Zirul drinks down a nasty Displacement extract, in hopes it'll give some more chance of survival. Long enough to take the beastie down.
Kal draws Aiger's Kiss and swings it at the nasty creature.
Opal throws another lightning ball.
Luthor keeps running.
The creatures tries it's fear one more time!
And you all kill it.
Fire-Kal crackles disdainfully at the sword in his hand before putting it away. Looking around, he points to each of the party in turn, then moves out of the room to look for Luthor.
Fire-Kal finds Luthor all the way back at the entrance to the fortress. He's shaking a bit and sweating profusely. "What the f+#% was that?"
Fire-Kal reaches out to put his hand comfortingly on Luthor's shoulder, then realizes that accidentally lighting his friend on fire probably wouldn't help matters and just motions for Luthor to come join the others.
"I dunno", the bull says. "But it was f!$+ing with our heads. It's dead now. Let's keep goin'"
You head up the stairs not bothering to search anything else to find the witch's room. This lightly furnished room contains little more than a modest sleeping pallet, a writing desk and chair, and a tin candleholder with a drippy candle stub. Near the foot of the pallet rests a small sea chest filled with various old, worn burlap robes. Light enters from a pair of window slits cut into the curved outer wall. To the east, a flight of
stairs descends to a lower level. Oddly enough there is no one here.
You see something attempting to be invisible moving around the room.
Bjorkus looks around in disappointment.
"Did that sod lie to us? As soon as we're done with Harrigan I'm gunna..."
Nooo!!! My one weakness, a first level spell!!
Kal casts his spell and it reveals an old man with a now angry monkey on his shoulder. He is so surprised that he doesn't react until all of you do!
Kal looks at the man thoughtfully, the burning and crackling noises possibly asking a question.
Bjorkus steps forward and with a snort, lunges for the monkey-bearing old man.
Bjorkus goes up to grapple the witch-man and his arms are thwarted by some magical force.
Frustrated at the old man's magical defenses, the huge bull narrows his gaze and growls.
Kal crackles angrily as the witch evades Bjorkus' grip. Waving his hands around, he burns in what could be words and points at the old man.
His monkey starts throwing unmentionable things at the party.
Bjorkus punts the monkey and then picks up the adorable little lizard by the tail.
"Good work Kal", the minotaur says.
The bull pats the little guy on the head and then stuff him in his pack.
"Let's go see if we can save the prisoners."
Fire-Kal nods, holding up one hand for a moment as he draws power from a small pearl. Afterward he nods again and proceeds with the others.
"Hmm..." crackles Fire-Kal in an almost human-sounding hum. He stops Bjorkus and motions toward the bull's pack.
Bjorkus looks to Kal in confusion and retrieves the tiny lizard again.
He struggles to resist the urge to pet it.
"What about it Kal?"
Fire-Kal reaches out and takes the lizard in a fiery appendage. It quickly burns up, and he motions for the group to continue.
Bjorkus stares in disbelief at Kal's fiery temper and nods.
"You've learned lot Kal. You're not the furless pup you were when you first came aboard the Wormwood."
The minotaur pauses.
"Well in this case, literally..."
You go back down the stairs to the brig. This dark, filthy chamber has been split into five cells—four small cramped ones to the north and south with a larger cell to the west. Manacles hang from the walls, and the floor is strewn with filthy, moldering straw.
The current occupants of this chamber are two familiar faces from the your days on the Wormwood—former sailing master Peppery Longfarthing and exship’s surgeon Habbly “Stitchman” Quarne. Though they both have seen better days, Hobbly missing a foot and one of his eyes, though Peppery suffered the worse of it, missing both her hands, both her eyes, and her tongue cut out, all but helpless in her current state.
Bjorkus winces at the sight feeling some degree of guilt.
"Harrigan's gunna pay..." the bull growls as he breaks the chains.
"Kal, see if you can get them conscious. Habbly might know where Grok is."
Fire-Kal nods and begins ministering to the prisoners.
Kal is able to get them conscious, but they still have a hard time moving. Habbly squints his one eye as he looks at you. He doesn't seem to recognize you.
"Stay put", Bjorkus says. "We're gunna get you out of here but we've gotta deal with that sod Harrigan first. Do you know where he's keepin' Grok?"
"You know this is your fault.." Habbly smiles weakly. "He left her with those cultists on the second floor."
Bjorkus nods.
"They're dead but we didn't see her. We'll take another look."
The minotaur climbs to his hooves.
"Let's go back upstairs."
Fire-Kal bristles and burns brightly at the accusation, throwing Habbly a glare as they leave.
Zirul shakes his head and sighs. "I'll see to you all after we deal with Harrigan."
Zirul drinks one smile vial, pulling then what looks to be poison from an internal jacket pocket as he pops the lid and pours it into his hand, the liquid sucked immediately into his skin.
He slowly shakes his head, putting the empty bottles away and making sure Bjorkus has the Kinetic Reverberation extract. "When we get into the last battle, big guy, I have a feeling they'll be swinging weapons. And this stuff? Weapons don't like. Don't ask how or why. Just drink it before the battle."