|
Arachiel cocks his head in curiosity, hearing Vincent's offer.
"Have you lost your taste for adventure, brother?" he asks before really thinking anything through.
Giving it a few moments of thought, the paladin concedes, "I suppose you are right. If we are to keep this tower as a base of operations, someone is going to have to stay here and watch the place. Perhaps you could send a message and Matthias could come and lend a hand as well."
Khun-duhn silently nods in agreement with Vincent and Arachiel.
"Oh I see! Going up in the world are we? KING Vincent of the boiling lands is it! high lord and master of the foggy tower! pardon my groveling sir, yes'ir, yes'ir." Barak jibes, chuckling and clapping Vincent on the back. "Well I'll miss you out there. As will the others if they have to stand down wind of Durin and me. you are right though when we come stumbling in covered in blood and half-petrified it would be nice to see a friendly face rather than a ghoul or a another bleeding mudman. besides we need a place to store all the treasure we find looting scrabbling in the mud and dust." Barak gives Vincent a warriors hand shake and a smile "well lets find out whats in this cellar I hope just moldy food and stale water rather than more daemons but beggars cant be choosers."
Barak goes to collect and organise his things allowing the others to talk to Vincent after about a minute he shouts interrupting "Tell em to Bring ale! lots of ale! then we can have a tavern and outpost!"
I suppose the Ghost and Paralysis shook me up somewhat. Not your run of the mill orc infestations, you know. Yes... Matthias. I'm sure he'll be happy to keep this ghost at bay. Perhaps a few other of our old contacts. Looks like there is plenty to tackle in this Desolation for everyone. Lord Vincent agreed brightly. He went a little red at Barak's teasing but laughed good-naturedly.
Opening the secret door, the group found an iron ladder leading down. The iron ladder descended 20 feet down a shaft into a chamber roughly dug from the rock and soil. Three thick wooden columns have been erected to support the earthen ceiling only 7 feet above. The smell of rot and wastes makes breathing in this hole nauseating. It looked as though the group had found some kind of emergency bolt-hole; as well as its sole inhabitant...
Hiding and shaking in the southern corner of the room behind one of the columns was a truly ancient human male. The rank smell of faeces and waste made it obvious that he had obviously been here for a long time...
He is unshod wearing only the tatters of studded leather armor that barely covers him modestly. His face is a map of creases and age spots, and a wild mane of bone white hair covers his head. His eyes are wide and bloodshot, his teeth brown and broken. His nails are long and cracked, encrusted with grime. Behind him on the floor is a small pile of dead beetles, many partially eaten. He cowers and squints when exposed to the magical light the group used to illuminate the room. Holding his pitiful arms before him and looking like he was trying to shrink into the very wall of the room, the man was obviously terrified; shaking and whimpering...
It appears as if Marcus isn't quite sure what to make of Vincent's change in priorities but isn't going to begrudge the man the right to make his own choices.
Well we are eventually going to want a permanant base of operations to assault Tsar from. Perhaps one here and one at the Camp also. I'm still a way off but I've been working on a spell of teleportation which would allow us to move great distances almost instantly. If we could convince Matthias and perhaps some of the others to come we could make it happen.
Perhaps we could get a message through to one of the Stoneheart mountain clans? They might even know more of the dwarves that fought for the Light.
-----------------------------------
In the cellar he can't conceal his surprise at finding a living human but waits for one of the others to make first contact.
Clucking with disdain the tengu asks the man, "So, what are you doing here? .... eh? Name? ... your name if you have one?" He turns to his companions, "So you'll be wanting to help this old man won't you. I know what you're like!! You'll be taking him back to safety! But I'm telling you, I'm not sharing anything we find with him, he's just a hanger on for me!"
Teaming up with Arachiel Barak attempts to gain some more information from the man.
"You look hungry; here take this." Barak offers some of his rations to the man "Now in your own time can you tell us what happened to you? you look like a solider. Am I right?"
If the the food is accepted Barak takes his Oldlaw whiskey out takes a swig and offers it to the man also assuming he gives it back he takes another swig and gives it to Durin.
You sense no evil aura around this man.
The man's fear seemed to subside a little as he cautiously took the offered food and whiskey, tucking in with gusto. When he finally replied, it was feverish; fast paced responses with a high pitched, maniacal tint to them. The ancient man was obviously insane.
Y-yes, yes, yes. I was, long ago. Name? F-f-forgot my n-name. Lost track of time, not enough ways to count the years, not enough ways... Tsar came, and all dead in the assault. Hide, hide I did. Snuck here as it fell, yes, yes, c-cunning I was. Vermin and worms a-plenty here to eats and demons... demons everywhere. In the trenches, in the tower... not safe outside, inside... No reinforcements coming. Has the Army of Light won?
You have a very bad hunch about this man, that things are not all as they seem. You also think he is being deceitful about his past, and perhaps even his madness.
Durin remains in the background, studying the man with a critical eye and an ear for the truth...
"That's terrible! Down here for years with no sunlight. Lucky your bones haven't bent. lack of sun light does that to you humans. right?"
"That reminds me of the saga Karak of Dune. The bit when he was stuck in the mines of Stone-Shank. He met this hermit you see, now he was blind and the hermit told him of a vast treasure deep in one of the vaults, loads of ore and gems could be found. When Karak went to this vault he had a great battle and he was injured but made off with the Treasure. He tried to find the hermit again but he was gone never to be seen again."
You've been down here in this room for centuries? Marcus asks neutrally. He seems genuinely interested in the man's answer.
You have a very bad hunch about this man, that things are not all as they seem. You also think he is being deceitful about his past, and perhaps even his madness.
You feel that the man is being truthful with you; he has been through a terrible ordeal and is clearly unhinged.
The raving man seemed genuinely confused, both at Barak's meandering tale and the questions posed to him.
C-centuries? Wait, no... no... Ancestor served, served he did... Orders were to hold the fort... to hold forever if necessary! Yes... the commander, a stout man, like your. D-Dwerf... Dwarves! That's it... He held for many years after the orders s-s-stopped coming...
Marcus looks a bit confused at Barak's story but keeps his voice calm and soothing So tell us about the demons then. You saw them yourself or did someone tell you about them?
He pauses to glance at his companions, reckoning their reactions, and mutters something to Kiri.
Familiar speak Can you scan him for magic and evil in that order please.
Kiri whispers in Marcus' ear.
He's clean.
All the questioning seems to be agitating the wretch further and he became increasingly animated, his stammer growing along with his nervousness.
I... I s-saw them. Fierce, hateful c-c-creatures, led by some k-kind of a-armoured troll... P-please... am I safe? Are you t-the relief f-force?
Zanzu just clucks his disapproval of the man, for there seems no profit in him. Then when Barak starts his saga, Zanzu's eyes start to cloud over. Is there not somewhere else in this place we can go and maybe rest a little, no listening to the words of this ancient 'mad'man. the tengu thinks as he flickers his eyelids to keep himself as much alert as he should be, well almost. He starts to look on the floor and walls, looking for signs, Surely there is more to this than this little space.
Durin snorts derisively as the man's story changes when challenged on face value. Durin's grip tightens upon the haft of his hammer as he mutters under his breath from behind the others, I trust this fellow as much as I do horses... he is a liar or a coward. Or both.
He doesn't seem like much of a threat though. Or a viable information source. I'm inclined to give him some supplies and send him on his way. Although perhaps that is a bit harsh out here.
Suspicious of everyone and everything encountered so far in this hellish wasteland, Khun-duhn's eyes narrow and a low growl escapes his throat as he listens to the madman's responses to his friends' questions.
You feel that the man is being truthful with you; he has been through a terrible ordeal and is clearly unhinged.
[/spoiler
[spoiler=Zanzu]
You have a good look around. The fingernail scratchings in the walls lend veracity to the man's outlandish claims. It really is a tiny room; it looked like it was simply a crude bolt-hole for a besieged force to hide in an emergency.
Durin repsonds to Arachiel, Do you really expect me to believe this man has been hiding down here since the fall of this fort? Two centuries ago?! If so then you must think me madder than this "man" is pretending to be.
The man had been happy to mutter to himself while the strangers spoke, but rose to Durin's accusation, waving his arms about and moving up to walk right to the Dwarf's face, growing even more animated and manic/
N-n-not me, t-thrice-cursed D-Dwarf! My g-g-grandfather served and the o-outpost was our f-family's home! W-w-we always served our c-commander f-f-faithfully, t-through the y-years! T-the fort f-fell in my y-youth! A-are you t-the relief force or are y-y...you...
The man paled and took a step back, shrinking behind a column in fear, yet continuing to bluster at Durin.
DEMONS! B-BACK WITH YOU! I A-AM A T-TRAINED WARRIOR!
As the madman curses Durin and moves at him, Durin punches him in the face, growling as he does, Thrice cursed eh? To Hades with you! You don't call me out and waltz up to me without a sound thrashing! I don't care what you pretend to be putting on!
A cleric of the severely declined Church of Muir has located in the temple archives a set of orders issued by Zelkor during the Battle of Tsar that somehow survived and were transported back to civilized lands. These orders detail the assignment of the paladin lord Bishu and his company, adherents to the faith of Muir, to hold the city of Tsar and await relief from the Army of Light.Lord Bishu was always thought lost in the Dungeon of Graves like the rest of the Army of Light. The fact that he never returned and the possibility that he or some of his command may have survived for some time at Tsar holding to their duty has ignited the church hierarchy. What did Bishu accomplish during his time in the city? Do his bones, surely now sacred relics of the church, still rest there awaiting repatriation? Could he or any of his knights somehow, by the grace of the gods, have survived all the intervening span of years and man their posts still awaiting relief?
Before the madman could move back behind the column, Durin hit him in the face. The frail old man in tattered leather armour crumpled from the blow, hitting the earth before crawling behind the column, shrieking and raving...
As Durin punches the man Barak stifles a laugh "Well I didn't trust him either. come on lets grab him shackle him using the restraints we found and take him with us." Barak looks at Durin for aid and moves towards the man aiming to bodily restrain him.
"Look mate we can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Durin shrugs his shoulders and moves to help Barak. The man's story has more holes than his leathers... he was here when the war raged... then when that was pointed out as unlikely, he switches to his ancestors served faithfully long after the war supposedly ended. But then he claims the armies of Tsar returned to overrun the fort? An army that up and disappeared and was never heard from again? Hogwash! All of it or I'm a horses arse!
I am inclined to agree with Marcus... but I suspect that won't be the last we see of him if we do that.
Durin also adds to Arachiel, And I would never be in the shape this man claims to be... I wouldn't have abandoned my post or my brethren. My family! I would have died honourably rather than live like this! Cowering in the dark, eating worms?! Durin spits in disgust.
now restrained Barak looks at the man once again "Right my cowardly friend, we are going for a little walk. All the way through the desolation. Oh your in for a treat, let me tell you. there is fog that melts your skin, creatures that turn you into stone, huge... that is unless you start telling us the truth PDQ!"
Zanzu combs the area for any debris that might point to the identification of this man, watching the dwarves shackle the man.
Once grappled, Zanzu nods and shakes down the man, looking for anything that might help them discover information about him. He shakes his head as he does, emitting low level clucks.
Marcus also seems ill at ease at the dwarves rough treatment of the man.
Well at least he didn't use the hammer..
We need some calm here I think! Durin, Barak why does this man have you so agitated? Even assuming every word out of his mouth is a lie that doesn't necessarily make him an enemy. Or a threat.
Kiri and I assume Arachiel.. he pauses to look at the paladin.. have found no taint or evil on him. That doesn't mean he isn't a normal man with a black heart but we've just passed through a literal camp of those.
I don't think he has much chance of harming us even if he wanted to. We seek to set ourselves against the will of the Demon Prince. Let us not start down the road that his followers tread!
The man seemed helpless to resist Durin and Barak's rough treatment.
D-DEMONS, BACK WITH YOU!
Something Durin said seemed to get through his raving for a moment though as he whispered in a lucid moment-
T...the w-war is o-over?
At Barak's threats, the man actually nodded eagerly, zeal and hope lighting up his face
Y-YES DEMON! I W-WILL G-G-GLADLY GO OUT INTO THE W-W-WILDERNESS. B-B-BETTER THAT THAN Y-YOUR PUNISHMENT!
Other than a small stash of grubworms, Zanzu found nothing on the man's person; his body was mostly exposed at any rate; and smelt filthy.
I am calm. And I can't say exactly as to why, but nothing about this man strikes me as true. I have a bad feeling about this one. I feel he is deceiving us... about everything... even his apparent madness.
It has taken awhile, but I have learned to follow my hunches. They are right more often than not.
You are also right, we set ourselves against a Demon Prince in a place of ill-repute the likes of which I have never seen. That in itself should make us wary. If something seems too extraordinary to be true, it should give us pause.
This man is giving me pause.
Marcus pauses to consider Durin's words.
Well. I've learnt to trust your instincts as well.
The wizard looks down at the wretch, trying to balance his pity with reason.
If there is a ploy here its a remarkable one. He has no magic, no weapons. I don't think the ghouls would have left him alone if they knew he was here. And the evidence indicates he has been here longer than we've been in the area.
And his story wasn't even particularly aimed at us taking him in.
He looks hard at the man.
It should be clear by now that we aren't going to murder you. But we want the truth. What is your purpose here?
Something occurs to the wizard. Did you know the halfling?
W-what H-Halfling? What trickery is t-this, f-foul Demon...
The ancient man looked tru;y wretched now, even more so than when you met him. Something about the shackles upon him seemed to only enhance his miserable countenance.
"Oh no your coming WITH us into the wilderness. I don't trust you as far as I can throw you but I wont be responsible for your death haplessly wandering through the wastes. We will release you when we are sure you have told us the whole truth and in a safe place."
The old man went even paler than his unusually pale skin normally looked; and he promptly fainted in response to Barak's words. Apparently the stress of the encounter was too much for his frail body and mind.
|
|
With the old man unconscious and hostilities calming down, Arachiel addresses his companions.
"Alright, obviously some of you see something in the deranged old man that I do not. Let's see if we can refrain from abusing him further until tomorrow, and I will prepare a spell that will make it difficult for him to lie to us if that is the case...though giving a bit of thought I will admit his stories did change and did not seem to make a whole lot of sense."
Durin has a few bumps and bruises left over from the previous day's events... ... but it is his sapped strength that has him concerned. Do you think that Father Death would be able to undo the ghost's touch and restore my arm?
"If we're staying, i don't want to spend the time down this rotten hole. Lets at least go up top and prepare ourselves again." says Zanzu, sniffing the air.
With the ancient man under constant watch at the insistence of the zealous Dwarves, the group spent another day at the Outpost. Other than a brief sighting of a dozen, wrinkled and black-stained cadavers slowly roaming the nearby area as a pack, the day and night were without incident. The ancient, frail old man spent much of the time sleeping, raving and muttering to himself as he averted his eyes away from Durin and Barak in particular.
The Outpost was fully tidied up and made as comfortable as it could be without real beds or any kind of supplies. After another night in relative comfort (at least compared to the rough night spent in the trenches), the group were fully healed and refreshed by the time their sixth day in the Desolation gently rolled around.
It was dawn. Probably. It was hard to tell through the foul smog and mist clouds that pervaded this area of the Desolation. The air was uncomfortably moist and occasionally, it was painful to the touch as toxins in the mist clouds irritated exposed skin. With Vincent on watch duty at the top, the rest of the party made plans as to where they would take their search next...
Unfortunately, Zanzu and Durin looked rather unwell on the morning of Day 6. They were both pale and felt sickly, sporting pus-like warts that had grown on their respective claws and hands with alarming speed during their sleep... Zanzu seemed to be the one faring worse, which was unsurprising giving Durin's stout constitution. The group was reasonably confident that the two had caught Ghoul Fever...
As the group breaks their morning fast in the upper levels of the tower Marcus passes around a jug of cold pure water from the magical decanter and carefully unfolds the group's precious map.
So our immediate objective of securing this tower as a forward base has been achieved. It is a pity the surrounding terrain is so inhospitable but there is nothing to be done about that. I'd like to set up something similar in or near the Camp itself but thats for the future.
It looks like we have an abundance of options now.
Here in this north west quadrant I can see a few possibilities. There looks to be a pocket of geothermal activity square in the middle of the map. It is close, maybe half a day? Past that there seems to be an excavation or hole of some kind. To our south west a number of I don't know .. hillocks or maybe breastworks near the city itself?
Or we may wish to return to the Camp with our new "friend" and tell the ambassador about the fate of his caravan. We know the number of bodies we found at least so we should be able to determine whether there were any survivors.
Then perhaps there are a number of promising sites in that south east quadrant, not too far from the Camp. Buildings, at least one looks like a tomb. Remnants of the Army of the Light's camp maybe? The clump of trees must be the grove the rangers mentioned. That would be something to see as well admidst this desolation. And if we can make friends perhaps another safe place to rest?
What do people think? There must be many more options I am missing.