Chapter 1: The mystery of Odlo Hillhouse

[Marullus]

Hailey looks cautiously at the ramp and ever-burning green flames, particularlynoting if there is any disturbance in the dust or sign of footprints within."Odlo's ranting said we was protecting the great treasures of the greatest wizard who ever lived..." she warns, "who offered immortality and compelled his enemies to undead service. It is clear he never opened the door... but it is not unreasonable that the immortal wizard might remain above."

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Takes stock of his gear. He holds his holy symbol up at the baleful light, "Only the foolish go where angels fear to tread. Tis a portal to the realm of that devilish icon Wenceslas hacked"

Zygmund checks the wall indentation and the other two keys that were hanging upon the hooks. "I wonder what would happen if we closed the door and locked it. Opening it again with another key? Open the door to a realm more of Nature or Dwarven celestial blessing."

He makes notes and turns to any pages on portals and 'staircases to heaven'.

Zygmund: 14 Intelligence: using Black Grimoire: Light spell [1d20]=5

[OGRE MAGE]

Once done investigating the pillars, Palmero moves along with the others through the opened doorway.

"So, unless Odlo was lying, we are likely to find a horrible life altering creature in here somewhere. A vampire maybe?"

The turnip farmer checks his pouch for any fresh garlic, finding none.

[Rex]

Wenyld

"Would a vampire need Odlo to protect it? Seems unlikely. Maybe it is long gone now and just its treasure remains."

[Marullus]

Wenyld

"Would a vampire need Odlo to protect it? Seems unlikely. Maybe it is long gone now and just its treasure remains."

"Well," says Hailey, steeling herself to uncharacteristic bravery, "Let us hope." With that, and once everyone is done checking for traps, secrets, and footprints, she turns and quietly ascends the stair.

[AleBelly]

Cotgric examines the walls of the newly entered hallway, and finds this construction to be dwarven in origin just as the earlier rooms were. After finding no traps in the area, the party begins to ascend the stairs. As they climb, they look at each others' now battle-hardened faces. They appear as they would in death: pale, gaunt, drawn and staring with sunken eyes filled with despair. Is the effect a twisted illusion or merely an artifact of the flickering shadows?

After climbing about 25 feet, they come upon four small holding cells hewn into the rock walls on their right, each protected by a presumedly locked door of iron bars. No key is seen. Suddenly, prisoners appear from the shadows behind each set of bars, pleading for freedom!

Leaning up against the wall opposite the holding cells is a 6 foot long iron rod, about 2 inches in diameter.

The stairs continue to lead upwards out of sight. Zygmund is again disappointed by the lack of practical information in his grimoire.

Actions?

[Rex]

Wenyld

Wenyld stays back out of reach of those in the cells.

"Who are you and how did you get in there?"

She eyes the bar, trying to tell if it is just for pushing them back in the cell or if it could be used as a key somehow.

[gurusql]

Cotgric & Duala

Both will be sure to stay out of reach of the newly discovered prisoners as well.

Cotgric will look at himself trying to understand if it is tricks of the light or if he is being changed.

Duala from the distance, will look to make sure the four cells APPEAR to be closed.

Both looking forward to the answer of Wenyld's question.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeing the lowly prisoners, Palmero wonders if they are also magical illusions, squinting to identify any he may have seen before.

He decides to go the easier route with the rod. “Tell us how this tool is used. Would it help get you out of there?”

[Stirling]

Xerxes

"They are damned souls, restrained for judgement day. Greedy ghouls not doubt." He has thoughts of doom and gloom regarding prisoners wondering how any living would remain so hale in this strange environment.

Zygmund, maybe the bar has some physical traits. A conductor of electrifying shocks to stun the unruly? It looks just too cumbersome to be a baton and the cells don't use any bracing bars as they could be lifted out easily enough. But then whoever held it might get shocked too?.

He waits to hear any prisoners speak and reveal more about themselves and this place.

[Marullus]

Hailey also carefully observes their responses. Then she has an additional idea. She takes a raw chicken breast from Bobwhite's small chest and tosses it through the bars to see what reaction it provokes.

[CAI4]

Bilberta closely watches the prisoners and keeps track of their reaction towards the chicken.

Radahn asks “Did that Odlo fellow put you here? He’s caused us quite some trouble as well”

[AleBelly]

Randomizing the question order...GM rolls dice

Cotgric looks himself and the others over. He notices nothing different about himself or the others, but the green light is not doing any of them favors cosmetically. Duala inspects the doors. They appear to be closed and locked. In the cells they see three humans and an elf, each occupying their own cell. They appear groggy.

Wenyld: "Who are you and how did you get in there?"

One of the humans rubs their eyes. "I'm not sure I know where here is..." she starts, speaking in your tongue but with an accent none of you can place. "But the short of it is, our town of Pantano was besieged by two wizards who were at war with each other. Right bastards they both were, but to survive, we had to pick sides. You know, for protection? We chose the side of Moldark Zelroth, the more powerful of the two. He was worse, but also stronger. And then the other, Varooth Moss, changed his ways. Renounced the evil source of his power and became more friendly to the townsfolk. So we switched allegiance to Varooth. But near as I can tell, this pissed off the source of his powers something fierce. Lost some of his power, and his head was turned into a toad's! Bad news for us, as last I remember, Moldark put Varooth and us followers to sleep. Probably killed poor Varooth. And now we just woke up here a minute or two ago. So I'm as clueless as you are!"

Hailey throws raw chicken into the cell. The human looks up, puzzled. "Now I'm really confused. What's that for? Is it cursed? Are you with Moldark?!" she asks in horror. "Are you here to harm us?" She gets as far away from the chicken as she can.

Palermo: “Tell us how this tool is used. Would it help get you out of there?”

"I don't rightly know" responds the elf, speaking slowly with the same accent. "But I'd be careful of it if I were you. Who knows what that ass-...uh...Moldark has done with this place."

Radahn: “Did that Odlo fellow put you here? He’s caused us quite some trouble as well”. This is met with a few seconds of silence. "Odlo?" replies the first prisoner. "Can't say I know his name."

One of the other humans pipes up. "If you are agents of Moldark, pray reconsider your cruel plans. We'll do whatever he asks! It was wrong to abandon him" and with that begins weeping.

[Rex]

Wenyld

"I have never heard of where you are from or any of the people you just named. This is not good."

She will look over the cell doors and see if she can figure out how to open them.

[OGRE MAGE]

Palmero will pick up the steel rod carefully and touch it to the cell door to see if anything happens.

"We are not agents of any evil wizards coming to harm you. In fact, we will probably set you free if we can figure out a way to get these doors open."

"You say you just woke up here? That sounds like mischievous magicks to me. You are no longer in Pantano, as you may have already figured out. And if we don't know where you're from, then you probably never heard of the village of Clearwater, eh?"

[gurusql]

Cotgric & Duala

Duala will attempt to pick one of the locks, "I am not very good at this but here goes nothing."

Cotgric will watch the prisoners in case he needs to pull Duala away from the cell.

Not sure what to roll in this case
[1d20]=12[1d100]=93

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Will.stand in front of a cell,

Xerxes: random cell [1d4]=3 Charisma 11 vs [1d20]=4

Holding his holy symbol before him and call the prisoner to 'repentance and faith' in Ulesh alone. "Everything for a reason. You are here reserved for justice but in this realm it is only by Ulesh's grace not some wizard's demonic covenant." He intones a few old chapel litanies and assures them that salvation and freedom await for those who truly renounce trusting in evil wizards.

Zygmund, "My maester was not evil. Crazed maybe and afflicted by the warpings of his arcane dabblings. But not evil." he counters to Xerxes bluster.

He lets others more adept at picking locks free them once they are certain the prisoners are not deranged or dangerous.

[Marullus]

Hailey watches curiously, the chicken experiment successful.