"Ooh, silver daggers. Nice." The others can probably make better use of those, though. Jenise looks over at August. "I recommend you let Zuriel check for traps first. There's no telling what might still be active around here."
Tristan as you pick them up they’re as light as silverware, you quickly realize these are mithral.
Zuriel observes as Tristan moves over to the Ghost-dragon and collects the daggers.(Hmmm....so it seems that thing is some sort of magic pet. An odd pet, but a pet none the less.)
Without taking his eyes off the translucent-dragon, Zuriel speaks up. "I will inspect the door. Just in case."
Moving a bit more carful then normal, Zuriel moves to the door. It becomes a bit obvious that he still has concerns about the dragon as he continues to glance over his shoulder on more than one occasion to insure the beast is keeping its distance.
"Yep, looks good." He states while being distracted by the Ghost-dragon.
Faust will be using detect magic pretty much constantly as a precaution, he's at attention but otherwise focusing on the spell.
"Thanks, Zuriel!"
August walks over to the door, and tries to open it without using the key, as instructed.
You try the door and it opens, pushing to open it slowly. You see a room beyond with numerous jail cells line these long-abandoned corridors. Each of their solid iron doors hangs ajar, and includes both a peephole at eye level, covered with a piece of sliding metal, and a smaller slot for food and water at floor level.
Jenise follows August, scowling at the sight of the jail cells. "Disgusting. I don't think I want to know why the owner of this place was keeping people confined." There probably isn't anything of value in the cells, but there might be some evidence of who the poor folk imprisoned here were.
"Kind of funny how you automatically assume the people kept in here are poor undeserving individuals. Perhaps they where serial criminals. Possibly murderers or some other offensively unacceptable criminal. Hehe, or they could have simply been an assortment of innocent people."
Zuriel's voice fades as he carefully makes his way into the room.
Its impossible to know the truth, But it is not our place to judge leave that to the gods for they do precious little else. Faust speaks with a hint of cynicism, harsh for a young boy like himself. Following at the back of the party.
You search the cell locks, the ajr dry and dusty as you talk. But as you go through them you see all the cell blocks are empty the doors open. You do notice a small semicircular stone ridge runs along the ceiling along the ceiling g.
You notice a door at the end of the hallway to the west. You don’t find any traps though, and despite the lonely and decrepit cells all seems quiet.
After reaching the end of the hall, Zuriel listens at the door, then attempts to carefully open it.
"I suppose there hasn't been prisoners in a while, with all this dust around." August remarks, opening yet another cell door.
You make your way to the door on the west and quietly open it. You look in to see a raven perched across the room. It watches as you enter head tilted eyeing you with a dark eye.
Interesting... Faust casts detect magic on the raven
"Oh, a birdie. How did it end up here?"
August steps further into the room, to see if there is some way out, where a bird could fly in here.
Zuriel steps into the room and then moves slightly to his right in order to make room for the rest of the group. "I don't like it. Something fells off." He states while visually scanning the room. "That stooped bird seems out of place, even though it looks like something that would be hanging around in a place like this."
"Agreed." Jenise starts loading her crossbow, just in case.
As you all begin to walk in, the raven girls it’s head and squawks at you. Instead of a raven’s sounds you hear a voice. “Greetings, fine citizens of our glorious empire! So good to have visitors, though I fear I have no refreshments to offer. I assume you are here for the treasure. Well, I’d be happy to assist, provided that you give me what I require! It has been so long since I was able to ply my trade. I require only that each of you shed your life’s blood in this room—simply take a seat in one of my lovely chairs.”
It tilts its head back and forth eyeing you all,
"Emmm, talking bird, sit in chair, and SHED BLOOD. Sounds great." Zuriel turns and walks out of the room. "Let me know when we get past the shed blood part."
While keeping a small distance from the rooms entrance, Zuriel posts up and observes the bizarre bird just incase it wasn't joking about a treasure.
The sorceress eyes the bird skeptically. "By life's blood, do you mean enough to kill us, or just a few drops?" Even if it's just a few drops, giving one's blood to strange magical beings is a terrible idea. But the answer might tell them more about what they're dealing with.
“Oh just a little, there’s no need to kill any of you. But just a little blood from all of you and I can tell you the secrets you seek!” it flys to a closer perch on the stretching rack.
"And if what I seek is the sensation of ripping open an obnoxious talking raven's throat with a claw?" Tristan asks as the draconic apparition eyes the raven suspiciously.
"It talks... Do birds usually talk?" August wonders.
But he doesn't like what he hears the bird say. Exchanging blood for secrets... Something doesn't sound right about it.
The paladin squints his eyes. Most of his life, August noticed he had an ability to peer into people's souls - to tell whether they were good or evil. That might work on talking birds as well.
The bird seems to almost smile through its beak. “Well then I imagine you won’t find the treasure. So sad.”
It looks around, and eyes a few of you before looking to you August as you focus on it for a few moments. “Oh, why do you stare? Is it something I said?” it seems to smirk at you.
Tristan rolls his eyes. "And I don't suppose you'll tell us what the treasure is exactly?"
August gasps.
"The bird is EVIL!" he shouts, pointing his drawn sword towards the raven. He has no idea what kind of evil talking birds are capable of, but the aura is one of the strongest he has seen so far.
He approaches the raven, sword still pointed towards it.
"Do you yield and repent, creature of evil!? Or shall we smite you down?!"
(Yep, this is going to be interesting.)
"August! Make him tell you where the treasure is!"
If it is a little blood you desire, then i shall offer my own. i am no stranger to dark arts Faust will take a knife and cut himself enough to drip a drop.
As August goes to step forward you watch as the bird winks out with a cackle. As Faust sheds his blood a drop hits the floor and you hear a tut, then the voice, from a different part of the room. “You have the right idea, just a little more. All it takes is a little blood and the treasury of Old Baron Salvo will be yours.”
With Faust enticing the bird enough to actually put a name to the treasure, Zuriel begins to be enticed. With only a slight delay, he steps forward to the rooms entrance and then listens very carefully.
"Has anyone heard of this 'Baron Salvo' or his treasure then?" Tristan asks, ignoring August's hysteria. He looks around at the others.
With your stepping into the room Zuriel you hear the laugh again. “I ask only for a little blood, nothing lethal. Just enough to remember jog my memory of my old trade and what I know.” the voice comes from a separate part of the room now, seemingly moving again.
"What is this trade you speak about, and please be a bit more specific about the treasure. I'm not convinced that what a bird perceives to be treasure would be treasure to me. I would hate to spill blood and find that your concept of treasure is a pile of corn or some other bird brain idea of treasure." While talking with the bird, Zuriel pulls out a dagger and prepares to cut his hand. He then stops short of actually doing the deed.
"Then there is locality. Is this treasure close at hand or is it somewhere on the other side of the planet?'
"Finally, one last question. Why did the tower fall?"
if you'd like more, i will give but something must be given in return first. operating with a binding contract is... Faust gives a smirk briefly Not the way of magic.
Jenise grimaces. "Giving your blood to an unknown magical creature without knowing the details of what they plan to do with it... that's a terrible idea. There's a lot that a skilled mage can do with a person's blood."
Normally, yes. for the living...My blood Doesn't flow the same as the rest of yours. Faust shows his blood drops, a cold and dead black, Myself and my blood are cursed. If they want benefit from it they can also have the curses with it. Faust takes a minute to pull his hood off, showing unnaturally pale skin and a thin almost sickly weight, Some time a few years ago, i was experimenting and... well, something went wrong. I eat and sleep like everyone else, but my body also in other ways acts as undead.
“Oh my trade is what you see, the instruments left to rust in this room are my trade. As for the treasure I know it is more than simple trinkets it’s the treasures of the late baron hidden away within just fortress. You have my word on that, just as I am no ordinary raven.”
With the drops of your blood on the ground they hit the ground and you wait for something to happen. But nothing does just a few drops of blood on the floor and simple silence. Eventually the bird speaks again. “You can give more, I ask for simple show. If you want a contract… one can be made.” the final words ooze with intention.
The thought of real treasure is more than Zuriel can bear. He moves into the room and begins examining the instrument that the bird has indicated as his trade. "What are these instruments used for? What is your trade?"
"If your not an ordinary corn eating crow, then what are you? My companion says you are evil to some extent. I'm assuming that you are somewhat true to your word if you are brining up contracts. Give me your word that you will lead us to the treasure and I will spill some life's blood.
”Ah wouldn’t trust them evil creatures. Contracts and blood magic, its not a good thing. ”
August turns right and left, trying to locate the now-invisible raven. His teachings didn’t say anything specific about talking, invisible avians, but evil is evil. And trusting evil would be foolish.
The room is filled with torture implements, it’s obvious what kind of trade this entity practiced.
“You have my word. Once all of you shed some blood then I’ll lead you there. Past the secret doors and where the hidden keys are.”
August with looking around you can tell it’s on the center tray of tools in the room. The voice giving it away.
“Ah blood magic, who knows what I could do with your blood. You expect to much of me, I simply wish to be reminded of the smell blood.” the voice a mockingly righteous tone to fading to a primal low tone.
I don't trust them, To trust something that uses abuses magic is foolish. Contracts and blood are not inherently evil, they simply are things, just as man can pray to a god good or evil, a mage can use magic for good or evil... If a man raises a zombie, with consent, to fight so that a living soldier doesn't have to, is it still evil? Faust wraps his palm and puts his hood back up, I've lost interest in this creature, it's clear it doesn't have anything or know much more beyond this area. Besides, now we know there's a secret door, we know to look.
Zuriel looks over at Faust for a moment and then puts away his dagger. I believe the zombie would still be considered evil. Possibly the intent of the spell caster wasn't meant to be evil, but the act itself would still be considered evil. That said, everything in life seems subject to perspective. Anyway, yes, we now know that there are secret doors and keys to the treasure."
"Thank you bird. Now for the last question. Why did the tower fall?" Zuriel asks as he wonders over to the chair and considers sitting in it.
“I have no idea why the tower fell, I simply felt a rumble of stone and a great tremor. I don’t really care if it fell or not. It doesn’t mean much to me anyway.”
You look at the chair and see small spikes on it, it looks painful but not enough to kill a person if you sat in it.
"Well that answer didn't help much. So, you expect everyone in our group to bleed, or can just one of us bleed? I might be convinced to bleed for treasure, but I'm not sure we can sell it to the paladin. Perhaps we can work out a compromise? Oh, ya, I almost forgot. What kind of creature did you say you where again? I mean, if you could change to look like something other than your true self, why would you choose a crow? Its a bit belittling, wouldn't you say?"
Zuriel continues with questions as he begins searching the room for secret doors.
Jenise glowers at the bird. "I love gold as much as the next person, but that is not a good enough reason to risk giving you my blood." Risk her life for gold? Sure, let's go! Risk her freedom and/or sanity? No thank you. There are many fates far worse than death.
"See, even the human female is hesitant. I would recommend sweetening the pot a bit with........Emmm.......maybe a small description of the treasure. That might help to persuade them."
You speak looking around before starting to walk. After a moment you see a door off to the northern side of the room hidden into the wall. But as you start looking around and you both start to question the creature you hear a disembodied growl. From above you all near the corner of the ceiling.
Jenise hears the laughter and backs up shooting a beam of frost from her finger as she does towards the corner.
it hits the wall and small times of frost coat the corner.
You hear the small beat of wings the creature moves to attack August.
You watch as a small red creature with wings, horns, and a vicious tail with a stinger gouges August as it appears just above him grinning with pointed teeth. Take 2 piercing damage
"OW!" August cries, more out of surprise than pain. He turns towards the source of the pain, expecting to see a raven clawing him, but instead...
"It's no bird... It's a.. a... devil!"
Or is it a demon? He isn't really sure of these creatures. But one thing he knows, this thing is evil. And there is only one way to deal with evil- SMITE IT!
The paladin lets out a mighty war cry, and grips his sword even tighter. The power of his god flows through him as he swings the sword at the devil.
You bring the blade down cutting into it. The blade glowing it looks on in shock at the sudden damage and looks terrified and badly hurt.