The prisoners, so grateful for their tormentor's defeat, begin talking all at once, but eventually you get the stories straight. Cabbagehead was the main person they saw, as he was in charge of feeding them and (very rarely) cleaning the cells. Sometimes various derro would drop by to deliver instructions to him or (ominously) take measurements of the prisoners. They all match the descriptions of ones you've already fought.
Only two people sound unfamiliar to you. One is a man who can only be Rolth Lamm himself, a sneering and contemptuous fellow who would sometimes drop by to inspect new "stock", never addressing the prisoners directly and treating them more like cattle, but clearly enjoying the sight of their misery nonetheless. Rolth hasn't been seen in several days, and they have no idea if he's currently down here.
The other, however, most certainly is around, or at least was an hour or so ago. This is a derro named Vreeg, and he seems to be the one who runs this place in Rolth's absence. Even Cabbagehead feared him, as he would frequently threaten and berate the massive hulk with vivisection and other ghastly fates should he step out of line.
Vreeg is certainly a necromancer of some power, as the prisoners tearfully describe having him select one of their number to be taken away on a couple of occasions, and then seeing them sometime later enter the room as a shambling zombie, to deliver another prisoner into the pits.
Shaeda turns to Searok, "friend, if we encounter the necromancer, I shall place a spell of silence on you. Get right up on the creature, and ensure that it gets no chance to cast a spell."
Searok smiles at Shaeda. I'll get right up into his face an' punch 'im in tha nose!
Searok will help get all the prisoners out of the pit and unceremoniously kick Cabbagehead into it.
Stay there an' starve, ye wretch!
Once the prisoners on on there way to safety, he'll lead the group onward.
Once pulled out of the pits (and reassured that the way to the exit is clear), the overjoyed prisoners embrace their rescuers and offer profuse thanks. Obviously, being dressed in rags and half starved, they can't offer you a reward, but one young woman in particular named Tiora promises that she will find a way to thank you properly before departing.
From here the only remaining direction to explore is north, and you soo come to a closed wooden door.
Taking a moment to dig in her bag and pull out a small pile of gold coins, two for each of them. "It is not much all things considered but it should help."
”We strike the derro hard, and with that silence spell, right?”
Makall ponders the information. A necromancer was not to be trifled with and he hoped the others realized this.
Shaking her head no, "We should tend to him but we are, or at least I am, rather depleted and tired. We could rest up and come back a little better prepared. Possibly with some help. Maybe we could get the guard to set up around here and make sure he doesn't leave."
The prisoners graciously accept Emma's charity, as they haven't eaten properly in some time.
”Oy! Ain’t none of us as rosy as we was this morning, but iffin we leave now, that bastard be getting away and making a hidey hole elsewheres. I say ‘tis now or never!”
Perhaps there is a place we can hole up in ta make sure da bastard doesn't escape while Emma rests. Searok offers. He wants to be sure Emma is prepared, but he also wants to punch the necromancer in the nose!
”What are the odds this is the only way out of there? If so, we could lock it in there until we are ready.”
Rubbing her face and groaning, "I doubt this is the only way out and yeah leaving him could go bad."
Pulling her rapier back out with a sigh, "I guess lets go."
Searok looks at Emma skeptically, shrugs and leads the party onward.
Searok opens the northern door.
The nauseating mixture of decay and strange chemicals fills the air of this large room. Glinting saws, pliers, long stitching needles, and other surgical equipment are organized on shelves and benches along the walls. A sturdy wooden table in the center of the room supports a large humanoid shape—a thing stitched together from a patchwork of dozens of different bodies. The thing would stand nearly seven feet tall if it rose. Luckily it appears to be in no fit state to do so; whatever foul work is being performed on this amalgamation of bodies, it is incomplete.
The head of the project is strangely small for such a hulking frame; on closer examination, it is fresher than most of the body parts as well, and bears Shoanti tattoos.
There are two exits to this room apart from the door you came through. A tunnel continues on to the north, and a short passage to the southwest leads to an open door, with bookshelves visible beyond.
Searok will look at the head. Is that the head of the one we are lookin' for? His Da sure is gonna be angry if it is!
Searok will take a look in the open room so nothing sneaks up on the others while they examine the body.
Peering through the open door, Searok sees no signs of a threat in the room beyond. This is a library, with two freestanding bookshelves, filled with carefully arranged books and scrolls.
Grimacing at the ghastly sight, "We should take the head back. Maybe it won't be able to attack us without a head."
Makall stands quietly and casts the minor divination to determine the auras on any items in the room.
Makall spies three magical scrolls among the shelves. The collection itself may have some value to one with macabre tastes, as it seems to largely consist of books on anatomy, decay, and diseases.
"An interesting selection of tomes. Better removed then left here." Makall gathers the books he can carry into his backpack. He turns his attention to the three scrolls in the shelf, "Let us see what these creatures wrote upon these parchments."
Makall recognizes a scroll of Identify and one of Command Undead, both Arcane.
Searock will delicately sever the head from the creature. There! That will keep whatever this is from gettin' up an' walkin' away with the head! He will then lead the others into the next room.
Shaeda stays right up with Searok.
Searok leads the way north. This is a rather bare bedroom, which looks like it's used when necessary but not actually lived in. There is a four-poster bed, a simple writing desk, and a full-length mirror propped against the wall. Other than that the room is bare. Searok sees a knife on the desk, but before he can get a good look at it he hears a voice.
"Puke and pox! Vermin and vomit! Move, you damned-GRRR. You there, get me another onyx from the box, this one's cracked! Hurry it up, you rotting bag of flesh!"
A low groan in response, and then something shuffles in from the east.
Death changes a man, certainly. The flesh is greenish and hangs off the bones, the gut has swelled, a few patches of scalp have been scraped away to reveal the bone beneath.
But none of this hides the features of a man who has visited Searok regularly in his nightmares since childhood. This is the sad remains of Gaedren Lamm.
Searok growls in anger, I didn't kill ye the first time, but I'd be happy to kill ye this time! He says as he attacks Lamm.
Zombies are slow of both wit and reaction, so the thing-that-was-once-Lamm is unprepared to be struck by a ballistic dwarf, and staggers under the blow.
The voice within the eastern room is revealed to be another derro, presumably the Vreeg you were warned about. He's standing over a low table, on which a disembodied arm and torso lay, twitching slightly.
"...Eh? Damnation!"
He spins around, raising a wand in one hand, and the other reaching for something in his pocket.
Groaning at the sight and trailing behind Searok.
Vreeg, seeing that the undead Lamm won't keep these intruders from him for very long, rips a patch off his robe and throws it down. It swiftly assembles itself into a skeleton. He then backs further into the room.
Searok ignores Vreeg and continues to wail on Lamm.
Shaeda moves up to Searok, and tries to trip Lamm.
Disarm, Trip
She is prepared to Bodyguard Searok.
Shaeda gets the satisfaction of ruining Lamm's day one last time, as she successfully knocks him off his feet. Searok smacks him again with his hammer, but his zombified flesh is rather impact-resistant.
Makall begins the incantation to call more help from beyond.
Undeath has robbed Gaedren of the cunning he had in life, and he fights clumsily, trying to club Searok with his dead limbs.
But thanks to Shaeda getting him on the floor, it merely rattles Searok's chain shirt.
Staring past the sort of returned Lamm and groaning at the skeleton. Pointing a finger at Vreeg, "We will be with you in a moment."
Vreeg shudders as the magic washes over him, but manages to resist.
"And for that, my pretty, I'll have your empty skull for an ashtray! Get them, you bag of bones!"
Vreeg casts a spell and fades from sight.
The skeleton has raised a hand to strike, but suddenly finds no sign of the necromancer. It turns its attention to the nearest living being its senses can detect and walks passed the zombie to swat at Emma, but misses.
Shaeda moves 5’, so she can protect Emma and Searok. She attempts to trip the skeleton...
Disarm, Trip
The skeleton clatters to the ground.
Meanwhile, Makall finishes his spell.
Searok doesn't care about Vreeg or the skeleton, all his rage is focused on Lamm.
Makall quickly reacts as he alters his summoning spell when he watches the derro vanishes. Reaching out along the bonds he shared with each of his allies he finds the answer.
As the spell nears completion he drops to one knee placing his palms upon the cold stone floor.
"Find him Granijor and Ablaszar and punish him for his crimes..."
From his hand two objects begin to move through ground locating the derro. As they find his location they spring from the floor and attempt to pummel him with their fists.
Makall watching the dwarf go into a blind rage against what once was Lamm he turns his palm in the direction of the monster and lets loose a near white flame.
Makall's minions burst out of the ground and swing their rocky fists at seemingly empty space. The lack of distressed noises from the invisible derro is disappointing, but their positioning reveals where he must be standing.
Makall himself has more luck, as his ray of heavenly fire strikes Lamm, searing his moldering flesh.
Searok's hammer likewise finds its target, and he brings it down on the skull of the prone zombie, cracking it in two. Gaedren Lamm's evil meets its second end.