"I don't plan to give her time to die of old age or starvation," Dean replies, "but I would like to have some idea where she is when we come back."
"Tell you what. If we can get to the market and back soon enough, I think a barrel of flour with some waterskins strapped to it blown up with some blackpowder ought to blanket that room in enough s@!~ there ain't no nothin' that'll be able to remain invisible."
"You see?" Dean nudges Luc's shoulder. "That's why he's the chef and we're just kitchen boys."
"It's a recipe for...disaster!"
"Then let's get cooking," Dean replies, rubbing his hands together. He moves to the marble altar to see if it will budge. "Reynard? Emanuel? A little help?"
Luc smiles at the cook's plan and then bursts out in laughter. "Well alright then, monsieur chef, let us build this 'recipe of disaster' of yours and see what we can accomplish."
"Then let's get cooking," Dean replies, rubbing his hands together. He moves to the marble altar to see if it will budge. 1d20+1 "Reynard? Emanuel? A little help?"
"Oh, right. I was lost in the sauce thinking about a special jerk recipe that might go off like a bang."
"Tell you what. If we can get to the market and back soon enough, I think a barrel of flour with some waterskins strapped to it blown up with some blackpowder ought to blanket that room in enough s~*% there ain't no nothin' that'll be able to remain invisible."
"I say! We should compare notes. Perhaps we could add some glue in there to stick her to the floor, or ceiling, or bits thereof."
"I don't suppose you have any glue on you?" Dean asks, still struggling to move the block of marble. "Something sticky that might stand a chance of holding those doors closed until we come back?"
"Clever, Witz." He says as he notices Dean still trying to move the altar, "I am telling you, Dean, I do not think she is gonna leave. This door hasn't been blocked in how long? Why would she leave now? You don't think a mere door is gonna hold her, do you? Her creatures are in that pool. Besides, can't demons like her go wherever they want, whenever?" He turns to Witz with that last statement wondering if he might know.
"You're probably right, Luc," Dean admits. "But if we come back and don't find her, I'll never be able to sleep again, wondering if she might still be following me."
He grabs the bill of his hat and lowers it a bit, thinks on it a moment, "Fair enough." He says with a shrug.
The stone alter is stuck firm to it's pedestal, and no matter how it's pushed, it remains in place...
Seeing how everyone gave their best effort to move this thing, "Looks like you are just gonna have to trust me on this one, Dean." He says with a 'Well, we tried.' tone.
"We're wasting time."
"I must agree with Reynard. Unless one of us can come up with a better plan than what we've already decided on, then I say we get started. Anyone?" He looks around, checking for a response.
Dean gives up on the altar and draws his rapier, his eye on the double doors. "Take my mutated skeleton with you, will you?" he asks. "I'd hate for it to get damaged in the explosion. You can leave it in my rooms at the Academy; they're used to strange packages being delivered for me. I have just the right buyer in mind...."
"Allright. Go on. We'll keep this thing locked up until you get back.
In response to Dean's request, "Between you and Wits, I'm still trying to discern which is the stranger." He says with a smile, in a joking manner. Then looking at the corpse, "Alright," he sighs, "I guess I'll carry the body. But only because it would finally be out of my sight." He then turns to Witz and Reynard, "Okay mon amis, let us be done with this dreadful task and return so we can rid ourselves of this demon." He says as he grabs the corpse and prepares to head out.
Dean and Emmanual sit on the cold stone, backs to the doors, and with daggers set under the threshold to keep them shut.
The trip back through the tunnels is dark, dank, and uneventful. Luc struggles with the skeleton, but drags it up into the basement of the glass works, where a barrow is available to take it the rest of the way, bumping up the steps into the glass works proper jars a few bones loose, which Dean will no doubt protest about later.
Outside it is early afternoon, although you could never tell from the fog, and drizzle. The street lamps are still lit, giving the whole area a dull orange glow. A couple of bobbies stand guard near the doorway as you exit, sat on crates, and enjoying a pull on their pipes. They stand to attention as you return.
One of them approaches, "Sirs, the constable has requested a report as soon as you leave the confines of the glass works. I am to take you to him directly." He strains on tiptoe to see past, and apparently count you all, "Shouldn't there be more of you?" he says, a look of fear in his eyes.
Wits looks at the man with a strange look. "Alas, they will stay behind, to guard our well-being. Their blood has not been spilled in vain. Or in vein." Wits chuckles at his pun, walking past the guard and heading toward the constable's office.
Luc gives a slight chuckle himself at the gnome, and then turns to the bobbie that was speaking to them, "They are waiting for our return. Before we actually head to the constable, though, any chance I can get some help moving this thing," he motions to the corpse, "to Dean Ninian Beard's place at the Academy? He mentioned they would accept it. Apparently he's always getting 'weird' packages."
Luc gives a slight chuckle himself at the gnome, and then turns to the bobbie that was speaking to them, "They are waiting for our return. Before we actually head to the constable, though, any chance I can get some help moving this thing," he motions to the corpse, "to Dean Ninian Beard's place at the Academy? He mentioned they would accept it. Apparently he's always getting 'weird' packages."
The man glances at the barrow, "It looks old, leave it inside, and we'll arrange someone to move it later. Valuable eh?"
Sitting in the creepy dungeon, with who-knows-what behind the doors chilling his back, Dean turns to Emanuel and says, "Contagion! I should have told Wits to tell people my mutant goblin was contagious. Get people to keep their distance."
He looks at the man with a questioning look, "Noooo. Just a corpse. I've never actually heard of a valuable corpse. I think he likes to examine them or something. Now are you sure arrangements can be made?" He asks incredulously. "I promise you I will not hear the end of it if I were to leave it with you and it never finds its way to his place."
"Ooo, I think he does more than examine it, if you catch my drift. He was quite 'interested' in this one. Something about the number of arms. Dreadfully interested."
Sitting in the creepy dungeon, with who-knows-what behind the doors chilling his back, Dean turns to Emanuel and says, "Contagion! I should have told Wits to tell people my mutant goblin was contagious. Get people to keep their distance."
"I guess its too late now. I just hope they get the right kind of flour. If not, it might not work, or we might end up with a blownup dungeon. That probly wouldn't go over well with the baron."
"You intrigue me, my friend. How many different kinds of flour are there, and which ones are incendiary?"
"Well there's wheat grain and corn grain and rice grain and barley grain and oats, millet, and sorghun grain and buckwheat. There's quinoa grain and fonio grain and rye grain and triticale grain. One of my favorites is rye grain cuz you can make rye bread and rye whiskey and rye beer and even rye vodka; but I really like the rye whiskey which is really really good. But my favorite favorite is corn flour which can be used in corn bread and corn tortilla's and corn flakes and corn chowder and cream corn and corn syrup and popcorn and can even be eaten from the cobb. It also is used in bourborn which is one of the best spirits in the world. Unfortunately, corn flour can also produce corn dust which if it too much of it is floating around in a silo, or a room in this case, and a spark or flame comes in contact it can explode!"
"Well, if they bring the wrong kind of flour, at least we'll be breaded before we're fried, hm?"
Leaving the corpse behind, Luc follows the bobby to go see the constable.
The streets of Sandpoint are busy with people, despite the drizzle. Horse carts and lone riders make the roads treacherous. The dull orange glow permeates everything, and the smells of cooking are just beginning to emanate from the houses and businesses you pass.
Eventually you are shown into the Police Station by the Bobby. He takes you right through to the Inspector's office, knocks, and waits outside as you enter.
The Inspector is again in full, sparkling dress uniform. He looks you up and down, and then takes a seat, leaving you to stand before his desk.
"The first time I heard of your deeds, you saved the town from goblins. This time I hear you have broken into one of Sandpoint's most valued businesses, and the had the audacity to call the guard to cover your back while you pillage the place! I need an explanation, and I need it now.
With that, he sits back, and takes a long pull on his pipe.
"Inspector, I must tell you, I am not the same man I was when I first entered. You would not believe how I have changed. Of course, if you have seen what I have seen, you would be a changed man as well. Anyway, it's actually sitting on top of something sinister. We want to destroy it. That is why only a few of us returned to the surface and not all of us. The two we left there are making sure what is down there, doesn't get out." He pauses a moment wondering if he has said to much already or not enough. Or hasn't explained it properly. Or he just sounds crazy. "You know, I believe Wits or Reynard here can explain it better than myself." He says as he pulls the lid of his hat down and steps back and then attempts to step into some form of shadow.
"Indeed, sir constable, breaking in is a bit harsh, you know. We were invited to rescue the fair Ameiko and just happened to discover a vile plot to murder the elder Kaijitsu, coating him rather cleverly in molten glass. Most effective means of death and it creates a rather striking trophy. However, art issues aside, we entered lawfully and apprehended the fiend Tsuto, then discovered a mass of tunnels beneath the Glassworks and this very town! Dread fiends and unknown sorceries lurk beneath your soil, sir constable. I dare say we averted some sort of disaster or another. And in the process the minds of my co-horts were stricken with some variety of madness or another, yes, but it's hardly of the stark raving cannibalism variety. Rather more of the personality altering long term psychosis variety." Wits stops, having spoken more than he has in a very long time. He stares at the constable as if the explanation made the situation as plain as the nose on his face.
"Indeed, sir constable, breaking in is a bit harsh, you know. We were invited to rescue the fair Ameiko and just happened to discover a vile plot to murder the elder Kaijitsu, coating him rather cleverly in molten glass. Most effective means of death and it creates a rather striking trophy. However, art issues aside, we entered lawfully and apprehended the fiend Tsuto, then discovered a mass of tunnels beneath the Glassworks and this very town! Dread fiends and unknown sorceries lurk beneath your soil, sir constable. I dare say we averted some sort of disaster or another. And in the process the minds of my co-horts were stricken with some variety of madness or another, yes, but it's hardly of the stark raving cannibalism variety. Rather more of the personality altering long term psychosis variety." Wits stops, having spoken more than he has in a very long time. He stares at the constable as if the explanation made the situation as plain as the nose on his face.
The Inspector sits, staring at Witz's tale in abject horror. His mouth is agape. His pipe drops with a clatter to the floor, unnoticed by it's owner, and a small amount of smoke rises, as the hot kernels begin to smolder in the carpet. After a few moments he speaks: "Ameiko? Lojiku, Tsuto?" he shakes his head, trying to take it in, "Fiends, and deamons? By the Gods! You destroyed everything down there? Good. I will have men wall up the entrances, and guard them. A report! I must write a report for Magnimar. You have done well! Get some rest, and we can speak properly of this in the morning."
Luc stoops close enough to where Wits can hear him, "Wits, what are we going to do about the others? He just said he's going to wall up the entrances. You have to say something to stop him. You are obviously much better than myself at speaking. I have no idea what you just said but it sounded very convincing." He says with complete seriousness, as he gives him a pat of confirmation and then raises back up and pulls on the bill of his hat again so as to resume his 'hiding'.
Luc stoops close enough to where Wits can hear him, "Wits, what are we going to do about the others? He just said he's going to wall up the entrances. You have to say something to stop him. You are obviously much better than myself at speaking. I have no idea what you just said but it sounded very convincing." He says with complete seriousness, as he gives him a pat of confirmation and then raises back up and pulls on the bill of his hat again so as to resume his 'hiding'.
"Others?! There are yet more fiends down there?"
Wits frowns. He thought he made everything perfectly clear. "Well, there is the small matter," at this Wits pauses, laughs, "of a fiendish creature that our compatriots are currently guarding in the tunnels. We only resumed the surface to gather supplies and then head back down to apply an explosive solution to the matter. So, we shall be off to get supplies and we would take it as a favor that you not emtomb our comrades alive. Where can a gnome find a large quantity of flour, gunpowder and the following chemicals?" Wits begins rattling off various alchemical supplies, specifically the ones to create a tanglefoot bag of epic proportions...
Craft: Alchemy:
The inspector sighs, and wipes his brow, obviously relieved that he had miss understood. " I see. The walling up will take a couple of days anyway, you should have ample time to get your comrades out. The supplies you require can all be found either here, for the flour and gunpowder. I shall send Jenkins out to procure the other supplies. Once again. Thank You, my friends. The people of this town owe you a great debt. I shall make arrangements to meet you here in the morning, at 9am?"
With that, he picks up a small bell from his desk and wrings it. The constable from earlier enters, and the Inspector makes the necessary arrangements. Your last view of the inspector as you leave, is one of him retrieving a bottle of some spirit from a cabinet, and a large goblet.
"Well that was....something." Reynard mutters glancing over at Witz.
"We will be here at 9 o'clock sharp, Inspector." He then turns to Wits, "Well done my diminutive friend!" He says as he claps him on the shoulder.
Requisite supplies acquired, you head back down into the darkness. The barrow and skeleton are gone from by the door as you wander past, so Luc can surmise that the artefact has been taken care of in some manor.
With the selection of barrels, cartons,a nd vials required, it takes some help to get it all down, but with a couple of "bobbies with 'barrows"™ you get everything neatly stacked in the antechamber.
The bobbies retreat to a safe distance (around a few corners) and leave you to it.
"Well, Emanuel, you're the head chef," Dean says, clapping him on the shoulder. "Give us orders. How do we apply the flour to our invisible beastie?"
"Good man! Hear we go." Emanuel pries of lids and scoops out flour from the barrels and drops it next to the barrel in the wheelbarrow. The he takes the bag of blackpowder and some long wicks, and pours the blackpowder into a smaller barrel. He then stuffs a wick into the barrel gums it down with some tar. He places this barrell into the barrell of flour making sure the wick is sticking out, secure in that it won't fall or pull out, then looks to Witz. "Looks like you brought some extra gooey concoctions yourself. Maybe you should take over from here."