Sim realizes he's not much help if he's stuck in place, and attempts to chip away at the hardened resin around his legs, and manages to get most of it off, though he remains glued to the floor.
Marcos, full of intrigue, asks three kuru leader with genuine interest. "Do you eat this?" he says, pointing at the corpses.
"Although it is gross, I understand some people are cannibals. I don't condone the act of eating me, but if I was dead, it isn't as though I'd care. Also, it might help them live longer. Really, they may outlive us all."
Seeing Sim struggle, Lash kicks at the remaining goo.
"What is this nasty stuff. That's pretty effective. I wish I had something like that to throw."
With the Kuru commenting to her, she points to her arrow. "I didn't have to miss. I chose to. As for what you should do, I think you should come with us. We have a shared goal--to get out of here. And as long as you don't betray us, we can be good friends."
With Marcos asking them if they were eating the corpses, she nods, "They were probably mid-meal when we walked in."
"Ah, the circle of life. . . uncivilized, perhaps, but why waste resources they would say, I suppose?"
Ko'Tua gives a knowing look towards Marcos when he asks his question. "Yes. Kuru know traders look down on us, but we have always eat human."
He faces Lash after she points at her arrow. "A good warrior would injure as a warning, not waste arrow!" He lets out a laugh, and you can tell he's sort of saying that in jest. "We come with you and not betray. You help us, we help you."
After he says that, Ko'tua eyes Shiv. "I see your disease. I have plant to help." He reaches into his satchel and pulls out a small cloth sack about 2" across tied with string. He holds it out in his long, thin fingers. "You eat, you feel better."
While the conversation with Ko'Tua is going on, Sim and Kahli hear faint discussion (maybe arguing?) from where the two men ran.
Shiv takes the packet, and inspecting it, eats it if her determines it is safe.
Shiv takes the packet from Ko'Tua, a strange warmth emanating from the Kuru's hand. He unties the string and finds a small bundle of dried berries, leaves, and herbs of some sort. He recognizes the berries and the herbs as safe, if not unpleasant to eat, though he's never seen them together. The herb is related to ginger, but he's not exactly sure what it is.
Ko'Tua rubs his fingers together, indicating to Shiv to grind the mixture. Shiv crushes the packet in his hand to break down the dried ingredients then pours the whole thing in his mouth. It's dry, bitter, and hard to swallow, but he manages to choke it down. "It's good, eh?" Ko'Tua is smiling, showing his teeth that have been filed down to sharp points. "Traditional medicine from our island. Good for body and soul."
Almost immediately, Shiv begins to feel sharp pains and an intense warmth run throughout his body. He grabs at his stomach and Ko'Tua laughs. "Fight it! It's good for you!" Shiv feels like his insides are going to catch on fire for almost a minute, but as the pain subsides, he notices the boils beginning to shink.
As this is all going on, the party doesn't hear anything from where the two men ran.
"I guess as long as you don't kill me to eat me..."
Marcos points the different options to keep on scouting, and shrugs indicating he doesn't know which one to take.
Still watching and listening Kahli motions to the others for attention. "I hear some talking. Maybe they're thinking about things? Stay ready, but quiet please."
While Shiv is negating the nasty boils he received on the previous day, she will move to check out their other flanked zone to make sure there are no surprised there either. While there, she looks down the hallway to the direction that the humans ran. If nothing is there that is notable she will return to the group.
As Lash moves into the western chamber, to the south, she sees a section of the stone wall has been slid to the side and leads into a dark hallway. She assumes it was a hidden door and that's where the two men ran through. The rest of the room has a couple small splatters of blood, assumedly from the fight between the men and the Kuru, light by the torches around the pillars.
On the stone door in the western wall , from where she stands, Lash can see that there is an embossed carving of a hammer striking a ring in the center of the door about chest high. She can see that while the hammer is still there, the ring has somehow been removed from the door. From this distance, she can sort of make out chipped stone from around the relief where the ring would be.
If she points this out to Marcos, he focuses Detect Magic on the door and detects faint abjuration coming from where the ring was and faint evocation from the hammer.
The northern area of the western chamber is uninteresting, with plain stone walls and no blood or bones. You see that the dust on the floor has been disturbed, but that's to be expected with the men in the area.
While Lash is investigating, Marcos is Detecting Magic, and Shiv is recovering, Kahli and Sim hear more confrontation from the area where the men ran, though more faint.
Kahli moves closer to where the men left (T10) and continues listening. "I think they're arguing, but not fighting."
After hearing more commotion from the men, Kahli moves to the corner and tries to listen to them from a closer but still safe distance. However, she gets a momentary pounding headache that distorts her hearing and she can't make out any more details.
"Well, this room is clear. Should we find out what these crazy guys are doing, or do you want to check this door first? I'd rather do than go deal with their nonsense."
She will turn to the Kuru and ask, "Did any of you happen to find a sort of ring?" "Potentially I can mimic the device and unlock the door without it."
"I think we should check'em" Marcos suggests. "They might activate traps or statues, or free monsters, or who knows... and I don't really want to be caught off-guard by their potentil stupidity." Not that the group hasn't had it's share of stupidity anyways, but well...
With the flash of pain blocking her efforts Kahli steps back to the group. "Marcos is right. That door is currently closed. Those cowards could activate trouble and then bring it back to us, right as we open the door to other dangers. I think we should advance carefully following them. If we find them, and no other dangers, we can try again."
"Sim and I can lead. Shiv, Marcos, and Lash behind us. Ko'tua, I hate leaving good warriors behind the line, but if you and your men could stay about 10' behind us those men might not argue immediately. Besides, in this place you never know when something is about to attack from what was a safe place!"
At Lash's question, Ko'Tua turns to the other Kuru and speaks to them, gesturing with his hands. The Kuru discuss for a moment, causing Ko'Tua to laugh before facing Lash again. "Cowards have ring you are looking for." He holds a hand beside his mouth. "Kuru tried to bite hand and saw stone on his hand." He indicates that it was not the man who threw the dagger who was wearing the ring.
Ko'Tua hears Kahli's request and slams his fist into his chest. "We come with you. We fight if you need us."
While Kahli is talking with Ko'Tua, Sim faintly hears one of the men let out a small cry of pain. Marcos is distracted by the sound of the trickling water in the north chamber increasing in force, now becoming a steady stream of water flowing across the floor.
"Alright. If that's what you guys want to do, we can do that," Lash will answer the party, as well as Ko'Tua. She will jog up to where Kahli is and will move forward to the bend. There, she will round the corner to look at what is happening down the hallway.
Sim points to where the men run. "You heard that? Someone is in pain. Perhaps they have brought harm to themselves and are more inclined to listen now..."
With his shield raised, he moves towards the southern passage.
Shiv nods, following behind Sim and raising his scythe in preparation. He takes a moment to focus on croc and call his familiar to come closer to him.
Lash leads the party forward into the small hallway the two men ran through, the Kuru following closely behind Marcos. The short stone hallway is unassuming with no torches or markings. With the way the stone door slid open, Lash assumes this is, or was, some sort of hidden passageway. The men or Kuru must have spotted it and figured out how to open it.
She quickly gets to the other side after making a right turn and stops when she looks into the next room. She sees a large two-tiered fountain in the center of the room, water flowing over the edge of the top bowl and splashing down into the bottom. Lash can see a small hazy mist or fog coming off of the water and gently floating down to the floor.
The room turns and goes farther east. Lash can hear quiet discussion from that direction.
Updated Map with the party in the hallway
Lash enters the room stealthily and peers around the corner to the east; hoping to see the others without alerting them to her presence.
Lash slinks around the corner, careful not to touch anything or make her presence known. She sees that the fountain stands alone in the room with an archway leading out to the east. Beyond the archway, Lash hears the voice of Man 1 urgently speaking in a hushed tone, "Pull yourself together, you fool. I think they've followed us!"
Map with Lash moved around the corner
You make a Fortitude save against the Mage Breath, then a Will save each round against the Confusion
Lash waves the party to enter the room as she's scanned it for traps. "They mentioned us following them, so keep guarded. I don't see what they are doing though." "Where are they? Invisible?"
Feeling particularly vulnerable until she spots them, she goes on the defensive. Her movements are hyperaware of what might hurt her or her allies.
[ooc]On total defense
Move:AB5 to AB1. AB1 to AE1
Lash waves the party to enter the room as she's scanned it for traps. "They mentioned us following them, so keep guarded. I don't see what they are doing though." "Where are they? Invisible?"
Feeling particularly vulnerable until she spots them, she goes on the defensive. Her movements are hyperaware of what might hurt her or her allies.
Lash makes her way to the edge of the room, her instincts keeping her from nearing the fountain. She takes a closer look it as she passes, noting the stone fountain lacks any sort of decorative markings. As she works her way down, she can see into the hallway and spots the two men a few feet into it. Man 2 is facing away from you, dagger in hand, with Man 1 seemingly backing away from him, hands out in front.
Man 2 suddenly shakes his head, sharply exhaling, before lunging at Man 1 with his dagger, barely missing him as Man 1 hops back. "Damnit! Won't you stop," Man 1 yells with a mix of anger and confusion. He looks over Man 2's shoulder and spots Lash. "Look! He's gone mad and he's going to kill me! You have to help!"
Marcos waits until everyone - from his original party - is in, them he enters as well standing near the doorstep.
Shiv follows lash along, letting croc trail behind them.
Watching Lash move carefully and quietly in Kahli waits until she is about 20' ahead, then follows. She tries to stay in the same path, not touching anything and trying to stay as far from the fountain as possible.
"You've both gone mad. Running carelessly ahead. This is what happens. And how do I know you aren't the mad one? I'm not shooting anyone. Deal with it yourself."
That doesn't mean that she won't try to figure out which one is acting crazed and which one isn't.
The party moves in behind Lash with Lash staying where she is, calling back to the men. Man 2 grabs his head and wavers a bit, falling to the side and leaning his shoulder on the wall. "Ugh," he groans. "I feel like my head is fogged I can't think straight." Lash can tell he's definitely not in the right state of mind and that Man 1 is not experiencing whatever has gotten into Man 2. Man 1 yells back to Lash. "I guess I can't expect better from someone who makes friends with cannibals!" He tries to grab Man 2, but punches the wall and shakes his hand in pain.
Behind Marcos, Ko'Tua laughs and leans down towards him, chuckling. "Heh heh. You look like smart man. Why you not find why that man crazy?" Marcos can feel the odd warmth emanating off Ko'Tua's body.
"I'm smart enough to be aware that I don't know everything. However" he goes on, "if you find it the hilarious, you could always try doing what he did, so we can see it with our own eyes."
Marcos then turns to Lash and the man not affected by the mental disorder. "We should help him not stab himself to death! You!" he says to Man 1, "tell us what you did here!" Maybe if they give some intel on their actions they can find out the source.
Sim raises his shield and slowly approaches the men.
"Fine...I mean...I don't want him to get stabbed." Having a clear shot, she will pull out a couple of her bludgeoning arrows and will try to knock the man out. "I'll grab his attention away from him...maybe try to knock him out," she whispers to the team.
"Be ready, because he'll probably charge me."
Man 2 shakes his head again, inhaling sharply, and pushes himself off the wall and lunges at Man 1 with his dagger, but misses horribly as he falls across the hallway to the other wall. Lash fires two arrows at Man 2, but with trying to only hinder the man, she can't connect and her arrows fly harmlessly down the hallway.
Man 1 calls back to Lash, "Is that supposed to help?!" He reaches out and manages to grab Man 2 in a bear hug as the delusional man takes another swing at him.
With Man 2 temporarily restrained, Man 1 responds to Marcos, "He was fine before we ran through that damned fog! Now he's gone cut me and himself!"
Sim moves inbetween Lash and the two men, ready to defend himself and the party.
Hearing the warning about the fog Kahli moves along the wall, coming up by Lash. Sounds like drugs or poison. Restrain him or knock him out. We want to avoid fighting and we can help with healing.
"Yes, we should avoid staying here."
"Do we need to tie this one up?" Shiv pulls out his rope from his pack.
The man yells back at Shiv, "If you've got rope, that would be great!"
"Yeah, probably a trap they sprung. Idiots..." she whispers back to Khali. "We tried to warn them. I just...I'm not so good at hitting people in this manner with an arrow. I'll let them tie him up instead of breaking more"
While her normal arrows used were more durable, her bludgeoning arrows are not and standardly break upon hitting their target. She will try to recover some once their "foe" is tied up.
"I was hoping he'd attack me, and the two of them would stop fighting, but it seems he really is mad," she will continue saying to Khali. Then to the others, she will call out. "We need to move on when you get him tied down. I don't particularly like standing here if there is something in the air or a trap that made him mad."
She looks to the Kuru, "Don't touch anything...Be careful where you step and don't brush any wall."
Shiv moves over and attempts to tie the man up.
Man 1 tries to hold Man 2, but he wriggles free, yelling "I just have a bit of a headache. You don't have to hold me!" Before he can do anything, Shiv comes up behind him and wraps his arms around the man.
Man 2 tries to look over his shoulder at Shiv. "Now who the hell are you?! Are you with those maneaters?"
Man 2 squirms a bit in Shiv's arms and Man 1 draws his dagger. "Just calm down and it'll be alright!" He attempts to knock Man 2 in the head with the hilt of the dagger, but Man 2 leans to the side, and Man 1 stops just in time before hitting Shiv in the face.
Shiv tightens his grip on the man and slams him to the ground. Man 2 snorts sharply and shakes his head before attempting to stab at Shiv, but with his disadvantageous position, he's unable to get a clear angle. Shiv quickly gets to work, binding the man's arms and legs.
The man continues to fight against the bindings, but to no avail. Man 1 kneels down near Man 2. "Hamley, you have to calm down. That damn fog has gotten into your head. You shoulda been more careful!" Man 1 looks up at Shiv. "I suppose you want a thank you." He falls to a sitting position and leans against the wall. "Well, thanks."
"I feel we've been fairly kind and earned some friendship worth from you," she will speak toward Man 1. "Why don't you give us your names. Also, would it be possible to return the stone ring there upon your finger to the door back there? They are a match and likely that is a key."
Kahli stays clear of the mist and joins the group. She assesses the men for wounds that need attention.
Facing the two men Kahli quietly speaks to them, "Have you heard the phrase, 'The enemy of my enemy is my ally'? We are all trapped in here by a power that is well beyond us. If we fight among ourselves we are doing the work of THAT enemy. Have the people that you call cannibals tried to eat you? They haven't tried to eat any of us so we're not fighting against them. You might just consider those things."
The unbound man looks up at Lash and Kahli and gives a subtle head bob with a slight smirk, seemingly in agreement. "Well, my name's Tenney, and," he lazily gestures to the tied up man, "this here's Hamley." He eyes the three party members standing before him and displays his left palm while he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a dark grey stone ring. "I suppose they haven't tried to eat me. They did try to bite me, but I was too quick." He moves his hands, mimicking waving a dagger in front of him.
He tosses the ring in his hand. "This might be a key? Why would they put the key in the door already?" He puts it on his finger. "I dunno. I feel pretty good wearing it."
While this conversation is going on, Hamley is shifting between being calm and trying to break out of his restraints. Eventually, there is an extended period where he is relaxed and is calmly laying on the floor. You feel like it's been about five minutes since Hamley and Tenney ran off.
Tenney looks to Kahli. "Look, just keep them away from us and we won't have any issues."
Hamley speaks up. "While we're at it, I'm feeling better now. Do you mind untying me?"
Marcos looks at the stone ring. He carefully thinks about it and starts to cast a magic detection spell, focusing on the item. "That this man was immune to the fog might be pure chance... Or maybe not. Let's see."