"Sari, why don't you check her robes for spell components or anything that might concern us before I bring her around. Ishah didn't take very well to getting set on fire earlier and I doubt I can call her off if she wakes up and starts casting spells."
"Orik, where's the entrance to these tunnels?
Yeh I'll go explore
"Sari, why don't you check her robes for spell components or anything ...
I look through her robes for whatever Cha thinks is hidden there. Although, I know more than most how to hide things where others won't see. I can cast detect magic on the lot of stuff, or Orik could just tell us what everything is; he's been traveling with her for 3 months, he should know.
Eberk cuts a wide berth around the horse shed and follows Yod as quietly as he can, through the doorway and down the hall to the right turn. There's a door at the end of the hall that's open and leads to stairs down (28,58). A flickering light may be glimpsed at the bottom of the stairs.
There's also a closed door with no apparent lock that leads to a dilapidated dining room used badly by the goblins.
Lastly, there's an open door to a goblin latrine that brings tears to your eyes (27, 57).
With a gesture at the shithole Eberk says, "Would you believe that this is where goblins stash their loot? There's a concealed door at the back of the latrine." He points it out to Yod on the far side of the little stinky pit.
"Some days it doesn't necessarily pay to be the company burglar..."
"Orik, where's the entrance to these tunnels?
"There's one across the yard, where we came up. I'm guessing you barred the door that leads to the other steps?"
"The last I saw Nualia was right before we came up here. She sent us to see if the goblins had gone yet. She probably has gone down to the old ruins."
I look through her robes for whatever Cha thinks is hidden there. Although, I know more than most how to hide things where others won't see. I can cast detect magic on the lot of stuff, or Orik could just tell us what everything is; he's been traveling with her for 3 months, he should know.
"The cloak offers some magical protection and helps protect her from poisons and diseases and things. cloak of resistance +1.
"She shoots magic missiles from the wand."
"The scrolls are just... magics. I have no idea."
So I guess I'll find something to throw over the hole, a bed or the throne or something. Then check the hidden door or opening.
I'll check it for traps Search 18+1=19
If I find anything Disable device 19+9=27
And if it's locked Open lock 13+6=19
"How far gone is Nualia? The elf indicated she was transforming? Nothing good can come of that."
"How far away was she when you left her? Should we be expecting her?"
"How well do you know your companion? From what you've said, I get the feeling she's sworn herself to Nualia and is not wielding her magic for proffit alone."
"Lastly, you owe us your life. How will you repay that debt?"
"How far gone is Nualia? The elf indicated she was transforming? Nothing good can come of that."
"No way, my friend. She's completely mad. She worships Lamashtu. She's actually transformed her arm into a demon's claw. When I met her in Magnimar she was stunning - and powerful. Now she's a monster.
"How far away was she when you left her? Should we be expecting her?"
"She's gone down to the lower chambers to do whatever it is that she does there. I think she passes every waking hour down there in the dark. But not by herself. She has a brood of demon hounds with her. Damned if I know where they came from."
"How well do you know your companion? From what you've said, I get the feeling she's sworn herself to Nualia and is not wielding her magic for proffit alone."
"Lyrie? She's probably a nutter as well. I maybe should have left without her before now - though what chance would I have stood with this area so filled with goblins?"
"I don't think she was rutting with monsters and such, if that's what you mean though. I think she's a bit obsessed with the ruins around here and their secrets. I mentioned once that I thought she'd make a good Pathfinder, though, and I thought she was going to tear my throat out."
"Lastly, you owe us your life. How will you repay that debt?"
How would you have me repay it? I would give you all that I own, though common honor might permit me a blade to defend myself in the wilderness. I could swear to do the same by each of you if the occasion ever arises?"
"I could offer to carry your friend's mattress for him."
Yod slings the mattress over the hole and crosses over to the door. Despite the seam that the dwarf pointed out, he still struggles to find the latch that opens the door.
The door opens onto a small chamber containing a single huge sea-chest bound with iron and sporting a big thick padlock built into the lid.
Ok I'll check the chest for traps
Search 12+1=13
Then I'll pull it out and try the lock, unless I explode or something
Open lock 16+6=22
Oh yeh if I do set something off my REF save is 16+6=22 and I have Evasion.
"What are those two doing with a mattress? Maybe some things are better left unanswered."
Well it did show a bed on the map, it would be nice if I could just levitate over the hole while removing the chest but alas I can't.
Actually I'm just making a place for spellcasters to rest if they need to.
Sari stands and shakes her head as Yod walks about with a mattress. "I thought we were all tired, but that is just a bit ridiculous."
She gives Orik's oration some thought.
"So, Nualia is somewhere below ground and will come out sometime with some demon dogs, but no one is certain when. That clears things up a bit."
She thinks some more. "Seems to me that your friend is a lost cause. How about you? Do you feel like swinging the other way, or shall we chain you up somewhere here?"
Sari isn't feeling very charitable at this time. She just wants everyone to play nice. Well, that and some ice cream.
As Yod suspects, the chest conceals a trap he could not find. When he begins to fiddle with the lock a rusty spring-loaded blade slashes out and slices into his midsection.
"Yeah, I don't owe Nualia anything. Hells, for the last couple of weeks I've been worried I'd end up on the wrong end of her sacrificial knife. I'll help, but I don't expect her to be taken down easy."
"What about Lyrie?"
Fort save 13+2=15
Jackpot! The chest is filled with treasure. There must be every coin the tribe is worth collected right here in this chest. Unfortunately most of the coins are copper, but there's alot of them. There's also a motley assortment of items among the money, including:
a pouch with 34 small rough gems
a chain shirt
a masterwork scimitar
a pair of masterwork manacles
a small golden idol of the sun-goddess Saranrae
a jade necklace
a fine blue silk gown with silver trim
So are we resting or going down to kill stuff?
Rage sets in at the thought of someone sacrificing humans. "Yod, is that b!tch still on your list, because if she's not, you need to add her."
I look at Lyrie. "Can't take her down with us, can't kill her with a good conscious and can't leave her behind. What to do with her?" I shrug.
"Rest here? Look what that got us last time. Besides this place is really getting rank now."
"Orik, any chance you can give us an idea of what those tunnels look like down there? How do the two stairs connect? Maybe draw us a map. Until we decide what we're going to do, let's get both doors blocked shut. No more surprises."
"Right... of course. The door that you barred leads down to some old living quarters and a great hall where Nualia holds her 'services.' All of us took rooms there."
"There's a way into some tunnels where some kind of coastal predator lives. Nualia convinced the chief to send some of his boys into those tunnels to clear them out but they never came back."
"Then a little further on there's the ladies' study. That's right under the stairs we came up. The secret door down to the older tunnels is in that room as well."
Shalelu rummages in her pack and produces a coil of rope.
"We could bind her. And possibly lock her up in one of these rooms. Or someone stays and guards her."
Hello Shal very nice, I'll would be happy to tie Lyrie up!
Use rope 17+6+2=25
Good luck getting out of that witch!
a pair of masterwork manacles
Hmmmmmm.
Well sure we could use those, I thought I might need them for the next time Sari wants to magic missle me.
I will probably take the chain shirt if it will fit me.
Do we want to detect magic on any of the items in the chest?
"I think we should make a move, one way or the other soon. I still have some energy, and we have just acquired a lovely magic wand."
"How about everyone else? Should we continue on, or leave?"
"Let's lock Lyrie up in one of the cleaner locking rooms with the mannacles. I'll inspect her wounds once more before we leave. We can put the rest of the goblin loot in there as well. Sari, I'll let you decide if you want Lyrie's cloak enough to undress her."
"Orik, if you pledge to use that sword for us down there, I'll give it back to you and see what I can do about those wounds. You'll be entitled to a share of anything we find...good or bad. I think the bad will come naturally, and the share of the good will be based on merit. Else, you're free to go out the front door as you are with a dagger. What say you?"
After Cha's oration, Sari looks at him with renewed interest. The wild man speaks well....
I'll get the cloak if you want, she can have the blanket of the bed I got the mattress from.
I promise not to linger.
Lyrie briefly regards Cha with a half-open, uncomprehending eye then lapses back into unconsciousness.
Orik produces another small potion and drinks it. His flesh stitches back together as you talk and his eyes uncloud. He stands up and retrieves his sword to sheathe it at his back. He bends down and hefts the big shield then grins at you.
"Let's go find out what the crazy b#&*# is doing down there."
He looks to your lead. By the near stairs to the 'living quarters' or down the rear steps to the 'study'?
"Let's start with the living quarters and move on to the study. We'll steer clear of the bunyip that probably ate the goblins."
Knowledge local 16+5=21
The steps lead you back down to the chamber with six doors. Orik leads you through the central southern door which opens on to a hall lit by a flickering lamp. The hall turns west and ends in five doors.
"This one is where my stuff is," he says, gesturing to the first on the right. "Just my pack in there. I can get it when we're done here."
"The next one down was Tsuto's room. Across the hall from Tsuto was Lyrie's room. Across from mine belonged to a bugbear that Nualia 'befriended', but we haven't seen him in awhile."
"At the end of the hall is Nualia's room, though as I said, she doesn't spend alot of time there."
None of these rooms contains much in the way of obvious treasure. Lyrie's room has an everburning torch in a sconce on the wall above the dresser. Tsuto's room has some papers in the top drawer of the dilapidated bureau that contain notes he must have scrawled to himself. They seem to be ruminations on how he might bribe money from his father and sister. Nualia's room contains a nice bed with silk sheets.
"Yod, do you have any potions left?"
I look at Orik. "Bugbear? Bruthazmus you mean? Consider his room permanently vacant thanks to Yod. Which one of these doors leads back to the study area? Let's check it out first."
"Sari, you want to get that torch?"