Tenebrynn nods to indicate she's listening to Tristain as she abandons the doppleganger's body to rummage through the sacks by the door, then the trash near the furnace. "Uh huh. Uh huh. Right. Starting corner. Names are too long, though. 'Man-from-starting-corner' takes too long to say. Will just call you 'Starting Corner'. No, also too long. 'Label'. No, sounds like you'll be killed by your brother. Don't know why. Just does." She looks at the mountainous man and wags a finger, trying to recall. "You called him something. What was it? 'Pidgey?' No, sounds like a bird. 'Used Peck. Super Effective.' Heh. No good. Not Pidgey. 'Pudge?' 'Pudge', that was it. 'Pudge' works. I like it."
I will protect my allies with my life. They are my light and my strength, as I am their light and their strength. We rise together, pops unbidden into his mind.
What the hell? he ponders a moment in his cell, Where have I heard that before?
Kyffin shrugs and decides to go along with his inner thoughts, at least for now.
Tristain goes to unlock the rest of the cells.
"I am the man who comes from the starting corner, from the cell with the starting corner," Tristain introduces himself with things his knows.
”Thank you, ah, sir. I cannot respond with my own name, as it has not occurred to me as yet. What!”
He smiles, glad to be free of the cell. He knows a blade would feel good in his hands, but what sort? He eyes the scalpel, but decides it’s too small to even bother with for now. He thinks back to his dreams, At least, if I can trust my dreams, I know what I should be wearing - so I’ll know my gear if we find it - assuming it hasn’t been destroyed or sold by now.
He looks around the prison thoughtfully, and at the others. ”Seems like none of us knows who we are. That suggests we’ve been drugged, ensorceled, or worse. But we’re all in the same boat, so let’s learn to row shall we?”
To the right, a cold, iron furnace hunkers in the corner of the area, its four-foot-square door gaping half open. Nearby sprawls a heap of gory clothes and other dubiously flammable trash.
…
You do notice several sacks by the door, though, as you look around.
Kyffin approaches the heaps and sacks and sifts through them, looking first for his own clothing, but also for anything of interest.
Still fearful of the fact that they may all be dopplegangers, Belzoni offers little, except a name. "You can call me Lucky. Let's find what we can and get away from this prison, never know how many mad doctors might be lurking around here."
In the sacks near the door, you find an Aldori dueling sword; 20 cold iron, silver blanched crossbow bolts; two wooden holy symbols of Sarenrae, one of them a bit battered; an alchemist's kit; three sealed vials labeled alchemist's fire; a vial of alchemist's kindness; and one of antitoxin; as well as 22 gp, 17 sp and 14 cp.
In the heaps near the cold stove, you find a larger suit of studded leather armor, a buckler, aldori dueling sword, 20 arrows, a dagger, scorpion whip, shortbow, spear, whip, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, canteen, chalk, crowbar, flask, flint and steel, grappling hook, hemp rope (50 ft.), sack, string or twine , thieves' tools, twine (50'), waterskin, whetstone, a smaller suit of studded leather, a stout walking stick, a dagger; some comfortable-looking loose-fitting clothing, including several scarves, yet another suit of studded leather armor, another buckler; a scimitar; a morningstar, another dagger, a light crossbow, a bedroll and winter blanket, 5 candles, 5 pieces of chalk, 5 pieces of charcoal; a flint and steel, four sets of rations, a steel flagon and wooden bowl, and five tindertwigs, a couple more daggers, a smaller suit of plain leather armor, a backpack, blanket, bullseye lantern, 3 candles, a leather satchel full of metal wires and other odd implements, and clothing clearly sized for the gnome girl, a bandolier, bedroom, belt pouch, blanket, couple more pieces of chalk, chalkboard, dagger, earplugs, vial of ink and inkpen, journal, three sheets of paper and two of parchment, a scholar's outfit, scroll case, spell component pouch, empty waterproof bag, empty waterskin, and a very fine viol, though the bow seems to be missing.
Kyffin sees the holy symbols to Sarenrae, and immediately his heart races. "One of those is certainly mine. I can feel a strong connection."
Sarenrae. My lord. I remember you.
He eyes the scarves and other colorful loose fitting clothing, and comments, "This is, I think, what I was wearing in my dream. I think these clothes are mine."
He looks at the other items found near it.
another suit of studded leather armor, another buckler; a scimitar; a morningstar, another dagger, a light crossbow, a bedroll and winter blanket, 5 candles, 5 pieces of chalk, 5 pieces of charcoal; a flint and steel, four sets of rations, a steel flagon and wooden bowl, and five tindertwigs
"These could be mine as well, but I'm not really sure. Those crossbow bolts might go with it too." he shakes his head, "But I can't really remember."
I am fair to others. I expect nothing for myself but that which I need to survive. Again, the thought comes unbidden.
"I'll collect these things, but if anyone needs anything, please feel free." he slides the various objects into a pile, but leaves them for others to cherry pick if they need supplies. After all, he's not certain they're his in any event.
He strips down to his loin quickly and without shame, and puts on his clothes. They feel comfortable, most form fitting. "Yep, these at least are mine." he looks not unlike a Qadiran peacock when he's done, all multi-colored, save for the pure white scarf on his head.
There's a spell pouch in that pile. Maybe you can grab it and no one will notice?
Normally I'd say you could retcon that in, but if you're OK with it, I think it actually works kind of well in this situation for you to not have it...
"Pudge, Lucky. What do we call you, miss? What should I be called?" He stumbles of the cage, standing tall and stretching. When he seems the half-orc going through the things, he nods. "I believe some of this is mine. The alchemical supplies, the kit, my walking stick. Yes, these are mine. I suppose, yes, the studded leather armor, that is mine. It fits, see?" His mouth continues speaking, but it's to the alchemical kit that he rushes, cradling it like a lost child.
Tristain does not seem to respond to the name 'Pudge'. If asked, he is 'the man who started in the starting corner'.
Tristain eventually shuffles to the table of goods outside the cell with the starting corner. He begins to paw through the items, mostly taking things that others don't seem to recognize or want.
"One of these is certainly mine. I feel a strong connection."
"What is that?" Tristain asks Kyffin. "You used to be the half-orc who was in a cell beside the cell with the starting corner, but maybe you will be the half-orc with the symbol. But what is it?"
Tristain looks over the piles of stuff.
"Do we think that this pile that lies outside the cell with the starting corner belongs to those who were held in the cells near the cell with the starting corner? Is that armor sized to fit one of us? And might the weapons bear matching callouses on one of your hands?" Tristain begins to puzzle things out.
Belzoni sifts through the items encountering occasional sparks of recognition. "This armor, I had to get it adjusted three times before it stopped pinching, but I don't remember where that was? And these whips, I spent hours practicing with them, but why? And my picks, my tools of fortune, but for gaining what and from whom?" He gathers the gear that fits his body, or grip, or memories, and takes a few extra items that could be useful if unclaimed by others.
Tenebrynn's head snaps around in interest as the recovered items are presented and she begins darting in and out of the gathered crowd, slipping in between legs or persons, grabbing at any items which passingly catch her interest.
At one point, she slips a scarf from Kyffin's shoulder and wraps her hair up in it before he notices its gone. "This is pretty. I like it. So is this. Oh! I like that. What's this? Don't think I've ever seen one of these. Maybe I have? Unsure, better keep it just in case. Ooh, that's shiny."
By the time her deft motions and lithe fingers are done, she has all the equipment that's obviously hers given its size as well as a number of other items poking out of belt pouches too small to hold them. The normal whip makes a particularly poor belt and the scarf now crowning her head is horribly wrapped, but she is rather proud of the bedroom she recovered, though she seems rather puzzled as to how she might transport it.
... clothing clearly sized for the gnome girl, a bandolier, bedroom, belt pouch, blanket...
"What is that?" Tristain asks Kyffin. "You used to be the half-orc who was in a cell beside the cell with the starting corner, but maybe you will be the half-orc with the symbol. But what is it?"
Kyffin looks a little befuddled by the question, or perhaps by his own thought process as the answer comes from his depths.
”Oh, this is the symbol of Sarenrae, the lord my god, also known as the Dawnflower. She’s a great and mighty deity, dedicated to compassion, temperance, and patience. I do, er, or rather I did I think, serve her in my homeland. Not directly of course, I don’t think I’m all that.” he laughs uneasily.
”’course I could be wrong.” he hefts the scimitar and waves it around a little, showing some skill before he nearly drops the blade on his toes, edge first. He chuckles and puts the blade safely back in it’s sheath.
At one point, she slips a scarf from Kyffin's shoulder and wraps her hair up in it before he notices its gone. "This is pretty. I like it. So is this. Oh! I like that. What's this? Don't think I've ever seen one of these. Maybe I have? Unsure, better keep it just in case. Ooh, that's shiny."
Kyffin smiles and says, ”That scarf looks very fine on you. Clearly meant for you.” he parts with it without a second thought.
”Look, I think we should assume that someone, someone hostile to us, put us here to be tortured and killed.” he gestures to the not-doctor and its dead patient. ”So let’s be careful.” he continues to put ‘his’ gear away and shifts things around until he’s more or less comfortable.
”These things have triggered some memories in me, but not much. From your looks, I suspect the same with you all.” he checks the crossbow and recalls it from his dream. He sighs, ”I don’t know my name, but for the sake of having something to call me, call me Walter.”
”Pleased to meet you. Ah. Again. Or for the first time!” he smiles and tries to shake everyone’s hand formally introducing himself.
"Let's divvy everything up. No knowing when we might need something. Anyone want this alchemy fire? Seems one other of you revere the Everlight as well, unless I had two symbols on my person." he tries to remember but fails.
As Kyffin holds aloft the alchemist's fire, Heinrich snatches it. "I will take it!" he says, a little too eagerly. "It's gelled phosphorous, with an additive that congeals and ignites when exposed to the air. If you twist your wrist just so when you throw it, it spins and flies truer." He stops, looking confused. "Is that true? It sounds true to me."
Tristain blinks and looks at the gear, envious of those who have connections or recollections to them while he does not. He gingerly tries on the sholar's outfit and finds it fits him not-too-poorly (save for his pudge).
The remnants of the things that others do not claim, possibly a dagger, and odds and ends that others seem to have no claims to. He puts them in a backpack and adjusts the straps to fit his body.
"Oh, this is the symbol of Sarenrae..."
Tristain looks at Kyffin and nods again.
"You are Walter who has the symbol of Sarenrae who started next to the cell with the starting corner. That is good. It must be nice to know oneself...and your scimitar."
Tristain watches the gnome gather her stuff.
"And you are the gnome who slew the doppleganger outside the cell with the starting corner," Tristain confirms, now knowing 3 people (including HeWhoStartedInTheCellWithTheStartingCornerToo).
"I will take it!"
Tristain looks at the man horking Tristain's alchemist fires.
"And who are you?" Tristain asks, trying to tie the man to a common point of reference.
Heinrich freezes, his brow furrowed. "You are Pudge. He is Lucky. She is Gnome. He is tall. I am... I don't recall. I just remember being angry. So very angry..." he trails off and stares into space.
Tristain nods, not in agreement with Heinrich, but with establishing a point of reference.
"Ah...you are confused. You are the confused man who was near the cell with the starting corner," Tristain confirms, having truer signals of Heinrich's reference.
"Of course I'm confused. You're confused, they're confused, we're all confused! Confused isn't a name, confused is a condition!" Heinrich shakes his fist at Pudge, still holding the alchemist's fire tightly. Maybe a little too tightly...
Tristain ponders for a moment, wondering if it would be worthwhile to explain things to a man who is clearly confused, let alone angry. He decides to explain not just to Heinrich, but in case others are listening.
"No, I am confused no longer. I know things now...not all things, but many things that I know are true. I know that I am the man from the cell with the starting corner. I know where I am as well: I am a few feet from the cell with the starting corner. I know who you all are as well, I have already explained that," Tristain explains.
"What I do not yet know is why I am here. Or when I am here. As far as I know, it has been only a few minutes since I began in the cell with the starting corner. No, I am not confused about that. At least no longer confused."
"What I do not yet to know is why I am here. Nor any of you. This will take more time to think out."
Tristain continues to stow items and things that are unfamiliar to others. When his hands alight upon the chalk and chalkboard, he sketches a map of the known universe, starting with the cell with the starting corner and going from there.
"See?" Tristain holds up the map. "This is what we know."
"Lunatic." Heinrich throws his hands up and gathers his things, clearly convinced that Pudge is crazy.
"Gnome? That seems right." Tenebrynn stops her rifling for a moment to hold the flat of her palm over her head, measuring the imaginary line then over to Heinrich's hip. "Or at least likely. Halfling also possible. Why one and not the other? Who knows. None of us, apparently." She shrugs and continues to swipe loose bits of clothing or possessions from the others. She adds offhandedly as she exchanges the scarf on her head for another poking out of Kyffin's pocket, "Missing answers aren't here though. Probably elsewhere. We should leave. Maybe. Unless this is still a dream like the one with the yellow and when I died. Then leaving won't matter unless it's waking. Are we asleep?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Right, we got Pudge, Walter, Halfsies, Confusecious, and myself, Lucky. We got our gear, we know where the starting corner is at, let's hit it before any dopplies come back." The big man lumbers to the door and listens at it before checking the latch.
Hearing no noise coming from the other side of the door, Lucky opens it and finds a broad chute extends diagonally through one of this cellar’s half-crumbled stone walls. Beneath it lies heaped more than a dozen mutilated humanoid bodies. Nearby, a flight of rickety, wooden steps climbs toward the high ceiling -- an escape none of the room’s current occupants seem capable of employing. The smell of rot and decay in the room is nearly overwhelming, and the buzz of flies hangs in the air.
Many of the corpses are wearing the same thing: a plain, white uniform that buttons in the front that is very similar to the doctor’s outfit worn by the not-doctor.
The stink of rot in the room hits the slight gnome like a wave and she reels back, shaking her head trying not to retch.
"Am I Confusius or Walter?" Heinrich asks, scratching his chin. "Those bodies, they wear the same uniform as the wicked woman with the knife. Do you think, were they guards here or prisoners? Are we in prison? What crime could we have..." His voice trails off, as the sudden feeling that he DID commit a crime rolls over him.
"Ah, so there is a chute outside the room with the cells with the starting corner, where I come from," Tristain notes, adding sketches to his chalkmap. "And yes, there are bodies that wear uniforms near the room with the cells with the starting corner.". Tristain adds more points of reference.
'It is possible that the cell with the starting corner does lie within a prison, yes, but maybe not. We do not have enough reference points for that yet." Tristain seems keen to figure out more.
Kyffin draws his scimitar as the party makes ready to leave the room. He tries to position himself in or near the front, so as to protect his allies should combat ensue.
"Am I Confusius or Walter?" Heinrich asks, scratching his chin. "Those bodies, they wear the same uniform as the wicked woman with the knife. Do you think, were they guards here or prisoners? Are we in prison? What crime could we have..." His voice trails off, as the sudden feeling that he DID commit a crime rolls over him.
”I’m Walter, at least for now.” Kyffin smiles uneasily, clinging to a name he knows he must discard. It feels wrong on him, like clothes that are too small.
”I’d guess prisoners, maybe the not-doctor was too. He was a shapeshifter, maybe he got loose and captured that poor victim of his.” he has nothing further to add.
He moves toward the stairs and cautiously creeps up. If there is sufficient light, he’ll move up slowly trying to see if there’s a door or other opening at the top.
"Or maybe they were all not-doctors, but ours was also a doppleganger. Hard to say. Hard to think with that horrible smell. What is it?"
As Walter climbs the stairs, he can see heaps of rubble choking the passage above.
Kyffin/Walter climbs back down the stairs letting everyone know what he's found.
"It'll take some digging to get out I think. I don't know how we got in here. Very strange. Can we climb the chute?"
He volunteers to start removing rubble, and will sheath his blade and begin unless anyone has any better ideas.
Confucius say "So I am Confucius? That sounds... not correct. Nevertheless, I will respond to it. I'll check the chute." Heinrich moves over and peers up the chute. If it looks safe, he'll try to climb it.
Tristain waits for the exploration to continue, wondering if there is any existence at all beyond this room.
"It is possible that the is nothing beyond the room that has the cell with the starting corner. This could be a plane or alternate existence, and this is all there is," Tristain offers an opinion based on reference.
Tristain looks through his backpack of crap to see if there is anything to help with the climbing or digging. He finds little.
The bottom of the chute is about 8 feet off the floor, meaning you'll need to find some way to get up there. On the bright side, the bodies heaped beneath make convenient -- if morbid -- stairs and would likely do the trick if you want to use them as such.
You suspect removing all the rubble would take a fairly long time...
"Let's see if that surgery table can be moved."
Walter/Kyffin heads back into the first room and looks for things to help the group climb up to the chute. He drags/carries whatever he finds to make some sort of stair case.
You think you can move the table, with some effort, but you'll still need to clear some of the bodies to make room for it.
While others dig and move bodies, Tristain goes to explore the room with the cell with the starting corner again, trying to get his sketch of the known world right. It would be useless as a map of the known world if it as inaccurate.
He starts the examination with the furnace and moves around the room with the cell in the starting corner, taking notes and looking around.
Belzoni holds his breath and heaves the rotting corpses away from the chute. "Gods, I hope another body doesn't drop down while we're trying to climb up, this would be much easier with a rope." Even as he says it, the big remembers a flash in time of climbing a rope in a dusty tomb, though he can't recall when or where it was, and that thought is lost as he strains to drag the table into place for climbing.
Kyffin wraps a scarf around his face to damp down the worst of the smell and joins Belzoni.
"Aye, a rope would be most handy! Man from the Corner, see if you can find some rope in there for those of us who don't climb well! Maybe, we can tie something together?"
He shifts bodies and, with Belzoni's help I hope, drags the table under the chute.
Tristain nods and adds things that are rope or could be used to make rope to his list of things he searches for in the room with the cell with the starting corner.
The man from the cell with the starting corner does not find anything else of note in the cell with the starting corner, however he does notice several scorched humanoid bones amid the ashes in the furnace, easily from a half-dozen bodies.
He also realizes that the vents leading up and out of the furnace are particularly wide, so much so that a smaller person -- like the gnome who slew the doppleganger outside the cell with the starting corner -- could easily fit inside, and the rest of you (probably even the massive HeWhoStartedInTheCellWithTheStartingCornerToo), could probably squeeze through.
"I've got rope right here, and I'm sure I've climbed it before, but can't remember where?" Belzoni produces the coil of rope and a memory floats back again of it snaking upward as magic guides it's path. Belzoni takes a moment to peer up the chute and up the furnace vents to see if there is an obvious path to the outside, or anything the rope could be attached to for climbing.
You see enough regular seams and offshoots within the duct that you don't think it would be at all difficult to climb, regardless of rope.
Belzoni pulls the table the last few feet and climbs up to the base of the duct and heaves himself upward. "I'll drop the rope when I find a good perch." He takes his time being careful to not fall and climbs slowly upward.
You make your way up into a tight space in what appears to be an iron, cylindical chamber, just barely big enough to hold you. A heavy iron
door is partially opened, leading into what looks like a room.
Tristain waits for HeWhoStartedInTheCellWithTheStartingCornerToo to climb, having finished drawing all the known world and wondering if there might be more up the chute or whether it will just end.
"It is possible that this will just end," Tristain repeats his thoughts aloud.
Belzoni peeks out the partial opened door. If he finds an empty room he will quietly enter and tie off the rope, then drop the end down the chute for the others.
Mighty iron boilers crowd here, their pipes piercing the walls and ceiling. Shadows and rust fill the narrow gaps between the cold tanks.
Belzoni pulls his girth into the room and ties the rope to a sturdy looking contraption then drops it to those below. With blade in hand, he stands guard as his cellmates make the climb upward.
Tristain eventually climbs up as well. When he arrives he realizes that there might be a second floor above the floor with the starting corner. Such things were of keen interest to a man like the man who started in the starting corner.