Chapter 8: Against the Cult of the Reptile God

[AleBelly]

Pelias gasps, quickly following the others in the inn. When he catches them he whispers in a hiss "There is grave evil here, friends. Let us explore this with the full complement of our forces. I say we retrieve Telkis and Grothnak and venture forth."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo

I agree with Pelias! We should reunite and go down to have a look at what is hiding under this forsaken place. I see signs indicating abominations of nature here. Some sort of mutated lizard tracks.

We must prepare ourselves mentally for whatever we are about to find down there.

[Starbeard]

At the sound of lurking evil, Moogeye steps lightly along the floorboards, as though trying to avoid having to touch them. She makes her way back to retrieve those outside and bring them news of evil auras and man-lizard footprints.

[Inferno]

Day Six.
The Abandoned Foaming Mug Inn (16)
Between 8pm and 9pm. Friday, October 21st, 576 CY
Full moon, cloudy, damp, cold, misty





Pelias senses loathsome evil below the creaking floor of the abandoned ruin of the inn. He whispers that they should gather all their strength, regrouping with Telkis and Grothnak, before descending to investigate.

Long Bo gravely concurs, indicating the inhuman footprint he discovered.

Outside, Telkis signals Grothnak that someone approaches from the southeast.



"CAW! CAW!" cries Sephus from above them.

The half-orc warrior moves to watch the west side of the inn and finds no one there. Moogeye joins them outside and shares what has been discovered within.

Telkis watches as the mysterious figure continues advancing upon them. Mouser slowly emerges from the shadows and waves his hand as he reaches Telkis. Mouser is alone. Telkis last saw him and Hoom a day ago. But the elf, whose people are seemingly immune to the cult's mental enslavement, is nowhere to be seen.


Actions?


Map:

SE Briarsgate Map 6.jpg (258.5 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

Grothnak and Moogeye are at the NW corner of the Foaming Mug Inn (16), Mouser and Telkis are at the NE corner. Avril, Bo, Ingrid and Pelias are inside.
Lighter area marks visibility; all else is from memory.[/ooc]





Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/2: AC 7, HP 10/10, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: AC 4, HP 24/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 10/16, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl and 3/3 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 3: AC 6, HP 18/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 1/1 3rd lvl
  Moogeye Comcra, Human Monk 2: AC 8, HP 11/11
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 15/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: AC 0, HP 27/28

Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.

Resources:

• Map of Briarsgate
  NPC List for Briarsgate
  The Story So Far (in words)
  The Story So Far (in pictures)

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter

"Mouser!" he says in a whisper when he gets close enough... but not too close. "Where is Hoom? Where have you been? How did you find us?" He signals to the others on the NW corner with a hand gesture. Never taking his eyes off Mouser he continues, "Are you compromised, sir? You, of course, won't mind if we restrain you until we get a feel for your state of mind. Sorry to be rude, but if you refuse, I'll take it to mean you are compromised and do what I must." Telkis readies his bow. "Now if you'll stop just there, one of the others will secure your hands behind your back. It's just temporary, of course."

Gah!

[Zhym]

Grothnak joins Telkis and Mouser. "Though we must be careful, I do not think we have to tie him up," he tells the gnome. "Mouser is sneaky if he wants to be. If he wanted to attack, maybe we wouldn't have seen him. Still, maybe we do not turn our backs to him just yet. And I would hear his story—but not all of it. Not here, not now. Except for where Hoom is."

[ChubbyPixie]

"A sneakier tactic would be to pose as a friend, then lead us into an ambush - if one's will were not one's own. Let us see what he has to say. I still say we restrain him." replies Telkis. "What do you say to this, Mouser?"

[dmw71]

Avril cautiously pokes at the cellar stairs with her sword, testing their structural integrity, and hoping to determine whether they would support her weight. If she believes she would be supported, sword still drawn, she will slowly begin to step down into the cellar, one cautious step at a time.

[AleBelly]

Pelias watches the conversation between Mouser, Telkis and Grothnak carefully. He seems to be concentrating intently on Mouser.

Detect evil wouldn't work here, but Pelias will carefully watch his body language, trying to see if anything has changed in Mouser since the last time they were together.

[Grognardsw]

"Aye, it's me," says the Grey Mouser with a smile to Telkis. "It is good to see you alive. Hoom and I escaped a group of pursuers by burning down the Golden Grain. I imbibed a magick potion that parted the veil of mens minds, and learned the innkeeper of the Foaming Mug Inn was not tainted by the evil here. We visited the inn for safe haven, met a farmer visiting town, but then Magistrate Ruskadel and Constable Allard showed up with some men. We beat a hasty retreat, but Hoom decided to stay at the last moment. He must have some clever plan."

"I am not compromised." Mouser lays his sword and knife down. "I am without weapons. But I won't be tied up again in this town. How do you want to confirm my state of mind?"

[Zhym]

Grothnak's eyes narrow. He grips his halberd tightly and glares at Mouser. "You set fire to the inn," he nearly growls. "And ran away. Leaving us inside to die as far as you knew."

"You are right," he tells Telkis without taking his eyes off of the thief. "He cannot be trusted. Whether because his mind is not his own or because his own mind is filled with dishonor and cowardice, I do not know."

[Starbeard]

Moogeye is surprised to see the Grey Mouser emerge from the shadows. As the thief is covered by her companions she takes the opportunity to ready her crossbow.

As the interrogation moves along she thinks better of herself. "Yes, where is your friend?"

Moogeye looks in the other direction and peers into the darkness to see if anyone else is coming.

[OGRE MAGE]

Never much for putting faith in the words of thieves, Bo stays with Avril. He follows her into the lower level, hoping that their current lack of support won't result in his demise.

We must continue to seek out the truth about this place. The time for action is upon us!

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, thief

"If I was under their control Telkis," says Mouser, "you'd be surrounded now by a mob of villagers. An ambush now would be best, while you are split."

He looks around. "Let us step inside."

"The way Hoom and I saw it," he says to Grothnak, "is that you all left the two of us behind to guard. We faced a mob of men who would have killed us at best, tortured at worst. We did what was needed to stop them, kill some, and take down one of their dens."

"Those tunnels reeked of the dead, and they led to the graveyard for escape as I said? Your party was well-equipped to face your challenge, unlike us."

"It is ironic that a half-orc, who's doubtless faced prejudice much of his life, passes judgment on others' honor so easily based on his own prejudiced assumptions."

"My actions from the goblin fight in the woods up to now speak for themselves. I returned."

"As for Hoom, I don't know what the elf is up to. But we need to search him out soon, either at the constable or magistrate's place."

[Zhym]

"Do not lecture me on prejudice," says Grothnak, turning away. "It makes you sound like an ass."

[ChubbyPixie]

Ignoring the mounting argument, Telkis gathers up Mouser's weapons. "Very well, no restraints. But I'll hold on to these for the moment, and we will not be taking any suggestions for 'next moves' from you until we're certain you're the one directing your own actions." He the squints and stares hard at Mouser. "Did it not occur to you that the tunnels may have reeked of death because there were dead things inside? However, that is behind us. Let's focus on the matter at hand."

[Inferno]

Day Six.
The Abandoned Foaming Mug Inn (16)
Between 8pm and 9pm. Friday, October 21st, 576 CY
Full moon, cloudy, damp, cold, misty






“CAW! CAW!” warns Sephus the crow as the Grey Mouser emerges alone from the shadows and mist near the abandoned Foaming Mug Inn (16).

There he is met with suspicion by Telkis Brassfang and Grothnak Uthglukh who perhaps recall the dire warnings of Killian Gade, uttered mere hours before he and his young family were taken by malefactors unseen:

• • "No. It’s good that you mistrust us, mister. You’re right to do so. So many strangers pass through here. Like yourselves. They think it’s safe. Because it’s a town. But it’s not. It’s not safe. Don’t trust the folk you meet. Don't trust your friends."

Pelias Blanchflower concentrates his attention upon Mouser, trying to detect any difference in his bearing or behavior and identifying none.

Moogeye Comcra loads her crossbow and peers out into the dim night, and sees no one else approaching.

"An ambush now would be best, while you are split,” Mouser says as he tells his story and voluntarily lays down his weapons. Telkis gathers them up.

Meanwhile, inside…

Avril Hollysword cautiously pokes at the decrepit cellar stairs with her sword. Judging them to be sound enough to support her weight, she slowly descends into the dark basement, one cautious step at a time. Long Bo and Ingrid Esthof follow Avril down into the stone bowels of the inn.

The creaking old stair seems deafening in the deathly stillness of the dark, forsaken house.

At the bottom of the groaning steps, Bo and Ingrid’s lanterns reveal a brick room shrouded in cobwebs.



The sickening stench of mold and decay is stronger here. There are three doorless exits from this chamber; north, south and west.

Actions?


Map:

SE Briarsgate Map 6.jpg (258.5 KiB) Viewed 1068 times

Grothnak, Moogeye, Mouser, Pelias and Telkis are at the NE corner of the Foaming Mug Inn (16). Avril, Bo and Ingrid are inside.
Lighter area marks visibility; all else is from memory.[/ooc]





Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/2: AC 7, HP 10/10, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 5, HP 10/10, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: AC 4, HP 24/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 10/16, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl and 3/3 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 3: AC 6, HP 18/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 1/1 3rd lvl
  Moogeye Comcra, Human Monk 2: AC 8, HP 11/11
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 15/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: AC 0, HP 27/28

Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.

Resources:

• Map of Briarsgate
  NPC List for Briarsgate
  The Story So Far (in words)
  The Story So Far (in pictures)

[ChubbyPixie]

"Tell me, Mouser," begins Telkis, glancing meaningfully at Grothnak, "Did Hoom's clever plan involve being totally unarmed while surrounded by townsfolk that wish him bodily harm?" Telkis stares levelly at the thief.

[dmw71]

Covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve, Avril turns to Bo and Ingrid. "We can't risk going too far," she says quietly. "But I do want to quickly check each of these exits, just to see what we're dealing with down here."

With a confident nod, the elven maiden turns away from the others and quietly makes for the north exit first, intending on simply peering around each corner to see if she spots anything, or if anything stands out. She'll do nothing more than get a quick glance, then repeats the process at the south exit next, then the west.

[Starbeard]

Moogeye lets those who know Mouser better continue to interrogate him, while she keeps a sweeping guard around them. She whispers, "He is a traitor or he is not, but talking here will wake the village. The walls will dampen some sound, we can continue questioning him there."