Svetozar Lanezra wipes some of the mud and blood from his brow, now seeing that Trail int the Woods isn't injured despite the scenery, and then turns his head back to the sound of Lavinia Vanderboren in distress. "Where are you? Are you locked in a cell somewhere?" With the group, and wincing through the stinging pain and fetid fear, he begins moving toward Lavinia.
Milton begins moving toward Lavinia's voice. He says "I am not ready to lump you in with your brother. I suspect he is an evil person. I think he killed your parents. I know he slit the throat of the man who brought us here, and dumped his body an the rope ladder down here before closing the door and moving a rock over it."
There is a door, the one that the creatures you found had been trying to bash through when you arrived. There is a bar across it on this side. The voice is coming from the other side. As you approach, the door shakes against the bar. It will be no trouble to lift the bar and open the door.
"Please hurry," Lavinia says. "He wouldn't..." she starts to say, shocked by Milton's accusation. Shocked, but not entirely able to dismiss them, either. "I... I don't believe my brother could... but whatever his crimes, I will see that he pays for them."
Milton lifts the bar and opens the door. He then nods to Lavinia and says "Milton McMurray at your service. I can go into detail about my suspicions if you like. Getting out of here may be difficult though. We haven't found another way out yet. Only the walking dead."
"We are so pleased to see you; Kora asked us to find you. We've already been to The Blue Nixie, and we thought this was another dead end.". Svetozar Lanezra winces in pain and hold his gangrenous wound. "But let us get out of here first. Do you know the layout of this place?"
The woman who staggers through the door is barely recognizable as Lavinia Vanderboren. The portrait you were shown was of an attractive young noblewoman at her best, and this woman is gaunt, with tangled hair and bloodshot eyes. Her face, hands, clothes are streaked with mud and blood. She flinches away from the light at first, as someone who has been in the dark for a long time.
"Thank you," she says, shivering as she steps past the bodies of the once undead things. She bows to each of you. "I am in your debt. Each of you."
"I would like to hear the details of your suspicions," she says to Milton. "But when I can see the sky again. After I've eaten something."
"I am already deeply in debt to Kora," she says, smiling. "I will add this to the account."
She shakes her head when Svetozar asks if she knows the layout of the place.
"I went to see Vanthus on his ship," she says. "One of the sailors said he was below, and I went down and woke up here, in the dark, with a crowd of undead on the other side of the door. I don't know how long it's been. Days?"
Milton thinks for a moment and says "It's been about a week since you went out to your brother's boat. We visited as well and have been on his trail since. First order of business is to find a way out of here. We may have to swim. Let's check this area for exits and if we find none we will have to go back to the other room."
Annelise visibly winces at the word "swim" but she gives a commiserating look to Lavinia. "Family can be difficult. I have to say, though, that your brother has a real talent for making eneimies."
"Well, the sooner we start looking for a way out the sooner we'll find the way to healing and fresh water. Shall we?" And Svetozar Lanezra moves with the group to search the area for a way out.
Honeylyn nods.
"I agree, Svet. Can I call you Svet? Or would you prefer Tozar? Even if Vanthus wasn't planning on ever coming back, there's gotta be stuff left behind by whatever smugglers used this place. Don't think he'd have done a thorough enough sweep of it to make sure he had the only ways in or out."
"Sure, 'Svet' is fine I suppose; I never thought about it. Well, let's get moving before my shoulder rots off and I succumb to whatever ghoul-fever is polluting my veins. Perhaps we should try over that direction,..."
"Hopefully there's a way out of here that doesn't involve swimming." Annelise doesn't sound very hopeful.
A brief search of the room where Lavinia had been trapped reveals another doorway, but the room beyond has completely caved in.
In one corner, she points out someone else was here. A corpse, black and swollen with decay, thankfully not moving. On the wrist is an intricate tattoo is still visible, of a dragon coiled around a flower. The body wears a well-made suit of [leather armor], though it is slimy with decaying flesh, it has held up. Its fingers clutch a scroll of parchment.
These bones once be Penkus, so if ye read this, I be dead, laid low by the sick put on me by that foul dead thing! Yet even as me flesh wracks, know t'was not the dead what brought my doom, but one I 'til recently called friend!
Vanthus Vanderboren! Your name fills me with bile! Spineless, treacherous cur! You left us here to die. You left ME here to die, after all what I done t'get ye into th' Lotus! Yer designs on the Lady of the Lotus be clear now, and with meself out th'way... ye doubtless move even now into power, slithering amid my vacancy like a hermit crab in a shell, or a cadaver worm to still-warm flesh. CURSE UPON YE!
To th'one what reads this. If ye have any honor or vengeance in yer soul, know that Vanthus must die. He dwells in the lap o'th' Lotus, below th' Taxidermist's Hall. Seek him there, but 'fore he dies he must ken it were Penkus what undid him and guides yer killing blow. And if, by some cruel spite of fate, it be ye what read this, Vanthus, know with certainty I wait for ye in Hell, where I intend t' rival the pit itself in yer torment!
'So this is what becomes of me if my wound is not treated.'
Svetozar Lanezra shows the note to his allies before pocketing it away, "Well, we found Penkus afterall. Does anyone recognize the Dragon-&-Flower tattoo?"
Annelise looks at the tattoo, and also tries to remember what she knows, if anything, about the Lady of the Lotus and Taxidermits's hall.
TAGS
She gives the others a quick smile, althoough she's probably the only one who finds the situation amusing. "Not the first time I've been told 'I want them to know it was me'. But it IS the first time I've been told that by someone who's already dead." A street scavenger by nature, she is already hoicking the leather armour off the corpse even as she talks to the others.
The taxidermist's guild hall is on Water Street in the Sunrise District.
Add [leather armor] as a backpack tag. If you wear it before you are able to get it well cleaned, also add [rotten flesh]. If you want to make the armor really significant, you could create it as a theme when you get the chance to evolve or create a theme. It doesn't change the properties of the armor itself, but it increases the narrative importance of it.
Lavinia frowns at her brother's letter.
"I don't know this man my brother has become," she mutters.
Further exploration of the complex reveals no obvious escape route. It does take time, however, and after several hours pass, the sea water in the sea caves and the room with the old pier starts to recede. The tide is going out, exposing more and more of the sea caves.
Svetozar Lanezra feels badly for Lavinia, reminds her to remember good times, and generally tries to be a comfort.
...."Sorry, Annelise, looks like we're swimming."
Maybe the salt water will help clean my wound until it can get divinely treated. It will certainly help was off some of the dead from that leather armor.
"OK, so the Lotus Dragons are just one of the many gangs that infest Sasserine, the only inteeresting thing about them is that nobody knows who runs them. They've had a run of successes lately. And of course most people know where the taxidermists can be found."
...."Sorry, Annelise, looks like we're swimming."
Annelise grits her teeth, but nods. "Can't be helped. At least it should clean some of the crud off this armour."
Milton approaches the sea caves to see if he can see out of any of them, or hear birds outside. He says "Let's see if we can figure out which of these leads out before we start swimming. Best to leave while the tide is on the way out."
"OK, so the Lotus Dragons are just one of the many gangs that infest Sasserine, the only inteeresting thing about them is that nobody knows who runs them. They've had a run of successes lately. And of course most people know where the taxidermists can be found."
...."Sorry, Annelise, looks like we're swimming."Annelise grits her teeth, but nods. "Can't be helped. At least it should clean some of the crud off this armour."
"Yeah, my parents have had dealings with them a few times for a few pieces in the manor."
At Svetozar's note that there seems to be no boat, Honeylyn grimaces a bit.
"Hope it's a short swim. I only really know the basics of a front stroke."
Nevertheless, she follows Milton, keeping her eyes and ears out.
The sea caves wander, but there are no forks that lead any distance, making the way forward clear. With the tide out, it is more a matter of wading than swimming, though there are a few places where the roof is so low the group is forced to dive, and a few where the floor drops away, so Honeylyn has to swim a few strokes to get solid rock underneath her feet.
Finally, the tunnel rises again, and comes into a chamber whose floor is dry and sandy. There is a chest on the floor, with a massive lock holding it shut.
"Look what the tide brought in."
Getting onto dry land and seeing the chest Milton beams with excitement. He frowns at the lock but suddenly his face lights up, "I know! The master has done this." He rifles through his master's spellbook and makes some gestures and says some phrases no one understands and then points at the lock.
Meanwhile, Honeylyn has pulled out a set of locksmith's tools.
"No offense, Milton, but you might wanna leave the pick-work to those with the picks, yeah?"
She waits to see if his spell does anything...
Annelise backs away from the scene, putting distance between her and Milton and his target. She's seen his magic before. She gives a sideways glance at Honeylyn. "A lockpick? Well you're full of surprises - rich girl, sorceress, now thief."
Svetozar looks to see how Lavinia is doing-- exposure, hunger, injuries, the idea of wading into Sasserine as a 'Lady.' .... And looks at his own bleeding shoulder. Wonders where his 'Birthmark' has moved itself, and what shape it is taking.
Milton's spell causes the lock to rattle violently on the clasp. There is a click, but it does not open.
Lavinia looks hopeful. Though she is clearly in a bad state physically, and has been under extraordinary strain for quite some time, she seems optimistically determined. She smiles at Svetozar and notices his wound.
"We'll see it healed," she says to him. "It'll be child's play for one of the priests of Osprem."
Milton looks embarrassed and says "Oopss. The Master makes that look so easy."
"That's yet another reason Honeylyn is so valuable!"
Honeylyn shrugs a bit.
"Technically was already a thief. Why do you think I'm currently on the outs with my parents? No, I didn't steal from my parents, I tried to steal from one of their business rivals. Help the family get an edge, but caught in the act instead."
She takes her probe and lockpick out and begins feeling around inside the lock, getting a good idea of what the internal makeup is like to best determine where to poke.
Honeylyn pokes and prods with her picks, but where there should be a little pressure and a click, there is instead something solid and immovable. Perhaps the wizard bent something inside?
The lock does not open.
"I tried to steal from one of their business rivals. Help the family get an edge, but caught in the act instead."
Annelise raises an eyebrow. "I believe you." Luckily good boots make a decent lockpick. Usually.
Oh, come ON
TAGS: Massive lock (-)
"Will it float? It's wood; just depends on how heavy the contents are, right?"
Honeylyn stumbles to the side a bit as Annelise decides to employ the Universal Key.
On the third kick, the wood starts to splinter, and a few more have destroyed the chest. The violence of the method also seems to have destroyed some of the contents, as broken glass bottles leak mysterious liquid into the sand.
The surviving contents rest of a bed of silver (1500) and copper (7500) coins. There are ten small purses containing 100 gold coins each. Two other bags hold an assortment of small gems (totaling 500 gp value).
There is also a wand. .
Lastly, there is a small, intricately carved jade coffer worth 300 gold. Inside is a faceted brown gem resting on a velvet cushion. Underneath is a small slip of paper that simply reads "Elemental Earth."
Milton will recognize this as an elemental gem, that can be broken to summon a powerful elemental for a short time.
Annelise opens her eyes wide for a moment as the sheer quantity of wealth registers on even her normally unflappable mind. "Is this - yours?" she asks Lavinia.
She very much hopes the answer is no - even after they divide this up among the group, there's enough here to cover her expenses for the foreseeable. Maybe even enough to start dreaming of a way out for her family from the slums of Shadowshore.
Honeylyn is also surprised by the wealth they've uncovered. Even for a rich girl like herself, most of her family's wealth is abstracted in their various assets. Rarely did she ever see an amount of cold, hard cash this large all in one place. And then she frowns a bit. It'd be a pain in the ass to take with them, especially now that the chest was destroyed.
Lavinia looks up from the pile of coins spilling out of the splintered chest and looks at Annelise in confusion.
"Mine?" she says. "No. No, it isn't. I don't know whose it is. I don't really even know where we are. I was attacked aboard my brother's ship and brought here unconscious. Though, from the look of it, I would guess a pirate or a smuggler stashed it here."
"Or a stash your brother left behind, because he cared more about getting away from here and leaving you to rot than any wealth he might have still sitting down here. From what we've learned of his business dealings, it seems he's basically burning all his bridges for whatever this Lotus is offering him. That's not what a sensible businessperson does."
Honeylyn thinks on what they've seen recently, what Penkus' letter indicated, and the chain of business in Sasserine to puzzle out what rhyme or reason, if any, can be found in Vanthus' recent deeds. What could Vanthus have needed monsters for? Could he have created these undead down here? What did it all mean?
Milton picks up the wand and stores it. He then looks at the group "Would someone like to carry the gem. If you break it it will summon an earth elemental. I think we should each pick up a couple bags of gold and the split the bags of gems. I don't know that we can take the silver or copper."
Lavinia nods agreement to Honeylyn's remarks. Vanthus's actions do not appear to make sense, from a business perspective. Potentially killing off his parents and consigning his sister to this place suggest an interest in securing the family fortune.
There is also the matter of the Lady of the Lotus, and the lap of the Lotus. Could he be involved romantically with one of the gang members?
The idea that this is his stash seems strange. He could easily keep gold in a bank, or his ship, or a house. Why use these caves? And the age of the manmade portion of the complex makes you think it is older than Vanthus.
Annelise turns down Milton's offer of the gem. "I'd hate for it to break when someone hit me, that's an extra complication I don't need."
Once they are loaded up with the money that they can carry, she looks around. "We still need a way out."
"I'll take the stone if you don't want it, Milton," Honeylyn comments. "I am a 'rock' gnome, after all. Got an affinity for the earth."
Then she snaps her fingers.
"The elemental it can summon might be our ticket out of here! They're more than just a blunt instrument to clobber a wizard's enemies. They're a blunt instrument that can control and move stone!"
Milton hands the gem to Honelyln and says "That is a good idea if we can communicate with it. I could try using some of my master's spells to see if we can get up to the trapdoor. I have seen him make rope's climb and use force spells to move or hit things. I am just not very good with those."
Sorry for the delay. I've been quite sick the last few days. Should make a proper post tomorrow
Annelise looks dubious. "And if it doesn't work, it risks bring the whole thing crashing down on our heads. I don't like swimming. I'd like being buried under tons of rubble even less."
Her green eyes stare at them both. "You'd better be sure this will work."
The color drains out of Honeylyn's face at Annelise's words.
"This is why mages need non-mages around, to remind them that overcomplicated solutions can just complicate things worse. I think we'll save the elemental for a safer, more open-air space."
"I can hide my disappointment for not using the Earth Elemental to escape; it would have been fun to see. But I agree, it could cause more problems. And could be far more useful later. So -- let's maybe see how 'caved-in' the entrance is. If we can dig our way out, laborious as it seems, maybe that's best."