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Vindlér looks around at the ruins, stunned by the destruction Cheliax had wrought on their own people. This is not law. This is just destruction. I can see why they want to cover up what they did here.
The dwarf snaps out of his dark thoughts as the others mention hearing the sounds of someone in trouble. "What would anyone be doing in a place like this? Aside from someone like us, of course." Vindlér straps on his shield and moves along behind the others, watching their rear for any unexpected threats.
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"It could be another explorer, or a criminal hiding from the law, or a wild animal. We had best be careful; we should inspect the edges of this place to make sure there are no surprises awaiting us to descend into the patch."
Assuming assent, Marcus will conduct a quick circuit of the structure with his companions, poking his head into the various windows and broken out crumbling sections of walls to ensure nothing sinister is hidden there.
"Look, we should be able to climb through this window, and the stairs will lead us downward. Come, I will give a hand up."
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As Vindlér peers down into the undergrowth spread throughout the lower courtyard, the particularly large gourds cause him to stop for a moment. "Lads, I think there must be some kinda natural beastie around here someplace. Look at those gourds. Even with all the undergrowth around 'em, which is nothing too shocking, there's no way those things would get that size without some kinda magic helping 'em along. Be on the lookout." Following his own advice, the dwarf passes a hand over his eyes and utters a quick prayer. "Master o' the Scales, reveal evil's presence in this place, if it is here."
Vindlér senses no evil coming from the garden or the areas around it.
Scanning the gourd patch reveals three gourds that give off a faint transmutation aura, though nothing seems out of the ordinary otherwise. Reaching the iron gate it appears to be stuck in the ground and moving it won't be easy with all of the debris around it.
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Scanning the area, Vindlér reports to the others in a barely-audible murmur, "Whatever magics might be enhancing those gourds, it is not evil. If we encounter whomever is doing this, let's see if we can talk with them before we do our usual job of smash and stab, eh?"
Breaking off his scan of the plants, Vindlér steps back through the remains of the southern door and makes his way east to check for any other entrances. "Berato, come along with me if ya would. I saw some steps down into the garden from the east side o' the building, and I wonder if there's a way for us to get to 'em."
Following the wall east, he comes to the opening in the wall on the eastern side of the building (indicated by the arrow) and steps through. He checks around in the room for anything of interest, then does the same in the room on the building's southeast corner before heading back to the stairs that descend to the lower level.
Making his way down most of the steps, he calls out to no one in particular, "Hallo? Anyone there? We heard a sound and thought someone might need help. Hallo?"
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Berato follows Vindlér Far-seer into the keep, maintaining his detect magic the whole time, taking only one move action each round. When he catches up with Vindlér he concentrates three rounds on detecting magic on the gourd patch and peers intently at the ruined halls, trying to see or hear any sign of the person who previously called for help...
One of the gourds that Berato is keeping his eye on expands in size and grows vines. The vines form a spindly body as two eye-holes and a mouth open in the gourd itself. It begins making strange sounds, like those only found in nature. A bird cry, a wolf howl, wind through the trees, chittering squirrels and more greet your ears.
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Berato smiles, and bows to the little plant creature. He sits, taking great care not to trample the green vegetation in the keep's courtyard. He pantomimes that he and his friends are here to 'look' at this fortress and 'find' something, then he points at the backpack of whoever carries the House Davian stuff.
Vindlér recognizes this creature as a gourd leshy, one of the few that could make these gourds grow to such an enormous size. It seems intent on talking to you and appears rather curious.
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Vindlér finds himself totally unable to figure out what the leshy is trying to communicate, but does tell the others that its intentions aren't directly violent. "It seems...curious about us, I think. No chance any o' ya understand what it's saying though, eh? And no one has any kinda spell to help out with that?"
Picking up on Berato's motions about the information about House Davian, Vindlér removes his pack and pulls out the papers. He shuffles through them to try to find some useful information that he might be able to show the creature, a picture preferably.
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"As a matter of fact, I do have some small preparation for this sort of occasion. I will be able to understand the creature, but I fear not speak with it."
Marcus will take out a stoppered bottle, pointing at it, then his mouth, then at the creature. Then he taps his ear three times, and drinks the extract, bowing slightly to the creature before cupping a hand to his hear and listening intently.
The gourd-leshy waves its leafy appendages about and speaks once more in its peculiar way.
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"Oh! He is friendly. His name is Harvest Stripe, and he is an ambassador and leader for his tribe. He seems impressed that we did not damage his garden, and wishes to know what we are doing here. I will verify he does not understand any tongue I speak, but does anyone have the skills to draw a picture, perhapse, describing our intent? If not, we may need to resort to extrapolations on your earlier pantomime, Berato" Marcus smiles to the creature and repeats the same phrase in common, Halfling and Infernal.
"Sir, I do understand you through magic. Do you understand me? We shall attempt to pantomime if not."
Harvest Stripe scratches his prodigious gourd and looks strangely at the group. The wailing can be faintly heard through the rusted gate nearby.
Harvest Stripe just scratches his gourd, completely unfamiliar with the gestures.
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Marcus shakes his head, then gestures to his companions, and points at the gate again. "Harvest Stripe wishes to know if we are hungry, and if so why we do not derive nourishment from the sun. I am uncertain if he would take kindly to our eating plants for sustenance. Regardless, communicating to him may be rather difficult. Let us proceed, and see if he comments further." Marcus then moves to help Anthys lift the gate.
Anthys and Berato pull the iron gate open with the tortured squeal of rusty metal. Harvest Stripe just walks back to the gourd patch and starts stroking the leaves of the plants. The wailing continues from beyond the opening.
You descend from the wide set of stairs in the north to see six round pillars and a large iron gate built into a low archway on the west wall. Drawings rendered from soot and dark brown paint cover the walls. They’re broken up by narrow fissures of dark earth and crumbled plaster. The room is filled with bones, most of which are heaped around a large throne against the south wall.
Looking closer at the paintings and drawings you see the oldest and most obscured of these drawings depict scenes of the Thrune family being savaged and brutalized by humans and devil-kin alike. The newest scrawlings depict civilians burning under a Chelish flag.
The piles of bones are deepest around the throne, upon which sits a skeleton in black chainmail. It’s held together with dried vines and has slumped forward slightly, a crown of dull iron upon its brow.
You realize as well that several of the newest additions to the bone heaps are troll in origin. A significant number of the bones bear bite marks as though the meat was literally ripped off of them. In comparison the bones in the throne have not been touched in any way, though they don't all seem to come from the same person.
The wailing gets louder as you creep steadily towards the iron gate to the west.
[dice=1d20+10+10[/dice]
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"That brown paint? It's blood. Charming, but not too unexpected in these parts.
This, on the other hand, is quite strange. You see here on the ground a few troll bones. You don't usually see any troll bones that lack either burn marks or acid damage. But in this case, the only markings are bite marks, as if the flesh was torn off of by powerful teeth. What manner of creature can kill a troll like that?
The skeleton on the throne wasn't chewed up like that, but the bones are from several different people."
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Marcus quietly slips a dagger into each hand, peering around the room with a sense of unease. "A troll. Well. That would be most unpleasant to encounter."
"Hm, how fascinating. Look at this...the house of Thrune, attacked by devil kin. Perhaps they were not the first to engage in concourse with hell during the time of conflict. Or perhaps I read too much into an old painting."
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"Or the paintings were the wishful imaginings of an enemy of Thrune," Vindlér offers. As Berato calls upon Torag to sense any magical presences in the sunken chamber, the dwarf calls upon Abadar to give him sight beyond sight in order to detect evil. He also checks the room for any features that might be hidden in the stonework of the basement.
Most of the fissures in the stonework are natural, though there are a couple that look as though they were the result of heavy blows and are relatively recent. In addition there is a moderate lingering aura of evil that grows weaker with each passing minute.
Skeletal corpses thinly wrapped in decaying burial linen rest in niches cut into the stone of a wide hallway, which is intersected by numerous narrow fissures. Many of the niches have collapsed, with bony remains jutting out of the rocks and dark earth. The hallway opens into a larger room, where a stone altar is surrounded by cracked walls decorated with intricate reliefs of religious figures and prominent Davians whose tombs lie beyond.
Peering through the door into the next room you see blood scattered everywhere underneath a troll. The monster is hanging upside-down by a thick chain with its one remaining arm bound tightly to its side with rope. It's abdomen has been cut open where you can see heaps of oozing entrails slowly crawling their way back inside. It is the cause of the pitiful wailing you've been hearing since you were topside.
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Maintaining his detect magic, Berato looks at the scene, trying to recognize the dark nature of this ritual or its ties to a dark religion or cult.
Unable to bear the wailing and agony of the creature any longer, Berato hesitates, then speak, "Well, hopefully this will not bite me in the rump..."
Berato extends his warhammer towards the agonizing beast and channels positive energy. points of healing.