The Bathhouse

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Had a bad experience with poking about in a previous sarcophagus, the ghost wielding axe. Mind you we found spell books in one also.

He gestures to a skeleton to search the coffer and hold up what he finds.

[Tell]

Lesh waits with a bemuse smile to see what happens to the skeleton approaching the sarcophagus. If nothing happens he will repeat his previous actions (i.e. perception check) at the next door. If something does happen to the skeleton he will probably watch or simply close the door unless Ambergris, Tommy, or he himself are attacked.

Perception: [1d20+5]=12+5=17

[hedgeknight]

Ambergris and Lesh watch as the skeleton pokes around in the half-buried sarcophagus...finding nothing, nor disturbing anything. Down the hall, Tommy walks to the door, listens, and hearing nothing, opens it...

The walls and floor of this room are covered with streaks and splashes of dried blood. Two dangling bodies are shackled to the east and south walls. One is an elderly male human; the other, a young female half-orc. Both are covered in bloody gashes, and neither is moving. In the middle of the room is a sturdy wooden chair with a bloody whip draped over it. A bucket half filled with salt sits on the floor nearby.

Torture Chamber.png (115.4 KiB) Viewed 414 times

[Belkregos]

Tommy tries to hold his excitement at seeing the half orc female and hoping she is Auruyan 
he holds and looks around the room making sure there not guards or if there are any open doors and secures them before getting some drinking water from his equipment and moving to provide some relief to the prisoners and ask their names 
keep quiet, how long have you been here, what is your name?
he asks both prisoners trying to verify tier identities before revealing he is looking for someone specifically

he waits for their answer before starting to see if the keys they retrieved before fit the shackles (i think we got them from the room with the other prisoner, the room with the flying gauntlets)

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Will stay back. Walking in with a cohort of three undead is most likely to terrorise the captives.

Hope we have better fortune freeing these than with the other ungrateful one. (Klim?)

He takes a drink from his wineskin', offering some to the boneguard trio. "Thirsty work this."

[Tell]

Lesh takes the proffered wineskin and sniffs, "gar-gar-gar" he mutters softly shaking his head. Handing it back to Ambergris before offering some drink of his own... (it's something like D&D scotch dark brown and smells like smoke, nuts, and maybe a little bit like blood). If the keys fit the shackles he will help Tommy free the prisoners if not he can try to pick the locks.

Sleight of Hand: [1d20+3]=2+3=5

[hedgeknight]

Tommy and Lesh move in toward the prisoners, while Ambergris takes a drink and offers some to his bone guards. One looks at the wineskin for several long seconds. Could there be some residual memory of having a pull from a skin tucked somewhere in its undead being?

Tommy checks the man, asking him his name...but quickly discovers the man is dead. His heart hammering, he moves to the female Half-Orc and is very much relieved to find her breathing; shallow breaths, but alive. He speaks to her but gets no response. He dribbles a bit of water into her mouth, but she does not come around.
Lesh is there with the keys taken from the torturer in the other chamber and is able to unlock her shackles. Lowering her gently to the floor, the companions check her wounds; she has been beaten with many stripes and Lesh discovers she has had salt rubbed into them...making her agony worse.

[Tell]

Lesh lowers the half-orc gently, "ka-ka-ka-curativa palabri!"

Healing Word: [2d4+5]=8+5=13

[Belkregos]

Tommy waits tentatively for any response from the half orc
stands next to her examining for any other wounds, moves her heir from her face and asks again

What's your name?

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Coils the whip up, he has had some taste of it. Scurvy sea-dogs scrubbing the decks and insubordinate to officers.

He opens the door, sending his bony guard ahead to guide the way.

[Belkregos]

seeing Ambergris and companions start to move ahead, Tommy speaks up before they open the door

Hold on a bit Ambergris, give it a minute, maybe she knows something of what lies ahead, she might know who heads this operation or what to expect, just give it a minute lets see

he looks over the half orc again for any distinguishing features (birthmarks, tattoos, scars) also around the room for any pieces of the shield, personal belongings that could shed some light or corroborate their identities or clues
Investigation: [1d20+3]=16+3=19

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

Sure. The skeletons can wait. He signals to them to halt.

I am still a bit unsure with having them stand passively about. Not sure arming them with weapons is a good thing in case they turn on us. They don't speak coherently, just chatter teeth and gesture. Simple automatons that obey simple commands.

I think their use will be extra bodies in a melee, though seeing as we are fairly vulnerable that might be as good as it gets.

[hedgeknight]

"ka-ka-ka-curativa palabri!"

The words echo off the walls of the torture chamber, beseeching divine intervention upon those knocking on the door of death. The spirit of Kelemvor answers his servant, delivering a balm of healing upon all those wounded. The female Half-Orc breathes deeply and her wounds close, leaving only some bruising on her greenish gray skin. Her eyes flutter and she jerks awake, ready to bolt! It takes a few seconds to calm her down, even as she reaches for the knife she always keeps tucked behind her back...but it is no longer there; her captors must have removed it when they...
"Wh-where am I?" she asks, her voice hoarse.
Tommy gently pushes her hair back from her face. She flinches away from him, her eyes aflame with anger.
"What's your name?" he asks.

Aurayaun.jpg (327.05 KiB) Viewed 393 times

"I am Aurayaun."
Seeing the relief on the Tabaxi's face, she presses, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

While Lesh and Tommy speak with Aurayaun, Ambergris commands the skeletons to open the door. Tommy speaks up though, Hold on a bit Ambergris, give it a minute, maybe she knows something of what lies ahead, she might know who heads this operation or what to expect, just give it a minute lets see.

Aurayaun grits her teeth and stands up, nearly retching with the effort. Rubbing her knees, she ignores the beads of sweat that have appeared on her forehead, and asks again, "Who are you and why are you here?"

[Belkregos]

Tommy smiles, seeing her stand reassures him further 
My Name is Tommy, i've been looking for you on behalf of Lupeen
he gives a few seconds and moves away to ruffle through his backpack and produces one of the shield pieces lupeen received 
she's been getting these since you went missing, i think Mortlock Vanthampur is behind this but havent seen him 
keeps going through his hack pack and produces a dagger, hand axe and short bow along with 20 arrow quiver and pushes it towards her
i've heard you know you way with these
the way out is this way (he points to the door they came in from) we mostly cleared the path up to here
do you know what's up ahead? (he points to the door they  in the direction they haven't explored) 

he waits to hear for any information she might have, listens but tommy is thinking of going back
he waits and looks to his companions

how about we blow this place up, turn back and torch the gas room, fuck this place....

[hedgeknight]

When Tommy mention's the name "Lupeen," Aurayaun gasps and tears spring to her eyes. "Tell me true, is my...is she safe? I've been so stupid."

Tommy shows Aurayaun the pieces of the shield and she just shakes her head and cries silently. But when he says, "I think Mortlock Vanthampur is behind this but haven't seen him," her eyes widen and she says, "I followed Mortlock's brother, Amrik, to the bathhouse. He paid me to remove the shield from the Blade and Stars, saying he just wanted to play a trick on the Fist. Then, when we were inside, something stung me in the back of the neck and I passed out. I woke up here."
She frowns and holds up a hand. "Wait a minute. I remember hearing what sounded like a heavy stone door scraping open and closed from time to time, accompanied by the sound of splashing footsteps. The noise came from the north."
She points at the door and seems to see Ambergris and the three skeletons simultaneously. Her eyes widen and she grabs the bow and swiftly nocks an arrow. "Who is he and why does he have those...things?" she demands.

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

"Do not fear miss. They be former shipmates made to walk the plank of the Uncivil Servant, choosing death rather than nail their souls to the mast under the flag of Dead-Eye and his Dead 3 cultists. By grace, Dendar gives them a chance at redemption by helping us end this cult plot."

[Belkregos]

tommy tries to calm down Aurayaun
he's strange but one of the good guys, he picked up some help along the way, we fought a necromancer lady a bit a go, i think she left these as she fled but now they are following our friend here
this is Ambergris, and his followers i guess he called them one two and three (he drugs his shoulders)
and this is Lesh 

we've had to fight some cult followers and necromancers down here, looks like they've been kidnaping people and torturing them then turning them in to undead....we dont know how many more there are or how far this thing goes, you said you heard some movement further down... 

this is the second one on Amrik account, he owes me a death already and be sure i'll make him pay....but i'm not sure right now is the best to continue,
i'd hate to leave any of them to continue whatever their up to down here but you're hurt and the necromancers are tough cookies, one was an experienced magic user we managed to survive by grace or luck

He looks to his companions and Aurayaun as well
what do you think, should we continue, sounds like there's more of them

[Tell]

Lesh considers Tommy's question but it's a bit complicated for him to try to balance ideas like vengeance vs. protection. His reptilian mind doesn't really understand abstractions like curiosity for what might be ahead either. He does take note that "Big Cat" gave the "Green Woman" weapons so he doesn't turn his back to her as he proceeds to the next doors and examines it...

Perception: [1d20+5]=13+5=18

[Belkregos]

i guess we're going then..
Tommy says and prepares to move,
after Lesh finishes the initial examination he checks traps or anything he might have missed and proceeds to open the door and move ahead

Perception: [1d20+4]=4+4=8
Investigation: [1d20+3]=19+3=22

before starting his exploration he addresses Auruyan again
by the way, dot be alarmed if you hear some voices in your head, Ambergris and I sometimes reach out like that
he taps his forehead and communicates with telepathic speech with her
"it helps keeping things quiet"
and starts to move quietly ahead of the team
Stealth: [1d20+5]=15+5=20

[hedgeknight]

"Voices? In my head?" Aurayaun says, frowning. She shakes her head and follows Tommy and Lesh, giving Ambergris and his skeletons a wide berth. She hangs to the back as Lesh opens the door to reveal a short hallway turning to the right. The hallway which has a small set of stairs then runs about fifteen feet before turning right again. There is a collapsed hallway and an intersection which branches off ending in three closed doors.
All is quiet...