"As I mentioned, uh, Tristain," he says, the name still strange in his mouth, "I'd like to check this section for the boy before we head back. At least kick in a couple doors eh? See what's behind 'em."
If the others agree, Kyffin will search the nearest three or four doors, see what those rooms contain. He'll skip the door at the end of the hall for now (if I'm reading the map right).
"Oh right, that way," Chalker points with his spear and in that direction and nearly spears Tenebrynn's ear. "I didn't hear what you said earlier. I was distracted. And reading. I'm good at reading."
Having had a good day of reading and ass-sitting, Chalker seems a bit more relaxed.
"Heinrich? Yes, that name tastes familiar to me. Tristain. Tennebryn. These names also seem familiar. I am glad we are whole and named again, but we must get the devil out of this madhouse." Heinrich follows the half-orc and the lunatic.
"Finding the boy should be our focus, he can't survive much longer in this madhouse, if he's still breathing." Al follows along with Kyffin to search the other rooms.
Tenebrynn nods at Albert's words and shrugs, "Ok. Let's follow him," she points toward the departing figure of Kyffin, "and look." Her eyes continue to dart around as the group proceeds, curiosity always beckoning to her and tempting her to slip away from the party.
Exploring more, you discover one of the keys you got from the former administrator opens the locked door in the room you're in, revealing a small, crowded chamber, its walls covered by filing cabinets, except for one space where a battered old painting of a somber, towering structure hangs.
Several of you notice the old painting is a little askew and realize it hides a small brass latch that opens a panel revealing a hollow within the wall.
Inside are a small pile of records, a tiny lockbox, and a sword in a crimson scabbard. The pommel is sculpted in the shape of a cardinal and an etched gold band bears the name Red Destiny.
The next door to the right of the records room barely opens, just enough for you to see that the roof and upper floors must have collapsed here, burying whatever was inside under a huge amount of stone rubble, enough that it would take large amount of magic or weeks or work to move.
The two doors to the north open into the same area, where racks cluttered with boxes and sprawling collections of haphazard junk fill a dusty storage room.
Two men, in now somewhat familiar yellow robes, are inside, one searching around the room and the other apparently talking to a line of dolls on a shelf. The former notices you enter and yells out, "No! Zandalus says what is here is for him alone!"
"I grow tired of hearing the name Zandalus even before I heard my own." Heinrich murmurs.
"Oh piddlespot! Who are these jerks!?" Tristain oaths as he tries to point his longspear in the right direction, banging it on one wall, then the next, then the doorframe.
"I'll get them."
"Zandalus this. Zandalus that." She spins and sends a cluster of debris into the figure directly in front of her. Shrugging, she fires of a pair of additional questions as well, "Can Zandalus do that? Did Zandalus see that?"
HP: 21/21
Nonlethal:
AC: 15 (13 T / 12 FF)
Fort: +6 // Ref: +6 // Will: +1 (+2 vs illusion)
Burn Accrued: 0/6
SLAs: dancing lights [ ], ghost sound [ ], prestidigitation [ ], speak with animals [ ]
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Point Blank Shot: +1/+1
Round 1/2
Tenebrynn's blast hits the first yellow-clad man, who growls in irritation and rushes forward. The blast however apparently still has him out of sorts, as the crowbar he swings goes over the gnome's head as she ducks quickly.
Heinrich is less lucky as the other closes quickly on him, a crowbar slamming into his clavicle with enough force to nearly break it, and perhaps several of his ribs too.
AO1: 8
HP 2/15 Heinrich gasps with pain as he feels the bones break. "Curse your Zandalus and his damned name!" He backs away five feet and mixes a healing draught, draining it down.
HP 10/15
Round 1, Init 16
Heinrich's retreat leaves a spot for Tristain to use his mighty longspear before Al or Walter plug the hole.
Tristain finally gets his longspear pointed the right way, thrusting it when Heinrich is out of the way.
"Battle cry!" Tristain yells as a battle cry.
to hit;
damage.
to hit;
damage.
Tristain then moves back to make sure that someone else has room to enter the room.
Round 1, Initiative: 10
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Bolts = 6/10
Conditions = None
Melee: Attack: BAB +1, Str +3 Damage: Str +3
Ranged: Attack: BAB +1, Dex +1 Damage: +0 (Str +3 thrown)
Blessings (3/4) (DC 13) (Holy Strike or Powerful Healer)
Fervor (3/3) (1d6)
Spells (Caster Level 2, Concentration +4)
Once Per Day (12): Prestidigitation
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
First (13): Divine Favor, Divine Favor,
Kyffin draws his scimitar as he moves, if he didn’t have it out already. He passes through Tenebrynn’s square to stand next to her.
He swings at the man with the crowbar, ”Why are all of Zandalus’ people so violent?!”
Sadly, he spends too much of his focus on philosophical matters and not enough on the task at hand and so he misses wildly.
Tenebrynn ducks beneath the arcing crowbar and slips around behind the yellow-robed maniac, her clothes and hair twisting in an otherwise unseen breeze as she gathers the wind around her. "Stop trying to hit me in the head with sticks and crowbars!" She punctuates the command as she whirls around and sends another blast careening toward her attacker.
HP: 21/21
Nonlethal:
AC: 15 (13 T / 12 FF)
Fort: +6 // Ref: +6 // Will: +1 (+2 vs illusion)
Burn Accrued: 0/6
SLAs: dancing lights [ ], ghost sound [ ], prestidigitation [ ], speak with animals [ ]
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Point Blank Shot: +1/+1
Albert shoulders into the doorway vacated by Heinrich as he pulls a short blade from his belt. "Back you yellow wretch, how dare you strike at us good folk."
Heinrich: 18
Tristain: 16
Kyffin: 10
Albert: 8
Tenebrynn: 22
Antagonist: 21
Heinrich retreats, trying to fish out a potion to prevent his crushed bones from fatally stabbing his internal organs.
Tristain jabs, his battle cry clearly being a key component as he draws blood for the first time with his spear before Al pushes forward in front of him, the old man's short sword deflected by the yellow-clad foe's crowbar.
At the other door, Walter similarly struggles, but opens up an opportunity for Tenebrynn to slam their foe with another blast of debris, staggering him for a moment before dropping him with a solid thump to the ground.
The remaining figure seems undeterred, and lashes out again with his crowbar, slamming Al in the head and opening a bloody gash.
AO2: 5
Round 2, Initiative: 10
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Bolts = 6/10
Conditions = None
Melee: Attack: BAB +1, Str +3 Damage: Str +3
Ranged: Attack: BAB +1, Dex +1 Damage: +0 (Str +3 thrown)
Blessings (3/4) (DC 13) (Holy Strike or Powerful Healer)
Fervor (3/3) (1d6)
Spells (Caster Level 2, Concentration +4)
Once Per Day (12): Prestidigitation
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Stabilize
First (13): Divine Favor, Divine Favor,
Kyffin nods to Tenebrynn as she drops their foe, ”Nicely done!” He then moves around the bookcases and steps into flank with the other one.
”Surrender and we may show you mercy. There’s no need to die today.” He hesitates before striking to see if the man will surrender
(flank)
Round 2, Init 16
Tristain double moves around, trying to get into flank. He nearly stabs Tenebrynn on his way by as he didn't see her because he was turning his head to apologize to Kyffin for nearly stabbing him with his longspear as he rushed to help.
"Be gone, you foul zealot, and take that with you." Al jabs with his short sword to punctuate the threat.
Tenebrynn somersaults over Tristain's errant spearpoint at the last moment as he hurries by, her eyes wide in alarm. Her gaze drifts to a few errant strands of her hair as they drift to the floor. She sends a blast of air chasing after her spear-wielding friend, but it seems to fly wide both of him and the other yellow-robed figure.
HP: 21/21
Nonlethal:
AC: 15 (13 T / 12 FF)
Fort: +6 // Ref: +6 // Will: +1 (+2 vs illusion)
Burn Accrued: 0/6
SLAs: dancing lights [ ], ghost sound [ ], prestidigitation [ ], speak with animals [ ]
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Point Blank Shot: +1/+1
Heinrich: 18
Tristain: 16
Kyffin: 10
Albert: 8
Tenebrynn: 22
Antagonist: 21
Heinrich, in the hall, downs his potion, as the sounds of combat continue from the other room. They're cut short after just a few more seconds, though, Al's sword catching the second yellow-clad man in the shoulder. His eyes grow wide for a second, and then roll back into his head as the pain overwhelms him and he slumps to the floor.
Most of what may have been in here appears to have been taken already, but you do find two vials marked silversheen and a small bottle of oil marked align weapon.
Tristain, on the verge of another vicious battlecry, stops his attack as Albert finishes the foe. He seems disappointed as his battle lust had been aroused for the first time.
He puts up his longspear (avoiding almost everyone) and begins to look around.
"Do you think they are still alive? They might be good for questioning...not sure what they are all going on about."
Perception
"I'm not sure how lucid they'll be, but if they live, we can question them." he moves to Stabilize each of them while the others search the room.
He guards over the prisoners wishing he had more manacles.
"Anybody have any rope? We should tie them up for sure." He watches them as the others search.
Tenebrynn shakes her head in ignorance as to whether or not the pair are still breathing then shrugs, "Lucid, not lucid. Will just say 'Zandalus this' and Zandalus that'." Her attention then immediately wanders as she blurts, "Ooo! What's that! Vials! We need more of these!"
Al stands guard with Kyffin over the prisoners as the young folks with better eyesight search the room.
Tristain has no rope, but does go through the pockets of the foes and gather up all their weapons.
"Should we bring them back to Winter, Walter?" Chalker asks, unsure.
Kyffin raises his head and looks at Tristain. "Well, we need to either take them back or kill them here. Leaving them loose just means they'll either be killed by the next wandering horror, or they'll fight us again when they recover."
He scratches the scalp under his headscarf, "I don't know what I'd prefer to be honest. I think there was a time I'd say we bring them back no matter what, but this place... changes people. I don't know that they can be saved. These feel further along the paths to insanity than the woman we saved."
He shrugs, "What do the rest of you think? We should decide as a group I think. Sort of a jury at least."
Tristain scratches his nose, then goes to the wall to lean against.
"I think we should ask Lady Winter. She's in charge here, right? She might be the one to decide."
Tristain bonks his head against the wall while he hears what others have to say.
Tenebrynn turns her attention from the vials back to the group as they discuss what to do with the tied up yellow-robes. "I say leave them. That one tried to hit me with a crowbar. Also, Winter and the others are desperate enough without having two extra mouths feed. Especially two mouths that won't help with wood chopping or other things."
Tristain wonders if anyone can hear him and repeats his idea that Lady Winter should decide.
"May I see the vials, please, Tenebrynn?" If he may, Heinrich examines the vials.
Albert observes the party with a critical eye, waiting to see what they decide about the fate of two unconscious people. "Don't you folk lose your humanity in this mess." The old man cautions.
After a long pause, the old man sighs heavily, "I've been keeping a secret from you good folks. I've had terrible dreams, right awful things, and they warned of the 'yellow walker' before I wake. Do you lot think these are them 'yellow walkers'?"
Tenebrynn blinks at Albert a few times before stating simply, "Not human. Called 'gnome girl' until name was learned for good reason."
She turns her gaze to the yellowrobes and shrugs. "Not evil to end them. Not good either. Just practical. Winter and others have limited supplies. More prisoners yields faster drain. Puts them in worse situation than present one."
As the man then elaborates on his dreams, she remarks, "Could be. Could be Zandalus. Could be the Cutter. Could be lots of things. I slept fine though. Quite peacefully, now that I think about it. Huh."
He shrugs, "What do the rest of you think? We should decide as a group I think. Sort of a jury at least."
Tristain bonks his head against the wall, waiting for Al, Tene, & Heinrich to definitely say answer Kyffin's question.
Tristain would take them back to Lady Winter, but lacks the strength to do so alone. He knows what Al doesn't want to lose his humanity, but what that actually means now is empty and confusing.
The gnome girl speaks in riddles and doesn't answer the questions presented.
Heinrich is seemingly more interested in bottles than answering his teammates.
*bonk* *bonk* *bonk*
*bonk* *bonk* *bonk*
*bonk* *bonk* *bonk*
"Enough!" Heinrich grabs the unconscious people and begins to drag them back to Winter's camp. "Perhaps Winter can make something of their nonsense. If not, easy to kill them there as it is here."
You drag the next two bodies at Winter, who doesn't seem happy to see them.
"I see the problem," the Pharasmin priestess says gravely. "Leaving them to die feels wrong, but ... we have limited supplies and other priorities. If you want to leave them with the other one you captured, we'll tend to them as best we can, but ... I can't put them above the children or others who just want to escape. If we can get out of here soon, maybe ..."
She looks at you hopefully.
Others appear to be maintaining their chores, getting ready for night. Tolman, the handsome nurse, brings in two of the children from the other room. Maeve pays you little attention, but the other -- Brenton, clutching his lantern -- veers off toward Tristain.
"Did you find my brother?" he asks.
Kyffin supports bringing the men back, but also agrees with the Pharasmins, "These are not easy decisions we know. But we felt they should be made by you, or the group, not by a bunch of former patients wandering the halls."
When Brenton approaches, he looks to the floor, feeling, and looking guilty. He says nothing, letting someone else speak, but the message is written all over his face...
"That boy is still missing and these yellow robes are costing us time. I'm locking them in the room and maybe we find out something from them later." Albert starts transporting the latest prisoners to the makeshift cell.
With the captives secured and night falling, Al completes his evening chores and duties, then finds some time to sit with the companions and discuss a few things. "Look, I've been having terrible dreams, strange and nightmarish, stuff that rattles even an old man's bones. They ain't natural and I don't remember having nothing like them ever in my life before getting trapped here. I suspect some of you folks have been having the same weird visions. Much as I hate it, maybe we should share our nightmares, maybe there is some message being sent in fragments and we can't see the dang picture until we put those pieces together."
Kyffin nods, agreeing with Al’s suggestion, ”You’re wise beyond your years, which are already substantial.”
”Last night I dreamt of a pair of young girls playing on an island with a teddy bear. The bear is important, but I don’t know how. They watch in the evening as a large gray building on a river pours yellow fog out of the chimney. It envelopes the entire island and the girls flee - leaving the teddy bear behind.”
”The night before I found myself in the desert, a cold night with stars high in the firmament. I was perhaps flying as I saw, in the dawn, a large city - far away but closing fast. Yeah I am hurt and cannot staunch the bleeding. I call for help and a strange shadowy figure emerges feeding me some sort of burning liquid from a spoon. I awoke, and my wounds were healed.”
”I don’t know what any of that means, it was all a little confusing.”
Tristain is similarly unable to find good words to explain to Brenton why they haven't found his brother. He tries.
"We're trying. We're new here and this place is really big. It's more like a scary dungeon than a place of healing, you know? We won't give up, and we'll go out tomorrow to try again to find him. Is that okay?" Tristain says, trying sound hopeful.
Tristain smiles at Brenton, but knows he is dreadfully unprepared to do too much alone.
* * *
"Dreams? Oh yeah, I've had a few..." Chalker describes his dreams as well.
"But they are just dreams, right? Normal dreamy dreams. Right?"
"I was in an alien city, one road safely upwards, the other dangerously downward. A gray-masked horror seemed surprised to see me, but I awoke before it could touch me." Heinrich shrugs. "I know not if it's any help to you."
Tenebrynn nods, liking the idea of sharing and perhaps finding clues within their tormented dreams. If the Cutter could find them there, then perhaps answers could too.
"The first night here I dreamt I was lost in yellow fog, like the fog from when the Cutter was chasing us. Except there weren't alleys or walls, just fog. Crazy man with white hair in a ponytail surprised me at one point, shook me and screamed that 'everyone was lost' while wondering 'what he'd done'." She pauses and shakes her head. "Was very nervous whole time that Cutter would find me there again."
She sighs, then reiterates what she'd shared a little while earlier, "Last night though I slept well! No bad dreams or nightmares to speak of. It was nice."
"My dreams all start in some deserted alley and the builder ain't from these parts. He ain't much good at building either as a wall always collapses and behind it a lady about my age sitting on a rickety stool barks some warning before I wake up sweating and with terrible gas. Well, the terrible gas is usual, but the dreams ain't. She warns me about them yellow walkers and told me to find the doctor's tome to awake a sleeping past."
Tenebrynn nods at Albert's recollection then asks everyone, "Good. Good. All very confusing and riddle-like. Any others? We're sure that's all of them?"
Chalker leans against the wall as others speak of their dreams, gently bonking his head against the wall as he listens.
*bonk*
*bonk*
*bonk*
"Any others? We're sure that's all of them?"
Chalker clears his throat, as he bonks in preparation for speaking again.
"I didn't understand at the time that one dream I had with the hallway and the desks and the students...but it makes more sense now that we know I worked for a Count Lowls and I have a name. But I worked for him...maybe as a teacher or tutor or something. And since I'm clearly smarter than all of you, that must be it. The dreams might have some truth to them," Chalker explains.
"In my other dream, the one with the eyes, There was nothing but mirrors with eyes. Ayep, mirrors and eyes...which could mean anything."