Tabin tries to use the dagger to cut the fiend, but finds it a bit difficult to wield.
"Haha!" Rolf rumbles a thickly accented shout of glee, unnerving the devil at least a little and distracting it.
"Will you be the first to fall to my blade?" he asks, wobbling his eyebrows while he slashes at the little fiend.
for
"Why you little--!"
Jaeqil steps back and roars as he swings at the little creature!
As Tabin reaches up and pokes the minuscule nuisance in the rear, the imp squawks and immediately stops laughing. "Oww! Wait! Please! No more of that cursed silver! Harzogopas will confess all, cleanse his soul! Don't kill me!" He lands on the table, covering his head with his hands and quivering.
Rolf smiles a wicked smile, continuing to brandish his dagger while stepping forward to the imp.
"Rolf weill not keill you. Confess, Harzogopas. Cleanse your soul for us. Tell us everything."
Rolf folds his arms and taps his foot expectantly.
”Oh you didn’t like getting poked with a little knife? Well we didn’t like being lied to. Or sitting in your chairs. Okay Harzogopas, by all means, start confessing all.”
Jaeqil folds his arms and glares at Primketh.
”If you didn’t like it then why did you sit in the chairs?”
Harzogopas wimpers, "This tower was where the Canteclures kept their prisoners. Our job," he points at a pile of bones in one of the chairs, "was to help them confess their crimes so they could be punished accordingly. I don't know what treasure the Canteclures kept here, but one of the tower guards ended up in our hands and mentioned (between the screams) that the phrase 'Good Baron Sarvo wills it' was part of the tower's defenses."
The imp looks pleadingly at Rolf. "That's all I know - I've been stuck in this room for centuries! Now let me live?"
Rolf raises an eyebrow at the little devil, chuckling to himself at the wicked creatures plight.
"Do not quiver and shake peiteful creature. I said I would not keill you." he bends over, sticking his face closer and inspecting the thing.
"What keeps you stuck ein theis room? And pray tell, how did tower fall theis morning?" he says, enunciating the t's hard with his accent.
Primketh looks back and forth at his comrades, unsure of how to respond. After a few moments, he addresses the imp. ”You heard our fearless and fearsome leader who wields the knife you so obviously dread. Why do you remain here? How many centuries have you remained here? Why did the tower collapse today?” Primketh pauses in thought, then asks one more question, ”And what, pray tell, is a Canteclure?”
"The door," says the imp sadly. "Well, the door and the fact that my last command by my master was to stay by her side. I've been stuck here ever since. And I have no idea the tower had fallen - though that would explain the terrible crash I heard earlier. I thought it was just you lot making a grand entrance or something."
He looks at Primketh incredulously. "A Canteclure," he says slowly, "is a member of the ruling family here."
”The door is what keeps you here? Which or what door?”
Primketh then smiles and shrugs, saying, ”...and pardon my ignorance; I myself only arrived here a couple of days ago. Thank you for that piece of local nomenclature.”
Jaeqil gazes at his feline companion and just shakes his head.
"Maybe the secret door he mentioned not too long ago?" He says condescendingly. "And you mentioned a 'her,' pixie. Who's 'her'?"
"You think his explanation make sense?"
"I mean the door that's been stuck shut for centuries before this talking bush shoved it open," Harzogopas replies condescendingly. "And 'her' is my former master whose wishes apparently still bind me to this incredibly boring room. She and I used to do such great work together - we cleansed so many souls." He looks somewhat wistfully at the implements surrounding him on the table.
”...talking bush...”
Jaeqil slams down his club frighteningly close to the imp’s tail.
”What did you call me?!”
"I think you need to find calming down tea." Rolf raises an eyebrow at Jaeqil. "Theis eis good chance to work together, get eaxtra gold for everyone. Meaybe acting leike we are all stupid eis not such a great way for teamwork?"
Rolf makes a tsk sound as he sucks on his teeth before turning back to the imp.
"We weill not be doing any of things that would unbind you on purpose. Now, tell me where eis master's body that you are stuck beside?" Rolf asks the coy devil.
Jaeqil sneers at Rolf but brings his club back close to his body as a “sign” of “goodwill.”
As Jaeqil's club slams into the table, Harzogopas shrieks in fear before disappearing once more. The sound of frantically fluttering wings is all that is left of the imp as the adventurers stand in silence.
"Now don't you think 'talking bush' was a bit insulting? You know he's prone to outbursts when he feels slighted," yells Tabin. "Since we're the only ones around who can help free you, perhaps you should come back and maybe the two of you try to play nice."
"Now eif only I had way of seeing what cannot be seen." Rolf purses his lips. He nods to Jaeqil, it seems clear the Ghoran understands what he did. No need to rub it in, that wouldn't help matters.
For now, Rolf wanders through the room, searching the walls for any other secret doors. He expects the treasure the imp/raven was speaking of was a lie, but some lies are rooted in a sliver of truth.
Rolf searches the walls, floors, and the casket of the deceased imp's master for anything of value, or anything that might give them a clue as to what happened here, or what motivation someone would have to knock the tower down, if it was done on purpose.
Only silence answers Tabin's efforts, but as Rolf investigates the room he finds a secret door right where the raven said it would be. Upon closer inspection, the concealed door swings open easily, revealing a narrower passageway leading around the torture chamber and to the south. As the hall turns east, the floor drops away - though a seven-inch-wide ledge continues along the south wall. The walls are very smooth, offering few handholds. The remainder of the passageway is filled with a five-foot-deep trough filled with foul-smelling, thick green sludge.
Jaeqil looks at the green sludge with astonishment and fear.
”Uh....any ideas, guys?”
When Rolf locates the secret door Primketh pats the Ulfen’s shoulder with a fuzzy paw-hand. ”Excellent work, Rolf my good man!”
As the party traverses the passageway and discovers that the floor drops away and is otherwise filled with disgusting sludge, Primketh says, ”I could try climbing along the wall, past…” Primketh gestures at the ooze, ”...whatever that is.”
As Primketh carefully edges along the ledge and turns the corner, he sees a familiar-looking chain exit the ceiling and connect to another section of walkway, this one still slick from having been immersed in the sludge below. It is not too difficult to continue on , and soon the adventurers find a small, barred window piercing the iron door at the end of the twisting hallway. Peering through the window reveals a plain, 10-ft square room with a windowless iron door standing on the opposite side. The closer door is locked, but Primketh is able to "persuade" it to open .
Rolf tries his best to hide his hand wringing. Carefully scaling that wall past the sludge left his fingers and knuckles raw and sore. He snarls away the thought that he just isn't built for feats of athleticism, unwilling to accept reality.
The group stands in front of the door way, and when Primketh pops it open, Rolf is effusive with his praise. "Look at master burglar of cats! Ha! You are very talented my good friend." Rolf chuckles.
"I am leetle beet worried about how we get through both of these doors. Devious mind makes me theink we have to be in room and close theis door in order to open other door. Maybe we should not all try eit at once though. What do you think?" He asks, turning to his companions.
Jaeqil looks through this small chamber for any potential dangers.
Rolf eyes the Ghoran. It seems clear he would rather just get in, and get it done with.
"I am theinking you are probably right. Better to not split group."
Rolf allows him to inspect the room, then moves in with the others.
Jaeqil's keen eyes notice a seam in the floor, as if it was designed to be able to open underneath a person standing on it.
Jaeqil sees the seam and sighs as he steps to the side to allow someone past him.
"Primketh, anything you can do?"
"I know what I weill be doing, and that is stepping out of here while Preimketh the master burglar of cats eis helping to make sure no one falls through floor." Rolf smiles and steps back onto what he assumes is safe ground.
"Do plants have eyes? Because your's are very good Jaeqil." Rolf says, eyebrows raised and nodding his head, clearly impressed.
Tabin agrees with Rolf's plan and steps out of the room to give Primketh some space to work.
"Here we go Preimketh, allow me to tie rope to your waist, in case unthinkable happens. Even though I am strong ulfen man, Pearhaps Tabin and Jaeqil help me hold rope so you don't fall." Rolf flashes a confident grin.
”Good eye there, Jaeqil.”
Primketh allows himself to be tied off with Rolf’s rope. ”Rolf, I know you are a strong Ulfen man. But let’s have Jaeqil and Tabin check your knot just in case. And perhaps all three of you could hold tight so there’s no slack in the rope.”
Once he’s securely tied off and the others are holding on to the rope, Primketh casts guidance on himself then gets to work on the trap.
Primketh finds a few weak spots in the cleverly-concealed hinges that allow the floor to fall open and jams them before locking the floorplates together. Satisfied with his work, he stands and dusts off his hands. As he carefully steps into the small room to test his work, a booming voice fills the air.
Rolf swallows hard and steps into the room. "Theis eis excellent work master burglar of cats." he smiles uneasily. Not from any lack of trust in Primketh, but more for the distance between his feet and the bottom of the pit, no matter how sturdy the floor is.
"Pass phrase eis most certainly being Good Baron Sarvo wills it" the Ulfen man reminds his companions as they file into the little room.
Primketh beams proudly. ”Thank you, Rolf. And of course, a leader like you would remember the passphrase! Let’s all do what the disembodied voice says and shut the door behind us. Then you can say the phrase again.”
Primketh moves in and inspects the next door for traps while he waits for the others.
As Primketh ushers Jaeqil and Tabin inside the small room and shuts the door, Rolf addresses the voice. After a moment, the other door swings open. A single iron lever protrudes form the wall next to the door in this otherwise empty chamber's west wall. To the east, a 10-ft-wide hallway curves to the north. A strange metal contraption with four arms stands in the hallway on three jointed legs, with a large metallic key floating in the air beside it. As the door opens, it whirs to life and speaks in a tinny voice. "PLEASE PRESENT THE CREST FOR PASSAGE."
”Uh...’crest’?”
Primketh whispers to his companions. "Have we come across a crest? I do not remember any crest."
"Uh...backtrack and see if we can find it?"
"Maybe eis on daggers?" Rolf wonders, inspecting the ornate, mithril weapons.
”If there’s no crest on the daggers, I agree with Jaeqil—let’s go back and look for one.”
Or we could just grab that key. Besides I wouldn't be surprised if the door locked behind us preventing us from going back. We may just have to deal with this guardian contraption anyways.
As the adventurers discuss their lack of crests, the construct assumes a defensive posture and blocks the hallway beyond it.
Primketh furrows his brow. "Hm, I'd prefer to not have to battle this ... thing, if it can be avoided."
Primketh checks the door behind them to see if it is locked.
Jaeqil draws his club as he stares menacingly at the construct.
"Tabin. Rolf. Be ready; we may have a robot problem."
The door behind Primketh opens easily. The construct does not move any closer to the adventurers, remaining parked in the hallway defensively.
”Well that was...easier than I expected.”