Colcille continues her deadly dance.
The outlaw and the ranger continue to fight, neither gaining the upper hand.
Lilika takes a careful step back, pulls out another vial of acid, and tosses it at the snake.
Seeing her iron cobra destroyed and enemies closing in, the outlaw steps back.
"Okay. Okay! Okay! I yield. Don't kill me and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Wymond tromps in at the sound of the surrender.
"Deal. I gotta few questions. First off, do ye know where yer boss might have fled to while we were busy dealin' with ye?"
Perfire gathers his dropped supplies and moves in to defend the door of the room the woman had attacked from. He eyes her suspiciously, but lets Wymond take the lead.
Laying aside her blade, the outlaw thinks briefly. "Uh, I have some ideas, sure. Her rooms. The chapel. The front entrance or the rear. I... I think she's probably running. I would have if I could."
"Don't think she ran to the rear entrance, that's how we came in, and she ran away from the chapel when we fought close to it. Which room's hers?"
"Uh, over by the chapel," she says.
"Already been there, AND dealt with the monster in her closet. What's between here and the 'front door?' Any 'surprises' she might have waiting for us?"
"Traps," she says. "Lots of traps. She'll let them wear you down before she tries to take out the survivors, if she doesn't just run for Thornkeep."
"What kind and where?" Lilika asks. "Be clear."
"The hallways are trapped. I...I guess I can draw you a map. It's an enchantment that causes confusion...synesthesia to be precise."
"Sinus-what now?" Wymond asks, scratching his head.
"Your senses are confused and you mostly fall down - easy prey."
"Clever. Anythin' else ye might wanna tell us?" Wymond replies, scratching his head.
She shrugs. "I don't know where Tarrin is. Either she's hiding in wait for you or more likely she's run out the front door and taking her chances with the spiders upstairs. It was you that killed them, right?"
"Oh. I bet you're here for the prisoner. I can show you where he's kept. Tarrin couldn't trade him to the spiders so she's waiting to trade him to Klarkosh."
'We should get our prisoners and theirs and get moving.' Perfire says, still watching the doors.
"We didn't even know they HAD another prisoner. Okay, we're lettin' ye live. Run off te Thornkeep or somethin'. Make the most of the life ye almost lost today, an' remember that the next time ye got someone at yer mercy beggin' fer their life. It ain't fun bein' in that position, innit?" Wymond says, pointing at the outlaw and speaking like a stern parent.
Lilka scowls at the outlaw about to run off to freedom she didn't deserve, watching her for as long as she's in sight.
She nods at Wymond's instructions, sidles past you, looking nervously at Lilika, the bolts for freedom and exits this story.
"Alright. Let's try goin' after that boss, but slowly now. Don't wanna trigger them traps she mentioned. Colcille, if you'd kindly?"
Colcille moves forward as quiet as she can and watches for what was described, while Wymond follows close behind, bardiche at the ready.
The low hallway stretches south before you, with many side passageways and doors. A statue of a woman stands in the corner nearby. The halls are hung with mismatched but expensive-looking tapestries.
Colcille checks the door right next to her, making sure it's clear before waving the others over.
Lilika follows cautiously...
The door appears untrapped. Colcille opens it, revealing a barracks. The double bunks and footlockers in the alcoves of this large room suggest it serves as a barracks. The walls are decorated with simple paintings and murals, which include sketches of building, temple, and ruin layouts with notations suggesting how to get past obstacles and traps. Two small privy chambers stand against the southern wall, and doors exit to the southeast and the northwest.
Colcille and Wymond enter the barracks, giving the room a sweep to see if something's lying in wait like in the last bedroom they looked at.
Nope! looks like everyone's cleared out.
While Colcille and Wymond lead the way, Lilika lingers behind a few moments to examine the ruin layouts with notations for getting past obstacles and traps...
The walls are decorated with simple paintings and murals, which include sketches of building, temple, and ruin layouts with notations suggesting how to get past obstacles and traps.
She follows Colcille into the room, examines those sketches and notations, and stays to read the notations while Colcille and Wymond look around.
Lilika hustles after Wymond and Colcille, checking to make sure Perfire's not left behind.
Colcille exits and continues down the hallway, glancing around the corner before moving to check over the first door on her left.
If she doesn't perceive any danger, she'll motion for Wymond. Opening the door once he's made his way closer.
Wymond follows after Colcille, keeping his bardiche ready in the event of an attack, Triath trotting at his heels.
Three matched doors stand on the corridor’s east side. Each is carved with the images of lordly feasts, although a hooded gray figure appears in each image, silently watching.
Inside, you see a mess hall, Its north and south walls are fitted with shelves containing mismatched goblets, platters, and bowls. A number are
made of fine porcelain emblazoned with crests of noble families. A raised table with three lavish chairs stands at the east end.
Wymond looks down at Triath, as if expecting the pig to say something, but Triath just snuffs and shakes his head. Wymond shrugs and looks around the mess hall a bit.
"Fancy Tianware there. If'n we can't send 'em back te their original owners, we can at least pawn'em fer more equipment money," he says.
Moving into the room, two things happen. First, you come under fire from the doorways to the north. Second, you can hear the color blue...
One crossbow quarrel lodges itself deeply in Wymond's side.
STATUS
Scouts
Perfire (20/24 hp)
Wymond (13/26 hp) (-2 Con)
Colcille (18/22 hp)
Lilika (22/27 hp)
Bllllluuuuuueeeeeee.... I think I may vomi---bbbllllluuuee thinks Colcille, suddenly still after she enters the room.