Ardriel sighed as he once again showed himself to be incompetent fighting vermin. What is so hard about fighting these creatures? he thinks as the group moves on.
Once outside Topaz Solutions, he looks over the street in both directions for any other signs of danger. The door being smashed like that indicates something climbed in there.
Fley sneaks up to the door and hears multiple voices inside. Listening to them they sound humanoid not demonic.
Can Fley understand what they are saying? Do they sound like cultists or sound like survivors?
The conversation sees to be about resting up and eating and being noticed.
Fley sneaks back to the group. "I heard voices inside. Nothing demonic, thankfully. They were talking about resting up, eating, and being noticed. We should be careful - could be cultists."
"So, what's the plan then? Kick the door in or knock politely?"
Honestly, mates... I say we just knock politely and introduce ourselves. - says the Dwarf - If they're survivors, they d'serve the benefit of tha' doubt. If they're not... Then I guess that's what Torag wanted to happen, so we will swing weapons again.
"Agreed. If we charge in and they're just trying to survive... we're no better than those darn cultists."
"I think Donnen and Fley have the right of it.
If they are cultists, I would give them one chance to surrender and repent their evil ways. One chance. I have little hope they will accept, but perhaps some of them have doubts about their choices."
"Agreed. No sense barging in and scaring some poor survivors, and if they're cultists, well, they won't be the first we've dealt with."
There is a pause and then a voice says, "We survived the initial onslaught and are doing ok in here. We are members of the Ash Ravens and don't need any help. We will make it out on our own. Thank you."
"We are glad to hear that. Perhaps you would like to travel with us, though? There is safety in numbers. Surely, we would do well to join blades together." Dadna said, more out of curtesy than anything else. She doubted that these Ash Ravens would listen, but figured that it was her duty to at least make the offer.
The voice seems to come from the left out of your line of sight from outside. You hear movement and metal clanging as well.
The voice responds to Dadna's offer "Thank you very much for the offer but we are fine. We will rest the night here and make our way through the city tomorrow. If you wouldn't mind moving on though. Your presence the the street is likely to attract attention."
Fley whispers to the group. "The Ash Ravens are a mercenary group that recently disbanded. We should be on guard."
Ian steps into the room and sees six men with longswords and longbows dressed similarly in leather armor. The man in the middle of the front row speaks, "We have managed to avoid injury thus far. We would prefer not to share shelter with strangers though, so would you please move on. As you can see there is nothing of value on the shelves in here." As Ian looks at the men no evil is detected in that direction.
Leothar will hang back for now - if there is a fight, he is not the best to be on the front lines.
He remains just outside the door.
"Ian... they may truly not know what is to be found in this place. They may not know there is a demonic cult hideout. For their own safety, we must search the place for secret doors and then we can move on, leaving them in peace. They need not come with us if they speak true."
Fley stands behind Leothar and Ian, poking his head out when he gets a chance.
"We do have to hope for the best. We can't assume everyone is a cultist. We just need to be cautious." Fley mutters.
The man gives Ian a hard look and says "That password means nothing to me. We are not looking for a fight but we are not going anywhere with you no matter who you are."
Very well. We're not looking fae' a fight either... So you won't mind we search a little bit 'round, like my brother said? - says Donnen, giant-picker still in hands, but giving them the benefit of the doubt. Survivors can be fairly scared after all the events.
”I have healing supplies!” Dadna said, holding her healing kit up. ”Look. Me kinsmen here just want to make sure everything’s on the up and up. How about we make this fair-like? I’m sure some of ye have been roughed up during the fall. I can tend to yer wounds. Make sure nothing gets infected. If ye leave the city with poorly treated wounds, then ye won’t make it far. In return we look around, all peaceful like.”
The leader says "Why should we let you search our shelter? There is nothing here other than us, we looked around and the one in the door can see that."
Leothar will enter and speak to the possible mercenaries.
"We had heard the Ash Ravens had recently disbanded. No matter. Whoever you are, know that my friend speaks true. Well, at least he believes he does. Any of us might be misinformed, I cannot rule that out. We did find evidence that suggests this place was a base for cultists of the demons who have laid waste to our city.
As you are people of Kenabres, please at least allow us to search for evidence of this cult's activity.
Maybe there is a secret door. Maybe there is a sign or sigil inscribed somewhere. Maybe some code on a scrap of paper. Maybe there is nothing. Anything that we find might be the key to saving this city, or your loved ones, or possibly Golarion itself.
For if the Abyss overruns Golarion, there is no safety to be found anywhere, for anyone. And that is what these cultists seek to accomplish.
Let us search and be on our way. We will not trouble you or ask you to go anywhere.
I swear on my honor, and to Torag, that I tell you what I believe to be the truth."
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The mercenary leaders eyes go wide when told this place is a cultist den. "Cultists you say. I think we will find someplace else to shelter. You can have this place. Let's go guys." They pick up a sack and walk out the door.
Ian gets the sense these guys are truly shocked at this being a cultist haven and are eager to get out of here.
"Got a golden tongue there, lad. I was worried that the situation was heading towards violence. Now, let's check the place out."
Fley feels bad for kicking out the old mercenaries - even if our intentions are good. As they leave, Fley will speak, "Be safe out there. We've ran across quite a few cultists. We're attempting to root them out and this place is a likely hiding spot. Do you have somewhere else to go?". The gnome holds his head down. "We don't want to lose any more of the good folk."
Once they leave, Fley will start searching the place, high and low.
"I am not sure sure that they were 'good folk,' Fley, but I appreciate your idealism.
They were eager to get rid of us; they mentioned that there was nothing of value on the shelves; they said they searched the place; and, they left with a sack of some sort.
I do wonder what they had in that bag. They may have just looted this place.
But that is a trivial concern compared to the demonic invasion, so I think avoiding a pointless fight was probably for the best. Even those of a more morally ambiguous nature will hopefully side with our world against the fiends of the Abyss."
After the mercenaries leave you begin to search the room. After a few minutes Leothar notices that there are still some bottles on one of the shelves in the back and notices they are fake and pops open a secret door with stairs leading down. The group descends the stairs.
The air in this basement is damp and musty-smelling. The walls and floor are packed earth, while dozens of gourds hang from the ceiling beams. A sludge of rotting plant matter covers the floor. Against one wall, a wooden table holds a strange apparatus that looks like a clockwork toy of a snake-bodied, six armed woman holding a sword in each hand. A tightly corked bottle, filled with what looks like water, sits before the statue. A wooden chest covered with engraved runes stands under the table, and a sinister image of a star surrounding a goat’s face is painted on the wall above the table.
Leothar groans as Ian calls him 'Chief.'
I am not the smartest, or the wisest, or the most commanding. What are they thinking? I'm just a soldier. If they insist on putting me in charge I'm going to turn around and impose some Andoran ideas on them and make them vote on everything. We'll have our votes at Town Hall meetings with cakes and cider.
He moves into the room so he is no longer blocking the stairs.
"Looks demonic, but I can't be sure."
"Can't quite say either, but whatever it is can't be good. Let's be careful about exploring this place. Who knows what was left behind."
Donnen moved up and looked with interest... And disgust.
’Tis another of Baphomet’s symbols... But this is the one preferred by his human cultists, not the demonic or monstrous ones. - said the guardian, keeping his usual spot towards the front of the line, getting closer to Leothar to stop blocking the stairs.
Fley moves behind Leothar down the stairs and stands next to him. "Baphomet, you say? Human cultists? We need to be careful. I have a bad feeling about this room."
As the group descends the stairs and begins to move into the room, nothing happens other than being assaulted by the rotten smells down here.
Fley nods. "Aye aye. I'll look around.". Fley's stomach grumbles when Ian mentions cheese. 'Did Ian say cheese? If this room isn't trapped, we should rest a bit, make some dinner...'
Fley starts examining the room, high and low, for any potential traps - starting west and moving east.
Fley will circle the room counterclockwise. He'll take his time searching. He'll try to look in every nook and cranny there is.
As Fley moves around and gets 15 feet from the chest and symbol you hear "Ahh...I hope you are among Iomedae’s slaves... I would hate to think of mere peasants wasting such a personal greeting from Lord Baphomet!” come from the goat's mouth. As the message stops the apparatus on the table swings down it swords smashing the bottle. At the same time a filthy creature resembling a small, wide-mouthed fat child made from leaves, vines, tree bark, dirt, and pallid tubers rises from the southernmost heap of vegetation. Everyone but Ardriel and Leothar make Fort Save DC 14.
Roll 1d8
1 The subject takes 1d6 points of acid damage.
2 The subject’s eyes glow red for 2 hours, during which time it gains darkvision out to 30 feet.
3 The subject takes 1d6 points of fire damage.
4 The subject develops wheezing, labored breathing for 2 hours, which imposes a –2 penalty on Stealth checks.
5 The subject takes 1d6 points of cold damage.
6 The subject develops a persistent nosebleed, taking 1d4 points nonlethal damage every 10 minutes for the next hour.
7 The subject takes 1d6 points of electricity damage.
8 The subject experiences a persistent adrenaline rush. For the next 2 hours, subject receives a +2 bonus on Initiative checks but takes a –2 penalty on Dexterity based skill checks due to uncontrollable trembling.
Round 1
Leothar Up
Leothar doesn't know what this plant-creature is, but if it is a servant of the Baphomet cultists, it needs to go.
"FOR TORAG!"
He swings Radiance at the creature.