Vors walks over and examines the daggers.
"I've been needing one of these for a while now."
The half-orc slides one of the daggers down his boot.
Grilnik holds up the other notched dagger up to the light provided by Varik's Dancing Lights
"Could anyone else use some silver-steel? As much as I like mithral, I'm rather attached to my longhammer..."
"It's quite lovely. And much better quality than my own. Why, thank-you, Grilnik." Brynn accepts the dagger with a smile.
Noticing the shiny key, Brynn picks it up and turns it over in her hands.
She approaches the old door in the south wall.
"Who would like to do the honours?" she asks cheerily.
Grilnik moves to the southern door "it would be my pleasure"
(and he accepts the key from Brynn, if she offers it)
Grilnik then attempts to open the door, his longhammer at the ready.
"The daggers are pretty, very pretty, but a little small for me I think."
Looking around. "So we keep going? Not sure how this all works."
She follows behind Grilnik in case something else needs a good smashing.
Brynn happily passes the old key to Grilnik, and takes the rear position , following the others only once she's sure it's safe. She keeps her bow in hand.
The iron door to the south is locked, but the rusted key seems to go right in and unlocks.
With the glowing orbs giving a view of the next room. Numerous jail cells line these long-abandoned corridors. Each of their solid iron doors hangs ajar, and includes both a peephole at eye level, covered with a piece of sliding metal, and a smaller slot for food and water at floor level.
Most of these cells are ajar. None of the cells contain anything too interesting. .
You do notice a strange semicircular stone ridge runs along the ceiling of the hallway. .
Brynn enters the hallway cautiously with her bow in hand. She sticks to the back of the group, being sure to peek into each of the cells as they pass by.
As you enter the hallway, you don't notice anything odd as you walk in. You do notice a pair of double doors to the east, and a hallway to the west that turns a corner.
After following the hallway with the stone ridge in the ceiling, Grilnik doubles back and finds the double doors in the eastern end of the winding hallway.
"What do you guys think? Shall we open one door or two? The double doors give me a good feeling."
Looking around at thew cells, Vors comments, "What the hell happened here? No one mentioned this was once the town jail?!"
Before the dwarf opens the doors, the half-orc loudly interjects.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Let me check it for traps!"
As Grilnick goes down the corridor his dwarven eyes are watching the walls.. For a second he sees a seam in the stone wall. It is actually pretty deteriorated and easy to spot.
While Grilnick is looking at the wall, Vors is looking at the doors. Does not see any traps, but while he is looking the door swings up a bit.. It looks like part of the upper towner has collapsed into this hall.
"I can't imagine such a small place having such a huge jail. Nor are jails usually named things like 'Witch Tower'."
Grilnik strokes his beard with his free hand. "I think we'll just need to ask a historian who has studied Belhaim."
Grilnik tries to find a way open up the seam in the wall.
"Did any of you study machines or architecture?"
With a quick glance at the seam, you realize it would be very easy to open, just a quick push and slide to the side.
"Well, I've never heard of a secret door that didn't hide something important, I vote we head south."
Grilnik opens the way into the hidden passage.
You look down the secret chamber. The hall extends foward. Very similar walls to the rooms previous.
"Nice find, Grilnik."
Brynn follows Grilnik through the secret door, sure to stay at the back of the group.
"I'm sorry the only think I know much about is carpentry and that rarely involved stone."
These people have real talents. I think it is good luck threw us together.
When the secret door is revealed she makes sure she is at the front of the group ready to lead the way with her hammer.
"Shall we see what we find in there then? I can go first if the lights come with me."
"Of course, Bethany. After you!" Brynn replies cheerfully.
Verik makes sure to keep his dancing lights up and going as they move.
He squint through his glasses, keeping his staff from making any noise as he skulls along... one of us should scout ahead... he says, Someone who can spot traps and avoid being spotted themselves. And if the lights need to go then I must as well, but I can keep hidden pretty well.
As your group moves down the hall You come around the corner and see 5 more cells. But these seem shut pretty tight. The middle one has bars, where the other ones just have a hole for food and a viewing hole.
When you round the corner you note a faint transparent arm in the middle, bared door. Just for a second
Grilnik peers down the hallway. "Or perhaps the one best at running away from trouble should go first. Either way, do we have a volunteer?"
Verik makes sure to keep his dancing lights up and going as they move.
He squint through his glasses, keeping his staff from making any noise as he skulls along... one of us should scout ahead... he says, Someone who can spot traps and avoid being spotted themselves. And if the lights need to go then I must as well, but I can keep hidden pretty well.
"That would be my cue", speaks Vors Orcblood as he makes his way to the front of the group. "Stay here until I give you the 'all clear'..or until I'm attacked. It's up to you." The half-orc said with nonchalance.
Neither of you notice anything out of the ordinary. This dark corridor does feel a bit ominous though.
You do glance into the first cell and notice what looks like a very old skeleton slumped against the wall. No movement or anything of use, that you can spot. You do know the door is shut and locked though.
Cell 2
Similar to the first, a dead body, almost fully decomposed. Chained up against the wall. Nothing of interest here.
Cell 3
As you approach a pale face appears between the bars and filthy hands grip the bars. The desperate face immediately calls out
"Oh, gods, a kind face! Aroden bles you, noble souls! I ain't seen the jailers in ages, I think they forgot about us! We ain't eaten in days and water's all but gone - my cousin're both sick. I swear we'd give back the boar if we could, but we ate it, starvin' as we was. We didn't even know it was the baron's lands, didn't know we was poachin'! I beg you, we're all gonna die in here! Kindness, noble souls, we've suffered aweful! Good Baron Sarvo wills it!"
Vors backs away quickly from the middle cell. Motioning over to the dwarf, the half-orc asks, breathing hard, "Okay! Okay. Grilnik, please tell me you can detect undead?"
Bethany doesn't move until the half-orc stops and even then she stays about 30ft behind so he can continue to stealth ahead.
When she hears the voice she stops dead and grips her hammer tighter.
"Umm, let me know if you need me up there."
"Don't worry, Baby Girl", Vors looks over to Bethany quickly, before going back to keeping his eye on the prisoners. "If these guys are undead, you can smash them with your hammer to your heart's content!"
At the sound of someone alive speaking from one of the cells up ahead, and the commotion from Vors, Brynn is surprised.
This dunegon's still in use? By who..?
"Talk to the poor man, Vors," she encourages. "Find out who put him here."
Despite her encouraging words, Brynn does not move forward to chat up the prisoner...
I knew this was a bad idea...
"Wait, wasn't the person in charge a old Lady? And isn't Aroden a dead god?"
Grilnik runs up
"Vors, get behind me; I think you're right about facing undead. I'm the beard for this job"
The creature inside the cell open its eyes wide and yells "Water! Food! Good Baron Sarvo wills it!"
"Oh, Aroden's dead alright." Brynn agrees. "But, maybe the fellow's just confused. At least give him a look before you starts swinging."
"Nope, not just confused." Brynn comments at the man's outburst. She nocks and arrow and waits with her bow at the ready.
Predictably Bethany picks her hammer up high but unpredictably she doesn't swing it. Instead she just stands there with only one thought.
Ghosts? WAIT did he call me baby girl? REALLY? I HAVE A HUGE HAMMER!! no... calm, there are ghosts.
Wait a second, I can make water...
Grilnik moves closer so that he can see in and casts a spell "Create Water." and a small downpour of water appears in the cell.
Verik watches as the water with no container splashes all over the cell, snickering How quaint...
Verik raises a brow Good sir, might I ask the year?
From what the half-orc saw of the prisoners, he knew they were dangerous, and so Vors drew his rapier, ready for the prisoners to do something drastic.
Watching the half orc back away slightly the strange form seems to get more insistant.
"Water! Food! Good Baron Sarvo wills it!"
With that there is a splash of water behind the form.
"Water?? FOOD!!!" Getting more crazed.
As Vors draws his weapon.. The creature within screams "Soooo hungry!!!"
With that the creature vanishes. As it vanishes Vors suddenly has the conviction that you are locked in a prison cell and are about to starve to death. You can visualize being chained to the walls for hours, days, weeks. The people that used to come and feed you have left, there are no more sounds down the corridors. The other people in other cells have gone quiet. Time.. time.. Your stomach starts to give you shooting pains of starvation, as you feel your body eating itself alive.
The pains hit your body so hard your head starts to swim. You nearly black out, but your orc blood keeps you standing for a few seconds.
The rest of the party sees the creature disappear, and vors nearly loose his footing. Looking like he is about to fall down.
The half-orc shouts out in shock and pain, dropping his rapier and holding his stomach.
Looking over to his stunned companions, Vors croaked, "Yep...they're undead alright."
Help him, Grilnik!" Brynn calls out, knowing the dwarf has the power call on the gods for aid.
She focuses her mind, sending a fraction of her arcane power into her bow to enhance its abilities. The she waits, ready to fire at the first sight of an enemy.
Foul Necromancy, Verik hisses, We must leave, Undead usually don't travel alone. he says, looking around to make sure there was nothing behind them... Someone help Vors, quickly!
"Vors!" Grilnik rushes over and touches Vors, imbuing him with minor healing energies.
"Sorry, I guess giving them water didn't help very much..."
"Water seemed a good idea to me. No idea what to do with a ghost."
She will try and pull Vors back from the jail if he falls otherwise she sticks close but doesn't act.
Grilnik runs forward and throws some of his divine power into him, bringing pulling back the hunger pangs so Vors can stand fine. He is still rather hungry, but not nearly going to pass out.
As everyone stand ready, there is nothing. Silence comes back to this hall
As Grilnik runs forward to heal Vors, he glances through the bars. He cant help but look at the stonework of this room. As he puts his hand down on Vors, the back wall suddenly reveals its secret. There is totally another secret door back there.
While focused on the wall, he also (sorta) notices a skeleton chained to the wall. As well as what looks like torture devices. He is not really sure, but that wall! He has totally got the wall's number!
The gate to this room is shut and seemly locked.
"Is it gone..? Brynn asks warily, careful to keep alert for further danger or unquiet spirits.