Tymos tests his body after the healing and nods in satisfaction. "Let us press on then. Let them tremble." he dourly says. There are still hints of the anger, the aggressiveness he showed when engaging the ghouls before.
"Should we go down the corridor they came from?" Alden suggests. "It seems likely to lead to their nest, if there is one. I don't know anything about ghouls prior to this, so I have no idea if they are clever enough to set-up traps or an ambush."
"Should we go down the corridor they came from?" Alden suggests. "It seems likely to lead to their nest, if there is one. I don't know anything about ghouls prior to this, so I have no idea if they are clever enough to set-up traps or an ambush."
"Kevan already found one trap so we know they're clever enough to set traps. We also spotted ghouls behind our original position so which set shall we follow?"
"If there's a nest there at least these won't be in it. Yes. Let's be sure it is cleared."
Rabbit nods his agreement to the plan of the others and takes up his spot at the rear again, nervously nibbling on his lower lip.
"I think we should go this way," Kevan says walking down to the first intersection and pointing east. He also glances that way to ensure nothing is coming.
As Kevan glances about he hears and spots nothing. Though he is aware the creeping ghoul that initially spotted them was not amongst those the party killed.
Seeing no danger the group presses on with Kevan leading. Their first stop is to head down the south hall from this cross intersection. There they find another burial room. The stone sarcophagus in the chamber were undisturbed, but also unfilled. It seemed this was a chamber not yet used to house the more esteemed dead.
Blatantly odd, since both Tymos and Barik had implied people had starved before the ghoul infestation became a thing.
Kevan spots something strange while looking for traps. A piece of worked stone that hadn't settled the same as the rest of the disused room. He was able to pry it loose, and then slide it aside to reveal a small bag of coins. Inside were platinum coins.
200 platinum, can attempt to pocket it with a sleight of hand opposed by those paying attention.
Moving on, the group finds the nearest hall parallels the intersection they had come from, and then curves back around to meet up with it. The space in the intersection was occupied with stone caskets. Some were disturbed, others not, and bones littered the floor.
With only one path ahead of them the group travels deeper and come to another intersection. Kevan leads the way.
The perceptive rogue spots another trap here, though a bit more devious than the last. Where the hallway opened into the intersection there was another tripwire, this one made of extremely fine wire. Tracing it to the wall he finds both corners have a small spring loaded dart ready to fire. This was another simple enough trap to disarm, requiring nothing more than the darts to be blocked when the trap was sprung.
You also now have two poison darts.
Checking to the left and right Kevan notices two lesser worked hallways that were cluttered with stone caskets and uneven. Both narrowed and curved off. Ahead the main hall collapsed after some distance, and along the rubble and dirt he spotted a slender form laying prone and facing away.
Kevan pocketed the bag trying to be surreptitious about it but was paying too much attention to the environment around him to make a good attempt at it. Then he proceeded on.
At the end of the tunnel he called out in a soft voice to those behind him, "Hey, spotted someone. They're down, not moving, but don't look particularly ghoulish from here." He then waits for them to close the distance.
Checking to the left and right Kevan notices two lesser worked hallways that were cluttered with stone caskets and uneven. Both narrowed and curved off. Ahead the main hall collapsed after some distance, and along the rubble and dirt he spotted a slender form laying prone and facing away.
Eochaidh scans the prone form with his Spirit Sense.
"What did you find there?" Alden asks, standing behind Kevan. Assuming he turns around, Kevan will see Alden looking at the body on the ground.
[dice=Perception]1d20+1
"What did you find there?" Alden asks, standing behind Kevan. Assuming he turns around, Kevan will see Alden looking at the body on the ground.
"Give me a moment; I'm checking the area as well."
"Hmm...."
Rabbit keeps close to the others, his heart thudding in his ears with his nerves so loudly he's surprised the others can't hear it. He does not have any particular interest in money-- far more concerned with ghouls than coins.
As anyone who might protest Kevan's actions failed to notice the group moves on none the wiser. Looking down the hall Eochaidh does not sense any undead. The figure does not stir.
"Same marching order as when we entered, or do we want to switch the order?" Alden asks. If no one replies, he will assume the group wishes to keep the formation the same, and will resume his rearguard position.
"Same marching order as when we entered, or do we want to switch the order?" Alden asks. If no one replies, he will assume the group wishes to keep the formation the same, and will resume his rearguard position.
"The same works for me. The body down there is not undead. We'd have to get closer to eliminate the highly unlikely possibility that the person is still alive."
To Tymos, "When was the most recent abduction?"
Tymos seems confused by the situation. "The last abduction... well we've had a few deaths. An abduction hasn't been for weeks."
"I'm goin' in boys, watch my back." With that, Kevan closes the distance with the body.
If he reaches the body and gets no reaction he stretches out his foot and nudges the body with his toe, "Hey, you alive?"
Tymos seems confused by the situation. "The last abduction... well we've had a few deaths. An abduction hasn't been for weeks."
"When was the last death? And what was done with the body?"
"Disposed of. Burned." Tymos says, "Can't risk them getting back up, or feeding the ghouls more than they already have."
As Kevan draws closer he quickly discerns the prone form is a half elf woman. Looking her over he spots fine clothing, or at least what used to be noble garb he recognized as Andoran. It was worn with time and dirty. As he gave her a nudge with his boot she groaned but did not stir. Near her shoulder was a damp wound, clearly a nasty bite.
"Hey, she's alive and she's been bitten. Can one of you healer types help her out?" Kevan says to the others just loud enough to be heard.
Eochaidh rushes over to check on the woman.
Once the woman is stable Eochaidh will call over Tymos, "Can you see if this is someone from town?"
"I can give her a bit of healing immediately," Rabbit offers, and darts after Eochaidh to bring some blessings to bear.
"Leaving her alive like this can only mean they meant to change her," Alden observes. "These things are clever. They did this to turn our compassion and humanity against us."
Alden's normally calm voice is tinged with barely contained fury.
"Can their disease be cured? If not...."
"Leaving her alive like this can only mean they meant to change her," Alden observes. "These things are clever. They did this to turn our compassion and humanity against us."
Alden's normally calm voice is tinged with barely contained fury.
"I can only speculate. Is it to keep her alive to feed on her later? Or to change her into a ghoul to increase their numbers?"
Turning to Jaxom, "I do have access to magic which can determine if she is infected with the disease that begins the transformation. I can delay its onset or progression but I would need a day to pray for both that magic and the ability to diagnose. The magic required to remove a disease is beyond my capability."
"She's been bitten, but left whole. I see that as an intent to change her. Not only that, they left her where we could find her, instead of dragging her back to a nest somewhere deeper in. Now, we are faced with either bringing her back up, and risking her changing, and killing or changing more innocents; bringing her with us, and risking her changing in our midst; leaving her here, and risking her changing and striking us from behind; or we compromise our morals, kill her now, and destroy her corpse. "
He looks to Eochiadh and says, "If the best you can do is diagnose and delay, that might give us a chance to do something for save her. I will kill her if she turns, but not a moment before."
He looks to Tymos and says, "I know that isn't the practical, or strategically sound decision, but it is the right one."
Addressing Alden's concerns, "The problem with your logic is assuming the ghouls knew we were coming. For all they knew they were going to be left alone. So why bait a trap if you don't expect anyone to be here to take it? We need Tymos to identify this woman. If she's from New Ostenso that opens one set of questions. If, however, she is not...that opens an entirely new and unexpected set of issues."
Eochaidh shakes his head to dispel those thoughts, "I can but the problem is the timing. I do not know for certain if she's already infected. If I recall what told us correctly a victim must succumb the disease in order to be transformed. Our education did not cover their dietary habits so I'm unsure if that's why she's still alive. In any event I'm unsure if she will survive the night."
Eochaidh takes the time to tend to the woman's wound and her infection. Her condition didn't seem deeply onset yet, and having got to her she might recover. Rabbit's additional healing brings a sigh from her as her wound is healed, but she doesn't immediately wake.
Tymos looks the woman over and his expression sours further. "She isn't your normal citizen." he says with a frown, "A noble woman who came here just before the sundering, and an agitator. She was detained earlier this week. How did she end up here?"
He looks openly troubled by this mystery.
To the group, "If we wish to spend ten minutes here I can clean the wound with a poultice that will help her resist the effects of the disease."
To Tymos, "Either she escaped or someone let her out; hopefully not the latter."
"While you work on her, I'll scout these two side tunnels. I won't go too far but try to get an idea of where to go." Kevan says as he begins walking toward the tunnel on the right.
Jaxom watches and listens. He glances at Tymos, wondering about the man's loyalties.
"Nobles can be treacherous. We need to wake her and ask what she knows or how she got here. But if we wake her, will she try to take command and order us around? Tymos, If she does, what will you do?"
Jaxom watches and listens. He glances at Tymos, wondering about the man's loyalties.
"Nobles can be treacherous. We need to wake her and ask what she knows or how she got here. But if we wake her, will she try to take command and order us around? Tymos, If she does, what will you do?"
"Whether she is nobility or not, she is no liege of mine or yours," Alden says before Tymos can reply. "We are also in a perilous situation. Unless she has firsthand knowledge of this place, the ghouls, or how to destroy them, we have no reason nor obligation to submit to her commands."
"If she got in here then the ghouls really do have another way in and out." Tymos reasons, "But still, it doesn't make any sense for her to be here."
He lets out a short bark of a laugh at the thought of her trying to take charge. "She's not really a noble. Just an Andoran highborn." he explains, "Came here to try and work a deal for her family and then the world broke apart. She hasn't had a lick of pull since then. Other than with the rabble. I was more worried she'd get all of you on her side. I am curious to learn how she got here."
The woman doesn't wake as Eochaidh treats her, but she does stir. Meanwhile, Kevan decides to do some scouting.
The halfing carefully slinks through the narrowing tunnel. He finds several dead ends. Cramped dugouts with caskets. Some filled and empty, some disturbed and left at rest. Finally he hears some noise ahead, and from the sound he can make out several voices and movement from what must be a larger chamber.
He also spots another path leading to the chamber as well, likely coming from the other path they saw before. It was unlikely he would get more information without risking being spotted, so he doubles back a moment to consider.
It was then that he spotted something odd. The wall here felt different as he smoothed his palm across it, and remembering the dead drop from before, he inspect it to find a brick along the floor that has a small gap underneath it. Taking out a length of wire he slides it underneath and finds a catch.
A secret door. One he could open if he wanted to.
"If she got in here then the ghouls really do have another way in and out." Tymos reasons, "But still, it doesn't make any sense for her to be here."
"I suspected the ghouls had an alternative access point. They still have their minds from when they were alive so they wouldn't willingly succumb to hunger. When we eradicate the nest we'll need to be mindful some might escape and be a problem on the surface."
Kevan notes the location and though curiosity tugs at him greatly, he decides to head back and notify the others. Returning to the group he steps out of the shadows and shares, "I found a group of them a good distance down that way. I couldn't see them but I heard voices. There's a concealed door down that way also. I thought we could pop that thing open and possibly use it as a hide in case their numbers turn out to be too great. That or a single doorway for defense vice standing out in the middle like this. Anyone care to follow me? And, what are we doing about her? If you've healed her, we could just let her lie. Pick her up on the way out."
"I'm loathe to leave her but she will slow us down. The problem with the secret door is what if there are more ghouls behind it? Was it locked at all?"
"We can't leave her unconscious here. She's been healed a little but that might just make her bait for the next undead thing that comes by."
"Whether she tries to take charge or just demands something we can't have her screaming and alerting everything down here. I think we should carry her back closer to the entrance and try to wake her up. She might know how she got here and it might be important. If she tries to scream I'll cover her mouth. If she tries to bite I'll knock her unconscious again."
"A hidden door doesn't sound like undead. Even if ghouls keep some of their intelligence it sounds wrong. That sounds more like an entrance for someone that is controlling them. A necromancer maybe? I hate wizards!"
"We found her near the secret door. It's likely she came in that way. I doubt the guards would've let her inside the wall to come in the front entrance. It might be worthwhile to see what's behind the hidden door, and where it leads. I don't mind carrying her, and I will set her down if there's trouble," Alden says.
"Alright then, let's move along and see what treasures these beasts have." Kevan says as he starts to walk back the way he had come.
Eochaidh nods at the others and follows Kevan.
Jaxom considers Alden's words, then stops the Paladin. "You're the better fighter against these things. You stay with the front of the group. I'll carry her. My studded leather won't be comfortable for her, but possibly better than your breast plate. I'll set her down and join the battle if we run in to anything."
Kevan moves forward quietly and watches out for enemies or other surprises.
Alden nods, and gently hands the unconscious woman to Jaxom. He then draws his sword, readying himself for combat.
Thankfully the party doesn't come across ghouls as they move back toward the secret door Kevan found. Scouting ahead he ensures things are safe before positioning the group at the hidden door.
Prying it open it takes a bit of force to first crack the door ajar, thick dust and debris scattering as the terribly long seal is broken. Peeking into the dark Kevan does not spot any tripwires or enemies. Merely aged racks of armor and weapons.
Opening the door fully the party finds a wide assortment of rusted chain, decayed leather, many polearms and bows with rotted hafts. No proper blades, though a few picks with likewise rotted handles. A few chests were stacked around and so rotted they could be opened just by pulling their clappers off. The contents mostly cloth and scrolls that flaked apart to the touch.
"This must have been left after the siege lifted." Tymos marvels, "This is almost as old as the city."
Inside the largest were a few items that had held up. Emblems wrapped in wax cloth that maintained their silvery luster to start. All bore the iconography of a caped man wielding a sword and bow. A small tattered sack containing a like number of uncut gems of every color. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, garnets, diamonds, and more. All very clear and small. Perhaps they were companions to the emblems.
The final parchment wrapped package came apart in Kevan's hands, but what was inside was so pristine as to be awe-inducing. A brilliant crimson cape, made of what felt like silk, and pristine even through all this time. Even the scattering parchment refused to cling to it, sloughing off to the floor with it's dust.
"Well, if this isn't magical I'll be a monkey's uncle. Speaking of that, I met a monkey's uncle once. We had just rowed ashore to get additional provisions... Actually, hold that thought. I can fill you guys in later and we can check on what type of magic that cloak has. What do you think? Defend from here or move up on them?" Kevan asks trying to stay focused on mission.
"The problem with defending here is we have no chance of retreat if things go badly. Are you sure you want to make this a life-or-death battle?"
”If the lady is stable, we could leave her here for now, and close the secret door. Once we have cleared out the ghouls, we could come back for her and bring her back safely. If she changes as a result of the bite, at least she will likely be contained, and we can put her to rest,” Alden suggests.
Rabbit murmurs the words of one of the first bits of magic he was ever able to pull off-- a tiny spell to determine if something is magical or not, as he looks at the impressive cloak.
"I think that's a good plan, regarding the lady. Keeps her safe if she's going to live. And if not... um... well, keeps US safe."