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"... perhaps we were not to exactly met someone who met the Mother Maggot, at least consciously... perhaps we should think why there are so many sicks... and why 'they keep coming'... maybe some of those infected here are the ones who become worm zombies?"
~~~~
"Yea, what do they all have? Where do they all come from? And maybe 'Mother Maggot' met someone in a tunnel under the sanctum, and maybe we'll spot the way in when we go back..."~~~~
"...let's... ask questions she can answer like -- 'How long have you worked here in the same Sanctum?', and -- 'Does anyone besides us and Terrill walk out of here alive and well?'..."
~~~~
Mortimer pauses for a second as if listening, then says, "...maybe not that second one. That one could be taken the wrong way."
~~~~
"...yes, I will come too to the Sanctum. I will carry all the bandages and supplies, as well as Eidi. Maybe it's all a red herring handed to us from a really insane ghoul, but another visit won't hurt anybody."
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"I dunno Eidi, I do draw, but mapmaking... wow, that's like a whole other skill. I mean the things they do with all those squiggly lines. Amazing stuff. But I could mock something up if time allows. A sort of general view of the place. Let's see what we learn from the sick-house."
"And yes, let's all go. Mort, you pair up with me and Eidi you go with Sol. Solrisa can heal a few folks and I can heal a few folks, and between the two groups, maybe we'll split Furpotia's attention enough to get some searching in."
"Good let's do that. Let's check what everyone affliction is... let's ask where the ones who do not get back to healthy go..." Eidi frowns expecting trouble with this last question "Any little detail might be a hint that leads us to the source of this worm spawn"
The following day rises to the bustle of the Angry Rifter Tavern, while the Outcasts presumably enjoy their own private breakfast for an hour's time, to enjoy the benefit of the Heroes' Feast.
The weather is brisk as you step into the street, but bright. Not a cloud in the sky for the coastal breezes, and just enough wind to encourage you to turn up your collars, so the cold trickle can't find its way down your backs.
The front door of the Sinner's Sanctum is closed. Also locked, when you try the handle. A knocking on the door, and you are greeted by Furpotia. She squints against the sunlight crossing the threshold, while she holds the door only partially open.
"May I help you? This is a sick house. None of you looks sick. You should go away."
Solrisa smiles at Furpotia.
"Oh hi! It's me, Solrisa," Solrisa smiles bigly. "Do you have any more sick people that need help? I'm very good at helping."
Diplomacy
Furpotia looks over the maiden. "Of course there are sick wards here, but I don't see how that's any of your business. Take your morbid curiosity somewhere else."
"Oh, Miss Furpotia, look!" Mortimer exclaims joyfully as if it was still yesterday evening and they had never parted ways. He holds up the large boxes of bandages he'd brought fresh that morning. "We've come back with supplies!"
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The elderly woman flinches at the sound of her name. ”Do I know you? How do you know my name?” She looks upon the bandages, then back at the giant.
HP = 93/93 +?? temp
Hero Points = 6
Equipped = None
Conditions = Heroes Feast (1/12h), Magic Vestment (+3, 1/15h), Status (1/15h, Eidi, Mort, Sol), Wind Walk (1/15h, all)
Life Link (14)(100’) = Eidi, Mort, Sol
Channel Energy (11/11)(9/9) (DC: 27)(Avoid 8, 35’r, 1/1 swift) (8d6+1+2d6 phylactery)
Amiable Blunder (1/1 if Diplomacy failed by >5, re-roll to avoid worsening attitude)
Rod of Extend Spell (3/3, 6th lvl)
Vest of Surgery (1/1 Heal DC 20 to heal 1d4 ability damage in 1h)
Spellguard Bracers (3/3 Roll concentration twice and take the best result)
Mnemonic Vestment (1/1 Cast spell from a scroll)
Tankard (1/1 Remove Fear), (1/1 Heroism (30min)), (1/1 unbinding to DC 25)
Physician’s Spectacles (1/1 Delay Poison)(Constant: Detect Poison, Diagnose Disease)
Expeditious (3/3 swift +10’ movement)
Melee Attack: BAB +10/+5, Size +1 Damage: +0
Ranged Attack: BAB +10/+5, Dex +1, Size +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 15, Concentration +25)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages,
Zero (18): Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Spark, Stabilize
First (19): (8/8) Cure Light Wounds, Diagnose Disease, Endure Elements, Enhance Water, Liberating Command, Obscuring Mist, Remove Fear
Second (20): (7/8) Burst of Radiance, Cure Moderate Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Light Prison, Pilfering Hand, Protection from Evil Communal, Status
Third (21): (5/8) Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Invisibility Purge, Magic Vestments, Neutralize Poison, Prayer, Speak with Dead*
Fourth (22): (8/8) Blessings of Fervor, Brightest Light, Cure Critical Wounds, Protection from Energy Communal, Restoration, Speak with Haunt*, Terrible Remorse
Fifth (23): (7/7) Air Walk Communal, Breath of Life, Burst of Glory, Cleanse, Cure Light Wounds Mass, Plane Shift
Sixth (24): (6/7) Chains of Light, Cure Moderate Wounds Mass, Heal, Heroes’ Feast, Wind Walk
Seventh (25): (5/5) Cure Serious Wounds Mass, Greater Restoration, Holy Word, Particulate Form
* Caster Level +2
- - -
As usual every morning, Ascaria ensorcels the shields of the party (Magic Vestment ). He'll then watch over his friends (Status ) and refresh everyones Life Link just in case. Also, in this harsh environment, he also casts Wind Walk in case they need to make a speedy get-away.
Later, with Furpotia, Ascaria thinks a moment and suggests, "Ma'am, do you remember Terrill? He had Blister Phage, and we were here yesterday to heal him. Today... we'd like to heal others - if you would be so kind."
"My name is Ascaria, and I am quite the healer, if I do say so myself. Please, let us help you."
His goal is to simply get in the door as yesterday.
Solrisa smiles, though she is very confused. But if Ascaria was going to pretend things were okay, she could pretend too. Somewhat concerned for Furpotia, Solrisa begins to look at her and around with her Dragon’s Eyes.
As usual Eidi protects him with mage armor and delivers a heroes' feast for the party.
---------------------------------
The half-elf looks at the woman worriedly "Are you ok Furpotia? Don't you remember your old friends? We agreed to come today and help with the sick"
Eidi casts extended true seeing with his rod and observes the woman thinking something is amiss.
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Mortimer looks slightly crestfallen when Furtopia doesn't seem to remember the Outcasts, but then his aspect looks thoughtful.
Is it a ruse, like mine? Last night? But I know we're being watched...
"Ut -- auaughh!"
He drops the box of bandages and once again falls to the ground with a resounding thud, eyes rolled up into their sockets, drooling and holding his breath once again in order to appear cyanotic.
Mortimer winces in agony, peeking at Furtopia with pleading eyes.
Furpotia seems to forget altogether that Ascaria introduced himself as a great healer, as the gnome's giant friend collapses in what appears to be a poor state of health.
"Oh, my! Don't stand there, pick him up! Let's get him to a bed."
Those of you observing the elderly woman sense her genuine concern with Mortimer's well-being, in spite of the same ruse failing to find purchase with the keeper of the Sanctum, the night before.
Where only Ascaria was allowed to wander, now the Outcasts as a group are ushered through the locked door to the north, through a privacy curtain, and to the first door on the left, where an empty bed is found for the seizing cyanotic to occupy.
Furpotia turns to you. "Wait here. I'll gather my ointments." She walks down the rest of the hallway, and turns around the distant corner, to the left.
Ascaria slaps Mort on the back once Furpotia leaves, ”Well done. Your acting skills are improving! When she comes back I’m going to try a Heal spell, in the hopes she suffers from some malady or other. Eidi, can you try a Dispel Magic? That should cover the basis if she’s not trying to actively deceive us.”
He waits for her return. While her back is turned to him, ideally while she’s working on Mort, Ascaria will quickly cast Heal and touch Furpotia lightly on the shoulder, ”May I help?” he says as he studies her for a reaction.
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”Oh no, Mortie! Not again!” Solrisa is completely fooled by the ruse. She helps Mort get inside, worried for her friend.
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Mortimer gasps, in between words as well as from the slap on the back, to keep up the ruse.
"I ... I don't think... I mean... I think she's genuinely that forgetful." *GASP* "I'll just lie here ... let her 'mend' me."
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"Mmmm... something is certainly amiss... I don't think this is another person under disguise, my magic would have revealed that" Eidi scans the surroundings with his true seeing "I will try that dispel once she is back Ascaria, meanwhile we perhaps should profit our time to search for any hint about the worms or the source of the sickness"
Eidi starts to register the two immediately accessible rooms.
Solrisa seems content to lie with Mort, worried about him.
”Mort, did you want me to try to help you?” Solrisa asks with concern. ”I’m very good at helping. Or maybe Ascaria can help?” She takes the giant’s hand and pats it with concern.
Eidi takes to the hallway, where he tries to investigate the nearby rooms, while Furpotia is off gathering her wares.
Both doors are locked, but you can hear labored breathing behind both of them, with occasional moans of discomfort.
Furpotia returns within a couple of minutes, a clinking of bottles heard from the pockets of her smock. "Alright, step aside, give me some room."
"May I help?”
As the Canary reaches out and touches Furpotia, the clinking of bottles quiets, as the elderly woman's hand pull a single jar from her smock, the motion of her arm quite a bit smoother than when it entered the pocket.
Furpotia stands a moment, looking down on the jar, and turning to look over each of you, the light behind her eyes brighter. "My. For a moment there, I wasn't quite..." She consciously smiles, and opens the jar, which smells quite ripe, rancid, reeking, and rank, in that order. She moves the upper part of Mortimer's chest, and swishes two of her bony fingers' worth of ointment. She applies it all along the giant's clavicles, then she caps the jar and stands back.
"There. We'll let that sit for awhile. You rest. The rest of you can visit him whenever you'd like. We may know how he's feeling in a couple of hours, so you may also wait in our dining room. I should have some soup for you, if you're hungry."
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Having seen something happen with Furpotia, Ascaria smiles. ”There, do you feel better? You’ve been, well, sick for some time I suspect. Maybe something you caught from a patient. But you feel better now, don’t you,” Ascaria ends in a statement.
”Look, we were here yesterday, and healed one of your very sick patients. Yet today, you don’t remember us at all. So I took the measure of healing you as well. I apologize for the intrusion.”
The gnome bows low before the healer as he lays his cards on the table. Again.
”Our purpose here today is two fold. First, we’d like to help your sick. Would you be so kind as to show us around? Please. Let us help you.”
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Mortimer begins to breathe more normally as a healthier Furtopia smears gunk all over him.
He squeezes Solrisa's hand to get her attention and nods. He points to his chest and croaks "Yes, please... warm sponge bath?" he begs, pointing to his now unholy smelling chest.
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Solrisa nods, concern on her face. She looks around for hot water, hoping others have a source.
"Yes, of course," Solrisa says with firm affirmation and duty. "Of course, Mortie-poo, you just lay back and I'll get you cleaned."
Solrisa moves to find water and a washcloth, even deigning to tear away parts of her own garments to make it so.
"Eidi, can you make warm water?" Solrisa holds out her waterproof bag and using that as a basin for Mort water.
"There, do you feel better? You’ve been, well, sick for some time I suspect. Maybe something you caught from a patient. But you feel better now, don’t you. Look, we were here yesterday, and healed one of your very sick patients. Yet today, you don’t remember us at all. So I took the measure of healing you as well. I apologize for the intrusion. Our purpose here today is two fold. First, we’d like to help your sick. Would you be so kind as to show us around? Please. Let us help you.”
Furpotia frowns as Ascaria explains the chain of events from the day before to today. Yesterday's Furpotia would have likely argued on the spot and dismissed you. Today's Furpotia seems to take in the gnome's words with the interest of a student.
"I am not as young as I once was. And it is true that I don't remember you, if you had visited yesterday. I can show you about the Sanctum, of course, but you must respect the wards' privacy. They can be superstitious, and may not take kindly to a gnome trying to touch them, while their minds fight their illnesses."
"Of course, Mortie-poo, you just lay back and I'll get you cleaned."
"You will do no such thing. The paste must be given time to run its course."
"Come. Leave Morty to rest. The rest of you, follow me." The elderly woman begins to usher you down the hall.
"These rooms host the conscious patients. Your friend is now one of them." She walks down the hallway, until it joins with the hallway to the left. Following it to its end, Furpotia opens the door, and ushers you through.
"This is the main Dining Room . We often try to bring the wards here so they may feel more at ease while they eat. That door leads to a small courtyard to the north , another courtyard to the south . Oh, I will show you the Meditation Room, as well." She ushers you through the southern courtyard, which leads to another couple of doors to the left and right. She chooses the right door.
You enter a very quiet room , with colorful swirls moving languidly along the entirety of the floor.
There's part of the floor that swirls differently than the majority of the floor. It tries to confuse you, tries to make you look away. The square footage would be appropriate for a trapdoor...
Furpotia looks quite pleased in showing the room. "I enjoy coming here in the quieter moments. The colors are lovely, aren't they?" When it looks like you've contented yourselves, she continues through the Sanctum, cautioning you to remain quiet.
"These quarters are our Hospice. The wards here have come to accept their fate, and wait until they pass into the Boneyard, Pharasma willing. Bless their hearts."
Through a common room of no specific purpose, she leads you through a familiar Storage Room , though she remembers not. "There is a kitchen down the hall, if you are wondering."
Arriving back at the foyer, Furpotia turns to you all. "Now, Ascaria, you claim to be a healer. If your friends want to wait in the Dining Room, I can introduce you to one or two of the patients, if you're so inclined today."
Ascaria Creates Water in a nearby bowl for Sol to use, "This might not be the warmest..." he grins.
"Of course, Mortie-poo, you just lay back and I'll get you cleaned.""You will do no such thing. The paste must be given time to run its course."
"Come. Leave Morty to rest. The rest of you, follow me." The elderly woman begins to usher you down the hall.
"Oh fine, c'mon Sol." He tosses some gauze toward 'Morty' so he can clean himself up and follows Furpotia out of the room.
He continues to follow her around, checking out the rather large place. "Very nice place you have here. It's obvious you take good care of your patients."
Arriving back at the foyer, Furpotia turns to you all. "Now, Ascaria, you claim to be a healer. If your friends want to wait in the Dining Room, I can introduce you to one or two of the patients, if you're so inclined today."
"Yes ma'am. Sol here can help too. Take us to your ill."
Shrugging the goo off with the provided water and gauze, Mortimer steals behind the rest -- quietly ducking down every side corridor come across on their way back out, inspecting each turn.
Should he come across something interesting, he'll split from following the rest to further explore.
"Eidi, can you make warm water?
Eidi shrugs to Solrisa "Oh, I am sorry to deceive you, but I know no fire magic. That is natural of temperamental spirits unable to grasp the subtleties of greater magic."
As agreed before, the theurge attempts to subtlety dispel magic on the elder woman.
------------------------
The elder half-elf follows Furpotia along the halls, trying not to fall back. Eidi notices the strangeness on the colorful room "Sorry, what did you say there was in this room?"
Once they are back to the entrance hall the half-elf starts to trace a plan "Mmm... Furpotia, this is a large project you have here at hand, and you seem quite alone on this. How do you get the food and supplies to maintain all this?" Eidi stares at the woman's eyes "You are probably busy all day... it is just a blessing we are here today helping you to take care of the sick. Perhaps you could profit the opportunity to visit the city and make all those herrings you cannot usually do because someone has to stay with the sick... Do not worry, we will take good care of them"
Eidi is blunt, but he leaves the idea for perhaps someone else to put in better words.
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"Oh fine, c'mon Sol."
"Oh, oh..." Solrisa looks torn between wanting to help Mort and going with Ascaria, but eventually realizes that Ascaria is right. She smiles at Mort, trying to explain.
"They were here first, Mort. I need to go help them, and then I'll come back and get you cleaned up. It's only fair. They were here first," Solrisa explains. "It's really important to have an order or it isn't fair. Like with my sister Rae, she got to be first for desserts and cookies, and I got to be first to admit when Rae broke Mum's other mirror. "
Sol gets off her knees and follows Ascaria about.
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"Very nice place you have here. It's obvious you take good care of your patients."
Furpotia smiles politely. "I have come to understand my place in Alhaster, and I will serve."
Mortimer sneaks through the Sinner's Sanctum.
When you arrive in the Meditation Room, you find a strange part of the colorful floor to be a trapdoor. With the rest of the Outcasts keeping Furpotia company, you manage to find the inset in the floor that allows you to lift the door, and you find a ladder of cast iron set into the stone below the Sanctum, which appears to head down a ways, into darkness. You understand that it likely leads into earth, not necessarily a finished basement which should exist no more than 20' down. The echo of your tapping on the ladder indicates that it probably ends more than 60' down.
You find no magics are cloaking Furpotia, nothing that opposes your attempt to peel it from the elderly woman, nothing that dispels with your worthy attempt to do so.
"Mmm... Furpotia, this is a large project you have here at hand, and you seem quite alone on this. How do you get the food and supplies to maintain all this? You are probably busy all day... it is just a blessing we are here today helping you to take care of the sick. Perhaps you could profit the opportunity to visit the city and make all those herrings you cannot usually do because someone has to stay with the sick... Do not worry, we will take good care of them."
Furpotia chides Eidi. "You are presuming I'm the only one to attend the wards here. That is untrue. I am visited regularly by the Pharasmans, who retrieve the bodies for me, when a ward passes away. There are still others who bring groceries and fresh linens, as a gesture of charity, while I wait for the Prince to deliver a goodly amount of potions of Cure Disease. They should arrive any day now. No, my place is here, for as long as Asmodeus deems my service necessary. I would be insulting the sick and their families were I to abandon the Sanctum."
"Yes ma'am. Sol here can help too. Take us to your ill."
Furpotia motions to the three before her, assuming that Eidi is also capable of contributing to the Outcasts' healing abilities. You pass through the main Dining Room, arriving back at the hallway which host two doors onto private bedrooms. The elderly lady opens two doors, and bids you examine the patients inside.
One man sits on his bed, reading a book. He looks up, and sets his book down to engage those in his doorway. "And who do we have here? Is it already time for my treatment?"
Furpotia leans across the threshold. "These are volunteers, Willis. They have come to the Sanctum to offer their healing services."
"Ah, alright. I am feeling better. Perhaps their talents are best applied with the others?"
The second man lies prostrate, resting. When the door is opened, he is unperturbed, and still slumbers.
The sleeping man has Leprosy, while the bookreader Willis is clean of disease or poison.
"You know... I think I will better wait here... I am not sure I can help with the sick either way..." Eidi dismisses the invitation to follow, but when the woman turns he quickly whispers some words of arcane power and casts telepathic bond on both his colleagues.
There is something weird in the colorful room. I think that might be a trapdoor. Try to maintain her entertained for a while. I am going to check
Once he is sure the woman has left, Eidi goes back into the resting room, then takes the corridor and follows until the colorful room trying to avoid unwanted eyes.
The half-elf precipitously arrives at the room and assuming it is possible for him, he casts detect magic and checks the trapdoor before taking any action forward.
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Solrisa smiles as thoughts come to her from Eidi. She was really beginning to understand the telepathic bond after being confused by it.
Oh Eidi, *ham* this is so nice.
Trapdoor! I love trapdoors! Oh wait, I love doors. Trap doors are tricksy. Shall we come help? *ham* Oh, we should wait and keep her entertained? Oh, okay, yes, I will do this. I remember this one time Rae and I were playing a game and I think it was tag, but also might not have been tag. It could have been the hair-pulling game where Rae would pull my hair until I started to cry then we would stop because she said I was the winner, but that wasn't my favorite game, as my favorite game was sharsies, where Rae would eat her dessert quickly and that would mean we were going to start that game where we were in a contest to see who could share more of my dessert and I almost always won that because Rae ate most of the dessert but yes, it was probably tag that we were playing and its very entertaining and do you think Furtopia would like to play that because I haven't played it in a long time and Furtopia might be out of practice too and we really shouldn't be running around in here unless Ascaria thinks it would be a good idea for everyone to get some exercise, we should ask him.
Ascaria, Eidi and I were just thinking about playing some tag here and do you think Furtopia likes to play tag because I hope she doesn't tag too hard like my sister Rae did this one time where she tagged me accidentally too hard and I fell right into a tree and hurt my foot but it was okay because it was an accident and so we should be careful not to tag any of the patients too hard while we are entertaining Furtopia but really, if we need to keep being entertained we could also sing a song, too, I guess, my voice really isn't good for singing, but I can sing a little bit like when I'm doing work of waiting for my hair to try or walking back home or just when I'm in a good mood which are all good times to sing and so yes, we should sing a bit too which would probably be delightful and entertaining and what song do you think the patients here would want to hear?
My personal favorite songs are 'my dingaling' and 'the groper in the rodeo', but maybe we should choose songs that the patients want to hear and maybe we should ask Furtopia if she wants us to bring in some musicians to play a bit while we sing and I think that would be lovely...
Upon hearing nothing, he'll cautiously slide down to the bottom and have a quick look around.
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Ascaria is impressed by how much help Furpotia has surrounded herself. He wonders about the potions being delivered ‘any day now’ especially when poor Furpotia couldn’t remember from one day to the next. ”You manage an excellent operation here. You are to be commended.”
When faced with their first two patients, he takes some time to inspect them both, ”Mr. Willis, I do believe Fupotia’s liniments have done their job. You look right as rain as they say. I think you should go home and be with your family. No need to take up a bed here.” He’s all smiles, though a part of him wonders if this healthy lad is a spy, here to keep an eye on Furpotia.
While he examines the next patient, whom he’s careful not to touch, he patiently listens to Sol’s treatise on her childhood. When she has finished, and he's left shaking his head, he calls her over, ”Sol, if you would be so kind, this man has leprosy. Can you heal him?” He’ll stand back to give her space to work.
Mentally he responds to Eidi, ”Take Mort with you, if you can find him, just in case there’s trouble. Don’t go too far.”
He smiles at Furpotia as Sol, hopefully, heals the patient. ”Do you have others? Our spells and powers can only take us so far, but I have skill too, enough to help people help themselves. I’d planned to be here an hour or two - so lead on!”
"Mr. Willis, I do believe Fupotia’s liniments have done their job. You look right as rain as they say. I think you should go home and be with your family. No need to take up a bed here.”
Willis looks to Ascaria. "Who are you? Miss Furpotia is my caregiver, not you. I'm in no hurry to be gone from here, until Miss Furpotia says it's time." The man picks up his book, and proceeds to read.
"Do you have others? Our spells and powers can only take us so far, but I have skill too, enough to help people help themselves. I’d planned to be here an hour or two - so lead on!”
Furpotia nods, and leads the gnome, and presumably the maiden, onward, towards the northern corridor, where more doors await.
In the corner room, Ascaria quickly deduces the man lying in the bed snoring is well and truly drunk. Furpotia skips a door, indicating it as empty, before coming to the next door, where you find a young boy, who suffers from dysentery. The gnome begins steeling the boy against the disease's attack...
You arrive in the Meditation Room, and take a moment to enjoy the permanent illusion of color cast upon the entirety of the floor, in your magical detection. The trapdoor itself is not magicked, from what you can tell, and it opens easily enough, even with your elderly upper body strength.
You currently stand alone in the Meditation Room, but you do hear a faint rattling of metal coming from below the trapdoor...
You hear nothing at 30', prompting you to continue to the bottom, which, by your reckoning, is 100' below the floor of the Sanctum above.
Your ioun torch illuminates the surrounds.
The walls of this domed chamber are made of red brick and lined with stone beams that arch up to a point directly overhead where the shaft leads back up to the sickhouse. An iron ladder descends from this shaft into the middle of the room’s floor. The chamber itself is empty, save for several rotting prayer mats strewn about. Each of these mats bears a simple black triangle. A five-foot-wide hallway leads east, and a large heap of tangled rope lies in its entrance.
As you take in the structure, the heap of rope begins to stand up, taking the form of a large human.
Eidi frowns touching his temples in great effort trying to concentrate through his mental connection bond.
Ok, ok. It's ok Solrisa, you are doing well. Rae will be proud of your healing game. Try to focus on helping. I am hearing a rattling metallic noise coming from below. No trace of Mortimer so far. I will be careful Ascaria. Stay tuned
Eidi picks up a cinnamon cookie from his pot, casts a light spell on it, and drops the shinning cookie through the trapdoor staying attentive to whatever comes from there.
If the half-elf finds no immediate danger, he casts shield from his staff, invisibility and extended heroism using the rod before going down.
Solrisa is delighted to help, stepping up to the leprotic individual. She smiles.
”Hi, I’m Solrisa...do you mind if I touch you? I’m just going to try to fix you all up, okay?” Solrisa asks sweetly, trying to warm up her hands lest chill be offered. ”This won’t take but a moment or two.”
If allowed permission, Solrisa will lay her hands on the patient.
healing + mercy cure of (diseased, poisoned, staggered, paralyzed, and fatigued)
CL check, if necessary
”Oh, there we go, how is that?” Solrisa smiles at the patient.
As you cast the Light spell on the cookie, you notice that what must be 100' down, another light source reaches your old eyes. Tossing the cookie down, it illuminates the full length of the iron ladder between you in the Sanctum, and the light below. When the cookie arrives at the bottom, it bursts into crumbs, and the Light spell extinguishes.
You begin to descend down the ladder...
As you stand facing the mass-of-rope man, you both see and hear a glowing bright cookie drop the floor behind you, where it shatters into dozens of crumbs, and the light extinguishes. You begin to hear the tapping of someone or something beginning to descend the ladder behind you...
"Oh, there we go, how is that?”
The dull light behind the man's half-open eyes brightens noticeably, and he begins to shift in the bed, uncomfortably. He tries to answer, but his throat utters a dry cough. He does try to smile, and mainly succeeds.
Round ?,
Mortimer eyes the tangled rope large man warily. "Oh?" he says, jumping down to the floor. "Are you trapped in there, or is that some kind of armor?" He asks, hoping for the best.
"Did you need help? Where did you come from?" Taking a few steps to the side away from the ladder, he raises his fists and settles into a fighting stance expecting the worst.
As he queries the almost certainly unfriendly evil large tangled rope man, he catches the glint of a bright kamikaze cookie hurtling toward the ground out of the corners of his eyes.
As his brain grapples with this vision, it replays in slow motion in his head from a closer frontal perspective. Yes... that's what I thought it looked like... He glances over just in time to see it shatter into a million crumbs, its light extinguish. Eidi! He sniffs the air.
Why does no one ever make cookies out of licorice?
He points to the crumbs. "Do you like ... whatever flavor that is? That cookie is all yours, if you want it," he says to the tangled large rope man. "Er, what's left of it... Anyway, there will be more shortly, from the sounds of it."
Ascaria, already moving on to the next patient in his mind, is surprised when Willis talks back. ”I’m aiding Furpotia in diagnosing and healing the sick. You, sir, are not sick. So are you a free-loader? Here taking up precious space and materials while Miss Furpotia works her fingers to the bone to help those who truly need it?”
”Answer sir, please, tell me why you’re here!” He wishes Mort were with him as he’s a much better judge of character.
Pending the answer, he moves on to the poor chap with dysentery.
"Do you like ... whatever flavor that is? That cookie is all yours, if you want it. Er, what's left of it... Anyway, there will be more shortly, from the sounds of it."
With its appendages formed, the Man of Rope throws both arms at the giant.
"I’m aiding Furpotia in diagnosing and healing the sick. You, sir, are not sick. So are you a free-loader? Here taking up precious space and materials while Miss Furpotia works her fingers to the bone to help those who truly need it? Answer sir, please, tell me why you’re here!”
Willis looks up from his book, an almost-surprised look on his face, when he still sees the gnome in his doorway. "I'm here, seeking rest. And you're disturbing it. Now, unless you're hired thugs looking to drag me from my bed and Furpotia's care, I'm done answering your questions. Why don't you go and harass the drunk?"
His words are blunt, but they don't sound false to you, just angry.
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The half-elf touches the ground just to see some kind of... ¿rope? wrestling with Mortimer.
"Mortimer? What kind of toy are you playing with?" Eidi is though no where to be seen as he is under the effects of an invisibility spell.
The Man of Rope turns out to be a rare thing known as a Hangman Golem, a Large Neutral Construct. It is Immune to Magic, and sports the classic Construct Traits.
Mortimer has become Wounded.
Ascaria shrugs at Willis' meanness, and moves on to the next patient, catching up with Sol. Some people are just lazy.
When he reaches Sol, he suggests, "Would you please go find Eidi? See what the man is up to - probably cooking cookies in the kitchen again." he chuckles.
Then, via telepathy, Ascaria tells Sol and Eidi, "Mort's having a little fun. Go see if he needs a hand and corral Eidi with you. I'll keep our kind hostess busy."
He turns to Miss Furpotia, "Who's next?"
Round 1ish
"Mortimer? What kind of toy are you playing with?"
"I'm sorry Eidi! He started it! This is just self-defense! Watch out -- he's the grabby kind!"
for
for
for
for
for
for
for
"I tried to be nice," he growls.
AC = 31 (+4 on an AoO)
HP = 110/124
Weapon Equipped = Unarmed with Acid Glove things and Amulet of Might Fists +1/Cold (x2 Str on 1st, x1.5 Str on second (Dragon))
Condition(s) =
Damage: 2d10 (Monk’s robe)
Slots:
Martial Flexibility: 9 / 10
Shirt: 10 / 10
KO: 2 / 2
StunningFists: 14 / 15
ElementalFists: 14/15
Lightning Sword Fly: 3/3
Saves:
Fort +14 (+1 Feast, +2 Protect from Evil, +4 vs inhaled and contact poisons, +2 vs disease (Trait Black Lung))
Reflex+17 (+1 Feast, +2 Protect from Evil)
Will +12 (+1 Feast, +2 Protection from Evil, +2 vs sleep, paralysis and stun (In battle, Dragon))
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(Innate: Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), Dodge, Mobility, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, Combat Expertise, Additional Traits (Bruising Intellect, Spirit Sense), Stunning Fist, Improved Critical, Dragon Style, Dragon Ferocity)
AC 25(26, Buckler), 30(31, Buckler) on AoO, 19 (+4 Mobility) Touch
BAB = +14/+9/+4
124 HP
Armor Class = 26 (27) (Armor +6, Ring +2, Dex +4, Dodge +1, lvl 4, 9, & 13 AC bumps +3)(Buckler +1)
FlatFooted AC = 18 (Armor +6, Ring +2)
Touch AC = 20 (Dex +4, Dodge +1, lvl 4, 9, & 13 AC bumps +3, Ring of Protection +2)
+4 Mobility (vs AoOs when moving)
+3 Magic Vestment (on buckler, lasts 13 hours)
+2 Barkskin (from wand, lasts 30 minutes)
ToHit = 1d20+20+1+3 (Weapon Focus, Amulet)
RHit = 1d20+24-2 (-4 more to hit on Power Attack, +1 Weapon Focus, +8 dam on Power Attack, +1d6 if cold, +1d6 if acid)
LHit = 1d20+24-2 (-4 more to hit on Power Attack, +1 Weapon Focus, +8 dam on Power Attack, +1d6 if cold, +1d6 if acid)
THit = 1d21+19-2 (-4 more to hit on Power Attack, +1 Weapon Focus, +8 dam on Power Attack, +1d6 if cold, +1d6 if acid)
FHit = 1d21+14-2 (-4 more to hit on Power Attack, +1 Weapon Focus, +8 dam on Power Attack, +1d6 if cold, +1d6 acid)
Throw = 1d20+20
Max Flexlo Slots 10
Initiative +4
CMB = 20
CMD = (BAB + STR + 10 + DEX + AC CLASS FEATURE + Ring o' Protection + Dodge) => (14 + 5 + 10 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 1 == 38)
CMD (Grapple) = 38 + (Maneuver Training Grapple + Armbands + Improved Grapple) => (37+3+1+2 == 44)
CMD (Grapple) = 37 + (Maneuver Training Disarm) => (38+2 == 40)
CMD (Grapple) = 37 + (Maneuver Training Overrun) => (38+1 == 39)
+1 Grapple (Armbands), +3 Grapple MT, +2 Improved Grapple (+6 total)
+2 Disarm MT
+1 Overrun MT
”Yes, of course Ascaria...but but...you’re not going to play tag or sing songs without me, are you?” Solrisa would like to play tag or sing songs if that was going to happen, and hoped she wouldn’t miss it.
* * *
Solrisa goes to find Eidi.
Eidi, where are you? Are you baking cookies? I *love* cookies. I just *love* good cookies, you know? I like chocolate chip ones, and cinnamon ones, and ham ones...oh! Are you making ham cookies, Eidi? That would be the best...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...and Rae wouldn’t budge despite that she was standing on my...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...so we laughed and laughter until it was time to get dressed ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...and then Rae thought it would be a good idea to shove ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...until a coconut would fit in there, but it didn’t hurt, but it was ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...and Mum told me that I couldn’t do that, but I tried my hardest ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...ended up on the floor, nearly passed out, but I held on to my spoon ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...two times the Dragon said that I had to ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...praying and praying for the rain of muffins ...<more steaming Sol thoughts>...and well, where is the kitchen, Eidi?
Furpotia remains mostly mum on the conversation between Willis and Ascaria, as she slowly moves around the corner to open more doors for both gnome and maiden. These doors are unlocked, for the ease of coming and going.
Ascaria remains with Furpotia and the boy with dysentery. The boy's name is Barney. Ascaria observes several bruises upon the boy's body, as well.
Solrisa departs for other parts of the Sanctum, seeking out Eidi on the telepathic petition of the gnome. Eidi informs the maiden of exactly where he currently hangs, allowing Solrisa a very direct route to joining the others.
Eidi arrives just in time to see Mortimer's pugilist efforts against the Man of Rope. Fist after fist finds the Chap of Cord, though the giant's blows don't seem to have their full effect, nor stunning power. Mortimer strikes twice, one of them almost a grand punch, though not quite.
The Gentleman of Hemp finds itself with two interlopers, though one of them is invisible to its visual senses, whatever they may be. It decides to level one slam at Mortimer, and one at Eidi the Sneaky.
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I... have found Mortimer! Regretfully a hemp holds us grappled in a delicate situation... No! Solrisa! Not the kitchen! We went downstair.... ouch! Not there! Downstairs! Down the colorful room! Ahhh that's painful!
If Eidi ends free, he defensively casts freedom of movement on Mortimer and then steps away. If doom holds him trapped he desperately tries to dimension door out of the grapple and behind Mortimer.
The poor elderly half-elf remains in the sinewy embrace of the Man of Rope, its cords seeking new ways to bind Eidi for awhile longer...