Conri plinks him with another magic missile. Scar Blade seems dazed and confused as he swings again, this time at Edward.
Edward barely deflects the axe with his shield. Through the mist, he sees the burly half-orc stagger to the side under the weight and momentum of his swing. A few steps left, a few right, and he falls over and lies still.
Combat over. As you’re patching people up, the mist fades. Sir Rollynd clanks his way over from the other room and stops you from using any wand charges as he lays hands on Ty and then Richard.
Sir Rolland glances down at Scar Blade. ”I see you got him for me. I appreciate that. I’ve been hunting this crew for weeks now, hoping for a little...well, we got him now. Was he holed up in here, or did you folks make this artistic and fashionable entrance?”
Looking over at the knight, [b]"You did not think it was strange to follow them in here? This place that has been locked up for so long."[b]
Ty's eyes snap open as he gasps when Sir Rollynd heals him. He wildly looks around silently for a few seconds before he fully takes in the situation. Afterwards he quietly retrieves his daggers before studying Scar Blade's corpse. In a moment of fury he kicks it, but it does little to the hulking corpse.
"We fought skeletons, a demon, and even stormed a bandit camp. But one a&$~!#% with a big sword almost killed me."
”Axe, actually.”
Sir Rollynd idly kicks a bit of debris across the room. ”I wasn’t following them. I was tracking you from this morning. I picked up your trail, you stopped at some other set of towers yesterday where you fought a bunch of guys—I’m guessing their friends—then headed here. It wasn’t long until I picked up their trail, too. They followed you here and set an ambush up for you. What I can’t figure out is if this was their hideout of those other towers. We’ve known Scar Blade was working out of some old siege towers, but I never would have guessed it was out of this one. Nobody’s supposed to be able to get in there, but clearly you did. I assumed Genedair had decided I’d failed at this assignment too and handed it off to you four, but just didn’t have the heart to tell me. Looks like I was right; I guess my failure is now complete. I am glad that somebody was able to deal with this menace, even if it wasn’t me.”
The half-orc bandit has a falchion, studded leather armour, and a longbow looted from the tower armoury. The archers in the other room each have a long sword and studded leather armour, and longbows looted from the armoury.
Scar Blade is a bit better equipped. Both his great axe and studded leather armour are masterwork, and he also has a masterwork mighty (+3 Str) composite longbow, a quarter of potions (Shield of faith CL 1), 3 smoke sticks, and 2 thunderstones.
"What? No, that's not what happened. We were sent here because we have, um, special circumstances. We came across these guys," Ty indicates the corpses, "because we fell for their hustle as we passed by. It was mostly coincidence.
"And no offense, but your bosses have some accountability in this if they're only sending one guy against an entire gang.
"...
"Also, why were you tracking us?"
Sir Rollynd blushes. ”Well, I was never technically assigned this mission, though everybody knew I was tracking them down. As for why I was tracking you...I recognized you when we met on the Church steps. From a vision I had received that morning. I believe my redemption is somehow tied to you four. I first thought it was because you had been sent out to hunt down these bandits and if I followed you, perhaps I could at least offer some assistance. Of course, as it turns out, I allowed myself to get pinned down by their ambush meant for you and needed you to rescue me. But if your mission was to penetrate the Chelish Citadel...why? What are you four doing here?”
Edward breathes a massive sigh of relief as he's just able to knock the mighty axe aside as it nearly buries itself right into his chest. "Now THAT was too close for my comfort, I assure you."
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Looking to the others before looking back to the paladin, "I am afraid we are not at liberty to discuss it, good sir. We were warned not to trust anyone with such information. Having said that, if the others wish to share such information and feel safe enough to do so, then I see no reason why not if we can come to a complete consensus about it. What say you all?" He asks the others.
Sir Rollynd draws his sword, places it point down on the ground in front of you, drops to one knee, and swears, ”In Iomedae’s Name, I swear to aid your quest, whatever it may be, to the fullest of my ability, sharing what must be shared, and holding secret what must be secret. My sword is yours, my blood is yours, my honour is yours. May the Inheritor’s Grace fade from me forever should I withhold any of those three until this quest is complete.”
Edward is pretty sure that Sir Rollynd just staked his paladinhood and place in Iomedae’s Court after death on the fulfillment of this oath.
"Um, you're pretty intense.
"Dang."
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Both eyebrows just up in surprise. That's a bold and dangerous move. He could lose his mind. Might already have done so. Looking the intense paladin over and then glancing back at the others, "Sir would you mind giving us a few minutes to discuss?"
And then Conri will gesture to the others to follow him to a different room so they can speak privately.
Looking to Conri curiously a moment before turning his attention to the halfling, "A moment, if you would, good sir." He then follows Conri into the other room along with the others. "What is it, Conri?"
Shrugging, "Well for one it can cause pressure to make a decision in-fornt of someone like that."
Rubbing at his face, "And I don't have the divine magics to lend proof that I am a holy man but I was raised by by those kinds. And I wanted to be one. And that man is very intense. Staking everything like that, on something he knows nothing about, feels dangerous and a little unhinged to me."
Leaning against a wall, "He doesn't know anything about why were are here. He ran off on his own to chase down on his own. From what I understand he was has been after those bandits on his own. Lone wolfing it is dangerous. It puts him in danger. And deprives the Church he chose at risk. I Don't know that I trust him."
"Or maybe he's our minder. Someone those church guys sent to manage us, which makes sense, seeing as they don't really know us from those bandits we just took down. Maybe Richard they know.
"What do you think, Richard? Do you know this guy?"
"I mean Edward."
Grinning, "Well, to be honest, I know very little of him. But as a follower of Iomedae I believe him to be trustworthy. I don't know that 'unhinged' is the term I'd use," he shoots a wink to Conri, "but 'devout', I would say, fits him quite well. Personally I have no problem with relating our quest to him. And for the record, I shall take full responsibility if he betrays us if that helps in any of your decisions. But I believe him to be true," he states simply.
Shrugging, "My only concern was that that kind of divine bond was all I wanted. Its the whole reason I am here. Many of the priestess's and priest's I have known would not gamble their faith like that with so little knowledge. Sure he has to help us now or he might never see the Inheritor's realm. But.."
Crossing his arms over his chest, "But forfeiting his afterlife like that is really impulsive. Though I will comply with the group. I simply wanted a chance to talk outside of his earshot.'
Ty shrugs amiably. "If you guys are good with it, then so am I." He turns back to Sir Rollynd.
"Hey, Sir Rollins! You're in! We should think about a place to camp for the night."
”Rollynd, and I appreciate the faith you are showing in me. I’m sure you know the best spots in there to hole up.”
Assuming you prefer not to explore any new areas at the moment, do you want to camp in the study, storeroom or empty room?
You set up camp in the wizard’s study. Looking for something with which to barricade yourselves in, you prop the standing bookshelf against one door and the fallen one against the other. Moving the fallen bookshelf reveals a set of journals, apparently belonging to the former occupants of this room. Most are faded beyond reading, but there are some detailing many things about the operation, including the planning and execution of the raid on the Seventh Church. A notation in an angry hand raves about someone named Kreel who apparently had decided to claim Iomedae’s Cloak for himself instead of smuggling it back to Cheliax as previously agreed. The wizard was planning to teleport to Westcrown to round up enough authority to claim the Cloak from the Asmodean priest, but there are no further entries to indicate if he was successful or not. Presumably, while he was gone, the tower became inaccessible.
The bookshelf also contains a series of old maps of Kortos Island and Absalom, which are in great shape and would likely fetch a good price from a collector. Ty estimates their value at 200 gp.
The evening passes uneventfully, leaving you fully rested and ready to tackle...what?
So...back to the top floor? Downstairs? Go up floor by floor?
Rising and readying his gear, "Okay, gentlemen, I say upstairs. As in the NEXT floor upstairs. Hopefully there is something to aid us in defeating our top floor adversary."
Ty nods and leads the way.
The second level stairwell has four doors leading off of the square room. The east door should be the ruined second floor barracks you saw from below.
Ty heads towards the east door, figuring that if things turn hairy, they could use this room as an emergency exit.
Ty opens the door. The missing wall allows a view to distant Absalom and sunlight touches the room for the first time in hundreds of years. A few dusty cots remain, the rest having fallen out the hole in the towers’ side along with their former occupants. There are two strong boxes beneath a couple of the beds. Ty easily pops the ancient locks and finds dry-rotted clothing and leather pouches, each with 100 sp in vintage Chelish coinage, with the face of Aroden stamped on each one, and various silver goblets and plates, plundered from the Seventh Church, 400 gp worth in total.
North, West, or South?
"We've three doors left. Let us try the north door first."
This room was clearly a barracks of some sort, with cots in neat rows, and strong boxes underneath four of them. Several human skeletons lie on some of the cots.
As soon as somebody enters the room, four of the skeletons stand from the cots and approach you. None of them burst into flame, however, and Edward and Sir Rollynd are easily able to dispatch them.
Ty, who's now getting quite good at popping the locks of these standard-issue soldier foot lockers, finds carbon copies of the contents of the previous two boxes: purses of 100 sp in vintage Chelish coin, and various silver goblets and plates, worth 400 gp in total. However, one of the lock boxes holds a different prize: a blood-stained silver holy symbol of Iomedae and a MW longsword with Iomedae's symbol on the hilt!
Ty opens the west door.
This room is a carbon copy of the north room, right down to the four skeletons Edward and Sir Rollynd easily dispatch, save there is no holy symbol or MW longsword.
This room is different. Like the others, this room was clearly a barracks of some sort, with neat rows of cots, and strong boxes beneath several, but here, the Eye of Aroden stands prominently on the south wall, covered with splatters of dried blood and gouges from swords or axes. Instead of bare skeletons ont he cots, dry-rotted blankets cover human-shaped mounds.
Nothing happens when Ty enters the room (unlike the others where Ty entering the room instantly awoke the skeletons).
Eyes going somewhat wide at the find, "I must confess, this is truly a fine weapon. Well to be honest, I do favor her symbol upon the hilt which mine own does not possess. I don't suppose any of you would object to me using it, would you? And I do believe this holy symbol - with a bit of cleaning - would shine brilliantly. Anyway, I digress. Objections? Anyone?"
This room is a carbon copy of the north room
Eyes going somewhat wide at the find, "I must confess, this is truly a fine weapon. Well to be honest, I do favor her symbol upon the hilt which mine own does not possess. I don't suppose any of you would object to me using it, would you? And I do believe this holy symbol - with a bit of cleaning - would shine brilliantly. Anyway, I digress. Objections? Anyone?"
"As long as neither are made of mithril."
After they enter the room and nothing rises from the dead, Ty breathes a sigh of relief. Until he notices the dry-rotted blankets covering human-shaped mounds.
"Hang on," he instructs before he pulls a folding pole out of his pack and takes a few seconds to bring it to its full length. He'll use the pole to poke the nearest mound. If nothing happens, he'll give each mound a poke in turn before he gives the all clear.
Nothing happens when Ty pokes the mounds, though he feels that they’re pretty solid. There’s definitely something under the blankets.
Ty stows his folding pole away and carefully pulls back one of the blankets.
Ty pulls the blanket off the mound. He is first perturbed by the lack of dust it kicks up, then by the apparently fresh or preserved body lying on its back underneath. At least, it’s perfectly preserved from the shoulders down. You can’t see its face due to a large pillow.
Is anybody else coming in or are you letting Ty set off any traps or ambushes on his own?
Eyes going somewhat wide at the find, "I must confess, this is truly a fine weapon. Well to be honest, I do favor her symbol upon the hilt which mine own does not possess. I don't suppose any of you would object to me using it, would you? And I do believe this holy symbol - with a bit of cleaning - would shine brilliantly. Anyway, I digress. Objections? Anyone?""As long as neither are made of mithril."
"Neither appear to be, my good man." Edward then stows his current sword and the holy symbol that was just found and chooses to wield his recently acquired blade.
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"A deceased body with a pillow covering the head. This should be interesting," he states with a slight tone of sarcasm.
Keeping his fomgers tight on the wand, as that is the only weapon he really has. "Well it has all been interesting in some of the worse ways. I kind of miss boring to be honest."
Ty positions himself so he's not between any of the bodies and gently lifts the pillow off of the body's face.
Revealing the face shows that it is as well preserved as the rest of the body, though its features contorted, eyes bulging, mouth agape. Glancing at the other bundles, you suspect that all of them have pillows covering the faces.
Though your attention is on the man Ty has revealed, Conri notices movement out of the corner of his eye on a neighbouring cot. At first he assumes its occupant is preparing to rise, but then he realizes it's not the body that moved...it's the pillow on its face beginning to move. He exhales sharply, his breath a cloud of mist.