"You would help us leave this place?" The man asks in a monotone voice.
"Yeah right they would and right to the authorities." Says the woman watching Tetchy and Braugher closely.
"And just how are we going to get past those metal monsters and that dart throwing archway? None of that started before we opened that chest , Meleren!" She lets slip in a somewhat fearful, not so quiet whisper.
It is very difficult to get a feeling about the man, he is just too monotone about everything. The woman on the other hand is truly frightened about the whole situation and would be probably accept new companions on the promise of escape.
The woman looks at you as if you might have actually lost your mind, "The Society?! Bah, what would they want with the likes of us?"
The man just looks on, every once in a while you note his eyes glancing around as if looking for something that's not there.
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Come now folks, no need to be hasty. Kynn says as he works his way down the stairs and into view. You seem to have no love for the Society, but can you not agree that it might be best if we were to offer our assistance? Getting in here was a bit tricky, and it seems getting back out might be just as bad.
As the party begins making their actual numbers known, the woman attempts to calm her self.
[b]"You are a well rounded group. We would certainly be grateful for assistance out of this twisted place. We came here for the treasure the other bandits hid here. All we found were traps and that damn tin badge."[b] She says shrugging and looking towards Meleren.
In the other room you find the same setup as before, twin bunk beds and four foot lockers. No useful items present themselves. These barracks were obviously designed to provide only the barest of necessities to the soldiers housed here.
"Yeah, and that dagger from the puzzle room. Pretty meager loot." Adds Meleren pointing out the tin badge he is wearing about his neck. It has obvious Pathfinder styling.
"Yes, that's the one." Meleren says without emotion. "You say Harlo died from the hammer trap? He shouldn't have run." He adds looking to the woman.
"It's what we did." She quips back at the man; "He was only doing right by himself. His half-orc wit's what done him in. You put that 'X' on the ground."
With a smile she says to Kynn "You mentioned getting out of here? We would be grateful for your assistance."
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Most assuredly, we would be pleased to escort you out. Of course, as you already know from your conversations with Grand Marshal Zathras, the only way out is forward. A great reward awaits us at the end of the challenge. I am sure that your share will still be assured, though you started in a different group.
If you would join with us, please, then we can be on our way.
Tetchy notices that a similar touch plate control is employed for this door as the previous doors, He is fairly sure a simple touch will open the door and no real strength would be required.
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You gotta tell me. Tetchy asks Meleren, How does a strong man like you get so down on his luck that he has to go out and explore places like this?
Tetchy's a sailor, and he's seen his share of misery and lost souls. Knows a thing or two about it himself. In his view, it's up to Meleren to answer, or not. He'll open the door to the north regardless.
As Istralanix steps forward and the woman and man look at each other puzzled by Kynn most recent statements, Tetchy touches the panel next to the door and his words are lost as a sudden blast of air roars past him. The movement of the air is so violent it actually pulls at Tetchy, Istralanix, and Braugher; their loose clothing whips about them furiously. Everyone else in or near the stairway has their hair and clothing blown about, though not as violently.
In the moment of surprise, Meleren returns the crossbow to a readied position and the woman screams.
As suddenly as the air came on it ends, beyond the door series of crystals in the overhead flicker and turn on, illuminating a room as big as the one you climbed the rope ladder into.
The monotony of red steel ends in this octagonal chamber. Red metal looms in the background, but is accented by gleaming chrome panels and tables set against every wall. A round table stands upon a plinth in the center of the room. Bronze and brass levers and dials occupy all these surfaces, along with flat bits of glass, some lit, some dark. Beyond the central table, a wide red metal pillar with a door in its southern face stretches from floor to ceiling. More doors open off the south, east, and west walls.
More concerning are the four creatures that turn their gaze upon Tetchy. Skeletal in appearance, they are alight with a blue fire that audibly crackles. Two of the skeletons immediately crowd the door and strike at Tetchy with gauntleted fists!
Both attacks crash down upon the unsuspecting barbarian, fire and electricity sputter from the attack, harmlessly flashing across the tiefling's skin.
Skeleton 4:
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What?! I'll show you air-sucking chewed out chicken bones how to cause REAL damage!
Tetchy's talking to the skeleton, not to his party members. It's the 'air-sucking' that gave it away.
Tetchy's so blind with rage that he forgets he's in a doorway. His long blade clips the passage, and never comes even close to a skeleton.
Istralanix's arrow is dodged by the skeleton while a third one moves in to swarm the doorway.
"What more have you brought upon us!" Calls Meleren holding his crossbow at the ready.
"Oh great, because things just weren't interesting enough. Now we have burning skeletons!" Says Sechera, the sarcasm dripping from her lips as she raises her quarterstaff to a defensive position.
Braugher's bite is easily avoided, perhaps he was a little concerned about the flame and electricity. However, his claws smash into the skeleton rendering it to dust. As the skeleton dies it appears to implode and blue fire and electricity explode outward, washing over the two tieflings harmlessly.
Just as the first of the skeletons goes down, it is quickly replaced by another. The new skeleton swings it's gauntleted hand at Braugher eager to land a damaging blow!
The undead creature's aim is no better than Braugher's bite and misses completely.
Tetchy's sword clipping the doorway is no deterrent for Kynn's and Kalistra's magical energies, both slamming into a skeleton. Kynn's force attack turns out to be the stronger, knocking his target to pieces which subsequently explodes in a fiery electric display that is once more harmlessly endured by the tieflings.
Emmett finds it most difficult to get a good throw in with the number of people crowding the doorway. As the skeleton he was targeting explodes from Kynn's force missile Emmett tries to correct his throw, but too many complexities cause the hammer to be easily dodged by the skeletons.
Istralanix's arrow flies true and knicks off the skeleton's spine as it soars right through the creature causing no damage. Istralanix realizes that perhaps piercing projectiles are not the best for killing skeletons.
Paying almost no heed to the arrows passing through his body, the skeleton moves forward, swing gauntlet and claw at Tetchy. The gauntlet lads against his head, pounding him as electricity and fire course over him ineffectively. The claw swipe is wide missing Tetchy's gut.
Meleren and Sechera hole in the back of the barracks room, weapons ready in case a skeleton breaks through the adventures.