proudly advanced to take a spot on the boulder (next to Ellena of course) and begen huffing-and-puffing as she tried to help lift it.

Strength Check Assist: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9

Just in-case Anarya's idea doesn't work

Karas couldn't help it, he stared a moment trying to piece together the man's features.

Snapping out of it he looked to him and asked, "You aren't another kobold hiding under an illusion are you? We've been told that men like you may be down here but I haven't seen any until now."

Karas looked over his shoulder to see if his help was needed but stayed near Anarya.

Ellena proved nearly strong enough to lift the stone by herself, but she needed help with balancing it and leveraging it. When Anarya added the effect of the levitation scale, the task became easy and the rock was shifted to the side and set down. However, the clouds that roiled underneath boulder temporarily startled the two men and they jumped back, on guard and suspicious. The one with the boils gurgled as if speaking under water but it was impossible to understand him. The other said nothing but his hand drifted to the club at his belt.

Once the stone was set down and the clouds dissipated, they rushed forward again to attend to their friend. The trapped one was female with one arm taking the form of a bat, as well as the ears and nose of a bat. The rest of her looked like a young adult female human. She was hurt but not in critical condition yet, but in a lot of pain from the damage taken in the collapse. 5/15 hp at present.

The man ignored Karas' question while the others rushed to help his comrade. Once the stone was moved, he turned back to Karas and said, "Kobolds? There is one that likes to sneak around here. We chase him away when we spot him. I am Lann. This is Dyra and Crel." Dyra was the one with the boils, Crel the injured one.

"We are descendents of crusaders like yourselves. As you can see, our bodies carry the price our ancestors paid during the crusade. We rarely see crusaders take an interest in our home. Are you representatives of those above?"

While Karas and Lann talked, Anevia helped attend to Crel, staring somewhat unbashedly at the features of Crel and Dyra. She noticed that Crel had a bow and some arrows. "I'm an archer too." She spoke slowly, as if to a slow child. "How on earth do you hold the arrow?" she asked and pointed to Crel's batwing arm. Crel did not answer immediately.

In the background Aravashnial stood against a wall, waiting for something he could do to help. He grew impatient and walked forward, finding his way by tapping his quarterstaff toward the sound of Karas' and Lann's voices. "I have read accounts of your people. I have a thousand questions."

Horgus tugged on Tauni's cloak and said, not so softly that the others in the room could not hear, "It's a trap! Don't trust these freaks! Their forms are evidence that they have been forsaken by the gods."

Tauni replied back to Horgus, quieter than Horgus spoke and less likely to be overheard. "Perhaps, and you are wise to be cautious. And we shall be vigilant, as is our duty as adherents of Abadar. But their different physical forms may also be a sign of their blood rather than their soul. Remember what Aravashnial said."

Her voice went placid as she quoted the elf verbatim. "'They look after themselves and don't go looking for trouble. I would not assume they are evil. We may need their help and they are likely to be touchy about being judged by the likes of us.'"

Then, she slipped back to her normal tone and added "I trust the good elf's judgment, but we should be ask cautious of them as I am sure they will be cautious of us." With a reassuring smile, she said "Besides, I'm sure that the Favored Soul of the Inheritor would be able to detect malice in their hearts if it truly resided there."

Please note, I haven't seen anything that says Horgus is a devoted follower of Abadar; Tauni is just assuming so since he is a prosperous merchant.

Karas thought for a moment, "I guess you could say that. There was an attack on the city and we fell down a chasm. We're fortunate to be alive but we have to get back to the surface to help out." Karas held a hand to the scale subconsciously as he spoke.

When Horgus spoke up Karas made an offhand comment loud enough for him to hear, "Some still judge others just because the energies of the wound warp our bodies but a lot of good people are up there too and they need our help."

Karas smiled when Aravashnial joined them and placed a hand on the Elf's shoulder to guide him to Lann, "Lann, this is Aravashnial. He's very knowledgeable and if you wouldn't mind a chat with him now that your friend isn't being crushed. That would be great.'

While they talked Karas kept looking about and tried to make sure he could see everyone as they talked

Anarya was supremely relieved to see the bat-winged girl clamber out alive. Once she was sure everyone was clear, she gradually lowered the boulder back into place, and approached them. "I am Anarya, a healer. Crel, was it? You're still hurt - may I help heal your wounds?" Unlike Anevia, she spoke with the woman as an equal, asking her permission to assist, as she did when her patients were nervous.

Assuming the woman doesn't react negatively, Anarya will let her healing light flow forth. This should top off Karas too.
Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 4

"I'm sure you felt the tremors down here yesterday. As Karas said, the city above was attacked - a mightier force than anyone thought the demons could muster. We seek a way back up to the surface. If the city still stands, we must aid in its defense. Can you help us?" she asked.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Is that why we march? To defend a city already taken? Anarya wondered. Is there hope, still? How could there even be survivors, let alone a force still defending Kenabres? she reasoned. Despite what her mind told her, she couldn't manage to completely give up hope. There's something up there for us to find, she knew somehow. We've overcome our challenges so far. If there's a way to be found, we shall find it.

The fool sighed after Lann didn’t laugh. “Tough crowd today.” Though his contributions to lifting the stone were scarce, the fool patted his hands together accomplished afterwards. Bored by the conversations of crusades, blood, soul and greetings, the fool lit his torch, and went about looking for anything in the rubble or surrounding it. He wanted to ask Dyra or Crel if they wanted their face painted, but he couldn't think of a way to tastefully ask without possibly offending.

Perception, assuming Wis Damage is still on: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20, +1 for Traps.

The fool was still cautious from his earlier Kobold encounter, and he looked off uneasily in the darkness as he walked around alone. The fool tried to soothe his nerves with a rhyme, and while it took some trial and error to create a proper one, eventually he was singing his little tune as he searched the stone.

“Under the city, under the rubble -
Crel and Dyra in a smidgen of trouble.
Under the city, deep in the caves -
Pinned under stones, what could have been graves.
But from the tunnels a party of nine -
Who came from above, from city divine.
Who came to the stones and gave them a shove,
And rambled and droned on what I don’t care of.”

Ellena rolled her eyes at the fool's limerick. "The others Don't lie, we mean no harm. We must get back to the surface to defend our home. Many demons attacked it. Do you three need more help? Or do you know of a way up from these tunnels?". Ellena was a bit put off by the group's appearance, but she tried to look past that, much as she had attempted to do with Karas the last couple of days.

As the angelic healer channeled Iomedae's holy healing glory, Ellena laid her head back and felt all of her remaining wounds close. If they could just get to the surface, she was able to contribute to the town's defense.

Avelina scoffed at Horgus's fearful ramblings about the party's new acquiantances. She began using Cleanliness of the Unblemished Soul to clean herself off and her companions, new and old, as she spoke.

"Oh, stuff it. As any devoted reader of romances could tell you, the appearance of ugly people on the path of the Devoted is a test of their Righteousness! They might reveal themselves to be wizards and reward our generosity and magnanimity with great magical boons, or perhaps turn into beautiful women and ask for our hands in marriage."

A sudden thought of delight suffused her.

"Or maybe both!"

Avelina clasped her hands as she grinned expectently at the "beautiful women wizards."

She gazed silently for a moment.

Then another.

And one last one.

She finally dropped her hands and her smile, straightening her back.

"Well, it usually takes some time."

Lann listened to the various accounts. His brow creased with concern when he learned of the demon incursion. "Long have our people languished in the dark, too ashamed to show ourselves. But if the city needs our help, I believe many would answer the call, but only if we are welcomed as equals. But that is not my decision. You have saved one of our lives and for that I'm sure our leader will reward you and give you a place to rest. He also might know of how to get to the surface. We will take you to Neathholm."

Before doing that Lann checked the rubble for any other survivors, but none were found. He explained that the watchtower was a kind of perimeter defense protecting various approaches to the city. Upon looking for a way back to the city, many of the normal passages were blocked by the earthquake, but eventually, he found a passage that was open. He said it would be a bit round-about, but it would reach Neathholm before too long.

The group traveled for 25 minutes before encountering a chasm caused by the earthquake. The group needed to figure out a way across. It was 10 feet across, 70 feet wide and 30 feet deep.

More in the morning.

When Lann saw the chasm, he groaned. "We must hurry! Neathholm may have been damaged!" He looks down into the chasm and at the edges. The chasm extends into the rock on either side, making it difficult to try to climb a wall of the tunnel to get across.

"We can climb down and back up if we have to, unless you have another idea," he says to Ellena, whom he seems to assume is the leader of the group.

The tunnel continues on the other side, going another 40 feet before narrowing again. There is no evidence of traps or creatures.

How high is the ceiling? Can one of us take a rope and levitate to the other side and tie it off?

Otherwise, Ellena could take her armor off and climb down and up the other side. Hopefully. Suggestions?

Franti didn't wait. He looked down the chasm, and knew he could clear it. He had jumped distances longer than this for sport. The fool would prance and clear jumps double this length in his past. Almost triple he would brag to any interested in a fool's boasts. But these boasts to jump through the skies were grounded! Indeed, he had even done such feats beyond the Worldwound, with the threat of demons licking at his heels, consumed with fear and blinded by his own tears! Compared to that experience, this was child's play.

The fool reached into his bag, securing a pinch of something from his Entertainer's Kit. He held whatever it was in his fist, hidden from view. He placed the rest of the kit back in the bag, and gave a healthy toss to his backpack, putting an extra oomph behind his swing just to make sure it didn't tumble off the side.

The fool began his stretching, dropping his torch to the ground. "Watch carefully, take notes. This will be on the quiz." After a quick touch of his toes, he tossed the torch over, careful to throw it away from his bag. The fool gave a wink to Avelina, grin stretching ear to ear. "This is nothing, I assure you. I could jump the pit of the Starstone Cathedral." The fool began his charge, put his foot by the edge of the chasm, and propelled himself with a daring lunge.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

He landed on the other side, and while his footing was stable, he forced himself to a tumble. He twisted his "mistake" into a cartwheel, hopped to his toes and stuck the landing. From his curled fist, he released his surprise: a bit of glitter. He threw it to the air, glistening from the torch dancing from below. The fool bowed as the glitter descended into the seemingly bottomless bit. "At the "Cathedral," my friends. Start your worship, girls, I am a regular Iomedae." He gave another wink, knowing the comment would inspire something from someone on the other side of the chasm.

I can lend my scale to give someone a +1 STR/DEX, so +1 climb or acrobatics. I can probably hitch a rope here on my end now too, .

Karas felt Anarya's light seal his wounds again. Y'know, I think I'm beginning to like this. Its good to have some people at your back. Like She was.

While they walked he kept an open eye as he was blessed with the ability to see while the others couldn't. He smiled at the fool's antics and looked over the rest of them. Even the crusader isn't so bad. I guess when you're trapped underneath a city, that everyone becomes your ally. Avelina is a chatterbox and a bit holier than thou but I've seen worse. Her heart is in the right place I think. Anarya is quiet, seems sweet, and rushes to help everyone at the drop of a hat. She reminds me of You really. Hopefully we can still do some good up there.

When they came upon the chasm he was a but unsure on how to cross but after Franti made the leap it didn't seem so hard to him. He'd have to lose the arm,or though. Seeing no immediate threat, he did just that. Shirking off his scale mail he smiled to the others. "Think I can beat his jump?"

Not really waiting for an answer he tossed his pack and armor across the ravine with enough strength to overshoot the gap before backing up and taking a run at it. Something about the way his legs moved seemed to give him a bit more of an oompf than he should have had...

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

and allowed him to clear the gap with a solid THUMP on the other side.

He looked to Franti with a satisfied smile."Ha! How did I do? I have some rope in my pack. If anyone else does we can try to make a sort of rope bridge to ease the crossing."

Avelina will follow Ellena's lead, whatever she does

Ellena would have yelled at the fool, if she wasn't so distracted by the task at hand. As such, it barely registered in the back of her mind. And we have to get the other three over, too.

"I'm not a jumper. I can hold a knotted rope and let the rest of you climb down. I'll send my armor down and find a place to tie it off before climbing down myself. Then the fool and the tiefling can lower a rope from their side. Easy peasy.". She snapped her finger, "And we can tie the rope around the archer and Mage, so they can get down easy, too.

Franti turned to Karas, assessing the man's leap. "Lacked pizzazz, Silver, but it did the job." The fool ducked down to his bag. He looked through it, removing a coil of rope, a sheathed dagger, and a roped grappling hook. "With a little finesse and a dash of spirit, I can make a fool out of you yet."

Franti nodded at Ellena's suggestion. "Better yet, tie them all up! Silk robe dresses, silk rope robes, silk rope... silk rope... hats..." The fool took the grappling hook and untied the rope attached. He took out the longer coil and began to knot it. "Then tie me up. You'd be amazed how well I wiggle out from bonds!" The fool secured the knotted and unknotted rope together. "A fool's promise, I'd wager a gold coin if any could tie me up better than I could wiggle out." He looked to his handiwork with a smile. "Good on this end!" he cried out.

29 feet knotted silk rope, 20 feet regular silk rope. Also Karas' smile brings me up to 111 smiles.

Ellena would have yelled at the fool, if she wasn't so distracted by the task at hand. As such, it barely registered in the back of her mind. And we have to get the other three over, too.

"I'm not a jumper. I can hold a knotted rope and let the rest of you climb down. I'll send my armor down and find a place to tie it off before climbing down myself. Then the fool and the tiefling can lower a rope from their side. Easy peasy.". She snapped her finger, "And we can tie the rope around the archer and Mage, so they can get down easy, too.

"Ellena, why don't you and I go last? I can help keep watch behind us while others are vulnerable and crossing. If anything does come in behind us, your strength will go a long way toward warding anyone crossing."

Calling across the chasm, Tauni asked "Karas, can you watch down the other way while we are crossing, and warn us of danger if it comes? Franti, can you set the hook so we can use the rope to climb the other side?"

Then she asked Lann "Would any of you have problems climbing the rope on the other side? Do any of you have injuries or-" she hesitated a beat, not wanted to insult them about their deformities, "Or anything that would make it hard to climb down and then back up?"

"I would prefer Karas and Ellena secure a rope or two across the gap and tie a third rope as a safety measure that loops over the other ropes and around the waist of the one crossing. Then just go across hanging from the rope and going hand over hand. I'm afraid if I try to climb down and up, I might slip and fall. The same could happen to anyone."

Horgus took small steps as close to the edge as he dared and peered down. "Better to just lower me down and throw the rope over and pull me up. I not a monkey or a mountain goat."

Avelina placed her gloved hand up to her mouth in an attempt to disguise a wicked grin.

"No, no. Of course not, Gwerm. You are actually a sack of potatoes for us to lug around. I cannot believe I did not notice it until now!" While she was clearly attempting to go for more light-hearted jabbing, a veneer of acid manages to coat her words.

She took Ellena's arm once more.

"I, however, trust in My Champion and shall do whatever she thinks best. If she wishes to follow Anevia's advice, I will as well."

Ellena smiled confidently to the Lady, trying to hide her confusion on the best path to take to proceed. "Sure. The best idea is clearly Odds for Anevia, evens for Gwerm. 1d2 ⇒ 1 to try to throw ropes across and just go hand over hand. The rope around your waist will brace you!". She added the last part with particular vigor, hoping to convince the others she knew what she was doing.

"Who wants to go first? I'll hold this side."

"Horgus, I sincerely doubt our little princess' accusation," Franti began sincerely, "but were it true, I would respect you all the same." The fool couldn't help but smile at Avelina's remark. Poor woman. Born to a throne when better suited for the courts. He decided he would have to paint her face, return an earlier favor, if only to see how it looked. Though with this though came another, and a vision of Avelina in a fool's attire caused the fool to blush. Even though his rosy cheeks were masked in face paint, he felt slightly embarrassed. The jester continued: "Were you a sack of starch, I am frankly a bit peeved you didn't tell us sooner. These rations are deplorable, even with all of this honey."

The fool was going to volunteer to hold the rope, but doubted his ability to even support the lightest member of his party.

Karas nodded to Tauni as he put his armor back on. "I'll handle this side. No problem at all. Just let me know if you need me back here quick."

He took up a position near the cave exit and watched down the tunnel.

Anarya pondered the wide gap for a moment. "Karas, if I used Terendelev's magic on you again, do you think you could carry each of us across? You'd have to push yourself along the rope to move, but it should be much easier than each of us trying to clamber across. I don't fancy a climb any more than Horgus does," she added. "This way should be safer and easier for us all."

Anarya will use the scale on Karas if the group agrees to this plan.

If there's a conveniently-sized boulder anywhere nearby, we could probably even use levitate on it to make a bridge.

Ropes were passed across the gap with relative ease. No suitable rock could be levitated to serve as a platform, but Karas could serve as a human air ferry with the ropes as a way to pull himself back and forth. For extra safety, Anevia suggested each person still secure himself or herself to the crossing rope and others hold onto the rope for extra support should someone lose his or her grip on Karas. The effort took some time, perhaps 15 minutes, but everyone, including the mongrelemen got across safely.

Once everyone was across, Lann and his friends were anxious to move on as quickly as possible, worried there may have been damage to the underground city called Neathholm, their home.

Moving on, but if any character wants to do anything else in the area, post it and it can be done.

The mongrelmen led the group through more tunnels, pausing at intersections to discuss the route options. After another 1400 feet of walking (18 minutes) the tunnel opened up into a chamber about 40 feet across. But the Lann stopped the group 50 feet from this entrance and said, "We do not normally traverse this cave. It is the lair of a death-cougher. It is a dangerous type of plant that can move and that coughs out dangerous dust-like substance. It causes one to go insane and if the dust gets in the lungs or on the skin, it can kill."

"I have heard of something like that called a basidirond. Does it have kind of spider-like tendrils that act as legs, with a central body that looks like an inverted bell?" She cupped her hands to indicate the shape.

Lann looked at Drya, who nodded, his boils wobbling disturbingly.

"It does not move very fast, but probably faster than me at the moment." Anevia glanced at her splint. "They can try to come in contact with your skin to spread their spores or about once a minute they shoot out a cloud of spores that cause temporary insanity: hallucinations, mostly. For a plant, they are hard to kill, with leathery skin. It can take a fair amount of damage to kill them and then one has to avoid the spores that usually explode from the body at death."

New Map up. Post anything you do before approaching the cave. First person to look into the room, check the spoiler.

Earlier As the others jabbed at Horgus, Tauni knew he could stand up for himself, but she couldn't help but defend him even so. "Yeah, but just remember that 'sack of potatoes' put holy water in your packs and warned you about the kobold while everyone was distracted by the 'fisher."

Now Not sure if sound would set off the basdirond, Tauni looks to the others and tries to use hand signals to convey a coordinated attack from a distance. She readies her crossbow and sees if the others follow suit or have other ideas.

"I don't have a ranged weapon, so I guess I'm the bait. I'll go in there, and lure the beast out. The rest of you, pick it off for range quick as you can. We need to see if there is anything to do for the soldiers of the Inheritor in there.'" Ellena nodded at the two bodies in the cave. Once someone put a light spell on her shield or sword, she slowly proceeded into the room.

Earlier
Karas helped the others across with no complaint.

Now
Karas waited to rush the room if needed but became curious when nothing happened to engage Ellena. He peeked around the corner as well.

The fool's torch was nearing it's end. As its flickers grew smaller, he dropped it to the floor and extinguished the dying flames. He listened on, nodding as Anevia explained the monster to the party. "Careful. We've been tricked already today. These could be illusions once more from our favorite scaly foe..." He drew his second sap from his belt.

"The fool is right, but it looks safe.". Ellena waves the other Iomedae followers into the room. "Look, they have symbols of our God, but have glaives instead of longswords. Strange," she added as she looked at the bodies. "We should give them a proper cairn, if we can find rocks down here."

"Oh?! A worshiper of the Merrygleam? Where?" The fool entered further, stopping at the mouth of the cavern. "Oh. Your gods. Yeah, a proper burial. Maybe a proper search too." The fool breathed in the smell of the bodies and twisted his face in revolt.

"The fool is right, but it looks safe.". Ellena waves the other Iomedae followers into the room. "Look, they have symbols of our God, but have glaives instead of longswords. Strange," she added as she looked at the bodies. "We should give them a proper cairn, if we can find rocks down here."

"Maybe these crusaders mortally wounded it before they succumbed? And what is that one holding?" Tauni pointed at one of the glaive wielders. "It looks like she was gripping it pretty tightly when she died."

Avelina followed closely after Ellena, but she suddenly stopped at the sight of the corpses. For a moment, she appeared to be about to cry, but she quickly turned that sorrow into something more useful: righteous indignation.

"How dare this...this...shrubbery slay the sworn servants of the Inheritor! To give them such ignoble deaths!"

She drew her crossbow and pointed it about, searching for this "shrubbery."

"Just point me towards this offensive flora and I will fill it with so many bolts it will get mistaken for a cactus." There's a surprising viciousness to her tone.

At Tauni's request, Ellena inspected the item that the crusaders had held so dear to them as to keep it clutched tightly as they were overtaken by the plant. "It must have been important to them," she whispered as she opened the hand of the fallen holy warrior.

When she retrieved the item, she displayed it for the remainder of the group to take in as well.

Karas immediately recognized the upside-down pentacle on the pendant, as did any who had seen the scar on his chest. It was the unholy symbol of Baphomet, brass bull’s head with tiny red gemstone eyes [link], overlain with a rune [Link].

The highest value put on the pendant would be 50 gp (by Anarya and Franti) but some think the gems are fake and rate it much lower in value (Avelina, Ellena).

"Oh, well I suppose this creature did Iomedae's work."

Avelina pointed at the unholy symbol and the glaives.

"These corpses must have been followers of Baphomet, Lord of Minotaurs, masquerading as crusaders! Baphomet's favored weapon is a glaive, you see, and that is his holy symbol."

Seeing that not everyone was aware of this information, Avelina paused.

"Ah! I see this matter is important, and you are all uninformed. Allow me to educate all of you!"

Avelina cleared her throat and began pacing back-and-forth, tapping her crossbow against her palm like a teacher's ruler, and began teaching.

"Baphomet is a consort of the vile Lamashtu, and has his own domain known as the Ivory Labyrinth in the Abyss. His favored weapon is a glaive, as a mentioned, despite being a minotaur and having perfectly good horns. He really likes labyrinths and beasts, and his followers often draw upon the powers of evil and chaos, while also possessing great strength and bestial magic. His cultists keep themselves to secret societies, as clearly no decent person would tolerate them. There's at least one called the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth."

She stopped, looking up and off to the side as she tried to remember something.

"Also, I read that for some reason, former Erastil worshippers seem to find Baphomet appealing. Maybe he's super boring, too. Or they just have a fondness for gods with heads like animals."

The fool nodded his head at the history lesson. "One bad bull, got it." The fool went to look at the pendant eager to assess it. "Luckily, I don't need to follow Abadar to see that gold cares not for good and evil. We could sell this for something a bit prettier." The fool entered the cavern now, looking at the nearby bodies.

Franti bent his knee and knelt on the floor. He dropped both his saps to the ground. The fool searched the bodies for anything else of value, covering his nose with one hand. "The things I do for you all."

"It must not be sold, at least not before I can show the leadership that what I've been trying to explain to anyone who would listen is true: The Cult of the Ivory Labyrinth has infiltrated the crusades and is causing corruption from within. We should carry these bodies back up as well as evidence that they really exist. Hiding out under the city, disguised as followers of Iomedae herself."

"As long as it doesn't slow us down any more than your blindness and my lame leg do. I'm worried about Irabeth still up there fighting for her life against such as ... these scum!"

The mongrelmen were anxious to keep moving, so they could determine if their city survived the earth tremors. "Our leaders know ways to the surface, so let us get to Neathholm quickly and you can all be on your way the quicker. As for these," they pointed to the corpses, "we've had conflicts with them in the past. They've even corrupted some of our own people who have formed their own stronghold in alliance with these."

The bodies had some gear on them, however, that would be worth saving. Each crusader had a masterwork chain shirt (Anevia thinks the spores can be washed from the armor). One had a potion of cure light wounds while the other had a scroll of cause fear. Between them, they had 129 gp in coins. The glaives were of average quality and each also was equipped with spiked gauntlets.

Roleplay on about the cultists and such and decide if you want to try to lug the bodies back to the surface or just take the objects of value.

Continuing into the one tunnel leading upward, the group traveled another 1100 feet (15 minutes). Then the tunnel ended in a room 20 feet across guarded by four mongrelmen, with a large stone door on the far side. Lann warned the group to stay back while he explained the situation. The guards seemed suspicious of the group, but Lann convinced them to open the door and let the group into a large cavern.

A small, dark lake rippled in the center of this two-hundredfoot-wide cavern, the walls and ceiling aglow with thick sheets of luminescent fungi. In the center of the lake, over two dozen low stone buildings clustered on a rocky one-hundred-foot-wide island. Lights glowed in the windows of the buildings, giving the settlement an almost welcoming look. Rafts made of mismatched planks of timber bobbed along the length of a crooked pier at the lake’s closest shore.

"They weren't holy warriors! They were traitors, who don't deserve a proper burial. I saw one of them when the fighting broke out above the surface, with that awful symbol. If you want the symbol as evidence, Mage, you can carry it. I'll not carry it one foot further," she grumbled as she placed the symbol into his hands.

"Carrying those two would slow us down. I saw we take their items, and sell them off. The cause can use more gold. "

Karas, you want to carry one of the chain shirts? I figure you and I should divvy up the heavy items as we travel. And someone needs to claim the potion and the scroll.

Ellena marveled at the glowing fungi. She'd never seen anything like this on the surface. She held her tongue, deciding the others might be better at introductions with the new mongrelfolk than she.

Karas' face grew dark when he saw the men and their symbols. Dark memories came to the fore of his mind. The ritual. The imprisonment. He growled and walked past them.

"I want nothing from these filth. They've given the only thing I'd like to take from them already."

When Lann told them about the stronghold of them and the fights, "Please tell me the way out is through them. I would very much relish that."