Shomari hoists the halberd to his shoulder and steps towards Lilith, showing every sign of taking her at her word, but before he comes within striking range, he pauses. He looks upstairs.
"Very well. Go. I won't fight you," he says. He props the halberd against the wall. "But I'll not risk my life by going with you. If she can't be saved in the morning, so be it."
Seeing that he cannot talk sense to the wizard, Polonius shoulders his backpack.
I want to help her too, Lillith. But I won't die for her. We all go tomorrow, or you go alone. I think you're smart enough to know which is the right choice.
"Thank you Lilith. I know waiting is difficult, but it's the right choice. Now let's get to sleep. I want to be up and out before the sun rises."
As the second watch winds slowly away, Shomari moves ghostlike around the group's compound. Finding Lenneth keeping a watch, he makes a small noise to announce his presence.
"Is it only concern for the sick woman that has her so on edge?" he murmurs softly, gesturing towards Lilith. "Has the weight of seeing so many die grown so heavy that she is trying to throw her life away? Her recklessness endangers us all. Tonight we were able to keep it in check, but...." He shakes his head.
"Now that she is sleeping, I wonder if the gnome and I should not go to see what we can." His voice is even softer. "Would you be willing to keep watch a little longer while we did that?"
Polonius looks up at the big hobgoblin. It wasn't so long ago that if one of his kind had asked the alchemist to go wandering off into alleyways with them whilst pitch dark out, he probably would have thrown a hastily mixed bomb in its face and run for his life. But how tines have changed. Because in truth, Shomari's presence made him feel markedly more secure.
I agree that her presence would have been a liability. But after just lecturing her about running off on her own, I don't want to seem a hypocrite. Also, Im really not much use with a weapon - my legs are too short and my arms too fat - so I rely on my bombs and I can only mix so many. What I'm saying is, if we get cornered I'm not quick enough to get away and at the moment I don't have enough bombs to protect myself. Let's wait until morning? We'll be better prepared, especially if that bastard in the mask shows up again.
He hopes the last part will appeal to Shomari's warrior instinct.
"Then we will go in the morning," Shomari nods, perhaps a little disappointed, but certainly seeing the wisdom of the gnomes words. His watch finished, he lays down and quickly falls asleep.
Next morning in the early morning light Azmerai will wake everybody, take care that all necessitys are done and lead the group to the apothecary.
This night you dream of a grand shadowy temple, inside it are a thousand black butterflies, all beating their wings in unison. You slam your hand on the floor, and they all fall from the air lifeless, and as you look closer you see they are just sheets of paper. They start to rustle in the breeze, but you are sure you shut the door when you came in... the papers get more agitated almost gusting up from the floor, and you realise that the breeze is actually the breath of something behind you, you can feel the heat of its fanged mouth scant inches from your neck...
You wake
The night passes uneventfully, though tension is high and no-one has a good night's sleep. When you wake in the morning, the air has the cold edge of autumn about it, and with no source of heat in the shop you can see your breath even inside.
Presuming you wake and bolt down breakfast quickly (please remove a meal each from your supplies) and plan to assualt the apothecary's shop, which way will you go?
Shomari awakens at dawn, feeling whole and hearty again.
"I think our best course is to follow the river," he says. "The banks will allow us to stay low."
Polonius is used to snatching sleep when he can. During his wife's illness he would spend hours researching the Bleaching and potential cure and existed with only a few hours sleep. So this night he decides to stay up and start crafting, knowing that a stockpile of alchemical items will help the whole party.
I agree. The river will probably give us the best cover we can get in the day. Although if we have to escape I'm not going to be able to swim away!
It's a cold and crisp morning, the wind is light but has an edge. As you check the windows and step out of the shop, the door thuds shut behind you like the lid of a sarcophagus. Your weary but well-experienced eyes can see a couple of groaners on the other side of the bridge to the south, they look like they have wandered out of the forest and are just walking aimlessly, no threat to you at the moment.
As you make your way up the alleyway next to the shop, you can see the bloodstained cobbles where Murzen fell to the zombie, and Phen's scream echoes in your memory. The sky to the north west is full of smoke, a massive column powers its way up in to the air, and you continue to catch the smell of smoke and occasionally other less-savory burnt things carried on the breeze. Proceeding up the street, scanning every doorway and window, you see something very odd ahead of you. In between what Kaiya's map tells you is the Grain Mill and the Wood Mill is a clearly staged scene. There are 4 groaners arranged around something on the floor between them. The groaner's moans are loud and sound oddly frustrated, you can see chains around their necks holding them in place despite their intent to get at whatever is between them.
The thing on the ground in between the groaners is covered in an oversized robe, but looks very like a child-sized figure chained to a spike driven in to the ground. You can see some movement but they aren't moving very much.
All of the groaners have close-fitting leather helmets on, and spiked gauntlets on both arms. The chains around their necks go down to a ring embedded in the ground, and then off somewhere you can't quite see from this distance.
Seeing the groaners are chained and having no interest in messing with them, Shomari ducks into mud lane, checking to see if the way is clear.
Azmerai sighs and suddenly looks closer. He whispers:"Something chained to the ground next to them. AS big as child. Or halfman. Or pig. Don´t know. But could be trap!"
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Lilith, not feeling well, secludes herself into the tiny office she has set up for scribing scrolls and sets to work almost mechanically scribing a scroll of Mage Armor before she rests. She sleeps in the little room as well, and when she comes out in the mooring she is wearing an improvised mask. I am not feeling so well. She announces to the group. It might be smart for everyone to keep their distance until we know if I have caught something.
Before heading out she will try to identify the cloak again.
And on the outing she chooses a spot in the middle of the gourd.
She explains what she sees ahead and recommends As terrible as that is, the thing in the middle seem to be in no immediate danger. I recommend we skirt around for now, sticking to our mission.
Seeing Shomari start to duck down the alley, Turrey taps him on the shoulder. "Ahem."
Momentarily confounded by the thought that he's initiating conversation with a hobgoblin at all, Turrey screws up his courage and continues, "I can see you're almost as quiet as I am...and considerably tougher. Why don't we scout ahead a bit, and see if we can pick a safe route for the noisy ones?"
Azmerai nods to the two. "Go ahead."
Polonius nods at Turrey and Shomari's suggestion but as they are about to scout ahead he says;
Wait, take these. If you get into trouble they should help.
Shomari and Turrey move off down Mud Lane, and see nothing hostile down there. Creeping up Cog street they reach Prickleback Lane and are treated to a closer look at the odd situation, and can see the chains from the groaner's necks pass through the rings in the floor and along in to the building directly to the east, just above the grain mill. A sense of unease settles on them, the situation screams 'ambush', but who or what could be setting them up?
The groaners are still oblivious to you, intent as they are on the entity between them.
The scouts update the shared mental picture they have of Sandpoint, and advise their companions...;)
Focusing on his next steps Azmerai moves forward. But his concentration impends his awarness.
Shomari nods to Turrey's plan, gliding along quietly and slipping across the street quietly, despite hardly watching his feet as he scans the area for danger.
Turrey feels a strong desire to rescue whoever is down there, between the zombies, but reminds himself that this isn't the time. Instead he offers his aid to anyone interested in crossing the gap quietly, pointing out the best places to step and the spots to avoid.
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After discovering the properties of the cloak Lilith offers its use to Polonius, after explaining that is is really the property of Meiko and only on loan to the group. This cloak will make you even more diplomatic, should the need for that arise. And since you have short legs, I thought the ability to be able to move more might really come in handy for you.
Polonius raises an eyebrow at Lilliths comment about his legs. He tries to decide if there is any barb in there after their confrontation the previous evening over the sick woman.
He shrugs and takes the cloak with a smile - he does have short legs after all.
Thank you, Lillith. I'll make good use of this.
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Polonius stampers across the gap up behind Azmerai, oblivious to all but getting from shadow to shadow.
Turrey feels a strong desire to rescue whoever is down there, between the zombies, but reminds himself that this isn't the time. Instead he offers his aid to anyone interested in crossing the gap quietly, pointing out the best places to step and the spots to avoid.
You all manage to sneak past the snarling zombies, however everyone's breath catches in their throats as Lilith crosses between building and slips on a cobble, for a moment completely visible to anyone looking...thankfully none of the chained up undead appear to notice, and Lilith quickly picks herself up and joins her comrades on the other side of the alleyway.
As you proceed up towards Crab Street, the smoke is much thicker now, and wind blows the strong stench of acrid smoke to you from the north west, you can hear crackling now. As you glance down Crab Street, you can finally see the fire. Flames pour in to the sky a good two stories high, devouring the buildings the orange and yellow flickering tongues are crawling over. It is easily the largest fire you have ever seen, and even a hundred feet away you can feel the heat on your faces. It is clear that the centre of Sandpoint is being utterly consumed by the conflagration, it only serves to see what is left on the outer ring of buildings that may be useable. Thankfully the route to the shop, and the shop itself, should be outside of the current reach of the fire, at least for now.
You can see the eastern bridge from where you are, and the cathedral's spire poking over the top of the house in from of you, so you're on the right path following the river up. With a moment of deja vu, you can see two groaners chained to the bridge's far side.
You can sneak around the house in front of you, which given the lack of cover by the river would mean remaining undetected would be extremely difficult, or else you could try to take a shortcut through the decrepit house in front of you. The wooden door leading in to the domicile is nearly hanging off its hinges, and wouldn't take much work to open.
Azmerai squats down. Dwaren stel feels diffrent than my old berd. Better for dark, knife work, so gud. Close to wet or through ruin. Ruin maybe groaners, maybe safe and no one looks us. Better for sneaky.
"We better take house, easier not to be watchd."
Turrey nods at Azmerai's assessment, but says "Hold on, let me listen at the door first."
A shortcut through the decrepit house. What could possibly go wrong? ;-)
Turrey is very sure, as sure as he can be, that there are no traps on the door, its frame or handle. Likewise there does not appear to be any noise in the area beyond the door, no rustles of cloth, moaning or creaking floorboards.
Ok, anyone disagree with the route?
Shomari sighs. "It is not what I would prefer, but I see no better option."
This place looks like it's going to fall down around our ears... Still there's no real alternatives. Lead on, Turrey.
Pushing open the door and wincing at the creaking of the ancient hinges, light falls on to what must have been the main living room of this medium-sized dwelling. There are several wooden chairs, a threadbare rug and low table all arranged around a fireplace long cold and stuffed with ashes.
There is a smell of decay in here, things have been untouched for a while it seems. The sole window is dark with dirt, and has a makeshift drape hammered over it, which doesn't look like a neat job, someone did it in a hurry.
Glancing about you can actually see a thin layer of dust. There is a rickety looking set of stairs leading up to the second storey, and a large opening in the back wall leading further in to the house.
You find a dagger jammed above the door you came in, if you were a suspicious sort, it might be just the place someone might put a weapon if they were expecting trouble.
Looking through the archway at the back of the room, you can see a kitchen with a broken stone benchtop. The missing pieces can be seen wedged in to place in front of the small window and door leading out. The wooden frames of both are water-saturated, and have warped considerably around the stone. You estimate it would take quite a while to try and pry them loose, and breaking through might take some time.
You find a couple of sacks in the back of a cupboard, but they are empty. On top of the pantry cupboard you also spot a half-full bottle of expensive Chelish brandy.
You can't hear anything moving upstairs, it is dark and the stairs go up to a small landing with two rooms leading off. The first contains the remnants of a wooden bed and wardrobe, which both look like they have been smashed in to kindling, likely as a fuel source for the fire downstairs. There is a small window through which you can see the cathedral, and could likely squeeze through if you could climb down safely. You are just about to open the other door when the hairs rise on the back of your neck, and you peek through a knothole in the wood. You can just make out something hanging from the ceiling, in fact it looks like a human hanging by the neck. The rest of the room is in the dark, but the shape looks like an intact bed, so perhaps this is where whoever was staying here was holed up.
Pocketing the dagger and the brandy Azmerai moves silently over. Seeing the sacks he smiles and also adds them to their loot.
Grimacing at the grisly sight in the next room, Polo turns to the others;
There's someone hanging in there. Maybe they took their own life? You can't really blame them I suppose. It's awful, but if his family was gone.... he looks wistfully at nothing. ...what is there left to live for?
He shakes his head briefly.
Anyway, he may have left something useful. Try and stay quiet, this place is creakier than my old knee joints!
He pushes open the door.
As you enter the tiny bedroom, the hanging corpse's eyes flick open, revealing bloodshot milky pupils that stare unerringly in your direction. It snarls and starts thrashing around, booted feet occasionally bashing against the walls.
Looking over the rest of the room with the light of Lilith's magic candle, you can see 3 objects of interest on the bed against the far wall. There is a small wooden box, about 1 ft square and an inch deep, a sheaf of papers and a scabbarded longsword propped against the wall.
Eager for trying out his new axe, Azmerai slashes at the hanging groaner.
Polo steps back out of the room to allow Azmerai more space with which to deal with the hanging zombie