Dannad squints at the dart.
"That's somethin...."
"They've fled their lair, it seems."
The poison is some kind of common neurotoxin and the man likely died within moments of the dart hitting him as he does not seem to be of any exceptional fortitude.
Looking around, you also notice that most of the tapestries have been taken away and anything else of even minute value is missing.
The young girl came to within a few hours after taking her with you to Dannad's family tavern. She was very frightened to begin with and refused to talk. Eventually you all consoled her found that her name is Karen and she had been working as a pickpocket and beggar for the Beggar-King and his gang. She was selected at random to act as the Beggar-King's decoy for the trap and was severely drugged before having her head shaved in preparation. Unless otherwise stated, she could have easily been handed over to the proper officials to become a ward of the city, of which there are many in Punjar.
"Can't think we're done here," Hawkseer answers. "What about that vile fountain?"
You saw as you came in that the fountain's stinging miasma was still hanging thick in the air outside.
"Well now. It's my professional opinion that we should go down again. Bearing in mind that the nest has been breached and defenses are likely to be high. The average rat colony is well able to anticipate attacks and will often go into hiding, waiting for a better opportunity."
DM
"Right. Back down. Using the stairs this time."
"Shut. Up. Dwarf."
Dannad tosses the dart aside and unsheathes his blade.
"Let's go.... It'll be interesting to see what they have prepared for us."
Dagobert heads cautiously for the stairs, following Dannad.
The party heads cautiously down the dark stairs, aided only the light behind them. Eventually they see the glow of braziers at the bottom and come out in the large cavern.
The cage has been moved back to its original position and there are signs of several booted footprints in the dirt around the cages. The bodies of the hobgoblins and the large ape have been drug off somewhere, though the blood and other signs of battle have not been removed.
The body of the rogue is still pressed up against the portcullis in the river, nobody either having seen it or bothered to retrieve it.
Other than that, the room is empty and silent save for the sound of the nearby underground river.
Dannad creeps forward, eyes peeled.
"Looks like sommat was noticed, alright."
The halfling thief edges along the walkway toward the slave pens.
Hawkseer keeps an eye on Dannad from his location at the bottom of the stairs as the halfling inspects the slave pens.
Dagobert looks carefully around, hoping (or not hoping) for further signs of life.
"There should be rodents."
Dannad creeps towards the slave pens and finds them in much the same state as they were left.
Dagobert is likely pleased to see that usual creatures of the caverns are out and about. Rats scurry, bats flit about, and insects crawl through the dirt and mud, perhaps even more so now than before due to the lowered activity of the cavern.
"Proper vermin at last."
"Glad you're satisfied. Onward?" Hawkseer gestures in the direction of the unexplored cavern.
"Yes, let's continue on. We shall not pick up their trail again by standing here."
The party heads deeper into the Beggar-King's underground lair. The decor quickly begins to change, and the skulls and other bones of many humanoids now lie scattered about, and arranged as macabre decor.
Broken shards of plaster and stone rubble are piled before a narrow cleft that has been torn in the far wall of the chamber . Through the jagged opening you spy a dusty stone staircase rising through cobwebs into darkness.
A series of lit candles, each planted atop a skull, surround
the cleft. A well-worn footpath avoids the cordon of candles, exiting through an archway on your left that goes up a wide set of stone steps .
"Looks a bit obvious," Hawkseer remarks. "Let's have a closer look around."
Dagobert looks curiously at the arrangements. "Very unhealthy looking to my mind. And obvious, as Hawkseer says."
"Little good can come from a place such as this."
The rubble, as far as you can tell, is fairly new. Perception shows the remains of some kind of carved seal where the hole has been made. There isn't enough left of the seal, however, to divulge any religious significance.
The skulls are of various humanoids. A closer forensic inspection would be needed to figure out all the exact races. Most of these appear to be human or possibly hobgoblin.
"Well, ain't this a grim business...."
The halfling adjusts his grip on his dagger and draws a second. The grim decor has him on edge.
Dagobert trudges cautiously forwards, his feet making more noise than he'd bargained for.
"A broken seal. Then let us find what was supposed to sealed within."
"Yes, let's."
Dagobert can hear nothing else unusual other than the comments of his companions and the sounds of his own feet.
Moving further towards the seal reveals some details that were not as apparent from the other room. Closer inspection of the sigils around the seal show that someone went through the trouble of filling them in with lead a long time ago.
Also from this distance, illumined by the light of sunrods, a single body can be seen lying on the ground in the middle of the western chamber.
Galad traces what remains of the sigils with his finger before noticing the body. "This bodes badly. Come, we must investigate." Summoning his spirit by his side, Galad moves into the room.
"Tsk tsk."
"I like this not."
Dannad pads behind Hawkseer, his daggers at the ready.
The party slowly begins to creep over the rubble and into the room.
Once a chapel, this chamber has long since fallen into ruin. A faux portal is painted in black on one wall, decorated with simple silver skulls and stars. A simple wooden bowl sits before the false portal, sticky with blood. Metal censers hang from chains in the corners of the chamber, and the air is thick with swirling smoke.
The desiccated corpse of a human in red robes lies in the center of the chamber, its face frozen in a scream of terror.
"Mmm. Can't say I like the look of this very much. Very dubious."
Hawkseer thinks back to his religious training to see if it yields any insights.
Galad kneels next to the corpse and attempts to find the cause of death.
"Ach. The stench of sorcery."
"Smells like the sellers on the street a' gods."
The halfling turns his back on the creepy scene and keeps his eyes on the hall leading to the other set of stairs.
"Bet Kenneth would have somethin' to say about it."