Do you mean people when you say stock? What city was this er.. bastard from?
The hairs starting to tingle on the back of his neck, pulls out an arrow and puts it to his bow. He begins peering at the building intently whole listening to the young man.
Morin enters through the splintered side door of the house, left ajar by the last person to pass through it. He reaches into the slight crack between door and frame with his sword and quietly opens the door just enough to squeeze through. He is gone for some minutes, and nothing can be heard from within the house.
Morin reappears at the door quite unexpectedly, so quiet were his movements as he approached. He steps outside and says "Nobody's called that place home in a long time. Broken, bare and dusty, for the most part. But I did find a great big trapdoor that might merit exploring. Hafta say, though - I caught a whiff of somethin' rotting, like a cask of meat that's gone off, as I got near the house, and the smell was stronger in the little pantry where the trapdoor is. So if we open it, there may be all manner of unpleasantness awaitin' us."
He turns to Volorio and says, "You know anything about that trapdoor? Drop your victims in there, did ya? An' if I hear the word "slip" or "long ears" or anything less than genteel about any one of me friends, we'll be dropping you in there and wedging the door shut, so mind yer manners as you answer."
Chloe reacts to this new information with turning a snow-hued shade of pale. Something about trapdoors leading to underground holding pens moved her to shudder, but all the same, she awaited for the young brigand's answers.
"Rotting meat means either rotting meat, or the undead. All creatures whose presence extends to or from another plane cause ripples or vortices in the lines of the land---anyhow, I can detect 'em. Let's see."
She steps inside the house and focuses on the trapdoor, staying a good distance away from it.
Tekk grins at Corbyn, "Well, I think she already decided."
He approaches the house to stand beside Sarusa. Softly, he says, "Got a bad feeling about this; if this goes bad, fall back and I'll cover you."
The brigand tries to hold his arms out in a placating gesture, hobbled somewhat by the rope that binds them. Like I said, his grin is half a sneer, 'S just the stock down there. A few unfortunate trav'lers 'n'at. No need to send sweet, young Volorio down t'th' dark!
When Karozekas asks what city, the youth looks at him with incredulity. Are ye daft? Magnimar!
You do not detect any telltale ripples that would indicate the presence of the undead.
You do not see anyone.
"Nothing...could just be rotting meat. Or people."
Tekk holds his mattock in his left hand, makes sure Sarusa is out of the way, takes a deep breath and holds it, then reaches down and opens the trap door with his right hand.
Chloe tenses up and makes her way towards the house to the best of her ability (though, admittedly, her direct beeline was a little off), muttering something that sounds like a name under her breath. Hopefully, Karo and Morin would ask about the buyer of such morbid goods themselves.
Morin realizes with horror what the "stock" must be. He steps up to Volorio with fury on his face.
"You're slavers?! Is that it? Is that where you keep people you've taken and are planning to sell? Is that what "stock" means? If that's so, ye pox-faced, toothless, blackguard, you'll wish ye'd died in the mud with yer uncle when I'm through wit' ye. My kind have suffered and died by the likes of you fer too long. I've never enjoyed hurtin' a person afore, but I think that's like to change today."
Turning to his friends, Morin says, "We've got to take a look, and free 'em if it's what I think. And then take this worthless piece of trash to justice, or give 'im some justice of our own."
Tekkis' decision to hold his breath proves well advised, as the miasma of stench that escapes when he opens the trap door can only be described as horrific. Those inside the house feel their gorges rise as the sickly-sweet, charnel odor assaults your senses, so overpowering it almost brings tears to your eyes. Steps lead down into what may have been a root cellar, but without light, it is difficult to tell what lurks below.
The darkness of course presents no obstacle to your vision. Below, you can see several bodies stacked against the walls, one on top of each other. They do not move, and appear to be well and truly dead.
Volorio tries to back away from Morin, shaking his head in denial. We're no slavers, runt! Just making a bit of coin where we can! Times is tough, we did what we hadta, ta survive, an you kin go bugger yerself, slip!
With these parting words, Volorio makes a break for the barn, legs pumping through the mud of the abandoned field.
Karo turns and fires his bow at Volorio.
Karo turns to Corbyn. Thank the gods your a better aim than I.
Corbyn's arrow punches deep into Volorio's lower back. The youth tumbles and falls face first into the muck.
-6 hp, dead at -14
Stabilized
Chloe gags on the smell in the house when she makes her way inside, assuming that the trapdoor had been opened by the sheer power of the stench.
"Are... are there any survivors...?" she asks through reluctant breaths.
|
Karo turns to Corbyn. Thank the gods your a better aim than I.
"Shooting from the ground is easy. The Sable Company Marine are trained to shoot bow from the back of a Hippogriff while flying through the air. My first flight I just about shat my pants I was so scared. It grows on you though."
"I miss those days...
"Here we go with the Hippogriff again..."
"I AM NOT A SECOND CLASS COMPANION DAMNIT!!!"
"Thank you, Corbyn. I had had quite enough of his company. I'm curious to see what he was runnin' after, but first I'd like to understand what went on down belowdecks here. Is it just where they were dumping bodies? Why'd he call it "stock"? Tekk, you up fer taking a look with me?"
Morin turns around to see Chloe approach from behind, "Got anything you can do to protect us a bit from that stench if we go below?"
"Only this..,"
Chloe gives out a few prayers of guidance for the initial shock
Karo runs over to check if Volorio is dead.
Sarusa casts Light on her club and nods to Tekkis, her face grim and clenched against the noisome odor.
Morin grasps the hilts of his swords firmly, holding the blades out before him, and looks Sarusa and Tekkis in the eye, before looking down into the trapdoor and nodding grimly. "Let's get this done," he says,almost too softly for anyone to hear.
Chloe holds her hands out to acclimate herself for movement. She had to know if this place was the final resting stop for Schelle or Elyas.
Tekk climbs down to investigate the bodies.
While the stench is awful, you all manage to keep the contents of your stomachs. It is cool enough here under the house that your breath shows slightly by Sarusa's light. There are nearly a score of corpses here, mostly human men, with a scattering of women, a half-orc and a pair of dwarves. None of them are known to your group, or match the description of Elyas you were given.
A cursory search of the bodies reveals nothing but bloody rags. It is readily apparent that every corpse bears an injury of some kind, mostly puncture wounds and defensive cuts on arms.
As you approach the open door of the barn, you can see a ladder leading to a hayloft, and hear the stamps and snorts of several equines.
"It would take us a long time to bury everyone here. Let us check the other buildings and mark them, and inform the authorities in Sandpoint."
Sarusa's face grows dark. "Preying on the weak and unwary is one methodology in nature, but combine it with the greed borne of 'civilization' and it becomes something truly awful."
Tekk looks back at Sarusa and Morin, "I'm wondering when the person who buys the 'stock' is going to show up again. I'd really like to meet him."
Looking away for a minute, Tekk finally looks up at the ceiling of the cellar, then around at the walls. "Nothing for it."
He pulls out some parchment and a piece of lead and begins making notes about the race, gender, and age of the dead bodies. When a body has a noticeable or unusual feature, he also notes that.
As he makes notes, he says, "You're right, we don't have time to bury them, but we can't leave them here to rot either. We should burn them. Just leave them where they lay, douse them with oil, and no great loss if the house goes up."
Morin shakes his head slowly and grits his teeth in disgust. "You're both right, that's the best way to deal with this. We canna' leave them for whoever these bastards did their business with, that's for certain. I'm glad you were here to do right by them and say a few words, Clo. And that was thoughty of ya to note down what details you could, Tekk.."
Looking back up the stairs and into the light, Morin adds "After seein' this, I almost wish Corbyn hadn't taken that boy down with his arrow. I'd like to kill 'im meself."
Chloe lingers near Tekkis as he takes his notes, slowing even her breathing as if she could understand what he was writing through the sounds of the lead making its way across the paper. Once satisfied, she turns to the bodies (no margin for error where the epicenter of the stench is concerned) and recites the last rites of her faith softly.
"...I-if we don't want someone... to pick them up like meat, I... I would agree with Tekkis, though I wish we could leave them to be... claimed by loved ones."
"Burning is a good sign and warning, and it won't spread in this wet to the fields. First we have to sweep the other buildings, though. Tekk, you think they were slavers? Why would they just kill everyone...pathological, if you ask me. A question left for Pharasma."
Still writing, he grunts in approval of Morin's comments, "Tell me about it. Are you sure he's dead?"
Tekk nods as Chloe speaks, "I do too, but in the next day or so, they'll draw all manner of beasts looking for a meal. If their loved ones arrived, they'd not find remains, but scraps and animal spoor. I'd not wish that on anyone.
Hearing Sarusa's question, Tekk moves in closer and looks around again, checking the wrists of several bodies. "No, their victims do not have any marks I'd expect if they were slaves. I think our attackers were bandits who decided to cash in on the dead bodies of their victims."
He finishes his notes and carefully folds the parchment and stores it in his pack. "I think we should put the dead bandits in here too when we light it. Let's go see what secrets the barn holds."
Morin follow Tekkis through the trapdoor, saying,
"Sounds like a good plan, burning the bandits too. Though I hafta say, a part of me says that's honoring them too much, after seein' what they did to all these people. And that's not even knowin' what they meant to do with their bodies. If that boy's not dead, we should ask him when their friend from Magnimar is supposed to be here, might be worth layin' in a little surprise."
"Leave the bandits where they lay. They can be of benefit as they feed scavengers."
Looking ahead but responding to Morin, Tekk says, "I understand your point about honoring them too much, but dead is dead. We know the truth. But I don't know if we have time for the surprise you're talking about - we need to locate Elyas, and every minute we delay here is a minute further away from finding him. I was thinking we try to get as much information about the buyer as we can from the boy, then we try to find him when we return to Magnimar. We'll see what the boy says... if he can talk."
He turns to Sarusa, "Ah, we already loaded them into the wagon. Didn't want them blocking the road for other travelers."
Karo runs over to check if Volorio is dead.
Karo runs over to check if Volorio is dead.
The young man's breathing is very shallow. He has lost consciousness.
Sarusa heads towards the barn, still with Light and club ready.
Karo, seeing Volorio still lives, reties the rope, binding both hands and feet together. He calls softly to the others. This one is still alive, Chloe perhaps you should check him.
Once within earshot, Chloe nods to Karozekas (or somewhere close to him, at least). She hadn't said much in the wake of her comrades' anger, but she is relieved that the vengeful mood isn't clouding anyone's judgement overmuch. She felt for the victims, but simply killing the young brigand wouldn't bring them back. Although, she did admit that having him not talking is an improvement.
Heal check on Volorio (without kit):
With Chloe attending to Volorio, Karo watches the others approach the barn. Will this one live, Chloe? Would you like me to stay back in case he comes to?
"They do not usually... come to on their own, Karo, but... I would appreciate it, regardless...," Chloe responds, giving a brief smile in Karo's direction.
"-it's probably best he... doesn't... for now. I can't protect him from his... his own words, really, and with time we.. we can best formulate the questions to ask."
Chloe is actually quite gentle with the presumed murderer.
Seeing Corbyn begin to move in a stealthy manner by the barn door, Tekk moves toward the ladder, looking up and watching for any movement.
Seeing that Karo is standing by Chloe as she examines the young criminal, Morin continues to the barn with Tekkis. As they draw near to Corbyn, Morin waves a hand to catch his companions' eyes, points to himself and makes a gesture to ask if he should enter the barn quietly to check things out.
Peering into the open barn door and listening intently, he thinks to himself, If anyone's in there, he's sure heard us by now. But we might could still take 'im by surprise, 'stead of him surprising us.