N.W Door is correct.
Romon opens the SW door and finds a corridor which turns after 15 feet or so..knowing it cannot lead into the Gallery he quickly investigates and finds a stairs that descends back to the first floor.Then he hurries after the others
"Nothing this way, just some stairs down. What did you find?"
Romon hurries back to the others and has a look at the door before opening it.
Listen,
Find traps,
Disable Device,
If it's clear he opens the door and steps into the room beyond.
"Wolfspirit smells something beyond this door." Muchorak motions at the door, "Could you check it for anything harmful?"
Once again the door turns out to be totally Mundane..Romon opens it to find a short set of steps running up to a landing afrom which a second set climbs further up.
"My favorite kind of stairs, the ones that go up" Inikai mutters.
"Well there can't be that many floors left." Naria comments as she waits for Romon to check the door
"I am not giveeng up," <kick!> "I am not 'aving zis!" <kick!> "I will achieve liberty," <kick!> "and I will visit justeece upon my captorr!" <kick!>
Strength:
You can now all hear the voice..
"I believe the owner of the voice is just beyond, perhaps when we find her it its friendly we can convince her to silence her complaints."
Eager now that the scent and sounds are stronger the small grey wolf bolts up the stairs.
Romon dashes up the stairs too. He hopes she's pretty. Girls in trouble are often grateful if you help them.
Reaching the top the young half-elf pauses to look around. His dark eyes fix on the bound woman. He moves forward to help , stooping slightly so that his head doesn't brush the ceiling. His red armour is a murky maroon in the poor attic light.
"Thank Desna we've found you."
Hearing the sound of footsteps I halt my pounding and focus my vision, letting my senses tell me what is afoot. While the very beams of the house have an evil presence sunken into them, I detect no additional auras of the unclean beyond the door to the room I am in.
"In 'ere, my friends! I would greet you, but I am a leettle tied up!" I call out in my rich, Galtan accent.
When the door finally opens ...
A very attractive elven woman is tied to the decaying cot by red silk ropes. She is wearing violet clothing and a shimmering mail shirt, although she is dishevelled with what are clearly bite marks on her limbs. However she shows no sign of ghoul fever, in fact she gives an impression of barely contained anger. When she speaks, though, her tone is polite.
"Pardon monsieur, but could you see to releasing zese bonds? Zere are eevil forces in zis 'ouse and I am 'aving a serious need to deliver some justeece on zem."
Map update later today.
Map update later today.
Sorry, Wellard. Got a little carried away. Just let us know what really happened.
A very attractive elven woman is tied to the decaying cot by red silk ropes. She is wearing violet clothing and a shimmering mail shirt, although she is dishevelled with what are clearly bite marks on her limbs. However she shows no sign of ghoul fever, in fact she gives an impression of barely contained anger. When she speaks, though, her tone is polite.
Map update..at long last. Had to redraw the thing from scratch
You follow the voice along the corridor and burst into a small servants bedroom..the above scene ensues.
Inikai stops when he sees the woman. He looks around the room for signs of a trap. His skin still burns from the manticore attack that no one else witnessed and this makes him wary of this supposed prisoner.
"Now I am ze sight to strike a man dumb," I sigh in exasperation. "I know zat some peeple like zis kind of zeeng, but really, now is not ze time. Now lizzen vorry carefuully, I will say zis only once: zere are a numberr of ghouls in ze caves beneath zis 'house to 'ome you would be eizer dinner or ze newest recruit. I rocommend 'aste in freeong me and zen retire to a plass of softy - ze fun stoff can com lotterr, after I 'ave dealt with zem."
There is a backpack and several weapons dumped on the floor near the cot.
Muchoraks' quick reply comes in his native tongue:
"Her language is almost painful to hear!"
He moves in the room his weapons at the ready, within striking distance of the woman, "Wolfspirit?" the doubt is evident in his question - the stoic man waits for Wolfspirits trust to be given or to give this person/thing its final rest.
Naria circles the woman for a minute or two "Well she looks normal enough." she announces to the others
"Well she looks normal enough."
"I do not know eef am gratified or insulted, Mademoiselle, but as I can tell you are not evil, I must assume you are mercenaire, as you are certainement not 'eroes. Unless ... ees one of you 'Wind-streakere'?"
"Hey I'm not a mercenary. I'm an archaeologist."
"Hey I'm not a mercenary. I'm an archaeologist."
"Really? 'Ave you 'ad much to do with ze Thassilonian ruins 'ere abouts? I 'ave been makeeng a study of zem for some time, quite fascinating - I think I 'ave ze language and ze runic system figurred, and zey seem to 'ave 'ad som interesteeng ideas. Zere was talk of som ruins uncoverred in Sandport up ze coast, I was 'opeeng to viseet soon, 'ave you seen zem?"
|
Marak's eyes perk up at the notion that this woman is also a scholar of Thassilonian lore. Quite a lot of us around, these days...
In the language of ancient Thassilon, he asks,
He unties the bindings on one of her feet, as he questions her, unconcerned about being attacked by one of her legs, while her arms remain bound.
One asks me a pointed question in a language few rarely speak.
"I will only answer zat question if you untie me."
I arch an amused eyebrow at him.
"Ah, mercie, zat is betterr," I stretch and flex my legs. "I do not suppose you would mind?" I nod to the bindings on my hands. "You 'ave ze advantage of numbers I assure you, and I 'ave no quarrel with you zat I know of, I swear in Shellyn's name."
Not comfortable with Maraks fast vote of confidence in this woman, Muchoraks' muscles tense, he steps back from her but still leaving enough room to strike out if she attempts to attack the others.
Curious about this very pretty two-leg she, Aliwolf approaches close and sniffs all around for any hint of evil. Finding none, she licks the beautiful facve once and then looks up to Big Bear, waiting for him to untie the woman.
"Oui, zis 'ouse is steeped in evil, I can understand your caution," I slowly ease to my feet and stretch a little painfully, then pick up the pack, and the scattered weapons.
"May I ask, when you approached zis 'ouse, did you perchance see an 'orse tezered in ze ruined outbuildeeng?"
Taking a wand from my pack I touch it to my injuries.
Cure Light Wounds:
Cure Light Wounds:
Cure Light Wounds:
Cure Light Wounds:
"Zat ees better," I stow the wand. "I forget myself: I am Estariande d'Litran, servant of ze goddess Shelyn, a scholar of the ancients, an adventurer, a righter of wrongs, champion of justice, guardian of love, and when zey do not pay ze rent, a stripper," I bow politely to my liberators. "'Oo do I 'ave ze honour of addresseeng?"
Inikai is taken aback by this situation. This Galtish, er, Galtian, no that's not right...Galtan? he thinks to himself before settling on woman from Galt. She speaks Thassilonian and is a scholar of their runes. She knows who Muchorak is. This cannot be a coincidence and it makes this all the more unsettling.
"How did you come to be here?" Inikai asks as he stands behind her. He holds his morningstar at his side but slightly raised in case she attacks.
I turn to regard the speaker thoughtfully.
"I 'ave no secrets, monsieur, at least in zis regard. I 'ave travelled widely in zis world since Galt was seized be ze endless revolution zat took my fazer's life. For twenty years I 'ave found home in ze land of Varisia, and as a follower of Shelyn I 'ave acted as 'er 'ands and voice," I explain easily.
"Yesterday I was passing zrough ze old coast road when I came upon ze remains of two loverrs I 'ad blessed eerlierr zat day. Zey 'ad been torn limb frrom limb, zeir bodies ravaged and 'alf consumed by monstrous beasts zat left a foul stench. I was only able to rrecognize zem from ze furry 'andcuffs I gave zem earlier – you know, for when zings get a leettle dull. Of course, I swore justice upon zere slayers, and pursued ze trail 'ere to Foxglove Manorr.
"I tezerred my faithful steed in ze ruined outbeelding and zere I deescoverred a well from which ze smell of a carnel 'ouse was emerging – a smell I reeconized from ze slain loverrs. I 'ad silken rope with me (for when zings get a leettle dull) so I descended into ze depths, after a leettle spell or two to get an advantage or two. At ze base of ze well I found ze entraance to a caverrn, where a mighty undead bat assailed me. It was swift and deadlee, yet I called upon my divine alliance and with ze servants of Shelyn and with luck and judgment I prevailed. Alas, ze bat 'ad called it's allies, before I could find a defonsible position, they 'ad me surrounded and seized me fast, though I wounded several in ze process.
"Zat was when I was brought before ze Skinsaw Man. 'E was a piece of work, I can tell you! 'E seemed unaware zat the ze ghoul fever would not effect one blessed by ze gods, and 'e was determeened zat I should join 'is filthee pack. As you saw, 'e had me tied with my own rope - maybe no so bad under ozer circumstances, but very unpleasent in zese ones. I attempted to reason with 'im, but ze liveeng dead are not easily swayed by ze sanctity of beauty and love. None ze less, before 'e left me, 'e ranted on a great deal about 'Ze Wind-streaker' and 'ow he was comeeng to join 'im or die. 'E also raved about ze 'Brozers of ze Seven' in Magnimar, it seems 'e works for zem, or did."
I smile briefly.
"All of zis, zough, begs ze question of 'oo you are are, and what you are doing 'ere? Are you 'is allies I must likewise defeat, or 'is foes brought to aid me by Shelyn's 'and?" my hand rests lightly on the hilt of my elven curveblade.
I can sense no evil among them, that is certain, but that does not make them innocent, or necessarily my allies, though they seem like adventurers. They could be heroes, or mere looters, or simply not yet steeped enough in evil to show it's taint.
The fact that Ali scented no evil about this woman eases Inikai but he still thinks Marak was hasty in undoing her bonds. In any event, they have her surrounded and greatly outnumbered so she should not present too much of a danger. Her (Galtan? Galtinian? Galtarian?) accent slows Inikai's comprehension. He takes a moment to process what she said before he can respond to her.
"We are from Sandpoint and are here to avenge the innocents who these monstrosities have slain. You are the first to mention this 'skinsaw man'. What powers does he command and how many undead serve him?" As he speaks, Inikai lowers his morning star and lets it hang down in a non-threatening position.
As the woman speaks the small grey wolf's head can be seen doing that curious tilting back and for thing canines do when they are confused. Finally she flows to Gnome form and, standing with hands on hips she says "Ali smell you good good, so she know you no bad bad, but she no know what you say! You be pretty but you talk funny! Yes yes you do! Talk like normal two legs so Ali can know what you say!"
Muchorak steps back and relaxes, sheathing his blades after Wolfspirit gives her approval of the new comer. Still confused from her language he chooses to remain silent, instead turning his off-hand attention to Ursus as he makes his presence known by nudging into the large warrior. "Easy brother, there is little space in here for us." Then turns to take his companion out of the room to cover the parties rear.
Once outside the room Ursus begins to rear and palyfully roar attempting to tackle Muchorak, "Nows not the time, and next match I will win," the Shoanti laughs as he convinces his companion that the time is not right for wrestling games.
The wolf taking the form of a gnome is an eye-opener, but there are stranger things in the world. She has no trace of evil about her, so she is no lycanthrope, indeed she approaches with the enthusiasm and innocence of a child, and who cannot love such?
"Mon pardon, petite loup-garou Ali, but I speak as I was raised to, zis is 'ow people from Galt speak. You are as 'ard for me to understand as I am to you, I am sure," I explain courteously to the gnome-child, trying to speak more clearly and distinctly without sounding as if I am speaking to a simpleton, before addressing the question from the shaven-headed man.
"Ze Skinsaw Man is 'ow he introduced 'imself: 'e is a ghoul - or more properly a ghast: a ghoul leader 'oo reeked of evil. I think 'e 'as not been one for long, 'e still wears ze finery of a 'uman nobleman, and 'e acts ... quite deranged, to be 'onest, 'e is obsessed wiz zis 'Wind-streaker.' Ze pack 'e commands is at least still 'alf-a-dozen strong, but zey are normal ghouls. Zere was a gigantic ghoul-bat in ze caverns below ze 'ouse," I smile grimly, "but not any more. In any event, 'e does not command any magic or other supernatural powers ozer than I would expect of a powerful ghoul zat I could see. Ze same ... may not be true of zis 'ouse: I 'ave sensed an evil presence 'ere since my arrival, an awareness zat watches and broods. Regardless, it is my intention to confront both ze Skinsaw Man and 'is pack as soon as may be. If it is your intention to accompany me and exact retribution, zere is justice in zis: 'e 'as rejected any chance of redemption, I warn you we 'ave no choice but to attempt to end 'is existence, for ze sake of zose zat yet live."
I pause in thought a moment.
"Zer is perhaps one ozer 'oo can answer our questions - I 'ave been 'ere sometime, and I am aware zat I was not alone for zat time. I can sense a soul of great anger and rage, and I 'ave 'eard 'er cries of anger and despair," I point toward the other corner of the attic, to the north of us.
Romon stands and stares. This beauty becomes more interesting with every word that leaves her lips. He slowly puts things together.
"The Skinsaw Man could be his Lordship. They both have a pack and a fixation with Muchorak. Esteriande, could you show us the way to him?"
Your conversation is interrupted before Esteriande can respond by a blood curdling screech that seems to come from the room next door.The screeching subsides into sobbing, a sobbing which rises in volume until once again it is a wailing inarticulate howl of despair and anger.
I wince at the cry from the other room.
"Alors, she 'as been wailing like zat all night and all day, but I cannot get from 'er anyzing useful. Zer is a puzzle zere we must unravel before we go below, I zink," I turn to the speaker, a handsome half-elf who's name I still do not know.
"Mon ami, if you can 'elp me deal with 'is pack I can show you where 'e is, what 'e is weareeng, what colourr 'is entrails are and 'ow 'e looks wizout 'is 'ead," I tell him very grimly. "'E 'as insulteed my Goddess, and somewhat annoyed me, as you may 'ave gazered."
Ursus and Muchorak both wincing from the wail the Shoanti turns to Romon, "Let us move on, I think there is something pressing beyond that door we must deal with immediately."