"Oooh, it looks like an albino monitor lizard. Strange, they're usually with their mates. Oh wait, maybe that's it behind the curtain?"
He holds up his hammer higher so everyone can see what he saw.
Ravana watches the lizard pace across the room, sad that it's lost its master.
It's a crime that such beasts get dragged into our problems without choice or reason of their own. Would that it'd been born on the surface where it could do as it willed.
Ravana steps up beside Aero. Crouching down, she removes a circle of giant maggot from the wrapped cloth she'd been carrying. Still crouching, she tosses the meat to the lizard, watching to see what it will do.
Aero smiles at Ravana "Good thinking with the grub. Quickest way to a lizard's heart is through it's stomach."
The lizard lifts its head again, this time towards the chunk of maggot Ravana threw. It waddles over and begins to eat it. It quickly finishes off the meal and waddles over to one of the recently fallen mongrelmen and begins to eat again.
The curtain parts at Nebbin's pronouncement and an arrowhead glistens in the light, followed by a woman with insect legs coming out of her blue-skinned back. Feathers adorn her shoulders and a lizard tail trails behind her. "Who are you?" she asks defensively.
Aravashnial whispers, "What am I missing?!" Anevia shushes him while Gwerm merely looks disgusted.
Saoirse looks towards the large lizard as Ravana deals with the creature. Seeing that it wants a meal and not wanting to fight if she doesn't have to, Saoirse turns to follow Nebbin only to seize up as the glistening behind the curtain turns into an arrowhead. Saoirse raises her shield reflexively as she says in a calm voice to not rile up the monitor lizard "Travelers... trying to reach the surface."
Aero nods at Saoirse's description and tries to get a read on the blue woman.
"Travelers? Surface? How did you not pass this way before? What's to stop me from calling the rest of the clan here at this moment?"
Aero eyes his companions for a moment, trying to decide how to best answer the question.
"There was an...incident at the surface. We cannot return the way we came." Lucius pauses, fingering the holy symbol around his neck. "I am not merely waxing poetic about some minor difficulty or personal conflict. Our passage closed behind us, collapsed and sealed, so effectively that it can no longer be thought of as existing at all."
Having temporarily taken care of the lizard, Ravana holds her hands out to her side to address the mongrelwoman.
"Our presence must be a terrible shock to you, I understand that. As this man has said, we are returning to the surface and cannot return the way we came.
We have no choice but to move forward, whether there are obstacles in the way or not. If you know of a way forward that does not require fighting, we will most likely take it. If you do not, we will pass in peace if you can guarantee it. If you cannot, then we will fight our way through.
Please ask yourself how many people need to die, either ours or yours, for us to pass. Please ask yourself if that number is worth impeding us when we want nothing from you but passage. If it is, go ahead and fire that arrow."
She shifts back and forth between Lucius and Ravana with her arrow tip, finally settling on Saoirse. The bow dips slightly as she looks up from sighting down the shaft, "Yes...the attacks. Tell me, have you heard yet of Hosilla?"
"Baphomet's pet."
"...Yes." The blue-skinned mongrelwoman clutches at something around her neck. "I'm...beginning to doubt...if the Lord Minotaur has anything to do with it. Or if he's..."
I guess we're not going to just kill this one? That's nice. I don't like all the killing.
Nebbin waits for someone to tell him what to do.
If he's what?
Aero tries to further sway the woman towards our cause.
"We hear Hosilla has been bad for your people. Fighting, death, suffering. Life down here is hard enough without a tyrant abusing your tribe."
The arrow point drops to face the ground, "You are right strangers. Hosilla has been nothing but violence since she arrived. I am Wenduag. I can show you the best path back to the surface and mayhaps avoid the rest of her sycophants here. I can't promise you much...but please take me with you to the surface. There is no place here for me."
Lucius smiles. <<Glory to Asmodeus.>>
Yay! She can take us to the surface! I mean, I guess we can trust her, right? Even though she looks kind of evil?
"We should be swift then. There is a chance that Hosilla is below with her[b]" Wenduag spits on the ground, [b]"bodyguard Uziel. I don't know what she's got down there, but she spends much of her time with it."
"We...or at least I swore to Chief Sull to destroy those who had turned to the demons. At the least, we need a better estimate of their strength, and perhaps an idea of what the witch is plotting, so that we can tell the Mendevian forces what lurks below."
He pauses, trying to work up his courage. He removes the book from his belt, rapidly flipping through the pages. <<Bear not the transgressions of Chaos, nor those who pledge freedom in its name...or, more simply, suffer not the witch to live."
He grins wickedly, suddenly. "Wendaug, how loyal are your fellows to this consort of demons? If she were slain, could they return to Neatholm in peace, or would they carry on in her stead?"
"There are some who doubtless would embrace returning to Neatholm. Baphomet is a relatively new god to us...we as a people were once Crusaders after all. There are some, though, who seem to revel in bloodshed and wish to be slaves to demons." She looks thoughtfully at Lucius and the rest, "So you've met...Sull. What happened was not entirely us looking to demons as masters. We were persuaded that none should rule. Some humans who carried glaives and spiked gauntlets were in contact with me and some others who were discontented to stay underground. We merely wish to be seen as people once again. Now that I think of it...Hosilla is usually with two or three men like those in contact with us when she's not locked up with her bodyguard and whatever else she keeps."
A handful of men, a demon-blooded bodyguard (lover?), and a demon-loving magician of unknown potency. A daunting challenge, but a much more manageable one than the same plus a tribe of mongrelfolk.
"Can you lead us to her? Perhaps lend us the strength of your bow in freeing your people?"
Saoirse lowers her shield as Wendaug lowers her bow. "I can understand your wishes Wenduag but demon-worshiping fanatics are no way to achieve those goals. Stopping this Hosilla would fit nicely however."
I might have wished to go straight to the surface, but cutting off the head of the beast here may actually be the best way to go.
They want to go see this woman? Isn't that dangerous?
Nebbin looks worried.
Ravana looks around the room, reading the faces of her companions.
They have no right to demand I bow at the alter of their beliefs. On the other hand, I have no right to demand they not bow, given the opportunity. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, who am I to demand they pass it by. Is it my business however? Not really, but do I want the mongrelmen dominated by demon worshipers?
Turning to the four crusaders , Ravana reveals the results of her contemplation.
"I recognize that this opportunity may not come your way again. I also realize that this action is probably in the best interest of the Mongrelmen.
If we can avoid slaughtering the entire tribe, I will help you kill the demon worshiping leaders. I would not want to rob you of this opportunity."
"To put that wretched witch in her place...yes. I will gladly put my arrows into her. I will not attack my brethren though. I have started to believe that demons...and Baphomet...are not worthy of worship. I am sure others of my tribe would feel the same."
She nods at Ravana, Lucius, and Saoirse. "Thank you for your offers. Follow me swiftly, then, and we may surprise the b@&&#." She turns back and heads south from the room she came from and holds open the curtain. "You should extinguish the light on that hammer and put it to better use when the time comes. The light will only alert others."
In the southwestern part of this room, stout stone chairs surround
a block of larger stone that serves as a table. The table’s top strewn with bone dice and cracked clay jugs. Stained canvas pillows rest
on the chairs. A copper bowl filled with coals hangs from the ceiling, filling the room with warmth and an orange glow. A couple of mongrelmen are at the table and look up with a start as they see foreign people. Wenduag says, "Peace. Grat and Vron...Hosilla's time is at an end. These people are here because of her part in demon machinations. We did not break from our tribe for this worship of blood and death." She looks expectantly back at the group.
"The demon Baphomet only uses you to further his own ends of destruction and misery. Do not let yourselves become slaves to a new master."
If I can take 10 => 24 (+ any assists)
Nebbin looks confused for a moment as Hosilla suggests he find a better use for his hammer.
What does she want me to do with it?
"Oh!" he says as a sudden realization comes to him. "You have some stones you want me to break? Just show me where."
He gulps nervously as the area is plunged into darkness, and seems to breathe easier as the group moves to the area where the fungus lights the way.
Seeing the newcomers, he smiles at them, hoping they're not going to attack and wanting to reassure them of their friendliness.
"We have no quarrel with you, only the witch who manipulates you to her own vile ends. For everyone's sake, let us pass."
The mongrelmen look to their dice and to each other, then back to Wenduag. "You're right. We don't want to be here anymore. Just...no more demons. And no more innocent blood." They settle into their chairs. "We'll keep anyone from coming this way."
Ravana leaves her position with the wounded and moves to enter the tunnel to the southeast. Turning back to the party once she has reached the tunnel, she checks to make certain everyone is ready.
"That is much appreciated." Lucius turns back to the wounded. "This may be the safest place we will be for a little while. If you wish to rest here, we will return as quickly as we can." A pause. "If we do not return, head for the surface as best you can, warn Kenabres of what is brewing beneath them."
Aravashnial and Anevia scoff at Lucius before he can finish his sentence. Horgus merely squeaks out, "Here? With...these conditions?!"
Anevia shakes her head suddenly and looks at Gwerm and Aravashnial. "Much as it pains me...he's right. We only slow them down and these two descendants of the First Crusaders can help protect us should anything happen. We also have a duty to ensure Kenabres knows what is happening. I will stay here then with Horgus, which also pains me greatly, and will make for the surface in half an hour if you don't come back."
Wenduag nods approvingly to the brave folks and clasps the two mongrelmen on their backs. She heads to the southeast corner of the room and reveals a rope ladder leading down a shaft. She points to it then starts to climb down.
The air in this cavern smells of damp and mold. Water glistens on the walls, and collects in a stagnant pool along one wall. The floor is covered in a foot of water. Wenduag points down into the water as you step off the rope ladder and you notice sharp stones jutting out all over the ground, just covered by the water.
Wenduag whistles softly and two dwarf sized mongrelmen pop up over the barricades in the room. "Wenduag...what are you doing? Who are these people and why are they so close to Hosilla? You know what she'll do to you...you don't have much favor with her to begin with! Go back now before she finds out!"
"Thank you Lind, Yort. They are here to shrug off her demonic leadership. We can be free again...slave to noone as we intended in the first place."
In a hissed whisper, "Is that true? Will you save us?"
Aero will assist Lucius this time, thinking his strength of conviction will serve us well here.
Aero will play up our strengths a bit
"Just as the shining light of Pulara once lead the people of Sarkoris to glory, we are strong enough to help free you from tyranny."
Nebbin is torn between looking excited and nervous about staying behind with the strange First Crusaders, until he realizes that he's not actually hurt and isn't being asked if he wants to remain behind.
Remember, she said she might need you to break some rocks, he reminds himself, frowning at his own severity.
Gulping, he follows the rest of the group.
Descending, he eyes the jagged floor.
Are these the rocks she wants me to fix? This seems really dangerous.
He hefts his hammer, ready to flatten the area if Wendaug requests it, but is distracted by the other two mongrelfolk's question.
He nods, trying to reassure them.
"Repent of the demons and we have no quarrel with you, only the abyssal temptress who would ruin you for her own ends. Let us pass, so that we might destroy her."
Saoirse stays quiet for a time as she leads the group forward with Wenduag, allowing Lucius to speak with the mongrelmen while she focuses on keeping the party safe. Her eyes scanning around constantly as one of the trackers who used to work for her crusading band taught her to do.
"We don't want anything with anymore demons! Go in quickly, she's there with Uziel. If you're quiet you may be able to catch her unawares."
Wenduag swiftly motions to Saoirse and goes through the doorway. Three copper bowls filled with glowing coals hang from the ceiling of this long, natural cavern. The braziers fill the chamber with warmth and soft orange light. In the center of the chamber stands a block of stone that serves as a table, lined with wooden chairs. An enormous bloodstain, maybe a week and some days old, darkens the stone’s surface.
Wenduag brings the group close together and points to the curtain to the north. She whispers, "That is Hosilla's room. How should we proceed? I can distract her under the guise of needing to talk to her about our people while you lay in wait. Or something else?"
Lucius inspects the stone slab carefully. The size of the bloodstain indicates sacrifice or slaughter, but the chairs suggests a dining area. Cannibals? Or maybe the caverns are just small and poor, so that the sacrificial altar is also the kitchen.
He surveys the room, imagining how he might set up their fight. He wishes, briefly, for Anevia's bow, but with her broken leg, she'd never have made it down the rope ladder in the first place. Nor could he take her bow. Should this go poorly, the other members of their group will need all the help they can get.
Lucius keeps his voice low, shrugging his pack to the floor near the doorway though which they entered. "Wendaug, what is the source of the blood here? And what lies through the other doorway?"
He rifles through the pack, removing a canvas pouch of caltrops, before sliding the pack all the way against the wall.
"Are you sure?" Nebbin asks dubiously as Lucius instructs him to smash the stone block.
"OK, doesn't look too hard," he says, spitting on his hands as he takes his stance and gets a firm grip on his maul.
Waiting for the Chelaxian's nod to begin once everyone else is ready, he hefts his massive earth breaker and swings with all his might at the stone.
"The blood is from the chief and his lovers. They were "sacrificed" to glory Baphomet. The witch said something about bringing unbelievers feeding his strength. To the south is a kitchen. A nice cleaver is there, but I'm sure your weapons are sufficient already."
As the plans for breaking the table are made Wenduag steps to the west side of the curtain door to the north and holds her bow at the ready. As the hammer comes crashing down a sound like dark red gong reverberates and cracks spread from where the head impacts. Various noises come from the room to the north.
Aero will use his silver scale to become a half-orc, gaining +2 str and darkvision (and +4 bluff vs evil)