Irikar speaks, his voice rumbling more than usual, "And the ashes? Or do we selectively ignore what does not suit us? I will not take your wager, but then, I thought the point of this was to test our abilities and not our luck."
He then nods at Tearyn, "As long as it is not our enemy."
Daimon looks at Irikar "You know naught what happened here. The creature was mist and could sink beneath the floor. You want ash? Burn some paper.
With that Daimon is done with the orc-kin human and enters the room with Tearyn. Looking around the room Daimon frowns. "A dead end seems unlikely. Throne has favored hidden panels on the walls thusfar and this is probably no different"
Irikar stays back, gritting his teeth and reminding himself of the terms of the contract. He sighs, takes a breath, then focuses his will on the area around Daimon.
Irikar casts sift and finds and hidden cubby
Rytara watches the others aimlessly stumble around the room.
She moves in and carefully examines the torture rack and the lantern:
Perception(rack):
Perception(lamp):
Irikar grumbles, "Maybe there's a clue in the cubby, there?" and points.
What cubby?
Daimon will look at where Irikar is pointing.
Daimon will open/remove the door over the cubby, curious to find what's in it and how it pretains to this particular 'lesson'.
the little 5'x5' hidden closet at one time may have housed torture equipment. Currently you see is holds a cowering teenager with a dirty Talingarde tabbard over a chain shirt. It appears he is unarmed and has been crying.
Well, what do we have here.
Reward those who serve you well. Throne... what have you put before us
Daimon studies the boy intently for a moment.
Stand up lad. Who are you? Daimon sheaths his weapon and approaches the boy.
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He is clearly an enemy, we should slit is throat and move on. No time to waste, and he is unlikely to deserve any reward. Rutless death is appropriate. However, Daimon as started down a path, might as well see it through...
Stepping up beside the anti-paladin, Tearyn says:
"Be quick with answers boy, there is little time to chat if we are going to get you out of this intact."
Irikar looks a the boy intently... Detect Chaos
Rytara simply stands back watching the more charismatic members of the party chat with the boy.
The boy stands up, shaking and says, I am Timeon of Balentyne, squire to Sir Balin of Karfield. Who are you are how do you plan on getting me out of this?"
The glimmer of hope has seemed to give the boy a little resolve.
Irikar regards the squire and snarls, "You are in no position to be asking questions, boy."
He looks over at the rack, then turns his expression back on the boy, "Tell all that you know about this place and what comes next."
The boy is clearly intimidated by the rack, but strangely gains some resolve when he realized who you are, "You are the group from Branderscar that Sir Balin and I were hunting! We don't talk to Asmodeus scum like you!"
Irikar looks puzzled, "But you're clearly one of us. It would be a terrible thing for your Sir Balin to see that.", and leans in, casting brand.
Throne has placed everything here for a reason. This is no coincidence. Nothing here has been. Daimon looks over at the torture rack.
Well it seems we know why Thorne has put in a torture rack. Shall we put it to good use? Daimon gives a wicked smile. Sir Balin was the one who originally captured Daimon and it would definitely feel good to take out some revenge on the squire.
Rytara moves up next the the dark paladin.
Quietly she whispers into his ear:
Remember, the First is lord of trickery. While I enjoy torturing young disciples of the sun church as much as the next girl, sometimes honey is better than a hammer. Why don't you see if your lithe tongue can get some useful information before we remove his eyes.
Upon feeling the brand the boy's face drains of all color, "Please take it off. I will tell you whatever you want but promise me you will remove this thing!"
"Sir Balin and I arrived early to Branderscar to see your execution. Sir Balin said he was responsible in part to some of your captures and wanted to see the process through to completion. When we arrived everyone was dead so we set out to track you down. When we made it to town and started knocking door to door, we were suddenly ambushed and I awoke in this dungeon while Sir Balin was fighting a bald man in black robes, a follower of Asmodeus. That man wounded me and I managed to escape as Sir Balin fell. I found this hiding place which the man did not find. "
"I haven't seen much of this place, but I did hear the man talking to a woman while searching for me. He mentioned he mentioned that I couldn't escape because of some sort of metal cobras in a nearby room and that a secret door across from the stairs holds the way out. Also mentioned something called a shrieker would detect any light or movement I made and would draw out the drowned men. "
Alexa stands back and listens carefully remembering what the boy said.
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Tearyn begins asking follow up questions, waiting for a response to each before continuing to try and pull out details.
"Details are essential if we are to escape from this maze." We... not including you...
"What exactly did he say about the cobras... were they in the same room as the stairs?"
"Did they say anthing more about drowned men? What direction were these rooms in? What sort of creature are the drowned men? Or lives may depend on what you can remember." Our lives... yours is already quite forfeit....
Irikar simply stares at the boy as he gives his account, allowing no expression to cross his gaze, and quite content to allow the others to continue the questioning.
Speak true, lad, or the brand is the least of your problems.
He frightfully tells Tearyn that is all he knows and what he overheard.
Mitra has failed you boy. Surely you must see that. Balin was defeated and here you sit in a hole in the wall. Look around you, look at your arm there is a path to your salvation boy but can you take those steps.
The boy yells back, "No No no! You promised, take it off!"
Irikar holds up a hand to the boy to cease his cries, then speaks in a soft tone, "If everything you have told us is true, it will fade after we are free of this." He then pauses, his neutral expression turning harsh once again, "If not.. well.. you'll feel better if we don't talk about that."
Rytara looks at the others before turning to the boy:
I can see your soul. You served Sir Balin, but deep in your heart is festering corruption. You know you wish for power, power you would never have gained serving as a mere page. If you serve the First, the bald man in the black robes will reward you and you shall gain the power to rule over others. You will be able to take the wives of others, you will be able to render whatever judgment you wish. The weak will serve you.
Or you can be weak and follow a dying sun god. If this is your choice, then you should hope that your death is painless, because I prefer hearing my victims scream as the poison and disease slowly eats them from within.
Intimidate:
We still have plenty of time to pass this trial of Thorne's.
Daimon lectures to the boy.
You see the brand as a curse. You seek to mark us. The only thing this mark shows is our strength. For us, it shows triumph. The prison that you sought to contain us we broke free from. Every soldier in it defeated, most of them killed. You can be part of that strength. Surely you don't feel Mitra. He has abandoned you and left you to rot in this basement. Asmodeus can remake you.
Irikar holds up a hand, "Let us not push the lad -- such conversations can be had later when all are safe."
He turns back to the boy, his deep voice steady, "Now, as I said, if your words be true and we leave here safely, the brand will fade..." He looks over to Daimon and adds softly, "...assuming you still wish it to."
His stern gaze turns back to the squire, and his deep voice rumbles like thunder, "However, if you lie to us or endanger us, you will wear it 'til the end of your days." ...because I'll kill you myself.
He snarls, "So, which door is which?"
Rytara simply stands and stares at the lad with her arms crossed. Her face expressionless except that her complete lack of care of what the others may do to the lad is readily apparent on her face.
Despite being big and scary Asmodeus bad guys, and Timeon being a lowly squire of a Mitran faith, he is not intimidated enough by any of you to help you any more than what he has told you he over heard.
So you must make the decision on what to do with him at this point. The only other door you know of is in the prior room that leads to the east.
Daimon says Lets leave him strapped to the rack for awhile while we check out the rest of Thorne's 'lessons' - it might make him reconsider. If not then I for one will take pleasure in the pain that this boy shall suffer for what his master Balin did. Feels like a win/win to me.
Daimon goes over to prepare the torture rack for an inhabitant.