Autumn seems shocked when Vanda confirms that the creature actually is Azomi. In her mind, she had expected a horrifying beast like the cythnigot, or a ghostly reaper, or some monstrosity in between. But instead it speaks in an oddly normal voice, albeit with the deceptive tongue of a schemer at court. The falsely timid introduction, the effortless change in tone—such artifice is unexpected, but also strangely comforting to the con artist. Emboldened, she takes a confident step forward. This is a game she knows how to play.
"Visitors, of a sort? Visitors drenched in blood, bearing weapons.”
“Appearances can be deceiving,” she answers in an equally coy voice, “as one with your esteem is no doubt aware. We might be friends—perhaps even best friends, if you but open your skillful mind. There is much that we might share: common goals, common friends—maybe even uncommon friends? Like Xar-Azmak. Zaiox. Meitremar. Lord Ragnulf.” She pauses between each name, giving Azomi time to respond and herself time to notice its reaction. “Where have the last two gone, anyway? We should very much like to see them. I believe we can achieve great things together.”
Autumn pauses and turns her head. In a quiet, magical whisper, she asks Vildran “Can you move your light to where Azomi is?” The most important thing is to know what this creature actually is, but it’s hiding in the darkness, out of range of the wizard’s light.
I prepared the wrong spells for today. Morga grimly muses, while oddly feeling relieved that Azomi has been located. At least it's not a sudden ambush. She wants so badly to raise her shield and step in front of Vildran to shield him from this creature, but she waits a moment to see how Autumn's ploy will work. She also clocks the movement of the cat to her right as it prowls among the crates and barrels, ready to throw her shield up the moment an attack is launched her way.
He attempts to comply with Autumn's request, inching forward until Azomi is in the light. If Azomi begins to shy away from the light, Vildran will stop.
However Autumn doesn't even get to finish speaking before Azomi laughs, a strange noise that seems too sibilant and loud. "Friends? Yes, you may become great friends of ours. Or at least... your bodies might." As the pool of light falls better upon the hooded figure, you can see a long tongue uncoiling and draping from the opening of the hood as mandibles crack open. Azomi leans forward, clawed hands extending from the robe's voluminous sleeves.
-
|||| INIT ||||
San (Rust Creep - Stage 1; -1 penalty on Athletics checks)
Vildran
Calico Blue
Calico Pink
Azomi
Morga (Rust Creep - Stage 2; -1 penalty on Athletics checks)
Vanda
Autumn (1 dmg)
Vildran concentrates, moving his light forward.
Nothing can prepare him for Azomi's visage as it is revealed. Agasp, he looks around to find anything else in the world to focus on. Seeing the odd cat near him, he takes one careful step back towards his friends.
With safer distances he jogs away and backs into the corner next to the unopened door.
He begins thinking over what he has to work with and the various ways that this encounter could play out to success. There is a little energy left in his arcane focus... his fiery staff.
San, looking to end the fight before it even begins, takes two shots at the creature known as Azomi.
Seeing the cats acting strangely, he steps in front of Vildran to shield him.
-
-
There is a moment in which it seems San's alpha strike has won you the day, but then Azomi rises back up unsteadily. It's grievously injured, but not quite defeated. There's a flash of orange to the north, and then one of the calico cats scurries out from behind a crate. In a flash, it sheds its unassuming form and turns monstrous, looking like something part dog and part worm. It unleashes the most horrifying screech you have ever heard.
Most of you are left momentarily shaken, but it has a more severe effect on San and Autumn . With your party distracted by the cat (?), Azomi seizes the chance to launch itself at Vanda. She turns her armored shoulder toward the incoming swipe of the creature's claws, and with a shove keeps Azomi at bay.
Meanwhile the other "calico" emerges from behind the southern crates similarly transformed. It scurry-slithers past the melee and launches itself at Autumn. Pungent, slimy jaws clamp down on Autumn's leg .
Vanda wastes no time capitalizing on Azomi's mistake. With a roar she swings her greatsword in an arc that the creature only narrowly dodges, then follows with a second overhead swing that slams deep into Azomi's neck. With a spray of ichor the duplicitous creature falls and you're left with only the "cats" to deal with.
|||| INIT ||||
Morga (Rust Creep - Stage 2; -1 penalty on Athletics checks)
Vanda (Frightened 1)
Autumn (Frightened 2, 9 dmg)
San (Frightened 2, Rust Creep - Stage 1; -1 penalty on Athletics checks)
Vildran (Frightened 1)
Calico? Blue
Calico? Pink
San plants his feet, trying to push past the screech of the cat/dog/worm. "More cynthigots? Smaller this time though. Take them out, quick!" Following his own advice, he fires at the creature attacking Autumn.
The cats’ horrific transformation and terrifying shriek are too much for Autumn. Clasping both hands over her ears, with eyes wide and unseeing, she seems frozen, at a loss what to do. Only when a cat-beast chomps on her leg does instinct take over and she reacts, stumbling backward onto the stairs while one hand reflexively looses an erratic bolt of arcane energy at the feline monster. “Morga!” she cries out for the dwarf’s aid against the beast.
Vildran shudders in the corner as the evil cats shriek. Seeing how Autumn is doing, he stops himself. Steeling his nerves as best he can, he shouts
Hang in there Autumn!
With Azomi vanquished he commands his light back to the center of the room. As is creeps along it leaves Azomi's body behind, back in the dark.
He points his staff at the creature antagonizing Autumn and sends a bolt of flame at it.
It unleashes the most horrifying screech you have ever heard.
Morga's lip curls in disgust as she draws her starknife. Before she can advance on that hideous creature, Autumn calls out for help. "On it!" She replies, noting that San is already nocking an arrow to aim at the noisy one as she strides to Autumn's aid. "Good shots!" She praises his aim on Azomi, pausing a moment to let Vildran's flaming spell past before stepping up to flank the creature, driving her starknife into its spine.
Not to be dissuaded, San turns the pink "calico" into a pincushion with a pair of arrows. It spasms and then dissolves into smoke that swiftly vanishes, something that the magically trained among you recognize as likely to being sent back to its home plane.
The rest of you are freed up to focus your ire on the remaining foe. Autumn's phase bolt flickers past party members to slam into it but Vildran's flame scorches a crate instead. Morga rushes in at it and lands a weighty stab with her starknife.
Gravely injured, the creature gives you all a baleful glare. Rather than risk further combat, it chooses to flee. After backing a few steps away from Morga, it makes a grotesque gurgling sound. An aura of magic flares around it and then it fades from view. You stay still for a few moments in case this is just a momentary trick...
However as the seconds tick by there is no sign that the creature is still around. It seems it doesn't intend to return.
Combat Over! You each gain 100 XP.
Vanda raises her greatsword and with a grunt stabs down into Azomi's corpse for good measure.
“Thank San,” Autumn breathes a sigh of relief after the last ‘cat’ disappears. She glances at the arrow shaft that still lies embedded in Azomi’s neck, then looks down at her feet, where another calico had been until San had dispatched it with pinpoint marksmanship. “Your archery was so fetch.”
With blood still oozing down from a nasty bite wound on her leg, she limps towards Vanda. “Feel better?” After the vengeful Gorumite finishes stabbing the corpse, she leans down over Azomi, using a dagger to shove aside its hood and robe and carefully search its body with a strange fascination. “Anyone know what this thing is? Or the cats, for that matter? I think they must come from some other plane, the way it just vanished in a puff of smoke when San killed it.”
San snaps his bow to the next target but there is none to be found. Reminding himself to breathe, he immediately regrets it as the stench makes itself known again. Looking a little bashful at Autumn's compliment he tries to shift attention. "Well struck Vanda, it is dead dead right?" San joins Autumn and their newest companion at the corpse of the creature to try to recall anything with a closer examination. "Still no sign of Ordwi..."
“Anyone know what this thing is? Or the cats, for that matter? I think they must come from some other plane, the way it just vanished in a puff of smoke when San killed it.”
"Hmm... Let me get a closer look. --Ugh!" Morga immediately regrets looks closely at Azomi's corpse. It was utterly disgusting in life, and certainly is no better after San's arrows and Vanda's bladework. A small part of her mind is utterly confused as to how such a strange mouth area could talk at all.
Vildran trudges over and stares at Azomi's body intently.
No idea what it is. Why did that feel... too easy? For all that we heard about Azomi... I hope this is their only body. shuddering at the last thought.
He sets to detecting magic down the tunnel is if he'll catch some trace of retreating, detached life force (but he knows its grasping at straws).
Quickly though, he gets back to considering what they are with his arcane and occult knowledge.
Autumn thinks what happened with the last calico might have been some sort of plane shifting, but she isn't sure of its exact nature . She's not sure what the calicos are, but she and San both recognize that Azomi is a type of foul aberration known as a sinspawn. These creatures were created originally long ago by the ancient Runelords of Thassilon, but there are methods even today to form more of them. This particular one was an envyspawn, delighting in observing the envy of mortals and promoting its spread.
While Vildran isn't sure about any of the creatures, Morga identifies the "calicos" as a type of fiend known as an esipil - the least of the class of fiends known as sakhils. These esipils are creatures of spite that delight in spreading fear and unease among mortals. They are particularly easy to call from their home plane and bind into one's service, making them a common servant for magic wielding mortals that wish to sow discord and fear. While incapable of traversing the planes freely, they have a particular affinity for the ethereal plane and can step into it and back into the material with ease.
Vildran doesn't notice any magic down the tunnel.
Based on what Autumn has deduced so far, Vildran thinks on what he might know of the "calicos."
After that, he looks to the closed door, points, and asks the group What about that?
He approaches and searches it for traps.
"Oh, so not more cynthigots after all. That's at least comforting that there's just the one... that we know of at least. Keep an eye out in case the other esipil comes back." Still trying to find Ordwi, San waits for Vildrans inspection then tries to open the only door they found in the basement.
Autumn thinks what happened with the last calico might have been some sort of plane shifting, but she isn't sure of its exact nature"Hmm... Yes..." Morga sifts through her knowledge for a moment. It would be helpful to know whether that esipil can return.
Cleaning her blade, Vanda pauses at Autumn's question before saying "I thought I would. Now it feels like it was pointless. Will Stonehome even recover from this?" She grimaces.
Solemnly meeting Vanda's eye, Morga assures her: "In time. We'll help expunge these horrors. Then you can think about what role, if any, you want to have in the healing process."
Turning she nods to Vildran. "Sure. Systematic search." I...hope I'll be able to recognize Great-Aunt Hilga's remains if we find her. Morga shudders. As she does so, her eyes land on Autumn's wound. "Oh, I should check that bite wound. Wouldn't want it to get infected."
She shakes her head in disgust at her ineptitude. "Well, keep those bandages on, anyway. They'll prevent any other muck from contaminating the wound. I'll have to take another look at it again later." Ugh!
Autumn takes a rather different tack from Morga in responding to Vanda. “Vengeance is never pointless. Besides, you’re not done yet—I’m sure Meitremar’s the one you really want to kill.”
After everyone shares what they know about the sinspawn and esipils, she asks the elves “Didn’t you say you studied Thassilon? I’m assuming Azomi isn’t thousands of years old, so someone must have made him recently. Any idea how? I wonder if it’s connected to that apparatus at Rusthenge?”
When the dwarf fails to heal her wound, the sorceress glibly waves it off. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” she lies, while still walking with an obvious limp to the door. Wary of what’s been smeared around the door, she eyes it cautiously for a trap before producing a key from her pocket. “This might help,” she gives Trygve’s key to San so that he can open the door.
“Didn’t you say you studied Thassilon? I’m assuming Azomi isn’t thousands of years old, so someone must have made him recently. Any idea how? I wonder if it’s connected to that apparatus at Rusthenge?”
Vildran chuckles sheepishly, like he's been caught unprepared in a class. As he speaks he mostly looks at the ground.
Studied and always searching for more. There are certainly gaps in my knowledge that I am eager to fill. If there are more opportunities...
He briefly shudders at what that implies, looking up at Autumn now to finish his response.
I'm confident there will be some things that I recognize and can help with.
Vildran recalls that there are artifacts known as "Runewells" all across Varisia (and now the region known as New Thassilon) that were created and left behind from the era of Ancient Thassilon. Stories say there was even a lesser Runewell of Wrath in the catacombs below Sandpoint. Many folks around town are happy to relay the tale was uncovered and destroyed seventeen years ago by the now-legendary adventurers that faced the Runelord Karzoug . It's these Runewells that are capable of spawning new sinspawn when sufficient sin accumulates within their depths. It's not out of the question that a Runewell lies under Rusthenge, but you haven't seen one yet.
Autumn deduces the mess on the door is dried blood, but sees nothing acutely dangerous. She tries Trygve's key on the door and finds it to be a fit.
With some effort you swing the door open to reveal a long storage room that runs north to south. Kegs line the east wall and there are several small padded crates with delicate glass bottles. Some of the packing straw has been repurposed as improvised bedding, though it is desperately meager. The stench of filth and waste fill this chamber. Three emaciated humans lie in this chamber, all in their smallclothes and covered in a mix of dried blood and wriggling, rust-colored bruises. None of the three are anyone you recognize. A four human lies in a corner, a gold-hilted dagger still embedded in their neck and their body already starting to decompose.
One of the still-living humans cracks an eye open at the sudden light. Vanda groans and pushes past you all to rush to the young woman's side.
Autumn thinks what happened with the last calico might have been some sort of plane shifting, but she isn't sure of its exact nature"Hmm... Yes..." Morga sifts through her knowledge for a moment. It would be helpful to know whether that esipil can return.
Morga follows quickly on Vanda's heels, pulling out the healer's toolkit from the infirmary. Before expending any precious materials, she assesses the state of each of the not-stabbed figures. Are they dead? Unconscious? Only sick, or also injured?
San isn't really sure what to do with these... if you can call them people still. Instead he stands by awaiting instructions on how to help. As he observes, he notices the bruising. "Is this what we have to look forward to if we can't shake off this disease?"
“Gods …” Autumn murmurs in horror, even as she covers her nose and mouth against the smell. “I guess this explains why they didn’t want you down in the basement.” If the other acolytes had seen this, they might have come to their senses like Vanda had.
With Vanda and Morga crowding one of the humans, the sorceress gently moves next to another, while arching an eyebrow at San’s question. “I think being trapped in a stone vault might have worsened their condition. Now stop gawking and pretend like you’re useful. Give me your waterskin.” She holds out her hand expectantly, and should one of the elves offer their canteen, she carefully positions it against the prisoner’s lips and pours out a few drops of water, or more, depending on how responsive the person is. “Shh …” she coos softly in a reassuring voice, “… it’s going to be all right. Azomi won’t bother you anymore. We’ll get you out of here. Are you strong enough to talk and tell us what happened?”
Autumn looks over at Vanda, even as she does her best to assist Morga with treating them. “Do you know them all? How long were they missing?”
Morga quickly surveys the three survivors and recognizes that they're gravely malnourished and in the advanced stages of rust creep, even worse than that guard back in Sandpoint. They are conscious, but only barely, and they seem to be delirious. It's hard to tell if they're injured otherwise.
Vanda spends some time worrying over the three before she answers Autumn "Yes, friends, all of them. They were taken away day ago, when their illness was getting worse. It seems they were kept here, kept alive. Why?" She shakes her head "We need to get them out. Get them more water." She checks over the woman she went to first and then lifts her up over her back.
None of the prisoners are responsive to Autumn's inquiries beyond groans.
Oh...
Vildran certainly didn't expect to find malnourished individuals in this chamber. He hands over his waterskin to Autumn and also retrieves some of his rations to offer when appropriate.
Water is important, but I have more here to help fill you out. Slowly though.
Shaking off his initial reaction thanks to Autumns chastisement, San hands over the water and follows Vanda's lead to lift one of the prisoners and move them out. Another day where I'm carrying bodies... At least this time I don't know the person.
Despite her soothing words and evident concern for the emaciated survivors, Autumn steps aside when Vanda calls to carry them out. It makes sense, for she is nowhere near as strong as San and Morga, though there might be an element of selfishness as well—San and Morga are already sick, so there’s no further risk to them touching the severely ill acolytes, unlike herself. Indeed, someone with a perspicacious eye might notice that, although the sorceress is quite kind and generous in letting the elves’ waterskins touch the survivors’ lips, her own canteen remains safely in her pack.
”It seems they were kept here, kept alive. Why?"
Autumn suddenly freezes when Vanda makes this very good point. Standing, she walks over to examine the dead human in the corner. “So why was this one stabbed in the neck, when the others were left alive?’ She glances around the room, as if she might find a clue to reveal what happened.
"Mm." Morga nods, offering her waterskin to the victim beside her, then hoisting the mostly-unresponsive person onto her back. Their legs may drag on the floor, but there's not much she can do about that. "Let's get them upstairs, at least. Maybe Trygve can tend to them while we search for more survivors." As she trudges toward the stairs, she firmly places a wall in her mind to block the thought that there are unlikely to be any more living victims.
"Let's get them upstairs, at least. Maybe Trygve can tend to them while we search for more survivors."
They would have to be down that tunnel... He doesn't think his fearful shudder is visiable.
The last body is a younger man. Like the rest of them he's in his smallclothes, but unlike them he is visibly dead, with a dagger rather deep in his neck. His bruise-ridden body is beginning to bloat as decomposition is starting to set in. You don't recognize him. The dagger looks to be very fine as an art piece , but the style is rather morbid, with the golden hilt set with small bits of onyx and a rat's skull.
Autumn gives the rest of the secure storeroom a once over and spots what must have sustained the survivors - an almost spent pony-keg of akvavit, a type of herb-seasoned vodka. She also spots a broken case that likely once held some kind of potions, all of which are now empty. All that remains is two vials of a silvery oil.
Up above in the clinic, Vanda says "They're safer here, but I don't know the first thing about treating them. Can you help them?"
Morga sighs, feeling defeated. "I...haven't even been able to cure San and myself. We need answers for there to be any hope. At least we can try to keep them hydrated. That will help. ... Perhaps you and Trygve can go into town and ask the people to help." She looks up to catch Vanda's expression as she suggests this, searching for hope in the other woman's eyes. Too much defeat can break a person, and it would be a travesty for Vanda to succumb now, as redemption is so near.
Later, if Autumn shows the rat skull dagger to Morga, she wracks her brain for correlating imagery from the religious texts she's studied.
Autumn pockets the two non-empty vials without hesitation, but pauses as she considers the finely crafted dagger. Normally when you kill someone, you don’t leave your weapon in their body—at least as far as she knows. She eyes it for a long moment, wondering if this is some kind of trap, but eventually greed overcomes caution: she yanks the dagger out of the man’s neck, then hurries upstairs after the others.
There, she shows the gold-hilted dagger to Morga and the vials of silvery oil to the elves for identification. When talk turns to treating the survivors, Autumn frowns and shakes her head. “We’ve had no better luck than you. But they should be okay—or at least not get much worse—if we leave them in Trygve’s care for now.” She steels herself with a deep breath. “We should see if there are any more survivors down the tunnel.”
Meanwhile, when Autumn ascends you look over the odd and ostentatious dagger. Morga is pretty sure it has no religious significance.
Vildran hesitantly follows the others back up to the infirmary. It feels dangerous to turn their backs on the tunnel, for what he supposes might come out of it. With a snap of his fingers, he ends his light spells and follows last.
--------------------
Listening to the others, he suggests
I... really don't think we should stray far from the tunnel below until we determine what can come out of them. Even in a short time, if we went away, I think something would sneak out of it. We shouldn't wait for Vanda to return.
Autumn nods in agreement with Vildran. “We definitely need to explore that tunnel. But we should also check that the rest of Stonehome is still safe, just in case.” She shoves the vials of silvery oil into his hands before heading off to do so. “Here, see if these are of any use.”
"I guess if that creature was going to jump back in to ambush us, it would have already. Checking out the rest of the first floor is a good idea. I'll escort. Maybe we can just barricade the door to the basement so nothing comes at us from that direction until we're ready." San really just doesn't want to spend more time among the found prisoners. He just can't shake off the feeling that he could be like that if the disease progresses unchecked. The mistreatment at the hands of Azomi probably only exacerbated their condition.
Morga's antsy, but there's some merit to the suggestion. Probably, though, there are no more threats up here and Autumn just wants to see what else she can pocket. Even so, there's always a chance that something could've slipped in while they were downstairs. Urrgh! "Fine. Search Stonehome, but quickly. I want to find my great-aunt, and stalling isn't going to help with that." She doesn't mean to be sharp-tongued, but her emotions are fraying from being taut for so long.
She shoves the vials of silvery oil into his hands before heading off to do so. “Here, see if these are of any use.”
Oh yes! Let me see... He leans in to inspect the vials closely, his antennae leaning downward also.
You also return to the large central chamber - the meeting hall for the acolytes. Now that you're not at risk of attack, you can see that it's sized so that two dozen people could conceivably sit and share a meal here. Quiet now other than the sounds you all bring, it's a stark reminder of how terribly the Gorumites have suffered. You find here a lute that was discarded when the hostile acolytes started searching for you . What draws your eye beyond the lute is the painting hanging high on the eastern wall. It depicts a stern dwarf in armor and is titled High Priest Knurr Ragnulf. You abruptly realize you've met this exact dwarf before, though in far from pleasant circumstances. Underneath Rusthenge, in the room with the altar and vast grinding apparatus, you fought a dwarf that looked almost identical - except for the fanatical glaze to his eyes.
While this exploration is taking place, San and Vildran study the two vials Autumn delivered and identify them both as Oils of Potency, magical fluids that can temporarily enhance weapons or armor.
“I guess we don’t need to worry about finding Lord Ragnulf anymore,” Autumn remarks dryly as she looks up at his picture. Having finished their search of the rest of the first floor, the sorceress makes a quick stop at Trygve’s smithy to pick up a crossbow and a set of bolts for herself—if there’s something in the tunnel, she wants to be as prepared as possible, and even she can work a simple crossbow. “I guess your archery inspired me,” she winks at San with a coy smile.
After loading a bolt in preparation, she looks over at the impatient dwarf. “Ready whenever you are to find your great-aunt.”
Morga pockets the talisman formed of hawk's talons, more to feel like this search was worthwhile than to pad her pockets. Once she spots the painting of Lord Ragnulf, however, she remains rooted to the spot, staring up at his likeness with an unreadable expression. That is the face of the man who likely killed my great-aunt. I'm glad we killed him, she muses stonily, recalling the look on his face as Vildran's spell knocked the life force out of him.
“Ready whenever you are to find your great-aunt.”
Autumn jolts her from her grim reverie. "Right." She leads the way back to the basement, all senses alert for an ambush.
Leaving the delirious acolytes lying on the beds in the clinic, you descend back down into the basement. You take a few steps down the western tunnel and see that it slopes gently downward. From the look of it, after a short initial section of hewn stone, the rest seems to be a natural cavern. There's no end in sight.
Vildran grimaces at the painting of the dwarf they fought.
Oh...
He's happy to be distracted by their call to return to the tunnel.
Along the way, Vildran stops off to leave the rest of his rations with the survivors. Remember, take it slowly.
--------------------
Once they reach the tunnel, he offers his customer points of light to his teammates.
The rescued Gorumites are minimally responsive to Vildran providing not only food, but also cold water from the well outside. Two of them are already asleep now that the horror of their situation has abated a little, while the third lies there in significant pain. Still, with Vanda hopefully returning soon with aid, you can hope they'll be taken care of.
You turn your attention to the tunnel below once more. With Vildran providing light and Morga leading the way, you forge ahead into the dark.
The tunnel winds this way and that, with occasional small branches and sections in which you're left wading through icy water. There are parts of the passage that look man-made, hewn from the surrounding stone with alcoves along the length. This impression is further reinforced by the sheer length of the tunnel and it's relative lack of complexity in comparison to a natural cave. However, it is so worn and so uneven that the original work must have happened in ages prior.
After about 20 minutes you notice something familiar appear on the right hand side of the passage. A massive, rusted iron door inscribed with symbols that is emitting a brownish-red glow. Unless there's a second ominous door of this sort in the vicinity, you seem to have managed to walk all the way underneath the gulf to reach the chambers below Rusthenge. There's no sound or sign of any activity and the door is closed.