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Gorn makes salutations to the newcomers then bends knee to examine the bodies. He's both seen and made his fair share of corpses, but these are some of the strangest ones yet.
He looks at the wounds they had as they charged him and asks himself if he has heard of any cult or demonic tribe that might make such markings as these.
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Several groups are known to put their lessor members through either self-, and/or group-flagellation rituals. The most recent culprit, his arch-nemesis Lord Borak the Despoiler, has been known inflict both the Path of Pain and the Road of Crystal upon underlings who failed but still have use, although he's never seen injuries this grievous before.
The followers of Nekron, The Dark Lord, have been known to engage in self-harming rituals to increase their power and bring themselves closer to their lord. One of Gorn's first missions involved teaming up with a squad of the followers of Propoket the Many to wipe out a nest of those villains.
Dargor, one of Nekron's chief lieutenants, had actually left scars like this, according to legend, but several accounts state that he had turned to the light after the saga of The Emerald Sword...but such stories are hard to verify.
Gorn, Lord Borak is definitely at work here. These scars and wounds fit his Path of Pain very well. What foul plans does he have for this land now?
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Gorn turns back to his companions. "This is the work of the terrible and brilliant Lord Borak the Despoiler, I am sure of it! Woe betide us that that fiend has visited this locale with his ghastly forces! The equipment we saw missing was surely his agents gathering loot and plunder, and these wretches were unfortunate lackeys in his employ!
Yizid, Takesh, we should push on into the compound. With haste perhaps we can catch the villain himself before he leaves to plague another city!"
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"What remarkable powers of deduction you have, Gorn. Quick, everyone, let's try to overtake him!"
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The great keep doors stand before you all, apparently barred closed. It seems the prisoners who attacked have been using some crawl spaces knocked into the wall near the ground to enter and exit the prison instead. Strewn about the holes are a few scraps of bone and rotten flesh, as well as some bits of wood and stone fashioned to resemble teeth fixed around the edges, making them resemble the maws of some horrible beast.
Yizid, Why yes, Gorn does have excellent powers of observation. A new thought comes to you, If I ate Gorn's eyes, I could get his abilities!
What do you do?
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Gorn rushes up to the gates, sheathing his sword and throwing his shield over his shoulder. "I regret that we have no time to overcome this obstacle with finesse. The scoundrel might flee beyond our reach at any momment! Perhaps I can convince these doors to open!"
He spends a moment lossening his thick arms and warming up the powerful muscels in his chest and legs. Then he places his hands firmly on the gate and lifts up with a barbaric scream!
Ramonde simply stands there, blinking. This all happened so fast! A smile overcomes the look of confusion on his face, and he heads toward Gorn. What do I know about Lord Borak... Ramonde begins thinking of all the tales, songs, and ballads he has heard over the years
"Wait a minute, Gorn, you have something stuck on your eyes." Yizid steps on his toes and wipes off whatever it might have been. He retreats to someplace private and licks his fingers.
Gorn, You wrench the doors open with quite a bit of noise. Inside the prison is an abandoned guard post. Knots of green fungus dot the walls and floors. A few satchels and ration packs sit alone on one of the tables.
What do you do?
Resolving to stay in Gorn's shadow has Ropetail huddling on one side of the doorway as the half-ogre rips it asunder. When the way is open, she peers inside, her whiskers flicking back and forth inquisitively.
Approaching one of the tables, she climbs up on a chair and peers inside one of the satchels lying thereon. What's inside?
Yizid walks through the room, searching for hidden (or not hidden) doors or other items of interest.
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Gorn can feel the door starting to give as Yizid mumbles something to his side. "Eh, what? Now is not the time to--oh, confound man, get your hand out of me eyes! Eh, the devil was that about?"
Gorn worries his head on it no more as he rips the doors asunder with a mighty effort, and wades in to the room thusly revealed.
His head swivels, taking in the scene, and he advances on room ever-vigilant for traps or tricks, pondering what events have recently transpired.
Ramonde walks into the room, behind Gorn, thinking of the lines to a ballad about him. There once was a fello-..... no, too cheerful..... Slayer of Beasts, Terror of Thieves....mabye... He looks up, and is jolted out of his reverie. He heads over to the satchel picks it up, and begins rifling through it.
Ropetail and Ramonde, You start investigating the satchels, but once you pick one up an unnoticed cord yanks it from your hands. You hear a scraping sound coming from the rafters and look up in time to see a number of stones pulled from the walls falling from a net concealed in the ceiling! What do you do?
Gorn, It looks like someone left those bags out on purpose, but as you're lost in reverie you bump one of the green fungus clusters on the wall. It bursts into a cloud of spores, leaving you coughing and wheezing. What do you do?
Yizid, You hear slight breathing noises from above. Stealing a furtive glance upwards, you spot some figures crouched up on the rafters. They seem different from the madmen outside, for one they aren't frothing lunatics. From what you can see they're dressed in filthy, tattered clothes with some scavenged bits of armor covering vulnerable areas. What do you do?
Yizid tries to draw everyone's attention to the people above.
Yizid tries to communicate what he saw with frantic hand motions and a "Look!", but by now he was resigned to being the most observant but least understood scout.
If the net's holes look large enough for a small creature to step through, the mousefolk will just let it fall on her and then step out of it. If not, Ropetail attempts to dive out of the way!
Ramonde looks up in surprise at the net of rocks, and attempts to leap out of the way.
Trapped under the rocks, his body pinned, Ramonde looks at Ropetail and mutters. ONE time where I actually want to be small.... Look at me, I'm crushed!
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Gorn reels back, getting out of the dangerous cloud, and takes in great breaths of fresh air, to then cough out the green fungus violently. He stands heaving for several seconds, and his super-human constitution vigorously attacks any detritus left in his lungs with all the force of his primordial vitality.
He regains his bearings and looks around. Seeing Ramonde trapped in a cunningly concealed net, Gorn takes a few broad strides over to the bard and quickly whips off the offending ensnarement.
Tublat is happy he has been lagging behind, much too preoccupied enjoying the mental image of scurrying monkeys in distress because of his presence when he hears Yizid of all people. He telepathically attempts to forward the warning.
If that doesn't work he'll attempt to blow it out before it hits anyone.
Unfortunately it still hits little Ramonde.
New subjects will not be poached.
Ramonde stands up and dusts his clothes, nodding his appreciation at Gorn. He suddenly staggers and groans Oww.....
Looking around, he wonders What was that....Feels like my mind was torn apart and put back together.....and then torn apart again!
Yizid, One of the people in the rafters speaks. "Who are you? And why shouldn't we finish you off now?"
Ropetail, You nimbly avoid the stones and slip through the net with no difficulty.
Ramonde, Unfortunately, the stones strike you as the net comes down around you.
Gorn, You tough out the couching fit induced by the spores and easily burst the net holding Ramonde.
Tublat, The images of scurrying monkeys pull your eyes upward, and you spy the men hiding in the rafters that Yizid spotted. You sense fear, paranoia, worry. They don't have the same emotions swirling around them as the lunatics outside.
What do you do?
Yizid holds his dagger. "I am a holy person worthy of your respect. And you, why should I not kill you?"
"A holy man? Really? Did Kas send you?" The man keeps his place on the rafters and keeps his club at the ready.
"Kas did indeed send me, with everyone else. And what are you doing here?"
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Gorn, having seen to the bard's safety, again, looks up and finally catches notice of the conversation going on.
Never one to accomplish a thing with just a kind word, when a kind word and a sheleighleigh will do more, he looks up and speaks up. "Aye. So keep a civil tongue on your rafter-climbing head lest we see what sound it makes when falling from such great heights."
Alas, what he intended to simply be a minor backing of kind words seems to have come out harsher than he intended. His companions would be right to groan...'tis not the first time, most likely not the last.
Ramonde looks around at his companions Wait....Kas send you?
While Yizid keeps them distracted, Ropetail will find a way to climb up into the rafters unnoticed. An insurance policy for when/if negotiations break down into violence.
What here is not as it appears to be?
What here is useful to me? (specifically, to climb up)
Who is really in control here?
Yizid, The man relaxes slightly and gestures to the others. They drop down from the rafters and lower their weapons. "My name is Aegelm, and it is good to see some who are not affected by the madness here. We were some of the guards and prisoners, down in the lower levels. After the horrors began we had to hunker down to survive, but the madmen picked off any they could find. We had finally found enough supplies to try for Mandu and get help, but now you're here and we can end this. Something happened below, and I fear it may spread beyond this fortress." Aegelm shudders and and looks to his companions. "It is good Kas sent a holy man, the gods will surely be needed below. Lead on, and we will see this through."
Gorn, Something seems wrong in here, the hallways are slick with saliva, and a great hunger is brewing in your gut. Give me meat, give me blood. Sinew, bone, offal, feed, devour!
Ropetail, These guards, though calmed by Yizid's words, still seem a touch jumpy and paranoid. Better keep an eye on them. There is the rope that was part of the net trap, it's thin but you're small. Yizid is definitely in control right now, as long as his holy man ruse isn't exposed...
HP 6/6
Scavenged armor and dented shields, 2 Armor
Found weaponry, close 1d6 damage
Quality +1
Loyalty +1
Instinct: to survive at any cost
Cost: Revenge
Load 1/2
Gear: Found weapon (close, 1 weight)
Moves
• Set traps
• Find alternate path
• Scrounge supplies
Survival-wise: Aegelm and the others are hardened survivors now, and can roll+Quality to Spout Lore about survival techniques.
Cunning: Aegelm and his comrades are very observant, and may Roll+Quality to Discern Realities.
Guide (The Gaol): They are quite familiar with the Gaol, and can roll+Quality to Spout Lore about the area.
Group: There's five of them, with all that entails.
Aegelm and his companions have congregated by the door opposite the entrance, and are waiting for you to lead the way.
What do you do?
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Gorn tosses the net aside and pauses to give heed to his growing hunger. ''Tis odd, but nothing new. Too many damn carbs at breakfast I guess.' He has rations in his pack, but does not look forward to to them.
He shakes the hands of all the survivors. "And how well hast thou survived? Before we see to the purging of the unclean beyond, have you aught of a haunch of meat or a jack of ale to offer thy saviors? Slaying is dry, hungry work and I would fain stock my resources afore the sojourn."
"What meat or ale ever was here was devoured quickly, sad to say. We have hidden a cache in the cells just past here, though. Once we are certain the cells are safe, we can fetch some food." Aegelm either doesn't notice your packs or doesn't care. He probably has other things on his mind, honestly.
"So then, are we all ready to go?" Yizid looks around to make sure everyone had finished whatever he was doing here.
Once it was clear that there was nothing left to do, he turns to the five men. "You seem to have been here for a while, and perhaps know the place best. Where do you suggest we go?"
"Just past here is a cell block, and there's another one on this level as well. There's also a big pit that opened up in the floor in the cell block ahead, that could be used to get into the lower levels instead of using the stairs." Aegelm looks back at the other guards and whispers. "Down there something was found. Something that isn't human, or elf, or dwarf. I do believe that is the source of these madmen."
Ramonde begins to inspect the faces of the guards around him. He recognizes the faces of some of the men and women around him. He grins as he notices Heskor and Memeni, who would never pass up a game of cards, and his grin turns into a smirk as he notices Vandram, a guard who always tried to stop him from socializing with anyone, and hated his guts, probably because he like Memeni. Vandram probably glowers back at him.
As for the plan, Ramonde generally nods and goes along. If I play friendly with them, they might let me go free. And I like that Gorn guy. Seems like someone you would want to make stories about
Ropetail moves quickly, climbing up to the rafters and severing the rope that was used in the net trap, letting it fall to the floor. Following it down, she coils it over her shoulder and grunts a little. "Let's use this in the pit in the next room," she suggests, heading off in the direction of the first cell block.
Yizid follows Ropetail and peers into the cell block.
Ramonde simply shrugs and walks after them
The cell block is a large, open room with small cells packed along the walls. Sure enough, a large pit is situated near one corner, leading down into the darkness. Heskor and Memeni head over to one of the cells and pry a loose stone from the floor while Aegelm points to the different doors. "That way leads to the guard's chambers, and over there is another cell block. That door is a storeroom, and we're pretty sure that the floor collapsed over the oubliette. The door down there is fairly solid, but on our way up the stairs it looked like it had been opened, so it should be passable." Heskor and Memeni return with a sack of hardtack and some dried meat and hand it to Gorn.
Yizid, You don't see any other traps set up, and while you're scanning the room you see a number of small holes that seem to be chewed into the stone.
Why do I only hear of all this now? My turf been cursed and none of you told me?! Tublat is disappointed in these men, they should have come to him.
Ramonde walks over to Vandram and clears his throat. I know we weren't always friends, but why don't we set aside our differences for this one...er.. situation?
Vandram looks at Ramonde and sneers a bit. "I had hoped these madmen had torn your guts from you. Keep your wits about you, fool. Either I will have the pleasure of watching you die, or you will have lived and shown a bit of character." He sighs and looks at Yizid. "The priest does seem to vouch for you. So out of respect for him, we can work together on this. If you do prove helpful, perhaps our report to Kas will list you among the casualties."