"It might not be just a shed, but it does give us some where else to search for survivors." Ulfric says. Or a place to find more horrors... but that's best left unsaid...
Ulfric will scan everything for evil then lead the group in descending down the stairs.
Given the turbulence of the yellow fog here, I suspect we may find a creature within exhibiting a billowing personality. After you.
Ulfric leads the way after searching for, and finding no evil. You head into the shed and to the stair, which you guess was formerly to lead down into a morgue. The smell now, though is odd, even otherworldly and you can't quite place it. The brittle wooden stairs descend thirty feet along a stone wall, and then simply stop. The stone wall itself extends down another fifteen feet or so and then also ends, the edges of its mortar broken and hanging. Beyond lies a dark, wide open void - at least as far as you can tell.
Cerio tries to find a stone or piece of debris, and failing that simply spits, trying to determine how deep is the dark.
Campus casts light upon her spear, shining a pale light into the void.
With Campus's newly added illumination, T'eron peers over the edge and tries to gauge the floor's depth and dimensions.
Cerio lets loose with a stunning amount of saliva, but cannot hear when it hits the ground, if it even does.
The light of Campus's spell is not significant enough to see anything but more darkness.
This is where we call down, and something we don't want to meet answers us. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the source of all that has invaded this place.
Grabbing a gardening tool, Campus prays for light upon the gardening tool. The light from her spear is extinguished, but the shovel now glows brightly. She peers into the darkness, then tosses the shovel over the edge. She watches it as it drops.
Alas, the shovel and the light on it disappear into darkness, seemingly swallowed by the darkness. A few moments later, there's a distant clatter, following by nothing.
Campus reignites her spear with a whisper.
Well I see no reason to go down there...not yet anyway.
Thinking for a bit, she cast detect magic.
Campus can't detect any magic down below. If there is any, it's too far to discover.
"...gettin' the hells outta...." cerio's voice fades as he stomps back upstairs.
"For now, Cerio may be correct. There's little we can do here it seems..." Ulfric says, "it may be time for us to return and try to confront this Zandalus."
Ulfric will remain downstairs with Campus and T'eron, providing them with cover from what is further in.
Campus leaves.
You depart the odd, vacant space, leaving it as a mystery of this asylum and whatever ills have befallen it.
"Looks like upstairs it is...", muses T'eron, unsure of the history of this particular location and his cohorts. "Is there anything you think I should know before we go?"
All you got to is praise Zandalas with a blank look.
Ulfric sighs as Campus' explanation, largely because of how accurate it is. "Our plan at the moment should likely just be to walk in dressed like them and go straight up the stairs. Or maybe talk to the doctor first." Ulfric says, "What do you guys think?"
"Do you have clothing to dress like them?", T'eron inquires. "Hopefully there's extra if so."
No worries T'eron. We'll march you in as a prisoner in for questioning. Campus ribs.
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T'eron growls in disapproval.
You do know that you could find plenty of yellow robes from cultists you'd taken out, or from Ramul, whose may stretch to fit T'eron. He won't be needing them where he is.
No, they aren't all that bright or motivated. A couple of yellow robes is all we need, and we've plenty of them. Let's get fitted and head out.
T'eron follows the lead of the others, ready to robe up when available.
You find an outfit for T'eron with only some minor modifications and confidently head to the north, prepared to storm the gates, so to speak. You enter into the large cultist chamber as if you own the place.
This gigantic space might have once been a cafeteria or assembly hall. Now, it's the village of a savage tribe. Wildly burning braziers stand amid yellow tents and scrap structures. Portions of the western and northern walls have collapsed, but ramshackle barricades have risen to surround them. To the east, two sets of wide stairs climb to the floor above. Around the stairs nearly a dozen bodies hang crucified upon the walls, dried crimson streaks below them, sacks cinched around their heads. Tendrils of yellow mist creep throughout the entire space, wisps endlessly lapping and fondling the bizarre encampment.
You know the score now, and you walk in like you own the place, confidently striding through the camp towards the improvised hospital unit. This area is a large tented area where Doctor Elbourne treats almost a dozen men and women harmed by the collapsed second floor or violence from thugs. Doctor Wren Elbourne hastily ushers you inside the tent, and to a private corner. He speaks in a hushed voice.
Well, do you get one? One of the oneirogens that is? We all noticed a bit of lessening in the mist, was that you?
"Aye it was us." Ulfric says in an equally hushed tone. "Though we haven't much else to go one for finding another. Unless you have any other leads, it may be time for us to head upstairs."
The Doctor nods, his gaze distant in thought. From what you've said, you've been through nearly every part of the Asylum, save for upstairs. I'd have to guess that the source, meaning the other oneriogens, are up there. Unfortunately, they must be with Zandalas and his most loyal, including the horrible "Bag Lady."
If you're going up there, you're walking into their den, though. Those are not good odds at all.
We are tougher than you think in a fight. Still, best come up with a plan. Anyway to draw them down here?
I doubt we could draw down Zandalas...I've only seen him once or twice. But, possibly the bag lady...the only problem is that if you make a racket down here, well the cultists here may jump on you before she even comes down. I know there are guards up there too, just not sure how many.
What did you have in mind?
"Are there any cultists who... might like to leave? I'm sure if we start siphoning cultists away someone would come check on things."
I'm sure that some of them would like to leave, but their fear of Zandalas and this yellow mist has them quite cowed. I doubt they'd trust that you actually had a way out of this madness. I know the ones here...
He motions to the few cultists in his improvised hospital tent.
...will not fight you...they just want an end to this. But, I can't say the same of those outside of this tent. Mostly, everyone is just afraid.
"If we did draw down the bag lady...as you call her...would that result in the cultists taking notice and coming after us if we went near her? What sort of hold does she have over them, if any? "
Fear is the hold she has over them. If you bring her down and don't kill her quickly, she's sure to berate the rabble until they attack for her. Kill her quickly, and they'll stay clear of you, for sure.
Perhaps we can just throw her down that hole.
"Let's return to camp for the day. We can rest there and maybe come back in the night when people are asleep. I'd also like to check on them and make sure their still okay, given the attacks." Ulfric says.
The Doctor nods and may even seem to be a bit at ease - perhaps he was figuring you were ready to start this madness now. He bids you farewell and tells you he will keep an eye on the comings and goings of everyone here.
You make your way through the empty halls of the asylum, the distasteful memories of what you'd gone through here still in mind. The group under Winter's watchful eye greet you readily, eager for news. After hearing your plans...or lack thereof...Winter looks worried. Is there any way we can help?
You see that the sanctuary is in good condition; Klassalka and Ramul have added quite a bit more potency to their defenses.
"Simply keeping everything here improving is help enough. It gives us a place to come rest and plan without having to look over our shoulders constantly." Ulfric says to Winter. "I would like your advice on what our plans are. It seems we can either figure out how to descend an unknown distance into a dark pit, storm upstairs in the day time and draw the ire of all Zandalus' cultists, or try to sneak through their camp at night up the stairs. If it were you, what would you do?"
With a tired smile, Winter dips her head in acknowledgement. I wish it were more...keep in mind I can provide healing if you need it at any time.
Though its nearly impossible to tell day or night in this place, I'm sure they have to sleep, right? Perhaps your contact there may know if they have a schedule. As for the dark pit, it could be that the earthquake or whatever it was caused that, and there's just a large cavern under us. If that's the case, there may be nothing of worth down there.
I think that the right course now is to get these people out, and that is only done if we get rid of the vile yellow mist. If Zandalas has these poor people that spout the stuff up with him, then that's where I'd go.
Looking to the others, "Well, Winter's thoughts seal it for me. I suggest we rest here and recover our strength, then head upstairs at the cultists camp."
Winter makes accomodations fo you, offering any healing you need within her powers
You make it back to the cultist camp with no incident, and walk in as if you were always meant to be there. Since you've been here so much, the men and women here don't even seem to react to your arrival. They move about with their heads down, eyes on their feet, downcast and downtrodden.
Doctor Elbourne waves you in, seemingly agitated. He explains that he's monitored the guards' coming up and down from the stairs, and he thinks that now is the time that they'd be mostly asleep. Taking his advice, you head upstairs...not a single cultist stops you.
A wide flight of stairs rises to a chamber that has almost entirely collapsed upon itself. Shattered pieces of wall and ceiling timbers, knotted like broken fingers, slump precariously. Despite the chamber's near ruin, a number of tables, chairs, and bedrolls lie about the room. A hall choked with fog lies through a gap in the wall to the north.
As you peer around the corner from the stairwell, you can see that there are three beds with lumps lying in them, apparently asleep. One additional man sits at a table, staring open mouthed at a flickering lantern on the table top. He seems entranced by it.
Campus looks over to Ulfric. Evil?
Ulfric detects evil towards the entire room. Sword and shield at the ready.
You can see that the northwest corner of this room is strewn with rubble, but looks to be open to the north, heading into another room
Ulfric does, indeed, detect evil - particularly, in the northwest corner where a bundle of rags moves with the breath of whomever is sleeping under it.
Cayden Bless us in this battle. She tenses her muscles for the charge.
As they enter, Cerio prepares by casting mage armor.
Campus prays briefly, touching the forehead of each of her companions.
With the other, Campus steps forward and readies an attack with her long spear.