"Well, I would like an answer on why there's all these monstrosities and traps throughout the castle. So for moral reasons."
She looks back at the idol, as she states "However, I do think we could discuss that over some hot food and a glass of wine, too"
The idol is like put together from two parts and then bound in adamantine. The bindings are either welded together by a really talented smith, or with magic. There is no way to open it without destruction.
"Hmm, any ideas on how to open this, count?"
"That would be better." Caromarc replies with a weak voice to the first question and to the second "I'm afraid not."
Herm looks around the room for anything to help them open up the Iron Maiden.
There are no usable tools around. Those tools that were here are destroyed, but even about that is nothing that would have been good for this task.
Jominda ruffles through her backpack and produces a crowbar, handing it to Herm. "Maybe that would work?"
Herm takes the Crow bar and tries to wedge it in.
Herm crams the crowbar with force into the tiny gap at the side of the idol and leans on the tool with all his might. It takes some time, but eventually the binding tires and the metal rips apart.
Waxwood is overjoyed to see his master freed from this prison. But the sight of Count Caromarc is sobering. Dehydrated, starved, his face sunken in, hardly able to keep standing upright. He looks like a picture of misery.
Kendra moves forward to support him. "We should get him back to the second building somehow, where the food and drink stores were."
"Yes, food sounds good. But how get him there? He is in no condition to move over the narrow path or that rocking bridge." Jominda replies.
She looks at the count, and then back to her friends. "I can bring the count and herm there in a minute or two, free of risk. Would you two mind flying there?"
"I'm afraid I won't be able to bring the homonculus too." she says, always thinking of those others might overlook.
"That little guy is flying all the time. We can take him along." Jominda approves of Kendra's plan.
Kendra prepares a spell in just under two minutes, and then puts her book away. "Ready to go Herm? Count?"
The count nods.
Jominda would be interested to search the remains for interesting stuff but looting the place in front of the count feels wrong. "We'll meet you there again." she tells Kendra and with her wings buzzing she raises into the air on her way to the manse.
Kendra takes Herm and the count by the hand, and focuses on the manse. They suddenly appear in the same area they four of them had dinner not a few days ago.
"You keep an eye on the count, Herm. I don't want any funny business, and I don't fully trust him yet. I'll go get us something to drink and eat."
"I am yes." Herm nods his agreement.
Herm will move a recliner chair out into the dining area for the count.
"So tell us how all this came about." Herm sits down with hammer close at hand.
Jominda arrives a few moments after Kendra at the back door of the manse. Entering the dining room through the secret door she greets Herm. "Tell me, how was it to be magically moved here? Flying is really amazing, but that seems to be even cooler!"
"It is slightly disturbing, you go upside down and your insides come out to greet you before they go back in just before you arrive." Herm says with a straight face.
Jominda's face slowly contorts into a disgusted expression, with her tongue sticking out. "That's awful!"
Herm looks at the Count and Kendra winking at them when Jominda is not looking.
"Count can you tell us what happened here?"
Kendra, having just overheard the question and Herm's answer as she returns to the room with some drinks and some light food, really needs to try not to burst out in a giggle over Herm's joke.
While not bursting out laughing, her face contorts with the attempt to keep from giving Herm's bluff away.
"Is something wrong with you? Didn't your innards all go back in?" Jominda asks seriously concerned about Kendra.
"Do you know the whispering way?" Count Caromarc asks.
"Maybe in my travels with Professor Lorrimor." Herm says really finally looking at the count, "I can mend some of your wounds with my Magic."
66/66 HP
Atk +14/9 Dmg 2d6+10
Pwr atk +12/7 (2d6+16)
Smite +14/9 (2d6+22/28 if evil or undead)
Smite 3/3
LoH 5/5 (3d6)
Wand CLW 50/50
Potion of CLW 1
Potion of CMW 5
Channel 2/2 (4d6)
Divine Bond (angelic) 1/1
Inheritor's gauntlet 1/1
Bless Equipment - 1 use of Channel for 4 rounds
Herm lays a hand on the Count. "Inheritor allow me to heal the wounds of this man so as we can know more about this Whispering way and the transgressions that took place here."
"Thank you." the Count tells, looking much better already.
"Some agents of the Whispering Way, a mage named Vrood came here. He invaded my castle with his entourage put me in that idol and set the monster free."
"The whispering way? My father was all over those guys." Kendra says, her burst of near-laughter almost forgotten in her eagerness to learn more. She rushes to the table where she quickly places the drinks and food.
"He thought they might've been involved in raising the dead around Ravengro."
"Yes, that sounds like them." Caromarc agrees.
"What brought you here? Are you pursuing them?" he asks.
"It sounds like we may have too"
"Indeed it does. What brought us here, though, is an invitation by a creature we know as Thomas, an intelligent flesh golem." Kendra explains.
"Thomas?" the count inquires. "Where did you meet that golem?" the Count asks half curious, half suspicious.
"He was captured in Lepidtstad and put on trial for crimes he did not commit." Kendra says. "We managed to exhonorate him."
Kendra leans back in her chair. "But I believe the questioner and questionee roles have been reversed. I am very, very eager to hear your explanation on all the gruesome things we've seen on display at the buildings leading up to the tower, the presence of these flesh golems, and, for example, the lady in the tank at the tower's top."
"Well, I have a large collection of curiosities and have some crafted guardians as well as an experiment on how to create them or two." the count explains.
"The woman in the room where you found me though is my deceased wife." Caromarc admits with a sad face.
Kendra frowns in thought. "What happened?"
"She died many years ago in childbirth." Caromarc replies.
"I am sorry for your Loss count, so this mage Vrood, do you know him personally?" Herm detects evil on the count
"Only from the encounter when he invaded my castle." Caromarc answers.
"Why... Why is your wife still in the tower?" Kendra inquires.
"I haven't given up on getting her back yet." Caromarc replies looking at Kendra blankly.
"Alright, let's go back to Thomas. You seemed to recognize our description of the intelligent flesh golem?"
"He isn't here though, he said he would meet us here." Herm says
"You mean the beast of Lepidstadt, right?" the Count sighs.
"Yes I recognized it from your description. We couldn't have kids for a long time and it should have been the son we never had. My wife didn't like the idea once she saw it. Called him a beast and told me to get rid of it."
"How did you meet the beast? And why do you call it Thomas?"
"A name can have a profound effect on a person. Tell someone they are stupid often enough and they start to believe it. Be called a beast often enough and you start to act like it. Thomas is no beast though. He may not be the most... handsome... but he has a good heart."
"He seemed upset about things in Lepidstadt, he was blammed for many things which he could never emotionally do." Herm thinks a bit, "He does have a great love of children"
"He is called Thomas, because I named him as Thomas. It looks like it never appeard to you to name your creation, even though you know he is a sentient being." Jominda scolds the Count.
Kendra just stares at the count with a sad look. Her companions have said everything she wished to say about the matter, and she feels for Thomas, having been raised to a family that never wished for him, and even sent him away.
The Count looks down. "You're right. That wasn't one of my better decisions. I shouldn't have created him. And after that I should have taken better care of him."