Whoops, we'd they go? Xaiven wonders aloud. [b]If they went to find friends, we need to act fast.[b]
Unless someone decides otherwise, the halfling will go inside and look around for anything suspicious. If satisfied with the safety of the room he'll check out the south door.
Jokum lets Xaivan past and follows, trying to be as quiet as possible, heading straight to the northern door and pressing his ear against it.
Karthak examines the room searching for a possible clue to the enemies' whereabouts:"Mmmmh... let's see... where did they do?"
Karthak can see several smudges of footprints heading both north and south...
The dwarf grunts in disappointment:"They left. And split... apparently" he points at the footprints "They went both north and south... so the question seems to be: what do WE do now?".
Then the dwarf crouches down and starts examining the traks more carefully trying to ascertain more information from them
Jokum grunts. "I don't hear anything from this end..." He also peers at the tracks that Karthak has pointed out.
Jokum glances at Pollux as the man passes by, and opens his mouth to speak, but then notices something in the tracks that gets his attention. What was that? Eh, no matter...
Tess approaches the stone table, intrigued by the dried stain. "Blood spilled on a stone.... do you suppose this was done as part of a sacrifice?"
Definitely a lethal amount of blood.
Almost in unison the doors to the north and south burst open. "Not a sacrifice but a message, one that you'll soon be sending as well!
Order
Pollux
Ce-Eshna
Inquisitor
Mongrelman
Tesseract
Jokum
Ranger
Karthak
Xaivan
|
Pollux takes spear in hand, his lips spreading into a reassured sneer. With burning stars in his eyes he calls once more upon powers infernal. "Right you are, illegitimate children of the whore chaos; whose legs spread wide across the crack of the world to bring forth false gods. Gods that evoke the lusts and greed of men with lies of power and fortune. Learn your place, demoniac scum of lesser gods. Learn it well and deliver our message of wrath with your dying breath!"
After delivering his short, but hellish, sermon. Pollux moves into a favorable position.
Karthak runs near jokum and slashes at the upcoming enemy.
Ce-Eshna nimbly rushes into the room taking up the high ground on the bloodstained table. Her bow out and at the ready.
Hosilla steps away from the door and brings the glaive down, calling for her god to judge Jokum.
The other mongrelman rushes up from the south at the halfling in the doorway. Xaivan is caught off-guard by the sudden rush.
Ce-Eshna
Inquisitor
Pollux
Mongrelman
Jokum
Karthak
Ranger
Xaivan
Jokum lets out a roar of pain as the glaive chops into his side. "Grrrraaah!! Healing, if anyone has it!!" He slides forward, guard up, his face a mask of rage. End this quickly.
The two forceful blows send her down, her blood pooling under her limp body.
With the death of her last ally, the ranger makes a mad dash out of the room, pushing past the struggling halfling and mongrelman.
Vaulting over the barricades and making it as far as the knotted rope.
Ce-Eshna
Pollux
Mongrelman
Tesseract
Jokum
Karthak
Ranger
Xaivan tries to escape the grab!
Xaivan will then take a 5' step backwards, drop his bow and draws his weapon.
Ce-Eshna, loosing sight of the fleeing woman levels a shot over the halfling's head at the now hostageless mongrelman.
Abandoned, and injured the final mongrelman throws down his arms and begs for his life to be spared.
"Mercy, please show mercy! His voice comes out as a hoarse cry. His deformities, making the words hard to understand.
Karthak rushes to the door trying to prevent the mongrelman's escape:"Stop her, quick! Before she can gain the upper floor!"
Glaring at the prostrate mongrelman, Jokum drops his sword with a clatter and strides toward the door Karthak has opened. "We will spare your life for the moment. But stay. STILL."
Drawing his bow and an arrow as he moves, he nocks, draws, sights, and releases an arrow at the fleeing woman in one fluid motion.
Treasure
2 light crossbows 18 bolts
potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of invisibility, wand of spiritual weapon (6 charges),alchemist's fire (2), tanglefoot bag, chinshirt, mwk glaive, antitoxin, bejeweled book of prayers devoted to Baphomet worth 50gp, lockbox key, orders from Staunton Vhane, 32 gp
studded leather armor, short sword, light crossbow with 20 bolts
Old bloodstains the floor of this small cavern. Barrels filled with scraps of fur and fat sit against one wall, emitting an foul stench. The two long stone slab tables are covered with skinning tools and piles of freshly butchered meat. Two wooden racks hold drying animal skins.
A stone pedestal holds a copper brazier a loft in the center of this room. Against the western wall, an enormous pile of animal furs and thick quilts serves as a bed. Sheathed weapons and stone carvings adorn the walls. The eastern half of the room holds a wooden desk, beneath which stands a long, thin iron lockbox.
Contents of the Lockbox
The lockbox under the desk is fastened with an average lock. The lockbox holds a small leather pouch containing an assortment of semiprecious gemstones (three chips of lapis lazuli worth 10 gp each, two bloodstones worth 50 gp each, a citrine worth 50 gp, and a white pearl worth 100 gp) as well as a scroll of bear's endurance and a scroll of remove disease. The lock box also contains long, thin darkwood sword case worth 200 gp
Karthak returns to the others a grim scowl on his features:"Gone!" the dwarf mutters darkly.
Xaivan will leave the questioning to those that care to do so. The halfling will instead scoop up the gemstones while handing over the other items in the lockbox to those that might want them. If no one objects he'll help himself to one of the alchy fires and the potion of invisibility.
Xaivan will examine the rooms closely as the prisoner is being talked to by the others.
You will remain, for the time being, in Kenabres, but know this: the city's days are numbered. Seek a place of saftey-the underground den of your mongrel lackeys should suffice to keep you safe from the devastation to come. I shall assume command of Drezenshortly, and once Vorlesh has finished with the Wardstone and Kenabres is no longer of
interest to us, you are to return to my side.
Excellent news regarding the salvage of Yaniel's sword from the museum as well-bring it with you, for I believe this weapon could be quite useful once we corrupt it. Before you leave for Drezen stop by the three safe houses (Nyserian Manor, Topaz Solutions, and the Tower of Estrod- the passphrase remains: "I've new material for the archives," for now) to ensure no evidence remains behind.
May Lord Deskari and Lord Baphomet watch over you!
S.V.
The contents of the long darkwood case is the greatest treasure present. The case is not locked-inside lies a breathtaking longsword-a weapon of obviously superior craftsmanship with a razor-sharp blade that appears to be made of shining gold.
Jokum does a quick turn through the rooms, pausing only to read the message and see if he can identify the meat in the room to the south.
He growls in wrath when he reads the mysterious message. "We're needed back on the surface. There are traitors in Kenabres, if the city still stands. We must move quickly now."
His eyes widen when he sees the golden sword. Grabbing the case (not touching the sword itself), he strides to the prisoner. "What is this blade? What were your plans for it? And who is S.V.?" he demands roughly.
The mongrelman stammers, "I don't know what that sword is! I've never seen it or heard who S.V. is. Please don't kill me. The crusaders made us help them. They killed the Chief, that's his blood on the table..."
Yes, I'd rather avoid the confrontations if I can. The less bloodshed the better, I say.
He gulps trying to get control of himself, looks at the ruined bodies of his companions, then swallows again. "Will you let me go if I tell you?"
Karthak turns back to the others as the chase for the wily mongrelwoman proves fruitless. As soon as he reads the letter he enters a black rage thrashing the room where the follower of Baphomet was slain before calming down a little:"At least these traitors were dealt with. As for who S.V. is... isn't it obvious? It's Stauton Vahne... the miscreant traitor who left the grace of Torag to join the forces of the Abyss! I won't rest until he's paid for his crimes! But before that we need to save the city above. Now we know where these traitors hide. Let's pay them a visit they shal not forget for the rest of their brief lives!"
Jokum nods at the cowering mongrel. "We will give you your freedom if you assist us." He glances at Karthak, but keeps most of his attention on the mongrel. And the sword.
He nods, "There were about a dozen of us, and the woman and the devilspawn." He looks down on his hands as if using the odd numbers of digits to count. "And I think 4 of her crusaders with her."
Karthak interjects vehemently:"How many of those filthy betrayers did we kill upstairs? And I don't second the notion of this one getting away with his wicked ways unscathed. We should give him back to his tribe and let them judge him"
Jokum said we'd give him his freedom, I say we honor that as long as he gives us the information we asked for. Xaivan counters. Look, we need to get to the surface. Who knows what's going on up there.