"At least 100 years, but more likely longer," Maellyra answers plainly. "He didn't seem to know that his God was dead, after all."
When the secret door swings open to reveal a narrow corridor, Maellyra initial follows Shayn in, but pauses not too far in on seeing the small thundercloud hovering over the strange contraption. After a whispered incantation, she studies the odd phenomenon with her mystical senses.
Sensing that she was likely to be asked what the little thunderstorm was, Maellyra heads off any questions by admitting, "I don't know what it is." A particularly loud spark echoes in the narrow chamber, causing the witch to flinch slightly. "But we should approach cautiously." That said, she unstraps her crossbow and slides a bolt into the track.
"Never quite seen anything like that contraption. I wonder why they made it? For torture? For science?"
"Could be a trap I guess...but most things are."
Is anyone here skilled in finding and disabling traps? - asks the Paladin.
Clapping and rubbing his hands together, Pavo stepped forward. "I guess that's me" he said with a grin. Not really sure on how to go about neutralizing a storm cloud, Pavo simply walked forward slowly, an eye towards the ground looking for any obvious trip wires or triggers.
Unfortunately the occasional spark thrown by the cloud draws his attention away from where he is and more towards where he's going.
Lightning from the cloud flashes, followed by a loud, reverberating thunderclap when Pavo gets about half-way down the tight passage. The cloud flies into him at high-speed, electricity arcing from it to the metal embedded in his armor and weapons.
Pavo is thrown violently from the room.
"Whaaaaaat was that?" says Leng as he starts to spin the weighted end of his chain in a slow circle.
Shayn looks at Pavo, worried, but seeing his companion was simply pushed away, the paladin pass through and enters the room with his greatsword in hands.
Get ready, my friends! It seems we're under attack!
Spitter rushes in and raises both clawed hands to call out.
"Wait! Maybe it speaks...?"
Maellyra watches wide-eyed as Pavo goes flying back, pressing herself to the wall to be sure the stocky fellow doesn't collide with her. Focusing back on the storm cloud, Maellyra plants the stock of her crossbow against her shoulder and takes aim at the anomaly. "Its actions speak plainly," she replies. Still, her fingers hover over the trigger, allowing Spitter a chance to resolve things without more violence.
The cloud literally flashes in anger.
Smiling, Spitter waves at the cloud.
Despite Spitter's attempts at flattery, the cloud continues to appear menacing, and the language it is using is broken and incomplete. It almost sounds like a hatchling who has just begun to learn the basics of Draconic to the druid's ears. It does not appear to be a creature capable of deep conversations.
Shayn can feel his hair starting to rise from the nearby electrical charge. The air has a tang of ozone, and there is a sound, rising in pitch and intensity.
Spitter backs up another step and waves his new friends back.
"Everyone back off for a moment! It's been placed here...by a Baron Sarvo? Some sort of guardian...and its getting agitated!"
He doesn't seem to be making much progress, Maellyra considers as she watches the unintelligible exchange between Spitter and the storm cloud. When the kobold warns them off, the witch turns her head minutely to give him a skeptical look while still maintaining her aim at the cloud. "Back off?" she asks, incredulously. She could certainly sympathize if the creature had been trapped in the hidden room for the past 200 years, but her sympathies didn't make her any less eager to discover the secrets of the tower. She shakes head in the negative almost imperceptibly before returning her sights on the cloud. "Baron Sarvo is long-dead. It's loyalty is admirable, but that device could lead us to discovering what happened here."
"The Baron is Dead? That may be a good thing!"
With his eyes flashing, Spitter asks for 'Guidance' from Gozreh and turns back to the little cloud.
At that last point Spitter raises both arms dramatically.
The creature appears to be done speaking, based on the fact that it shouts a loud vulgar oath in Auran. The high-pitched tone reaches a peak and a large electrical spark launches itself at Shayn, but the paladin manages to twist out of the way.
As the spark discharges into Shayn, Maellyra releases a bolt at the cloud. Unfortunately, the erratic movements from Shayn and the cloud cause her attack to miss, but not by much.
Spitter looks sad, but attempts to hit the creature with his small staff wincing with the effort.
"I'm sorry!"
I fear it doesn't hear your peace appeals, Spitter. - says Shayn, dodging the electric slam - We shall be swift in giving it passage back to its plane.
The Paladin proceeds to attack with his greatsword. The swing goes without much hesitation - despite the fact it tried to give the elemental an opportunity to prevent it.
Leng moves to a position from which he can support his allies. "Never fought an angry cloud before," he muses as he whips out the weighted end of his chain.
Pavo skidded back and slammed into the wall. The force and suddenness of the attack took him by surprise and knocked the wind out of him. He dropped down to one knee for a brief moment to catch his breath.
Standing up and glaring towards the cloud, he muttered to himself. "Well that was unexpected. I haven't been blown that hard since...nevermind, not important." He tiled his head right, and then left. A loud pop sounded from his neck before he bent down to pick up his trident.
Slowly, he advanced forward after Shayn using the suli as cover. As surprised as he was by the attack, he was almost as embarrassed at being tossed aside so easily.
The cloud seems even more enraged than ever. It jinks away from the incoming chain, and floats above Spitter's staff, but it cannot escape Shayn's blade.
The mists slowly fade into the dank, cool air of Baron Sarvo's dungeon, leaving the machine unguarded.
With the guardian defeated, Maellyra goes to retrieve her errant crossbow bolt, laying a sympathetic hand briefly on Spitter's shoulder as she passes by. Though she cannot begin to understand why the kobold seemed so attached the hostile cloud, she also can't help the small niggling sense of guilt she feels at its apparent demise. It is a rare and thoroughly unpleasant feeling for the witch, and one she tries to ignore by focusing back on the task at hand.
Considering the acts they had discovered thus far that had been committed in Baron Sarvo's name, it strikes Maellyra as being unlikely that the man would use a guardian to warn away intruders from a trapped device. Still, as confident as she is in her logic, the witch nevertheless examines the machine for such traps after she squeezes by the others and moves to the end of the corridor.
"If any of you would like to leave the room before I throw the switch, you should do so now," Maellyra says over her shoulder as she grasps the handle of the device.
Sadness creeps up on Spitter. Silently he prays.
If I cannot save a single small elemental, how can I assist your vision Thunderous Voice? You've sent me here for a reason...right? I must be of use somehow?
Feeling the female pink-skin's gentle touch brought a little warmth to his heart. Realization sunk in.
Maybe it's not what I DO, as to what I can show I can BE. Is that it master? We shall see I guess.
Turning to follow the witch's movements, Spitter nods as she throws the switch.
"Let us move on then. We are finished here."
Then with a click of his small staff hitting the floor he hurries back through the haunted cell.
Shayn moves his head in agreement with Maellyra as she passes by him. The paladin puts his sword down, for a moment, and closes his eyes, touching his holy symbol of Irori. The seconds are brief, but he mutters a small prayer, before reopening his eyes and waiting for the witch, looking around the contraption with curiosity.
Please hold on, Spitter. - he says towards the kobold - Let's first examine this room and try to understand it better.
Leng's whirling circle of iron slows but does not stop as the chaos of battle ends. He pulls slightly on the chain and shortens the circle while giving it less wrist, so it comes in closer to his body and doesn't risk smacking someone else.
"So er... was the Baron known for experiments and magical workings? Magical guardians and ghosts, after all..."
Maellyra throws the switch, putting her shoulder into it as dust has caked the mechanism. The chains clank loudly as they are rolled onto the spool. Something loud echoes through the dungeon, signalling an end to the machine's activity. Everything quickly grows exceptionally quiet once more.
The loud clanks caused Pavo to jump ever so slightly. Most traps were not quite as loud as this one and his senses were listening for the faintest of hisses or twangs so when the clanks came, he was startled. He had hoped none of the others noticed his reaction.
He quickly tried to recover from his blunder and stood up straight, out of his crouched fighting position. "Whew. That could have been a lot worse...I think. I guess we'll find out. So, which way now?"
Spitter's voice echoes from beyond the cell.
"We continue. Deeper."
Spitter rounds the corner as he walks down the corridor which has not yet been investigated. At the end of a short hallway is a door, which lies open to show the room beyond. There can be little doubt what purpose the chamber once served. The dank room stores an ancient rack, a fanciful brazen bull, an iron maiden, a cauldron, iron chairs with sharp edges and cruel protuberances, and a wooden table upon which sit various implements of torture. A bronze plaque affixed to the western wall depicts a crowing rooster above crossed spears. Underneath the spear, a short phrase is inscribed. It is difficult to read what it says from this distance.
Shayn takes point and moves, trying to act as a sort of protector for his companions. He signs for the others with the hands.
Please, help inspect if this place isn't trapped. - as he mutters words of prayer for the ones that suffered in this room.
Shayn sees nothing obvious awaiting him as he enters. As if the obvious darkness and evil of the room was not overwhelming enough, as he gets a little closer he can read the motto inscribed on the crest: "Confession Cleanses the Soul - Pain Clarifies the Mind."
"You look weary. Rest in one of the chairs provided here," says a high-pitched, yet smokey voice.
Maellyra wipes her hands on her dress, leaving streaks of dust on the raggedy black fabric. At Leng's question, she frowns briefly, a rare break in her otherwise placid demeanor. "Baron Sarvo is not known for much, at least not by me. There is someone in town who may be able to tell us about this place and its owners. I intend to meet with her tomorrow," the witch says by way of inviting him to join her.
"Be wary. There may be more spirits lingering here," Maellyra warns as she follows Shayn into the torture chamber. She spares only the briefest of glances to the various torture instruments scattered throughout the room, and instead lets herself be drawn to the bronze plaque on the wall.
She turns sharply on hearing a voice call out, expecting to see another apparition. "Who's there? Show yourself."
Leng moves up to a position where he can quickly advance to assist Shayn if a fight breaks out, but stays back so that the paladin draw in any suddenly-appearing enemies.
A large raven slowly fades into view, perched atop the crest.
"Greetings, fine citizens of our glorious empire! So good to have visitors, though I fear I have no refreshments to offer. I assume you are here for the treasure. Well, I'd be happy to assist, provided that you give me what I require! It has been so long since I was able to ply my trade. I require only that each of you shed your life's blood in this room-simply take a seat in one of my lovely chairs." The voice is the same that Shayn heard initially, though how a bird can speak perfect common is a bit of a mystery.
This creature tried to compel me against my will, supernaturally, to sit on one of the chairs. Shield your minds and take heart, my friends; we're on the presence of evil. - says the Paladin, moving towards the figure that appeared into view and trying to deal with it the way he usually does.
Stepping hesitantly into the room, Spitter looks suspiciously at the obviously supernatural speaking Raven. As the Paladin steps up to attack the critter, Spitter casts guidance on himself as he does.
"Who are you bird-thing, and why are you here? Speak Quickly!"
The raven takes off from the crest, flying over the paladin's head and just out of reach, to alight atop the brazen bull.
"Evil? Why, I never! Spiteful? Perhaps. Sadistic? Most certainly! But who are you to judge whether or not I am evil?" it screeches, clearly offended.
In a slightly calmer voice, it cocks it's head in Spitter's direction. "I am called Harzogopas. I have been bound here by the Good Baron Sarvo, like so many other extraplanar beings. Well, rather, Sarvo commanded my mistress to have me bound here." The raven hops off the bull and onto the iron maiden, pecking at one of the latches. "When the prisoners escaped they took their frustrations out on people like the jailers and my mistress. It was the last time I experienced such delicious bloodshed! So...is the way past clear? After that earthquake or whatever it was, I can sense the wards have weakened. If you could just sate this one desire of mine, I will be able to slip past the magical protections and go on about my existence, free from this place. Plus, as I said, I can tell you a little bit about the treasure that was left behind after the riots."
Spitter can tell the raven is eager for attention, and seems to be telling the truth.
Shayn seems to hesitate and refrain from immediately attacking, a little confused and waiting for his companions.
"What happened to your mistress?" asks Leng. He leans over to Shayn and whispers, "You think it's a familiar, or a fiendish raven, or both?"
Shayn simply cannot get a read on the raven. It is clearly not...nice, regardless of anything else.
In response to Leng, the raven eyes his chain before cocking it's head and pecking at the iron maided again. "The riots. She was distracted from her work and one of the Good Baron Sarvo's prisoners disposed of her. I cannot free her," he pecks at the latches again. "Of course, it is far, far too late to matter."
"Speak plain little bird. What do you want from us?" Pavo called out from the back of the pack. With the bird's attention on those in the room, Pavo crept forward leaving his trident leaning against the wall and freeing his net from it's catch.
"You ask for blood and only offer words in return! Why should we trust you at all? I say we pluck and eat raven for dinner tonight."
At that point Spitter's stomach will gurgle a bit. He then scratches his chin and actually looks a bit embarrassed by it. He then gestures broadly.
"What? Ravens are a tasty bird."
"That just figures! Threats of violence!" Harzogopas screams in frustration as he realizes he is surrounded and the mortals before him are not simple farmers, "I will just get my fun by shredding your intenstines!" His form shimmers and his body suddenly changes from black to a dark crimson. Small black horns twist from his now devilish face.
"Devilkin!"
Spitter dives for cover in the center of the room rattling off a spell to fire a cold ray at the creature!
...and only manages to turn a patch of wall white with ice!
Knowing that the former raven could be of more use to them alive than dead - to say nothing of her personal desire to try and strike a mutually agreeable bargain with the tiny devil - Maellyra tries to bewitch the infernal creature's mind so that Pavo could subdue it.