He would rush down the stairs to bull rush the door.
Now within a room full of enemies he secures his blade in his grasp and secures it with his offhand. He takes a step forward if necessary to hit the most bandits and cleaves through the bandits.
With the bandits on the floor he steps over their bodies and goes to listen at the door before opening it.
Entering the room he puts his blade away and asks, "We are here to free you, there is a fire above, where is the key?" If no quick answer is said he begins to cut the chains holding them in place.
He goes to the door in the North wall and opens it. He finds the key and begins to unlock the manacles. He holds up a second key for Scram to see or if alone he tosses it to the first slave he saved, he demands of the man, "Help me free them."
Saronis you hear movement in the next room, whispers, and the clinking of chains.
As you charge into the room you see a dozen slaves or more chained to the walls. On the North wall there is another door.
Opening that door you see it is a pantry of food, oil, chains, collars, and other useful items to keep slaves in line.
The door to the west is locked.
The slaves can't believe they are being saved. One of then quickly response with a slight croak, "The key is in the pantry at the end of the room or on one of our captors. He had a blue shirt on today."
The first slave freed would grab the keys and quickly help unlock.
The dwarf follows the elf and halfling down the stairs.
The slaves can't believe they are being saved. One of then quickly response with a slight croak, "The key is in the pantry at the end of the room or on one of our captors. He had a blue shirt on today."
The first slave freed would grab the keys and quickly help unlock.
Urdrsk attempts to sunder the western door with his great axe.
Urdrsk hits his axe deep into the wood of the door splintering the plank but does not sunder the door.
The dwarf continues to hack at the door until it gives.
Scram takes teh keys understanding what the elf wanted and proceeds to help free the rest of the chained slaves.
As the slaves were freed they took their leave and quickly fled out of the room, up the stairs, and hopefully out of the burning building. Scram and Saronis finish freeing the slaves then head back to see Urdrsk's handy work as the door was but splinters.
In the last room you find a man in fine clothes sitting behind a desk. His throat is cut and the likely dagger that did it in his own hand. There are all sorts of baubles on the desk and in the nearby shelves. There are also chests in the room, 4 chests. The key on the man's belt unlocks the chests.
Scram shrugs and checks on the man to assure that he's dead.
With that done, she aids the others in clearing the room.
Seeing the room looks secure and only one corpse in sight, he shrugs too. He looks at the locks and then begins looking for a key. Finding the key on the corpse's body he uses it to unlock the first chest.
Finding the chest filled with nicely folded clothes and a few blankets, he took the blankets out to see the quality of them. If they don't look very interesting he tosses them to the side and begins to get the baubles and put them in the chest between clothes so they don't break.
Urdrsk nods at the elf. "Good thinking."
The dwarf looks at the other chests. Looking for any indications to what may be inside.
Scram joins them in looting the room.
Turning over what could have being hiding places for treasures.
Not wanting to leave any space unturned, she tosses them onto the corpse as a way to tidy their search area.
They are non-descript oak chests with simple iron fittings and locks.
He offers, "Here is the key that opened this one, you can try to use it on the other chests." Then he grabs the key and offers it to the dwarf.
Urdrsk takes the offered key and tries the other chests.
Using the key it unlocks all of the chests.
Moving the sand you see there is black sand below the tan sand.
The dwarf opens the 2nd chest and notices the two different types of sand. Thinking it used to keep something from breaking or being exposed to air, Urdrsk closes and locks the chest, testing the weight to see if it can be moved.
Urdrsk smiles as he opens the 3rd chest, because everything in this chest has value; even the chest itself. The fighter locks the chest back up, testing the weight for ease of transport.
Urdrsk backs up as the shadow and vermin escape the chest. "Blast it! Identify yourself!!"
The 2nd chest is really heavy compared to the others. You might be able to pick it up. It is likely close to 400 pounds. It would be far easier to just drag it. The 3rd chest is about 200 pounds.
As the dwarf backs up the shadow states in an unearthly chilling voice, "I am your death foolish dwarf. You have released me and my bretheren. Our master is dead and we hold no agreements with you, DIE!!!"
The swarm of insects begins to bubble out of the chest. The spectre swings its incorporeal hand to the dwarf. Long, dark fingers stretch out across the wall, reaching toward light, life, and all that they do not have, but long to possess. The shadows move and hunger, for their very essence is gluttony and greed.
Saronis
Maqan
Urdrsk
Scram
Amris
shadow
swarm
Round 1
The shadow does swing at the dwarf, it hits and drains him. The swarm seems to just bubble and grow as many of their number climb up over the rim of the chest.
Round 1
Urdrsk shutters in pain, feeling as if his essence had been drained away.
"You BASTARD! Take this!!"
Round 1
Scram steps back as the shadow attacks.
Seeing the situation turn unstable, she turns to call for help. Heading back to where she knew others were.
Round 1
He quickly moves at the sight of the shadow and quickly utters, "magical weapons or we run! Maqan I will need your blade." leaving the room he sheathes his sword, then he takes the longsword from Maqan.
Round 2
He comes back into the room to slash the blade at the shadow.
Round 2
The dwarf presses his attack against the evil shadow.
Round 2
If the dwarf is still there it would attack him again.
Then Saronis makes the shadow disperse...
The swarm of bugs sweeps across the room, you each take 2d6 points of damage before they disperse as well.
His once mighty arms can no longer hold his greataxe, Urdrsk drops his two-handed weapon and finds a quiet corner to slump down in.
"GODS!" The dwarf fighter spat. "That bastard took my strength."
"You are welcome." He states loudly and pointedly, then he murmers to himself quietly, "I sure am glad it worked."
He would hand the blade back to Maqan, also wanting to step away from the room once more. "Amris would you go and help Urdrsk out of this burning building. I will this chest and return for the others."
He does grab the first chest and hefts it onto his back and begins to leave then up the stairs...
He comes in and offers his hand to the dwarf, "Come on we need to get out. You can rest with the chest as we carry the rest out."
He would offer a shoulder. Carrying Urdrsk's axe 8n his other hand if need be.
---
Then he would venture in with Saronis to claim more of the chests.
Within minutes the whole building is on fire. Outside watching are Maqan, Scram, and Urdrsk with three chests. Saronis and Amris leave the building for the last time with the last chest between them.
Many of the common folk gather and bring pails of water.
Leaning on the halfing, Urdrsk looks up at the burning building.
"Well, we sure have made an impression in this town."
"One more group of bandits dealt with, I think we deserve a bit of rest. What do you think?" He offers as they drag the last chest to the group.
Urdrsk lurches forward. "My strength is gone, I can barely carry my backpack, much less my weapons. I move like a godsdamn slug.
I will not quit! But I'll also tell you I'm at a huge disadvantage", the dwarf frowned.
Scram Shrugs.
She was interested in what lay in the chest though She wouldn't want to fight any other shadow like creatures at this moment.
He nods, "Amris will give you the aid you need. I can stack these chests and slowly drag them. Wait, Maqan can you open the door anywhere? Try that house over there!"
----
Inside the inn and with the door closed he asks, "If you don't feel better by tomorrow we will go find a priest or something. We also may want to add a cleric to heal on standby with us. Suggestions of faith?"
Maqan nods and goes over to the indicated door. She then puts the golden key into the socket and turns it. Then she pushes on the door and it opens to their inn.
Saronis and Amris quickly move the dwarf and the chests into the inn. Once within they take a seat and a breather.
Scram tries her best to give the injured healing with her skills.
Once the dwarf is settled and given some soup to eat, Saronis and Maqan slip away. Amris is sharpening weapons and soon dozes off since Scram is taking care of Urdrsk. When he awakens he would offer to take Scram's place so she can get some rest.
The dwarf may grumble, but knows whats-fair-is-fair, and offers to take Scram's place.
As Scram and Maqan take care of the dwarf, Amris and Saronis go look for a cleric of some kind.
Coming back to the inn, they have brought a new halfling friend.
She asks, "May I see him?" Once Scram lets her look over the dwarf she commends Scram, "You did a fine job, though he will likely need a lesser restoration spell or more." She then clutches her holy symbol of the sun and casts one and then another. It also removes all fatigue.
Entering the inn, Saronis introduces her as, "Abbey, a cleric of Pelor and Sarenrae, Healer Extraordinaire."
Breathing more easily, the unsteady dwarf slowly rises. .
"It's about time!" Urdrsk breathes. "No offense, Scram." The shaky dwarf puts out his hand for a shake.
"Urdrsk Stoneward of the Stoneward Clan. Thank you."
The dwarf grumbles to himself, but nods in agreement of Abbey's estimation.
"Well, again, thank you."
Turning to Saronis, Urdrsk asks, "So more slavers to kill or any clues to the whereabouts of your traitorous sister?"
Scram slowly digests what the halfling before is saying before nodding and stepping away to observe the proceedings.
With that done, she also shrugs off Urdrsk's apology as something beyond her ability at this time.
"No sign of my sister, Kat knows she went North. We started this and we will end it. First these bandits then my sister. You should rest and once you are fully recovered we will go take care of the last slaver house. I am going to clean up some of the rabble." He offers and suggests.
"Urdrsk, do you want me to stay here or go with Saronis?" He asks and is glad he likely knows the answer before even asking the question. "Shall we take Abbey too, she still has her channels and maybe some other spells, right Abbey?!"
Urdrsk frowned about being left behind, but conceded. Looking to the halflings, the dwarf shook his head.
"Saronis will need more help than I. If I'm undisturbed, I'll be fine. Good hunting."
The fighter slowly lowered himself back down to the ground, and tried to close his eyes and rest.
The others left quietly, outside you begin searching for slavers. You find a few and they easily slaughtered. You notice the guards are on duty and with the commoners help capture any slaver they find.
You walk by the last stronghold of slavers. They have archers on the wall, a 20 foot wide entrance with a closed porculis. Looking through the porculis you see many resting and talking in groups in their courtyard.