With one last mighty blow, the ghast is crushed into the shallow water and lays still.
Darshan (Damage: 18)
Chomper (Damage: 23)
Agraic
Kensaku
Shigeru
After long seconds pass, Darshans frozen limbs relax, aching in a painfully live manner.
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"Ugh!" he says. "That wasn't pleasant. Thankfully, that's over with. Thank you, Chomper of the Tentacles, for killing that fellow before it could rend me to bits."
He pulls out his healing wand and tends to his wounds.
Putting the wand away, he says, "There, that feels better. Let's have a look around."
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Kensaku swims to the more shallow area, standing up when the water is closer to waist height. This was... unpleasant, she grumbles as she shakes water from her sleeves.
No, my powers actually come from within. Scholars refer to it as "psychic power," and it basically involves using the power of your own will to affect the world. Like arcane magic, but with less ritual and more emotion, she monologues in Shigeru's direction as she wrings herself out, as if their lives weren't just in danger and the conversation had never stopped.
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"Ah, my apologies for assuming. The way your demeanor changes when you cast made it appear that you were channeling some otherworldly being. I would have assumed your magic was divine in origin, but it didn't leave quite the same tinge in the air as a cleric does." Shigeru responds as he gives Chomper one more look over for injuries. "Could someone take a look in those barrels? Unlikely as it is that anyone left anything, I would hate to pass by any gear that would be useful as we delve further into this cave."
Darshan sees little of interest around the watery ghast battleground. At the edge of Shigeru and Agraic's enhanced vision, an iron gate stands slightly opened in the now still waters.
Nothing seems to have survived the degradation of the swamp here.
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Water drips.
Agraic finds the back of the aging caves just as waterlogged as the front, but to the left is a higher alcove that has escaped the wetness.
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Casting a light spell upon his headband, Shigeru and Chomper give the undead creatures one more looking over for anything valuable they might be carrying before heading down to the southern side of the cave to check the boxes and stonework there.
"I wonder why this cave flooded. You would think that the miners would have set up some drainage system to keep the swamp water from filling it like this." he wonders aloud as they work. Then, calling back to his companions, "Hey! Did the villagers say there was a earthquake or something around here? I'm fairly certain that's not something very common for a wetland."
Shigeru does not notice any evidence of quakes or other shifts in the cave structure. The bodies of the ghasts carry nothing but the tattered remnants of the clothing they wore in life.
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The summoner and eidolon swim briskly through the water to catch up to their companion. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Agraic. We were simply trying to be thorough. You say there is another alcove to check?" Shigeru asks as he drifts through the open grate. With a flick of his chin, he sends Chomper off to investigate while he inspects the gate for any available locking mechanisms.
Shigeru sees that any lock on the gate has long rusted away. Chomper finds the alcove choked with rubble and barrels, but can see claw marks around the small gaps revealing the alcove behind. After minute of digging, the side passage is cleared, allowing Chomper to slide out of the murky water. A series of crates in various stages of rot sit in the alcove, with one conspicuous space between two of them where an outline in the dust suggests one was recently removed.
The party fans out, finding the caves quiet in the darkness, shifting shadows playing out as the light spells cast move with the Pathfinders. Little else appears besides the waterlogged barrels and crates in the marsh water.
Agraic can see the back wall of the cave, a number of rotting barrels half out of the water on a narrow strip of dry land. Shigeru is able to crawl over the barrels and rubble to join Chomper in the dry corner. Kensaku and Darshan remain wet.
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Shigeru surveys the areas as he catches up with his eidolon. "Hm. Not much seems to have survived the flooding down here. It's a shame, extra supplies are always useful." He ponders the situation. "How did those barrels get stacked up in front of this cave portion though? It's uphill here, so the flood wouldn't have pushed everything into the mouth. I doubt the undead would have bothered taking the time to stack it all up. There must be something special about this place that I'm missing."
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"Oh! Good find, big guy!" Shiger exclaims. He rubs his hand through the eidolon's fuzz, eliciting a sound like the fizzing of champagne in response. He then begins searching the areas as carefully as he can for hidden passages that could have been used to escape the ghasts as he calls out. "Hello! Becher! Can you hear me!? Dalard sent us to help!"
The bonded pair quickly locates a hidden door in the back of the dry alcove. Kensaku is able to detect four magic auras within one of the less decrepit crates stored here. Investigation reveals a ring and set of bracers on top of a backpack, amid rotting and molded clothing. A vial in the pocket of the tattered trousers is the source of the final aura.
Beyond the door, a tunnel leads up and away from the cave, curving around as it rises. Clear footprints show some bog traveler has passed through some time ago. The party sees no danger in the old passage, following it a long distance in the dark, lit only by the Pathfinder's spells.
A cracked open door at the end of the tunnel permits entry into what looks to be an abandoned wine cellar, filled with decrepit wine racks and a single flight of rickety stairs. Across the cellar lays an injured man, propped against a stout chest. "Thank the gods you aren't those undead monsters. Beg yer pardon if I hope you're not the living type." he wheezes, before a racking cough robs him of further speech.
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"As much as Cayden would be pleased with your adherence to his tennets, alcohol is not the friend of the injured, Agraic. Shigeru says dryly. "You are right about the healing, though. Kensaku, get out those scrolls and use them on these gentlemen. Use the cure moderate potion on that man over there as well. To the best of my knowledge no one here has died yet and it''s going to stay that way."
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Kensaku distractedly examined the magic items, reading them for any information they may possess on their way down the dark hallway. When the man is found and orders begin flying, she dutifully looks for the the items mentioned by Shigeru and sets to work reading what the scrolls are and preparing the them for use.
When Chomper and Shigeru bring the man back her way she opens her procedure by attempting to activate her wand, pleased with herself when it glows in a white light and closes some of the wounds of the man.
After she does so she looks around confused before asking, Um... Shigeru? I only see one man here. Have you been sipping from Agraic's kegs when I wasn't looking? while she absently tries to force the wand to obey again, successfully coaxing it to release more healing energy.
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"'ey, my ale doesn't do that kind of thing! Don' be castin' aspers'ns on th' brew!" Agraic retorts with a bit of a huff. "I mean, it's not like it's Blue Whinnis or scorpion venom!"
He then turns his attention to the person that the party found conversationally.
"So, what's y'r story, guy? An' why are y' hoping we're not th' 'livin' type'?
The man struggles weakly against the tentacled grasp, before slumping back helplessly. "Judgin' by that question, you ain't with that wretch Grald. I'm Becher Railford, proprietor o' the Railford Distillery." The healing warmth brings a bit of color back to his pallor, but the coughing barely subsides. "I had to git the deed from out of this 'ere chest, but the monsters in the cave nearly did for me like the rest of the boys. Collapsed the tunnel on 'em to get away, before followin' the tunnel to this 'ere cottage. Gonna sneak in to the distillery through this 'ere other passage and steal a march on the bastards." He hooks a thumb at the far wall, and the party notices the outline of a matching secret door to the one they entered through. "Gotta find the key to the lock, and figure out how to deal with the trap the ol' man put on it. Can ya help me git on down that way? Still feelin' weak from that zombo attack."
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Agraic squats down and throws Becher into a 'fireman's carry'.
" 'graic Shieldarm, fol'r 'f Cayden an' we're 'ere fr' th' Pathfinder Society. Y'd be th' one we'd be sent t' talk t', then. Sounds like times a'wastin', so let's get a move-on, then?"
"Y'say trap an' key? Alrigh'. Not m' thin', but we'll get i' sor'ed ou'."
"Oh, righ'. Tha's 'saku, o'er there's Darsh'n, this's Shig'ru, an' th' tentacle buddy is Chompy. Don' le' appearances fool y', 'e's good people e'en if'n 'e don' like ale."
Becher flails one hand as Agraic begins to hoist him up. "None of that now, I don't need ta be carried like no wedded nor like a sack of grain. Just let me lean on ya." With Agraic's help, the older man is able to open the secret door, revealing a tunnel similar to the last.
Darshan sees that the chest is locked with a fine quality padlock, and after only a moment he spies the glint of a sharp needle waiting to spring upon anyone that attemps to unlock it.
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"Let me see what I can do about this," Darshan says.
He pulls out a set of rather nice looking thieves' tools, and sets to trying to disable the trap.
Assuming that worked, he will next try to unlock the chest. (If it didn't work, he will suffer.)
"Hmm. Give me a little longer with this lock; it's well made."
Shaking his head, Darshan continues to work at the lock.
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The Caydenite does not persist in carrying the fella once he's certain about standing on his own with some leaning support.
"Alrigh'y. Y' seem'd a bit out of the wind, so I was tryin' t' help. All good."
However, when Darshan starts fiddling with the lock, the lunkhead pulls out his shield and stands protectively in front of Becher to prevent him getting killed by a trap going off.
Darshan is able to disarm the poisoned needle handily, finding the catch that locks it in place to disarm the spring. The lock clicks open after the third attempt, revealing the contents. A single sheet of parchment.
Darshan doesn't see any traps, but does notice a false bottom to the chest under the parchment.
The parchment appears to be a legal document of sorts, across the top of which reads 'Official Deed of Ownership'. And as Darshan reads that he feels the great urge to claim the deed for his own!