She presses her hand through the hole, only to find a ringed handle. There, inside, a pathway just large enough for her horns to fit through. At the sounds of the people coming, she urges her team.
"Get in. They'll think we all chose to stay in the same room." She will quickly rush to grab the nearest torch off the wall and bring it with her into the room. She then closes the door behind her. As quickly as she can, she will sweep the bits of clay into the hole, will bring the latch closed, and then will lie down in front of the hole to hide the discovery.
"Get down. Act like we are talking...um...about something. Go!" she directs to those in the room, although her mind is blank on possible subjects.
Cordelia quickly sits beside Scarlet, following her directions. "So, uh... read any good books lately?" she asks lamely. Deception isn't her strong suit.
“Ah yes, the fresh band of indentured custodians were quick to form a tight-knit family,” Filip said dryly. He sighed and sat down by the others, after all, what was the alternative? Sneak back into his own room and possibly be left behind? No, thank you. With a little bit of effort, he crossed legs and began to speak.
“A few months ago I managed to get my hands on a discarded copy of one of Ailson Kindler’s novels, ‘Galdyce's Guest: Feast of the Nosferatu.’ Quite the read it was. And to think, someone just left it beside a loaf of bread and some wine under a tree.”
"I couldn't think of leaving a book behind. They are so expensive. Perhaps it was a romantic encounter that proved quite productive?"
Her eyes watch the door and her ears strain to hear the approaching footfalls.
"As for me, I've spent all of my money on my various...pursuits...and can't afford books. The little copper-novels I've seen discarded. I've read some of them. There was one about a doctor who experimented with untold concoctions until one day he learned the secrets of making oozes. Have you read that one? I can't recall the name."
For her, this whole conversation seems so surreal. The echoing odd nature of what is going on is making her nervous. One thing she wishes to ask the party is if they've been drugged, but will only do so when the food arrives. Meanwhile, all she can think of is that hole and possible pathway.
Edwyn just sighs and moves to the far corner of the room. There's no need to be chatty, he expects.
"Ah. Dinnertime there my little night owls."
The familiar dwarf finishes the clicks to the latched door at the top of the ladder and begins his descent. At the bottom he places out four plates and, just before he begins to scoop out the slop, he takes notice of the four of you gathered in the room now filled with small talk.
He approaches with a big pot of slop and plates in hand, casually looking about the fifth room. "Well- what's goin' on here eh? Just four peas in a pod now are we? I knew my slop had powers but I had no idea it'd grow friendships in a pig pen oh so fast. And..."
He takes amount to sniff down the hallway with a great inhale and smile of satisfaction,"Clean again. Truly wonderful. Regardless- it is bedtime, kiddos. I'll have to lock up- you all stayin' in here then? With uh... no bed? No light?"
"I'm glad you find our work pleasing, sir. As you may know, I've been staying in here, but do they have time to go to their other rooms?" She then looks to the group in the room. "I mean, you all are welcome to stay, it's not my room. I just chose this room because I felt...Well...I just did."
It is clear that she doesn't feel like explaining why right now. Then, before they answer, she looks up to their host and asks, "Or, can you leave the doors unlocked for this night?"
"Truth is, I get lonely by myself at night, in the dark," Cordelia says. "Wouldn't mind the company, if you'll have me." She gives Scarlet a subtle wink, hoping the dwarf buys the act.
“I’m sorry, I am unfamiliar with that one. But have you read ‘Shagreen’? An alchemist trades a large amount of years of his life to a devil. He ends up too old to enjoy it and winds up being dragged to Hell. Quite the read.”
”If you’re interested, another good one of Kindler’s was ‘Steps Upon the Sanguine Stair’. It’s about ghosts. Actually it was a bit of a deviation-” The doctor was still speaking when the dwarf entered and did little to hide the annoyance on his face at the interruption but eagerly chimed in at the notion of staying in the room with the hatch.
“If you could permit us a few moments, perhaps we could bring blankets and such in here? Perhaps the shared body heat will help stave off the chill in my bones. I’d hate to think what would happen if one of us developed hypothermia or contracted Bonechill. Awful disease, you know. Slows your body. Makes even the slightest amount of cold cut deep. I once had the opportunity to examine a body afflicted by Bonechill. Even just the cold of the scalpel caused the man great pain. Very interesting disease indeed. No, I’d surely hate to contract that.”
The dwarf seemed suspicious and wary at first, but at the ongoing elaboration of a patient with bonechill raises a hand,"A'right a'right, I don't need a life story here. Torag's hammer we have ya' workin' for more coin and noise durin' the day not at night. Look- imma go inspect the good poop shoot. By the time I walk back ya better 'ave grabbed your shit and put it wherever you want to rest yer head. You don't want me to have to have Moe come down 'ere and make you behave yourselves."
The dwarf wags a finger for a few shakes at the group before his footsteps start the echoing choir of ringing while he makes his way to the heart of the animal pen.
Cordelia ducks back into her room, grabbing her backpack and blanket, before retuning to Scarlet's room.
This was the first time she felt threatened by these people. As the dwarf relates how he would punish them, her companions in the darkness cannot see his face. He seemed serious. Slowly she protectively hugs herself and she thinks to herself some things.
"Is this the will of him who put us here? That we should stay and be slaves here? What is down this hole or tunnel may be nothing...but I want to see it. Someone made it for a reason. To escape? To want to escape means they were here for a very long time...trapped...I don't want that to be my fate. Magarand..."
She will help them carry whatever they desire and need help. The jailer will find that since she felt better today, that even after examining the poop chute, he will find the inside of it and the door to it perfectly clean as far down as can be seen. Surely if he is impressed with their job on this level, even the chute would impress him.
As he returns, she will be in her position once more, or if one of them wanted to bring a bed, she would place it over the trap doorway. In any case, she awaits her food for the night and upon seeing the jailer again, she would ask, "Sir, I feel we've done a decent job for you. There is no need for threats with us and a little grace goes a long way. We thank you for the opportunity and allowance to gather our things."
Edwyn takes the time to grab a blanket and return, but dread washes over him as he does. He certainly can't maintain his illusion throughout the night, can he? The moment he drifts off to sleep... no, it's not worth thinking about. He can survive pretending to sleep for a night, he's certain of that.
"Just my pack, blanket, and my pillow. Oh, and I suppose I'll bring along these handy candles, no?" Filip shoved the candles in his pack and slung the bag over one shoulder. He hurried back to the fifth room with pillow and blanket under arm.
Filip set his belongings down near one of the walls. He spread his own blanket on the floor and laid the one form his bed down over it, folding one corner down. "I'm not exactly sure who this 'Moe' is" he muttered, "but I doubt I'd like him to 'make us behave ourselves.'"
"No. No you certainly wouldn't."
The dwarf reappears just as Filip has gathered his things and entered the fifth room. He locks each of the other four doors tight as he paces. Three clicks, latch. Three clicks, latch. Three clicks, latch. Three clicks, latch.
"Ya' know, you ever been in the company a' scumbags, missy?" As he prepares to close the door he addresses Scarlet's concern,"There's worse things, than someone doin' a half bad job at cleanin' feces and who knows what else. Never know when a troublesome crew is just plannin' to crack yeh over the head with a torch. 'er a backpack. Or even a book! Regardless...." He gives one more glance over the group before closing the door, sliding the five plates of slop in through the slot at its bottom.
"I imagine you'll all sleep warm and cozy for the night here. I know why you picked that room, after all." He laughs as you hear him being up the ladder,"But it won't matter! The smell of pig shit will reach your noses no matter what room yer in! Hahahaha."
With that, silence falls again through the chambers. No footsteps, no boar grunts, no jeering and cheering, no broken glass scraped across the floor. Just five plates of slop and all the moved items and furniture now in the fifth bedroom, and the anticipation of what to do with a found secret passage once you hear the three clicks and a latch at the top of the ladder.
"Charming..." she comments as the flap closes and the food is left. As the dwarf heads off, she questions, "Does anyone else feel like the food is drugged? I've been off all day...but not in a bad way. Almost like I'm being conditioned."
She doesn't like the thought of that, but it has to be said given the dwarf's comments.
"Anyway, If only we had found this earlier, I could have had you all returned to your beds. I apologize. I felt that this is important, and clearly, you all do as well."
Scarlet lingers a moment and then helps the others light the torch so they can see. Once there is light, she will open the door and just hops down without reservation. There, inside the tunnel, she looks down as far as she can see into the black.
"I wouldn't put it past these people to try to drug us," Cordelia says. "I feel fine, though. Think I've got a pretty sturdy stomach."
She waits to hear what Scarlet can see down the tunnel.
Edwyn's hand passes over each plate, a faint shimmer indicating the magic passing between him and the food.
"It should be safe now, if it wasn't before."
For those above, eating- Edwyn's powers and spells do indeed purify the food, allowing you to bypass any need to resist against disease. It doesn't make it taste the best, but it certainly won't make you sick anymore.
As you hop down, torch in hand, you see claw marks up and down the tunnel. Unable to identify them, you hope that they are rather old. As you sniff about the air you don't smell anything particularly threatening about, nor do you hear anything. As far down as you can see it just appears to be a rickety made tunnel passage of wooden posts and bricks. Perhaps an escape route of some kind? You aren't sure.
"Anybody else catch that bit from the dwarf? The part where he said," Filip hunches and does his best to impersonate the dwarf, ""I know why you picked that room, after all.'"
He took a hesitant bite of his slop and began to slip on his pack.
"Whelp," he said between bites, "Best ingurgitate what you can. If we are going down there, it could be some time before we find tolerable food again."
"I did," she answers Dr. Filip from the tunnel. At his suggestion, she nods and climbs back out to slurp down her food. "I suspect it won't be long before we are back, but I just wanted to see why someone would go through such lengths to conceal this. Call me curious." She then gives them the details on the passage. "It worries me that there are claw marks in the tunnel, but it probably was an escape route. I can't be positive. Once again...the claws worry me. Being that they are on this side of the tunnel by the doorway, it is like something was trying to get up through the floor. That would mean there is something perhaps living down here."
Once her food is finished, she will lead the way down the tunnel. Those behind her, likely using the torch she had saved. As she moves on, she casts a spell dedicated to protecting her. In this moment, it looks like a sleek, well-tailored armor suit made of magic. It is distinctly blue in color.
"Well, if there is some creature living down here, best keep our guard up, yeah?" says Cordelia. She keeps her sword at the ready as she follows just behind Scarlet.
Eating their slop and squeezing into the tunnel, following the light of a torch and Scarlet with her dark vision, the group embarks in a trade of one room of stone walls to another. The wooden beams groan now and again as you all make your way through, though from what you can tell there is no risk of collapse.
You feel as if you had walked for nearly an hour before you come across three different paths illuminated by the light of the torch. Along the walls are more claw marks (Kn. Nature to identify) in greater numbers, as well as bones now scattered along the floor. Walking through your usual resting period you begin to feel the potential onset of fatigue as you wonder which direction to take next.
Fort Save DC 14 against potential Fatigue
Survival, Kn. Dungeoneering, Kn. Local DC 20 to prevent getting lost / find a potential way out!!!
Cordelia feels her leg muscles beginning to protest from all of the walking. Nevertheless, she presses on, using her survival skills to navigate!
Following along behind Cordelia, Filip does his best to investigate the growing number of claw marks while trying to track their path in his mind's eye.
"What kind of creatures do you think Blackfingers' disciples keep as pets? Probably something venomous, no doubt."
"I'm unsure, but whatever it is, it is carnivorous. I don't think it's snakes at least. Down here, I'd suspect rats, but what these markings belong to...no idea."
If there are bones and cloth deposited in the tunnel, she will collect some to make further torches for people, despite it being a disgusting thing to do. At least she will use her magic to clean them first. Hopefully, it will let the humans continually see in the darkness. As they get to the division, she just chooses one at random.
In order to keep from getting lost, she will continually choose left in this maze until it either brings makes them backtrack and choose the next left direction or leads them out.
If they get 10 hrs of rest, toward three hours of roaming mark, she will have to bring up the subject of heading back. If they get more or less than that, slightly before the half way mark, she will venture the subject of heading back.
As Scarlet makes her way forward, leaning left as the answer to the problem of paths before the group...
Doctor, you note a few things. First, those claw marks and faded prints in bone and filth of flesh on the floor are recognized to you as troglodytes! However, the tracks are extremely faded and old. You don't detect any fresh presence of those nasty little things. You do identify, with your survival, three different sets of tracks for the three paths.
To the left you take note of Troglodytes, to the center you take note of Troglodytes, and to the right you note a rather recent and fresh set of prints. While you can't identify what they are, you do identify that these most recent tracks are made from a humanoid.
Cordelia- while you are not able to identify exactly what, you make note of two different types of prints in the filth and decay beneath you. You see one print that appears to be a clawed foot, and another appears to be the trail of a boot of some kind. The boots look much more fresh as a track, and you identify them taking the tunnel path to the right.
"Let's not be too hasty deciding on a path. We may not get the opportunity to backtrack."
Cordelia crouches down and studies the filth. "Tracks here," she says. "Two sets--clawed feet and boots. The boots are fresher and go in that direction." She points to the tunnel to the right.
“Astute observation, Cordelia. The other two sets belong to troglodytes. All signs point to the nasty things having vacated the area,” The Doctor paused and bobbed his head side-to-side. “At least in this particular area.”
Filip nodded in agreement with Edwyn, “Shall we press on or…?”
Edwyn nods back to the doctor. "Yes, I believe so. I'm glad to have you more astute types with us, or we really would have had to choose at random."
"Troglodytes...gross. Hopefully, they are gone from other areas too, but that indicates there is a way out. I do want to ask though, we meant to meet the king, but clearly we are just put in slave quarters. Are we to try to escape?"
If they can follow tracks out of this place, that is better than just following the left-hand passages. They could lead them right to the troglodyte passage though.
"If you are wanting us to go to the right, I'll just take the right-hand passages, but we need to decide if we are following tracks or using my method. They don't work together."
"Obviously we're following the tracks. Any other 'method' is just going to deliver us into the hands of these... troglodytes."
"Right, let's get a move-on, then," Cordelia says. She begins leading the way down the right-hand path.
The party moves to shift and walk down the far right tunnel, Cordelia and Dr. Filip stopping to ensure they were still on the right track's trail as they push forward. After about another hour they hear water running over head- not flooding, as far as you can tell, hardly even a drip into the tunnel. But it was almost as if you were in the ocean itself, feeling like you were riding every wave despite being perfectly safe and unmoved aside from your own two feet.
Further progression reveals a brightly lit chamber at the end of the tunnel. You hear metal clinking together and a voice, male, somewhat high and raspy, muttering to himself as you approach."Last time took... Three weeks? Time before that... One day? After that... a month? Heheheh. That one wasn't happy."More metallic clinks echo down the tunnel as whoever they are around the bend lets out a long sigh of what you can only assume is boredom."Norgorber preserve me if this takes a month again."
"He's talking about us. Is this our eventuality? To be corralled into this slave pit cleaning crap every day until we make it out here to these present? Then what, to our death? If so, I'm going to show them something."
Making sure she still has duration on her spell, she will proceed further, readying her hands in a fashion of being ready to grow her claws and attack.
Once she comes out into view, she will cast Shocking Grasp and hold it.
"And what would you do with those of us who resist?" she asks the mysterious men.
Cordelia steps out beside Scarlet, sword at the ready. She squints in the gloom, trying to place the people that she sees.
"Given that they made us speak one of the Five Laws of Vyre, the mention of Norgorber - which confirmed my previous assumption - and the sound of water, I'd wager that we are currently under the the bay."
Edwyn takes a few steps back. He's got no idea what this crazy tiefling is talking about. Resist? What did the stranger even say about resisting? Well, it doesn't matter. If these crazy women are going to start a fight with whoever they find, he just hopes they've got the skills to win.
Lit with what appears to be piles of gleaming gold emitting a magical light in the wide cavern like exit of the tunnels, you see a man dressed in nothing but black from head to toe. A war mask, also all black and made of some sort of metal, covers his face. In his hands he flips about four coins though you currently can't quite make out what they are.
With further thought before action you identify that this man is, in a rather bold sense, a Black Finger of Norgorber. This one in particular you identify as most likely a merchant- though of what, exactly, you are not sure.
You know you cannot quite discern particular strengths or weaknesses. Whatever other legends or powers are before you now, you're not quite sure.
Those who round the corner see a room littered with golden pieces all gleaming with some sort of magical light. Sitting atop the biggest pile is a man dressed from head to toe in nothing but black. What the material is, including his gleaming jet black mask, you aren't entirely sure. He appears quite comfortable atop the biggest mound of gold as he flips four odd looking coins in his hands interchangeably. You currently are unable to makeout what they are or what they look like at the moment.
Upon the two rounding the little bend he takes a moment, you imagine blinking, before catching all four coins in his hand. Only his head moves, everything else remaining in place but still as it appears to turn its gaze towards Scarlet and Coredlia.
"Now that is NOT the password." They return to rotating flips of a coin as their mask turns to observe the coins in his hand. "What's your name, anyway?"
Your results will be messaged to you.
Scarlet's blazing, sultry eyes narrow upon the man in black as he asks his question. She could almost seem seductive in her glare were it not for her stance of being turned to the side and ready for battle should it come. Still, she doesn't necessarily threaten him with her arms raised now that she sees he is not an ugly monster speaking. Her eyes though...they seem to have a hint of reddish fire within them in her excitement, and for the moment, the cute Blueberry may (from his perspective) seem quite abyssal as she tries to read his intentions.
"My name is Cordelia Jerrell. What is yours?" the rogue responds defiantly.
The Doctor followed close behind the two women. He did not like the idea of wandering up to a random person in a sewer, but he liked being left behind where a troglodyte might sneak up even less.
Filip winced as Cordelia gave not just her name, but her full name too!
“My name is Sawbones,” he said without wavering, “I expect that name will suffice, no?” “Sawbones” stepped up closer to Scarlet and Cordelia, “I doubt we have too much to worry about. After all, we're beholden to the five Laws, no?”
"My name is Roderdis," she answers. There is a nod to Dr. Filip.
Edwyn's eyes narrow. The good doctor's knowledge of their situation was suspicious, but it could wait. The first priority now was to discern the intentions of the stranger.
At mention of the Five Laws the figure steps forward rather suddenly. Were it's mask to have eyes apparent you would think them examining the Doctor with a great amount of enthusiasm,"The Five Laws? You are familiar??? Oh I like this group. Like this quite a bit."
The black mask waivers between the group, seeming to make note of them carefully as it stalks, feet clanking the gold now spilled from his piled perch to the ground. At mention of their names a small laugh escapes,"There is what you would have me call you, and what your name is. I have a feeling I only have the former for some of you... no matter."
While odd, you find this humanoid creature to be exceedingly trustworthy, friendly, and the gold it seems to be hoarding in an unusual fashion at the end of this tunnel certainly doesn't hurt either.
"I am glad to have seen all of you make it this far. Only a day or two, too, yes? This is fantastic, VERY promising group. Very very promising. You have swept the filth for the purposes of stability. In order to claim this bounty you see here, you must now do something for the purpose of instability. Do this and you will have access to me. Who is me? Succeed and you will see."His voice ramps up as he speaks through to all of you, an occasional flourish here and there before he lounges back in a leap onto the center pile of gold, returning to flipping the coins.
"There is a school, here, unnatural construction of nature. It educates the little ones here on the arts of druidic teachings and spells. It arose in competition of several woodworkers and lumbermills here, killing the trees to build their ships over and over again. For the purposes of stability, you will emerge from this great Arch Gate of Riddleport and in the night set fire to both the school and the lumbermills on the outskirts of town. Should you accept, you must speak the familiar words. "I Know None Are Below Me.""
As this creature speaks the words, both forms of your tattoos give a glimmer and shine before fading again.
"I'm glad I played along. I'll let Filip handle this initial interaction as he seems to know more about what is going on."
She thinks, not commenting on the false name comment. A sly duper's delight smile is on her face, either showing she knows she got caught and did so on purpose, or that she truly is pleased to have gotten away with a lie. Either way, it is thereupon her face.
"That is a lot of money, but I'm not burning a school for children or taking away someone's workplace...but Magarand..." Her arms wrap themselves around her chest in desperation and she hopes that Filip has an answer considering these Five Laws. She bides her time to answer the creature for the doctor's comment.
Edwyn takes another step back and looks at the others with concern.
"I feel you've all made a dire error," he whispers, barely audible, "This is all wrong."
Cordelia glances between the others. She sees Scarlet's obvious discomfort and the concern in Edwyn's eyes. She likewise is disturbed by the mission the person before them has proposed, but she waits to see what Filip has to say.
The Good Doctor eyed the pile of gold while the individual spoke. Some of the monologue became white noise as Filip considered the laboratory he could build with that kind of wealth. And the defenses he could install! No more fleeing at night from pitchfork wielding, slander shouting, grool eating, backwater villagers!
“We’d be lighting the fires at night? When no one would be present? It appears simple enough.” Filip took a step forward, “Unless there are further terms, I readily agree. Though, I think we all could use a bit of a rest prior to any carrying out any justified arson.”