Fodder pipes up. I'll second that Sherpa! You all are nuts!
Finally pulling free of the web as the spell dissipates Old Scar adds his own thoughts, "They ain't crazy but they are dangerous and I'd think we'd be better in the safety of Sandpoint. No offense to any of you Heroes. But I'm just speaking the truth."
Clearly, dragging the town guard into this has not improved their morale, although it is safe to say that stories of your heroics will not double or more!
You manage to muster the group enough to clear through the rest of the bramble maze outside. You find a couple of goblins here and there, but none that prove to be too much effort. They all do attack the group on site, and show no sign of remorse for doing so.
At one point, Sherpa stumbles across a cave entrance underneath the area.
A glittering grotto sparkles here, its walls dripping with moisture and alive with sea urchins, anemones, and other tidal life. The cave's roof rises to a natural dome ten feet above the water where a five-foot-wide chimney rises through the roof in a shaft. The waters here are less choppy, but they are far from still. A five-foot-wide, fifteen-foot-long ledge sits just above the water level to the south.
A sleek aquatic hunter that looks something like a seal with fins and a mouth full of several rows of sharklike teeth seems to have made his home here. The bunyip (as it is called) roars as soon as it sees intruders, then dives into the water to attack Sherpa, nearly ripping out his throat. But with the large number of you, it is easy to overwhelm the creature, and it barely makes it's escape out to sea, injured and not eager to return.
Taking some time to heal and rest, many of you make a search of the cave pool bed. You quickly turn up an incredible tangle of bones, all that remains of the bunyip's meals. Many of the bones are from goblins, but a fair amount are larger and human-sized. You also discover several items of value scattered down here.
a deep green spinel worth 100 gp
a rusted kukri with an intact violet garnet in its hilt worth 500 gp
a rotted quiver containing three +1 arrows
a bone wand of shield with 9 charges remaining
This also seems to be a decent enough location to make camp for the night, so you do so. (Replenish spells and heal as needed). When you wake up, you notice that Jimmy and Sherpa have flown the coop. Old Scar just shakes his head in disappointment, but the twins are acting like they wish they thought of it first.
Headed back to Thistletop, you enter the main level again and begin to clear it out. Again, you find little besides small groups of evil little goblins, all intent on "killing the longshanks". These again are easily dispatched. Behind the throne room, you find a small room (C22) with a chest. Before you can stop him, Fodder runs up to open it. "Finally! Something to make this all worth... argh!" A trap springs, with a rusty dagger slicing his arms.
Aurora takes a look, and while it appears that the trap was once also poisoned, time has taken it's toll. Unfortunately, however, tetanus is a very real possibility. He needs to get home and under proper care. The good news is that he also discovered that the chest does indeed contain treasure.
This collection consists of:
an unorganized pile of 7,432 cp, 2,490 sp, 89 gp, 3 pp
a leather pouch of 34 badly flawed malachites worth 1 gp each
a Medium chain shirt
a Medium masterwork scimitar
a pair of masterwork manacles
a gold holy symbol of Sarenrae worth 100 gp
a jade necklace worth 6o gp,
a fine blue silk gown with silver trim worth 150 gp
After defeating a few goblin dogs (16), you find a tortured and starving horse (C18). Old Scar recognizes him as Shadowmist, a "fine steed, worthy of much better".
Now satisfied that you are leaving no enemies ahead, you make your way to one of the stairwells to delve back down below in search of Nualia. As you begin to descend, you see some reluctance from your townies.
"We're not going down there." Sammi and Sammy say simultaneously. "Clearing our goblins is one thing, but you all are crazy to be looking for a demon too!"
Old Scar chimes in. "I think these youngin's are right. They didn't sign up for this, and it has been a rough go of it. Listen, we all appreciate your efforts, but clearly you are made of stern stuff that we are." He offers to lead the others home, and to take the horse, and the piles of loot you have uncovered, back to Sandpoint for you. "If you want, I can pick up anything else you want and return to meet you here tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll make sure this stuff all gets put away for you."
”It is long said among my people that while all hearts may dream of adventure, but only few hearts may bear it.” He points at the townsman, ”there is no shame in turning back now. You have been through much and handled it well, but all must have their own limits, and perhaps you have reached yours.”
Goodbye Fodder. You served the cause well. Let your deeds be remembered and WHEN I get back to town. We will drink to this adventure!
René remains silent through the exploration, filled with conflicting feelings that all come to a head when the twins decide to leave. On the one hand, he would miss the extra meat shields. On the other, he couldn't help the gnawing feeling of guilt at almost seeing the two die. Hadley the rabbit did his best to comfort the man, though his comfort was annoyingly devoid of telling René that it wasn't his fault, so the witch did the best he could to tell himself that. Though perhaps for the first time in his experience, his intellect truly failed him; despite his logic being sound, he couldn't shake the sense of unease he felt and soon began cursing that he hadn't brought something stronger than his water flask with him on this journey. "Really, it was the obvious thing to bring. I dunno what the hell I was thinking..."
He half-heartedly waves goodbye to the last of their escort, grimacing at the implied extra stories that would be told about them. It did not bode well for his future. "Leave me outta it, would ya?" His parting words only earn him confused looks, having seemingly come from nowhere.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek until she can taste blood. What the hell was I thinking? A pit of self loathing and fear grows and does battle with the stubborn need to be right over having the extra weapons in battle. Luckily some flee in the night and the others refuse to go any further. Clearly I cannot be trusted.
"Please be safe."
Skarn admires the manacles, picks them up and gestures to his belt, ”would you mind if I take this here? Me old ones be not quite as magnificent as thisun.”
"Thank you for your bravery and may the Dawnflower bring you back safely." His words are short as he stares below to their next destination. Catching himself he shakes his head and smiles at the townsguard doing his best to lighten the moment.
You descend the stairs, and it is dark and quiet.
Knowing that a significant portion of the group is helpless in the dark, including himself, René pulls out one of the everburning torches.
Not needing light, Cordwin will take the lead and listen behind the doors.
All of the doors are quiet.
He will then check to see if any are locked.
They are not locked.
D4c: While this bedroom is clean and bright, lit by an everburning torch lying on the nightstand, it looks like it really hasn't been lived in.
D4d: This bedroom has a faint musty odor. The bed is covered in matted grey and black hair, and bloodstains mar the stone floor, while a morbid stack of birds' feet lies heaped on the floor by the side of the bed. It does not appear to have been used in days.
D5: The large chamber seems to serve a dual purpose. To the north is a fine bed with silk sheets, while to the south, a desk and chair under a hanging lantern makes a comfortable looking study.
Regrouping at D11:
Two large stone doors sit in the western wall here, their faces carves with images of horrific deformed monsters clawing their way out of pregnant women of all races.
There is also a door to the west of where you are at D1.
René rifles through the desk, looking for any significant paperwork or notebooks that have been written in that conveniently describe all their enemies plans and how to defeat them.
Back in their regrouped area, he surveys the doors with a grimace. "Well, gotta say, if a crazy, undead, demon lady with pregnancy issues were goin' ta be anywhere, I reckon she'd be behind this here door." He gives his companions a too-bright, smile full of false hope. "Ain't too late ta head back? Go outta town? Or maybe check these here side doors?"
Skarn will have snatched the everburning torch from D4c. We can’t just leave such things lying about for some scoundrel to come by and steal!
Skarn chews the last nun of his cigar, and some of his whiskers with it. He spits the chewed up thing to the ground, presses it flat with his foot, and smiles, ”Twouldn’t be right to be smoking that thing around an expectant mother, now would it?” He gestures towards the door, ”I didn’t come this far to elf out now. Let’s do the thing!”
Watching René head over to the desk and instead moving to take a peek under the bed.
Grimacing at the artistic liberties taken with a door, "That is just wrong.
Reaching out and giving Skarn's shoulder a lite shove, "Stop being stereotypical."
Cordwin will listen at the door and check to see if it is trapped.
Tylur does his best to ignore the alarming images mumbling a small prayer to the Dawnflower. He watched as Cordwin pasted his ear on each door trying to hear something on the other side.
"Let us be finished with this soon. Only the deranged could live amongst these and not be affected by it."
Taking a look around at some of the other unexplored areas, you find a couple of sets of stairs - one up, and one down.
”I says we go for up first. There are limits to how far up can go. Down can be about endless.”
Nodding, "Sounds reasonable."
Cordwin will creep up the stairs looking for traps.
”I says we go for up first. There are limits to how far up can go. Down can be about endless.”
"Clearly ya ain't never heard me ma's stories 'bout wizard towers."
Rene is correct, the stairs up connect to areas you have already explored.
Headed down, or the last bit on this level?
This level first.
D9: The southern wall of this room is a bank of cells with iron doors, six in all. The rest of the room is obviously a torture chamber; a rack sits against the far wall, an iron maiden stands to the north, and a fire pit smolders below a spiky cage dangling from a chain in the ceiling to the east.
D10: A dusty nest of rags, dog hides, and straw sits in the northeast corner of this room. To the south, a long workbench cluttered with pliers, hooks, tongs, saws, and knives runs along the wall.
Keys to the cells in area 09 can be found scattered among the torture implements on the southern workbench.
D12: Stone fonts containing frothy dark water sit to the north and south of the eastern entrance to the room, and twin banks of stone pillars run the length of the long chamber. At the western end, shallow stairs rise to a platform about two feet off the ground. The walls surrounding this platform are lit by hanging braziers that emit glowing red smoke, giving the place an unnerving crimson lighting that throws the bas-relief carvings of countless monsters feasting on fleeing humans into lurid display. A black marble altar stone, its surface heaped with ashes and bone fragments, squats before a ten-foot-tall statue. :he sculpture depicts a very pregnant but otherwise shapely naked woman who wields a kukri in each taloned hand and has a long reptilian tail, birdlike taloned feet, and the snarling head of a three-eyed jackal with a forked tongue. The left kukri flickers with fiery orange light while the right one glows with a cold blue radiance.
+2 stonework, +1 vs giants
Lean creatures that look like jackals with smoking red eyes and black fang hover near the ceiling of D12. Moving first, they swoop down towards you, while one of them howls in a terrifying manner! It is so loud, you are sure everyone remaining in the complex would have heard it.
We're in the right place! This whole area is a shrine to Lamashtu.
Cordwin says as he flees from the room.
Grimacing as he predictably sees more Lamastu-esque imagery, René nearly jumps out of his skin at the shriek. "Jumpin' jehosafat! What in tarnation is that?" He quickly reaches into his bag to pull out earplugs and begins stuffing them in his ears.
Skarn takes a 5’ step and swings his pick at the creature in front of him...
x4
Crit confirm:
x4
Cordwin flees, but not before imparting some information regarding the room. Skarn steps in and lodges a pick into a demon hound.
Tylur moves past Skarn keeping his spiked chain in the guard position as the hound's blackened mouth rips at him. Tylur quickly counters and stabs with his spiked chain as he tries to drive the spike up through the throat of the creature.
Aurora steps up and casts guidance on Skarn.
The beasts attack. Skarn is able to fend his off, but Tylur takes a nasty bite to the leg, and is pulled down to the ground.
Skarn swings away at the green creature next to him...
x4
Cordwin is still running
The earplugs making his voice much louder than necessary, René laughs as Cordin runs past him. "Finally gone'n got the right idea 'ave ya? Bit late, ain't it?"
Touching Skarn's shoulder, "Please be careful."
As Tylur drops to the ground he comes face to face with beast its hideous presence gives Tylur pause as he watches as the jovial Cordwin runs away in a panic. Tylur quickly rises to his feet and stabs with his spiked chain.
Poor Tyler tries to get up but the hound bites him again, dragging him back down. Taking advantage, the hound continues to snap at him, but Tyler uses his chain to fend it off.
Green attacks Skarn again, but fails to come close.