Quest #21 "Island Hopping"

[wolfpack]

gramble shines his axe blade on his cloak and checks the reflection averting his eyes form looking straight ahead as they travel

i'm gonna give the medusa something to cry about

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga blindfolds Cu, then moves forward, keeping her eyes directed away as much as possible and leading Cu.

Order looks good to me, I am not sure what the fetish with the pole is but each their own.

[kruk]

Cresty

The paladin continues forward with head down looking at the pole tapping the floor. As they move closer to the source of the voice the paladin shouts "Greetings! Who are you and why are you crying? Are you hurt? Are you in pain. We can help "


Lerrick

The cleric stares down towards the ground as the group moves forward

[ravenn4544]

Alordan stands ready and just shakes his head at Cresty.

[Karaunios]

Carucenus

To Maag: "Don't worry, I'm fine. Got my armor anyway, in case you worry about my back. But don't be concerned about perils, you have like seven people to protect you at the front!"

He looks from time to time over his shoulder, lest anything attack him from behind. Other than that, he stays ready with his sword drawn.

[OGRE MAGE]

Back To Work
Freeday, 19th of Goodmonth
Morning, Partly Cloudy, Warm, Humid

With their mirrors at the ready, the group advances around the bend into the well lit area beyond. Andron suggests waiting on any violence until they can discern more from this place, all the while Gramble pats his trusty ax, Labrys. Tlachtga ties a blindfold around Cu who growls softly but continually now from under his slobbery breath.

Maag and Carucenus get to know each other a little when Cresty calls out towards the sobbing, announcing the groups presence as they enter the large open chamber that looks to be some kind of crude stone living area of sorts. The groove in the floor of the tunnel ends with a hole large enough to see into. A large gong is spotted through the hole, mounted directly under the floor in what must be an oddly elaborate doorbell or one of the strangest warning systems you have ever triggered.

The woman's sobbing increases into near hysterics once the paladin says hello, the noise coming from a tiny female figure seen chained to the wall on the other side of the room. Shelves line the walls of this chamber, covered with what appear to be many mundane trinkets. Mixed in among these are 4 small glowing stones placed throughout the room that give off a warm glow that keeps the chamber illuminated. (tiny dots on the map)

Three other passages branch off from this room and a large stone slab that appears to be bed of some kind dominates the central portion of the area. Laying prone across this stone bed is the form of a clearly deceased human female that doesn't appear to have been dead very long. Other than a ragged and ripped shirt, the woman has been stripped of any remaining clothing. Her midsection from her waist to her knees is bruised, battered, and bloodied, the horrible sight making her final demise rather gruesome and obvious.

The filthy woman on the floor eyes widen when she sees you enter. She holds up her shackled wrists towards you, begging you with her eyes to come inside and save her before.......

Actions?

map:

F5235727-19FC-4699-A99A-EAE7C77FD4EA.jpeg (86.99 KiB) Viewed 619 times

Sir Crestbrook 9/11 LoH
Gramble 14/16
Saracen 30/33 1/5 1st 1/2 2nd
Tlachtga 6/8 1/4 1st Torch:5.7 (40'r)
Cu AC:3 11/13
Lerrick 11/11 0/4 1st Torch:0.5 (40'r)
Alordan 16/18
Andronichishche 5/6 0/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st Light:53
Maag 12/12
Carucenus 10/10
message on tiny decorative box

[wolfpack]

Gramble considers killing the woman now before she can turn on them and setting the dead body on fire, but holds off for the moment.

[kruk]

Cresty

The paladin doesn't look directly into the eyes at the woman bound by shackles. He taps the floor in front of him with the pole checking for pressure plates. Not noticing any he steps into the room to get a better view of what else is there and so that the others can come an view for themselves. As he scans the room his eyes stop on the brutally beaten women on the slab. Rage begins to surge within the paladin. Speaking to the seemingly dead victim. Justice will be served on whoever or whatever did this to you ...I assure you that. He tilts his head back and shouts to the fighter in the back of the party. Carucenus, you mentioned that there were females in your party. I pray that the two I see here aren't them.. He drops the pole and holds onto the hilt of his weapon with both hands. Turning to the bound women, not looking into her eyes . Who are you and how did you end up here?

Lerrick

The cleric waits patiently for her turn to enter the room

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche stands still in the chamber's threshold, stunned, his urban genteel sensibilities in utter shock at the macabre tableau before his eyes. He knew almost immediately the poor woman lying on the stone slab for a bed was beyond their help. He knows "Brutus" is insane, but he wasn't fully prepared to confront the depth of depravity behind those eyes. He was still hoping for a peaceful resolution ... the idea for which now lies shattered in the recesses of his psyche.

Seeing Gramble get that look of pyromaniac intent, he quickly regains his composure and attempts to assess the situation before events unravel in a similar fashion several days ago. He calls out to the chained woman, "Please, we are here to help. Do not be afraid." He looks back to Carucenus and in a low whisper asks, "Do you recognize them? Is she Sister Theresa or Mina?"

[Storm11]

Saracen moves in to the chamber and turns to face the wall. He lifts up his mirror and scans the chamber behind him carefully. He will do his best to avoid eye contact with the woman, and will wait to hear her response before he continues into the cavern.

Looking at the glowing gems he murmurs Praise to Pholtus feeling these are sacred in some way.

PS how do you pronounce Carucenus? Car Roo Sen Us?

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga and Cu move to the first tunnel on the left as she enters, checks it and stands guard with Cu.

"Cu doesn't like this, he is clearly on edge. Something is not right here, do you sense anything Cresty?"

[kruk]

Tlachtga" Something is not right here, do you sense anything Cresty?"

I would if I could Tlachtga. Unfortunately I've lost my ability to detect evil. I hope some day to have that power again.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan clutches his sword. He remains quiet - disturbed by what he sees. His eyes keep to the walls floors and ceiling for a possible attack from the rock creature.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche looks next from Carucenus to Maag. "Mr. Maag, please hand me the vial and coffer from the cavern. "Brutus" is quite devious and may be planning something. If what I suspect is true and he desires these objects, threatening their destruction may give us some leverage, if necessary." He then attempts to examine the trinkets from his current position. Given the monster's proven ingenuity with traps he decides to refrain from physically disturbing anything. Andron is particularly interested in determining if any of the trinkets seem to be constructed in the same style or material as the vial and coffer.

[Quonundrum]

Andron should also be 0/3 on cleric spells. Cast the last one for Light.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag hands over the objects as requested. He looks around the room, taking care to use his mirror to do so.

" Yer, dis is a trap if I ever saw one. Dat gong wasn't put der for fun. Brutus is around 'ere somewhere"

Maag steps a couple of feet away from the wall, in case Brutus decides to get grabby.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche pauses briefly while visually inspecting the trinkets on the shelves, a pensive and slightly perplexed expression evident in his eyes. "Aside from the obvious inference of a trap, something in particular is amiss ... how did they manage to evade his gaze while imprisoned here?"

[kruk]

Andronichishche"Aside from the obvious inference of a trap, something in particular is amiss ... how did they manage to evade his gaze while imprisoned here?"

Lerrick

I was thinking the same thing Andron.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan considers quietly in usual cheerful self, "maybe it's not his gaze that is creating all the statues - maybe it's how he moves through the rock or controls it. We've run into him a few times and have survived... Nothing else on this island is what it seems so why would this be any different?"

[kruk]

Alordan "maybe it's not his gaze that is creating all the statues - maybe it's how he moves through the rock or controls it. We've run into him a few times and have survived... Nothing else on this island is what it seems so why would this be any different?"

Cresty

The paladin turns to Alordan I can assure you that you don't want to look into the eyes of Brutus. If it wasn't for my iron will and massive strength I would have been turned to stone when I came in contact with him when we were investigating the large room with the pool