Abid turns to spit over the edge of the catwalk and then his bestial visage faces the dwarves again. "Very well, our tribe is depleted and will need new members. This place is too far away from anything, but gnolls and the dead. It appears the dwarves have returned to reclaim their lost mine." He laughs darkly. "Return tomorrow and we will be gone."
Chitleen pauses a moment before offering one more trade "An exchange of the dead? If you retrieve the elf from where he fell, we will pass those of your kin that lie dead within here."
"I stand by ye, elf. If need ta retrieve yer kin,we'll be doin' it."
Abid laughs loudly. "What do we need with the dead? The other elf is dead or worse and I do not wish to join him. You may have this vast tomb. We will leave you to deal with the dead."
Karrak senses that the lycanthrope means what he says.
"Let's hael up an' come back tommora fer this lot."
Lockjaw will guard the rear as the group moves to safer grounds.
Offhand to Tararr "I need not retrieve him... I was to burn him to be sure his threat would have no meaning." as they withdraw, Chitleen loots the corpses of all valuables... and ensures any weapons left behind are ruined.
Karrak rubs his neck, recalling the noose that caught him. "I'd be happier if they were dead but I'm glad to be rid of them." he mutters.
The werebats offer no interference as Chitleen ransacks the corpses for gear. He finds that all the light crossbows are of exceptional craftsmanship as well as the three score bolts he gathers. The leather armor and short swords unremarkable.
Returning to the secure holdings of the haunted level of the armory, the party are not disturbed as they rest and recover. The next morning they prepare to return to make sure the lycanthropes have left and notice that the spiked chain from the wrathful smith has disappeared.
"Well lads...what be our plan nau?"
Lockjaw seems disturbed that the chain is gone, but assumes it was stolen by something in the area.
"I'd say drive on. We have driven the distractions from the this place. On with the job."
Ignoring the loss of the chain for now, the adventurers return to the vent above the armory and find that the living werebats have indeed abandoned their lair leaving only the slain to gape silently upward from where they fell.
Noting the lack of the were bats, Chitleen turns to the cages that held the captive humans... seeing if they were still laden or were also emptied.
Chitleen notes that several of the cages that once held captives are now empty, but two yet contain a huddled form dangling from beneath the catwalks.
Karrak follows Chitleen's gaze and seeing the captives, cautiously goes out on the catwalk to investigate.
Karrak carefully treads the narrow catwalk to the first crossbeam and over so that he stands above one of the ragged forms below. He hears a slight whimper from the crouched captive below him, but he gives no response to the cleric's calls.
Karrak uses Light to try to get the figure's attention. If it appears safe, he will climb down into the cage with him.
Perception
Heal
Karrak casts light, but the huddled form only moans. Karrak drops on to the top of the cage to get a better look. That gets a reaction from the captive. The man looks up and Karrak can see a twisted face, pale and bloodless. An unnaturally long black tongue lashes as the dead man lunges upward. Karrak scrambles back as a slashing claw is blocked by the bars of the cage. A woman in the other cage swings open the door and begins climbing up the outside of her nearby cage.
Chitleen
Karrak +1 underground
Lockjaw
Tararr
deadites
Knowledge check.
(Religion?)
Round 1:
Not wishing to risk striking Karrak, Chitleen skips past the other dwarves to draw clear bead upon the other ghoul. A vial of alkahest is brought forth from his ever more weatherbeaten satchel and flung...
Alkahest: for
Yanking his sling from is belt,Tararr pools his adrenaline and rips off a bullet at supersonic speed at the female who has exited her cage.
Tararr sends a bullet speeding at the ghoul clambering up to the catwalk. It smashes into its back and the wounded ghoul slides down the bars before catching itself. A moment later, Chitleen's vial of corrosive chemicals strikes it and the burning corpse plummets into the pit.
Round 1
HP = 44/44
AC = 21/10/21
SR = 9
Weapon Equipped = +1 Adamantine Warhammer
Speed = 20'
Lay on Hands/day = 5/5 (2d6)
Channel/day = 2/2 (2d6)
Smite Evil/day = 2/2 (+2 hit, +4 damage, +2 deflection AC)
Status Effects = None
"Hold on lad."
Lockjaw moves around to assault the other creature.
Lockjaw hesitates as he considers trying the narrow catwalk in his unwieldy armor would be certain suicide. Karrak grips the heavy chain supporting the jangling cage tightly as the frenzied ghoul beneath him keeps lunging with blackened claws. A horrible claw manages to fasten onto his ankle above the boot lacerating his flesh and sending the chill of the grave through the priest's body.
Fortitude
Karrak grips the chain and channels, feeling a wave of divine energy radiate from him.
harm
HP: 24/30
Wearing mystery breastplate instead of masterwork agile breastplate
AC: 18 + ?
Channel Energy 2/4 remaining
Deflection Aura 0/1
Touch of Good 2/6
Level 0 (5/day):
Create Water
Resistance
Light
Guidance (touch: +1 competence 1 roll)
Detect Magic
Level 1 (4/day + 1 domain):
Prot. from Evil (Domain slot) (touch: 1 min/level, +2 deflection AC, +2 resistance saves; extra bonus against compulsion and evil summoned creatures)
Summon Monster I
Round 2:
With Karrak still in danger, Chitleen reverses back to his original position and hurls another vial...
Alkahest: for
Karrak releases a burst of divine radiance that roars like the opening of a furnace door. The ghoul cowers at the bottom of the cage and suffers only a mild burn. A moment later Tararr's sling bullet zings through the bars and hits the undead with a crunching sound. Chitleen launches a vial at the cage, but it falls short and disappears into the void. The ghoul springs upward grabbing at the dwarf flesh so tantalizingly close just through the bars, but Karrak pulls himself upward and its claws only close on air.
Once more, Karrak calls on Torag and channels a blast of energy at the ghoul.
HP 24/30, no more channels
HP: 24/30
Wearing mystery breastplate instead of masterwork agile breastplate
AC: 18 + ?
Channel Energy 0/4 remaining
Deflection Aura 0/1
Touch of Good 2/6
Level 0 (5/day):
Create Water
Resistance
Light
Guidance (touch: +1 competence 1 roll)
Detect Magic
Level 1 (4/day + 1 domain):
Prot. from Evil (Domain slot) (touch: 1 min/level, +2 deflection AC, +2 resistance saves; extra bonus against compulsion and evil summoned creatures)
Summon Monster I
Karrak's hand goes to his holy symbol and there is a burst of heat that only the undead feel. The ghoul shrieks as it feels the full effect of the divine energy. Its skin peels and chars as it collapses back to the floor of the cage destroyed.
Tararr relaxes his tensed muscles, letting his sling rest at his side. "Once knew a halfling who'd dropped an ogre in one flip of these things. Never questioned their power after that! Hahaha. You okay over there, beardling?",he shouts to Karrak. "Looks like we've met the other friendly neighbors."
Chitleen looks with narrowed gaze, before calling out "From what you see... what forced the ghoul into the cage?" keeping himself at safety given him magically diminished dexterity.
From what you recall, those two cages were occupied yesterday though you hadn't time to closely inspect them. How the werebats secured them is a mystery though you suspect that the cages were unlocked after they left.
A thorough inspection of the area around the great vent finds that all the werebats have left. The crosswalks lead to small chambers that look like they were lived in by the females and children by the broken bits of basketry and toys remaining. Abid's quarters look to have been richly furnished, but now hold only shattered pieces of wood and screens and rugs and rich paintings that have been slashed and fouled with guano.
Karrak inspects the ruined paintings, screens, carpets.
Chitleen regards the chambers that the bats dwelt within by comparison to the caravanserai that they have currently been using as a fastness.
Apart from that, he pulls out a small attar to hold beneath his nose - mollifying the stench of guano as he picks through the detritus to see if the bats missed anything...
It will take quite some time and effort, but Karrak believes he can restore and clean the carpets. The paintings and other furnishings are destroyed though. Chitleen carefully picks through the debris, but finds nothing else of value. The bats have been quite thorough to take all they could carry and defile whatever was left behind. At least the fine dwarven crossbows and bolts were recovered from the fallen lycanthropes.
Though the upper armory is quite defensible, Chitleen doubts it is as habitable as the caravanserai. It is possible that troubled spirits still haunt the keep. Certainly the bale fires in the smithy continue to burn producing a haze throughout the area. The great vent itself feels somewhat exposed to a non-flyer. One stumble and a dwarf could fall into the bottomless gulf.
After his fragrant walk through Chitleen raises an eye at Karrak's carpet focused ministrations "Are you planning to stay? This place would not suit us... we are better at the caravanserai."
"I agree with the elf. This place could easily become another source of trouble for us....and now we know what he meant by the dead."
With the pillaged crossbows, blades and reeking carpets, the adventurers make their way out of the upper armory. Rather than brave the heavily damaged drawbridge, they lower themselves out of the battlements to the ramp. Below in the shadowy area at the back of the Transept, Chitleen thinks he sees a pale humanoid form move between the pillars of an arcade.
Soon they have climbed back over the wall and into the bright daylight filtering from the fore of the Transept. They are somewhat surprised at the noise arising from the caravanserai and find that their bosses have arrived. Ten dwarves including Truther and Trathis hurry about settling in with the assistance of the freed human slaves.
"Hah, reinforcments! Ta bad we canna seal da bats old home. Hate ta clear it again."
Lockjaw eyes the new dwarves.
Your bosses, the nicely dressed one and his more ragged partner, greet you. Truther, you think, smiles, "So you've returned. Good. Has it been difficult? Where are the half-orc woman and the strange monk? Oh, and the elf wizard? This worthy fellow wrote that you'd been taking care of bats in the belfry so to speak." He bows to Aktosh.
Meanwhile the irascible Trathis frowns as he glances around, "Why is everyone deaf?!"
Karrak introduces himself to the group and explains the gnoll witch's curse to Trathis as he eyes the new dwarves.
Perception
Sense Motive
Chitleen is of ill humor, thoughts of Daeron's fate and the pale figure he spied upon him. At Trathis' words he snaps "They hear as much as some... more at times" with pointed glance at Tararr. He then continues "The elf wizard is dead... for now." but deigns not to elaborate upon his half answer.
The business partners seem to ignore Chitleen's obscure explanations and Truther gives Karrak a look that suggests elves can't handle too much time underground. The pair certainly don't look like warriors or priests. They look like experienced miners and businessmen though they likely have had a wide array of experiences and skills.
Trathis grunts and gets to the point, "So you've got rid of all them blasted spirits then?"