Campus looks at the fleshy ghouls with disgust, then turns towards Ramul with concern. She'd been conflicted on whether to heal him or attack the ghoul. This time it had worked out. Laying her hands upon Ramul, Campus prayed to Cayden for healing.
dice=Channel]1d6[/dice]
Feeling a bit better, Ramul nods in thanks to Campus as he stands to his feet. "That was a close one. Maybe I should stay further back next time."
Taking his own suggestion, Ramul back pedals behind Campus, Klassalka, and Ulfric. He's still not exactly in the best of shape.
"That is probably a good idea." Ulfric says to Ramul.
Looking around some more, Ulfric goes to open the door on his right.
Ulfric opens the door to his right - the one heading into a room to the north. The reek of sweat and rot mingles here. Multiple tables and chairs have been shattered and rebuilt into cages along the east wall, while a crate and an upended bed fitted with harnesses stand against the north.
There are three "cages" that seem to hold a prisoner each, though they don't seem to be moving. There is also one sizable crate in the northwest corner, and presently three ghouls are about it, preoccupied with prodding and peering into it.
You notice, also, that there seems to be someone in the bed upended against the northern wall.
SOmething is moving in that create. Campus was unwilling to describe it as alive...not here.
Campus growls, and pushes through Ulfric into the room.
This stops now. and her forehead burst with light, exploding in all directions for 30 feet, through walls and and crates, Cayden's holy light penetrates.
Hrm... well these creature must fall as well...
Seeing whats going on in the room, Ulfric charges at the nearest ghoul.
Ramul follows his companions into the room before unleashing a ball of lightning at one of the ghouls. This ball seems to have a bit more force behind it than his previous blasts.
Cerio stumbles through the door, stubbing his toe on the frame. "Ow!" he hollers, hopping up and down on one foot while trying to aim a magical attack. A pale green light erupts from his fingertip, striking the western ghoul square in the chest.
Campus stalks boldly into the room and calls upon the power of her god to smite the vile creatures around her. Two of the ghouls hiss and scratch at their skin, while the third wails in pain and cowers.
Ramul's blast flies in and takes down one of the former ghouls - putting him down.
Cerio's blast of light lances through the cowering ghoul, skewering it with power. That ghoul falls, as well.
Klassalka moves into the room next to the others in preparation for attacking next chance she gets
Ulfric moves into the chamber on Campus's heels, and ends his charge with a mighty sweep of his sword. The last of the ghouls, already damaged by the cleric's will and belief, takes the wicked slash high on his torso. The blade cuts deep, opening a terrible gash in the decayed flesh, only stopping when it wedges in the now broken clavicle of the creature. It hisses and growls as it tries to move away from the Paladin.
Klassalka punctuates the end of her movement into the room with a swing of her greatsword, intent upon putting the final ghoul to rest.
Her sword cleaves the creature from shoulder to mid-chest, and it falls to the ground, returning to undeath.
In the wake of the quick slaughter, you can hear the whimpering of the man chained to the upright bed. He looks to have been tortured, and is a bloody mess, but still breathing.
The crate that the ghouls were shaking has gone silent. Narrow slits in the sides show only shadows within.
"Hey, buddy," Cerio walks over to the chained man, casting a prestidigitation or two to get him cleaned up and estimate his condition.
"Not to ask a dumb question, but what was goin' down in here? We'll see if we cain't get you patched up." He points to the crate. "What's in thar?"
The poor man has obviously been tortured soundly; the ghouls having taken their time apparently, as evidenced by the dried blood and soiled clothes. His head rolls to one side, then the other, as he tries to focus. His eyes lock onto the crate.
That...in there...not what it seems...
He seems pretty far gone, perhaps knocking on death's door.
As for the three cages in the room, each is filled with a body - two seem mostly nude and don't have any possessions to speak of. The third cage bears a body that still hangs onto a large wooden shield and club, and wears a pouch around his waist.
"Poor wretchers." Cerio points at Campus's spear. "Why don't ya use that t' examine the pouch?"
Campus only manages to prick the body once while attempting to pick off the pouch. After a few seconds, it shimmies down the shaft of the spear and into Campus's waiting hand. Inside is a silver necklace etched with the Songbird of Shelyn, which could fetch a nice price if sold in the right place.
What a wonder it would be to find a market, eh?
... What an odd thing to care about at a time like this... Ulfric thinks of Campus' comments.
Ulfric walks over to the man and tries to help out his injuries. "Could someone help me help this man."
"I tried t'clean 'em up best I could," Cerio mumbles.
The man has obviously been beaten and tortured. He shows several bite marks where the ghouls were just taking nips to play with their food. Even though many of his marks are crusted over with dried blood even after Cerio cleans them off, some still bleed and will eventually prove his undoing if not treated. The man is conscious, but seems stricken with terrible sadness tinged with fright.
"Campus, can ya do that, that healin' thing ya do?"
Campus inspects the wounds closely for disease or magic, or if they appear to be normal wounds.
Campus can see the wounds are bad, and some fester. They smell foul, but she can tell little beyond that.
Campus channels positive healing energy in all directions.
Campus's aid seems to bring the man back from the brink, though some of his would still seem to fester. He coughs and blinks to focus. Thank you...that's a bit better. Still feeling funny, but...it's nothing.. The man looks ready to vomit, then seems to choke it back. He whispers. That beast in the crate...don't let it out!
Ulfric casts detect evil on the crate.
"What manner of beast is it?" he asks the man
The man spits to the side, and at least one tooth seems to come out with the blood and saliva mixture. Hound a' hell, if you ask me...a vile thing. They caught it wandering out the mists, and put it in the cage...there were alot more of them then though, so they overpowered it.
Ulfric can sense evil within the crate.
A simple thing then. Campus walks over carrying her cold iron long spear. Holding it over the vents of the cage, she prepares to execute the beast.
"Wait one gosh darn minute! Does it talk?" Cerio asks, keeping his distance. "Hello? Critter? Can ya hear me?"
As Campus stands, spear point of her spear hovering over the top of the cage, Cerio's question hangs in the air. Alas, there's no response save for what sounds like it may be a whimper or whine from within the cage.
Ulfric says its evil, and this man says its dangerous. Sorry Cerio. Campus raises the cold iron long spear back, and thrusts...Hard.
Campus thrusts her spear twice into the cage.
Campus's first strike hits but she feels it slide along the form, no doubt cutting a deep gash in whatever is inside. Immediately after, the cage begins to shake violently, even lifting off of and slamming down upon the floor.
The cleric lines up a second strike and brings it down. This one puts the shaking to an end as whatever is inside presumably expires. It takes a bit more strength to lift the spear out this time, and it comes out with some bits of hair and ropy tissue of some sort attached. A foul stench...fouler than the dead ghouls...follows, drifting out of the cage.
"You spear is likely the safest way to handle this, Campus." Ulfric says, standing at her side, sword and shield ready in case it breaks free.
Ulfric waits at the ready, but no further sounds come from the cage. Either the creature inside lies in wait, or it is dead.
The cage is a dense thing of thick wood with gaps in between the slats. Were one to get close and shine a light in, one could see its interior.
Cerio gets close, allowing his dancing lights to illuminate the cage's interior.
Cerio's lights show a rather disgusting scene. A creature is within, and appears to be quite dead. Campus's spear must have torn a hole in the thing's stomach, for its stinking entrails cover much of the floor of the cage, and are threatening to ooze out the slats.
The creature has the upper body of a mangy dog, but the bottom tapers into a slimy, wormlike body with ridges like an earthworm.
"Blech!" Cerio reels back from the crate. "What in th'hells 's that?"
Cerio had a vague memory of this creature - at least a story of it. This is an Esipil, a hideous dog-worm creature that likes to feed on fear and anxiety. A mop of vein-like tendrils extends from its maw - these are what it uses to catch and feed upon prey. Though this one is a particularly large specimen, it is still the size of a medium sized dog.
This creature should be on its home - the Ethereal Plane...it is most definitely out of place.
The man strapped to the bed coughs, then spits. Ain't no thing natural, that. You done right. Now, can ya' get me loose?
Ulfric detect evil on the man, and cuts him down if there is no evil to be noticed.
"What do you know about this area?" He asks the man.
A wave of uneasy nostalgia washes over Cerio. Somehow, he remembers this thing.
"An esipil," he stammers. "It feeds on bad emotions. That thing belongs on th' ethereal plane. It sure don't have no business bein' here! I say kill it!"
I'm sure we'll find more of them. Turning to the bound man. How come you here strapped and displayed as a feast for the ghouls?[/b]