Return To The Ruins (Warlords Palace)

[Rex]

Drest

Drest just mumbles back at them.

Turning to the newcomers. "We have a sort of safe place in the basement to rest up and hide out if you want to join us to talk."

[shaidar]

Xenos

"We have a lot to discuss. We found what we were looking for, but had to return. Not all of us survived, but we want to return."

[The_Wanderer]

Cyril shakes his head at Drest and the man's encounter with the guards. "Let me know if you require my services, Drest.

As to our adventures...that place is harrowing but we owe a blood debt to any remaining denizens."

[Rex]

Drest

"I always seem to require your services Cyril. They are much appreciated."

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The Kelt watches the beating, her mouth open in surprise, and wants to intervene...but to her shame, she doesn't. Afterward, she approaches the one called Drest and asks, "Why in the world were they beating you? Did you steal something or cross some boundary?"

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

The warrior snorts. "He probably said something they didn't like."

[Rex]

Ceana

The Kelt watches the beating, her mouth open in surprise, and wants to intervene...but to her shame, she doesn't. Afterward, she approaches the one called Drest and asks, "Why in the world were they beating you? Did you steal something or cross some boundary?"

Drest

"The mistress asked if I wanted a sheep or goat instead of a whore and I made a rather rude reply. Just lucky I didn't get us all tossed out I suppose. Stuff like this happens to me all the time. Why I am an outcast probably."

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

He looks upon the beating with detached amusement. He knows that this was only a warning, and not to interfere. "It is lucky. Sometimes the taint of one fig will spoil the bunch."

"So what did you find? Something good? Oh, and it looks like if everything goes well Ceana and I will be the owners of our own residence. We could even be persuaded to have visitors stay in more private conditions."

[Rex]

Drest

"That would be nice. We found a snakeman cult teaching escaped slave to be cannibals. Also found a gargoyle. There is a lot more to explore there."

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The druidess flinches when Drest mentions the "snakeman cult" and she appears visibly taken back.
"My...my vision from Yoon'Deh...it was about a man with a snake's head. Where did you go exactly to find this...cult?"

[shaidar]

Xenos

"They were in the ruins of a Warlord's palace to the north of Xambaala. We are planning to return in the morning."

[The_Wanderer]

Drest

"I always seem to require your services Cyril. They are much appreciated."

Cyril
"In the morning I will be able to assist. His attention then turns to the recap of their harrowing time. He says, "...Don't forget about the crazy dwarves who tried to kill us in the basement. We were pushed to the limit. Oh and we were also gassed in our sleep and nearly murdered. I can only imagine we would have become the cannibals' next meal.

Who is Yoon'Deh?"

[Rex]

Drest

"One of my peoples Goddess'. She is the goddess of nature, certain animals, and wild passions."

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

"Wait. So there's a snake cult convincing slaves to be cannibals? That's excellent! Let's go tell the Satrap and get funded to deal with them."

[shaidar]

Xenos

"I don't think getting the authorities involved is a good idea in this instance."

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

"Ok, I'm not suggesting having them join us, just trying to get a contract with the Satrap to be professionals. But why exactly should this be kept quiet? What secrets are we protecting?"

[shaidar]

Xenos

"Apart from a few vague rumours, it seems the old fortress has been mostly forgotten. That could be useful."

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Taibhse takes it all in then begins to rattle off questions as he tries to get a handle on such a complex problem. "So we have snake people, escaped cannibal slaves, dwarves, and a gargoyle. That sounds like quite a lot of issues. Is that all, or all you've found? What kind of numbers are we talking? Would dividing and conquering be good strategy? Can you map out what you know so we can get a clearer picture of it? What's your plan now?"

[The_Wanderer]

Taibhse

Taibhse takes it all in then begins to rattle off questions as he tries to get a handle on such a complex problem. "So we have snake people..."

Cyril
"One small adjustment...they were disguised snake people..." As he says this, he focuses on his amulet and changes his physical appearance to match one of the dead snakemen. "When they died their formed changed to look like this...but when they still lived they looked like normal humans." As he finishes speaking, he lets his disguise fade back to his normal appearance.
"The slaves did not know that they were dealing with snake people."

[Rex]

Drest

"All true. But the escaped slaves were knowingly eating people and roasting them alive on a spit. We killed all the dwarves we encountered but there is a lot more to explore there."