Herok's vine arrow entangles the fleeing man, and Tekmin's stern demands cause him to fall to his knees, eyes wide with terror. "Alright! I won't move! Don't kill me!" he wails.
"No one's going to kill you!" Wherby snaps. "Just tell us what you all were doing down here? And why did you try to kill us?! None of that is normal behavior!"
"We are the Devil's Disciples," the man says, a hint of pride creeping into his voice through his terror. "We follow the teachings of Master Jordus Munt. He has told us the truth about the Sandpoint Devil, that it is no mere monster, but a god in the making. It is the child of Lamashtu and Pazuzu, and once it consumes 66 souls, it will transform into a god of fire, rebirth, and ruin! And as its first worshippers, we will be granted immense power once it ascends."
"Well, that sounds very enticing...but hasn't the Sandpoint Devil been around for a very long time? I would have thought that it had consumed at least 66 souls by now. That's not actually very many, you know," Timdok comments.
Herok thought about how long the Sandpoint Devil had been around for.
"What a bunch of bowls of loose custard!" Wherby grouses. He's probably talking about the cultists ... but also maybe Tekmin.
"They have to be innocent souls! And who among us can claim to be truly innocent?" the cultist says, trying to sound more profound than his words may actually be.
Herok knows that Sandpoint has been a settlement for about sixty years now. For at least that entire time, there have been stories and legends about the notorious Sandpoint Devil menacing the populace!
"So...how are you going to get souls, then?" Tekmin scratches his head, genuinely puzzled. "Seems impossible. Do you think this might, maybe, be some kind of scam?"
"Master Munt knows! He selects the innocent and has us bring them here to sacrifice to the Devil! We only need eleven more. Unlimited power is within our grasp!" the man declares.
"How does Master Munt select the innocent? Is there a common theme to them?" Herok was trying to figure out who the cultists had been kidnapping and murdering. He felt they would have to drag the man back to Sandpoint for trial, since they'd captured him, if there was a safe place to leave him where he couldn't escape.
The cultist goes on to explain that Munt has had his followers capture lone wanderers along the Lost Coast Road and bring them back here for sacrifice. They have done this five times since setting up their operations here several months ago.
"You are without a doubt the dumbest person I've talked to today!" Wherby grouses. "Where is this Munt now?"
"Master Munt has taken the senior members of our order to commune with the Devil! If you keep going down, I'm sure you'll find him. Or, he'll find you!"
"Right, then. Does anyone know where we can stash this guy until we can drag him back to town to stand trial for his crimes?"
Wherby just closes his eyes and shakes his head before looking around for a stashing spot.
"Is there any password or anything else to help us avoid having to kill more of you steamed-peaches-for-brains?"
"Eh? No, we don't have any passwords," the man says with a shrug.
There are plenty of small rooms adjoining the central room where you can stash the guy. These rooms were once used by Whistlefang goblins as dens, and each contains a filthy mess of rags and straw along with a scattering of miscellaneous goblin “treasure.” Searching through the rooms uncovers one forgotten treasure, though—a caterwaul sling is stuffed under a pile of rags.
The last of the adjoining rooms is nicer than the others. A cot heaped with fine blankets sits in the southwest corner of this room, while to the southeast sits a single chair and desk. A few scrolls and books sit on the desk, along with an unlit lantern and a stone sculpture of a winged horse monster—the Sandpoint Devil.
The stone sculpture of the Sandpoint Devil on the desk is quite well made and is worth 30 gp. The books and scrolls on the desk are mostly hand-written accounts of grisly sermons venerating the Devil. Five of the scrolls, however, are magical: a scroll of dream message, three scrolls of heal (heightened to 3rd level), and a scroll of remove disease.
Also, a thorough search of the room uncovers a secret door hidden in the eastern wall. The desk is blocking the door, and must be moved if you wish to open it.
"You've really done it," Tekmin tells the pathetic cultist. "Master Crick is terribly angry with you. He's usually so patient!"
Tekmin collects the interesting sling and lets the others examine the scrolls while he looks at the desk.
"Ready for me to shove this?"