You may be overthinking this, human. But i'll give it a shot. I'd like someone to have eyes on me, in case it goes wrong... Up to it, Johan?
No. Wait here. Without further explanation Johan turns around and jogs back to the stairs to the manor. Nobody tells me I can't leave a ruddy basement whenever I want.
Johan heads upstairs, and assuming no one more menacing than him tries to stop him, he grabs the first slave he sees by the arm. You, come with me. Now. He drags her back down the basement,and to the others.
The three other men look at Johan and the new addition to their party with a mix of curiousity and shock. Finally, Damien speaks. Well, hello, and who is this?
Before the frightened girl can reply, Johan answers for her. This, he says as he kicks the girl bodily into the mist room, is bait.
He flexes his grip on his spear, preparing to charge. Be ready as soon as it shows itself...
Eldred seems content for this use of servants and knocks an arrow.
Well so much for sticking to the 'rules', he thinks, grinning to himself.
"Hah. I like the way you think."
Damien laughs, working to light a torch of his own.
Johan is tensed and ready to charge the mist when it appears. If it doesn't rise up to attack the slave right away, he yells to her, Girl, pick up that stone and smash it on the ground.
The slaves enters the room, and some instants later, you see it coming out of the fissures, near the slave.
Eldred will shoot the mist again, experimenting.
Rarrgh! Johan charges headlong into the mist, peeling off to the side and using his weapon's reach to give Eldred enough space for another bow shot.
You hit the mist and slave alike, you know it resisted some of your damage, but even then, you got it, after some powerful blows from Eldred and Johan, the mists fades, leaving in the ground only the dead slave body.
You hear nothing from then.
And they are untraped.
Mmm, that was...easy. Johan remarks. He pokes around the holes in the floor with the butt of his spear, trying to discern their purpose, and if the room holds any other hidden threats.
He looks on the walls and doors for any other inscriptions. He picks up the darkness stone, wraps it in a cloth (assume covering it stops the darkness?), and offers it to Damien. He looks down at the dead slave, knowing he should feel some remorse, but all he can muster is mild concern at how Tiadora will react at being short one minion.
Once Eldred gives the all clear for traps, Johan throws open both doors and peers beyond.
Eldred opens the door opposite to the one they came in.
A passage connects with the fissures to this other room. Upon the door is an inscription: “The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy.”
This chamber is lit by an oil lantern hanging from its center.
South is a barred door. The bar is heavy but easily lifted.
A short passage leads north from room with the fissues.
At the end of the passage is another wooden door. Unsurprisingly the door is inscribed with yet another platitude: “Cruelty is a tool not a pastime. Be ruthless to thy enemy but reward those who serve thee well.”
There is only one thing in this room – a torturer’s rack.
This cruel implement is functional and ready for use but currently empty. The chamber is lit by an oil lantern that hangs from the center of the room.
Johan heads to the north room. He runs his hand experimentally over the controls of the rack. then starts to methodically search the walls or hidden doors - they had already found two such in the first room, there were likely more. And it seemed odd that this 'lesson' contained no challenge.
Johan, you search the room and do not find anything out of the usual.
Given they are all in the rack room, Eldred opens the door here.
"Oh hey," Damien smirks as the torture rack comes into view. "We had one of these at the club. The head guy used it when someone chickened out and wouldn't pay up on his wagers. This brings back memories."
Eldred looks in the room and after some time, he opens a secret door. When he does that, you all hear someone yelling
"Oh, for Mitra, don't kill me!"
Sure - you're in no danger. Come on out.
Bluff
Ahh, now the rack makes sense Johan thinks to himself.
He steps back to block the only exit from the room, in case their new friend tries to make a run for it, and stays quietly observing.
"Mitra be Praised! I thoug..." he began to say leaving his hiding place, then he sees Johan, and the guard armor.
"I'm saved! Mitra heard my prai..." then he sees Malgrim.
"Why that foul moster is here?" he screams in fear.
He sees Damien, smiling, but he appears to not have recognized the Symbol of Asmodeus Damien is using.
He's in disguise. We used this to bluff our way through to this point, but we may need your help if we are to win free yet!, Says Eldred earnestly.
"Who? Me? Please, don't flatt- Oh! You meant the hob. Hah. My bad."
"So," Damien says, approaching the boy. "What do you guys think he's in here for?"
He turn to Malgrim then to Eldred again."You are lying! He is a real monster!... But..." he look at the situation "I've heard a man and a woman talkin', you are a servant too, you know how they treat'em! Will you really help me escape?"
For sure, kid, we need to get out too... I didn't want you freaking out over the monster so I fibbed a little but he wants out too, Mitra knows we need all the help we can get,
He reaches out a hand with a gentle smile.
How about you start with who you are and why are you here.
Bluff
"My name is Timeon of Balentyne. Sir Balin’s squire. They fell upon us at the same time. That horrible woman! Have you seen him? Sir Balin?" he takes a deep breath and continues "When I awaked up, I was not in this room, but somewhere else. A man attacked me, hurted me, but I was able to flee and hide in this room. I heard him searching for me, talking to a woman. But Mitra be praised, he did not found where I was hiding."
Where did they fall upon you and what were you up to?, he asks, all concern.
"I don't know where I am now. But I was near the watchtower of Balentyne. My famile has a state there. We were hunting in celebration of Sir Balin choosing me as his squire."
The watchtower of Balentyne is a fortress that separets the good people land from the savage north. And it's really far away from where you are now. Some weeks of travel.
Edit:
A-HA!, says Eldred.
Local
Well done squire... you may save your Lord and family yet. I think I have unraveled their fiendish plan. Tell me, what changes in troop disposition has Sir Balin made lately - its critical! We need that information if we are to get ahead of these dastards!
Bluff
"So, kid, did anyone tell you what this room is all about?"
”Plans? What plans?” he yells in fear ”Sir Balin commands no army. It’s Lord Thomas that commands the watch Tower. I know nothing about troop dispositions.”
The squire looks again to Damien, then to the room, and to Damien again. His eyes wide in fear. Then he sees the symbol in Damien neck, the hated Asmodeus.
”Ahh! Mitra forgive me! You are a servant of the Enemy!” he yells, crys and piss his pants at the same time.
Eldred gives the boy a little slap.
Snap out of it! He's in disguise you fool, look at our clothes, we all are except our friend the Guard here! - Now pull it together lad, or we will never get out of here and save the Kingdom
He then rests his arm paternally around him after the hit.
C'mon lad, man up now... we've helping you out of here and you need to help us but I am at sixes and sevens about what our next move should be in order to foil their insidious plan... and we need you to be the Knight that one day you aspire to be and calm down and think, and tell us what we need to ensure that the Kingdom is saved.
Bluff
"Sorry, kid," Damien smiles, tucking the symbol away into his vest. "Didn't mean to scare you with that. 's all part of the disguise. C'mon, you gotta be smarter than this!"
We... We'll need to know what else is down here, if we are to save Talingarde.
Johan listens to the earnestness in the boy's voice and remembers his own time as a new squire. How proud he was, how gullible.
Johan looks over his shoulder, pretending to be nervous about being caught. Trying to make it look like he's guarding the doorway from anything getting in rather than the kid getting out. This man and woman you heard...what were they talking about? Could you take us back to where you woke up?
"I'll tell you everything I know! But you have to promisse you'll save the Kingdom!" says the squire.
"Let me see..." he thinks for a bit then says "Sir Thomas is angry because the mad old fool don't leave the rookery, he is afraid if needed, it will not be in good condidition to use it." after some more moments "I know that Captain Eddarly is having an affair with Captain Mott’s wife and I can drawn a map from the tower. I've been to the place and talked with Lord Thomas. There's about a hundred soldiers in the watch tower, guarding it all times." he seens lost in thought, then he hears Johan question "Ah, they said there are vicious metal cobras in a nearby room and a secret door across from the stairs hides the way out. They said a shrieker screams when there is light or movement nearby too and that four drowned men rise when the shrieker cries. I don't know where Sir Balin is kept. I hope he escaped this terrible mad house!" he says lastly.
"Why has Mitra deserted me?"
"Why Am I made to suffer so?" he pleads.
For decades the savage north is trying to enter the good folk land, but the watch Tower is in the way. And it has been harder in those last years. Ever since Lord Thomas Havelyn has been set as commander, every attempt has met a gruesome end. His name is both a curse and a bad name to scare little monsters in the savage north.
Malgrim spoke quietly to his companions while the young one despaired. Thomas Havelyn is the commander of the watchtower; this Balentyne the boy speaks of. It is the main obstacle preventing the savage north, my people, from entering Talingarde and laying waste to it. The man is... formidable. I know nothing of this Sir Balin, though. Or any of the others.