"No Beast, we should wait for Drafton. You can kill stuff after the door is open, assuming they're not survivors or you know."
Drafton glanced over at Beast and then at Nova.
"Alright, well let's see what happens here." he said as he tried to open the door.
As Drafton pushes open the door the first thing he notices is the stench of decomposition of humanoid bodies followed by the sharp tang of copious amounts of old blood. The small room was once a storage closest before the western wall collapsed and destroyed nearly all equipment in the small room; however, it did open way to the next room. A long desk, several chairs, a sideboard, and numerous once-stately landscape paintings barricade the door of this somber conference room. A toppled wall opposite the barrier undermines the room’s defenses, a point driven home by the masked bodies littering the ground...
Drafton's stomach turned at the overwhelming stench of the bodies. He coughed violently putting his hand to his mouth while his legs went weak so he found himself leaning in the doorway to steady himself, his body repulsed.
"What... uuuhg." ... but his gaze held
The masking of bodies... such a uniform way to show some small dignity to the deceased... and yet it inspires the imagination of those looking upon them. Who's underneath the mask?
"Chuh huugh. What kind of...?"
Or... wait, am I looking at it wrong? Perhaps it was meant to show the artist's way of shielding themselves from the accusing gazes of those they killed?
"... Monster would do this?!"
Carter blanched at the sight, his stomach turning. He turned around and took a few slow breaths.
"I don't care. I don't need to know what kind of monster did... that. I think I could go my entire life without ever finding out, and that wold be fine."
Nova turns her back to the scene and shudders. She inhales sharp, quick breaths through her shaking hands. "Maybe uhm it wasn't a monster... right? It could have been a natural collapse or something... right Dham?"
Drafton had to step away from the door.
"I was speaking metaphorically. The collapse may have killed some of them... but natural causes and actual monsters don't normally hood their victims. That was done by a someone who put thought and work into their task."
"Maybe the hoods are part of their uniform?"
His curiosity getting the better of him, Dhamiskeanus almost couldn't help himself around the corpses. He slowly approached them, not out of fear or disgust, but almost like a hunter approaching a trapped quarry, a scientist approaching his experiment. He approached with genuine interest and caution, his dagger out in front of him just in case.
He focused his eyes to look for magical auras, a trick he almost didn't know he could do. Still, as he squinted and looked around, shadows melted away.
While Carter, Nova, and Drafton steer clear of investigating the room further, Dhamis steps in to get a closer look. He detects no magical auras in the room, but as he moves forward to inspect the bodies you notice that the bodies appear to be a mixture of patients and asylum staff. Furthermore you notice that the masks are actually makeshift hoods that have been cinched around the necks of the bodies; the hoods consist of shirts, burlap sacks, and sheets. Furthermore you determine the cause of death to be blunt-force trauma; they were beaten to death by a number of different blunt instruments. Based upon the amount of blood splatter on the walls and ceilings and the defensive wounds upon the bodies you can determine this was not a quick or painless death...
"Uhm, any luck there Dham?"
"Certainly not for these poor souls" he sighed.
"They all appear to have been beaten to death, and not just by one weapon, but several. It would seem like mob justice, and they did not go quietly. They resisted, until the end."
With his dagger, he tried to open the makeshift hood on the nearest body.
"I'd watch that." Says Beast.
Nova shivers in disgust.
Still standing well away from the overwhelming stench of decay, Drafton merely comments. "So, there are a lot of them. Let us know what you find, Dhamis. If you really need help, just shout and I'll come." he did not hide his dislike of the idea.
Dhamis removes the hood and sees that it was a male human, possibly an orderly based upon the blood-stained uniform on his body. His hair is matted and caked with dried, congealed blood as the skull is misshapen and soft. Likely his skull was crushed by a heavy blow of some sort or it was beaten into the ground; it is difficult to say. As you manipulate the body it releases some of the decomposition gases that had built up.
Slowly poking and prodding among the bodies, Dhamiskeanus continued to investigate the deceased. It didn't take long for the smell of decay to waft across his nose. While the stench was awful, it combined with the smell of the blood in the room and stirred something primal within him.
"They appear to be the remains of orderlies, people that previously worked here. Possibly killed by those shapeshifters so they could take their places, but to what end I wonder..."
"I have a question... a really bad, dumb question. Do uhm, any of the people... look like anyone we've... met?"
Realization dawned on Drafton as Nova spoke. "That's not a dumb question. That's not a dumb question at all, Nova.
"Dhamis, can you... oh never mind. I'll just go look with him. It'll be easier to tell." Taking several deep breaths, Drafton pulled out a cloth from his bag and held it over his face to minimize the stench from the room.
And he just couldn't get close, he felt nauseous and sick to his stomach and had to stand at the doorway.
"Its hard to tell. They've been smashed up pretty well, quite possibly to conceal their true identities. I'd have to check them all though, to be sure. I don't mind really. I...I think I'm sort of used to it for some reason, as awful as that sounds. I'm no artist though. If we could take paintings of them for reference...I'm sorry, that probably sounded very morbid."
"I wonder if their uniforms may prove of use. They're dirty, filthy really, but a little magic could take care of that pretty quickly...if any of you know the spell."
"Crazy not stupid." Carter muttered. "They covered their tracks."
"So what now?"
"That's not a bad idea Dhamis but maybe we'll let the room air out for a bit. There are some other doorways we can still check. There were the double doors we passe by when we first came out here."
Drafton said, making his way to the northwest side of the room.
"I don't know of any magic that can clean clothes, sorry."
Nova will hesitantly follow Drafton. "Are you guys coming with us? I don't think separating is a good idea here unless absolutely necessary."
Carter sighed and followed. "I keep thinking that whereever we go had to be better than the last place we were at, and i keep being wrong."
None of the faces you see look similar to any other faces you can remember seeing so far. Dhamis, while searching the room, you notice the orderly is wearing a suit of blood-soaked padded armor and has a sap attached to his belt still. You also find scattered among the bodies two thunderstones and beneath the body of the orderly a golden ring you estimate to be worth 150gp.
Where would you like to go next?
Sagging shelves, held together by dust and an extensive system of rolling ladders, ring this library of husky, dull looking tomes. At the room’s center broods a heavily worn table surrounded by uncomfortable chairs. A chandelier of iron vines dangles above. The scents of leather and old paper pervade the high-ceilinged space, but so does a distinct bestial musk. With a quick glance in the room, Drafton you notice that many of the books along the lower shelf along the far have been scattered about along the ground.
Dhamiskeanus's mouth hung open as his eyes wandered from shelf to shelf. He appreciated the library, or what was left of it, until the amount of neglect and disrepair sunk in. "A pity" he remarked, to no one in particular.
He started to walk forward, stopping just shy of bumping into Drafton. "Oh, pardon me" he excused, flushing with a little embarrassment.
Suddenly, the smell hit him. "Oh, what is that smell? Ugh, it's terrible."
Drafton nodded distractedly at Dhamis's apology.
"Hmm, musky. Everyone be on guard, there might be something here. Maybe along the lower shelves."
With an air of caution, Drafton began to move into the rooms around to the eastern side while staying close to the tables.
Carter moved into the room slowly, scanning carefully for anything that seemed amiss.
Nova will spend a moment to cast Detect Magic, which makes her eyes glow a soft blue.
"I really hope its not more of those giant insects, rats, or that other thing from earlier." He said, shuddering slightly at the memory of the large dire rats and the yellow eyed thing that had chased him when he was unarmed.
"Or anything new either," Carter added. "How about if it's just a nice, small, scared dog who wants to say hi and then go back to hiding?"
As the group begins to examine the room, Carter you immediately notice (even from this distance, because of you natural 20!) what appears to be a very small hole in the far wall in the same area where the books are scattered about! Furthermore you hear some faint squeaking and chittering in a language that you surprisingly understand... It seems to be coming from the far, northwest corner on the top of the shelves.
Nova, your spell does not pick up on any magical auras in the area.
"Sounds like a rat is around here somewhere. We're probably safe, Drafton. Nothing magic lingers here."
Drafton flinched at the idea of rats but otherwise nodded at Nova's insistence that they were probably safe.
Relaxing ever so slightly, he made his way further into the room.
"Don't. Touch. The books." Carter said firmly.
He seemed frozen, starting at the corner of the room at a small hole.
"We should get out of here. Now."
"What's the matter, graybeard? Afraid of little rats? Hahaha."
"Considering that I can hear them talking, yes." Carter didn't wait for anyone else. He made to leave the room immediately.
"Talking rats?" Asks Nova as she tilts her head. She then closes her eyes and tries to listen.
He means he heard rats chattering, right? Well maybe not, this place has been strange enough that perhaps he does mean talking.
"I'm willing to believe the possibility he hears that. Either way lets be careful." Drafton said following along behind Carter.
"Alright, if you're sure. Come on, Beast, let's go."
Beast snarls, which is more of a guttural gurgling in his ectoplasmic form.
"Oh splendid. I would not have thought to find such an extensive library in such a place."
For the first time since awakening in this place, Dhamiskeanus relaxed somewhat. Being back in a library made him feel more secure, as if the terrors they had witnessed first hand were no more. The conversations going on around him didn't even register to the big man.
"Oh I haven't seen one of those in years" he remarked about one book.
"Amazing. This one is in the best condition I've ever seen" he remarked about another.
"Do you think anyone would mind if we borrowed some of these? I would be thrilled to read quite a few of these, oh, especially this one" he said as he reached for one book in particular.
As the others make their way for the doors, Dhamis suddenly spots a tome nearby with a marking upon it that draws his attention. Something about it caused a strange, fuzzy feeling in the recess of his mind and without realizing it his hands reached out to brush against the hard, black leather bindings...
Carter felt like the world was sowing down as the horrible words poured fromt he big man's lips. He couldn't turn around in time. He tried to ask why Dham hadn't listened to him. He tried to warn him again about not touching the books. He tried to swear at him.
All that came out was "AaaaaaaaaAAHHHH҉̳͓̥̝H͎̘̯͈͔̳̜H̯̦̹͎̙̲̘H̤͎̬̦̦̜H̨͍͙̖̪̉͑ͨ̌̏̉͗͜͠Ḫ̱̫͇̠̋ͩ̈͒ͨͭ̓͢͟͝ ̯̻ͅH̘̺͎͓̖̰̬͒ͪ̊̌̕͘͡H̴̴͔͒ͨ̓̓"
A strange series of yellowish symbols began writing themselves into the air all around him.
"Dhamis, what are you do- Drafton began to ask with annoyance, but he was cut off by Carter's howling scream. ing?"
Turning around to face the man, Drafton found himself backing into a table as the air filled with strange yellow symbols.
"Carter?!"