"How are the prisoners? Good shape. Ha ha." The short cultist asks the two in the hallway.
Responding to Mal "Heard the old lady's a surprisingly tought nut to crack, but the other guy might have something good. Well, the Lord of Torture will get them both soon enough." with a shrug. Offering a friendly "Hail Zariel guys." as they pass.
Donal will head toward the prison first...
Hail Zariel to you too, guys! Simon is interested that in a place where he has not been yet, but he just squints at the door and goes with everyone to prison.
"Hail Zariel." Mal offers in a whisper and follows Donal to the prison.
Upon opening the prison door, you see a broad-shouldered devilish figure with purple skin and a beard of writhing snakelike tentacles standing in the middle of a room lined by iron doors, tightening its grip on a glaive as it glares at you through the darkness.
Each door is set with a small barred window, and a ring of keys hangs from the creature's belt. On opposite walls of the prison are two tzompantli filled with human skulls, matching the style of things you've seen imported from Maztica. It's hard to tell from this distance and perspective which of the cells have prisoners.
Donal lets everyone in and closes the door behind them.
Simon pronounces the duty Heil Zariel and stands up so that someone in armor is between him and the devil.
How are the prisoners holding up? Have you learned anything?
He lets Donal act as mouthpiece.
"We're here to escort the old lady to the Duke." Mal orders the devil.
The devil raises a snakebrow at Donal, regarding everyone's masks closely for one terse moment...then points over to one of the cells with his glaive tip "...the intruder's master is a mage at Candlekeep. The name will come next. He knows of the puzzle box." Then, pointing with the same scarred instrument over your shoulder "The Hhune is tight-lipped, but serves her purpose well enough as captive."
As Mal chimes in about moving the old lady (clearly now some Hhune noble) it looks surprised about such a suggestion "Very well. I will escort the prisoner with you. This one is far too important to let out of my sight." he starts preparing some transport shackles.
The Hhune are making a move against the Duke? Donal muses as he spins and bludgeons the fiend with his new mace!
Noting the effect on the devil, Donal slips his shield out from under his cloak, donning it with practiced speed!
As the attuned mace head impacts the surprised devil, it flashes an instant in a pure white burst...striking flesh like flint on steel. The devil's skin ripples with runes for a split second, shattering like glass as the mace powers through.
Inits:
Round 1:
Thoss
Mal, Reya, Grim, Simon, Don <--UP
Mal pulls out his crossbow from under his robes. He loads a bolt and shoots at the devil. The tactic might be better than a dagger or getting into a melee.
Casts magic weapon as a bonus action and attacks with the sword in both hands.
for
Simon nods and draws those ghostly runes in the air again, sending a stream of red-black energy into the devil. This time, however, he adds another movement, taking the petrified eye of the newt out of the pouch on his belt for a while.
Mal thwips a bolt outta nowhere from a concealed sniperperch of crossbow from under his robes. Again, its like firing at wet clay, the purple flesh of the creature sapping its forward momentum.
Reya drops her mask and draws her sword, vengeful eyes locked on the devil's hundred eyes...a pair for each snake in the creature's beard...
...but the Hellrider's blows are much too inadequate. Reya curses herself a moment before tearing off the weighty robes with her teeth.
Suddenly a burst of rainbow magic as Grim's sword is held aloft and struck by some amazing conflux of magical energies, infusing every atom and corpuscule of the metal with celestial light. The blade swipes through the devil's flesh like a hot knife through butter, leaving a long perfectly clean gash.
*thwump*
The raised flesh quivers struck directly from an eldritch stream, pouring outwards from the nobles hands. The devil rages and seems sapped of its vigor.
"*grrr* My turn, mortals."
The beard of snakes pulses out at Donal dripping poison from its myriad of fangs, but they slap against the Tormtar's shield uselessly. Similarly, it appears the devil's martial capabilities are not quite the match of a Kelemvor imbued holy warrior...despite the edge of the long weapon being quite ornate and itself ensorcelled with some dark magics.
Round 2:
Thoss
Mal, Reya, Grim, Simon, Don <--UP
Is it your turn to go back to hell, weakling? It can be noticed that Simon, although he mocks the devil, did not take off his mask. What if this isn't the last meeting?
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for
Mal loads another bolt and sneaks it through his companions. He buries his arrow to the fletching in the devil's throat.
Before Thoss can even contemplate answering Simon, he is assailed again by a burst of energy as ancient as himself...a curse echoed across the crackling eldritch blast. Grim swipes down as a feint then straight up through the bearded jaw, knocking his gaze upwards...and opening Mal's crossbow for a perfect throat strike. The bolt strikes the neck, and for a moment hangs in air as the devil's body bursts into shattered motes of thick brimstone. The bolt carries on only mildly impeded and continues to strike the plaster wall, where it sinks deep to the fletching. In a final flash of suffering the visage of the bearded devil is bound by some radiant chains and dragged down out of this plane.
*clink*
Not even an ash remains, but a keyring falls to the floor.
Mal slings his crossbow beneath his cultist robes and smooths them down. He saunters over to the keyring and picks them up. He tries to unlock and open the cell of the old lady while surveying the other prisoners.
Mal finds the right key with some trial and error and just a bit of halfling luck. The sturdy door swings open, but the old woman seems skeptical and cowers in the corner. Taking a moment to survey the other cells, it seems there is only one other prisoner besides her.
"What manner of cult is this that raises devils only to cast them aside...?" her eyes little accustomed to light, she raises a hand trying to gauge her liberators.
"Oh most of us are not really cultists. Just in disguise to move around here easier. We're Fist. She's a Hellrider. And, he's a cultist turncoat who had a change of heart. We're all devil-slayers."
"We're here to rescue you. What can you tell us about the other prisoners?" The halfling smiles as if the situation was completely normal.
"...slayers?" she said, full of wonder. "Well, I am Satiir Thione-Hhune...I believe I am being held here to prevent my family from opposing Duke Vanthampur's bid to become the new grand duke. As for him, he was introduced to these accommodations somewhat recently, an intruder or so they say..."
Suddenly from over in the other cell "...uh...hello? Falaster Fisk here, slayers...er, sirs." came an erudite middle aged man's voice. "Are you...can you release me as well?"
Forgive me Lady Thione-Hhune, but is there something you aren't raising here? In our profession we tend to have high tuned 'trouble detectors'... and it seems your incarceration may not be the full story.
Mal heads to the other occupied prison cell and opens the door after unlocking it. "Falaster Fisk? Alliteration should have you working for the Flaming Fist, sir. Please introduce yourself and reason of incarceration."
Grim carried on with the old woman as Mal turned to the other cell. At the Doomguide's insinuation she takes a moment to look over everyone, their arms and armor specifically "No. It may not. But I rather...are you releasing me or is this to be a new round of devilish interrogation?" she scoffs, fanning her face with her hand as she reddens.
Through the tiny window Mal gets a better look at this Fisk character, who repeats his unfortunate name "...at your service." he's lean and spry, but also quite old...late 40s or 50s. He has those unmistakable otherworldly feminine eyes and pointed nose that mark him as a Calishite. Fisk sports a goatee that has been dyed crimson with henna, but his hair is a natural black and quite tidy considering his incarceration. After opening the cell he continues "My crime was trespassing you see...well, they caught me! I discovered Thavius Kreeg had taken residence here and came to investigate. It was my assignment to find proof of Kreeg's crimes..."
Reya slapped the open door of his cell "Careful, spy! What gives you the gall to accuse the High Observer of Torm of breaking laws and siding with evil? He could simply be captive just as you..."
He looks at Reya and almost pities her "I'm sorry little love, but that's not the information we have. My master believes Kreeg struck a bargain with an archdevil, and that a copy of the contract he signed now lay hidden within a magic puzzle box. Tangible proof."
"And who is your master? Another cutthroat patriar offering glass shields for the worms of this government?" Reya responds in disbelief.
"I beg the ladies pardon, but nothing of the sort. My master is Sylvira Savikas, sage of Candlekeep and one of the Eight Great Readers, and she has been monitoring devils in Baldur's Gate and Elturel for months." he pauses a moment with a look to the others before "...you must be the Hellrider? It was Sylvira's network that informed your organization of Odious and Thoss, my lady."
Reya still has a hard time believing that Kreeg could betray everyone, this story with the legendary wizards of Candlekeep hard to swallow. To everyone else though, Fisk appears honest. He turns to you all "We can help each other, I think. Before I was caught I got the layout of this level...there are a number of concealed doors and hidden rooms. Perhaps we could find this puzzle box together...Sylvira thinks she can open it, and is willing to pay -- in gold or magic items."
With the second (and last?) prisoner released, Mal subtly sidles up to the old lady wondering if it be worth Charming her. Maybe later, "M'lady, we have released you. Although, it probably isn't safe for you without us until we reach the outside."
"Are you sure that there isn't anything you know which could help us defeat the Duke? Even as a distraction? You can whisper it to me, or Grim. He's a holy servant of Kelemvor, so you can trust him with your life and afterlife."
M'lady, we have ever intention of rescuing you and restoring your freedom. You may speak freely without fear, but pray you, do not lie
"Fine, I can see its no use trying to hide. I do have a suspicion eating me from inside, but whether truth or lie I can't say...merely a thought. The Hhrunes are very wealthy, and our family...lets say 'guards' certain legendary heirlooms. Now, you see, one such artifact recently went missing. I can't help but wonder, for if the Vanthampur's were behind the theft...a Hhrune captive would be useful leverage in preventing its return. But goodness me, what am I saying? An artifact of legendary power here in these stinking tunnels...the notion is invalid." she concludes.
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Mal nods in sympathy, ”thank you m’lady for your trust. Would you please describe the ruckus, I mean the legendary artifact heirloom? Actually I think our former cultist here knows that there is an artifact down here, so maybe it’s the same one.”
"Hmm, well I've only ever seen it in illustrations. It was kept underground in a warded family vault for hundreds of years...but I do know its a large shield. A large shield made of solid mithril and inlaid with hundreds of small gemstones. It would be hard to mistake this shield for any other, for the emeralds, rubies and diamonds color the image of a snarling beast on the front...like a mosaic."
”Amazing.” Mal reacts appropriately about the artifact, but secretly doesn’t care, because he won’t get it or a share of its sale.
After an appropriate amount of pause, the halfling switches gears. ”Alright, Fisk. Where do you think this Kreeg fellow is and this puzzle box? I think that’s our next stop unless we just want to clean house down here sun wise on a map. Although the cleaning house may allow the Duke enough time to flee with the artifact. What should we do next?”
As the others question the prisoners, Donal sets to business. He is quickly back at the door checking to see if their short scuffle drew any attention.
Simon only snorted with displeasure when he was called a former cultist several times. I've already said once that I'm on a mission here... However, he still prefers to listen carefully with his arms crossed over his chest, and you can see that his eyes widen when he hears about the shield - at the very moment when he hears about the pattern on the shield. Yeah. I would not like him to run away with such an object. Simon quickly joins Donal, having lost interest in the participants of the conversation.
After an appropriate amount of pause, the halfling switches gears. ”Alright, Fisk. Where do you think this Kreeg fellow is and this puzzle box? I think that’s our next stop unless we just want to clean house down here sun wise on a map. Although the cleaning house may allow the Duke enough time to flee with the artifact. What should we do next?”
"I don't know where they are hiding Kreeg, but I suspect a locked door near the cultist quarters...or perhaps there's a secret door I didn't find. Similarly I don't know about the puzzle box...but I would hazard if someone is interested in the infernal it would be a difficult thing to ignore. The thing is forged from Abyss itself, and punishes those not clever enough to solve it. Perhaps one of the sons or the Duke herself."
---
Just outside the door, Donal's focus does a neat stunt, totally resolving a tiny tadpole getting swallowed by a newt from almost 60 ft away. The halls are mostly silent, save the occasional sloshing of effluent or squeaking of rats. The patrol passed earlier must be on the other side of the complex still...he might sense however, that as morning comes the halls could get busier.
Then suddenly, and very distantly, he hears the puckered *pock* of a piece of plaster being removed from a wall. Its a sound he has heard before: the plaster of secret passages used under the bathhouse. It seems to be coming from around the corner to the west.
Secret doors... Donal looks back at Fisk, and says, What secret would be around the corner outside of here?
Fisk rubs his chin in thought a moment "Ah yes, the room behind the statue. I could never get inside...I suspect its a place where cult leaders can monitor their underlings worship clandestinely."
Donal rubs his chin, It could be handy to gather more information...