Cordwin nods sagely, Ah yes! The bite of the sinspawn. Then with an air of disappointment he adds, Unfortunately I do not know how to help him.
Nimreass cleans his sword and begins to keep watch now that his first fight alongside these heroes has come to an end, and while no one seems seriously hurt, he is far more worried about this adventure than he was just hours before. It's one thing to take wound of the flesh, those can be healed and will heal in time, these wounds of the mind...
"Do you at least know how it will affect him till we can get him proper help?" He asks Cordwin and Aurora hopefully.
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Logar sheathes his flail and takes a piece of cloth out of his backpack, wincing slightly as he wipes some blood off his wound. When Aurora approaches him for help, the cleric runs a hand through his brown hair, his mouth ajar.
"Not a priest, no; merely a clerk. Very sorry, but I don't have any magical cure to help Tylur. Best I can offer is some mead to clear our friend's head."
Logar cleans his tankard of any monster remnants, then takes a bottle out of his backpack, labeled Honey Caydenmead. The half-orc twists the container open and pours some of its contents into the tankard, quickly chugging it and motioning Aurora with a friendly yet apologetic face.
"Not the best, but it works."
Tylur shakes his head almost as if hoping that whatever is afflicting him will clear up. You then watch as the contents of today's breakfast finds itself coughed up pooled in front of him.
"Water..please..these...thoughts..." before he can say anymore he again coughs adding to the pool of vomit in front of him.
"The visions I cannot get them out of my head." pausing he tries to take a deep breath "These thoughts they...they..cannot be my own. Can they?" he lowers his head tears once again streaming down his face. "By the radiant light...help me. Make these visions I beg of you Dawnflower. Please."
Logar doesn't even flinch when he sees the contents of Tylur's stomach fly outwards. Evidently, he has seen his share of sickness and vomit in the many nights of drinking and brawling he has experienced. The half orc looks compassionately, stoppers the bottle and stows it back in his bag.
"You know, perhaps mead isn't what Tylur needs right now. Someone fetch him some water, and make sure he doesn't harm anyone in his fits."
It's just like when someone drinks one serving too much, isn't it? Let him rest, clean his head, wait, and hope for the best.
After a minute or so, Tylur seems to calm down and whatever was troubling him has ended.
Fascinating! Absolutely Fascinating! Cordwin says watching the 'sickness' leave Tylur. I'll have to remember to write that down later as you are the first person I have met to have suffered the illness of a sinspawn bite! Cordwin says in a congratulatory tone to Tylur. Even though the effects were temporary, let's not try to get bit by any others we find! He adds not realizing the obviousness of his statement.
Tylur stands up gathering himself embarrassed by the sudden upheaval of emotions he uncontrollably displayed. In a voice that is stern and almost cold he says, "I will be fine. Let us move on if we are done here." He barely turns to look anyone in the face especially Aurora. "May the Dawnflower cleanse this place with her unending fire."
Frowning at Tylur but letting him keep his space, "Alright let us get going." Aurora keeps a few steps behind Tylur, just watching him.
Moving north about fifteen feet, you are able to see more clearly down the eastern passage and the northern passage also.
To the east the rough hewn passage goes about thirty feet and you see a worked stone area, strewn with rubble.
To the north the rough hewn passage way continues for thirty feet also, then their is a branch to the east, as well as continuing on before you lose sight of the tunnel around the corner.
Nimreass keeps his blade ready, peering into the gloom as far as his eyes can manage. He keeps silent, not wanting to draw any more of these... Sinspawn down upon them before it was necessary.
Logar follows Nimreass carefully, breathing heavily, pausing before every turn and squinting at the shadowy passages. He runs his hand on his wounds once in a while, hoping them to stop aching.
"Should we check that out?", he asks, pointing eastwards at the area of worked stone.
Cordwin sees Logar hurt. Can the Druken God heal your wounds? We've faced this Tsuto before and if he down here, you will want to make sure you are at your best.
Hearing the name he tightens his grip on his spiked chain. "Let us hope he is ahead. He needs to be brought back to the sheriff to confess his crimes."
Not being a healer, René stands back as Tylur has his little fit. A pit of anxiety forms in his stomach even as a cold, pragmatic voice in his head says, Maybe now he'll be less gung-ho about this whole 'hero' thing. Another part of him quickly snaps back, But we need him at his best if we're going to face that devil of a man!
The knot eased only slightly as the warrior's mind seemed to improve. Taking Tylur's reaction as a silent request to never speak of this again (or at least not to speak of it until their job was done), he silently followed the group. As they approach a fork, he finally speaks in a whisper. "Don't suppose any o' y'all are the sneaky type? Take a quick gander down a tunnel? Though mebbe sticking together's our best bet."
"Cayden Cailean grants me limited healing power, and this bank of energy depletes quickly before I need to rest to restore it. Seeing as both Tylur and I were hurt, it might not be a waste to use it."
Logar looks at Tylur, transforming his last statement into a question. Surely there was a better way to cure the wounds on both of them, but if it meant earning more of the party's trust, then Logar would do that. The half orc then listens to René, thinking for a moment before nodding.
"You can never know what sort of scrying these monsters might have. Sending someone to sneak alone might be a suicide mission. We should stick together."
With Tylur in the lead, you troop down the hallway to the east. You enter from the west into a worked stone room. The original purpose of this chamber is unclear, but large mounds of rubble lie strewn on its floor. Searching the rubble, you find that it consists of dirt and rock from the break thru of the western wall, as well as broken pottery that probably held food stores long, long ago.
"Lovely sight."
Logar treads forward, flipping debris and inspecting rubble as he goes. Looks like an old storeroom. Hope whatever broke the western wall isn't going to try and break us too. Arriving at the door, Logar presses his ear against it, holding his breathing and motioning the others to be as quiet as possible.
The Caydenite makes an inquisitive gesture with his hand, checking whether or not the group is ready to move on.
Tylur stays in step with Logar keeping on the lookout for Tsuto.
"I cannot imagine what broke through this wall. I doubt it was Tsuto but who knows what the goblins brought with them."
Cordwin nods to Logar that he is ready and also nods to Tylur. These goblins have proven themselves to be quite resourceful!
Nimreass steps lightly as he follows them, "If I might ask, Cordwin, how have these goblins shown to be resourceful? They might have numbers and a penchant for burning, but I've not heard anything that suggests that they plan well on their own."
Cordwin stops and thinks for a moment if the goblins were really resouceful or if it was Tsuta leading them that was. My mistake, it seems credit or discredit is all due to Tsuto! he then continues on. Bah! Stupid goblins!
Tylur seems fine and rather uncomfortable with her nearness so Aurora lets herself fall to the back of the procession Not bothering to move into the room as many of the others do. Instead Aurora keeps her eyes on the way they have yet to go. Not taking her eyes from the path not yet taken, "So if it is nothing are we moving on?"
Logar nods and pushes the door open, stepping inside and examining his surroundings.
Not really having a good view in either direction from his position, René positions himself between the front group and the rest of his companions, intent on at least quickly relying to the other group if one were to be attacked. Though unless their adversaries were remarkably sneaky, he suspected they'd know even without his help.
Man, how did 'Go get Tsuto' suddenly turn into 'explore the creepy tunnels'? He had kind of expected one big showdown. Not this agonizingly slow build up where gods only knew what might jump out at him at any moment. It was like those horrible ghost stories some people told....
Logar and Tylur hear nothing at the door on the north wall and after you finish searching the room, and wondering where Tsuto and the goblins are, you open the doorway and see that the worked stone hallway continues. With Tylur in the lead you come to an intersection. There is a corridor leading to the east, and the corridor heading north continues. So far, no signs of life.
Tylur does his best to try to listen down both tunnels for any sounds.
"Anyone hear anything down the tunnels? If not let us head east. There is no real pattern that I can see but I will assume the main branch is north and this is a side tunnel."
I have pretty good ears! Cordwin says, Let me listen!
I have pretty good ears! Cordwin says, Let me listen!
Cordwin let's the group know what he heard or didn't hear.
Too far back to really hear much, René nervous taps his fingers on his legs. All this waiting and anxiety is likely to kill me before we even get to Tsuto... Really, it was the quiet that did it. Nothing but the muffled noise of their footfalls, the gentle clink of armor, and their breathing.
"There's sense in what Tylur says. If Cordwin doesn't hear anything, let us push to the east."
Logar wipes a sweaty hand on his pants. The exciting rush of battle, straight into a painstakingly wary cave crawl... when he returns to tell tales of this adventure at the Hagfish, Logar will have to remove some of these parts.
Cordwin cocks his head, first to the north, then to the east and pronounces that he hears nothing in either direction. With Tylur in the lead, you move down the east corridor till you come to a small open area.
The tunnel widens here into what appears to have once been a small shrine, for to the northeast, steps lead up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it. This basin is flled with what appears to be filthy water. There is a door on the other side of this area.
Frequently looking behind and leaving the unknown to the rest of the group.
More than happy to keep an eye behind until she spots the platform. Why in the world is that here in a random cave. Curiosity pulls her up a step and brings a touch of magic to her lips. "What is that?"
Cordwin tries to figure out who this shrine is to.
René gives an involuntary shudder as he's suddenly reminded of the various dark rituals alluded to in Tsuto's journal. He gives the alter a wide berth as he instead moves to listen at the other door.
Nimreass stays near the back of the group keeping an eye on the rear passage, not eager to have something come up behind them and take them by surprise.
Cordwin studies the altar and Aurora searches for magical auras. While the rest of you look around, but there are no creatures coming from behind you and the door is shut.
René moves back to his position, still avoiding the alter. "Well, ain't heard nuthin' on th'other side. Might wanna have someone look fer explody thingies or tripwires or some such though."
"If anyone wants to check the door for traps like René said, go ahead. If not, I'm going in."
Cordwin scrunches up his nose. That there is an altar to Lamashtu. Ye know, the same god referenced in Tsuto's journal. I think we're on the right track!
When Logar asks if anyone wants to check for traps, Cordwin happily lopes over. He first puts an ear to the door then next checks for traps.
Cordwin moves up to the door and checking it for traps, he finds none. However he hears something mumbling behind the door.
Positioning himself he indicates to Cordwin to open the doors as soon as the others are ready.
Nimreass sheathes his rapier and readies his crossbow, "No sense closing on them without putting a bolt in them first, if possible."
Pulling out the sliver dagger her cousin gave her and remaining in the back of the group. Glancing over at Tylur, still concerned about what happened, before looking at the door.
Cordwin lets the group know what he hears and opens the door when all are ready.
René grits his teeth and nods his readiness from towards the back of the line.
Logar grabs his flail and tankard and nods in agreement.
With everyone ready, Cordwin swings open the door. This huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. Stone doors stand to either side of the main entrance, but beyond this, the walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, with a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a pulpit on which sits a second pool, this one triangular and filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava. Yet while wisps of what look like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room itself is deathly cold.
A tiny creature is flying over the pool and shrieks at you, "how dare you intrude on the Mothers Sanctum!" as she makes a small cut on her wrist, allowing a drop of blood to fall into the pool and from that one of the sinspawn climbs out.
"Is... is this Tsuto? Doesn't sound like what you described at all."
Logar slips into the room, approaching the newly-created Sinspawn and striking at him with his flail. The metal orb's spikes beat at the aberration, dealing a hefty amount of damage.
.