Serve, yes! Dain nods. Smash lizard! He points at the croc. No smash human in croc mouth!
Mahath struggles against the reptile, hoping to slip free when an attack jars it.
Break grapple attempt
Dain struggles east and tries shooting the croc
Seeing that the croc is the gravest threat at the moment Mal turns and shoots at it as well.
Long bow Ranged Attack –
Ranged Damage –
Looking around and seeing no one else to fight immediately, he walks to the water's edge. Seeing the thrashing and blood he simply shakes his head grimly.
Kat attacks and hits the crocodile as it slips back. The ranger's arrow misses, and Dain's crossbow misses as he tries to avoid hitting the wizard. The elemental strides into the water, and although his feet and lower torso start to get muddy, a might fist ends the crocodile. The wizard floats free!!
The earth elemental looks to the north through what appears to be a translucent wall, and seem to concentrate on the other side. The ranger gets the feeling he is being watched.
No foes are in sight, group is up
The earth elemental grabs the wizard and lifts him out of the water. The runes on the elemental show he seems to have strong magic on him. He says some words to Mahath.
"Can we send him ahead to smash all the bandits?"
Dain does not understand the elemental and gets out his wand to heal their wizard
We can sure try to tell the elemental to. Dain points to north wall. Kill the bandits!
Sputtering, coughing and bleeding profusely, Mahath scrambles to shore, sometimes swimming and other times pulling himself along the bottom until he rejoined his friends.
He slowly pulled himself to his feet. "Its speaking Terran, but I can't make it out. Its different when it is actually an elemental and not a professor!"
"Let's press through the doors they came from! Mahath, you ok?!"
Mahath's breathing is still ragged and his clothes soaked with water and blood, but he replies "I can go on. I'm not sure why it let me go. It must have been scared by the elemental. Wise decision, Dain. Let's take advantage while we still have it with us."
Dain taps you again
The large elemental had moved to help with the crocodile. As Dain talks to him in common, he realizes the only word of common the creature has been taught an understands is 'Smash'.
After moving north in the pool, the large elemental takes a minute to heave the entire northern wall down. This has destroyed an elegant lounge behind a large wall of one-way material that was worth hundreds of platinum pieces.
The elemental turns left leaving a trail of three pulped bodies in his wake. The area to the west seems to be cell block.
Before the elemental passes into the doorway into the cell rooms in the northwest part of the complex, he turns and waves his hands as a portal to a deep underground cave opens.
Umm..Well.. Dain curses, realizing he did a boo-boo.
Well let us check those cells. Dain hefts his shield and heads towards them.
Mal sheathing his sword in exchange for his bow once more follows the Dwarf.
Garnstn follows along to inspect the cells.
The adventurers search the large room in the northwest corner and find and open a secret door after a minute of searching..
The purpose of this macabre chamber seems obvious. A stretching rack dominates the northwestern corner of the room, and an open iron maiden its southeast corner. A sizzling brazier of coals sputters in the southwest corner, giving the chamber a hellish red cast.
D7.
Opening the door to the small room....
This chamber sports a large bed covered with furs. An iron cage sits at the foot, and a low table in the southeast corner is heaped with salted fish, bread, and bottles of rum. A solitary man is tied up in the rack, and he pleads for help.
The cage at the foot of the bed isn't quite large enough for a person to stand or sit in. A footlocker under the bed contains 254 gp and a set of silver flensing knives with ivory handles worth a total of 200 gp
And opening the door past the cells to the south....
The floor of this room is cluttered with partially eaten bones and clumps of dark fur, giving the air the stink of a filthy wet dog.
Malstei notices a host of tracks leading south, tracks that were not there when they explored that passage before.
As you secure the northwestern portion of the complex, the man in the rack pleads for release.
"Let me out, I have some money at home!!"
"We should release that man, even if a villain, that is no fate for anyone to suffer. After that we can check those footprints heading south, it seems this is game of hide and seek, we should try to find them before they can ambush us once more".
Mal moves towards the man to release him.
Aye we can help you, don't go running off because there are still bandits running around. Dain will help the main out of the rack.
Mahath will keep a watch at the south door while Dain helps the prisoner. If no one else picks them up, Mahath will grab the valuables before they leave the room.
The man sighs as he is released and looks around.
"You smashed up the Lotus Dragons big time. But their big wolf Chomper is still loose."
Have you ever seen a man that was referred to as Vanthus?
"Chomper eh? We were told a wolf was prowling these halls. So who are you? And as my dwarven friend asked the question of Vanthus already, I'll not repeat it".
Mahath winces a little at the name "Chomper," the recent chomping episode in the water still being forefront in his mind. He listens to the questioning as he keeps watch, his new crossbow pointed down the corridor.
With his hands resting on his blades Garnstn reminds the man of his promise. "And about that money you promised..."
Dain gives Garn a look. I don't think he has it on him considering he was strapped to a torture device.
The man shrugs. "I'm a silk merchant. Appears I didn't pay my dues promptly enough for the likes of this crew of cutthroats. As for giving up information on these guys, probably not in my best interests. After paying you off, I won't be able to pay these guys off. This Vanthus is the rich dandy that hangs out with these guys."
Lets talk about rewards after we finish dealing with this place. We still have some areas to the east and south. Plus, I think we can escort him to the surface, or leave him in this room.
Mal looks grimly at the man, "When we are done with these cut throats, there will not be any left for you to pay off.
South, let's head south and look for a way up for our friend here. Then we can deal with these killers".
Garnstn nods and follows.
The group moves south by the barracks (D3), and find doors going south. The long corridor they found earlier seems to head the same way. A storage room has much quality rum (D4) with forged labels on them. The other storage room (D24) has yet to be open.
The group considers going down the long corridor or opening doors to get to the southwest part of the complex.
Open this one.
Dain indicates a small room with a door that opens easily revealing a lavatory with running water from underground to four chamber pots. This communal lavatory seems quite efficient and hygienic.
Looking east, A long banquet table fills this room, leaving barely any clearance to the east and west. A large cage filled with listless tropical birds stands to the northwest.
A kobold approaches dressed in white linen with a silver plate with a piece of paper on it.
Your captive informs you: "That's Charlie K, or Charlie Kobold, Rowena's valet and server in the kitchen."
Can you read, Charlie? Read the note to us.
When the merchant offers some helpful information, Mahath looks at him a little differently. He then draws his dagger and hands it to the merchant.
He tells him quietly "We shall do our best to get you out of here, but just in case, you best hold onto this for now."
If the kobold does not respond to Dain's request to read it, Mahath will step up and read it aloud.
The kobold puts on some reading glasses and opens the envelope carefully and looks at you with disdain.
"Miss Rowena would like to invite you to a parley to discuss possible employment in her business operation. Weapons will not be allowed at the parley."
Wellwe'll keep our weapons sheathed at least but we'll be keeping them, and we'll meet with her but we are just wanting to know about one
Vanthus Vanderboren . Seems he has done us severe wrong and we're wanting satisfaction.
The kobold shakes his head sadly.
"No weapons. I will send your regrets. Maybe another time."
Dain shrugs and eats the kobold. *Urp* Let us head east then south.
Malstei laughs at the suggestion, "Should I shoot him? They'll get the message then no?"
As the Kobold turns and leaves Mal scowls and follows the rest of the group, I'll probably get to kill the filthy little bugger later anyhow...
Garnstn shakes his head and mutters lowly to the group. "We planning ta kill everyone? That's pretty bloody and likely has some of us dyin' as well. I'm not a talker but I don't wanna be the one to die either."
Not bringing our weapons? I can understand us keeping them sheathed but going in unarmed while they no doubt still have theirs? Fool's choice.
"I don't think they can be trusted that far. I understand their perspective; we did invade their den. But we need to be able to enforce any terms we would arrive at. With no weapons, that is not going to happen. We are here with just cause; they are harboring one that wronged our employer. But they may not see if that way."
"If anything, we can negotiate through writing. Should we send a note in reply?"
Tell them we'll come with weapons sheathed.