Carrying the unconscious priest of the Outer Reaches, the team splashes through the sewer toward the waiting ladder. Just as they reach it, rats and ratmen come pouring into the sewers from both north and west, where another door must exist. Springing up the ladder, Tilver turns to assist others, helping Silas get the body up into the deserted apartment building, then pulling up the others behind. Dain holds Magill under his arm as Silas hauls him up and Nigel quickly scrambles up just as the ratmen begin firing muskets!
Nigel straightens and dusts himself off before saying.
"Those ratmen have guns and I am out of useful spells. What say we take this priest somewhere more amicable for interrogation and warn some guards about the swarming rats below?"
"That seems like a good idea. With that many of them, we definitely need to let someone know." Silas says.
"Keep going! They'll be here any minute!" Tilver yells. He rushes them out of the apartment and into the street.
Tilver did indeed jam an old sword blade under the door. It held for a minute or so. That's why they weren't right on your tail as you went up the ladder.
Nigel heeds the gladiators advice and walks swiftly from the apartment and out into the street.
The ratmen do not pursue you out of the sewers.
What do you do now?
"Well. I see no reason we cannot interrogate this man here if we so desire. But the pending swarm is still concerning so let's take him somewhere more secure." Nigel suggests. "The Blade Chapel is nearby, do we have any alliance there? That we might use their accommodations for a time."
"I do not think I know anyone from there. But it seems as good a place as any to take a cultist to." Silas says.
Silas will heft the cultist and say, "The Chapel of the Blade sounds good. Lead on and we will see if Tung is around."
Nigel walks along with the group toward Blade Chapel. He thinks about all the notes he must take when they have a moment of respite.
As they make their way to the Bladechapel, Dain replies to Nigel. "We are...errrr...on good terms...with the Knights of the Pale. We've helped each other in the past, at least. Lady Dierna has no love of chaos cultists, I'm sure she will be willing to...mmm...assist us."
The Bladechapel is a small but well-situated fortress on the edge of Oldtown. Its frowning battlements are overlooked by a single tall tower, through which a single door passes. The guard out front is dressed in shining armor and bears a halberd.
When he sees you approach with an unconscious man he rings a bell, grips his weapon and lowers it into a guard. "Who are you? State your business?"
"Well met, knight." Nigel says as he steps forward and addresses the guardian.
"We have captured a priest of Chaos and this place was our closest haven. If Lady Dierna would allow us, we'd like to keep him here while we question him. Any assistance would be reciprocated in kind with information sharing and the like."
The guard looks at you doubtfully. Luckily, he is saved the decision by the arrival of Brig Stoneheart, one of the most famous of all the Knights of the Pale. He is literally a giant dwarf, twice the height (standing over eight feet tall) and twice the width. He wears a giant axe slung over his shoulder.
"Priest of Chaos, eh? Well, that is the going price of admission for the tour. Come on in and tell me your tale. You'd be the ones that cleared Pythoness House, is that not so? Heard tell of you."
The giant dwarf ducks under the doorway and leads you into the courtyard. He indicates a door and ducks under it as well, leading you into a small parlor. He rings a handbell and when a servant arrives, asks him to fetch Sister Terella.
"Now then. I've sent for a healer for you and your captive. This would be a good time to tell your tale."
Silas will begin to tell the tale, "We heard that there were cults gathering in the hopes of bringing destruction upon the city. So we ventured to an apparently uninhabited manor that turned out to be infested with foul abberations and insects that we slew. Beneath the manor there was an entrance that led down to an illusionary wall. After finding the hidden portal we entered and ran into a number of cultists that attacked us. We slew all but this one who told us of an army of ratmen beneath the city. We grabbed him and fled the area. As we were going we saw a large number of Ratmen giving chase, but they were unable to catch us. We brought him here in the hopes of finding out more about the cults and their allies before journeying once more beneath the manor to deal with these cults."
"Silas is correct. And if this priest yields any information, it would be of help to anyone fighting against Evil and Chaos in Ptolus." Nigel concurs.
"Please allow me to examine him." Nigel asks before conducting a thorough arcane examination.
Brig considers. "The Knights are always interested in Chaos cults. We can help you. We're spread a little thin, what with the impending barbarian army, but we’ll do what we can. Did you merely want shelter, or do you need help coercing this man’s secrets?”
”We are the Knights of the Pale. You know we don’t condone torture.”
"I am not interested in torture. If you could help convince him to talk about what he knows, that would be very helpful." Silas replies to Brig.
"A cell where we can...ummm...stash him...would be useful. To keep him from causing more trouble."
"I agree with my colleagues. We do not need to debase our morales. There are magical means of extracting information. Perhaps one of your clerics here could enchant him with a Zone of Truth."
"If you'll permit up a respite, we can interrogate this man and recover before we head back to deal with that cursed apartment."
Stoneheart agrees. "Your worth is known among the knights, not least for your time spent with our brother Tung. You will have your respite and your jail. I will see to the prisoner personally and you may have these apartments for your sojourn. I will send you supper presently. Have a good rest."
Lifting the Chaos Priest, the giant dwarf departs, leaving you alone.
Tilver looks back and forth between the group and Stoneheart. Despite working with Tung, he had never expected to actually be able to enter the Bladechapel and meet such a warrior.
When they are alone he regains his voice. "That seems smart. Let's rest here and then we can speak to the priest again and hopefully figure out what's going on. Whatever these cults are doing, it doesn't bode well for any of us."
Dain turns his attention to his companions with a glazed over stare. "Yes, I could use a...rest. I have...uhhh...drawn the attention of too many spirits. Their voices are n-n-nearly overwhelming."
Silas waits for the cultist to be in place and then after an hour to clean up he finds the others and says, "I can try to intimidate him into telling us things of use. But someone with diplomacy who feigns interest and maybe brings some food or drink might get more out of him. Once we go to intimidation the friendly route is unlikely to work as well."
Nigel pens a letter to the Inverted Pyramid.
Masters,
We have captured a Chaos cultist alive. I formally request arcane assistance in gathering information and knowledge from the detainee. We are jailing the detainee at Blade Chapel with the assistance from the Knights of the Pale.
Our investigation has proved to be fraught with hostility. This aligns with Isabel's previous reports. If there are resources available, respectfully request several scrolls of Mage Armor, and any offensive arcana we can afford.
Very respectfully,
Nigel Van Wagnen
--------------------------
Nigel raises an eyebrow at the litorian and says "Your brutish physique is complimented by quite the intellect. Good idea. I am not the best at diplomacy, but I've studied a bit."
"I have seen in the past that a single person goes in with food or drink and talks amicably. I can on hand in case he tries to shank you with his fork. But often being nice is the best way to go. I think we just try that. Perhaps feign interest in the cult. And then see what he divulges. Assuming he knows anything of value." Silas suggests.
Tilver considers Silas' tactic. "That might be an interesting avenue. I know quite a lot about chaos cults. Maybe I can work to engage him in a conversation about it. The downside is that he's seen all of us fighting against him. But maybe..." He pauses for a moment.
"There's a elixir that can change your form, but it only lasts 10 minutes. I think there are spells or potions that can do it for longer. If we can get one of those, then maybe I have a shot at getting him to open up."
"Hmmmm. I do not have a spell for that currently, but let me send a runner to the Pyramid for a possible scroll. For now, I can attempt a simple Charm spell on him once I'm able to rest."
"I think the charm should be a fallback. Once we start trying to take over his mind then we are done with being diplomatic." Silas says. "Either he will be open to talking and proselytizing or he won't. And then threats and magic can be brought in. But if we start off lying or enchanting him its not going to help. Our most diplomatic member should just go sit down and talk to him nicely alone with some food or drink. Alcohol might open him up way more then a spell that puts him on edge."
So...
A long walk across town brings to Myraeth's at Delver's Square. You can purchase any common scroll there for list price. What do you buy?
"Hmmmm. These scroll will only work on myself. However, a Hat of Disguise could work for you, Tilver. Although it would be a bit more expensive." Nigel comments.
"I can chip in for a potion." Silas says.
Having purchased your potion, you return to the Bladechapel.
What now?
Tilver strips off his armor and weapons, and then drinks the potion. Immediately the effects begin. He shrinks about half a foot and his hair changes color to a dirty blond and lengthens into a ponytail while glasses appear over his eyes. The half-elven ears round off. The now-scholarly human form nods and says, "Well, that will do, though I feel like I'll have indigestion for the rest of the day."
He enters into the room with the chaos priest, holding a pad of paper. "Hello sir. My name is Theodore. I'm here to take a statement from you. I hear that you have been brought in by an aggressive troupe of Delvers. I'll tell you, the Knights are not impressed by them and want to make sure to get your side." He clicks his tongue in annoyance at the mention of Delvers. "You wouldn't be the first person some unruly Delvers accuse. I hope we can straighten this out. Please, please, can you tell me what happened?"
The Chaos Priest, battered and bloody, looks up at 'Theodore' through the one eye that isn't swollen half-shut. "I ain't got nothin' to say to no knight, or a knight's lap-dog. Run off home, puppy. It ain't gonna be there no more soon."
"Yes, well that doesn't change too much. But I can get something to help with that eye if you want. Or perhaps you wish to pierce the veil and call upon the gods before to heal you?"