"Who wants these daggers?" Suizal holds them up. If no one claims them, she'll put them back in her pocket.
"And I say keep exploring. Wasn't there a room up that way," she points in a random direction. "And that man... we should come back when we're done."
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The party makes there way to a rusted iron door at the end of the western passage. A quick scan of the entryway uncovers no traps, and the magic users realize that the iron door and thick stone walls are hampering their ability to detect any possible magic that could be in the room. The door is rusted shut, but gives way to a few strong shoulder slams from Sir Falcon.
Inside is a dank room filled with various elaborate torture devices. There is an ancient rack, a fanciful brazen bull, an iron maiden, a cauldron large enough for a human adult to sit in, iron chairs with viciously placed spikes and protuberances, and finally a wooden table weighed down with terrible instruments. On the wall is a bronze plaque featuring a crowing rooster above crossed spears. Below the spears is a phrase, too small to be read from a distance
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Ilvaria detects a flash of magic as the door opens. Then it disappears at the same time that a raven suddenly appears perched above the bronze plaque. It speaks in a high- pitched voice, "Come in, come in! Have a seat! There's plenty of places to sit."
Falcon begins to feel an overwhelming urge to sit down on one of the spiky chairs.
Suizal tries to hold Sir Falcon back. "Don't do it!"
"What do you want with us? Do you know a wizard named Hunclay?". She's cautious and watches what Sir Falcon does.
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Suizal knows that imps are able to take the form of many different animals, including ravens. Despite being malicious, conniving little fiends, many evil spell-casters employ them as servants and familiars. Although Suizal doesn't know for sure that this creature is an imp; it would explain how a raven could be alive in this dungeon still when everything else down here appears to have died hundreds of years ago. If it is a devil, it is probably immune to fire and poison and resistant to acid and cold. Devil's are also vulnerable to silver and good aligned weapons. Finally, imps also can cast a number of magical powers; including detecting good and magical auras, turning invisible, putting corrupting thoughts into people's heads, reading fortunes, and communing with their master.
Sir Falcon casually strolls up to one of the spiked chairs and sits down. The samurai knows that its a terrible idea, yet he finds himself unable to resist. The spikes jab at his thighs and buttocks as his weight pushes down.
The raven cackles gleefully. "Yes! That's a good sport! Come, come in. Once everyone has found a seat, I promise that I will answer any questions that you have."
"Falcon, are you okay? Be more careful!". Suizal slowly steps into the room as well and sits down on a seat, hopefully one that doesn't have spikes. If no such seat exists, she will sit on the floor.
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As Falcon and Suizal enter the room, they notice that in the north corner there is a skeleton sitting in one of the iron chairs. In the room now, Falcon and Suizal can read the plaque that the bird is resting in. It says, "Confession Cleanses the Soul - Pain Clarifies the Mind".
"Yes, I was the wizard's familiar," the raven says. It sqwaks angrily when Suizal sits on the floor. "I suppose some backward cultures prefer sitting on the ground than in a chair like a civilized person," it quips.
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Andwise steps into the room, quite cautiously, having allowed Tanssi to enter before him.
Says it's a familiar, Tanssi. But, I don't see a wizard. Keep alert, will you?
At the Raven's suggestion, Andwise quickly clammers onto Tanssi's back- settling into its saddle. "This is a seat enough for me, if you don't mind. Is this skeleton here a guest of yours?" he asks, nodding to the corner of the room.
"Do as he says Andwise." Suizal says, eying the imp as she says so.
Melenthe's eyes narrow, "You cannot demand respect if you do not show it. Respect is mutual and cannot be taken by force, only given freely."
She stands in the doorway, "My friend speaks wisely, heed her words."
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The raven glares at the party with cold malice in its jet black eyes. "You have not shown any respect to me. You came into my torture chamber, trampling mud and cobwebs everywhere and started peppering me with questions. And when I made a simple request you have refused it."
The bird sighs deeply. "I remember a day when every one of those chairs was filled, and there would usually be someone in the maiden or stretched out on the rack too. It was really a sight to see. Oh how the screams would echo off the dungeon walls!" The raven shakes its head as it says with melancoly, "What has the world come to? What has happened to the Empire since I've been stuck here? Is it so much to ask that I get one little moment of joy after all these years? Just a few squeals of pain, just one cry of anguish?"
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Ilvaria steps forward.
“I can offer to relive these moments of torture with you! We can exchange stories of pain and suffering of the weak by the hands of the strong! We want to know more about these old days! Who ruled? Who were the power players? Who were prey and too weak to resist? What did your master and you personally have to do with all of this? How did the story end?“ she says seductively.
She looks at her team and hopes that she is not going too far but she has to win this being’s cooperation!
“And to show you that you have a kindred soul here, I will share my stories of cruelty! Listen … “ she says and tells first hand experiences of Drow culture full of seething intrigue and politics that was celebrated to rise in power through a combination of assassination and treachery!
Melenthe shudders at Ilvaria's stories. Giving a glimpse of anguish to the cruel bird.
"The Empire. How long have you been down here? Do you know Baron Sarvo?"
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The raven replies to Andwise, saying "And why should I help an insolent slip like you by answering your insipid questions?"
When Ilvaria makes her suggestion, the raven suddenly becomes interested and listens raptly as she discusses the political situation within her corner of the Darklands. "I always assumed drow were just anarchic murders but I can see now that there is something to appreciate in your culture after all. An understanding that there is a natural social hierarchy and the terror and suffering that it takes to maintain a wonderful civilization. Its quite beautiful, isn't it? I would love a chance to see your home someday."
The raven reciprocates by telling the party a little of the history of the tower. "This tower belonged to the rulers of Belhaim, a clan by the name of the Canteclures. Sadly the last of their line was Baron Sarvo Canteclure. Good Baron Sarvo wills it!" the raven says, cawing shrilly as if it was laughing. "He understood the beauty of discipline and just punishment meted out upon the wicked and lazy. But he was also too ambitious. He joined a rebellion against the Grand Prince of the Empire and found himself on the losing side. I believe that was around 4500 AR. The Taldan army marched into Belhaim and in the process they set the prisoners free."
The raven gestures to the skeleton in the chair with its beak. "That there was the last overseer of the dungeon. I had to watch as they killed the man in a perverse fit of so-called justice. A travesty! Sadly, I have been here alone since then."
The bird also points out that there is a hidden passage in the north-eastern corner, behind the chair with the skeleton.
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Melenthe isn't sure how much it would be worth, but she thinks that the bronze plaque on the wall could be sold to the right buyer. Its in good condition and shows the family crest and motto very clearly. Unfortunately, being made out of solid bronze, it is also rather heavy, probably weighing about fifty pounds.
"I would love to leave this room, but I'm afraid that can't happen," the bird says sadly.
"You're physically unable to leave or emotionally unable? Anything we can do to help?"
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"I haven't been a familiar to anyone for awhile now. Yet at the same time I can not leave."
Responding to Suizal the raven says, "Let's say that I have an obligation that keeps me here. Of course, I could be released from that obligation with a few simple words."
"HARZOGOPAS, I RELEASE THEE FROM YOUR SERVITUDE. That phrase, said thrice would do the trick. And I may have held back a little scrap of information as a reward for someone who would say those sweet words."
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At the address of 'slip' Andwise recoils, shifting into silence.
Tanssi. When we have to opportunity to pluck this raven... and we will have an opportunity... I wish you to deliver the killing blow
Recovering, he simply smiles at the Raven- biting his tongue while the others relive the tales of torture that sound far to real. At the opportunity to release the creature- Andwise turns on his heal and quickly ignores the raven, making quite clear his intent (and sympathy for) the predicament it is in.
"Who is this Harzo-go-pass?". Suizal pronounces the name. "And what happens when we do say those words?"
Suizal tries to sense the imp's raven's true intentions - is there really treasure for Suizal?
[b]"Harzogopas, I release thee from your servitude...Harzogopas, I release thee from your servitude..."[b] she pauses before saying it one last time, looking at the others in the room. Then she looks at the imp.
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Suizal thinks that the creature is definitely something quite wicked, yet he has a hunch that it would keep its end of the bargain. How useful the information that the creature has remains to be seen.
Harzogopas chuckles and says, "Yes! Free at last!" The chuckle then turns to maniacal laughter for almost a solid minute before they finally stop.
"I wouldn't want anyone to say that Harzogopas does not keep his end of the bargain. There was a passcode used by the old masters for somewhere deeper in the dungeon. Now, I didn't get out of this room much so I'm not sure where it lets you get into, but the phrase is “Good Baron Sarvo wills it”. The raven then takes flight out of the room.
The hidden door leads to a corridor leading west, and then south. As the corridor turns east the floor drops away, exposing a five-foot deep trough filled with foul-smelling, thick green sludge. There is a seven-inch-wide ledge that continues along the south wall. The walls in this passage are very smooth and offer few handholds, making travel across the narrow ledge a hazardous proposition.
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Falcon makes a note to come back for the symbol when they are getting ready to leave this place and peers down the corridor.
Falcon adjusts his armor. Thankfully his training left him light on his feet.
He opens up his climbing kit and ties a rope around his waist and hands the end to Suizel. Just don't drop it .
He then tries to shimmy across the ledge, point in pitons and feeding the rope through it as he goes.
Falcon then holds the rope steady to help others cross.
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Falcon sets the bronze plaque next to the door of the torture room so that he remembers to grab it on the way out of the dungeon before exploring the secret passage.
The samurai is able to easily scramble across the narrow ledge. He drives three of his pitons into wall and threads his rope through it. This will make the journey across the sludge filled tunnel much safer for most of the party, leaving only Andwise's eidolon having to navigate the ledge without the safety line.
At the end of the tunnel there is a raised platform that looks safe and dry. There is a closed iron door in the middle of the southern wall.
Despite the narrow ledge, Tanssi drifts easily through the wall.
"Thought I would fall, didn't you Andwise. Underestimated Tanssii, you did. And you lied about being able to eat that raven...
The Eidolon continues to make its way into the darkness, until they reach the door.
"Come and use your tools. I can go no further"
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Grabbing hold of the rope, Andwise follows behind Tanssi. Despite the treacherous footing, his eidolon puts no step wrong. And following it becomes quite a simple task.
It isn't my fault that woman let it free. The thing gave me the creeps. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of it though...
Once at the door, he looks around at the surroundings before approaching- making sure to leave enough time for the others to survey the land as well.
After he is contented that there are not traps or threats, he approaches and checks to door to see if it needs unlocked.
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Andwise checks the door as sees that while it seems to have the same kind of lock as the other doors in the dungeon, it appears that it is unlocked. Not finding any traps, he opens the door. There is another long corridor leading east and ending at another metal door.
At the end of the hall is another iron door, this one with a small barred window. Through the window the party can see a plain looking ten by ten foot room, bereft of any furnishings. On the other side of this room is another iron door, but this one lacks a viewing window.
A faint magical aura can be detected in the room. The door is locked, but is in bad shape compared to the other locks in this dungeon.
Suizal waves goodbye to the raven. Later, as they are traveling across the ledge. "That was a lovely imp, don't you think? I hope we get to meet him again."
"What do you see Ilvaria? Anything interesting in there?"
"Yes, I believe so.". Suizal shrugs. "It wanted to be free so why not? Not like there will be any repercussions, right?"