Since it seems to Gundar that none of his companions are wounded, Gundar will keep an eye out for other Tower Girls as the captive ones are interrogated.
Coup damage for the silver dagger:
“Your death can be far more painful than hers, 'Tower Girl', if you don't speak now of your remaining numbers, human and wererat, in this infested hideout of yours. I will not wait long...” Ghaernan’s voice cuts through the tension in the room, a cold and deliberate edge underscoring his words. His sharp eyes bore into the immobilized Tower Girl, Embyr, as Verilich holds her in place. The threat lingers in the air, palpable and menacing.
Just as the weight of Ghaernan's words settles over the group, Caius steps forward. His molten orange eyes, burning with resolve, fix on the fallen wererat, Sasha. Without hesitation, he plunges the silver dagger deep into her chest, driving the blade to the hilt. The silvered weapon cuts through her unnatural resilience, and Sasha lets out a final, gurgling gasp before slumping lifeless to the blood-stained floor.
Nearby, Gundar keeps his focus on the shadows beyond the immediate chaos, his warhammer ready in hand. “None of ye look hurt, so I’ll keep me eyes open for any of her accomplices skulkin’ about.” His steady presence is a reassuring contrast to the grim work being carried out.
As the magical haze of the daze spell dissipates from Embyr’s mind, she takes in the room. Her gaze sweeps over the motionless bodies of Sasha and Nayven, the blood pooling beneath them stark against the ancient stone floor. Her eyes flick to her captors: the blazing intensity of Caius, the unnerving calm of Verilich, and the piercing scrutiny of Ghaernan. Her shoulders sag, and the fight drains from her expression.
With a weary, defeated tone, she drops her weapons to the floor with a clatter and raises her hands. “I surrender,” she announces, her voice trembling slightly. “No more of this… I’ll tell you what you want to know. Just… don’t kill me too.”
The chamber falls into an uneasy quiet, save for the distant crackle of the cook fire and the occasional drip of water echoing through the ancient halls. All eyes turn to her, waiting for her next words. "Ten, maybe twelve more," she divulges. "At least two of them are like Sasha. I couldn't say if there are more. Ayala has been turning the willing into them, but I just couldn't do it myself. There is at least Ayala and Karisa though."
"Sketch out a layout of this area girl." Khalid adds, tossing her his piece of chalk.
Embyr flinches slightly as Khalid tosses her the chalk, catching it with trembling hands. She glances around at the grim faces of her captors, her lips pressed into a thin line. With a resigned sigh, she crouches low and begins sketching onto the stone floor.
“Down the passage to the east,” she says, her voice unsteady, “there’s nothing much. Just junk and… well, a privy.” Her eyes flick toward the eastern hallway with a mix of disdain and fear, as though the contents of that area are beneath her concern.
Pausing, she shifts her focus to the southern passage and jabs the chalk toward it. “There’s a concealed door over there,” she continues, her tone growing quieter, almost reverent. “The others—the rest of the girls—they go that way. I’ve never been allowed to follow. They said it wasn’t for me.”
She straightens, glancing nervously between the group. Her body language is a mix of submission and unease, as though expecting her words to be doubted or met with violence. “That’s all I know. I swear it. Please… just don’t hurt me.”
She places the chalk on the floor and steps back, hands up in a gesture of surrender, waiting to see if her captors accept her information.
Khalid comes over and picks up his chalk. "Good enough for me." He declares. "You may take that torch on the ground and leave. If you f%*! with our boat, or if we ever see you hanging out with the Tower Girls again, you will end up like your former associates. If in the future, you want some work in Magnimar, we may be able to think of something for you."
"Verilich, you can let her go." Khalid offers.
I wonder if he will, or if he will need permission from one of the others. Should be interesting to see. He'll probably want her word on it or something equally foolish like tying her up.
You listen to Khalid’s suggestion, and while no one voices dissent, there is a shared understanding that it’s the best course of action. With a nod of agreement, you turn to Embyr.
Stripping her of her gear takes little time, and though she watches with wary eyes, she does not resist. Once unarmed and deprived of anything that might aid her escape, she retrieves a lit torch from the ground. With one last glance at the group—half defiant, half defeated—she turns and descends the steps into the depths of the Crow, her torchlight dwindling until it is swallowed by the darkness.
Turning your attention to the bodies of Nayven and Sasha, you conduct a thorough search. From the two Tower Girls, you recover a trove of gear:
Twice the following:
- Smokestick, Tanglefoot Bags (2)
- Studded Leather
- Hand Crossbow with 10 Bolts
- Short Sword
- Climber’s Kit
- Grappling Hook with 50-foot Silk Rope
- Hooded Lantern
- Oil
- Second-Story Harness
- Thieves’ Tools
- 15 gp each
From Sasha’s remains:
- Masterwork Studded Leather
- Short Sword
- Light Crossbow with 20 Bolts
- 18 gp
Satisfied with the findings, you move east to investigate the passages Embyr had described. True to her word, you find little of note. The rooms are empty save for piles of discarded debris and signs of disuse. The walls here, carved in the unmistakable Thassilonian style, bear ancient bas-reliefs of cyclopean giants, their once-proud features now eroded into shapeless forms by the passage of millennia. Occasional geometric motifs spiral across the stone, their meanings lost to time.
Finally, you regroup near the small campfire where the Tower Girls had made their temporary base. The sizzling remains of two unidentifiable creatures on spits over the fire give off an unpleasant odor, and nearby, a stack of broken crate scraps serves as fuel. Blankets and furs are scattered haphazardly into a makeshift communal bedroll, the faint smell of sweat and smoke lingering in the air.
Turning your attention to the southern wall, where Embyr had insisted a secret door was concealed, you begin searching. It takes several painstaking minutes of tapping, probing, and investigating, but eventually, someone locates the hidden latch. With a soft click, the wall shifts, revealing an entryway into another chamber.
The room beyond is worn and ancient, its murals scratched and faded by time and perhaps the idle vandalism of past intruders. The carvings depict once-grand scenes of giants and humanoids marching beneath an intact Irespan, the colors now dulled into muted grays and ochres. Portions of the walls and floor bear scars of chipping, as if someone had once sought to pry treasure from the stone. An empty plinth stands near a small alcove, a silent testament to what was once displayed here but has long since been removed. The cold stone underfoot seems to drink in the light from Khalid's Wayfinder, deepening the oppressive weight of the ancient edifice.
To the east, a passageway allows light to filter in. Through the passage, you can see the expanse of the bay glimmering in the sunlight and, in the distance, the northern tip of Magnimar’s eastern peninsula. The contrast between the ancient, shadowed interior and the bright, open vista beyond is striking—a stark reminder of how far you have come, and how much still lies ahead.
"Thank you for this information. It will prove useful. However, I do have a couple of questions of my own. Has anyone within the Tower Girls seemed acting odd lately? It would be as if their personality was change or exaggerated.
Second, do you know of any passages below this level and how to access them?"
Embyr listens to Verilich's questions, her eyes narrowing as a flicker of recognition crosses her face. She exhales sharply, muttering something under her breath before speaking more clearly.
"Yeah, I’ll tell you somethin’ odd," she begins, her tone edged with bitterness. "That b***@ Natalya. She was always kinda cagey, y’know, but a couple weeks back, she started actin’ real strange. Like, obsessive. She’d mutter to herself, stare at that shard she found like it was whisperin’ secrets only she could hear. It made her reckless, dangerous even. Had a big fallin’ out with Ayala after some blowup. Next thing we know, she bailed out on us altogether. Ayala nearly lost it over that." Embyr sneers, shaking her head. "Can’t say I blame Natalya for leavin’—whatever she was wrapped up in, she wanted out. But she left the rest of us dealin’ with Ayala’s temper."
She pauses, considering the second question, and shrugs apologetically. "Far as passages below this level, I don’t know a thing. If there’s somethin’ hidden further back, Ayala didn’t trust me enough to clue me in. The other girls, though... they said there’s plenty more past that secret door. Lots of space, maybe even more levels below. But that’s secondhand. I never got to see it myself."
Embyr’s expression hardens as she glances back toward the darkness of the passage she’s about to take. "Guess I’m glad I won’t be findin’ out what’s back there now, huh?"
With that information, Verilich will gladly let the surrender tower girl depart.
"Gundar, apologize for not answering earlier. I do have a small crossbow bolt in my shoulder. If you think it wise to spend healing magic on this scratch, I would not say no to the help."
Then Verlich would move to the hallway looking out into the watery area.
"I can fly forward and scout, if we are going back to our scouting plans?" Verilich looks towards the chaotic Caius to see if he is complying or wanting to change plans again?
"Does the Message spell need to be re-established since you cast spells back there? I'm not familiar with the constraints of spellcrafts."
Caius peers quizzically at Verilich, not sure of his intent behind questioning the group's agreed to approach. Could Verilich be losing his nerve?
"By all means, take the fore once more! Your keen eyes and light 'step' is surely the best way to avoid any surprises these girls may have placed in our wake."
A ledge festooned with old bird nests looks out over a shaft dropping nearly two hundred feet to sea level below. A large coil of rope sits on the ground near the shaft, one end anchored to a large piton driven into a crack near the wall. Opposite the shaft is another ledge with a window looking out over Magnimar’s harbor. The ceiling is a mere ten feet above, and crisscrossed by a complex tangle of stone arches that support the roof. Between the two ledges, a five-foot-square wooden platform hangs from four thick ropes that hang from the stone arches. The platform is further anchored by two thick ropes to spikes hammered into the walls near the edge of the western ledge, while another pair of ropes hang from the ceiling above, anchored to a hook driven into the wall near the same ledge.
Far below, Verilich can see that Embyr has reached a boat and is rowing herself away.
It is only a DC 5 Acrobatics check to get out to the platform. Or one could fly to it.
"I see a hidden passage in the ceiling above. Perhaps I could attach a rope for the party and then proceed through the secret door?'
If no one objects, Verilich will proceed as planned.
"Verilich, can you lower the platform to allow us to reach the opening?
Not quite. And this is why I wanted to just paste the thing in word for word.
As near as I can tell, here's what we have. A wooden platform suspended by ropes out in the middle of this expanse. Held in by pitons and rope in multiple directions. Just above the wood platform is this secret door.
It's DC 5 Acrobatics to get to the platform, and an easy climb (no check needed) inside the passageway above the not-yet-opened, but very openable, secret passage.
Don't even begin to ask me how the Tower Girls found that secret door out there, or how they got all of these pitons in where they are, but they all do have these climbing harnesses, so I guess they have no fear of heights! Aint none of them got slippers of spider climbing which would have explained some of it, to be sure.
Upon Caius and the group moving up, Verlich will use his flying ability to get onto the platform and open the secret door, peering carefully inside.
Verilich spreads his wings and glides effortlessly out over the gaping void, the hundreds of feet drop beneath him a stark reminder of the peril this ancient ruin holds. The cool breeze whips around him, carrying faint echoes from the depths below as he carefully approaches the rickety platform suspended precariously by thick ropes. The platform creaks ominously under his weight as he lands lightly, his sharp claws gripping the planks to steady himself.
Above him, the faint outline of an overhead secret compartment catches his attention—a nearly invisible seam carved into the ancient stone ceiling. Verilich reaches upward, feeling along the edges until his fingers find a small, recessed latch cleverly disguised among the carvings. With a deft motion, he pulls, and the panel slides open with a faint hiss of displaced air, the ancient mechanism still functioning despite the centuries. Dust and grit fall as the compartment reveals itself, a narrow crawlspace extending beyond the opening.
Verilich crouches low, peering into the shadowed tunnel ahead. The crawlspace is just wide enough for someone of his size to maneuver through, its walls smooth and unbroken save for faint tool marks from its original construction. The space slopes slightly downward, leading south.
About forty feet ahead, the tunnel appears to open into a larger chamber, though the details are obscured by the limited light. Verilich narrows his eyes, his darkvision picking out the faint outlines of what might be pillars or other architectural features within the distant room. The confined space echoes faintly with his breathing, the vast silence beyond lending a weighty air of anticipation.
Ten minutes after the last fight started, you all notice something strange. Khalid seems to look more normal to you. It's only then you realize that one of the potions he drank seemed to do something unnatural to him that you didn't notice in the dark and adrenaline of the moment. Made him look a little like a great white ape. Must have been your imagination...
Khalid does say, "Before we open any more secret doors, this does seem like a good time to sit down for an hour and take a little rest. I'd like to brew up another mutagen. Might be handy fighting two more wererats."
Gundar will nod at Verilich with a smile, then turns serious as he begins a healing chant.
There! How does it feel?
Gundar will nod at Verilich with a smile, then turns serious as he begins a healing chant.
There! How does it feel?
"Good as new! Thanks Gundar'
Khalid does say, "Before we open any more secret doors, this does seem like a good time to sit down for an hour and take a little rest. I'd like to brew up another mutagen. Might be handy fighting two more wererats."
"Let me check what is here since I've already opened it and see if it is a room or a passage." Verilich proceeds down the small hallway stealthfully in darkness.
Verilich carefully crawls through the narrow secret passage, the confined space pressing in on him with every movement. The smooth stone walls, clearly the product of ancient and masterful craftsmanship, bear faint markings of age and wear. Dust clings to his claws as he inches forward, his movements echoing faintly in the silence of the crawlspace. The air grows colder and heavier the further he goes, carrying with it a faint, earthy scent of decay and abandonment.
After what feels like an eternity of cramped crawling, the passage opens up, and Verilich emerges into a larger hall. Rising to his feet, he scans his surroundings, his darkvision revealing a corridor lined with faded murals. The ancient paintings depict strangely dressed Thassilonian priests engaged in somber rituals, carefully placing bodies into ornate burial crypts. Their stylized clothing and the reverence etched into their features tell of a culture long past, their rites now forgotten by time.
The walls themselves bear niches, which may once have housed the very crypts depicted in the murals. However, these niches now lie empty, their contents long since disturbed or stolen. The floor of the passage is strewn with bones, scattered in haphazard patterns as if something—or someone—ransacked the area. Skulls leer upward, their empty sockets seeming to follow Verilich's every move as he steps cautiously forward. The silence is oppressive, broken only by the faint scrape of his claws on the stone floor.
Verilich peers as far as his darkvision will allow, the passage extending into shadowy uncertainty. The oppressive air and the remnants of desecrated burials lend the space a heavy, foreboding atmosphere, as if the very walls themselves remember the sanctity that once graced this place.
Through the message spell "The upper room appears to go beyond a single room, does the party want to come up here and perhaps use this as a secret place to wait for Khalid to make his potion?"
Ghaernan listens carefully to Verelich's voice via the arcane whispering of the Message Spell, and relays it to the rest of the companions in his immediate presence. He then confirms his words to the Wyvaran, enabling Verilich to transmit again, letting him know they're discussing and asking him to re-engage in two minutes. The Bard then turns to the others...
"Thoughts? The answer to where we rest might need to come down to what chamber would prove most defensible, and/or has the most viable path of escape..."
"It seems this room is better for both defense and a quick escape. I wouldn't want the thousand foot fall to be behind us. If they are going to come for us, let them also show us how they navigate the gap so often."
"I have no preference. Whether we watch the alchemy here or above matters not. But we cannot delay thus every time you get thirsty, Khalid!"
"Fair enough, though I will usually want to. I believe the effects can be made to last longer, and I will work towards that goal. Right now, it seems the effects wore off in about 10 minutes."
"I feel it would be wise to take this into consideration in the future. We can always quickly press on, let me concoct a replacement in about an hour, or in extremis, simply push on."
How ungrateful they are. I do all the hard work of battlefield control instead of the more fun work of spilling blood. All I get is gripes, never a thank you."
"It seems this room is better for both defense and a quick escape. I wouldn't want the thousand foot fall to be behind us. If they are going to come for us, let them also show us how they navigate the gap so often."
"It seems this room is better for both defense and a quick escape. I wouldn't want the thousand foot fall to be behind us. If they are going to come for us, let them also show us how they navigate the gap so often."
Ghaernan considers the quick discussion thoughtfully...
"Hmmm; I tend to agree with Khalid's assessment of our present location as superior for these reasons. Indeed, from here we're aware of anything coming from either below or across that improbable open-air gap, which would give us ample opportunity to drop them before they became a threat. The space also offers the ability to leverage Verelich's flight, if needed..."
The Bard turns his attention to the active Message Spell with the Wyvaran...
"Verelich, the company's current space seems the better option for a number of reasons Khalid notes, and of course it's one that also advantages your wings, if needed. Standing by, if there are other concerns..."
Verilich will come back down and fly to the group. During the potion making time, Verilich will keep a watchful eye on the avenues of approach.
Gundar shrugs, One place is as good as 'nother' if ye ask me!
Khalid will break out his gear and "quickly" brew up a new mutagen. "Good to go!" he says putting away his materials. "Let's clear our this rat's nest!"
Alrighty then, so what's the plan now?
One at a time with the ring of feather falling as back up?
"That does seem the safest method, Khalid. Verelich can fly it back and forth for those crossing over the long fall. Shall we?"
Before embarking on the next leg of their journey, Khalid announces his intention to take an hour to engage in some arcane alchemical preparation. The group gathers on the stable portion of the structure while Khalid busies himself with his brewing kit. Strange-smelling vapors waft into the air as he works, the process accompanied by the bubbling of vials and the occasional hissing release of pressure. Whatever concoction he’s creating, it carries an acrid odor that causes more than one member of the group to wrinkle their noses in protest. Khalid, however, seems entirely unbothered, focused on his craft with the precision of a true alchemist.
Meanwhile, Verilich takes to the air, flying about to scout the area further and stretch his wings while waiting. At one point during his exploration, he suddenly finds himself flying into bright daylight—no stone walls, no dark corridors, just open air and the distant glimmer of the Varisian Gulf below. Confused, he turns back, only to find no visible sign of the passage or platform he had just left. From his vantage, the ancient edifice appears as a sheer, unmarred wall of stone. He calls out to the party, his voice carrying back to them faintly.
The group quickly realizes something strange is at play. Through a series of shouted instructions and careful experiments, they deduce the presence of a one-way illusion. From the inside, the party can clearly see the daylight streaming through the opening, illuminating the distant horizon and the gulf below. But from the outside, the illusion presents a flawless expanse of solid stone, effectively masking the existence of the structure and their activities within. The discovery is unsettling yet fascinating, a stark reminder of the Thassilonian ingenuity that permeates the ancient ruins.
Once Khalid’s hour of preparation is complete and the party has fully regrouped, they execute their carefully coordinated plan to cross the gap and navigate the secret passage. The earlier discovery of the illusion only heightens their sense of wonder as they proceed. Verilich, ever the aerial scout, resumes his role in transporting the ring of feather fall and assisting his companions as they leap to the swaying platform below and ascend into the hidden crawlspace. The group's efforts culminate in their successful emergence into the eerie hallway Verilich had scouted earlier, surrounded by Thassilonian murals and the scattered remnants of bones. Though weary, the party is emboldened, their shared resourcefulness driving them forward into the heart of the ancient ruin.
With the group's supplies renewed, Verilich checks with Ghaernan about the duration of the Message spell. Once confirmed, he will take his position up scouting ahead.
Verilich glides on the power of his wings and stealthfully approaches the hallway. At each intersection, he lands and visibly checks the alcoves before gliding forward to the next intersection.
Verilich glides silently down the dim corridor, his wings stirring only the faintest whispers of air. The Thassilonian stonework stretches ahead of him, its ageless craftsmanship untouched by the passage of millennia. As he nears the end of the corridor, the space opens up slightly into a chamber to the west. Choosing caution, Verilich lands gracefully on the smooth stone floor, his sharp senses attuned to the environment.
A glint of something catches his eye—an inconspicuous string, taut across the floor at ankle height. Following its path, he notices it’s tied to a small, slightly tarnished bell hanging from the northeast corner of the chamber. A simple trap, primitive by any standard, yet effective in alerting its makers to an intruder's presence.
Verilich studies the setup for a moment. It’s easy enough to bypass: the string could be severed cleanly without ringing the bell, or avoided entirely by stepping or flying over it. A soft, wry chuckle escapes his lips as he contemplates the crude nature of the obstacle.
He pauses, his sharp eyes scanning the room beyond for any signs of movement or additional threats before deciding how to proceed.
Caius will follow far enough back to keep V in sight, moving as silently as possible while keeping distance. He, too, will remain vigilant.
”Ghaernan, there is a primitive trip wire for a bell at the entrance to a larger room. I recommend we leave it alone and step over it so we don’t inadvertently let our targets know we are here. What say you?”
Then Verilich will fly over the wire and continue scanning.
Ghaernan thanks Verelich through the Message spell in response and concurs with his suggestion, enabling the wyvaran to respond himself when further comms require his initiation.
The Bard then passes the word on the trip wire and its location to the rest of their companions, ensuring that they step over and not disturb the wire when encountered ahead, and likewise enabling all of them to further respond as needed...
As Verilich moves around the corner, he spots two Tower Girls around a small cookfire. They are unaware of his presence.
A tinkling rill of water runs from a demon-shaped mouth on the wall into the fountain. A bedroll and several bags of rations sit on the floor just to the north of the fountain.
Through the message spell, answering Ghaernan's question for status, "spotted 2 tower girls that are unaware of our approach in a room to the right. I will sneak forward to get closer as you and the team approach. Most likely your light will give away your position. If I can, I will initiate surprise and attempt to prevent any alarm raising of the broader set of the gang. Let me know if you or the party disagree."
Verilich will wait a few seconds to see if Ghaernan responds and then stealth fly forward using the walls to his right as cover from the tower girls line of sight.
Caius will continue to stealth forward until reaching the tripwire and prepare to step over it and attack the sentries. Upon any sign they notice us (especially Verilich), he will do so.
It seems Caius wants me to wait here so he can sneak up. I think that's how I read his mind. That man could do better with using his words.
Verilich moves forward with careful precision, his wings barely making a sound as he glides down the corridor and rounds the corner. The dim light reveals two figures seated near a makeshift camp—a pair of Tower Girls lounging amidst scattered gear and weapons.
For a moment, it seems he might pass unnoticed, but a stray scrape of claws against stone—a sound barely audible to him—echoes faintly in the chamber. Both women jerk upright, their casual demeanor replaced by sharp alertness. Their eyes snap toward Verilich, narrowing with suspicion as they spot the wyvaran in the gloom.
“Well, well,” one of them snarls, grabbing a short sword from the ground beside her. “Looks like we’ve got company!”
The other, a wiry woman with a hand crossbow, is already standing, her weapon pointed directly at Verilich. “Wrong place, lizard! Turn around, or you’ll wish you had!”
The campfire flickers behind them, casting erratic shadows across the walls as they take up defensive stances. Their readiness for a fight is clear—these Tower Girls are not about to flee from an intruder without a scrap.
Initiative
Khalid: <== Up!
Tellavee
Yazlenda
Ghaernan
Verilich
Caius
Gundar
Khalid double moves, looking for the trip wire.
Khalid is easily able to spot the tripwire having been warned about it.
The first Tower Girl moves with practiced efficiency, grabbing a torch from the ground and lighting it in the campfire. With a sharp motion, she hurls the blazing torch down the hallway toward Verilich. The light arcs through the air, landing near the wyvaran and illuminating the space with flickering shadows that dance across the ancient stone walls.
“Let’s see you try to hide now!” she sneers, weapon in hand.
The second Tower Girl wastes no time. With her hand crossbow drawn, she moves swiftly toward the corner, pulling her blade as she moves and pressing her back against the cold stone. Peeking around, she levels the weapon with a steady hand and fires at the silhouetted Verilich.
The bolt streaks through the air with a sharp whistle before slamming into Verilich with precision. The wyvaran lets out a small grunt of pain as the bolt finds its mark, the unexpected strike cutting deeper than anticipated.
“Gotcha!” the shooter hisses, her lips curling into a grim smile.
Hit
Round 1
Khalid
Tellavee
Yazlenda
Ghaernan <== Up!
Verilich <== Up!
Caius <== Up!
Gundar <== Up!
Round 2
Khalid <== Up!
Tellavee
Yazlenda
Ghaernan
Verilich
Caius
Gundar
Ghaernan runs, toward conflict yet again, to his chagrin, once the sounds of Verelich's discovery and the immediate conflict reach him. The Bard stops just behind Khalid and Caius, getting as much view of the unfolding fight as possible to ascertain where he might support his companions...
Caius will charge toward the first Tower Girl he sees as he bounds over the tripwire and rounds the corner.
19-20/x2 S