Alsterro checks the immediate area for anything that might ease their crossing as they head back. Planks to give them a better surface to balance on, handholds in the walls/ceiling, etc.
Alsterro's search turns up nothing of further use, although he does remember there was one room the team didn't explore...
Kurth will stow his shield so he can grab hold of the imp with one hand and keep the mithral dagger handy in the other, then head to where the rest of the group is at.
So we take prisoners? Fine by me, but if he causes trouble it'll be on you to clean up any mess that results. Milloy will state before following the rest of the group down the hallway.
As the group makes ready to leave the torture chamber, Milloy notices that the bronze plaque displays the Canteclure family crest and motto. It’s an unwieldy item, about 2-1/2 feet in diameter and weighing 50 pounds, but it could be valuable.
Kurth walks over to the plaque and pulls it from the wall.
"Here, imp, carry this," the big man says, dropping the heavy plaque onto the little devil's shoulders. "That ought to keep him from running off and causing trouble."
Good call, my friend. I don't trust them. Say, imp, I have a riddle for you: I know that devils can't lie, and that demons will do so without a single hesitation. My question is this: are you a demon? Depending on your answer, I will definitely know what you are! My cunning is supreme.
"The All-Seeing applauds the use of magic, no matter its form." Alsterro provides the benediction on Alice. "However, it does seem to me that we do have another option. We could return to the room with the 'prisoners' to see what lies beyond."
The imp rool sits eyes at Jalthan and says:
"We imps are a kind of devil, thank you very much. Not like those undisciplined wretches known as demons."
The team returns to the room that contained the strange prisoner. Alice opens the door and goes inside, again finding only the piece of meat Kurth handed the "man".
The party looks around the room. Milloy locates another secret door, this one in the north wall of the room. He lets Alice check it first, then opens it. There is a narrow hallway behind the door.
In the room at the end of this narrow corridor is a strange metallic contraption of gears and chains. A large lever extends out at a forty-five-degree angle from the front of it.
Hovering above it is a small, roiling cloud of energy that periodically
sends out sparks of electricity into the air or along the chains.
"Either way, he's allergic to these silver knives, so he better behave. Speaking of, imp, why don't you set that bronze down for a minute and go give that lever a pull. Surely you ain't scared of a spark or two - might be the last yer gonna get."
And what is this contraption? I do not believe I've seen anything quite like it.
Alice's dagger clanks harmlessly off the lever.
The imp does as Kurth bids him and pulls the lever. As he does, the cloud of electricity coalesces a bit. It seems to have two sparks suggesting eyes and two long. sweeping arms charged with lightning bolts.
The creature moves as if to attack, and the imp flies away in the confusion.
Initiatives:
Round 1:
Milloy <<
Alice <<
Kurth <<
Creature
Jalthan
Alsterro
Milloy will cast Magic Missile at the strange creature!
"You rat bastard," Kurth says as the imp makes its escape. Cursing, he drops the mithral dagger and draws his greatsword as he shifts to the northeast and hacks down at the sparking elemental.
Kurth slashes the imp, but it manages to flee.
Alice then shoots the elemental with her first arrow, and the second misses. Milloy strikes it with a bolt of pure arcane energy, then Kurth slices through it with his sword. The fight is over just as Jalthan begins opening his lips to begin his song!
One way to find out. Give it a try.
As Alice pulls the lever, she hears the sound of turning gears and a low rumbling from deeper in the dungeon. It sounds liek it's coming form the west, the same direction the sludge trough was located.
When the group investigates, they find that a somewhat wider ledge has extended over the sludge. It is slippery, but does not require an expert to cross.
"Doesn't seem very convenient, havin' to walk all the way over to the cell block to pull a lever just so you can deposit some coin in the treasury," Kurth says as he carefully picks his way across, following the others. "Course, a hallway full of acid ain't all that convenient, neither."
Milloy will follow Kurth across the ledge. It does seem a little odd. Perhaps the treasury wasn't always the treasury.
He sure was. Never trust a demon! ... or was it a devil?
The team all make their way across the narrow ledge in saftey. On the other side, the hallway continues south a short way, tehn turns east. After more than 100', the hall is blocked by a locked door.
On the fourth try, Alice opens the door. It reveals a small 10' by 10' room, with another closed door on the far side.
Hmm, yet another mystery lurks behind a closed door. Alice, care to use your talents once more? Milloy will follow Alice if/when she enters the room to examine the other door.
Alice moves ahead and is unharmed (for the moment, mwhahahaha!). She tries to open the door, but finds it locked tight. As Alice looks at the door, she finds a keyhole that looks very similar in shape to some shiny objects she recently picked up...
"So, that imp do us dirty? Or do you think these fancy pig-stickers will do the trick?" Kurth asks, passing the second mithral dagger to Alice.
Alsterro will scan the room as Alice steps in, looking for anything that would appear to be out of the ordinary.
Alsterro notices nothing amiss, and as Alice tries her dagger, the lock opens easily and safely.
Alice looks into the next room.
A single iron lever protrudes from the wall next to the door in this otherwise empty chamber’s west wall. To the east, a ten-foot-wide hallway curves to the north.
A four-armed metal construct blocks access to the eastern corridor. This clockwork servant stands on three jointed legs. A large, metallic key floats in the air next to the construct. A moment after you enter the room, the construct whirs to life and speaks a pre-programmed phrase in a tinny voice:
"Please present the crest for passage."
Hmmm, so where did that little imp leave that crest, anyway? Someone may want to go retrieve it before something bad happens. Milloy states matter-of-factly. Hopefully its the right crest...
I'll go! Don't worry, I shall return safely. In fact, if I'm not back in five minutes... wait longer! the bard jests.
Jalthan and Alice make their way back to the clockwork servant and show it the Canteclure family crest. The machine steps aside, and allowing the group to pass.
At the end of the next passage is a heavy iron door. Alice looks it over, and finding it safe, she tries the keys from the entry room in the lock. The third key does the trick, and the door swings open! Peeking inside, Alice sees that An area along the south wall is enclosed in a cage of thick iron bars that extend from floor to ceiling. Within the enclosure sit seven black iron chests. To the northwest, the stone wall has collapsed, revealing a rough-hewn tunnel.
Well, what have we here? Milloy raises an eyebrow as the scene unfolds. Perhaps the imp was truthful after all. Milloy will step into the room after Alice, looking at the chests through the iron bars.
Milloy and Alice investigate the caged area. The bars appear far too strong to bend, and there is no door. There are, however, two slots in the floor, one on the west and one on the east of the cage. They look very much like the keyhole that earlier worked with the dagger from the entry room.
Before the team can try the keys, a shambling figure emerges from the tunnel in the northwest. It has a long tongue and teeth, and its pallid skin is stretched tight over its bony frame!
Initiatives:
Combat Round 1:
Alice
Kurth
Milloy
Alsterro
Jalthan
Monster
Milloy points a finger toward the ghoul and a missile of magical energy fires from his fingertip and strikes the creature in the chest!
"Let's not waste time talking this go around," Kurth says, hefting his greatsword. "Well, uh, honor and glory and all that, I guess."
Taking a deep breath, Kurth runs forward, bringing his greatsword high for a powerful blow.
Milloy sends a bolt of energy directly into the ghoul. Then Kurth rushes in, sword flashing. He swings the blade in a mighty arc that fairly splits the creature in half. The monster topples to the ground, utterly destroyed.
Alice blinks before stoppingherself from shooting.
Now that the room seems safe, Alice and Illoy use the mithral daggers in the floor slots. Turning them simultaneosuly like keys, the bars blocking the chests lower into the floor. Alice inspects each chest carefully, finding no traps. None of the keys fit the locks, so she takes her time and picks each one carefully.
As she does, the size of the hoard becomes staggering, and the party spends the next two hours counting the loot. You find the following treasure: 18,500 cp, 4,000 sp, 115 gp, 14 pp, and a teak case containing 30 gems. The gems and case are worth a grand total of 800 gp.