Gram will check to see how the enemy is fairing.
Seeing Malgus fall prone, he sees an opportunity to attack in earnest.
"You're slipping, Malgus"
"That was just terrible." Katra says to Gram.
Horat sends Malgus sprawling on the ground. Katra has trouble hitting the moving target with her acid. Gram nearly lands a blow but Malgus barks his magical command and the shimmering field of force deflects the blow. But his furrowed brow shows that he is losing his mental stamina to maintain his spellcasting. Gram estimates very roughly that Malgus has lost between one quarter and one half of his health. But the cult leader certainly hasn't stopped whirling and stabbing yet. He leaps to his feet and he cuts Horat's arm.
With a wordless yell, Horat drops his halberd and dives for Malgus.
Your magics won't save you forever, Malgus. You will taste my blade eventually.
Malgus totters on the edge of consciousness. Almost down, he raises his sword toward Gram again. "Un... believer..."
Gram falls as the rapier pierces him!
Horat tries once again to seize and hold Malgus, confident that his companions can do the rest.
Malgus dodges nimbly but Horat is not to be avoided this time! He seizes the frustrating cult leader with a stubborn grasp!
Katra throws another vial of acid at Malgus.
As Gram leaps to his feet with renewed vigor, Katra finishes off the cultist! You search the room while taking care of Halgrin, who recovers to bare consciousness. You find a locked chest and a small scrap of parchment on the desk with nothing written on it.
...who recovers to bare consciousness.
Horat gets up, seizes his halberd, and bashes in Malgus' throat with the end.
"In case that his face is of any use in future investigations."
Seeing the parchment, Horat looks for magic and more mundane features such as invisible ink.
'
Horat does believe there is something odd about the parchment. Likely there is invisible ink that can be revealed by some means. He is unsure if it would be revealed by a spell or a code word.
Gram hops up ready to continue the fight. Only to see Malgus go down feom Katra's attack.
Remembering Malgus' last words, retorts I believe in Justice. And of the two of us, only my belief was rewarded today
With that business done, he turns his attention to the chest. He pulls out his thieves' tools and attempts to unlock it.
Gram can't open the chest!
Halgrin returns to consciousness, but feels muddled and weak.
"Did, did we win?"
Without turning his eyes from the paper, Horat replies:
"Malgus lies dead - finally. However, this paper and that chest hold secrets yet unexposed. The former I believe is invisible ink, but I do not know if a spell or code word would reveal it."
"Oh, okay. But no one on our side died, right?" Halgrin asks as he tries to sit up on his elbows. It takes him a moment, but he manages it in the end.
When he's finally able to contemplate the chest, he adds, "Probably better that you don't open it anyway. At least until we can be sure it's not magically trapped. I knew an officer who tried to kick open some rat catcher's trunk. Damn blizzard spell froze half his leg right off."
"We yet remain among the living, <Bratr>." Gram replies.
"And perhaps you're right. Malgus did have arcane power, he could have protected his secrets by some means of abjuration. Are any of you capable of detecting or dispelling such things?"
You're quite sure the chest is only protected by a lock.
There is a code word for the parchment. You aren't sure what it is but trying different things might give you a clue.
"I can take a look a the paper when we get back to a proper workspace." offers Katra.
Looking at the chest, Katra pulls out her tools and gets to work.
With a click, the chest pops open. Inside, Katra sees piles of gold and gems which apparently constitute the cult's war chest. She also finds a pair of boots with patterns of rabbits and deer sewn into them.
Gram checks Malgus' person.
Gram finds an additional 50 gp, a rapier, a shield, and a set of splint armor. He also finds a set of keys that seem likely to match the cages in the other room.
Horat stares at the parchment intently.
"I, uh, think I might need some help getting out of here. Still feeling pretty weak."
Horat turns to Halgrin:
"I would gladly assist you, Halgrin."
You make your way out of the cultists' lair and back up through the sewers to the streets. There you find the reinforcements of watchmen that Gram and Halgrin requested earlier. They look at your damaged and disheveled state with concern and snap to attention. "Orders?"
"We've cleared a cultist lair in the sewar depths. I want the bodies removed and disposed of as per protocol. There's also a shrine to baphomet installed down there. Destroy it. Then I want a team of 3 officers to stake out this sewer entrance. If any suspicious persons attempt to access the sewers via this grate, arrest them and bring them in for interrigation. I'll send a releif team before the end of your shift." Gram taks a moment to draw a crude map to help them get through the maze.
"Any questions?"
The members of the watch look to Gram with determined faces. "No sir!" They head in through the grate to clear the area and deal with the shrine.
Horat looks on approvingly at the local guard's relative discipline and obedience.
Better than many in these western lands.
"Gram, Halgrin, can any of your fellow officers assist us with healing?"
"We've got medics back at HQ. At a glance though, he doesnt have any life threatening injuries. He should make a full recovery with enough bedrest. But we'll get him checked out all the same." Gram looks a Halgrin again. Then addresses the others. " You really saved our butts down there. Halgrin was down for the count and I was not too far behind. Thank you."
Horat continues to prop up the wounded Halgrin.
"You are welcome, Gram. I am keen to see demons and their minions smashed. I know their influence is poison to a country, from bitter experience. I would continue to cooperate with all three of you. We make an effective, if unorthodox unit."
You make your way back to the headquarters of the Watch. The station is already astir with buzzing activity of watchmen after the arrest of "James" and the rescue of the woman, Lidia. An officer in an immaculate uniform bearing a set of eyes and a horizontal sword beneath them approaches you amidst all the activity.
"Luthar! Halgrin!" the Champion of the Open Lord calls out to you. "Sounds like you nabbed an entire cult! Well done, gentlemen!" He turns to Horat and Katra. "And who are these civilians?"
Horat offers a hand in greeting to the Champion.
"I am Horat of Unther, once known as 'The Bulwark' by the Untherite armies but now 'exile' for not tolerating the unholy. I am glad to have assisted with crushing the slaves of the abyss this night and would do more."