Talienda stirs as she feels Siné's fingers running through her hair. She looks up at the Sarenrite, confused for a moment, then bashfully blushing as she realizes what had happened.
"Sorry," she apologizes, "I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
Filled with newfound resolve, Talib rises from his prayer. "So it is judged."
"We should head back downstairs," he says to the others. "There is one more doorway to explore—the answers we seek must lie beyond."
After their short rest, the group makes their way back to the ground floor, accompanied by nothing but an eerie silence. As expected, the key found in the attic does open the iron door, revealing a small corridor that eventually reaches what looks like holding cells, though due to low-light conditions would warrant a closer look. Along the way, the group sees four doors and a set of stairs that lead to the basement.
As in other places in the courthouse, the doors are labeled, even if the plaques here are of decidedly simpler making: Public Stocks ; Gallows ; Executioner Preparation Room ; Interrogation Room .
"I guess we should start with the stocks?"
Talienda peeks between Talib and Siné to see what is beyond the doors. She shivers as she sees the stairs leading down. She really didn't want to think about the connotations that image brought.
"The stocks might be interesting. But the evil would more likely be in the Execution Preparation Room, or the Torture, I mean Interrogation Room."
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"Thanks for patching me up, Rissi," Sinésiel says after the healing spell. She rolls her shoulders and stretches a bit. "Feeling better than ever!"
As they enter the previously locked room, Siné nods at Rissi's suggestion. "I would imagine there are going to be some seriously negative associations with the interrogation and the execution prep rooms. We should be ready in case any more malevolent spirits manifest."
Placing her hands on the handle of the door to the interrogation room, Siné will focus on it and see if she can glean any information about this place's past.
After a moment concentrating, Sinésiel is invaded by a dazing blur of voices, screams, pain and visions. She staggers back, chilled by the last few seconds of her reading: two women -- one elven, the other human -- exchanged a look of sorrow and loss as they propped their weight against the door. The wood shook violently as someone banged against it from the inside.
"We best steer clear of the gallows altogether," Talib says, in agreement with Sinésiel. "No doubt Mord's presence is strongest in there."
"What did you see?" he asks as the half-elf flinches away from the door.
"Two women," Siné says after taking a moment to center herself. "An elf and a human. They were struggling to keep the door closed against someone banging on the other side. They looked so... sad about it."
Offering a small prayer to Sarenrae, she draws her holy symbol into her shield-hand as a hopeful ward against evil.
"Won't we have to go in there eventually," Talienda asks. "I... I don't think I'm ready for the other rooms yet."
"Maybe the basement first, then?" Sinésiel suggests, flashing Talib an apologetic smile. "I don't know that any of us can see in pure darkness, though I know many sorceresses can summon light. Would you mind giving it a try for us, Tali?"
The stairs climb down to a cold and narrow corridor with two unlabelled doors . The air here is strangely humid.
Talienda looks a little unsure of herself, but she nods before trying to concentrate. The runes came to her and she tried out the ones that she didn't know until she managed to summon four flitting lights that glowed with white light, but seemed to crackle and shimmer even when standing still. She smiles at the sight and feels a little better about things with the strangely playful lights.
"Ennie, Mennie, Minie, Moe..." The familiar rhyme begins as Talienda points to each door in turn.
"Thataone," she says, a smile on her face for a moment as she just reveled in the silliness, "er, if we don't have any better ideas. Hehe..."
"As good a choice as any," Sinésiel says with a wry smile. She'll go up to the blue door and listen / search for any traps.
Though Sinésiel hears a faint sound of dripping water, what grabs her attention is the strong smell of waste water.
"Not to be crass, Tali," Siné says, her skin pale and her stomach turning. "But your pick smells like an outhouse." Taking a moment to breathe better air back at the steps down, she turns to Talib. "Want me to take point? I've got a shield, so if something comes right for us I've got a better shot of not getting hurt."
Talib mutters a short prayer, stepping up to the front. "My faith is my shield."
He waits until everyone is in position, and then opens the door, falchion at the ready.
The door reveals a mold-ridden chamber submerged in fetid water -- a potent mix of seawater and stale sewage. This foul backwash of the old sewers turned the piles of records and cabinets filled with sheaves of paper that occupy the room to rot and mold.
Something scuttles in the dark behind the maze of filing cabinets and piled strongboxes and sends ripples dancing across the still water.
Overwhelmed by the rooms certain... je ne sais quoi, Siné will look pleadingly to Talib with her hand covering her nose and mouth.
"See anything interesting? Can we leave?"
"I think we'd better. There's something scuttling about over there," Terri says, too preoccupied with what is in the room to really notice Siné's comment about her pick. She sends the lights into the room to see if they could illuminate the party on what is going on.
Talib notes the scuttling, but does not step away. He looks through the room, paying careful attention to both opportunities and threats.
Talib dips his sword in the murky water, finding out it is not particularly deep -- just below knee-length for him, somewhat above for the shorter people in the group.
Whilst doing that, he also see that parts of the shelves and filing cabinets stick out of the water and seem relatively intact. He cannot say much about their contents, however, as the humidity could have wrecked havoc in the past 10 years.
"The information stored here could be crucial," Talib says to his companions, "assuming it has survived the moisture, that is."
After a second or two of silent strategising, he waves everyone farther from the door. "Give me some space: I will draw out whatever lurks in the water, and step back. We will use the doorway as a chokepoint..."
Once everyone is in position, the inquisitor wades into the archive, splashing the water with his boots in an overexaggerated manner.
"Understood," Sinésiel says while she draws her weapon and gets into position. In her off hand she has her shield and holy symbol at the ready. "Try not to wade in too far, that waste water will make you sick."
Talienda fidgets nervously as she tries to calm her nerves as Talib steps into the flooded room.
Rissi hangs back watching with an arrow knocked on her short bow. "And watch for any sharp objects in the water.... Don't want an infected wound."
Talib's splashes are met with quick reply: from the corners of the room, he sees two long shapes quickly swimming in his direction; a few moments later, two grotesquely bloated centipedes surge from the water right next to him.
1. Talib
2. Centipedes
3. Talienda
4. Sinésiel
5. Rissi
Prepared, Talib springs up to action the minute the creatures appear.
Seeing that he is dealing with apparently unintelligent animals, Talib sticks to his plan: he jumps back in the hallway—making sure to splash the water enticingly as he goes—and rolls around the corner with his falchion at the ready. "Centipedes, incoming!"
One of the centipedes scuttles after Talib, who turns at the last minute and brings his falchion down. To his dismay, the blade slides along the arthropod's exoskeleton without damaging it. In return, the centipede raises its body and bites Talib's hand, fangs digging a grievous and painful wound made worse by its yellowish saliva.
Along with your next posts, please roll a fort save DC 13 per round until you either succeed or fail 5 times in a row.
"Hang in there, Talib!" Siné yells to him. She attacks the centipede between them with her scimitar, doing her best to use the creature's preoccupation with Talib to their advantage.
Talienda was already drawing her rune when Talib comes out with a centipede on his heels. Even with his warning, she jumps as it comes out into view, throwing her aim off into a wall.
As he recovers from his rushed swing and bites his teeth against the sting of the venom, Talib makes another, more centred attack on the ravenous anthropod. "Pain is nothing but a conduit for increased focus," he reminds himself as he grips the falchion with his wounded hand.
Between Talib's swing and Talienda's pyrotechnics, the centipede is barely notices when Sinésiel strikes it in the middle of its torso and cuts it in half.
Talib's hand pulsates with pain, making it harder to properly wield the falchion. He grits his teeth and takes another swing as the next centipede approaches. The attack connects and the arthropod emits a shriek of pain, but is somehow still alive. Its despair causes it to fumble its attempted bite at the inquisitor.
[ooc]----------------------------------
Talienda draws another rune and grimaces as she feels something being drawn out of her, leaving her feeling cold and clammy. She pushes the feelings aside and focuses on the rune. Lightning cracks into existence once more, but this time it is unerring as it seeks out the disgusting bug.
Worried for Talib, Sinésiel makes a determined swing of her blade at the giant centipede between them.
Seeing the huge (for a bug) centipede unnerves Rissi just a bit. She considers firing an arrow but is worried that she might hit one of her friends rather than the bug....
Sinésiel raises her scimitar, ready to cut the creature in half, but before the blade comes down the creature is splattered against the wall by Talienda's magic.
Talienda staggers a bit as the fight ends. Her face is pale and cold sweat beads her brow.
"Is everyone alright," she asks the others, her words slurring a bit as she mutters.
Talib inspects his injuries, assessing his stiffening fingers with eminent dissatisfaction. He corks one of the bottles scavenged from the bailiff's supplies.
"The damage appears to be within acceptable parameters," the inquisitor hisses through gritted teeth, looking towards the eastern door as his wounds knit themselves close. "Going through the archives will likely take some time. We should make sure our flank is adequately secure."
Sinésiel sees Talib's rather obvious side-effects of the poison. While she feels pretty lethargic from her run in with toxins earlier, she knows Talib is a much more effective fighter than herself.
Heal those in need. Grant succor to the sick and weary.
The platitudes of the Dawnflower's faithful run through her head, and though she knew she would never be among those chosen to receive her divine grace, she knew that the words were right by her companions.
"Rissi, I believe you have a potion that could help Talib's stiffness," Siné says, turning to the bard and speaking in a soft voice. "Would you mind handing it over to him?"
Unfortunately for Talib, the poison is still able to wreak havoc before it thins out, the stiffness spreading to the joints of his whole arm.
Before the group can finish tending to their wounds and outlining their strategies, they are interrupted by the sound of someone coming down the stairs. A few bated breaths later and they see Madge's face staring at them.
"So it is you. How did you open this door? Did you find the way out yet?" Despite looking visibly tired and with scars all over her left arm, her voice still carries the same tone of eye-rolling annoyance.
Out of curiosity, Sinésiel discreetly checks the wound she suffered from Halgrak and her eyes go wide. Whatever corruption infected the half-orc seems to have seeped into her own flesh and refuses to go away.
"No, but we're getting closer," Talienda says as she gets an idea.
"M-madge, right? The older lady that woke up with us in the courtroom, Ms. Patrissa, has she always had that necklace of fire opals? They look familiar to me, and I'm wondering if I've seen her before."
Madge rolls her eyes. "What do I care about that hag? No idea, ask her about it." She walks towards the group, looks through the open door and makes a disgusted face. "Guess not from here. What about this other door?" The halfling goes to the other door and tries to open it.
Talienda blinks, and something inside her snaps. This stuck up brat was not going to get off that easily. She snaps her fingers and a sound like roiling thunder echoes in the hallway.
"I was not finished speaking to you, little brat," she says in a cold, hard voice. She was short, but that was for a human. Compared to a halfling, she towered over the smaller woman and her storm-eyed glower was not at all feigned. She tired, frightened, and out of patience after she and the others have been run ragged.
"You are a fool who thinks herself clever and others slow. You are not so special. One can't walk the Petals District five steps without running into a half-dozen of your boorish breed. Since you can't seem to see beyond your nose, let me illuminate you to our situation," Talienda's voice cuts across any protests Madge may offer up like a razor-sharp knife as Talienda has the unique opportunity to actually loom over someone for a change, and she takes advantage of the situation. There is nothing warm or soft in Talienda's tone as she tears into Madge's ego with a calm, icy fury that was at odds to her demeanor so far.
"We are all going to die if those that sent Jarbin Mord to the gallows don't go for a long drop themselves."
She lets the words hang in the air for a moment before she speaks again, her voice no less deadly for its quietness.
"Now, tell me what you know about Patrissa and that fire Opal Necklace of hers. Convince me not to talk Talib and the others into hanging you all for having all of the moral courage of pond scum and I might not be angry enough when you are done not to take out my fear and frustration on you, little brat."
As the halfling slips by Talienda and heads for the door, Talib steps forward and grabs her by the scruff, easily lifting her off the ground. He remembers well the vision in which Madge had been sneering along with Patrissa, and in any case, did not intend to let another civilian obstruct the investigation.
"Please answer the question," he says simply, his tone more than making up for his terseness. "I know you were involved in framing Mord."
Madge bursts out laughing at Talienda's words. "You? Talking to me about moral courage? Little miss 'Talienda, only Talienda'? As if your father didn't buy all that nice silk you're wearing with blood money. Spare me the hypocrisy, will ya?" She starts to turn around, only to have Talib grabbing her by the shoulders and making clear she won't go anywhere with his permission.
She swallows and her voice squeaks a little bit when she replies to his more forceful questioning. "You…brute! I haven't seen that harpy in ages, how am I supposed to know when she got them? She didn't have them during the trial, if that's what you're asking! And Mord was a murderer, alright? He killed my father, he killed his wife, and who knows how many others! Now, let me go!" She tries to squeeze her hand out of Talib's grip and fails.
While Madge struggles to get out of Talib's grip Rissi approaches, clearly listening to the exchange. "Mord was a murderer? You're absolutely certain about that? I wasn't here but apparently my Gran was on the jury. And I worry about his involvement. Perhaps the evidence that convicted the man was manipulated. I'm certainly not convinced, but I do think you know a bit more than you're telling. People are dying all around us and we're just trying to get to the truth and possibly save ourselves, and maybe you too?"
"Listen, I do not care who else he murdered. My father's blood was in his hands and he paid for it and everyone's the happier for that," the halfling says, still struggling against Talib. "And trust me, I know people are dying and saving myself is exactly what I'm trying to do. Your friend's hurting me!"
While Sinésiel wouldn't normally condone Talib's behavior, after the things that they had all been through it seemed right by her. Knowing that her force of personality is far from her strong-suit, she stands by with weapon drawn and keeps an eye out on their surroundings.
I could lie to her, but I don't know that Talib would go along. I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one night in front of this crowd.
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Talienda quivers as she stands in stunned silence. She isn't afraid, not now. She is surprised to realize that, to realize what it is that she truly feels. She never realized that she could be so enraged. She wants to scream, to cry, to lash out at anything and everything.
She has failed Halgrak. She is terrified for her life and the lives of her friends. She has felt fear and grief since learning of her father's gruesome murder. The loneliness she'd felt much longer.
Her father wasn't an unkind man to her, but he was always gone and even when he was at the manor she calls home, he was distant, as if she had done something to upset him. Perhaps she reminded him too much of her mother, but she could never know, not for sure.
"What hypocrisy," Talienda asks in a cold voice like the first biting winds of a winter storm. "My father was hardly ever home, and he rarely let me out of the house. His books were kept at the accountants, so how, praytell, was I supposed to ever learn of his misdeeds before his death?" She takes in a deep breath, letting the leash on her temper loose. Her voice begins to rise in volume as she lets out her fear and frustration.
"Am I supposed to pay crimes I did not commit nor had any knowledge of before this night? Am I a hypocrite for keeping my name a secret when I have received letters threatening my death for no other reason than for whom my father was? Should I have told Malgrim I was the one he wanted if he so dearly wished to claim that bounty?"
"Then there's your father. Why would Jarbin Mord want to kill him? What reason would a gallowsman have for hanging an innocent man, unless he was falsely convicted? What reason would your father have to swing by the end of a hangman's noose? What crime was your father accused of? Well, Madge?"
The young woman doesn't give the halfling time to answer as she steps up and screams in her face.
Talienda falls quiet, the only sound she makes in the ringing silence is the huff of her breathing as her chest rises and falls. Her fists stay at her sides, shaking from her fury as her blue eyes bore into Madge's own.