Quest #21 "Island Hopping"

[wolfpack]

so what are we doing with the woman

gramble says pointing to the captive

[OGRE MAGE]

Sorry folks. I want to make sure Carucenus has a chance to act before continuing, since this is kinda his baby here.

[Karaunios]

Carucenus starts rushing to the front of the party. "Mina! Mina! What happened to you?"shouts the burly warrior. He then stops short as he hears what his companions are saying. In earlier times he would've rushed and taken his now-chained companion in his arms, seeing her disgraceful situation, but falling twice in the same trap has made him warier.

Let's say Carucenus is now between Grumble and Tlachtga.

He stares at the corpse on the stone block and seems to be looking at the situation in fron of his eyes, astonished, without really knowing what to do. "Yes... Sister Theresa is... the one on the stone slab... That one's Mina, in chains."

"What happened, Mina? What did this to you? Tell me!"

Thanks for you patience. Haven't been getting proper sleep lately due to some extra work thrown on me!

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

Spot on, with the stress on the 'SEN' syllable. It's gallic

[OGRE MAGE]

No worries K! Real life comes first.

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

Cresty and Gramble move in a step, the fighter brandishing his ax while the paladin calls back to their new companion to come up. As the shocked party members look around this horrible scene, Carucenus pushes forward to check on his old friends. By the change in her frightened expression, the imprisoned Mina clearly recognizes her old comrade. She tries to stand but appears too weak.

Saracen and Tlachtga also move in. The priest of Pholtus eyes the magically glowing stones on the closest shelf with his back to the others while looking through his mirror. He sees several other mundane trinkets spread out across the shelf, a small silver perfume bottle, a broken hand mirror, and a few small baskets containing other frilly things a woman might use. Tlachtga moves to the first tunnel branching off from this chamber and has a look inside as her dog continues to growl softly. The chamber beyond is dark, but she can make out what looks like another stone slab. Sadly, this one also appears to be occupied by someone who isn't moving.

Andron also takes a closer look at the shelves, seeing the magically lit stones being used as the rooms main light source. He sees a few more little decorative boxes that remind him of the one he asks Maag to return to him, just in case. Most of the shelves are covered with items that look like one might find on a woman's fancy dressing table. The stones with the light spells cast upon them are sitting in little silver stands that appear to have some monetary value.

Talk quickly turns to petrification again, right in front of the poor chained woman, with Cresty reminding the others that he himself looked into the eyes of this beast and survived. Carucenus moves ahead, but only a little, remembering that he just fell victim to the same trap, twice. Mina calls to him from across the room.

"Cary! Is that really you? How did you.......PLEASE free me! Quickly! It's..........it's...........I think it's trying to.......mate.....with us. I think it has killed poor Theresa!"

The woman nearly falls on her face as she tries to stand, clearly malnourished and exhausted. She bursts out in tears whenever she looks upon the battered form upon the stone slab. There also appears to be a small circular water well opening in the floor near her.

Actions?

map:

9810DBCD-2121-481A-A444-29FE7D6D43B8.jpeg (105.43 KiB) Viewed 640 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:5.6 (40'r)
Cu AC:3 11/13
Lerrick 11/11 0/4 1st Torch:0.4 (40'r)
Alordan 16/18
Andronichishche 5/6 0/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st Light:52
Maag 12/12
Carucenus 10/10
message on tiny decorative box
This is not a chest or a coffer. It is a tiny ornate rectangular container, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. With liquid sloshing around inside of it.

[Quonundrum]

Ack, thanks for the clarification. My brain got the silver coffer (that contained the objects) confused with the box.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

"Looks like another stone slab with another victim on it, I'm gonna guess another woman. There are also 2 exits from the room as well. Be ready for an ambush."

Tlachtga and Cu will stay in the room but move to the next tunnel and check that direction.

[kruk]

Cresty

The paladin scans the area around him with a look of disbelief. This has got to stop.. He closes his eyes and prays to his god for strength and guidance After doing so he opens his eyes. Where are you Brutus? You must die for what you've done!. Looking upward he mumbles another prayer to his godPlease grant me my powers to help aide us finding and kilingl this evil creature. He tries once again to detect evil, this time in the directions of the passageways leading out of the room.

Detect evil


Lerrick

The cleric moves over with her torch to Tlachtga's location hoping that the torch light will help shed more light on the room with the other stone slab. Turing to the girl in the chains Did you look into the creatures eyes. If so, how were you not turned to stone.

[Storm11]

Saracen moves towards Mina, but only half way. Show me your hands, we have been tricked here before. I will free you if I can, once you answer the questions asked.

He keeps his sword in one hand hand his mirror in the other, looking at the trapped woman through the mirror held out to his side

[ravenn4544]

Alordan is grim at the woman’s words of such violations. “Free her, man - she’s suffered enough!” His eyes smolder with resolution. The creative may be mad with anger but it has to be put down before it can do greater inhumanities.

[Storm11]

Alordan is grim at the woman’s words of such violations. “Free her, man - she’s suffered enough!” His eyes smolder with resolution. The creative may be mad with anger but it has to be put down before it can do greater inhumanities.

Be my guest.. Saracen responds, gesturing with his sword hand towards Mina.

[Karaunios]

"It's fine, it's fine. Ask her whatever you want. Carucenus then turns to Mina and approaches her some steps, but still mantaining some distance. "Please, Mina, do what they ask you and show them your hands. This people found me and rescued me. They want to help you as much as I want to, but apparently they've had bizarre experiences here before. They have to understand..." The sorrow is visible in his face, his hands grip his weapons with so much strength that his nuckles are turning white.

[wolfpack]

Gramble grabs one of the rocks producing light and throws it in his pouch.

We may need to burn the bodies

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche carefully places the tiny box and glass vial into a shirt pocket and examines the similar looking boxes on the nearby shelf. He's checking for the same rubber sealing and any inscriptions in the same language as on the lid of the other box he's carrying. Recalling what happens without light in these tunnels, he takes the glow stone from its silver stand and holds it in one hand. Andron then lowers his head and looks askance at the body of Sister Theresa on the stone slab. After a moment he steels his resolve and solemnly approaches the edge of the bed. What befell Cora was difficult enough ... this was something else he was ill prepared to encounter.

He slowly removes his coat, being mindful to transfer the map and mirror to his backpack first, and carefully drapes it across Sister Theresa, ensuring the entirety of her lower body is completey covered. Quietly chanting the Raoan last rites, he invokes his god to help guide the poor cleric's soul to her divine reward. When Tlachtga reports yet another victim in an adjoining chamber, his shoulders visibly slump. With a weary sigh he gestures to the surrounding shelves. "These appear to be from previous victims. The broken mirror suggests he may indeed be susceptible to his reflected gaze."

Normally he would have rebuked Gramble for suggesting that they burn the bodies, and especially so loudly in the presence of Carucenus and Mina. Given their previous encounter with the undead Cora he could only nod in silent agreement. While the others begin questioning Mina, he slumps down and sits on the edge of the stone slab, the fingertips of his free hand rubbing his forehead in subdued thought.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag normal interest in poking around for interesting souvenirs is suppressed as he decides to keep up his guard. "Brutus is 'ere somewhere. 'e's messed about enough wiv us before. Now dat we' ave made it as far as all of....dis..." Maag grimaces. "An' we've rung der bell?...Nah, 'e's not gonna let us get away wiv dis."

[Storm11]

Saracen will move over to the shelf and reverently pocket one of the glowing stones also. He will actually keep it out as a way to shine light around the chamber as a sign of Pholtus’s pleasure.

He waits to see Mina’s hands to ensure they are actually shackled before he moves in to help.

[OGRE MAGE]

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

Tlachtga moves over to check the next passage and finds another winding tunnel that appears to end in a larger chamber. Lerrick joins her there but neither can see the contents of the chamber around a short bend in the passage. The cleric asks the woman in chains about the beasts eyes. "He never looks at our faces......only at our......" The poor captive bursts into tears again, motioning to the brutalized dead priestess on the slab.

Cresty concentrates really hard this time, trying to determine if the room is as evil as it seems. The vision in his mind that he gets this time is even more disturbing, with poor Cora screaming out in pain as she transforms into some horrible creature in his mind. With blood pouring from her eyes, nose, and mouth, she appears to be screaming something directly to the forsaken paladin, who quickly shakes the image from his mind. He gets no sense of anything, evil or otherwise, form his attempt.

Saracen moves forward, still looking awkwardly through his small mirror. He threatens the woman in chains, still unsure if this entire place is nothing more than a set-up. The woman ignores the horribly ugly half-orc completely, almost as if she is afraid to look directly at him. Alordan is again unimpressed with the priests gruff actions, but he doesn't rush in to help either.

Carucenus moves forward next, but again, he keeps his distance from the chained woman who has been showing her shackled wrists ever since the group entered the room. He tries to calm her and tells her that these people are here to help, when Gramble speaks up about burning the body, which causes a second round of hysterical crying from the weakened captive. The uncouth fighter then walks up to one of the shelves and pockets the glowing stone. Saracen sees the woman's shackles as well, but he wanders over to take another one of the light stones from the shelves, keeping it out to illuminate the room instead of simply pocketing it.

Andron finds many little boxes and bowls decorated with the same silver filament, similar to the tiny box in his pocket, but none that match it perfectly. He finds no evidence of any more sealed containers and there is no writing on any of the items he looks at. He takes a third glowing stone before taking off his pack and coat, respectfully covering the brutalized sister and saying some prayers to Rao before collapsing on the corner of the "bed", grieving heavily.

Maag stays alert, not letting his focus drift away to all the shinnies on the shelves. He reminds the group that this fight is far from over while Cu continues to growl, looking generally uncomfortable with his entire surroundings.

Actions?

map:

079C6552-18EA-4206-890F-95137DBB7A2D.jpeg (103.67 KiB) Viewed 578 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:5.5 (40'r)
Cu AC:3 11/13
Lerrick 11/11 0/4 1st Torch:0.3 (40'r)
Alordan 16/18
Andronichishche 5/6 0/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st Light:51
Maag 12/12
Carucenus 10/10
message on tiny decorative box

[Storm11]

Saracen tries to see how the chains are attached and if there is a simple way of opening then or if it will need Maags ... expertise.

I don’t think Saracen threatened Mina. He certainly didn’t mean to.

He won’t get too close but he will get close enough to see what he’s trying to discern, but at least a quarterstaff away from the chained woman, ready to leap back if she moves to attack.

If the chains are secured merely with a bolt he will try and move to the left side of Mina and slide the bolt open so one of her arms becomes free. He will then retreat and leave her to free her other arm.

If it’s a lock he will call Maag over and see if the other half-orc can work his own brand of magic.

[wolfpack]

Gramble will go up to the woman cautiously in case brutus phases out of a wall and inspects her chains to determine if he can break them or if they need a lock pick

[Rex]

Tlachtga

"Another area to explore, I don't see anything other than a cavern. We will need to explore these areas eventually. No luck getting the chains off her? Maybe Maag can?"

Tlachtga and Cu move to the next tunnel opening to check it out.

[kruk]

Cresty

The paladin, clearly shaken by his last vision, takes a deep breath and direction his attention to the three passageways, ready to attack or warn the party if anything approaches.


Lerrick

The cleric continues to hold her position and watch for any threats while the others try to comfort and free the captive.