Isabella takes the various lewd drawings and stashes them away so that she can burn them later.
"Camil, come over here, wash out your mouth and sit," she says, steering him to a place where he can sit down for a moment and offering her waterskin. "I need to check and see if you're going to have a toxic reaction to the mushrooms."
"And then we burn the place. After we make sure there is nobody here that need rescuing, of course. Oh, and hopefully we can find some information about the hunter and this ritual they are going to perform at the manor the nutjob mentioned. But this place has definitely got to go."
Turns to the cleric, "It seems that the fiend is a head short of answering any questions" He pauses, "You don't by chance have a way of communing with the twice dead do you?" He shrugs, "If you did, that might be a way to get your questions answered"
Camil's not poisoned but it does appear that he may have gotten something from the fungus. There are already tiny red bumps along the back of his tongue and throat. Because of the rapidity of it, Isabella believes he may have some sort of supernatural disease.
When Isabella grabs up the drawing a key ring with two rings falls out onto the table. The larger of these two is a tarnished iron key set with a round opal. The smaller key is made of bronze and has an unusually long tang ending in a set of three notched blades.
Casts his spell allowing him to detect magic, and studies Camil for a bit.
Camil finally finishes vomiting enough to let Isabella look at him, Thank you, he manages weakly, I suppose I should get an antiplague in my system in the morning, ugh I don't feel great... I'm sorry he was so fixated on you Isabella, I know you've been through a lot, and you don't deserve to be treated like this.
Camil clambers to his feet, as his arms restore themselves to their normal proportions. We should systematically go through this place from the ground up, make sure we didn't miss anything useful as to whom this 'Mistress' is, the name there sounds like a self-imposed title rather than an actual name. Didnt we skip a passageway down here? We should check it out
"I didn't prepare a spell to speak with dead today. Since his head's now portable, we can always do so tomorrow," says Isabella.
She turns her attentions back to Camil and says, "Thank you for your concern. I have no plans to break and turn into another Nualia! Anyway, I think this rash is not a good sign. I'll try to magically heal it on the morrow. In the meantime, best we finish whatever we're doing and get out of here. Treating illnesses is much harder in these kinds of unsavory environments."
She adds, "And I bet that key ring will be important." She stays focused on helping Camil to recuperate though, and makes no move to pick it up, letting someone else take it.
"Me too. And how about burning the place to the ground, including that mess on the wall? I REALLY don't think it is a good idea to leave this place standing at this point. And what should we do with the bodies? Bury them after they are consecrated? Let them burn too?"
Runt examines the corpses just to make sure none of them are healing. She knows trolls do it so maybe these things do too.
None of the bodies are healing so that is a bonus. The guards are nervous out in the larger cavern but they stay put. Zherxikas notices several magical items on Foxglove (+1 war razor, ring of jumping, ring of protection +1, stalker’s mask)
You don't notice anything with Camil but the broken box seems to be some sort necromantic item.
You don't notice anything with Camil but the broken box seems to be a lich's phylactery.
The fungus is unnatural is what it is.
Kizzy will join the crowd to try and learn what has transpired and put more of the pieces together.
Lavanor watches to make sure the body doesn't move while the others search the room and tend to Camil. "I realize he had information that would have been useful, but I doubt he would have given it to us. Besides, having been paralyzed twice by undead, I felt it was too dangerous to hold back. We did move though the building rather quickly to get here, so I agree a more careful search is warranted. Then I have no qualms about burning it down."
The group searches the area, reviews the note, identifies the items, and treats Camil. Most buff spells have ended and you head back as Camil suggested to the remaining tunnel. It stinks, or so you think. The entire place stinks and there are a half-dozen destroyed ghouls just around the corner. Forest leads with others following. It is a small tunnel, wide enough for a man but just that so that everyone must go single file. Seeing it is exceptionally crowded, Larry, Moe, and Curly take up positions guarding the other exits from the area.
In the crowded tunnel, Lavanor draws his sword, expecting to find more undead.
"I'll just be sure to yell really loud as I die from an ambush" he snarks.
Forest leads the group forward and as he gets closer it is obviously much more rank here. The source of the horrific smell is readily apparent in the swath of carcasses strewn about the floor of this place. Most seem to be of small animals and fish, but at least three humanoid bodies and one partially eaten horse lie in the mess as well. On the far side of the long cave is the very denizen who has likely done the eating, a mangy dire bat.
The dire bat is undead.
Isabella moves to the back of the team to guard the rear.
"That... that bat is also undead. Doubtless transformed much like the many corpses we've already fought," she says as the group enters the stinking chamber.
"Not surprising, though I can't say I've ever heard of such a thing. Undead incorporeal rats, yes. I wonder if they are similar?"
It turns its head toward you and its beady black eyes reflect the torch light and appear red. It gives a thunderous squeak and begins to move your direction its wings thumping on the floor as it moves forward on all fours.
Round 1 (no buffs)
Lavanor 45/54
Runt 45/46 (10/10 false life)
Kizzy 28/37
Zherxikas 33/33
Forest 41/57
Isabella 41/41
Ghoul Bat uninjured
Camil 39/39 (7/14 false life)
Guards L16/16 M16/16 C16/16
Undead though it may be, at least the bat was somewhat recognizable as a normal-ish foe. Forest waits for it to close.
Kizzy will inspire courage with a song, hoping to aid those ahead.
Runt readies an action to summon another raptor, plopped down in a flanking position with Forest once it engages, which, knowing undead, it surely will.
Provided it does, these are the raptor's attacks:
Lavanor almost walks into Forest, when the fighter suddenly stops. Peeking over his shoulder into the room, the ranger can see the giant bat. He gets ready to move forward to attack, when Forest seems to ready to defend himself.
"Forest, if you choose to fight where you are, the rest of us won't be able to help you much, as we won't be able to engage. I would encourage you to move into the room so more of us can attack," he states, hoping the fighter will move so he can also move up.
The bat rushes up his wings thumping on the ground as it propels itself forward. Forest attacks just as it arrives slashing it across the face and slamming his shield into its upper chest. Then the raptor tears into its backside. The charger, however, carries it into Forest as it delivers a terrible bite (dmg 17).
With the large bat upon Forest, Lavanor motions for Scout to move back to open up some space. He then drops his sword, pulls out his longspear, and tries to stab the creature.
Leans from foot to foot uncomfortably, and scratches a horn.
Performs some stretches.
Yawns
Forest slashes and bashes the thing till it falls over and just quivers.
"I'm not hearing sounds up there..." he says, "I take it that whatever has been faced as been defeated?"
Kizzy shrugs in response to Zherxikas' question, but keeps singing just in case... I mean it was dead before, who says it won't undead again...
Whether it will get back up later, who knows, but Forest is able to confirm it is currently unmoving.
Runt joins her pet and heads over towards the far end of the room, searching as she goes.
The three humanoid bodies are beyond recognition but one has gear that has survived without corroding or rotting. He (confirmed with a heal check) has a pear ring, an adamantine sword and a hat that merely seems dirty. The hat in particular seems familiar. There are also gold and silver pieces scattered about the cavern (56 gold 130 silver).
The body nearest the hat and with the ring you believe is the corpse of notorious bandit Shaz “Redshiv” Bilger, suspected of organizing the robbery of nearly two dozen merchant convoys along the long coast road. He is wanted in Magnimar with a bounty of 500gp dead or alive.
Casts a spell and looks about.
Moves into the room, of course. "These people are beyond recognition to me."
"Wow! Is that sword really made of adamantine? A bit too large for me, but what a find."
The hat, a swashbuckling full brimmed hat complete with decorated band and feather, is magical. It has a faint illusion aura.
Studies the hat...
Camil peers down at the corpse on the floor, Hey the hat and the ring, that's Shaz the Redshiv Bilger, 500 gold crown bounty on his head, I suppose the ring and hat will be enough to claim it in town? Looks like we earned ourselves a little bonus today. He's a mildly notorious bandit leader. Of course it is in Magnimar, but maybe the Sheriff will front us the bounty?
showing her colorful history, Runt suggests, "We could take his head. A bit gruesome, but probably what they are used to. Or someone could animate the body and it could carry itself."
"Wow! Is that sword really made of adamantine? A bit too large for me, but what a find."
"Can't be that good of a sword. Didn't do this guy much good."
It is a hat of disguise.
Checking the back of the room you find a sizable hole leading up. There is a circular opening at the top and you believe you can see the waning daylight. It appears to be about thirty feet up.