"What do you mean, were you scavenging in her room?"
She gives you a filthy look before explaining grudgingly, "In case you haven't noticed, we're all trapped in Briarstone and the canteen isn't running anymore! Of course folk are scavaging, need to eat something right? Anyway between that old woman's haunt and the other one we got stuck in there. Food ran out three days ago."
As if to underline that, the male prisoner's tummy rumbles loudly.
Listening quietly from the side Filbert queries "What other one?"
Agrippa's ear catches that as well Yes, what other one?
She shivers in recollection and explains "This room here leads north, that would lead us back to the others. Problem is there's something in there... It was awful something sobbing in the pitch black. We tried using lanterns but that didn't help, it devoured the light!"
"Hmm, that does sound like something able to conjure up a magical darkness. Those tend to swallow the light of normal torches."
"Jane? Is that all, it feels as if you are holding something back in your telling." Filbert ask, prodding lightly.
With the fight over and their prisoners in hand Momijii made sure to stay close to the cultists, just in case they tried anything. She stayed close to them as they went to go give the haunt her pills it was a relief to see that it put the spirit to rest. She smiled gently at the old woman's ghost as she disappeared, finally able to cross over to the other side.
With the haunt put to rest it was time for the interrogation of their captives. Momijii made sure to loom behind behind the others as they interrogated the captives, she knew that thinking of questions wasn't her strong suit so she made sure they knew that someone was ready to...persuade them if needed. Unfortunately, now that things were calm her efforts weren't as good as she would have preferred.
The cultist shivers, "Jake, oh gods he got bitten by something. Bitten real bad, but that's not the worst of it. Oh gods, it stole his breath - he could breathe. He's in there still - we were too frightened to go back in." Tears roll down her cheeks, clearly traumatized but what's happened.
Filbert hasn't a clue about wraiths and other things that go bump in the night; but they would need to go past whatever this was, if they were to continue on. "This sounds interesting, Agrippa were you able to check the door over there? The one you tried when we came in from the other direction?"
"Jane, how long ago was Jake bitten and his breath stolen?"
Lizzie feels bad for Jane, she's scared senseless.
She rubs her over the head.
"Look, if you would come with us, we can take you somewhere safe."
Agrippa says We need to bring these people back to Winter. However, we can check this door on the way. Agrippa moves to the door that Filbert indicates and tries to open it, using Losandro's keys if necessary.
If the doors won't open with the keys, Luxina will try her hand at opening them herself.
Heinrich leads the party to a door to the west that was previously inaccessiable due to the haunt. The party walk past the double doors leading north, they are ajar, inside nothing can be seen.
Heinrich tries to open the door with Dr Losandro's keys but none fit. Luxina eventually manages to spring this lock open revealing a storage closet. Racks of cleaning supplies and bins of stained laundry stew here, filling the close space with a unique, acrid reek.
Lying face down is the body of an orderly in a puddle of blood. The corpse has clearly been there for some time.
Indeed. Well this is a dead end. Agrippa says, peering into the storage closet.
Luxina sees nothing of note about the room except for the dead body.
"Well it seems like this was indeed a dead end especially for this poor man. What do you reckon got him?"
Luxina says as she kneels down and inspects the body.
The party travel back to see Winter. First of course they had to get past Captain York's blockade.
The Captain seemed in a good mood for once and he greeted you laconically, "Found some pets eh? Oh but I recognise these. Patients the pair of them. Mmm you sure they're not doppelgangers?"
"Hmm...We should take these things with us, perhaps she was one of York's guards. The studded leather looks good though in bad shape, anybody able to repair it?"
earlier
"Could perhaps fashion a brooch for the cloack given time, which we don't have but repair the armor; not in my bag of tricks sorry." Filbert responds to Luxina's query.
Captain York
"They have had ample chance to attack us but outside of they're initial attack they have proven to be intelligent and remorseful, don't remember any of the other doppleganger's having those qualities. They have been under the influence though of Zandalas' and his 'disciples, Winter should check them out." Filbert offers
Agrippa takes a look at the cloak and potion
It is possible they are dopplegangers. However, I find it improbable. This one had quite a tale, I doubt she is a skinchanger. Agrippa indicates the female who had the sad story about her friend dying.
"I agree, while the possibility exists, it's unlikely. Everything they've said rings of the truth to me and we found nothing that says they were lying." She considered and said, "I believe it is at least worth letting Winter see them, as long as there is someone who can intervene if they turn out to be violent or lying."
York nods, "Mmm Hmm, OK. Well let's see the color of their blood." Both of the prisoners startle at this. York holds up a hand, "Relax. I'm planning to use this needle, rather than something bigger... All I need is a single drop, you see I've found doppelganger blood to be paler than regular human blood."
He walks towards them with a sharp looking needle.
"It's alright, he's not going to harm you."
Noticing that the other patient is looking uncomfortable about this process, Filbert touches Lizzie Lightly on the wrist, and nods at him, hopefully expressing his desire without speaking for her to watch and be ready.
He hasn't attacked us but he's also been hanging around in the back of the conversation, letting Jane answer everything. But why would he not have attacked already if he was one?!?!? Many thoughts are running through Filbert's head right now, but lack of experience as an explorer, had him baffled about motivations.
Jane submits without too much fuss, and she gets ushered through the barrier. Jackson looks like a trapped animal when York pricks his finger and makes a show of inspecting it. In the end he and the rest of the party get ushered through.
As you go, York tanks you for the extra scroll saying, "You saved my man. I thought I was going to have to kill him before the infection took over, can't say I was relishing that prospect. You have my gratitude."
Hearing the commotion caused by your arrival, Winter comes to see what's happening. She calls out, "Did you find... Oh but you are hurt! Come let's pray for Phrarsma's aid!"
She pulls out a brooch with the stylized comet of Pharasma and whispers a strange chant. An eruption of warm light envelops you, wiping away wounds. She looks at you critically and whispers another word and an even stronger light bathes you.
Noting the two prisoners she gives you a shrewd looks before smiling as she says, "Well it seems you have a story to tell..."
Lizzie quietly casts Detect Evil on the two (former?) cultists.
"Yes, we do. You see,.., Lizzie relates the story of finding the haunt, the poor boy who turned into a ghoul, and the ghoul they slew by surprise. The matter of what the two newcomers have told them is the last bit she tells Mistress Winter.
"..and that's it for our last excursion. Does the name of the cult started sound familiar to you?"
She chews on the story for a moment, before replying. "Hmm, The Apostles in Orpiment, that doesn't ring a bell but lets see. Orpiment that's a yellow pigment isn't it? Nobody uses it anymore, too toxic. The Apostles in Yellow, probably due to the color of the mist..."
With their delivery of the patient cultists completed Momijii considered the situation and finally said, [b]"We'd better get back out there and continue looking for the sources of the mist. We'll never get out of here if we don't. I'd suggest we go check the room by the nurse's station before entering the north ward. I suspect our time to get out of her is quickly vanishing."
Agreed, I've had about all of Briarstone that I want and unfortunately will have to see more of it to get out of here. Shall we check back in the nurses station, think there was a doorway we forgot to check."
"Agreed on that Momiji. Though if memory serves, there is still some unexplored terrain after that in the north-west and those swollen doors to check. If we don't find all the sources of those mists that is."
Luxina adds with a grimace on her face, but somewhere she looks glad that the exploration of this place is almost over.
"Is everyone still fresh enough to continue exploring?"
Turning to Winter Momijii bowed to her once again, "My thanks again for all the help you've given us." She looked to the others and said, "Come then, let's go." With that she walked towards the exit to make her way back to the nurse's station.
Momijii leads you back to the nurse station where Agrippa uses one of Dr Losandro's keys to open the door to what is apparently a staff room. Inside are a couch and small desks covered in paint flakes and thick dust. Nurses not actively attending to patients used to work and take brief breaks here. Remnants of the mundane work performed here remain amid the chaos of looting performed by the Apostles in Orpiment.
Agrippa shows the Cloak off to Lizzie and explains how to use it.
He watches Winter take charge of the patients and says to her I'd keep a closer eye on the male, he seems off.
When Luxina asks about continuing Agrippa nods in the affirmative.
Seeing the abandoned nurses station, Agrippa says Another dead end. We should try the Northern Ward, but be wary the haunt those patients spoke of should be in there. and he will go to the Northern Ward doors and try them, or use those useful keys he found.
Winter nods to Agrippa, replying, "I believe that's good advice, there's something about him I mislike."
Using Dr Losandro's keys, Heinrich opens the western door to reveal velvety darkness. A darkness so complete you cant see your hand if you stick it through the doorway, even through late afternoon sunlight filters in through cracks in the ceiling. From inside you hear a young boy sobbing.
Luxina takes care to search the room for anything useful to the group.
Luxina eyes the room warily and listens and searches the outskirts of the room with no small amount of measure.
"Shh... Can you hear that? Someone's crying. But I can't make out the words."
Filbert hears the sound as well with a little more understanding.
"It is a child and sounds like they are calling for Brenton, wasn't that the name of the little boy with the broken arm? He had a missing brother I believe."
Debis Lieklan. Agrippa says to Filbert.
Debis? Can you hear me lad? Agrippa calls out
Hard to say if Heinrich's words where the cause, but after ten or fifteen seconds of relative silence, there is a strangled cry from within, "Brenton! Brenton, wake up! Brenton, the lamp went out!"
Debis lad. Can you see us. and Agrippa will gesture Luxina to come closer with her torches.
As they reached the newest door and opened it Momijii saw nothing but blackness inside. When the others said they heard a child within the monk was comletely oblivious to whatever it was and said, "I don't hear anything." She peered into the darkness as well as she could but nothing was there except the darkness.
As the torch doesn't seem to be penetrationg the darkness, Filbert mutters under his breath, bringing forth four balls of light able his head.
Moving them forward he dips one into the area of darkness and then pulls it back into the room, or at least attempts to should the first disappear.
cast Dancing lights 1/day
There's no reaction to Agrippa's words, but the child inside continues to sob. Filbert conjures half a dozen winking twirling motes of light which he sends into the room. One by one the lights are snuffed out by the inky darkness!
Momijii was startled at the fact the swirling lights appeared and even more so that they did nothing. She knew this child's fear, the fear of darkness, and she wasn't going to let him suffer in there any longer than she needed. She slid her pack off and reached into it, pulling some rope, and tied it to her waist. She looked to the others and said, "Here, hold the loose end. I'm going in there to try and find him and bring him out. If I call for you, pull me out. If I'm in there for more than a few minutes without a response, pull me out." She waited until they had taken the rope and then entered the darkness calling out, "Debis! I'm coming to get you and bring you to your brother. Call out to me so I can find you." With that Momijii listened intently for the child to call out.