"We could still do what I suggested," Alak mutters under his breath. "Oh, very well." He moves through the door and steps back in the corner, drawing a javelin and hurling it at the bat. The dart pierces the furry skin, and the bat thrashes its wings violently, emitting angry chitters.
Shaserai hears the commotion as Highness rushes into the next room. He goes into what might have once been a scriptorium, and seeing the giant bat attacking the goblin and the others retaliating he joins the fray.
He pronounces the arcane phrases that come naturally to him and gesturing to the bat a ball of flame arcs towards it, striking it fully and setting off a small explosion.
Shaserai steps into the room and, with a flick of his wrist, produces a ball of flame and tosses it at the bat. It catches as if in dry kindling, burning over the bat's body and smoldering in its fur.
Moving to join the others, Irenaeus squeezes through Shaserai and Alak and, standing behind Highness and Ragna, he materializes and then flings a magical glob of acid at the flying creature.
Ren joins the crowd in the corner of the room. He conjures a dollop of acid, but his trajectory goes awry.
Jonagher slips between the gathered throng inside the door, the last one to join the fray. He moves to the other side of Ragna () and then fires an arrow at the bat.
Jonagher also enters the clerks' chamber, but the arrow that flies from his bow fails to strike home in the bat's flesh.
Seeing his arrow failed to hit home, and fearing it might draw the bat's fangs his way, Jonagher slips under the table () to hide and look for his next best opportunity to contribute to the fight...hopefully, taking the beast by surprise.
Jonagher ducks beneath one of the desks, both as cover and as concealment from the bat.
The burning bat wheels around and heads toward the group. As it approaches, Ragna swings her axe; the bat dodges, but its defensive maneuver throws off its own bite at her. With a shriek of frustration, the bat shudders off the smoldering embers of Shaserai's fire.
Grimacing and bleeding, Highness ducked under the nearby table to hide himself from the eyes of the giant bat, then seeing the opportunity presented, scrambled down the length of the table, weaving his way around the table legs and debris to the end, where he hid and drew his dagger, readying himself for an opportunity to strike.
Highness returns to the other end of the desk and draws a dagger, biding his time beneath the shield of the desktop.
Ragna faces the crispy bat down while her allies maneuver for better positions, striking quickly with axe and shield before adopting a defensive posture in anticipation of the bats response.
The burned bat again dodges Ragna's axe blade, but that only sets it up to be slammed out of the air by her shield from the other direction. It lands heavily, one wing draped across the desk while the other spills across the stone floor.
Lifting up from under the nearby table, Jonagher dryly comments, "Well, that was a big one. It would probably take an entire swarm of bats to equal that thing in size." He looks over at their goblin companion. "I thought it almost had you, but everyone jumped in to turn the tide. You alright?"
”Are we fine? I feel that I have too much blood outside rather than inside of me right now...I think I am more red than green now.” Highness said as he came out from beneath the table, sheathing his dagger as he rose, and weaving slightly on his feet.
"Well...it does match the color of your eyes," Jonagher jokes, "I was in a similar shape not that long ago. Maybe we can patch you up..." He looks askance toward Shaserai, almost apologetically.
Shaserai takes a glance at the bat, but at Jonagher's words he turns to the group. "Sorry but not right now." he shakes his head "I just treated you and it might be dangerous to try again so soon. I can bandage the wound, but healing it will have to wait."
He proceeds to staunch the bleeding from the bite wounds and carefully bandage them.
"Let's see if we find something interesting here."
Ragna stands still for a moment, almost shocked at how well that encounter had gone. No near death experiences, no shattered equipment. I guess experience is the best teacher. She sheathes her weapon and and takes Higness' hand when Shaserai finishes with him. "This is exactly why you can't go rushing ahead into the unknown." She scolds him, pulling the goblin along with her as she assists the cleric in his search of the room. "You're lucky that giant bat didn't swoop you up and fly off with you. before we could do anyhting."
Combing the room, the party finds enough unspoiled parchment and ink to compile six writing sets. In addition, Ragna discovers some sizeable beast's claw set in an iron clasp and chain.
Examining the claw, Ren ascertains that it is magical but doesn't recognize it. Shaserai, on the other hand, immediately recognizes it as an owlbear claw talisman, a consumable weapon enhancer highly prized by the dwarves among whom he was raised for the devastating blows it makes accessible.
"Well, lots of goodies still lying around in this place..." Jonagher notes at the discovery of the ink, parchment, and talisman. "But still no ring. Sorry, Alak. I guess we'll have to keep searching...but, if this stuff is still here, perhaps there's hope for finding that heirloom after all?"
The half-elf ponders Shaserai's statement and the party's condition. "How's everyone holding up? We've seen a lot of action today. Even had a few close scrapes with death. Are we okay with pushing on? Or should we find a place to hole up, eat, sleep, and prepare for tomorrow? I mean, I suppose we could go back to the comforts of town and return, but camping here might be easier, if we need to rest."
"I am quite well myself, especially considering what most of you have been through," Irenaeus replies as he approaches the abnormally large bat's body to examine it more closely out of both curiosity and interest in any uses parts of it might have as potential spell components. "And I still have most of my magic available to me. But I will not object if the decision is to stop and rest for a while."
"As I cautioned before, I have no more magical healing at my disposal." Starts the priest "I can use mundane methods to treat injuries and I have my other spells still. If we camp here in the citadel I suppose we can continue further." He looks at Highness "Until I can patch you up again, you should think about letting someone else take point, we wouldn't want you to die before reaching the tribe, yes?"
Highness looked over the group and weighed his words. "Shaserai is correct, dying before reaching the tribe is not in the plan. Prudence suggests that we not push forward further before resting. Death is an awfully stupid way to not find the ring, also, there has been something ready to jump out, stab, bite or scratch us in ever room we have entered so far."
"To say it more simply, we are not racing to save a life, so the only life we have to lose is our own. We should move back to the cells and rest there, where we can barricade the door." Highness says, and points back the way they came.
Shaserai nods "That's a pretty good idea. We had less than half a day after all the... excitement in Breachill and we've found nothing but hostility here. Tomorrow might be a more fortunate day."
Alak concurs. "I certainly wouldn't want to see anyone killed in the course of finding my family's ring. Its only value is sentimental, after all. Perhaps we could look over those schematics we found after we've settled in and plan where to search tomorrow."
The party retreats to the holding cells to set up camp.
Ragna uses the back of one of the broken chairs to sweep-shovel the bones of the re-dead undead out of their chosen campsite and into the hallway. She sets her bad on the rickety desk and begins to unpack her overnight things. "Did everyone bring food and water? I don't think that spring will be safe to drink from for a while."
"Yeah...I think I've got enough to eat. And no...that spring water isn't clean enough to wash your boots in..." Jonagher agrees. The half-elf appreciates Ragna doing a bit of cleaning to make room for everyone's bedrolls. Seeing as she's taken the desk, he looks back at the open cells, not really relishing the idea of purposefully choosing to confine himself in one. "I think I'll just bed down here...close to the door," he announces, "That way I can listen for anything that might approach during the night, you know?" He taps his pointed ears, as if to remind everyone he's blessed with slightly sharper hearing as a result of his elven blood.
Once he's arranged his bedroll to be as comfortable as possible on the hard stone floor, he takes a seat and prepares to dine on the hardtack, jerky, cheese, and wine he brought with him from Breachill. Of course, he'd nicked a bit of the cheese from one of the serving girls back at the tavern, but no one had to know that. Glancing around at the rest of the team, he nods at Ragna and starts a bit of conversation.
"So, uhm...you've got quite a way with that blade and shield," he remarks, "If you don't mind me asking, where'd you learn to fight? I daresay you're better than most I've seen, and really did a number on these beasts we've faced. I tend to do most of my fighting at range, if I can. Or, if I go hand to hand, it helps if I can take someone by surprise."
Shaserai follows the others and takes a spot behind the desk. He unpacks his brand new bedroll and leaves his backpack and satchel on it. He takes a drink from his waterskin and then rummages through his backpack for some of the smoked sausage and hard biscuits he'd brought along.
"I'm all set."He responds to Ragna's inquiry, leaning against the wall.
As he eats he listens to the others, also curious about Ragna's answers to the half-elf.
"No one should sleep in the cells, they're probably as carnivorous as everything else around here." Ragna cautions, only half-joking. She would only be slightly surprised if one of the cells tried to eat them. "My father taught me to use weapon and shield." She tells Jonager, kicking some debris out from behind the desk and laying her ground cloth. "Most of the children are taught to fight in a shieldwall in my land. I guess it's a holdover from the past, when each jarl was responsible for protecting their own land as well as offer troops to the king in times of war. Not really necessary with professional armies and mercenaries, but martial arts are good for the body and the mind, so it continues. I never prepared to face talking beasts." She adds, rubbing the bruise where the turtle bit her. "My father was a professional soldier, though. Then a mercenary."
She removes one of her hatchets from her belt and casually embeds it in the surface of the table with a dull thunk. "Do you think a fire would fill the room with smoke? It's awfully damp in here. Some of this old wood might burn."
Rummaging through his backpack to look for the rations he brought with him, Irenaeus nevertheless listens intently to Ragna's story. "I would prefer to avoid the cells, yes," the Chelish mage offers. "I never did find them appealing, even as a child. And owing to the... generosity of my, I suppose, mentor, I managed to avoid actually calling one of them my home."
He smiles thinly as he recalls his younger days and shrugs. "I did not always follow the ways of magic."
To the warrior woman's question, he replies, "I am not sure we should give that a try. Closed spaces and smoke usually do not mix well."
"My father taught me to use weapon and shield." She tells Jonager, kicking some debris out from behind the desk and laying her ground cloth. "Most of the children are taught to fight in a shieldwall in my land. I guess it's a holdover from the past, when each jarl was responsible for protecting their own land as well as offer troops to the king in times of war. Not really necessary with professional armies and mercenaries, but martial arts are good for the body and the mind, so it continues. I never prepared to face talking beasts." She adds, rubbing the bruise where the turtle bit her. "My father was a professional soldier, though. Then a mercenary."
"And yet you are not a soldier yourself?" Alak probes. "Were you never expected to go into the family business?"
Ragna shrugs at Alak's question. "My mother is a blacksmith. I don't do that either. Guess I'm lucky. My parents have enough silver I can do what I want. What about you?" She asks, glancing over her shoulder at the half-elf. "How often have you had to take someone by surprise?"
Highness, hurt and tired stood regally in the middle of the prison room, observing the group settle down for the night. Then with quiet deliberation he moved around the room. He patted Shaserai on the shoulder "Thank you, good work today." he said quietly before moving on to Ragnhild, patting her on the shoulder while she talked to Alek. He moved on towards one of the lockers, wedged himself under a shelf and closed the door.
Ragna shrugs at Alak's question. "My mother is a blacksmith. I don't do that either. Guess I'm lucky. My parents have enough silver I can do what I want. What about you?" She asks, glancing over her shoulder at the half-elf. "How often have you had to take someone by surprise?"
"Thankfully, not as often as most might think..." Jonagher shakes his head, "In my misspent youth, I'd often brag about such things, sneaking about on the streets of Breachill, getting into trouble with my friends, learning how to hide and how to fight. Nothing amounting to true skulduggery, mind you. I was never that bloodthirsty...though, I did see a few who were, and I steered clear of them."
His eyes grow more distant as he recalls memories of that time, then finally offers a bit more. "I'd say I learned my greatest lessons about taking others by surprise from the elves of Kyonin," he explains, "You see, I left Breachill around the time my mother died. And I spent several years up north getting to know my father's people. I never really fit in there, of course, but I did my best to learn from them. I'm only half-elf, but the real ones? They can be deadly serious when they're defending their homeland. And they do most of that while taking someone by surprise. The scary thing is...they do it so well, that many intruders meet their end and never even know where the attack came from..."
Jonagher then sits back and rests his head against the stone wall. "Once I got good enough at it that the other elves didn't see me as a liability on their patrols, I joined a company headed into the Darklands. There'd been these rumors that merchants in Druma were trading with drow settlements somewhere in the vaults of Sekamina. So, we were sent to investigate. I never saw any drow on that trip, but there were plenty of other dangers down there. And, honestly? Some of those creatures were better at taking us by surprise instead."
"So, once that little excursion was done...and we were satisfied we weren't going to find anything to substantiate the rumors of drow activity, we came back to Kyonin and I told my father I was ready to come home...to Breachill, and the lands of my mother. I've heard lots of outsiders dream about the opportunity to live among the elves, but I turned that down to be here. I was just never going to be one of them, you know?"
Ragna shrugs at Alak's question. "My mother is a blacksmith. I don't do that either. Guess I'm lucky. My parents have enough silver I can do what I want. What about you?" She asks, glancing over her shoulder at the half-elf. "How often have you had to take someone by surprise?"
"Thankfully, not as often as most might think..." Jonagher shakes his head, "In my misspent youth, I'd often brag about such things, sneaking about on the streets of Breachill, getting into trouble with my friends, learning how to hide and how to fight. Nothing amounting to true skulduggery, mind you. I was never that bloodthirsty...though, I did see a few who were, and I steered clear of them."
His eyes grow more distant as he recalls memories of that time, then finally offers a bit more. "I'd say I learned my greatest lessons about taking others by surprise from the elves of Kyonin," he explains, "You see, I left Breachill around the time my mother died. And I spent several years up north getting to know my father's people. I never really fit in there, of course, but I did my best to learn from them. I'm only half-elf, but the real ones? They can be deadly serious when they're defending their homeland. And they do most of that while taking someone by surprise. The scary thing is...they do it so well, that many intruders meet their end and never even know where the attack came from..."
Jonagher then sits back and rests his head against the stone wall. "Once I got good enough at it that the other elves didn't see me as a liability on their patrols, I joined a company headed into the Darklands. There'd been these rumors that merchants in Druma were trading with drow settlements somewhere in the vaults of Sekamina. So, we were sent to investigate. I never saw any drow on that trip, but there were plenty of other dangers down there. And, honestly? Some of those creatures were better at taking us by surprise instead."
"So, once that little excursion was done...and we were satisfied we weren't going to find anything to substantiate the rumors of drow activity, we came back to Kyonin and I told my father I was ready to come home...to Breachill, and the lands of my mother. I've heard lots of outsiders dream about the opportunity to live among the elves, but I turned that down to be here. I was just never going to be one of them, you know?"
"I understand." starts Shaserai. "My mother came from somewhere in Kyonin. I practically don't know anything about it as my homeland is the Five-Kings Mountains, where I was raised by my adoptive father. Several times elves passing through the village offered to take me to Kyonin to "find my origins among my people"." he quotes. "Few understood that my origins were in the Temple of Torag, and my people are the Stonecutter clan."
He looks more intently at Jonagher I have to assume that having lived in Kyonin you speak elven, yes? I've always liked the language but I learned it late and I... Would you mind practicing with me sometimes?" He hesitates for a moment and then finishes in elven with a really strong dwarven accent."If it would not trouble you, I would be infinitely thankful."
"I'd be delighted," Jonagher offers, "Elven culture was a unique discovery for me when I went to Kyonin. Up until then, I really only knew elves who passed thru Breachill...just individuals, you know...so I didn't get a chance to really understand what their lands would be like. And I never really practiced the language that much either, even though my mother knew it quite well. It was my father who expanded my vocabulary. After all, nothing says you've mastered another language until you know how to curse in exquisite, beautiful prose that sounds like flattery to the untrained ear. I swear no one can eviscerate you quite like a smiling elf speaking his native tongue..."
"You know, I used to get scoffed at all the time by the elves there. If I wasn't stumbling over my own feet by comparison, they'd tell me I spoke their language far more like a human than an elf. And, I'll be honest, Shaserai...you've got a fair amount of guttural dwarven to your pronunciations. That'd be as likely to offend an elf as intrigue them. So, maybe in time, we can weed out a bit of it so you sound more natural..."
Irenaeus listens to the elf's and half-elf's stories with interest, for their are certainly intriguing. His own feels positively plain by comparison, but he hardly cares about that. He does spare a glance towards the goblin "king" and finds a soft chuckle almost escaping his lips as Highness positively stuffs himself inside one of the lockers to rest.
'What an odd group we must make,' he ponders for a moment before turning his attention back to Shaserai and Jonagher once again.
Jonagher tutors Shaserai for a while on his accent, a process tedious enough to their listeners, especially those who don't understand the elven tongue, to encourage them to join Highness in getting a good night's rest.
The next day dawns ... or the party presumes it does; being shut in a windowless room, they aren't eyewitnesses to the sunrise.
Ragna wakes, sore and damp from the night in the dilapidated stone prison. Her breakfast of bread, cheese and dried meat and fruit tastes a bit stale in the bleak environment. "We should find somewhere a little nicer to camp if we stay another night. Maybe there's a watchpost higher up in the citadel that would be secure but still allow a fire." She suggests, beginning a check of her equipment before they start their day.
After being kindly tutored by Jonagher, Shaserai takes a moment to tidy up and pray to Torag for the strength to face tomorrow with serenity and confidence and then goes to sleep.
First thing after waking up, he takes out his copy of "Hammer and Tongs: The Forging of Metal and Other Good Works" and starts his daily ritual of communion with his god. Once done, he has some nuts and dried fruit for breakfast and gathers his equipment.
"We could finish exploring the ground floor today and then go up, maybe we will find such a place then." he muses in response to Ragna. "I have the blessings of Torag at our disposal once again and we dispose of the whole day, unlike yesterday, so I'm confident we can push through."
"I agree," Irenaeus chimes in. "I think it would be wise to finish with this floor first before leaving it and any potential enemies behind us and moving on."
Not entirely unlike the priest and his prayers, the Chelish mage spent some time after waking up leafing through his spellbook and deciding on which spells to commit to memory for the task ahead.
Alak feels the stubble on his chin experimentally. "Judging by the schematics, we're not quite half-way through the main level. I hope not every room has acquired a squatter or two since the Hellknights decamped." He points to the blueprint the party discovered in the law repository. "It looks like the other levels are accessed by stairs in the central courtyard."
Finding it impossible to make his sleep last any longer with everyone talking so loudly near him, Jonagher finally gives an exaggerated yawn and starts to stretch before pulling up short when he also feels the soreness in his body. "Ow..." he mutters, "I fear I may have overdone it a bit yesterday. Not just the wounds, mind you. I think I may have pulled a muscle...or two. But at least we all survived, yeah? And I guess there's no option to sleep on into the afternoon to recuperate? No? Alright, then...on with the show, as they say..."
He pulls on his boots again and stamps his feet on the stone floor until they're secure and comfortable. Then, he puts on his armor and weapon belt, making sure to re-sheathe the dagger he'd kept close during the night. It takes only a few moments more for him to wolf down a simple breakfast of cured meat and bread with a healthy chug from his wineskin. "Ah! Victuals! Good enough to make one hale and hearty, for sure...and probably the best meal this dungeon has ever seen!" He rummages around once more in his pack and pulls forth an apple, using his dagger to carve one slice at a time, prepared to carry it with him as they press on throughout the Keep.
"So...are we really going up? he asks, "Is that where the main living quarters are located? If so, that might be a more natural place to search for this ring. I mean, I doubt we'll find it laying around in this prison or their library of records. More likely someone left it behind in a bedroom. And if those are located in the towers, all the more reason to go up, right?"
Alak shakes his head. "Actually," he turns the page, "apart from the barracks which are in the other wing, it looks like the officers' living quarters are underground. More defensible. The battlements seem to be purely for look-outs and defense. "
"Well, is there really much value in going up then?" Jonagher muses aloud, "I mean, perhaps the battlements would give us an opportunity to survey the rest of the keep from an eagle's eye perspective...but I doubt we'll see much more than the courtyard, which we'll be able to enter at ground level anyway. Eventually, I think it's best if we start looking for ways to access the lower levels."
Alak nods. "Also from the courtyard. We're here," he points to the representation of the holding cells, "so it looks like we should be able to get into one of these turrets and then straight out into the courtyard." He shrugs. "Unless we want to search the whole ground level first. You're the professionals; I'll defer to your judgment."
"I'd rather finish searching the ground level before tackling anything else. We wouldn't want to leave anything behind that could get us trapped either underground or on the battlements." Interjects Shaserai.
"That's the sound strategy of a true follower of Torag focused on proper defense..." Jonagher nods, "It won't do any good finding the ring if we're also fending off terrible monsters as we try to leave..."
"If the Hellknights guardian construct is still here, we'll want to deal with it last. Maybe we'll find a way around it in the meantime." Ragna concludes in agreement with Shaserai. She stows her camp gear and opts to leave it in the cellblock. "If the doors are still intact, I say we leave the courtyard for last. There's probably a lion or a bear out there. Everyone ready to go?" She lifts her center-grip shield and sets it atop her pack on the table. "Does anyone wish to bless me with some light?"