Takumi searches for the source of the sound he heard a moment ago as the rest of the party lowers themselves into the room. As Mitchell descends, the light from his sield casts illumination into the room. As Takumis looks for the source of the sounds, he sees two long giant bug critters emerge from the corner of the room. They make straight for the light...
***ROUND 1***
Takumi
D'Novam
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centipede
centipede
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Gabrielle
Kell
Mitchell
D'Novan and Takumi react before the crawly critters can get anywhere near Mithcell. D'Novan cleaves one of the massive centipedes in two while Takumi cleanly slices the head off the other. The large vermin's bodies twitch as thick ichor seeps from their bodies.
Takumi continues to search the area and finds no other threats.
Heh!, not bad for a couple of non professional types! ...
Nodding in approval to the sneak and to the war priest, I search around the room...my battle ax in hand.
I walk by the armored cleric with the nice bright shield.. Say, nice nite lite! I then cautiously move past him, see what l can see pat him.
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I look at Takumi and smile, nodding in appreciation for his fine skills as flick my blade clearing the bug gunk off it, before wiping it clean with a oiled rag.
Well done Takumi and thank you Mitchel for your praises as well as you Gabby...I am sure you will get chance in the coming days to show off your ax skills. Iomeade guide us.
I then walk around the area carefully looking to see if there is any other critters left behind or anything else out of place, or of value for that matter starting in the south west corner and then working my way back to Kell, looking at what appears to be a door, while rotating on my feet to look at Mitchel and Gabby to see what they are up too.
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Takumi nods to D'Novan I am not a fan of bugs, especially the huge kind. I am glad we could make quick work of them. Any of you good at tracking? I am curious if those lizard looking creatures came from down here.
Takumi heads over to the iron maiden and examines the device
This is a strange thing to find outside a torture chamber
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Its a Iron Maiden, a rather awful device used by less civilized cultures to extra information from people...or just as an extreme form of punishment for variety of reasons, to include public sport.
Talking over the device and examining it closely.....
it does seem out of place.....gents, lets take a careful look at it...and then...lets see if it hides anything or anyone inside...never know what you might find..but I have a hunch that whomever took this tower down...and sent out little kobold friends in....wanted something....a device like this could hold a clue and it wont take long...after that...I say we head to the east before looking at the door or window or whatever it is to the south.
Kell opens the ominous iron device and skeletal bones spill over the tower floor, the remains of some poor soul from years past. Kell spots a rusted key mixed in with the old bones.
As the party searches the rest of the room Kell also finds a latched iron case among the rubble in the western wing along with several rusted weapons and ruined fragments of armor.
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Hmm, the bones could be, but no way to know for sure without some form of divine intervention that is past mine or Mitchell's ability....best to take that key and lest have a look at see if that key matches the iron case. We can exume the bones back on th3e way out if we want or send in a priest of the baroness' beliefs to honoer her husban if needed
The key discovered by Kell appears to match the door to the south of the chamber.
Hey, we got a key right? Lets use it....
grabbing the key I walk to the door and I look at everyone... Hey if you boys are afraid just le me know and I will open the door....
tapping my foot and growing impatient.
Gabriell opens the souther door and allows Mitchel's shield to illuminate inside...
Numerous jail cells line these long-abandoned corridors. Each of their solid iron doors hangs ajar, and includes both a peephole at eye level, covered with a piece of sliding metal, and a smaller slot for food and water at floor level.
The corridor stretches out to southeast and southwest.
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Kell grunts and nods slightly upon hearing D'Navon's request to search the other portion of the room before moving into the newly opened area.
I'll have a quick look while Takumi scouts the other room.
After making a quick sweep of the room, he returns to take up a position next to the open door.
It looks pretty clear boss, just more stuff covered in a thick layer of dust. I'll wait here while Takumi scouts unless you want me to take a more direct approach.
The party moves into the chamber to explore its contents. A search of the cells finds them to be unlocked, opened, and empty. Kell notices a curious semicircular stone ridge runs along the ceiling of the hallway. The ridge is about 6 inches across.
Takumi, sneaking about the area, discovers two areas of wall he believes have secret doors, one on each end of the cell area to the east and west.
Shakes my head and then I head after the war priest and his idea nd the Ninja's idea of a "good idea".
Not saying much with ax and shield ready to cut the first wanker that ticks me off.
The party opens and enters the secret door to the west of their location and works their way down the corridor. The discover a few more open cells that hold nothing of interest. They come upon a cell in the center of the southern hall...
As they come upon the central cell a a pale face appears at the door’s window, and filthy hands grip the bars. The man calls out to the group...
“Oh, gods, kind faces! Aroden bless you, noble souls! I ain’t seen the jailers in ages, I think they forgot about us! We ain’t eaten in days and the water’s all but gone—my cousins’re both sick. I swear we’d give back the boar if we could, but we ate it, starvin’ as we was. We didn’t even know it was the baron’s lands, didn’t know we was poachin’! I beg you, we’re all gonna die in here! Kindness, noble souls, we’ve suffered awful! Good Baron Sarvo wills it!”
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Hmm... Takumi rubs at the back of his neck as he contemplates the situation ..this is quite odd. The Baroness said this place hasn't been used in ages and she did not know it's purpose. Someone has been imprisoning people in the Baron's name and this dungeon appears to have stayed active. I don't think poaching is a crime deserving of death. If the jailor has abandoned them, then I say time is served and we let them go.
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Kell listens as the imprisoned man recounts his tale of misery but he continues to keep his defensive position. He looks at the floor near the jail cell door for signs of activity.
He nods when Takumi addresses the group. Having been a captive myself, I empathize with this man but something doesn't seem right. Prisoners are not given multiple days of food and water. I'm not saying the man is lying, it just doesn't make sense.
If we let them go, do we just send them back the way we came or escort them out?
Kell does not notice anything unusual and can tell that the man is sincere, very sincere, in his desire for food and water.
The man greedily takes the food offered by Kell through the slit in the door of the cell, flashing the half-orc the knowing smile of a prisoner gone mad from being held captive too long. The man and food disappear into the darkness of the cell.
The party hears no more sounds coming from the cell after the man retreats from the door.
I look at the prisoners and I shake my head. Sorry, I am not in agreement to release just yet. Something does not feel right.
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Looking t the prisoners I feel somewhat empathetic but I raise my hand and look to Kell and the others shaking my head in agreement with Gabby.
I signal everyone to move close and within earshot of me only, a hand raised for silence.. My Friends, I am very suspicious of these prisoners...as already stated...most men or women can only survive 3 days without water...and since the collapse of the tower...its been over 3 days..that alone makes me suspicious...on top of that...the god Aroden, whom.my god Iomedae. served as a his messenger, was killed...destroyed well over 400 years ago, elevating Iomedae as the inheritor of his followers and to continue his works....let me use my ability to search and detect for evil at least to see what may lie in the hearts of these men before we release them...if they are not deceitful and they can answer a few basic questions...besides not being of a evil heart, then I say we can release them. I personaly plan to ask them what year they think it is, and why they still use the name of Aroden...who sadly...is no more than a fading memory...
I then use my War priest Aura ability to detect evil...taking 3 rounds...concentrating on the prisoners before responding.
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Let's not overreact to a simple situation. Did he not say the water is almost gone? If they have not eaten in days then that would be close to the time the tower fell. If his companions are sick then I would think you would wish to provide them the aid your god has given you the power to share. My concern is more with the Baroness and stating the tower has been unused. The power to pass judgement upon the townsfolk comes from those that rule. She is either an ineffective ruler or she is lying. Perhaps the poor souls can provide us information if we treat them with decency.
The party discusses their next action. D'Novan call upon his divine strength to detect nearby evil and senses an evil presence but he cannot discern more than that at this time.
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She is a woman of power, perhaps she lied, perhaps she even is the one that saw to her husband never returning...but be advised my friends, there is very real, true living evil present in this tower.. I feel it and I sense it. It may even be our Prisoner. Let us go back to him...I want to take a look at him and then concentrate again directly on him to see if I can sense more...as I do so, make sure that the cell is locked..and be prepared for aggressive actions should we need to do such things.
I have no issue to give aid and charity where it is just and right to do so..but I am also a man of the sword and I have seen vile things done in war and even just living in Cheliax that would make your skin crawl...where duplicity and betrayal occurs at every corner on some days unfortunately. The whole scenario here and the mention of Aroden with what I perceive is that man's belief that Aroden yet lives gives me caution where as a if I were approached in the open streets by a hungry child I would most certainly render charity and mercy my friend.
A few moments of cautions is not meant to show I have a cold heart..just a cautious one.
Once returning to the cell I would be ready, and let me friends do any talking as I concentrate again to detect aura/evil again on the prisoner.
The man does not answer Kell's call and the cell remains silent and dark.
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What should we do? Looks as if the guy has retreated to the back end of the cell. Kell, I hope you didn't give him something to eat that was about to spoil?
Takumi looks closely at the lock and then thinks a moment as he instinctively reaches into one of his pouches and produces a few metal tools. He examines the lock once more and then looks back to his tools
This is not a simple lock but I think I can pop it with the tools I have. Should I give it a go or do we come back for this chap later?