Vermundr harrumphs and glowers at the goblins. "Goblins are pests but I suppose there's nobody around here for them to threaten. Alright Hazel. Get out of here you two."
As Vermundr offers to free them, they squeal with job and begin running got the games. Thats when the warrior notices an amulet around the male's neck. It is of a stylized skull with a strip of black cloth over its mouth
"Hold on a minute you rat. Where'd you get this thing from?"
Erk..! the goblin exclaims as Vermundr seizes him by the throat.
Longshanks dropped it when they rode off on disgusting four-legs! it shouts, cursing as it recalls the horrid monsters that the men rode. Grork watch place for 4 sunrises before we come. He didn't see but I see, I see them ride away!
"Disgusting four-legs? What were they riding? Horses?"
The goblin spits at the word.
Nasty horses, yes. Dirty things.
Zed gives the troll next to him one more crack, then makes his way down and looms silently over the interrogated ones. He doesn't have anything to add, but he knows he can be an unsettling presence.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Th Troll shakes it's head from side to side. I never saw no oomans going nor going.
After that it gratefully follows Constantin's suggestion and continues to flee down the cliff path as it had originally intended.
As Constantin continues to focus on interrogating the troll, Hazel keeps her attention on the two goblins. "Do you remember what any of the pe...er, longshanks looked like? Or how many there were?" she asks.
The male goblin looks at the female, shrugs and then looks back at Hazel.
All longshanks look the same. it says as if stating a fact. Theys dressed in black.
Meanwhile Kazamir takes a look at the staff that Vermundr retrieved. He turns it end over end and then makes a determination that it is a Staff of Swarming Insects
Hmmm...might be useful, this. Vala might make the best use of it, I should think," Kaz says, indicating the staff.
"I can't say that the uniform looks familiar, though."
When the troll rumbles off, Kazamir nods to Constantin. "Well done," he says quietly.
Constantin lets out a held breath. "Wasn't sure that would work," he says at last. "Glad it did. Didn't learn much useful. The troll just said that it was only himself and his pals who came here, and they found the place already emptied."
"In black?" says Constantin, brow furrowed. "Any more details than that? Sorry, I was concentrating on the troll."
Vermundr cocks a bushy brow at his companions.
"Who's this Whispering Way? It sounds like Bland's father might be working with them."
Ummm.... we go? asks the female goblin gingerly.
"The Whispering Way is the blasphemous, undead-obsessed cult that gave rise to Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant and scourge of Ustalav. WE have reason to believe that they are behind the death of Kendra's father, professor Petros Lorrimor, and have a plan in operation beyond that. I have begun to suspect that they used Bland for a theft of something from the University at Lepistadt, and tried to have him burned to cover their tracks.
As to Bland's father working with them - I think it may be more likely that they wrested control of Bland from him. The bloodstains we see may be them doing yet more evil to cover their tracks again. I fear for the Count and Bland."
"Get out of here!" Vermundr shouts at the goblins while he mulls the information on the cult. "If this Whispering Way was truly the ones behind Bland's suffering I say we repay them. With blood."
As he examines the barricade, Kaz fills in Constantin on what the goblins had to say, and his suspicions.
As you dismantle it you find a few bags of coins and gems that the troll apparently missed. Among the various sacks of plunder there is also 258gp and 345sp
With the gates cleared and opened, you see the magnificent view of the cascading waterfall and the impressive manse spreading out across the gorge. The manse is in fact a collection of buildings connected by several bridges the first of which is before you.
A wide stone bridge arches gracefully over a roaring waterfall, linking the gatehouse to a fortified manor house that clings to the cliff on the far side.
You see no creatures on the bridge. The bridge is so long, however and the arch so pronounced, that you cannot see the other side from here.
The bridge is 20 foot wide and runs almost remarkably straight away from you.
Vala opines softly once she recovers from the scenic view of the waterfall, "No handrails? Picturesque, but good heavens, that's going to be a nerve-wracking walk!"
Kaz crooks a smile at Vala's comment.
"An uninterrupted walk, we can hope..."
Kaz crooks a smile at Vala's comment.
"An uninterrupted walk, we can hope..."
Having cleared the debris and opened the gates, the group creeps forward across the magnificent bridge. By the time they reach the centre where the arch is most pronounced, the noise of the waterfall is deafening as it cascades down the mountainside below the bridge.
Vermundr moves forward cautiously in a half crouch until he can see the large ornate double doors of the manse itself. They are a beautiful red oak with black cast iron hinges and handles. Unfortunately he is only dimly aware of any of that because before the doors is a massive hound, easily the size of a horse that sits on it's haunches calmly watching the warrior.
It is thickly muscular along the shoulders and chest but the colouration and thick wire stitching gives Vermundr the impression that is is more akin to the creature the party fought outside Volkstag and Grine's than anything else.
"Ooo. Let's not get in a fight on this ledge," says Constantin, just in time for the hound to be revealed.
The hound is standing so stock still that it could be mistaken for a statue.
"Great...any idea what it is?" Hazel hisses softly. "Think it's dumb enough we can lure it across the bridge?"
Zed whistles at the creature to see if it reacts as he scans it to see if it's undead.
"I don't suppose one of you could just magic it off the bridge?" Vermundr asks as he lowers his weapon in expectation of battle.
"If this is the castle of the creator of Brand, this creature is perhaps created by the Count - which would have certainly been hostile to the Trolls. However, seeing as it so similar to the horror we fought in the Chymic works, it could also be a creature left behind by the Whispering Way.
We might approach cautiously, to see if it warns us away - in which case I would guess that it was set by the Count. If it attacks directly, I would guess it to be a creature left by the Way.
Of course, in the course of finding out, we will have committed, if it does attack.
"Still no sign of Bland, either. The trolls didn't say anything about seeing him - they reported nobody being here. Either he just walked past the hound and into the castle, or he went in another way, or he never made it here."
As the group nears to within 15 feet, a low growl emanates from within the throat of the hound, but somehow it sounds false, as if programmed to do so. If you inch back, the growling stops. Again, it is not moving a muscle toward you.
"Mhmm. A construct to prevent anybody from crossing. Will probably have to take it out. I'll try to distract it." If the others are on board with the plan, Zed moves forward with his defensive style. He tries to stay right in the face of the construct so it focuses on him.