"Glad you're alright." Kel said with a smile to Deia. "It sounds like the cult and their masters spent quite a while planning this attack. Infiltrating their people into that many important places had to have been a slow process."
"Makes me wonder what is special about Kenabres, as opposed to all the other wardstone cities around the Wound."
While he spoke, Kel opened the footlocker.
"My guess on why they chose Kenabres is that they've done something similar before. The Storm King cracked our wardstone during a surprise attack some time ago, not unlike the one we most recently suffered. I'd guess that they thought, seemingly correctly if recent events are anything to go by, that if they've done it once they can do it again."
I suppose we can alert the other mongrelmen that we have defeated most of the traitors and let them take over the place. They can also deal with any survivors we have tied up.
Kel sets the scroll case and the gems aside with the other things their casters had been looking over, and pulls out the long wooden case.
"A case inside a box. Hmm. It has a lock. Someone want to look it over before I open it?"
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Deia watches from a short distance away as Kel opens the footlocker. Seeing nothing obviously bad happen, she moves up and looks at what Kel has found.
She examines the scrolls and the pouch.
Looking at the case in the bottom of the locker Deia asks, "Didn't Hosilla have a small key? It is probably worth a try in this lock."
Deia casts detect magic again to verify that the case is the source of the aura. This time, she is ready for a bright flash.
Also, the case is most definitely the source of the aura.
Lann thinks for a moment before answering Deia.
"If we are to be rejoining the crusades, an underground home is something that would no longer be needed, I would think. Of course, that hinges on if our offer is accepted, but you will have to forgive me for being optimistic."
Rex looking at all of the loot being found, "Well if we make it out of this, we will be rich."
"Surely this case holds the sword that has been spoken of, no?" Max tries to identify the abjuration spell that encases it.
Tina will check out the case as a percaution
Kel searches around for Hosilla's key and then tries to use it to open the case.
Kel takes Hosilla's key and tries it in the lock, which opens smoothly. Opening the case reveals that Max's hunch was correct: Inside sits a beautiful longsword that looks as though it were made of immaculately polished gold. The dancing light of the brazier's fire shimmers and reflects off of the blade as though it had been intensified.
Everything looks okay. Wow, that is a very nice longsword.
"Woah." Kel says reaching slowly for the sword. It was a piece of history. It was used by a hero. It had been used to slay countless cultists, demons, and those carrying tainted blood, just like him.
He didn't feel like he deserved to touch it, but he knew he had to. He would get it back into the hands of someone worthy.
Until then, it might as well be used for it's intended purpose.
He picked it up.
I know that sword... Radience. I remember its forging. It is... diminished from what I remember.
Maybe we can restore it somehow.
This whole redemption of glory thing is sort of an obsession with you, isn't it...
I have to beleive its possible. Otherwise what hope do we have?
We don't. There isn't any. That's what I keep trying to tell you.
Well I can't just give up.
"It has been quite a while since I have been through this section of the caves, and I cannot remember the way well, but I would not be surprised if we had to delve deeper before reaching the true path to the surface. Many of the other passages to the surface are known to do so." Lann says.
At the mention of the return to the surface, Anevia speaks up. "Well, I'd like to try and get there as quickly as we can. And I'd like to try and get that sword back into safe hands soon. It's not that I don't trust you all, it's that I don't really know most of you. We're compatriots by circumstance and so far you've proved yourselves trustworthy enough, but that sword is legendary. It shouldn't be in just anyone's hands."
"And speaking of the right hands, would anyone mind if I borrowed that longbow? If you want it back once we get to the surface, that's fine, since you all did most of the work to get it. But it appears to be of better quality than my shortbow, and if it helps me contribute more I'd like to put it to good use."
I don't have any problem with you using it. We still have the door to the south and I think a ladder to check out.
Tina will move to the south door and examine it and listen.
"that sword is legendary. It shouldn't be in just anyone's hands."
"I completely agree." Kel said, still just staring at the blade.
Shaking himself out of his reflections, he moved his own sword to his back and fitted Radiance into the sheath attached to the back of his shield.
Moving in behind Tina he waited to see if she found anything dangerous.
"That is a very nice looking longsword, truly a masterpiece."
Rex then move to back up Tina, gun at the ready.
"Ready when you all are."
Tina will open the hopefully untrapped door!
"Indeed, this is dangerous work, and we are grateful for your help!" Max shuffles aside as Tina heads to the southern door, keeping his finger on his still largely ineffective crossbow.
Tina opens the southern door to reveal a rather ghastly sight. The room appears to be a kitchen, but it's apparently never been truly cleaned. Bloodstains, dirty utensils, and half-butchered carcasses cover the counters. A few half barrels sit on the floor, holding either mildly rotting waste or meat yet to be prepared. It's hard to tell which, given the state of things. Many of the carcasses look to be large rats or darkmantles. Some look to be fish, while others are far too large to be any of these. In fact, a fair few of the picked over bones look humanoid.
Toward the back of the room are racks with skins and furs stretched out to dry on them. As if confirming the thoughts brought on by the bones, one of them bears a striking resemblance to dwarven flesh.
"It's like looking into a butcher shop of horrors..."
Hurf...Let's pass over this room, I guess it just shows how bad things have gotten with the traitor's. We still have the ladder to checdk out.
"It is a sad day when one resorts to the eating of another..." Lann says with a sigh.
Kel shuts the door with a shake of his head and leads the group back toward the ladder.
"Horgus, thanks for guarding our backs." Kel says as he passes the merchant. "If anyone had come on us from behind during that skirmish, it's nice to know that you were looking out for us."
"That was a tough scrape and it looks like there might be one or two more before we get out of this place, so if you see a chance to take a shot with that crossbow, we'd all appreciate it."
Max turns away at the sight, resisting the impulse to heave his breakfast. "The sooner we get out of here, the better," concludes Max. Once the party moves along, he helps Aravashnial make his way back up the ladder.
-Posted with Wayfinder
I can make up two healing potions if anyone is really wounded.
"I've said before that I refuse to use a crossbow. It's not a weapon for a man of my stature. If someone or something attacks me, I'll retaliate with that rapier you gave me. But only then. So long as they aren't actively coming for me, I'll let you do the fighting. You folks have done a fine job with that dirty work so far, and I'd hate to ruin my clothes worse than they already have been."
As Deia makes mention of the remaining cultists, Anevia starts doing the math.
"Well, if that one we captured earlier is to be believed, there were 10 people living here. We found 10 bedrolls in that main room, which seemed to match his story, but then in an adjacent room we fought those two women and found that they had bedrolls in there. So that's 12 people total, with 6 accounted for. Then we came down here and fought 5 more mongrels, as well as Hosilla and her two bodyguards. Which means we've fought 14 people down here. And even counting Hosilla's bed, we've only seen 13 places for sleep. Either that first mongrel was lying, or he really was as new as he said and didn't know about the extra cultists. In any case, we should keep on our toes."
Kel sighed. "Then what weapon would you prefer for ranged combat? How about Anevia's short bow? Is that more suitable? I don't mind doing the fighting, but I'd appreciate any help I can get, you know?"
"I don't do bows of any sort. It's as simple as that. The rapier is my weapon of choice, and anything else is beneath my stature."
We can argue the finer points of swordplay later, we best get moving.
"Agreed. If Horgus wants to be his usual stubborn self, then let him die when the enemy gets past you and makes their way to him. He'll see how well his rapier does without our help. Now, we've got two choices again - Do we go through the door, or do we go up the ladder?"
We can argue the finer points of swordplay later, we best get moving.
"Just a moment, this is important." Kel says, to Tina before turning back to Horgus.
"If the rapier is the only weapon you'll use, how about if I let a few cultists by me so you get the chance?" Kel says flatly. "I'm trying to be nice, Horgus. I'm trying to get us all out of here. I'm also trying to tell you that no one here can afford not to take action."
"You've made it clear that you're a businessman. Everything in business comes down to what someone needs, and what they have to offer in return.
"What we all need is to get back above ground alive."
"Even the blind man and the girl with the broken leg have proven that they have things to offer in exchange for having their needs met."
"What do you have to offer, Horgus?"
"I have gold. More gold than you've probably ever dreamed of having. I've financed entire regiments with my wealth, though it's done so privately and anonymously. If you get me out of this alive, I'll both continue that tradition and pay you yourself handsomely. Ask the thief! She's robbed me before! She's seen my riches. And I have a well-earned reputation in Kenabres for keeping my word."
Anevia sighs at once again being called a thief.
"Horgus, how many times do I have to tell you that I didn't steal anything of yours? Was I in your warehouse? Yes, but I didn't steal anything!"