Though he can't hear exactly what the crow says to Garenth, Dalton can tell well enough from his body language that that line of questioning wasn't going anywhere. He warily begins to walk closer to the rubble of the house, peering around the corner to see what he can see.
"That explains where the blood came from. How long have they been dead?" Teagan moves closer to inspect the bodies, looking for anything that might identify them as the rain drops landed on his goggles.
Frowning, the inquisitor watches as the gnome approaches the bodies. Sidling up toward the smallest of his companions, he kneels down, hoping to answer his questions.
"Hrm, if their is no taint in the flesh the weather will still make it difficult to tell."
As everyone investigates the bodies, decay is nowhere to be seen, as evident in the font of blood that's still finding it's way out of the corpses.
There are 3 bodies on the ground, all of whom have most likely seen better days, considering that they're all dead.
The first body has been horrifically impaled, with a hole in his chest no shorter than a foot. and his rib case is jutting 2 inches out of his body. Black sludge is notable in the corpse, and seems to be alien to the body.
The second body has had it's waist span around 3 times, and is practically drenched in the black filth.
The third body is surprisingly the most grotesque. An arm is missing, the other one has been reduced to a blood tentacle with all of it's bones broken. Same for both of the legs. The most horrific part about it is the fact that the person's head has been crushed and caved into his torso, and is only half of a human being. It looks like he was crushed and smeared.
Seeing the macabre sight, the inquisitor utters a quickened prayer for both the dead and the entire town. Shaking his head he turns to the gnome and raises his voice so the rest of his companions might hear.
"Their time of passing is little more than a day, I surmise."
Pulling his cloak up to his paling face, he shakes his head once again before standing away from the tent. Garenth is obviously sickened but in no way deterred. The opposite being true, in fact, as he clenches his free hand into a fist.
"This can't go on, we should find this thing and smite it wherever it lay," he speaks with a zealous tone before tracing over the area, looking for more traces of the blackened slime.
Dalton keeps an ear perked in case anybody calls out to him, and moves closer to the destroyed building, looking inside for clues. He keeps his sword drawn, feeling his muscles tense up as adrenaline begins to flood his system in anticipation. Despite the macabre scene, Dalton has to fight to keep the excited smile off his face.
Perception:
When he realizes the blood flowing on the street is streaming from the corpses Varan shares his thoughts with the rest of the companions.
"Seen plenty'o dead in my time. If these unfortunate corpses still bleed then they where done in nary a while ago."
The black slime most definitely goes back into the building, and is literally sprawled out amongst the rubble, seeping into the ground and water. It seems to delve deeper into the structure.
The door to the side entrance of the structure (There's a massive destroyed entrance on the north, but this is still here.) The door doesn't budge, and is actually locked. The destruction of the building hasn't done anything to stop the door from swinging easily, though. It is still certainly locked.
as you enter, a strange sight catchers your eye. On the other building, a curved, spiral symbol has been carved into the upper floors of one of the structures. The crushed man was obviously the paintbrush.
Dalton eyes the symbol warily, not trusting it enough to move closer for a detailed inspection. Without taking his eyes off of it, Dalton raises his voice and yells, "I've found something! Garenth! Come look at this, it looks like it might have some religious significance!"
Varan walks to were Dalton is summoning, curious about what the Inquisitor might have to say about whatever he found. He mentions the portal he just checked to the other party members.
"Well, that door is closed. Kinda makes us wish we'd a rogue among us, ain't it? Guess I could try to axe it open if need be, ha ah!"
As Garenth strides back towards the bulk of his company, he turns to see the sigil pointed out by the monk. He narrows his eyes upon inspecting the mark as he stands between the bulk of Varangian and the exotic form of Dalton. Frowning, the inquisitor rolls his shoulders before securing his cloak ever tighter.
"I'm less the scholar and more a follower when it comes to religion, something I've kicked myself for many times previous to this occasion," he confesses, still eying the disheartening symbol inscribed in blood. "My guess would be that yonder blemish be connected to a group or person, though my ignorance on the subject prevents me from confirming either."
Taking time to jot the image down, he then turns to the fighter and gives him an approving nod.
"Swing away if you must, I don't think the former residents will mind much."
Dalton stands well clear of the swinging range of that bardiche.
Varan moves to the appropriate position in front of the door and makes ready. Before the blow he humidifies his hands with spittle and rubs them against each other (not pausing to think that with all the raining going on there is ample lubrication everywhere already).
Taking the haft of the weapon he raises it for the blow...
Bardiche Power Attack:
Damage (medium target):
The door, while still functional after it's home was sieged, was not fully in tact. The bardiche seems to blend through the door, crushing and breaking the wood. The door is destroyed as it falls back on itself and small splintered bits sit on it's hinges.
As the door crumbles, a truly awful smell permeates the air, but only really gets to Varangian for the moment. Looking inside as the dust settles, the room inside the building is caked in a black, viscous sludge that smells like the air before a thunderstorm mixed with burning corpses.
Dalton raises the sleeve of his robe to his nose, attempting to breathe through the sodden fabric as the smell assaults his nose. "Phwah! Whatever this monster is, it should be easy to track by scent alone! I haven't smelled anything" cough "this bad in years! Ugh!" Dalton stays behind the big Varisian as he fills the doorway, trying to get a better look inside as his eyes water from the stench.
Fortitude:
Perception:
His nostrils assailed by the fouls miasmas streaming forth from the room beyond the now-ruined door, Varangian reflexively covers his mouth and nose with the left hand even as he feels the bile rising within him.
Quick action saves the day and his dignity; his stomach soon clams down. Good thing too! After all, it would do good to loose control of one's bowels, particularly through the wrong end, if front of his new companions.
He exclaims something muffled through his covered mouth directed at no one in particular, which sounds like:
"Ho'y caph! Eth shicks ihn heah!"
Following the example of his companions, the inquisitor step forwards to peer inside, raising his cloak about his craggy features to mask the sickening odor.
Before the smell reaches him, he mutters from beneath the make-shift shield, resting a hand on the fighter's hulking shoulder, "Good job, Varan, it appears we have no fear of such small obstacles barring us from our quest."
Paling considerably, it is then that the horrific stench reaches Garenth as he twists in discomfort to avoid retching.
Within the destroyed room, there are a few other rooms.
Most notable is the room that has the most sludge within it, the one to the left. Inside of this room, or at least, from what you can see in the doorway, is roughly 3 inches of hardened black sludge. The room immediately in front of you is the source of the stench, as water is, and has been, funneling inside from the destroyed section of the structure.
The other room simply leads to a vacant area with nothing inside it.
Dalton rubs his chin, considering the darkened rooms beyond. Reaching into a pocket of his robe, he withdraws a small object wrapped in cloth. Swiftly, his fingers undo the rope knot keeping the cloth wrapped around it, and reveals an Ioun Torch. Its light shines forth from between his fingers. It bears a symbol representing the Turtle School of martial arts.
Dalton glances at his comrades with a smile, then flicks the small, glowing torch-stone into the room, seeking to illuminate the largest area possible, including the staircase.
Looking both thoroughly surprised and impressed, Garenth gives a slim smile of satisfaction. Taking up his crossbow once more, he loads the line with a fresh bolt and levels the sight toward the doorway.
"That thing may be gone but other dangers could be nearby. I for one do not like walking into a cramped building when evil is practically choking the air. Let's be cautious, friends," he warns, taking the rear of the group should they file into the decrepit estate.
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The room you walk into is... uncomfortable to say the least. Perception on the majority of the room reveals the unnerving sensation of the sludge as it cakes your heels and sticks like a slow glue. The stench is absolutely abyssmal, however, but Teagan makes the save.
The Ioun stone in the next room over (The southern-most room on the map) reveals the true depth of the staircase, which leads rather far down. The light, since it is on the ground, can't shine all the way down the staircase to reveal anything.
The room with the staircase reveals something eerie about the sludge. As the Ioun torch sinks deeper into the ooze, the light level drops in the room as is encompasses around it. There's not as much in the staircase room, but, it's enough to almost engulf the torch.
Filing into the area, the inquisitor shudders at the dismal state of the house and its recent additions. If given an opportunity to brush past his comrades, he will move toward the staircase. Sighing as he peers into the abyss, Garenth rolls his shoulders and shakes his head once more, a firm hand gripping the stock of his crossbow.
"It's no mystery as to where we're going next. Do you have any more torches, Dalton? If y'do, I'd ask you'd keep them handy, I beg. Should one go out I can light it by faith," he assures him weakly, not looking particularly sure himself.
Dalton hastily steps over into the next room where his Ioun Torch is sinking into the muck. He picks it up with an expression of distaste, and attempts to dislodge any remaining ooze from the smooth round stone with his cloth wrap.
Still wiping the torch clean, he turns to Garenth. "This is the only Ioun Torch I could afford, though I have other torches of more mundane make. I didn't bring them, though - they're back at Carrion Hill with Shogg's saddlebags. I'll just have to keep this handy..." as he trails off, Dalton brings the clean Ioun Torch up slightly above head level and releases it, letting it hang in the air. After a moment, the torch begins a slow, lazy orbit over Dalton's head, suspended in the air by the magic of its construction. Dalton glances up at it to confirm its stable position, then lowers his gaze back to Garenth with a smile.
Dalton awkwardly gestures for Garenth (or Smirza, whomever prefers) to begin the descent down the dark staircase. If none step forward after a few seconds, Dalton will straighten and begin walking down the staircase himself.
Rolling his shoulders, Garenth lifts his crossbow as if to state he would be covering the group from behind again and motions either Dalton or Varangian forward. Once more, he utters a prayer whilst clasping his pendant hard enough for the knuckles of his fist to turn white in the pale glow of the torch's illumination.
"Sacred lady, bolster us so that we may find this terror and baptize it with your righteousness, so it may never leave its lair again!"
"Come on fellas...do ye want to live forever?" says Varangian with a wry smile.
He begins leading the party down the stairs; bardiche readied for whatever may come.
Dalton smiles and follows immediately behind, sword at the ready, torch shining just above his head.
Once again, the lean holy man takes point behind the group, scanning both ahead and behind for any dangers as they descend into the dark oblivion that surely awaits them.
If I am to perish here, in the inky blackness, let my last words be a death curse upon that thing that took you from me, dearest. I will at least find solace that we be rejoined then. My justice will not be extinguished so easily, however.
The staircase is lengthy, and dark. As you descend, you notice the changes in stone-work, as you sink into the older structures of the hill.
An interesting thing to note, is that in this staircase there is a complete absence of the tar-like sludge from earlier, despite the room being drowned in it. At least, the amount of it is strange. A single trickle of the sludge goes all the way up the stairs, but it's nothing more than a stain on the stones.
Dalton makes sure to step carefully around it as he descends the winding staircase behind Varangian.
Following suit, the inquisitor holds his weapon at the ready, eyes scanning the darkness ahead for any trace of their quarry.
As the stairway descends, an opening appears at the bottom of it after a short 45 second walk. It's rather deep for a stairwell, but the the opening is definitely visible after turning a corner in the stairwell itself. The doorway is just ahead, though it doesn't actually have a door in it.
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Dalton glances at Garenth for a reaction when he detects whether evil is present, then looks over Smirza's shoulder down the hallway as far as the Ioun Torch will allow.
Shaking his head at the monk's questioning glance, he motions forward as if to say that things were clear. Toting his crossbow and keeping it somewhat parallel with his shoulder as he walks, the holy man still appears tense, ready for whatever may lurk below - evil or not.
From what the shining of the Ioun stone reveals, their is rubble directly straight of the door blocking a rather large entrance. It's a mixture of metal from above, and massive stone blocks. Immovable, really. The trickle of black slime seems to go through the rubble, but, that's not the only thing in the room.
The light also reveals a door to the left, that seems to lead into a descending flight of stairs, as well as a door to the right that's shut.
In the room itself, there are 2 visible coffers, one of which has spilled it's contents, the dead remains of some person, into the floor. The beast, or whatever it was, seems to have broken it as it left the room.
"Now, who puts dead persons in coffers? Queer'n'odd custom..." says Varan as he treks along to investigate the corpse nearer.
Dalton moves to the door on the right, testing it cautiously to see if it's locked. He doesn't try to open it just yet, just to see if it's possible to.
Garenth remains silent, continuing to watch out both ahead and behind in case of danger. He watches Dalton's minor tampering with the door and listens to Varangian's observance on the corpse, giving little input himself other than a grunt.
"A fork and our first test, it seems," he poses to the group before bending down to peer at the corpse for a brief moment, "Where shall we go and what are the chances we end up like this poor fellow?"
Cold and still beneath someone's house with none to care for his entombment... his thoughts trail off.
Dalton glances at his companions after testing the door handle. "This door is jammed, but I might be able to force it open. Watch my back."
Dalton grasps the handle with both hands, trying to get a firm grip on it, then attempts to force it open.
Strength:
An audible shunt feels the room as the sound of stone-on-stone clashes against each other near Dalton as he attempts to open the door.
Dalton grunts as the door impacts against the rubble behind it. He turns to his companions and shrugs. "Looks like our choice is clear enough, Garenth. After you, Smirza."
Nodding in agreement, the inquisitor gives the decrepit hall another wary look before cleaving to the wall, waiting for the others to go ahead before following along behind.
Down, down into the maw of darkness where thing unknown may yet wait to extinguish our lives. A fitting trade if we may avenge those innocents who fell before us first.
Dalton glances at Smirza, who appears to be lost in thought, then squares his shoulders and leads the way down the stairs. Heroes never falter, he repeated to himself again. Heroes never falter...
His sword is held at the ready, and, nervous of what might be waiting for him, Dalton descends the stairs in Turtle Stance.
Quirking a brow at the monk's odd composure, Garenth calls as he follows behind, "Are you alright, friend? I'd be careful on these steps, no doubt they are ancient and taking them in such a manner might cause misfortune."
"So many stairs..." Varan complains as he moves to lead the party further down, weapon a-ready and eyes well open.
The descent into the staircase is surprisingly long, as the staircase is easily 800 feet down. The dive itself takes you through many different kinds of architecture as it goes deeper and deeper into the anals of the hill.
Then, at the bottom of the staircase, just out of sight, a notably violet light plays across the opening to the exit.
Teagan is in the back, fiddling with an explosive in his hand with a little more anticipation than is probably healthy.
Dalton runs his fingers down the stone architecture as the party walks past. He smiles as his fingers brush over the cool surface. As a child he often liked to play in the shade of some of the old ruins near Manaket, and the stone brought pleasant memories to the forefront. He relaxes his stance as they descend deeper into the dark, his sword held casually at his side.
When they reach the bottom of the staircase, Dalton glances at his comrades, then glances around for any sign of danger.