The traps is sprung, the surprisingly agile half-ogre manages to step backwards as the ball of rolling death tumbles past him. Vaundour is not as lucky, he strips over the podium and is crushed by the ball as it rolls over him!
The ball slams into the far west wall and then rolls to the south and right, as if the floor were designed to ensure that the ball rolled to a specific location.
Dust chokes those at the edge of the room and a fit of coughing ensues. As the dust settles you can all see that Vaundour is covered in gore he sits up! He is badly bruised and a bit cut from the spikes.
As he wonders how those spikes did not impale him the ball once it comes to a rest reveals the tale. Embedded in the spikes of the ball, dead beyond all hope but from the greatest of Clerics is Timeon. It seems that his body shielded the half-drow from the worst of it.
Shalewigg turns to Grumble, "You see, he was not entirely useless".
She then heads to the stairs to investigate the way up, a light flares from her location then the area goes dark again. She comes back down shaking her head, "A dead end quite literally. Do not fert though, the wall had yet another love note from our friend and benefactor the Cardinal.
“Only the foolish believe great deeds are so easy or so obvious.”
Now where to? I tire of these games..."
Grumble started laughing at Vaundour and stupid dead Timeon, slow at first, and then building until the ogre could barely breathe and was leaning against the wall wiping tears from his eyes.
Nate sighs and drops the nice-guy act. He takes his greataxe off of Timeon's corpse, then goes over to Vaundour. "Here, hold still..."
"Oh, the poor boy. He might have made an excellent pawn, given the chance for corruption. Ah well," Soren says, watching as Nathanial casts a spell on Vandour. "Still, I suppose you're more useful, so his death did accomplish something. Shell we see if the present Thorn left us," Soren says, gesturing to the ball still implaing Timeon, "has unveiled some new passage for us to follow? That seems like something I'd expect from him. if not, I suggest we leave the way we came, and bring him the pendant. It is what we came here for, after all.
After a moment, Soren's eyebrows perk up. "Just a moment, didn't that squire mention something about a secret passage near the stairs? Perhaps there's something to be found down here..."
|
"You have my thanks, friend," Vaundour told Nathanial as he slowly stood up. "Ah, well, he gave his life so that the better man lived this day. Truly a great hero cut down before his time." The sarcasm practically dripped from his lips before looking at the spiked ball. "You know, I've been known to play with balls when the feeling suits me, but this is just ridiculous. Come, let us try to find the correct way out."
Soren is unable to find a hidden passage in this room.
Upon closer inspection, the spiked ball is exactly what it appears to be, a deadly trap but it holds no great mysteries.
Vaundour pulls the pendant from his pocket to ensure that is survived intact, it did not, the eyes of the pendant are shattered, they appeared to be made only of glass.
"Hmm. I doubt finding the pendant would be so easy as it sitting on a pedestal. Not to mention it didn't sound like some cheap glass toy." Nate takes a look around.
"I know that stupid boy mentioned something about a passageway. It was across from the stairs. Nathanial, would you help me search?" Soren starts running her hands along the wall across from the fake stairwell, digging her fingers into nooks and crannies in an effort to find some sort of hidden doorway. "That poor fool was too stupid to lie to us, so either Thorn has fed him misinformation, or we simply haven't found it yet."
Soren and Nate begin to search the wall for the secret passageway. Vaundour watching them sees the pattern they are oh so subtly missing and manages to ope the door which leads to yet another hallway. This time it runs south. Unlike prior hallways, the torches only go halfway down the corridor.
The woman whispers to Morana, "Your salvation is at hand but you must earn it my dear. Your jailers, your tormentors, the ones who would lock you up, slay them. Begin to claim your vengeance upon those who so wronged you.
Then you shall meet me across the bog. There you will see a manse with a single lit lantern in a solitary second floor window. Before day breaks you will be there or we will assume that you are not as worthy as we believed you to be..."
That said, she vanishes before your very eyes as if the shadows have swallowed her whole! You hear the grunts and curses of the two guards as they try to drag the tree out of the road.
Together they move forward to the wagon to get to see where they are and if she can burn them like they would have her.
"Another path... just as I thought." Soren moves slowly down the corridor, rifle leveled in front of her. She nods to Grumble Jack, signaling for the large ogrekin to come to the front of the group. "Let us see where this leads, shall we?"
Grumble wipes the last of the tears out of his eyes, but can't completely stop himself from laughing. He nods and takes point with Soren.
As you reach the end of the hallway which runs 40' to the south the hall turns to the east where no lights are on the walls. As many in the party have Darkvision you can see that this hall runs 30' where the passage ends presumably to the south there will be another door.
The condemned Witch brings out the Phantom to assist her in the elimination of the two who would have seen her burned at the stake.
Morana and the Phantom are able to make their way to the side of the wagon as the guards continue to struggle with the tree and what a large stick it is, no doubt the woman had an accomplice to complete this task for no mere human could have felled it. Morana is now a mere 15' from them at the edge of the front of the wagon. The guards have their backs to the two horse which draw the wagon...
As the "heroes" arrive at the end of the hallway to the south is yet another door upon your arrival words flare to life with a greenish purplish glow, the inscription reads.
“Secrecy is our greatest ally. Exposure brings death.”
The words flare out as quickly as they came to life.
Smirking to herself and moving so that he should hit both of them. Morana holds out a hand while grasping her precious Poppet in the other she focuses for a moment. Burn.
Sliding out and rushing the guards after the fire has been thrown the Phantom slams into the closest guard.
"More'a this damn writin'." the ogre grumbled. "Stupid."
He glanced to Soren. "Trapped?" he rumbled.
Soren glances down at the breastplate of her armor, Asmodeus's unholy symbol emblazoned on the front with white paint. "I may require a more... substantial approach." She thinks for a moment, reaching into her pack where she kept her disguises, but thought better of it. "Lord of Witches, grant me amnesty from Mitra's gaze; mask my plague so it may infest her, and sentence her to rot." As she speaks, Soren's armor and clothes shimmer for a moment before they're replaced with resplendent regalia in Mitra's colors. She has a look of utter disgust on her face, but it passes quickly as she takes up a visage of kindness that only looks out of place knowing the woman's cruelty.
"Give me a moment, and we'll see," she takes a spot beside Vandour and runs her hands along the outside of the door, inspecting it for traps.
Your spell blasts the guards as well as the horses with fire!
The guard nearest to you manages to dive out of the way hearing the horses rear and scream. However, the push from the Phantom pushes him into the path of the now spooked and charging horse! The sickening crunch of hoof one bone along with the fire and the force of the Phantom ends that guards life.
The second guard is much more lucky, though singed the horse before him maintained composure.
He snarls at you, "I don't know how you got out Witch but I'll deliver your death sentence here and now!"
Vaundour and Soren are quite sure that this door is not trapped nor is it locked.
Glaring at the guard, Fool you cannot kill that which is already dead. Lay down and let the peace of the grave usher you to your own judgment. Pulling the short spear that strange woman gave her off the side of wagon in favor over the crossbow she has never fired.
The Phantom roars and slams into.
The ogre sighed and stomped to the back of the group where whoever they were going to try to trick wouldn't see him right away. Again.
"Hmm... nothing on the door. Well, I suppose we ought to head inside. I have a feeling we'll find Timeon's Sir Balin in here." With that, Soren eases open the door with her musket leveled, before calling out. "Hello? Is anybody here?" she says, the inflection in her voice becoming softer and kinder. "I hope Timeon was right, and we'll find an ally in here after all."
He falls and the spirit slams into him!
As Soren opens the door she sees that the room is pitch black.
To the west you see the outline of what appears to be yet another door...
The second slam of the Phantom renders the guard unconscious. The horses are still wild with fear due to the fires of your magic!
Fury and adrenaline race though her veins. Twisting at the noise Morana's eyes go wide when she sees the horses thrashing about in their tethers. Seeing as adrenaline makes people feel invincible Morana gets the wild idea that she would be able to travel faster if she had a mount.
Slowing walking towards the horses and trying to sooth them. She gets to close to quickly.
As you enter you see no obvious signs of danger and the shrieker does not react to your presence.
It seems your route should continue west through the only door in the room.
The horse closest to you rears on its hind legs.
Morana is clipped by the hoof closest to her striking her hard on the side of the face. That will leave a bruise! Luckily it pushed you out of the way of its trampling mad dash! The horses run to the far side of the road to turn back the way they came and race. Thank the dark Gods that this benefactor removed your goods from the carriage before this incident took place.
Still you do have two dead bodies before you which you can loot...
Dropping to the ground and holding the side of her face that was hit. I hate horses! Growling and punching the ground Morana sits there for a moment staring at her Poppet and slowly calms down.
Leaning in the Phantom mumbles, You need to get going Morana. There may be more people coming. Kissing her forehead and fading out of view to sink back into Morana's mind.
Shivering at the still foreign feeling she moves to stand up and glancing at the now two dead guards she doubles over and vomits. Wiping her mouth Morana moves to her bag and gargles water to get the taste out. They deserved this. I did nothing wrong. Picking up her things and starting in the direction of the bog.
Stopping and setting her things back down she walks back to the guards. They are nothing and I have very little. This is my right. They were going to kill me. Rooting around on the corpses and fighting the urge to vomit at not only the smell but the fact that she kill to people. Who deserved it! And if I am going to get my revenge more will die. Get over it!
"Hmm... I suppose I should have expected this would be more... literal." Soren slings her musket back around onto her back, and drops low to the ground. "Still, no matter. Vandour, could you be so useful as to guide those without sight along my path? I doubt this creature is the true threat here; it's screech will likely alert something far more dangerous that we stand a chance of taking unawares." Assuming he agrees, Soren slides into the room on nearly all fours, clinging close to the walls in case either the creature or some other unexpected threat emerges.
Morana discovers that each guard carried a short sword, leather armor, and a small coin pouch with 6 gold and 10 silver each. Th rest of their belongings were no doubt on that transport.
Tiador enters the front door, she removes a cloth mask which covers half her face and smiles at you. [b]"Aurex, do be a dear and fly to the old Moor Road. The Cardinal has found a new two legged pet to replace one that was found... wanting. If you need to assist her by claw or tooth ensure none survive to tell the tale of the horrors you unleashed upon them, do you understand? Once the danger is over fly away from her, she will have to make it here on foot not wing if she wishes to be included in our plans"{/b]
Vaoudour is able to lead those within Darkvision to the door on the western wall. Soren shadows the group as they cross the small room completely without incident. The fungus does not move or make a sound as your approach has been in complete darkness.
Soren searches the door for traps, but more importantly looks for any sort of keyhole to tell whether or not the other side of the door is lit, to avoid the cries of the creature behind them.
Taking the coin pouches and one sword, just in case. Taking a moment to put of the pouches and dig in her bag. With a grin she pulls out a compass. Taking a movement to safely wrap up and then tuck her Poppet into a waterproof bag. Then throwing her bag back on her shoulder.
Frequently looking at the compass she moves into the bog. Using the short spear as a walking stick and a poking the ground for sink holes stick.
The slog through the bog is a miserable one. The first two hours you put one foot in front of the other trudging along searching for the house the mysterious woman spoke of. All you can see is pitch darkness that is until the whinny of a horse is accompanied by a small set of bouncing lights.
The voice of men carry across the bog towards you, "I do not believe it! They must be here somewhere none would take in such depraved souls in yon village. They are out here and we WILL find them!"
Soren checks the door and discovers no traps. No keyhole either but she sees no light through the fine cracks in the door.