Tawg stumbles back as the wall slides open, unveiling the man. "Uh, guys?" When Eowithe calls Tawg "ingenious", he turns with a quizzical look and half-assedly points at the wall. "I mean, I just pushed th-"
He's cut off by the man's question. "Uh, what old man? Did he look like..." He describes Cardinal Adrastus Thorn. Looking at the spikes on the walls, Tawg is not willing to enter the room, but he extends a calloused green hand. "Do you need help getting out?" He tries to smile at the man.
Gildevar studies the poor young man from across the room. Does the boy look like he'd belong upstairs with the other (beautiful) servants? If not, surely he must've done something truly horrible to have ended up here. That, or he's not a boy at all, but a whatever draped in a glamor or worse, an actual transformation spell.
For now, Gildevar looks and observes. He does contemplate opening up his mind to get a glimpse at the young man's thoughts, but for now, such measures seem unnecessary. Relying on your 'powers' too much will make you an extension of them. Wield the tools, do not become one.
Sarela wastes no time. Ensuring the symbol of Asmodeus is well-hidden, she walks over and kneels down next to Tawg. "Ignore her words. She's just naturally intimidating. Did that nasty old man hurt you? Don't worry, young man. We can keep you safe. You look so ragged. We have some food and water, if you want. Come here. What is your name?" She, too, holds a hand out to him with an encouraging smile on her face, making eye contact with him, projecting an aura of welcome.
As the young man's eyes finally adjust to the light, he sees Tawg and recognises what he is. He starts, wanting to move backwards but aware of the spikes on the wall preventing that. "G-g-g... goblin!"
He wants even more to get away when Eowithe approaches. "Stay away! If you hurt me my master will not let you live!"
"I'm so thirsty." He says when Sarela offers food and water. He seems to accept her smile as genuine. "He hurt me and I ran down here and hid. But it was dark and I couldn't see where I was. When the door closed, those spikes shot out and got me."
Gildevar senses the young man is fearful and scared of the old man as well as you all. You also notice the tabard of Talinguarde that he wears. "My name is Timeon."
”Don’t worry about the goblin - he won’t hurt you. He’s a good one.” Sarela takes out some food from her pack and her waterskin before offering them to Timeon. ”As for her, she’s naturally intimidating. It helps her root out the enemy. Now, Timeon, while you eat and drink, why don’t you tell me what happened, hmm?”
Not wanting to undo Sarela's efforts, Gildevar makes it a point to visually relax now that the initial shock of their unexpected meeting - and the condition the prisoner finds himself in - have passed. He sits down and takes a breather while the woman works her silver tongue on the hapless fool.
Eowithe raises her eyebrows when Sarela tells the boy to ignore her words, a sharp retort on her lips. But then she smiles, knowing well the game that Sarela was playing.
Her eyes close to slits as she feels the boy's fear pouring from him. Satisfied that her work was done, she turns and returns to the implements of torture, occasionally bringing one up into the light, ensuring she was within the boy's sight at all times.
"A good goblin?" He says incredulously. His eyes continuously flick between each person in the room nervously.
He cautiously takes the food. Once he remembers how hungry he is he bites into it. "I was looking for Sir Balin. I'm his squire you see. We were hunting down a group of escaped prisoners..." He looks around nervously again. "He found their trail but something monstrous captured us in our sleep and brought us here. But I escaped and the old man chased me down here and I hid. I'm going to rescue Sir Balin, but I don't know where he is being held."
"All on your own, and with no weapons? That's very brave, Timeon, but we've been down here a short time, and just recently encountered a gaseous creature that can drain blood. I do not know that you could succeed at rescuing Sir Balin in your present condition. We may be able to find him for you, however. Did the old man say anything?"
Tawg turns and walks towards the center of the room as Timeon recoils at his sight. He looks up at Sarela as he passes. "Sometimes I forget what I look like." When Timeon mentions they were looking for escaped prisoners, Tawg leans towards Gildevar. "Hey...we're escaped prisoners. Do you think we're the ones he and that Balin guy were looking for?"
When Eowithe shows the tools in the light, Tawg shies away and moves to the other side of Gildevar.
"It wouldn't surprise me," Gildevar answers Tawg with a hushed voice. "What would surprise me is if Balin is being held down here as well. That ... that would be a monumental achievement by Cardinal Thorn, and one I can't help but feel in awe of. Balin is no push-over, from all I've heard about him, and he's a man to ... heh, if not fear, then at the very least he is to be respected. Bastard caught me off-guard mid-ritual."
Ceres just ever-so-slightly rolls her eyes as Sarela moves to comfort the boy, the witch's hair twitching in agitation. Were it up to her, she'd simply choke what the boy knows - if anything - out of him, but... Ceres had to admit there was a use to less direct methods. Turning she moves towards Eowithe and the torturer's table. They may yet be needed.
Eowithe smiles as Tawg avoids her, but turns as Ceres approaches, "A most complete set of implements , don't you think. Look at this blade, " she says, holding up a painfully thin, curved blade with tapered handle, "This one , I believe, is for flaying the skin from behind the ear...most exquisite."
She places the blade, reluctantly, back on the table, then crosses her arms and turns to watch Sarela with the boy. Cruelty is a tool not a pastime. Be ruthless to thy enemy but reward those who serve thee well. she thinks to herself, nodding at the wisdom contained in those words.
But, too bad her skills were not in the persuasion of those beneath her...she'll leave that to the seductress, Sarela.
Timeon looks ashamed. "I lost my shortsword when I ran..." He thinks for a moment, still seeming nervous, watching you all while thinking. "A.. a vampire? I don't know. I did hear something about vicious metal cobras. While I hid, the old man was talking to a woman about it. What they said scared me. Umm... there's a secret door across from the stairs. Umm... He also said something about drowned men rising when the shrieker cries at the sun's rise. I don't know what it means. I was praying to Mitra to help save me just before you came in here..."
Sarela nods. ”That’s alright, Timeon. I’m sure it means something for some of the other horrors that wait here. Why don’t you tell me about yourself, where you’re from - that kind of thing?”
Araton steps forward, thanking his bloodline that his more infernal nature was hidden from most except the most trained eyes. Stepping up beside Sarela, he gives a nod of encouragement.
"That is useful information Timeon, very useful. You have helped us in preparation for what is ahead." The warrior says with a smile that hides ulterior motives. "Indeed. Tell us about yourself. How long have you been in the service of Sir Balin's service." The memory of the man's firm grip on his shoulder, squeezing tightly as Araton's familial home burned to the ground, was seared into the tiefling's mind. He would have his vengeance, if he could.
Ceres remains in the other room, out of sight and earshot of the boy. Her crab skitters along her shoulder as if agitated.
Patience, Ceres thinks, and the crab settles, as if settling in for a nap. Let the sweet-talkers do their thing.
A shiver runs down Tawg's back at what Timeon says. Still to Gildevar, not wanting to talk to the boy and upset him again, Tawg tries to keep his voice down. "He says scary stories. What do you think he means about "drowned men" and "shrieker cries"? I think I get metal snakes...," he scratches his cheek, "not that I want to meet them..."
Time on nervously looks around again before convincing himself to speak. "I'm just Sir Balin's new squire. I've been serving him for several months since he came from a mission past the watch wall. He said his last squire fell valiantly in battle against the savage bugbears. When he stopped in Balentyne, my father petitioned him to train me. He said this will make me into a man her can be proud of. If I can get out of here and save Sir Balin, he is sure to see how I have proved myself so quickly." He stops and motions to you all. "Of course I shall also see you well rewarded for helping me get out of here alive. My family is influential in the north."
"I see Timeon, I see. It was poor fate that brought you here." Araton says almost sadly, shaking his head gently now. "Your master would not wish for us to rescue you. You must understand; you are here because you are weak. If this wasn't true, would you not have been able to save yourself? Would you not have been able to protect Sir Balin?" Araton's words are soft and feign kindness even as he digs at the man's cowardice. The tiefling's face moves into a small smile as he places his hand upon Timeon's shoulder.
"This is nothing to fear though. What Sir Balin and your father do not realize is that they are trying to move you from your place in life. They disturb the natural order of things, have led you on a path of danger, and into the arms of uncertainty. Yet you do not need to fear, my gentle friend. You are in capable hands now; our hands. We may seem strange but we are honest. We will not lead you astray, only towards truth." Araton leans in towards Sarela, whispering into the charming woman's ears.
"This may be part of the test. Any influence we can gain for ourselves and the master will serve us well. The boy could be useful, once he is broken down correctly."
Sarela gives Araton a glance - she already had a use for the boy, and she doubted it was the same use the other saw. Still, she tries to play along and smiles kindly at Timeon. ”Of course, one’s place may always be bettered, if one has the will and ambition to do so. Few do, however, and fewer still succeed. It can be a hard road to walk, after all, and many choose the comfort of the known over the uncertainty of improvement. My friends and I need to talk for a moment. Think about your place in life while we do, and if you truly have the will to improve it.”
She moves off a ways with Araton and motions the others over to the pair. Speaking quietly so he can’t overhear, she says, ”I think we’ve gotten everything we can from the boy. Araton, what possible influence do you see us getting from him?”
"I do not think of him as a liar; his situation is too severe of a predicament that he would consider lying. He is desperate, his family has riches and he has his own connections as well. They could prove useful, if we keep him alive." Araton offers quietly to Sarela and the others. "He sees us as his heroes at the moment. A vulnerability that can be targeted if we wish."
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Tawg skips a breath when Araton says that Timeon sees the group as heroes. "We did try to save the cooks back at the prison! Maybe we can save Timeon, too!" Tawg pushes his way around towards Timeon. "Hey! You are in a cage right now. I lived a lot in a cage. It was small and not fun. Your master lead you in to this cage. How do you know he won't keep you from more cages? My friends," he waves his hand back at the group, "freed me from my cage. Upstairs are comfy cages with beds and servants! If you come with us, you'll get your own bed!" He gives another oversized smile, hopefully not freaking out the boy.
"Hey! You are in a cage right now. I lived a lot in a cage. It was small and not fun."
Hahaha, Tawg, master of understatement. Thank you for the chuckle.
Just checking in. Ceres doesn't have much to add as she's not the type for deception or flattery, so she's going to be staying in the other room for a bit :)
"What. No. This is just a test. Mitra will deliver us." Timeon is unable to consider what Araton said about Sir Balin and his father, refusing to believe he is here because of them.
Timeon instinctively shies away from Tawg. "The prison?" Timeon's eyes open wide. "You're the escaped prisoners that Sir Balin's been tracking!" He puts a hand over his mouth when he realises what he has said.
Tawg's words made Araton's smile falter for a moment but only for the barest moment. The oversized goblin showed great tenacity in combat, he would maybe need some lessons in subtlety when they had the chance for it. Timeon's inexperience was a foolish thing, letting slip his realization exactly who they were. Giving a soft sigh, he would shake his head gently.
"Alas, we are. Quite kind for a group of blasphemers, killers, and heretics, are we not?" Araton said with a smile, stepping closer to young man. "Your father's foolishness and your mentor's ambition has led you into the maw of hell itself. You revealed that Sir Balin is down here with us and you exposed the dangers ahead for us that'll help ensure our safety. When we take his life, it will be because of your kindness. If this was a test...you most certainly have failed Timeon. Your father. Your mentor. Mitra." The words drip like poison off of Araton's tongue before he looks to the others. <b>"Should we restrain him to the chains here? Let him contemplate his failings? Or shall we deliver him to his god?"[/b] Araton asks the others, his voice cruelly casual regarding Timeon's destiny.
Sarela smiles at Timeon once again, but where once there was friendliness, now there is malicious intent. ”Perhaps we should let young Timeon decide. You have two choices, Timeon. We can chain you up here, in this torture chamber, to contemplate whatever fate may await you, or we can send you to meet your insipid sun god now. The first choice may allow you to continue living. The second guarantees death. Which do you choose?”
"No... It..." Timeon tries to find something to grasp on to in his mind. "You won't win. He is a Knight of the Alerion Order, blessed by Mitra to smite down his evil foes!"
When Sarela makes her offer to him he shrinks back from her and stats to bed for his life. "Please spare me! I meant what I said about my family in the north. If you return me to them, I promise I won't tell anyone about you." Under his breath he is reciting some type of prayer to Mitra for deliverance.
Sarela smiles. "Well, if nothing else, the boy has survival instincts. Eowithe, Ceres, would you please chain him to the rack? That should make sure he doesn't go anywhere."
It feels to Gildevar like they misplayed this encounter, but he bites his tongue and gets up from the ground. After all, he hadn't taken charge, so what right does he have to speak up and complain?
Gingerly he pats off his trousers and vest and rejoins the others. It seems they're about to decide the poor fool's fate. "Say Timeon is right and we can't possibly beat Sir Balin, that would mean all of us ..." and Gildevar looks at everyone present, including Timeon. "All of us will perish here. Well, I guess we'll have to find out. Poor Timeon should pray and ask Mitra to favor us in the fight to come, or else he'll never see his family again. The old man will make sure of that."
Ceres simply shrugs and placing a firm hand on Timeon's shoulder, pulls him to the rack for further bondage. If need be, she'd turn the crank until he squealed.
Timeon begins to cry and beg as he is tied to the torture rack. "Please let me go, I won't tell anyone about you. I just want to go home. I don't want to be a knight anymore."
Backtracking to the previous room of darkness, the mist creature is still hiding beneath the floor in the far corner. You are free to unbar and pass through the east door. Another hallway leads you north about 80ft and a quick turn to the right shows you another wooden door. Above the door is another inscription. This lesson from Thorn reads...
The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy.
"Now, now, Timeon. All in good time. We have things that need doing first. You'll be safe here - well, as safe as one can be strapped to a rack in a torture chamber." Sarela laughs mockingly as they leave the room, leaving Timeon to his lonesome - and imagination for what horrors may come next. A little time there, and his blood will be just right for writing the escape from Branderscar to my Book. Sir Balin's blood should suffice for a warrior of righteousness.
Once out of the room, she replies to Gildevar, "Sir Balin is a dangerous opponent, I'm sure. All that means, however, is that we cannot face him without a plan." Adjusting her iron circlet, Sarela is suddenly replaced by a human man, outfitted as a member of the Talirean army. The man still speaks with Sarela's voice, "With these, we can appear to be a rescue force for him. Our looks, and if we say we found Timeon and he's safe with others, should be enough to get him to lower his guard. Then, once we have him surrounded, we strike." She adjusts the circlet again, dropping the illusion. "That should make him weak enough for us to finish off, despite whatever blessings Mitra has bestowed upon him."
Sarela reads the inscription above the door before saying, "Well, this one seems fairly straightforward. A fight lies on the other side, I think."
After the party grabs the boy and ties him to the rack, Tawg stands up on his tip-toes, placing his face near Timeon's, the stench of rotting meat stuck in teeth falling out of Tawg's mouth with every word. "Being tied up isn't so bad. You get used to it after a while." He gives a reassuring tap on the shoulder. "When we get back, if they like you like they liked me, then we'll get you out of here! If not..." Tawg gets distracted by the party continuing onward. "Oh, wait up," he cries as he runs up behind them, leaving Timeon behind.
When Sarela offers up her plan, Tawg follows suit and adjusts his circlet, his humble monk's shirt and breeches transforming to be an ill-fitting uniform. "Uh, hold on." He adjusts it again, and the uniform shrinks to his size. He looks at his Goblin hands. "Almost..." One last tweak and his features change to look more Halfling-esque. "Would this be good enough?"
After reverting back to his normal Goblin-y appearance, Tawg steps up after the lesson is read and stretches his arms. "If it's might they're looking for, I'm right here," and prepares to open the door when given the signal...
"Blessed by Mitra? How quaint. Just like no one could escape Brandenscar, right?" Araton taunted for a moment, chuckling to himself. "I will bring you your master's head, let you ruminate upon things." The others strapped down the young squire before they left him behind, moving forward deeper into the winding tunnels underneath Thorne's estate.
Standing before the door, Araton looks over the inscription and nods in agreement with Sarela's assessment. It did seem like there was a battle about to be had. The squire's confessions gave them insight into the foes ahead.
"Metal serpents, he said, laid ahead. Let us prepare ourselves." He would focus for a moment, his eyes closing as he spoke in the tongue of devils. Power resonated in his words and for a moment, whispers from unseen beings would seem to speak in the minds of all those there. Their words were impossible to truly discern but all would be left with a sensation that they were in good hands, being guided.
After his spell was cast, he would wait for those that needed to finish their own preparations to do so before giving Tawg the nod to open the door.
After preparing for a fight, Tawg is instructed to open the door. It swings open to reveal another similarly sized room again with a singular lit lantern hanging from the center of the ceiling illuminating it.
There is a single barred door in the south wall.
The room is filled with 10 small metal Cobra statues around the edge of the room and 1 huge one in the middle made of stone.
The small cobra statues' scales have a silvery-blue sheen, indicating they are made from mithral. The central cobra is simply smooth grey stone, nothing special. Nothing about the cobras indicates movement or reaction to the door opening.
Armed with a rapier and driven forth by curiosity, Gildevar holds his breath as he studies the room in front of them. The silvery-blue sheen catches his eye and he warns his companions. "The small cobra statues are made from mithral. I think mithral is a relatively light metal, and quite valuable. It might be one of those metals that's easy to enchant, but ... such knowledge is not my forte, so take my words as hearsay rather than as fact."
Looking around the room, Araton feels the blessing of hell itself upon him for a moment before taking a moment to enter in cautiously into the room with shield and sword drawn. His eyes watch the silvery-sheen snakes more so than the stone one in the middle.
He nods at the priest's ascertations; his wealthy upbringing had put him in the company of such material from time to time. It made beautiful statues and could make armor or weapon into a lightweight work of art while still being exceptional in quality and purpose.
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"Gildevar, hold still a moment. I've got a little something for you." She reaches out and places a hand on his head, concentrating a moment, setting up a little something to help the priest out.
Looking over the room, she too, notices the cobras. Leveling her scimitar at one of the small ones, she says, "Timeon said metal cobras. The big one is, I think, a distraction to draw attention away from the little ones so they can sneak up on us." Grimacing, she continues, "Also, I suspect that many of my abilities will be less than useful against these metal cobras, particularly if they do not have minds for me to affect or blood to spill."
"I suspect my abilities will be more useful, on the other hand. Let's see if they move when touched" A flicker of light, yellow and strained, alights from Ceres' hand. Holding it aloft, Ceres steps into the room, circling south along the wall towards the nearest statue, her hair snaking out, a hammer in search of a nail.
Tawg is able to see the glint of light off of the metal cobras. "Ooooh, I've seen this metal on armor before. They were able to move much faster than they should." He cracks his knuckles. "It didn't stop my fists any more, though."
As Ceres extends her magic out to touch one of the cobras, Tawg will be by her side, ready to dent any metal that dares to move.
As soon as Ceres moves closer to the cobra it comes to life and looks directly at her. All the rest remain unmoving.
Sarela attempts to insinuate her way into the cobra's mind - if it had one - before gliding towards it and striking with her scimitar.
Standing directly in front of his suddenly animated metal foe, Tawg rears back and attempts to land two big blows on the mithral cobra.
Gildevar moves in and flanks Ceres, aiding her effort to dislodge the mithral cobra with blade and cunning. Sadly for Gildevar, stabbing a metallic cobra is not all that cunning.
Eowithe moves into the room and examines the cobras.
Tawg, Sarela, Ceres and Gildevar move in swiftly and attack the cobra as it springs to animated life. A blow from Tawg lands, several mithral scales fly off but much less damage is done to it that he thinks should have. It seems to ignore Sarela's stare and her scimitar does very little damage to it as a few more mithral scales fly off. Ceres seems to do the most damage but also much less that normal for her strength. As she grapples and squeezes, more scales pop off and cracks revealing the iron skeleton of the construct. Gildevar misses in spite of all.
The grappled cobra rears back and spits poison at Ceres but its aiming mechanism seems to be damaged so it decides to bite her instead and inject its venom.
As Sarela has moved in to strike, she has stood near another cobra. It senses her and comes to life, looking to strike.
These mithral cobras are definitely constructs and as such are immune to all mind-affecting effects, bleed and many other things that could prove fatal for a living creature. Covered in mithral, they are faster than their iron cobra standard make, being able to attack twice in a round and just as tough, having Dr 5/- and spell resistance. They also possess a poison reservoir inside their head with enough for 3 bites or spits. Which poison these possess to inflict you with is a question for the Cardinal.
Sarela grimaces and calls out, "As I expected, these cobras are constructs. They have no mind to be affected, no blood to spill, and their mithral scales make them resistant to our weapons and spells, in addition to being faster than iron cobra constructs they are based, able to strike in quick succession. There is a poison reservoir in their heads that holds 3 doses of whatever Cardinal Thorn put in it. They also come to life when approached. The good news is that if we awaken one at a time, the fights should be manageable."
Sarela strikes out with her scimitar yet again, then takes a step back from the two cobras, leaving room for Araton or Eowithe to step in.
Stuck in a corner, Gildevar holds his sword as both a deterrent and a tool to end the construct's life. For now, it's mostly a deterrent.
Something wicked surges through Ceres's body, and the woman shudders and snarls as her hair twists. The cobra, not surprisingly, shows itself to be both hardy and elusive...
Seeing another cobra come to life, Tawg's instinct is the take down the strongest foe, hoping his friends have the weakened cobra in hand. He slides in-between the two and slams down twice into the new cobra. "I don't care about their armor! I've beaten down bigger things than them!"