Drosil checks the door quickly for traps, finds none and opens it. This circular room is choked with webs. A stone staircase curves along the wall to another trapdoor in the ceiling.
"We can clear these webs easily." Janos retrieves a torch and his flint and steel.
That's reasonable Janos, I'll keep you covered
Dantrian sniffs the air before Janos moves forward with his torch, "Wait. I'd rather know if you're about to drop a swarm of angry spiders atop our heads before you strike that flame."
Dantrian doesn't see anything in the webbing, but he does smell a strange scent. Some kind of vaguely alchemical odor, similar to many of the Count's creations he's smelled so far.
"There is a sharpness in the air here, the same sharpness that's accompanied all of the patchwork creatures we've encountered thus far throughout the schloss." He flexes his hands and fingers, extending his sharp claws as he speaks. Positioning himself in front of the others, he nods to Janos. "Light your torch and be ready for another amalgamated monster of some kind."
Janos lights the torch and carefully sets the webs on fire to clear them. He holds up the torch to further illuminate the room.
Drosil checks the door quickly for traps, finds none and opens it. This circular room is choked with webs. A stone staircase curves along the wall to another trapdoor in the ceiling.
Janos discovers a number of faint chalk marks on the east wall of the room.
Dantrian regards Janos as the webs begin to vanish beneath the kiss of the torch. "What is it, Janos? Do you see something?"
Janos begins climbing the stairs, burning away the webs as he goes. As he walks along the east wall, he stops. He stares at the wall for a few moments, moving up and down the stairs. "There's something here. Faint marks." He squints at the chalk. "Hang on, I think I can make it out, but it'll take a moment."
The Ranger spends two minutes moving along the wall, holding the torch at varying levels to try and decipher the various marks.
A crude chalk diagram depicts the iron spire atop of the tower, and two strange apparatuses at its pinnacle. An arrow points to the larger of the two devices, next to the words “The Storm Caller must be activated to energize the Bondslave Thrall.”
Bondslave Thrall. Mean anything to anyone?
It seems clear with the webs and the oddities we've encountered that what happened to Aaron and the Count was not good. I'd suggest casting any protection spells you have before heading up these stairs.
A fluttering noise precedes the appearance of a small green homonculus. It holds out its little hands palms out as it flutters in place, showing that it holds no weapons and means no harm. It points enthusiastically to the drawings on the wall, and then to its mouth and mimes talking. Then it grabs its throat and makes as if choking and then shrugs. It cocks its head, waiting for a reply.
With no understanding of what the little creature is trying to convey, Anton turns to the others;
Where did that thing come from? It seems like it wants to tell us something but I can't make it out.
Dantrian coils for a pounce as the homunculus descends into view, but stops himself as the little creature raises its hands defenslessly. He slowly rises back to his normal height and posture and cocks his head as he regards the pantomime performance.
Dantrian's eyes shine menacingly in Janos' torchlight as the lupine alchemist inquires, "It seems clear that you cannot speak but are you able to hear and understand us?"
The creature nods excitedly.
Dantrian points a clawed finger at the diagram on the wall, "Did this device take your ability to speak?"
Count Caromac, is he your master and is he still here?
Dantrian points a clawed finger at the diagram on the wall, "Did this device take your ability to speak?"
The thing shakes its head.
Count Caromac, is he your master and is he still here?
The thing nods excitedly, pointing upward. It holds out its arms and legs stiffly, spread-eagled. Then it mimes not being able to move, struggling against bonds.
He is captive. I can't think of a way to ask it who is responsible. Is he guarded above, how many?
This little guy explains a lot! B'yelka waits, anxious, as the boys play pantomime with the little green guy.
Janos watches the homunculus as the others question it. Then he chimes in with his own questions. "Where is the Count held? Just above this room? Is Aaron there too? The 'Beast' as they call him."
Drosil, silent for some time, looks at the homunculus quizzically then asks, "Is this Bondslave Thrall responsible for the count's imprisonment?"
He is captive. I can't think of a way to ask it who is responsible. Is he guarded above, how many?
The little green man nods enthusiastically, then 'stands' bow legged and hold his arms down in an ape-like fashion. He mimes stomping around and thrashing his fists about, roaring. Then points to the stitches holding his own skin together. Then makes the finger twirling next to his head motion, that means crazy.
Janos watches the homunculus as the others question it. Then he chimes in with his own questions. "Where is the Count held? Just above this room? Is Aaron there too? The 'Beast' as they call him."
The homonculus holds up one finger, then nods. He holds up a second finger and shakes his head.
Drosil, silent for some time, looks at the homunculus quizzically then asks, "Is this Bondslave Thrall responsible for the count's imprisonment?"
The little homon raises an eyebrow at Drosil, as if to say "Really?". Then shakes his head vigorously. He motions for them to follow and then flies down to the base of the tower, the room with the girallon golem. Once there he flies behind one of the massive wooden doors that the Six have left open to the outside, and pushed up against the wall.
"So another of the Count's creations is running amok and currently serves as his jailor. Curious. There must have been others involved if the Count is bound in the fashion that little homnnculus seemed to indicate."
Dantrian taps a clawed finger against his lips, the gesture seeming so familiar and at the same time so strange in his current state. He shakes his head then follows the creature, pulling the door away from the wall to see where the spritely thing has gone.
There is a sheaf of grubby grimy notes pinned to the back of the door.
Dantrian regards the notes briefly before shaking his head once more, "I could likely read these were I permitted a brief minute to brew the proper distillation. Unless any of you have a more immediate solution?" He holds the notes out, offering them for anyone else to take a look.
We each have protections that are losing their potency by the moment. But knowledge is a better shield than any we here possess so I say prepare the distillation Dantrian.
Barring any other objections or solutions, Dantrian nods and unpacks his equipment, rapidly brewing a pungent, rooty smelling concoction. With no hesitation, he quaffs the liquid and regards the notes, his pupils dilating slightly as the mixture's effects take hold.
The notes seem to detail the functioning of a device called the Bondslave Thrall. It appears to be the thing on the top of this very tower. When activated the device gives the user the ability to control the flesh golem known as the Beast of Lepidstadt like a puppet.
After the homunculus watches the Six decipher the notes, he begins pantomiming again. First he pantomimes whispering in Dantrian's ear, then holds his hands parallel with his palms facing each other, and 'drives' them along the air, making an invisible path between them. Then he points to the notes, then to the ceiling, then mimes a fight. Then he goes back into the act of the bound and captured Caromarc, and frowns, pretending to cry.
Dantrian stares at the homonculus flatly for several long moments then turns to the others, briefly explaining the contents of the notes. He looks back at the creature and asks, "Are you suggesting we activate the device to summon the bondslave thrall and use it to free the count?"
An eyebrow raised in question B'yelka says, "But what were you fighting?"
Well this explains a lot. The cases we investigated were all mistaken identity or perpetrators deliberately playing on the legend of the Beast. Except the University. Aaron undoubtedly was the one that broke in and stole the effigy and now we know it was because he was under control. The amulet we found in the gate suggests it was by the Whispering Way!
Anton snaps his fingers, unaware that his comrades have probably already worked all this out. He is faithful and loyal and determined but not abundantly clever like Dantrian.
B'yelka starts to reach over to pat Anton's shoulder, then realizes how condescending that would be. She opts to say, "Seems like that's the right of it. But it still leaves us with one big question. Why did the Whisperers go so far out of their Way to arrange this?" She smiles at her ever so clever play on the Way's name.
Dantrian stares at the homonculus flatly for several long moments then turns to the others, briefly explaining the contents of the notes. He looks back at the creature and asks, "Are you suggesting we activate the device to summon the bondslave thrall and use it to free the count?"
The homonculus shrugs its shoulders and holds its hands out to the sides in the universal gesture for "beats me".
An eyebrow raised in question B'yelka says, "But what were you fighting?"
The homunculus points to the corpse of the dead gorillon golem. Then it makes the "crazy" gesture by twirling its finger around next to its temple. Then it points to its arms, and holds up two fingers. The it points to its legs and holds up eight fingers. Then it mimes something shooting out of its bum, and points up to the ceiling. Then it mimes being trapped. Then it cocks its head, waiting for the humans to vocalize their interpretation of his message so can confirm or deny it.