Uther's reckless assault misses its mark completely.
Ellery follows in the steps of Uther, but stops short of the choke point that Uther and the Doctor have created.
Andrea, now free from her cell, holds onto the keys and looks around the room for clues on how they got there, hints on where her holy symbol might be, and an exit.
After that, she will walk up by Ellery.
Byvalson shifts to the other side of the bars, and stands shoulder to shoulder with the Elf Rogelio, the "operating" table to his right.
He searches his hazy mind for answers regarding the nature of beclothed monster at the end of hall.
In the next room you see a broad chute that extends diagonally through one of this cellar's half-crumbled stone walls. Beneath it, lies heaped more than a dozen mutilated humanoid bodies. Nearby, a flight of rickety, wooden steps climbs toward the high ceiling-an escape none of the room's current occupants seemed capable of employing. The smell of rot and decay in the room is nearly overwhelming, and the buzz of flies hangs in the air.
The doctor quickly runs into this room , climbs the morbid pile up and into the chute out of sight.
Andrea spies the sacks near the door where Uther now stands and can see that they contain any light weight valuables (obviously magical items, potions, holy symbols, spellbooks, money, etc.) from your starting gear. Your weapons, armor, and other mundane gear are not in sight from where she stands.
All of the bodies here are dead, many of them are wearing the same plain white buttoned doctors coat that the doppelganger was wearing. One of the body's face is bashed open exposing a partially eaten brain. A bright eyed weasel pokes his head out of the eye socket and chi-ruips happily at Byvalson. Further inspection of the skull reveals that it has collected 15gp worth of stray coins and cheap jewelry. A large storage chest under the stairs contains the rest of your starting gear.
Rogelio begins getting his gear together, twirling his curved elven blade.
"Suit up friends. I fear that this is not the last we've seen of this doppelfiend. My name is Rogelio and only together can we survive this nightmare."
“It was a doppelgänger, and I would prefer to not still be here when it returns.”
Andrea retrieves her holy symbol and places it around her neck ( it is mounted on a sturdy necklace chain).
She signs to Ellery: “Do you talk, or is this the only way to communicate with you.”
As Ellery starts going through bags collecting gear he flashes some hand signs back to Andrea.
and am quite happy that someone here can actually communicate.
If you could relay my name to the others, though feel free to call me El.
The sides of Ellery's mouth twitch in what is probably a happy smile, as he pulls some tools from one of the bags. Followed shortly by a dagger. He also picks up a rapier, shortbow, and some arrows from the chest. Finally pulling out some leather armor, which he quickly squirms into.
Byvalson reaches down and a flash of fur runs up his forearm and jumps onto his shoulder.
The weasel, perched on the slim shoulder, pans and quirks his head while examining the other persons in the room.
The elf bends down and carefully gathers up his stock of possessions into a sturdy looking leather pack. He carefully shakes out a skull's contents of coins and trinkets into a side pocket.
He leaves for the room with cells to change into his scholarly robe as well as into a pair of leather boots. The weasel nestles itself into a satchel hanging at his side, peering out to look behind him.
He organizes crossbow bolts into a pocket and makes sure the light crossbow is easily accessible.
Andrea dons her armor, buckler, and collects her weapons.
She signs an affirmative to Ellery.
“This is Ellery. He doesn’t seem to talk much, but he seems on the level.”
She doesn’t respond to Byvalson.
Andrea's holy symbol is a small mask, its right side stark white and its left side deep black.
Ellery looks around the room and at the others and signs to Andrea.
Andrea signs back to Ellery.
Are there any windows that we can see, or any natural light?
In common: “We should get out of here. Maybe we will find some clues about how we got here.”
Having geared up Rogelio takes his time to carefully search the rest of the room.
Looking around the corner Rogelio sees a cold, iron furnace its four-foot-square door gaping half open. Nearby sprawls a heap of gory cloths and other dubiously flammable trash.
Rogelio thoroughly searches the trash and finds a masterwork viol sans the bow. Inside the viol is a strip of parchment which bears the name Auseil. Inside the furnace he notices several scorched humanoid bones, easily from a half-dozen bodies. Looking up in the furnace he sees ducts going upwards that a medium or small sized creature could climb with little difficulty .
"Say hello to my little friend," says Byvalson in common while lifting his hand up to the duct.
A furry blur shoots up into the duct.
Faint scurrying can be heard fading away upwards into the duct.
"He will explore to see if there's an available avenue of escape above us so maybe we don't have to trace the foot steps of the butcher moonlighting as a gaoler," Byvalson continues to explain in common to the room.
El paces back and forth, constantly watching the chute that the Doctor scurried up as well as where the weasel went. Keeping a vigilant watch for the return of the weasel.
Uther Don's his chainmail and plate armor at first opportunity. He breathes an audible sigh of relief upon finding his weapons intact.
Rogelio puts the viol away carefully and thinks carefully about the name, plumbing the depths of his mind for any remembrance.
Byvalson feels his familiar climbing upwards and begins to looking around the area while detecting magic and examining the freshly armor cladded warrior knight.
"Hail knight, what be your name and calling?" Byvalson says to the manling who doesn't have his mouth sewn shut.
Coubain the tiny least weasel jumps into the furnace duct and tries to scurry up but he's unable to brace himself against the two sides making the climb much more difficult . He falls into the soot below sending up a cloud of dark ash.
Byvalson detects no sources of magic in the room. While Rogelio remembers nothing about the mysterious viol or the word Auseil.
Turning around and coughing quietly into the crook of his elbow, he shakes the weasel gently to remove the soot.
Casting a glance to the floor, he raises up the weasel to the chute again.
"Scurry up there proper this time, don't be mischievous Coubain."
The scholarly elf looks up the chute with a squint, willing the familiar up.
Rogelio shows the viol and parchment to the group and asks "does anyone play or recognize this name?"
Andrea looks at the violin carefully, then at the name on the parchment.
Realizing her brain is still a bit foggy and she can’t recall anything about the name or viol, she goes over to investigate the stairs.
Through the familiar bond Byvalson tries to feel if his familiar sees, senses, or scents anything suspicious or dangerous.
"The instrument nor name stir no recognition in mine eyes or knowledge, Rogelio."
El shrugs at the Viol and parchment, then looks at the chute where the weasel went up. A quick snap to get Andrea's attention then he signs.
Uther gives his name to By also. While examining his blade, he states that his calling simply to serve. Satisfied, he sheaths his longsword and hefts his Warhammer.
After a couple of rounds the weasel hurriedly climbs back down the chute and plops again into the human ash and scorched bones.
Meanwhile Andrea inspects the stairs. After testing the first couple of steps they creak in protest but hold fast. After the first landing though she sees that a wall has collapsed in on the stairs blocking the rest of the way up.
Byvalson leans down and dusts of his familiar and returns Coubain to his satchel.
With a furrowed brow he says, "My familiar Coubain sensed danger above in the duct while performing reconnaissance. How shall we proceed?"
Byvalson turns around, sweeping the room with his gaze, and gives a nod to those present.
Rogelio looks around a bit annoyed at the options and says "Can you send your friend up the chute too, to see if the good doctor is in?"
Andrea signs back to El.
To everyone, in common. “The stairs are a no go. There was a collapse a little ways up, so we will need to take the chute or the stovepipe. I’m leaning towards the chute, and I feel a lot better with my weapons.”
*Taps her short spear lightly against her buckler*
With a grimace and a grumble, "I'd rather not send such a diminutive companion down the path took."
Byvalson shakes his head and adjusts the familiar satchel, brushing a hand across the hardened leather protecting his familiar.
Uther gestures with his warhammer towards the chute used by the Doppelganger.
"Follow me, friends, and stay close. I think this way is best. Better the enemy we know."
The party climbs the mound of corpses to the chute 8 feet above the ground. From there its a slightly more difficult climb up as you brace yourselves between the walls of the chute. Its easy enough even for the weakest and encumbered to make the climb. At the top of the chute is a metal door which opens with little effort.
You emerge into a small room empty except for the scabby stains leading from the only door to chute in the floor. You hear only the sound of your breathing and heavy rain. Cautiously you peak through the only exit. You see trampled flowerbeds smeared and squashed across a muddy courtyard. On all sides, stark gray walls climb towards a narrow gap of sunless sky. A familiar yellow mist sinisterly drifts over the walls pouring over slightly into the courtyard. As the rain falls it sizzles and boils, touching a drop scalds your skin.
A shed-like structure to the southeast lies collapsed and fallen, while walls to the north also obstruct your path. The only exits are a door to the east and the way you came. Your friend is no where in sight.
Andrea scans the courtyard carefully.
“I’m not going back down the hole, so let’s see if we can get into the door.”
Andrea moves to the door to the east and checks the door to see if it is unlocked.
Byvalson dry coughs quietly while considering the statement lingering in the astringent air.
Shifting from foot to foot he loads his light crossbow and plucks a piece of wool with his dominant hand, bringing both to bear on the door.
HP: 7/7 Coubain HP: 3/3
Shift (Su) Swift Used: 4 Daily: 7
Detect Magic Standard
Read Magic Standard
Daze Standard
Grease Standard
Unseen Servant Standard
Color Spray Standard
Bolts: 20
El raises an eyebrow at the rain and shakes his head. A quick flurry of hand signs followed by a muffled chuckle.
Ellery looks around for anything that may work shield the group from the rain.
Rogelio holds his blade at the ready "I suggest we continue moving lest reinforcements arrive."
Uther nods in agreement, readying his warhammer.
Everyone goes through the wrecked courtyard as quickly as possible, trying their best to avoid the boiling rain.
The door opens and beyond is a rubble strewn hallway, broken lanterns and battered doors line the cold stone walls. To the south, a pair of swinging doors lies shattered upon a 3-foot-high heap of wrecked furniture clogging a broad doorframe. Lanterns flicker beyond the ramshackle barricade casting shadows in your direction down the hall.
From across the barricade you hear someone yelling "Whoa, There! We got more here!" She trains a crossbow on Andrea and demands, "Stay back!
Rogelio waits to move swiftly through the door once it is opened.
Rogelio, now having moved swiftly through the doorway, looks down the hall, squints and says "More? More what? We just escaped from some cells and have no clue where we are, how we got here or significant bits of our past memories. Surely this is some sort of nightmare realm where the sky rains acid and noone is what they seem."
He also sheaths his blade.
Uther lowers his shield and warhammer.
Please, point that away We mean you no harm. Perhaps we could help each other?
Andrea lowers her buckler and spear carefully and deliberately.
We mean you no harm. We (motions with her hand towards her companions), don’t know where we are, and we have only fuzzy memories of anything before the past <however long it has been since we woke up in the cells>. We’re seeking refuge from the fog and burning rain.”
“Can you tell us where we are, and what day it is.”
Byvalson holds his light crossbow down at his left side, the strands of wool in his right a small comfort.
"There's only truth in their words, please entreat with us."
Ellery stands to the side with his bow handy, ready to fire an arrow and use Uther as a shield.
After a tense couple of seconds a man arrives crossbow in hand. "I don't want to shoot you folks but without proof that you're not one of the shapeshifters that overran the asylum we can't let our guard down." He thinks for a moment, "Bring back a few dead doppelgangers, then maybe we'll rethink whose side you're on." Its obvious from looking at the two that they are weary from lack of sleep and stress.