"I'm fine with resting for a bit." Idril said, laying back against a wall.
We can take watches, then when we are recovered. Return the boys home, before returning to clear out this place.
When the boys are sleeping as well she turns to the rest Perhaps we should blindfold them before we get them a good distance away. The fewer people that know where this place is, the better.
"Certainly an idea of merit, however, considering their fragile state of mind, I am not so convinced they would allow us to do that without a struggle.
And of course, then they may have a paranoid fit and believe we are in league with the people that kidnapped them in the first place."
Nio focuses on settling the boys down, giving them as much food and water as they'll take, applying bandages to their sores, and generally being as gentle and caring as he can. The armored, faceless would-be Hellknight is surprisingly good with the traumatized children, with even Hasta getting in on the act and letting itself be pet by the children and laying down with them when they finally laid down. Or maybe the pair's behavior was not so surprisingly, as the Order of the Torrent is (or was, before its dissolution) dedicated to rescuing kidnap victims.
He shakes his head at Stricia. "No, I won't subject them to that." His voice is firm and he doesn't sound willing to bend on the subject. "We'll need to find Luculla, as well. Too many devils are taking liberties in the city. Some will require chastising."
Stricia sighs and nods. Very well. But we must at least rest before we return the boys to their families.
You are actually able to retreat to the old Meeting Hall, where there are a bunch of small bedrooms behind doors leading off the floor there.
They have seen some recent activity, and while the bedclothes are old they are mostly clean, the beds themselves have been fixed up and are perfectly useable.
You are also able to use debris to make the room fairly secure, and are able to rest uninterrupted for eight hours.
You realize that there is good ventilation down here and reasonable temperature.
Idril takes one of the small bedrooms and spends a half hour thoroughly cleaning the bed and chamber with a cleaning cantrip. She paused, then went and did the same to another chamber for the kids.
Stricia sweeps out one of the rooms and sleeps on the floor.
Nio helps Idril prepare a room for the children and makes sure they're settled with food and water before taking the room directly across the hallway from them. He posts Hasta to sleep in front of the kids' door to make sure nothing gets in without him knowing about it and also to prevent them from wandering off.
Having slept in much worse places than this, he just lays down on the clean bed and falls asleep.
Hmmph, this is not exactly what I would expect...which is a surprise in itself, this is after all completely in line with what we have seen so far, and also with what can be expected from this country in general.
Indio merely runs a finger along his jaw, realizing he will soon need a shave, or else he will find it more difficult to maintain his aura of sophistication.
You quietly emerge from the secret entranceway and out into the city again.
Asking around, you find out the twins’ parents are Morten and Cessei Shellet, poor common folk who live in the Iudeimus Tenement.
When you deliver the twins safely home, the Shellets are incredibly grateful and offer you all their savings in reward...
In addition, the Shellets are indefatigable when it comes to spreading word of your deeds, and during the next rebellion Upkeep phase, the Silver Ravens automatically gain an additional 3d6 supporters. If the PCs went so
far as to refuse the reward, this increases to 3d6+20
You come to understand that the soldiers and guards are keyed up and tense, but not looking for you. They're looking for an individual.
You overhear...
“Heard another murder victim was discovered somewhere near the south wall in Old Kintargo, slashed up the same way Professor Mangvhune carved up his victims back in the day... makes you wonder!”
Nio nods at Erodel and takes a few coins out of his own coin pouch. "Here, for the boys."
In response to the rumors, Nio shakes his head. "What kind of monster would take advantage of this chaos to indulge their sick murder fantasy?"
Who are the victims? Stricia wants to know. Sometimes monsters have very particular targets.
Indio considers the information, slowly tapping his chin as he considers the implications.
"Consider this, we are currently under "management" by those who thrive on our fears as a means of control.
You are all intelligent people, I have little doubt I can leave the implications unspoken."
The Shellets are deeply grateful for your rescue of their children, and even more at refusing the reward.
You are unable to gather more specific information about the murders, but it is handy for a group like you to move about than an individual is. The various guards, soldiers and watchmen are looking for a single person.
You are able to return to the secret entrance of Lucky Bones early in the day and after a long rest.
What do you do?
We need to make sure this place is cleared, if we are to use it as our headquarters. Stricia advises.
"Indeed, and there is still the possibility of hidden areas, emergency exits and the like."
To proceed further into the complex, how do you arrange your marching order and which way do you go?
A ten-foot-wide pit yawns in the center of this room, leaving a five-foot-wide walkway surrounding it.
No railing guards the edges of the pit, which are decorated with shards of
jagged glass and metal.
As the party crept forward to the edge of the pit, Erodel is able to look down to see the empty pool at the bottom.
Stricia, feeling something creak under her foot, stepped back again; but it is too late for Erodel.
The 5ft plate he was standing on collapsed into a slide, sending him over the edge...
...but a desperate grab allows him to catch himself on the edge by a single finger, leaving him dangling 20 feet over the pool at the bottom.
The jagged metal and glass cuts into his finger, dealing cutting damage.
Stricia grabs onto Erodel's arm and helps to pull him off (whatever roll is needed for that, Stricia is pretty strong.)
We can go around and... we'll need to do something about this room.
Proceeding carefully around the trap (as the folding plates creak back up into place around the pit) you come to an intersection.
A pair of immense iron doors stands closed here.
A short message has been written onto the doors in precise script, along with a symbol of an armored fish.
To the south, there is another set of double iron doors, only these are partly cracked open. The sounds of a low sinister chant drift from that direction.
Stricia nods to the south. I suggest clearing that threat she whispers.
Nio reads the inscription to the others and nods, indicating his readiness to proceed.
Stepping through the double doors you see...
The ceiling of this long chamber rises to a height of twenty feet overhead, the shallow vaulting supported by stone pillars.
Significant sections of the walls and floors have been inscribed with etchings of tiny letters, while statue filled alcoves stand guard along the walls.
Each of these statues is made of stone and depicts a feminine figure, although the details seem more like they were formed in clay that was allowed to harden rather than carved directly from rock.
The westernmost statues depict the woman as a beautiful winged figure, while the easternmost depict her as skeletal, with the middle statues depicting a transition between the two forms.
To the east, a stage supports a stone altar presided over by a seventh statue of the same feminine form, her right half skeletal and her left half beautiful.
Multiple cultists are bowing and droning towards the altar, where a living female figure is draped unconscious. A high priest is conducting the ceremony his sacred knife poised to sacrifice the victim at its conclusion.
You have Surprise.
In your surprise round you can each take a SINGLE standard action (or charge attack).
Players take their turn in order of posting.
Stricia springs into action as well, moving in a straight line as far as she can before ending with a swinging fist at one of the cultists near the front of the room.
Nio whistles and takes a step into the room, quickly drawing, nocking, and sighting on the cultist Erodel is rushing. Hasta darts in behind Erodel, lunging for the same target.
Idril tumbled into position downrange of the cultists, whipping out a scarf as a sling and eyeing the distance to the high priest.
Surprise completed_______________________
Erodel, taking in the horrid scene, rushes in to attack one of cultists.
He hacked down the cultist with one shot. Blood fountained high into the air.
Stricia springs into action as well, moving in a straight line as far as she can before ending with a swinging fist at one of the cultists near the front of the room. She hit him in the back of the head for moderate damage.
Nio 5' steps 1 square S to clear the lane and fires at the same target Erodel charged. Hasta charges the same target, ending her charge in the square S of Erodel.
Nio hit the next cultist over for moderate damage.
Hasta hit the same cultist for moderate and minor damage, but he’s still up.
Idril tumbled into position downrange of the cultists, whipping out a scarf as a sling and eyeing the distance to the high priest.
(npc) Blastargae took a shot at the high priest with his hand crossbow, but missed.
(npc) Indio Black took several steps forward until he could see the whole room.
Enemies are still flat footed at this point.
Round 1_____________________________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Idril wound up her scarf and slug a rock at the high priest.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
Stricia leaves the cultist behind to move up to the priest orchestrating the madness and tries to grapple him!